BRIEFLY : DEVONSHIRE DIVISION SETS BUSINESS PATROL.

The Los Angeles Police Department's Devonshire Division will launch an area-wide Business Watch program today at 7:45 a.m. at the Shepherd of the Hills Church at 19700 Rinaldi Street in Porter Ranch.

The program unites existing local Business Watches into an area-wide organization that promotes a partnership between police and businesses.

The meeting also inaugurates a computerized business registration program to expedite emergency response.

The registration will include business names, addresses and contact numbers so law enforcement can contact company officials in case of burglary or fire, said Sgt. Ron Kubitsky.

Identification stickers posted on each business will allow police to access the computer file. Sign-up for the program begins today.

- Daily News

L.A. to get federal toxic cleanup grant

Los Angeles won a $1.7 million federal grant Monday to help cover the costs of cleaning up toxics at the former Goodyear Tire plant in South Los Angeles.

Andrew Cuomo, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, made the announcement during a conference on cleaning up industrial sites known as ``brownfields.''

``We are taking polluted sites once given up for dead and bringing them back to life,'' Cuomo said. ``They will be reborn to provide new jobs for workers today and for our children tomorrow.''

Daily News

Westwood sprayed to destroy fruit flies

WESTWOOD - State food and agriculture workers began spraying trees in Westwood on Monday, hoping to get rid of olive fruit flies - nine of which showed up in the area last week.

The state Department of Food and Agriculture's eradication plan calls for fruit stripping and soil treatments on property within a 200-meter radius of each fly find, the agency's Myrlys Williams said.

Another treatment will be done later this month, Williams said. The area will be checked again in the spring.

So far, all the olive flies have been found near Santa Monica Boulevard, between Beverly Glen and Westwood boulevards, she said.

In addition to malathion and diazinon treatments, a quarantine zone has been established. Residents are barred from moving olives from property in that area.

- City News Service

Eight inmates hurt in brawl at Pitchess

SAUGUS - A fight Monday involving about 200 inmates at the Peter Pitchess Detention Center left eight people suffering from injuries ranging from stab wounds to minor scrapes, a sheriff's deputy said.

Two emergency response teams were called after the fight started about 9:50 a.m., said Deputy Steve Flamm. A deputy fired a stingball grenade that broke up the melee.

An inmate stabbed in the neck was taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition, Flamm said.

The other seven were treated at the jail clinic, he said. No deputies were injured.

Two ``jail-made'' weapons were found, he said.

- City News Service

Campaign donor's sentencing delayed

Sentencing for Johnny Chung, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance abuses in an agreement to help prosecutors probe the actions of other Democratic Party contributors, was delayed again Monday until a judge could review Chung's federal grand jury testimony.

``I'm feeling little people are being put on the block for someone else,'' U.S. District Judge Manuel Real said in Los Angeles, adding that his choice of words weren't meant in a pejorative sense.

The Taiwanese-born U.S. citizen pleaded guilty March 16 to making an illegal $20,000 contribution to the 1996 re-election campaign of President Clinton and Vice President Al Gore. Chung admitted using ``straw donors'' to funnel the money and then reimbursing them.

He also pleaded guilty to charges involving an $8,000 donation to the campaign of Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., tax evasion and fraudulently obtaining a $157,500 loan for his Artesia home.

- Associated Press

Gas explosion levels apartment, injures 5

ALHAMBRA - Natural gas caused an explosion that destroyed an apartment building and injured five people, investigators said Monday.

``It was a natural gas explosion,'' said Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Vince Callier. ``We are unable to determine whether the gas was left on accidentally or whether it was a deliberate act.''

Five people were slightly injured, including two people passing the eight-unit Fremont Street apartment in a car when the blast occurred at 5 p.m. Sunday.

Callier said investigators refused to say what apartment the gas originated in and whether the gas source was an appliance or something else.

City fire Deputy Chief Vince Kemp initially believed the blast was caused by a bomb. Two young men were detained for questioning and then released.

- Associated Press

Burnett donates TV mementos to UCLA 

WESTWOOD - Actress Carol Burnett Monday gave UCLA - her alma mater - a collection of gifts from her Emmy-winning TV show.

``I'm so happy that we can share the many years of music and sketches from our shows with the students of UCLA and people interested in the entertainment industry,'' Burnett said. ``This is a wonderful way for the material to continue to have a life.''

The San Antonio, Texas, native grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from University of California, Los Angeles, in the 1950s, after studying theater arts and English.

The gift includes music, videotapes and scripts from ``The Carol Burnett Show,'' which aired on CBS from 1967-78 and won 25 Emmys.

Materials will be at the Film and Television Archive and at the special collections areas of the UCLA Music Library and the Arts Library.

Orchestral scores and parts for musical numbers performed by Lucille Ball, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Horne, Jerry Lewis, Bernadette Peters, Mel Torme, the Pointer Sisters, Jimmy Stewart and others will be available.

- City News Service