BRIEFLY : GRIFFITH PARK CORPSE THAT OF L.A. WOMAN.

GRIFFITH PARK - A pedestrian found the body of a Los Angeles woman near the Traveltown museum Thursday.

Police identified the woman as 41-year-old Rita Campoy of Los Angeles. The cause of her death was under investigation late Thursday, said Officer Don Cox of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations division.

The pedestrian spotted Campoy's body in brush beneath a tree around 8:40 a.m.

- Daily News

Childrens Hospital needs blood donors

Childrens Hospital Los Angeles is seeking blood and platelet donors to help cover an increase in complex surgeries and new programs as well as an expected decrease in donors during the summer months, a donor recruiter said.

In the past, the hospital relied on patients' friends and family to donate, but now as much as four times more blood is needed because of advances in medicine resulting in newer, innovative surgeries, said Barbara Johnson, a donor recruiter hired specifically to conduct donor outreach.

``This is going to be a long haul in educating the public that there is a need here for these children,'' said Johnson. ``And in that sense it is urgent because we're going to get in trouble if we don't have the blood supply.''

The hospital has seen an increase in cardiac surgeries and cardiac transplants, and has also added liver and lung transplant programs, said Johnson.

For information or to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets, call the hospital's donor center at [phone].

- Daily News

Police Commission to meet in Valley

The Los Angeles Police Commission will meet June 30 in Van Nuys and July 14 in Northridge as part of its continuing effort to make its sessions more accessible to city residents.

The Van Nuys meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Monarch Hall at Valley College, 5800 Fulton Ave. The Northridge meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the community center building at Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 18037 Plummer St.

Few residents attend the commission's regular meetings, which are held in the morning at Parker Center, so the panel has begun meeting monthly away from the downtown police headquarters.

Police Chief Bernard C. Parks and representatives from San Fernando Valley police stations will attend the Northridge and Van Nuys meetings, where residents may address the commission on any police-related issue.

- Daily News

Drink solicitation costs bar's license

VAN NUYS - The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control on Thursday revoked the liquor license of a Canoga Park bar suspected of recruiting women to illegally solicit drinks from customers.

Undercover ABC investigators caught an employee of the La Herradura Bar allegedly soliciting alcoholic beverages from patrons, a violation of state law, said ABC Van Nuys District Office Administrator Dale Rasmussen.

The activity involves an employee, usually a female, asking a patron to buy her an alcoholic beverage, he said.

Many times the drink is twice the usual cost of the beverage, with the profit split between the woman soliciting the beer and the bar owner, Rasmussen said. This is usually unreported income, which goes untaxed, he said.

``The illegal solicitation of alcohol beverages goes beyond untaxed beverages,'' Rasmussen said. ``Lonely men will often drink much more alcohol to keep a conversation with the woman. This often leads to drunk driving, violence and even prostitution.''

The La Herradura Bar, at 7249 Canoga Ave., has a history of violations for illegal solicitation, sales to obviously intoxicated patrons and selling alcohol to a minor, Rasmussen alleged.

- City News Service

$500,000 donation challenges college

An anonymous donor recently donated $500,000 to Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys as part of a challenge to boost the college's New Media Arts Academy. In return, the college is mounting an intense fund-raising campaign to match the donation.

Plans for Valley's New Media Arts Academy call for a state-of-the-art training center. Classes in film, music, radio, television, journalism, theater arts, graphic design and computer technology will be offered in one building.

The college already offers many of these classes and a students can earn a media arts certificate.

The challenge grant, which Valley received in May, would provide the academy new digital video cameras, video recorders, editing machines, graphics and animation computer systems.

In order to earn the grant, Valley must raise its portion in a year. Valley College officials aim to raise the funds by May, which coincides with the college's 50th anniversary.

Anyone interested in donating should call Alan Sacks, professor of broadcasting, at [phone].

- Daily News

Interim boss named to city housing post

Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan this week nominated the acting head of the city Housing Department to serve as permanent general manager of the agency.

Riordan said Garry W. Pinney, who has been temporary manager for nearly a year, has proven himself by advancing the city's housing policy of promoting home ownership and preserving the housing stock. He was selected after a nationwide search and the appointment is subject to City Council approval.

Pinney has worked for the city 27 years, most recently in the City Administration Office and the Chief Legislative Analyst's Office. The Housing Department, with 300 employees and an annual budget of $75 million, is the city's primary housing agency.

- Daily News