BRIEFLY : SYLMAR FIRM TO BUILD$712 MILLION TRENCH.

The Sylmar firm that built part of the city's subway system has tentatively been awarded a $712 million contract to construct the biggest chunk of the Alameda Corridor, it was announced Thursday.

The Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority issued a notice of intent to have Tutor-Saliba, which built the Metro Red Line tunnel that collapsed in Hollywood, to design and build a 10-mile trench.

The 30-foot-deep trench will be at the middle of the 20-mile rail cargo expressway along Alameda Street that will link Los Angeles and Long Beach ports with transcontinental rail yards east of downtown.

The Alameda Corridor project aimed at eliminating many street-level railroad crossings and speeding the shipment of cargo by consolidating rail lines and improving the flow of rail and vehicle traffic.

The Tutor-Saliba team was one of three that submitted proposals for the contract on July 1.

- City News Service

Fire burns golf carts at site in Van Nuys

VAN NUYS - Fire broke out in a golf cart garage at Woodley Lakes Golf Course on Thursday, charring several carts and spewing black smoke skyward but not deterring duffers on the driving range, officials said.

The fire broke out about 7:55 p.m. at the course, located at 6331 N. Woodley Avenue, said Los Angeles City Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells.

The flames were brought under control by 8:23 p.m. and there were no reports of injuries, he said. The cause remains under investigation.

- Daily News

10 from LAPD win national recognition

Ten of the Los Angeles Police Department officers on duty in the North Hollywood bank shootout Feb. 28, 1997, will be honored in the nation's capital Oct. 8 by the National Association of Police Organizations.

Don Anderson, Edward Brentlinger, John Caprarelli, Richard A. Massa, Dean R. Schram, Conrado Torrez, Richard Zielinski, Sgt. Steven Gomez and Detectives Vincent Bancroft Jr. and Kevin A. Harley will be honored at the association's fifth annual awards ceremony.

The masters of ceremonies will be Richard Belzer of NBC's ``Homicide: Life on the Street'' and Lynne Russell of CNN's ``Headline News.''

NAPO is a national law enforcement group representing more than 220,000 sworn law enforcement officers from 4,000 police associations and unions across the country.

- City News Service

City earmarks funds for business district

The Los Angeles City Council has voted to allocate $50,000 in start-up costs for a business improvement district proposed for Van Nuys Auto Row.

Once created, the district would charge an assessment to property owners to pay for street and sidewalk improvements to make the commercial area more attractive to shoppers.

- Daily News

Elusive candidate misses court dates

PASADENA - The Green Party candidate vying for an Assembly seat from the 44th District has twice failed to appear in court on a misdemeanor drug charge.

Shawn Waddell, 23, arrested in December for allegedly being under the influence of an amphetamine, faces a year in jail if convicted.

But Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies say finding Waddell is not a high priority. They don't know where he is and aren't searching for him.

``There's not an all-points bulletin for this guy,'' said Sgt. Patrick Gomez of the sheriff's Temple Station. ``If we happen to stop him, we will put him in jail.''

Meanwhile, Green Party officials said they have never heard of Waddell and were surprised to hear he was campaigning as a member of their group. Last week, lawyers for the Democratic Party tried to get Waddell's name stricken from the ballot because he is a registered Democrat and not a member of the Green Party, according to voter registration records.

- Associated Press