BRIEFLY : WOULD-BE ROBBERS SHOOT MAN IN ARM.

PANORAMA CITY - Four to five youths shot a man in the arm after they tried to rob him Saturday evening, police said.

The boys ranged in age from 10 to 16, said Officer Don Cox of the Los Angeles Police Department's media relations unit.

One witness, Bernardino Fernandez, said he saw two shots come from a group of at least three to four boys outside the Clean Scene Laundromat. Fernandez went to help the man, who asked him to call the police. He said the boys appeared to be 10 to 13 years old.

The suspects approached the victim in the 14600 block of Parthenia Avenue shortly after 6:30 p.m. and asked him for money, Cox said.

``When the man said that he didn't have any money, the group fired at him,'' Cox said. ``They walked away, and from a distance they fired a shot at him.''

The victim suffered a superficial arm wound, officials said. No arrests had been made Saturday night.

Hunters find human remains in creek

ACTON - Skeletal remains were discovered Saturday afternoon in a dry creek bed by a group of quail hunters, deputies said.

The discovery shortly before 3 p.m. was made at Aliso Canyon Road, 4.2 miles east of Soledad Canyon Road and just east of the Santa Clara River, officials said.

``It appears to be a human skull and some other type of bone fragments,'' said Sgt. Scott Brickert, of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Officials said the remains appeared to be of one person, although the gender or race had not yet been determined. They worked Saturday to identify where the remains had come from.

Sheriff's homicide detectives were investigating the discovery.

- Daily News

Tree People get $10,000 from L.A.

A tree planting program for Sherman Oaks received a boost Monday when the Tree People was presented with a $10,000 check from the city of Los Angeles as part of a fine against a firm convicted of violating hazardous material regulations.

City Attorney James Hahn presented the check from Locar Enterpriseid Inc., which was convicted earlier this year of violating regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials through the San Fernando Valley.

Tree People officials said the money is earmarked for a Ventura Boulevard program being operated with the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.

- Daily News

China-U.S. student debate set at CSUN 

Adding a new perspective to American/Sino relations, a team of Chinese scholars will take on a group of California State University, Northridge, students next month for a debate over the issue of gender equality.

The debate will be held Nov. 13 at 8 p.m. in the university's business auditorium on the west side of the campus at 1811 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. The event is believed to be the first time such an exchange has taken place between American and Chinese students.

The event will bring together students from Xi'an Foreign Language University in the province of Xi'an, China, and CSUN students. The debate will take place in English on the question of whether equality of sexes can ever be achieved.

- Daily News