Coastal

Phone Dialing to Be Simplified: In an effort to simplify dialing procedures, General Telephone has begun a three-phase plan that will no longer require Orange County customers to dial “1” within the 714 area code. Hal Compton, a General Telephone spokesman, said that dialing the extra digit was eliminated earlier this month for Laguna Beach and some Huntington Beach customers. Several Westminster customers also will be affected by the new change beginning Oct. 12. General Telephone will begin a third phase of the conversion on Dec. 27 that will include the prefixes of other Huntington Beach customers.