JWA SOUTH? The brouhaha over the future...

JWA SOUTH? The brouhaha over the future of the El Toro Marine Corps base may rage on for years. But the staff at the Southern California Assn. of Governments has issued its finding: They agree it would make a great commercial airport. Staff officials say it won’t hurt John Wayne Airport, and it will alleviate LAX traffic by 2 million people annually. . . . But Supervisor Gaddi H. Vasquez, president of the regional agency, hasn’t released that finding yet. He fears angering opponents of that idea.

MODESTLY SHARP: Islamic tradition dictates that Muslim women must dress modestly. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t clothes-conscious (E1). Bilquis Ahmed, 32, who works for the Orange County Water District, covers herself from her head to her toes. But, she says, “I want to have style.” . . . For special occasions, she pins her head scarf with a jeweled pin underneath her chin: “I can wear anything as long as it’s loose and covering. The aim of our way of dressing is to shift the focus from the physical to the spiritual.”

STANDARD STAR: The romantic comedy “My Boyfriend’s Back” opens today, with Andrew Lowery of Fullerton playing the lead part as an amorous, teen-aged zombie. Lowery, 29, grew up in Placentia, graduated from the Fullerton College theater program, and plays in the local rock band, Standard Fruit. He’s had smaller parts in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “School Ties.” But the “Boyfriend’s” movie marks Lowery’s first leading role.

LET IT LEI: The men and women of the Brea City Council have always been sharply dressed in business clothes. But have they really been California? Apparently, they decided no. . . . This week they all agreed to come to their regular meeting in Hawaiian shirts or bright prints. Mayor Burnie Dunlap, decked out in a loud flower print himself, even circulated a memo on it--to make sure he didn’t dress the part alone. “It’s summer,” the mayor explains. “It’s a more relaxed thing.”