THEY’VE GOT A SECRET: The federal government...

THEY’VE GOT A SECRET: The federal government wants five Orange County sheriff’s deputies for an undercover assignment that is too sensitive to share, even with the Board of Supervisors, which is being asked to approve the agreement today. . . . Sheriff Brad Gates, who’s highly in favor of the plan, says it’s so secret that he can’t even disclose the name of the federal agency conducting the investigation. Altogether, it would be a team of almost 50 law enforcement officers.

SHINE UP THE BADGE: In most of Brad Gates’ 19 years as county sheriff, he’s been beleaguered by a county jail system with too few beds and too many prisoners. But the sheriff has good days too. . . . Wednesday night, he will receive the United Way’s prestigious 1993 Alexis de Tocqueville Society Humanitarian Award--along with Michael K. Hayde, president of Western National Properties. The two are being honored at a Costa Mesa dinner for co-founding six years ago the “Drug Use Is Life Abuse” program aimed at young people.

ANGRY CALLS: More than 100 frustrated motorists so far have dialed 560-OCTA or 636-RIDE since Transportation Authority board member Sarah L. Catz asked the public to identify streets with poor traffic signal synchronization. “I think I hit a sensitive nerve,” Catz said. “I was upset after a particularly bad week in which I hit every red light, it seems. . . . There’s simply no excuse for it.” Most complaints came from Irvine, which does have some rush hour light synchronization.

SOAKING UP ART: In the crafts business, “ideas come and go,” says Bette Scruggs, art director at Gick Design Staff in Irvine. The latest: sponge and spatter. You dip design-shaped sponges into finger paint and press them to sweat shirts, wrapping paper or shirts. Sponge & Spatter was the busiest booth at the Christmas fair in Garden Grove last weekend. . . . And Gick’s designs are featured this month in the premiere issue of Better Homes and Gardens’ Craft & Wear magazine.