SEAL OF APPROVAL: Deep in the recesses...

SEAL OF APPROVAL: Deep in the recesses of President Clinton’s $1.52-trillion budget released Monday was enough to put the total for the Ronald Reagan Federal Courthouse in Santa Ana at $128 million. Local congressmen had asked for $168 million, but Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove) says that in these hard times, Orange County is fortunate with what it got. . . . “We can build it with that, but not a penny less,” he says. “With a population the size of a dozen states, Orange County deserves a decent federal courthouse.”

LOVELY HALF: Former Angels General Manager Whitey Herzog, now a consultant for the club, got a card from wife Mary Lou for their 41st wedding anniversary Monday: “It’s been great, I hope we can have a great 20 1/2 more years.” Her explanation: “The way I figure it, you’ve been gone half the time since we’ve been married.” . . . Herzog says of his life since resigning from the Angels on Jan. 15: “I’ve gone skiing 12 of those days and fished five others. Now, how much better can life get than that?”

BAD REP? When Dr. Hugh Stallworth moved here from Fresno last month to become the county’s public health director, in charge of 1,200 employees, friends warned him about Orange County’s reputation as a bulwark of conservatism. . . . “But that’s OK,” says Stallworth. “Conservative people have health problems too. So far I feel I’m fortunate to have been put into a very nurturing environment.”

REFRESHER SESSION: Les McCraw is at the top of his field as chief executive of Fluor Corp. Which is why officials at the Barker Elementary School in Garden Grove are ecstatic that he’s coming today to talk to 4th to 6th graders about the importance of math and science. . . . “It’s never too early for them to see how the things they learn in school relate to the real world,” says Barker Principal Vince Spinosa. More than 100 Fluor engineers will be pouring into local schools this month to promote interest in technology and math.