NO CONTEST: What’s wrong with some honest...

NO CONTEST: What’s wrong with some honest competition? Well, at Saugus High School, apparently quite a bit. The school won’t honor a valedictorian this year, saying it simply places too much pressure on students (B9). . . . But Canyon High’s Gerald Calderon, 18, the only valedictorian left in the same school district, couldn’t disagree more. He says the race for the best grades is a “very good idea.”

OUR WELFARE: The White House will offer its new welfare package next week (A1), and it’s sure to get plenty of attention in the Valley. In fact, according to the county Social Services Department, about 145,000 people in the Valley receive AFDC benefits. . . . “We’re always trying to find more space in that area because of the growing population on welfare,” said Sandra Semtner, a department official.

TERROR RIDE: Working for a security firm, Jim Voshall makes his living off the dread of crime. Fear came home to him when two men climbed into his car at gunpoint and talked casually of killing him (B1). . . . “I was going to die and my son was going to grow up without a dad,” said Voshall, recounting how he tearfully pleaded for his life.

FAN SUPPORT: Six days and counting until the World Cup (C1), time for the U.S. to get behind its soccer squad. That’s the view of Dave Wynalda of Westlake Village, and no wonder. His son, Eric, plays for the team, and Dad isn’t thrilled with the lack of fan support. . . . “I feel strongly that fans can take the team a long way,” he said.

NEW APPROACH: Atheists, of course, don’t believe in organized religion. But they do believe in organizing themselves (B11). . . . For Atheists United in Sherman Oaks, that means expanding its radio show and seeking a more positive image. “Secular people are just as concerned about ethics and values as religious people are,” says a group leader in today’s Valley religion column.