SAFE BET: Paul Xanthos, who led Pierce...

SAFE BET: Paul Xanthos, who led Pierce College to 23 conference tennis championships in 28 years, is picking the top seeds--Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf--to win the prestigious Wimbledon tournament, which begins today. Way to go out on a limb, Paul. . . . “Sampras’ confidence level is much higher than it’s ever been,” Xanthos said, “and Steffi is just too strong on grass.”

HATE DEBATE: It seemed like a good idea: Make it a crime to distribute literature advocating violence against someone based on their race, religion, sex or national origin. But Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar) withdrew his bill after booksellers argued that such a ban might prevent them from selling such classics as John Steinbeck’s “The Grapes of Wrath” (B1).

RING LESSONS: You might think that teaching gang members to box is a bit like giving nuclear weapons to Saddam Hussein. But the tattooed young men who come to the Jet Center gym in Van Nuys learn something else: discipline (B1). . . . Their main teacher is William (Blinky) Rodriguez, above, who also is one of the architects of the Valley peace treaty between Latino gangs that has held for seven months.

SHAKY FUTURE: Although a Red Cross disaster relief center was being built in Lancaster to withstand the Big One along the San Andreas Fault, it couldn’t stand up to the Lancaster City Council (B6). . . . The council rejected the agency’s request for $100,000 to finish the project, leaving Red Cross officials scrambling for funds.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE: You’ll recall the recent fuss over movie theater popcorn when a study concluded that it’s loaded with fat--more than twice the daily recommended total. But while theaters nationwide suffered a quick drop in sales, Universal City’s Cineplex Odeon says patrons told them to stick with the same fat-filled variety. . . . “It didn’t really matter to people,” said Marlon Linares, assistant manager for concessions.