REACHING OUT: Ain’t no mountain high enough...

REACHING OUT: Ain’t no mountain high enough to keep emergency call boxes off Pacific Coast Highway. . . . Having overcome transmission problems caused by the coastal mountains, transportation officials are now ready to install 28 call boxes along a stretch of the highway between Mugu Rock and the Ventura County line. . . . “It’s a very unforgiving road,” said Mary Travis, transportation commission spokeswoman. “We know from our success with call boxes on other routes how critical they can be in times of accidents or emergencies.”

HOLY GUACAMOLE: Grand theft avocado. That’s what two men have been charged with after allegedly stealing 1,800 pounds of avocados from a Saticoy orchard. . . . Two grove workers called police recently after they saw the pair raiding the orchard. . . . For their help, each of the workers received a $250 reward from the California Avocado Commission. Since 1990, the commission has recovered nearly 36,000 pounds of avocados.

STAYING ALIVE: Guadalupe Govea’s blood cells lie in a deep freeze at Westlake Comprehensive Cancer Center, waiting to give her a fighting chance at life (B5). . . . The Moorpark woman is taking part in an innovative bone marrow transplant procedure being offered locally for the first time. . . . “My doctor told me if I get another cancer anywhere else in my body there would be nothing that they could do,” Govea said. “From what I understand, after this I won’t have cancer at all.”

CD PLAYERS: Technicolor Inc.’s Camarillo plant is becoming a major player in the production of CDs and CD-ROMs (Valley Business, Page 8). . . . Since the company added a compact-disc duplicating unit to its video operation in February, it has produced 2 million of the discs. . . . The expansion has added 110 new workers at the former Everest & Jennings Inc. wheelchair plant, bringing its total payroll to 1,200. The division expects to hire 40 more workers next year.