SAT SCORES: Valley teens generally do better...

SAT SCORES: Valley teens generally do better on the SATs than other students in the Los Angeles Unified School District, with Van Nuys High taking top honors locally with an average of 1,029 (above). . . . Today’s Valley Briefing breaks down the scores for 1993 and 1994 (B5).

SAME NAME: He spells his first name differently, and has nothing to do with the O.J. Simpson case. But, like it or not, Marc Fuhrman, a part-time comic who often performs in the Thursday Night Live show at the L.A. Connection in Sherman Oaks, can’t escape it. He’s mistaken for the detective who found the bloody glove. . . . “It’s weird hearing your name on the news and people talking against you,” he said.

ARTS FUNDING: Valley cultural groups don’t get the big bucks, but they don’t get shut out, either. . . . The Los Angeles County Music and Performing Arts Commission recommended Monday that $15,000 of its grant fund go to the Glendale Symphony, $3,000 to the Valley Master Chorale, and $2,500 to the West Valley Symphony (F2).

POPULAR STOP: The Valley missed a big event last week when Bill Clinton canceled his trip on the eve of sending troops to Haiti. But this area has a long history of presidential visits. . . . According to Jerry Reynolds, author of “Santa Clarita, Valley of the Golden Dream,” President Benjamin Harrison campaigned in Saugus in 1891, and Teddy Roosevelt spent a few days at the Acton Hotel in 1903.

NO LIMIT: Police Officer Christy Hamilton died in the line of duty answering a call in Northridge. And now her friends have done their duty. Their outrage helped prompt the City Council to vote Tuesday to eliminate a spending restriction on memorial plaques for slain officers (B7). . . . “It’s more than just a matter of money,” says Councilman Joel Wachs. “It is a matter of appreciation and respect.”

Top SAT Scores

Valley LAUSD schools with the highest average SAT score totals in 1994: 1. Van Nuys: 1,029 2. El Camino Real: 931 3. Granada Hills: 912 4. Taft: 896 5. Chatsworth: 888 Sources: College Board, California Dept. of Education and Individual school districts