ACT II: Maybe the thieves were opera...

ACT II: Maybe the thieves were opera buffs. Whatever the case, the truckload of scenery for Verdi’s “Aida” stolen in Ontario last weekend was found Wednesday --with everything safe. . . . The truck was carrying sets for use this weekend by Opera Pacific at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. Rob Foreman, an Opera Pacific carpenter, spotted the rig’s trailer--minus the cab--on a rural road near Corona. He’ll collect a $2,500 reward.

RULE OF THUMB: An Anaheim company has been refining fingerprint evidence. And it’s got the attention this week of New Scotland Yard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police among others worldwide at a conference at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange. . . . Printrak International Inc. manufactures computer equipment to identify people through fingerprints stored on centralized databases. The technique isn’t just for detectives: The company says it’s also aimed at regulation of immigration, gun purchases and social services.

DE-CLARKED: The county’s old Transit District headquarters in Garden Grove, the Ralph B. Clark Building, has officially been turned over to the city of Garden Grove for its new city hall. So who was invited to make remarks at the ceremony Tuesday? Former County Supervisor Ralph B. Clark. . . . He quipped: “I’ve received some dubious honors in my time. Today I believe I become the first person in Orange County to decommission a building named in his honor.”

DISCOVERING HELP: Homeowners may soon be able to pay their property taxes with a credit card. The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday is expected approve an agreement with Discovery Card Services that allows homeowners--for a small fee--to pay their taxes with the card. . . . Discovery is the only credit card company that allows the county to tack on a service fee to the bill so it is reimbursed for the transaction fee charged by credit companies. On an $800 bill, for example, the county will charge an additional $5.