HIGHER CALLING: J. Handel Evans, the former...

HIGHER CALLING: J. Handel Evans, the former president of San Jose State University and the man who oversaw development of Cal State Monterey Bay, was named as the acting president of the yet-to-be-built Ventura County campus (B1). . . . The British-born Handel, who once taught architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, is now in charge of rallying community support to bring another campus to life. It is a task in which he strongly believes. Says Evans: “I’m an apostle of education.”

CLOSE COMMUNITY: A poll of Filipino Americans around Southern California shows a diverse, happy community still sorting out its cultural identity (A1). One finding showed that the majority of those polled saw less bias than Asians as a whole. . . . Sid Cabran, who is active in Ventura County’s Filipino-American Political Action Committee, said he agrees with the poll’s main conclusions. “The only thing that’s bad right now is the lack of work everywhere. As far as discrimination, that is not a problem.”

HEADS UP: The state Assembly has voted 42 to 30 to repeal California’s motorcycle helmet law (A1). Ventura County’s three Assembly members, Republicans Nao Takasugi, Paula L. Boland and Brooks Firestone, all supported the bill, which now goes to the state Senate. . . . Gov. Pete Wilson, meanwhile, has vowed to veto any attempt to allow helmetless riders back on the streets.