Fewer Theaters: The owners of the Northridge...

Fewer Theaters: The owners of the Northridge Fashion Center appear to have blinked--but only a bit--in their standoff with another developer over building a multiplex movie complex. Initially, Dallas-based MEPC American Properties announced plans for a 20- to 24-screen complex at the mall, despite work on a 26-screen multiplex barely a mile away at the old Winnetka Drive-In. . . . Now, the company is more likely to go with a 12- to 16-screen complex, said senior VP Donn Fuller.

More Yuppies: Back at the mall, meantime, plans are underway for a yuppie bookstore and coffeehouse on the site of the old Broadway store, Fuller said. Talks have been held with Barnes & Noble and Borders, and the plan is for the area from the old Broadway to the new theaters to be geared more toward leisure activities than shopping.

Keeping Peace: Activists trying to preserve the shaky, 3-year-old Valley gang truce turned to softball Saturday in Pacoima, where three teams of current and former gang members battled teams from three juvenile probation camps. “The peace makes the difference,” said Jose Lopez, 22, a former Pacoima gang member. “It makes it easier to go to a school in another neighborhood. It takes a lot of the pressure off.” Above, Paul Rodriguez of Reseda shades his eyes during a game against one of the juvenile camps (B1).

Keeping Watch: As police sought the ambush killer of civilian crime fighter Pedro Banegas of Northridge, community activists worried that his death would scare volunteers away from Neighborhood Watch programs (B1).