OPEN HOUSE: More and more, gays and...

OPEN HOUSE: More and more, gays and lesbians are finding Orange County churches opening their doors to them (E1). But a few of these churches worry that they’ll wind up a magnet for those who want them to actively advocate for gay rights. . . . Says the Rev. David Rodney of the Community United Methodist Church of Huntington Beach, known for its openness to gays: “We welcome all people. We don’t make an effort to determine their sexuality. But we also prefer it not become an issue.”

NATURE’S DILEMMA: If you’re a fan of California’s Sequoia National Park--and two-thirds of its users come from the Southland--you may be interested in the National Park Service’s series of hearings on its future, including one Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at the Buena Park Hotel and Convention Center. . . . Park officials are trying to decide how to handle its growing traffic. “We’ve got congestion gridlock,” park spokesman William Tweed says. “We’ve got to find a way to reduce traffic and yet keep the park accessible.”

GAP BRIDGING: For three years, Latino students at Cypress College--joined by Spanish instructor Enriqueta Ramos--have pushed for a Puente Project, successful at other colleges. The project relies heavily on Latino literature to help students who need improvement in English skills before transferring to a four-year school. This fall, those Cypress students got what they wanted. . . . Says Ramos, who even participated in a 24-hour vigil for the cause: “The students are happy; no anger this year. Some of them thought it would never happen.”

GOLDEN TIGER: Jack Nicklaus stands alone when it comes to major championships in golf. And the Golden Bear’s 20 majors include two U.S. Amateur titles. . . . So the experts had to work around that in their accolades for Tiger Woods, 19, of Cypress, when he won his second consecutive U.S. Amateur title Sunday. “Tiger’s the greatest teen-ager in the history of the game,” cooed commentator Johnny Miller on Sunday. . . . Nicklaus was already 21 before he won his second Amateur cup.