STAR ROLE: You think most of your...

STAR ROLE: You think most of your water comes from somewhere else? In Anaheim, 75% comes from underground wells--and the threat of their contamination through improper dumping is growing. The city’s new program to increase awareness of this danger: “Anaheim EarthStar.” . . . . Says its environmental expert John Hills: “We wanted to get the word star in there to let people know they can be heroes in protecting our ground water.” . . . . The educational campaign is aimed at local businesses.

LAST LAUGH: The new Super Kmart Center in La Habra got off to a shaky start, with protesters angry that it might hurt local small businesses. But the store has gained some bragging rights: It’s leading Kmarts nationwide in retail sales, says the Troy, Mich., headquarters. . . . Especially delighted is City Manager Lee Risner, in the face of numerous business closures in recent years. Says Risner: “It says we’re a very good business town.”

PREVIEW EVENT? Mater Dei High basketball coach Gary McKnight has attended the NCAA Final Four the past 12 years. Maybe this year it’s coming to him? . . . Today’s John Wooden Classic (C1) at The Pond of Anaheim features four of the nation’s top-ranked college basketball teams: Massachusetts (No. 1) vs. Kansas (7), followed by UCLA (5) vs. Kentucky (3). . . . “It’s like having the Final Four in Orange County,” says McKnight, who plans to attend. “We’ve not had teams like this play here ever before.”

EARLY AWE: McKnight is one reason that Mater Dei is not just a football school. His basketball team is ranked second in the nation in Sporting News magazine’s preseason poll. This week’s national poll of sportswriters has the Monarchs ranked third. . . . They’ve won 100 of their last 105 games, were 33-1 last year, and may be even better this year, thanks to sophomore sensation Schea Cotton. Sporting News ranks him third-best sophomore in the country.