Housing Sales: Here we go again. The...

Housing Sales: Here we go again. The median price of a single-family home in the San Fernando Valley fell 8% since September 1995, to $145,000. . . . That’s bad news for Valley homeowners, but buyers seem to like the rock-bottom prices--sales last month were up 18% over a year ago (D9A).

AIDS Clinic: New “drug cocktails” have brought guarded hope to doctors and patients fighting HIV infection. The downside: They’re so expensive that they almost caused one of the Valley’s leading AIDS clinics to close. . . . On Monday, though, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s San Fernando Valley clinic found new life as it merged with the private practice of Dr. Michael Gottlieb, a prominent HIV specialist. The two practices, which serve 700 patients, closed their old offices and opened a new clinic in North Hollywood.

On the Road: Mountain bikes are getting more popular on Valley streets, their wide tires offering protection from debris and bumps in the road. . . . But once you turn onto a rural trail, new skills are needed to navigate the terrain. More mountain-biking information in a full-page graphic on B14.

Teacher Honored: Physics teacher Fred Carrington, a 30-year veteran at Grant High School in Van Nuys, has been selected as one of 36 finalists for the American Teacher Awards. Carrington, one of three finalists in the science category, says his field has become more important than ever. “Science is being applied in greater depth in more fields,” the 59-year-old Carrington said. It’s taught differently now, too, with computers, video and classroom demonstrations now used extensively.