Code War 760 got hotter last week with news that the planned switch to a 442 area code for North County will indeed include almost all cell phones currently assigned to our area's residents.

That should intensify the battle some of us are waging against the non-representative California Public Utilities Commission, which decided that North County's 760 area code will go away in about 10 months. The Gang of Five that is the all-powerful regulatory commission ruled a few months back to let the vast, less populated region ranging from Imperial County's border with Mexico north to Desert Valley keep the 760 code, with North County's residents and businesses being forced to switch.

The reasons for the area code split have been well documented; the rationale for it has not.

And on Wednesday, we learned, thanks to reporting by our Bradley Fikes, that the split does include almost all North County residents' cell phones; you know, the numbers that are supposed to transfer unchanged with their users for life.

As we have noted before, our first preference is for North County to keep the 760 area code and let the rest of those in the number's current boundaries make the switch.

Our distant second preference is to have both 760 and 442 "overlaid" on the current boundaries, a proposal being pushed by an Encinitas resident and supported with his www.Keep760.org Web site.

We strongly suggest that it is time for residents who don't want to change phone numbers yet again to step up and speak out. Contact the utilities commission and your elected state representatives to let them know where you stand on this issue.

The rationale for this decision was fuzzy enough in the first place. Last week's news regarding cell phones just compounds the confusion and adds new enlistees to the cause of retaining the 760 area code for North County's residents.

This issue is only a done deal if we let it be so. In the spirit of this Fourth of July holiday weekend, use your rights as a free people: Speak out, speak loud, speak often.

Contact the California Public Utilities Commission: (415) 703-1366 or CPUC, 505 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA 94102.

Also contact your elected representatives:

36th District state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth: Senator.hollingsworth@sen.ca.gov, 27555 Ynez Road, Ste. 204, Temecula, CA 92591, (909) 676-1020 or fax (909) 676-1030.

38th District state Sen. Mark Wyland: 1910 Palomar Point Way, No. 105, Carlsbad, CA 92008, (760) 931-2455 or fax (760) 931-2477.

Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries: 41391 Kalmia Street, Suite 220, Murrieta, CA 92562, (951) 894-1232 or fax (951) 894-5053.

Assemblywoman Mimi Walters: 302 N. Coast Hwy, Oceanside, CA 92054, (760) 757-8084 or fax (760) 757-8087 .

Assemblyman Martin Garrick: 1910 Palomar Point Way, Suite 106 Carlsbad, CA 92008, (760) 929-7998 or fax (760) 929-7999.

Assemblyman George Plescia: 9909 Mira Mesa Blvd., Suite 130, San Diego, CA 92131, (858) 689-6290 or fax (858) 689-6296.

Additional information:

North American Numbering Plan Administration list of changed prefixes (pp. 6-11)

REGION: Cell phones, too, will switch to 442 area code

REGION: Keep the code

Prior editorials:

EDITORIAL: Commission must rethink new area code

EDITORIAL: Area code redial hits region again

EDITORIAL: Area code change is still a bad idea

Sorry, wrong number