In Focus: Staff photo from Sept. 28 to Oct. 4

SPRUCING UP: Sebastian Salazar, 2, of Los Angeles waits with his family in a line that stretched around the block for the Fred Jordan Mission's "20th Annual Back-to-School Giveaway." Kids received shoes from Foot Locker as well as clothing, school supplies and haircuts during the event.

SPRUCING UP: Sebastian Salazar, 2, of Los Angeles waits with his family in a line that stretched around the block for the Fred Jordan Mission’s “20th Annual Back-to-School Giveaway.” Kids received shoes from Foot Locker as well as clothing, school supplies and haircuts during the event.  (Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times)

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WIF - Wreckage of Steve Fossett's plane

ARDUOUS CLIMB: Nine miles into the wilderness near Mammoth Mountain, Kern County Sheriff’s Deputy John Amoroso, right, and other search and rescue team members climb to the place where wreckage of Steve Fossett‘s plane had been spotted. Authorities confirmed the plane wreckage discovered in the Inyo National forest near Mammoth Lakes belonged to Steve Fossett, the adventurer who vanished on a solo flight a year ago.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Angels

CAUGHT: Vladimir Guerrero of the Angels is about to be tagged out by Boston third baseman Mike Lowell while trying to go from first base to third base in the eighth inning of game one of the ALDS at Angel Stadium. Boston won the game 4-1.  (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Gold mine

SWEAT EQUITY: Mark, who prefers not to use his last name in print, uses a flashlight and a headlamp as he explores the watery mine of next-door neighbor Perry Cottingham, who has been working the mine since the 1970s. Most mines in the area have been around since the Gold Rush in the 1800s, but now the gold is harder to find.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Paul Newman's star

IN MEMORIUM: Flowers adorn Paul Newman‘s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after his death. Newman, who often took offbeat parts, was nominated for nine acting Oscars, winning one. The legendary star died of lung cancer at his home in Connecticut.  (Michael Robinson Chavez / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Catalina Stables

LAST RIDE: Rusty Connelly, manager of Catalina Stables, rides his horse Bruno on Monday, a day before the nearly 60-year-old horseback riding concession in Avalon must close. But hundreds in the community are rallying to keep it operating, and Connelly has collected 1,500 petition signatures from locals.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Jewish New Year celebration

ANGEL: Lissa Hakim dances with her handcrafted angel wings during a Venice Beach celebration, billed as the biggest Jewish drum circle in the U.S., on the first day of Rosh Hashanah. Families drummed, blew the Shofar and offered prayers. More than 100 people gathered for a Tashlich ceremony, a traditional practice to symbolicaly cast burdens and wrongs, represented by crumbs of bread, into the sea.  (Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Eid prayer services

PRAYER: Medina Rudianto, 21, of Diamond Bar offers a prayer on what she says “ is a very important holiday, a chance to reflect and a chance to learn a lot about oneself.” Muslim women prayed with hundreds of others as the Islamic Society of Orange County held its Eid al-Fitr services at the Anaheim Convention Center to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.  (Karen Tapia-Andersen / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - "Sugar" Shane Mosley

TAKE THAT: “Sugar” Shane Mosley, right, connects against Ricardo Mayorga during their 12-round super-welterweight fight. “I wanted to give the fans what they deserve,” said Mosley.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

WIF - Spider

ALONG CAME .... A spider dangles from a tree overlooking scenic Main Beach in Laguna Beach. Visit www.latimes .com/socalbeaches to see a photo gallery of one of Southern California’s greatest assets: its beaches.  (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)