People and Events

West Hollywood artist Clayton LeFevre was not surprised Wednesday to hear that the UK/LA folks want their banner back. After all, he hadn’t quite filled in the details when he asked to use it in his art gallery window display marking the British arts festival here.

He didn’t mention that he was portraying the Duchess of York and Queen Elizabeth as bag ladies.

His sassy mannequin tableau drew him plenty of attention, including that of the British Consulate and others involved in UK/LA. A festival spokeswoman said they would be calling upon him to return the banner. Would Fergie and Andy be dropping by to see the display before that?

“No,” she said.

(They did, you notice, have time for lunch at the County Museum of Art, a meeting with artist David Hockney and a view of works by old European masters.)

LeFevre didn’t seem to mind. “This is the last week it was going to be up anyway,” he said of his display. “Next week I’m doing one that’s a combined poke at Jimmy Swaggart, (Jim) Bakker, George Bush and three ladies of the evening. It should be wilder than this one.”

Speaking of the visiting duchess: A Fergie look-alike was installed for the day at an English specialty shop in Studio City to have tea and to be photographed with anyone who cared to.

“This picture,” read the invitation flier issued by Tottenham Court Ltd., “when displayed in your home, will show all that you’re not to be sneezed at.” Tea and scones were served by a proper English butler.

“Our Duchess of York is not the ‘real’ Fergie,” the invitation admitted. “She is a look-alike of such perfection that neither you, Prince Andrew nor his mum, the queen, can tell them apart.” On second thought, it was conceded that Andrew probably could.

In any event, said the store’s Karen Hennessey, the stand-in was Colleen Smith, who manages a clothing shop. Hennessey said she had lost count of those who had stopped in for tea with “Fergie” but noted that there had been no ghastly lapses of etiquette or spilled tea. “Everyone has been gracious.”

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to start televising its meetings.

Susan Herman, general manager of the city’s telecommunications department, said the telecasts will be available via a municipal access channel to many cable subscribers early next year.

The over-anxious will simply have to wait.

It will take some time, Herman pointed out, to figure out where to place equipment, acquire it, install it and test everything to make sure it’s working. “The last thing we want to do is send out a program that has problems or glitches,” she said, perhaps forgetting past performances by the cast.

In the meantime, an audio feed from the meetings already is carried on cable and those who want to hear deliberations by telephone may do so simply by dialing 621-CITY.

What about Council President John Ferraro’s daily battle to get a quorum into the chamber so the meeting can start at the scheduled 10 a.m.? Coffee and doughnuts have even been offered to those members who get there anywhere near on time.

“I would almost bet,” said Ferraro’s press deputy, Bill Gilson, “that once the cameras are in, at least 10 members will be there when Ferraro calls the roll. I guess they don’t care about just sound.”

It’s just possible, conceded Donald Stokes of Diamond Bar’s Municipal Advisory Council, that a sign purporting to mark the Pomona boundary really does, as officials of that city contend, “but it’s very, very confusing.” He wants it out of there.

The sign proclaims “Pomona City Limit, Pop. 113,000, Elev. 850” and is at the side of the northbound Orange Freeway (California 57) just about where Pomona and unincorporated Diamond Bar abut. At that point, however, Pomona is on the west side of the freeway and Diamond Bar territory (including numerous businesses) lies close along the east side.

Stokes says it makes people think that Pomona has annexed the tax-producing business stretch. Diamond Bar is a little sensitive about that sort of thing, being currently involved in an incorporation drive.

Also, Stokes argues, a witness saw that sign being implanted only a few days ago, although Caltrans, whose sign it is, insists that it’s been there for several years.

“It’s possible,” said Caltrans spokesman Thomas Knox, “that some outside contractor doing some work along the freeway moved it.”