People and Events

Contrary to what a lot of dogs (and presumably their owners) think, Laurel Canyon Park is not yet officially open to off-the-leash play, say Los Angeles city officials.

Even though the City Council voted 11 to 0 three weeks ago to permit free run in the park during certain early-morning and late-afternoon daylight hours on a six-month experimental basis, the ordinance won’t become effective until 30 days after Mayor Tom Bradley signs it.

He’s out of town and hasn’t signed it yet, his office says.

In the meantime, scores of dog owners have driven in from miles around to give their pets momentary freedom in a Santa Monica Mountains park many of them never heard of before reading about the City Council action.

“Thanks a lot for printing that map,” said an unhappy Jane Purse, head of Park Watch, a group of dog owners who pushed for the leashes-off hours and are committed to helping city animal regulation and park authorities police the situation. “Now we have to get things back under control.”

As for complaints that the influx has occasionally caused problems with an overflow of cars parked on Mulholland Drive, Purse said, “Those are not dog people. Some gays had a picnic up there. Don’t blame us for that.”

The near-gridlock that knotted downtown Los Angeles traffic Thursday morning as a result of the First Interstate Bank high-rise fire frayed a lot of tempers, as one might imagine.

Example: Motorists still trying to get to work at mid-morning were treated to the spectacle of two large men climbing out of their cars at 4th and Olive streets to engage in a fistfight while a harried traffic officer tried to separate them and horns blew in an angry chorus.

Witnesses say the pair tired of it at last and got back in their automobiles.

At least 80 corporate representatives were expected to attend Thursday’s disaster survival seminar conducted in Los Angeles by the Business and Industry Council for Emergency Planning and Preparedness (BICEPP).

Participants sat down to assess their companies’ plans and abilities to cope with emergencies.

About 30 of those with reservations didn’t show up.

The absentees were mostly officials of firms with downtown high-rise buildings. They included five people from First Interstate Bank.

A conference official concluded the no-shows were busy.

Among activities canceled or postponed because of downtown traffic problems after the First Interstate fire was a news conference to publicize a special phone bank being set up from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday at the Grand Central Market where free Mother’s Day calls may be made to Mexico and other Latin American countries.

Direct-dial phone calls will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The project is a cooperative effort by AT&T; and Miracle on Broadway, the outfit trying to revitalize the Broadway shopping district.

Los Angeles entrepreneur Karta Khalsa, who sells what he calls “fine footwear” at a Costa Mesa swap meet, turned a neat $1,446 profit in one quick transaction a couple of days ago, but is giving back the money.

Khalsa said he went into a Security Pacific National Bank branch in Santa Ana to take $200 out of his checking account, only to discover when he got home that beneath a $1 bill in one stack given to him by the teller were several $100, $50 and $20 bills.

He called the bank, where, he said, an assistant manager was happy to hear from him. He promised to return with the overage. “I feel like a good guy,” he confessed.

Although the bank officer was not inclined to discuss the matter, Security Pacific spokeswoman Sue Taha in Los Angeles observed that Khalsa “did what most people do. It was an error. Tellers are human. He called us immediately.”

People, she added, “are honest.”

For the past couple of years, at least, a wall directory on the second floor of the Los Angeles County Courthouse has indicated that a couple of famous journalists can be found in Room 200, the press room.

None of the ink-stained wretches who currently work out of the press room seem to remember who tampered with the sign or exactly when. A staff member in the courthouse Facilities Management Division, which is in charge of such things, said, “That was before we were doing it.”

Sam Gordon, spokesman for County Clerk-Superior Court Executive Officer Frank S. Zolin, said it’s his guess somebody did it just to see whether anyone would notice. Apparently few did.

There at the bottom of the directory listing the courtrooms and offices of various judges, commissioners and administrators are Clark Kent and Lois Lane.