People and Events

A giant Spuds McKenzie figure floating near a freeway caused a traffic jam, as did a recent disc jockey broadcasting from an overpass. So Universal Studios was a bit nervous when it hung out a 75-foot-by-37-foot balloon by the Hollywood Freeway to promote a new attraction.

Especially since the thing is lit up at night and shoots out laser beams.

The result? “We got a couple of inquiries but we haven’t heard of any problems,” said a spokesman.

Could the ho-hum reaction stem from the fact that the laser-shooting balloon is only the replica of a spaceship hovering over the city?

“Well, we do have a lot of people here who say they’ve already ridden in one,” pointed out KFI traffic reporter Mark Dennis.

Pitchers surrendering home runs at one San Gabriel Valley ballpark haven’t been half as upset as nearby residents.

John Hughes, who lives in an apartment just beyond the outfield at La Verne Recreation Park, suffered broken windows two nights in a row.

“The second night was the night of a City Council meeting and he (Hughes) went right over to the meeting and complained,” said Ed Porter, La Verne director of parks and recreation. “I can’t say I blame him.”

Hughes told city officials that his children were having trouble sleeping because of the pane-busters.

Porter said there had been a few similar complaints over the years, but none recently. Nevertheless, men’s softball was suspended for two days until the 23-foot-high net at the base of the fence could be raised to 35 feet. (This brings to mind the net the Dodgers used to hang above their short left field fence in their Coliseum days.)

La Verne officials think the neighbors are now safe behind the fence, which is an estimated 265 feet from home plate. Just to be sure, they’ve also installed safety-plate glass in Hughes’ apartment. Is the safety-plate softball proof? Hughes and his family aren’t going to wait around to find out. They have decided to move.

No one was sent to the principal’s office at McKinley Elementary School in San Gabriel on Thursday, which is probably just as well.

Head Teach Susan Crum set up shop on top of the cafeteria roof, where she conducted business in a monkey costume. It was a reward of sorts to her 615 students for meeting the challenge of amassing 1 million minutes of home reading between November and June (first-graders were allowed to have someone read to them).

“Some of them wanted me to jump out of an airplane or ride in a hot-air balloon,” Crum said. “But we compromised on the monkey suit.”

Crum, who took to the roof for a day last year, said she’s gotten other educators to take the shingle-tower approach to encourage home reading. And three other grade school principals in the area have made the same ascent.

The only problem Crum had was that a sudden breeze blew some of her paper work over the side. The heat didn’t bother her; in addition to taking a telephone (can’t do without one of those), a desk and an umbrella up her down staircase, she also brought along a child’s swimming pool.

She said the water refreshed her furry feet.

Sure, he’s on the Westside, but shoeshine operator Jack Stewart doesn’t want you to get the wrong idea about the telephone at his stand. You don’t have to make an appointment to see him.

“My customers like it because they can call up to see if their shoes are ready,” said Stewart. “I’ve got one guy, a lot of times he’s in a business meeting that runs late and he’s got to get out of town. So he’ll call and ask me to stay a few minutes late.”

As for appointments, Stewart said: “I think that would interfere with my (walk-up) regulars.”

It’s still first come, first shined.