A firehouse’s traditional mascot is a dog....

A firehouse’s traditional mascot is a dog. But county Fire Station No. 149 had a problem that 101 Dalmations couldn’t have solved--mice. So the station recruited Phyllis, a gray and white cat, from an animal shelter.

“No more mice,” said Capt. Duane Deever at the station house, which is located in the north county near Lake Castaic.

Aside from being an effective piece of mouse-fighting equipment, Phyllis is the only feline mascot of any county fire unit. In fact, firehouse mascots in general are disappearing. Fewer than a dozen of the county stations even house dogs.

“It’s difficult to get three different shifts of firefighters to agree on anything, let alone one animal,” Deever said. “If you have people on one shift that aren’t interested in all phases of taking care of her, including medical care, then it won’t work.”

The 12 firefighters at Station 149 are, however, devoted to Phyllis, even though she doesn’t attend fires.

“When we start up the truck,” Deever said, “she runs and jumps in her bed.”

Traffic sighting du jour: Three callers phoned KNX radio to say they had spotted a man walking a camel down Highland Avenue.

Score another victory for Ski Demski, the Long Beach character who flies a giant American flag on a 125-foot pole in his front yard.

The city has been trying for years, without success, to have it removed for allegedly violating noise laws (his Old Glory flaps loudly).

In the meantime, Long Beach recently built a Centennial Plaza downtown to celebrate its 100th anniversary and decorated it with plaques and tiles paid for, and signed by, residents. Patriotic Ski bought a plaque that immortalizes his notorious flag post with this message:

“A Tribute to Old Glory, May She Always Fly High and Free in Long Beach, Ski Demski. The Pole, 1988.”

Demski said with a laugh: “I was surprised they let me put it on city property.”

Local Presidents’ Day report:

Washington High was closed as were campuses at Kennedy, Garfield, Monroe, Taft and Grant. Construction continued on the Ronald Reagan State Office Building downtown.

Duffers flocked to the Eisenhower, Coolidge, Wilson, Roosevelt, Harding and Ford (par 3) golf courses.

Traffic was lighter than usual on Jefferson, Hoover, Lincoln and Adams boulevards, as well as on Madison Avenue in Culver City. There was no rush hour in the Obscure Chief Executives section of Monterey Park, which features Polk Way, Harrison Road, Buchanan and Pierce places and Van Buren, Tyler, Taylor and Fillmore drives.

No problems were reported on the Marina (formerly the Richard M. Nixon) Freeway.

Late Bulletin: The man walking the camel down Highland Avenue was determined to be an employee of the visiting Circus Vargas.