And now for the view from Central...

And now for the view from Central California:

“There is good news for California agriculture,” began a recent Fresno Bee story. “The controversial Mediterranean fruit fly spraying program will continue.”

L.A. artist Dave Quick often celebrates the quirky and offbeat side of history in his motorized works.

In “Watch Out, Vince!” he reenacted a 1985 incident in which a tarpaulin machine ran over St. Louis outfielder Vince Coleman before a Cardinals-Dodgers playoff game. As the roller heads toward the tiny figure, an instrumental version of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” plays and a voice cries, “Watch out, Vince!”

Quick will have several works on display Sunday at the Chiat Day ad agency, which is one stop on the annual Venice Family Clinic Art Walk. The most eye-catching of Quick’s pieces may be his reenactment of one of Southern California’s most infamous crimes:

The theft of Dick Dale’s first guitar from the Surf Museum in Huntington Beach.

The free-thinking Southland might be the capital of dual-interest groups, offering such combinations as the Atheist Dating Service, Single Animal-Lovers, and the California Freeway Singles Club.

Now comes the Altadena-based New Age Walkers, a group of physical fitness buffs who believe in UFOs.

Last Sunday, it sponsored a Mother’s Day and UFO Awareness Walk at Descanso Gardens--raffling off flying saucers, no doubt.

“In this market, you have to do something special,” said real estate agent Gail Woodruff, explaining the somewhat un-subtle approach she took with one piece of property in Long Beach (see photo).

The City Council is considering whether to set aside part of L.A.’s bed-tax revenue for the creation of videos and ads that would promote San Pedro as a tourist’s paradise. If the port community wants to go upscale, it may already have one prerequisite: A snooty French restaurant.

When Only in L.A. dined at this spot the other night, we overheard a diner point out that the lettuce in his salad was brown and wilted.

The waiter responded: “Would you like more dressing?”

Another diner complained that her cheese hors d’oeuvre contained no cheese.

“You ate it,” the waiter charged.

MiscelLAny:

Some cities are content to celebrate Presidents and generals in their statuary. For a different approach, try the piers at Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach, which feature sculptures of George Freeth and Tim Kelley, respectively, in bathing suits. They were surfers.