La Jolla Debate on Homeless Hears From the Horse’s Mouth

Names and other things, in and out of the news.

* The discussion at the La Jolla Town Council last week was about homeless people on the (upscale) streets of La Jolla.

Midway through the discussion, a homeless fellow shuffled in: scruffy, shoeless and bearing his life’s belongings on his back.

He listened briefly and then said loudly, “You’re all fired!” After a brief ruffle, the meeting continued.

* Rep. Ron Packard (R-Carlsbad) issued a press release to announce proudly that he’s not among the House members who have bounced checks.

Now he’s admitting, though, that he has used his congressional privilege to have parking tickets fixed in the District of Columbia.

Five tickets, all on official business, he says.

* The politics of drama, and vice versa.

A bash planned for Saturday in advance of Sunday’s opening of “Elmer Gantry” at the La Jolla Playhouse will be packed with luminaries.

On the list, tentatively: Gov. Pete Wilson, Dan Rather, Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Tex.), Lynda Bird Johnson Robb and former Sen. Paul Laxalt (R-Nev.).

“Gantry” is being accompanied to La Jolla by Frankie Hewitt, executive producer of the Ford Theater Society in Washington, who arranged the guest list. She’s the ex-wife of Don Hewitt, producer of CBS-TV’s “60 Minutes.”

* San Diego Police Chief Bob Burgreen has ordered cops to tell runaway kids that they can now make free long-distance phone calls to their families: at the Traveler’s Aid Society office.

* Those two unidentified money men who were willing to invest $250,000 in the (now-unsuccessful) try by Roger Hedgecock and “Big Al” Zennedjian to gain control of gambling at the Rincon Indian Reservation?

Their names: Lee Stein, Rancho Santa Fe attorney, Stadium Authority member and former Seaport Village partner, and Scott R. Isdaner of Los Angeles, former executive with the Pep Boys (Manny, Moe & Jack) auto parts chain. He’s the grandson of Manny (Rosenfeld).

* North County bumper sticker, on a Datsun 280Z: “Faster Than a Speeding Ticket.”

Caballeros Ride to the Rescue

Much is said of the friction between homeowners and migrants in North County.

Here’s the flip side, which is less publicized.

It begins with Cindy Seitman, 38, of Encinitas, riding her horse in the brushy hills east of Del Mar and Interstate 5.

Her horse stumbled, fell and rolled on Seitman, breaking her ankle. The horse then ran away, leaving Seitman stranded and miles from help.

She was dazed, in pain, unable to stand, helpless.

Through a clearing, she saw two young men on horseback, leading her horse back to her. The men spoke only Spanish.

They helped her up onto her horse, led her to a trail, and made sure she was safely on her way back to the stables. Now she’s at home, recuperating and quite thankful.

“Without them, I would have been there for hours,” Seitman said. “They were wonderful.”

Delivering the Silky Goods

I am commonly asked: “Why don’t you do more items about women’s clothing?”

OK, here are two, so quit complaining:

* Emergency run.

The hosiery department at the Nordstrom store at Horton Plaza has a moped to deliver phone orders of pantyhose/stockings to downtown office workers.

Up to 50 pairs a day.

* If you’re looking for an investment, you might consider slipping into women’s sleepwear.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday approved the bid of Body Drama Inc. of San Diego to sell 1.4 million shares of common stock at $8.50 per share.

Body Drama designs and imports women’s sleepwear for Nordstrom, Macy’s, Mervyn, Walmart and more (pajamas, robes, sleepers, teddies), under the Body Drama, Body Tease and Chelsea Nights labels.

“Intimate apparel isn’t recession-proof, but it’s semi-recession-resistant,” explains Body Drama chief financial officer Thomas P. Baumann.

“During tough economic times, when women want a quick lift to make themselves feel good, they spend $15 on something nice.”