No Question About It, 1992 Was a Memorable Year
If 1992 is remembered for any one thing in the South Bay, it will be the battering the aerospace industry took as the economy soured. But it was also a time of hope and renewal for many. And, of course, there were the things that made us laugh and forget for a moment about the bad times. To review the year in the South Bay, we present the following quiz in the spirit of the season. The correct answer is noted after each question. Earlier this year former Hermosa Beach Mayor Patricia Gazin wrote a book, titled “Footnotes on the Sand,” tracing the rich history of her city. What was the book’s subtitle?
a) “An Incomplete Compendium, an Arbitrary Selection of Events, Rumor, Speculation, Some Fact and Some Fiction About Hermosa Beach.”
b) “Like Sand Through an Hourglass, So Are the Days of Our Lives in Hermosa.”
c) “It’s Not Perfect, but It’s Home.”
Answer: a
Wildlife biologists trying to restore the bald eagle population on Santa Catalina Island were encouraged when, after a decade of efforts, a bald eagle on the island laid a viable egg. Biologists said this indicated:
a) That after years of snubbing Southern California for the Pacific Northwest, the eagles grew tired of the rain and returned.
b) That the newly built “eagle condos” featuring tiny bay windows and spa-like birdbaths had finally been accepted by the endangered species.
c) That the levels of DDT in the birds may be diminishing, allowing the eagles to lay viable eggs once again.
A: c
It was a time of controversy for Carson Mayor Michael I. Mitoma,
who among other things failed to disclose personal loans from banking associates. It was also revealed that Mitoma had exaggerated his education credentials in his biography by stating:
a) That he held a master’s degree in business administration from UCLA when he had really only taken extension courses through the university.
b) That he once served as dean of student affairs at USC when he really had only attended Trojan football games there.
c) That he attended Michigan State and played point guard on the national championship basketball team with Magic Johnson.
A: a
Port of Los Angeles longshoreman Rawlan (Tank) Nelson made news
this year by hanging a blackboard out the second-floor window of his San Pedro home alerting passersby to which of the following?
a) Southern California rainfall totals.
b) Traffic advisories for the Harbor Freeway.
c) His favorite movies.
A: c
The City of Torrance lost $6.2 million this year. How did it lose it?
a) It was “investment night” at Hollywood Park.
b) There was a scandal involving a Newport Beach investment adviser who was later indicted.
c) The city bought the Queen Mary and tried to move it to Torrance Beach, where it sank.
A: b
Ghost stories abound in the South Bay, and several buildings are reported to be the regular haunts of spirits with unfinished business on Earth. One of those places is:
a) The Drum Barracks Civil War Museum in San Pedro, where a ghost has been spotted looking for a woman named Marie.
b) The site of the now-closed Marineland on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, where the spirit of a long-deceased dolphin can sometimes be seen swimming up and down the coast.
c) The Del Amo Fashion Mall, where merchants have reported the vision of a 1980s-style shopper with plenty of money to spend and confidence in the economy.
A: a
For the third consecutive year, West High School of Torrance brought home the coveted top honors in this competition:
a) The Los Angeles County Academic Decathlon.
b) Wheel of Fortune’s “high school week” tournament.
c) The team event week on “Studs.”
A: a
1992 found South Bay businesses dealing with the effects of the recession. Some of the area’s swankiest restaurants responded by:
a) Reintroducing meatloaf and jug wine and offering square dancing after dinner.
b) Slashing menu prices and offering “frequent diner” points to regular patrons.
c) Heating up cold cucumber soup and selling it as mystery du jour and charging double.
d) All of the above.
A: b
The (now former) city clerk of Hawthorne sparked headlines when
it was learned:
a) He had invented a new way of keeping track of city business, using computers, phone lines, television screens and radar.
b) He planned to seek higher office by running for mayor of Los Angeles.
c) He was living in Hawaii in an oceanfront condo while drawing his $600-a-month city paycheck.
A: c
Parts of the South Bay, particularly on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, experienced a virtual invasion of field mice this summer and fall. Exterminators were called in and said the best way to get rid of the pests was:
a) Trapping them in conventional mousetraps, using sticky glue-like traps and rodent-proofing homes by sealing exterior cracks and holes.
b) Shooting them with high-powered weapons equipped with night scopes.
c) Playing polka music at an annoyingly high level 24 hours a day.
A: a)
After struggling for the past 18 years, the Carson Mall was reborn as the South Bay Pavilion at Carson featuring new tenant IKEA. What was the reason mall operators gave for the name change?
a) Carson Mall conjured images of fake plants, Muzak and an Orange Julius.
b) Carson Mall sounded more like a tabloid headline for a mass murder.
c) South Bay Pavilion had more of an upscale ring to it in line with the new decor and a desire to be a regional shopping center.
A: c
The City of Inglewood, which hired an image consultant to spruce up the way the outside world views it, felt it got a bad rap in the movie “Grand Canyon” earlier this year. What part of the movie did city officials take issue with?
a) A reference to Inglewood as a wine-making region of the Napa Valley.
b) A scene where actor Kevin Kline is almost mugged in Inglewood after leaving a Lakers game at the Forum.
c) A scene where the Forum is referred to as home of the Clippers.
A: b
After spending nine hours as a hostage of religious fanatic “Rainbow Man” at an LAX hotel, Lennox resident Paula Chan Madera, who worked as a housekeeper at the hotel, offered thanks to the LAPD by:
a) Buying up all their tickets to the Policeman’s Ball.
b) Presenting milk and cookies to the SWAT team that rescued her.
c) Promising to name her next child “Adam-12.”
A: b
The Olympic Velodrome at Cal State Dominguez Hills has fallen on hard times because:
a) Everyone thinks “Velodrome” was that Mad Max movie with Mel Gibson and Tina Turner.
b) The thought of riding a bicycle that has no brakes around a glass-smooth oval with turns banked at 33 degrees just has not caught on with the masses.
c) Nobody knows where Dominguez Hills is.
A: b
