VALLEY POWER: Hard to say which was...

VALLEY POWER: Hard to say which was rarer in the seats of power when Tom Bradley was L.A.’s mayor--Valley dwellers or Republicans. Mayor Riordan has turned that 180 degrees . . . already he’s put 10 Valley residents, many of them GOP activists, on city commissions (B5). Bradley had three. . . . A veteran Democrat’s view of the newcomers: “I don’t know many of them.”

IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE: But Riordan isn’t ignoring Democrats. He just hired Janis Berman, wife of Rep. Howard L. Berman and known in the Valley for work with gangs (B1). Rep. Berman, who represents the northeast Valley, is also a prominent Westside and liberal Democrat leader . . . . Observers note the congressman supports Riordan’s plan to use LAX profits to pay for more police. The mayor may need such support to get Congress and the FAA to go along.

GNU ZOO: When you go to the Los Angeles Zoo you probably drop in on popular animals such as the elephants and that baby giraffe, above. But how many visitors rush to see the gerenuk? . . . . Dozens of lesser-known animals are among the zoo’s most interesting inhabitants. See Valley Life, Page 10.

DRUG LORDS: After soaring for several years, biotechnology and drug stocks sank to the depths, partly due to worries over Hillary Rodham Clinton’s health plan. That didn’t halt Amgen Inc., the booming biotech giant from Thousand Oaks. Amgen was ranked the nation’s 23rd fastest-growing company in Fortune magazine’s yearly list of top corporations. . . . Frosting: Amgen reported Thursday that second-quarter profits surged 40%.

DARK, STORMY NIGHT: Many jobless aerospace workers have sad stories to tell. Ron Lancaster may be the only one hoping to make a living at it. Lancaster, a former accountant for Hughes Aircraft, opened the Valley’s first storytelling parlor in Canoga Park: the Storytelling Bookstore & Cafe. . . . His pension and savings are riding on his way with a tale. Valley Life, Page 12.