CHOKING SMOKING: The former ocean of places...

CHOKING SMOKING: The former ocean of places where smokers could light up has shrunk to a pond--and puddle-dom approaches. Four West Valley malls go smokeless Sept. 1, citing worries about secondhand smoke and a growing clamor from nonsmoking customers (B1). . . . May be next: Santa Clarita, now considering an ordinance to ban smoking in public places (B14).

EARFUL: What would Valley business people tell President Clinton about improving the local business climate? Or Gov. Wilson or Mayor Riordan? They were asked. Answers ranged from calling in the Marines to deal with illegal immigrants to reducing environmental controls. See Valley Business, page 3 . . . Suggested the CEO of a Saugus firm: “Throw all the workers’ comp lawyers out of town.”

POWER SISTERS: Betsy Myers (above, left), who’s taking a job in the Clinton Administration, has an edge over hundreds of other federal job appointees: younger sister Dee Dee is the White House press secretary (B1). . . . Says Dee Dee Myers (right), from their parents’ Santa Clarita home: “It’s an unforgiving town. There’s no margin for error. . . .” Her sister says she remains undaunted, but will try to avoid politics.

BANNED: There’s an update in the case of Brokers Investment Corp. of Woodland Hills. . . . Two former principals of the defunct investment house have been banned from the brokerage industry for life under a Securities and Exchange Commission order. The SEC alleges that Brokers Investment was one of the biggest boiler-room operations in the state and that $40 million of investors’ money is missing. See Valley Business, page 4.

DOGS OF LAW: Law Dogs has been serving up legal advice with mustard for years now, a quirky Valley institution that appears to fill a strange need. At his Van Nuys hot dog stand, attorney Kim Pearman doles out short sessions of free advice on legal woes (E1). . . . Sometimes he even advises clients to bite the bullet and hire a lawyer who charges.