STONEWALLING: Rolling Stone started out as a...

STONEWALLING: Rolling Stone started out as a rock music magazine, but its broader outlook these days includes political columnist William Greider. His topic this month: Last year’s drywallers’ strike against home builders in Orange County. . . . Greider says Mexican immigrants winning a union shows that determined workers can still beat the system, even though “legal snares and adverse economic conditions are more complicated than they were 100 years ago.”

TOKENS OF ESTEEM: Instead of citations and reprimands, Huntington Beach police officers are now handing out praise--and wooden tokens--to bicycle riders up to age 14. Patrol officers spotting young cyclists observing safety rules will stop to chat and hand out tokens. The catch is, the youths have to be carrying their city-issued identification cards. The idea is to encourage them to get the cards. It might be worthwhile. Three tokens can qualify recipients for a drawing with prizes like a trip to Disneyland.

THE FOURTH T: Los Angeles Rams fans are excited that young T.J. Rubley looks like their quarterback of the future. But Roger Harrington, his coach at West High in Davenport, Iowa, isn’t surprised. He coached four Rubley brothers--Terry, Todd, Trent and T.J. (Theron Joseph), all quarterbacks. . . . “T.J.’s a great kid, always wanted to stay on the field after practice,” Harrington says. “We knew he’d do well in the pros; he’s got a terrific arm, and a terrific desire to be the best.”

STILL A HERO: Veteran Rams quarterback Jim Everett may have gotten booed at Anaheim Stadium on Sunday, but he’s got a lot of other fans around the county. A charity he started has been pitching in for years to help people, including the homeless and abused youngsters. . . . When former Cal State Fullerton athlete Bruce Bowen had no insurance for throat surgery, Everett’s foundation paid the bills. The quarterback has also helped United Way. Says that group’s Jeff Urbaniek: “We at United Way are huge Jim Everett fans.”