CIRCLING, SPLITTING: The wolves are circling Rep....

CIRCLING, SPLITTING: The wolves are circling Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead (R-Glendale) as Republicans and Democrats alike interpret his skin-of-the-teeth reelection as a sign of vulnerability. And southwest Valley Councilwoman Laura Chick is separating from her husband, fellow politico Robert Chick. . . . The Valley Politics column (B5).

GREEN MANSIONS: The specter: firestorms attack your home. To the rescue: plants. Now’s the time to put in fire retardant landscaping. “If you don’t have it, you’ve reduced your chances” of saving your home, an L.A. Fire Department spokesman counsels. . . . But it takes more than just big flats of ice plant or coyote bush. Careful planning is needed. Valley Life! Page 21

STAGE MOVEMENT: The Valley shows signs of turning into L.A.’s theater hot spot. Drawn over the mountains by lower rents, little theaters are on the verge of making the NoHo strip in North Hollywood a rival to Hollywood’s Theatre Row. . . . Bonus: a steady rise in quality and adventurousness. Valley Life! Page 12

COP SHOP BANK: What about that plan to put ATM machines in LAPD stations? Comments by leaders and citizens in On the Issues (B2) range from “It will allow police and the community to interact in a way that is not traditional to police work” (a deputy police chief) to “I just don’t see a lot of people flocking to police stations to do their banking” (a Studio City skeptic).

PEACE VICTIMS: The first major cancellation of a military space program since the Cold War ended has hit Lockheed. Air Force plans to scrap a $13.3-billion missile-warning satellite would eliminate up to 2,000 Lockheed and TRW jobs (D1). . . . It’s a strong signal that the Pentagon is reluctant to defend costly space systems that escaped earlier peace-based spending cuts.