405 S-O-S: When you see a stranded...

405 S-O-S: When you see a stranded freeway motorist, do you silently say: Thank God it wasn’t me!? It happens a lot. Transportation officials here report this week that their county-state Freeway Service Patrol helped out 45,000 stranded motorists the past fiscal year. . . . Now plans are to add six more tow trucks, mainly to help with congestion problems anticipated when the El Toro “Y” construction begins in two weeks.

CALENDAR BOY: The 1994 National Football League calendars are out, and you may be a little shocked by the cover. It’s Todd Marinovich. . . . The Newport Beach redhead, known for his troublesome exploits off the field, was dropped this year by the Los Angeles Raiders. But he’s shown in Raiders black, left arm cocked for a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs. What, they couldn’t have gotten Joe Montana?

HIGHER HONOR?: B. Tam Nomoto is one of the most respected judges in Municipal Court in Santa Ana. So why, after 14 years, hasn’t she been elevated to Superior Court? . . . In a rare move, a group of lawyers is now circulating a petition to ask Gov. Pete Wilson to elevate her. Hundreds of attorneys have already signed it. Says one organizer, Tustin’s Robert W. Thompson: “We should give input on who is a good judge, instead of relying on the usual way to get an appointment through campaign donations and political contacts. This is probably something that should be done more often.”

TIMELY RESPONSE?: Joey Bishop is plenty upset. In a letter to the editor of Time, Bishop objects to the magazine calling his late 1960s talk show a flop while up against Johnny Carson, but not mentioning others like Merv or Cavett. “I really resented the piece,” says Bishop, who lives in Newport Beach. The 75-year-old comic was also livid that Time suggested he was probably mortified to see his one-time sidekick, Regis Philbin, doing so well: “Why should I be mortified? I helped him get his start.”