RESPECT: Los Angeles magazine takes a look...

RESPECT: Los Angeles magazine takes a look at the Valley and likes what it sees. The April issue lists 300 reasons why people shouldn’t leave L. A., citing Valley attractions such as Norman’s Rare Guitars in Reseda, Atlas Sausage Kitchen in Burbank and CityWalk in Universal City. . . . “In the Valley, you get all the amenities of the city without the aggravation,” says Managing Editor Helene Goldsen.

STAYING ALIVE: Dr. Paul Hackmeyer thought he knew all about the thin line between life and death. He was wrong. Last week, Hackmeyer, clinical chief of obstetrics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, was shot three times outside his rented North Hollywood home. . . . Lucky to be alive, he’s not bitter. “I’m saddened by how far our society has broken down,” he says (B1).

A TAXING TASK: April is almost here, which means only one thing: It’s tax time, the busiest period for services such as Triple Check Income Tax Service in Burbank. . . . The new tax forms (above) are confusing, and accountants say even they can’t figure them all out. See Valley Business, Pages 4, 10.

TROUBLE IN CHINA: The idea of a change in Clinton Administration policy toward China over human rights issues worries many Valley businesses. Clinton is considering whether to revoke China’s most-favored-nation trade status. “If you really want to attack communism, you do it with free enterprise,” says Steven Nichols, chairman of K-Swiss Inc., a Chatsworth marketer of sneakers. “I don’t want to defend China, but we’re out of our mind not to do business with them every day.” See Valley Business, Page 3.

CAR FUTURE: Imagine a day when a computer chip in your car might help you avoid an accident. Imagine no more. It could happen, and pretty soon. Calstart, a Burbank consortium, showed the prototype of a device Monday that might prevent crashes and ease bottlenecks (B1). . . . “I envision the cars of the future just bristling with these radars,” said one engineer.