NOT UNUSUAL: Some opponents immediately dismissed the...

NOT UNUSUAL: Some opponents immediately dismissed the idea, brought up by Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange), of using the paddle to punish juvenile graffiti vandals. It’s cruel and unusual, they say. . . . But from a legal standpoint, says David Gurnick, head of the San Fernando Valley Bar Assn., “It’s debatable whether it’s cruel, and it’s certainly not unusual. We’ve had it in my lifetime.”

OFF BROADWAY: Almost four months since the Jan. 17 quake, four Valley Broadway stores have yet to reopen. But there is hope. A spokeswoman says the Panorama City store will open next week, the Woodland Hills store by mid-June, and Sherman Oaks by July. . . . It’ll be November before the Northridge Fashion Center store opens. Meanwhile, a survey of area stores shows most are making a strong comeback from the quake (D1).

MY WAY: Ever wish you could write your own epitaph? Well, one Valley priest actually has, and he also has his gravestone already in place. So what if he’s still alive? . . . He’s Msgr. Francis J. Weber (above), who celebrates Mass at the San Fernando Mission. The grave marker reads: “Born 1933, Ordained 1959. Priest-Archivist-Historian” (B15).

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Sgt. J.J. Thompson, watch commander at the Devonshire Division, retires today after 31 years, but he’ll never forget his last week. He went on patrol with his son, Dan, of the Rampart Division. They even made an arrest, recovering guns from an apartment. . . . “Dan handled himself well,” his father said. “He took the lead right away.”

BIG BOY: At first, Philip MacDonald showed little nostalgia. As owner of Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank, the oldest in the country, he wanted to convert the site to retail or office space. . . . But he ended up spending at least $50,000 to restore it to its 1949 condition. And this week, he was honored by the Burbank Historical Society for his efforts (B2).