VANTASTIC: The Chrysler Town & Country van...

VANTASTIC: The Chrysler Town & Country van is on a roll these days. In fact, J.D. Power and Associates in Agoura Hills rates it, along with Toyota, as the top light truck for customer satisfaction (D2). . . . That comes as no shock to Kevin Halliburton, sales manager at a the Chrysler-Plymouth dealership in Van Nuys. “A lot of people trade in their Lexus or BMW to get one,” he said.

WE LIKE HER: Tom Hanks has captured most of the attention for his new film, “Forrest Gump,” and that makes sense. He’s the star. . . . But the film also features another Academy Award winner, Birmingham High alum Sally Field. In fact, she was not the only big name who attended the Van Nuys school in the early 1960s. Others included CAA boss Michael Ovitz and junk bond wizard Michael Milken.

RED-FACED: The man didn’t listen to his wife, and got burned. She told him to wear sunscreen, and he declined. After all, he was supposed to spend only 15 minutes outside. But it turned into four hours, and his back turned the color of grilled salmon. . . . Sunburn (above) is a big problem in the summer. The man knows that now (B5).

HARDBALL: It may only be Little League, but it has become a major league controversy in Toluca Lake. The Toluca Little League charges that former board members took cash and equipment to support a rival Pony League affiliate (C12). . . . “It’s not Pony baseball who’s the bad guy,” said Mike Hirsh, a former Toluca Little League board member, “but it’s a few adults who let egos get in the way of the kids’ best interests.”

LOSS OF BLOOD: The American Red Cross, for the second time this year, is running out of blood (B2). . . . And the Valley is usually counted on to be a major contributor. In fact, about 25% of the region’s collections come from the Valley. “The Valley is absolutely critical,” said Rick Bauer, director of donor recruitment for the Red Cross.