ORANGE RAWHIDE: If you think freeway traffic...

ORANGE RAWHIDE: If you think freeway traffic is bad, try Fairview Road in Costa Mesa this morning. You’ll find yourself behind 250 head of cattle on their way to the Orange County Fair. Fairview will be closed between Adams Avenue and Fair Drive between 9:30 and 10:30 as the cattle make their way from Costa Mesa High School to the fairgrounds. Guest riders include Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates, a veteran rider, and Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden--who’s allergic to horses.

SHUTTLE BUGS: You don’t have to ride a horse to get to the fair--or even drive a car. The free shuttle service from the Auto Club, at Fairview and South Coast Drive, has grown in popularity. . . . In 1990, 2,500 fairgoers took advantage of it. Last year, the number of shuttle riders was up to 6,500. The shuttle runs 6:30 p.m. to midnight Fridays during the fair, and noon to midnight Saturdays and Sundays.

FUN WITH CLINTON: Senate Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kansas) spoke at the Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace on Wednesday night for an exclusive, $2,500-per-guest dinner tribute to the former President. . . . But Dole got in a few comments about the current President too: “I can’t stay too late . . . I don’t want to leave Mr. Clinton in Washington for very long. He may be suffering from jet lag and I don’t want him to do anything while he is in that state.”

PROMOTIONAL SPLASH: The Splash predicts its largest crowd of the year at The Pond of Anaheim tonight, when it plays the Mexican team, the Monterrey La Raza. The indoor soccer game will be followed by a concert with the music group Los Tremendos. . . . The team has been heavily promoting the game on Spanish-language radio stations and with flyers in retail outlets with a strong Latino clientele. With tonight’s seventh game, the Splash expect to surpass last year’s entire 14-home game season attendance mark (26,779), when it was the L.A. United.

Yo, Dogies

The Orange County Fair cattle drive this morning means temporary closure of Fairview Road.

Source: Orange County Fair Board