SEX AND DEATH: Some courthouse watchers bet...

SEX AND DEATH: Some courthouse watchers bet against it because, as one lawyer argued, people are reluctant to kill mother figures. But the Van Nuys jury surprised them, recommending the death penalty for a woman. That puts Mary Ellen Samuels in line to join a very small club. To date, only four of 503 people executed by California were women (A20). Although there are 377 men on Death Row in San Quentin now, there are only four women. . . . One of the others was sent there from the Van Nuys courthouse too.

ART OF FILM: You’ve seen John Alvin’s work, even if you don’t know the Northridge artist’s name. He drew the posters for Disney’s current animated smash “The Lion King” and “E.T.” He’s known for packing a poster with human emotion, using such contemporary tools as an airbrush and a computer. Valley Life! Page 3

HEAT TOLERANT: Hot-weather gardening means extra watering. But more critical is choosing plants that can take the heat, says Gary Krause, Pierce College landscape professor. “If people want things that are lusher . . .they should reduce the size of these plantings.” Valley Life! Page 18

FAIR PRIORITIES: At last year’s San Fernando Valley Fair, Kimberly Keeble’s prize turkey won $950. At this rate, her parents figure each of their four children--who enter animals every year--could save enough money for college. Kimberly figures otherwise. “I want a car when I can drive,” says the 10-year-old Sun Valley girl. . . . The four-day fair opened Thursday in Burbank (B1).