DOWNED PLANE: A private plane leased by...

DOWNED PLANE: A private plane leased by the U.S. Forest Service to help combat fires crashed Saturday in Angeles National Forest, killing at least two people. (B1) . . . Authorities said the plane was en route to a Kern County blaze with a cargo of fire-retardant chemicals. The wreck sparked two small fires, but no homes were threatened.

TENNIS TALK: If there is one thing 16-year-old girls can do, it’s talk. So when Meilen Tu of Northridge combined her tennis skills with pep talks to herself, a national championship resulted. (C10) . . . “Talking to myself helped me relax and play better,” said Meilen, who won the singles title in the United States Tennis Assn. Girls’ 18 national championship in San Jose.

TIME OFF: Dodger broadcaster Ross Porter (above) is crazy about stats, but one he discovered Friday probably won’t go down as one of his favorites. “I told my wife this is the first time in my married life, 33 years, that there may be no income coming in,” said Porter, of Calabasas Park. . . . Porter was paid during the 1981 strike, but his current contract doesn’t offer similar protection.

FORE!: Well, if a man’s not going to get paid, he might as well improve his handicap. Which is exactly what Porter, 55, intends to do until the players and owners can get their act together. He’ll play at courses near Palm Springs, and also plans to visit his grandkids. . . . But he says the sudden vacation won’t change his life too much. “The season was winding down already,” he said.

BLYTHE SPIRIT: Residents of one of the Valley’s most blighted streets put on a festival of Mexican food, drink and music Saturday in an effort to reclaim the neighborhood from local gangs. . . . The Vecino a Vecino celebration--Neighbor to Neighbor--reflected a new sense of empowerment among residents. “There is a lot of natural leadership here,” said Margaret-Rose Welch, who is helping to revitalize the three-block Blythe Street area. (B1)