ON CUE: North Hollywood’s Ernie Gutierrez is...
ON CUE: North Hollywood’s Ernie Gutierrez is a legend, and he’s not even dead yet. He’s known around the world for crafting ornate custom pool cues. His customers have included Minnesota Fats and Frank Sinatra (B1). . . . Many in Hollywood came to him after he made an 18-karat gold cue for Dean Martin. It also had four diamonds, an emerald, a ruby and a sapphire.
DON’T BEAM US UP: The new Star Trek picture may be succeeding in its mission at the box office, but it’s a big misfire for many fans. Joyce Mason, head of a William Shatner fan club in North Hollywood, said most who called her syndicated cable radio show, “Talk Trek,” Friday night weighed in against “Star Trek: Generations.” . . . “Many people said they felt empty when they left the theater,” Mason says.
TROUBLES: Small banks may have survived big problems, but they’re not home free yet. Institutions such as Valencia National Bank in Newhall, run by John Reardon, above, still face the prospect of being gobbled up by larger banks. . . . Community banking, says Marshall Milligan, outgoing CEO of Bank of A. Levy in Ventura, will “go the way of blacksmiths and butcher shops.” See Valley Business, Page 10.
QUAKE LOANS: For some renters, the American Dream was made possible, believe it or not, by the Northridge nightmare. They got help through the California Housing Financing Agency, which provides low-interest loans to those who suffered quake damage. . . . “It’s been the forgotten loan program,” says John Lucas of ARCS Mortgage Inc. in Van Nuys. See Valley Business, Page 4.
TAX BREAK: But what if you already owned property before the quake and suffered damage? Can you get a tax break? Yes, but it won’t be easy. You’ll need to show how you paid for your belongings and you may want to minimize income this year. . . . Today’s Your Money pages looks at this and other tax issues (D6-9).
