TREE TRIVIA: The Christmas tree has a...

TREE TRIVIA: The Christmas tree has a lot of tradition behind it. Some say its roots go back to the 8th Century, although the first documented references come from Latvia and Estonia in the early 1500s. . . . Today’s Valley Briefing (B5) also looks at tree prices and offers some handling tips.

FINAL CHANCE: CSUN made it official Tuesday, telling students: You make the call. Students in March will be asked to approve a referendum to help finance athletic programs. If they vote it down, four sports will have to go. Football would be lost in three of the options. . . . President Blenda J. Wilson will announce in January which one of four possible funding options will be on the student ballot (C1). Said Wilson: “This issue represents a significant decision for the university.”

FAKE FLAKES: It snowed in Calabasas, and it was no snow job. Actually, it was. The city hired a snow-making machine at Gates Canyon Park in the third annual “Let It Snow” day (B2). . . . A few years ago, the real stuff made it to town. A February, 1989, storm left five inches in Westlake Village, Porter Ranch, Tarzana, Granada Hills and Calabasas.

HELPING OUT: Santa came to the rescue Tuesday--make that hundreds of Santas. One day after the Dubnoff Center for Child Development and Educational Therapy in North Hollywood reported that more than 100 presents had been stolen, donations poured in. . . . The center’s Gil Freitag says people brought in games, clothes, basketballs, stuffed animals and cash totaling nearly $8,000.

NEXT PLEASE: The Times sent out eight reporters Saturday to check delays at Southern California post offices (E1) and one of the fastest lines turned out to be in Littlerock in north L.A. County. It took staffer Phil Sneiderman all of one minute to mail his package. So much for the holiday rush. . . . Other reporters found a much different scene.