Woman’s Heroism in Aftermath of Quake Honored by Clinton

HAIL TO THE HEROES: Ramona Sanchez-Vega started crying on Tuesday when President Clinton singled her out as one of the heroes of last year’s earthquake during his appearance at Cal State Northridge.

“When my name came up I couldn’t believe it,” she said. “Tears started coming out of my eyes and I was saying, ‘He said my name! The President said my name!’ ”

A housing supervisor at the Los Angeles County Community Development Commission, Sanchez-Vega went far beyond her job description in the days following Jan. 17, 1994. Venturing out of the Sylmar disaster assistance center in which she was assigned, she searched out some families that she had heard were living in their cars by the railroad tracks in Santa Clarita. Eventually tracking them down, she helped the quake victims receive Section 8 housing vouchers.

“Never in my wildest dream did I think I would meet the President,” she said.

Joining Sanchez-Vega at Tuesday’s ceremony were more than a dozen other heroes--including members of the clergy, a banker, a nurse and a resident of the Northridge Meadows Apartments complex who helped save some of his neighbors.

Receiving VIP treatment, the heroes were able to sit up front by the stage while the rest of the crowd stood on the muddy grass. But a false bomb scare prompted the program to be cut short and none of the others were touted as Sanchez-Vega was.

Still, true heroes do not complain.

“I didn’t do this to get a certificate or a handshake,” said Bill Shaw, who organized apartment owners after the quake in his role as president of the Apartment Assn. of Greater Los Angeles.

Other heroes rounded up by Clinton aides were Vonciel Brown, Tom Mills, Father Pedro Villa-Arroya, Jim Yacenda, Sister Mary T. Nguyen, Diana Peplow, Mike Kubeisy, Mary Diaz, Doug Garcia-Alegria, Renae Garrett, Gregg Fortner, Ford Scott, Mickey Fox and Walter Hackett.

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WELCOME TO L.A.: Traffic lights, stop signs and even rush-hour traffic do not usually slow down the President of the United States. One of the biggest perks that comes with the White House is the ever-present presidential motorcade.

But President Clinton got a taste of Los Angeles-style freeway gridlock during his trip to Southern California.

Returning from an event in South-Central Los Angeles on Monday night, Clinton soared along a completely closed Century Freeway en route to his beachfront hotel in Santa Monica. But he encountered trouble on the San Diego Freeway. The California Highway Patrol had closed selected on-ramps to keep traffic to a minimum, but a bottleneck had developed and cars were crawling along in front of the President’s limousine.

At one point, Clinton experienced the same phenomenon that every Angeleno has lived through as the 405 became a giant parking lot.

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SLOGANS HAPPEN: By now, everybody should be familiar with the slogan for the Northridge earthquake anniversary: “You Can Shake L.A. But You Can’t Break It.” After all, it’s a motto that has been emblazoned on 30 billboards throughout the city.

What most people don’t know is that the slogan was one of several that Grey Advertising came up with and offered to Mayor Richard Riordan for the billboard campaign. (Grey Advertising donated the creative services for the campaign while Patrick Media Group donated the billboards for a month.)

Among the slogans rejected by Riordan’s advisers: “Remember the Worst Date You Ever Had?” “L.A. Was Shaken but Not Stirred,” “Hooray L.A.! You Overcame Your Biggest Fault,” and “We Love L.A. Faults and All.”

Riordan’s press aide Noelia Rodriguez said the winning slogan was picked because “it captured the essence of what we wanted to say.”

Oh, yeah, there was one other slogan suggested by one of Riordan’s press deputies that plays off a popular but profane bumper sticker slogan: “Quake Happens.”

Although it may better reflect the city’s laid-back attitude, it also was rejected.

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JUST KIDDING, BARBARA: Did Mayor Riordan really endorse Barbara Yaroslavsky in the race to fill the City Council seat left vacant when her husband, Zev Yaroslavsky, became the newest member of the County Board of Supervisors?

Not really, but for a few seconds he had many people wondering.

The comment in question came out at an earthquake remembrance breakfast at Art’s Deli in Studio City on Tuesday. Just as Riordan was finishing doling out accolades to city, state and federal officials for their response to last year’s disaster, Zev Yaroslavsky, stood up to join in the praise-fest.

“I think we would all be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the leadership that this mayor gave on the morning of Jan. 17 and every waking hour since then,” Yaroslavsky told the crowd. “Mayor Riordan, thank you for what you have done.”

Riordan quickly responded: “I just decided I’m going to vote for Barbara.”

Afterward, the mayor’s press staff hemmed and hawed when asked if the comment was a formal endorsement or simply an unscripted joke.

After a short discussion they agreed: It was a joke.

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THE FACE IS FAMILIAR: Several months ago, City Councilman Marvin Braude drew snickers and smirks from City Hall staffers when he stood up at a council meeting and repeatedly shouted at the head of a church and synagogue organization but called him by the wrong name.

Still, that was understandable. After all, dozens of bureaucrats and community leaders appear before the council every week. No one can be expected to remember all those names.

But he should remember the names of his 14 council colleagues.

Braude recently addressed fellow Valley council member Laura Chick by the name Laura Lake, who is a former UCLA faculty member who twice unsuccessfully ran for City Council.

One City Hall insider was keeping track. It was the fifth time in recent weeks that he has referred to Chick as Laura Lake.

Maybe it’s time for name tags.

Marc Lacey reported from Washington, D.C. and Hugo Martin from Los Angeles.