ROAD KILL: Once upon a time, Ventura...

ROAD KILL: Once upon a time, Ventura Boulevard visionaries had grand plans for the Valley’s main street: Giant boulders would replace park benches and an intersection would contain a drive-through baseball field. . . . But the L.A. Planning Commission has dashed many boulevard dreams by recommending a huge drop in developer’s fees, slashing the project’s budget (B1).

DOC BELL: Calling for help has come a long way since Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone transmission 109 years ago today. . . . Encino-based “telemedicine” proponent Dr. Avrum Bluming, president of the L.A. Free-Net medical service, envisions future “on-line patient medical records.” . . . The service would let patients carry their “code” into any emergency room and “download your files to a doctor,” Avrum says.

CHECK, PLEASE: No, the woman above is not getting her eyes checked. She has her eyes on something at an auction at the Radisson Hotel in Agoura Hills. Valley bidders are going to the auction block in search of the ultimate treasure, from sports cars to antiques. But be warned: If you don’t know the language, you can find yourself involved in some bum deals . . . including dead bodies. See Valley Life!, Page 9.

CLASSIC ALEX: Glendale’s Alex Theatre has a new take on old films. . . . Hoping to “preserve, protect and promote” classic films, a local group of movie buffs has brought back Errol Flynn’s “Adventures of Robin Hood” to the Alex. Tonight’s show also features a swashbuckling twist: a sword fight staged by a man who once crossed sabers with Flynn. See Valley Life!, Page 3.

DOG DAYS: It’s not too late to take your sled dogs out for the winter. . . . Times staff writer Vince Kowalick reluctantly straps on the latest snow craze--sled dogs--a boot with a foot-long ski stuck on the sole. The sensation was enough to make Vince ask: “Am I skiing on skates, or skating on snow?” See Valley Life!, Page 28.