Don’t spoil their big nightThose not-always-reliable grunion...

Don’t spoil their big night

Those not-always-reliable grunion are scheduled to come ashore this evening, which prompted a heartfelt plea from Long Beach’s Grunion Gazette to its readers:

“Please allow the grunion to finish mating before you catch them. They’d do it for you!”

DISSED BY THE SKATEBOARD CAPITAL: Jerry Rubin, the peace activist and Venice booster, called to say that the beach has a dual birthday celebration planned July 4--No. 219 for the nation and No. 90 for Venice. Rubin said a muralist will be fashioning a chalk sidewalk tribute that will say: “Together We’re the Best!! Venice Beach.”

It is, of course, a sly dig at L.A.’s fabulous new motto. Some beach residents still mourn the 1925 decision of Venice voters to give up cityhood and become a part of the City of Angels.

But never doubt their patriotism.

One need only consult Arnold Springer’s “History of Venice of America” to find evidence, as in this reprint of a 1916 Venice newspaper story:

“Jerry Sullivan, the aged veteran who compelled B.F. Cartledge, a traveling evangelist, to eat the American flag after the preacher had insulted the Stars and Stripes, was jailed in Santa Monica for drunkenness and released to the guardhouse in Sawtelle.”

COME ON--IS THAT YOUR BEST SMILE?We received a driver’s license in the mail that bore the face of a familiar-looking person. There was something about that enigmatic expression. . . . Was it the motorcycle cop who pulled us over a few years ago?

No, it turns out the bogus card was part of a media campaign by the DMV to promote awareness of its new hologram security feature--and to encourage merchants to be more careful about checking such I.D.’s.

The DMV, by the way, used the name “Mona Liza Smith” on the card because there are 17 California drivers who go by the name of “Mona Lisa.”

SURE, THE 55 M.P.H. SPEED LIMIT IS LOW BUT . . .: Let’s hope the road leading into Hollywood’s Barnsdall Park where a sign was embellished doesn’t turn into a drag strip. Note the unsuspecting pedestrian in the picture.

ANGELS’ FLUB: “I waited 76 years to see an item sent in by me placed in the newspaper and then somebody spelled my name wrong,” writes William Yenney (Manual Arts High class of 1937). “Otherwise I enjoyed it very much.”

Well, we were that somebody, and we apologize.

It was Yenney who recently revealed to Only in L.A. that in 1969 he had climbed a fence and taken a piece of railroad tie after Angel’s Flight was shut down; we theorized that the promised rebuilding of the Bunker Hill trolley had been held up for years because officials were looking for that tie.

We just hope we don’t have to wait another 76 years before we hear from Yenney again. Or before Angel’s Flight returns.

miscelLAny OK, now that you’ve put away those noisemakers let us be the first to wish you . . . Happy Fiscal New Year!