DEVIL’S CANDY? Operation Storefront is the county’s...

DEVIL’S CANDY? Operation Storefront is the county’s volunteer survey to see if local stores try to keep their tobacco advertising away from children. Answer: Many don’t. . . . Its report released this week shows one-fourth of the 293 small markets surveyed put cigarette ads right next to the candy section. And half had such ads no more than three feet high. . . . Says volunteer Jessica Eng, 16, of Santa Ana: “I was amazed at the number of ads we counted.”

SECRET SERVICE: It’s no secret that Nancy Reagan had strong opinions about what was best for her husband Ron. But sometimes the former President knew how to get around her. Former White House executive chef Henry Haller told a group at Fullerton’s Morningside senior community that Nancy Reagan insisted on low-calorie, low-cholesterol meals. But when she was away, Haller says, he and President Reagan “had a good time. . . . He got chocolate mousse, roast duckling. The secret was I changed the menu when she was away, and he never told her.”

BEST FORMULA: Wendy Spry of Mission Viejo can give you lots of reasons for breast-feeding: bonding, healthier babies--and moms--and it’s cheaper. So why do more than half the women who have babies choose not to breast-feed? . . . “There’s not enough education about it,” she says. Spry, now breast-feeding her second child, Madeline, is president of the local La Leche League support group for breast-feeding mothers. To raise funds and promote the cause, members will have a walk Saturday at Sea Canyon Park in Dana Point.

WATER PET TRICKS: Sure, your dog can shake hands; but can your fish ring a bell? Dave Smith of Seal Beach calls koi fishponds “the fastest growing trend in landscaping.” He’s building a Japanese garden and koi pond for this weekend’s Home & Garden Show at the Long Beach Convention Center. Show officials say the colorful koi, which grow to three feet long, are a booming business in Southern California. And yes, Smith, who owns Serendipity Ponds & Streams, can make them do tricks.