BOLSA BASH: The Koll Real Estate Group...
BOLSA BASH: The Koll Real Estate Group has long been at odds with much of Huntington Beach over its quest to build 3,300 homes in and around the Bolsa Chica wetlands. So what did the Koll people do after winning the last major hurdle--California Coastal Commission approval? They threw a victory party Thursday night for their supporters. . . . Senior Vice President Lucy Dunn says, “It was nice to have a reason to celebrate after all the years of public hearings.” . . . Koll agreed to restore a major portion of the wetlands.
NEW SCENT IN TOWN: Can you guess the one common animal you’ve never seen at the Santa Ana Zoo? . . . It’s dogs. Because they’re natural predators, they made too many of the zoo animals skittish. But to accommodate the disabled who need trained dogs with them, zoo officials have been acclimating the animals to get them ready. They used goats. . . . Says curator Connie Sweet: “We’d walk the goats around the zoo so the animals on exhibit would be familiar with the shape and size of this new animal in their territory.” . . . After months of conditioning, the animals are ready.
NICE BAD GUY: For years he was America’s favorite bad guy in Western movies. Pierce Lyden of Orange will become the newest star immortalized at the Palm Springs Walk of Stars in ceremonies today. Lyden, 87, has appeared in more than 350 movies and TV shows, usually the guy chased by Gene Autry, Roy Rogers or John Wayne. The feuding obviously stopped when the cameras shut off: Jackie Autry, Gene’s wife, is a member of the Walk’s committee.
HOME MOVIES: At the Edwards Newport Cinemas, you sometimes get more than just popcorn with your movies. At “Mr. Holland’s Opus,” the heart-wrenching story of a high school music teacher, many in the audience are wet-eyed as they leave the theater. So there is manager Jim Woodin and his staff handing out tissues. . . . “Some point and laugh, but they take the tissue,” Woodin says. “For some movies we have mints. Our philosophy is, you’re a guest in our home.”
