Story of New L.A. Area Code Has a Hole In It

Most media outlets as well as the state Public Utilities Commission have described the new 323 area code in the L.A. area as “doughnut shaped.” But Dan Fink points out that the newsletter for the Jewish organization, the Workmen’s Circle, opted for this term in its July issue:

“Bagel shaped.”

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DON’T MESS WITH THE MOUSE: The ferocity of the lawyers at Burbank-based Walt Disney Co. is known everywhere, apparently. During President Clinton’s visit to China, one eatery that closed down (at least temporarily) was named Mickey Mao’s. And a nearby restaurant came up with a new nom de noodle (at least temporarily). Its former name: Minnie Mao’s.

Hmmm. I wonder if there are any fowl restaurants named Donald’s?

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HOT WHEELS: Lee Totten of La Quinta found a newspaper ad by a car dealer who’ll give your vehicle a “roast” performance test (see accompanying). Sort of like what Mother Nature has been giving Southern California the last couple of days.

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ELEVATOR MUSING: Val Rodriguez got a lift from a sign in Lakewood that implored passengers to hit the down and up buttons to go who knows where, while Phil Proctor came across an elevator in West L.A. where there’s a stop on the second-and-a-half floor, or is that the 2.5th floor? (see photos).

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WELL, THERE’S ALWAYS WOLFGANG PUCK’S: Albert Disney of Azusa noticed that among the recent establishments that the county temporarily forbid to sell food was a Chief Auto Parts store, which lacked a public health permit. Reminds me of my teenage days when hot rodders would tell me (and my old ’59 Chevy) that they were going to make me “eat some rubber.”

I hope the Walt Disney Co. doesn’t object to my using Albert Disney’s name in this column.

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ANOTHER REASON TO LIVE IN L.A.: The Student Travel and Research School is a private high school in Pacific Palisades that says it “offers a highly motivational curriculum that combines international and domestic travel, a personal growth program, community service and academics.”

The school abbreviates its name (by happy coincidence) as STARS.

Anyway, STARS, which offers its campus for community meetings, recently was the site of a meeting of the Assn. of Celebrity Personal Assistants. You think I’m kidding, but I’m not.

Among those attending, according to STARS, were the gofers of such notables (I almost said stars) as Rod Stewart, Sean Penn, Sally Field and John Travolta.

“We are greatly interested in having celebrities enthusiastically support our school,” said one STARS official.

Yeah, but was Mickey Mao’s celebrity personal assistant there?

miscelLAny:

Following Roy Rogers’ death, a colleague wrote: “After a day of ‘Happy Trails’ sound bites, it was a pleasant surprise that night to hear KUSC pay tribute to ‘a great cowboy’ by playing the ‘Corral Nocturne’ from Aaron Copeland’s ‘Rodeo.’ ”

I only wish sidekick Gabby Hayes had been alive to hear it. Or his celebrity personal assistant.

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Steve Harvey can be reached by phone at (213) 237-7083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com and by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, Times Mirror Square, L.A. 90053.