Brea Only Wishes It Was in the Pits

Many callers to the Brea Chamber of Commerce are mired in a misconception: that the Orange County city is the home of L.A.’s La Brea Tar Pits.

“When the kids are out of school and it’s vacation time, the calls really start coming in,” said Sherry Norman, the chamber’s executive director.

Not only that, but some folks don’t believe it when told they have the wrong city. “We’ve had people tell us that we have no right to hide this national treasure,” Norman said.

A disclaimer about the tar pits actually appears in Brea’s business directory and community guide (see accompanying).

Of course, the chamber receives other curious queries too.

“If people can’t figure out who to call about something, they call the Chamber of Commerce,” Norman said. “Just the other day we got a call from a lady who wanted to know how to make chocolate chip cookies.”

ON THE ROAD: While visiting Ireland, Barry Osborne of Santa Barbara noticed a disposal bag made by a company with an intriguing name (see accompanying).

MYSTERY CAMPAIGN: “What are you waiting for? Our ER is faster,” proclaims an ad for Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley. It’s on a bus bench in front of the hospital.

Who is it directed toward? Bus passengers with life threatening injuries? Or, perhaps, motorists dying of boredom in heavy traffic?

IT’S SPOTLESS NOW: When last I visited the tomb of Bulgaria’s first Marxist leader in print, the Sofia landmark’s stone walls still bore some of the black plastic spots that the Walt Disney Co. had pasted there to promote the movie “101 Dalmatians” (see photo).

This was the live-action version, by the way, creepily enough. Then, again, ex-Bulgarian boss Georgi Dimitrov didn’t spin in his grave because his remains had already been removed.

Now, Manhattan Beach attorney Joe Lowther, who is working in Bulgaria, reports the mausoleum itself has been demolished by the current regime.

I guess Disney had no further use for the stone billboard. Maybe Bulgarian box office isn’t so boffo.

FLUSH TIME: A manufacturer of toilet repair parts is holding a contest to find the best vocal imitator of a toilet sounding off.

First prize is $1,000 in the Fluidmaster Flush Off, which is set for Oct. 13 at company headquarters in San Juan Capistrano.

That’s the word from the firm of Marketing Communications Inc. of Tustin. (I guess Fluidmaster, rather than handle the publicity in-house, went out-house.)

Auditions are by phone (714-573-4409). Which raises a question. When the judges hear a flushing rendition over the phone, how do they know they’re hearing a person and not the toilet itself? Or a duet of same?

miscelLAny:

Edmund Morris, the author of “Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan,” told the New York Times that Reagan “lived his life out dramatically. He went from production to production to production. In each case, he was a star.”

Certainly, he became what could be termed a star on the world scene. But, previous to that, in Hollywood, he had few major roles.

Hence, the reported reaction of mogul Jack Warner when told that Reagan was running for president:

“No, Jimmy Stewart for president. Ronald Reagan for best friend.”