Alert Residents Pick Up the Scent

Suspicious-sighting-of-the-week honors go to an item in the crime log of the Saddleback Valley News: “9:05 a.m. ... Informant states that there is a man carrying a stick of deodorant wandering around. He is unknown to the area.” Commented Wayne Ammons of Mission Viejo: “Something smells here.”

From the odiferous to the visual: Abe Landsman of Sherman Oaks noticed a gas station sign that wouldn’t pass a spell test (see photo).

Dueling diets: An Orange County school’s newsletter offered some conflicting messages about nutritious eating (see accompanying).

Hungering for money: In its “Legal Follies” review, California Lawyer magazine quotes an official on the large number of books stolen from the San Diego County Public Law Library:

“Lawyers normally behave like professionals. But once they find themselves in trouble, that starts to slide.”

From the underhanded to the underground: Pete Axcell of San Diego snapped a shot of a subterranean parking lot that is seemingly limited to exceptionally low-slung vehicles (see photo).

Pit Bella: It’s too bad that the American Kennel Club championship competition in Long Beach didn’t have a category for my sister’s dog: Most Congenial Pit Bull.

OK, maybe there would have been a shortage of candidates. But I can’t imagine many hounds of any breed being friendlier than Bella.

My sister was walking her in a canyon recently when Bella was attacked by a snarling golden retriever. Bella at first thought the assailant wanted to play. But when she got nipped, do you know what Bella did? The sensitive pit pull lay down, with all four paws in the air, and cried.

Bella’s faith in dogdom has been severely tested.

miscelLAny: The other day this column carried the following from a downtown restaurateur: “Laker crowds are very needy.... It’s the ‘Do you know who I am?’ attitude.” Gloria Hayes wasn’t surprised, pointing out that The Times sports section recently mentioned an outburst that a fan directed toward the San Antonio Spurs bench after a one-sided Lakers win at Staples.

“I paid $2,000 for this,” the guy whined. “Don’t you ever waste my Friday night like that again.” Hope this fan’s unhappy experience doesn’t mar your weekend.

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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LA-TIMES, Ext. 77083; by fax at (213) 237-4712; by mail at Metro, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012; and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.