Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) articles from July 2003

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) archives from July 2003

Actors Unions Tabulate Vote on Consolidation.
July 1, 2003

MGM Sells Stake in Three Channels Back to Cablevision.
July 1, 2003

Los Angeles-Area Transit Agency, Drivers Negotiate in Effort to Avert Strike.
July 1, 2003

Los Angeles Files Charges against Six Auto Dismantlers.
July 2, 2003

75 Doctors at Los Angeles-Area Hospital Cast No-Confidence Votes.
July 2, 2003

Westlake Village, Calif., Developer Proposes Plan for Upscale Mall.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Rachel Uranga Jul. 7--A prominent developer is taking a second shot at building on a prime swath of land along the Ventura Freeway, proposing an open-air mall offering glitzy names in place of last year's failed plan for a Home...

Mass Transit Gets on Track from Pasadena, Calif., to Downtown Los Angeles.
July 7, 2003... Byline: Lisa Mascaro Jul. 7--When the San Fernando Valley got going on an east-west busway, Pasadena got going on light rail, and later this month the Metropolitan Transportation Authority will launch the $859 million Gold Line train from...

Burbank, Calif., Airport Authority Approves Appraisers for 55-Acre Parcel.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Naush Boghossian Jul. 8--BURBANK, Calif.--The Burbank Airport Authority agreed on Monday to hire at least two appraisers to determine the fair-market value of 55 acres that had been destined for a never-built passenger terminal....

Los Angeles Airport Panel to Sue Jet Charter Service over Noise Violations.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Jul. 8--The Los Angeles Airport Commission voted on Monday to proceed with a lawsuit over noise violations by a jet charter service based at Van Nuys Airport. Pacific Jet Inc. violated a controversial noise rule...

DreamWorks' New Movie 'Sinbad' Has Disappointing Opening Weekend.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Jul. 8--DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp was clearly disheartened over the weekend when the studio's newest release, the traditional animated adventure "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas," opened to a tepid $10...

Poor Neighborhoods in Los Angeles Remain in Dark without Streetlights.
July 8, 2003... Byline: James Nash Jul. 8--Scattered pockets of the San Fernando Valley have streetlights now, but wide swaths of the Northeast Valley remain in the dark nearly a year after Mayor James Hahn vowed to find ways to bring light to low-income...

Despite Budget Woes, Los Angeles Teacher Union Pushes for Pay Raises.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Helen Gao Jul. 8--Despite Los Angeles Unified facing $360 million in budget cuts, the teachers union called Monday for raises of $1,843 to $4,071 a year each -- setting the stage for tense negotiations. The union-dominated...

California Budget Woes Put Transportation Fixes in Peril.
July 8, 2003... Byline: Lisa Mascaro Jul. 8--California's state budget crisis will slash about $2 billion from transportation spending this new fiscal year, jeopardizing many long-promised San Fernando Valley area projects, from bike lanes to the 101-405...

Altadena, Calif.-Based Business Technology Center Expands Access.
July 8, 2003

Auto Quality Survey Finds U.S. Makers Making Strong Improvements.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Jul. 9--WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--American automakers are building more-dependable cars, toppling some of Europe's most-vaunted names and making inroads on long-standing leaders from Japan, according to a study...

DreamWorks Movie Executives Disappointed with Returns of New Animated Film.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Jul. 9--DreamWorks distribution head Jim Tharp was clearly disheartened over the weekend when the studio's newest release, the traditional animated adventure "Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas," opened to a tepid $10...

Los Angeles Suburb's Local Shops Withstand Malls, Sprawl.
July 9, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Jul. 9--CANOGA PARK, Calif.--Neighbored by malls, surrounded by chains, battered by national-name insurgents, the independent shops of this former railroad depot have managed to stubbornly hold onto their small-town...

Business Center in Los Angeles Provides Education, Networking Opportunities.
July 9, 2003

Los Angeles Mayor Unveils $9 Billion Airport Modernization Plan.
July 10, 2003... Jul. 10--Mayor James Hahn showed off his $9 billion, 11-year Los Angeles International Airport modernization plan with fanfare Wednesday but immediately faced sharp criticism over its cost and benefits. The project calls for improvements to...

San Fernando Valley Area Attracts 69 Percent of Los Angeles' New Residents.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Beth Barrett Jul. 10--More than ever, the San Fernando Valley is the place in Los Angeles that people want to call home. Since the start of the 21st century, the Valley has accounted for 69 percent of Los Angeles' growth -- up...

Sherman Oaks, Calif.-Based Marketer Vendare Buys Unit of Vivendi Universal.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 10--SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.--Direct marketer The Vendare Group has acquired Vivendi Universal's Flipside Inc. to populate its portfolio of Internet games that function as entertainment for consumers and advertisements...

Venerable Steak House in Los Angeles to Close Down after 58 Years of Business.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Jul. 10--NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif.--It's 11 a.m., and the smell of steak hangs in the air as the band swings into "Perfidia." A row of gleaming, golden saxophones cannons the standard off the dark brown walls while...

Los Angeles Transit Agency's Plan to Close Subway Parking Lot Annoys Commuters.
July 10, 2003... Byline: Lisa Mascaro Jul. 10--Finding a parking space at the San Fernando Valley's two subway stations is likely to become even more daunting this month when the MTA closes one of the North Hollywood lots. Metropolitan Transportation...

Adelphia Communications Pays Fees, but Los Angeles Officials Say More Is Owed.
July 10, 2003

Agoura Hills, Calif., Council Opens Door for Developer's Upscale Mall Plan.
July 10, 2003

Disney's 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Film Has $13.5 Million Opening Day.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Jul. 11--Stunning the movie industry, Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" earned a swashbuckling $13.5 million on its opening day, besting the first-day for "Terminator 3: Rise of the...

Home Affordability Slips in Los Angeles, throughout California.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 11--Twenty-seven percent of California households in May could actually afford a median-price home, a modest decline from the same month a year ago, according to a report released Thursday by an industry tracker....

Sandwich Shops Are Stacking Up against Hamburger Chains.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Brent Hopkins Jul. 11--The sandwich was once a dowdy leftover, slapped together from packaged meat and cheese for the budget-minded and time-constrained. No more. There's a rumble on, and it's not just in customers' bellies....

New Water Park in Los Angeles Is Welcome Treat in Sultry Heat.
July 11, 2003... Byline: Dana Bartholomew Jul. 11--PANORAMA CITY, Calif.--It's as muggy as Miami, as soupy as San Francisco and as sultry as San Antonio. Only it's Southern California in the middle of a heat-and-humidity wave of hot tempers, sweaty...

Study: Mall Proposal for Simi Valley, Calif., Would Add Pollution, Traffic.
July 11, 2003

Burbank, Calif., Airport's Neighbors Eye the Sky with New Web Site.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Susan Abram Jul. 14--BURBANK, Calif.--With a few taps on a keyboard and the click of a computer mouse, Burbank residents can find out what's been happening in the skies above them. A computer software application that can track...

Success of 'Pirates of the Caribbean' Thrills Disney.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Jul. 14--Disney's "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" breathed some much-needed life into the slumping movie industry, with a weekend gross of $46.4 million, the biggest July opening ever for a...

Los Angeles Ranch Has Citrus Fruit So Ripe for the Picking.
July 14, 2003... Byline: Grace Lee Jul. 14--On a secluded ranch shaded by orange groves, Meredith Reu reached for the highest fruit Sunday morning and showed her children a glimpse of the past. For years, Reu, 49, of Winnetka has been turning out with...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Business Profile Column.
July 14, 2003

California-Based Digital-Surround-Sound Firm Makes Best Nasdaq Debut of Year.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 15--AGOURA HILLS, Calif.--Investors are listening to Digital Theater Systems Inc. Shares of the digital-surround-sound company skyrocketed almost 47 percent to $24.92 in its first day of trading on the Nasdaq...

Kid-Friendly Film Is Surprising Hit for Eddie Murphy.
July 15, 2003

Los Angeles County, Calif., Takes $190 Million Pension Hit with Ruling.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Troy Anderson Jul. 15--A state appeals court decision giving eight years of back pension payments to thousands of retired county workers could cost Los Angeles County $190 million and Ventura County up to $40 million, adding to...

Los Angeles Mayor's Appointments to Area Transit Board Meet with Criticism.
July 15, 2003... Jul. 15--Mayor James Hahn's decision to shake up his appointees to the MTA board faced criticism Monday for excluding anyone from the San Fernando Valley, which has long fought for local control over transportation programs. Hahn handed...

Hundreds Turn Out in Los Angeles to Weigh In on Wal-Mart Wages.
July 15, 2003... Byline: Mariel Garza Jul. 15--A proposal to force "big-box" retailers such as Wal-Mart to pay higher wages in Los Angeles drew hundreds of people to an emotional public hearing Monday that escalated into a shouting match between union and...

Ventura County, Calif., Hospital's Doctors Are in Line for Big Raises.
July 15, 2003

Los Angeles Area Could Thrive with Urban Villages.
July 16, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Jul. 16--The San Fernando Valley's middle-class, family-oriented character can be preserved with smarter growth policies that meet future housing needs and enrich the community's cultural life, says a report to be...

Top California Regulator Hears Toxic-Cleanup Complaints.
July 16, 2003

Plans for Sherman Oaks, Calif., Historic Apartment Complex Draw Criticism.
July 17, 2003... Byline: James Nash Jul. 17--SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.--One of the San Fernando Valley's oldest apartment complexes would lose its character and many of its residents under a plan to add 141 new units, residents and neighboring homeowners said...

Deal Will Give Granada Hills, Calif.-Based First State Bancorp New Ownership.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 17--GRANADA HILLS, Calif.--Boston Private Financial Holdings will buy First State Bancorp for about $26.6 million in cash and stock as the company looks to broaden its footprint in Southern California. Boston...

Second-Quarter Earnings Dip for Valencia, Calif.-Based Development Firm.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Jul. 17--VALENCIA, Calif.--The Newhall Land and Farming Company announced its second quarter earnings Tuesday, citing a lack of industrial and commercial land sales as the cause for a drop-off in revenue and...

Los Angeles Utility's Board Seeks Manufacturer for Leaf-Blower Prototype.
July 17, 2003... Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Jul. 17--Five years, a lawsuit and controversy after introducing a prototype of a battery-powered leaf blower, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power board voted Wednesday to try to sell the patent to a...

Background Checks for Screeners at Los Angeles Airport Serve as Warning.
July 17, 2003

Architects Designing Revitalization Plan for Panorama City, Calif.
July 17, 2003

Sod Farm Started on Land Near California Detention Center.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Jul. 18--A portion of the dry and rocky county land surrounding the Pitchess Detention Center is being transformed into a pasture of lush grass. A sod grower is leasing 400 acres of arid county-owned land next...

Ousted Hospital CEO in Lancaster, Calif., Fired Again.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Karen Maeshiro Jul. 18--LANCASTER, Calif.--Antelope Valley Hospital directors ousted former chief executive officer Mathew Abraham again -- this time with cause -- after completing an investigation, board members said. Abraham...

Auto-Repair Shop Owner in Lancaster, Calif., Admits to Urging Needless Work.
July 18, 2003... Byline: Greg Botonis Jul. 18--LANCASTER, Calif.--The owner of a Lancaster transmission shop has pleaded guilty to felony charges of grand theft for recommending unnecessary repairs and taking money for them. Ralph Melero, the owner of...

Los Angeles Redevelopment Board Approves Apartment Project Plans.
July 18, 2003

Debt Collectors in Los Angeles to Crack Down on Late Payers.
July 18, 2003

Officials Look at Options to Delay Closing of Jail in Ventura County, Calif.
July 18, 2003

Los Angeles Colleges Aim to Respect Nature, Cut Utility Bills with New Program.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Lisa M. Sodders Jul. 21--In a project that has drawn the attention of environmentalists nationwide, the Los Angeles Community College District is embarking on an ambitious energy-saving program expected to save $80 million in water...

Horse Owners: California Agency Must Maintain Fences between Freeways, Stables.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Naush Boghossian Jul. 21--GLENDALE, Calif.--Riders who board horses in stables along Interstate 5 and the Ventura Freeway say Caltrans' poor maintenance of barrier fences could allow more animals to find their way into the path of...

New 'Lara Croft' Blockbuster Movie Drives Jeep Commercials.
July 21, 2003... Byline: Greg Hernandez Jul. 21--In a breakthrough linkup between movies and product advertisements, video game heroine Lara Croft has popped up in television spots eluding her pursuers by maneuvering a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon through the...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Business Profile Column.
July 21, 2003

Los Angeles Officials Want to Use Successful Arena Model to Lure Pro Football.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Rick Orlov Jul. 22--Describing Staples Center as an economic success for the city, Los Angeles officials on Monday called for using a similar model as a way to attract professional football to the Memorial Coliseum. Standing at...

Glendale, Calif., College May Need to Borrow from County to Meet Budget.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Naush Boghossian Jul. 22--GLENDALE, Calif.--Glendale College could be forced to borrow money from Los Angeles County in order to continue operating if the state budget is not approved by September. The college board unanimously...

Florida Home Builder Buys Developer of California's Santa Clarita Valley.
July 22, 2003... Jul. 22--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--A major national home builder agreed on Monday to buy The Newhall Land and Farming Company, the pioneer Santa Clarita Valley developer, for nearly $1 billion -- an act of faith in the future of the area and the...

California-Based Developer's Change of Ownership Shocks Family, Critics.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Jul. 22--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--It was a stroke of genius, a series of neighborhoods on the rolling hills of farmland north of Los Angeles, an entire city envisioned by members of the pioneer Newhall family....

U.S. Security Regulators Eye Video-Game Makers' Revenue Reporting.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 22--Shares of several video-game publishers declined Monday, as U.S. security regulators examine the accounting practices of such companies in an investigation that could alter the way the industry records...

Agua Dulce, Calif., Winery Reopens after Issues over Land Use, Water.
July 22, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Jul. 22--AGUA DULCE, Calif.--The troubled Agua Dulce Winery has reopened its doors, despite impending questions over land-use permits and water availability. Last week, the winery was granted a Clean Hands...

California Supreme Court Slaps Developers of Valencia Subdivision over Water.
July 22, 2003

Amgen Reports 47 Percent Gain in Second Quarter Profits.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 23--THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--Amgen Inc. saw its second-quarter profit jump more than 47 percent Tuesday, with analysts touting the biotechnology giant's anemia and arthritis combatants. The Thousand Oaks-based...

Developer of Santa Clarita, Calif., Sold to Florida Home Builder.
July 23, 2003... Jul. 23--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--A major national home builder agreed on Monday to buy The Newhall Land and Farming Company, the pioneer Santa Clarita Valley developer, for nearly $1 billion -- an act of faith in the future of the area and the...

Miami-Based Development Firm to Work on Santa Clarita, Calif.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Jul. 23--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--The future of the Santa Clarita Valley is now in the hands of a relative newcomer to the area -- the Lennar Corp. -- one of the largest developers in the country, which will have to...

Ownership Change Shocks Family, Critics of Santa Clarita, Calif., Developer.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Jul. 23--SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--It was a stroke of genius, a series of neighborhoods on the rolling hills of farmland north of Los Angeles, an entire city envisioned by members of the pioneer Newhall family....

Growing Earnings Double for Calabasas, Calif., Financial Group.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Jul. 23--CALABASAS, Calif.--A refinancing frenzy helped Countrywide Financial Corp. more than double its second-quarter earnings to a record level, and the company said Tuesday it expects to best Wall Street's...

Glendale, Calif., Officials Seek Ways to Improve Area.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Naush Boghossian Jul. 23--GLENDALE, Calif.--The city staff will work on putting together a plan that would enhance mid-Brand Boulevard landscaping, help businesses there expand, and bring in entertainment and key retailers to...

SEC Eyes Software Makers; Video-Game Revenue May Be Misreported.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Evan Pondel Jul. 23--Shares of several video-game publishers declined Monday, as U.S. security regulators examine the accounting practices of such companies in an investigation that could alter the way the industry records...

75 Percent of Los Angeles County Welfare Recipients in Poverty.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Beth Barrett Jul. 23--Three-fourths of the people who participate in Los Angeles County's massive welfare-to-work program can't find jobs good enough to keep their families out of poverty, a county-commissioned report said Tuesday....

Agua Dulce, Calif., Winery Gets Waiver to Reopen.
July 23, 2003... Byline: Nicholas Grudin Jul. 23--AGUA DULCE, Calif.--The troubled Agua Dulce Winery has reopened its doors, despite impending questions over land-use permits and water availability. Last week, the winery was granted a Clean Hands...

Los Angeles Council Approves One-Category Business Tax System.
July 23, 2003

Restaurant Chain IHOP Corp. to Cut 40 Management Jobs.
July 23, 2003

Membership Rise Boosts Thousand Oaks, Calif., Insurer.
July 23, 2003

Shares of Malibu, Calif., Toymaker Fall Sharply in Second Quarter.
July 23, 2003

Burbank, Calif., Housing-Studio Project for Artists Gets Under Way.
July 24, 2003... Byline: Naush Boghossian Jul. 24--BURBANK, Calif.--City officials broke ground Wednesday on the $22 million Senior Artists Colony -- a housing and studio project intended to lure entertainment-industry retirees or creatively inclined...

Thousand Oaks, Calif., Officials Tighten Rules for Building Home Additions.
July 24, 2003... Byline: Rachel Uranga Jul. 24--THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--In an effort to preserve the character of older neighborhoods and avert the "mansionization" of Thousand Oaks, the City Council has moved to make it more difficult to build home...

NASA Cites Modeling Inaccuracies in 2001 Crash of X-43 Research Vehicle.
July 24, 2003... Byline: Jim Skeen Jul. 24--EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif.--No single factor caused the loss of the hypersonic X-43A research vehicle, which went out of control seconds after its June 2001 launch and had to be destroyed by mission...

California's Edwards Air Force Base Will Lose 160 Jobs, Report Says.
July 24, 2003

Los Angeles Mayor Touts $9.1 Billion Modernization Plan for Airport.
July 24, 2003

Los Angeles Leaders Urge Quick End to State Budget Stalemate.
July 24, 2003