Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) articles from May 2001

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) archives from May 2001

Los Angeles Metropolitan Area Has Worst Air Quality, Lung Association Says.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Joseph Giordono May 1--American Lung Association of California Despite recent improvements, Los Angeles remains the metropolitan area with the worst ozone air pollution, according to a three-year study to be released today by the...

Major League Baseball Picks Los Angeles for Site of Youth Academy.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Dominic Berbeo May 1--Major League Baseball has chosen Hansen Dam recreation area for a $10 million, first-of-its-kind baseball complex to provide free training to needy teens in a variety of baseball-related fields, sources said...

Los Angeles City Council Warned to Salt Away This Year's Windfall.
May 1, 2001... Byline: Rick Orlov May 1--With a budget flush with cash due to the past year's booming economy, Los Angeles city officials were warned Monday to save for the future and the uncertainties of a possible economic slowdown. As a special...

Negotiations Continue in Hollywood Contract Battle.
May 1, 2001... May 1--The looming midnight deadline for the Writers Guild of America's contract will likely pass without a deal -- or a strike -- as negotiators press forward in search of a compromise, industry sources said Monday. The WGA's contract...

Major League Baseball Sees Los Angeles Site for Youth Academy as Big Hit.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Dominic Berbeo May 2--Major League Baseball laid out its plans Tuesday for a youth baseball camp at Hansen Dam even as boos in the bleachers resounded from local residents protesting the cost to taxpayers and lack of community...

Boeing to Shift Jobs at Two California Facilities.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Ian Hanigan May 2--CANOGA PARK, Calif.--As design and manufacturing winds down on the International Space Station, the Boeing Co. is looking at cutting project-related jobs at several of its centers, including Canoga Park and...

Employees Sue Burbank, Calif., over Discrimination.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Katie Cooper May 2--Four current or former Burbank employees have filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming a pattern of discriminatory practices based on gender, age and race. In the 22-page complaint -- which also alleges a...

Federal Government Stiffs Banks on Credit Cards.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Bill Hillburg May 2--WASHINGTON--The federal government's decision to issue credit cards to employees for official travel has spawned a mountain of bad debts and a small army of deadbeats, Congress was told Tuesday. Rep....

Hollywood Writers, Producers Work through Night Toward Accord.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestan May 2--Hollywood's writers and producers pushed their negotiations past the midnight expiration of their contract today, keeping hopes alive that a devastating strike can be averted. "It's a huge responsibility,"...

HomeBase Retail Chain Brings Revamped Concept to Los Angeles.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 2--Even before House2Home opens its doors, it's guaranteed one loyal customer in Ginger Silverman. Granted, as vice president of marketing and advertising for the newly revamped HomeBase chain, she has a...

Woodland Hills, Calif.-Based Managed Care Firm Sees Profits Jump 24.5 Percent.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox May 2--WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--Profits at managed care giant Health Net Inc. jumped 24.5 percent during the first quarter and the company said Tuesday it expects continued strong performance throughout the year....

Merged Banks to Target Inner-City Communities.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Evan Pondel May 2--Backed by majority shareholders Ervin "Magic" Johnson and Janet Jackson, Founders National Bank of Los Angeles, Boston Bank of Commerce and Miami's Peoples Bank of Commerce have agreed to merge, combining assets...

California Assembly Speaker Lobbies in Washington for Federal Power Help.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Bill Hillburg May 2--WASHINGTON--Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, on Tuesday launched a two-day Capitol Hill lobbying blitz, seeking to convince lawmakers and regulators that California needs and deserves federal help to...

Environmental Protection Agency Hands Off California Nuclear Energy Site Study.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Lisa Mascaro May 2--Activists raised concerns Tuesday about the EPA's retreat from a long-planned study of radiation contamination at the former Rocketdyne Santa Susana Field Lab that will now be conducted by another agency. ...

Los Angeles Officials Destroying Ailing Trees in Local Freeway Park.
May 2, 2001... Byline: Jason Kandel May 2--With composters and bulldozers, officials on Tuesday began digging up 25 eucalyptus trees in North Hollywood Park that died after losing a battle with insidious pests. Officials fear that about 20,000 other...

Burbank, Calif., Airport Passenger Traffic to See Nominal Growth, Study Shows.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Katie Cooper May 3--BURBANK, Calif.--Airline passenger traffic at Burbank Airport is expected to grow only nominally over the next 15 years, and at a far lower rate than was projected a decade ago, according to the results of a new...

Los Angeles-Area Drivers Face All-Time High Gas Prices.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Evan Pondel May 3--Los Angeles' drivers face another pummeling at the pump, paying an all-time high for gasoline -- $1.83 on average for regular unleaded -- as prices zoomed 20 cents in the past month alone. The average cost of...

Hollywood Producers, Writers Edge Close to Deal.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 3--Hollywood writers and producers went back to the bargaining table Wednesday amid optimism that the entertainment industry and the Los Angeles region could be spared a wrenching strike. Sources familiar...

Developer Opens 317-Home Tract in Sylmar, Calif.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox May 3--SYLMAR, Calif.--KB Home, the nation's largest residential developer, today opens the biggest housing tract in years in the San Fernando Valley. The Los Angeles-based company, in conjunction with...

Glendale, Calif., to Spend $2 Million on Street Repairs.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Helen Gao May 3--GLENDALE, Calif.--The city will spend more than $2 million to install wheelchair ramps and resurface seven decrepit streets, and an additional $560,000 to widen another road. The City Council approved the...

Camarillo, Calif.-Based Semiconductor Firm to Trim Jobs.
May 3, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 3--CAMARILLO, Calif.--Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. will cut 12 percent of its work force, unable to stave off a slumping semiconductor sector any longer, the company announced Wednesday. The company, which has...

Southern California Lawmakers Present Plan to Slow Los Angeles Airport Growth.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Bill Hillburg May 4--WASHINGTON--A bipartisan group of 12 Southern California House members asked federal officials Thursday to support efforts to slow growth at Los Angeles International Airport while also improving facilities and...

Swiss Study Finds Tap Water Safe, Cheaper than Bottled Alternatives.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Joseph Giordono May 4--Never mind worries about the "Big One," a new study Thursday rocks the very foundation of Los Angeles' lifestyle: bottled water is no healthier than tap water. A study by researchers in Geneva,...

Dam Study Splits Thousand Oaks, Calif., City Council.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Bhavna Mistry May 4--THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--The City Council isn't scheduled to receive a consultant's study on an alternative to the Lang Ranch Dam until Tuesday, but some members are already bickering about the report. ...

Hollywood Writers, Producers Keeping Long Hours to Avoid Strike.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Valerie Kuklenski May 4--Two days past the contract deadline, negotiators for Hollywood writers and producers met for hours Thursday to try to resolve remaining issues to avert a crippling strike. Representatives for writers...

Foundering Mall in Simi Valley, Calif., Put in Receivership.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 4--SIMI VALLEY, Calif.--Struggling mall Mountain Gate Plaza has been placed into receivership as deals to sell the property have foundered. Though the mall was once a hot spot for Simi retail upon completion...

Plans Set to Widen Los Angeles-Area Road, Freeway Ramp.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Bhavna Mistry May 4--Using $3.7 million in developer fees, city and state officials plan to widen Lindero Canyon Road and its northbound on-ramp to the Ventura Freeway. Plans call for widening Lindero Canyon from two lanes to...

Space Launch-System Developer May Leave Van Nuys, Calif., Rocket Test Site.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Jim Skeen May 4--PALMDALE, Calif.--A Palmdale company trying to develop a reusable space launch system received a $123,000 state grant to study the possibility of relocating and preserving a Van Nuys rocket test facility. ...

Camarillo, Calif.-Based Telecommunications Firm Works to Avoid Stock Delisting.
May 4, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 4--CAMARILLO, Calif.--Fighting to stay alive, California Amplifier filed an appeal Thursday in an attempt to avoid delisting by the Nasdaq Stock Market. The telecommunications firm, finding itself the target...

Burbank, Calif., Airport Passenger Prediction Too High, Officials Say.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Katie Cooper May 7--BURBANK, Calif.--New projections of passenger growth at Burbank Airport are unrealistic, city officials say, and will likely be used as ammunition by the airport's most ardent foes to fight expansion of the...

Daily News, Los Angeles, On the Job Column.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Ken Lloyd May 7--Don't brag, just report QUESTION: I've noticed that several of the employees who work with me are spending a lot of time bragging to our manager. Whenever they finish an assignment or even a minor project, they...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Real Estate Column.
May 7, 2001... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox May 7--WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--NONPROFIT GROUP EXPANDS OFFICES: The nonprofit group serving Los Angeles and Ventura counties has been based in the San Fernando Valley for 36 years, so when the time came to expand,...

Board Skeptical of Growth Report for Burbank, Calif., Airport.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Katie Cooper May 8--BURBANK, Calif.--Burbank Airport's governing board reacted skeptically Monday to new projections of airline passenger growth, with commissioners calling the forecast an underestimate of future demand in the...

Smaller California Firms Seek Local Financial Institutions, Study Shows.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Evan Pondel May 8--Fed up with poor service from banking behemoths, smaller companies are seeking financial solace with community banks. And while larger banks have deeper safes, companies are finding personalized service...

Alternative Dam Site in Ventura County, Calif., Deemed Unstable.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Cecilia Chan May 8--An alternative site to the controversial location proposed for the Lang Ranch Dam is unsuitable because it is in a landslide area, a consultant says -- a finding that allows the original project to move forward....

Los Angeles Again Has Worst Traffic Gridlock, Study Shows.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Joseph Giordono May 8--For the 17th straight year, the Los Angeles metropolitan area recorded the worst traffic congestion in the nation with gridlock costing an average of $1,000 per person a year in wasted fuel and time. The...

Glendale, Calif., Police Want to Buy Mobile Command Center.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Helen Gao May 8--GLENDALE, Calif.--When police responded last month to a hostage situation, authorities took over a local business to use as their command post. But with the proposed purchase of a mobile command post -- a...

Think Tank Suggests Revamping Los Angeles Utility Department.
May 8, 2001... Byline: Harrison Sheppard May 8--The mayor and the City Council have too much power over the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and the agency should be made independent from city politics, a new study says. The Rand study,...

Rolling Blackouts Leave Southern California Sapped, Sweating.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Dana Bartholomew May 9--Southern California went on the blink for the second straight day Tuesday as blistering temperatures and rumbling air conditioners prompted rolling blackouts. The one-hour outages began in the afternoon...

Los Angeles Panel Approves Plans for Neighborhood Councils.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Harrison Sheppard May 9--The Los Angeles City Council gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a plan that will create neighborhood councils, starting with 10 to 20 panels and giving them more resources than the city originally...

Study Backs New Generators at Existing Power Plants in Three California Cities.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Helen Gao May 9--GLENDALE, Calif.--Plans by Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena to install new power generators would assure the cities of reliable electricity and would save the state millions by providing surplus energy at competitive...

Thousand Oaks, Calif., Council Votes to Chip In for Golfers at Public Course.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Cecilia Chan May 9--THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to subsidize Thousand Oaks' only public golf course with an additional $1.7 million to keep greens fees affordable. The council approved the...

Writers Guild Leaders Approve Producers' Offer.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 9--Leaders of the Writers Guild of America unanimously approved their new contract Tuesday and recommended members approve the $41 million in pay raises and increased creative control. Results of the members'...

Ventura County, Calif., Supervisors Approve Living-Wage Law.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Bhavna Mistry May 9--By a 3-2 vote, Ventura County supervisors on Tuesday approved a "living-wage ordinance" that guarantees workers at least $8 an hour with health insurance or $10 an hour without. The ordinance -- which...

Lancaster, Calif., Location Picked for Power Plant.
May 9, 2001... Byline: Jim Skeen May 9--LANCASTER, Calif.--A Tustin company plans to build a $210 million power plant capable of generating 200 megawatts of electricity and have it operational in September, company and city officials announced Tuesday....

Immigration Sources Growing More Diverse.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Bill Hillburg May 10--WASHINGTON--Los Angeles County, with 4.2 million Latino residents, leads all counties nationwide in total Hispanic population and East Los Angeles has the highest percentage of Latinos of any community in the...

Thousand Oaks, Calif., Dam Faces Further Review.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Cecilia Chan May 10--THOUSAND OAKS, Calif.--It will be at least a couple more months before the last governmental agency signs off on the controversial Lang Ranch Dam, with construction beginning in summer 2002. As plans move...

Agreement Ensures San Fernando Valley, Calif., Fair Will Go On.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Dominic Berbeo May 10--LAKE VIEW TERRACE--Federal and local authorities reached agreement Wednesday to prevent the cancellation of next month's San Fernando Valley Fair at Hansen Dam, officials said. The U.S. Army Corps of...

Auditor to Gauge Extent of Problems with Los Angeles' Inventory System.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Beth Barrett May 10--Los Angeles' new $22 million state-of-the-art procurement, inventory and billing system has failed so badly that dozens of vendors haven't been paid, sales tax has been miscalculated and crucial supplies have...

Northrop Makes Bid for Newport News, Va.-Based Shipbuilder.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 10--Northrop Grumman Corp. said Wednesday it was acting in the interest of national security and competition in trying to scuttle a planned merger of the nation's only two nuclear shipbuilders. A day after...

Major Sports Events Add Billions to Los Angeles-Area Economy.
May 10, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 10--Win or lose, each time the Lakers take the floor, it's a slam dunk for the local economy. According to a study released Wednesday by the Anderson School at UCLA, sporting events generate nearly $2 billion...

Last-Minute Donations to Los Angeles Mayoral Candidates Cause Concern.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Beth Barrett May 11--In the final weeks of the mayoral primary, former Assembly Speaker Antonio Villaraigosa's campaign surged with massive financial help from out-of-state unions, including the Service Employees International...

Hazardous Materials Team Probes Emissions at Los Angeles-Area Landfill.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Beth Barrett May 11--GRANADA HILLS, Calif.--Dangerously high levels of hydrogen sulfide and potentially explosive methane gases in a drainage pipe at Sunshine Canyon Landfill have led to an investigation by a Los Angeles County...

Los Angeles County Fair Raises Prices to Cover Higher Electricity Costs.
May 11, 2001... Byline: L.C. Greene May 11--Many weekend visitors to the Los Angeles County Fair will pay up to $2 more for admission this year -- a 20 percent increase on some gate prices -- to cover the rising cost of electricity, officials said...

Glendale, Calif., to Pay $1.9 Million to Property Owners in Suit Settlement.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Helen Gao May 11--GLENDALE, Calif.--The city will pay about $1.9 million to settle a lawsuit with owners of two apartment buildings whose properties were condemned to make room for the new police headquarters. The settlement,...

Woodland Hills, Calif.-Based Horse Racing Web Site Faces Nasdaq Delisting.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Evan Pondel May 11--WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--Youbet.com, an online horse racing site, has 10 days to quicken its pace before Nasdaq seeks to delist the company because the stock has been trading below $1 since January. The...

Los Angeles-Area Property Owners Vote for Park Funding.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Cecilia Chan May 11--Property owners voted, with ballots showing support at 64.2 percent, to tax themselves $25 a year to maintain and improve the city's parks and recreational facilities, officials said Thursday. The results...

Los Angeles School Officials Drop Plan for Conversion of Downtown Chamber.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Erik Nelson May 11--Los Angeles Unified School District officials have quietly dropped plans to convert the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce headquarters into a school, citing prohibitive costs of renovating the structure. ...

Speaker Manufacturer Pumps Up Volume at Chatsworth, Calif., Warehouse.
May 11, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 11--CHATSWORTH, Calif.--There are new neighbors on the block, and they like playing their stereo really loud. After outgrowing its old Culver City facilities, M&K Sound is setting up shop in the San Fernando...

Daily News, Los Angeles, On the Job Column.
May 13, 2001... Byline: Ken Lloyd May 13--Coffee chores not a perk QUESTION: Among other responsibilities, I am supposed to bring coffee to my boss every morning, and serve coffee during his meetings. I like my work, and I wouldn't mind helping out...

Daily News, Los Angeles, Real Estate Column.
May 13, 2001... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox May 13--GRANADA HILLS, Calif.--TWO HOUSES MAKE TWO MOMS VERY HAPPY: They've lived on the blurry boarder between hope and despair, and sometimes it seemed that the latter would win. Homeownership was someone else's...

Police Union Seeks Compressed Schedule for Los Angeles Force.
May 14, 2001... May 14--Mayoral candidates James Hahn and Antonio Villaraigosa jumped aboard the bandwagon for a shorter workweek for cops, but whoever wins the election will find implementing a three- or four-day week a challenging juggle of competing values....

California Officials Delay Program Funding to Deal with Power Crisis.
May 14, 2001... Byline: Dominic Berbeo May 14--With Gov. Gray Davis set to unveil a revised budget today, officials already have put some programs on hold and warned cities and counties that funding for many programs is in jeopardy because of the energy...

Solar Option Generates Buzz in Power-Starved California.
May 14, 2001... Byline: Dana Bartholomew May 14--As a summer of blackouts looms for most Californians, solar power -- once derided as a boutique energy source for tree-lovers -- has suddenly become so popular there's waiting lists of up to three months...

Thrift Store's Sales Help Los Angeles-Area Seniors.
May 14, 2001... Byline: Cecilia Chan May 14--A used coffeemaker, a gently worn pair of size 8 high heels and a second-hand blue tank top will help pay for hot meals, day care and support programs for the area's elderly. For 10 years, the Bargain...

Pasadena, Calif.-Based Aerospace Manufacturer to Move to San Fernando Valley.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Jennifer Parsons May 15--NORTH HILLS, Calif.--Cal-Swiss has manufactured aerospace and medical industry components for more than 50 years in Pasadena, but come June, the multimillion-dollar company will be gone. Driving...

Condo Market Continues Briskly in California's San Fernando Valley.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 15--The San Fernando Valley's residential resale market cooled off in April on economic uncertainty and low inventory but was building to a traditional strong spring home-buying season, a trade group reported...

Los Angeles Council Leader May Slow Plan to Give Cash for Energy Conservation.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Dana Bartholomew May 15--City Council President Ruth Galanter threatens to delay a proposal to give Los Angeles residents cash credits for energy conservation during the summer, Mayor Richard Riordan's Office said Monday. A...

Northridge, Calif., University Wins Award for Best Film School in Region.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Joseph Giordono May 15--NORTHRIDGE, Calif.--And the winner for the best film school in Southern California goes to... California State University, Northridge. CSUN? That's right. The San Fernando Valley's only four-year...

Actor Earnings Key in Hollywood Contract Negotiations.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Valerie Kuklenski May 15--On the eve of contract talks with studios and networks, representatives of the two largest actor unions turned the focus on middle-class performers, depicting them as an endangered species. Officials...

California's San Fernando Valley Files for Own Transit System.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Troy Anderson May 15--San Fernando Valley transit zone officials said Monday that they have submitted an application to create the Valley's own transit system and are confident the zone is financially feasible. David Fleming, a...

Costs Fuel Los Angeles-Area Transportation Authority's New Budget.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Troy Anderson May 15--Boosted by rising fuel and electricity costs, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's $2.7 billion proposed budget for next fiscal year increased 6.7 percent and will pay for a record level of bus and rail...

Los Angeles Venture Capitalists Were Choosier in First Quarter, Survey Finds.
May 15, 2001... Byline: Evan Pondel May 15--Venture capitalists were more picky when investing in the first quarter, a survey of investors released Monday shows. In the first quarter, venture-backed companies in Los Angeles raised $234 million vs....

Apple to Start Retail Drive in Glendale, Calif.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 16--GLENDALE, Calif.--Apple Computer's efforts to take a bigger bite of the market is branching out Saturday with its first-ever retail store at the Glendale Galleria, one of 25 to open in the next few weeks...

California Officials to Discuss Boeing Plan to Alter Field Lab Water Treatment.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Lisa Mascaro May 16--State officials will host a public meeting tonight to discuss Boeing's proposal to change the way it pumps and treats contaminated groundwater from beneath the Santa Susana Field Lab. Boeing wants to shut...

Woodland Hills, Calif.-Based Digital Entertainment Firm Sees Gains on Internet.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 16--WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--Although it continues to lose money, animation and software developer Brilliant Digital Entertainment Inc. said Tuesday that a shift from retail sales to the Internet has signaled a...

Average Gas Price Hits $2 Per Gallon in Southern California.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Martin Kuz May 16--Average gas prices hit $2 across the region, the Automobile Club of Southern California reported Tuesday, breaking through a psychological barrier dreaded by consumers. The average cost of regular unleaded...

Screen Actors Guild, Hollywood Producers Vow to Work for Quick Resolution.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Jesse Hiestand May 16--ENCINO, Calif.--Negotiations between Hollywood's producers and actors started on a hopeful note Tuesday, with lead negotiators for the two sides declaring in tandem that they are ready to solve problems, not...

Los Angeles County, Calif., Homeowners Asked to Pay More for Street Lights.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Jim Skeen May 16--PALMDALE, Calif.--In another case of fallout from California's energy crisis, Palmdale residents are being asked by Los Angeles County to shoulder a 54 percent rate hike to keep street lights on. Citing...

Funding to Help Los Angeles Unified School District Dodge $150 Million in Cuts.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Erik N. Nelson May 16--Los Angeles Unified School District officials said Tuesday they won't need to cut $150 million from their proposed $5.6 billion operating budget for the next fiscal year because of better-than-expected news...

California Faces Summer of Blackouts, Utility Industry Study Predicts.
May 16, 2001... Byline: Bill Hillburg May 16--WASHINGTON--California faces a worsening energy outlook this summer with up to 700 hours of rolling blackouts, a utility industry research group warned on Tuesday. The study, which was gloomier than an...

Glendale, Calif., City Council Revives Front-Yard Fence Ban.
May 17, 2001... Byline: Helen Gao May 17--GLENDALE, Calif.--The white picket fence -- that symbol of middle-class suburbia -- is about to become obsolete in Glendale. The City Council plans to begin enforcing a 79-year-old regulation that bans...

Los Angeles Mall Gets Makeover with Renovations, Addition of Day Spa.
May 17, 2001... Byline: Brent Hopkins May 17--WOODLAND HILLS, Calif.--Makeover is the word in the air around Westfield Shoppingtown Promenade, both inside and out. As the mall undergoes a hefty renovation to ritz up its exterior for an October...

McDonald's Seeks Sweet Success with `McTreat Spot' Dessert Concept.
May 17, 2001... Byline: John Canalis May 17--LAKEWOOD, Calif.--Look out, Dairy Queen. The new McTreat Spot at Lakewood Center serves sundaes and cappuccinos under red and blue neon rather than Egg McMuffins and Big Macs beneath golden arches. ...