Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) articles from September 2007

Daily News (Los Angeles, CA) archives from September 2007

Fines might increase as way to ease congestion in car-pool lanes.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Sue Doyle Sep. 5--For now, hybrid cars can keep zooming along in California's car-pool lanes. But other solo motorists who have been sneaking into the lanes are going to have to go. That's because, under federal pressure to...

Daily News, Los Angeles, business profile column.
September 5, 2007... Sep. 5--BUSINESS NAME: Planet Ink --Business address: 22741 Ventura Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA 91364 --Phone: 818-222-2820 --Web site: www.planetinkonline.com --Owner: David Manham --Established: 2005 --Number of...

Hollywood avoids last summer's doldrums.
September 5, 2007... Byline: Greg Hernandez Sep. 5--Time to update the record books. After headlining its most successful Labor Day weekend ever, Hollywood closed the curtain Monday on a $4.184 billion summer -- the highest-grossing in history. From...

Light-rail project funds approved.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sep. 6--SACRAMENTO -- Los Angeles commuters got some long-sought relief Wednesday as the California Transportation Commission greenlighted a costly light-rail project to aid Westside commuters but provided only...

Workers pad their pay in serving kids.
September 6, 2007... Byline: Troy Anderson Sep. 6--Los Angeles County children's services workers pocketed at least $100,000 in unwarranted overtime and bonus pay amid lax oversight and a payroll system riddled with problems, according to an audit released...

FIRST PERSON: Learn never to pay full price again.
September 9, 2007... Byline: Julia Scott Sep. 9--All in good time. Nearly everything -- even the iPhone -- eventually goes on sale. But certain items go on sale so often that you should never pay full price. The trick to making sales a staple of your...

Study: Minorities given costlier home loans.
September 9, 2007... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Sep. 9--More evidence surfaced last week that the foreclosure wave continues to crest and will engulf more minority homeowners, especially those in the Los Angeles area. The Association of Community...

State to avoid recession, UCLA says.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Sep. 12--The slumping housing market and rising foreclosures will continue to erode California's economy until late next year or early 2009, but UCLA forecasters still maintain it will not tug the state into...

Grocery chains shy away from El Monte.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Fred Ortega Sep. 12--Plans for a new grocery store in El Monte could bring the total number of major supermarket chain stores in the 126,000-person city to a whopping two. El Monte, the third largest city in the San Gabriel...

County hospital project bleeds red ink.
September 12, 2007... Byline: Troy Anderson Sep. 12--As Los Angeles prepares to open the new County/USC Medical Center next spring -- the largest, most expensive and complex project in county history -- county officials on Tuesday lambasted project overseers...

Daily News, Los Angeles, business profile column.(Column)
September 12, 2007... Sep. 12--BUSINESS NAME: Mama Rita's Authentic Mexican Cuisine BUSINESS ADDRESS: 31139 Via Colinas #208, Westlake Village, CA 91362 PHONE: (818) 991-6009 E-MAIL: mamaritasfood@aol.com OWNER: Laura Papenfus ESTABLISHED:...

Home sales plunge again.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Sep. 13--Home sales plunged across Southern California to their lowest level in 15 years and prices declined in all but two markets as the nation's growing credit mess bogged down more buyers, sellers and lenders,...

Department of Water and Power rate hike riles residents.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 13--A proposed DWP rate hike is drawing an outcry from grass-roots neighborhood councils as the giant utility defends itself over recent power outages that left thousands of Los Angeles residents sweltering amid a...

Layoffs loom at California kids' health clinics.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sep. 13--SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Dozens of health clinics across California, including in the San Fernando Valley, are bracing for funding cuts and layoffs this month that could threaten efforts to aid the region's...

Salons to look for evidence of domestic violence.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Sep. 13--A small patch of hair missing or a bruise on the cheek -- those telltale signs of potential abuse on a woman could quickly catch the eye of a beautician. With that in mind, officials are reaching out...

NBC to track California tots through high school.
September 13, 2007... Byline: Naush Boghossian Sep. 13--They're too young to fully grasp it all yet, but 20 San Fernando Valley tots will begin a journey today that will give millions of Americans a window into their lives over the next dozen years. ...

Palmdale plans colorful Fall Festival.
September 18, 2007... Byline: Karen Maeshiro, Sep. 18--PALMDALE -- Acrobatics, towering stilt figures and entertainment on eight stages are on tap next month during the city's 22nd annual Fall Festival. New to this year's event will be The Living Garden...

Man sentenced in $28 million investment scam.
September 18, 2007... Sep. 18--The owner and operator of the now-defunct downtown investment advisor firm C+ Capital Management, LLC was sentenced late this afternoon to 87 months in federal prison for bilking primarily Korean-American investors out of more than $28...

Parking stripe ads are hot new way to get the word out.
September 18, 2007... Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Sep. 18--For just a second or two, some Valencia homemakers saw themselves Monday on Wisteria Lane -- that perfect street in the perfect suburb that's home to perfectly beautiful, flawlessly dressed and...

Daily News, Los Angeles, business profile column.(Column)
September 18, 2007... Sep. 18--'JIMBO' HELPING FILL COMPUTER-REPAIR NEEDS: BUSINESS NAME: Jimboscomp.com BUSINESS ADDRESS: 8631 Lurline Ave., Winnetka, CA 91306 PHONE: (818) 312-0247 WEB SITE: www.jimboscomp.com OWNER: James Clack ...

Los Angeles County cities compete for title of most business-friendly.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Sep. 19--Business is thriving in a half-dozen cities ringing Los Angeles thanks to a mix of tax incentives, employee-training programs, shortcuts through red tape and even personal tour guides coming from the...

Search for cheap parking can add up to miles of travel.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Sue Doyle Sep. 19--Of all the hostile insults that irritated Angelenos spew at one another as they inch their way along the city's congested streets, here's a new one to consider -- cheapskate. That's because a large chunk of...

Drought conditions spur debate.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Harrison Sheppard Sep. 19--SACRAMENTO -- Less than a year after voters approved $9.5 billion in bonds for water infrastructure projects, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday proposed another $9 billion water bond for the February...

Web ad aimed at foreign teachers.
September 19, 2007... Byline: Karen Maeshiro Sep. 19--PALMDALE, Calif. -- After recruiting teachers in Canada, Mexico and Spain, the Palmdale School District is now harnessing the power of the Internet to attract new hires. The district has hired a...

City bills church for cops' time at protest in Simi Valley, Calif.
September 20, 2007... Sep. 20--SIMI VALLEY, Calif. -- In an unusual twist on the national immigration debate, the city of Simi Valley sent a $40,000 bill Wednesday to a church harboring an undocumented immigrant after a protest there over the weekend prompted a...

California university unveils 'village' housing project targeted at faculty.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Connie Llanos Sep. 20--NORTHRIDGE, Calif. -- California State University, Northridge unveiled plans Wednesday for a 30-acre, multimillion-dollar "urban village" that will eventually include 400 town homes and rental units dedicated...

Los Angeles officials reach out to businesses, seek improved relations.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 20--Battling the stigma of being unfriendly to business, Los Angeles officials pledged Thursday to step up tax-reform efforts, develop policies to boost growth, and seek to draw up a comprehensive economic plan for...

Calabasas, Calif., recycles firearms for City Hall building materials.
September 20, 2007... Byline: Angie Valencia-Martinez Sep. 20--CALABASAS, Calif. -- In a bid to build the "greenest" government building in the nation, the city melted down confiscated firearms, turned them into steel reinforcement bars and used them to help...

Officials may ban sale of foil balloons in Burbank, Calif.
September 21, 2007... Byline: Alex Dobuzinskis Sep. 21--BURBANK, Calif. -- Those shiny, silvery balloons that carry birthday greetings and other cheery missives may put smiles on children's faces -- but they're giving utility officials a big headache. The...

Politicians face off over tax to fund gang programs in Los Angeles.
September 21, 2007... Sep. 21--A plan to tax Los Angeles property owners $30 a year to fund gang programs drew new fire Thursday as City Controller Laura Chick vowed to fight its placement on the February ballot. Proposed earlier this year, the plan would...

Borough of San Fernando Valley would rival Manhattan.
September 23, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 23--It has been seven years since the Los Angeles City Charter was overhauled, and a key group figures it's time to revise it again. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's Task Force on Jobs and the Economy is developing...

Passenger-rail extension plans picking up steam in Santa Clarita, Calif.
September 23, 2007... Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Sep. 23--SANTA CLARITA, Calif. -- An ambitious plan to re-establish a passenger-rail line between Santa Clarita and the Ventura coast faces serious hurdles, although all sides agree an alternative is needed to...

Daily News, Los Angeles, real estate column.(Column)
September 23, 2007... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Sep. 23--LENDING-CAP LIFT WILL HELP MARKET: The mortgage market continues its slide, with no sign that we've hit bottom or that more homeowners won't be swept up in the tide of foreclosures. According to the...

Two restaurants in San Fernando Valley, Calif., make Zagat's top 5.
September 23, 2007... Byline: Natalie Haughton Sep. 23--Two San Fernando Valley restaurants have zoomed into the top-five best places for food in the prestigious Zagat Survey, which is being released today. Studio City's Asanebo, famous for its kappo ryori...

Lending changes trip up homeowners.
September 23, 2007... Byline: Barbara Correa Sep. 23--Just last month, Patti Hutchinson and her husband were in escrow on a $675,000 home in Torrance. They had prequalified for a traditional 30-year loan, had a strong income and agreed to a 5 percent down...

Pepperdine University offering MBA classes in Palmdale, Calif.
September 24, 2007... Byline: Karen Maeshiro Sep. 24--PALMDALE, Calif. -- Expanding higher-education opportunities in the Antelope Valley, Pepperdine University's business school will begin offering an MBA program in the spring. Evening classes for the...

As billboards evolve, concerns for highway safety increase.
September 25, 2007... Byline: Sue Doyle Sep. 25--One sign blinks with concert updates. Another displays the updated tally of text votes on the illegal-immigration debate. And down the way, a changing array of images touts the new TV season's sexiest...

Daily News, Los Angeles, business profile column.(Column)
September 26, 2007... Sep. 26--PROMPTING SMILES IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ORDER OF THE DAY: Business name: Parties by Stacey Business address: 6520 Platt Ave. #576, West Hills, CA 91307 Phone: (818) 385-0000 Web site: www.partiesbystacey.com ...

Silicon Valley companies trump other California firms in benefits for mothers.
September 26, 2007... Byline: Barbara Correa Sep. 26--Silicon Valley companies dominated the California firms on Working Mother Magazine's annual list of top 100 employers for moms released Tuesday, but the magazine said businesses in general were doing more...

Los Angeles officials vow caution on development bonuses.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 27--Warning that residential neighborhoods are at risk of being overbuilt, Los Angeles city officials on Wednesday said they will seek to limit future development and bonuses to developers who provide affordable...

Los Angeles to put money into parking meter program.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 27--Los Angeles is launching a $15 million pilot program to replace broken parking meters, arguably taking away one of the few perks some lucky motorists are able to find. The city Department of Transportation...

$1 billion transit project awaits unusual vote.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Sue Doyle Sep. 27--NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. -- With transit-oriented development reshaping the Los Angeles landscape, the Metro board is expected to vote today on a massive $1 billion mixed-use project near a key San Fernando Valley...

Celebrity crime reporter inspired by own tragedy.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Tony Castro Sep. 27--Dominick Dunne surveyed the ornate, hacienda-style lounge at the legendary Chateau Marmont hotel, knotted his thick gray eyebrows in disapproval and began walking out. "Let's talk in my room," he told a...

$50 million donated to Los Angeles school district.
September 27, 2007... Byline: Naush Boghossian Sep. 27--In the largest private donation ever made to Los Angeles Unified, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced Wednesday a $50 million cash infusion to support two clusters of schools that he will eventually...

Mixed-use project near transit hub moves ahead.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Rick Orlov Sep. 28--A $1 billion development that would shape the North Hollywood skyline took a big step forward Thursday as the Metro board approved negotiating with Lowe Enterprises for the massive mixed-use project. ...

County may go dark in October.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Alison Hewitt Sep. 28--A budding "lights out" movement could darken Los Angeles County for one hour next month. The plan is to turn off as many lights as possible -- in homes and offices, government buildings and public...

Lancaster OKs funds to boost city project.
September 28, 2007... Byline: Karen Maeshiro Sep. 28--LANCASTER -- The city will contribute more than $1.9 million toward a $6 million project to spark redevelopment of downtown Lancaster into a pedestrian-friendly area that's been compared to Santa Monica's...

Daily News, Los Angeles, auto review column.
September 30, 2007... Byline: Gregory J. Wilcox Sep. 30--Big sums up this truck. It's got a big name, big body and big price tag. And the 2007 Dodge Ram 2500 Laramie Mega Cab 4x4 is big enough to go just about any place. Except our garage, which was...