Gov. Gavin Newsom was on location in Hollywood on Sunday, where he unveiled a proposal to more than double the tax credit the state offers to producers of films and TV shows that shoot in California.
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City News Service
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CVS pharmacy clerks and technicians are entering their fourth day of a strike Monday after walking off the job and onto picket lines at four locations in Los Angeles and another three in Orange County as their union pushes for a new contract and alleges unlawful labor practices.
Meanwhile, store officials insist they are negotiating in good faith and have already reached tentative deals with the union on several key issues.
TODAY: Kaiser mental health workers go on strike Monday across Southern California
CVS Pharmacy workers, represented by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770 in Southern California, declared a strike at 7 a.m. Friday and began picketing. The union represents nearly 7,000 CVS workers, and its members last month voted to authorize a strike.
Workers are picketing at the following locations:
— 1701 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles
— 4707 Venice Blvd., Los Angeles
— 1843 S. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles
— 5985 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles
— 3401 Katella Ave., Los Alamitos
— 270 W Lincoln Ave., Anaheim
— 7065 La Palma Ave., Buena Park
CVS officials told City News Service that the stores “remain open and are serving customers and patients.”
“We’re disappointed that our UFCW member colleagues have gone on strike at seven locations in the Los Angeles area. We’ve had more than a dozen good faith negotiating sessions with the UFCW over the last several months, including six since the contract expired in June,” the company said in a statement provided to CNS on Sunday.
“Over the course of these discussions, we’ve made progress on finalizing a contract and have already reached tentative agreements that will increase the rate of pay for store associates, with additional increases for colleagues with 5+ years of service and colleagues with 10+ years of service. In addition, we’ve agreed not to reduce any benefit they currently have and offered to increase the amount of money CVS Health contributes toward the cost of health insurance for those enrolled in company-sponsored health insurance.
“There’s more to do, but we’re committed to working together. We look forward to reconvening with UFCW to continue negotiations and hope to finalize an agreement soon.”
Union leaders say they are protesting what they call unlawful activities that have interfered with bargaining and prevented employees from reaching a fair deal. UFCW officials allege CVS has engaged in illegal surveillance of workers, retaliation for union activities and prohibiting workers from engaging in union activities. The allegations came amid continuing labor talks for a new contract to replace one that expired in June.
According to the union, the average CVS clerk makes less than $20 an hour and can’t afford to buy insurance from CVS, a health insurance company. Pharmacy technicians, who are required to complete an extensive CVS Pharmacy Technician Training Program as well as satisfy all registration, licensing and state certification requirements, currently make only $24.90 an hour after five years, union officials said.
Roughly 3,500 Rite Aid workers in California have also voted to authorize a strike, and they could soon form their own picket lines if negotiations fail to produce a new contract.
City News Service
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. — At long last, after a season scorned by losses, after the “few plays away” that had defined USC’s season, they seemed set to close a football game on the steady leg of Georgia Southern transfer kicker Michael Lantz.
41-yard try. Two minutes left. USC up six. Snap. Kick. Ballgame, it should’ve been.
But Lantz’s boot never quite made it in the air.
Maryland’s Donnell Brown burst through and deflected the field-goal attempt, the loose football scooped up by the Terrapins’ Caleb Wheatland, and a USC program that’s shown a complete inability to simply close games in 2024 left the door open just long enough for a fleet of red to streak through.
They’d all been bad. They’d all been heartbreaking. There was the gut-wrencher in Ann Arbor, and the frustration in Minneapolis, and the Penn State madness at the Coliseum last week, and yet nothing quite compared to the sheer bafflement that unfolded in College Park on Saturday afternoon as USC fell 29-28 to Maryland.
First came the blocked kick after a second half of calamities, and then a Maryland drive that gave the Terrapins a stunning lead in the span of but five plays, and then a final USC drive that seemed momentarily destined for glory until Miller Moss dropped back on fourth down.
Needing two yards to set up another Lantz try, with 10 seconds left, he darted a ball over the middle to the normally steady-as-a-rock Woody Marks.
The ball popped out, off a Maryland tackle, the kind of break that’s never gone USC’s way in a shocking 3-4 start – and 1-4 Big Ten – that somehow, some way, could still be 7-0.
Moss put his hands to his helmet, and two plays later, these Trojans trudged off the field again as a thin crowd of Terrapins red stormed the field.
Again, a strong first half was flushed down the drain. Again, Lincoln Riley refused to turn heavily to the running game as time wound down in the second half. Again, a fourth quarter and an eventual loss had come down the “few plays away” that have defined Riley’s time in Southern California.
Things looked just peachy at the end of the first half, when Moss found tough-handed sophomore Makai Lemon – rapidly becoming a favorite target – for a 24-yard gain over the middle, Marks punched in a touchdown after a couple handoffs, and USC held a 21-7 lead. After a season of youthful inconsistency for USC’s sophomore receiving corps, they put on a 30-minute clinic, Lemon totaling five first-half catches and young Megatron Ja’Kobi Lane somehow twisting on one second-quarter ball from Moss for a one-handed TD grab that defied all of Isaac Newton’s scientific epiphanies. And after a couple weeks of iffy performances, Saturday’s first two quarters saw the return of the Moss that fans saw in the Holiday Bowl, a gunslinger who dotted his way to a 196-yard first half.
But even in his best games of 2024, even as Riley stuck with self-described “zero question” to Moss as his starter, the junior’s been prone to head-scratching mistakes that have doomed USC’s fortunes. And with USC moving in the third quarter, another brutal decision set disaster in motion, firing off his back foot and floating an interception that resulted in a Maryland score not a play later.
After another ineffectual USC drive, cornerback Jaylin Smith momentarily played superhero, skying for a remarkable one-handed pick on a fourth-and-goal to put the Trojans back in the driver’s seat. With momentum at the start of the fourth quarter, buoyed by a steady ground attack from Marks, Moss found Duce Robinson for a 26-yard push into the end zone for another sophomore-starring moment.
Maryland retaliated with a score, as USC too often strayed away from handing the ball to Marks. But on what seemed a last-gasp Maryland drive with three minutes to go, D’Anton Lynn’s defense – so often lambasted for their lack of pressure and weakness at closing on fourth downs – sent ballhawk Kamari Ramsey flying off the edge, bringing down Edwards Jr. for a sack.
It seemed the clincher. It seemed, at long last, that USC could close.
Only for a kick to be sent dribbling, and a season to continue slipping.
Luca Evans
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The first U.S. presidential election occurred 235 years ago, in 1789. It was a small election (about 28,000 voters) without attack ads, noisy political conventions, assassination attempts and vice presidents taking over the campaign a few months before voters decide.
In 1789 only White men who owned property had the right to vote. Thirteen years after the American Revolution began in 1776, the nation had its first presidential election. Washington won in a landslide without having to campaign. After serving as commander of the Continental Army and president of the Constitutional Convention, Washington was a national hero.
Unlike today, when a candidate nominated to run for president by their political party can select a vice presidential running mate, the vice president was determined by who came in second in the electoral vote. Between Dec. 15, 1788, and Jan. 10, 1789, states held elections and chose presidential electors, who according to the Constitution at the time had two votes. The Electoral College convened Feb. 4, 1789, and the election results were determined. Washington took the presidential oath of office April 30 at Federal Hall in New York City, the first U.S. capital.
John Adams finished second with 34 electoral votes in 1789 and became the first vice president of the nation.
There were no Republicans or Democrats, only Federalists who favored the Constitution, Anti-Federalists who opposed it and Washington, who ran as an independent. Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention, which devised the federal government.
North Carolina and Rhode Island had not ratified the Constitution and did not participate; New York did not choose electors due to an internal dispute.
Washington received all 69 electoral votes. No other president has come into office with a universal mandate to lead.
There are 54 electoral votes in California in 2024, the most of any state.
Washington was both a national hero and the favorite son of Virginia, the largest state at the time. Washington ascended to the presidency with the practical leadership experience of his Continental Army and Constitutional Convention roles.
The inauguration for this year’s election will be in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 20, but Washington was sworn in during the spring. On April 30, 1789, Washington took the presidential oath of office. The chancellor of the state of New York, Robert Livingston, administered the oath to the first chief executive and exclaimed, “Long live George Washington, president of the United States!”
The 12th Amendment to the Constitution (ratified in 1804) mandated that presidents and vice presidents be elected together. Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be inaugurated in Washington, D.C. Jefferson simply walked to the Capitol for the oath-taking and returned to his boardinghouse afterward for dinner. After his second inauguration, he rode on horseback from the Capitol to the White House amid music and a spontaneous gathering of workers from the nearby Navy Yard – a procession that grew into today’s Inaugural Parade.
Sources: National Archives, Mountvernon.org, Virginia Museum of History and Culture, electproject.org, Vital Statistics of American Politics
Kurt Snibbe
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Five things to do in the garden this week:
Fruit Trees. If you are considering planting apple trees, but are unsure if your winter is cold enough to promote flowering and fruit growth, select one Anna and one Ein Shemer tree. They require less winter cold than any other varieties to produce abundant crops. Both varieties were developed in Israel and, although self-fertile so either one will produce a crop on its own, you will get more apples and of a larger size when the two trees are planted side by side and pollinate one another.
Vegetables. You can have lettuce ready to pick throughout the year since one kind or another is appropriate for planting in every month, although you will want to locate lettuce in a somewhat shady exposure during the hottest months. Lettuce seeds are easy to germinate. Sprinkle them on the soil surface and cover with a tiny bit of compost. Leaf lettuce — whose popular varieties include Oak Leaf, Black-Seeded Simpson, and Salad Bowl — is easiest to grow and some types are ready to harvest in 50 days. Romaine lettuce takes 75 days from seed to harvest and crisphead types such as Iceberg will be ready to pick in 50-90 days, depending on the variety. (Yes, there are many Iceberg varieties and they mature at different times of the year.) The advantage of the crisphead types is their resistance to bolting or going to seed in warm weather. Incidentally, Los Angeles was the first place in this country where Iceberg was grown commercially, after arriving here from France in 1902. its original name was Los Angeles Market lettuce and it was grown throughout the year in this city, from where it was shipped to every corner of the United States. Keep in mind that leaf lettuces can be harvested multiple times in a season by cutting off the outer leaves or cutting back the whole plant by removing up to two-thirds of its growth. With crispheads, on the other hand, the entire plant is harvested all at once.
Herbs. Garden sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a long-lived perennial that flourishes in the dry garden. It requires scant attention and produces leaves that, added to any salad, eliminate the need for vinegar, lemon juice or any other comparably tart flavoring agent. Its seeds germinate without any fuss. The taste of French sorrel (Rumen scutatus) is slightly more refined. The related bloody dock (Rumex sanguineus) sports foliage with red-veined leaves. Keep in mind that all of these sorrels are edible but since they contain oxalic acid should not be consumed in large quantities.
Ornamentals. Plant Iceland poppies now from nursery-grown stock to add special magic to your winter and early spring flower garden. Iceland poppy (Papaver nudicaule) flowers are wide-rimmed like Margarita glasses and appear in pink, orange, salmon, and yellow. In addition, their fat, nodding flower buds impart a whimsical look. To keep Iceland poppies blooming, apply a water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer every other week and make sure their soil stays moist. Water should only be applied from below since the fragile stems will easy bend from the force of overhead irrigation. Removing faded flowers on a daily basis will significantly extend the plants blooming period..
If you are planting a tree, remove its stake immediately after it is in the ground. That stake makes it easier to move the tree around in the nursery and during transport. It also serves to resist bending or breaking the trunk when planting. If you need a stake to support a tree after it is planted, the tree is not in balance and should not have been planted in the first place. Some production nurseries cut off all side growth along the trunk to quickly force a large canopy to develop on top. But this may come at the expense of a weak trunk and paltry root system that cannot support the canopy. If you need to stake a tree when it is planted, it may never be able to stand straight and tall on its own.
Do you have a garden insect experience you would like to share with readers of this column? If so, please send it along to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions and comments, as well as garden problems and successes, are always welcome.
Joshua Siskin
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Q. How do I start and maintain a compost pile/bin? Is there a certain type of composter you recommend?
I love composting because it’s a way you can take something that would normally be waste and turn it into something very useful.
If you have a yard, even a small one, you can set up and maintain a compost bin. The simplest setup would just be a big pile or a few smaller piles. The major drawback to the pile method is that you may get some unwelcome visitors if you’re not careful. Rats, mice, raccoons, skunks, and opossums will find an open compost pile irresistible, especially if there are any food scraps present. I would only try this method of composting if you live on a large property and can locate it far away from any buildings.
There are several commercially available compost bins that are designed to be rodent-proof. An enclosed compost tumbler is effective at excluding pests and containing odors. In some municipalities, this is the only type of compost bin allowed. Look for one that is sturdy enough not to sag or warp and does not have metal parts that come into contact with the composting material, since they will rust and break eventually.
The stacking-type composters are convenient and make turning the pile easy. Sadly, these are difficult to find.
When starting a compost pile, add several inches of brown material before introducing green material. Brown material is carbon-rich and includes sawdust, shredded paper, dried plant material, hay, straw, and any kind of dry bedding. Green material is nitrogen-rich and includes kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings, green yard waste, freshly pulled weeds, and manure (cow, chicken, rabbit, or horse). Try to alternate layers of brown and green since you want to avoid accumulating a large mass of solid green material. Since green material tends to be higher in water content, it tends to mat and form dense pockets. Too much moisture and/or green material will encourage the growth of anaerobic bacteria, which will produce a foul smell.
If there is too much brown material and/or not enough moisture, there won’t be enough microbial activity to break everything down. In hot weather a compost pile can dry out quickly, so you may have to water it to get things going. Ideally, compost should feel like a well squeezed-out sponge – not too wet and not too dry.
Turning the pile, either by using a fork or rotating the drum on a tumbler-type bin, aerates and mixes the material so beneficial bacteria can thrive. After turning and watering, the compost should increase in temperature as the microbes become more active. Our compost will usually reach 160 degrees F, then eventually cool off as it matures. Finished compost should smell earthy.
If you have very little space, you could simply bury kitchen scraps in the garden and they will break down within a week or two.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
Laura Simpson
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SAN DIEGO — Like rescuers linking arms in a human chain to save someone in danger of drowning, the Dodgers’ bullpen linked arms, ventured out on the thin ice of Game 4 and kept their season from going under.
Achieving peak 2024, the Dodgers resorted to a bullpen game in an elimination game. Their backs to the wall, eight pitchers wore a path from the bullpen to the mound at Petco Park on Wednesday night – then forced San Diego Padres hitters to wear a path back to their dugout.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts stitched together a seven-hit shutout with those relievers and the Dodgers’ offense piled up runs to stave off elimination with an 8-0 victory in Game 4 of their National League Division Series.
The Dodgers’ two victories in this series have featured 15 scoreless innings from their relievers.
Roberts’ maneuvering wasn’t even limited to the pitchers. He moved Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor between third base and center field. Hernandez went to center when fly ball pitchers like Michael Kopech and Alex Vesia were on the mound. Taylor went to center with Hernandez at third when ground balls were more likely.
This Surfliner Series heads back north for Game 5 at Dodger Stadium on Friday night. The Dodgers have not taken a postseason series to the limit since beating the San Francisco Giants in five games in their 2021 NLDS – also the last time they won a postseason series.
The Dodgers never trailed in the game thanks to the October rebirth of Mookie Betts, who homered in the first inning for the second consecutive game. This time, he didn’t hit it anywhere near Jurickson Profar – and didn’t hesitate going into an animated home run trot, pumping his fist as he rounded second base.
Two more runs in the second inning chased Padres right-hander Dylan Cease, who started on three days of rest but was pulled by Manager Mike Shildt after just five outs. Shohei Ohtani and Betts gave the Dodgers a 3-0 lead with back-to-back RBI singles – their largest lead at the end of a postseason inning since they led 5-0 midway through Game 1 of their 2022 NLDS against the Padres.
In the third inning, the Dodgers made it 5-0 on a 432-foot, two-run home run by Will Smith. It was the Dodgers’ biggest lead at the end of a postseason inning since Game 1 of their 2022 NLDS against the Padres.
Ohtani cost them a chance to pad that lead with poor baserunning in the fourth inning. He drew a walk with one out then tagged up and went to second on a fly out by Betts. Teoscar Hernandez bounced a ground ball down the third-base line that Manny Machado tried to backhand as the ball bounced just across the foul line. It glanced off Machado’s glove, bounced up and hit third-base umpire Mark Ripperger.
Third-base coach Dino Ebel threw up a stop sign when he saw the ball hit Ripperger, but Ohtani’s head was down and he kept going. Machado was able to recover the ball quickly and threw Ohtani out at home.
The Dodgers’ relievers were able to avoid any drama for most of the game. The Padres didn’t have a baserunner with fewer than two outs until David Peralta led off the fifth inning with a single off Alex Vesia.
Vesia walked Jake Cronenworth to put two runners on with no outs, but he struck out Kyle Higashioka and got Luis Arraez to fly out.
Evan Phillips picked up from there, retiring all four batters he was tasked with. By the time, Daniel Hudson took the mound for the bottom of the seventh, the Dodgers had broken the game open with three more runs on a squeeze bunt by Tommy Edman and a two-run home run by Gavin Lux.
More to come on this story.
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Bill Plunkett
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Take a look at the great plays and exciting moments from the Week 6 football games Friday, Oct. 4.
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OCVarsity sports staff
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Q. I have seen California license plates with red lettering and a black background. What would be the consequence of getting caught modifying your license plates?
– Trung Le, Riverside
A. Honk saw one of those just last week. Sweet-looking, yes?
And illegal.
Motorists use vinyl wrap, which is pretty accessible, to create that color scheme, said Casey Ramstead, an officer and spokesman for the California Highway Patrol out of its Woodland Hills station house. There are other colors, too, used to creatively gussy up a ride.
A popular choice is white lettering with a black background, albeit the Department of Motor Vehicles does allow those colors if digital plates produced by an approved company.
“It gives us an easy reason to stop someone,” Ramstead said of illegal plates. “That is the silly thing. … Why are you drawing attention to yourself?
“You are not allowed to alter your plates, period.”
Officers can write either of two California Vehicle Codes for such a license-plate violation.
“First is a fix-it ticket, and the other one is for trying to avoid the law,” Ramstead said, adding vinyl users would likely get hit with the first one as the covering can just be pulled off. “I have heard that (second) one can be for over $1,000.”
Officers with a keen sense of traffic laws can easily spot the illegal ones.
“When you are looking up plates all day, you tend to notice things,” Ramstead said.
Q. Anaheim lowered speed limits recently on many streets. An example is Katella Avenue, between Brookhurst and Euclid streets, where it was lowered from 40 mph to 35. This is a six-lane, divided road with no facing houses and some mostly not-very-busy businesses. The rest of the road remains at 40 mph. Today, I drove along West Street, a two-lane street with a yellow stripe, lined with houses. The posted limit is also 35 mph. It doesn’t make sense. When the changes were made, no special signage was posted to call attention to them, and I’m sure that many like me who have been driving Katella for years don’t think to read the new signs. The whole thing screams SPEED TRAP to me. Who can I contact in Sacramento to look into this?
– Mark Hosmer, Anaheim
A. In Anaheim, the City Council approved 169 stretches of roadway getting reduced speed limits, mostly by 5 mph, in the name of safety. In the wake of a state law making it easier for municipalities to reduce speed limits, the traffic engineer had a study done and recommendations were taken to the council, with signs getting changed this past summer.
The Katella stretch you mentioned, Mark, has a lot of driveways and pedestrian usage, said Mike Lyster, a city spokesman, among the factors considered when lowering speed limits. Another factor is if a school is about.
He said that Anaheim officials tried to get the word out by helping TV and print reporters tell the public about the changes and by deploying social media. Lyster insisted it wasn’t about issuing tickets to raise revenue; in the end, he said, that doesn’t pencil out.
“Speed traps are illegal,” Lyster said.
A speed trap, he said as an example, could be a change from 50 mph to 25 at the bottom of a hill, not a 5 mph decrease with a study providing a good reason for a drop.
For speed-limit specifics, in Anaheim or elsewhere, Honk suggests ringing up the traffic engineer in the town’s public works department.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk
Jim Radcliffe
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There is a blueprint of sorts by San Diego County transportation officials calling for managed lanes on the 5 over the U.S. Marines’ base.
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Jim Radcliffe
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LOS ANGELES — A historic 50-50 season is coming so fast now, even the home runs are leaving the field quicker than ever.
Shohei Ohtani hit a line-drive home run to right-center field at 118 mph off the bat as the leadoff batter in the first inning.
He added a stolen base in the third.
And even with the Dodgers hitting four home runs in the first inning, they still had to fend off the Chicago Cubs’ late rally for a 10-8 victory.
“There might be one guy on the planet, and he’s playing for the Yankees, that could probably do that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Aaron Judge, when talking about Ohtani’s laser home run. “It was also top spin. So for him to hit the ball 118 mph at that degree, it’s usually a double, but for Shohei it’s a home run.
“He’s playing tremendous baseball. You can see he’s picking us up big time.”
Tommy Edman added two home runs, to give him four home runs in a mere 24 hours, as the former St. Louis Cardinals fan favorite continued to show disdain for the hated rival of his previous club.
The Dodgers are looking for somebody to take charge in the bottom of the order and Edman has raised his hand, hitting home runs from both sides of the plate Wednesday after hitting two from the right side Tuesday.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before in my life,” Edman said of his consecutive multi-homer games. “I feel like I’ve kind of gotten locked into a good routine in the cage, working on mechanics and having consistent movements in my swing and the results are paying off.”
Edman said it was the first time he had home runs from both sides of the plate in the same game.
Ohtani’s home run was his career-high 47th on the season, while the stolen base was his 48th. He now has 16 regular-season games remaining to pull off his 50-50 proposition.
“We all definitely know what is going on,” Smith said of Ohtani’s historic run. “It’s fun to watch. It’s fun to be a part of and see every night. I think he’ll do it and we’ll enjoy it as he tries to get there. But more importantly, he’s trying to help us win ballgames.”
The most home runs ever hit in a 40-40 season before this year were 46 by Washington’s Alfonso Soriano in 2006. Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. is the only player to ever have more than 50 stolen bases in a 40-40 season when he had 73 last season to go along with 41 homers.
Along with Ohtani’s early blast, three first-inning home runs came in succession from Edman, Will Smith and Max Muncy (on his bobblehead night). The Cubs, who rallied for a victory with five runs in the eighth inning Tuesday, hardly were demoralized.
The Cubs’ Cody Bellinger reminded everybody that he used to be the one launching home runs into the night at the ballpark atop the hill, rallying the Cubs with a three-run home run off of Bobby Miller in the fifth inning.
Chicago tied it with a fourth run in the fifth inning, aided by another Dodgers error when Chris Taylor booted a potential double play grounder. One batter later, Pete Crow-Armstrong singled for a 7-7 tie.
Miller continues to see his chances of appearing on the playoff roster slip away. The right-hander gave up six runs on five hits and four walks (three with two outs) over 4⅓ innings and has allowed 13 runs over his last two starts (9⅓ innings). Miller’s ERA ballooned to 8.17.
“I think he’s grinding; I see it,” Roberts said of Miller. “He’s competing as much as he can. I think today it was easy to see that he didn’t have feel for the curveball. They were taking good swings at the fastball as we’ve talked about.”
The victory seemed to be a formality when Ohtani hit a two-run single in the third inning for a 7-3 lead, but the Dodgers have lacked a straightforward gear of late.
Even when they took a 10-7 lead into the ninth they had to endure their own self-created drama when right-hander Michael Kopech walked the first three Cubs batters of the inning. He managed to give up just one run with a little help when Seiya Suzuki was thrown out trying to steal third base for the second out of the inning. Former Dodger Michael Busch struck out swinging to end the game as Kopech eked out his 13th save (fourth with the Dodgers).
With the victory, the Dodgers (87-59) remained five games up on the second-place Arizona Diamondbacks (82-64) and moved 5½ games up on the San Diego Padres (82-65). The Dodgers’ magic number to clinch their 11th National League West title in 12 seasons is 11.
“The most important thing was to come out with a win today,” Muncy said when asked about the Cubs nearly stealing another game in the series. “It was frustrating again but it’s baseball.
“Not everything is going to be clicking at the same time. That’s the unfortunate part of it, but it felt like guys were battling up there and good to see guys not giving up until the very end.”
HR NO. 47
A NEW CAREER HIGH FOR SHOHEI OHTANI! pic.twitter.com/aFE1QBmca2
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2024
Tommy Edman gives the #Dodgers the lead! pic.twitter.com/iZkr3htd97
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Will Smith extends the lead! pic.twitter.com/uvdRCwSVUk
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Back-to-back-to-back home runs! 💣 Dodgers lead 5-2! pic.twitter.com/8tmLCtSztF
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Shohei Ohtani has a HR and SB in the same game for the 12th time this season ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/X2CcERzURd
— MLB (@MLB) September 12, 2024
Tommy Edman again! 💣💥 pic.twitter.com/PcXCtRQQEG
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Dave Roberts discusses how great the offense was tonight and Bobby Miller’s performance. pic.twitter.com/7bXeOghiCz
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Tommy Edman speaks on his 2 home runs tonight and the win over the Cubs. pic.twitter.com/ci5Clcuct4
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Bobby Miller discusses his performance tonight. pic.twitter.com/12a6UgaHJN
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Max Muncy talks about tonights win and how special his bobblehead night was. pic.twitter.com/VNrA0Fr7qs
— SportsNet LA (@SportsNetLA) September 12, 2024
Originally Published:
Doug Padilla
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We adore our grandchildren. We share photos and tout their accomplishments. These may include some of their many “firsts,” such as their first tooth, their first day at school or making the team or the first ballet recital. It might be their first day of high school or moving into their college dorm. As little ones, we attach their drawings on our refrigerator and save their hand-made birthday cards.
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter made sure that grandparents were honored and remembered by declaring the first Sunday after Labor Day as National Grandparents Day. This special day has three purposes: to honor grandparents, to give grandparents an opportunity to show love for their grandchildren and help children become aware of the strength, information and guidance older people can offer.
In the U.S., roughly 70 million adults are grandparents. They are generous, spending $179 billion per year on their grandkids.
If you wonder why we care so deeply for our grandchildren, it all began a million years ago in the plains of Africa, writes geriatrician Dr. William Thomas, the author of “What Are Old People For? How Elders Will Save the World.” “A mother gave birth to a hominid child after a long and exhausting labor. She barely had enough energy to nurse her baby and not enough energy to feed or care for her other children.”
“A miracle occurred,” writes Thomas. “The maternal grandmother came to the rescue and intentionally shared her food with her grandchildren. It was a defining moment that created a new pattern of support that carried over to other families.” Humans are one of the species with grandparents who deliberately help raise their grandchildren. Orca whales and elephants do the same.
This is relevant today as grandparents often are our unsung heroes. Almost one-third of grandparents live with their grandchildren under age 18 and are responsible for their care, according to U.S. census data. They often become primary caregivers because of their adult children’s divorce, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy and even death.
I had the opportunity to speak with a few grandparents about the highlights of their grandparenthood. Here are some of their responses.
“I love being part of my boys’ lives in a way that was not possible for me raising my own children. That was when I had to balance my own work schedule with their schedules, when every minute was accounted for.”
“I feel fortunate to have grandchildren. I just received a text from my 18-year-old grandson. ‘It’s time for us to do dinner together. I love you,’” he wrote. “That’s the best. My grandchildren make the world brighter and a more beautiful place.”
“My grandchildren don’t live near me so every time we get together it’s a party. I was thrilled when my 18-year-old grandson in Italy was studying architecture. He had no idea that one of my careers was as a trained architect. It was a sudden joy. Now I have someone to give my architecture books.”
Some mentioned the advantage of returning their beloved grandchildren back to their parents. But not all.
“I love seeing my son in my granddaughters. It brings back memories of when my kids were little. It’s the joy of walking into a room and they are so excited to see you. You love them and then give them back to their parents.”
“If they have a problem, I can step back. They just need to call me later and tell me they are OK. I don’t need to know about the ice pack, etc. I’ve done my job. Whatever they do, I don’t get myself in a dither.”
“We are not responsible for their discipline. When they do crappy things, we can ignore it. I don’t worry about their manners or what they are wearing. We just have to love them unconditionally, even if they turn up with terrible clothes.”
“I just love my interactions with them. My 10-year-old grandson interviewed me for a class project. And I talked baseball with my six-year-old grandson. He likes the Cubs; I like the Dodgers. Some grandparents want to give them back to their parents at the end of the day. Not me, I’ll take them and just want even more time with them.”
Grandparents are an important influence – as guardians of family traditions, as a unique friend to grandchildren and as teachers and giver of gifts.
Let’s celebrate our beautiful treasures and savor our moments with them.
Stay well everyone and know kindness is a way of life.
Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity
Helen Dennis
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Q. Next week, I will celebrate my 84th birthday. When did I get so old? Every time I turn around it’s Friday. Time seems to go by so quickly, the older I get. Is there a reason for this? Many thanks. D.L.
Many would agree with you. We often hear people asking, “Where has the time gone? It just seems like yesterday.”
Can you remember sitting through a boring lecture? Five minutes may have felt like an hour. Or how about a boring sermon? That hour may have seemed like it was forever. Contrast that sense of time to being at a party. Time sprints by when having a good time, working on something you love and being engaged in new experiences.
We know time does not slow down, it’s our perception of it that does. This is not a new concept. Psychologist William James wrote about the phenomenon of time perception in his Principles of Psychology in 1890.
Here are some theories that affect our perception of time:
Theory No. 1: Years are relatively smaller. As we age, each year is a smaller proportion of our time. For a 10-year-old, that birthday represents 1/10 of life which is a big portion. For an 80-year-old, University of Michigan psychology professor Cindy Lustig told the Huffington Post, that birthday is 1/80 of life which is a smaller portion that contributes to the feeling that it went by quickly. Each year feels shorter compared to the total time we have lived and therefore seems to go by faster.
Theory No. 2: Theory of firsts. When we’re young, Diana Raab wrote in a Psychology Today piece, we encounter a lot of “firsts.” They might be our first kiss, our first love, getting our first car or the first day of college. It might be learning to swim or falling off a bike. We pay attention to the details of our unique and memorable experiences. The more details we can recall, the better we remember them. As we age, we have similar experiences over and over again, perceived time goes more quickly.
Theory No. 3: Brain function. This helps explain the theory of firsts. Our brain lumps time together when the days or weeks are similar. So, for an 80-year-old who may be doing the same or similar things daily, time gets blended together in one’s mind, making it feel like it went by quickly. What seems new and exciting in a single day is what makes a day or month feel different, slowing our sense of time. (Note: Many 80-year-olds also experience new and familiar experiences daily).
Theory No. 3a: More on brain function. Adrian Bejan, professor of mechanical engineering at Duke University, has a theory based on neural signal processing. With age, he notes the rate we process visual information slows down, contributing to our experience of time speeding up. In other words, “time does not go faster, we just go slower, cognitively speaking,” as quoted in a 2024 Huffington Post piece.
So how to live a life where time moves more slowly?
So, yes, time seems to go by quickly with age. But that can change by filling our lives with new activities, learning something new, being reflective, enjoying nature and doing something that makes us feel useful and productive. Then we will not be going through the motions of life; rather we will savor our moments, days and months with satisfaction and pleasure.
Thank you, D.L., happy birthday and thank you for your good question. Time is our gift. Let’s use it well. And let’s all make kindness the norm.
Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity
Helen Dennis
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“Deadpool & Wolverine” barreled through the $200 million benchmark, cementing the blockbuster as the record holder for the highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated movie.
According to studio estimates, “Deadpool & Wolverine” — the 34th movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe lineup — has grossed $205 million dollars in domestic sales and $438.3 million globally in its debut.
The first Deadpool movie set the record for the highest-grossing opening weekend for an R-rated film when it was released in 2016 to roughly $132 million, and “Deadpool 2” cinched the second-place spot with $125 million in domestic sales in 2018. But even adjusted for inflation, both films pale in comparison with the third installation’s debut.
“Deadpool & Wolverine” is now also among the top opening weekends ever, ranking at No. 8 — a hair’s breadth below 2012’s “The Avengers” ($207 million) and just above 2018’s “Black Panther” ($202 million).
Of the 10 biggest debuts, six are Marvel properties. With “Deadpool & Wolverine” joining the ranks, Marvel movies are now worth more than $30 billion combined, Disney announced Sunday, making Marvel the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Still, MCU has been trying to find its footing after its wildly popular “Infinity Saga” culminated with 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” a movie that still holds the record for biggest opening weekend by a margin of nearly $100 million. Since then, several of Marvel’s offerings in recent years have left fans and critics alike unmoved.
Could “Deadpool & Wolverine” reinvigorate the franchise?
“We should continue taking each film on its own terms with varying thresholds of success, especially as the MCU rebuilds with several films next year before the anticipated return of Avengers films,” Shawn Robbins, founder and owner of Box Office Theory, told CNN.
The fifth and sixth “Avengers” movies are slated for 2026 and 2027, giving Marvel a runway of four new movies through which to build momentum.
“Still, there’s no denying ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ is a massive win in its own right, with a unique hook that’s attracting die-hard Marvel fans and casual audiences alike,” Robbins added. “This release is the breath of fresh air Marvel has been working toward and it sets the stage for a new era in the overall brand. It’s a win all around for Disney, Marvel, theater owners, and moviegoers.”
According to Box Office Pro data, the excitement surrounding “Deadpool & Wolverine” has propelled demand for theater showings, increasing the number of times the movie is being screened at movie theaters across the country. It currently holds 43% of the showtime market share across the United States.
“We are thrilled to see ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ bringing people to theatres for the biggest opening weekend ever for an R-rated movie,” said Michael O’Leary, president and chief executive officer of the National Association of Theatre Owners. “This is the kind of movie you want to experience on the big screen and the historic level of enthusiasm this weekend reminds us yet again that audiences know there is no experience like theatrical. We also know that when people go to the movies, they want to come back — so we are excited to capitalize on this weekend’s energy with a robust theatrical slate in months to come.”
While the summer box office had a lackluster start after a lukewarm spring, there have been several blockbusters pumping new life into the industry.
“Since June, there has been a nonstop parade of over-performing blockbusters starting with ‘Bad Boys: Ride Or Die,’ and continuing with ‘Inside Out 2,’ ‘A Quiet Place: Day One,’ ‘Despicable Me 4,’ ‘Twisters,’ and now ‘Deadpool & Wolverine,’ making for one of the most notable string of hits in summer movie history,” Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at Comscore, told CNN on Saturday.
Last week, Disney announced “Inside Out 2” had become the highest-grossing animated film of all time, raking in $1.46 billion at the global box office and dethroning former record holder, 2019’s “Frozen 2.”
Until the film’s release on June 16, domestic sales had been lagging more than 25% behind 2023’s performance, according to Comscore data. But less than three weeks after its release, the year-over-year domestic box office revenue deficit shrunk from 27% to 19%.
Now, the deficit stands at 16.9% and it could keep shrinking depending on how “Deadpool & Wolverine” finishes its run in theaters. This time last year, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was the top film with a domestic gross of more than $574 million. Meanwhile, the enduring success of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” — both released on July 21 — helped to push the cumulative 2023 domestic box office revenue past $9 billion, the highest it’s been since the pandemic.
Although analysts have forecast a dip in revenue for 2024, the better-than-expected summer movie slate has narrowed the the gap.
“This weekend’s performance certainly makes us more optimistic for the box office prospects for 2024, but we have a long way to go before the end of the year and year-over-year comparisons will keep us on a seesaw of ups and downs,” said Dergarabedian, estimating the full-year box office will land between $8.2 and $8.7 billion. “The fact that we will likely wind up at $8 billion plus, considering how weak first quarter and April were in terms of revenue, is quite impressive.”
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By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer
ARLINGTON, Texas — Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez won the Home Run Derby when he edged local star Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, 14-13, in the final round on Monday night.
The 31-year-old Hernández hit 49 homers over three rounds that totaled 3.98 miles and became the first Dodgers player to win the derby. Kansas City has never had a winner.
Witt, needing one to tie with one out remaining, drove a ball to one of the deepest parts of the park in left-center, where it hit halfway up the wall.
Both finished their two-minute final round with 11 homers, before bonus swings were added. Witt came up short of his first two bonus swings, then hit two homers in a row – one a 457-foot drive that got him one more swing.
Witt was the No. 2 overall pick by the Royals in 2019 out of Colleyville Heritage High School, about 15 miles north of Globe Life Field. It was his first time in the derby, but he was the high school home run champion in Washington in 2018 – and is the only player to compete in both contests.
Hernández beat Philadelphia’s Alec Bohm 16-15 after a tiebreaker when both got three swings – Hernández hit two out, and Bohm one. They were tied at 14 after the three-minute segment and their bonus rounds, and Bohm came close to avoiding that, but the last ball he hit then landed on the warning track in left-center field.
Witt had knocked out Cleveland switch-hitter José Ramírez 17-12 in the semifinals.
Ramírez and Bohm both hit 21 homers to pace the first round. Witt started with 20 homers and Hernández had 19.
The New York Mets’ Pete Alonso fell short in his bid to join Ken Griffey Jr. as a three-time derby champion when he hit only 12 homers in the first round.
Instead of a single-elimination bracket like last year, the four hitters with the most homers in the first round advanced to the semifinal round. It then became a bracket-style competition.
Alonso hit a 428-foot homer to left-center field on his first swing, but couldn’t get into a rhythm. The others knocked out after the first round were hometown favorite Adolis García of Texas, Atlanta’s Marcell Ozuna and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson.
“It’s disappointing, but for me, I think it’s really just a blessing and it’s just of fun being out there,” Alonso said. “At the end of the day, it wasn’t my day.”
Ozuna did have the longest homer of the night at 473 feet. Angels star Mike Trout in 2022, and Oakland’s Seth Brown in 2021 have both hit 472 feet homers in games at the stadium that is now in its fifth season.
Bohm, one of a franchise-record eight Phillies named All-Stars, has only 11 homers this season – the fewest among the eight derby competitors. He said he was going to try to hit as many balls as he could to left field and did – pulling all 21 of his homers that way in the first round.
“Who would have thought?” Bohm said after the first round about advancing.
Ramirez hit left-handed, a change from what he has done when hitting in past home run contests, and what he had planned until a round of batting practice Monday.
It still felt like 100 degrees outside the ballpark when the derby began, but the retractable roof was closed on the stadium that opened in 2020. When the Rangers hosted the 1995 All-Star Game across the street in their old stadium without a roof, the derby wasn’t yet a prime-time event and was held in the sweltering mid-afternoon heat.
Frank Thomas won in 1995 with 15 homers over three rounds in a different format. Albert Belle finished with a total of 16, then a Home Run Derby record, but Thomas beat him 3-2 in the final round.
With García knocked out, there remain only three players who have won the title in their home ballpark. The last was Bryce Harper when he was still with the Washington Nationals in 2018, after Cincinnati’s Todd Frazier in 2015 and Ryne Sandberg of the Chicago Cubs in 1990.
More to come on this story.
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The Associated Press
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Q: We have an avocado tree that is more than 20 years old and over 20 feet tall. It gets sun mid-afternoon to sundown. The tree is located in between a grass lawn & an in-ground swimming pool. We have hundreds of medium to large (very delicious) avocados every year. The leaves are dry at the tip and have always been that way. However, this year the leaves have a strange color & weird “pattern.” I have attached pictures. What could this be? Is it possible the roots have created a crack in the pool & the chlorine is leaking?
One of your photos shows brown leaf tips, which indicates possible salt exposure. This could be due to our naturally dreadful soil, irrigation with hard water, or possibly exposure to water from the swimming pool.
The second photo shows leaves that are blotchy with yellowing between the leaf veins. The veins also appear to be reddish-brown in color. This may be due to soil or water conditions but could also be caused by mites or thrips. Look at the undersides of the affected leaves. Is there any webbing or dull residue? Use a magnifying glass and look for any tiny critters. Avocados are susceptible to several species of mites and thrips, but these are difficult to see without magnification. If there are mites or thrips present, they can be controlled by removing any stressors (irregular watering during hot weather) and washing any dust off the leaves. Don’t use broad-spectrum insecticides or miticides since this will kill off any predatory insects that can control the mite population naturally. If your tree is still producing good fruit, this may be caused by a minor mite infestation.
Q: A couple of years ago, you gave a remedy for getting rid of skunk smell. Could you reprint that since my dog has had a couple of close calls and I want to be prepared.
Healthy skunks are mellow creatures. I once approached one, thinking it was a neighborhood cat, and almost touched it before realizing it was a skunk (it was dark, and I was really tired). They will only spray if threatened, and will give ample warning by stamping its feet, turning its back to you, hissing and raising its tail. Most dogs, being social doofuses, will ignore all of these warnings and proceed to either try to play with or chase this interesting striped creature.
Of course, this is most likely to happen at night well after the pet supply stores have closed. Here’s the recipe for skunk scent neutralizer that can be made with common household ingredients.
1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide
¼ cup baking soda
1 teaspoon (or more) liquid soap
Once the hydrogen peroxide is mixed with baking soda, it will fizz quite vigorously. Apply immediately to the dog and massage it into the fur. Take care to avoid eye contact. Rinse thoroughly and hope that your dog will remember not to mess with skunks again. Don’t save any leftover solution since it loses effectiveness quickly.
Los Angeles County
mglosangeleshelpline@ucdavis.edu; 626-586-1988; http://celosangeles.ucanr.edu/UC_Master_Gardener_Program/
Orange County
ucceocmghotline@ucanr.edu; http://mgorange.ucanr.edu/
Riverside County
anrmgriverside@ucanr.edu; https://ucanr.edu/sites/RiversideMG/
San Bernardino County
mgsanbern@ucanr.edu; 909-387-2182; http://mgsb.ucanr.edu
Laura Simpson
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Almost exactly 49 years ago, Jim McGarry got his first chance to see the Rolling Stones.
For exactly one song.
It was July 9, 1975, and he and a Stones-loving buddy had driven from San Bernardino to the Forum in Inglewood to see their rock ‘n’ roll heroes.
Inside a flask shaped like a pair of binoculars, they smuggled whiskey in for the first of five nights at the arena. Upon discovering their tickets were in the nosebleed seats, they decided to sneak down to the front of the floor section.
“We were only 19 or so and there’s Ringo Starr, there’s Liza Minnelli, there’s Bianca Jagger,” McGarry says. “There are these seats, right there by the stage. We sit down, we’re trying not to make any noise. We’re having a little bit more of the whiskey.
“And then all of a sudden, the lights come on, it was a lotus flower stage, and Jagger pops his head out of the top of it,” he says. “We start screaming and jumping up and down and yelling.
Then something really memorable happened.
“The bouncers grabbed us, took us and threw us out the back door of the Forum,” McGarry says.
The one song he got to hear – “Brown Sugar” – was the extent of his first Rolling Stones concert, but McGarry went back the next four nights of that 1975 residency and he’s kept going ever since.
When McGarry gets to SoFi Stadium on Wednesday, July 10, and returns there on Saturday, July 13, it will mark the 99th and 100th Rolling Stones shows he’s attended, not counting various nights with solo Stones on their own outings.
The history of the Rolling Stones in Southern California reaches back even further to June 5, 1964, when they made their United States debut at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino, and it has continued over the decades with legendary tours and concerts in iconic Southern California venues.
There are plenty of stories of the band’s performances over the past 60 years in Southern California, so we asked fans to share their memories. And they did. What follows are edited only for length and clarity.
The Rolling Stones played their first show in the United States at Swing Auditorium in the Inland Empire on June 5, 1964. They returned there several more times in the ’60s, while also playing the Hollywood Bowl, the Sports Arena, and the infamous Altamont festival.
Hollywood Bowl 1966 was the first time I saw the Stones live. They were young and so was I. Tickets were $5 I did not see them for several years, but the last 25 years I’ve seen them every tour, more than 20 times. There was a magical trip for Stones fans to Stockholm in 2013, three shows in five days with seats in the pit or first five rows. The last venue was small, less than 2000, easy to make eye contact with the band.
At the Forum, we had good seats on the floor, when they came out on the catwalk they were seats away. I excitedly told my best friend Nancy, ‘They’re looking at us!’ She told me not to get too enthusiastic – there was a 25-year-old flashing them in the row behind us.
My love of the blues was reinforced with early Stones albums. Posters, ticket stubs and album covers hold a special place in my home. My Goldendoodle Keef was named after Keith Richards, my favorite Stone. I look forward to seeing them with my best friend of over 66 years, Nancy Qualtieri Lee, on July 10.
The Stones and I both have wrinkles, but when they play “Satisfaction” I’m 15 again. I will continue to spend my grandchildren’s inheritance on Stones tickets as long as there are the Rolling Stones.
– Kay Bourgeois Harris, Huntington Beach
I was backstage at the Swing Auditorium with the Stones at their 1964 bus tour when I was 18. An unknown at the time Sonny Bono was there with me as well as the editor of the British music publication Melody Maker. Somewhere, I still have the playlist that Charlie Watts had written for the gig. There were PR stickers posted around Pacific High School in San Bernardino before the concert announcing, “The Rolling Stones are coming – dirtier than the Beatles.’
– Noel Farmer, Brooklyn, New York
It was our sophomore year of high school and none of us had even heard of the Rolling Stones except for Diane who was crazy for them. She convinced a group of us to see them at Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. We had front-row seats and I don’t think it was even a sellout crowd. Fast-forward one year to 1965 and it was a different story. The Stones had become hugely popular and this time the stage was mobbed by crazed but controlled fans. Another friend had won a radio call-in contest for a backstage visit, so two of us gave her our albums to be autographed. I never imagined that 59 years later it would be a cherished possession. Wish I had saved the tickets stubs!
– Nancy Brucks, Anaheim Hills
I was at the 1964 Southern California Rolling Stones concert. In fact, my friends and I had front-row center seats. Looking at their tour schedule, it looks like I attended their first U.S. concert at the Swing Auditorium in San Bernardino. Last night I looked up that venue and was thrilled to watch the original concert on YouTube. Jagger was so young and so cute! I was hoping maybe I would be in the video, but wasn’t. The most memorable experience from that night was when Mick used his mic to do a lot of very sexual things! My friends said I was nuts to think that and had a dirty mind! Obviously, that wasn’t the case.
I think I began my musical adventures when I was 16 or 17 when I saw the Beach Boys perform at Loyola University Spring Fling in 1963. Very exciting when Mike Love took me on stage and I lip-synced in the chorus of ‘Little Surfer Girl.’ I went to Westchester High School and was in the same graduating class with the two of the Turtles, Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. They had their hit ‘Happy Together’ when they were, I think, 17 or 18. I regret that I never got to see the Beatles … but, unbelievably, one of my Manhattan Beach roommates, Olivia, became the second wife of George Harrison and the mother of their son Dhani.
– Fran Greenbaum, Mission Viejo
Everyone in L.A. had heard that the Stones would be playing a free concert in the Bay Area but no one knew where until a couple of days before the show. The day before the show I got on a midnight PSA flight from LAX to SFO. My flight was packed and approximately 75% of the passengers were high on acid. Not me. I didn’t trust crowds.
When we got to SFO, I ran right over to Hertz. All they had left were gigantic Cadillacs. Five hippies chipped in if I would drive as they were in no shape to get anywhere by themselves. We drove to Livermore and the crush of cars happened all night. At 3 a.m. or 4 a.m., we drove as far as the crowds would allow and parked by a farm. Just follow the crowds. The next day I called Hertz and told them the car was stolen. Never heard about it again.
Got to Altamont just as the sun was coming up. Sat down about 100 feet in front of stage right. What I didn’t notice was the Hells Angels buses parked about 100 feet behind us. These clowns were completely [messed up] on speed and LSD and were in a foul mood. Luckily, their path was about 20-30 feet to the left of me.
Of course, no one played well. The stage was too low and the PA was crap. When the Stones came on, everything turned to crap. Fighting all around the stage front and Mick was pissed. Then I saw an Angel with a big knife just plunging it into someone down front. That’s when Mick started yelling, “Hey people!” repeatedly. There was a highway several hundred yards behind the right side of the stage. I ran up there, stuck my thumb out, and got picked up by a beautiful girl in a new sports car, who was going all the way to to Oakland Airport.
I got on a midnight flight to LAX and was home in Santa Monica and in bed by 2 a.m. When I was interviewed several years ago, the moviemaker and myself decided I had to be the first person home and in bed before the other 500,000. I had friends who were stuck there for days. I heard thousands of cars were abandoned. The movie [“Gimme Shelter”] captured it perfectly.
– Bob Barnett, Huntington Beach
In the summer of 1965, I was employed at Ward and Harrington Lumber Co. on Coast Highway in Newport Beach. Now the location is Sterling BMW dealership. The Watts Riots erupted and lasted most of the month of August. I can recall our lumber truck drivers making deliveries in and around Los Angeles, still carrying pistols with them even through November.
My brother gave me Rolling Stones tickets for the Los Angeles Sports Arena for my birthday. I really didn’t want to chance it. No regrets. The good news is my wife knowing this story surprised me with an early birthday present with two up-close tickets to the Stones at the Honda Center on May 15, 2013. Ooh-hoo-hoo!!!
– Charlie Wolfe, Costa Mesa
On Sept. 23, 1966, my new boyfriend took me for a ride to Los Angeles from Orange County. Our Sunday drive took us near the Sports Arena in the afternoon. We saw that the Rolling Stones were performing and decided to buy tickets to the show. Our tickets were $20 each for the first row on the balcony behind the band. It’s the concert we will always remember being the most fabulous event ever and a fabulous beginning to our relationship. This year, we are celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary with four children and eight grandchildren. Thank you, Rolling Stones, for the wonderful experience.
– Karen and Phil Luchesi, Newport Beach
My first and only Stones concert was July 26, 1966, in San Francisco’s Cow Palace. I was 14 and I had a particular girl in mind but either her parents would not sign off and/or I didn’t have the nerve to ask. My date was mom, who drove. It was a full roster and a three-hour show. I only remember the Stones and the Standells. I’m quite surprised to read the Jefferson Airplane also played. We were miles away; this was also my first experience in such a large venue, and, of course, sonically it was pretty miserable. I see now it was Jagger’s 22nd birthday, a fact I don’t remember registering at the time, but I do recall he put on the kind of show you could enjoy from a hundred yards back.
– Randall Crane, Irvine
Ahh, yes! The Rolling Stones are emblazoned in my memory from 1967. The UCI graduate school of administration. On the first floor, right underneath our study room was the Ratskeller, a rocking beer and sandwich place with a jukebox that was so loud it came through the floor! Our class was small, three of us, and we all sang along to ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’ and the other Stones songs that I still remember the lyrics at 80! UCI had a lot of visiting groups in the ’60s, but never the Rolling Stones. Too bad. I could have sung every tune they played!
– Bob Bunyan, Mission Viejo
The Rolling Stones played the Forum in Inglewood often in the ’70s, with several 1975 shows available as live albums. Then there was the Anaheim show where Mick Jagger found out what happens when you invite fans to throw their shoes on stage.
June 1972, the Forum. Out of the hundreds of rock concerts I have ever seen (including the Beatles) this is NUMERO UNO! This was the Stones at the height of their creative powers and they were still hungry to prove it. Highlights include a huge dragon curtain in front of stage, the opening chords to ‘Brown Sugar,’ and Jagger coming out of the dragon’s mouth, to strut and prance… Mick Taylor, Keith and Bill Wyman standing up straight, deadpan.
This show was after they had played an afternoon show – back in those days, they never played an encore. That night – they did!Program, cool jet poster – yeah still got ’em. I have gotten rid of many programs over the years, Not this one!
In 1975, three out of five shows at the Forum, lotus flower stage opens up with Jagger at top of petal opening up to front row, Jaggar,10 feet in front of me – it was something to behold!
For a long time I took a break because I felt I had seen the Stones at their best, especially indoors, but over time broke down and saw them at Dodger Stadium, the San Diego baseball stadium, a couple of Rose Bowl shows, a couple of Staples shows. And now, July 10 at SoFi, excited again. Neither of us are getting any younger!
– Kevin Bossenmeyer, Irvine
June 13, 1972. I was a junior in high school and a buddy came up to me at school and asked if I wanted to go see the Rolling Stones in San Diego. I said, ‘Let’s go,’ and about midday we headed from Fullerton down to San Diego. Ticket was $6.50. At the San Diego Sports Arena, the show was unreserved seating, and the floor was open, no seats. We got a spot on the floor about 10 feet directly in front of the stage where Mick Jagger would be singing. It was a long wait, but well worth it.
When the show started, everyone was standing and packed together to rock out. I remember people getting stoned, taking a hit from a joint, sticking your arm up in the air with the joint, and the next concertgoer nearby would grab it, take a hit and hold up and pass to another person. I remember Mick Jagger singing a hit, rocking out. He had a big stainless steel bowl filled with rose petals, and as he spun around, flung all the rose petals into the crowd.
– Rick Morgan, San Clemente
I am going to SoFi for both shows. My first two Stones shows were at Anaheim Stadium right after high school graduation. and yes, I remember “throw all your shoes on stage.” Peter Tosh and the Outlaws were the warm-up bands. Peter had a song called “Legalize It” and passed out big joints. I tried it and it was full of seeds. Yuck.
Those ’78 shows started a lifelong love affair. I have been at the Prince shows. The 50th anniversary tour with Mick Taylor was the best because of Mick sitting in on a few of his classics he helped form. Learning how to get in the pit is the biggest deal these days. I have been in the pit four times, and it is unbelievable, the best experience on the planet.
– Jim Power, Laguna Hills
I was at the 1978 Anaheim Stadium concert. I remember a shoe ended up on the stage. Mick Jagger saying, ‘I want all your [darn] shoes!’ Well, everyone threw their shoes on stage and they walked off. The crowd was not happy.
Before music was played, people were using large beach blankets to throw girls in the air. My sister Susan is 4’11”. As we walked by I heard, ‘Hey she’s small, grab her!’ She was grabbed and flung in the air, screaming, ‘Let me down.’ She was pissed off to say the least.
– Bob Waters, Laguna Niguel
I was there. Mick, after dodging intermittent shoes being thrown at him, threw one of his back and then announced, ‘OK, I want all your shoes!’ It was raining shoes on the stage for a couple minutes. Then the ‘Some Girls’ show continued smoothly.
– Bob Tucker, Garden Grove
Prince was not yet a superstar when he opened for the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981 and got booed off the stage. Near the end of the decade, Guns N’ Roses and Living Colour fared much better as openers at the same venue for the Stones.
I went to see the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981. My roommate and I were both friends with a guy (I do not even remember his name) that told me he had an extra ticket to see the Stones. He then said whoever answered the phone when he called would get to go with him and buy the extra ticket. Well, you guessed it, I answered the phone and went to the concert with him.
I remember no knowing who Prince was at the time other than he was the opening act. I did not like any of his songs and the crowd booed him and threw eggs at him. Little did I know he would become so successful later on. I must say I never became a fan of Prince and laugh when I think about that event.
– Linda Burstein, Laguna Niguel
Saw the Stones at the Coliseum in 1981. This guy called Prince came out. I remember one of his songs seemed particularly misogynistic. After a few songs he was booed off the stage, and his manager came out and lectured the audience like we were a bunch of second graders.
I don’t think Prince came back out.
It happened.
Les Poltrack, Chanhassen, Minnesota
In 1986, the Stones used our sound equipment (Glass Family Electric Band) for a week for their L.A. gig rehearsals. After delivering the equipment, I was in their rehearsal for five hours – lucky me – as they went through all their songs up until that time. I was in and out of that house they rented, which I believe was Stephen Stills’ house in Laurel Canyon, for that week. Both Mick and Keith were very nice and made me feel comfortable.
– David Capilouto
1989, LA Coliseum, Living Colour, Guns ‘N’ Roses and the Stones. Autumn, a 16-year-old neighbor girl, won tickets from a radio station. She asked me, a 39-year-old dad, to escort her. Her mom is a huge Stones fan, so she was not happy that her daughter didn’t ask her. Score!
She came to see Guns ‘N’ Roses and I had never heard of them. I was there for the Stones. Neither of us knew Living Colour. My highlight was when the Stones played ‘Honky Tonk Women.’ They had two three-story blow-up dolls that the roadies pulled on with a rope to the beat of music. One of the dolls was a blonde with her legs crossed smoking a cigarette. It was awesome.
She recently thanked me again for taking her to her first concert. She now has many concerts under her belt which includes, unfortunately, the Las Vegas Route 91 country concert on Oct. 1, 2017. She was shot three times – hand, lung, and jawbone and tongue. She spent a month in the hospital. There is no question that her husband’s quick action getting her to a hospital saved her life. She no longer teaches grade school, but her attitude and love for life has returned. She is awesome.
– Mike McCarthy, Huntington Beach
The Rolling Stones concert I saw in October 1989 at the Coliseum was probably the best concert I ever saw. But the real story is the journey getting to the concert. The morning of ticket sales, standing in the parking lot at Tower Records, my future husband Joe’s number was somewhere in the first few in line. Finally, the doors opened and the first few of us went in. However, there was a problem. The Tower Records computer was crashed! Our hopes were dashed.
If memory serves, those of us left in line were finally told to go home, leave our wristbands on, and come back at a specified time, and in the meantime, they would try to reserve us some tickets. When we came back to Tower Records, Joe showed his wristband, and we purchased our reserved tickets. Apparently, the manager called someone with clout, who was able to save a block of tickets for those of us still in line in Torrance. We were elated! We were going to get to see The Rolling Stones, Guns N’ Roses, and Living Colour! And not only that, we scored front-row seats!!!
– Diane Dantas, Cypress
The ’90s saw the Stones play the largest stages in Southern California, including a pair of shows at both Dodger Stadium and the Rose Bowl.
My son and I attended their concert, early ’90s at Rose Bowl. We were interviewed by an Aussie news outlet that was beaming via satellite from the parking lot. Remember them asking what my favorite Stones song was and I replied “(I Cant Get No) Satisfaction.” In succeeding years, he and I attended concerts at Staples, also at Petco Park in San Diego, Dodger Stadium, and not too long ago, SoFi Stadium shortly after opening. I am 83 years old, my son is 42, and for the coming concert at SoFi, we will bring our 9-year-old grandson for a perfect trifecta. Three generations.
– Tony Calderone, Huntington Beach
The first decade of the new millennium saw the Rolling Stones play huge stadiums such Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium, the Hollywood Bowl, the Forum, Staples Center, and Honda Center.
I’ve been a Rolling Stones fan since 1964 and I’ve seen lots of their concerts. The best was at Anaheim Stadium on Nov. 2, 2002. The Angels had just won the World Series in that stadium. While rocking out, the Stones played the video of Darin Erstad catching the last out of the World Series. The crowd went wild. The memory of that night will not fade away. Somehow some old English rockers – the greatest ever – knew the baseball crowd and we got what we wanted.
– Andy Guilford, Trabuco Canyon
I have had the privilege to see them over 40 times, I believe, in Japan, London, Paris, and soon to add Canada. I had the honor of working the local crew with IATSE 504 and doing Keith Richards’ spotlight at Anaheim Stadium in 2003. I have the work pass and I have the setlist that was listed as Edison Field. I also have a few guitar picks and a pair of Charlie’s drum sticks. On this tour, I am seeing 11 shows. I just got back from Denver and my next show is in Canada. The shows have been great!
– Larry Morgia, Irvine
I saw the Stones at either Angel Stadium or Dodger Stadium 20 years ago. It was a great show, of course, with Mick doing his thing. Some of my favorites they played: ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,’ ‘Dead Flowers,’ ‘Sister Morphine.’ You can tell my favorite album. ‘Sticky Fingers.’ I follow Mick on Facebook. Love these guys; they are the soundtrack for our lives.
– Dave Lindquist, Irvine
For a band as big as the Rolling Stones, an arena is about as small as it gets. Imagine how lucky you’d feel to have scored a ticket to the tiny Echoplex in L.A. to see them one night in 2013.
My favorite experience was in 2013, front row in the pit at Staples Center. From this prime spot, I witnessed something new: the band’s on-stage relationships. I saw them communicate with just a wink or a raised eyebrow, showcasing their decades-long synergy. That night, we were treated to a surprise appearance by Mick Taylor, who revived his legendary solos on tracks like ‘Sway’ and ‘Can’t You Hear Me Knocking.’ It was pure sonic magic.
A memorable moment was Ronnie Wood snapping his fingers and sending a plectrum over my shoulder, hitting actor Aaron Paul (Jesse from ‘Breaking Bad’) on the forehead. This show holds a special place in my ‘Heart of Stone’ as it was the last time I saw Charlie Watts behind the drum kit.
For my 14th concert, I’ve designed a special baseball jersey featuring my ticket stubs superimposed on the iconic tongue logo, with the dates of every Stones concert I’ve attended listed on the back. As Jagger once sang, ‘This could be the last time …’. Well, I sure hope not!
Incidentally, I’m a two-time player on the CBS reality show ‘Survivor’ because I was attracted to the idea of ‘cheating death,’ but is there a better example of that than Keith Richards? I think not!
– David Wright, Sherman Oaks
My wife and I have seen the Stones quite a few times. The first time I saw them was at the Forum in either ’73 or ’74. My wife Sandy saw them at the Hollywood Bowl in 1966, She was 12 at the time.
In 2015, at Petco Park, I was invited to have dinner with the Stones. When we arrived at the entrance of the area for dinner, I had to show my ID; I had forgotten my wallet in the car. Sandy went to get my wallet but by the time she came back, it was too late. There was no one at the door and it was locked. We saw Charlie Watts and asked him if there was any way to get in, he said he didn’t know. He was very polite and told us to call Keith’s manager, which we did; her voicemail was full. So much for that.
– Ernie Lujan, Rancho Santa Margarita
Peter Larsen
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Q. My daughter visits once or twice a year from her home, which is hundreds of miles away from where I live. She told me I must stop driving, should have a college student live with me and hire someone to clean my house, delivering these admonishments very firmly. I subsequently passed my driving test, cleaned my house successfully and have neighbors and friends who are there when I need help. This conversation has created a rift. Please address a column about family members making assumptions about older persons whom they seldom see. C.R.
Perceptions matter. Let’s first try to understand your daughter’s perspective.
Think about how older adults are portrayed in our society and our perception of aging. In a recent column, I mentioned Becca Levy, Yale Professor of Epidemiology who asked people to think of five words to describe older persons. In the U.S., the most common answer was “memory loss.” In China, it was “wisdom.” The US response was one of a deficit, rather than one of strength.
Your daughter’s response may be influenced by our youth-oriented culture with images of aging showing primarily declines and disabilities. Furthermore, her concern may be one of safety knowing that age is a risk factor for falls, car accidents and health vulnerabilities. As well, I take your word that you’re in fine fettle, but it’s not uncommon for individuals to downplay health challenges.
Here’s the rub. Everyone ages differently. Age is a poor predictor of individual competencies and functioning. For example, we know older adults have an increased risk of falling, but each adult differs in strength, reaction time, vision and living circumstances. Although trends count, they do not necessarily apply to each individual.
Adult children are known to overestimate older parents’ problems as noted in the Journal of Adult Development. Adult children evaluated their parents and reported more disabilities and life problems than their parents. This overestimation occurred more often when the adult children communicated by phone and less when they communicated in person. Clearly, it’s the first-hand knowledge that counts.
Your daughter may be considered a helicopter adult child. The term “helicopter” has been used by parents of teenage children as the parents hover over them, counter to their responsibility to raise a child to independence. Both teenagers and older adults share the value of independence.
As a point of interest, some parents have not outgrown this protective role. In one study of 800 employers, one out of five recent college graduates brought a parent with them for a job interview. That doesn’t sound like fostering independence.
I would like to share a personal story of a well-intended adult daughter who hovered for good reason.
Here is what happened: I left my daughter’s home and let her know I was driving directly to my home. After about 15 minutes, my daughter texted me, called my office phone, home phone and cell phone with no answer. Receiving no response, she became worried and called my friends asking, “Have you seen my mother?”
An all-points bulletin went out asking if anyone had heard from Helen. Needless to say, this caused a stir. Out of fear and desperation, my daughter drove to my home and found my car in the driveway. She was sure I was horizontal on the kitchen floor. As she looked across the street, she saw her mother attending a neighbor’s party held in his garage with Yours Truly laughing and munching on hors d’oeuvres.
My daughter was relieved but with a request: Always call me as soon as you get home. I share this story because I was responsible for this misunderstanding – saying one thing and doing another without thinking about the effect on my daughter. So, we parents can have a role to play.
Now let’s get back to your daughter. So much depends on relationships and perception. To influence your daughter’s perception, she likely needs more information, assuming she is open to it. Perhaps a starting point is to have a conversation. Here are a few suggestions for that chat.
Thank you, C.R., for your good question. And kudos on passing your driving test. Best wishes in continuing to live the life you want to lead. And know that small acts of kindness can change the world.
Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com. Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity
Helen Dennis
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For the last two months, I have been admiring the flower show provided by my yellow pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima flava).
The Latin name of this plant commemorates Andrea Caesalpino, a 16th-century Italian physician and botanist. Before the age of synthetically produced pharmaceuticals, medications came directly from plants. Thus, physicians were often botanists too since the sources for the medications they prescribed grew in the garden. Pulcherrima — the species name of this plant — means “beautiful” and is reserved for plants of universally recognized beauty since, as everyone knows, there is a plethora of plants that are beautiful.
With yellow pride of Barbados, the large plumes of golden flowers are perched on feathery, fern-like shoots of bipinnate leaves. An aside: the poinsettia is also unusually beautiful (albeit due to brilliant red, leaf-life bracts that are not flowers), and its Latin name of Euphorbia pulcherrima reminds us of its unique appeal.
Flava is the subspecies name of yellow pride of Barbados since “flava” means yellow in Latin. The reason for the subspecies name is to distinguish it from the more familiar and widely planted cousin of this plant, red bird of paradise (Caesalpinia pulcherrima), whose brilliant red stamens emerging from red or orange flowers make it a garden standout that is second to none.
In our climate, both of these plants, native to Mexico and the Caribbean, will grow into 10-foot tall shrubs that make an excellent screen or security barrier due their thorns. To keep them compact, prune drastically in the spring, even down to the ground, and they will quickly grow back up again. Yellow bird of paradise (Caesalpinia/Poinciana gilliesii) grows into a vase-shaped shrub of somewhat lesser stature.
Before leaving this group of plants, we must pause for a moment to regale their arboreal relative, the yellow poinciana tree (Peltophorum pterocarpum). I first saw this tree growing in Israel, whose climate mimics our own, but have yet to see it here. It is sometimes referred to as the yellow jacaranda due to having a similar form, similar foliage, and a similarly magnificent floral display. Note: while Caesalpinias and Poincianas are in the legume family (Fabaceae) and have the characteristic fern-like, feathery foliage shared by many leguminous ornamentals, the feathery-leafed jacaranda is in a different botanical family (Bignoniaciae), sharing kinship with that large assortment of trumpet vines that you see blooming this time of year in purple, red, pink, orange, and yellow.
In any case, the yellow jacaranda is more manageable, with a mature height of 40 feet, whereas the common lavender-blue jacaranda may grow up to twice that size. The yellow jacaranda is also more cold-tolerant than the lavender-blue and so it is a mystery as to why it is not seen in the nursery trade.
There is another tree referred to as yellow jacaranda, presently flowering in an explosion of orange-yellow. This is the tipu tree (Tipuana tipu), a South American legume that is a shade tree in the truest sense, and also tops out at 40 feet. Let’s say you have a backyard that bakes in the sun and are considering planting a tree that will create the kind of shade that will induce you to spend more time outdoors when the summer heat comes. This just might be the tree for you. And, oh yes, lest I forget, leguminous shrubs and trees, once established, are universally drought tolerant with a need for irrigation that is minimal, requiring a deep soaking every once in a while to no water at all.
Because of tree trimming maintenance costs, there is a disinclination these days when it comes to planting classic shade trees that rise to 40 feet or more. Yet the attraction of a shady garden retreat under a large tree is powerful. It gives you the opportunity to place a hammock underneath. As far as the kids are concerned, a large tree offers unparalleled delights in the form of an apparatus for climbing, branches from which a swing can be hung, and – most importantly – the foundation for a tree house.
A Plant-O-Rama plant sale, a tradition that goes back more than 50 years, is returning to Sherman Library and Gardens. Plants will be offered by the California Native Plant Society, Los Angeles International Fern Society, Newport Harbor Orchid Society, Orange County Begonia Society, Saddleback Valley Bromeliad Society, and Southern California Carnivorous Plant Enthusiasts. All your questions about caring for the featured plants will be answered by experts on-site. The sale will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 20 & 21 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Admission to the gardens and plant sale is $5 but free to those holding a Sherman Gardens membership. The gardens are located at 2647 E. Coast Hwy. in Corona del Mar. For more information, visit thesherman.org or call 949.673.2261.
California native of the week: Chinese houses (Collinsia heterophylla) get their name from their flowers that resemble pagodas. They also bear a resemblance to the flowers of snapdragons and Angelonia to which they are related. Flowers may be lavender and white to magenta and white or pure white. Plants grow in clumps that are two feet tall and one foot wide. Grow them in light shade or under your oak tree for a flower show from spring to early summer, which can be extended by removing faded flowers before they go to seed. You can procure a packet of 1,340 Chinese houses seeds from the Theodore Payne Foundation (theodorepayne.org) for six dollars. However, you will want to wait until fall to plant them.
If there are any special shrubs or trees most people might not know about but whose presence you enjoy in your garden, please recount your experience to joshua@perfectplants.com. Your questions, comments, gardening successes or predicaments are always welcome.
Joshua Siskin
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Q. I was traveling north in the slow lane of the 605 Freeway and had just passed Del Amo Boulevard in the Cerritos-Lakewood area when I heard a loud pop. A rear tire had blown out. The tow truck driver arrived quickly and changed my tire. The pickup truck parked in front of me also had a blown rear tire and was being serviced by another AAA tow truck driver. I filed a claim with Caltrans for the damage to my car: $1,652.94. I received a letter from Caltrans denying my claim, stating, “The California Department of Transportation cannot be held liable for damages without prior notice of a dangerous condition and sufficient time to have taken measure(s) to protect against the dangerous condition, per California Government Code.” I requested an appeal and a review by a supervisor. Will Caltrans grant me an appeal, and reimburse me for my damages?
– Joanne Rumpler, San Dimas
A. Decades ago, Young Honk walked into his family home, fuming. He had run over a pothole that damaged a rim – the young whippersnapper wanted justice and, more importantly, some cash.
But Pops Honk, an attorney, told him the law was how Caltrans put it in your letter, Joanne.
Honk isn’t suggesting you give up – no, ma’am.
You can file a California Public Records Act request, asking for documents saying when that pothole was discovered and how the agency responded to it, to determine if Caltrans indeed was told about the problem well before you came across it.
So you don’t have to bounce around the internet, Honk will send you a link so you can file one, if you like, Joanne. If anyone else wants that link, he is more than happy to share it.
Q. The problem your reader faced getting a vehicle ready for a smog check – after the on-board computer’s memory disappeared perhaps because the battery had been changed – is more common than we think. You explained the cause perfectly. However, going back repeatedly for a smog test only to find the monitors haven’t reset yet is time consuming and costly. The answer is to pick up an OBDII test device. They’re cheap and simple to use to see if the monitors have reset. Depending on the age of his vehicle, he may either need them all reset, or all but one. But he’ll only have to make one trip for the smog test.
– M.J. Knudsen, Trabuco Canyon
A. This problem is indeed very common, and getting such a device, also called an OBD2 reader, is a “great idea,” said Rudy Rodriguez, diagnostic-services supervisor with the Automobile Club of Southern California.
There are various driving scenarios that experts offer up to create a vehicle memory; Honk spelled some out last week. The state’s Bureau of Automotive Repair recommends driving the vehicle 15 times – boosting the coolant’s temperature at least 40 degrees to 160 – and covering at least 200 miles in all. State officials say the goal will likely be obtained well before that.
Hence, Honk’s reader’s suggestion could make a lot of sense.
“This way he will know for sure that his car will pass when he takes it,” Rodriguez told Honk via email. “But to be honest, most cars are ready after they’re driven to work and back every day for a week or so.”
HONKIN’ FACT: At a DUI checkpoint in Marin County this month, a driver was arrested by the California Highway Patrol after cruising up, the agency said, while drinking a beer.
To ask Honk questions, reach him at honk@ocregister.com. He only answers those that are published. To see Honk online: ocregister.com/tag/honk. Twitter: @OCRegisterHonk
Jim Radcliffe
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