Morning Buzz: Thursday 4.26.07

The LA Weekly's Michael Krikorian writes that "the failing war on graffiti — a subject Villaraigosa rarely mentions — takes on extra significance against a backdrop of other stalled mayoral efforts to address pressing quality-of-life issues in Los Angeles." Nah, doesn't sound like Jill Stewart at all. Weekly

Did the little corner of the Valley with the phony name succeed in seceding from Van Nuys — or did it not? And does it matter, given that the body of water that is semi-mockingly called Lake Balboa is located in Encino? Bob Pool tackles the fluid situation. LAT

Koreatown doesn't like the idea of Olympic Boulevard going one-way so Councilman Herb Wesson plays a semi-race card, arguing that if the city is going to inflict his district then equality dictates the Valley also have to bear one-way streets. LAT

Third-place finisher Louis Pugliese has endorsed challenger Tamar Galatzan in the May 15 runoff in the Valley. DN

Haggling begins in earnest today. DN

Tim O'Leary, a reporter at the Press-Enterprise, took a $500 check and other gifts from elected offcials after his home burned down in 2003. Press-Enterprise

The San Francisco real estate and political figure gets a quarter-page of "personal copy" in the local sections of each of the Bay Area newspapers owned by MediaNews once a week for three years as part of a settlement of his suit to block the company's absorption of the San Jose Mercury News and Contra Costa Times. He also gets to nominate a public member of the papers' editorial boards. Mercury, Chronicle

Justin Chapman's blog 'Dena Politico has qualms about the recent town council election.

Doug Dowie offers his tips to PR pros at Strumpette and somehow cites my 2004 Los Angeles Magazine story on him.

The Weekly pulls together links of all the radio play the critic and his Pulitzer Prize received last weekend, at the bottom of today's Counter Intelligence review.

CityBeat lists the bands, stages and showtimes for this weekend's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The Times catches up with Monday's news on the death of the KPFK folk music legend.

Nature Trumps is from Jay Babcock of Arthur.