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Garfield High to name auditorium for Jaime Escalante, more on last night's DWP rates vote, big Bev Hills fundraiser for Meg Whitman, an anniversary for Larry Mantle and more.
Noted: I was on KNX 1070 live at 7:20 a..m. talking about the City Council vote last night.
- Garfield High will name its new auditorium for the late teacher Jaime Escalante.
- Last night's City Council rejection of higher rates for the DWP means that there cannot be another bid to increase electricity bills for three months, the Times says. LAT
Plus: Looks as if the Daily News story was put to bed before the council voted. - A Times editorial on the question of a DWP ratepayer advocate lays out the multiple changes to the City Charter that have stripped the DWP of its independence and made the board and general manager serve at the pleasure of the mayor.
- Mitt Romney will appear at an April 22 fundraiser for Meg Whitman at the Beverly Hilton for which Richard Riordan, Jerold Perenchio andTerry Semel are among the co-chairs. PolitiCal
- With California politics the proving ground for new uses of technology and media, "the 2010 campaigns are as much a clash of technology as ideology," says Anthony York. Capitol Weekly
- Goldman Sachs was already having a good year, then the City Council approved "significant additional development rights on 111 acres of property it co-owns at Playa Vista." LA Weekly
- For the first time since the 19th century Gold Rush, California-born residents now make up the majority statewide and in most counties, according to a USC study released Wednesday. LAT
- A dissenting bloc of unknown size contends the city of West Hollywood has become a place where "vindictive politics reigns, big development trumps citizen concerns, and deep-pocketed incumbents maintain their long hold on power by taking money from developers, fighting term limits and encouraging anti-outsider cliques." LA Weekly
- Although Regency Theatres' written press release said the company had acquired Westwood's Village and Bruin movie theatres, it actually will just operate the theatres. LAT
- Eric Mika is out as publisher of The Hollywood Reporter, as had been speculated. The Wrap, Deadline Hollywood
- Alicia Quarles, who joined the Associated Press Los Angeles bureau in 2003 after graduating from USC, was named AP's global entertainment editor, based in New York. Via release.
- Larry Mantle today marks his 25th year as the host of "Airtalk" on KPCC, and his "closest friend" Steve Julian blogs about it.
- Tom McDonald, a special assistant and chief field deputy for DA Steve Cooley and the press secretary for state attorneys general Stanley Mosk and Tom Lynch, died at age 74 after a long illness. Press-Telegram