Weekend reads

Regarding renewed talk of an L.A. children's museum, "Sadly, it's the wrong people talking about the wrong location and the wrong concept," says Jack Shakely, president emeritus of the California Community Foundation. LAT op-ed
LudoBites 7.0 will be back at Gram and Papa's, the downtown sandwich shop that was the site of LudoBites 5.0 and 4.0, Aug. 3 through Sept. 7. Reservations start on Open Table at 4 p.m. on July 14. LA Weekly
Westside Pavilion begins Monday to charge for parking longer than three hours and there will now be delay-inducing gates. Parking longer than three hours is $3 with Landmark Theatres validation. Details
Todd DeStefano's companies made at least $1.7 million during the two years he was steering business there from his post at the Coliseum, reports the L.A. Times
Four major Westside hospitals, led by UCLA, say transportation and law enforcement agencies have not adequately prepared for getting medical employees to work when the 405 closes next month. LAT
James Rainey says that Los Angeles magazine "has taken on the glow of a survivor, with a recovering bottom line and a couple of big journalism prizes having just arrived in the editor's office." LAT
James O'Shea's new book “The Deal From Hell” is "chockablock with examples of what happens when bean counters take over newspapers." NYT review
Cable TV boxes have become "the single largest electricity drain in many American homes," even when turned off. NYT
How to succeed in Hollywood despite being really beautiful. NYT
Surviving Monty Python members are making a 3-D animated version of Graham Chapman's absurdist memoir, “A Liar’s Autobiography: Volume VI." NYT
Organized kayak trips on the Los Angeles River upstream from Sepulveda Dam will begin in July on a trial basis. KCET
The Daily News is publishing a pictorial book this fall on the history of the San Fernando Valley and is asking readers to submit their favorite photographs for possible inclusion. DN
Quite a bit of drama in court as former Temple City mayor Cathe Wilson, 78, was sentenced to four years in prison for bribery and lying to a grand jury. Star-News
Los Angeles became a Lakers town when the Dodgers lost the city, Chris Dufresne argues. LAT
Former Dodgers manager Davey Johnson, 68, was named interim manager of the Washington Nationals. ESPN
Hollywood passings: Peter Falk, actor; Fred Steiner, composer; Don Diamond, character actor.