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 If it was up to his home's original builder, Hector de la Torre could never have lived in the nearly 60-year-old house in South Gate. Neither could any other Mexican American. It says so in the deed:
"No lot in said tract shall at any time be lived upon by a person whose blood is not entirely that of the Caucasian race, and for the purpose of this paragraph, no Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, Hindu, or any person of the Ethiopian, Indian, or Mongolian races shall be deemed to be Caucasian."
Such racist restrictive covenants are now illegal and unenforceable. But De la Torre, a state assemblyman representing the 50th District, wants to go a step farther. He has sponsored legislation (AB 2204) that would require county recorders to delete such covenants from the deeds any time a property is sold.
But, as KPCC reports, this well-intentioned bill has met with opposition from the state's real estate and insurance industry. They fear the proposal will delay and increase the cost of completing deals. Some county officials are also concerned that the bill would require them to search all related property records when a sale comes up to find and delete discriminatory language.
Existing law already allows individual property owners to strike restrictive covenants from their deeds. But few ever bother to do so.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Los Angeles Times
 The suit filed today by the Las Lomas Land Co. alleges that the City Council's decision in March to halt review of the 5,553-home project near the junction of Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway was illegal.
Click on the link below to read a full story by The Times' Jennifer Oldham.
Photo: Brian Vander Brug / Los Angeles Times
Read on »
 First, the city started installing curbs and gutters along what were once country roads. Soon, horse owners will be required to have their animals' manure hauled away instead of simply spreading it across their property. Now, in the most recent sign that the Inland Empire town of Norco is losing its rural flavor, officials are looking at replacing the wood fencing that lines about 120 miles of horse trails with plastic posts and rails. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it's not going over too well with the tradition-bound horsemen and women of Norco, reports the Press-Enterprise.
"I think in a way we're being dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, but I'm sure we're not the only city that is having to comply with many things," said Bonnie Slager of the Norco Horsemen's Association.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
 About 4,000 foreclosed homes in Los Angeles County have backyard pools. Health officials fear that many of these pools will turn into perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes -- and the dreaded West Nile virus -- if they go unmaintained. That's why health officials are working to get access to many foreclosed pool properties and drop in their secret weapon: the Gambusia affinis, or the mosquito fish.
The fish feast on the mosquito larvae in the stagnant water, reports the Daily News. "These fish have proven their weight in gold," said state health agent Ron Helo.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Getty Images
Former "Tonight Show" personality Ed McMahon appeared on the Larry King show to explain how his Beverly Hills mansion ended up in foreclosure: "If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens," he said. "A couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that."
The Times' Peter Hong has more details about McMahon's appearance. Here's a video clip as well.
-- Jesus Sanchez
 Little Tokyo has been the historic and cultural hub of Southern California's Japanese American community for decades. But the infusion of non-Japanese residents, investment and business owners is causing concern among longtime residents and supporters.
Perhaps the most dramatic evidence of the shift is the recent acquisition of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center by a group of Korean American investors. Their plans, none of which have been finalized, include converting the three-story property into a Korean-themed shopping and entertainment center (with a grocery story and spa) or a more mainstream mall, according to the LAT and L.A. Business Journal (subscription required). The fate of the existing Japanese tenants is not clear.
The new store lineup makes sense given Little Tokyo's growing pool of young, Korean American residents as well as new downtown loft dwellers of all ethnic and racial types, say the buyers' representatives. Still, that does not sit well with people like Frances Hashimoto, owner of Mikawaya, a nearly century-old Japanese pastry shop, who fear the erosion of neighborhood's Japanese identity. "If they're going to make it into a Korean shopping center, then why don't they go to Koreatown?" Hashimoto told the LABJ.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Al Seib/Los Angeles Times
 Less is more in the lean, spare boxes that are the hallmark of modern architect extraordinaire Richard Neutra. Except when it comes to selling them at auction, says Christopher Hawthorne.
... Christie's produced a glossy booklet on the house and its setting. Near the front was a quote from Neutra himself: "The desert is subject to an infinity of moods, some of them violent."
So, it turns out, is the real estate market, even at the highest levels.
The house quickly sold, then just as quickly, the deal fell apart. And then came the finger-pointing. Real estate as high art, high finance and high drama in Christopher's full story.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: David Glomb/for The Times
The $10 billion that Californians spend annually on home remodeling and construction is a major boost for the economy that supports countless businesses and workers. It's also a major attraction for unlicensed contractors. That's why state regulators have organized sting operations to try and catch them. Times staff writer Robert J. Lopez witnessed a sting operation last March in Van Nuys and videotaped it. His full story about one woman's ordeal with an unlicensed contractor will appear in Sunday's Real Estate section. "It's safe to say that there are thousands of people out there breaking the law by contracting without a license," said Pamela Mares, a spokeswoman for the Contractors State License Board. "There's a lot of money out there, and they know it."
-- Jesus Sanchez
Video: Robert J. Lopez / Los Angeles Times
GOP senators say no to the $7-billion plan to improve healthcare in state prisons. Just one problem -- the feds might take that $7 billion from the state anyway. More on this latest impasse from Michael Rothfeld.
The biggest drop in home prices in 20 years, with L.A. County and the O.C. really taking it on the chin. Peter Y. Hong has the latest numbers.
There's a bounty on teen popster Miley Cyrus' first kiss. Rachel Abramowitz explains.
Done deal: The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the studios agree on a new three-year contract. AP via LAT.
The Lakers win! The best-of-seven series is now 3-1 and moves to Staples Center on Thursday night. Mike Bresnahan's game story, plus lots of pix and links to more Lakers stories here.
They like him, they really like him. David Beckham's critics sing a different tune.
A new James Bond novel is out and ... wait, isn't Ian Fleming dead? Yeah, and his impersonators don't exactly bring the Bond legacy back to life. Read along with Tim Rutten.
 Earle H. Hagen, the Emmy Award-winning TV composer who wrote -- and whistled -- the theme song for “The Andy Griffith Show” has died. Dennis McLellan writes about his life.
Remember the Olympic skater who was slipped a date-rape drug during dinner? An arrest in the case has been made, Kim Christensen reports.
A teensy bit of good news amid the housing debacle -- lower property tax bills for some of us. Garrett Therolf explains.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Associated Press, BMI
California's highest court gave the green light to more than same-sex marriage Thursday. It fired up opponents, who already had a ballot proposition in the works, and forced the divisive issue back into the presidential race. Phil Willon and Patrick McGreevy take a look at the political fallout.
 The Missouri mom, who pretended to be a 16-year-old boy on MySpace and bullied a girl who later killed herself, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Los Angeles. Scott Glover and P.J. Huffstutter have the details.
And in case you missed it, Anthony Pellicano -- guilty.
Three people are dead and the morning commute is snarled after a wrong-way driver on I-5 downtown causes a catastrophic crash. AP via LAT
How did three girls wind up unconscious in a Chatsworth park? Howard Blume says police have a both a theory and a suspect.
Whittier Boulevard in East L.A. gets a face-lift. Scott Gold looks at its history and future.
Can it be? Good housing news: April starts are the best since January '06. Reuters via LAT.
(Fake) diamonds fit for a (real) diva: the jewelry that Maria Callas wore when she debuted in "Tosca" at the Met in New York City in 1956 will shine on stage in the L.A. Opera's production. David Ng has details about the $85K worth of Swarovski crystals.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
An undisclosed buyer purchased the Kaufmann House, designed by Los Angeles architect Richard Neutra, at an auction this week. The modernist home was built in 1946 in Palm Springs. David Keeps has the full story.
-- Jesus Sanchez
 Patricia Tomlin was looking forward to walking her family's Great Dane through the streets and park at Americana at Brand, the new outdoor mall in the heart of Glendale. But her pleasant evening stroll turned tense when she was approached by a security guard. Tomlin and her big dog had to go.
"He informed us that if you cannot carry the dog you cannot bring the dog in," Tomlin said in a letter to the Glendale News Press. "I feel by telling me my dog is not allowed that this is size discrimination. You either let all dogs in or no dogs at all."
This would not have been a problem in most public spaces, which usually don't place a limit on the size of your pet. But it's a bit trickier at Rick Caruso's Americana at Brand, where narrow lanes may resemble public streets but are really private property. Making it more complicated: The two-acre park in the heart of the mall actually is public property.
The potential confusion caused by the blurring of private and public property and the rights of its users was noted by The Times' architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne in his story on the $400-million project and its public green. "That makes the distinction between public and private in the final product almost impossible to untangle. At the Americana, the park is public space masquerading as private space that is masquerading as public. Got that?"
The big-dog ban, which applies to pets over 25 pounds, is for safety reasons and also applies to outdoor spaces at Caruso's other popular outdoor mall, the Grove, in the Fairfax District. Bikes and skateboards are also prohibited.
The rules might seem clear-cut to the mall owners. But, as Tomlin notes, she saw no signs at Americana that warn visitors about the big-dog ban. In fact, on a previous visit to the mall with her dog, Tomlin said she ran into a group of Glendale police officers on the property. Unlike the private mall guard, the officers never told her that her pet was too big.
Can it get any more confusing? Did you have to ask? Both Tomlin and the Franklin Avenue blog note that some ads and brochures for Americana feature a woman walking a large dog.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times
 The large hole in the ground at the northeast corner of Main and 4th streets marked the site of yet another major residential project that promised to bring more people and energy to downtown L.A. But now that large hole in the ground is, well, just another hole in the ground.
Saeed Farkhondehpour, owner of the $125-million Medallion project, shocked the downtown development community by abruptly halting construction work on the apartment and retail complex, reports the Downtown News. He blamed weak demand and skyrocketing construction costs for prompting the delay. "It's horrendous out there, absolutely awful," Farkhondehpour told Los Angeles Downtown News last week, referring to the retail and residential rental markets.
The Medallion is not the only downtown project to have been undermined by the sagging economy. Last month, the developer of the giant Grand Avenue development on Bunker Hill delayed the start of construction once again. However, as the Downtown News notes, it is rare for a developer to put a project on hold once construction has begun. In the case of the Medallion, work was well underway on a giant parking garage when the project was frozen.
At Main and 4th, a leasing sign still hangs on the fence surrounding the Medallion site. But downtown loft dwellers had better get used to the big hole. Farkhondehpour said it will be until the middle of next year before construction resumes if conditions improve.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Los Angeles Times
 It's one of the dire details making its way into stories about the mortgage meltdown -- desperate homeowners walking away from houses they can no longer afford. Dramatic? Sure. True? Not so much, says The Times' Michael A. Hiltzik.
...there's a major problem with all this talk about the phenomenon of solvent homeowners "walking away": There doesn't appear to be any hard evidence that it's actually happening.
When pressed for the number of borrowers who could afford their mortgage payments, major banks and lender groups could not produce numbers figures.
Nor could the Mortgage Bankers Assn., the leading trade group for housing lenders. Spokesman John Mechem said he believed that walkaways by homeowners who could afford their payments were "becoming more prevalent." But he said that was based on "anecdotes we're hearing from our members and what we're reading in the newspapers."
Let's get this straight -- news stories are citing banks and lenders who, in turn, are getting their info from news stories? More on the convoluted logic in Hiltzik's full story.
 One person not walking away is Alicia Cardenas, whose mortgage payment on her $410,000 home jumps by $462 next month, bringing it to $3,291. She's taking a stand to save the house, and keep a roof over her mother's head. The details of her battle plan, and her chances of success, are here.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Associated Press
* A previous version of this post misstated Alicia Cardenas' original mortgage.
Peregrine falcons in California cities have more flame retardants in their bodies than any living organism anywhere on the planet. The chemicals come from the pigeons the falcons eat, more proof of how these chemicals, which damage developing nervous systems, are working their way up the food chain. Marla Cone explains.
The city's struggling to balance the budget and one plan on the table
is to give -- yes, that means free -- a three-acre site in North
Hollywood worth almost $15 million to a developer. David Zahniser
and Steve Hymon follow the trail of red ink that led to the proposal.
Five more claims of sexual abuse by Santa Monica teacher Thomas Arthur Beltran have surfaced. One goes back to 2004, and others could reach back to 1998. And how do school officials explain all the years that Beltran remained in the classroom? Communication breakdown. Tami Abdollah has more details on the growing scandal.
Neighbors listened to 70-year-old Katan Khaimov beg for help for an hour after he was stabbed in his West Hollywood neighborhood, and no one called the police. He died in the street. Scott Gold visits Poinsettia Park and looks for answers.
At last -- some good mortgage news. The House passed a rescue bill to make $300 billion in new loans available, enough to keep about half a million homeowners out of foreclosure. (The only California Republican to vote for the bill? Rep. Gary G. Miller of Diamond Bar.) The details -- and the bill's chance of becoming law -- from Maura Reynolds.
A look at all the Kobe Bryant worship out there from Bill Dwyre.
Forget Riverdance. L.A. native Victor Quijada comes home from Canada with his ballet-based, hip-hop infused fusion troupe, Rubberdance. Victoria Looseleaf is betting you'll like it.
You're a very vocal bunch of readers, not always polite, but invariably impassioned. A sampling of the reaction to the Montrose flag controversy here. And if you're new to it, here's the story and the video.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 Quite the "Did so!" "Did not!" "Did so!" spat developing between Rocky Delgadillo, L.A.'s city attorney, and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Details from Robert Greene in Opinion LA.
A fight over charter schools in the L.A. Unified School District. LADN
Is this the worst dog park on earth? LAist
Altadena woman sentenced to 25 years to life in murder of her newborn baby. Star-News
A cool photo of a snake skeleton at The Contaminated.
Parents threaten recall over Pico Rivera school closures. Wave Newspapers
Missed the May Day demonstrations? Then join the marijuana march. Desert Sun
Compton College years away from accreditation. Wave Newspapers
Former major league baseball player Jose Canseco's home foreclosed. LAT
-- Veronique de Turenne & Jesus Sanchez
Photos: Los Angeles Times
 A three-bedroom house in Covina for $1,200 a month? That's a deal. And apparently a scam. At least 12 families found out too late before each handed over $2,400 in rent and a deposit on the same house that was advertised on Craigslist, reports the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. The ad can no longer be found but investigators said that it looks like another and all too common example of housing fraud.
Many of the renters had expected to move into the house at 5441 N. Calera Avenue this week, including Stevan Ortiz and his girlfriend, who had given notice on their apartment. "We made so many plans," said Ortiz, who tried contacting the owner over the weekend. "I had this in the back of my mind when I couldn't get ahold of him."
In preparing for the move, Ortiz had purchased appliances and had also arranged to get a dog to romp around in their new home.
-- Jesus Sanchez
Photo: Bloomberg News
 How did this staid (and some might say stuffy) town that hosted Richard Nixon's Western White House turn into a hotbed of rebellion? Scott Gold heads south for some explanations:
San Clemente's rabble-rousers are not exactly peasants with pitchforks. They're retirees, golfers with notable handicaps, investment advisors -- more like patricians with pitching wedges. But they are piecing together a citizen revolt of their own, in a place that has not been accustomed to that kind of thing in recent years.
The victory [to block] a golf course seemed to open the floodgates, and today, affable little San Clemente is in the grips of a surge in community activism. Citizen groups seem to be forming at every turn -- to oppose big signs that would be strung alongside a proposed outlet mall, to monitor the proposed development of more than 300 seaside homes, to fight plans for fancy retail development atop one of the town's primary beach accesses.
More about the seaside revolution, in which country club memberships got revoked and developers are being rebuffed, in Scott's full story.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times
 Three little words: California Natural Landmark. It's the latest tool in the fight to preserve remaining swaths of the state's untouched land from development. But with no laws to back it up, no regulations to keep anyone from selling, buying or building on the land, will it do any good? Answers from Tony Barboza, who was there as 40,000 gorgeous Orange County acres got the official first designation. Full story here.
The rolling landscape features canyons filled with coastal sage-scrub, grasslands and oak woodlands. One expanse is near the coast, including Crystal Cove State Park and Laguna Coast Wilderness Park; the other is in the lower reaches of the Santa Ana Mountains, including the Limestone Canyon and Weir Canyon wilderness areas.
To make the state list, land must be mostly in its natural state and have the biological and geological significance of a state or national park. Each proposal, which may include any combination of public and private land, is put through a peer-reviewed scientific analysis. Landowners must pay for state parks workers to review their application.
Next up -- land in Carmel, and a ranch near Hearst Castle.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
A few headlines to get you started on a chilly (41 degrees in Malibu) Monday morning:
Do those anti-gang programs the city's always fighting about actually work? It'll be two more years until you can find out. David Zahniser explains why.
Big increase in suspicious house fires as foreclosures spike, says Ken Bensinger.
Lakers polish off the Nuggets in the playoff opener. Mike Bresnahan sounds mighty happy.
 An incredibly cool collection of 1,200 unusual instruments (a Tibetan temple bell that's 9 feet long, a trombone with a dragon's head, a Moroccan fiddle made from a turtle shell) is being sold by the Claremont Colleges to a museum in Phoenix. Fans of the seldom seen (no funds) collection are aghast. Larry Gordon has the full story.
It's a tough job but somebody's got to walk along SoCal's beautiful coastline, checking for code violations. Tony Barboza has the details.
Fancy schmancy (used) baby gear for sale for pennies on the dollar at an upscale swap meet. Jennifer Oldham hangs with the parents and tells all. (There's a video too.)
State Republicans are trying for an image rehab and George Skelton thinks it's high time they tried to seem less scary.
Is "American Idol" losing steam? Scott Collins looks at Season 7 and sees trouble ahead.
-- Veronique de Turenne
Photo: Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times
Now that's a close-up: LA and NYC airports start using revealing body scanners. AP via LAT
A reward for info about the slaying last month of a 16-year-old in Monrovia's "No Man's Land." Star-news
Panic room or wine cellar -- buyer's choice. Curbed LA
 It's the Poet's Beat Neon Cruise this Saturday, leaving from the (newly relocated)
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If it was up to his home's original builder, Hector de la Torre could never have lived in the nearly 60-year-old house in South Gate. Neither could any other Mexican American. It says so in the deed:
