Hollywood Studio Collection's sample sale ends today

Movie buffs can own a piece of the silver screen at the Hollywood Studio Collection's sample sale at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Thousands of wardrobe pieces from various movie sets will be sold during the event, which ends today and includes vintage clothing, shoes, decor and props.

According to the event's promoters, the sample sale will feature "unidentified" items that "have been used by some of today and yesteryear's hottest and most influential movie stars," leaving the buyer to figure out what movie the piece came from. Prices start at $10.

"This is part of the excitement," said James Ronald Whitney, president of the Hollywood Studio Collection and an Emmy Award-winning producer and filmmaker. "For the first time ever, both the fans and the general public can play researcher. Maybe they'll find the dress shirt worn by Tom Cruise in the infamous scene in 'Risky Business' or the sneakers Kevin Bacon debuted in 'Footloose.' The thrill is to purchase an item at a great price, only to later discover that it's worth significantly more."

Organizers say a portion of the proceeds will be donated to children's advocacy charities.

The sale ends at 10 p.m. and is being held in the Oscar Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. Admission is $5.

-- Andrea Chang

MySpace user discount for the last Dodger game of the season

The Los Angeles Dodgers are entering their final home stand of the season today in a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies.

And for the final game of the regular season, Sunday's 1:10 p.m. match, MySpace.com users can get up to an extra 40% off on tickets.

The discount offer is available only to those with a MySpace account who buy tickets online at www.dodgers.com/myspace and entering a promo code of MYSPACE.

And here's a little background at what's at stake for the Dodgers this weekend:

The "boys in blue" need just one more win to clinch their division, the National League West, which would make them back-to-back division champions for the first time in 31 years.

But the Dodgers have failed to win in their last four games.

The Rockies have been quite the opposite lately, winning their last four games.

So, while any Dodger faithful would hope that their team's division-clinching win comes sooner rather than later, it could happen on Sunday at Dodger Stadium.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Magic Johnson to ring up first purchase at new Best Buy in Culver City

Early-bird shoppers at the new Best Buy in Culver City could catch a glimpse of NBA legend Magic Johnson, who will attend the store's grand opening celebration Friday.

Johnson is scheduled to make remarks and help cut the ribbon at the ceremony, which begins at the store at 9:15 a.m. A Best Buy spokeswoman said he would also ring up the first purchase.

The store is located at 6000 Sepulveda Blvd.

-- Andrea Chang

Is your name Henry? Get a free sandwich in Burbank

Wednesday is a lucky day for sandwich lovers named Henry who decide to stop by the new Burbank grocery store called -- what else? -- Henry’s.

Henry’s Farmers Market's 32nd store is officially opening Sept. 30 at 9 a.m., preceded by a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 8:45.

The first 200 people to arrive will be given a shopping bag full of preselected free groceries. And for the rest of the day, any person named Henry with an ID gets a free deli sandwich.

Other guests can register for a free nutritional seminar to be held Oct. 6 from 6 to 7 p.m., presented by Janet Little, the store chain’s nutritionist. Participants will receive a $5 coupon for Henry’s products.

The Burbank location, at 1011 N. San Fernando Blvd., will join recently opened stores in Woodland Hills and Monrovia.

Henry’s Farmers Market is a chain of natural food stores established in 1943 by Henry Boney. It has locations in San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Zipcar expands near UCLA and USC

Driving in Los Angeles, especially around universities, just got a little bit easier.

The city, in partnership with Zipcar, is adding 12 hybrids and SmartWay-rated vehicles to an existing car-sharing program based around UCLA and USC.

Officials hope the expansion helps lower parking problems, congestion and emissions.

Students 18 and over and Los Angeles residents 21 and up can pay $8 an hour or $66 a day during the week, or $9 an hour/$72 a day on weekends, for use of a vehicle.

Members currently receive $50 worth of free driving in their first month.

Reservations can be made a www.zipcar.com/LA. The fee pays for gas, insurance, 180 free miles and 24-hour roadside assistance.

City officials hope to expand the program to the rest of the region.

Six cars each will be added to the 14 vehicles in the Zipcar fleet already at UCLA and the 16 at USC. The schools are among the largest of the 130 campuses that host Zipcar.

Two each will be located at the following locations near the USC campus:

• West 32nd Street and University Avenue
• West 29th Street and Orchard Avenue
• West Adams Boulevard and Portland Street

Two more will be located at these locations near the UCLA campus:

• Roebling and Levering avenues
• Midvale and Rochester avenues
• Strathmore Drive and Landfair Avenue

Riverside company recalls more than 2,000 pounds of beef-and-bean burrito product

Windsor Foods of Riverside is recalling 2,268 pounds of beef-and-bean burrito products that may be contaminated with the bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said today.

The Butcher Boy Red Chile Beef & Bean Burritos come frozen and individually wrapped inside 18-pound bulk cases, said the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service.

Each of the 131 cases contains 72 burritos and features the establishment number “EST. 1905” inside the USDA mark of inspection, along with the package code “1219215” and the case code “208001.”

The products were produced Aug. 3 and distributed to a Minnesota storage center. From there, they were made available for sale, though the retail distribution lists are not yet available.

Windsor Foods discovered the problem, and there have been no reports of illness.

The bacteria can cause listeriosis, which is potentially fatal but rarely contracted by healthy people. However, it can cause high fevers, severe headaches, neck stiffness and nausea, as well as miscarriages and stillbirths.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Flying Pigeon bicycles peddled in Highland Park

Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, who led China into communism in the 1940s and the cultural revolution that followed, once said everyone in China should own a Flying Pigeon.

Nope. Mao wasn't talking about birds. He was talking about bicycles.

When President George H. W. Bush took a trip to China, the Chinese government sent him home with one of their prized, heavy, steel Flying Pigeon bicycles.

And now you can have one too, if you're willing to drop $300 to $700 for one at Highland Park's Flying Pigeon LA bike shop.

The shop owners, brothers Adam and Josef Bray-Ali, host two monthly bike rides for those looking to take the communist-era bikes for a spin.

On the second Saturday of each month, Josef Bray-Ali takes riders on a tour of northeast L.A. art galleries known as the Spoke(n) Art ride. And on the third Sunday of each month, Adam Bray-Ali leads folks on a ride for dumplings on the Get Sum Dim Sum ride.

For more details on the bike shop, its rides and its other activities, check out today's Small Business feature profiling Flying Pigeon LA.

And while you're at it, check out this video on the Flying Pigeon's place in China from NBC's Beijing Olympics coverage.

-- Nathan Olivarez-Giles

Photo: Then-President George H. W. Bush sits on a Flying Pigeon in China. Credit: www.flyingpigeonbicycle.com

Free solar energy information sessions from Southern California Edison

Homeowners hoping to go the sunny route can learn about solar energy options for free.
Southern California Edison is offering free informational sessions about the basics and benefits of solar power, how to use tax credits and other tactics to reduce upfront costs and incentives provided by its California Solar Initiative program.

To register for the 90-minute lessons, call (866) 970-9221. Space is limited.

-- Sept. 9 in Yucaipa; 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Yucaipa Community Center at 34900 Oak Glen Road. Co-hosted by the city.

-- Sept. 12 in Lancaster; 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the assembly room of the the SCE’s Antelope Valley Service Center at 42060 10th St. West.

-- Sept. 15 in Santa Monica; 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the second-level multipurpose room at the Santa Monica Public Library at 601 Santa Monica Blvd. Co-hosted by the city.

-- Sept. 24 in Ridgecrest; 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Kerr McGee Community Center at 100 W. California Ave.

-- Sept. 25 in Bishop; 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Bishop Union High School at 301 N. Flower St.

-- Sept. 30 in Fullerton; 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the SCE’s Fullerton Service Center at 1851 W. Valencia Dr.

-- Tiffany Hsu

Free dry cleaning from Flair Cleaners

One less thing for job-seekers to worry about – staying presentable for interviews.

Flair Cleaners is extending its freebie offer to clean and press up to four pieces of business attire through Dec. 30.

Customers can present a photo ID and an unemployment stub from the Employment Development Department at any of the five locations -- in Valencia, Burbank, Studio City, Santa Monica and Redondo Beach -- to take advantage of the service.

Launched on June 3, the Back to Work Wednesdays program was initially scheduled to end Sept. 2. But when some customers approached owner Gary Futterman about an extension, he decided to continue the offer.

The cleaners will accept one jacket, one skirt or pair of pants, and up to two shirts or blouses.

-- Tiffany Hsu
                       

Photo credit: Flair Cleaners

Gap opens pop-up store in L.A. to unveil new premium denim line

Gap is opening a pop-up store on trendy Robertson Boulevard on Friday to showcase its new line of premium denim.

The denim line, called 1969 Premium Jeans in homage to the year the San Francisco company was founded, is set to officially debut on Aug. 13, though the jeans are currently rolling out in stores nationwide.

Gap executives are hoping the jeans, which start at $59.50, will help the retailer capture a share of the designer denim market, which for the most part has been recession-proof despite prices of more than $200 for a pair of ripped jeans.

The pop-up store, called the 1969 Jeans Shop, is at 108 N. Robertson Blvd. in Los Angeles and will be open until Sunday, Sept. 27. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

-- Andrea Chang

Photo: Gap's "perfect boot jeans" in dark wash are part of the retailer's new premium denim line. Credit: Gap