Some drought relief seemed in store when...

Some drought relief seemed in store when Edmonton Mayor Jan Reimer bet acting L.A. Mayor John Ferraro an acre-foot of water (more than 300,000 gallons) that her underdog Oilers would triumph in the hockey playoffs. Ferraro put up a case of California oranges.

Alas, the Kings were eliminated Sunday, robbing L.A. of the shipment of water. Maybe we can make up some of the difference by melting the Forum’s ice, permanently.

Just how stunned L.A. is going to pay up isn’t clear, by the way. Practically synonymous with the fruit a century ago, the City of Angels no longer has any commercial orange groves. It’s either buy some elsewhere or take up a collection of L.A. residents who grow their own.

Regarding our recent list of street names that capture the essence of living in L.A.--Motor Avenue, Speedway, Auto Drive, etc.--Preben Sorensen of L.A. scolds us for leaving out an obvious hi-tech example in the Lakewood area:

Carfax Avenue.

No doubt some bicyclists who encounter back-to-back signs on Venice Boulevard, near Crenshaw Boulevard (see photo), must wonder if they’re at the beginning of the end, or vice versa.

In saluting “Running’s 25 Greatest Moments” of the quarter-century, Runner’s World magazine gives L.A. just one scant mention (for the 1984 Olympics). To make up for this injustice, we offer some of our city’s other running milestones:

1--Stripper Liz Renay joins the “streaking” fad by sprinting down Hollywood Boulevard in the buff (1974).

2--A self-described jogger, wearing only underpants, is arrested downtown after police discover that he had escaped from custody and ditched his jail togs (1980).

3--Jogger-dribbler Mark Harwell bounces a basketball up 30 stories of the Century Plaza Hotel (1987).

4--Faulty course signs cause several head-on collisions among runners in the short-lived L.A. Lite Marathon (1983).

5--The city builds a joggers’ rest stop along San Vicente Boulevard on the affluent Westside (1981).

6--Albert Lucas sets a world record by running the L.A. Marathon in 3:29:17 while juggling three balls (1988).

7--The first San Fernando Valley marathon is canceled when a macaroni company pulls out as sponsor (1985).

8--Welsh-born marathoner Barry (Captain Beany) Kirk reveals his training secret before his American debut here--he soaks in a vat of baked beans (1990).

9--Westside garcon Roger Bourban wins the first French Waiters’ Race after the leader is disqualified for failing to keep one hand behind his back and his tray at shoulder height (1976).

10--Tom Bradley runs for a fifth term as mayor (1989).

miscelLAny:

The DMV estimates that there are 250,000 unregistered vehicles based in L.A. County.