OLYMPIC SECURITY: Thanks to the Tonya Harding...

OLYMPIC SECURITY: Thanks to the Tonya Harding hoopla, security is a hot topic at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, this week. One key player: Racal Recorders Inc. of Irvine has set up for Olympic authorities its “Wordsafe” system that lets them record all phone calls into each of their 16 event arenas. That’s in case of bomb threats or any other security problems. . . . Says a Racal spokesman: “Wordsafe is for anyone who wants to know exactly what was said, by whom, and when.”

WARM-UP PITCHES: Comedian Garry Shandling makes so many millions from TV these days he rarely has time for the small club dates that gave him his start. But the Irvine Improv, which has been trying to get him back since his hit 1990 appearance there, came up with an idea he bought: Since he’ll be hosting the Grammys on March 1, maybe he’d like to use the Irvine Improv stage to try out his Grammy material. . . . Result: He’ll do two shows there Thursday, and two on Friday. Admission is $20.

FOR SISTERHOOD: Some cities hook up with sister cities in other countries to promote goodwill. But it can also come in handy. . . . Queretaro, Mexico, recently asked the police in its sister city of Orange for help: It had an unidentified murder victim shot four times and found in a ditch. The only clue wasn’t much--a parking stub from a Detroit area airport. Orange Lt. Timm Brown started making calls to Michigan until he hit pay dirt: The victim was president of a Farmington Hills, Mich. software company. FBI and Mexican police are investigating and believe an international kidnaping may have been involved.