Caller Strikes Out on Question About Dodgers

Does Rupert Murdoch know what he’s taking possession of? The Dodgers haven’t been in the World Series in a decade, you know. This point was inadvertently brought home the other night when radio station KXTA-AM (1150), the team’s new station, held a contest in which callers were supposed to recite great moments in Dodger history. One caller hesitated, obviously stumped, then confessed to the hosts, “I’ll be honest guys--I’m only 19.”

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SECOND-STORY JOB? Janet King of Santa Barbara noticed a sign that, at first glance, seemed to indicate “one would need a very high-profile vehicle to reach this drive-up window” (see photo). Actually, King said, the window in the shot “is unrelated to the real drive-up window, which is around the corner.”

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MAY I RECOMMEND THE POPCORN? I felt reassured to notice that the county health department gave an “A” rating to one of my favorite eating establishments--a Blockbuster Video in Mar Vista. A spokesperson for the health department said that the store was inspected because it serves food, even if it’s only soft drinks, candy and popcorn.

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WHICH REMINDS ME: A friend visited a Pasadena restaurant recently and came across a sign from the owners noting that the city’s eateries do not receive letter grades for cleanliness. But, the owners went on to say, they rate their own establishment an “A+!” Thanks, but if you don’t mind, I’d like a second opinion.

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WATER, WATER, NOWHERE: The Getty Center, whose shortage of restrooms and drinking fountains was discussed in Monday’s Times, is not the first Southland attraction to encounter such problems.

Dodger Stadium and Disneyland both had shortages of drinking fountains (though not of restrooms) when they opened.

In 1962, a search of Dodger Stadium by city officials made the stunning finding of just two water fountains--one in each team’s dugout. The problem was addressed after a torrent of complaints, including one from a Mrs. Sidney Goodstein. She told The Times’ Sid Ziff that when she asked where she could get a drink of water, a Dodger worker told her she was welcome to use any one of the taps in the ladies’ rooms.

As for Disneyland, founder Walt Disney angrily denied charges that he was trying to promote soft drink sales in 1955 when the park opened with almost no water fountains. (Adventureland really lived up to its name!)

Disney explained that there had been a plumbers’ strike and he had to concentrate either on constructing restroom facilities or drinking fountains. He chose restrooms he said because “people can buy Pepsi Cola but they can’t pee in the street.”

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ANOTHER METROPOLITAN MYSTERY: Alle Schumacher of Hermosa Beach has only one question about this marquee (see photo). Who’s Gert?

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TEED OFF: Wendy Alderson of Rancho Mirage was a bit mystified by an item in last week’s column about the women’s golf tournament with the rule that each entrant “must be a woman at birth.” Alderson said: “I find this standard unfairly difficult; it took me years to become a woman, having been born a mere girl. It’s telling that not even Hallmark makes a birth announcement saying, ‘It’s a Baby Woman!’ ” I still wonder how Gert fits into the picture.

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A REAL SCIENCE: On her birthday, Ann Kelly received a computerized flier from a financial planner who listed memorable events that occurred that day in history. But what made Kelly wonder about the ability of the financial planner was that he listed her six “lucky lotto numbers.”

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Howard Cohen of North Hills feels let down now that scientists are pooh-poohing that original report that an asteroid could crash into Earth on Oct. 26, 2028. That will be Cohen’s 66th birthday and he was planning to throw an end-of-the-world party. Oh, well. Cohen points out that Oct. 26 is also the birthday of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She has enough damage control problems as it is.