Closures

Orange County will close its courts every third Wednesday starting next month as a cost-saving measure, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. The closures are scheduled to begin Aug. 19 and continue through the fiscal year, with two dates in December -- the 16th and the 30th -- to make up for no days off in July, said court spokeswoman Carole Levitzky. Most of the court's 1,700 employees would not receive pay on those days, which would account for an annual loss of about 4.62% of their income.

Blockbuster is looking lackluster. Facing increasing pressure from Redbox, Netflix Inc. and its own debt problems, the video rental giant is doubling the number of stores it is likely to close by the end of next year, the company revealed in a regulatory filing Tuesday. Struggling Blockbuster was previously aiming to shut 410 to 450 of its most unprofitable stores this year and next. A series of "accelerated closures" brings that target to 810 to 960. Blockbuster also said it might convert an additional 250 to 300 locations to outlets that focus on used DVDs.

Two lanes of the southbound Golden State Freeway in Burbank were closed for more than two hours during the morning commute today after a truck carrying a load of asphalt overturned, authorities said. No injuries were reported in the 7 a.m. accident on the freeway south of the Hollywood Way exit, California Highway Patrol Officer Monty Keifer said. The lane closures snarled traffic for many commuters as state Department of Transportation crews worked to clean up the spill.

Budget and staffing cuts have forced the U.S. Forest Service to schedule indefinite closures at three of the Angeles National Forest's five shooting ranges. Beginning April 17, target practice will be banned at the Kentucky Target Shooting Area, followed by the same restriction at the Pinyon and Horse shooting areas as of May 1. The two that will remain open are controlled areas where target shooters must pay a fee to enter.

Re "In Hollywood, Nothing Exceeds Like Success," March 8 With the city of Los Angeles struggling for funds, why is it turning away revenue by waiving fees for "nonprofit" organizations and selected groups playing host to special events in Hollywood? Even more astonishing is waiving the $75,000 fee for street closures for the Academy Awards. The invites for this event are only for the elite. The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences takes in revenue from advertising and promotions from the television network and sponsors, but it doesn't have to pay fees for closing streets, which affects the local businesses and inconveniences the public.

Starting Sept. 16, the largest court system in the nation will be closing the doors of courthouses across the state one day each month. On Wednesday, an estimated 3 million cases will be delayed, 150 jury trials interrupted and 250 child custody cases unheard. Jails will be more crowded as arraignment and release dates are postponed; attorneys and their clients will be inconvenienced, as will jurors; and the public will experience longer lines, more delays and more crowded courtrooms.

The Times quotes Orange County Supervisor Don R. Roth as saying, "I believe citizens want to reduce the size of government" ("O.C. to Close Doors 1 Day Per 2 Weeks," Dec. 2). It seems apparent that Supervisor Roth fails to grasp the true meaning of the significance of the concept of the size of government. That was the message that citizens clearly sent to government in the recent elections. Additionally, we are no longer willing to put up with the attendant waste, fraud and abuse.

Re "Park closures don't add up," Column, May 28 A couple of weeks ago, I led an interpretive walk in one of our state parks for a class of at-risk children. For many of them, this was their first trip to see the ocean. For all of them, it was their first walk in the backcountry, the place where nature still rules. It was a rewarding day for me and a worthwhile experience for them. Their eyes were as wide as saucers and their questions never stopped. Yet this is the type of experience that will disappear in California if Gov. Jerry Brown's penny wise and pound foolish park closure plan goes into effect.

THE RUDI GERNREICH BOOK by Peggy Moffitt and William Claxton (Rizzoli: $50; 224 pp.) . If you can recall the Kennedy assassinations, then surely you haven't forgotten the topless bathing suit from the same era. Los Angeles' most famous fashion designer, the late Rudi Gernreich, seared his name on history's time line with that garment. The Kabuki-eyed model who wore it to infamy was Peggy Moffitt, and the photographer of record was her husband, William Claxton. This was their most sensational collaboration, but it was only one of hundreds.

There on the left is the plush booth where Dustin Hoffman's character shocked his -- or would that be her? -- agent into ordering a double shot of vodka in the film "Tootsie." Paul McCartney once strolled solo through the revolving door, sat at the shiny bar and ordered a margarita in a martini glass. Years ago, an unknown named Madonna might have checked your coat. The Russian Tea Room, with its rich red and deep green decor, still reeks of glamour. But some things have changed.