Eric Monte

As he prepared to catch a flight to Chicago on Monday, Eric Monte savored a moment of anticipation: What would it feel like to be back at home and not living in a homeless shelter? "I'm excited about the possibilities," said Monte, 62, a couple of hours before boarding his flight at LAX. "I want to see my old neighborhood, my old street. I want to start rejuvenating my life."

As he prepared to catch a flight to Chicago on Monday, Eric Monte savored a moment of anticipation: What would it feel like to be back at home and not living in a homeless shelter? "I'm excited about the possibilities," said Monte, 62, a couple of hours before boarding his flight at LAX. "I want to see my old neighborhood, my old street. I want to start rejuvenating my life."

Long after "lights out," he labors quietly at a keyboard. His "room" is a cubicle large enough to hold two cots, two lockers and a shared desk. Among his few personal items: a cellphone, a wireless laptop, a laser printer. "Home" is a shelter run by the Salvation Army; he is one of nearly 300 people who sleep in the former military depot in Bell every night. For Eric Monte, the last few years have been a blur of disasters.

Long after "lights out," he labors quietly at a keyboard. His "room" is a cubicle large enough to hold two cots, two lockers and a shared desk. Among his few personal items: a cellphone, a wireless laptop, a laser printer. "Home" is a shelter run by the Salvation Army; he is one of nearly 300 people who sleep in the former military depot in Bell every night. For Eric Monte, the last few years have been a blur of disasters.

Mike Evans, 57, an actor best known for his role as Lionel Jefferson in the TV sitcoms "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons," died of throat cancer Dec. 14 at his mother's home in Twentynine Palms, his niece Dr. Chrystal Evans said. With writing partner Eric Monte, Evans went on to create and write for "Good Times," one of the first TV sitcoms that featured a primarily African American cast. Michael Jonas Evans was born Nov. 3, 1949, in Salisbury, N.C., to a dentist father, Theodore Evans Sr.

Santa Paula 20, Oak Park 7--Jacob Macias caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Chad Metelak with 1:40 remaining to seal the Cardinals' victory at Oak Park. Metelak threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Mark Robago with 8:27 to play for a 12-7 lead. Metelak completed six of 16 passes for 99 yards. Santa Paula (3-1) opened the scoring on the third play from scrimmage on a 56-yard touchdown run by Xavier Ramirez.

Eric Monte, who wrote, produced and staged "If They Come Back," reportedly also spent a good chunk of his own money to move it from the Inner City Cultural Center to the Henry Fonda Theatre where it's now playing. Reviews were mixed at Inner City, and Monte might have saved himself a bundle if he had believed them. This drama of a black family during the early years of the civil rights movement is amateurish on all levels--the writing, casting, sets, staging and a good deal of the acting.

Boys 100--Darron Norris (El Camino), 10.87. 200--Ron Young (Mount Miguel), 21.72. 400--David Gayden (Morse), 48.00. 800--Jeff Haux (Serra), 1:55.07. 1,600--Mark Dani (Valhalla), 4:16.98. 3,200--Ellis del Sol (Hilltop), 9:13.50. 100 High Hurdles--Travis Knox (San Dieguito), 14.40. 300 Intermediate Hurdles--Jay Taylor (Saint Augustine), 37.20. 400 Relay--Morse, 42.34. 1,600 Relay--Morse, 3:15.77. Discus--Brian Boggess (El Capitan), 167-3. Shot Put--Joe Bowser (Serra), 56-6 3/4.

Warning: About every 20 years or so a Thanksgiving comes along wherein you really have to give thanks. Life's turkeys notwithstanding, this is one of them. In the wake of Tuesday's landmark bit of city legislation that tentatively approved the first L.A. Endowment for the arts (see related story on Page 1), one is compelled to begin this column with a round of applause for Councilman Joel Wachs, whose vision spearheaded the drive to establish this $25-million arts fund. Twenty-five million.