Honors

UCLA and Steve Alford. A basketball program of unmatched pedigree led by a former prodigy who became a national champion and Olympic gold medalist before making a steady climb up the coaching ladder. On paper, a harmonic convergence. How they came together, a choreography of those themes, would make for a dazzling introduction, which UCLA held at center court in historic Pauley Pavilion last month. The aura of John Wooden, his contributions to sports and society - and those 10 national titles - was thick.

Like many World War II veterans, he speaks modestly about his service. He is quiet and a polite listener, not the kind to draw attention to himself. But a few months ago, as he visited the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, other veterans noticed his hat emblazoned with his unit's insignia and number. "You see him?" someone asked. "He was in the 442. I've read about them. " Another vet, after spying the hat, walked up to him. "Sir, I just want to shake your hand. " The 442 refers to the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, one of the all-Japanese American units that served with distinction in World War II. The unassuming man turning heads was my father-in-law, Tokuji Yoshihashi.

Words like "legend," "icon" and "mythical figure" don't get tossed around easily, especially for someone still very much among the living. But those are the words being used in the halls of Westminster High School to describe Bill Boswell. Coach Boswell, 63, spent nearly four decades mentoring the high school's young athletes, first as head football coach for 19 years and then as district athletic director. Many of his students went on to become coaches, citing his influence.

President Obama has followed a commendably restrained policy in refusing to intervene militarily in Syria's civil war. But if the U.S. confirms that the regime of President Bashar Assad has used chemical weapons, the president should adhere to his insistence last year that such conduct would be a "red line" justifying action by this country, alone or in concert with other nations. That doesn't mean the administration should accept uncritically suggestions by Israel, Britain and France that the regime has used chemical agents.

E. Hamilton Lee, who was flying planes just 13 years after the Wright Brothers took flight at Kitty Hawk, celebrated his 100th birthday Saturday by flying as co-pilot on a DC-3 from Ontario to Van Nuys Airport. "Good, good, good," but "a little rough," said Lee, known in aviation circles as the dean of airline pilots, as he emerged from the plane, his trademark cigar dangling from his mouth. Lee, the first civilian pilot to fly the U.S.

Within a year after a devastating earthquake rocked Armenia in December, 1988, Harut Sassounian's tiny newspaper office on Jackson Street became the epicenter of an ambitious global relief effort to help his beleaguered country.

Sheriff's Deputy Steven Elmore, 22, was working an afternoon shift at the central jail in November when a new inmate climbed a fence to the fourth floor and threatened to jump to his death. Screaming that his marriage and his life were falling apart, the man would not let anyone talk to him except for Elmore, who was on a landing above the fence. After nearly two hours of counseling, the deputy coaxed the inmate to climb down.

KCET announced that "SoCal Connected" will air a special episode Monday in memory of Huell Howser, the longtime host of KCET's "California's Gold," "Visiting With Huell Howser," "California's Golden Parks" and "California's Green. " Cameraman Luis Fuerte, who worked with Howser for most of his career, and producer Phil Noyes will share their memories along with author and historian D.J. Waldie. KCET executives Al Jerome and Mary Mazur are also scheduled to appear. The special airs at 5:30 p.m. and repeats at 10. ALSO: Huell Howser dies at 67 Huell Howser: Career in pictures Huell Howser: On "California's Gold," he was main attraction

The Rodeo Drive Walk of Style honored LVMH-owned Italian jewelry brand Bulgari at a ceremony in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night, with actress Drew Barrymore presenting a Robert Graham-designed torso statuette to Nicola Bulgari and the city's mayor reading an official proclamation declaring Dec. 5, 2012, "Bulgari Day. " Bulgari, the 20th recipient of the award, will be commemorated with a permanent (but yet-to-be embedded) bronze sidewalk plaque bearing Nicola Bulgari's signature and the quote: "Style is an everlasting impression and jewelry is a passion that is passed through generations.

Richard Gere, who earned a Golden Globe nomination last week for "Arbitrage," will receive the Chairman's Award at the 24th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival awards gala at the Palm Springs Convention Center on  Jan. 5. "Throughout his career Richard Gere has established himself as an accomplished actor and producer and yet still finds time to support crucial cultural and humanitarian causes," said festival chairman Harold Matzner in...

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - Bagpipes wailed, law enforcement badges were striped in black, and a squadron of state police helicopters flew by as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and hundreds of officers from around the country paid their respects Wednesday to Sean Collier, one of their own. At an outdoor memorial service for the 27-year-old campus police officer, Vice President Joe Biden called the brothers accused of killing Collier and detonating the...

Frank Gehry has another academic credit coming: The renowned architect in May will receive an honorary doctorate from Case Western Reserve University.  The commencement marks the 10-year anniversary of the curvaceous - and controversial - business school Gehry designed for the campus. Peter B. Lewis, who donated $36 million to finance the building that bears his name, will also receive an honorary degree and serve as commencement speaker. PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times The building, which features Gehry's tumbling stainless-steel curves, in 2003 caused a schism between Lewis and his hometown.

MEDFORD, Mass. - She was remembered for her smile. Outside of St. Joseph Catholic Church, Krystle Campbell's second-grade teacher reached into her black purse Monday and pulled out a class picture from April 1991 - 21 sweet, gawky children, and Krystle in the back row "with the biggest smile," Margaret Regan said as she waited for her former student's funeral to begin. "That's the way she was. " Inside the tall brick church, the Rev. Chip Hines told Campbell's friends and family members that "every picture I have ever seen" of the 29-year-old who died a week ago at the Boston Marathon "has had that ever-present smile.

Happy Earth Day! It's been 43 years since Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson celebrated the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970. It's not yet a federal holiday, but Earth Day is celebrated by schoolkids from coast to coast (along with many adults). Of course, it goes without saying that for some folks, every day is Earth Day. Here are seven things you might not have known about Earth Day (and the spirit of environmentalism it represents): * More than 1 billion people in 192 countries are doing something to mark Earth Day this year, according to estimates from the Earth Day Network . In Veracruz, Mexico, volunteers will clean up beaches to improve the habitat for sea turtles.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, took on some major royal duties Sunday when she honored the Queen's Scouts at Windsor Castle. The former Kate Middleton attended the National Review of Queen's Scouts for the first time in place of the queen, who was celebrating her 87th birthday privately, the Daily Mail reported . And it looks as if she's got this royal duty down pat. Since the duchess, a trained scout volunteer, joined the scouts in...

Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes honored the victims killed in the Boston Marathon bombings as well as the slain MIT police officer this weekend by having their names etched on his bat. Teammate Will Middlebrooks sent out an Instagram photo on Twitter. The names of Krystle Campbell, Lu Lingzi, Martin Richard and Officer Sean Collier were emblazoned below the phrase "Boston Strong. " The third baseman's tweet about Gomes' bat follows. Jonny Gomes bat today twitter.com/middlebrooks/s… - Will Middlebrooks (@middlebrooks)

The California African American Museum will bestow honors on actor Sidney Poitier and artist John Outterbridge at its annual gala this fall, museum officials said. Poitier and Outterbridge are to receive the museum's Lifetime Achievement Awards at a dinner on Oct. 6. Outterbridge is a Los Angeles-based artist who has focused on sculpture, assemblage and installations during his lengthy career. He served as the director of the Watts Towers Arts Center in L.A. from 1975 to 1992. His work was featured prominently in exhibitions during the Pacific Standard Time initiative, the recent survey of Southern California art organized by the Getty.

Hopes that the three surviving Beatles would stage a mini-reunion at Wednesday night's third annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction dinner were dashed by Paul McCartney. And that led to some bad vibrations from the Beach Boys' Mike Love.

E.L. Konigsburg, who was one of the few children's authors to twice win the Newbery Medal, died Friday at a hospital in Falls Church, Va. She was 83. Konigsburg had a stroke the week before she died, said her son Paul. She won the Newbery Medal, one of the top honors for children's literature, in 1968 for the book "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" and again in 1997 for "The View from Saturday. " Her first book, "Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth" was also a Newbery honor book in 1968 but lost out to "Mrs.

Atwood will appear at the Festival of Books in conversation with Michael Silverblatt at 11 a.m. on Saturday. More information: latimes.com/festivalofbooks If you want a sense of how Margaret Atwood operates, you could do a lot worse than to watch her keynote address at the 2011 O'Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference in New York. "This is not the kind of thing I usually do," the author begins, speaking in a quiet deadpan, before stepping from behind a podium and moving to the lip of the stage.