Learn

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.

They rallied from a non-playoff team to the No. 2 seeding in the Western Conference, set a team record for consecutive home wins, displayed an exciting comeback nature, surprisingly emerged with dueling goalies, and locked up their two pending star free agents. Yet, the Ducks bowed out to the seventh-seeded Detroit Red Wings in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. So following Sunday's 3-2, Game 7 loss that deprived Southern California of the first Ducks-Kings playoff series, the season assessments were: "Disappointment.

In these troubled economic times, it's not hard to understand why people might want to protect their life savings by purchasing a hard asset like gold or silver. At least, that's the pitch of Monex, the big Newport Beach investment firm, which bills itself as "America's trusted name in precious metals investments" and assures clients that it's "committed to customer service. " So let's take a look at the experiences of some customers who say their trust in Monex was misplaced.

A clean-shaven Bryce Harper stood in the visitors' clubhouse at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday, 11 stitches tracing a line under the chin of the young Washington Nationals star. The night before, Harper was chasing a fly ball when he crashed into an unpadded part of the right-field wall that features an electronic National League scoreboard covered by transparent plastic and a coated chain-link-style screen. Harper's legs, shoulder, ribs, hand, wrist and chin were sore, he said, but he did not suffer a concussion.

Auto leasing deals abound these days, with offers that often seem too good to be true. How about a well-equipped Honda Accord for $250 a month with no down payment or any other drive-off fees? Or better yet, $199 a month for a Chevrolet Malibu? So, what's the catch? There isn't any if you know what you're getting into. There are always details. You need top-tier credit to qualify. You pay a penalty if you turn that Honda in with more than 36,000 miles. And the payment is not $250 a month because of that little matter of tax. It is more like $275, depending on where you live.

At the first summit of all 192 Los Angeles Unified School District campuses immersed in reform, top education officials began Friday to detail their strongest defense strategy against the campaign to break up the district. It can be summed up in one word: LEARN, the reform program started by business, political and educational leaders three years ago.

Where did he learn English, Tom Heinsohn? JERRY ESTEN Northridge

I think it's time Angels fans come to the conclusion (if they haven't already) that management for the team has decided that 2009 is going to be a "learning" season. They will learn if they have any young arms in their system, they will learn if Brian Fuentes was money well spent as a closer, they will learn that a singles-hitting third baseman isn't the answer, they will learn that Maicer Izturis batting third is not the answer and hopefully they will finally learn that little ball doesn't work in the American League.

Reading: To learn what is and what was helps us to benefit from what will be. ERIC LINDMUIR Los Angeles

If Groothuis wants to learn some new words, how about flatulent verbosity ? CARLO PANNO, BURBANK

WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors secretly obtained telephone records from more than 20 lines belonging to the Associated Press and its journalists in an attempt to learn who leaked information on how the CIA thwarted an apparent terrorist plot hatched in Yemen. The Associated Press on Monday called the action a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into news gathering. The government subpoenaed records covering a two-month period in early 2012 from telephones in the wire service's offices in New York, Washington and Hartford, Conn., as well as the homes and cellphones of at least five reporters and an editor.

Re "A field day - not," Column One, May 3 Hector Becerra's article on his day as a farm worker picking strawberries reminded me of a similar article I read many years ago on complaints that immigrants were stealing jobs from American vegetable pickers. In the article, none of the Americans in these jobs lasted very long. The complaints were the same then: aching backs and muscles. And the complaints about immigrants today are also the same. Let's have a guest-worker program and reduce the number of illegal immigrants in this country.

Los Angeles school district officials knew of sexual misconduct allegations in 2009 against a teacher at a Wilmington campus who was arrested more than three years later, the district's top administrator confirmed Tuesday. The teacher, Robert Pimentel, 57, was arrested in January. Some of the charges result from alleged conduct at De La Torre Elementary that occurred well after senior administrators apparently became aware of concerns raised by parents in 2009. L.A. schools Supt.

OAKLAND - Grief and disbelief reverberated from the Bay Area to the Central Valley on Monday as questions multiplied about a limousine fire that killed five women and injured four on the San Mateo-Hayward Bridge. Although officials said they had yet to review the limousine's maintenance record or examine its burned-out shell, California Highway Patrol Capt. Mike Maskarich said the 1999 Lincoln Town Car was licensed to carry only eight passengers, though nine were inside. The Saturday night inferno trapped the women as they headed for what was to be a celebratory bridal party at a hotel.

Arden Hayes is 5. He loves Legos and running so fast across the living room to flip onto the couch that his feet end up pointing at the ceiling. He also loves the presidents - especially 11 and 33. Arden knows all 44 U.S. presidents. In order. Ask him who was 29 and right away he'll say Warren G. Harding. As for 11 (James K. Polk) and 33 (Harry S. Truman), they're his favorites, he says, because "they're dark-horse candidates. " Also, Polk got us California, which happens to be Arden's home.

For three years, Brad Cross would rise at 5 a.m. and drive his grandson, Aaron, 53 miles from their home in Rialto to Santa Ana so Aaron could attend Mater Dei High School. He'd drive back to Rialto, then return to pick up Aaron after baseball practice. That's 212 miles a day, five days a week, and helps explain why his 2007 Nissan Sentra has passed 285,000 miles on its odometer. "I hated it, but we had committed to take Aaron to that school," Brad said. Aaron Cross' only sacrifice was listening to his grandfather's collection of oldies music.

On April 15th we will all learn the real cost of war. HOWARD B. SCHIFFER Santa Barbara

Well, at least we won't have to learn how to pronounce Gennady Yanayev. JONATHAN FOBER, San Diego

ST. LOUIS - Can a playoff matchup be familiar but strikingly different at the same time? The Kings will start their defense of the Stanley Cup on Tuesday against the Blues, the team they swept out of the second round of the playoffs last spring. Like last season, the Blues have the better seeding and home-ice advantage at the Scottrade Center. The core of both teams is essentially the same too. The differences, though, are significant. This time, the Kings will begin with a championship to their credit and the knowledge of what it takes to win probably the most grueling postseason tournament in professional sports.

One girl gasps as the grainy black-and-white footage rolls: Women are screaming, thrusting their babies at soldiers boarding a helicopter. In the next scene, hundreds of refugees packed in the belly of a rickety boat rock in the ocean, desperately trying to flee their homeland after the fall of Saigon. Gathered in a Garden Grove office, young adults who grew up in the shadow of war watch the images, only tasting the horrors their parents and relatives endured when South Vietnam fell to Communist forces 38 years ago. For many in immigrant communities like Orange County's Little Saigon, the memory of April 30 - "Black April" to those who lived through it - has been passed on only through photographs, stories or rough video clips.