Lira

The Italian government suspended lira trading on the Milan Foreign Exchange after the currency fell to 2,200 lira to the dollar from 1,840 the previous day. The drop occurred as unconfirmed rumors circulated of an impending devaluation. In addition to speculation about a shake-up of the European Monetary System and persistent worries about the Italian economy, the lira was hurt by an order from an Italian company to buy a large amount of dollars at any price.

The mean streets of South El Monte aren't so mean any more as they are tired and sometimes desperate. The tiny bedroom community, which sprouts from the junction of the Pomona and San Gabriel River freeways, was once plagued by crime and gang activity. Now many of its residents are more troubled by poverty and unemployment. "The last three years have been hard, you know what I mean?" sighs Joseph Diaz, an out-of-work truck driver married to a secretary who also lost her full-time job. "Things can't get any worse.

The mean streets of South El Monte aren't so mean any more as they are tired and sometimes desperate. The tiny bedroom community, which sprouts from the junction of the Pomona and San Gabriel River freeways, was once plagued by crime and gang activity. Now many of its residents are more troubled by poverty and unemployment. "The last three years have been hard, you know what I mean?" sighs Joseph Diaz, an out-of-work truck driver married to a secretary who also lost her full-time job. "Things can't get any worse.

With a trip to Dodger Stadium at stake, Woodland Hills El Camino Real and San Fernando sent out their All-City pitchers, Jose Cardona and David Lira, and the game went on and on Wednesday night at USC. Cardona lasted through eight innings and 119 pitches. Lira stayed all the way through the 10th inning, and after his 141st pitch, a curveball that struck out Oscar Tinjaca, San Fernando had beaten El Camino Real, 2-1, in an exhausting City Section Division I semifinal game. Jose Reyes' RBI double in the top of the 10th inning scored William Vazquez with the go-ahead run. Lira allowed only three hits while striking out 11. Lira had a no-hitter through five innings and led, 1-0, on an RBI single by James An in the fourth off Cardona.

On July 14, 1996, you printed an article by Mary S. Simons on "Dining Where the Romans Do." On my first night in Rome, I sought out La Campana trattoria, which she had recommended, where I had a delightful meal. The check came to 39,000 lira, or under $30. However, when my credit card bill arrived in the U.S., the charge was for 139,000 lira, or almost $95. My credit card company contested it, but I had signed the slip. In a fit of pique, I wrote to the restaurant with all the documentation.

The prices of soccer World Cup tickets are "in line with those from the 1990 World Cup in Italy (Feb. 4)"? I was one of the 80,000 lucky human beings who saw the 1990 World Cup final in Rome. For my behind-the-goal ticket, I paid 30,000 Italian lira, about $20. The same ticket for the Pasadena final game will cost $180. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this an 800% increase? ANDREA GUARDUCCI, Diamond Bar

I am writing in the interest of advising travelers to Italy about a major problem that surprised me on my March visit to Florence and Venice--outlandishly high prices! As a former travel writer and frequent visitor to Europe, I always have found Italy's prices to be in line, or even somewhat lower, than other European countries. In fact, the value of the lira--or lack thereof--often has made Italy a bargain. But no longer. First, highway tolls are excruciating, and there seems to be no way of estimating the cost of a drive in advance.

We are Americans living in Turkey for a year, and I was quite surprised when a friend handed me a Sept. 29 copy of The Times [with the article "Traveler's Checks: Going South?" which concerned the use of traveler's checks, ATMs and other techniques for managing money when traveling]. We've cashed only $200 worth of traveler's checks since we arrived (in Athens) July 5. We are very fortunate to have an ATM in our village (although there is no bank) and use it almost exclusively. Without the ATM, we'd be relying on traveler's checks purchased at an AMEX travel agency 28 miles away.

As an Italian temporarily in the U.S.A. I write in response to reader Glenn Corner (Letters, May 10) who was surprised by the "outlandishly high prices" he found in Italy compared to a visit in 1985, and was disappointed at not finding the bargains he expected, given the "lack of value" of the Italian lira. The U.S. dollar is no longer wildly overpriced, as it was in 1985. At that time $1 U.S. was valued at about 2,000 lire; now it is 1,280 lire, a 35% decrease. Visits I made in the U.S.A.

European Community finance ministers agreed Saturday to devalue the hobbled Italian lira by an effective 7.8% against other major European currencies. The lira had fallen 20% Friday, and trading was temporarily halted. The devaluation--announced Saturday night in Basel, where the ministers had met for almost eight hours--followed Italian government approval earlier in the day of a package of austerity measures aimed at cutting large budget deficits and reducing inflation.

Emotions were running so high for Friday's Valley Mission League title decider between San Fernando and Granada Hills Kennedy that the teams' two veteran head coaches acted like teenagers. Armando Gomez jogged down a line of his San Fernando players prior to the opening pitch giving them high-fives and telling them, "It's now or never, boys. " And longtime Kennedy Coach Manny Alvarado got so excited in the fifth inning that he sprinted out of the dugout to challenge first-base umpire Bryan Rodgers, who ejected his son, first-base coach Marcus Alvarado, for questioning a call.

Bring back the lira! The lira? That currency of the many zeros that had Italians calculating the price of their pizzas in the thousands and rents in the millions? As improbable as it may seem, a kind of lira nostalgia has surfaced here more than three years after the euro was introduced in Italy and throughout most of the European Union as the common currency and a key symbol of continental unity.

Hours after Seattle Manager Lou Piniella pleaded for pitching help, the Mariners traded Scott Sanders and two minor leaguers to the Detroit Tigers on Friday for right-handers Omar Olivares and Felipe Lira. Olivares, 5-6 with a 4.70 earned-run average in 19 games, will move into the starting rotation, and Lira, 5-7 with a 5.77 ERA in 20 games, will go to the bullpen, Piniella said. "We were able to add a couple of good arms to our pitching staff.

On July 14, 1996, you printed an article by Mary S. Simons on "Dining Where the Romans Do." On my first night in Rome, I sought out La Campana trattoria, which she had recommended, where I had a delightful meal. The check came to 39,000 lira, or under $30. However, when my credit card bill arrived in the U.S., the charge was for 139,000 lira, or almost $95. My credit card company contested it, but I had signed the slip. In a fit of pique, I wrote to the restaurant with all the documentation.

We are Americans living in Turkey for a year, and I was quite surprised when a friend handed me a Sept. 29 copy of The Times [with the article "Traveler's Checks: Going South?" which concerned the use of traveler's checks, ATMs and other techniques for managing money when traveling]. We've cashed only $200 worth of traveler's checks since we arrived (in Athens) July 5. We are very fortunate to have an ATM in our village (although there is no bank) and use it almost exclusively. Without the ATM, we'd be relying on traveler's checks purchased at an AMEX travel agency 28 miles away.

The Italian lira was accepted back in the European exchange-rate mechanism Sunday after a four-year absence, raising Italy's chances of joining the first wave of countries to adopt the future European currency. "We have taken back our place in Europe," said Italian Industry Minister Pierluigi Bersani. Officials from other European countries hailed the move. Dutch central bank President Wim Duisenberg said it is a sign of confidence in recent Italian policies.

Hollywood rehab can produce unhappy endings, even when the patient isn't named Lindsay or Britney. That's what Kelly Logan learned when he sought treatment for a methamphetamine addiction at Promises Malibu, detox destination to the stars. Logan's brother, Garfield, says he paid $42,000 up front to admit the former professional surfer for a month at Promises' canyon-top Mediterranean-style home. Five days later, he says, Promises kicked Logan out for belligerent behavior but kept all the money.

Hours after Seattle Manager Lou Piniella pleaded for pitching help, the Mariners traded Scott Sanders and two minor leaguers to the Detroit Tigers on Friday for right-handers Omar Olivares and Felipe Lira. Olivares, 5-6 with a 4.70 earned-run average in 19 games, will move into the starting rotation, and Lira, 5-7 with a 5.77 ERA in 20 games, will go to the bullpen, Piniella said. "We were able to add a couple of good arms to our pitching staff.

Italy's trade surplus grew for the third year in a row in 1995, as the lower lira and a tight lid on costs helped companies sell more machine tools, textiles and cars abroad. Every year after World War II, Italy ran a trade deficit--until 1993. Since then, the surplus has grown rapidly so that last year the $28-billion surplus equaled 2.3% of it's gross domestic product, according to the government. Among major economies, that's impressive--second only to Japan's 2.6%.

It was the quietest Cardinal who wound up making all the noise. Ricardo Lira, a junior striker on the Santa Paula High boys' soccer team, scored twice Thursday, powering the Cardinals to a 2-0 Southern Section Division IV second-round victory over Bonita. Afterward, Santa Paula Coach Joe Magdaleno chuckled while explaining Lira's understated presence on a team of vocal and aggressive players.