Mcgrath

Alice McGrath, a lifelong activist who first gained fame as a champion of the wrongly convicted young Mexican Americans in the 1942 Sleepy Lagoon trial, has died. She was 92. McGrath died Friday at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura of an infection resulting from a chronic illness, said her daughter, Laura D'Auri. McGrath was taken to the hospital on Thanksgiving. McGrath's role in the infamous trial was celebrated in Luis Valdez's play "Zoot Suit," which debuted at the Mark Taper Forum in 1978 and was made into a movie in 1981.

Fans of post-alternative radio rock and bottomless daiquiris have been dealt a blow after a Mark McGrath & Friends cruise hit the proverbial iceberg today. The Sugar Ray frontman and pop-culture gadfly had curated an immaculate assemblage of bands that were staples of any late-'90s BMG Music Service subscribers: Smash Mouth, the Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, Marcy Playground -- a veritable Justice League of acts that came to fame in that brief golden window between grunge and rap-rock.

Michael T. Sullivan, a New York Democratic congressional candidate, told the New York Times that he paid investigators $18,000 to secretly record conversations with incumbent Rep. Raymond J. McGrath in hopes of uncovering corruption.

Judith Light won the Tony Award on Sunday as featured actress in a play for "Other Desert Cities" by Jon Robin Baitz. It is her first Tony. Light, who is perhaps best known for her role in the ABC sitcom "Who's the Boss?," played a dipsomaniac aunt in Baitz's comedy about a wealthy Palm Springs family facing a series of domestic crises. The actress was nominated last year for the play "Lombardi. "  TONYS 2012: Red carpet | Winners & Nominees Michael McGrath won the award for featured actor in a musical for "Nice Work If You Can Get It. " McGrath plays a bootlegger alongside Matthew Broderick in the show that features music by George and Ira Gershwin.

Some days after the unsuccessful coup attempt against House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Rep. James Rogan (R-Glendale) got a call from his wife, Christine. "I didn't know you were in the speaker's inner circle," she said to her husband. Rogan said it was news to him too. But there his name was, listed in the Washington Times as a key advisor in helping the embattled Georgian stave off the rebellion.

ON a bright afternoon, about two dozen people gathered on a bend overlooking the San Gabriel River. The idyllic sounds of birds and flowing water mixed with the low growl of gas-powered suction dredges. Clusters of men (and one or two women) crouched in the water with vacuum hoses, circular pans and sluice boards. Their goal -- in some cases, their obsession -- was the same. "The gold looks so good underwater," gushed Coel Schumacher, a 19-year-old junior at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

WESTFIELD, Mass. - The envelope factory where Lisa Weber works is hot and noisy. A fan she brought from home helps her keep cool as she maneuvers around whirring equipment to make her quota: 750 envelopes an hour, up from 500 a few years ago. There's no resting: Between the video cameras and the constant threat of layoffs, Weber knows she must always be on her toes. The drudgery of work at National Envelope Co. used to be relieved by small perks - an annual picnic, free hams and turkeys over the holidays - but those have long since been eliminated.

"Oh, strawberries don't taste as they used to," wrote John Steinbeck in "East of Eden. " Never mind that the chapter was set a century ago; many foodies believe that industrial varieties and practices have degraded the flavor of modern strawberries. This spring we have an opportunity to test that hypothesis, as Harry's Berries has resumed growing the Chandler variety, a longtime favorite at farmers markets for its tender, juicy flesh and classic strawberry flavor. "It reminds me of what strawberries used to taste like when I was a kid," says Kris Gean, 32, scion of the Harry's Berries dynasty.

It happened again. Jeremy McGrath looked like Clark Kent on two wheels. McGrath, from Sun City, made it three for three in the AMA Supercross Series on Saturday night at Anaheim Stadium, winning the 20-lap main event. Again. McGrath was followed to the finish by Acton's Damon Huffman on a Kawasaki, Honda teammate Steve Lamson of Pollock Pines, Calif., and Mike LaRocco of South Bend, Ind., on a Suzuki.

"Don't Forget the Lyrics" host and singer Mark McGrath has sold his home in the Hollywood Hills above its asking price for $1.25 million, the Multiple Listing Service shows. The buyers are artist Alexandra Nechita and her boyfriend, Suh-Tahn fashion designer Dimitri Tcharfas . The renovated 1931 country English-style house has a step-down living room with vaulted ceilings and fold-away glass doors that open to a patio with city views. The breakfast room is a turret with beamed ceilings and built-in seating.

California has struck deals to keep 11 state parks open and more reprieves are in the works, whittling the number of parks that will be closed this summer because of budget cuts, officials said Tuesday. Private donors, foundations and other government entities have come forward with funding or operating agreements to keep the 11 parks open for one to three years, said Roy Stearns, deputy director of California State Parks. The agency announced last year that the state's fiscal troubles would force it to shutter 70 of the 278 parks in the system.

Parks and Coke Re " Coke contest could save beach ," Aug. 29, and "Park won't close for two months," Aug. 31 First of all, one clap to Coca-Cola for spreading its pocket change in a somewhat positive direction with this program. My question is: Why set up a contest that begs to be exploited with "vote as many times as you can"? Oak Park, in Minot, N.D., is leading the contest to win $100,000. Minot's population is about 40,000; the park has almost 3 million votes.

In yet another sign of hard times, officials are looking to a contest sponsored by Coca-Cola for funds to keep a popular coastal park open. Without $500,000 to replace an aging sewer line, McGrath State Beach, a camping spot just down the coast from Ventura Harbor, will shut down after Labor Day . With less than two weeks left and no check in hand, local and state officials on Friday urged people to head for livepositively.com ...

One of television's most influential figures, Judy McGrath, chairwoman of the sprawling MTV Networks group, is leaving the company after spending three decades shaping MTV into a cultural and financial force. McGrath's decision to step down — effective immediately — was announced Thursday by parent company Viacom Inc. Her departure marks the end of an era for MTV and further consolidates the power of Viacom Chief Executive Philippe Dauman, who will take a more hands-on role in the media empire's most profitable businesses.

McGrath State Beach, a popular camping spot by the Oxnard shore, will close indefinitely in September for lack of $500,000 to replace an aging sewer line and lift station, state park officials said Thursday. "We have to close the park because the sewer infrastructure has gotten to a point of decay where I can't in good conscience keep it open," said Richard Rozelle, superintendent of state parks and beaches in the area. In 2010, engineers studied the sewer line, which crosses the bird-rich estuary of the Santa Clara River and concluded that it could fail in two years.

"Oh, there's no place like ____ for the ________. " That's one holiday song you may not be hearing this season from "Don't Forget the Lyrics!" host and Sugar Ray singer Mark McGrath, who has sold his home in the Hollywood Hills for $1.25 million, above its asking price, the Multiple Listing Service shows. The buyers are artist Alexandra Nechita and her boyfriend, Suh-Tahn fashion designer Dimitri Tcharfas . The renovated 1931 country English-style house has a step-down living room with a vaulted ceiling and fold-away glass doors that open to a patio with city views.

There are more than 200 established campsites within a couple hours' drive of the Greater Los Angeles area. Here are a few destination suggestions. VENTURA COUNTY INLAND: Forest Service: The Santa Ynez Mountains, once home to the last wild condors, still offer a measure of freedom to families fleeing civilization. Dozens of camps are scattered through the Los Padres National Forest east of Santa Barbara.

My childhood, adolescence and part of my adult life were plagued by a debilitating stutter. Can you imagine being terrified to say your own name, order food in a restaurant, ask a question in school or even answer the telephone? That was my life. When I was 5 years old in Ireland and my mother was in the hospital, our neighbor picked my siblings and me up for school and asked who was looking after the baby. I tried to say "Daddy," but the best I could muster sounded something like "Paddy," which happened to be the name of our pet cow. This prompted other kids to make fun of the cow looking after the baby.