Shirley Lewis

At times there appear to be too few heart-warming stories in the newspaper business. As reporters we spend a lot of our time covering murders, scandals and assorted other human tragedies. When I first started reporting, one of my colleagues told me that the job description should include the ability to wallow in bad news. Years later, I have a desk drawer full of notebooks packed with triple homicides, gang shootings and tragic fires that prove him right. I've wallowed in my fair share.

At times there appear to be too few heart-warming stories in the newspaper business. As reporters we spend a lot of our time covering murders, scandals and assorted other human tragedies. When I first started reporting, one of my colleagues told me that the job description should include the ability to wallow in bad news. Years later, I have a desk drawer full of notebooks packed with triple homicides, gang shootings and tragic fires that prove him right. I've wallowed in my fair share.

Re "The Facts of Life" (March 15): It was with great interest, and, yes, a few tears, that I read Lily Eng's article on Shirley Lewis and her dedicated work with the children at CHOC. How fortunate these unfortunate children are to have such a loving and caring teacher--a difficult job, to say the least. BETTY DAY, Yorba Linda

If you haven't watched "L.A. Law," you have been missing one of the finest programs on the air today. The cast is wonderful and the stories are fresh and original. It has something for everyone--drama, humor and romance. I thank Steven Bochco. Shirley Lewis, Sherman Oaks

A mother and her AIDS-afflicted son, who faced eviction from the Huntington Beach mobile home park in which they live, won a temporary reprieve Friday, according to their lawyer. Management at the Huntington Shorecliffs Mobile Home Park had ordered 39-year-old Steven Lewis to vacate his mother's trailer, saying park rules require residents to be at least 55 years old. If he did not leave by today, management warned, his mother would be evicted in 60 days.

Barry Bonds allegedly threatened the son of a Riverside hair salon owner, prompting the woman to seek a restraining order against the San Francisco Giant star, the Riverside-Press Enterprise reported. Shirley Lewis says in her petition that on April 7 "Barry Bonds came to my business and made threats on my son's life," the newspaper said. Lewis and her son, Sam Green, work at the salon. Bonds, born in Riverside, has a home in Murrieta. His grandmother lives in Riverside.

Re the Jan. 24 letter "E-Commerce": The writer indicated that the only good taxes are no taxes. In most countries, no taxes or low taxes translates to no services. As Americans, we demand sidewalks and streets that are well paved, police protection, decent schools and all the other necessities and conveniences that cities provide. It is only fair that items bought through the Internet be taxed the same as regular retail sales. Cities and states should not be deprived because Internet purchases are exempt.

City officials have apologized to the creator of a 20-foot metal sculpture that was mistakenly razed more than a year ago, and they've promised the artist $25,000 to make a replacement. "It's a way of demonstrating that we value our art and our artists," said Councilwoman Shirley Lewis. The council promised sculptor David Botini funds to replace the abstract "Great Planes Study No. 7," which was destroyed during a downtown redevelopment project last year.

A mobile home park owner has agreed to settle a federal housing discrimination lawsuit by paying a tenant $25,000 and dropping a threat to evict her because the AIDS-infected son she took in did not meet the park's age requirements. Federal officials said that the case was the first ever brought by the Justice Department alleging that a housing facility's failure to waive its minimum age requirements for a person with AIDS violated the Fair Housing Act.

In the first suit of its kind in Southern California, the federal government on Tuesday charged a Huntington Beach mobile home park with trying to evict a man because he has AIDS. In a civil lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, prosecutors accuse Huntington Shorecliffs Mobile Home Park of violating fair housing laws by trying to expel Steven Lewis, who has lived for the past year with his mother, Shirley Lewis.

Milwaukee Manager Phil Garner replaced left-hander Teddy Higuera with right-hander Mike Ignasiak for Sunday's game at New York. Over his last four starts, Higuera (1-5, 7.74 earned-run average) has allowed 20 earned runs in 9 1/3 innings for a 19.29 ERA. He will see duty out of the bullpen. The Brewers activated third baseman Kevin Seitzer from the 15-day disabled list and optioned infielder Jeff Cirillo to New Orleans, their triple-A affiliate in the American Assn.