West Coast

The San Francisco Giants seriously were interested in Alfonso Soriano and might have traded for him rather than Philadelphia's Hunter Pence if Soriano had not told the Chicago Cubs the Dodgers were the only West Coast team he would waive his 10/5 rights to join. Although the Cubs discussed trades for Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney, they would have to get a lot to trade either of their middle infielders. Manager Dale Sveum loves what he is getting from both of them defensively. There has been some souring on Josh Hamilton in Texas, and the next two months could determine whether the Rangers try hard to re-sign him (to a four- or five-year deal)

Free classes by the West Coast Urban Ballroom Gents [ For the record: 8:40 a.m., July 6 : This story notes that the classes are free. However, fees are charged for these classes. Check with the individual instructors or schools for prices.] Tuesdays Shall We Dance Where: Jackie Robinson Post 252, 3828 W. Slauson Blvd., L.A. When: 7:30 p.m. class; 9 p.m. after-set Instructors: Roger Franklin and Gail Patridge-Franklin Wednesdays Dance Time Studio Where: 860 E. Carson St., Carson When: 6:30 p.m. urban ballroom class, 7:30 p.m. line dancing class; 8:45 p.m. after-set Info: http://www.eliteballroomworkshop.com Instructors: Eddicia Lewis and Sam Elijah Thursdays Where: 817 N. La Brea, Inglewood When: 7 p.m. class; 9 p.m. after-set Info: http://www.ucbthedance.mysite.com Instructor: James "Rocky" Hubbert Fridays Los Angeles Steppers Connection Where: 159 N. Market St., Inglewood When: 7 p.m. class; 8 p.m. after-set Info: http://ministryinmotion45.com/ Instructors: Victor Brown and Ujazi Calomeé Saturdays Where: 817 N. La Brea, Inglewood When: 1 p.m.-3 p.m. class Instructor: Roy Dennis Where: Lueders Park, 1500 E. Rosecrans Ave., Compton When: 10 a.m.-noon class Instructor: Charles Dean

Jeff Larson has seen just about everything wash up on the shores of Santa Cruz: bottles, toys, shotgun shells, busted surfboards and fishing floats that looked like they had bobbed across the Pacific. When surging water driven by the magnitude 9.0 earthquake in Japan tore apart his city's harbor, he was there to scoop up the splintered docks and broken boats that were heaved onto the sand. Now, more than a year after the catastrophe in Japan, Larson and fellow beachcombers up and down the West Coast are awaiting the flotsam that was set on a eastward course by the destructive surge of water.

Seems like old times. For years, season-ending series between Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State almost annually determined the Big West Conference baseball title, including three times when the rivals met as the top teams. UC Irvine's emergence as a power and a lull at Long Beach State put that tradition on hold, but it will be renewed for the first time since 2008 when Long Beach plays host to Fullerton in a three-game series that starts Friday at Blair Field. "The energy and the atmosphere should really be something," said Troy Buckley, a former Long Beach assistant who is in his second season as the 49ers head coach.

One day after he announced a reversal of his position on same-sex marriage, President Obama heads to the West Coast for fund-raising events in Seattle and Los Angeles. His first public comments since the ABC News interview revealing his position will come at a fund-raiser at Seattle's Paramount Theater at 6 p.m. PDT. General admission tickets for the event started at $1,000. Earlier he'll attend a more intimate $35,800-per-couple brunch at the home of a local real-estate executive, according to the Seattle Times.

On the home page of the Los Angeles Review of Books , a crisp color image of a couple treading water in a pool fills much of the screen. An essay probes the meaning of pools "in our lives and in our art. " That piece sits atop a video interview with cultural historian Leo Braudy, testifying to the Hollywood sign's totemic presence in Los Angeles. That distinctly western sensibility is among the most striking features of the new online book review, launched last week with the stated ambition of combining "the great American tradition of the serious book review with the evolving technologies of the Web. " The site, known in short as the LARB, offers a big-tent approach — promising coverage of two dozen different genres, from fiction to film to comics.

The Energy Department's weekly fuel price survey shows $3.941 as the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline. But the number has been driven recently by the East and West coasts, which have the highest prices in the 48 contiguous states. A gallon of regular gasoline on the West Coast is averaging $4.231 a gallon. On the East Coast, the average is $3.911 a gallon. That compares with the Rocky Mountain states ($3.748 a gallon), the Gulf Coast states ($3.802) and the Midwest ($3.905)

Out of Bounds, one of the most promising 3-year-olds on the West Coast, suffered a fractured left ankle during a workout on Monday at Hollywood Park, taking him out of contention to run in the Kentucky Derby, the Daily Racing Form reported. Out of Bounds was scheduled to run on Saturday in the San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita, a final prep for the Santa Anita Derby. Out of Bounds won the Sham Stakes on Jan. 7. He's expected to undergo surgery. Trainer Eoin Harty said he noticed something wrong about 20 minutes into the colt's cooling out period following "an exceptional workout" at Hollywood Park.

When Stevie Wonder requested that his songs be incorporated into a dance piece, Music Center director of programming Renae Williams Niles immediately suggested Ronald K. Brown. After hearing this, choreographer Brown could hardly believe his good fortune. The singer-songwriter has never asked a choreographer to make a dance piece to his music before. "I had to think of someone who would be willing to take on the weight of such a challenge," Niles recalls. "It wouldn't be an easy task to animate [Wonder's]

Jane Kaczmarek didn't see Frances McDormand's Tony-winning performance in David Lindsay-Abaire's 2011 play "Good People" on Broadway. But the actresses were classmates at Yale Drama School more than 30 years ago and are the best of friends. "I know her well enough, so I can kind of imagine how she could do it," said Kaczmarek, 56. Soon Kaczmarek will make the role her own. She will be playing the part in the West Coast premiere of "Good People," which opens April 11 at the Geffen Playhouse.