Wednesday, April 16, 2003 3:04 PM
The ‘Alternative Press’ affair hosted by the club in March brought together friends and colleagues from numerous alt publications. Several pals from the L.A. Weekly were in the audience, including one of my favorites, Charles Rappleye.
Charlie, now a distinguished staff writer who has ham- mered out some of the best reportage on the Rampart scandal and other disgraces plaguing Los Angeles, was my editor for umpteen articles — including the Weekly’s focus on pollution problems emanating from military industrial
giant’s Rocketdyne’s Santa Susana Field Laboratory adja- cent to Simi Valley. Charlie cre- ated a cadre of writers who informally called themselves “Charlie’s Roughriders,” a moniker of which we’ve always been quite proud.
Sitting next to Charlie was another Weekly stalwart, crack photographer Ted Soqui. Ted has been one of the paper ’s finest and most storied photog-
raphers for years. His work is featured in the Weekly’s “SNAP” photos and numerous feature and news items. Ted is completing a tome of his images of Los Angeles that will astound us all!
After the event, I had the pleasure of speaking with Howard Blume, associate news editor of the Weekly. Howard has been rumored to be an excellent dance instructor but I can’t confirm that just yet. Mr. Blume is an superb editor and quick on his journalistic feet. Proof pos- itive was when Charlie asked Howard what he thought the word “goo” meant, because yours truly has repeatedly used this goofy word to describe radiological and chemical contamination at Rocketdyne and other polluted places in America. Striding past us without missing a step, Howard declared, “Goo is three-quarters of the word ‘good’.”
Another fabulous editor and journalist at the alt press session was Sharon McKenna. Sharon had some penetrat- ing insights into the world of alternative journalism, notably scrutinizing her former company which is quietly planning to enter the weekly market to take on the LA Weekly.
Sharon is a striking Irish-American woman with piercing blue eyes and a horse sense for hot topics. She edited a number of articles of mine regarding Rocketdyne and its problems that may have polluted the adjacent Ahmanson Ranch property where the mega-bank, Washington Mutual, hopes to build over 3,000 luxury manses. Her work was even entered into evidence during last December’s hearings about the controversial project hard- on the border of Los Angeles in Ventura County.
McKenna made her former paper, the Ventura County Reporter, a must-read. Publisher David Comden even said that one of her Ahmanson Ranch/Rocketdyne cover stories was “a milestone event” in the paper’s more than twenty- year history.
Sharon pointed out at the March 11 Press Club event, however, that her greatest accomplishment was being the mother of her twin boys Declan and Kieran. Despite jug- gling journalistic juggernauts, this lovely lady still finds time to bring up her feisty boys and keep a close watch on our waggish world. That ain’t easy but Sharon does it with aplomb. If I’m sounding sweet on this fantastic journalist and editor, I am — I’ve never had a better editor in my 24-
year career as an inves- tigative journalist.
I espied another com- patriot in the crowd at the alt-journalism event, Los Angeles-based film critic Luke Thompson. This gent proudly wore a New Times Los Angeles shirt and couldn’t be missed because of his trademark rainbow-col- ored hair. Despite the demise of New Times L.A., Luke still can be
read in eleven papers in New Times publications across the country. Luke is irreverent and just a real hoot to read. Check out his website at www.lytrules.com. You won’t be disappointed!
But you will be disappointed if you don’t kick with some information for this column. If you don’t want me to come looking for you, send me some clips, info, or just gossip to Collins@lapressclub.org.
