TONGUE TIES: The number of Valley residents...

TONGUE TIES: The number of Valley residents who speak Yiddish at home varies by community, from a few dozen to more than 500. The chart above shows those with the most Yiddish-speakers.

HEALTH WORRIES: Stone-wall bureaucracy, strangers for doctors, assembly-line care--sort of like Army medicine. That’s what many Americans fear President Clinton’s health-care reform is bringing. Example: Melvin Jenkins, who worries that a seven-year relationship with his Northridge physician could be severed by the health plan (E2). . . . “I’ve never understood why people switch doctors,” he says. “To me, a good relationship with the doctor is essential.”

RIOT STORY: There was one fatality in the Valley attributed to last year’s riots, and on Monday, a North Hollywood man accused of the killing gave his version. Traville Craig testified at his trial in Van Nuys that he clubbed Elias Garcia Rivera of North Hollywood with a board in self-defense after Craig was attacked by men protesting the verdicts in the first Rodney King beating trial (B4). . . . The prosecution alleges Craig was trying to rob the men.

GOOD IS BAD: It’s great news for all those who can afford to buy a house now that prices have plunged and mortgage interest rates are so low, right? Well, sure, but that’s terrible news for apartment house owners. Facing an 11.3% Valley vacancy rate, highest in years, they’re desperately cutting rents and offering lures like free videos to attract tenants. . . . Another factor: The weak economy has more people sharing apartments. See Valley Business, page 3.

MORE LAYOFFS: If there’s a light at the end of the tunnel of aerospace worker layoffs, it can’t be seen from Rocketdyne. Following President Clinton’s call for a smaller, cheaper space station--which brings in a third of its revenues--the Canoga Park plant has started cutting 200 jobs, anticipating funding cuts. See Valley Business, page 8.

Yiddish Speakers

Number of people in the valley who speak Yiddish at home: North Hollywood: 503 Van Nuys-N. Sherman Oaks: 496 Encino-Tarzana: 467 Canoga Park-Winnetka-Woodland Hills: 341 Reseda-W. Van Nuys: 324 Source: 1990 U.S. Census