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Podcasts Take Two
An exploration of Agoura Hills, a judge judges a judge, new rides at SoCal theme parks
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May 31, 2018
Listen • 47:59
An exploration of Agoura Hills, a judge judges a judge, new rides at SoCal theme parks

Our 88 cities series launches today: first up, Agoura Hills; a judge explains how he judges other judges; new thrill rides open at SoCal theme parks this summer.
Purple blossoms appear as southern California's Jacaranda trees go into full bloom on May 19, 2004 in South Pasadena, California. The subtropical Jacarandas are common throughout much of southern California, growing as tall as 30- to 90-feet.
Purple blossoms appear as southern California's Jacaranda trees go into full bloom on May 19, 2004 in South Pasadena, California. The subtropical Jacarandas are common throughout much of southern California, growing as tall as 30- to 90-feet.
(
David McNew/Getty Images
)
Ladyface Alehouse on January 29, 2018 in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles, California. (James Bernal for KPCC)
Ladyface Alehouse on January 29, 2018 in Agoura Hills, Los Angeles, California. (James Bernal for KPCC)
(
James Berna
)
A Jacaranda tree at the L.A. Arboretum.
A Jacaranda tree at the L.A. Arboretum.
(
Lori Galarreta/KPCC
)
Quote from Councilmember Marqueese Harris-Dawson regarding the city's crackdown on illegal pot shops.
Quote from Councilmember Marqueese Harris-Dawson regarding the city's crackdown on illegal pot shops.
(
KPCC
)

Take Two kicks off a new series today called 88 Cities, where we explore the many cities that make up L.A. County one by one. Our first stop is Agoura Hills. We also continue our interviews with California's candidates for State Superintendent. And we find out what new rides are rolling out at SoCal's many theme parks.

Cracking down on illegal pot shops

Five months in, L.A.'s LEGAL recreational pot landscape is taking shape. But there's a problem. ILLEGAL shops are cutting into legitimate marijuana businesses. And that's led to a citywide crackdown on unlicensed dispensaries. L.A. officials announced Wednesday that they've filed 36 criminal cases as part of the crackdown.

Quote from Councilmember Marqueese Harris-Dawson regarding the city's crackdown on illegal pot shops.
Quote from Councilmember Marqueese Harris-Dawson regarding the city's crackdown on illegal pot shops.
(
KPCC
)

So, what penalties do pot shops that don't play by the rules face?

Guest:

  • L.A. City Councilmember Marqueese Harris-Dawson

Judging a judge 101

When you head to the voting booth next Tuesday, you'll be picking candidates for governor and California's next U.S. Senator. Researching them might be easy since their stances on the issues are easily found online. What isn't so easy is finding information on those running for judge on L.A.'s Superior Court.

Here's Judge Rice's advice on how to pick the right candidates:

  • Read through the rankings made by the L.A. County Bar Association. 
  • Use people's titles after their names to get a hint at their experience. Superior Court Commissioners technically do the job of the judges already, for example. And DAs are people who have regular courtroom experience, and they're more likely to be ready to handle the job on day one. That does not mean other candidates are incapable, but it may take them more time to get up to speed.
  • Look at endorsements. These are non-partisan positions, but if political leanings matter to you, then see if a local political party endorsed a candidate.
  • Check out a candidate's website. If that person doesn't have one, or it is rife with errors, that candidate might not be mounting a serious run.

Guest:

  • Stuart Rice, president of the California Judges Association.

Explore Agoura Hills in the kickoff to our new series, 88 Cities

88 Cities. That's not just the number of cities in L.A. County but the name of our new series here at KPCC. We'll be visiting every single one of them to tell you about what makes them special. And our tour guides are YOU! We're kicking off our series with our visit to Agoura Hills. When we headed over to the so-called picture city we explored Chumash Park, Adobe Reyes Historical Site and Ladyface Ale Companie.

Be a tour guide for your own city, too! Tell us what you'd show us by heading here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjciBboHVv1/?taken-by=taketwoshow

Meet California's candidates for State Superintendent, Part 3: Marshall Tuck

Voters have a lot of decisions to make in this Tuesday's Primary election. Among them is selecting a new California Superintendent of Public Instruction. Four people are running, and over the course of this week we're introducing you to each one of them. Thursday, we hear from Marshall Tuck. He's a school improvement director and ran against the current Superintendent, Tom Torkleson last election.

Guest:

  • Marshall Tuck, School Improvement director

https://twitter.com/taketwo/status/1002227762231361536

It's Jacaranda season in SoCal

D.C. can keep its cherry blossoms. Here in L.A., we have Jacaranda trees. The blue-lavender tree usually blooms during the June gloom season, and this year it got started a little ahead of time. We headed down to the L.A. Arboretum to find out more about this quintessential SoCal Tree.

Guest:

  • Frank McDonough, Botanical Information Consultant at the Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

A Jacaranda tree at the L.A. Arboretum.
A Jacaranda tree at the L.A. Arboretum.
(
Lori Galarreta/KPCC
)

We want to see your jacaranda tree photos. Find us on twitter and send them to us!

From Knott's Berry Farm to California Adventure and Six Flags, new rides are all about the roller coasters

It's summer, and for a lot of people, that means one thing: roller coasters. There are a lot of new ones opening up around Southern California this summer, including California's first dive coaster—Hang Time—at Knott's Berry Farm, the Incredi-Coaster at California Adventure's Pixar Pier, the Electric Eel at Sea World and the Crazanity pendulum ride at Six Flags.

Guests:

  • Cheri Whyte, Knotts Berry Farm Communications director
  • Jay Ward, Creative Director with Pixar
  • Robert Niles, ThemePark Insider

Not brave enough to take on a roller coaster? Take a virtual ride instead:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftl9n0rRH04