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Thirty Years Ago After six years of self-imposed abstinence, the San Diego Union-Tribune has reopened its entertainment pages to X-rated movie ads. In reversing a 1969 decision by former publisher James Copley, the U-T management, now headed by Copley's widow Helen, cited the results of a poll that showed 68 percent of the paper's readers felt the X-rated ban was a "form of censorship." -- CITY LIGHTS: "LIFTING THE BAN," Paul Krueger, January 8, 1976

Twenty-Five Years Ago Here's a simple question: How the heck did Mayor Pete Wilson happen to land a nationally televised interview with Howard Cosell on the night of December 22, 1980? You remember, it was during the Chargers-Steelers Monday-night football game, and Cosell broke the ice by saying, "Now, I understand, Mayor Wilson, that it was your idea to name the stadium after Jack Murphy....""That's right, Howard. Jack Murphy was..." began the mayor. -- CITY LIGHTS: "TELLING IT LIKE THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE IT MIGHT BE, UNLESS, OF COURSE, IT'S NOT THAT WAY AT ALL," Neal Matthews, January 15, 1981

Twenty Years Ago Reporters who sought an interview with Roger Hedgecock in the waning days of his mayoral administration had to assure Hedgecock's press secretary that they would ask no questions about his two trials, the aborted attempts at a plea bargain, or the severe penalties sought by prosecutors. Following Hedgecock's December 10 resignation and sentencing hearing, the list of taboo subjects grew to include his plans to appeal the verdict, the impending mayoral election, and political issues in and around city hall. -- THE INSIDE STORY, Paul Krueger, January 16, 1986

Fifteen Years Ago Flaherty dismisses any claims of racial crimes in O.B. solely because a police spokesperson says as much. As a resident, I personally have known of small groups of white supremacists living in O.B. from Nazis in the early 1970s, Klan-types in the late '70s, and racist skinheads in the '80s. I personally tore down two posters off of O.B. stop signs calling for a "race riot." There are prejudiced individuals living in our community, and now and then, their actions and words become publicly known. -- LETTERS: "SLAM DEBUNK," Frank Gormlie, Ocean Beach, January 17, 1991

Ten Years Ago On May 5, 1992, LaTwon Weaver entered Shadowridge Jewelers in Vista's Shadowridge Shopping Center. Holding a .44-caliber Magnum, he herded the two saleswomen and the owner to the rear of the store. According to witnesses, business owner Michael Broome was cooperating when suddenly Weaver opened fire. Broome fell to the floor, where he bled to death before onlookers. Weaver, a young black man (he was 23 at the time), had no prior criminal record. He had assisted his father, the Reverend Ray Weaver, minister of the Southern Missionary Baptist Church in Inglewood. A student in private Christian schools, LaTwon sang in his father's church choir. In April 1992 he moved to Vista, where he was told jobs were plentiful. -- "WILL CALIFORNIA KILL LATWON WEAVER?" Hawkins Mitchell, January 11, 1996

Five Years Ago Leorah's father greeted me at the door.... "In case Leorah didn't tell you," he said, rubbing his palms together briskly, "ours is a vegetarian household. We eat no meat of any kind. We hope you'll respect that." He gazed at me as if he suspected I had a standing rib roast hidden in my backpack.

We sat around the kitchen table. In front of me sat a nice big bowl of the stuff Leorah's mother had whipped up in her food processor. Pineapple, carrots, apples, oranges, walnuts, and plenty of bran. (But no honey. "It's stealing from the bees," Leorah's father hissed.) Leorah and her mother and father stared at me. The frothy, pulpy muesli was so rich in fiber that even a termite would have had a hard time digesting it. -- TIP OF MY TONGUE: "BRAN," Max Nash, January 11, 2001