Grahame L. Jones, the Los Angeles Times' longtime soccer writer, was among the last of the 40-year newsroom presences. He began on the news side as a reporter and editor before essentially creating regular soccer coverage at the Times. (His leaving is noted at SportsJournalists.com.) Here's his exit email to the staff from this morning; you have to admire any sign-off note that works in "sea dog" and "rusty freighter." Email after the jump.

More cost cutting: the same week that parent Tribune asked the bankruptcy judge to approve bonuses for 640 managers, Los Angeles Times employees received an email saying they will not accrue vacation for the rest of 2011. They also have to use up some of their banked vacation days, like it or not. Read the memo after the jump.

Twitter user @veisandrew posted a cellphone picture of an NBC truck burning up on the 405 freeway in Sepulveda Pass. "Hey @NBCLA I think your news van is on fire!," he tweeted, sensibly enough. A few minutes later, the channel's Twitter acount replied: "Update on our truck fire. No injuries."

Tribe Media Corp, the parent of the Jewish Journal weekly, has announced that David Suissa is joining as president. He's described in the release as founder of ad agency SuissaMiller, founder of OLAM magazine, and author of a popular weekly column in the Journal called “Live in the Hood.” His book, “Don’t Get Me Started: A Collection of Columns on Life, Israel and the Jewish World,” will be released next month. Jewish Journal Editor-in-Chief Rob Eshman will keep that title and also become publisher.

Legislators from L.A. who are trying to push AEG's bill to help the downtown NFL stadium project are encountering resistance in the state Capitol. There are the San Diego folks, who are protective of the Chargers, and then a broader problem: the rest of the state don't much like L.A.

AEG officials were accompanied on visits to lawmakers' offices Thursday by business and union leaders, including Maria Elena Durazo, who heads the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.

"We're making our case for good jobs in Los Angeles," Durazo said. "We're telling them there is enormous urgency."

The bill getting all the attention is being carried by state Sen. Alex Padilla.

These are two of the better stories about UCLA student Chris Jeon, who got bored and flew to Cairo and joined the rebels in the Libyan countryside — in his Lakers shirt. The National, Atlantic Wire

• The small but shallow earthquake that sloshed around at 1:47 p.m. settled at mgnitude 4.2, centered under the Santa Clarita side of the San Gabriels. SCEDC
• The jury could not agree on a charge to convict Oxnard teenager Brandon McInerney of in the junior high school killing of gay classmate Larry King, and the judge declared a mistrial.
• A Cal State San Bernardino kiniseology professor who allegedly led a chapter of the Devils Diciples motorcycle gang was charged Thursday with heading up a methamphetamine drug ring. LAT
• Heal the Bay president Mark Gold played hooky today and took his son to see the big waves at The Wedge.
• L.A. Kings TV announcer Bob Miller agreed to stay with the hockey team at least two more years, which would give him 40.
• The Los Angeles Times, California Watch and Pro Publica all have multiple entries as finalists in this year's Online News Association awards. Romenesko

In the end, writes Variety's Ted Johnson, Rep. Howard Berman will get most of the entertainment industry campaign money. He has SKG, as we reported last month. But Rep. Brad Sherman has his backers too, and many in Hollywood (and especially Valleywood) wish the looming primary fight between the two Democrats would just go away.

What could really set the race apart is not just the match-up of two longtime incumbents but that they may be facing each other twice, as California's open primary law holds the prospect of a June primary followed by a November runoff.

Political consultant Bill Carrick said neither candidate has run a competitive race in a long time, meaning that he suspects that there is a great deal of "soft support" in the district or a lot of undecideds.

"The campaign will be fully engaged, and there will be a lot of communications, tons of mail, tons of TV," Carrick said. "This is going to be one where the campaign really matters."

Add Faye Fiore, a national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times based in Washington, to the list of those taking the paper up on the offer to leave this week. Her note to the newsroom says she's going to study marriage and family therapy at Virginia Tech. "It isn't such a stretch when you think about it; we listen to people in crisis all the time," Fiore writes. "I'd like to stay around a little longer and try to see them through it." She thanks a long list of editors and colleagues from her couple of decades at the Times, and current Editor Russ Stanton and Managing Editor Davan Maharaj "for keeping a steady hand." Regarding the LAT:

I'm not leaving because I think it's over, only because I think I'm finally too old to stand in the freezing rain and cover another inauguation....

This place is like an orphaned child who rises up and shines, despite a parade of idiot stepparents. The work we do is remarkable and important and I'm glad to have been able to advance that cause, even a little bit.

Previously on LA Observed:
Daragahi, Petruno, Jones latest names to leave L.A. Times
Dean of L.A. Times Washington bureau to retire
Heisler on Tribune, Zell and the L.A. Times
Villaraigosa praises Rutten in Prop. 13 speech
Science writer Tom Maugh retiring from L.A. Times

Blogger Militant Angeleno has explored L.A.'s little-known runoff streams before, following Sacatela Creek that used to flow out of the Silver Lake area to beyond Wilshire, and Arroyo de los Jardines, which trickles through the Brookside neighborhood I mentioned a couple of weeks ago. The Angeleno's latest exploration is the four creeks that used to flow wildly (if seasonally, most likely) across the slopes where UCLA now sits. One ravine through campus (above) was filled in, famously; Schoenberg Hall and other major buildings were built atop the fill. Stone Canyon Creek (inset) still flows visibly, and would see daylight for more of its ancient run if landscaping student Meg Sullivan had her way. The creek now flows mostly under the campus and Westwood Village.

Amazon offers to trade jobs for taxes, Liu confirmed, maneuvering in congressional districts, Obama to La Jolla and A.J. Duffy suddenly sounds like a suit. Plus more.