At 45, Blind Office Worker Feels Sharp

The handle is Jack Ross. The handle is also part of his specialty.

For four years now, Ross has made kitchen and hunting knives in his spare time. What makes this remarkable is that, since suffering a brain tumor at the age of 4, he has been blind.

The 45-year-old Ross, an office employee during the day, creates the knives at night and on weekends in the garage of his Glendale home, working by feel with a saw, drill press and grinder.

“I’ve been collecting knives since I was a child,” he said.

One day, after being told by a professional how to make them, he decided to take a stab at it.

Words Apart

Five sites in Southern California are among more than 60 across the nation and in Canada where aficionados of the popular Scrabble Brand Crossword Game will match their skills during three weekends in March.

A good word will be had by all in Pasadena, Huntington Beach, Riverside, West Los Angeles and Sepulveda.

“Successful men and women of letters will progress to regional semi-finals in April, followed by a Super Bowl among finalists during July in Boston,” said contest spokesperson Arden Schneider.

Entry forms for the first round of competition are available at local retailers and eateries, and must be postmarked no later than Monday .

Type Casting

Another competition seeking applicants locally is one that will produce an opponent for Violet Gibson Burns of Australia, who is in the Guinness Book of World Records for having established a duration record of 214 hours typing on an electric typewriter, with only brief breaks.

Juki Office Machine Corp. in Torrance is sponsoring a search here and in Detroit to find a marathon person who will be flown Down Under in late March for a one-on-one confrontation with Burns.

Anyone interested should get in touch with Bernie Roswig, 11260 Overland Ave., Suite 15-C, Culver City 90230.

“The deadline is Feb. 25,” Roswig said. “The elimination round will be held early in March in a hotel meeting room and will last a minimum of five days.”

The local finalist, after competing against the champ, will be rewarded with an all-expense-paid vacation in Australia. Which he or she will undoubtedly need.

A Banner Performance

Display it again, Sam.

No need for the reminder. He does, and has for more than 10 years now. What else could it be but a huge American flag, illuminated by two 1,000-watt searchlights and seen flying in the breeze atop a radio tower by motorists on the Santa Monica Freeway.

The patriotism is courtesy of Sam Kardashian, owner of Southern California Disposal Co. in Santa Monica, who reaches into his own pocket to pay a Torrance firm to sew the 30x55-foot flags.

“They are made of synthetic cloth and each lasts about three months before getting too ragged to display,” said the 44-year-old trash hauling executive.

Kardashian, who declines to disclose the cost of the creations and of the electricity, estimates he has gone through more than 50 of the flags.

But only one fire hydrant. That is the one outside his house, which he once painted red, white and blue.

Riding the Dog . . .

Pet Limo, a 24-hour new service to escort animals from their homes to the vet, hospital, boarding facility or grooming salon, has been started by Steven May of Los Angeles.

“Since I started this a few months ago, I have transported dogs, cats, pet raccoons, snakes and birds in my van,” he said. “I even carry a stretcher, for emergency cases, such as an animal having been hit by a car.”

May, a former animal health technician who is bonded for his new enterprise, said the vehicle carries adjustable cages. He said the minimum cost is $22, and he is averaging 10 customers a day.

And the limo doesn’t even have a bar in it.