CANNON FIRED: The Los Angeles City Hall...

CANNON FIRED: The Los Angeles City Hall career of Janis Berman, wife of Valley Rep. Howard L. Berman, has come to a crashing halt. Officially, Berman quit as director of governmental relations, a nebulous portfolio that ranged from combatting graffiti to serving health food at LAX. But sources in Mayor Richard Riordan’s office say she was fired for quarreling with Chief of Staff William McCarley (B11). . . . Commented a co-worker: “the ultimate loose cannon.”

TREE OF CRIME: Thanks to extra patrols and icy roads in Los Padres National Forest, the kind of Grinches who steal Christmas trees didn’t get away with many this year (B9). . . . Most people who swipe a tree from the national forest want it for their living room, although some do try to sell them. Bad idea: The fine can hit $5,000.

DOLL HOUSE: The Carusos, above, with grandson, were all dolled up to win Burbank’s holiday outdoor decorating contest. Their East Grinnell Drive home is decked out with more than 200 dolls, including Mickey, Minnie, Santa and Mrs. Claus (B2).

MISA DE GALLO: In the Philippines, holiday church services are held at dawn--thus their nickname: “Rooster Mass.” But in a bid to better serve an estimated 425,000 local Filipino Catholics, Catholic churches are holding Simbang Gabi or “worship evening” (B1). . . . The church hopes to provide Filipino Catholics a touch of home at traditional services conducted in island dialects.

SANTA’S YELPERS: To the eager new parents at a Burbank mall, it was going to be a perfect scene for the family scrapbook: their little Snookums, barely 6 weeks old, seated on Santa’s lap. Snookums, however, would not stop shrieking in terror, upsetting other children and dismaying their parents. . . . The Around the Valley column (B5) considers Santa-phobia, and parents who can’t recognize that the first scary trip to the bearded guy’s lap takes maturity.