Word of Mouth: Al Martino played singer...

Word of Mouth: Al Martino played singer Johnny Fontaine in “The Godfather.” Maybe that’s why, when the 1950s crooner backed out of Sunday’s sold-out performance at CSUN, there was a rumor that he had received a Mafia death threat. Promoter Keith Evans posted a doctor’s note saying that Martino was, in fact, ailing. . . . As for the rumor? “I heard that too,” Evans said. “I don’t think there’s any validity to it. Hey, he just played Atlantic City.”

Art Supplies: In what is touted as one of the biggest back-to-school programs ever, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and the county library system’s nonprofit foundation today will distribute cultural packets to 50,000 children. . . . The so-called “arts passports” entitle students, ranging from kindergarten through eighth grade, to library cards and admission discounts to county museums and art galleries.

River’s Edge: Only a few portions of the Los Angeles River, such as this one in the Sepulveda Basin, above, remain in their original state (B12). . . . Beginning in the 1930s, the river was lined with concrete for flood control. Conservationists hope that, with new engineering techniques, more stretches can be returned to pristine condition.

Unforgiven: The legal grappling between Clint Eastwood and former lover Sondra Locke continued in a Burbank courtroom Monday (B4). . . . Locke dropped a 1989 palimony suit after Eastwood helped her secure a director’s contract at Warner Bros. Now, the actress claims that Eastwood has continued to interfere with her career.