Joan Weinberg recently persuaded her students at...

Joan Weinberg recently persuaded her students at the Alhambra Adult School to contribute $50 to victims of Hurricane Hugo. But it wasn’t easy. She had to detail the victims’ plight in a way that only a Southern Californian could really appreciate.

“At first, when I told the class that the people needed money for clothes and medicine, I was met with a sea of stares,” Weinberg said.

Then she added that the victims didn’t have money to buy gasoline for their cars.

“There were some gasps,” she said, “and everyone started taking money out of their pockets.”

Mark it down: On Tuesday, Oct. 3, KFI radio broadcast a commercial for a weight-loss clinic that mentioned the approach of . . . Christmas.

Now, where have we heard one like this?

The “Night Court” television show is filming a story this week in which a blonde, mature actress with a Hungarian accent calls police to report the theft of one of her jewels. When a policeman arrives, the alleged thief claims that the actress’ dog swallowed the gem. An argument ensues, climaxed by the Hungarian actress slapping the cop. They all wind up in court. . . .

Which brings to mind, for some reason, Zsa Zsa Gabor.

You may recall how her driving landed her in court one time. Now, her driveway may take her back to court again.

The famed motorist has filed a suit in Los Angeles Superior Court, claiming that her neighbor’s tree roots cracked the driveway of her Bel Air home and forced her to repave it.

Gabor, recently convicted of slapping a Beverly Hills police officer, also asserts that her neighbor’s dry, overgrown brush and shrubs extended on to her property and drew the attention of some uniformed officers from Los Angeles--members of the city Fire Department.

Firefighters, deeming the vegetation a fire hazard, removed it at Gabor’s expense. She’s seeking $47,000 in damages.

The actress, who often characterized the Beverly Hills officer that she slapped as “gorgeous,” makes no mention of the relative attractiveness of the firefighters in her suit.

The radio bulletin sounded like a beach report as it discussed “500 feet of sand.” But there were no sunbathers in this area. Only frustrated motorists. It was the Harbor Freeway, and workers were trying to soak up a diesel oil spill that clogged early-morning traffic.

Speaking of sand, baseball season is winding down, but this is opening day for lobster season.

In fact, the traditional first crustacean was thrown onto shore in Redondo Beach early this morning during the Dive ‘n’ Surf shop’s 13th annual Lobster Mobster contest. About 400 divers and dozens of unwilling lobsters were expected to participate.

Still hugging the shoreline, we bring you an account of a fellow who might be the world’s most determined backward jogger, courtesy of the Beach Reporter, a Manhattan Beach newspaper.

The runner was making his way along the oceanfront Strand when he tried to pass two drunks “who had been antagonizing bicyclists, runners and walkers . . . all day,” says the newspaper.

There was an altercation and the two drunks “chased him up the Strand, trying to box with him as he continued jogging backward.”

One drunk injured his foot trying to kick the still-moving runner.

One drunk rode his bike after the runner and pulled a gold chain off his neck, which was later retrieved.

Then the bicyclist, according to witnesses, “threw the bike at the runner.”

But he still failed to stop him.