COLUMNIST PENS AUTOBIOGRAPHY.Byline: Sharon Cotal Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - Hal Rattner, 86, enjoys a quiet life in Friendly Valley with his wife, Sylvia, but readers of his recently published book will discover that the octogenarian oc·to·ge·nar·i·an adj. Being between 80 and 90 years of age. n. A person between 80 and 90 years of age. has had some fascinating experiences during his lifetime. Rattner had lunch with Eleanor Roosevelt at the White House when he was 22, has volunteered for both the New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Police Department and Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. sheriff's station, and has survived a heart attack. And he describes all of these experiences and more in ``Getting It Write: a Columnist's Collection.'' From 1983 to 1994, Rattner wrote about health, politics, current events and other topics, drawing from his personal life experiences or subjects about which he was knowledgeable. ``Anything that struck my fancy, I could write about. I was given a free rein,'' Rattner said. Still an active volunteer and now in his 15th year with the Santa Clarita Valley sheriff's station, Rattner recently presented Capt. Patti Minutello with an autographed copy of his book. The front cover shows Rattner in his volunteer uniform, standing by a patrol car parked in front of the station on Magic Mountain Parkway. ``She said she had never received an autographed copy of a book before. She was very gracious.'' As for the lunch with Eleanor Roosevelt, Rattner, living in New York City at the time, finagled that encounter - all to impress a girl he was sweet on - by writing to the first lady and asking to spend the night at the White House. He said he would settle for lunch if rooms were not available. Roosevelt, obviously amused a·muse tr.v. a·mused, a·mus·ing, a·mus·es 1. To occupy in an agreeable, pleasing, or entertaining fashion. 2. by his audacity au·dac·i·ty n. pl. au·dac·i·ties 1. Fearless daring; intrepidity. 2. Bold or insolent heedlessness of restraints, as of those imposed by prudence, propriety, or convention. 3. , invited the couple, Rattner and Helen Price, a columnist who wrote ``Gal from Manhattan'' for her hometown Missouri newspaper, to lunch. Price was indeed impressed, Rattner said. ``Getting It Write'' is available online from AuthorHouse (www.AuthorHouse.com) for $16.75 hardcover; $9.25 softcover soft·cov·er adj. Not bound between hard covers: softcover books; a softcover edition. ; or $3.95 on electronic disk. The book is also available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com at slightly higher prices. Sharon Cotal, (661) 257-5256 sharon.cotal(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (ran in SAC edition only) Sheriff's volunteer Hal Rattner, 86, autographs a copy of his book for Santa Clarita sheriff's Capt. Patti Minutello. David Crane/Staff Photographer |
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