“Dark Shadows” fans, cast, and crew are celebrating its 50th birthday next week in Hollywood. We mark the anniversary by bringing in one of the original stars, and one of the original fans. ... When LAPD officer Jorge Parra isn’t walking the beat in LA, he’s still thinking about the city’s streets and buildings. He’s spent years building a 72-square-foot model of LA, out of Legos, in his kitchen. ... We’ll tell you what researchers discovered about the best way to increase voter turnout: voters need to make a simple plan, tell someone about it, and then think what their neighbors will say if they don’t go to the polls.

John talks with 35-year old Chris Thile, who takes over as the new host of A Prairie Home Companion this weekend and hopes to bring in a younger audience, without scaring off older listeners. ... Anthony Hernandez: taking pictures for almost 50 years: Downtown LA in the ‘70s, Rodeo Drive in the ‘80s, the homeless in the ‘90s. ... For KPCC's Voter Game Plan, Meghan McCarty tells us how she’s helping voters understand the complex Measure R transportation tax. ... Meet an Armenian-Syrian college student from Damascus juggling a full time job, night school, and the torture of knowing what his family is going through back home.

My Lunches with Orson ... the life of a mattress ... Ruby Wax, poster child for mental illness ... El Macho, El Insulting? ...

An in-depth interview with writer Harlan Ellison ... a glorious reprint of a classic guide to California ... the OCMA Triennial, Pt 2 ... how to design a space suit for the movies ...

LA's first gay citywide elected official ... how the SCOTUS decisons will affect married homosexuals at tax time ... Happy birthday ZIP Code! ... the lasting impact of a huge neck tattoo ... Eric Garcetti's week.

Jody Stephens, only surviving band member Big Star's debut album, talks with LA Record's Chris Ziegler ... intrepid intern Robert Garrova learns to curl at a bonspiel ... Val Kilmer talks with John Rabe about becoming Mark Twain for his one-man show "Citizen Twain" ... Gavin Newsom on the Prop 8 decision

The Art of Wealth tells the untold story of the Huntington family ... ethics and the OC Register ... Texas Loves Lyla! at the Hollywood Fringe Festival ... Bottle Tree Ranch ... Tyris continues his evolution from South LA to college student ... James Gandolfini, c 1990 ... 16-year old starts her own vegan bakery

Chopper pilot Bob Tur to become Zoey Tur ... Clay Russell says, "Ask me about my suicide attempt." ... Gee, Dad, it's a Wurlitzer ... Basketball's biggest fan ... Dylan Brody and the lure of Armageddon ...

Linda Jay, trial junkie, attends trial of the man who killed her daughter ... Cheech Marin's Chicano art strategy ... Jimmy Webb will finally play MacArthur Park at MacArthur Park! ... new documentary on Llyn Foulkes, 78-year old Young Turk ...

The beach access app ... the nuclear engineer who built the fallout shelter ... where do you find respite? ... Frank Romero - founding father of Chicano art - now lives half-time in France ...