Briefing, July 30: Pirates, Singers and a Circus

Written by Patch Staff

• Put away your Kindles and e-readers for 24 hours. Tuesday is Paperback Books Day, an occasion to celebrate the experience of reading non-electronically.

• You may have to drive a little bit, but “20 Feet From Stardom” is worth the trip. The movie is a fascinating documentary about rock and pop backup singers. On Rottentomatoes.com, the film scored well with 99 percent of critics. See it at the Regency Theatres Director’s Cut 7 in Laguna Niguel.

• Looking for some kid-friendly summer entertainment? Just down the freeway, the Kaleidoscope Center in Mission Viejo continues its Kaleido-Kids program with a Pirate Magic Show. Kaleido-Kids runs through Aug. 27 at 27741 Crown Valley Parkway.

• Will Lake Forest's City Council overturn a Planning Commission decision against the Brookfield Towne Center project ? The developer wants to build on the Foothill Ranch Auto Mall, which is currently zoned for commercial, not residential. The relationship between Brookfield and council members was discussed in Jim Gardner's blog, "Is Lake Forest for Sale?" Particularly interesting is Gardner's Part 4: The Process, in which Gardner says Brookfield (and developer Trumark) pumped money into the last election, gaining favorable votes by newly elected councilmen Adam Nick and Dwight Robinson.

• Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey’s “Built To Amaze'' Circus runs at the Honda Center in Anaheim through Aug. 4.