Marathon Weekend - and we do mean Marathon!

By Laura Meyers

For those of you new to West Adams, make no plans for Sunday - you are literally surrounded by runners and street closures along the 26.2 mile route. Stay out home, garden, or walk out and cheer the marathoners. Visit www.lamarathon.com for more information.

But Saturday - that's a different story.

1). RESTAURANT HISTORICAL SOCIETY KICK-OFF
Saturday, March 18 10 a.m. Hollywood Heritage Museum, 2100 N. Highland Avenue ( Hollywood)

You are invited to a new group devoted to classic restaurants and nightclubs

of past and present Southern California. The members of the Restaurant Historical Society collect menus, postcards, photographs, and other ephemera. Quarterly meetings include special guests and speakers. For this week's meeting, invited guests include Filomena D'Amore of Patsy's Pizza and Villa Capri, Jonothan Foerstael of www.latimemachines.com , Jim Heimann, author of California Crazy and Out with the Stars, and Charles Perry, Los Angeles Times writer and president of the Culinary Historians of Southern California. Betty Goodwin, author of Hollywood du Jour and Chasen's will be joining us to talk. She will also sell and sign books. For more information, contact Chris Nichols at 213-804-4184 or e-mail socalrhs@yahoo.com.

2). ART EXHIBIT BENEFITTING KATRINA VICTIMS
Saturday, March 18 6 to 8 p.m. District, 2746 East Broadway ( Long Beach)

District Gallery hosts an evening with screenwriter-photographer (and WAHA member/West Adams resident) Kim Watson, debuting his newest collection, "As I See It: A Photographic Journey." Cocktails will be served, and 10 percent of the evening's proceeds will be donated to the citizens affected by Katrina. Yes, it's a field trip - call the gallery for directions. 562-433-0838

3). OPEN SATURDAY AND AFTERNOON TEA AT PEACE AWARENESS
Saturday, March 18 Noon to 4 p.m. Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens at the Guasti Villa, 3500 West Adams Blvd.

Spring has sprung at the Guasti Villa (AKA the Busby Berkeley Estate). The orchid trees are blooming as are the tabebuia and the trumpet vines on the terrace wall. And the Chinese elms surrounding the labyrinth have put out shiny new leaves shading the labyrinth in the afternoon.

Open Saturday is especially designed for people who want to visit the historic villa, walk the labyrinth, and enjoy and afternoon in the gardens. No appointment necessary - please invite friends and family.

2 to 4 p.m. Afternoon Tea -- fresh-made tea sandwiches and cakes and organic

Urth Caffé teas. Cost for Afternoon Tea: $10.00 (advance reservations and payment required) Cost for visiting the gardens: (free, donations are welcomed)

To make a reservation and pay in advance for the afternoon tea, please contact Zoe at 323-737-4055 ext. 127 or e-mail registrar@peacelabyrinth.org.

4). TOWN HALL MEETING ON UNIVERSITY PARK PARKING ISSUES
Saturday, March 18 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. MACK Elementary School, 3020 S. Catalina Street (near Vermont and 30th)

Parking is a huge concern in the neighborhoods surrounding the USC campus. For many there is never a place to park, and for a growing number parking places are getting harder and harder to find.

During the past year a Parking Study has been taking place to collect input from all area stakeholders and to create a list of remedies for the area. The Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council (ECNANDC) invites concerned stakeholders to a meeting this coming Saturday, with Blue Garnet, the independent research company that conducted the study. Blue Garnet representatives will present the findings of the study, and will answer audience questions.

Coffee and pastries will be served. For more information, contact Michael Urena, ECNANDC President, 323-229-7834.

5). ST. PATRICK'S DAY CELEBRATION
Saturday, March 18 6 to 10 p.m. The Pink Lady, 1007 West 24th Street ( University Park).

It's time for the annual wearing o' the green to benefit the Sunshine Mission/Casa de Rosas. Help support Los Angeles' oldest continually-operating shelter for women AND enjoy an evening of entertainment, libations and Irish cuisine.

Presented by the Casa de Rosas Board of Directors and staff, the event will be held at the "Pink Lady," the historic Durfee Residence and home to Drs. Ann and Ed Dorr. Suggested donation: $40 per person. For reservations call 213-747-7419.

6). 24TH STREET THEATRE SATURDAY EXPLORER SERIES
Begins Saturday, March 18 1 p.m. 24th Street Theatre, 1117 West 24th Street ( University Park)

The 24th Street Theatre presents its 2006 season of the Saturday Explorer Series, five theatrical events designed to bring cutting-edge performance artists to young audiences. On Saturday, inkboat performs "Crow in Box." Visit www.24thstreet.org for information about upcoming shows. Tickets are $5. Call 800-838-3006.

AND, MARK YOUR CALENDARS:

7). LAUSD HIGH SCHOOL SITE SELECTION MEETING
Wednesday, April 5 6 to 8 p.m. Mount Vernon Middle School, 4066 West 17th Street (at Bronson)

LAUSD is seeking a location to build a new high school in West Adams. Generally, the search boundaries are Pico on the north, King Boulevard on the south, La Brea on the west and Arlington on the east (please note that it is a "circle" not a square, but this is the gist of the search area). The original eight possible site locales have now been narrowed down to just three. LAUSD officials will review:

* Criteria used to select potential sites * Sites suggested by community and by LAUSD, and * Their reasoning regarding the most suitable sites for this new school project

For more information, contact Wanda Flagg, wanda.flagg@lausd.net, 213-633-8137.

8). SUBMIT YOUR NEWS

We welcome your contributions to the WAHA E-News and West Adams Heritage Association's monthly publication, "West Adams Matters." Please understand that we do have deadlines. Material for the print newsletter should be submitted no later than the 1st of the prior month (i.e.: April 1 for the May issue). If your event is scheduled for early in a month, we suggest you request coverage for the prior month (i.e.: May issue for a June 3 event), because it's entirely possible that not all of our members will have received their newsletter by then (we do try hard…). We reserve the right to edit submitted material. For the WAHA E-News, we prefer to only send it out once or twice a month, circa the 5th and the 20th. Please don't wait until two days before an event to let us know about it. It may not be sent out. EXCEPTION: If you suddenly hear of an important city hearing or other public meeting that is important to West Adams, we will endeavor to send out a special bulletin. Submit your material to Laura Meyers, editor, lauramink@aol.com