Please join WAHA as we celebrate Historic Preservation Month on May 20th - plus abundant "Treasures" this month!

By Laura Meyers

1). GOOD STUFF GALORE
Friday and Saturday, May 12 and 13 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days 4311 Victoria Park Drive (in Victoria Circle - enter on Windsor turning south from Pico - the neighborhood is gated)

Longtime WAHA members Joyce Albers and Jerry Mendelsohn have moved to Kansas City. But they've left behind many treasures for an estate sale this week. Check out dozens of vintage 1940s rayon dresses, hats and purses; a carved Victorian couch and matching chair, antique dining room set, an oak armoire, and a three-door French armoire; a set of vintage " Syracuse" restaurant dishes, and many collectibles, books and ephemera, lighting, not to mention a garage full of the nuts and bolts of a lifetime of restoring old houses.

2). CELEBRATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION MONTH WITH WAHA
Saturday, May 20 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. - Brunch & Discussion 1415 South Manhattan Place (south of Pico)

WAHA has a special treat in store as we celebrate Historic Preservation Month. We'll be enjoying Continental breakfast and sipping Mimosas at an extravagant three-story Arts & Crafts mansion erected by the Althouse Brothers firm in 1910. And, we'll hear from one of the City's foremost experts in the historic preservation process.

The Tibbens-Long Residence, now owned by Dan Stumpus and Lynn Rossiter, has about 20 rooms. The first floor has quartersawn oak and old growth mahogany in very large rooms, along with a wide oak staircase and a 5X9 foot stained glass mural.

If you are an appointee to an HPOZ Board, or your house is in a current HPOZ ( West Adams has six) or National Register District (seven), or if you and your neighbors are working toward HPOZ designation for your own historic neighborhood, you might be curious about what it means when consultants and City officials talk about "applying Secretary of Interior Standards."

Architect Tom Michali of M2A Architects will explain the nuances of these guidelines. Michali has 25 years' experience in the field of historic architectural design, including many types of adaptive reuse, rehabilitation and restoration.

Please join us as we tour this unique mansion and hear from Tom Michali. This event is hosted by WAHA - not a potluck.

3). THE TREASURES TOUR - CHAMBER MUSIC IN ARCHITECTURE ON HISTORIC VAN BUREN PLACE
Saturday, June 3 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Visit some of West Adams' most beautiful historic homes and listen to chamber music by one of the city's most exciting musical ensembles. On the first Saturday in June, WAHA joins the Definiens Project, a group of young musicians drawn from the city's leading music departments and conservatories, to offer the "Treasures Tour," celebrating both musical and architectural treasures.

Set in the Van Buren Place Historic District, four sets of musicians will present American classical music chosen to complement the time and architecture of the houses. The four residences are all on the National Register of Historic Places and include two Los Angeles Cultural Historic Monuments.

Start your Treasure Tour with a sumptuous champagne brunch, featuring quiche, fresh fruits and delicious pastries. Then visit each house for a short concert and a docent-led tour.

Tickets are by advance reservation only and will be held for your pickup at the beginning of the tour. WAHA's tours regularly sell out. No walk-ins are allowed, nor can any tickets be sold on the day of the tour.

If you haven't already received a postcard invitation, you may simply print and fill out the form below, and mail it in an envelope along with a check made payable to WAHA to:

West Adams Heritage Association/Treasures Tour 2209 Virginia Road, Los Angeles, CA 90016

"Treasure Tour" tickets are $50 general admission, and $45 for WAHA members, per person. (The fee includes the champagne brunch.)

For additional information, including group tours, call 323-732-4223, e-mail WAHAjunetours@yahoo.com, or visit www.WestAdamsHeritage.com.

NAME ____________________________________________________ ADDRESS _________________________________________________ CITY/STATE _______________________________________________ ZIP CODE _________________________________________________ E-MAIL ____________________________________________________ PHONE (required) _________________________________________ No. of Tickets: _____________ Total: $ ______________________

We prefer to e-mail confirmations, and will do so in mid-May. Otherwise, please expect a confirmation sent USPS in late May.

Indicate with a 1, 2 and 3 your first, second and third choices for tour time.

___ 9:00 a.m. ___ 9:30 a.m. ___ 10:00 a.m. ___ 10:30 a.m. ___ 11:00 a.m. ___11:30 a.m. ___ 12:00 p.m.

4). MORE TREASURES: LAFAYETTE SQUARE "USED STUFF SALE"
Saturday, May 20 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Enter the Square from Crenshaw Blvd. at St. Charles Place between Washington and Venice Boulevards.

Antique and modern furniture, rugs, appliances, chandeliers, hardware, televisions, stereo equipment, vintage clothing and shoes, children clothing, toys, lamps, books and much more - dozens of families participate.

5). GARDEN CONSERVANCY'S OPEN DAY IN WEST L.A.
Nine Westside Gardens from Beverly Hills to Pacific Palisades Saturday, May 13 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Start at Greystone Estate Park, 905 Loma Vista ( Beverly Hills)

Get an inside look at beautiful private gardens at the annual Garden Conservancy's Open Days event. Create your own tour - spend the day visiting all of the gardens, or just a few. Admission is $5 at each garden and no reservations are required. Start at the lead garden listed above to get a map, and booklets of discounted tickets. For more information, visit www.gardenconservancy.org.

6). VENICE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEETING
Tuesday, May 16 7:00 p.m. Abbot Kinney Memorial Branch Library, 501 South Venice Boulevard, Venice Venice resident (and erstwhile WAHA tour volunteer) Sonya Reese Davis, a family historian, will lecture about her new book, "The Wizard of Venice," which celebrates her grandfather¹s life, Arthur L. Reese, an inventor, decorator and businessman of Venice, California during the 1900s. The "Wizard" decorated the town of Venice, designed gondolas for the Venice Canals, and operated businesses in both Venice and Santa Monica. Sonya Reese Davis's lecture will uncover how her grandfather's passion to succeed in life led him to a friendly business relationship with Abbot Kinney and how he brought together the communities of Venice and Santa Monica through social clubs and events. Sonya will be highlighting her grandfather's many inventions, some of which will surprise you. Free and open to the public. Ample parking is available.

7). OPEN SATURDAY AND AFTERNOON TEA AT PEACE AWARENESS
Saturday, May 20 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). 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.

8). VICTORIAN HOME NEEDED FOR LOW-BUDGET FILM

We've been contacted by a film producer looking for a Victorian-style home (interior and particularly exterior) that would be available as a location for a low-budget film shooting in June or July. Nope, we don't have much information about the script or the details. For that, if you are interested, please contact Shari Karstensen directly at sharon_elyse@hotmail.com.

9). 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