Get Patriotic! WAHA's Annual 4th of July, and More. Please DO join us next Wednesday!

By Laura Meyers

1). CELEBRATE JULY 4th WITH WAHA
Wednesday, July 4
1-4 p.m.

The Stearns-Dockweiler Residence, 27 St. James Park (North of Adams, west of Chester Place/Mount St. Mary's, between Figueroa and Hoover)

Please join your West Adams friends and neighbors at WAHA's annual 4th of July picnic. Everyone is welcome! This year's star-spangled afternoon of patriotic fun will be held once again at the home of Jim and Janice Robinson on the lawns of their lovely landmark Victorian-era Colonial Revival mansion.

If you are new to West Adams, this event is the one to attend! Lots of new neighbors to meet, and lots of fun for the kids.

Once again, we'll have live music to entertain us. We'll enjoy tours of the historic mansion, and other fun activities. We'll have a variety of "Wa-hot dogs" on the grill. Almost free: Cold drinks are on the house, and the POTLUCK theme is summertime picnic - please bring salads, main dishes, desserts, or fruits (enough to feed at least 10 people, please! And, let's avoid food that will melt on a summer day) to share.

In addition, please bring a snapshot of your historic house to share (we are planning a fun activity around the house photos!) Just a small (3X5 or 4X6) photo will work.

We are also trying to get a head's up on the head count (so we can have plentiful cold beverages and hot dogs on hand.) Please let us know if you plan to attend by e-mailing WAHAholiday@aol.com

Thank you all so much, and hope to see you on the 4th!

2). FREE JAZZ ON THE 4TH
4th of July Jazz Festival
Wednesday, July 4
1:00-7:00 p.m.
Vision Theater Backlot (behind the Vision Theater), 4325 S. Degnan Boulevard (Leimert Park)

Apple pie...baked beans...barbecue...jazz, and fireworks. The Cultural Affairs Department, along with Councilmembers Bernard C. Parks, Herb Wesson and Jan Perry, will be hosting the 5th Annual 4th of July Festival at the Vision Theater Backlot, as well as a Fireworks Extravaganza at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Some of L.A.'s top jazz musicians will perform. Both events are free and open to the public.

3). NOCTURNAL CULTURE ON GRAND AVENUE
Saturday, June 30
6 p.m. to midnight

The Music Center announces the return of NocTOURnals, a late-night "open house" along Grand Avenue. Explore Downtown L.A.'s cultural hot spots in one evening -- the Music Center of Los Angeles County, along with The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Grand Performances and REDCAT all are participating in NocTOURnals, offering late night art viewing, moonlit garden tours, screenings, and performances.

Admission: Most events are free. Tickets are required for MOCA admission ($8 general; $5 students/seniors) and REDCAT.

The Moonlight tours of the Walt Disney Concert Hall Garden are sponsored by Estate Gardens by ValleyCrest.

This week, Grand Performances presents a screening of "Chicago 10," its 3rd annual film series in partnership with the Los Angeles Film Festival and sponsored by the Downtown Center Business Improvement District continues. Archival footage, animation, and music are used to look back at the eight anti-war protesters who were put on trial following the 1968 Democratic National Convention. A film by Brett Morgan and featuring Nick Nolte, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber and Jeffrey Wright. 8 p.m.

NocTOURnals continues on July 7 and July 14 from 6:00 p.m. to midnight. Contact 213-633-5367 or visit www.musiccenter.org for more information.

4). SHERWIN WILLIAMS' 2ND ANNUAL BBQ
Tuesday, July 10
10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Sherwin Williams Paint Co., 1367 W. Venice Blvd. (just east of Hoover)

Sherwin Williams -- one of WAHA's great Member Discount partners - is getting out the grill on July 10th. All are invited to this free event (but only WAHA members get the 20 percent discount on products! -- Don't forget to pay your dues and get your WAHA Membership/Discount card.) For information about Sherwin Williams or to RSVP, please contact manager Rudy J. Martinez via e-mail rjm_lex@hotmail.com or phone 213-365-2471.

For questions about your membership status in WAHA, contact Candy Wynne at candywynne@yahoo.com, or catch up with her at the WAHA 4th of July (yes, she'll have all the lists with her!)

5). NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL REVIEW WORKSHOPS
South Los Angeles
Saturday, July 21
10 a.m.
Location TBA

West Los Angeles
Thursday, July 12
6 p.m.
University High School, 11800 Texas Ave, West Los Angeles 90025

The Neighborhood Council Review Commission was appointed a year ago this month. As mandated by the City Charter, they were charged with evaluating the City's Neighborhood Council System, now in its eighth year. The first Neighborhood Council was certified in December, 2001. The commissioners, in one form or another, have participated in more than 50 meetings and input hearings since July of last year. Now they have issued some preliminary recommendations that they are bringing out to community workshops for YOUR input. Do you think your neighborhood council is working well? Do you agree with the Commission's recommendations? After engaging the public through the end of July, the Commission will finalize its proposals and submit them to the City Council in September, making these workshops the last opportunity for stakeholders and Neighborhood Council activists to influence the final report. For more information, including WHERE the South Los Angeles workshop will be held, please call 213-978-1074 or visit www.ncrcla.org.

6). COUNTRY CLUB PARK FESTIVAL
Saturday, August 4
12 to 4 p.m.
12th Street between 3rd Ave and Westchester Place

Country Club Park will host its second annual outdoor street festival, "Saturday in the Park," on the first Saturday in August. Last year, to commemorate the community's centennial, the Country Club Park Neighborhood Association successfully launched this event. This year there will be music, food, a silent auction, and booths with representatives from both the community and area businesses. Activities for children include a rock wall, face painting, train rides, and more. All proceeds go to the Country Club Park Neighborhood Association. For more information, visit www.CountryClubPark.net.

7). L.A. BASKETBALL STARS TO HOST 'DAY OF SERVICE' AT RICHARDSON FAMILY PARK
Saturday, August 4
9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Richardson Family Park, corner of Budlong Avenue and 27th Street (south of Adams, between Vermont and Normandy)

NBA basketball stars Baron Davis of the Golden State Warriors, Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics, and Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards have announced that part of the proceeds of their August 5 USC L.A. All-Star Charity Basketball Game will be donated to improvements at the community-created Richardson Family Park.

The three NBA All-Stars are the founders of LA Stars, a charitable events group dedicated to improving the lives, communities, and opportunities for Los Angeles youth and their families. LA Stars has designated August 4, the day before the game, for a "Day of Service" at the park, in conjunction with local community groups, USC, the Empowerment Congress North Area Neighborhood Development Council (ECNANDC, the local neighborhood council), the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust, and L.A. Works, which coordinates community volunteer projects.

The Day of Service will include a tree planting, a neighborhood cleanup, and a community street party. A celebration and plaque will commemorate the first LA Stars Legacy Project. LA Works is organizing the day's events, seeking out community volunteers, and overseeing much of the installation of the materials to be donated by LA Stars.

Streets by the park will be closed off the day of the event. There will be a DJ for music, face painting and games for kids, with snow cones and popcorn. Baron Davis, Paul Pierce, and Gilbert Arenas will take part in a plaque ceremony with Councilmember Bernard Parks (CD8) and other dignitaries. There will be examples of programming by future instructors including dance demonstrations, science experiments, and exercise options.

The day's events are part of a much larger effort to create programming in the park and renew its landscaping, mural and park furnishings. Read all about it in WAHA's next WAHA Matters newsletter.

In the meantime, if you'd like to help contact: Rebecca Turk, Legacy Project Coordinator, at 404-787-1414.

8). BJC NEIGHBORS TO MEET WITH COUNCILMAN ED REYES
Saturday, July 21
1 to 3 p.m.
Salvin Elementary School, 1925 Budlong Avenue (south of Washington, east of Normandie)

CD1 Councilman Ed Reyes will be at the next Budlong, Juliet and Catalina Neighborhood Association (BJC) meeting to answer your neighborhood and community improvement questions. All are welcome.

BJC is also collaborating with Council District 1 on its 3rd annual BJC Community Resource Fair to be held on Saturday, September 22 from 1 to 5 p.m. on 22nd Street between Budlong and Vermont. The Fair's purpose is to bring camaraderie and a sense of neighborhood pride back to this area.

BJC president Yvette Jones says, "We are hoping to provide a day of sharing information, governmental services, community resources and fun. I would like to extend an invitation to you and your organization to come and share your program or services with our community. I look forward to hearing from you. Please R.S.V.P. before September 6. I can be reached Monday - Friday at 310-245-1763 or via e-mail yjones@bh.lacounty.gov."

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. 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.