Firehouse Meeting TONIGHT! LAUSD High School Selection Wednesday, WAHA Black History Event & Potluck Sunday.

By Laura Meyers

1). COMMUNITY MEETING FOR ENGINE COMPANY NO. 18
Tuesday, February 7 6 p.m. FAME Media Center, 1968 West Adams Blvd. (at Hobart)

The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is hosting another community meeting to discuss the reuse of Fire Engine Company No. 18, located at 2616 South Hobart. The firehouse was erected in 1904, and is both a City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument and a National Register landmark. It is one of the few remaining fire stations in the city constructed to accommodate horse-drawn fire engines, and it is the last remaining Mission Style firehouse left in the city. Engine Company No. 18 was designed by the noted architect John Parkinson, who also designed many city landmarks (including City Hall, Union Station, the original Pacific Stock Exchange, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Bullock's Wilshire, The Ansonia Apartments, the original master plan for the University of Southern California, and the first "skyscraper" built in Los Angeles.) At the first meeting a community consensus was arrived at to NOT sell the property for residential development. But CRA is the actual owner of the firehouse and may have additional constraints of its own. Come find out.

2). BLACK HISTORY MONTH EVENT
Sunday, February 12 2-5 p.m. 2233 West 21st Street ( Western Heights) POTLUCK - please bring a dish to share!

February is Black History Month, and you are invited to help celebrate African American contributions to the arts and culture at WAHA's Sunday afternoon potluck. Avery Clayton, the executive director of the Mayme A. Clayton Library (the largest and most substantial collection rare books, documents, films, music, photographs, and memorabilia on African American culture and history in the Western United States), will give a fun presentation on this community asset. And, we'll enjoy listening to some early jazz recordings.

Thanks to Kim and Jenifer Watson for hosting this event.

Note: the Western Heights neighborhood is now partially gated. Please enter on Gramercy Place from either Washington or Adams.

3). NEW HIGH SCHOOL SITE SELECTION MEETING
Wednesday, February 8 6:00- 8:00 p.m. Arlington Heights Elementary School - Auditorium 1717 7th Avenue, between Washington and Venice

LAUSD is hosting a Site Selection Update Meeting for the proposed Central Region High School #14, a new school to relieve overcrowding at Dorsey, Los Angeles and Hamilton High Schools. At this meeting, LAUSD officials will review: * Criteria used to select potential sites * Sites suggested by community and by LAUSD, and * They will present and discuss the most suitable site(s) for this new school project.

Please be aware that although the three high schools to be relieved are to the west, south and north of West Adams, LAUSD has drawn a search circle that basically falls east, ie: in Lafayette Square/Victoria Circle/Wellington Square/Arlington Heights. We are well aware that a new high school that will serve West Adams youth is already under construction at Vermont and Washington.

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

4). WEST ADAMS AVENUES NEIGHBORHOOD ASSN. MEETING
Wednesday, February 8 7 - 8:30 p.m. Wilfandel Club, 3425 West Adams Blvd. (corner 5th Avenue)

You are invited to join the West Adams Avenues Association at its monthly meeting. They are planning to discuss updates regarding the West Adams Terrace HPOZ, and the status of the South Seas House and West Adams Avenues/Benny Potter Park, among other issues.

5). OPEN SATURDAY AT PEACE AWARENESS LABYRINTH AND GARDENS WITH AFTERNOON TEA
Saturday, February 18 Noon - 4 p.m. Tea 2 - 4 p.m. Guasti Villa/Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens, 3500 West Adams Boulevard

Bring friends and family to enjoy the gardens and walk the labyrinth. Open Saturday is especially designed for people who want to visit the historic villa (at one time film director Busby Berkeley's estate), walk the labyrinth, and enjoy and afternoon in the gardens. No appointment necessary.

Afternoon Tea featuring fresh-made tea sandwiches and cakes, and organic Urth Caffé teas DOES REQUIRE RESERVATIONS and advance payment! Cost for Afternoon Tea: $10. There is no cost for visiting the gardens (but, 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.

6). 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