Fun and Food in the Sun! Plus, a Mills Act Workshop.

By Laura Meyers

Applications will also be available at the workshop. Who: The property must be either a City of Los Angeles Cultural Monument or a Contributing Structure in a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. Generally speaking, a property's tax assessed value must be not more than $500,000 for a single family dwelling or $1,500,000 for a multifamily dwelling or commercial or industrial building. Property purchased prior to 1978 will probably not receive a tax reduction. Property purchased before 1989 will likely receive a minimal tax reduction. Property purchased after 1989 is the most likely to receive a rate reduction.

If you would like to attend please RSVP to info@unnc.org. Or call (323) 731-8686 Please bring a picture of the front of your property, if possible.

2). GRAMERCY HOUSING GROUP'S 10th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
Thursday, June 22 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Ribbon cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m.) 1824 4th Avenue (at Washington Boulevard)

Gramercy Housing Group is celebrating 10 years of service to the Los Angeles community with an open house and grand re-opening of its newly renovated childcare center at Gramercy Court. Meet community leaders, tour the center, and learn more about its services. In the past decade, this organization was able to construct Gramercy Court, a 16-unit transitional affordable housing development that serves young single parents between the age of 18 and 24 who have one child under the age of 5. With the help of the community, it has been able to provide comprehensive case management and childcare services to improve the quality of life of the parents and children. Because of the great need for childcare services, the Gramercy Family Center was recently expanded through funding by Prop K. The center offers low cost, daycare dedicated to providing children with academic and developmentally appropriate activities. In addition to the expansion of the Gramercy Family Center, Gramercy Housing Group has recently formed an alliance with PATH Partners. PATH Partners is a family of agencies providing hope to people in need and is comprised of PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), PATH Ventures, PATH Achieve Glendale, and Gramercy Housing Group. El Cholo is catering this event. For additional information or to RSVP, please contact Joey Solomon at (323) 737-7351 ext. 13.

3). CELEBRATE JULY 4th WITH WAHA
Tuesday, 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 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 (because, there will be a lot of kids.)

Once again, the pop/jazz trio Voice Over will entertain us. We'll have a variety of "Wa-hot dogs" on the grill. 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.

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.) If you don't mind, please RSVP to yours truly, Laura Meyers, at lauramink@aol.com if you are planning to attend, with the number in your party.

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

4). VOICES OF BALLONA CREEK: ORAL HISTORY AND RADIO with TONY PALERMO
Saturday, June 17 11 a.m. Memorial Branch Library, 4625 W. Olympic Blvd.

Did you know that there is a natural underground stream known as El Rio del Jardin de las Flores in Los Angeles that surfaces briefly on its journey from the Hollywood Hills to Ballona Creek? Friends of the Memorial Library invites you to learn more about the communities along its route at the closing event of its special oral history program, the "Voices of Ballona Creek."

Please join Tony Palermo and friends on the lawn of Memorial Branch Library. Palermo is a radio dramatist, performer, and educator who just won a 2006 Audie award -- the Oscar of audiobooks. His work is heard on NPR and XM Satellite Radio as well as in audiobooks and on stage, with L.A. Theatre Works, the California Radio Artists Theater, the Pasadena Playhouse and others. His "Sparx Audio Adventures" assembly programs and workshops are popular with schools and colleges across California, the U.S. and the world.

For more information, call (323) 938-2732.

5). OPEN SATURDAY AT PEACE AWARENESS LABYRINTH AND GARDENS WITH AFTERNOON TEA
Saturday, June 17 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). CHINESE FOOD FESTIVAL AND GALLERY CRAWL
Saturday and Sunday, June 24-25 Noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday; 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday Corner of Broadway and College, next to Metro Gold Line station

Next weekend, attend the third annual Chinese Food Festival in Chinatown! The event will showcase food from Chinatown favorites such as Empress Pavilion, Mandarin Chateau, and Golden Dragon together with many smaller "best kept secret" restaurants. Events include cooking demonstrations featuring local chefs, samplings of Chinese beer, boba, and tea, cultural entertainment, and children's games and crafts. Many of Chinatown's 23 avant-garde art galleries will also be open during much of the day, and the area's trendy nightspots will sizzle after hours.

Kid Friendly: Lantern making and other crafts plus carnival rides. Have you ever tried eating 1,000-year-old eggs, chicken feet or jellyfish? If not, kids of all ages will enjoy the "Chinatown Fear Factor."

Headlining the festival's entertainment are 30 monks from China's ancient Shaolin temple who will perform breathtaking martial arts demonstrations. For over 1500 years monks from this temple have practiced a unique set of eighteen different movements--the original Kung Fu-- used for exercise and meditation, and later used in defending the temple during periods of historical upheaval. Thanks to the prowess of these soldier monks, the name Shaolin has become synonymous with the finest and most extraordinary feats of discipline, strength and courage.

General Admission: $10; Seniors (60+) $8; Youths (6-12) $6; and others: free. (Admission includes 1 food tasting per paid ticket.) Food booths, beer, tea, boba and other special drink booths also available. More information: (213) 680-0243

7). ART WALLAH FESTIVAL IN LITTLE TOKYO
Saturday, June 24 11 a.m. 'til the wee hours Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, 244 S. San Pedro St.

The ArtWallah Festival returns to Los Angeles at a new location, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (JACCC) in Little Tokyo. The multi-disciplinary Festival will welcome over forty established and emerging artists to engage in the nation's leading forum for arts and ideas of the South Asian diaspora. Events include indoor and outdoor programming, interactive workshops and panel discussions, and performance and visual arts. Plus, north and south Indian cuisine booths.

New for this year, ArtWallah also introduces the first ever "Artists' Day," on Sunday, June 25. Also at the JACCC, the Artists' Day is open to ArtWallah Festival artists and interested members of the Los Angeles community who desire opportunities to network and collaborate, while offering discussions and workshops geared to professional artists' development. Information: (310) 391-3330

8). NOT IN THE SUN, BUT FOOD AND FROLIC NONETHELESS

Jim Childs reports that one of our favorite Italian neighborhood restaurants, Le Porcini, in the Victorian Village complex at the Hoover Union Triangle, 2308 South Union (213-745-4886) is officially serving beer and wine with your meal. As of Thursday, June 15, the eatery's application for a beer-and-wine license was implemented.

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