Griffith Park

Tim Willert GRIFFITH PARK -- The Los Angeles Zoo, in conjunction with radio station KRTH, will host a weekend Earth Day celebration from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 20-21. The two-day event will feature booths, crafts, recycling information, interactive games, face painting and more. Representatives from various environmental organizations will distribute information and answer questions. Glendale Water and Power will be among the agencies participating, and will man a interactive booth to teach kids about conserving water and electricity.

Mark R. Madler Sue Wittick has been riding horses on the trails in Griffith Park for 20 years and, until recently, enjoyed taking evening rides there. That changed when signs went up announcing that a mountain lion is living in the park. Caution has become the watchword for some members of the equestrian community in Glendale and Burbank, although they recognize that the mountain lion has not attacked anyone. "I stay close to the freeway part of the park now," said Wittick, who lives in Glendale and is a horse trainer.

In support of the United Nations' International Day of Peace, internationally renowned scientist, environmentalist and U.N. Messenger of Peace Dr. Jane Goodall will be the key speaker and host of the Fourth Annual Roots and Shoots International Day of Peace to be held at Griffith Park on Saturday, Sept. 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (near the Merry-Go-Round). Designed for families and children, the event will feature guest speakers and performers, including Julia Butterfly Hill, Tom LaBonge and the Children's International Peace Choir, as well as music, arts, crafts, a giant Peace Dove Parade and environmental wildlife displays.

Alecia Foster GRIFFITH PARK -- Hands-on activities and experiments for children are some of the fun things to do on Nickelodeon's Big Helpmobile. The Helpmobile will pull into the Los Angeles Zoo parking lot on Thursday as part of a campaign encouraging kids to protect and conserve water. The event is part of a 50-city tour by the children's cable station. Free tours of the 34-foot, brightly colored, interactive learning lab trailer will be given.

Kimberly Madsen and Christine Trinidad, participants in Easter Seals' After School Program in Glendale, will serve as honorary team captains today at the second annual Easter Seals "Walk With Me" event at Griffith Park in Los Angeles. "Walk With Me" joins groups of walkers with honorary team captains. Team captains are adults and children with disabilities who participate in Easter Seals. Each group of walkers learns more about team captains during the walk.

Thank you for the front-page story about the passing of Barbara Larsen. I remember Barbara as one of the first people to help me in 1993 when I began my research for a book on the history of Griffith Park. She invited my wife and I into her stylish condo and was very generous with her time, even though it seemed that she was very busy with tutoring Spanish and other activities. I fondly remember her talking about hiking in the park beginning in the mid-1920s as a member of the Hiking Club at Glendale High School.

Thomas E. Hughes February 23, 1956- April 20, 2011 Tom passed away unexpectedly at his home in Burbank. He embraced everything life had to offer and he gave great care and love to his family – as a son, brother, husband, father, uncle and friend. His interests were many including the great outdoors, nature, and the people in his life. He loved riding his motorcycle in Griffith Park and along Pacific Coast Highway, going camping with his family and friends, and flying kites in the wind.

GIRLS’ CROSS-COUNTRY Bellarmine-Jefferson Invitational: Flintridge Prep ran to a first-place finish in the Division IV Blue race in 1 hour 45 minutes 5 seconds (35 points) behind senior Dot Silverman’s winning time of 19:03 in the 36th running of the event on Saturday at Griffith Park. Kaitlyn Kelleher finished fifth overall for the Rebels in 20:52, followed by Kandice Jung (21:23) and Elise Partos (21:29) in eighth and ninth, respectively. Alex Hubert was Prep’s fifth runner, finishing 12th in 22:18.

Amber Willard GRIFFITH PARK -- Three grocery store workers were preparing to walk Sunday morning, but not among the food aisles. The workers were part of three teams of walkers from Ralphs stores in Glendale who joined about 750 walkers in the Muscular Dystrophy Assn. Muscle Team Walk at Griffith Park. "We wanted to help the kids," said Mauricio Herrera, a courtesy clerk at Ralphs on East Colorado Street. "It's something we can do for their families."

Karen S. Kim GRIFFITH PARK -- The Autry Museum of Western Heritage will have more of a woman's influence starting next month when its merger with the Women of the West Museum, based in Boulder, Colo., goes into effect. "We're very excited about it," said Evelyn Davis, spokeswoman for the Autry Museum. "Patrons will see the important role that women played, what they did and what they continue to do in the larger context, on the American West and these different communities."