Summer Reading Program at the West Hollywood Library: Finale Party on Saturday, August 11, 2012

The Friends of the City of West Hollywood Library’s Summer Reading Program will draw to a close on Saturday, August 11, 2012, with a final party that will take place from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Kids must finish the reading game one time in order to attend the finale party, which will have games, pizza, refreshments and prizes.

Admission is free. Parking is available at the West Hollywood Library Parking Garage. For more information, please call (310) 652-5340 or visit www.colapublib.org

For ADA accommodation, such as sign language interpreter or materials in an alternate format, call (562) 940-8462 (voice) or (562) 940-8477 (TTY), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at least six business days prior to event.

West Hollywood Women’s Mastery Series: “Mastering Your Relationships” set for Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The West Hollywood Women’s Advisory Board and the West Hollywood Women’s Leadership Conference present a new Women’s Mastery workshop series called “Mastering Your Relationships.” A “Mastering Your Relationship” workshop will take place on Tuesday, August 14, 2012 at

6:30 p.m. in the Senior Lounge at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard.  This workshop will be facilitated by Jessica LeRoy, the founder and executive director of the Center for the Psychology of Women.

The “Mastering Your Relationships” series will focus on the various roles women play and how those roles affect the way women think and feel about themselves, as well as provide very practical advice from an expert who works with women and relationships on a daily basis. The workshops will take place on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and are scheduled for August 14, August 28, September 11 and September 25, 2012.

Admission is free, and there is onsite parking available. For more information and to sign up, please call (213) 840-4958 or email WHWMSinfo@gmail.com  For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

Recreational Club “Time Presses” Comes to the Wednesday Night Social Club on August 15, 2012

The City of West Hollywood and its Russian Advisory Board sponsors the Russian-American recreational club “Time Presses,” from 6:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. on Wednesday, August 15, 2012, in the Great Hall at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard. The night features karaoke singing, movies, potluck food and socializing in both Russian and English. There will also be a special presentation by members and an open microphone.

Recreational Club Time Presses is an organization whose mission is to promote a healthy lifestyle through organized social, recreational and outdoor activities, as well as educational lectures and cultural events.

Admission is free. For more information, please call (323) 848-6826 or e-mail info@timepresses.com or visit www.timepresses.com  For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

Vegetarian Cooking Demonstration on Saturday, August 18, 2012

The Los Angeles County Public Library is sponsoring a Vegetarian Cooking Demonstration from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 18, 2012 at the West Hollywood Library Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Everyone is welcome, including those new to vegetarian cooking as well as those who’d like to learn new recipes or just spend an afternoon enjoying a food demonstration. There will be free samples and recipes available at the program. 

Admission is free. Parking is available in the West Hollywood Library Parking Garage.  For more information, please call (310) 652-5340 or visit www.colapublib.org

For ADA accommodation, such as sign language interpreter or materials in an alternate format, call (562) 940-8462 (voice) or (562) 940-8477 (TTY), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at least six business days prior to event.

Free “Confident City Cycling” Education Session on Sunday, August 19, 2012

Driving a car is not the only way to traverse the city and commute to work. Grab your favorite two-wheeled form of transportation and take a lesson on “Confident City Cycling” on Sunday, August 19, 2012 from noon to 4 p.m. at the West Hollywood Community Center at Plummer Park, 7377 Santa Monica Boulevard, Rooms 5 and 6. This is the first of a two-part workshop designed to offer education, encouragement, community facilitation and planning assistance to promote sustainable active transportation. All participants must have taken the first classroom session on Sunday, August 19, 2012 in order to complete the second hands-on session on Sunday, August 26, 2012.

The class is co-sponsored by the City of West Hollywood and Sustainable Streets, a nonprofit organization committed to building healthy communities by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in active transportation for their everyday mobility needs.

Admission is free. For more information and to reserve a space, please visit http://sustainablestreets.org/education/ccc./ For more information, please call (323) 848-6891. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

“Understanding Our Power: A Roundtable Discussion about Women and Equality,” on Friday, August 24, 2012

The West Hollywood Women’s Advisory Board presents “Understanding Our Power: A Roundtable Discussion about Women and Equality,” a power breakfast-style event commemorating the 92nd anniversary of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote in the United States. The roundtable discussion will take place from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Friday, August 24, 2012, at the West Hollywood Park Public Meeting Room Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Dianne Callister, President of the Singer Foundation and Chair of the Women’s Studies Council in the School of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, will moderate the discussion with special guest speakers.

Guests speakers will include Madeline Di Nonno, Executive Director of The Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media and See Jane; Judi Miller Levy, LCSW, SEP, Clinical Program Coordinator for the National Council of Jewish Women/LA’s Women Helping Women ~ Community Counseling & Support Services; and employment and labor attorney Angela J. Reddock, Esq., Founder and Managing Partner, The Reddock Law Group.

The program will be televised on CATV CityChannel 10 and available on demand at www.weho.org

The West Hollywood Women's Advisory Board (WAB) advises the City Council on policies and other issues pertaining to women, advocates on behalf of women's rights, and provides programming addressing women's concerns.

Admission is free. Two hours of free parking with validation is available at the 5-story West Hollywood Park/Library Parking Garage. To RSVP and for more information, please call (323) 848-6823 or email whwedrsvy@gmail.com  For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

“Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” Walk on Saturday, August 25, 2012

The “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” event unites communities to celebrate people who have battled breast cancer, raise awareness about the steps one can take to help prevent the disease, and raise money to find cures and support programs and services for those facing the disease. The West Hollywood Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 25, 2012, at Interior Illusions, 7335 Santa Monica Boulevard. There is no registration fee or minimum fundraising required, and people of all ages are welcome to participate and raise funds.

Since 1993, nearly 7 million walkers across the country have raised more than $400 million through Making Strides events, with more than 115,000 annual California participants.

To learn more, sign up, and join a team go to http://makingstrides.acsevents.org  or call (310) 348-0357 for more information.  For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

Free “Confident City Cycling” Education Session on Sunday, August 26, 2012

 Driving a car is not the only way to traverse the city and commute to work. Grab your favorite two-wheeled form of transportation and take a lesson on “Confident City Cycling” on Sunday, August 26, 2012 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Spaulding Park Lot at the intersection of Spaulding Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard. This is the second of a two-part workshop designed to offer education, encouragement, community facilitation and planning assistance to promote sustainable active transportation. All participants must have taken the first classroom session on Sunday, August 19 in order to complete this second hands-on session.

The class is co-sponsored by the City of West Hollywood and Sustainable Streets, a nonprofit organization committed to building healthy communities by encouraging people of all ages and backgrounds to engage in active transportation for their everyday mobility needs.

Admission is free. For more information and to reserve a space, please visit http://sustainablestreets.org/education/ccc./ For more information, please call (323) 848-6891. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

Lambda Lit Book Club to Discuss The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov on Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The City of West Hollywood’s new Lambda Lit Book Club will meet on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the West Hollywood Library’s Community Meeting Room, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. A program of the Lambda Literary Foundation, co-sponsored by the West Hollywood Library, the Lambda Lit Book Club meets the last Tuesday of every month to highlight a different queer book. The Lambda Lit Book Club’s book selection for August is The Unreal Life of Sergey Nabokov: A Novel by Paul Elliott Russell.

Lambda Lit Book Club discussions are led by the Lambda Literary Foundation’s director, Tony Valenzuela, or by guest facilitators. When possible, selected authors will be invited to discuss their books in person.  Books selected for the club are a heady mix of LGBT classics, unheralded gems and buzz-worthy new releases.

Admission is free. Parking is available at the West Hollywood Library Parking Garage. For more information, please contact the Lambda Literary Foundation at infor@lambdaliterary.org or call (310) 652-5340 or visit www.colapublib.org

For ADA accommodation, such as sign language interpreter or materials in an alternate format, call (562) 940-8462 (voice) or (562) 940-8477 (TTY), Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at least six business days prior to event.

2012 Disability Service Awards Call for Nominations: Deadline is 5 p.m. on Thursday, September 13, 2012

The City of West Hollywood’s Disabilities Advisory Board will present the 2012 Annual Disability Service Awards as part of the City’s observance of Disabilities Awareness Month in October. The award presentation and reception will be held at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 in the City Council Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. Members of the West Hollywood community are encouraged to nominate individuals, businesses, media, and non-profit organizations that are deserving of special recognition for their work with people living with disabilities, accessibility issues, attention to ADA requirements, or advocacy. Self-nominations are also welcome.

Please submit nominations by Thursday, September 13, 2012 before

5 p.m.  Award recipients will be notified by the first week of October. Nomination forms are available at the City of West Hollywood information kiosks or online at www.weho.org  Please return completed nomination forms to Kim Patterson at West Hollywood City Hall via e-mail at kpatterson@weho.org, fax at (323) 848-6565, or mail.

For more information, please contact Kim Patterson in the Social Services Division, at (323) 848-6510. For the deaf and hard of hearing, please call (323) 848-6496.

Upcoming Event

The Art of Storymaking for the 21st Century: A Free Workshop in Personal Book Creation

The Art of Storymaking for the 21st Century, is a free workshop that will take place from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, September 8, 2012 in the West Hollywood Library’s Community Room (park level), 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The Art of Storymaking for the 21st Century will be led by artist Debra Disman and will be held in honor of the County of Los Angeles Public Library’s 100th Year Centennial. This workshop is for adults only.

Debra Disman is an artist, art educator and the owner of Artifactory Studio in Santa Monica.  By learning hands-on techniques in visual arts, craft and creative writing, workshop participants will design their own personal one-of-a-kind books.  A discussion about the function, purpose and meaning of the book as an object will also be included.

The workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the West Hollywood Library, a nonprofit organization committed to the promotion and enhancement of the West Hollywood Library’s collections, facilities and programs. The Friends of the West Hollywood Library also operates the Library’s onsite bookstore.

For more information, regarding The Art of Storymaking for the 21st Century, please call The Friends of the West Hollywood Library, at

(323) 929-2359.