Centenarians Live It Up in Healthy L.A.

Living in the Los Angeles area can’t be unhealthful, judging from all the birthdays for 100-year-olds and up.

In Beverly Hills, Mary Frances Williams observed her 103rd last month in the apartment she has occupied since 1941.

“She is a big believer in oatmeal--thinks it has magical pow-ers,” Ruth Jordan, her housekeeper, said. “She has it every day, with honey instead of sugar.”

Mrs. Williams walks several blocks a day, usually has lunch at a restaurant and attends church every Sunday.

At the Golden Crest Retirement Hotel in Hollywood, Hyman Bolotin, one of the residents, turned 100 on May 15 and was honored with a party.

Bolotin, who was born in Russia and came to this country in 1904, said he likes chicken and eats very little beef. He rides the equivalent of eight miles a day on a stationary bicycle.

Finally, Samuel Frumkin of Los Angeles will celebrate his 100th birthday June 2. The event will be observed with a party at the Tarzana home of his son, Leo, one of his three children.

“Samuel Frumkin eats doughnuts all the time,” Sara Slayen, a friend, said. “And he keeps fit by walking, both inside the house and around the neighborhood.”

Another Grand Day

Helen and Francis Line of Capistrano Beach haven’t quite reached the century figure yet, but a few weeks ago they did observe their 57th wedding anniversary--and, as usual, hiked into and out of the Grand Canyon.

The husband is 81, the wife turned 78 today.

“We started at the South Rim and walked 7 1/2 miles to the Phantom Ranch,” the husband said. “We stayed overnight, and hiked back out.”

Helen and Francis, authors of the recently published book, “Grand Canyon Love Story,” each began hiking the canyon in the early 1920s. They started the anniversary walks in 1977.

“We have reservations at the ranch on our anniversary for the next two years, because that is as far ahead as you can make them,” the husband commented.

“But our plans go well beyond that,” he said, without reservation.

‘Olympiad’ Donation

One of the track shoes worn by Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics is already on hand, as are relay torches from the quadrennial Games dating back to that year. And now another addition to a local sports museum.

Sports film documentarian Bud Greenspan will donate his entire 22-part, Emmy Award-winning sports series, “The Olympiad,” to the First Interstate Bank Athletic Foundation.

In invitation-only ceremonies Wednesday night at the museum, 2141 W. Adams Blvd., Greenspan, of Cappy Productions Inc., also will show excerpts from “16 Days of Glory,” his film on the 1984 Olympic Games.

Elizabeth Primrose, executive director of the foundation (formerly Helms), said the donation from Greenspan consists of 22 one-hour documentaries.

A Responsible Citizen

A highlight of the recent annual spring dinner at the Beverly Hilton of the Constitutional Rights Foundation was a brief talk by Teresa Marquez, 17, a graduating senior at Roosevelt High School.

Marquez told how the foundation’s Youth Leadership for Action program had given confidence to her and had taught her to be a responsible citizen.

The student, who said she plans to major in political science when she begins at Long Beach State University in the fall, displayed the William P. Hogoboom perpetual trophy, given for outstanding community work to the Roosevelt team members in the leadership program.

Racing Cain at 42

Cain feels he will be able.

Coming up for Art Cain, 42, and three local youths is a bicycle ride of about 3,000 miles, from Whittier to New York City, beginning June 30.

The purpose is to stimulate public awareness of dyslexia and related learning disabilities and to raise funds for an institution involved in that, the Discovery Center of Whittier Christian Schools, of which Cain is director.

Accompanying him on the coast-to-coast ride will be Jeff Eytchison, 20, Brian Harshbarger, 15, and Rob Foster, 14.

Sponsors are being sought not only on a pledge-per-mile basis (one cent per mile is a $30 pledge), but in the form of products and services for the charity trip.

Information is available at (213) 698-0527.

Absence Excused

About 1,000 students were conspicuous by their absence Tuesday in Los Angeles schools--because these were youths with exceptional attendance records.

To honor their records, they were taken on a cruise to Santa Catalina Island, dancing to live bands aboard two ships. Olympics gold medal boxer Paul Gonzales helped arrange the trip as part of an attendance motivation program.

The students had the best homeroom attendance this semester at 26 Los Angeles junior and senior high schools, which Gonzales visited.

A Really Smell Week

Although the week that takes your breath away isn’t until July 14, preparations already are in full gear for the third annual Los Angeles Garlic Week.

The citywide observance is presented by Nucleus Nuance restaurateurs Katherine and Bruce Veniero, in association with Lovers of the Stinking Rose, the international organization of garlic enthusiasts.

Last year, 18 local restaurants offered everything from garlic ice cream to garlic wine.