Mexico awarded silver medals, its top tourism...

Mexico awarded silver medals, its top tourism awards, to William W. Escherich, manager of travel publications for the Automobile Club of Southern California, and to Manuel and Mary Alice Vasquez, owners of Reforma Mex Travel, Los Angeles. The awards were presented in Acapulco by Mexico’s Secretary of Tourism Antonio Enriquez Savignac “in recognition of their valuable assistance in increasing tourism to Mexico.”

“The Traveling Journalist,” a one-day workshop on writing travel articles, will be sponsored by UCLA Extension July 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the UCLA campus. Coordinated by travel writer Jack Adler, guest speakers will include Donna Carroll, free-lance travel photographer; Richard Carroll, free-lance travel writer; Pamela Lechtman, travel editor of Shape magazine, and Bill Peeples of the Los Angeles Times Travel Section. Fee is $55. Details are available from UCLA Extension at (213) 825-0641.

People Express is offering $109 one-way flights from Newark, N.J., to Los Angeles and San Francisco on Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday through June 30. One-way fares for other days of the week will be $149 off-peak and $169 peak. With 14-day advance purchase the airline is also offering a $99 one-way rate to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

A five-session class, “The Wonders of California: A Slide-Illustrated Tour,” will begin June 24 at 7 p.m. in Room 1102 Architecture, UCLA. Offered through UCLA Extension, (213) 825-7093, the class will meet consecutive Tuesdays and cost $10 per lecture at the door or $45 for the series. Topics include mountains and white-water rivers on July 1, offshore islands July 8, the Cascades July 15 and the Colorado River July 22.