ART HOUSE: The city of Anaheim opened...

ART HOUSE: The city of Anaheim opened the doors of its new arena for residents to come by for a free visit Friday, and they did--by the thousands. The place turned out to be the hit that arena officials had hoped for. . . . Most were like Stan Mullins, a database administrator who lives four blocks away and brought his three children. “Beautiful, state of the art; we loved it!” he exclaimed. “We’re sharing two Mighty Ducks season tickets with three other families, and I tell you, I can’t wait.”

VERTIGO HOCKEY? Visitors to the Anaheim Arena tried out the luxury boxes, checked out their own hockey season ticket seats, or climbed to the tiptop for a full view. . . . While some joked about vertigo because upstairs seating is so steep, most said the seating arrangement keeps the fans closer to the action. And Betty Arnold of Orange, a spry 83, suggested the steep seating helps you see above the person in front of you. “I’m short, and I always get stuck behind some big oaf,” she said. “Here I can see .”

NOT A NOTE: Country music chart buster Suzy Bogguss will be in Orange County today, but she won’t be singing. Bogguss has her own Western clothing line, and will be at Nordstrom’s Savvy shop at South Coast Plaza at 1 p.m. to promote it. . . . “I’ll sign autographs, try on clothes, anything they want,” she said in a radio interview. A store spokeswoman describes the Suzy Bogguss line as “cute”--mostly denims and colorful Western jackets.

SHE WAS BUSY: Invitations to the local Black Chamber of Commerce’s 1993 awards dinner in Anaheim on Friday included an impressive keynote speaker: “Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton (invited).” . . . Problem is, Clinton never agreed to speak, and the White House says she won’t be there. Aaron Lovejoy, the chamber’s president, seemed surprised. . . . His response: “We were under the impression she was doing everything she could to be there.”