WOODLAND HILLS : Life Slowly Is Returning to Normal

For most people who live and work in Woodland Hills, life this week returned to some semblance of order after the earthquake’s upheaval.

After a six-day delay, classes at Pierce College began Monday. The Pierce College gymnasiums, however, were declared unusable. Physical education classes are being held outside when possible.

Enrollment on Tuesday was down 8% Across the street from Pierce, the West Valley Occupational Center remained closed this week because of structural damage, as did Calabash Street Elementary School, El Camino Real High School, Hale Middle School and Parkman Middle School.

Many major employers in the Woodland Hills and Warner Center areas--including Health Net, Rocketdyne and 20th Century Insurance Co.--were up and running at near-capacity after several days of cleanup and repair work. 20th Century issued a memo telling employees that casual dress “is appropriate” for employees in damaged buildings.

The Warner Center Marriott hotel--which was evacuated shortly after the quake--reopened Sunday night. The Hilton Hotel in Warner Center also was evacuated. It reopened Friday evening.

City Councilwoman Laura Chick will propose temporarily lifting some parking restrictions in the Warner Center area because several parking structures have been deemed unsafe, said Jackie Keene, a field deputy for Chick.

Many smaller businesses along Ventura and Topanga Canyon boulevards were closed.

Eight days after the 6.6-magnitude quake, Keene said, residents of the area near El Camino Real High and other neighborhoods were still without running water.

The Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization has rescheduled a planned meeting with Los Angeles Police Chief Willie L. Williams from Thursday to Feb. 17.

Kaiser Permanente in Woodland Hills, unlike the ravaged Kaiser facility in Granada Hills, was mostly back to normal this week after using emergency power and reserve water supplies to treat a crush of patients, said James L. Breeden, hospital administrator.