WE’RE HOT: This has certainly been a...

WE’RE HOT: This has certainly been a strange winter in the weather department. Rainfall is way down, and now we’re hitting a sudden heat wave (above). . . . Monday’s high of 82 is above average, and today’s expected high of 83 would be a record.

QUAKE AID: Hollywood turned out at Paramount Studios Saturday night to raise about $15,000 for quake-damaged businesses in the Valley. . . . “It’s not what we had wanted,” said one organizer of the Achey Quakey Benefit, which featured a night of cabaret, but the event was still considered a success.

NEW HOPE: There’s some exciting news for those waging the painful battle against Lou Gehrig’s disease, officially known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A new drug, tested in France, apparently slows the disease’s progression. . . . . But Lynn Klein, a vice president of the ALS Assn. in Woodland Hills, cautions the drug is no treatment, and probably won’t be ready this year.

MAD ABOUT HOOP: March is here, which means madness is coming. For those unfamiliar with this annual craze, it’s almost time for March Madness, the ritual of post-season high school and college basketball tournaments. . . This year, some ex-San Fernando and Antelope Valley players likely to make the NCAA Tournament include: New Mexico State’s D. J. Jackson, New Orleans’ Tony Madison and UCLA’s Marquis Burns.

NO JUNK FOOD: Arcenio Herrera, a marathon runner from Guatemala now living in Sherman Oaks, is always in training. He eats mostly fresh fruit shakes, pasta, vegetables, fish, rice and beans. Even his wife has gotten into the act, losing more than 60 pounds since the two met in September. . . Herrera, who will run in Sunday’s L. A. Marathon, addressed students Tuesday at Lassen Elementary School in North Hills. (B2)

Balmy Days

The Valley is experiencing unusually high temperatures. Monday’s high in Burbank was above the average for this time of year and today’s high is expected to surpass the March 2 record. Burbank highs:

1994 Avg./Record High High Monday 73 68/87 (1967) Tuesday 81* 67/88 (1967) Wednesday 79** (1972)

* As of Tuesday, 4 p.m.

** Forecast

Source: WeatherData Inc.