FIRST LADY: The Northridge Little Leaguers were...

FIRST LADY: The Northridge Little Leaguers were thrown another curve--this time by international diplomacy. They were to meet President Clinton this afternoon, but he got stuck in Washington overseeing the situation in Haiti. So the national champs will meet First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton when she lands at Burbank Airport. . . . “The team is very excited to have this opportunity,” said publicist Paula Mort. “So am I!”

MANSIONS: For some, it’s the American Dream. For others, it’s a big house that doesn’t belong. The problem is “mansionization”--where large homes seem out of place in modest neighborhoods (B1). . . . Burbank is the latest city trying to balance the rights of property owners with the interests of the community. The City Council may tighten rules for single-family homes.

FASCINATING: Actor-director Leonard Nimoy (above) will be today’s guest speaker at a ceremony inducting five test pilots into Lancaster’s Aerospace Walk of Honor. Logical, isn’t it? After all, who knows more about space travel than Mr. Spock? . . . Nimoy says the pilots, though not household names, “laid down the bricks and mortar for dreams.”

DELICIOUS: The seventh annual Taste of Encino continues today, serving up culinary delights from 25 Valley restaurants and six wineries. Saturday’s crowd piled plates high with chicken salads and barbecue (B1). . . . “It’s just one great big bite,” said Steve Mack of North Hills.

THINGS CHANGE: CSUN President Blenda Wilson on Saturday defended her reorganization of a program to help minority students, saying it should increase the number who graduate. As it is, just 36% of Latino students and 28% of black students graduate within seven years. But some students and faculty say Wilson’s changes are the first step toward dismantling the Educational Opportunity Program. (B3)