A SPECIAL REPORT: VALLEY LIFE

KID-FRIENDLY: A guide to Valley restaurants that actually want kids as customers is in Valley Life!, Page 31. With toy trains and other attractions, many eateries serve healthy alternatives to fast food. . . . On the other hand, what about a nice dinner without the kids? Critic Max Jacobson recommends the European flavor of Piacere in Woodland Hills on Page 32.

LUCKY DOG: Steve Ledoux, above, has a winning hand. . . . From a Maui vacation to a dental examination for his dog, April, the Studio City resident has amassed about $12,000 in cash and prizes. His secret? About three hours a week filling out contest entry forms. The Valley is filled with “sweepstakes-aholics” who have turned pesky sweepstakes mailers into a money-making hobby. See Valley Life!, Page 8.

SPICY SPOT: Want to add some spice to your dating life? Take that special person for a spin on the dance floor at Salsa Club 2000. . . . Club Scene calls it North Hollywood’s solution to a salsa craving. See Life!, Page 29.

OLD SOFT SHOE: Nike wasn’t the first to elevate shoes to an art form. . . . Native Americans have made beaded moccasins for decades, including this pair to be displayed at the Natural History Museum’s Burbank Gallery. The exhibit showcases 100 Native American art objects. See Life!, Page 3.

GROUP HOME: Pat Metheny is coming home. . . . After years playing with the likes of David Bowie and Charlie Haden, the guitarist performs Saturday at Universal Studios with longtime musical comrades in the Pat Metheny Group. “We’ve all been through a lot together,” he says. See Life!, Page 10.