Party Will Celebrate Earthquake Recovery

People are starting to move back into the Willis Avenue ghost town. The spruced-up Radisson hotel on Ventura Boulevard is back in business. The contractors’ school on Van Nuys Boulevard at the Ventura Freeway is getting a face lift.

To celebrate these and other signs of Sherman Oaks’ recovery from the devastating Northridge earthquake, the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn. next Sunday will sponsor a party and take a walk through the community.

“We as individuals and as a community have worked our tushes off to recover from the earthquake,” said Matt Epstein. “We did a great job as a community and we just want to have a day to have fun and celebrate.”

The party will be held in the Sunkist Building parking lot at the corner of Hazeltine Avenue and Riverside Drive, which will also be the starting point of the 11 a.m. walk. The party will go from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Professional musicians and community music groups will entertain. The party and walk are free.

Eleven local restaurants will be selling their specialties during the festivities. A special treat will be a skit performed by the cast of the comedy series “Sherman Oaks” on the Showtime cable network.

Epstein said the event was being sponsored by area businesses, including Fashion Square Sherman Oaks, the Sherman Oaks Galleria, the Guitar Center and Sunkist.

City Councilman Mike Feuer is expected to attend, as well as some celebrity residents of Sherman Oaks. Epstein declined to name the stars, saying they are not intended to be the main draw.