The week ahead

A look at upcoming news events:

Today

Solar energy: U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Department of Energy hold a forum on environmental concerns and solar energy development across the Southwest.

Tuesday

O.C. supervisors: The leaders will meet in regular session to consider a proposal to separate the sheriff’s and coroner’s offices, then abolish the coroner’s office and establish an office of medical examiner.

Downtown housing: Central City Assn. of Los Angeles holds a forum to discuss the current and future state of the downtown housing market.

Wednesday

Economic outlook: UCLA Anderson Forecast economists discuss their quarterly economic outlook for California and the nation.

Port air pollution: The Port of Long Beach holds a public hearing on the environmental impact of the Middle Harbor Redevelopment Project, which supporters say would create about 14,000 permanent jobs and cut air pollution at two port terminals by 50%.

Friday

Prison visit: Southland children will be bused from Pasadena to a San Luis Obispo prison for a belated Father’s Day celebration with their incarcerated dads as part of the annual “Get on the Bus” program.

The Tip

If high gasoline prices are pushing your fuel gauge needle close to “empty,” you risk more than being stranded on a local freeway. Driving with a near-empty tank can allow sediment on the tank’s bottom to clog the fuel pump intake, filter or injectors.

And the sloshing of gasoline in a near-empty tank can push air into the fuel line, causing the pump to overheat. A new fuel pump can cost $500 or more -- enough for several fill-ups, even at today’s prices. So never drive with your tank less than a quarter full, warn experts at the Auto Club of Southern California.

Ask a Reporter

Did the vintage Crest Theatre on Westwood Boulevard ever receive its historic landmark designation?

The Los Angeles City Council last month approved the nomination of the Crest as the city’s newest historic-cultural monument, and owner Robert Bucksbaum is hoping to make changes that would keep the venerable place afloat.

“I plan on building out the stage so that I can do live theater,” Bucksbaum said. “My goal is to have kid shows and acting classes on the weekend mornings and performances at night.”

Bucksbaum’s plans would take the movie theater, which has struggled in an era of multiplexes, back to its roots. Designed by architect Arthur Hawes in an austere Moderne style, it opened in December 1940 as a venue for live performances.

It was soon converted to a movie theater and, during World War II, was the only screen in the vicinity devoted exclusively to newsreels.

In 1987, Pacific Theaters, then the owner, and Walt Disney Co. renovated the structure, replacing the original facade with one reminiscent of an Art Deco movie palace.

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-- Martha Groves