The Week Ahead

A look at upcoming news events:

Today

Westside transit: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will hold a public meeting to provide information on the agency’s Westside Extension Transit Corridor. 6 p.m. at Los Angeles County Museum of Art-West.

Tuesday

Land use: The L.A. City Council takes up eviction rules for skid row hotels and mansionization rules.

O.C. sheriff: The Orange County Board of Supervisors will hear from residents suggesting interview questions for sheriff candidates who will be queried by the supervisors May 27 before they select a replacement for former Sheriff Michael S. Carona on June 3.

Thursday

Preservation: The Los Angeles Conservancy’s 27th annual Preservation Awards Luncheon. Among the honorees: the Eastern Columbia building, the Art Deco landmark in downtown L.A. recently remade into condominiums; the Claremont Packinghouse; and the Maltman Bungalows.

Friday

Prison visit: More than 1,000 children will board 47 buses with their guardians to visit their incarcerated mothers in women’s prisons around Southern California.

Saturday

Taiwanfest: Los Angeles and Orange County Taiwanese communities will host “Taiwanfest 2008” in downtown Los Angeles. El Pueblo de Los Angeles.

Bandshell: Long Beach officials will host a reopening ceremony for the historic Bixby Park Bandshell.

AIDS Walk: More than 8,000 walkers are expected to participate in the Orange County AIDS Walk.

The Tip

If you’ve been sneezing and blowing your nose all week, the culprit may be the mulberry trees. May is one of the worst months for allergies caused by airborne pollen, say experts at the California chapter of the nonprofit Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. Pollen from mulberry and oak trees is currently causing havoc in Los Angeles, according to www.pollenlibrary.com

Ask a Reporter

What happened to the I-5 truck tunnel near Santa Clarita where that big pileup and fire happened last fall?

After three people died Oct. 12 in the 31-car pileup, truckers denounced the tunnel as a death trap. They complained of poor signage, inadequate interior lighting and a too-fast 55-mph approach. At the time, Caltrans officials said the speed limit had been raised from 45 mph after traffic court judges questioned whether the lower speed was warranted. The tunnel, which reopened Nov. 14, now has custom-designed white concrete interior walls and is illuminated by 604 sensor lights inside, said Caltrans spokeswoman Maria Raptis. The speed limit is back to 45 mph, marked on both sides of the approach by signs with flashing beacons.

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-- Deborah Schoch