The drive to win historic status for the residential center of old Van Nuys is picking up momentum. The Times covers the subject today (and mentions me). Patricia Ward Biederman writes it is possible that Van Nuys will become the Valley's first official Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. If you still can't grasp the tandem concepts of The Valley and historic, consider that Van Nuys is a decade older than Hancock Park and Westwood. The homes from the teens and '20s are just hidden by all that rampant suburbia. The Daily News was on this story first, a few weeks ago, covered over at America's Suburb.com.

Speaking of L.A. history: Diane Keaton, who is on the board of the Los Angeles Conservancy, will appear with other conservancy types and community groups at noon today to make an announcement regarding efforts to preserve some of the circa-1921 Ambassador Hotel. The school board, which owns the closed Wilshire Boulevard landmark, plans to demolish most of the former hotel for a new campus.