COMMUNITY NEWS : REHABILITATED DINOSAUR READY FOR YOUNG VISITORS.

Byline: Stacy Brown

Parents who fear they may have exhausted novel places to take their children might consider a visit to Pierce College.

The Woodland Hills campus is home to a Life Science Museum, which houses a dinosaur replica and wildlife specimens.

The dinosaur, which is cast in plaster and is 28 feet long and 9 feet tall, is a reproduction of an allosaurus and was damaged in the Northridge Earthquake.

Restored by a former Pierce College student, Robert Randolph, the reproduction depicts one of the largest carnivores to roam the Earth.

The museum also has on display bobcat, raccoon and mountain lion specimens and a saber-toothed tiger skull. Bird specimens include owls, a Canada goose, hawks, pelicans and other fowl.

While families can drop by the museum, it is recommended that reservations be made by calling biology Professor Ted Kinchloe at [phone].

The museum, established in 1966 by Richard Tuller, a zoology professor at the school, is free and is open to the public between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is located in Room 1711 of the Life Science Building, 6201 Winnetka Ave.

``Stop The Violence!'' ``Peace!'' Have you heard them all? Well, what about ``A Week Without Violence?''

The YWCA and Robinson's May stores in Pasadena are sponsoring a day celebrating the arts replacing violence.

The day caps a weeklong challenge to the community to live for one week without participating in, perpetuating or passively observing violence. As part of this campaign a number of local museums, including Kidspace, will open their doors free to families carrying YWCA cultural passports.

These passports can be obtained at Robinson's May stores, U.S. Post Office locations, YWCA of greater Los Angeles and Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks facilities.

Kidspace is an interactive museum for children 2 through 10. Kidspace is located at 390 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. Admission is $5 for children and adults, $3.50 for senior citizens and $2.50 for children 1 and 2. Museum members and infants under 1 are admitted free.

The museum is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free for everyone the first Monday of each month, from 5 to 8 p.m. For more information, call [phone].

Woodland Hills resident Paul Jarrett was selected to receive the ``Chevalier of the Legion of Honor'' from France later this month.

Jarrett, 101, is a veteran of World War I, and the town of Neuviller les Badonviller, France, has named a street after him.

In a letter to Jarret, President Jacques Chirac said Jarret will be presented with the honor by the person of his choice.

The Legion of Honor was created by Napoleon Bonaparte on May 19, 1802, as a general military and civil order of merit conferred without regard to birth or religion provided that anyone admitted swears to uphold liberty and equality.

Admission into the order, which can be conferred posthumously, requires 20 years of civil achievement in peacetime or extraordinary bravery and military service in times of war.

The Legion has five classes - Grand Cross, Grand Officer, Commander, Officer and Chevalier, also known as Knight. Napoleon himself was said to have made some 48,000 nominations.

The third annual City of Angels Film Festival will open with a 50th anniversary screening of ``It's a Wonderful Life'' on Oct. 17 at the Alex Theatre, 215 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale.

The 1946 film classic kicks off the Los Angeles film festival with its theme. ``The Search for Meaning in Film.'' The festival examines the use of cinema to explore moral values, analyze social and cultural issues and raise religious questions.

The festival continues through Oct. 20 at the Directors Guild of America Theater II, 7920 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. The film lineup includes ``Apocalypse Now,'' ``Babette's Feast'' and ``2001: A Space Odyssey.'' Panel-hosted discussions will follow the screening of each double feature.

The festival is sponsored by Fuller Theological Seminary, Catholics in Media Associates, Premise and Family Theater Productions. The admission price for each double feature is $7.50 for adults, $5 for students with valid IDs and $3 for children 15 and under.

For tickets and additional information, call [phone]. On-line information is also available at http://www.fuller.edu/film.

Granada Hills Community Hospital is offering a free support group for widowed men and women the second and fourth Thursday of each month from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The group meets in the hospital conference room at 10445 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills.

The program is designed to help widows and widowers adapt to life as a single person, work through the grieving process, rebuild self-confidence and raise their self-esteem during a difficult time.

For additional information, contact program director Myrna Bennett at [phone].

MEMO: Do you have news in your neighborhood? If so, please send the information to Stacy Brown, Daily News Editorial Department, P.O. Box 4200, Woodland Hills, Calif. 91365-4200. Fax: [phone].