REAGAN LIBRARY PARTY ON TRACK.

Byline: Paul O'Donoghue Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Even as rain fell steadily Sunday, with more forecast for today, workers set up marquees to ensure today's Presidents Day party at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum goes off as planned.

Workers clad in yellow rain suits erected several large canopies to protect the 3,000 visitors expected for the free event.

The celebration is billed as a lawn party featuring everything from presidential look-alikes to food courts, dancing, a Dixieland band, fun runs and storytelling. Volunteer coordinator Richard Cooper said the tents will cover participants, ensuring show time, rain or shine, as in years past.

``Two years ago the rain pounded us and we had the tents, so it worked out very well,'' said Cooper.

``Normally we just have the open courtyard, so (this year) we'll have a big tent to protect the people because rain is forecast.''

Presidential look-alikes slated to attend include people impersonating Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman and Thomas Jefferson, along with Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams.

And there'll be pie-eating contests, face-painting and carnival games.

Activities begin at 6:30 a.m. with registration for races and fun runs, including the Ultimate Summit Presidential Road Race in which participants will charge up the library's steep drive, and the family run around the grounds, with entry fees benefiting youth programs.

Admission today is free to the museum and library, which features 75,000 artifacts associated with Reagan's life.

In addition, the museum will feature several special displays. These include dozens of miniatures made by artist Gene Gill of famous places associated with Reagan's presidency, a model of the Ferdinand Magellan Pullman armored railroad car used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Reagan, and a display of Tiffany artifacts.

The Tiffany artifacts include jewelry and silver on loan from private collections, ranging from exquisite vases and lamps to stained glass windows.

Sitting in the foyer of the museum Sunday writing a postcard to her sister in Pennsylvania featuring a smiling Reagan, Las Vegas resident Ruth Palmigiano said for her the Tiffany exhibition was one of the museum's highlights.

``I had a nice time, and I'm glad they had the stuff from Tiffany's here,'' Palmigiano said.

``It takes me back to my childhood. It's nice to learn about all the presidency entails, and I liked the tribute he paid to his wife, that he couldn't live without her and didn't want to live without her.''

Wearing a plastic rain suit, Palmigiano, a staunch Reagan voter, was one of a 26-member tour from Nevada that also visited the Nixon Library in Yorba Linda on Saturday.

For information on the Reagan Library party, call [phone].