Palisades News October 30, 2020

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October 30 – November 27, 2020 Volume 15, Issue 41

Eugene Levy Named as Honorary Mayor of Pacific Palisades Levy takes over role from Billy and Janice Crystal

By Toi Creel Eugene Levy has been named the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades as confirmed by Chairwoman Sarah Knauer and President & CEO Bob Benton on Monday, September 21.

Levy will take over for Co-Honorary Mayors Billy and Janice Crystal when he’s not in Canada. He currently does have a residence in the Alphabet Streets.

The Crystals were co-honorary mayors for more than two years starting back in January

2018.

Even after receiving the title of honorary Pali mayor, Levy also took home some major wins at the Emmys. On Sunday September 20, the award-winning actor took home two Awards for “Schitt’s Creek”, a show he created with his son.

He won in the categories of Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

When accepting the award, Levy told the audience “As a dad, getting to work on camera for six years with both my kids, Daniel and Sarah … such a joy, love you both and could not be prouder.”

Honorary Mayor of Palisades, see page 2

Left Turn Signal to be Installed at Chautauqua and Sunset Intersection where 2017 fatal motorcycle accident occurred getting left turn lane by December

By Sam Catanzaro In 2017 36-year-old David Babalyan died in a motorcycle accident at the intersection of Chautauqua and Sunset boulevards. Now following three years of lobbying by a group of Pacific Palisades residents the intersection will be getting a left turn late intended to prevent such accidents from occurring again.

At the October 22 Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) meeting, Eric Bruins, Council District 11 Transportation Director announced that a left-turn signal is being installed at the intersection of Chautauqua Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard. According to Bruins the signal, which will be for westbound traffic on Sunset turning left onto Chautauqua, will represent a “significant safety improvement” for Pacific Palisades.

“The signal had been sought by community members since the fatal motorcycle accident

Intersection, see page 7

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PACIFIC PALISADES DEMOCRATIC CLUB 2020 ENDORSEMENTS NOV. 3 GENERAL ELECTION

PRESIDENT/VP

Joe Biden/Kamala Harris

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 33 ASSEMBLY DISTRICT 50 LOS ANGELES DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Ted Lieu Richard Bloom George Gascón

October 30 – November 27, 2020

Hiker Rescued After Falling Into 40 Foot Temescal Ravine LAFD preform an aerial rescue of hiker Thursday afternoon

By Sam Catanzaro A hiker was airlifted to a hospital after falling into a 40 foot ravine at Temescal Canyon recently.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) on October 22 around 1:50 p.m. ground and air crews responded to an adult female hiker on a remote section of the Temescal Canyon Trail, just south of the waterfall, with an apparent ankle fracture after falling approximately 40 foot from a trail into a ravine.

A hovering LAFD rescue helicopter hoisted the injured woman aboard and provided inflight care during direct transport to an area hospital.

JUDICIAL

OFFICE 72 - Steve Morgan OFFICE 80 - David A. Berger OFFICE 162 - Scott Andrew Yang

LA COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD SEAT 1 - Andra Hoffman SEAT 3 - David Vela SEAT 5 - Nichelle Henderson SEAT 7 - Mike Fong

Temescal Canyon Trail.

Photo: Sam Catanzaro

Palisades Library Catches Fire PROPOSITIONS

CA PROP 14 - OPPOSE CA PROP 15 - SUPPORT CA PROP 16 - SUPPORT CA PROP 17 - SUPPORT CA PROP 18 - SUPPORT CA PROP 19 - SUPPORT CA PROP 20 - OPPOSE CA PROP 21 - SUPPORT CA PROP 22 - OPPOSE CA PROP 23 - NO CONSENSUS CA PROP 24 - OPPOSE CA PROP 25 - OPPOSE MEASURE J - SUPPORT

MEASURE RR - SUPPORT

For key details on ballot endorsements, visit: palidems.org info@palisadesdemclub.org | 310.230.2084 Paid for by the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club (palidems.org) and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee

Firefighters manage to save nearly all of the books

By Sam Catanzaro A “stubborn” fire broke out in the Palisades Branch Library a few weeks ago.

According to the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD, the fire was reported at 7:10 a.m. on October 8.

28 LAFD firefighters performed a coordinated fire attack, with vertical ventilation and salvage operations, to extinguish the fire– described by the Department as “stubborn”–in just under an hour.

“Firefighters saved nearly all of the books

Honorary Mayor of Palisades, from page 1 As far as what duties Levy will have to fulfill, he can follow in the steps of the Crystals. They made appearances and attended several events including the September 2018 Palisades Village grand opening, the Pacific Palisades Spelling Bee

inside, while extinguishing the flames and stopping the water flow from automatic fire sprinklers,” the LAFD said.

According to the LAFD, while the cause of the fire remains under investigation, it appeared to have started in the attic.

No injuries were reported.

as well as several holiday gatherings and special events.

Levy will serve as honorary mayor for two years and will join a list of large names like Bob Saget and Sugar Ray Leonard.

The honorary mayor title has been a tradition in the Palisades community since 1951 when Virginia Bruce served as the first honorary mayor.

October 30 – November 27, 2020

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What Was the Witch’s Favorite School Subject?

Spelling

By Nick Melvoin LAUSD District 4 Board Member Board District 4 What was the witch’s favorite school subject? Spelling.

Classes at the Los Angeles Unified School District—including spelling—remain virtual for now and as we are doing our best to help our students celebrate Halloween distantly, it’s just a further reminder about what a tough year this has been, particularly for our students, families, and school communities.

And as the months ahead hold plenty of uncertainty, there is one thing we know for sure: our school communities need more, not less, to get through this crisis and get back into the classroom safely.

As we continue working tirelessly to keep our kids engaged and learning remotely in an ongoing crisis, we are also advocating for the resources we need to safely bring them back to school as soon as possible.

Especially with the precarious status of additional state and federal support, our kids’ futures are on the ballot this year. No matter how you plan to vote in this election, I hope you will exercise your civic duty and make your voice heard. The November ballot includes various federal, state, and local contests—including Proposition 15, the Schools and Communities First Act, and Measure RR, the local School Upgrades and Safety bond measure. If approved, Prop 15 will generate more revenue for public education statewide by increasing property taxes for large corporations, and Measure RR will provide funds to upgrade, modernize, and replace aging and deteriorating school

facilities, update technology, and address inequities in our children’s schools.

Previous bonds have enabled LA Unified to fund multi-million dollar campus upgrades at Pali High, Canyon Elementary, and Kenter Canyon Elementary; install new secure entry systems at Paul Revere Middle School; upgrade classroom technology at Palisades Elementary; and so much more.

We were also able to provide learning devices and hotspots to every student when the pandemic shut down schools last March.

Of course, there is no replacement for the in-person instruction our kids need, and more than seven months later, we are busily preparing to safely reopen our campuses for hybrid instruction as soon as we can.

That includes rolling out a free Covid-19 testing program for all students, families, and employees; getting our facilities ready with the resources and equipment we need for a healthy and safe learning environment; beginning in-person tutoring services and special education assessments for high needs students; opening supervision sites for the children of employees with a goal of expanding to make them safely accessible for more families; offering free flu shots to our school communities; and more.

I’ll keep advocating for the needs of our children at every level of government, and regardless of how you vote, I hope you will join me in exercising your civic duty this Election Day. Your voice matters—make sure it’s heard.

And when we do get students back in school, who will help the little pumpkins cross the road safely? The crossing gourd.

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Nick Melvoin LAUSD District 4 Board Member Board District 4, which includes Palisades.

Photo: Courtesy

2001 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 1190W Santa Monica, CA 90404

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October 30 – November 27, 2020

Attempt to Foster Orphaned Local Mountain Lion Kittens Santa Monica Mountain biologists unsuccessful in fostering attempt

By Chad Winthrop This summer, biologists with the National Park Service (NPS) at Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) attempted to foster two orphaned mountain lion kittens and keep them in the wild.

Fostering involves getting a wild mountain lion mother to “adopt” the orphaned animals and care for them as her own.

They believe this marks the first time such an experiment has been tried with this species.

While the foster attempt was not successful, scientists say it was a worthwhile undertaking to try and keep two wild animals in their natural habitat and to learn more about mountain lion behavior. Today, the kittens are thriving in their forever home – a wildlife sanctuary in Arizona.

“The story of this fostering attempt is remarkable,” said NPS Superintendent David Szymanski. “Biologists and managers from four organizations – a federal agency, a state agency, a city zoo and a private sanctuary – came together to try something new. With this effort, we tried to help two orphaned wild animals and further our understanding of this important species.”

“Our shared goal for this project all along was to keep the kittens in the wild and, although the new mother did not accept them, we gained considerable knowledge from this experience,” said Christine Thompson, a regional biologist with the CDFW. “We were also able to successfully place the healthy kittens in a new home. Many thanks go to NPS, Los Angeles Zoo, and the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center for their dedicated efforts.”

The kittens, female P-91 and male P-92 were discovered on July 7 in the Simi Hills, south of Simi Valley, while their mother, P-67, was away from the den. Biologists performed a general health check, determined the sex of each kitten, took various body measurements, obtained biological samples and placed uniquely numbered and colored ear tags in each of the kittens.

However, just after the den visit, the mother’s GPS radio collar sent a “mortality” signal. The team located P-67, a two-and-a-half-year-old female mountain lion and found her deceased.

Without a mother, the 3-week-old kittens could not survive, according to Jeff Sikich, a wildlife biologist with the park who leads the fieldwork on the mountain lion project.

It is not legal to raise or rehabilitate and release mountain lions in California, so in general the only option would be captivity. However, Justin Dellinger, the statewide mountain lion researcher for CDFW, suggested the possibility of fostering the kittens with another mountain lion, P-65, who had recently given birth herself. Her den

of three kittens (P-88, P-89 and P-90) had been discovered the day before in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Fostering has been regularly successful in other large mammals such as black bears and wolves, as well as in zoo animals.

“These five kittens were all approximately the same age, which meant we had this unique opportunity to attempt fostering and give these kittens a chance to live in the wild,” Sikich said.

“I had tried this with black bears on a previous research project and it had worked, but situations can vary for different species and individuals.

I wasn’t sure if it would prove successful with these mountain lions.”

In collaboration with CDFW, the biologists hatched a plan to rescue them. They enlisted the Los Angeles Zoo for help, and biologists there agreed to house the kittens until the fostering attempt could be initiated.

“We were careful not to interact with the kittens any more than necessary,” said Beth Schaefer, director of animal programs for the zoo. “These are not animals that we want to become acclimated to human interaction like zoo animals. At the time, we thought they were going back to the wild, so we didn’t want them to think that humans were a source of comfort.”

On July 16 while P-65 was away from the den, Schaefer brought the orphaned kittens from the Los Angeles Zoo where they had spent the last eight days and met the other biologists in the field. Biologists were able to find two of P-65’s kittens and rubbed urine from one of them onto

the orphaned kittens, P-91 and P-92, so that they would smell more like P-65’s own offspring.

Over the next few days, biologists tracked P-65’s movements and noticed that she had moved her den, a normal event for mother lions.

On July 20, Sikich and CDFW biologist Dustin Pearce visited P-65’s former den to determine if the new kittens had been left behind. As Sikich got closer, P-91 and P-92 came out and ran directly to him. P-65’s biological kittens were nowhere to be found.

The fostering attempt had proved unsuccessful.

The kittens temporarily went back to the Los Angeles Zoo, and then they were moved to the Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center in Scottsdale, Arizona where they will spend the rest of their lives.

The results from the necropsy for P-67, the kitten’s deceased mother, shows that she was found with no food in her stomach, she was relatively thin, and she also had evidence of intestinal disease, known as necrotizing enteritis. She was also exposed to five different anticoagulant rodenticide compounds and to bromethalin, not an anticoagulant but a highly potent rodenticide that provides a lethal dose to rodents in a single feeding. The presumptive cause of death was septicemia, possibly secondary to enteritis, according to the report.

“A contributing factor may have been that she was young and stressed by having kittens,” Sikich said. “She was a good mother and she didn’t abandon them. She kept on coming back to the den and nursing them even in her likely

poor state of health.”

P-67 was originally tagged as a kitten herself in 2018, also in the Simi Hills, in a den belonging to adult female P-62. The father of P-91 and P-92 is suspected to be P-78. Biologists tracked the two of them traveling together over a period of multiple days earlier this year. P-78 is currently living in the Santa Susana Mountains, although he has also spent a considerable amount of time east of Highway 5 in the San Gabriel Mountains, the first collared animal in the study to do so.

The kittens are now about three months old and they are showing typical wild cat behaviors – stalking, wrestling, and climbing. Officials at the wildlife sanctuary report that the two cats have developed unique personalities. P-91, the female, is bolder, while P-92, the male, is laidback.

“They are inseparable and a great comfort to each other,” says Linda Searles, the sanctuary director.

The kittens’ new “next-door neighbor” will be 15-year-old ‘Tocho’, SWCC’s most prominent mountain lion – and the last mountain lion raised from a kitten at the sanctuary. She said that if they all get along, they will eventually share his large enclosure.

“It’s too bad they couldn’t live in the wild, but we’re happy that they can give our old guy companionship,” Searles said. She said that the lions will serve as ambassadors for the Santa Monica Mountains mountain lion population and their species.

October 30 – November 27, 2020

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Local Swimmer Fourth Person Ever to Cross Santa Monica Bay’

Abbey Bergman solos bay

By ChaD WinThrop

www.Tridestin.com/Solitude

On September 3, Abby Bergman succeeded in swimming solo 27 miles across Santa Monica Bay in 16 hours 25 minutes and 53 seconds. Bergman is only the fourth person to successfully swim the grueling distance from Point Dume in Malibu to Rocky Point in Palos Verdes.

Swimming across Santa Monica Bay is an immense challenge. Obstacles include rapidly changing currents and winds, low water temperatures, curious sea life, and the grind of the ultra-long distance.

Bergman started with an additional hardship; rough 4+ foot swells made the Pacific Star’s

journey from San Pedro to Malibu a nauseating 3-hour trip. Bergman battled seasickness and threw up multiple times before jumping in. “I felt so bad I almost didn’t get into the water, but I made a promise to myself that I would at least try. As soon as I hit the water I felt better, and after about an hour of swimming, I was really having fun.”

Jumping from the boat into the 62 -degree waters on September 2 just before midnight (at 11:41:15 p.m.), Bergman swam to shore, climbed out onto the beach and stood waiting – the boat sounded a short burst of loud horn blows, and Bergman entered the surging waters. Once in the water, she began to relax into her swim rhythm and pulled strongly despite the ocean slop.

Bergman swam under a full moon through 24knot headwinds and choppy waters throughout the night. The kayak accompanying her had to

Swim, see page 6

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Lap Swimming Underway at Palisades High Pool

Looking for a safe way to workout these days?

Try the Palisades High School pool which is now open for lap swimming by reservations.

Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center is open under the following regulations (from PaliHigh.org).

• We are currently open M-Sat (closed Sun): 12:30-3pm for reservation only lap swim • Lap swim reservations can me made here • Note you reservation date/time in the “Event Admission” section of your confirmation email (scroll down to verify) • Please be patient with us during our re-opening while we ensure processes run smoothly • We post 3 day lap swim sessions on Fridays (Mon-Wed of following week) and Mondays (Wed-Sat owf following week) • All swimmers must successfully pass a health check prior to entering facility – swimmers with a fever of 100.4 degrees or higher will not

be allowed to enter the facility • Cancellations must be made 24 hrs in advance via email to bking@palihigh.org – a 50% processing fee applies and remainder will be added as a soft credit on your account • If you are more than 10 minutes late for your session, you will lose your lane and no credit or refund will be given • Senior and student discounts currently require photo ID emailed to bking@palihigh.org (for time being) • Please arrive showered 5 minutes prior to session only, swim suits and masks on, lining up on blue sidewalk 6 ft markings at main Temescal gate (towards beach) • Limited restroom access – 1 person at a time, if necessary

Swimming Pool, see page 6

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October 30 – November 27, 2020

Hyperthermia Cancer Institute: The Best Cancer Treatment You’ve Never Heard Of

Santa Monica-based cancer institute uses FDA-approved treatment to help patients

By Sam Catanzaro

“THE BEST CANCER TREATMENT YOU’VE NEVER HEARD OF” is right here in Santa Monica at Hyperthermia Cancer Institute (HCI).

Hyperthermia is an FDA-approved treatment designed to improve the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Hyperthermia is a gentle therapy with little to no side effects, and no known adverse effects on normal tissue. HCI attracts patients from across the country for this treatment, and the treatment is covered partially or completely by most forms of insurance.

Hyperthermia is a non-invasive procedure, it uses ultrasound delivered from the outside of the body.

Hyperthermia can deliver heat as deep as 10 centimeters in addition to the thickness of fat. So the heat can reach tumors that are at the surface, as well as those that are quite deep in the body. Tumors are heated to up to 109o F for 45 minutes. The heat increases blood flow to the tumor which does three things. It brings more chemotherapy inside the tumor, it brings oxygen that helps radiation therapy work better, and it induces your own body’s immune system to attack the cancer.

The Medical Director at HCI is Dr. Joseph J. Pinzone, an internist and endocrinologist by training, who has been involved in NIH-funded molecular cancer research as well as clinical cancer research for many years.

While Dr. Pinzone learned about this form of heat therapy when in residency in the early 1990s, it was not until more recently that he understood how powerful the practice could be, particularly when added to other therapies.

“As I understood that, I realized this is something that we have to get out there. It hadn’t really caught on previously in this country, but because I have the ability to both understand cancer at a molecular level and to communicate the potential benefits of cancer therapy, I thought it would be an excellent opportunity for me to use my skills to establish this as a cancer therapy that everyone could take advantage of,” Dr. Pinzone said.

HCI uses the Sonotherm 1000, a device that is FDAapproved to treat all solid tumors in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy. According to Dr.

Swim, from page 5 be pulled out shortly after the swim began, as the headwinds made it impossible for the paddler to keep up with Bergman.

The kayaker was buffeted north by high winds; so Bergman and the boat stopped and waited in

Swimming Pool, from page 5 • Bring your own water bottle, towels and equipment as no sharing is permitted, and water fountains are off-limits • When entering, please follow arrows on deck to the assigned lane you are given – all walking

Pinzone, any place you can have an ultrasound done in your body, the Sonotherm 1000 can be used to treat cancer.

“The particular device that we use, and the particular technology that we use here at HCI, has been validated by studies that have been presented to the FDA and the FDA has found them to be effective and safe. And so specifically, we have the backing of the FDA in terms of our ability to represent that we have effectiveness and we have a good safety profile,” Dr. Pinzone said.

“Somewhere between 106o-109o seems to be a magic window where a variety of changes take place in that tumor,” Dr. Pinzone said. “It is a little higher than a fever and a little cooler than the hottest California day.

We heat the tumor for approximately 45 minutes at that temperature. What that does is increase the blood flow to the tumor.”

This heating process, Dr. Pinzone says, helps fight tumors in three ways.

First, if you are on chemotherapy or any systemic therapy, hyperthermia increases the blood flow to the tumor which allows better access of that therapy to the tumor, particularly to the central portion of the tumor where the blood vessels are often poorly formed. The increased blood flow delivers oxygen to the tumor, and if you are receiving radiation, the radiation works much better in a well-oxygenated environment, Dr. Pinzone says.

Second, many traditional cytotoxic chemotherapy agents and radiation therapy damage the DNA of the tumor. This targets that tumor cell for destruction.

Hyperthermia has the effect of slowing the enzymes that repair the DNA that is damaged by the chemotherapy or radiation therapy. “This is really critical. We don’t want that DNA repaired, we want it to stay damaged because that targets the cells that have the damaged DNA for destruction and removal. So that is actually how many types of chemotherapy and radiation therapy work,” Dr. Pinzone said.

Third, according to Dr. Pinzone, hyperthermia stimulates an immune response. “The great thing about our technology is there are no known adverse effects on normal tissue. When we heat to 109o F, we stimulate the release of what are called heat shock proteins. The same proteins that get released when you have a fever and their job is to alert the immune system to get rid of anything that is foreign,” Dr. Pinzone said. In addition to releasing the heat shock proteins that stimulate the cells of the immune system, the therapy also directly disrupts the cells of the tumor. “We release all the mutated proteins that are inside of that tumor, and those to our body look like foreign invaders. So when you combine the stimulated immune cells with the specific parts of the tumor that look foreign, you get an immune reaction to that tumor,” Dr. Pinzone said.

“There are many studies that have demonstrated

a substantial increase in the response rate to chemotherapy when you heart a tumor compared to just giving chemotherapy alone. Some studies even demonstrate and increase in overall survival when you treat with hyperthermia plus chemotherapy compared to chemotherapy alone,” Dr. Pinzone said.

Dr. Pinzone added that there are similar improved results with heat added radiation therapy. Studies demonstrate that in various tumor types that when hyperthermia is provided along with radiation therapy, there is a better response rate of the radiation. “The tumor shrinks more than if you provide radiation alone, and in some cases, you can actually improve survival in patients who receive hyperthermia plus radiation, compared to radiation alone,” Dr. Pinzone said.

A session at HCI takes either one or two hours, depending on how many sites are treated, often six days a week. Dr. Pinzone notes that this takes a commitment from patients, but the frequency of sessions contains invaluable benefits. However, as stated previously, hyperthermia is extremely gentle and non-invasive. “In fact,” says Dr. Pinzone, “our patients often mediate or sleep during therapy.”

“Our patients become like family to us,” Dr. Pinzone said. “We have an environment that is extremely welcoming. There is zero pressure to do anything in particular and we provide as much support as we can.

We have many patients from out of town. We often help them with travel and with housing to both coordinate it and, in some cases, to help offset the cost through various foundations. The bottom line is that we go the extra mile for our patients. We get to know them better than almost any other provider has an opportunity to

get to know them, and we advocate for them in ways that I have never seen in any other environment I have ever worked in.”

To find out more about whether hyperthermia can help you, call HCI at 888-580-5900 or visit their website at hcioncology.com.

“Patients with cancer today are more educated and advocate more for themselves and their family members than ever. That is one of the reasons we have been so successful at helping people, because they are able to find us either through their healthcare provider or on their own. We offer a unique environment and treatment option that they can’t find anywhere else and that gives people hope,” Dr. Pinzone said.

place for approximately 25-30 minutes until the kayak could get back to the boat and be pulled out.

For the rest of the night, Bergman swam close to the port side of the Pacific Star.

Feeds were thrown to Bergman on a rope by one of her crew every 30 minutes; Bergman would stop briefly to eat and drink, and to check before continuing. The full moon made visibility easier for Bergman and crew.

As the sun rose on September 3, winds dropped to a gentle breeze and the ocean turned to glass – perfect swim conditions. The kayak no^8w reentered the waters, paddled in 4+ hour shifts by Jax Cole and by Dan Simonelli, both experienced open-water swimmers and paddlers.

The rest of the swim progressed smoothly until the end when Bergman had to swim through a thick kelp bed that surrounds Rocky Point in Palos

Verdes. Both kayaks assisted Bergman in finding a path to finally reach and touch the rocky cliff face of Lunada Bay. At 16:07:08 p.m. Sept. 3, Bergman had completed her epic swim.

After the swim, Bergman shared “I am sore and really sunburned, but happy and proud that I pushed through!”

is one way/one direction only • Swimmers must adhere to their assigned lane – no changes • Masks on when entering facility and removed only when entering water – placed back on as quickly as possible when you get out of water • Bags left directly behind assigned lanes on deck – not on starting blocks • 1 person per lane – swimming in middle of

lane • After your swim, you may shower (outside only) – then continue to follow arrows to exit far Temescal gate (may not go back to lane) • Lifeguards will give a 10 minute to start getting out of the water and 5 minute warning when session is ending – and to start exiting MGAC facility – all must actively exit during the 5 minute mark

• Repeat no shows may result in not being permitted use of reservation system in future • We are not accepting walk-ins at this time All membership subscriptions are on hold until we re-open without current restrictions. All credits are kept on file and will be honored. You may donate your membership by emailing Aquatic Director Brooke King bking@palihigh.org. Thank you for your support of the Aquatic Center.

According to Dr. Joseph J. Pinzone, hyperthermia improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

Photos: Courtesy Hyperthermia Cancer Institute

Medical Director at HCI is Dr. Joseph J. Pinzone.

October 30 – November 27, 2020

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County Warns of Active Property Tax Scam Scammers going to taxpayer homes to collect property tax payments, LA County warns

By ChaD WinThrop Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector Keith Knox and County Assessor Jeffrey Prang are alerting the public to an alleged property tax scam perpetrated under the guise of COVID-19 building closures.

According to the County, it’s being reported that unknown people are attempting to fraudulently collect in-person property tax payments at taxpayers’ homes because of COVID-19, often with fake identification as well as the tax bill for the specific

Intersection, from page 1 in 2017 and is expected to reduce collision incidents at this location going forward,” the PPCC said.

Pacific Palisades resident Lou Kamer was

homeowner in question.

These individuals allegedly are claiming that the homeowner must pay their property taxes in-person because the COVID-19 pandemic has closed County offices to the public.

“The County of Los Angeles Treasurer and Tax Collector (TTC) does not conduct in-person visits to collect property tax payments and that any attempts to collect in-person payments are fraudulent,” said Keith Knox, Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax Collector. “Should you be contacted at your home or hear about this in your neighborhood, do not make payment to the person requesting it and notify local law enforcement immediately. Be sure to provide a detailed description of the individual.”

According to Assessor Prang appraisers sometimes will visit homes to appraise the property, but LA County appraisers will never ask for tax payments.

“This current activity is a scam and it’s

important to report it to the authorities

immediately,” Prang said

at the scene of the fatal 2017 accident. That crash involved four motorcycles traveling east on Sunset and a westbound Mercedes Benz driven by a 16-year-old boy. In addition to Babalyan’s death, the crash sent the three other motorcyclists to the hospital. At the

time Kamer was serving on the PPCC, and along with then-PPCC President Maryam Za, led a persistent effort to address safety at the intersection, working with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Councilmember Mike Bonin’s office and the

Los Angeles Police Department.

In early 2019, Bonin included the project in his Westside Fast Forward an initiative to that accelerated safety projects in Council District 11 and now by December the traffic signal will be activated, according to Bruins.

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October 30 – November 27, 2020

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