See Section B for our SUMMER CAMP GUIDE and our Home and Garden Guide
www.palisadesnews.com
April 23 – May 21, 2021 Volume 21, Issue 47
Bonin Proposes Palisades Homeless Shelter Temporary site for tiny-homes or safe camping at Will Rogers State Beach parking lot?
By Sam Catanzaro
Councilmember Mike Bonin has proposed bringing a homeless shelter to Pacific Palisades. On March 31, Bonin introduced a motion to Los Angeles City Council that would evaluate the feasibility of bringing a variety of projects to combat homelessness to locations across the Westside. “To end homelessness and sidewalk encampments, we need more housing, more shelter, and more services,” Bonin said. “On the Westside, we have added permanent supportive housing, interim housing, and bridge housing. We have leased or purchased hotel rooms. We have opened safe parking, safe camping, and emergency shelters. And there is more supportive housing on the way. But it is not enough. Across the state, the city and the district, homelessness is increasing. My team and I have been working for months to identify additional locations, more programs, and different forms of housing to address homelessness on the Westside.” Among the locations is the Los Angeles County-owned parking lot at Will Rogers Stage Beach at 17000 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. According to Bonin, this location would serve as a temporary site for single-occupancy tiny-homes or safe camping. The motion also calls for looking into the feasibility of bringing similar housing
options to the following locations across the Westside: Mar Vista (Mar Vista Park), Marina Del Rey (Fisherman’s Village), Playa del Rey (Dockweiler Beach), Del Rey (private building at 5000 Beethoven Avenue), Westchester (Westchester Park) and West LA (West LA Municipal Building). In addition, the motion proposes a singleoccupancy tiny-homes or safe camping sites
on a property owned by Culver City for a joint LA-Culver City program and at an undetermined location at LAX. The motion also would instruct the City Housing Authority to work with Council District 11 and willing property owners to enter into master lease agreements for hotel rooms or apartment units to be used for homeless housing.
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The motion is currently pending in the City Council Homelessness and Poverty Committee. In the wake of this move, the Pacific Palisades Community Council, Brentwood Community Council and many locals have come out in opposition to the plan. See more page 6.
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Getty Villa Reopens With “Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins” Limited number of visitors permitted with free reservations By Chad Winthrop
Looking for some weekend plans? The Getty Villa museum and gardens in Pacific Palisades has reopened with an exhibition on Mesopotamia featuring work from the Musée du Louvre and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. On Wednesday the Getty Villa reopened for a limited number of visitors with free reservations, with specific one-way routes and other measures in place to ensure the safety of visitors and staff. “The Getty Villa is one of the most unique experiences of any art museum, and we are delighted to be able to welcome visitors once again after more than a year’s closure,” said Timothy Potts, Maria Hummer-Tuttle and Robert Tuttle Director of the J. Paul Getty Museum. As always, free advanced reservations will be required to visit the Villa, but to avoid overcrowding a limited number of reservations will be available each day. Galleries too small to accommodate social distancing will be closed, and paths through the galleries and gardens will be one-way. The Getty Center in Brentwood remains closed to visitors for now, but preparations are under way to reopen the Getty Center museum and grounds next month, with the Getty Library opening some time afterward. Free reservations for the Getty Center will also be required in advance, with limited daily capacity. Visitors to the Villa will have the opportunity – at last – to see Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins, which was slated to open just days after the Getty Villa was forced to close in March 2020. Organized by the Getty Museum and the Musee du Louvre, Paris, the exhibition features work from the Musée du Louvre with select
additional loans from the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. “As well as our collections of ancient Greek and Roman art, we are now able to present the most important exhibition of Mesopotamian art ever seen on the West Coast, on loan from the incomparable collections of the Musée du Louvre in Paris. Mesopotamia: Civilization Begins explores the origins of writing, architecture, art, and much else in ancient Iraq over five thousand years ago–a journey back to the origins of civilization that is not to be missed!” Potts said. On view will be many of the most renowned masterpieces of Mesopotamian art, including the silver cult vase of the Sumerian king Enmetena, the cylinder seal of the royal scribe Ibni-sharrum, statues of Gudea and other kings of Babylonia, and a glazed brick lion from the Ishtar Gate in Babylon. Visitors will also have the opportunity to download the new Getty Guide app on their phones, either before visiting or while on site. The new Getty Guide app will safely enhance the visit experience, replacing shared guide devices. Visitors should remember to bring their own earbuds. Download the app on Apple or Android phones. In addition to limited numbers of visitors and one-way routes, other safety measures at the Villa will include: • Visitors and staff must wear face coverings • Visitors and staff must maintain six feet distance (except within household groups) • Visitors will have temperatures checked upon arrival • Visitors and staff displaying symptoms (coughing, sneezing, fever) will not be allowed to enter • Staff are required to wash hands regularly; visitors are urged to do so as well • Café meals will be pre-packaged • The Family Forum remains closed Make free advance reservations for the Getty Villa Museum.
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WWW.PALISADESNEWS.COM
April 23 – May 21, 2021
Luxury Motel Could Replace PCH Parking Lot Hotel planned for south of Malibu Pier By Chad Winthrop A developer wants to replace a parking lot on Pacific Coast Highway with a luxury motel. Developer Surfrider Plaza, LLC – an affiliation of Hakim Holdings – wants to
build a 20-room, 7,700-square-foot hotel with 47 parking spaces both below and above ground. The proposed development is called the Malibu Inn Motel. The 1.2 acre site at 22959 PCH, just south of the Malibu Pier, is currently used as a parking lot for beach visitors and nearby businesses. According to plans submitted to the City of Malibu, access off PCH would be provided via an altered driveway layout, which would include removing one of the
three existing driveways at the adjacent Malibu Inn property to the west and constructing a new driveway at the eastern edge of the project site. The motel would consist of a single building oriented parallel to PCH and separated from PCH by a surface parking lot and driveway aisle. The building would be set back approximately 61 feet
Renderings of the Malibu Inn Motel.
from PCH.
Malibu-based Burdge and Associates
Architects is the project designer. The
City
of
Malibu
indicates
that
construction would take around 14-months.
A hearing date before the Malibu Planning Commission has yet to be set.
Photo: Burdge and Associates Architects
April 23 – May 21, 2021
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3/15/21
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Fourth of July Palisades Parade and Fireworks Likely Back on This Year Letter from Matt Rodman, Palisades Americanism Parade Association President.
Dear Fellow Palisadians, On behalf of the Palisades Americanism Parade Association (PAPA) board, I’m excited to announce that we’re planning for a July 4th Hometown Parade and Fireworks Show. Subject to approvals from state and local governmental agencies, we hope to bring you the “Best Day in the Palisades” once again this year. This year’s scaled-back parade will be filled with mostly local entries, cherished favorites, and acknowledgements of our Palisades service organizations. In the evening, we’ll celebrate the independence of our nation with fireworks, and the beginning of a return to normal community life after more than a year of limiting our activities. Consistent with health and safety protocols, we’ll do all this in an environment that promotes social distancing and facemasks for all spectators. PAPA was founded seventy-three years ago by Pacific Palisades residents and business owners wishing to celebrate the independence of our country each July 4th. We’ve been graciously supported over those years by the
Hyperthermia cancer therapy. FDA approved, targeted, non-invasive. Photo: Morgan Genser The 2019 Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade.
community and the Palisades’ own American Legion Post 283. You may show your support and make a tax-deductible donation now at www.Palisades4th.com. Although the picture is not clear today, The Palisades Will Rogers 5K & 10K Run continues to explore the possibility of hosting the 44th annual Run. I’ve been asked to convey to you that The Run Foundation is also in communication with governmental agencies and hopes to bring you this July 4th morning tradition in 2021. Information will continue to be shared as more become known. After a difficult year of life-changing disruptions and loss, we hope that you’ll join us in making this July 4th an important step of moving forward. Matthew Rodman, PAPA President. C
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Junior Lifeguards Returning This Summer K
County-run program returns to Will Rogers beach and throughout region July and August By Sam Catanzaro
A few weeks are left for prospective Junior Lifeguards to apply for this year’s program at Will Rogers beach and elsewhere. After being canceled last year due to the pandemic, last month the Los Angeles County Junior Lifeguard Program announced that the program will be returning to local beaches this July and August. “The Junior Lifeguard Program is thrilled to announce that we have been approved to safely re-open the program for Summer 2021. We appreciate the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and Junior Lifeguard families
for their patience and support during this process,” the program announced on their website. “Covid-19 safety protocols have been developed for the protection of our staff and participants and will be released soon. All information on this website is subject to change based on current Los Angeles County guidelines and protocols. We will do our best to update the website as often as possible.” According to officials, if a child must be removed from the program due to COVID-19 related absences, a waiver for the following year will be granted. This includes a known or suspected exposure, or a positive COVID-19 test result. Organizers say this year the Junior Lifeguard Program will run in two, four-week sessions to accommodate the new student-to-instructor ratio of 20:1. All returning Junior Lifeguards, or those who successfully completed the 2019 program and previously registered for Summer 2020, are eligible to participate in the Summer 2021 program and will not have to re-test. New
JG, see page 6
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WWW.PALISADESNEWS.COM
April 23 – May 21, 2021
Letter to Editor: Opposition to Palisades Homeless Shelter
To the Honorable Councilman Mike Bonin,
My family and friends strongly object to your City Council motion March 31st, to study bringing additional overnight homeless camping to several LA County beaches, or to anywhere else in CD 11. During our large CD 11 fire safety meeting at Palisades High in March 2018, we requested your position on overnight camping on beaches. You told all of us that you OPPOSED such camping. My wife and I attended your public outreach, at Westminster Elementary in October 2018, where you and Mayor Garcetti tried to persuade your Venice audience that Bridge Housing on the MTA lot would help that community An assistant to the Mayor claimed sincerely, “The proposed shelter will raise the value of nearby homeowners’ properties”. What happened to your promises of frequent cleaning, enforcement against tents, and extra security detail? Riding the bike path weekly since 1995, I’ve had a first-row seat to watch Venice decline since you took office in 2013. Also, I’ve confirmed in periodic conversations with LAPD, that you had instructed LAPD to stop enforcing against overnight loitering on Venice Beach, and we now see the results of your policies and actions. Joining the April 8 City Council meeting on Homelessness I heard callers pushing new large-scale housing construction, claiming “Housing is a Human Right”, and discussing “unhoused neighbors”. But nothing on property rights, tax policy, or projected ongoing costs. Roughly 450 joined the Palisades Community Council meeting with you last night where you asked us for a location (in the Palisades) to locate your proposed encampment of “cabins”. Please do not force us, or the rest of CD 11, to accept your cabins of chaos. You and the Mayor created this crisis, and we resent being tasked now with cleaning up after your destructive policy decisions. Why are such crises not seen in Beverly Hills or Manhattan Beach? Your voting record shows a continuing enablement of homeless people, including 1) reduction of periodic cleanups, and 2) raising the amount (and timeframe) for storable homeless possessions. You cater to homeless advocates, at the growing expense
JG, from page 5 Junior Lifeguard applications will be available through the website, starting Thursday, April 1, 2021. For New Junior Lifeguards, the age
of taxpayers. You propose a “Continuum of Care” including housing, food, treatment, and job training, but adding costly housing and services only attracts even more homeless. Reviewing your proposal, let’s use HONEST vocabulary: 1. The camping you propose as ”Safe” is instead dangerous. Your $8M Bridge Housing in Venice reveals a strong correlation between vagrancy and violence, including three murders near the Venice shelter since December. 2. Camping labeled “Temporary” will be permanent. Any location will become an encampment protected by activists, lawyers, and yourself. We saw last month’s conflict at Echo Park Lake, and your outcry against LAPD clearing the park for scheduled cleaning of a public property. After your complicit response to homeless advocacy groups, inquisition of local police, and your vote to defund the LAPD, we wonder who you truly represent. 3. Renters and owners are NOT simply “one paycheck away from homelessness”. If housing were a human right, many would be pitching giant tents on large parks in Beverly Hills. 4. Homeless are NOT our “unhoused neighbors”. Neighbors do not defecate on lawns, or leave heroin needles on streets, or murder the elderly Surveys indicate homeless often come from OUTSIDE Los Angeles. You now ask us to import from outside the Palisades, from outside of CD11, and from outside Los Angeles. Worse, you seek to limit our choice to where (not whether) to import into our community. 5. You push “Solutions in Every Neighborhood” but this proposal instead
simply relieves pressure on yourself from angry constituents in Venice, spreading and magnifying problems. Your approach mirrors Council moves in July 2019: Adding >222 homeless beds to every Council District would be unpopular, so no Councilmember demurred. If any did, the others would suffer asymmetric heat from their respective voters. So all Councilmembers voted, en masse, to force a homeless shelter on each District. Within CD 11, you’re now doing the same. This is not leadership. Most homeless in CD11 are not from CD11, and we have zero further obligation to shelter locally. When constructing shelters, choose locations where they can be expanded without resistance, well outside of municipalities and neighborhoods. Stop guilting us into endless obligations for your public policy. We see the results, in mushrooming tents, trash, needles, fights, noise, feces, fires, stabbings and murders by homeless people in your District. Where’s our $1.2B from your Prop HHH in 2016 Where’s our millions from the 2004 income tax, intended for treatment of the mentally ill Deploy appropriate medical treatment to those in need. Enforce no-camping laws on those who don’t. Work with your colleagues on the City Council, and with State Assemblyman Richard Bloom and State Senator Ben Allen, to achieve the following: A. Repeal the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act of 1967, to help the mentally ill. B. Repeal the destructive Propositions 47 and 57, to keep communities safe by reducing the population of criminals. C. Identify available govt buildings and lots, to secure less expensive housing, safe parking, and required services.
D. Create a program to help people return to their families outside of California, to halt the explosion of homeless in L.A. E. Update mental health legislation, including: + Thresholds for holds + LPS conservatorship + Probate conservatorship Implement solutions which actually HELP the homeless. Abandon your March 31 LACC motion. Thank you for your service to the Palisades, and to the rest of Council District 11. Respectfully,Matthew Reiser, CD11 voter, and Los Angeles native Denise Reiser, CD11 resident and voter Valerie Williams, CD11 resident and voter Jennifer Hawks, CD11 resident and voter Pamela Finck, CD11 resident and voter Caryn Perez, CD11 resident and voter Scott Quigley, CD11 resident and voter Elynor Chiu, CD11 resident and voter Gene Rink, CD11 resident and voter Lucia Ludavico, CD11 resident and voter Paul Blyumkin, CD11 resident and voter Lori Erenberg, CD11 resident and voter Lisa Ross, CD11 resident and voter Kathleen Lilley, CD11 resident and voter Beth Holden-Garland, CD11 resident and voter Julie Lai, CD11 resident and voter Alla Douglas, CD11 resident and voter Kathleen Lilly, CD11 resident and voter Holli Gomes, CD11 resident and voter Liz Bluestone, CD11 resident and voter Cheryl Robinson, CD11 resident and voter John Attard, CD11 resident and voter Victoria Zet, CD11 resident and voter Jeaneen Fabbro, CD11 resident and voter Krishna Thangavelu, CD11 resident and voter
appropriate, 100 yard swim test (4 laps of a 25 yard pool) is listed below. Testing times vary depending on the age of a child as of July 1, 2021. • “C’s” 9-11 years old – 100 yards under 1:50.00 • “B’s” 12-13 years old -100 yards under
1:40.00 • “A’s” 14-17 years old – 100 yards under 1:30.00 At this time, the Junior Lifeguard Program has not determined the swim test date and location for potential swim tests. New Junior Lifeguards will also have the
opportunity to present an official 100 yard freestyle from a USA Swimming sanctioned event. Details on how to present this swim time will be included upon confirmation of enrollment. For more information CLICK HERE
WWW.PALISADESNEWS.COM
April 23 – May 21, 2021
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Home and Garden B1 - B4 / Summer Camp Guide B5 - B8
HOME and GARDEN Free and Sustainable Trees for Your Yard City Plants and California Native Plant Society making a greener Los Angeles BY C HAD W INTHROP Two programs are helping make Los Angeles greener, more sustainable and shadier by facilitating the planting of trees on private property. First up is City Plants, a non-profit organization running a public-private partnership between the City of Los Angeles and six other non-profit organizations. “Together, we work with community groups, residents, and businesses to coordinate tree planting and care throughout Los Angeles,” the organization writes on their website. City Plants is a continuation of LA’s former tree planting program, Million Trees LA. “Our current name reflects our changing priorities, which are to focus our efforts in low canopy areas and to plant in a way that maximizes the benefits trees provide rather than on reaching a specific number of trees,” City Plants said. Among other initiatives, the organization plants and distributes around 20,000 trees a year, including free shade trees to plant in yards on private property and in parkways. “If you live in the City of Los Angeles, you can receive free trees to plant in your yard! Planting trees in your yard is an easy way to save energy and cool your home. We’ll supply you with up to seven free, water-efficient shade trees and deliver them straight to your door, along with stakes, ties, and fertilizer pellets to get your trees started off right,” City Plants says. There are two ways to get trees through this program, the first is free shade trees delivered straight to your door. Choose from over 30 different water-efficient species, and City Trees will deliver 5-gallon sized trees to your home with stakes, ties and fertilizer pellets. All you have to do is plant and care for them. There is a 7 tree limit per household. All yard trees come in a 5-gallon container and are between 3 – 5 feet tall. Trees are delivered approximately in 8-10 weeks. In addition, for those who do not want to wait, City Plants Collaborative offers limited free fruit and shade tree “virtual adoptions” to bring trees straight to Angelenos. So who can take part? You must be a resident of the City of Los Angeles and present a photo ID or LADWP bill to prove eligibility. Visit
CityPlants.org for more information on the program. So why should LA Residents take part in this program? “We cannot take our trees for granted. We must plant now to ensure a green future for our kids and grandkids. We are losing trees at a time when we need them the most. We expect our City to get hotter in the coming decades, and trees are key to cooling our homes, streets, and schools. We must plant aggressively now to ensure that as temperatures rise, our City is equipped with a cooling canopy of healthy, mature trees,” City Plants says. People who do not live in the City of Los Angeles who can’t access the free trees that are part of City Plants can still feel good about planting trees in yards. The California Native Plant Society, a collaboration between UC Berkeley and the Jepson Flora Project offers a resource that displays nurseries in the state that specialize in native plants. “True native plants are the foundation for nature restoration. They attract butterflies, birds, reptiles, amphibians, small mammals,
City Plants, see page B-4
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B-2
How to Heal the Soil and Why. We all know how important the vital role the soil plays in your plants’ health, trees, and eventually the Earth’s health. We take for granted the soil that lies beneath our feet. For a while now, humankind has been dumping chemical fertilizers, pesticides, etc., into the soil, air, water, ocean. These all kill off the microbial life that lives within the soil. The microbial army whose home is the soil. A long time ago, when I first started gardening in my backyard, I realized right away how alive the soil was. Earthworms everywhere, and many things were moving around! Looking under a microscope, I discovered a fascinating hidden world. I call them Earth Warriors. They are the real Invisible Gardeners. It didn’t take me long to realize what my calling was! To help these tiny beings in their work of healing the soil! Why is healing the soil so important? All life depends on the Earth having living soil. The soil provides everyone else the minerals they need to be alive, stay alive, and be healthy. The soil microbes are grouped according to their functions. The ones I am talking about are the ones that take the minerals in the soil and convert it into a soluble nutritional form that the plants can use. This is one grouped of mycelium. These guys then pass this food along to another grouped of mycelium that
lives on the plants’ root hairs, trees, etc. These have evolved to attach themselves to the roots and then transfer directly into the trees. The plant then transfers the food to all its parts. Like when we eat, the body has a system of making sure all aspects of our body receive the proper nutrition. The central part of this food is minerals. But we cannot digest minerals straight, so the microbes and plants do that. I often tell folks that all diseases start in the soil. They are already there, waiting for the right time to emerge. When is it the right time? The higher the stress, the greater the pest. The stress can come about through many things indirectly, like overwatering. Too much water floods the soil and drowns the microbes. So the water is an indirect cause, but the real reason is that the soil no longer has these beneficial microbes to provide food to the plants. All diseases and pests attacks are directly related to a trace mineral deficiency. The health of the soil directly affects the plants’ health and their ability to absorb the minerals. We can help heal the soil by avoiding chemicals, especially chemical fertilizers. Use only organic fertilizers best if they carry their mycorrhiza. Learn to apply rock dust as a source of minerals. Find a source of living compost rich in microbes. For more information, please visit InvisibleGardener.com Any questions visit my website and use the contact form. Mention this paper and I will answer back in next column
Andy Lopez Heal the Earth, and you Heal Yourself
B -3
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B-4 City Plants, from B-1 bees and other pollinators that evolved with those plants, and over time create a working natural ecosystem, without pesticides, and without artificial fertilizers. The butterfly and bird life in particular in a true natural garden is often spectacular. With the right plants, it’s not hard for homeowners to create small patches of nature throughout even the developed part of the state,” California Native Plant Society writes on their website. California is an extremely environmentally diverse state. According to the California Native Plant Society, different California native plants evolved to grow in areas of the state with very different temperatures, rainfall levels, summer drought periods, air moisture levels, and marine influences, among other factors. “It’s always best to grow California native plants in the areas in which they evolved. They are easier to grow, healthier and require little or no artificial irrigation when they are planted in an area in which they evolved and naturally belong. Native California plants that aren’t really native to that location will often struggle or die no matter how much you water them,” California Native Plant Society writes. “For successful native plant landscaping and nature restoration, it’s important to grow plants that are native to your location AND placed in spots with the right soil, sun and water conditions. Before you finalize which native plants to grow and exactly where to place them, please review the Calscape plant descriptions to make you place them in spots with the conditions they require.” Visit calscape.org for more information.
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B -5
SUMMER CAMP GUIDE 2021
Get Away Without Going Away
5 family staycation ideas that won’t break your budget
Family vacations are a great way to bond and take a step back from the hectic schedules that accompany everyday life, but sometimes time or money (or both) make planning an elaborate trip a non-starter. However, a staycation - a vacation you take right in your hometown (or nearby) - can be much less expensive and fit into nearly any amount of available time with the added bonus of skipping out on potentially stressful travel. Consider these staycation ideas to take advantage of your local area’s attractions and prove you don’t have to go far to spend quality time together. Visit local landmarks. Just because it’s not a traditional vacation doesn’t mean you can’t pretend to be tourists. Start by visiting the places you recommend to friends and family from out of town or pick up a city guidebook to uncover hidden spots you may not even know exist. Make a plan to seek out historic
Photo: Getty
Staycation, see page B-7
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B -7 Staycation, from B-5 sites, visit local landmarks like museums or try an out-of-the-way restaurant (or two) you’ve never eaten at before. Camp out in the backyard. Camping doesn’t have to be done far from home. In fact, it can be done right in your own backyard. Pitch a tent
to sleep under the stars and plan a night full of traditional camping activities like roasting s’mores, telling spooky stories by flashlight and trying to identify stars and constellations. Set up a picnic in the park. Pack a basket with sandwiches, fruit and other treats and head to the park. You can enjoy a casual meal then take advantage of the open space for a family walk or game of tag before retreating to
the playground to let the little ones expel any leftover energy. Have a home spa day. If you’re looking for some relaxation but don’t want to splurge on the full spa treatment, plan an at-home oasis instead. Light some candles, run a bubble bath and break out the facial masks and fingernail polish. Visit an amusement park. No matter where
you live, there’s probably an amusement or water park within driving distance. A quick online search before you arrive can help prepare a strategy for hitting the most popular thrill rides and waterslides while skipping those that may not provide quite the same entertainment value. Find more tips and tricks for enjoying family time together at eLivingtoday.com.
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B-8