For a woman who has prevailed in some of the most challenging political contests and governmental challenges, political and election law attorney Colleen McAndrews Wood considers safeguarding the historic Pascual Marquez family cemetery in Santa Monica Canyon her most satisfying. ’I felt total commitment to the Marquez family and the history of the area,’ says McAndrews, who will be honored with a Golden Sparkplug for her efforts in securing the property in perpetuity at the Citizen of the Year dinner on April 26. The cemetery, established 170 years ago on San Lorenzo, is the last remaining family site of what was once the vast Francisco Marquez-Ysidro Reyes rancho of over 6,000 acres that included all of the present Pacific Palisades including Santa Monica Canyon. It is a Cultural Heritage site designated by the City of Los Angeles. Until 2010, the cemetery was marooned, surrounded by ‘donut’ lots 30 and 42, which were owned by the adjacent landowner. When the owner passed away, the ‘donut’ lots were sold and the new owners were preparing to build a house, which would effectively obstruct the historic John Byers-designed adobe cemetery wall and niche containing a historic statue of San Lorenzo. Ernie Marquez, Francisco’s great-grandson, and other descendents of the Marquez-Reyes family had been looking for years for a way to secure the land around the cemetery but with little progress or hope of success. ’Five or six years ago, Ernie told me about his dream to buy the land in the donut,’ McAndrews told the Palisadian-Post. ‘He had been working with a land-use lawyer and keeping me posted.’ With the sale, McAndrews and Marquez-Reyes family descendents and supporters saw a window. The first strategy was to secure landmark status for the north portion of the property, Lot 30, thus opening the view of the wall and statue to the street. Originally, the Cultural Heritage Commission staff had denied the landmark status, but McAndrews, who was accustomed to difficult negotiations, mounted a successful appeal. ’Three people spoke at the Cultural Heritage Commission,’ she said. ‘Ernie, Norm Kulla on behalf of Councilman Bill Rosendahl and I. Very soon, I could see that we didn’t have the votes to landmark both parcels so I proposed a split’landmark the north portion to save access.’ In January 2011, the Commission voted unanimously to include the north portion of Los 30. As the new owners proceeded with plans to build a new home on the south portion, the north portion, though landmarked, was still in private hands. McAndrews, on behalf of the friends of the cemetery, negotiated a settlement with the new owners to acquire the newly designated north parcel by means of a partial donation by the new owners and partial purchase by La Se’ora Research Institute, which is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of Rancho Boca de Santa Monica. ’Colleen negotiated a substantially below market price of $35,000 for the parcel valued at $127,500,’ said George Wolfberg, president of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. ’She then spearheaded a community fundraising campaign to raise the necessary funds for the land purchase and for landscaping, irrigation and lighting as well as a proper fence. She prepared fundraising packets, which were hand-delivered to approximately 280 residences in the immediate neighborhood,’ Wolfberg wrote in his Sparkplug nominating letter. Faced with the challenge to raise the money, McAndrews went into overdrive. ‘After we had bought the land and signed the escrow, I asked Tish [Tish Nettleship, La Se’ora Research founder], ‘Where are we going to get $35,000?’ She was on her way out of town, so then I realized that this thing was going to be on me, so I said, ‘Here is what we’re going to do.’ I created a pyramid, a booklet and held several coffees at my house.’ McAndrews and members of the founding families made presentations and a personal appeal for donations. The drive was more than successful, raising $75,000. ’Seventy-five donors contributed, from the largest donation of $7,000 to the smallest of $50,’ McAndrews says. ‘The extra money gives us money for landscaping and future maintenance.’ McAndrews, who has lived in Santa Monica Canyon since 1977, has been involved in politics for over 40 years, including representing many of the major political candidates in Los Angeles. She was Richard Riordan’s lawyer for two terms, worked with former District Attorney Gil Garcetti and was Arnold Schwarzenegger’s treasurer during the Gray Davis recall election. She was also a former commissioner for the California Fair Political Practices Commission, nominated by Gov. Jerry Brown. Years after graduating from UC Berkeley, McAndrews went back to school at UCLA in 1987, to gain a law degree when her children were 5 and 8 years old. Now both in their 30s, Tobin works in commercial real estate and Rob works in communications and public relations. McAndrews is married to Robert Wood, a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times and president of the now defunct Foundation for American Communications, which was a journalism training group. The couple also has a stepson in Santa Barbara.
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