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Potrero: Unfinished Business

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In addition to the Palisadian-Post, Ann Cleaves' cartoons also appear regularly in Random Lengths (San Pedro) and La Prensa (San Diego). Her work has also appeared in the Washington Post and several textbooks. She has won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) and from the National Newspaper Association. Cleaves' cartoons have appeared in the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year every year since 1993.
In addition to the Palisadian-Post, Ann Cleaves’ cartoons also appear regularly in Random Lengths (San Pedro) and La Prensa (San Diego). Her work has also appeared in the Washington Post and several textbooks. She has won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association (CNPA) and from the National Newspaper Association. Cleaves’ cartoons have appeared in the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year every year since 1993.

When cartoonist Ann Cleaves joined the Palisadian-Post staff in 1988, she could hardly forsee Potrero Canyon serving as one of her favorite targets over the next two decades.   This deep canyon, which extends between the Huntington Palisades and DePauw/Friends Streets and down to Pacific Coast Highway, has been a geological nightmare for the city of Los Angeles since the 1950s and the effort to stabilize the canyon by filling it in and creating a public park, is still ongoing. Here’s a brief recap of the project.   ‘ January 1956. A Pacific Palisades Post article (‘Court Compels Resident to Evacuate Rim Home’) reports: ‘An elderly widow this week was ordered to evacuate or repair her home [15205 DePauw] perched on the eroding rim of a Pacific Palisades canyon. She was ordered to move out by Los Angeles Building and Safety inspectors four times since March 1954, when they found out the house was only two feet from the edge of the canyon. Erosion has now advanced 18 feet under the house. Inspectors said her belongings were strewn down the slope after falling through the floor of the home.’   ’ November 1957. Dwight D. Eisenhower is president, Russia has just launched Sputnik I and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ by Elvis Presley is climbing the charts, when a Post headline announces: ‘City Reckons 10 Years to Fill Potrero Canyon.’ Los Angeles officials propose filling the canyon with combustible rubbish, plus street sweepings, pavement removals, yard trimmings and earth. The Huntington Palisades Property Owners Corporation opposes the project.   ‘ April 1964. The city uses eminent domain to acquire the canyon for $175,000 from owners Charles and Martha Patterson, who had wanted to build a golf course.   ‘ Late 1960s through the mid-’70s. Heavy rains and landslides in the canyon result in a $75-million class-action lawsuit filed by neighbors who claim that the city’s failure to install a proper storm drain had resulted in damages to their homes.   ‘ 1980. In the year that the United States boycotted the Moscow Olympics, John Lennon was gunned down in New York City and ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ won the Oscar over ‘Raging Bull,’ the Post reports that ‘The canyon’s habit of losing large chunks of land to the rains has begun to take tall slices out of backyards of houses along the rim.’   ‘ December 1984. The city agrees to purchase 14 properties (13 on DePauw and one on Alma Real) for $6.8 million to settle a lawsuit filed by homeowners.   Department of Recreation and Parks City planning official Kathleen Chan (who became the Potrero Canyon project manager in 1983) presents the ‘newest’ plan at a Community Council meeting. Potrero will be filled to the 30- or 40-ft. level [from the bottom] with 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of dirt and gravel, and a drainage system will be installed in order to prepare the area as a park.   In an article headlined ‘Residents React Coldly to City Plan for Slide-Plagued Potrero Canyon,’ the Post quotes Millie Wilkinson, who has sued the city over damage to her DePauw home. ‘We are not interested in the damn park,’ she says. ‘We want to know what you’re going to do to save our homes.’ The Department of Recreation and Parks eventually acquires 33 lots for $13 million.   ‘ 1985. An Environmental Impact Report is completed and the California Coastal Commission approves the project two years later.   ‘ January 1988. Under a headline ‘Storm Drain Cost Skyrockets,’ the Post reports that Phase I, slated to start in March, will take one year and will include burying the natural stream that ran through the canyon, removing shrubs, plants and other wildlife, installing a subdrain and system of hydraugers (vertical drains) and building the road for truck access.   ‘ June 1988. Ron Dean, president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, is quoted in an L.A. Times story titled ‘City to Resume Work on Controversial Potrero Canyon Job in Palisades.’ He warns that the project will take longer than the city’s three-year estimate, and he does not believe that filling the canyon will guarantee against future landslides. ‘If they would take that money and buy the houses on the cliff and admit their mistakes, they could work with nature rather than opposed to it,’ Dean says. ‘We’re going to take this beautiful canyon and destroy it for what? It’s very frustrating. It’s a waste of money.’   ‘ August 1989. According to the Post (‘First Phase of Drain Project Nears Completion at Potrero’), there have been numerous setbacks because of the complex geology of the canyon. Chan asks the City Council for an additional $4 million to $5 million to finish the entire project.   ‘ November 1990. ‘City Given Four More Years to Complete Potrero Project’ says the Post. The Coastal Commission criticizes the Department of Recreation and Parks for failing to submit streambed restoration plans. The city claims that it needed to dig deeper than anticipated in order to install drains, which resulted in new cracks and landslides. The actual filling in the canyon begins in the spring of 1991.   ‘ January 1992. Under the headline ‘Potrero Fill Project on Schedule at Last,’ the Post reports that the ‘The project [cost] has now reached $11 million.’ This is the same year Presidents George H.W. Bush and Boris Yeltsin formally ends the Cold War, Johnny Carson hosts his last ‘Tonight Show’ and ‘Silence of the Lambs’ wins the Oscar for best picture. Calex Engineering, which is in charge of the fill and engineering of Potrero Canyon, is granted an extension to 1997 to complete Phase II.   ‘ February 1998. The goal of finishing Phase II is missed, as evidenced by the Post headline: ‘Officials Vow ‘Full Tilt’ in Potrero.’ A year later, Kathleen Chan predicts ‘All the grading in the canyon will be completed by the end of next year.’   ‘ May 1998. Cracks start appearing on Friends Street related to a slide that occurred on a section of Potrero Canyon abutting Friends. CALEX workers had anticipated the slippage when they excavated the canyon. Friends homeowners who met with Chan are told that once the slope is rebuilt and compacted, nine lots will be sold, partially blocking views for those who live across the street. ‘There haven’t been houses here for 30 years,’ says Brad Johnson, whose childhood home on Friends slipped into the canyon in 1957.   ‘ May 2002. The Post reports Chan’s vow, ‘The final infill and grading of Potrero Canyon should be completed sometime this year, and I will not leave until it’s done, even if I’ve reached retirement age, which I’m damn close to doing.’   ‘ Spring 2004. Lack of funding brings the infill and compacting to a halt with portions of Phase II unfinished.   ‘ May 2004. The City Council establishes the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee, headed by former Pacific Palisades Community Council Chair George Wolfberg.   At this point the City has spent $30 million ($13 million to acquire 33 landslide-impaired lots and another $17 million on fill), but lacks $1.2 million to complete Phase II. The money needed for Phase III, to complete the riparian park, is estimated at $7 million to $12 million by the new project manager, Jane Adrian, who replaced Chan in 2003.   ‘ May 2004-January 2008. The Advisory Committee holds numerous meetings to determine future access, development and park facilities in Potrero, below the Recreation Center. Two groups (Huntington Palisades and neighbors along the canyon’s west rim) present strenuous objections to some of the key proposals, but a recommended plan of action is ultimately forwarded to the City.   At the latest groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday, officials vow that Potrero Park will be dedicated in five years.   ’The people attending that park dedication haven’t been born yet,’ said Ted Mackie, a long-time member of the Community Council, who attended the ceremony.

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 3, 2011

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY to own a large 3 bed, 2 bath home in sought-after Tahitian Terrace Mobile Home Park. Private lushly landscaped backyard w/ multi-level deck w/ spectacular ocean views. Rent control, pets ok. $395,000. Agent, Franklin (310) 592-6696

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

FULLY RENOVATED!!! 4 BD, 5.5 BA. * Built in 1927 by J. Paul Getty for his mistress. Original California tiles, great yard, patio, decks w/ all whitewater views. Whitewater ocean view from every room. Fully renovated to 4 bdrm, 1 billiard/recreation room, wine cellar, living & dining room, 3 door/car garage w/ loft. 3 story home w/ elevator. Big beams, romantic outdoor whitewater view spa, steam sauna, 3 indoor jacuzzi spa tubs, great storage & plenty of amenities. New lighting & closets. Live in a place of history & charm. $8,500/mo. 17809 Porto Marina Way, Pacific Palisades. (213) 494-0059

DUPLEX FOR RENT. 2 bedroom + fireplace, 1 bath, quiet residential area near Village. $2,450/mo. (310) 738-4400

2 BEDROOM, LIGHT, BRIGHT, gated retreat! Surrounded by greenery & beautiful mountain top views. Large patio, grassy side yard & wrap-around balcony around the family room. Walk to the village, the beach & the bluffs. This beachy upper unit of a duplex w/ vaulted ceilings is very private & tranquil w/ an open floor plan. With only one neighbor below you, feel like you are living in a treehouse. Hardwood floors, fireplace, dishwasher, washer/dryer in kitchen. Walk-in closet in master bedroom. Landlord pays water & gardener. $3,650/mo. Contact Tiffany, (310) 849-9592

SUPER CHARMING, remodeled 2 bd, 1 ba mid-century home with a large covered patio and beautiful canyon views. $3,200/mo. Dolly Niemann, Prudential California Realty, (310) 230-3706

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

BEAUTIFULLY REMODELED 1 BDRM APARTMENT. Best ocean views in town. Stainless steel appliances, wood floors, fireplace, pool, laundry onsite & parking. Small pets ok. Please call (310) 227-9612. Equal housing opportunity.

NEUTRA BUILDING! ARCHITECTURAL WONDER. 2 bed + 2 bath on Sunset Blvd. Huge wood deck w/ jacuzzi white water ocean view, private yard, and garden facing the ocean water and dolphins @ 17050 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 for $2,750/mo. Spacious living room, wood floors, beautiful fireplace, high vaulted wood ceilings w/ gigantic window, building courtyard, outdoor fireplace. Kitchen: gas stove, dishwasher, and white tile countertops. Bedrms: wood floors, lots of closet/storage space. Bathrm: tile floors, granite countertop. 1 car garage parking w/ washer and dryer hookups. Vintage architect property built on Pacific Palisades Hills simulating a sinking ship into the ocean has 4 units on our newly remodeled 4 leveled building. For more information contact (213) 494-0059 or fidel@benleedsproperties.com or go to http://leeds.postlets.com

PET FRIENDLY! 1 BD IN PAC PAL! ‘ 1/2 block from Gelson’s & the Village. Wood floors, laundry room, quiet building, on site manager, swimming pool & parking space. Ready to move in! $1,595/mo. * Move-In Special: 3rd month free! Call Jeff at (310) 573-0150

LOVELY 2 BEDROOM 1st floor apartment in 5 unit building. Hardwood floors, new carpet & paint. Laundry on site. Carport parking. Large shared backyard patio. Short walk from Palisades Village & El Medio Bluffs overlooking ocean. $1,975/mo. 1st month free! (310) 435-5582 or kderby77@gmail.com

PETITE CHARMER: Cozy bachelor (500 sq ft) in triplex. Full bath & kitchen in garden ambiance. Plantation shutters, carport, close to beach & village. NS, NP, 1 year lease. $1,500/mo. (310) 804-3142

JEWEL IN PALISADES. Stunning remodeled 1 bd w/ cook’s kitchen, new stainless steel appliances, hrdwd flrs, large balcony, pool, laundry, tennis courts, beautiful views. 7th fl. $2,250/mo. util incl. (310) 427-0273

CONDOS, TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d

GEM IN THE PALISADES, Sunset & Almar. 2 bdrm, 2 1/2 ba townhouse. Hardwood, tile, carpet, w/d, dishwasher, roof deck, parking. $3,250/mo. (310) 395-1073

AMAZING OCEAN VIEWS! 1932 Palisades Dr. Beautiful 3 bd, 2.5 ba Medit Villa. Open flr plan (3,031 sq ft), cathedral ceil, office/study, gym/bonus, ample closets & storage. In/outdr living w/ 4 spacious balconies, vast cyn & ocn vus! Many amenities. $5,700/mo. Robbie Sikora, agent, (310) 710-5214

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

ROOM FOR RENT on Via de la Paz in secured quiet area. Weekly $475 or monthly $1,400. Furnished private bedrm & bathrm. Shared kitchen & dining. Pool, parking, utils incl. Satellite & internet. (310) 459-4520

SPACIOUS STUDIO FOR RENT: Large bath, separate entry, within walking distance to the village, bluffs & beach. Would prefer a female non-smoker w/ no pets. Rent $1,150/mo. Call (310) 454-0783 for more info.

BEDROOM, DEN, KITCHENETTE, private bath, private entrance, washer/dryer on lower floor. Pacific Palisades home. $850/mo. (310) 454-1159

RENTALS TO SHARE 3a

HUGE MASTER SUITE overlooking the ocean. Huge yard, full hse priv, all utils incld, shared W/D. Trained dogs welcomed. 1,000 yards from beach. 4,000 sq. ft. home. $1,500/mo. (310) 454-1956

WANTED TO RENT 3b

FURNISHED HOME NEEDED. German family of 5 needs furnished home July-Aug. 2011. Local references available. Preferably under $8,000/mo. Mitch, (310) 454-1844

QUIET, N/S professional woman & Palisades resident seeks 1 bdrm guest house. Willing to trade secretarial services, writer’s/personal asst. for reduced rent. Please call Terrie at (310) 230-0335

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

OFFICE SUITE in the Atrium Building on Via de la Paz. 2 offices, reception area and restroom. Attractive space approx. 900 sq. ft. One year plus sub-lease. Rent negotiable. Great space. (310) 459-5353

OFFICE FOR LEASE. Professional building in Pacific Palisades Village for lease. Lovely and spacious suite available. Reasonable rent price. Excellent tenant improvements. 850 square feet. Please call Tracy Rasmussen at (310) 459-8700 for more details.

WRITER’S RETREAT * Quiet office suite with private access and bathroom. This 350 sq. ft. space is bright and airy. Available February 1st. (310) 702-1107

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

INVESTOR/PARTNER WANTED. Secured collateral loans, low risk w/ high return 40% LTV of loan amt. Please call for details, (714) 520-1119

ATTORNEYS 7a

WHY GIVE IT ALL TO UNCLE SAM? Don’t use an ordinary income tax service when you can use a tax attorney who is an experienced CPA. Income Taxes, Audit Representation, Free Yourself of Back Taxes, Probate, Trusts & Wills. Long-time resident of the Palisades. John R. Ronge, Attorney at Law. (310) 441-4100

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

NEED HELP PREPARING FOR TAXES? Bookkeeping, reconciling, organizing papers, bills, etc. Raymond, (310) 459-2066 or (310) 218-6653

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

MARIE’S MAC & PC OUTCALL. I CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE WITH: ‘ Consultation on best hard/software for your needs ‘ Setting up & configuring your system & applications ‘ Teaching you how to use your Mac or PC ‘ Upgrades: Mac OS & Windows ‘ Internet: DSL, Wireless, E-mail, Remote Access ‘ Key Applications: MS Office, Filemaker, Quicken ‘ Contact Managers, Networking, File Sharing, Data backup ‘ Palm, Visor, Digital Camera, Scanner, CD Burning ‘ FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL ‘ BEST RATES. (310) 262-5652

YOUR OWN TECH GURU * EXPERT SET-UP, OPTIMIZATION, REPAIR. Problem-Free Computing Since 1992. Work Smarter, Faster, More Reliably. If I Can’t Help, NO CHARGE! ALAN PERLA, (310) 455-2000

THE DETECHTIVES’. PROFESSIONAL ON-SITE MAC SPECIALISTS. PATIENT, FRIENDLY AND AFFORDABLE. WE COVER ALL THINGS MAC ‘ Consulting ‘ Installation ‘ Training and Repair for Beginners to Advanced Users ‘ Data recovery ‘ Networks ‘ Wireless Internet & more ‘ (310) 838-2254, William Moorefield, www.thedetechtives.com

USER FRIENDLY’MAC CONSULTANT. User friendly. Certified Apple help desk technician and proud member of the Apple consultant network. An easy approach to understanding all of your computer needs. Offering computer support in wide variety of repairs, set-ups, installs, troubleshooting, upgrades, networking, and tutoring in the application of choice. Computer consulting at fair rates. Ryan Ross: (310) 721-2827. email: ryanaross@mac.com ‘ For a full list of services visit: http://userfriendlyrr.com/

EXPERT COMPUTER HELP ‘ On-site service’no travel charge ‘ Help design, buy and install your system ‘ One-on-one training, hard & software ‘ Troubleshooting, Mac & Windows, organizing ‘ Installations & upgrades ‘ Wireless networking ‘ Digital phones, photo, music ‘ Internet ‘ Serving the Palisades, Santa Monica & Brentwood ‘ DEVIN FRANK, (310) 499-7000

DECORATING 7d

INTERIOR DESIGN AND STYLING. From ordinary to unique. Space planning. Paint specs. Furniture. Accessorizing. Hourly design consultations welcome. Carol Fox, ASID. (310) 454-0601, www.carolfoxdesign.com

FINE ART INSTALLATION. Confused about where or how to hang your art collectibles? Rick Strauss has been installing fine art for years in homes and offices throughout the Westside. Reasonable rates. (310) 459-8212

GARAGE, ESTATE SALE SERVICES 7f

PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? an estate sale? a moving sale? a yard sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. ‘ BARBARA DAWSON ‘ Estate/Garage Sale Specialist ‘ (310) 454-0359 ‘ barbdawson@roadrunner.com ‘ www.bmdawson.com ‘ Furniture ‘ Antiques ‘ Collectibles ‘ Junque ‘ Reliable professionals ‘ Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

PERSONAL ASSISTANT/ORGANIZER. Outgoing & cheerful individual available for office or home organization. Office skills, errands, event & travel planning, bill paying. 3 hour min. Reasonable rates. Pam, (310) 733-8433

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

CHILDCARE. Available for school pick up, activities & errands. Own car & local references. Parent-Toddler teacher, Pacific Palisades. (310) 459-9149

BABYSITTER & HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE. Monday, Tuesday & Friday. Own transportation, local references, good English, experienced, loves children and pets. Marlene, (323) 423-2558

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER AVAILABLE Monday through Friday. I’m bilingual, hardworking, and honest with highest recommendations and 6 years experience. Call Jeimi Hernandez at (310) 779-9487

EXPERIENCED NANNY looking for a job on Mondays & occasionally weekends. Experienced with newborns to teenage. Excellent references & good DMV record. Call Nadia at (323) 599-7677

NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER/CAREGIVER ‘ Available Monday through Friday. Experienced 24 year old Pilipina woman with excellent references. Honest and hardworking. Please call (213) 587-0879

CHILDCARE ‘ 15 years experience, 7 yrs in Palisades. Former Pre-K & K teacher. Top references, flexible with days and hours. Will housesit when needed. Great with pets. Phyllis, (818) 340-7183 leave a message if needed.

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

PROFESSIONAL MAID SERVICES. In Malibu! We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Licensed. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419. professionalmaidinmalibu@google.com

SISTERS HOUSECLEANING. Would you like your home and business so clean they shine? Call us, we have good references. Serving the community for over 20 years. We offer final cleaning. For free estimate, call Flora at (310) 720-7751. Bonded. www.sistershousecleaning.com, cleaning411@gmail.com

EUROPEAN CLEANING SERVICE. Reliable, local references. Experienced. Own supplies. Call today. (818) 324-9154

LOOKING FOR A HOUSECLEANING JOB. Flexible days & hours. 12 years experience, own transportation, legal, local references. Call Delmy, (323) 363-9492, delmycleaning.com

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTING. 25 years experience. Excellent references. Reliable. Pet friendly. Willing to work weekends. Available now. Call Elizabeth, (323) 463-7889

LOOKING FOR A HOUSECLEANING JOB. Available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Good references and experience. Call Minerva Raymundo at (323) 535-2739

HOUSEKEEPER LOOKING FOR WORK: Available Monday through Thursday, 5 years experience and references. Please call Sonia at (213) 381-6732

MY WONDERFUL HOUSEKEEPER has some days available. She drives & has her own car. Honest, reliable, hardworking & cheerful. Call Carol at (310) 454-4476

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

HOME HEALTH AIDE seeking work in Pac. Pal. CNA certified, 15 yrs. experience, great local refs. Pac. Pal. resident, live-out, schedule flexible. Please call Maria at (310) 454-6370 (h) or (818) 804-7151 (c)

IN HOME CARE. CNA, HHA STATE CERTIFIED. Pacific Palisades resident, Pacific Palisades referrals. Free assesment with no obligation. Part time. Please call Emilia, (310) 592-6695

GARDENING/LANDSCAPING 11

PALISADES GARDENING ‘ Full Gardening Service ‘ Sprinkler Install ‘ Tree Trim ‘ Sodding ‘ Sprays, non-toxic ‘ FREE AZALEA PLANT ‘ Cell,(310) 701-1613, (310) 568-0989

GARDENING SERVICES * Landscape, planting, maintenance, sprinkler systems, cleanup, low voltage lights. Everything your garden needs! Many years exp. Free estimates. Call Efren, (310) 733-7414

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE 12a

KERATIN TREATMENT $150. Yes, only $150 for a limited time. I am a certified Brazilian blowout specialist, I use Global Keratin or Brazilian Blowout. Have you wanted to try the Brazilian blowout or the keratin treatment, but you’re not sure whom you can trust? I ONLY WORK WITH FORMALDEHYDE-FREE keratin treatment. Normally priced at $350+, Charlotte is running a special for this month only! But hurry because appointments are going fast . . . Call and schedule your appointment before the end of February and you too can have frizz-free, smooth and silky (and HEALTHY!) hair. Charlotte, (310) 926-6140. 729 Montana Ave., Ste 3 Santa Monica, CA 90403

POOL & SPA SERVICES 13e

PALISADES POOL SUPPLY. SWIMMING POOL SERVICE & REPAIR. 15415 Sunset Blvd., P.P. 90272 (310) 459-4357. www.PalisadesPool.com

STEREO, TV, VCR SERVICES 13g

1 REMOTE CONTROL THAT WORKS! Is your entertainment system not entertaining you? We can tune up your system, bring it up to date, hide wires, mount TVs, install speakers, etc. We can even reprogram or replace your remote control so it is easy to use. Call us, we can help! Lic. #515929. Stanford Connect, (310) 829-0872

AUDIO & VIDEO SPECIALIST ‘ TV installs, DIRECTV packages, telecom systems, CCTV, low voltage wiring, repairs & upgrades. Call for a free consultation. (909) 609-9553

WINDOW WASHING 13h

THE WINDOWS OF OZ. Detailed interior/exterior glass & screen cleaning. High ladder work. Solar panels/power washing also avail. Owner operated. Lic., bonded & insured. Free estimates. (310) 926-7626

MR. CRYSTAL WINDOW CLEANING. Please call Gary: (310) 828-1218 Free estimate, friendly service, discounts. Licensed & Insured.

COOKING/GOURMET 14a

EXPERT PRIVATE CHEF. Fine dining from traditional to natural/organic. To suit your taste. Knows wine. Finest references. Call Angela, (323) 377-2450

HOUSESITTING 14b

HOUSESITTING/PETSITTING ‘ Available for short or long term. Sharp, reliable, recently retired professional. References. Susi, (310) 454-1457, susi824@aol.com

PROFESSIONAL PALISADES COUPLE available to housesit your home while our home is being remodeled. Great with animals. Please call (310) 459-5660

PERSONAL SERVICES 14f

NEED A TOAST FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION? Let me write a customized poem for you. Call Lawrie at (310) 749-3032

MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER. Personal Assistant with business and life experience available for errands, driving, follow-ups, administrative tasks, managing and coordinating either social and/or business calendar and house sitting. Have car and car insurance. Trustworthy, diligent, reliable and possess a respect for privacy and confidentiality. References available upon request. Call Jim, (310) 454-9819 (h) or (240) 461-3643 (c)

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

PRIVATE DOG WALKER/housesitter, Palisades & Santa Monica. S.M. Canyon resident. Please call or email Sherry, (310) 383-7852, www.palisadesdogwalker.com

GIFT IDEAS 14k

CUSTOMIZED POEMS * Let me write a heartfelt, customized poem for you to give a loved one for their birthday, anniversary, or Valentines day! Call Lawrie at (310) 749-3032

MISCELLANEOUS 14l

EURO CAR SERVICE’CNG CARS. To LAX from Palisades. Lower $38.88, Upper $44.44, Highlands $52.22. Available 24 hours, reservations preferred. TCP 27041-B. Don, (310) 466-4063

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

PIANO INSTRUCTION. Give the life-long gift of music! Very patient, creative teacher. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced, local. Lisa Donovan Lukas, (310) 454-0859, www.palisadesmusicstudio.com

EXPER. NATIVE FRENCH TUTOR. Tutors JHS, HS, AP & SAT. Excellent refs. MA in Education. Malibu res. Enthusiastic! Cate, (310) 456-5398

TUTORS 15e

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. Children & adults. 20+ years teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, ESSAY WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly Sp. Ed. teacher. Call Gail, (310) 313-2530

MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145

PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & ISEE). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134

SPECIALIZING IN MATH! All math subjects thru calculus, incl. standardized test prep. Students w/ ADD and other learning challenges welcome. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Local office in Palisades Village. Jamie, (888) 459-6430

EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR. All grade levels ‘ Grammar ‘ Conversational ‘ SAT/AP ‘ Children, adults ‘ Great references. Noelle, (310) 273-3593, (310) 980-6071

SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR. All levels (elementary to college). Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614

GROZA LEARNING CENTER. Tutoring K-12, all subjects & reading. SAT, ISEE, HSPT, ACT, ERB, STAR. Caring, meticulous service. GrozaLearningCenter.com ‘ (310) 454-3731

EDUCATIONAL THERAPY. All ages and abilities. Academic, Cognitive and Behavioral Support. Palisades Tutoring & ET Services’Local 10+ years. Arlana J. Morley, MS. (310) 459-4125, (310) 738-5099

READING & WRITING TUTOR. Credentials in general ed. & special ed. 30 years of teaching / tutoring experience. Offering individual / small group sessions. Elaine, (310) 454-6070

MATH, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS TUTOR * All math through AP calculus, AP chemistry and AP physics. Specializing in Pali High math, science. www.clc90272.com or (310) 459-3239

SPANISH: Palisades resident from South America, patient & friendly, offers Spanish tutoring to all student levels. Learn, improve & gain self-confidence at school, traveling, work, etc. (310) 741-8422

MATURE BRITISH TUTOR teaches MATH, LATIN, MUSIC, SAT prep. 50 yrs experience; local references. (310) 399-1975

MUSIC LESSONS & INSTRUCTION 15h

SAXOPHONE/FLUTE/JAZZ IMPROVISATION. Individual Lessons. All Ages/Levels Welcome. Call: (310) 283-9975

CONCRETE, MASONRY, POOLS 16c

MASONRY, CONCRETE & POOL CONTRACTOR. 40 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES. New Construction & Remodels. Hardscapes, landscapes, custom stone, stamped concrete, brick, driveways, retaining walls, BBQs, outdr kitchens, fireplaces, foundations, drainage, pool & spas, water features. Exlnt local refs. Lic #309844. Bonded, ins, work comp. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 ‘ WWW.HORUSICKY.COM

CONSTRUCTION 16d

ALAN PINE, GENERAL CONTRACTOR ‘ New homes ‘ Remodeling ‘ Additions ‘ Kitchen & bath ‘ Planning/architectural services ‘ Insured ‘ Local refs. Lic. #469435. (800) 800-0744 or (818) 203-8881

PALISADES CONST. SERVICES. All phase construction and remodeling. All interior and exterior construction. Additions, concrete, tile, wood work (all), brick, patios, bathrooms, fences, bedrooms, permits. We have built (2) new 2,500 sq. ft. Palisades homes in the last 3 yrs. Please contact us to schedule your FREE CONSULTATION and FREE ESTIMATE. ALL JOBS WELCOME! Please call Kevin, Brian Nunneley, (310) 488-1153. Lic. #375858 (All Palisades referrals available)

‘ CASALE CONSTRUCTION CO. LLC. ‘ General Contractor Lic. #512443 ‘ Custom Homes ‘ Kitchens ‘ Bathrooms ‘ Remodeling ‘ Additions ‘ (310) 491-0550 www.reemodeling.com

ELECTRICAL 16h

PALISADES ELECTRIC. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. All phases of electrical, new construction to service work. (310) 454-6994. Lic. #468437 Insured Professional Service

LICHWA ELECTRIC. Remodeling, rewiring, troubleshooting. Lighting: low voltage, energy safe, indoor, outdoor, landscape. Low voltage: telephone, Internet, CCTV, home theatre, audio/video. Non-lic. Refs. LichwaElectric@gmail.com, (310) 270-8596

FENCES, DECKS 16j

THE FENCE MAN. 22 years quality work. FENCES: Wood, chainlink & iron. DECKS, PATIO OVERHANGS, GATES. Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996

FLOOR CARE 16m

GREG GARBER’S HARDWOOD FLOORS SINCE 1979. Install, refinish. Fully insured. Local references (310) 230-4597 Lic. #455608

CENTURY HARDWOOD FLOOR. Refinishing, Installation, Repairs. Lic. #813778. www.centurycustomhardwoodfloorinc.com ‘ centuryfloor@sbcglobal.net ‘ (800) 608-6007 ‘ (310) 276-6407

JEFF HRONEK, 40 YRS. RESIDENT. HARDWOOD FLOORS INC. ‘ Sanding & Refinishing ‘ Installations ‘ Pre-finished ‘ Unfinished ‘ Lic. #608606. Bonded, Insured, Workers Comp. www.hronekhardwoodfloors.com (310) 475-1414

K&Z HARDWOOD FLOOR EXPERTS. Refinishing, installation, recoat, water & fire restoration. Free est. Lic. #804641. (800) 500-1146, (818) 468-7021

HANDYMAN 16o

HANDYMAN ‘ HOOSHMAN. Most known name in the Palisades. Since 1975. Member Chamber of Commerce. Non-Lic., but experience will do it. Call for your free est. Local refs available. Hooshman, (310) 459-8009, cell (310) 433-4720, 24 hr.

LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 487-6464

LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy: Marty, (310) 459-2692

DJ PRO SERVICES ‘ Carpentry, Handyman, Repairs. ALL PROJECTS CONSIDERED. See my work at: www.djproservices.com. Non-lic. (c) (310) 907-6169, (h) (310) 454-4121

ALL JOBS WELCOME!! Water drains, French drains, all drainage problems, block walls new and repair, all concrete, brick, tile and stone work, excavation of dirt and hillsides, stucco new and repair, all drywall work, painting exterior and interior walls, moldings etc. All wood work interior and exterior, patios, decks, all fencing and gates, roofing new and repairs. We have built (2) new construction custom 3,500 sq ft homes over the last 4 years in the Pacific Palisades. Please contact us for a free estimate. Kevin, Brian Nunneley, (310) 488-1153 Lic. #375858. Bonded and insured.

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16p

SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16r

PAUL HORST ‘ Interior & Exterior ‘ PAINTING ‘ 56 YEARS OF SERVICE. Our reputation is your safeguard. License No. 186825 ‘ (310) 454-4630 ‘ Bonded & Insured

TILO MARTIN PAINTING. For A Professional Job Call (310) 230-0202. Refs. Lic. #715099

J W C PAINTING. Residential & commercial. Years of experience. Affordable & reliable. Local references. Lic. #914882. Free estimates. jwcpnc@yahoo.com. Call Jason Childs (Charlie), (310) 428-4432

REMODELING 16v

KANAN CONSTRUCTION ‘ References. BONDED ‘ INSURED ‘ St. Lic. #554451 ‘ DANIEL J. KANAN, CONTRACTOR, (310) 451-3540 / (800) 585-4-DAN

COMPLETE CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION ‘ Kitchen+bath ‘ Additions ‘ Tile, carpentry, plumbing. Quality work at reasonable rates guaranteed. Large & small projects welcomed. Lic. #751137. Call Michael Hoff Construction, (310) 774-9159

ROOFING 16w

HOME IMPROVEMENTS, roofing, water damage, skylights, windows, chimneys, masonry, drywall, skim coat, stucco repair, carpentry, painting, tile, retaining walls, repairs, remodels. Non-lic. (310) 457-4652

HELP WANTED 17

2 CAREGIVERS NEEDED for 86 year old woman. Live in. Monday through Friday & weekends. Must speak good English. Good references, no driving.
(c) (310) 409-9433 or (h) (323) 933-6423

SEEKING A HOUSEKEEPER. Housekeeper needed 2 days a week, prefer Monday & Friday. Must have excellent local refs & own transportation. Prefer English speaking. (310) 472-9227

RN or PA to COSMETIC SURGEON. Exceptional part-time opportunity for an RN or PA with experience in cosmetic procedures, including injectables/lasers/IPL. Work with a world-renowned plastic surgeon in a beautiful office in Pacific Palisades. Please contact Stephanie@FaceCenterLA.com or call (310) 857-2088.

ANTIQUES 18

STEINWAY BABY GRAND. 1916 Model M Baby Grand, black, very good condition, but does have scratches in the paint. Located in Pacific Palisades. $16,000 OBO, (310) 230-7644

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

HIGHLANDS ESTATE SALE! Whole 3-level condo! Beaut. furn/furnishgs/knick-knacks/clothes/jewelry/ books/CDs/hsehold gds. Fri.-Sat., Mar. 4-5; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 1602 Michael Ln. (Sunset/Palis. Dr.). Photos/details: www.bmdawson.com

3 FAMILY YARD SALE: Designer clothes, Disney, DVDs, china & glass, bicycles, old books, antiques. 623 Via de la Paz. Friday & Saturday, March 4th & 5th, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

GARAGE/MOVING SALE ‘ EVERYTHING MUST GO. This Saturday and Sunday (March 5 and 6) DRIVING DIRECTION: 16162 Sunset Blvd. Coming from Santa Monica on Sunset, turn right in to the alley past Muskingum Ave. Look for sale signs.

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

FREE AIR HOCKEY TABLE. Pick it up & start the fun! Approx. 4′ x 6.’ Call (310) 230-2112

Producer to Bring Passion Project to Movie Screen

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(Left to right) “The Olive Sisters” author Amanda Hampson, producer Bonnie Burgess and Don Burgess, ASC, who will direct the film.

Palisadian Bonnie Burgess is living her dream, she says, stepping up as a producer, now that her children are grown, to bring ‘The Olive Sisters’ to the big screen.   ’It’s about a woman making a fresh start’discovering what really matters,’ she says of the book by New Zealander Amanda Hampson.   Though Burgess makes clear that raising her children was ‘the most important thing,’ she’s also making a fresh start, ready to pursue a new adventure and have a ‘second life.’   ’I’ve always known that (producing) is what I wanted to do,’ says the former actress, who formed Sorelle (which means sisters in Italian) Productions in 2009. She has no sisters of her own, but started the company with two great friends, Linda Sherwood and Georgie Fenton, with whom she’s had a 30-year relationship.   The company has three other films in development and six more they are working on, but ‘The Olive Sisters’ is clearly a labor of love for Burgess. She is absolutely passion’ate about both the author and her book, in part because it reminds her of her own family.   The book tells two stories in parallel. One is the story of Italian immigrants to Australia who raise two daughters on a farm with an olive grove. That tale reminded Burgess of her Italian grandfather, a gardener.   The more contemporary story, of the immigrants’ grown granddaugh’ter retreating to the olive grove when her business in the city fails, also offers interesting parallels.   A magazine feature writer and nonfiction author, Hampson took her own mid-life leap into the unknown. ‘She chose to venture out on her own with her children and wondered what on earth was she going to do with herself,’ Burgess says, and then ‘she picked up a pen and wrote ‘The Olive Sisters.” Hampson herself calls the decision to write a novel ‘the big, scary dream.’   Burgess came across the book serendipitiously, in an airport shop while en route from Port Douglas, Australia, to Brisbane. She was traveling with her husband Don Bur’gess, ASC, an Academy Award- nom’inated director of photography, on location for ‘Fool’s Gold,’ with Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey. He has a host of successful films to his credit, including ‘Forrest Gump,’ Spider-Man,’ ‘Cast Away and ‘Terminator 3,’ and is cur’rently working on ‘The Muppets.’   Bonnie Burgess fell so in love with the book that she immedi’ately called her agent to arrange a meeting with the author, who lives in Sydney.   The two hit it off immediately. Hampson agreed to let Burgess turn the book into a film and the producer, in turn, decided that the author was the right person to adapt the book, though she had never attempted a screenplay. ‘No one knows these characters better than you do,’ Burgess told Hampson.   So the two women fueled each other’s dreams. As they worked to finish the script, Burgess’ energetic passion was tempered by Hampson’s reserve. ‘She writes her passion,’ Burgess says. In addition to trips between the U.S. and Australia, the women worked on re’writes over Skype.   Don Burgess has signed onto the project to direct’a first for him, but something his wife says he’s always wanted to do. ‘No one could make this as visually beautiful as Don,’ she says. ‘He gets everything about it. It’s been a wonderful collaboration between Don, Amanda and myself.’   Another local resident, Barry Josephson, is an executive producer, together with Donald De Line. ‘It’s amazing how many Palisadians I have involved in my life and my company,’ Burgess says.   Though the script is out for casting and crew members have not yet been hired, many may wonder who Don, a native Palisadian, will choose as his director of photography.   ’If I had my way, my son Michael (27) would be,’ Bonnie Burgess says with a smile.   It could be even more of a family affair, since daughter Brittany, 23, just finished working as a production assistant on ‘The Muppets.’ Only the Burgess’ oldest, Lindsy Junger, 31, who works as a labor and delivery nurse at Santa Monica Hospital, is unlikely to join the crew.   Burgess hopes that the film will inspire other women. ‘I have so many friends . . . from the age of 50, who have made major life changes and ventured out to uncharted wa’ters and are doing incredible things,’ she says. ‘That’s what this book is teaching women’that it’s okay to step out of the circle and go for your dreams at 50.’   Amanda Hampson is traveling from Sydney to Village Books on Swarthmore for a book signing on Friday, March 4 at 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The festivities will include cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Contact: (310) 454-4063.

David Levinthal Sets Action Figures in Real World

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Levinthal’s “Improvised Explosive Device,” from the series Iraq

Gallery 169 will open a 35-year retrospective of David Levinthal’s photographs with a reception on Saturday, March 5 at 4 p.m., 169 W. Channel Rd. in Santa Monica Canyon. The photographer’s imaginative work is part of the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.   Levinthal, 61, has been question’ing social conventions and mores through the creative use of toy figurines since he was a graduate student at Yale in 1972, employing them to create what he calls ‘a surrogate reality.’   He captured images of toy soldiers and tanks for ‘Hitler Moves East,’ a book he co-authored with Yale classmate Gary Trudeau, creator of the editorial cartoon ‘Doonesbury.’   ’Bookstores put it in the history section,’ Levinthal says, because they didn’t know how to categorize it within the world of photography in 1977.   The artist has photographed small-scale soldiers and cowboys, the iconic Barbie doll and other miniatures in tableaus of his own creation to explore the myth of the American West, the idealized ‘perfection’ of the female icons of the 1950s, sexual fantasy and the atrocities of war.   ’I have endeavored to create a ‘fictional world’ that simultaneously calls into question our sense of truth and credibility,’ Levinthal says. Early on, he often photographed toys on a bare floor and that art ‘has a rawness to it that I really love to this day.’   Still, he’s never quite sure what the camera will find. Constructing his now more elaborate sets, he sees them in full, but is often surprised by what comes to light when he narrows his focus through the lens. The objects can ‘take on another persona.’   A limited depth of field imbues the inanimate figures with life and even a sense of movement. Models of erotic dancers, built from kits and used in his series ‘XXX,’ were so life-like through Levinthal’s lens that some who first saw the images, exhibited in Paris in 2000, asked, ‘Which of these are the real women and which are dolls?’   In context, Levinthal’s playthings are far from frivolous. The images explore the ‘whole concept of toys and play, and how toys are used to socialize children in some ways,’ Levinthal says. Researching toys during the wars in Iraq and Af’ghan’istan, he found that state-of-the-art artillery and equipment were being updated on store shelves as quickly as in the field. ‘The fact that they’re making them in real time as this war is being forged’is fascinating and a little unsettling at the same time.’   Newly found objects often serve as a catalyst. Walking through an an’tiques and toy show, Levinthal encountered black memorabilia, like Aunt Jemima crockery and black minstrels in porcelain. He was moved to photograph the pieces with a large-format, 20′ by 24′ camera. ‘These objects themselves are so powerful,’ he says, that he decided to present them virtually unstaged in his series ‘Blackface.’   That title, along with others, like ‘Bad Barbie’ and ‘Mein Kampf,’ give a sense of the emotionally charged nature of Levinthal’s subject matter, no matter that toys are typically the means of expression.   The retrospective will run through May 1. Contact: Robyn Rosenfeld at (323) 855-6913.

Potrero Canyon Park Project to Resume

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Left to right: Palisadian Ron Weber, Norman Kulla (Councilman Bill Rosendahl's senior deputy), Rosendahl and Palisades activists Stuart Muller, David Card and George Wolfberg take the first shovelful of dirt last Thursday to mark the resumption of construction to complete the infill of Potrero Canyon and build a public park from the Palisades Recreation Center down to PCH.
Left to right: Palisadian Ron Weber, Norman Kulla (Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s senior deputy), Rosendahl and Palisades activists Stuart Muller, David Card and George Wolfberg take the first shovelful of dirt last Thursday to mark the resumption of construction to complete the infill of Potrero Canyon and build a public park from the Palisades Recreation Center down to PCH.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Returning to where construction and landscape demolition trucks first entered Potrero Canyon in 1987, L.A. city officials held a ‘new’ groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday morning. Officials announced that the final push to complete the controversial infill of Potrero, once a wild, deep canyon, and create a public park will begin this month. The estimated completion cost is $30 million. The passive recreation park, with a hiking trail from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway, could be finished in five years’provided the 19 city-owned lots and homes along the rim are sold in a timely fashion, according to Department of Public Works spokeswoman Tonya Durrell. This spring, three houses (at 15233, 15237 and 15265 DePauw St.) and three lots (at 15241, 15253 and 15261 De Pauw) will be sold at auction to fund the project’s upcoming costs. (The sale of two city-owned houses on Alma Real raised $4,620,000 in November 2008). ‘This area [Pacific Palisades] is perceived as affluent by the City, so the City looks to us for funds,’ said District 11 Councilman Bill Rosendahl, whose office fought successfully to create a Potrero Canyon fund trust to hold all proceeds from the city’s real estate sales along the rim of Potrero, rather than to have these funds going into the city’s general fund.   ’This park benefits not only the 11th District, but the region,’ Rosendahl added.   Dirt hauling is slated to begin after a temporary traffic light is placed at the canyon entrance across from the Bay Watch Lifeguard station. According to Durrell, the exact date will depend on Caltrans’ approval and the signal installation.   The first year of construction will be spent filling more of the canyon the canyon at the base of the mouth below the 200 block of Alma Real (below the Elkus and Pardee residences, whose owners are in litigation with the City). About 173,000 cubic yards of soil will be used (some of which is already stored in the canyon) to raise the bottom of the canyon about 20 feet. A small portion of the stockpile that abuts houses along Alma Real ‘will be left in-place as a buttress to provide lateral support to the east slope,’ said Durrell. ‘The remaining portion will be removed and re-compacted as part of the future grading contract for that area.’   Community Council member Barbara Kohn, who attended the ceremony, said she came to help celebrate the resumption of construction. She recalled attending a 1984 community meeting when the city presented its plan for filling in the canyon (as high as 80 feet from the canyon floor) and creating a park, at a total estimated cost of $3 million.   Rosendahl recognized Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee Chairman George Wolfberg for his leadership and the committee’s park plan that was presented to the city in 2008, while construction was on hiatus. ‘We had ongoing meetings with hundreds of people,’ Wolfberg said, noting that the committee’s purpose was to present the City with recommended uses and goals for the park. ‘He [David Card, a landscape designer and fellow member of the committee] was hammered from right to left, but we developed a plan,’ Wolfberg added. ‘It is really a great day,’ Wolfberg said after the ceremony. ‘The committee met for four years to come up with a plan. Now that the City is moving ahead with the project, it is extremely gratifying.’

Junior Women’s Club Awards $62,267

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Junior Women Jody Crabtree (left) and Kendra LaSalle (center) present YMCA Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche with a grant for playground equipment.
Junior Women Jody Crabtree (left) and Kendra LaSalle (center) present YMCA Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche with a grant for playground equipment.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

The Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club gave away $62,267 to 34 community organizations at a March 1 ceremony at the Woman’s Club. Representatives from nonprofits in four areas–arts and recreation, education, beautification and community and charitable organizations accepted the grants. ‘Thank you for all you do for the community,’ PPJWC project selection committee co-chair Kendra LaSalle told recipients. Four groups, the Castellammare Mesa Homeowners Association, Corpus Christi School, the Chamber of Commerce and the Community Council, received first-time money for their projects. The Junior Women also continued their support of Movies in the Park’s quest for a new projector and the Palisades Americanism Parade Association, which needs $95,000 to cover the town’s annual Fourth of July parade and fireworks. Accepting the award for the OomPaPa Band, member Phyllis Schlessinger told the Junior Women, ‘You’re our sole means of support. I invite everyone to get out the old band uniforms and join us.’ (The Post’s complete story detailing the various grants will appear in our March 10 issue.)

Lenny’s Deli Opens with Good Vibes Overcoming the Glitches

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Lenny's Deli co-owners Lenny Rosenberg, left, and Jack Srebnik.
Lenny’s Deli co-owners Lenny Rosenberg, left, and Jack Srebnik.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

It didn’t take more than a day for the first shift at Fire Station 69 to grab lunch at Lenny’s Deli Tuesday morning. Four hungry firefighters showed up at 11:30 a.m., marveling at the extensive new menu. The Swarthmore restaurant opened Monday morning at 7 a.m. stocked with plenty of food’favorite deli items and home-baked bakery goods; a trained wait staff and chefs’many from the old Mort’s Deli and the Pantry; and, as it turned out, a computer system that bollixed up any hopes of fast service. ‘Everything that didn’t go smoothly was my fault,’ said owner Lenny Rosenberg, referring to a sophisticated computer system that incorporates the cash register with a touch-screen menu that relays orders to the kitchen. ‘You’d have to have a doctorate from MIT to use the cash register,’ said Monday’s manager, Randy Plaskoff.   The day started off with a steady stream of customers, all of whom enjoyed a 50-percent-off menu. But by 3 p.m. all orders were halted in order to catch up with the backlog of orders, with a promise that the restaurant would reopen at 6 p.m.   ’By 15 minutes to 6, every table was filled,’ Plaskoff said, adding that a line had formed outside the restaurant well before 6, so he let customers in early. But with 23 tables ordering simultaneously, service once again fell behind and continued that way as customers kept pouring in.   Plaskoff finally discovered that the computer was not communicating correctly with the kitchen. For example, an order for scrambled eggs, a side of potatoes and white toast came out as a scrambled, egg-white omelet.   By the end of day one, the bugs had been worked out and the flow of customers was moving well; the kitchen was still serving food at 9:15 p.m.   Rosenberg and his business partner Jack Srebnik have extensive restaurant experience. Srebnik, who owns two pizza places in West L. A. and three restaurants in the Palm Springs area, became acquainted with Rosenberg two years ago when he sold 17th Street Caf’ to him. Rosenberg had previously operated several bakeries in the New York area, and Nosh in Beverly Hills.   Rosenberg, anxious to get his new deli up and running, skipped a traditional soft opening in favor of Monday’s ‘we’re in business’ opening, and he admits he was stunned by the number of people who came through: over 1,000, he estimated. He was also surprised by the number of take-out orders, ‘especially at dinner. There was a line of take-out customers that flowed into the room for about two hours.’   Summarizing the day’s events, Rosenberg was convinced that with polite service and a good product, there would be repeat business. ‘We appreciated that people understood our glitches,’ he said. ‘They know we’re here for the long haul.’   In addition, he reiterated his philosophy concerning menu changes. ‘My view is that anything customers want, let’s try it,’ Rosenberg said, adding that the kids’ menu will be in place for three months, as a test. There are already have requests for whole-wheat pasta, vegetable sides and chicken tenders.

City to Act on Sober-Living Homes

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The City of L.A. is moving forward with a proposed ordinance that would place restrictions on sober-living and group homes.   Four of five L.A. City Planning Commissioners voted to approve the Community Care Facilities Ordinance at their hearing on February 10. The ordinance will now head to the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee (PLUM) for approval before going to the full L.A. City Council.   City Councilman Greig Smith, representing District 12, initiated the proposed ordinance in 2007 after hearing complaints from his constituents about panhandling, foul language, traffic congestion and excessive noise in connection with these homes.   On February 10, Palisades Community Council Chair Janet Turner and fellow members Jennifer Malaret, Jack Allen, Barbara Kohn and Chris Spitz urged the Commission to approve the ordinance with minor modifications.   They presented a letter from the Council, which voted unanimously to support the city’s efforts on September 23 after hearing from upset neighbors. There are three known sober-living homes in Pacific Palisades and more are planned.   '[The ordinance] is an intelligent and balanced approach to the needs of the disabled and the preservation of the residential character of R1-R2 neighborhoods,’ Turner wrote.   The proposed ordinance would add new regulations on state-licensed group homes and boarding houses operating in residential neighborhoods. State-licensed group homes serve recovering drug addicts, alcoholics, senior citizens, parolees and people with developmental disabilities.   State law prohibits cities from regulating licensed facilities with six or fewer residents differently from single-family homes, so those facilities cannot be affected by the proposed ordinance. The L.A. City Planning Department staff, however, is recommending that state-licensed facilities with seven or more residents be allowed to operate as long as they meet certain standards such as adequate parking, minimal noise and night lighting.   Sober-living homes, however, are considered boarding houses, which do not require state licensure, because they comprise a group of recovering alcoholics and drug addicts who have committed to living together as a family. Unlike licensed homes, the residents do not receive care, treatment, individual or group counseling from professionals, case management, medication management or treatment planning.   The Planning Department’s staff is proposing that the city code be amended to define ‘family’ as people who live in a single housekeeping unit with residents under one lease agreement. Any homes in R1 and R2 zones that involve more than one lease agreement would be considered boarding houses, and they would be prohibited.   Jeff Christensen, project director of The Sober Living Network (a nonprofit organization that advocates sober-living homes) told the Palisadian-Post that most sober-living homes have more than one lease agreement because landlords require that each tenant sign a lease in order to protect their property.   But he argues that the proposed ordinance will not be effective in preventing these homes from operating in residential neighborhoods because the sober-living industry will simply modify its lease agreements to comply if the ordinance is passed.   Christensen thinks that a more effective approach would be for the city to form a task force comprising multiple agencies to shut down problem homes.   ’Sober-living homes have been operating in this city for decades,’ Christensen said, noting they provide a safe and sober place for people. ‘For every single problem house, there are hundreds that are not problems. Many people do not even know they are there.’   Pacific Palisades resident Rebecca Lobl, who lives next to a sober-living home on Muskingum Avenue, argues that the mere existence of boarding houses changes the quality of life in single-family neighborhoods. She alleges that her family has experienced second-hand smoke and late-night disturbances. She has co-founded a nonprofit organization, the L.A. Coalition for Neighborhoods, to advocate for the ordinance.   On February 22, Lobl met with City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, representing District 11 (which includes Pacific Palisades), and presented him a 17-page letter outlining the coalition’s position.   ’The sober-living industry argues that it can successfully self-regulate its houses and that the only problem houses are either not sober-living houses at all or few and far between,’ Lobl wrote. ‘This is not the experience of many residents living in communities which have sober-living houses and other types of boarding houses in their areas.’   As of February 19, 25 community and neighborhood councils have passed motions, and 264 L.A. residents have signed a petition supporting the ordinance, according to Lobl.   To counter Christensen’s argument, Lobl said she believes the ordinance will be effective in preventing sober-living homes from continuing to operate. She pointed to the clause stating ‘the makeup of the household occupying the unit is determined by the residents of the unit rather than the landlord or property manager.’   ’This clause is the city’s effort to ensure that boarding-house businesses, which typically select their clients themselves, are zoned out of R1 and R2, but people who choose to live together and self-select each other, more like a family, are allowed to live in these low-density zones,’ she told the Post.   In the coming months, Christensen and Lobl plan to advocate for their respective positions by writing letters and meeting with City Council members. If the ordinance reaches the full City Council, it will require a two-thirds favorable vote in order to become effective because the Planning Commission’s vote was not unanimous.   Rosendahl told the Palisadian-Post on February 25 that ‘I am taking meetings with all sides of the issue. I’m sensitive to the people with addiction who want and need help, but I am also sensitive to the neighbors and the community and what impact [these homes] have if not done properly.’

Rotary Club Plans Triathlon in Town

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The Rotary Club of Pacific Palisades plans to host a triathlon on Sunday, October 23 at Palisades Charter High School and along the residential streets on the mesa west of Temescal Canyon, the Asilomar bluff area.   ’It’s for all athletes who want to have a fun race,’ said Pacific Palisades resident David Card, noting that the Rotarians want to start an annual athletic event that would be different from the Palisades-Will Rogers 10K/5K run held on the Fourth of July.   The proposed triathlon will be in reverse as the adult/teenage contestants start with a 5K run, transition to a 10K bike race and end with a 300-meter swim in the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center’s 12-lane competition pool.   A 5K run/walk and a junior triathlon, which the YMCA has done in the past, will take place at the same time, entirely on PaliHi’s campus.   The Rotary Club will donate the money collected from entry fees to the Boy and Girl Scouts, PaliHi, Paul Revere Middle School and the Palisades-Malibu YMCA.   Last Thursday, Card presented the proposal to the Pacific Palisades Community Council, which voted unanimously to support the Rotary Club’s efforts as long as at least 51 percent of the residents in the neighborhood favor the idea. The club will be required to obtain a special event permit from the L.A. Bureau of Street Services, which mandates that at least 51 percent of the residences within the proposed closure area support it.   The Council also asked that the Rotary Club inform the residents that their cars will be towed if they are still parked on the street on race day.   Card agreed and will now circulate a petition to residents. The triathlon course will be on the following streets: Bowdoin Street, Erskine Drive, El Medio Avenue, Asilomar Boulevard, Almar Avenue, Muskingum Place, Tahquitz Place, Miami Way and Arbramar Avenue, Wynola Street and Northfield Street.   ’I tried to design, with the help of a professional race advisor [Walt Walston of W2 Promotions], a route through the neighborhood that would be attractive to racers as well as minimize the impact as much as possible on neighbors,’ Card explained.   The triathlon is tentatively scheduled to begin at 8 a.m., and all the competitors should finish in two hours. Roadblocks will be set out as early as 6:30 a.m. The city will put up the ‘no parking signs’ a few days before the event, but they will not be enforced until the day of the triathlon, Card said.   ’Obviously, we will pick up the cones and closure signs and open it up as soon as the race is over ‘ that will be our highest priority,’ Card said, noting that he hopes that the selected day and time will be the least inconvenient for residents.   He added that if people need to travel somewhere on the day of the event, they can park their cars outside the course area. Parking for the event will be on Sunset Boulevard, Temescal Canyon Road and the PaliHi campus.   The triathlon will take place on the same day as the Chamber of Commerce’s Village Fair, which will be held on PaliHi’s campus following the race.   Overall, ‘We want to show off the [PaliHi] campus, show off the pool and also support the Chamber of Commerce,’ Card said.

Dirk VanderZwan; Local Contractor, Tasteful Cook

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Dirk VanderZwan, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died peacefully from complications of pneumonia at St. John’s Hospital on February 2. Dirk died with his wife at his side as he lay under a stand of bamboo branches that a nurse placed in his room at the critical-care unit, in accordance with his wishes to spend his last hours ‘under a tree.’ He was 76. Born on September 27, 1934 in Den Haag, Holland, Dirk came to the United States as a teenager by working his passage on a Holland America cruise ship. After briefly working at the famous Montauk Manor hotel on Long Island, he became an American citizen and joined the U.S. Army. When his tour was over, he moved to Las Vegas, where he met his first wife, Rosalie, and raised two daughters.   Dirk worked as a maitre d’ in the showroom of the original Aladdin Hotel and later obtained his real estate license. He then moved to Post Falls, Idaho, where he built several spec homes before returning to Las Vegas. After a divorce, he moved to Los Angeles and settled in Pacific Palisades, where he met and married Melissa Grant and had a son, a family he so adored.   In the Palisades, Dirk worked as a contractor renovating many local homes.’He was a familiar presence in the Palisadian-Post classifieds, and was known to many by his distinctive advertising slogan: ‘Dirk Does Doors.’ When he wasn’t busy working or spending time with his family, he enjoyed photographing nature, especially flowers and trees. Not a fan of digital technology, he preferred his old-fashioned 35-mm Canon camera. He was also an accomplished cook who rarely used recipes and could whip up a gourmet meal from kitchen staples. His white clam sauce and homemade beef jerky were family favorites.   Sober for 28 years, Dirk supported the Clare Foundation, a community-based program that helps recovering alcoholics lead sober lives. He helped many men who lived in Clare’s residential facilities, teaching them handyman skills and giving them work to help them get back on their feet.   Dirk is survived by his wife Melissa and their 17-year-old son DJ, a junior at Palisades High School, as well as his daughter Lisa and grandson Nicolaas of Ashland, Oregon, and daughter Tina and grandson Donovan of Las Vegas.   The family welcomes friends and acquaintances to a memorial service on Friday, March 11, at 2 p.m. at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset Blvd.   In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in honor of Dirk VanderZwan to the Clare Foundation, 909 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405.

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