After four turbulent months of community debate and classroom dislocation, Renaissance Academy is planning to vacate the 881 Alma Real building at the end of the school year in June. The new charter high school is currently engaged in settlement talks with landlord Greg Schem, who leases Renaissance about 13,600 sq. ft. of space spread over two floors. ‘We’re very close to a settlement,’ Scott Adler, RA’s contractor and board member, told the Palisadian-Post Tuesday. ‘Assuming we reach a resolution, that would also assume an agreement on the part of Renaissance that we would not be there [on Alma Real] in June.’ The battle between the school and landlord began last September, after just three days of classes, when Schem gave Renaissance a notice of termination of the lease effective June 2005. Renaissance, which has an enrollment of 320 students in grades 9 through 12, filed a civil lawsuit against Village Real Estate, LLC (owner of the building) November 12 in an attempt to gain more use of its renovated space through June. Village Real Estate responded to the lawsuit January 5, and Schem told the Post last Thursday, ‘We have countersued for fraudulent inducement and for actual damages.’ By ‘actual damages’ he was referring to ‘the loss of a sale that was in progress [when the school moved in],’ among other things. However, Schem added that the owners also gave Renaissance a settlement option which, he said, ‘I think they’ve found more interesting.’ According to Schem, the general terms of the settlement option are that the school must vacate the building in June, giving back space which includes ground-level suite 114 (currently restricted to office use) and terrace level suites T-8 and T-9. Renaissance has not completed renovations in the 1,000 square feet of space in T-9, where initial construction was halted last August when black mold was discovered. ‘We’ve not received approval yet to finish the T-9 space; that’s part of settlement discussions,’ Adler said. Also part of the settlement option are ‘a number of conditions for [Renaissance] to adhere to,’ Schem said, explaining that he means ‘stuff they’ve said they would adhere to all along but now we’re saying we’re going to enforce.’ The list of conditions includes an absolute ban on students parking on neighboring residential streets and a prohibition against students gathering in the atrium and elevators of the building. Adler said that Renaissance has not been able to increase use of its ground floor space, and has been allowing a maximum of 175 students to occupy the terrace level. To date, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has stipulated that only 89 students may occupy the four permitted classrooms of the eight built in suite T-8. ‘We need to learn how to get along better so our other tenants want to stay,’ Schem said of his relationship with Renaissance. Adler confirmed that the school has been looking into other possible school sites for the 2005-06 school year but would not reveal the locations. Currently, students attend classes at Aldersgate Retreat Center and the YMCA in addition to the Alma Real building. ‘We hope the LAUSD will provide us with a campus,’ he said, adding that ‘the Palisades would be our first choice.’ Renaissance sued Los Angeles Unified School District last year when the District refused its request for space on the Palisades Charter High School campus; a hearing is scheduled for February 10. ‘We expect that we’ll either prevail in the lawsuit [with LAUSD] or end up settling with them,’ Adler said. Either way, ‘we have resolved that we will not be in the Alma Real building next year.’ Schem thinks this is for the best. ‘They need to be in a space that’s proper,’ he said.

In their ongoing concentrated effort to market the benefits of renewing the charter at Palisades High School, executive director Jack Sutton and board president Jonathan Fielding met with parents last week to outline the charter renewal process and answer questions. While the two men made a strong case for renewal based on the virtues of being a smaller school separate from LAUSD, they were challenged by United Teachers Los Angeles Chapter Representative Alex Shuhgalter, a 17-year faculty member who distrusts the governance structure and stated at the meeting that 80 percent of the faculty want control in running the school. In letters to parents and faculty this month, the governing board focused on Pali’s status as charter school, completely independent from LAUSD. Up until June 2003, Pali was an affiliated charter, which allowed some flexibility in scheduling and curriculum, but no financial discretion. So in introductory remarks to parents last week, Fielding and Sutton outlined the funding advantages the charter has over the district, and listed some of the academic programs that have already been instituted, reflecting the charter’s more individualized approach to education. With over $1 million to invest in the students beyond its day-to-day budget, the school has expanded textbook purchases and student information systems, e.g., DVDs and projectors for each classroom, and has hired faculty for special classes, including remedial core subjects and music. Building the case for the support of the charter renewal, Fielding stressed the importance of full support from all the stakeholders’faculty, parents, administrators and staff. No longer financially dependent on the district, PaliHi is now a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization with a $16 million budget, governed by a board of directors, an executive director and chief business officer. Fielding emphasized the fact the board of directors (comprising representation from faculty, parents, the executive director, principal and one classified member) is advised and directed by seven standing subcommittees, made up of 50 percent teachers. ‘In order to convince the LAUSD board for renewal for the next five years, strong support is needed from all our stakeholders,’ said Fielding, adding that the charter renewal requires 50 percent faculty approval to pass. A draft of the charter renewal will be presented to LAUSD charter office at the end of January. Discouraged that the governing leadership has ‘consistently ignored the teachers and has failed to take their concerns into consideration,’ Shuhgalter organized a referendum on charter renewal in December and sent it to all faculty members on behalf of the UTLA chapter. ‘Three choices appeared on the ballot,’ Shuhgalter said: ‘one, to return to being an affiliated charter, two, to continue as a 501 (c)3 or three, replace the current structure with a faculty-led government. ‘Eighty-eight faculty members (including nonvoting probationary teachers) out of 105 were in favor of a different government form.’ Shuhgalter told the Palisdian-Post that he supports most of the charter principals, but bristles at what he calls ‘the board’s disregard for the authority of the committees and ignoring any partnership with the faculty. ‘We have been talking about a partnership from the beginning,’ Shuhgalter said. ‘It is not clear why the board does not want to recognize this partnership, why they don’t discuss issues with the faculty, but rather brush us off in the same manner as happened under LAUSD jurisdiction.’ One of the faculty’s major concerns from the beginning has been class-size reduction, which, Shuhgalter asserts, the board ignored. ‘The most important advantage in the charter movement is class-size reduction,’ he said. ‘There is nothing more important than the personal attention the teacher gives and receives in the classroom. How can you do this with 42 people in the class?’ Regarding class-size reduction, Sutton responded at the parent’s meeting. ‘In May we talked about class-size reduction and asked our curriculum committee about priorities, and got no answer. So we are going to form a task force to look at class size and discuss options. Should we build a new building? Should we offer online courses for credit? What would each option cost? ‘Class-size reduction is not easy to do as a charter,’ Sutton continued. ‘We need to examine in depth all of the critical issues. If discussions are going to be held, we, the collective ‘We,’ need to be involved. We have to look at a three-to-five year program that will significantly impact the school across the board. We have no extra classroom space, and if we reduce the number of students, we lose money.’ Recognizing the frustration on the part of teachers and parents at the meeting on the inability of the charter to expedite immediate class-size reduction, Sutton was sympathetic, but focused. ‘Is it better to get our charter renewed now or to look at the organizational structure? I think we need to get the charter renewed. You can always come back and address any features in the charter after it’s renewed. There’s an amendment process that requires 75 percent of teachers and two-thirds of the board support.’ In the meantime, Shuhgalter has established a committee of teachers and one classified person to review the faculty-led governing structures of Granda Hills Charter and Helix Charter in San Diego County, which are both governed by a faculty-driven board. The committee is also planning to send a letter to the LAUSD charter office, stating that PalHi’s teachers will not consider any charter renewal drafts without their signatures. ‘The foundation of the governance relationship at Pali is totally wrong,’ Shuhgalter said. ‘It should not be us against them.’

For the first time in over a year there are storefronts available for lease in all five business districts in Pacific Palisades, which should mean an influx of new retailers and professionals in 2005. PALISADES VILLAGE The former Palisades Camera store, located at 1014 Swarthmore, is renting for $4.50 a square foot. Leasing agent Gregg Pawlik of Coldwell Banker told the Palisadian-Post that he has had inquiries to turn the 1,060-sq.-ft. space into, among other things, ‘a nail salon’ and ‘an upscale women’s dress shop.’ The space is owned by Palisades Partners, the largest landowners in the Village. Besides owning all but four storefronts on Swarthmore north of Sunset (Whispers, Fernworks, Paliskate, and Billauer-Sato Chiropractic), as well as the adjacent parking lot, the group representing four family trusts owns property in the 15200 block of Sunset, currently leased to U.S. Bank, The Nest Egg, Palisades Office Products, Self Center Skin Care Salon and Pearl Dragon. Palisades Partners’ large storefront at 1045 Swarthmore, the former site of Emerson-LaMay Cleaners, has been vacant since April 2003 and is available for $4.25 a square foot. Pawlik has had inquiries ranging from ‘a restaurant’ and ‘a furniture store,’ but no decisions have been made as the owners want to ‘ensure that any new businesses are compatible with businesses that already exist on the street.’ Three-to-five-year leases are available on both sites. On the main floor of the Blockbuster business building at 970 Monument, 950 sq. ft. is available for retail or food only. Leasing for $3.95 a square foot, the space is located in what is left of the former Contentment site. Pasha Sushi & Cafe leased 3,500 sq. ft. last September and will open a restaurant later this year that sells only organic meals and organic products, including bread, coffee and seaweed. Across Sunset, in the Washington Mutual building, an office on the second floor (1,150 sq. ft. at $3 a square foot), ‘has just become available,’ said Darren Bell, vice-president of leasing for Topa Management, which owns the building. Bell said Topa also has office space in the Business Block building located at 15300 Sunset (1,510 sq. ft. at $2.50), as well as two small offices at 15415 Sunset, above Jacopo’s Pizza (287 sq. ft. and 350 sq. ft., both leasing for $3). Bell said all Topa leases in the Palisades at this time are ideal for small businesses, such as ‘CPA’s, attorneys, real estate agents, people who don’t need much space.’ The former BOCA Woman site at 15260 Antioch remains empty, following the store’s move to it’s new location at 1022 Swarthmore in November. Owner Michael Mangimelli said he and his wife, Denise, have not yet decided what to do with the Antioch site, where they still have a five-year lease. The couple also owns BOCA Man at the corner of Swarthmore and Antioch. SUNSET AND PCH The large commercial building at 17383 Sunset (corner of PCH), which houses the Spectrum Club, changed hands in September. The new owners are ECI Sunset, LLC. Madison Partners, which manages the building, confirmed that space is available and can be divided to suit most office and retail needs. Spectrum, which has 3,000 members, will occupy 26,000 sq. ft. in the complex when renovations are complete in June. Just a block up Sunset in Sunset Pacifica, a mixed-use building (office/residential) which houses Pro Train, a 1,400-sq.-ft. office space off the main lobby is leasing for $3,800 a month. PALISADES HIGHLANDS A sublease is available immediately on the We Frame It store in the Highlands Plaza just above Sunset. While Greg Eckhardt, who manages the mini-mall at the base of Palisades Drive for PAR Commercial Property, said there have been many inquiries about the 1,240-sq.-ft. space which is leasing for $2.50 a square foot, they have been for ‘conflicting use. We cannot put another nail salon or Mail Boxes-type store in there, nor a third restaurant because we wouldn’t have enough parking.’ Eckhardt said that the framing store will stay open until ‘a new tenant can be found. We are looking for just the right retailer.’ Asked what was ideal, he thought ‘a women’s boutique or accessory shop. Perhaps a shoe store or a hair-cutting place for children, like Yellow Balloon in Santa Monica.’ MARQUEZ VILLAGE The former Marquez Market, which closed at the end of December, is renting for $2.75 a square foot. So far, Pawlik has had inquiries to use the 2,500-sq.-ft. space ‘as a toy store, a personal training center, and for a gourmet market.’ Asked if Trader Joe’s might be interested, Pawlik said, ‘No, it’s too small for them.’ Also available in the Marquez Village is the former D & T Studio (previously known as Dance & Twirl), which vacated the premises at the end of December. Accessed through the alley, below Marquez Avenue, the 2,000-sq.-ft. space is leasing at $1.90 a square foot. Owner Don Haselkorn would like to see ‘another dance studio, a workout center or perhaps art classes would be good in there.’ SANTA MONICA CANYON Two storefronts are available half a block from the beach. One is 145 W. Channel Road, adjacent to Cafe Delfini, which formerly housed LJK Interiors. Across the street is MLK Studio (formerly Brown Architecture) which is also being prepared for lease. Prices were not available.

OPINION

By ANN KERR Special to the Palisadian-Post ‘America is betraying the values it taught us!’ This phrase, uttered by one of my Arab friends from the American University of Beirut, echoed my feelings as I traveled around the Middle East visiting five classmates on the 50th anniversary of our meeting as students at AUB. I had visited most of these friends over the years, but this time was different. My government had waged a preemptive war against an Arab country. I felt embarrassed for my country and concern that this war would undermine the work of AUB and other American educational institutions abroad which have been an important east-west bridge for decades. ‘AUB taught us the importance of individual free speech’innocence until proven guilty,’ said my roommate Naziha, a Lebanese Sunni Muslim who had studied in an American missionary-founded secondary school before going to AUB. ‘This is what makes me sad about the U.S. now.’ She was also sad about what was happening in the Islamic world. ‘It is so clear in Islam. You don’t start a war against innocents.’ But the principles she had learned in her American-founded educational institutions had made her believe the U.S. was somehow different. ‘The U.S. cannot be the most powerful and the least just. We have always thought of America as just.’ These feelings were repeated by my Palestinian Protestant friend Widad in Amman, Jordan. ‘We always saw the British as bad and the Americans as good’now Iraq has changed everything.’ I had visited Widad and her parents in Bethlehem for Christmas when we were AUB classmates in 1954. Only six years earlier the first of many Arab-Israeli wars had been fought over the partitioning of Palestine and the establishment of the state of Israel. Behind Widad’s statement lay a longer story. The Arab image of America as a just power went back to the end of World War I, when President Wilson proposed self-determination for the Arab lands that had been part of the Ottoman Empire. Instead, they were carved up by the British and French and controlled as colonies until the end of World War II. Arab disenchantment with America began in 1948 when President Truman supported the partitioning of Palestine and the establishment of the state of Israel on land that the Palestinians considered to be theirs. The festering of this problem over the last half-century has been one of the motivating forces behind the growth of Islamic extremism and terrorist activities. While my five classmates and I have all experienced personal tragedy, and the upheavals in the Middle East and war have ravaged the area, AUB and other American-founded educational institutions have survived and are at this moment strong and growing in number. They are a repository of the good qualities of America that many Arabs still wish to make part of their own society. When I lamented to one of my friends that we would have another term with President Bush, she said enviously, ‘But in another four years you can elect a new president.’ The venerable American University of Beirut and the American University in Cairo, founded in 1866 and 1919 respectively, have been joined by a host of new American universities throughout the Arab world. While of uneven quality and promise, and sometimes more business ventures than academic undertakings, these institutions demonstrate that there is a contagious desire for ‘American’ education. The last stop on my trip was Kuwait, where I am a trustee of their new American University, a private university which opened in September with 500 students. Their mission is to become a strong liberal arts institution in the American tradition of open-mindedness and inquisitive thinking and to create global citizens. Chatting with students in the Starbucks coffee shop on campus, and hearing their enthusiasm for their new school was a reassuring finale to my journey. There is still a residue of respect for American ideals’if not for our foreign policy. (Editor’s note: Palisadian Ann Kerr will speak about her trip to the Middle East on Saturday, January 22, at 2 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. She’s the author of two books about her life in the Middle East and is coordinator of the Fulbright Visiting Scholars program for Southern California.)