Imagine a store in the Palisades dedicated to the home chef, a place for children and adults that would offer cooking classes, feature celebrity chefs and sell quality kitchen ware. “I thought the idea was great,” said Palisadian Richard Klein, a CPA consultant who has had many corporate clients. “I was surprised there wasn’t already a store like that in the village. I wondered why.” The concept first came to Klein, himself a home chef, last Memorial Day weekend when he was celebrating his eighth wedding anniversary with his wife Barbara and their two young children, Jacquelyn, 6, and Joseph, 2. Not sure if he had come up with the greatest kitchen idea since sliced bread, he spent a month trying to talk himself out of the possibilities. The demographics of the area, as well as some informal polling he did with his wife, convinced him otherwise. “This area is all about families,” Klein, who lives in the Marquez area, told the Palisadian-Post this week. “I believe the village is ready for this, a place where children can come and learn to cook, along with their parents. This is not a professional trade school. It is designed for the community to enjoy. Just look at the success of cooking shows in the last 10 years. Even my young son knows who Emeril is!” After looking at several possible village locations, including the former Kids’ Universe on Sunset (which ended up being leased to Jiva Yoga Studio) and the former Emerson-LeMay Cleaners site on Swarthmore, Klein settled on a storefront on Via de la Paz. And just last week he received tentative approval of his plans from the Palisades Design Review Board. “It’s been a whirlwind of planning and raising funds,” said Klein, who is not exactly sure when his multi-use kitchen store will open. His priority now is to renovate the former site of Sheila May Permanent Makeup Studio at 872 Via de la Paz. Plans call for a complete overhaul of the 1,650-sq.-ft. space, to be called Chefmakers. Klein is in the process of registering the trademark. “Chefmakers is a new retailing concept offering a wide variety of what I call edu-tainment activities,” Klein explained in his presentation to the DRB. “Products and services are oriented to the home chef, both adults and children, and is designed to meet the family-oriented needs of the Palisades community.” Exterior improvements include installing floor-to-ceiling windows, new front doors and awnings, and re-stuccoing the facade. A parapet wall will be built on the roof to give the signage, which is red, some depth. Although the Chefmakers store represents only two-thirds of the building frontage (the adjacent space, at 874, is occupied by Carpets West), the landlord is allowing an upgrading of the entire building, which will provide a “new unified look.” “I am very pleased with what they have proposed, and particularly with the quality of the project,” said Don Hecker, who owns the building. The DRB felt the same way. “I think it’s a tremendous improvement over what exists now,” said member Murray Levy. “I agree,” said chairman Rick Mills. While no formal vote was taken (as there was not a quorum at the meeting) the DRB gave conditional approval to the project. Plans also call for new signage for Carpets West as well as the Chefmakers logo (a chef’s cap) to be placed on the side of the existing tower so it is visible from Sunset. Colors for the design range from light to dark gray. Awnings will be soft green and act as a sun shield. Exterior concrete planters will be filled with seasonal flowers. “My intention was to simplify the building,” said architect Stanley Felderman, who has been involved in the design of several restaurants (Il Forno, La Vecchia Cucina) as well as the design of the MTV headquarters in Santa Monica. He and Klein met at a Daddy and Me class at the Village Arts and Enrichment Center on Sunset. They became friends, and Felderman is now an investor in the project. “Richard is so compelling, so passionate about this idea that I could not help but become involved,” said Felderman, who lives in the El Medio bluffs area with his wife Nancy Keating and their 3-year-old twin daughters, Kate and Sara. “This project is all about bringing families together, and giving something back to this wonderful community we live in.” Klein, 48, has also leased two smaller storefronts from Hecker to use as office space and storage. Both are located next to Amazing Music, behind the Via de la Paz location. He is pleased that several of the investors in the project, as well as some of his advisors, are Palisadians. “We hope to create a renewed interest in Via de la Paz with this project,” said Klein, who taught himself how to cook when he went off to study business at USC. He wrote about his first disastrous attempt for the student newspaper, the Daily Trojan. “My mother sent me off with a pot and some Hamburger Helper. I soon found out that the pot wasn’t big enough for what I was making!” So what does the home chef cook when he has guests? “Homemade fettuccine with Roquefort cheese sauce, paired with a French Sauterne,” Klein said. Possibility a recipe for a Chefmakers food demonstration? “Maybe.” To follow the progress of Chefmakers, go to: www. chefmakers. com.
Up Close with The Bay
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Last week, Village School kindergartners became scientists for the day when they visited the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. Educators encouraged the youngsters to use their senses to learn about the ocean life in neighboring Santa Monica Bay. Formerly the UCLA Ocean Discovery Center, the aquarium was taken over by the nonprofit organization Heal the Bay last year, after budget cuts meant UCLA could no longer run it. Heal the Bay reopened the aquarium in June and it is now booked through the summer with elementary education programs. The aquarium complements Heal the Bay’s mission of ocean conservation and stewardship. Fortified with a snack after the short bus ride to the aquarium, located just underneath the carousel at the pier, the 45 kindergartners excitedly descend on the aquarium. Education manager Vicki Wawerchak and educator Nick Fash are ready for them. “When we go inside we’re going to be scientists,” Wawerchak tells the students. Once inside, the “treasure hunt for animals” begins, and they’re told to look for the soft and squishy orange sea cucumber or the red spiny lobster. Students are taught to take out their scientific “touching tool”-two of their fingers-to gently feel the “jello-like” sea cucumber and the “sticky” jellyfish, among others in the waist-high touch tank. The 2,000-sq.-ft. aquarium is filled with sea life, all of which is found in Santa Monica Bay. The viewing tanks have different themes-one is filled with crustaceans, the pier tank reflects the sea life right under the pier, and a rocky reef tank contains eels. The large touch tank contains invertebrates such as sea urchins, sea stars and snails. “The kids love it,” says teacher Stephanie Don Vito of the aquarium. “They can see the animals and touch them. It’s not too big and the presenters are great.” Up to 60 students can visit at a time, divided into two groups. Wawerchak leads them in a program where they learn about sea stars, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Lucky young volunteers get to hold the animals, as Wawerchak explains through words and funny physical demonstrations how sea stars dine on mussels. “They barf their stomach up outside their body and into the mussel, make a soup [with their digestive juices and enzymes] and suck it in.” “Gross!” yell the kindergartners. “Scientists don’t say ‘gross,’ they say ‘Wow, cool!'” explains Wawerchak, a native Palisadian who has been a marine biology educator for 10 years, and who gains her young audience’s rapt attention. Soon she has the children demonstrating the sea star digestion along with her. Later, small groups of children gather around a sea star in a plastic container. When the sea stars are placed on their backs as an experiment, they start to turn over. “Flip over sea star,” the kids chant. “Ours is flipping,” another group says excitedly. And with arms raised high in the air, a third group shouts: “It flipped!” The children touch the sea stars’ tube feet, and back at the touch tanks, see one with its stomach partially out. For the second half of the trip, the groups switch, and Nick Fash leads them out onto the beach. Kids continue their scientific exploration right next to the pier, looking for bird footprints, feathers and guano (“What scientists call sea bird poop,” Fash says). Then, given plastic colanders to use as sieves, the kids pair up and see what they can find in the sand-shells, rocks and tiny sand crabs. “They learn there’s more to the beach than just laying a towel down and playing in the waves,” Wawerchak says. “There are animals and a food chain.” Palisadian Vicki Warren is one of several Heal the Bay volunteers assisting this morning. The small staff relies on many volunteers-to help with education programs, greet the public and answer questions, or assist senior aquarist Jose Bacllao in feeding and taking care of the animals and tanks. The volunteers and educators say it’s particularly rewarding to work with students who have never been to an aquarium or put their toes in the sand. “It’s fun to get them to not be afraid,” Warren says. The aquarium, 1600 Ocean Front Walk, is open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 12:30 to 5 p.m. on weekends. Heal the Bay runs the aquarium with the help of a grant and assistance from the City of Santa Monica, but they are looking for donations to help in continuing the aquarium’s work. The entry fee is $1 per person, with a suggested donation of $5. Children 12 and under are free. The aquarium is also available weekend mornings for birthday parties. Sundays are shark days, with a talk and feeding at 3:30 and shark movies, crafts, discussions and stories the rest of the day. A “microbiologist” program for 3- to 5-year-olds will take place on Monday afternoons in March. For more information or to make donations, call 393-6149.
Author Jamison Brings Dual Perspective to Mental Illness
Although her illness first became apparent in the early 1960s when she was a 17-year-old student at Palisades High School, Kay Redfield Jamison didn’t seek treatment for her manic depression until a decade later, when she had completed her doctorate and was a professor of psychiatry at UCLA. In 1995, she bravely told the story of her own affliction in “An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness,” a book that went on to became a New York Times bestseller. Jamison will share her personal and professional reflections on mental illness in a lecture at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, February 7. Manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder, is characterized by extreme emotional highs and lows. It is a disabling disease that often becomes progressively worse if left untreated. In Jamison’s case-made all the more ironic by her education and training in psychology-the author initially felt that her depressions were a passing phase. “There’s a certain amount of denial involved to keep on going,” says Jamison, who now is Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. “I assumed I could handle anything that came my way.” In fact, like so many other sufferers, Jamison reveled in the highs, which brought periods of intense creativity and feelings of accomplishment. Although these episodes were inevitably followed by crushing, debilitating lows, Jamison was slow to accept the need for medication, fearing it would deaden her spirit. Her harrowing journey-and ultimate recognition of the need for both medication and psychotherapy in order to heal-is chronicled with candor and wisdom in her memoir. Jamison explored the link between mental illness and creativity in an earlier book entitled “Touched with Fire: Manic Depressive Illness and the Artistic Temperament” (1993). While her book outlines biographical and scientific evidence for a relationship between manic- depressive illness and artistic creativity, it does not romanticize the connection. “Nobody can be creative if they are hospitalized or dead,” says Jamison, who has spent her entire career advocating taking medication to treat depression and warning about the dangers of suicide. Her most recent book, “Night Falls Fast,” is a treatise on understanding suicide, something the author is increasingly optimistic about the possibilities of preventing, but deeply frustrated by the lack of public and professional awareness of the terrible toll it takes. However, Jamison is encouraged by a public that is increasingly better educated about depression. “People know the symptoms and how common it is,” says Jamison, a 2001 recipient of the prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. “They’re much more aware that there are medications out there. It makes a huge difference.”
Theater Review
“Laughter” at the Morgan-Wixson
How funny is a group of television comedy writers trying to be funny? Not half as entertaining as The Santa Monica Theatre Guild’s production of Neil Simon’s “Laughter on the 23rd Floor,” which runs through February 14 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. Directed by Lewis Hauser and produced by Len Magnus, the show transports the audience to 1953, the 23rd floor of a building in New York City where seven comedy writers gather to create sketches for The Max Prince Show, starring the high-strung, lovable lunatic Max Prince. Based on Simon’s early experience as a writer for Sid Caesar’s “Your Show of Shows,” “Laughter on the 23rd Floor” (1993) captures the creative antics characteristic of some of Simon’s comic collaborators-among them Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and Larry Gelbart. The Simon character, Lucas (Chris Kuechenmeister), introduces his fellow jokesters to the audience as they enter the writers’ room one-by-one, each with his (or her) own quirky appearance and persona-not to mention their diverse cultural backgrounds, which are the root of many jokes. We meet Milt (Jeff Witzke), Val (Dennis Delsing), Brian (Neilsen Scott Montgomery), Kenny (Chris McCann) and Carol (L. Kate Siegel), who prepare us for the entrance of the biggest little man behind the curtain, the Napoleon-meets-Woody Allen character modeled on Sid Caesar-Max Prince (Barry Silver). Max must tell his writers, whom he later calls his “flesh and blood,” that the NBC network wants to cut the budget and length of the program because the material is “too sophisticated” for the average American audience. Yet the NBC executives aren’t the only ones with a black list: Sen. Joseph McCarthy has called World War II Allied commander Gen. George Marshall a Communist, and this news equally enrages Max, who refers to McCarthy as “Senator McNutcake.” The team of writers rolls with the punches (literally), sometimes cracking five jokes a minute in attempt to lighten the mood, boost their egos or conceal their insecurities. Even the whiny writer/hypochondriac, Ira (Patrick T. Rogers), who stumbles into the session tardy, as usual, spits out his share of jokes. While it takes the first act to really get to know these characters and their relationship with each other, the second act (seven months later) is faster-paced and funnier, even with a slower, more drugged-out Max. We finally get to see the writers collaborate and act out the movie version of Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” starring Marlon Brando, with Max as Julius Caesar. Here, the acting and direction capture the climactic high of comedy writers fighting for a laugh-the cast gets several with this scene. Barry Silver’s strong performance as Max reveals an underlying fatherly love for his writers despite his neurotic behavior. He gives the audience an inside look at the pain behind the laughter (“Nobody hates Max the way Max hates Max”) and wins our sympathy with his unfaltering loyalty to his band of comics. In an exhilarating moment, Ira gets down on his knees to teach Max the “Roma” number and before long Max breaks into song joined by his ensemble of writers. The cast pulls off these sudden spurts of collaborative harmony with great pizzazz. The contrast between the characters’ quick wit and light joking, and the dark political news about McCarthy/blacklisting/Russia’s H-bomb, which we get from characters as well as the voiceovers between scenes, successfully creates a build-up of tension on the 23rd floor. Kenny’s earlier declaration that “maybe we’ll never have this much fun in our entire lives” rings truer than ever by the end of the production. The impressive one-set stage (designed by William Wilday)-mustard yellow, mauve and beige walls, and classic wood furniture-evokes the 1950s to a T, as do the stylish costumes (Karen Jay), which perfectly characterize each writer. Jeff Witzke as Milt is hilarious in his white suit, and Max’s secretary Helen (Brittny Roberts) creates a character that matches her flowery, bouncy dress-an eager wannabe comedy writer who can’t quite crack a joke. In an environment where being an “honorary lunatic” is the highest form of respect, Simon’s characters are a famous tribute to some of the greatest comedy writers and to the gut-wrenching comic process. The production’s poignant moments are interspersed among endless wisecracks and ba-dum-bums because, after all, laughter and tears often share the same space. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., and a special Saturday matinee January 31 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $10 for students, with group reservations available. The Morgan-Wixson Theatre is located at 2627 Pico. Contact: 828-7519.
Working His Way to the Top
D’Andre Bell Is Palisades High Basketball Team’s Floor Leader
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Take a walk on the Palisades High campus and it’s not very hard to find D’Andre Bell. When he’s not in class, he’s in the gym shooting baskets, in the fitness center lifting weights or on the track running laps. For him, high school is a stepping stone towards his lifelong goal and Bell wants to be ready, both athletically and academically, when opportunity knocks. “My number one goal is to get a scholarship at a good Division I school,” said Bell, the leading scorer on the Dolphins’ varsity basketball team. “I believe in my heart and in my soul that I can do that. I just have to keep working as hard as I can and it will happen.” Working hard has become Bell’s modus operandi since he arrived at Palisades three years ago. In fact, his work inspires not only his teammates, but also his coaches, who have trouble getting him to tone it down. “He’s a phenomenal person and the hardest working kid I’ve ever had” said James Paleno, who has been at Pali since 1981 and is in the midst of his 13th season as head coach. “He’s always asking me to open up the fitness center so he can work out. He plays as hard in practice as he does in games. I take no credit for his success. He’s gotten where he is because he’s driven to succeed.” Hours and hours of extra shooting and dribbling have enabled Pali’s 6-5 junior guard/forward to perfect his mid-range jump shot and drive to the rim with authority. Extra reps in the weight room have added a foot to his vertical leap, making him a force on the backboards, and game experience has improved his court vision. With Bell leading the way, Pali (12-8 overall, 3-3 league) was in position to finish third in the Western League heading into yesterday’s game against defending state champion Westchester. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from playing, it’s that to be good you have to have confidence,” said Bell, whose younger brother, Lance, plays at Hollywood High. “You have to work hard and believe in yourself. You also have to be able to play whatever kind of game gets you the ball–whether it’s up-tempo or half-court.” Bell is a ball-hawk on defense and is usually assigned to guard the other team’s top-scorer. In Pali’s first game against league rival Fairfax, Bell played so well against Lions’ top-scorer Josh Shipp (who is bound for UCLA) that his teammates dubbed him “Skipper” because he handled the Shipp. On offense, Bell is frequently double and triple-teamed yet still finds a way to score. “He used to come to me and say `I took some bad shots’ but to me that’s okay,” Paleno said. “He’s very unselfish and always tries to get other people involved, but when you’re as good as he is sometimes you have to be greedy and shoot because that’s what’s in the best interest of the team.” Bell sets a positive example off the court as well. He is the first to volunteer for the team’s many off-season charity functions, including its annual Kids Jam at Calvary Christian School. “It’s a real treat to play with D’Andre,” said Dolphins’ point guard Corey Counts. “He makes the rest of us better players because he can do so much. I get a lot of my points because the other team is focused on stopping him. D’Andre does it all.” Though still only 15, Bell is one of the best players in the City Section and has the numbers to prove it. He averages 25 points per game, fourth-best in the City, and his 10.8 rebounds per game are third-most in the Section. Of course, none of that matters to Bell unless the Dolphins win. “The most important thing is for us to win,” said Bell, who has started at Pali since halfway through his freshman year. “If I go out and score 30 points and we lose, what good is it?” Bell lives near Fairfax High, which has one of the top prep basketball programs in the state, but chose to attend Pali for its academic environment. The ultimate for him would be to play at North Carolina, his dream ever since he first bounced a ball at Robertson Park when he was 4. “I could’ve gone to Fairfax or Westchester and been a role player for two years,” Bell said. “Instead, I’m here at a school known for academics and playing a major role in building Pali into a winner. That is the ultimate challenge and I like it.” Bell does not regret staying at Palisades. His grades (Bell maintains a B average in college prep courses) and his on-court performance have garnered attention from several Division I universities, including Iowa State and Colorado, but Pali’s top gun takes those things in stride. “I want to put Palisades on the map as far as being a top basketball school,” he said. “Hopefully, the players who follow in my footsteps will come here expecting to win.”
Kogan Excels at Swim Fest
She’s only been swimming competitively for four years, but Hannah Kogan is already making quite a name for herself in the pool. The 10-year-old Palisadian placed fifth in the 50 Freestyle event at the Southern California Swimming Festival January 24, held at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach. Kogan swam the event in 29.79, just 15 hundreths of a second behind her personal-best time of 29.64. “I’d say the 50 Free is my best event,” said Kogan, one of 32 swimmers in her age group from California and Nevada invited to the annual SoCal Festival. “I swam for the Palisades-Malibu YMCA for three years but decided to try Team Santa Monica last year and I liked it.” The change has proved beneficial for both Hannah and her identical twin, Samantha, who joined Hannah at the Junior Olympics last summer in Mission Viejo. “She’s a good breaststroker,” Hannah said of her sister. In addition to placing fifth in the 50 Feestyle, Kogan finished ninth in the 50 Butterfly (34.22) and 12th in the 50 Backstroke (36.92) in Long Beach. She also swam Butterfly in the 200 Individual Medley and anchored her squad’s 200 Freestyle Relay team, swimming the final leg in 29.1 seconds. “It’s not officially a record, but that is the fastest I’ve done for that event.” Qualifying swimmers were placed on one of four teams: North, South , East and West. Kogan’s South Blue Division team accumulated the most points and finished in first place. “You have to be picked to go, so I was pretty excited,” said Kogan, a fifth-grader at Marquez Elementary who is excited to be graduating in June. “Each team is appointed a coach and they decide, based on the information they are given, who will swim what events.” This year will be a challenge for Kogan, who “ages up” next Thursday when she turns 11. “I’m moving up from the 10-and-under division to the 11&12s and that’s a big jump,” Kogan said. “It’s cool because most of my friends on the team are in the 11&12s, but it’s also harder because I’ll be competing against older swimmers.” As well as she has been doing, Hannah will only get better, faster and stronger and she looks forward to future successes. “I really like swimming and I like my team. It’s a lot of fun.”
Passing Shots
Sunday’s Game Was Super
Like most of my friends and media associates, I wasn’t expecting much from last Sunday’s Super Bowl. As was the case for most of the 37 games preceding it, I figured the competitive aspect of the event would be over by halftime. Instead, the Patriots and Panthers gave us one of the most exciting championship games in the history of football and Tom Brady established himself as the NFL’s best clutch quarterback since John Elway. Since learning that Carolina’s back-up offensive right tackle Matt Willig lives here in the Palisades (look for a story on him next week), my heart was with the Panthers, but my brain told me New England would win. I also figured, with two great defenses, that it would be a low scoring game. And I was right–at least for the first 27 minutes. One of the many trivia questions rattled off at the party I went to was the lowest score at halftime of a Super Bowl. The answer is two points, in Super Bowl IX, when only a Pittsburgh safety stood in the way of a scoreless first half (the Steelers went on to win their first Super Bowl with a 16-6 victory over the Vikings). I was rooting for the game to go into overtime. Not because it’s never happened before in a Super Bowl, but because I would’ve won money in the pool I had entered. It’s a shame that the Patriots only had to drive 30 yards for the winning field goal, thanks to John Kasay’s kick-off blunder. It would have been more dramatic if Brady had to drive his team the length of the field as Joe Montana did to beat the Bengals in Super Bowl XXIII, but I have no complaints. I arrived at the party broke and I left it broke, but the game itself was a gem. I would rank it alongside the Patriots’ victory over the Rams two years ago in Super Bowl XXXVI (won on Adam Vinatieri’s field goal on the final play), the Rams’ 23-16 victory over Tennessee in Super Bowl XXXIV and the Giants’ 20-19 victory over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV as the most exciting finishes ever. My personal favorite, however, will always be the first Super Bowl I ever saw: Super Bowl XIV back in 1980. A record crowd of over 104,000 packed the Rose Bowl to watch the Steelers battle the underdog Rams through seven lead changes before pulling away for a 31-19 victory and fourth Super Bowl title. So what did I think of the halftime show? I missed it. I was outside playing touch football in the street… It was nice to read the NBA All-Star picks of Steve Kerr on the internet last week. Steve, of course, retired before the start of the current NBA season but grew up in the Palisades and played for PaliHi on his way to winning five championship rings (three with the Chicago Bulls and two with San Antonio). Palisadian-Post managing editor Bill Bruns remembers when Steve wrote for PaliHi’s student newspaper, The Tideline, some 20 years ago. Now, he’s working as an analyst for TNT and a columnist for Yahoo! sports. Steve had several interesting points, including one on Vince Carter’s receiving the most votes for the upcoming NBA All-Star game: “Carter’s an extremely talented player who is fun to watch. But he’s not close to being the best player in the NBA. Just like in politics, it’s not who deserves it, it’s who is most popular.” Steve added that, in his opinion, Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett are the two best players in the game and that Duncan should actually be the West team’s starting center, since that’s the position he really plays. Kerr’s starting lineups are as follows: for the West… Peja Stojakovic, Kevin Garnett and Duncan on the front line with Sam Cassell and Kobe Bryant in the backcourt. And for the East…. Ben Wallace at center, Jermaine O’Neal and Ron Artest at forward, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd at guard. Finally, I’d like to congratulate our Palisades neighbor and hall-of-fame Dodgers play-by-play announcer Vin Scully, who was named best radio and television play-by-play announcer at the 13th annual Southern California Sports Broadcasters awards in Toluca Lake. Still going strong Vin, keep it up.
Miller’s Goal Beats Hami
First place in the Western League was on the line Tuesday night at Stadium by the Sea and the Palisades High women’s soccer team was locked in a tense 1-1 tie with Hamilton when the Dolphins’ smallest player made perhaps the biggest play of the season. As the second-half clock wound under 13 minutes, forward Lucy Miller curved a high shot over the goalie’s head and into the corner of the net from just outside the penalty area and Pali held on for a 2-1 victory that catapulted the Dolphins (10-2-1 overall, 7-1-0 in league) into the lead and avenged a previous 1-0 loss to the defending league champion Yankees. “It was definitely a shot,” Miller said with a smile. “I was shooting for that corner.” Hamilton (12-3, 7-2) struck first when Lauren Klibingat snuck between two Pali defenders in the penalty area and scored in the 29th minute. Pali answered back when Tia Lebherz scored on a header off of a cross from Miller in the 34th minute. The Dolphins can clinch the league title with a victory over Venice Monday.
Mid-Winter Brush Fire Doused
A brush fire with 10- to 20-foot flames scorched five hillside acres between the Palisades Bowl mobile home park and the Asilomar bluffs last Thursday, but a quick, area-wide response by firefighters contained the blaze in a little more than an hour. There were no injuries or structural damage, according to an LAFD spokesperson. “The helicopters knocked it down for us,” said Captain James Varney of Station 23 on Sunset, which was the first company to respond to the fire around 1:40 p.m. The helicopters arrived within 10 minutes of the call, Varney said. Three city helicopters and one county helicopter fought the blaze, flying to the Santa Ynez reservoir in the Highlands to fill their tanks, then taking turns spraying the water over the flaming hillside. The fire was caused by an overheated transformer in a power line which sent sparks into the brush. This occurred when DWP was working on power lines above the brush along the west end of the Asilomar bluffs above the Palisades Bowl, just west of Temescal Canyon Road and Tahitian Terrace. Seventeen fire companies from the L.A. Fire Department responded, as did two companies from Santa Monica, and four county work crews. The combination of heavy tinder-dry brush, deep terrain, and high winds endangered the homes above and below. “I could see flames threatening the top of the hill and the trailer park,” said Varney. Several companies were stationed at the top of the Asilomar bluffs near Porto del Mar to protect the homes just above the hillside. The fire came within 100 feet of Palisades Bowl, according to freelance photographer Jamie Budge, who has lived in the park for over five years. Budge said he first saw the smoke while riding on the beach bike path between 1 and 2 p.m. By the time he arrived home, he said he was surprised to see the fire fast approaching the mobile home park. “I got real worried when I saw that an ember had set a palm tree on fire. People were hosing down their roofs. If it wasn’t for the fire department, given the way the wind was blowing, it could have been a real disaster.” Firefighters stood on roofs hosing down a number of palm trees at the Bowl which had caught on fire. There was no structural damage at the Palisades Bowl, but there was damage to some outdoor carpeting and patio furniture. L.A. County camp crews cut a fire line all the way along the perimeter of the burned area, and were able to complete their work before dark. “We cut a little trench in case something rolled down, like a burning stump,” Varney explained. Some firefighters remained on watch into the night, in case there was something still smoldering that might have suddenly sparked. “I think we got lucky this was just brush,” Varney said. “It started with that little bit of sparking. People need to be very aware of anything out there smoking-hot exhaust, catalytic converters. And we need to keep our fingers crossed for rain.”
Residents Air Fears of 82 Condos Proposed for Tramonto Hillside
Ocean views. Dust. Noise. Truckloads. Traffic. Erosion. Earthquakes. Bedrock. Flagmen. Posting bonds. These were the issues that arose when some 40 residents confronted the developer of a proposed 82-unit condo project on Tramonto Dr. at the Palisades Community Council meeting last Thursday night. And when Ken Kahan, owner of the Palisades Landmark project, didn’t have enough answers for them, many walked away angry and confused. While this is the third time he has made presentations before the council, he has yet to meet with individuals and homeowners associations to discuss their concerns, although he has previously made promises to do so, according to several of residents. Barbara Barclay, 67, who has owned her condo at 17337 Tramonto Dr. for 32 years, lives across the street from the proposed project. “That’s 50 feet from the digging, the hammering and the noise,” she said at the council meeting. “I have a serious health problem. Six other neighbors, all older than me, suffer from emphysema and heart disease. I’m very concerned about our quality of life and health. What happens if there’s an earthquake? And what if there are serious rains? We sit 50 feet away from losing our homes and possibly our lives.” Barclay also said that she, along with 14 other families in her condo building, will lose their views when and if the project is built. Kahan purchased the property, located at 17331-17333 Tramonto, in 1999. It occupies 3.98 acres of hillside terrain in Castellammare, overlooking Santa Monica Bay, above the Sunset/PCH intersection. It is zoned RD2-1 (multiple family) and current plans allow for a maximum of 87 units, although only 82 condos are proposed. The design, which resembles an Italian hillside town, consists of six buildings built into the bedrock. Three buildings will contain three levels and include 25 three-bedroom town homes with parking below each unit. The other three buildings, four stories high, will feature 57 three-bedroom flats with parking provided in a subterranean garage. None of the proposed buildings will exceed 45 feet in height. The project also meets the city’s density requirements. If the project is approved, the existing structures on the lot will be demolished, including two apartment buildings (a total of 20 units, displacing an estimated 33 occupants), a swimming pool, and a carport. Given the age of the existing structures, there are concerns about the possibility of finding asbestos on-site. While the construction activity, which is expected to last up to 18 months, will generate dust and fumes from heavy equipment, it is not expected to exceed permitted daily levels of emissions. The biggest challenge for the builders is to stabilize and repair the existing Revello landslide (of 1965) on which the project will sit. This requires digging down to bedrock and replacing it with compacted fill to support the proposed buildings. The plan also includes embedding soldier piles in the bedrock. Because the excavation phase may involve up to 128 truckloads per day, noise from hauling activities “may be a problem,” according to Kahan’s final environmental impact report (EIR), which was completed in December. The report also indicates that the project, as currently proposed, will obstruct views of the ocean as seen from the four-story condominium building located immediately north of the project site (Barclay’s condo building) and from some single-family homes located along Revello. The loss of scenic views is considered to be an “unavoidable impact” of the project. Mitigation includes the hosing down of demolition and construction areas at least twice a day, flagmen to direct traffic and controlled asbestos removal, as well as several other city requirements for a project of this size (some 200,000 sq.ft.). Castellammare residents have been battling the project since it was proposed by Kahan in the fall of 2000. Their concern centers on the advisability of building on a known landslide, where a 12-unit apartment building collapsed in 1965. Kahan, accompanied by Eric Zubiak, the new architect he has hired on the project, as well as Ben Resnik, a community facilitator and attorney who specializes in land use, told the crowd that it is precisely because of the slide problem, which has taken geologists and engineers almost two years to resolve, that the project has been delayed. Another delay was the insistence by the community that an EIR be prepared. “Now we’re ready for the [public] hearing,” said Kahan, in his opening remarks. He then presented the latest rendering, noting that because there had previously been “a lot of misgivings about the elevation of the buildings, ” he has redesigned the project to make it “more palatable” to the residents on Tramonto. Kahan then introduced Zubiak, who gave a slide presentation on the work of his firm, which is based in Newport Beach. One of four managing partners of JBZ Architecture + Planning, Zubiak explained that “We have a lot a hillside and subterranean experience, both planning and building.” In one project, he created what he called “a view corridor” to improve the ocean views in a multiple -housing project in Laguna Hills. On that project, “We listened to the neighbors,” said Zubiak, who also showed slides of Crown Cove, which is nestled on a hillside in Corona del Mar. Built in the early ’90’s there has been “no sliding of the land at all,” according to Zubiak. Lastly, he showed a terraced resort development in Dana Point which has just received Coastal Commission approval. Regarding the Tramonto project, he assured the audience that “we’re going to do everything we can to preserve the views.” “We’re just at the beginning of a formal process,” facilitator Resnik reminded everyone, referring to the public hearing which will be held sometime in March. “We’re not requesting any variances or zone changes. We’ve dealt with noise and construction impacts in the EIR.” Further trying to assuage residents concerns, he added that mitigation is a condition of the project. Then the questions began. “Where will you store the soil,” asked Carl Mellinger, an arborist who represents the Civic League on the council. “It will go completely off site,” said Kahan, referring to the 100,000-cubic feet that will be removed to reach bedrock. “Will you be bringing the same soil back?” “Yes,” Kahan responded. Mellinger then expressed his concern about the impact of the large trucks (“We can use smaller ones,” said Resnik), the haul route that will be used (“PCH and the 10 freeway,” Kahan said) and the resulting emissions. “If you have 128 trucks a day going up and down Tramonto, that’s one truck every 3.7 minutes [based on an 8-hour day]” noted Mellinger. “The people who live up there have to listen to those diesel trucks with their popping air brakes and deal with the immense amount of dust. People will have to hose off their plants and trees, yards will be dirty. I really think it will be a big issue for you guys.” “We agree with you,” said Kahan, noting that he calculated the actual number of homes impacted would be only “about five,” excluding the adjacent condo development. “No, no, no,” responded the crowd, insisting there are a lot more. “Tell us what we can try to do to control it [the noise and the dust],” asked Kahan, to which an audience member replied: “I suggest you provide some simple chain of communication to the project superintendent so people can call with their complaints.” “Who’s going to pay for the cleanup of our homes and yards?” one resident wanted to know. Resnik said that while there is no provision for that (“City doesn’t require it; the law doesn’t require it.”), he suggested the residents get together with Kahan to work something out. The developer agreed to do so. “You have promised to meet with us before, and have not, so far,” noted another resident. Kahan reiterated that he now would. To Mellinger’s inquiry about the landscaping, he was told there is no landscape plan at this time, although one will be submitted as “it is a condition of the project,” replied Kahan. “How are you going to mitigate for traffic?,” asked council member Norma Spak. “All these huge trucks coming and going on Tramonto.” Kahan said that there will be flagmen posted on Tram onto, the only way out of the area, to direct traffic. “I’m not concerned about flagmen,” Spak replied. “I’m concerned about the destruction of the road during construction. Tramonto is going to become a dirt road.” “If it does, then we would have to pay for it,” said Kahan. “But we don’t think it will do damage to the street.” “With all the cement trucks going to other projects, it’s already a washboard. What happens if that road becomes impassable? There are only two roads into Castellammare, Tramonto and Porto Marino.” “A lot of road improvement work will be needed on Tramonto once the project is complete,” admitted Resnik. As for Kahan’s plans to go to bedrock (which will require digging down 6 to 9 feet), residents expressed concern that it will trigger another landslide. “This is a slide area,” noted council vice-chairman Art Mortell, who is concerned about the geological studies that have been done on the site. “The people living above [the project], will they be safe if a big series of storms comes through, or will your efforts create instability? Can you say with 100 percent certainty that it won’t slide?” “As it is now, it will slide,” Resnik responded. “Yes, the homes above are in danger of sliding. It has taken two years of studies by the city to deal with the complexity of this problem. This is why we are installing the soldier piles, and there will be on-going inspection of the site. This is the number one safety concern for the project.” “What will be done to ensure stability?” council member Barbara Kohn wanted to know. “With what we are planning to do we are effectively repairing the slide,” said Kahan, from which he said all residents will benefit. “Recompaction will strengthen the hill.” “I own the building directly below, on Castellammare,” said Rosemarie Haynes. “We have 14 units. Our fear is how this will affect drainage on our site.” “There’s a drainage plan for the recompaction,” said Kahan. There was a suggestion that Kahan issue a bond, should that not be the case or if mitigation is not met. “We’ve all been through a lot of construction in the Palisades,” noted council treasurer Patty Post. “And we know the city doesn’t enforce conditions. I think we need some kind of escrow account, fines for various violations. Each and every day there will be something because so many workers are involved.” Resident Art Lefay said that while he was impressed with architect Zubiak’s presentation he felt that “50 units” would be a much better fit, which garnered applause. The most positive support for Kahan’s project came from local realtor and council advisor Paul Glasgall, who thought it would “enhance the neighborhood. Since the slide 35 years ago the city hasn’t done anything to alleviate the problem. This is an opportunity to work with a developer who wants to stabilize this hillside and build something nice and provide an opportunity for the council and the neighbors to work together.” No date has yet been set for a public hearing on the project.
