Temescal Canyon Landmarks Undergo Repair

Workers were prepping the Temescal Canyon Mural, today by blasting it with steam.

Despite the cloudy day, with fog rolling in from the ocean, significant headway was being made at Palisades Charter High School and across Temescal at the mural.

TEMESCAL MURAL:

MuralColors was working on the 552-foot mural, washing off the urethane coating that was put on the mural on its completion in 1983.

Prior to the fire, Cathy Salser, Kat Kozik and Cindy Simon had helped raise money to repair iconic mural that depicts the land and people in Pacific Palisades Kozik said that some of the inspiration for scenes came from hikes and photographs they took. “It was a paradise to be a child and wander about this area,” she said.

In mid-November, volunteers washed the walls to prep it for the current work.

Today, MuralColors co-founder Carlos Rogel (below), showed CTN how portions of the urethane was falling off with the steam washing. He hopes to finish this work by the beginning of the new year, so they can start the next phase of enhancing the color and repairing the peeling paint and areas of water permeation along fissures.

He told CTN that earlier a reporter for the L.A.Daily News has stopped by to check in for a story on the mural progress.

SWIMMING POOL:

The Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center with its two pools, a 13-lane, 25-yard by 30-meter competition pool and a 25-yard by 20-foot lesson pool, was undergoing renovation. The pool, which opened in 2012, is used by the school for swimming lessons, water polo and swim team. The pool is also open to the community during certain hours.

During the fire, the pool was intact, and many wondered why the pool, which is on Temescal Road, was not used as a source of water to fight the Palisades Fire.

Today, workers were scraping walls. A cement curb that overlaps the pool will be poured next and as a workman told CTN  “the plaster is the last thing to do.” He expects the pool could be open by February—which would be just in time for swim team.

The edge around the small pool needs to be completed before its replastered.

STADIUM

The old turf has come off and will be replaced with new.

The Palisades High School Stadium by the Sea will shortly have new turf. The field and stadium are available for rent year-round, depending upon availability with use by PCHS school functions and programs given priority. Some may remember that many scenes from the sitcom Modern Family were shot at the stadium. It is a highly trafficked field from early in the morning to 9 or 10 at night when the band has field practice.

The artificial turf is being replaced with a new generation of turf, Brock. First, sand goes down, then a highly engineered wood particle infill specifically designed to improve traction and reduce artificial turf heat is placed. It’s made from a species of southern pine grown, harvested, and replanted in continuous cycles. This renewable organic infill is produced in the United States.

Eventually, the track will be replaced, too, it’s in bad shape.

A worker at the Palisades High School Stadium showed this editor the wood that will be laid on the field before the turf is laid on top.