LETTER: Activist and LAPD Commander Discuss Fireworks, 911 Calls

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

Illegal fireworks are a problem in Pacific Palisades. The entire town is  located in a very severe high fire hazard zone.

 

Local activist Krishna Thangavelu sent a letter to Commander Jonathan Tom, the Assistant Commanding Officer for Operations West Bureau, detailing safety concerns in Pacific Palisades. She wrote: “We had 10 minutes of fireworks go off on October 18, at 10 p.m. on Will Rogers Beach, on a red flag day.”

She offered ideas:

  1. URGENT:   We need a simple and effective strategy to apprehend individuals setting off fireworks or fires. And, we need that strategy NOW.
  2. 911 Strategy:  We need a better 911 response strategy for fire risk and this should be made available to all 29,000 residents.  If 911 is going to be too slow to respond (if at all) perhaps calls should be made to another dispatch service just for fire risk, and this can be one, more, or all of our private security firms. A quick zoom meeting from LAPD can request assistance from these providers.
  3. Arrest Strategy:  Option1:  Place a bounty on each suspect held for arrest and incentivize our private security firms $1000 per suspect held for arrest by LAPD.  This will be much more effective and cheaper and faster to implement than trying to manifest LAPD patrol officers that simply do not exist for nightly patrol.  This is my preference to bring a quick end to this firebug problem infesting this town.
  4. Arrest Strategy: Option 2:  LAPD can formally contract and deputize private security firms to patrol this town during evening hours.  If there are multiple firms, LAPD can divide up the work so multiple firms are engaged for different days of the week. This is a less preferred strategy since we will end up in bureaucratic hell and ongoing lack of government effectiveness in handling this existential risk.
  5. Teenage Delinquents: Inform local schools that all teenage delinquents convicted of crimes will be required to be expelled from schools in this town, per existing school charters that allow for expulsion.  We simply cannot risk the presence of individuals who are capable of burning this town down.

Captain Tom replied:

KT, thank you for your email and your ideas. You raise some very good points and demonstrate outside of the box thinking with your suggestions.

-Regarding 911, the Department has hired 84, 911 operators this year. It takes approximately one year for them to be fully certified, and many are still in training. It is very difficult to hire and retain our 911 operators so if you know anyone that is interested, we are hiring! Note: In 2024, 60% of 911 calls were answered within 15 seconds or less.

Keep in mind the following: If a caller gives a location for where the fireworks are coming from and advises the operator that the fireworks are in a Very Severe High Fire Hazard Zone, a “Code Two” call is generated which means that officers are to respond without delay unless they are assigned a “Code Three” call which would generally be for a violent crime in progress. If the caller does not indicate the fireworks are in a location designated as a Very Severe High Fire Hazard zone, a call will be generated, but it will be a “non-coded call” which means that the officer assigned the call should respond when available, but they can be re-assigned for higher priority calls (Code Two or Code Three).

If no location is given for the fireworks, i.e.: someone calls and says they merely see fireworks, there is no call for service generated, and the operator will merely announce over the radio that fireworks were seen in the area of, for example: Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon.

-Unfortunately, it is not true that the LAPD has funding to offer “bounties” or pay for private security to patrol for fireworks activity.

-Regarding expelling students from schools, that is something you will have to bring up to the schools or the school board. Releasing juvenile arrestee info to a school for a crime that does not involve the school would not be something that we can do due to juvenile confidentiality issues.

I do have some follow up questions for you:

-Are the fireworks being set off from the same location or does it vary from time to time?

-Are the fireworks being set off at the same or similar days and or times?

-Are there any eyewitnesses to the people setting the fireworks off? Any video? License plates or other identifying information?

-Do you have the names, telephone number, and dates and times of the 911 calls that were not answered or delayed in answering? If you have this info, I can research how long each call was on hold. You can provide this info directly to me for privacy concerns.

Note: If you don’t have this info, I would suggest that you inform your sphere of influence to keep a log of calls to 911 and 877 ASK LAPD so we can document the scope of the fireworks problem. We don’t deploy based on anecdotal information. When we have specific data, we can look for patterns and trends that can help us narrow down when and where to deploy our limited resources.

 

Sincerely,

Commander Jonathan Tom

Assistant Commanding Officer

Operations-West Bureau

Posted in Accidents/Fires | 1 Comment

Pianist Thies to Perform Beethoven Program

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

Pianist Robert Thies will perform at St. Matthews.

St. Matthew’s Music Guild will continue its 40th anniversary season at 8 p.m. on November 1, with music devoted to Ludwig van Beethoven, featuring renowned Southern California pianist Robert Thies. The Friday November 1 program will also feature The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s conducted by Dwayne S. Milburn.

The L.A. Times writes that Thies is “a pianist of “unerring, warm-toned refinement, revealing judicious glimmers of power.”

He first captured worldwide attention in 1995 when he won the Gold Medal at the Second International Prokofiev Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. He has been the only American pianist to win a Russian piano competition since Van Cliburn in 1958.

Praised for his “thoughtful and intensely moving interpretations,” Thies has appeared with such orchestras as the Saint Petersburg Philharmonic, Liepāja Symphony (Latvia), Mexico City Philharmonic, the National Symphony of Mexico, Auckland Philharmonia (New Zealand), Louisville Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Pasadena Symphony, and the Naples Philharmonic.

At St. Matthews, Thies will perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor. Also on the program is Beethoven’s most famous work – the Symphony No. 5 in C minor. From its iconic four-note opening to its triumphant finale, the symphony has loomed large over all facets of the musical landscape, including the fanfare signifying a strike-out at Dodger Stadium. At various times, Symphony No. 5 has been given the nicknames “Fate” and “Victory.”

The only one of Beethoven’s piano concertos in a minor key, many scholars consider the Piano Concerto No. 3 to be first major work of Beethoven’s middle period.

On its surface, the concerto follows the well-established three movements, “fast-slow-fast” classical concerto form, but the music unfolds in a manner that shows Beethoven convincingly pushing any number of envelopes.

In 1800, the 29-year-old Beethoven was commissioned to write his first major work for the stage, a ballet based on the myth of the Greek god Prometheus. Although initially a success, the ballet fell out of the repertoire quickly. However, the tuneful overture remains a staple of the orchestral repertoire.

Concerts take place at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Tickets are $45 or Music Guild Season pass. A free pre-concert lecture offered by Music Director and Conductor Dwayne Milburn begins at 7:10 p.m. For complete information, visit MusicGuildOnline.org or call (310) 573-7422.

 

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Controversy over the Proposed Holyoke Ave. House

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

This is a rendering of how the house would appear looking up from Temescal Canyon.

One of the more spectacular views in Pacific Palisades is on Mount Holyoke Avenue between Earlham and Friends Street. From the public sidewalk, one can view the ocean, Pacific Coast Highway and the Santa Monica Mountains.

It goes without saying that homes on the other side of the street have enjoyed unobstructed views since purchasing their homes. Then, a notice was posted on the lot across the street at 425 Mt. Holyoke last year about the construction of a home.

The property, a steep hillside, was listed for sale for $6,995,000 in January 2023 by owner Darla Jones. It was sold on July 2023 for $3.3 million. She with her late husband Stan had purchased the property 47 years ago.

Kurt Seidensticker, an entrepreneur (Vital Proteins, Starshot Ventures) who had moved into the neighborhood the previous year, purchased the lot.

CTN was told Seidensticker wants this home, which will be built into the hillside on a 42,000 sq.ft. lot to become his family home. He hired land use consultants, and architectural and engineering professionals.

A group of residents, the Mt. Holyoke View Preservation, is against the construction of a home. They argued that there is a no-build restriction on this Tract 9300 lot, which was originally called Lot B.

They say that the original deed states Lot B is never to have a structure and that the Civic League is in charge of upholding that.

CTN contacted the Pacific Palisades Civic League (PPCL), established in 1943 and the successor to the Palisades Corporation, to see if there was a deed restriction.

The PPCL is an all-volunteer organization, whose authority is limited to reviewing building mass, height, setbacks and landscaping in Tract 9300. The Palisades Corporation had deeded its responsibilities for the CC&Rs (covenants, condition and restrictions) to the PPCL.

Three PPCL members spent hours poring through old records. (Visit: www.PPCL9300.org) Late in August members responded via email, which was also shared with Mt. Holyoke neighbors.

“The original tract map from 1926 (Sheet 2, TR 9300 Parcel Maps) (see following email due to size) does not show it [425 Mt. Holyoke] as part of Tract 9300. Instead, it is shown as part of a very large Lot B, which includes Temescal Canyon, Potrero Canyon and Malibu Road (now PCH).”

PPCL members explained that by the early 1930’s, the Palisades Corporation, created to represent creditors, had begun selling off the Association’s remaining assets. One of those assets was the portion of Lot “B” including now 425 Mt. Holyoke.

“We reviewed CCRs from 1935 Holyoke Title Deed, which show a portion of Lot B reconfigured (reduced) to its current boundaries,” PPCL members said. “What is interesting is that it is listed as a Parcel 2 and linked with a Parcel 1: “Lot Number one (1), Block Number Thirteen (13), in Tract 9300.” In Paragraph 4, it states, “…No residence shall be constructed on Parcel Two (2) unless it a part of and attached to the residence constructed on Parcel One (1).”

In a 1935 corporation grant deed from Palisades Corporation to Katherine G. Young and Marie L. Young stated that a breach of any of the restrictions would revert the deed to the Grantor and contained a power of termination “thirty years after the date a notice of intent to preserve the power of termination is recorded, if the notice is recorded within the time prescribed in paragraph (1).”

The deed restriction expired in 1965. And according to lawyers, the lot north of the property (435 Mt. Holyoke), was originally subject to the same restrictions [as 425 Mt. Holyoke], but in 1956 a house was built on the property.

Crest’s Tony Russo, the land use consultant on the project, was asked about the deed restriction and sent a 2003 document that determined the deed restriction is unenforceable per CA Civil Code Section 885.010 through 885.060.

In 2003, the law firm of Jeffer, Mangels, Butler & Marmaro, went before the California Coastal Commission, about three homes proposed for that site. The law firm argued that the “deed restriction” was unenforceable. JMBM – Deed Restriction Memo 2003-06-10 (1)

The Coastal Commission agreed and in September 2004, approved three homes on the lot, which were never built. https://documents.coastal.ca.gov/reports/2004/10/W12j-10-2004.pdf

Although some residents blame the Civic League for not extending the deed restrictions, the PPCL is solely responsible for CC&Rs.

Members of the PPCL were asked if they had authority for view protection. “Our Guidelines do not include a provision for view protection because our authority from the Corporation Grant Deed is narrowly limited in scope to ‘outside appearance and design’ which we interpret to mean building mass, height, setbacks and landscaping,” said the PPCL members. “We do not have broader powers than these.”

The Civic League was asked about grading issues and said, “The PPCL does not address grading issues which are outside our authority and expertise. However, LADBS Grading Division will require a Soils and Geology Report and provide conditions of approval. The neighbors should be aware that there are engineering solutions to even the most difficult soil problems, the formerly ‘unbuildable’ lots.”

PPCL was asked about possible Coastal Commission issues and was told “we’d advise affected parties to work with a land use attorney well versed in working with the Coastal Commission.”

Last week, Russo was asked where the project was in the development process. “In the very early stages of the entitlement and permitting process,” Russo said. “It will be many, many months before we are close to any permit being issued and there will be multiple meetings/hearings within that time frame.”

He sent a copy of the report “Geology and Soils Report Approval Letter” from L.A. Department of Building and Safety, that was approved on June 18, with a list of 49 conditions that had to be met.

The neighbors were asked about their next steps and told CTN “We’ve received more than 1,000 signatures supporting our effort to preserve the charm and beauty of our unique community including reasonable home sizes and protecting views originally intended for public use when the Palisades was created.”

 

This is a rendering of how 425 Mt. Holyoke would appear from across the street once constructed.

Posted in Real Estate | Leave a comment

Soccer Game Called Because of DUI

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

A car blew threw a fence and landed on a track while a soccer game was underway. The driver of the blue car is on the ground and was restrained by the police, before he was loaded to a gurney and transported by paramedics to a nearby medical center.

This editor referees youth soccer on the weekends. Working at West Torrance High School on October 19, about 27 minutes into the first half of a U12 Boys game, there was a loud crash. A blue car flew over an embankment, ripping out a steel-fence before landing on a track.

Flames were seen under the car, and the soccer players were shepherded away from the car towards the other end of the field, just in case there was an explosion.

Several parents ran to the car and helped pull out the driver, who initially appeared unable to stand. Police and firetrucks were onsite within five minutes. Firefighters doused the flames under the car and used the Jaws of Life to cut the steel fence away from the car’s frame.

Luckily, the incident did not happen earlier, because during a prior game three little boys had been playing in that area of the track where the car landed.

The Orange County Register reported (“Suspected DUI Driver Goes Airborne, Car Lands on Track at High School in Torrance”) A suspected DUI driver was hospitalized after his car briefly went airborne and flew over a fence onto a track at a Torrance high school.

The story stated “It was unclear how fast the man was going around 2 p.m. as he drove southbound on Entradero Avenue, before he went through Del Amo Boulevard and struck a fence on the perimeter of West High School. The driver went airborne and landed on the red track surrounding a soccer field, Torrance Police Lt. Charles Fisher said.”

The story also said, “Police could not confirm whether there was any activity on the field at the time.”

There was activity, there was a game, with about three minutes left in the first half. I was the assistant referee.

The center referee at that match, Stephen Resnick, spoke to reporters afterwards.

There was discussion among the refs with input from coaches about whether to suspend the match. It was concluded although the police and fire activity was now away from the field that the shock of the accident and with the ongoing police activity, it was not in the kids best interest to resume the match.

According to reports the man, who caused the crash, was suspected of driving under the influence.

As this ref was leaving the field, the next group of players were already arriving for warmups for the 3:20 p.m. game that was supposed to follow. They asked this ref, “Are we going to play?”

I responded, “I don’t know. That will be up to the next set of refs and the coaches.”

Posted in Accidents/Fires | Leave a comment

Celebrating Joel Lish in a Special Tribute Concert

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

The Palisades Symphony will perform a tribute concert on October 27.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

The Palisades Symphony invites you to an unforgettable evening as musicians honor the legacy of founding Music Director, Joel Lish, in a special tribute concert on Sunday, October 27, at 7:30 p.m. at the Palisades Lutheran Church, 15905 Sunset Boulevard.

This free concert is not just a musical event, but a heartfelt celebration of a man whose impact on the Los Angeles music scene has resonated for over five decades.

The program for the evening will be a reflection of the late Lish’s eclectic tastes and his passion for both classic and contemporary works.

The concert opens with Mozart’s exuberant Overture to The Marriage of Figaro, a work that embodies the joyful spirit that Joel brought to every performance.

Alexzandra Morris, a past winner of the Palisades Symphony Young Artist Awards Competition, a competition Lish started and sustained to provide a platform for talented young performers to flourish, will perform a movement from Telemann’s Viola Concerto in G, showcasing Joel’s beloved viola.

Megan Gillespie, mezzo-soprano, and Eric Castro, baritone, Lish’s long-time collaborators, will delight concertgoers with arias from Bizet’s Carmen, and the concert will feature violinist Cary Belling in his own composition, Music Madly Makes the World Go Round.

The evening will culminate with Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, a powerful testament to the enduring resonance of classical music, something Lish dedicated his life to sharing.

He founded the Palisades Symphony in 1966, and over the next five decades, transformed it into a cherished cultural institution in the Pacific Palisades. He was also an educator who influenced countless students as a music teacher in the Los Angeles school district.

As an advocate for music education, Lish’s efforts to provide opportunities for young musicians were unmatched, leading to initiatives such as the Young Artists Showcase Concert.

He took pleasure in introducing residents to orchestral music, making every concert free and accessible to all.

The tribute concert on October 27 serves as a continuation of this spirit of inclusivity and passion.

Conducted by the Symphony’s new Music Director, Dr. Maxim Kuzin, musicians, talented soloists and dedicated members of the Palisades Symphony, many of whom worked with Joel for years, will continue the mission Lish envisioned when he formed this symphony.

Admission is free. For more information and to view tributes to Joel Lish, including a video of his memorial service, visit our website at www.palisadessymphony.org.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Pali Loses to Venice 45-44 in a Heartbreaker

Posted on October 21, 2024 by Sue Pascoe
Invalid video ID

Despite the loss to Venice, Palisades quarterback Jack Thomas had an outstanding game.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

Palisades High School football team came up short in a game that changed lead several times, and wasn’t decided until the last two seconds.

Although it was nearly 11 p.m. at the Stadium by the Sea on October 18, the stands were still packed for the homecoming and rivalry game to see who would be the victor.

“It was one of the most exciting endings to a football game I’ve seen,” said Palisadian-Post Sports reporter Steve Galluzzo, who has watched and reported on thousands of games.

With 3:21 left in the 4th quarter, the score was tied 38 to 38. Venice scored a touchdown and PAT to go up 7. The Gondoliers kicked off to Pali with 48 seconds left on the clock. From the Pali 45, Harrison Carter received a pass and ran it into the end zone. The score 44 to 45.

Pali went for two but quarterback Jack Thomas was blitzed by Venice.

Down by a point, with two seconds left on the clock the Dolphins did an onside kick, which they recovered. A field goal attempt from the 28 was not good and the game was over.

Afterwards, the coaches pointed out “We fought to the very end, but we beat ourselves.” Part of the problem was loss of yardage because of penalties: Palisades had 13 to the Venice Gondoliers 6 and lost 90 yards.

Palisades also had three turnovers, an interception and two fumbles.

The beginning of the game looked promising because the Dolphins scored first – only two minutes into the game. A handoff from quarterback Thomas to Harrison Carter saw him run from the Palisades 27 to 43. A long pass from Thomas to LeHenry Solmon put the the ball on the Venice 10. A second quick pass and the Dolphin were on the one. Thomas went over the top and Dolphins had their first touchdown.  Venice responded two minutes later.

During the game, Thomas threw for 390 yards and four touchdowns. He also had two rushing touchdowns.

King Demethris had 126 passing yards and one touchdown, scoring early in the first quarter. Max Hejazi had 68 yards and a touchdown.

Kicker Jack Malloy attempted and made five PATs. In the second quarter, the Dolphins had moved the ball to the Venice 18. On fourth down, Malloy attempted a field goal, but a penalty, false start, moved the ball back, and the subsequent attempt was blocked by Venice. With less than a minute before the half, Malloy attempted a 29-yard-field-goal, which was successful.

Seniors Jake Treibatch and Cash Allen led in tackles, 13 and 11 respectively.

Handling the kickoff returns, for Pali are King Demethris, LeHenry Solomon and Harrison Carter. They usually sail past the defenders, sprinting up the field. With the Santa Ana winds, most of the kickoffs went into the end zone, which meant Palisades had to start on the 20.

Head Coach Dylen Thomas before the game.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

Dolphin Head Coach Dylen Smith said after the game that penalties and failing to execute plays resulted in the loss. “We just got to make the plays,” he said. He emphasized to players that practice was the most important thing.

The lesson coaches reiterated to players after the games was “don’t make excuses. You need to come together. Be a team.”

After the coaches spoke, the players huddled, talked about the game, and  then individually, one by one, players came over to pay respects to the head coach.

Overall Palisades is 6-2. On October 25, they play at University High, which is 2-6 and lost to Venice 42-0. The Dolphins return home to play Hamilton for senior night on November 1.

Posted in Sports | Leave a comment

Dangerous Activity on Local Streets

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

Residents are becoming increasingly concerned about the youth drag racing e-bikes and cars driving recklessly at the Palisades Recreation Center after the park is closed.

Other residents see youth on bikes doing dangerous activities like driving on one wheel, many are not wearing helmets. Parents who have pre-teens and teens who have these bikes need to step up and tell their kids to stop. If they don’t, there is a good chance that an accident will take a youth’s life or even cause an accident that will leave a young person paralyzed for life.

One resident wrote, “at 10:30 p.m. Friday night, the park has been overtaken by minors on illegal class 3 E-Bikes. There were no Los Angeles Police to be found near the Palisades Recreation Center or adjacent areas of town.

“There were more than 100 kids in town and in the park, well past curfew,” the resident said. “Currently the Rec Center is the site of drag racing by underage minors on Class 3 E-Bikes; which are illegal for them to be operating.”

The resident was asked about calling 911. “The emergency hotline simply does not pick up,” the resident said, “I was on hold last night for more than an hour.” The resident sent videos to police and to L.A. City Recreation and Parks General Manager Jimmy Kim.

“When one of these 14-year-olds is killed racing these bikes in the park, you and Jimmy Kim will not be able to say you were not warned,” the resident said.

The resident also sent a license plate of the car doing doughnuts. Saturday night the same scenario was repeated with e-bikes and cars driving dangerously through the park.

Posted in Crime/Police, Kids/Parenting | 3 Comments

Dog Park Community Meeting Will Be Held Tomorrow

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

A Pacific Palisades Dog Park community engagement meeting will be held from 6 to 7 p.m. tomorrow, Monday, October 21, at the Palisades Library Community Room.

Residents and dog park proponents are urged to join Councilwoman Traci Park and the Department of Recreation and Parks to learn more about the proposed amenity.

When Councilmember Traci Park was a candidate for the 11th District in 2022, she promised if elected, she would help Pacific Palisades residents fight for a dog park.

The key to receiving money for a dog park was backing from the Council office requesting Measure A funding.

Councilmember Traci Park.
Photo: Rich Schmitt/CTN

Park said she could not understand why the park, which was backed with 4,000 signatures and had wide-community support had not gone forward. (It was first proposed in 2004. By 2019 when Mike Bonin was a Councilmember, at a Community Council meeting he suggested residents could raise the money for a dog park like they had for the bocce ball courts at the Rec Center. In the meantime, the City helped build Westwood’s $800,000 dog park, through Rec and Parks.)

Once elected, Park went to the Recreation and Park Board of Commissioners in January and told them the dog park was needed and asked them to write a grant application for Measure A funds.

Once that was done, and Measure A funds available, the proposed project will still need to go to the California Coastal Commission. Come hear the next steps.

Posted in Animals/Pets, Parks | Leave a comment

Local Children’s Book Author Calls CTN Editor “Failed Journalist”

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

Homeless in Los Angeles

When this editor first moved to New York in the late 70s, I found a job at Scribner’s Book Store on Fifth Avenue, arguably the premiere bookstore in the country at the time. I worked with another man in a center “cashier” booth at the store. He was gay and we often would argue when an attractive man came into the store, who the man would prefer, me or my colleague.

He had disdain for women and referred dismissively to most of them as “Miss Thing.” That thought came to mind, when I received a “Miss Thing” letter from a local children’s book author.

It started:

Oh my God, you call yourself a journalist?

The Rand group published a study of +3 neighborhoods out of the 112 neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Three of the most notoriously TOUGH homeless areas in the city. There WAS on drop in the overall homeless population in Los Angeles. In those three, Venice, Skid Row and Hollywood – the numbers in stayed stable and the encampments reduced.

And the League of Women’s Voters makes NO endorsements for the District Attorney, nor a recommendation for Measure A. Though they are historically all for support of homelessness measures.
WHERE on their website or their ballot suggestions did you find evidence for your claims that they are against A because there is a lack of accountability? Or who they are endorsing for District attorney? SEND ME THE LINK.

And did you even LOOK at the really impressive ACCOUNTABILITY for Measure H’s spending history?

https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-county-homeless-count-d0857248b13845ab09c6f8d20c826754

https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/change-la-homelessness-down-city-la-first-time-years-following-urgent-action-taken-mayor-bass

Your neighborhood news is pleasant and helpful. But when you go unsubstantiated rightwing rag? Not so much. Be a real journalist. Up your game!

WOMAN’S LEAGUE OF VOTERS:

Taken from the Woman League of Voters website.

I initially just printed that they were nonpartisan, when the  Palisades Library sent me a press release. I assume the flyer was correct and had done no research, but a reader sent me to their website and it became obvious they do make recommendations. Visit:  https://lwvc.org/ballot-recommendations/

RAND GROUP ON HOMELESSNESS:

 

A story in the Westside Current in June 2024, reported “the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) unveiled a turnaround in its annual Point-in-Time count. The PIT count is an annual event where thousands of volunteers count the sheltered and unsheltered homeless in Los Angeles city and county.

“For the first time in six years, the latest Point-in-Time (PIT) count indicated a decline in homelessness in Los Angeles. Initially, the figures suggest progress, with the county experiencing a 0.22% decrease and the city a 2.2% decrease in the unhoused population. However, a closer examination reveals a more grim reality. The count did not include those who had died, such as Baby Fowler, Hart, or Davis.

“Additionally, the RAND report indicates that the noted decrease was largely attributed to deaths. According to a May 2024 Homeless Mortality Report, deaths among the homeless population increased 30% faster than the population itself over the past eight years.”

The Rand report that the children’s book author is cited is quoted below:

“A yearlong count of unsheltered people in three parts of Los Angeles found no growth over the period, although areas with substantial encampment resolution activities did see temporary drops lasting two to three months on average, according to a new RAND report. Key findings included:

  • In areas that had substantial encampment resolution activities, temporary declines that lasted two to three months on average were observed in the unsheltered population. The share of unhoused people living literally unsheltered (without a tent or vehicle) in Venice increased from 20 percent to 46 percent, a change that corresponds with policy changes in the neighborhood regarding tent encampments.
  • More than one-half of survey respondents reported a chronic mental health condition, about one-half reported a chronic physical health condition, and about one-half reported a substance use disorder. Respondents in Skid Row were older and less healthy than respondents from the other two neighborhoods.
  • About one-half of survey respondents reported being on the streets for three years or longer. About two-thirds of respondents were actively looking for housing. Respondents in Venice were less likely to be actively looking for housing, had less time on the streets, and were less likely to have been last housed in California.

https://allaspectreport.com/2024/01/27/another-los-angeles-homeless-count-another-fiasco/

https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/29149-the-2024-pit-count-lahsa-claims-progress-but-data-raises-questions

https://www.citywatchla.com/los-angeles/29022-homelessness-pit-counts-trust-and-people

Additionally, as this editor reported, the LAHSA count did not include the beaches, and many people doing the count had problems with the new app. (This editor has participated in the homeless count in Pacific Palisades every year since its inception.)

MEASURE H ACCOUTABILITY:

CAL Matters reported that a scathing audit  released earlier this year found California fails to track both how much it spends on homeless services, and whether that spending is effective. And the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (one of the main agencies that distributes homeless funding in Los Angeles County) is currently being audited as part of a legal settlement between advocates for the rights of unhoused residents and the city and county of LA. A federal judge overseeing that settlement recently blasted the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority for failing to make records of its spending available, according to LAist.

A recent audit, conducted by Tim Campbell for the LA Alliance for Human Rights, —an organization consisting of a wide range of Los Angeles residents and business owners advocating for immediate and thorough solutions to the city’s homelessness crisis—revealed that $210 million from Measure H—a sales tax increase approved by county voters to create a dedicated revenue stream for combating and preventing homelessness—remains unspent. https://www.westsidecurrent.com/news/audit-blasts-la-county-for-failing-homeless-and-mentally-ill-286m-unspent/article_5410f9c4-c969-11ee-ad66-0b30927bf50c.html

UNSUBSTANTIATED RIGHT WING

If this editor spends money on something such as the Measure A tax, which hurts lower income people more than the wealthy people such as the Pacific Palisades children’s book author, I don’t think its unreasonable to ask how the money is being used and to see the results of the spending. If asking for accountability makes you right wing, then I plead guilty. Los Angeles and California need less sheepble and more people willing to ask questions.

Posted in Viewpoint | 6 Comments

Troop 223 Girls Information Session Offered to Parents

Posted on October 20, 2024 by Sue Pascoe

Members of Troop 223 Girls attended a Community Council meeting on October 10.

One of the most exciting adventure opportunities for 5th and 6th grade girls is participating in Boy Scouts through Troop 223 Girls. Those young women, not only camp, hike and learn first aid, they work to earn the Eagle Scout Distinction. A parent information session will be held at St. Matthew’s Parish at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue from 7 to 8 p.m. on October 21 and again at the same time on November 18.

Scouts offer girls the chance to explore the outdoors, learn cooking, survival skills and learn leadership skills. Community service is emphasized and required to become an Eagle Scout. It provides young women a chance to stand out, because only 2.5% of Eagle Scouts are women.

CNN reported in March 2021 that “Boy Scouts of America (BSA) held an inauguration ceremony for the women who reached this prestigious rank on February 8, the organization’s 111th anniversary.”

Girls had only been allowed in the organization in 2019,  and by 2021, 1,000 girls had earned the prestigious rank.

A candidate has to earn 21 merit badges varying in subject from first aid to business, assume leadership roles and execute a large community service project. All of this has to be done before turning 18.

In the article one girl said, “Every girl and boy who would use Eagle Scout worked hard for it. There is no difference, except for when we got to be able to do it.”

Locally Troop 223g members attended the last Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, and a week later, attended the Palisades Park Advisory Board meeting. The young women participated in the later meeting and often suggestions for a proposed playground.

To learn more, click here or email: [email protected]

Posted in Kids/Parenting | Leave a comment