Circling The News

The Pierson Playhouse, built by actors so there would be a community theater in town, burned.  Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

As part of the Santa Monica Conservancy Mosaic series, a special program “The Way We Were: Shared Memories of a Village Lost” will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 16.

This is the first installment of the 2025 season of livestream series and the Conservancy is presenting the event in partnership with the Pacific Palisades Historical Society. This is a free event, but people are asked to register for the webiner click here.

In this episode four key members of our devastated neighboring community, Pacific Palisades, will reflect on the region’s rich history, fond memories of life in their cherished village, and their hopes for the recovery ahead.

With a deep connection to the Palisades spanning decades, Mosaic moderator Libby Motika will lead conversations with the former editor of the Palisadian-Post Bill Bruns; a longtime community advocate Roberta Donohue; and Vanessa Pellegrini, member of the founding family of a beloved legacy business, Vittorio Ristorante, which was destroyed in the fire.

The discussions will begin with an overview of local history by Randy Young, the curator of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society, who will share historical photos.

About Santa Monica Mosaic:

This is a livestream series celebrating the preservation of our historic cultures. Like a mosaic, many fascinating stories, diverse perspectives and multiple legacies create the shape of today’s Santa Monica. Visit the archive to discover histories shared by a variety of community leaders and storytellers.

Residents are still grappling with the effects of the Palisades Fire on January 7 and the spot fires on January 8 and 9. There were no fire engines to fight the embers or spot fires.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass continues to hold bi-weekly Zoom meetings at 5 p.m. and invites all residents to register. Here are the highlights of the March 11 meeting, which can be found in its entirety on click here. In addition to city/county presentations, people can pose questions in the query box. Some are answered, some are not.

PALISADES RIGHT OF ENTRY:

Generally, Bass does a brief update, as she did today asking how many Right of Entry had been processed by L.A. County today and learned that Eaton had 135 processed and that the Palisades had 88. She said she had spoken to the County and that “we need to process more.”

(Editor’s note: CTN had put in a public records request with the county to see when the first property was cleared in Pacific Palisades, the weekly rate and how many have been cleared. The County dashboard displays all properties but does not segregate the two communities. CTN has heard repeatedly from the Army Corps of Engineers that they could work on 50 properties per day in the Palisades but have not had that opportunity yet.)

A resident said, “Phase 2 debris removal needs to be a 24/7 operation. Heavy equipment crews should be actively clearing lots 24/7. The City and ACE should ensure this is the case. There should be no barriers to 24/7. Why is this not happening?”

Corps Public Information Officer Travis England said, “USACE crews are working extended hours, including some nighttime operations, to remove debris as quickly as possible. However, full 24/7 operations aren’t always possible due to safety concerns, noise restrictions, and logistical constraints such as landfills and disposal sites that have operating hours that would impact hauling schedules.”

PCH CLOSURE:

Caltrans’ Lauren Wonder said that in anticipation of the rainstorm predicted for Wednesday into Thursday, there would be a hard closure on Pacific Coast Highway starting at noon, March 12.  The closure will be from Chautauqua Boulevard to Carbon Beach Terrace. Only emergency vehicles will be allowed through.

The anticipated rainfall of an inch per hour staring tomorrow evening, could cause mudslides in the burn scar areas. The reopening, possibly on Friday, will depend on the weather and its impact on the road.

PALISADES RESIDENT CURFEW:

A Palisades resident wanted to know if they had to observe the initial curfew that was put into place. Los Angeles Police Department Commander Ryan Whiteman said, “Palisades residents can visit at any time.” He said there would still be check points in place and identification would need to be shown.

AFFORDABLE HOUSING AT THE PALISADES BOWL:

A resident wrote that I’m seeing all other questions being answered. — Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park was one of the last remaining affordable housing communities on the California coast, and the fire has put that at serious risk. What specific steps is the city taking to ensure we don’t lose this vital rent-controlled, low- and moderate-income housing? How will the city protect displaced residents from being permanently pushed out and prevent this from becoming an opportunity for land speculation and redevelopment?

The answer came from Anna Ortega and the Los Angeles Housing Department:

The mobile home parks continue to be mobile home parks and any change in use needs to go through a thorough review and approval process through the City’s Planning Department, including protections for existing homeowners.

Ortega’s answer failed to include a reference to the Mello Act: “In 1982, the State of California adopted the Mello Act to preserve and increase the supply of affordable housing in the State’s Coastal Zone. Among other measures that protect housing, it requires, wherever feasible, that affordable dwelling units be replaced and that projects incorporate new affordable housing units.”

In 2015, City Council instructed LA City Planning to prepare an ordinance establishing permanent procedures for implementing the Mello Act. City Planning’s proposed ordinance would require all affordable housing to be replaced onsite, where feasible, and require units to be replaced on a one-for-one basis, at like-for-like affordability.

One of the key facts of the Mello Act Ordinance is that “Location of Replacement – The proposed ordinance requires replacement units to be located onsite.” click here.

The flames of the Palisades Fires initially went against the winds and burned east.

This editor spoke to an anonymous source, who pointed out that the flames of the Palisades Fire that started in the Highlands on January 7, were initially pushing against the wind towards the east and toward Will Rogers State Park.

Numerous residents have photos of the fire progressing slowly towards the east. At one point in the late afternoon/early evening, the wind caught the flames and drove it to the Pacific Ocean, destroying nearly 7,000 homes in the Alphabet Streets, Via de las Olas Bluffs and Will Rogers..

The question was, “What fire resources were assigned to that Eastern flank and when.”

Circling the News made a public records request on March 8, “At the start of the Palisades Fire on January 7, how many engines/firefighters were assigned to the Eastern flank of the fire and where were they located?”

On March 10, CTN received an email that request, 25-3441, had been closed. The response is below:

The Palisades incidents are the subject of an active investigation by the ATF National Response Team, which prevents information related to the fire from being disclosed at this time. 

The Department is cognizant of its responsibilities under the Act. It recognizes the statutory scheme was enacted to maximize citizen access to the workings of government. The Act does not mandate disclosure of all documents within the government’s possession. 

Rather, by specific exemption and reference to other statutes, the Act recognizes that there are boundaries where the public’s right to access must be balanced against such weighty considerations as the right of privacy, a right of constitutional dimension under California Constitution, Article 1, Section 1. 

The law also exempts from disclosure records that are privileged or confidential or otherwise exempt under either express provisions of the Act or pursuant to applicable federal or state law, per California Government Code Sections 7927.705, 7922.000, and 7928.300.

This request is considered closed.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and DWP CEO Janisse Quinones in front of the Palisades Recreation Center before speaking at the press conference.

An agreement is pending before the DWP commissioners, who are appointed by the Mayor, to give DWP CEO and Chief engineer Janisse Quinones private security.

If approved, the one-year contract would allow as much as $703,577 to provide a designated armed security agent and a driver for Quinones. The contract, which was issued without a formal competitive bidding process, would be given to Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations.

According to a story in the Los Angeles Times, “a DWP spokesperson said the utility began soliciting proposals for private security for Quinones before the January 7 Palisades Fire.”

The L.A. Airport Police initially provided protection for her after the Fires broke out, but then was turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department. Lack of officers has made it difficult for LAPD to continue in that role.

In 2019, LAPD had about 10,000 officers, and by June 2024, there were 8,908 officers. In January 24, 2025, the force, after retirements would be 8,620, the lowest staffing level since 1995.

Basically, there are not enough LAPD officers to assign them to the DWP CEO.

In a L.A. Times January 24, 2025, story (A Slimmed-down LAPD Seems Here to Stay. What Happens to Crime with Fewer Cops?), Councilmember Nithya Raman who voted against a police salary agreement in 2024, said, that the city needed to look at more alternative social services that can “fill a gap that we desperately need filled and reduce call volumes and demand for police services.”

Quinones is coming under fire for lack of water resources and broken hydrants in Pacific Palisades that may have attributed to the severity of the Palisades Fire. The economic costs of the Palisades and Eaton Fire have been placed as between $28 billion to $53.8 billion in property damage and may be as high as $8.9 billion in economic losses for L.A. County over the next five years.

At a press conference with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Quinones  announced  that drinking water had been restored to the Palisades on March 7, two months after it had been shut off.

She explained that undergrounding of utilities was being considered because “We know it’s NOW a high-risk area for wild fires, so it’s worth the investment.”

Ryan Sakamoto holds up the Pali flag that he purchased. All proceeds go to the Palisades Rec Center.

Palisades resident Sue Marguleas was on hand today at the Hive in Marina del Rey today with Palisades Flags, handing them out to people who had purchased them.

Many people may remember the Palisadian Flag that was designed 15 years ago during  Jake Steinfeld’s term as the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades.

Steinfeld has allowed his trademarked “Don’t Quit” to be added to the bottom of the Palisades flag.

Almafi founder Anthony Marguleas bought 300 as a donation.  All proceeds will go to the Palisades Recreation Center. The flag is 3X 5 foot and costs $40.

Not only can you stand up for Palisades and the community, Palisades residents can help support the Rec Center with donations. Flags can be displayed at your rentals or at your Palisades home, while you go through the rebuild process.

Sue will be at the Brentwood Post Office, 200 S. Barrington Ave. Sunday, March 16 from 3 to 4 p.m. Or make an appointment with her for pickup (310) 293-896. There will also be a Manhattan Beach pick-up at a later date, if needed. https://buy.stripe.com/bIY6owc1EfE6ges288