Local News Can Make a Difference, But Needs Help

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Councilman Mike Bonin proposed putting little houses for the homeless in the Will Rogers State Beach Parking lot. The City’s CAO rejected the site.

Circling the News congratulated the Westside Current for its paper’s continuing coverage of Councilman Mike Bonin’s systematic approach to take away all semblance of a normal life in Venice, by allowing policies that made the town a public safety nightmare.

It was probably that publication, more than any other, that helped defeat Bonin’s choice to replace him in City Council and resulted in the election of Traci Park.

The Westside Current was started because no one was covering the news that mattered to Venice residents.

One would think that the L.A. Times would have done a deep dive on the stories so important to the Westside, such as destroying Westchester parks, the destruction of the Ballona and the plan to house homeless on Will Rogers Beach.

The Times, if they ran a story that involved the homeless, liked to call residents NIMBY’s. That paper endorsed Bonin’s choice for his replacement and other progressive candidates supported by the Democratic Socialist Alliance.

Now, the Westside Current and Circling the News are still trying to find a way to be profitable. Both have a wide readership, both receive kudos from readers, but financial support is dicey.

Internet ads have not been able to fund the WC and donations to CTN are still not a major source of income. This editor basically works for free.

Both papers pay a small amount to outside writers, both papers pay for the programs to run the websites and IT help. Although websites are not nearly as costly as the printing and distribution costs of a paper, there are still expenses.

As a local internet news “pioneer,” how does one make a profit as people transition from printed page to social media?

The Knight Foundation, a nonprofit, (“Considering Supporting Local News as a ‘Public Good’? Here’s the Whole Story”) wrote that people have to “understand  the importance of having a reporter keeping an eye on city hall, on corrupt police, on shady business practices. Then, local news goes from being a profit machine for media companies (and hedge funds) to being a public good, a civic service for the community that everyone must support.”

As local papers have folded across America – or in the case of the Palisades, replaced by staff who are not part of the community, which means the history and the knowledge of stories is incomplete—people have lost the eye that watches government.

Larger city papers don’t understand or see no need to cover the local stories that matter to residents.

The Knight Foundation, a nonprofit, argues that local journalism is a charitable cause. They note that larger publications have been bought by billionaires, but “the appeal for supporting smaller local outlets is not as apparent.

“Now is the time for more foundations and philanthropists to come off the sidelines and begin supporting local news,” the Foundation wrote. “The numbers are certainly daunting in the industry: Newsroom employment has dropped 25% from 2008 to 2018, according to the State of the News Media report from the Pew Research Center. While radio broadcasting lost 26% of employees, newspapers lost a staggering 47% of workers.

“This is especially significant because such reporting often serves as the backbone for on-air stories by local radio and TV stations. The bright spot was digital-native newsrooms, which nearly doubled in staff over the past 10 years, but still didn’t come close to making up for the losses,” story concluded.

Can the Westside Current and Circling the New continue to have your support in the coming year as we cover local stories? Thank you.

Sue Pascoe

Editor

Circling the News

Posted in General | 8 Comments

Letters: Potrero Opening on December 10

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

There is supposed to be a gate at the mouth of Potrero Canyon to prohibit entrance to the George Wolfberg Park after hours.

(Editor’s note: Unlike a small-town newspaper, that publishes once a week and goes to a limited number of homes, Circling the News is on the internet and has wide readership. This editor made a decision when the website` was first rolled out to protect and inform local residents. Names of residents, who may be called out by the numerous trolls that also live in cyberspace, are not printed. Regarding the controversial Potrero Canyon opening on December 10, among others, CTN received two interesting comments that we share with readers.)

One wrote: Portrero will become the biggest crime generating, homeless disaster the Palisades has ever seen. I said the same 20 years ago.

Who do you think will actually go through this park in the late hours to make sure all is well?  NO ONE! Is the correct answer. They don’t have the funding, manpower or interest.

You’ll be writing about this for years to come.

There is supposed to be a gate at the base of the park.

A second reader wrote: What Bonin’s aide Noah Fleishman stated in the Potrero zoom meeting update last week (December 1) was false.

1)  There definitely are no gates at the PCH side of the canyon.

2)  There is the same standing water in the canyon from rains two weeks ago (between storm drains) in the areas of Frontera to Chapala, and further west. Mosquitoes have returned to the adjacent residential homes.

3)  The run-offs and drainage troughs are already blocked with soil.

4)  Park hours have not been changed as promised (from dawn to dusk). And apparently there is no set date on the LA City Council’s agenda to even discuss passing a motion to do so.

5)  Signage and naming of the park are not complete. This was made clear in the Recreation and Park Board of Commissioners retreat last week (December 1).

The Park is not ready for “opening.”

Doing so is a careless act that places the area residents and park visitors at risk. And our resident taxpayers are at risk of huge potential payouts if the City’s actions are found to be careless.

Posted in Letters, Parks | 5 Comments

Councilman Mike Bonin’s Final Goodbye to the Community: F You

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The George Wolfberg Park at the mouth of Potrero Canyon, is supposed to be secure.

There is supposed to be a gate at the base of the park.

The George Wolfberg Park at Potrero is a 46-acre passive park, with no lights or fields, which will open this Saturday. Residents learned that proposed park signs would allow people to be there from 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. year-round. They requested park hours be dawn to dusk and the signs reflect that change.

Recreation and Park staff said they could change the signs to shorter operating hours, but only if Councilman Mike Bonin passed an ordinance.

Bonin submitted a November 22 City Council motion that the park for “walkers, hikers and bicycle riders,” would open at sunrise and close at sunset. The motion has not left committee. Bonin leaves office December 12.

There is no legal enforcement until the correct signs are posted, and residents were promised at a December 1 community zoom meeting, they would be posted before the park’s opening.

At that meeting, Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness co-president Sharon Kilbride asked if signs could be replaced in the bluff areas next to the park.

“Restricted Entry, Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, Trespassing and Loitering Forbidden by Law, LAMC 57.4908.81. Fines up to $1,000 + Penalty Assessments,” signs disappeared during park construction.

There is also supposed to be a fence that surrounds the park to inhibit access to the park from PCH and other bluff areas after dusk. One resident sent Circling the News photos. The area is wide-open and accessible to anyone walking.

Could this lack of attention to Pacific Palisades public safety be Bonin’s goodbye and f**k you,” to the town?

Was he upset, because he was stopped when he wanted to turn the beach area across from Potrero into a tiny home village for the homeless? —And forgot to tell the residents his plans.

He actively lobbied for the senior center in the Highlands, even going to the Coastal Commission to give it his personal blessing, despite enormous community opposition and concern.

Bonin received money from Caruso, $100,000, for his nonprofit. Why would Caruso give him money? No one is quite sure, but the town’s Design Review Board was taken off oversight of the Palisades Village project.

Interestingly, the dirt dug in order to build the Village project went into Potrero Canyon as fill, starting in 2017.

Two years later, the Recreation and Parks Board of Commissioners were told by engineers the dirt was not good and were presented with a $3.9 million change order for grading.

At one time, Bonin proposed turning Temescal Canyon Road into a two-way-road, eliminating lanes in a major thoroughfare in one of the only three exits in and out of the Palisades.

Councilman Mike Bonin

When Bonin ran for re-election in 2017, against Mark Ryavek and Robin Rudisill, he promised that he would give the Palisades its much-needed dog park.

Under Bonin’s watch, streets have gone unpaved, sidewalks not repaired and the lone recreation center and playground in town are not ADA accessible.

He has given all his Council District’s discretionary funding to nonprofits that help with the homeless—with the exception of the one here, the PPTFH. The money for that nonprofit came from individual citizens donating.

It appears that Pacific Palisades is more than the “ugly” stepchild . . . But our councilmember will emcee the opening on Saturday as one of his last official duties. It appears that everyone loves free cake.

Posted in Parks | 7 Comments

Resilient Palisades Helping Gardeners Go Electric

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Pacific Palisades former honorary co-mayor Janice Crystal advocating for cleaner air by eschewing gas-powered blowers.

“We won’t rest until every gas blower is out of the Palisades,” said Resilient Palisades co-founder Ryan Craig.

This coming Friday, December 9, RP is hosting a demonstration of top-of-the-line electric commercial blowers. Palisades residents are urged to ask gardeners to attend. The event will be from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the corner of Capri and D’Este, north of Sunset (near the food trucks).

Landcare expert Dan Mabe of AGZA (American Green Zone Alliance) will go over options. Electric battery equipment demonstration will include hedge trimmers, blowers and mowers.

RP’s Clean Air team led by Susan Fairbain said that they have developed a partnership with a leading dealer of electric (battery-powered) garden equipment and hope to “buy electric blowers for gardeners with clients in the Palisades.

“We’ve successfully trialed the program with one gardener and are now launching with many,” Fairbain said. “Our efforts are assisted by a new state program that subsidizes the purchase of electric (non-emitting) garden equipment. RP and our partner dealer do all the paperwork in order to make it easy for gardeners to switch.”

Members of RP will walk gardeners through the program to show them how to secure the electric models. Gardeners will be able to get 70 percent off from a new California state program and up to an additional $500 will come from RP.

One RP Clean Air member wrote, “For most Palisades gardeners, leaf blowers are an integral part of their business.

“They tell us the number one reason they want to switch to battery powered equipment is health,” the RP member said and noted that the biggest hurdles gardeners have in making the switch is:
1) Calculating the number of batteries, they need to carry them through their workday.
2) High upfront cost of equipment and batteries.

Resilient Palisades Clean Air and Water Team’s approach is to provide support from AGZA’s landscape zero emissions experts to determine how many batteries the gardeners need to run their business profitably.

The RP Gas Free Gardens team is working to offset the biggest barrier, cost, by taking advantage of programs like CORE, and also, asking homeowners to pitch in and help offset the cost of electric equipment as well.

Residents can share the flyer (below) and guide gardeners in helping to make the switch to electric.

Posted in Environmental | 1 Comment

Canyon School Fourth Graders Visit Pascual Marquez Cemetery

Posted on December 7, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The headstone in the Pascual Marquez Cemetery, located off Lorenzo Street, lists the names of the known buried there.

Canyon Elementary School fourth graders visited the historic site.

Canyon School fourth graders visited the Pascual Marquez Cemetery, which is located on Lorenzo Street in Santa Monica Canyon.

Monica Marquez and father Ernie, 98, were at the 4th grade field trip to the cemetery.

They were greeted by members of the family, including 98-year-old Ernest Marquez, who attended Canyon School from 1930 to 1936.

Marquez great grandfathers Ysidro Reyes and Franciso Marquez originally had a land grant that encompassed the Palisades. He wanted to save his family cemetery and fought in court for an easement. In 2005, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge decided in Marquez favor.

The cemetery is not open to the public, because in the lawsuit that ultimately allowed the easement, the family is only allowed six events a year—the field trip to teach fourth graders about local history, is one of them.

Marquez’ son, Ernest, spoke first about native plants located on the grounds and their importance. He asked the students, “If you were sick, where would you get medicine?” “If you want juice, where would you go?” he asked.

“Whole Foods,” one student said.

Ernest than explained there weren’t stores, “they planted and used bushes and shrubs that could be medicinal and also serve as a food source.” He pointed out the Toyon, which had red berries, could be mashed for a drink, the leaves could be used for tea and the wood for arrows and harpoons.

He showed them the California lilac, the leaves could be used for tea. “It drops seeds in the ground, but nothing happens until a forest fire opens the seeds, which allow them to grow,” Ernest said.

He showed students a prickly pair and said people used the fruit: the leaves would be used for napales. Then Ernest showed the thorns. “What could they be used for?” he asked. “Sewing needles,” one said.

“What else?” he asked. None of the fourth graders could come up with an idea, so he gave a hint, “What don’t your parents want you to have?”

“A boyfriend,” one student said, which brought laughter. It turns out the needles were also used to make tattoos.

Ernest Marquez (left) pointed out the native plants and uses to Canyon School fourth graders.

Ernest daughter Monica Marquez went over the requirements for a land grant from Mexico, 1) promised to raise cattle, 2) build a house, 3) be a Catholic and 4) be a good citizen.

She explained how the land grant which ran from Topanga Road to Montana Avenue and then east was measured. Two men on horseback, each held a long pole that was connected with long buckskin ropes of 100 varas (a vara was about a yard).

The first horseman put his pole into the sand and the second then rode as far as the rope would permit and placed his pole in the sand. They repeated this action until the entire 6656-acre area was mapped.

All Mexican land grants were cattle ranches and one had to have 500 head of cattle. They were not raised for food, but rather for their hides, which were called “leather dollars,” and were used in trading for goods.

The students then went to the interior of the cemetery and saw the crosses, which have been hand-made by Ernest. There are about 50 people buried in the cemetery.

In 2007, Canyon fourth graders helped UCLA’s Dr. Dean Goodman run ground-penetrating radar imaging equipment to find the graves.

Forensic dogs were also brought to the site and the two methods completely concurred about where people were buried.

In addition to the family, Kit Carson’s son Sam and his dog are also buried in the cemetery. The last person buried there was Pascal Marquez, in 1916. “They buried him in the same angle as the bed in house,” Sharon Kilbride said, who also attended Canyon School, and still lives in the Canyon on the last original residential parcel of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant.

Marquez’s latest book, the highly acclaimed Rancho Boca de Santa Monica was given to the teachers, so they would have it for the Canyon School Library.

This historical photo shows the Boca de Santa Monica (the mouth of Santa Monica Canyon), where Chautauqua, West Channel and PCH intersect.

 

Posted in History, Schools | 1 Comment

YMCA Christmas Tree Lit with Solar

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

People at the Christmas tree lot were in awe of the lighting which was powered by solar.

When the Palisades-Malibu Christmas Tree was lit on December 3, it was a first for the community. The 14-ft. tree, and the star at the top, were lit with solar energy.

The tree and the Christmas tree lot can be found at the entrance to Simon Meadow, at Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard.

Y Board member Lou Kamer said the idea to use solar came up at a meeting. “Simon Meadow is the Y’s playground, art center, and lab where we figure out new ways to give back and it just seemed like a cool thing to figure out how to do,” he said.

Kamer contacted Resilient Palisades’ Ryan Craig, who recommended Emil Kalil the CEO of Suntricity, a local company based in Pacific Palisades that designs and installs solar electric systems in residential and commercial buildings.

Kalil, a Highlands resident, graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a doctorate in geochemistry. He is an environmentalist, whose goal is to reduce, reuse and conserve natural resources. “When Lou told me about lighting the tree with solar, I knew exactly what he needed,” Kahlil said. “I had most of the parts: a solar panel, a small 12 volt car battery and the mounting hardware. I bought the ‘charge controller’ that takes the output of the solar panel and converts it to 12VDC to charge the battery.

“It was one of those fun, simple tasks that work,” Kalil said. “I like playing with rechargeable batteries and this was a nice exercise to make a productive gadget out of solar and batteries.”

YMCA Executive Producer Jim Kirtley worked with Kalil, and after the successful lighting on December 3, Kirtley, and Kamer, thanked him for help with the tree lights.

“Glad the solar lighting is working,” Kalil said. “We just need enough sun today to charge the battery for tonight.”

Weather on December 4 did not cooperate, with cloudy skies all day, but the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny and in the low 60s.

Kalil said, “At Suntricity, we like getting people off the grid and making them energy independent. The more solar we produce, the less oil we have to burn. Especially now with electric cars, you can use your solar to charge the car and never have to pay for gas or LADWP electric services. You can drive guilt free.”

Suntricity partners with Resilient Palisades. “Since we started Suntricity, I became very involved in our community. The tree lighting was a way for me to share and give back,” Kalil said.

The tree lot will be open Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. and on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. All proceeds from tree sales will benefit the YMCA.

Workers have constructed wood “reindeer” and they are selling from $50 to $70. In addition to trees of varying sizes, wreaths, garlands and evergreen swag are available.

This Saturday, December 10 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., there is a Holiday Glass Sale in Simon Meadow at Temescal Canyon and Sunset Boulevard. One of a kind of glass gifts, jewelry and ornaments will be sold with proceeds to Santa Monica College Art Department and to the YMCA.

While at the Y Christmas tree lot, select a reindeer to take home.

(Editor’s note: in writing this story, I learned that Kalil’s father was a chemical engineer who built the moon rocket at Rocketdyne. Kalil said that his father “taught me electronics and algebra at a very young age. It’s funny now. My dad built the rocket engines that returned rocks from the moon. In my graduate career, our lab studied those moon rocks.”)

Posted in Community, Holidays | Leave a comment

Joyous Free Gift Given by Theatre Palisades

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Actors from Theatre Palisades Actors’ Troupe in a radio play presented in 2018.

 

If one if having trouble getting in the holiday spirit, there is a solution.

Come enjoy the Theatre Palisades Actors’ Troupe radio show presentation of Miracle on 34th Street on Wednesday, December 14. Admission is free to the public. Those attending are asked to bring a canned food donation for a food drive.

The festive ambiance kicks off at 7 p.m. in the lobby prior to the one-hour show. There are free refreshments: cookies and Martha Hunter’s famous mulled wine. A glass of that delightful concoction will keep one warm on the chilliest night.

Then it’s into the theatre, where members of the Troupe present a radio show, complete with foley artists, who supply the appropriate sounds. The show is appropriate for the entire family.

As a special treat Hunter’s granddaughter Lola Hunter Pollak, who is visiting from London, will play Susan Walker, the little girl in this beloved classic.

In this Christmas tale, an old man going by the name of Kris Kringle fills in for an intoxicated Santa in Macy’s annual Thanksgiving Day parade. Kringle proves to be such a hit that he is soon appearing regularly at the chain’s main store in midtown Manhattan.

When Kringle surprises customers and employees alike by claiming that he really is Santa Claus, it leads to a court case to determine his mental health and, more importantly, his authenticity.

After the show, there are numerous door prizes that will be won by those who attend the production. And there may be a surprise guest . . . .

Members of the Troupe include: Barry and Mary Allwright, Phil Bartolf, Mitch Feinstein, Laura Goldstein, Bob Grochau, Manfred Hofer, Martha Hunter, Erika Jolly, Maria O’Connor, Yvonne Robertson, Valerie Ruel, Holly Sidell, Carole Taub, Wendy Taubin and Amy Witkowski.

No reservation is required, and guest are asked to wear masks in the Pierson Playhouse, located at 941 Temescal Canyon Road. (310) 454-1970.

In Miracle on 34th Street, Attorney Fred Gailey, who represents Kris Kringle tells the little girl’s mother: “Look Doris, someday you’re going to find that your way of facing this realistic world just doesn’t work. And when you do, don’t overlook those lovely intangibles. You’ll discover those are the only things that are worthwhile.”

The spirit of this production is truly one of the intangibles of the community.

Posted in Arts, Community | Leave a comment

Update: Rain Report from December 2 and 3

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

After every shower there is a rainbow.

When this editor was working at the local newspaper, after every rainfall, the late Ted Mackie, who had a bicycle shop on Via de la Paz, would bring the precipitation total to the paper. “People are waiting for this news,” he would joke.

Mackie did have a following, because it turns out some people did like to track the annual rainfall. With a nod to Mackie, we’ll try and keep residents abreast of the rain accumulation, which is measured at a gauge on Radcliffe.

The rain that fell on December 2 and 3 and delayed the George Wolfberg Park at Potrero opening ceremonies, totaled .6 of an inch.

The accumulated total for this rainfall season that starts on July 1 and runs through June 30 is now 3.1 inches of rain. The annual average rainfall for Pacific Palisades is 13.78 inches of rain.

There is a chance for more rain on Sunday.

According to Mackie, the driest cycle was the five years between 1987 and 1991, when Pacific Palisades received less than 10 inches of rain each year. Mackie said the five driest years on record were 1976, 1990, 2007, 2012 and 2014.

The five years with heaviest rainfall accumulation were 1978, 1983, 1995, 1998 and 2006.

Although 2020-21 recorded 4.26 inches of rain, 2006-07, still was the driest year with 4.11 inches of rain.

The most rain recorded in the Palisades since 1942 was 42.60 inches in 1997-1998.

 

 

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Posted in Environmental | 1 Comment

Cinque Terre West December 7 Wine Tasting and December 18 Brunch

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Co-owners of Cinque Terre West are chef Giaba and wife Marlo offer special wine tastings and now a holiday brunch buffet on December 18.

Cinque Terre West, located 970 Monument Street, is introducing a holiday brunch buffet from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 18.

At the carving station will be brisket, and salmon with roasted cauliflower.

At the hot station, guests can choose scrambled eggs with turkey sausage or bacon or build your own omelet. There will be blueberry lemon pancakes with syrup.

The cold station will include yogurt, berries and granola.  There will be two salads to choose from: kale Caesar or the quinoa.

Cinque Terre’s highly acclaimed croissants will also be available to buffet goers.

Whenever guests from out-of-town visit, one of the questions is where to go for a Sunday buffet. Most towns across America have a restaurant that offers that option.

Until now, there hasn’t been a restaurant in Pacific Palisades that sponsors a buffet. Restaurant co-owner Marlo Vinzoni said, “We are going to try it out and if we have a positive response. We will offer it perhaps once it twice a month.”

The buffet event will also include a mobile fashion pop-up with Stradora Los Angeles.

Stradora L.A. Moda Italiana is described as “two Italian girls expressing their voice through fashion consultations and looks. All products are 100 percent made in Italy, with the concept of ready-to-wear clothing, but timeless and high end.” There is limited availability because each piece is unique. New items are imported monthly.

To make buffet reservations, call (310) 454-0709. The cost is $49 and $29 for kids 10 and under. If you are a member of Enoteca Cinque by Cinque Terre West, the cost is $39.

Enoteca Cinque also offers a membership deal for restaurant goers, that includes special wine tastings, at least once a month with winemakers. The tasting includes food pairings for members and one guest. Membership also includes access to Cinque Terre’s secret wine list and 15% off meals (Tuesday-Thursday) at Cinque Terre West for the member and one guest

Tomorrow, December 7, Cinque will offer a wine tasing with St. Michael Eppan wines that include a 2020 Moscato Giallo “Goldmuskateller,” a 2020 Pinot Bianco “Schulthauser,” 2013 Pinot Grigio “Sanct Valentin” and a 2019, Pinot Noir “Sanct Valenin.” The tasting will include small plates from the kitchen of Chef Gianba Vinzoni. It is free for a member and a guest and $39 for nonmembers.

On Wednesday, December 14, Fattoria Le Pupille (Region of Tuscany) wine tasting will include: Poggio Argentato – Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manning,Traminer: Semillo Morellino di Scansano- Sangiovese, Alicante, Ciliegiolo: Poggio Valente – Sangiovese and Morellino Riserva 2014 – Sangiovese, Cabernet.

 

Posted in Restaurants | Leave a comment

Adamson House Decorated for “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

Posted on December 5, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The Adamson House is festively decorated for the holiday season: “The Twelve Days of Christmas.” If one has relatives who are coming to town, or if a resident has never visited this historic 1930 beach house in Malibu, located along the Pacific Ocean, this is a must stop in December.

The property is situated on 13 acres that face Surfrider Beach, and the home was designed by architect Stiles Clement. The land was a gift from May Knight Rindge to her daughter, Rhoda Adamson. For seven years the Adamson Family spent their summers in the home until 1937 when they moved in permanently.

May Adamson resided there after her husband’s death, until she passed in 1962.

The Spanish Colonial Revival home is filled with original ceramic tiles from Malibu Potteries. The home includes 14-inch-thick stucco walls, sloping triple tiled roofs, arches, courtyards, decorative wrought iron details and a projecting stair tower with lead-framed Rondel glass windows.

The “rug” was designed by William Handly of the Malibu Potteries.

There are hand-painted frescoes, hand-painted molded ceilings and wrought-iron filigrees that delicately fit over the windows. One of the most amazing ceramic pieces is a Persian rug that is made up 674 tiles.

The 5,000-sq.ft, five-bedroom home is still furnished as when the Adamsons lived there.

The grounds are beautifully landscaped and include a swimming pool and three fountains: Neptune, Peacock and Star.

Dog bath

There is even an elaborately tiled-outdoor tub that was used by the Adamsons to bathe their dogs.

It is one of the most exceptional properties on the West Coast and visitors are allowed to view it. Docent-led tours of the house will run Fridays and Saturdays through December 31.

Tours will begin at 10 a.m. and start every half hour, with the final tour of the day at 2:30 p.m.

Walk-ins accepted for parties of less than six people. Refreshments will be served in the museum. Guests can pick up their gift at our Visitor Center.

Tickets: Adults 16 and older: $25. Children under 16: $10. Five-years and under: Free Reservations are required for groups of six or more: (310) 456-9378.

There is a gift shop on the premises that has a treasure trove of unusual books, memorabilia, and unique gifts. There are reproductions of Malibu Potteries tiles, hand-painted pastels of Adamsons House, rare original Malibu Pottereis tiles and other keepsake items with a Malibu Lagoon Museum motif.

The State of California claimed the buildings and property through eminent domain in 1968 in order to raze the buildings to make a parking lot for beach goers.

There was public outcry and in 1971, the Chancellor of Pepperdine University moved into the house in an effort to maintain it. The Malibu Historical Society was formed to preserve the house, which became a California Historical Landmark in 1985.

The Malibu Lagoon Interpretive Association, now known as Malibu Adamson House Foundation, was formed in 1981 and oversaw the house opening as a museum in 1983.

All proceeds from tours as well as sales from the Visitor Center benefit the Malibu Adamson House Foundation, a 501C3 nonprofit that uses the funds for the home’s upkeep.

This is the Peacock Fountain located at the Adamson House.

(Editor’s note: This is the house I wish were mine—unique, functional and perfect in so many ways. If you have never gone on a tour, I cannot recommend it highly enough.)

Posted in Arts, Parks, Real Estate | 3 Comments