PARADE NEWS: Patriotic Pups Will Be Marching for the 26th Year 

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Sue

 

Three patriotic dogs walk in the 2019 4th of July parade.
Photo: Joanne Reich

With the exception of last year’s Covid-cancelled parade, between 70 and 100 dogs trot along the parade route in the Patriotic Pups entry. Thankfully this year, dogs and their owners are invited to join the Fourth of July marching pack.

All potential marchers should call Marilyn Haaker at (310) 962-5830 and leave their name, telephone number and the pup’s name.

People participating must sign a waiver before the parade (1 to 1:45 p.m.), and the forms will be available at the owner/canine meeting location, under the trees at Palisades Elementary, corner of Via de la Paws (Paz) and Bowdoin. Owners should bring water for their pets.

Haaker credits her sister Margaret for starting, back in 1995, one of the most popular entries in the parade. (The Haakers’ parents, Julie and Ed, moved to Pacific Palisades in 1952 and had three children — Marilyn, Margaret and Julie, who grew up watching the parade.)

When Margaret approached PAPA about entering dogs in the parade, the idea was not well received. “My sister was told that the dogs would bite people and there was no one to sponsor it,” Marilyn Haaker recalled.

Undeterred, Margaret took full responsibility, and her dog, Bijou, and Marilyn’s dog, Timothy, were among the initial parade walkers.

“Every single detail was hers,” Marilyn said about her sister’s idea to form the brigade. “Margaret put so much effort into it.” She thought of the name “Patriotic Pups” and ways to grow the entry.

“She sent out postcards to people who had marched in prior years and reminded them to participate,” Haaker said.

Marilyn Haaker, who helped her sister for years, took over the event several years back. Her twins, who are now college age, helped her with the banner and the parade.

Although neither Margaret nor Marilyn now live in the Palisades, Marilyn said “I debated doing it again this year,” but ultimately decided that “I couldn’t give up the event my sister started.”

This year, her two small rescues Edgar and Murphy, will join other dogs in the Patriotic Pup entry.

 (Editor’s note: If you have never marched with the Pups, it’s loads of fun. CTN has participated on several occasions.) 

 

 

Posted in Fourth of July | Leave a comment

Kaia Kanan, Former “Post” Kid, Helps Palisades High Win Another City Volleyball Championship

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Sue

Former Palisadian-Post business manager Cheryel Kanan would pick up her granddaughter Kaia after preschool and bring her to the office.

When Kaia Kanan started attending Methodist Preschool on Via de la Paz in 2007, she became well known around the Palisadian-Post office, just down the street. Her grandmother, Cheryel Kanan, the Post’s business manager, would pick her up from school every day and walk her back to the office. Kaia’s parents, Jim and Christine, lived in town but both worked.

Back then, the Post was a place where sons and daughters, granddaughters and grandsons would hang out in the kitchen, doing homework and getting to know the writers, advertising staff and graphics personnel. Kaia was even pressed into service as the model on the cover of one of the special supplements the Post used to publish.

Bill Bruns, now the CTN adviser, was managing editor of the Post and his staff included reporter Sue Pascoe and sports editor Steve Galluzzo.

Skip ahead 14 years to Monday this week, when Galluzzo’s freelance article for the L.A. Times appeared with a headline that read, “Palisades Digs Out of All Doubt,” and a subhead: “Dolphins overcame season uncertainty and played on grass courts on way to latest girls’ volleyball title.”

Kaia Kanan, a junior, helped the Palisades High School girls volleyball team capture the City Title.

An adjoining photo showed PaliHi players Kaia Kanan, Alexa Hogan and Maddie Neilson encouraging one another before the third set of the City Section Open Division championship match against Granada Hills last Saturday. The Dolphins won all three sets to capture the school’s 31st City title.

“Kaia played an incredible game on Saturday,” said grandmother Cheryel. “I’m very proud of her and Dan would also have been proud.” (Kaia’s late grandfather was a dedicated beach volleyball player at Will Rogers. )

The girls volleyball season usually ends in November, but didn’t start this year until early April because of Covid-19 shutdowns. Initially, although high school volleyball is an indoor sport, practices and games were outside on grass.

In his story, Galluzzo quoted Kanan, a junior whose position is setter. “Overall, outside it’s a whole different game. It’s harder to jump, harder to move, the ball’s lighter and you have to deal with the sun and wind. A lot of us play beach, but it’s still way different than the grass.

“There were so many difficulties,” Kanan said. “When are we going back to the gym? What days do we have to get tested? What days the boys [volleyball] get to use the gym, what days basketball gets to use it. There was a lot being thrown at us that we had no control of — lots of things messing with our season, but we didn’t let any of it shut us down.

The turning point came when teams were allowed to start playing indoors. “We’re a really good team indoors and we’re a young team but we also have some older players and with a younger team it was a lot harder to mesh outside,” Kanan said. “I’ve played this sport a long time, but never experienced playing indoor volleyball outdoors. So, when we finally went back inside, we were all used to the environment and we pushed ourselves to make the most of the time we had.”

The Pali girls, who are coached by Carlos Gray, proceeded to close the season by winning 42 or their last 43 sets.

Kanan, a key player for the Dolphins, will turn 17 in July and is hoping to get accepted at a Division I school to play volleyball. Her senior teammate, middle blocker Alexa Hogan, will receive a full scholarship at UC Davis.

After taking up volleyball in the sixth grade at Paul Revere, Kanan played on several club teams over the years and now plays up on the 18-year-old team at Actyve in Santa Monica.

Her grandmother Cheryel told CTN, “Jim (Kaia’s dad) was an outside hitter for Pali and a setter at Santa Monica College. Her brothers (who also came to the Post after preschool and kindergarten) also played for the Dolphins. Jake (23) graduated last month from the University of Hawaii and Kobe (21) is a junior at UCLA.

This photo was taken with Kaia and her brothers when she was a freshman.

Posted in Kids/Parenting, Sports | 1 Comment

Summer Golf Camp Offered for Juniors 2021

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Sue

This eight-year-old hit a hole in one on hole three. Her teacher Carlos Rodriquez congratulates her.

Summer golf camp, which targets beginners through advanced golfers from ages 7 to 15, and helps youth learn and improve his/her game will be offered this summer.

The camp, which starts on June 2, runs Monday through Friday through August 20.

Full day, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. ($150 per day) or half day 9:30 a.m.to 12:30 p.m. or 1 to 4 p.m. ($100) are available.  (Youth golfers may attend on a daily basis.)

Students will learn how to golf and how to improve their game from PGA Teaching Professional Carlos Rodriguez at the 9-course, par-3 golf course at the West L.A. VA Campus.

All aspects of the game covered including grip, swing, stance, balance, teeing off, fairway play, pitching/chipping, putting out, club selection, course management, rules and golf etiquette.

The pro has more than 25 years of teaching experience. He worked as the assistant golf professional at Indian Springs Country Club in Silver Spring, Maryland, before moving to Los Angeles and the Penmar Golf Course in Venice.

In 2013, Rodriguez moved to the nine-hole golf course at the VA because he found young students often had difficulty waiting for tee times. The Heroes Course is nicely manicured and a well-kept secret, so players rarely have to wait to tee-off.

Rodriguez’s golf philosophy centers on harmony between the physical and mental aspects of the golf game.

Call: (310) 230-2052 or email: LAGolfAcademy@gmail.com or visit: LAGolfAcademy.com.

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Cars/RV’s Used for Dwelling Produce Problems for Residents

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Sue

This homeless car dweller parked at the corner of Albright and Monument. When Caruso was asked for a comment about the homeless next to his property, there was no response. The next day the car was gone and had been moved to a residential street.

The Covid-19 shutdowns and the “sunsetting” of City Law (SEC. 85.02. REGULATING THE USE OF VEHICLES FOR DWELLING) has led to a large number of people living in vehicles, including RVs.

The City Law that is no longer enforced stated: “No person shall use a Vehicle for Dwelling as follows: A. 1. Between the hours of 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. on any Residential Street; or at any time within a one Block radius of any edge of a lot containing a park or a licensed school, pre-school or daycare facility. 2. Nothing herein precludes the enforcement of any other laws such as parking restrictions, including, but not limited to, prohibitions on overnight parking.” There is no law in place to require them to move.

This has been a major problem in Venice, where RV’s line a block along Main Street, and the sewage from the vehicles drains into the ocean (and it smells).

One RV is parked directly next to Westminster Elementary School. Although residents know the man’s name, he’s from Texas, has two felonies, and neighbors have taped him dealing crystal meth, he can’t be moved because he’s in his “domicile.”

This van is parked next to Westminster Avenue Elementary School, and the owner and his girlfriend, who are living in it, refuse to move.

A “live-in” car is parked in the public parking lot on Venice, next to Bridge Housing. Anyone parking in the lot, that is off Main and Rose, has to pay, but the car dweller is living for free.

Worried that what happened in Venice, could happen here, Jessica Rogers, president of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, has asked the Pacific Palisades Community Council to take action.

On May 13, the PPCC passed four motions that were proposed by the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils. The fourth one, “Increased Funding to Support Additional Safe Parking Programs,” calls for additional funding and resources, from all available sources, in order to implement more Safe Parking Programs and to support existing, reputable programs, including those operated by organizations such as Safe Parking LA, throughout the Westside of Los Angeles.

Rogers thinks that the fourth motion is problematic because of “the lack of laws to protect us.” She asked PPCC President David Card and Secretary Chris Spitz to request an amendment to the motion or to retract it.

“I wanted them to understand the real danger,” she said, noting that initially Card and Spitz agreed to allow PPRA, which has a representative on the PPCC board, to submit the request.

At the last minute, Rogers was denied the amendment. She said she was told, “We do not have any safe parking programs currently in place [in Pacific Palisades] and we can deal with it if and when the issue comes up with the city.”

Rogers said, “I honestly believe this is an even bigger issue than the beach,” referring to the L.A. City Council voting to approve a feasibility study to house homeless individuals at several beach and park locations, including Will Rogers State Beach. Her concern is that if the RVs are sent to the Palisades, “it would be a matter of days before we become Venice and it wouldn’t be at the beach, but at our schools and in front of our houses. I am very concerned.”

Circling the News has learned that in Council District 15, car and RV dwellers are offered bridge housing, which takes them off the streets.

RV’s line Main Street in Venice, near the Bridge housing.

Posted in Community, Homelessness | 2 Comments

PARADE NEWS: Paws N’ Claws Grooming Salon and Boutique Sponsors ‘Patriotic Pups’ Brigade

Posted on June 8, 2021 by Sue

The team from Paws N’ Claws will groom your pup. They’ve been in business since 2001.

(Editor’s note: Going through our parade files, we came across an article that quoted Barbara Buck-Marting, owner of Paws N’Claws on Marquez Avenue: “My introduction to the parade was years ago, when I first put the twins, Laurie and Leslie, in the stroller and walked to town to entertain them. I still remember that day and how the marching bands, music, crowds and picnic atmosphere brought tears to my eyes. That was 30 years ago, and I have attended ever since. I feel honored to live in this wonderful town and serve the community as a business merchant.”) 

Barbara Buck and Henry Marting, who have lived in Pacific Palisades since 1969, bought their dog grooming salon in 2001 and promptly began sponsoring the Patriotic Pups brigade in the parade, a tradition they have continued.

Daughter Leslie (one of the twins) is now a groomer and has taken over that portion of the business while Barbara (and Henry) continue to manage the pet boutique, from behind the scenes.

A third generation is now involved in the family business with Leslie’s daughter, Devyn Delgado, working as a bather.

With Covid-19 impacting large and small businesses alike, “last year was awful,” Leslie said. “But we’ve survived.”

When a dog is taken in for grooming, they are washed and dried, have their nails done, ears and anal glands cleaned, and teeth brushed.

“Custom haircuts are available,” Leslie said. “Grooming dogs is a challenge, and patience and energy are definitely required.”

One customer wrote on Yelp: “I feel lucky to have Leslie to bring my little guy to. As a rescue dog he was scared of the process, but she was gentle and now he looks at it as his ‘spa day.’ I’ve taken him to other places but have found for the money she is the only one I will trust my pup with.”

Another popular offering is the non-anesthesia dental cleaning the store offers once a month. A mobile van with a vet on board gives a free health wellness exam prior to cleaning, and then dogs can have their teeth scaled and cleaned.

Paws N’ Claws also supports several local animal shelters, including the West L.A. Animal Shelter. From time to time, a drive is held, which allows residents to drop off needed items, such as blankets and dog beds, at the front of the shop. Volunteers then deliver to the shelters.

The boutique will once again offer various patriotic dog clothing as well as booties for dogs that prefer footwear while walking on hot pavement in the parade.

When Barbara was asked about the store’s long-term sponsorship of Patriotic Pups, she said, “For me it’s the high point of the year.”

This year the twins, Laurie and Leslie, will carry the banner for the parade entry. In addition, Leslie will be walking with Gucci, a Chihuahua.

Paws N’ Claws Grooming Salon and Boutique is located at 16634 Marquez Ave. and offers bathing and grooming services. Contact: 310-459-2009 or visit pawsnclawspacificpalisades.com.

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Palisades Fire Update: Questions about the Use of Drones and Phos-Chek

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Sue

Steven Stilwell captured this photo of the land surrounding the Palisades Highlands  after the fire was completely extinguished on May 26.

The Palisades Fire, which started on May 14 at 10:02 p.m. in the 1800 block of Michael Lane in the Highlands, had 100 percent containment on May 26. The fire burned about 1,202 acres and there were no homes damaged or destroyed nor civilians injured.

According to LAFD, when crews initially arrived on the site, they encountered multiple, separate, slow-moving fires in steep and remote terrain in an area that had not burned in more than 50 years. The fire required mandatory evacuation in parts of Topanga Canyon, and parts of the Highlands were put on alert.

The next day, a Fire Department spokesperson wrote: “LAFD helicopter pilots observed an adult male moving around in the brush along a steep hillside near the fire. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) air patrol was dispatched to monitor the individual. Officers from the West Los Angeles Community Police Station kept watch on the ground while the Air Support Division provided eyes in the sky. During an aerial observation, the Tactical Flight Officer witnessed the individual ignite multiple additional fires.”

The individual was arrested when he emerged from the brush in the 1200 block of Palisades Drive. The suspect, Ramon Santos Rodriguez, was transported to the hospital and treated for smoke inhalation and then charged with the crime, as per Section 451 (c) of the California Penal Code of Arson on Forest Land. He was transferred to Twin Towers Correctional Facility and held for $355,000 bail. The case will eventually be presented to L.A. County District Attorney’s Office.

On June 2, a reader wrote CTN that “The helicopters are filling up at the Highlands reservoir and are doing water drops this AM (10:15 Wednesday), but I can’t see the fire in the upper canyon. Could you clarify with LAFD the extent to which–if at all–drones were used in last month’s fire fight?

“Also, could you check why Phos-Chek [fire-fighting foam]- dropping fixed-wing aircraft were not more extensively used?” The reader wondered if perhaps it was because of the expense.

CTN spoke to Deputy Chief Armando Hogan, of the LAFD Operations West Bureau, on June 7.

He said, “We never use drones in conjunction with helicopters.”

But, post incident they will use drones. “I still have eyes on the incident, without the actual equipment and personnel,” Hogan said, noting that LAFD does not use drones to find people — that would be an LAPD issue.

Concerning Phos-Chek, Hogan said that fixed-wing airplanes are expensive, but “We would never spare an expense to save a life or property.”

“The reason fixed-wing aircraft were not used was because of the low cloud cover. For a majority of the fire there was a low ceiling,” Hogan said.

At a June 17 briefing at Will Rogers State Beach, LAFD Chief Ralph Terrazas said the cloud cover was about 2,500 feet every morning, but as soon as it lifted to 4,000 feet, they could bring in the aircraft. Helicopters had been operating 24/7.

Hogan said that Highlands residents might have seen LAFD workers on site after the fire. “Even though the fire is out, we’re still doing suppression,” he said, noting that firefighters might be repairing fire roads and doing other repairs with bulldozers. “It’s more like maintenance.”

After the Palisades Fire, the land surrounding the Highlands is desolate.                                                        Photo: Steven Stilwell

 

Posted in Accidents/Fires | 1 Comment

LETTER: Help Support Scholarships for PaliHi Students

Posted on June 7, 2021 by Sue

Optimist Rich Wilken (center) presenting scholarships to Palisades High School students in 2018.

(Rich Wilken, a past president of the Optimist Club, sent the following letter to Circling the News on June 4 and has allowed us to share it with the community.)

I am writing to ask for your help.

Our Optimist Foundation scholarship program at Palisades High is gaining recognition at the school. This year we received 10 applications from a great group of students. This is a record for us.

For the last two years we have given $2,000 to six outstanding college-bound Pali High students. Even though our fundraising efforts are a little behind past years, we felt it was important to maintain the going pace of $12,000.

In the past we have sent the money directly to the college of the student’s choice.  This year we are making a change to this system.

As College Center counselors and volunteers in that department have observed, most of these students do not have cash to pay for college-related incidentals, such as bedding for dorm rooms and pharmacy products like Kleenex and shampoo.

Because of this we are giving each student a $500 check at graduation and will send the remaining $1,500 to the college to cover a portion of their educational and housing expenses.

Because of COVID we are a little behind on raising money. I am now “passing the hat” in hopes we can raise at least another $3,750 or more from Optimist Club members and other friends and community members, as we did last year.

Three realtors, Michael Edlen, Anthony Marguleas and Marco Rufo, have already given a total of $4,000.

Please join them and other community members by visiting our web site at https://www.palisadesoptimistfoundation.org/donate or mail to PO Box 242. A 501 (c) (3) organization EIN: 95-4706521. Donations are tax-deductible.

Thank you,

Rich Wilken — Pali High Class of Summer 1964

richwilken@mac.com

Posted in Community, Schools | Leave a comment

Councilman Joe Buscaino to Hold Monday Press Conference in Venice Focused on the Homeless Crisis

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Sue

Third Street between Rose and Sunset in Venice is considered too dangerous for pedestrians to walk.

L.A. City Council member Joe Buscaino (CD-15) will hold a press conference in Venice at 7 am. tomorrow (June 7).

On June 1, CTN took a tour of the Venice area near the bridge housing at Sunset and Main with Haaven co-founder and Venice resident Heidi Roberts.

Roberts wrote to CTN this weekend: “Buscaino will be on Ocean Front Walk at Rose Avenue to speak out against the ridiculous policies that have created a humanitarian crisis on our front doorsteps.

“For seven long years, we’ve suffered under Mike Bonin’s willful ignorance of the dangers created by abandoning public safety and avoiding common sense solutions to homelessness with devastating results that have allowed homelessness to expand into the crisis state we experience today.

“Joe is publicly speaking out against the destructive, self-serving policies that have negatively impacted so many of us in Venice and threaten to decimate other CD11 communities as well,” Roberts said.

It is expected that Buscaino will unveil his proposed draft ordinance for Section 41.18 of the L.A. Municipal Code. His amendment states that people shall not obstruct a street, sidewalk or public-right-of-way open for pedestrian travel. It also states that if the City Council adopts this measure, it will also apply to freeway overpasses, underpasses, ramps, tunnels and pedestrian walkways at subways where it is determined that it infringes on public health, safety or welfare.

The key is, “At no time shall any person who has been offered shelter sit, lie or sleep in or upon any street, sidewalk or other public right-of-way, or publicly owned property.”

Unlawful conduct is described in this motion as anyone who refuses to take down their tent between the hours of 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. and any person who willfully resists a City employee from taking down, folding, deconstructing, impounding or discarding the Tent, including by refusing to retreat from the tent.

Buscaino is seeking the voices of Pacific Palisades residents. His District Director Gabriela Medina wrote in a June 4 email:

“We highly encourage you to call into the City Council meetings for general public comment every Tuesday and Wednesday to amplify your position and urge the City Council to resume comprehensive CARE+ homeless encampment cleanups and adopt common-sense amendments to Los Angeles Municipal Code sections 41.18 & 56.11, which regulate sidewalk camping and personal property storage.

“The phone lines open at 9:30 AM and public comment begins shortly after the meeting is called to order at 10 a.m., for approximately one hour. Calls are taken in the order they are received. Call (669) 254-5252 and use Meeting ID No. 160 535 8466 and then press #. Press # again when prompted for participant ID. Once admitted into the meeting, press *9 to request to speak.

“The voices of Angelenos like yourself continue to be drowned out by advocates who claim to know what is right for our communities,” Medina said.

There is a specified zone (SECZ) around bridge housing, which states that no tents shall be erected and no blocking of sidewalks. The streets are posted, but there has been no enforcement in Venice.

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Alan Eisenstock’s Playlist: Get Lucky!

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Sue

(Editor’s note: When Palisadian Alan Eisenstock is not researching and writing one of his nonfiction books (18 thus far!), he pursues what he calls “a crazy labor of love side project” that he started in March 2020: sending a weekly Covid-themed playlist of songs to his family and friends. These playlists (which can be downloaded on Spotify Click here. span rock ‘n’ roll and pop music from the 1950s to 2020, and Eisenstock adds one or two lines of commentary about each song that is clever, amusing and informative.)

 

Hi, Everyone,

It’s time to play “Vax-a-Million!” To encourage people to get the vaccine in the great state of Ohio, the state is offering an incentive program: get the shot and receive a lottery ticket to win one million dollars. For me, preventing death by COVID was incentive enough, but apparently not for Ohioans. What to do? Idea! Here are 19 “lucky” songs. Listen up!

  1. “A Million To One” Jimmy Charles. Paterson, NJ native who developed a “crying style” and studied singing with Jimmy Scott. Jimmy C. sings this big hit from 1960. The song describes the odds of winning “Vax-a-Million.”
  2. “Lucky Town” Bruce Springsteen. Feeling prolific, The Boss decided to release two albums on the same day in 1992–Human Touch and Lucky Town. This song grows on you.
  3. “Good Luck Charm” Elvis Presley. 1962 hit written by Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold. The guy doing those deep bass “Uh huhs” is one of the Jordanaires. Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song in 1988.
  4. “Tumbling Dice” The Rolling Stones. Originally called “Good Time Woman,” The Stones recorded this on their 1972 album Exile on Main Street. Linda Ronstadt covered it in 1978. I love both versions but went with the original. You need luck playing dice. Believe me.
  5. “With A Little Luck” Wings. Paul McCartney formed this band with his wife Linda after The Beatles broke up. This was a hit in 1978. The band became a kind of revolving door for musicians. Eventually, Linda went through the door, too.
  6. “Chances Are” Johnny Mathis. College athlete, crooner, the “King of Make-Out Music,” Johnny recorded this in 1957. Written by Robert Allen and Al Stillman, this became one of the most played songs in the history of radio.
  7.  “Luck Of The Draw” Bonnie Raitt. Blues belter born in Burbank and daughter of Broadway musical star John Raitt, Bonnie collected a Who’s Who of musicians to record her 1991 album Luck of the Draw. Paul Brady wrote the title tune, Richard Thompson sings backup and plays guitar.
  8. ” With A Little Bit Of Luck” Stanley Holloway. Actor, singer, and comedian Holloway, starred as Alfred Doolittle in the stage and film versions of My Fair Lady. The song is dated and sexist, but it’s such an obvious “luck” song that I had to have it. Plus, that cockney accent makes me laugh.
  9. “Lucky You” The National. What a band, what a song. Matt Berninger’s whiskey-soaked voice, the addictive melody, the lyrics, “You own me, there’s nothing you can do…” LOVE.
  10. “I Feel Lucky” Mary Chapin Carpenter. Country singer/songwriter Carpenter who was born in New Jersey co-wrote and recorded this 1992 “feeling lucky” ditty. Mary is distantly related to Harry Chapin, one of my favorites.
  11. “Just My Luck” Dawes. L.A. band formed in Malibu led by brothers Taylor and Griffin Goldsmith. I love the group’s seventies’ “Laurel Canyon” sound. I can’t stop singing this song.
  12. “Mr. Lucky” John Lee Hooker. From Hooker’s 1991 album of the same name. The album features an absolute all-star lineup including Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, and Van Morrison, among many others.
  13. “You Got Lucky” Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. A hit single off the 1982 Long After Dark album. Petty is one of the most underrated songwriters and a go-to on our playlists.
  14. “The Lottery Ticket” Harry Nilsson. Brooklyn-born, Bed-Sty, actually, Nilsson hits the theme right on the nose with a terrific, reflective song. Nilsson’s grandparents were circus performers, as was I.
  15. “No Such Luck” Michael McDonald. Former lead singer of the Doobie Brothers and briefly a member of Steely Dan, I love McDonald’s soulful voice. He co-wrote this song from his debut solo album If That’s What It Takes.
  16. “Luck Be A Lady” Frank Sinatra. The definitive version of the Frank Loesser song from the musical Guys and Dolls. The song, written in 1950, was sung by the gambler Sky Masterson in the play. Great play. I’ve never seen it.
  17. “How Lucky” Kurt Vile, John Prine. Kurt Vile–yes, that is his real name–the former lead guitarist of the band The War on Drugs sings this riveting duet with the legend, John Prine.
  18. “I’m Just a Lucky So and So” James Newton Howard, Louis Armstrong. Written in 1945 by Duke Ellington and Mack David, sung by Louis, this is from the soundtrack of the film Guilty By Suspicion. FYI: I do an uncanny Louis Armstrong impression.
  19. “Lucky Man” Emerson, Lake & Palmer. British progressive rock supergroup, an offshoot of King Crimson. This was the first song Greg Lake ever wrote. He was twelve.

There you have it… 19 “lucky” songs. And to those of you in Ohio, hope you win next week’s “Vax-a-Million.” Meanwhile, some advice…

Don’t Forget to Disinfect and… PLAY IT LOUD!

The link again: Click here.

Fact Check

Harry Nilsson’s grandparents were circus performers. I was not. But I have been to the circus.

I do a fabulous Louis Armstrong impression. We’re talking singing, not playing the trumpet.

Greg Lake was twelve when he wrote “Lucky Man.”

LAST WEEK’S POLL QUESTION:

Favorite “Baby” song. Like a nine-way tie. I don’t want to go into it.

 

THIS WEEK’S POLL QUESTION:

Two of the songs on this week’s list that do not have the word “lucky” in the title are “A Million To One” and “Chances Are.” Which one you got?

Until next week,

Thanks,

Alan

alaneisenstock.com

Posted in General | 3 Comments

One Politician’s Experience in Homeless Shelters and an Encampment

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Sue

(Circling the News had heard that the Aurora, Colorado, Mayor Mike Coffman had temporarily lived in several different shelters and an encampment as a way of better understanding the crisis. He wrote about his experience for The Denver Post in January 2021.)

Mike Coffman: What I Learned Immersed in a Homeless Community

By now, you have likely heard about my decision to immerse myself into the metro’s homeless community for a week. Like many of you, I had never experienced life in an encampment or a shelter. To better understand those challenges and have more informed discussions about resolving them, I wanted to live them and feel them to the extent possible.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock’s office had reached out to me earlier in December to see if I was interested in working with him, and Lakewood’s Mayor Adam Paul, to jointly develop a metro-wide approach to the growing regional problem of homelessness. I am grateful for the invite and believe we will not solve this crisis by operating in silos.

During my experience, I presented myself as a homeless veteran (I am a veteran) and stayed in one shelter in Aurora, two shelters in Denver, and in an encampment in the vicinity of Lincoln and Speer in downtown Denver.

To the credit of the shelters, every time I went to a new one, I was asked if I wanted help from a menu of services ranging from mental health therapy to drug and alcohol counseling to job placement. I was impressed by the range of services offered to anyone wanting to improve their circumstances. In the shelters, I observed three categories of people experiencing homelessness: the mentally ill, the chronically homeless suffering from drug and alcohol addictions, and those displaced by economic circumstances who were finding work and using the shelter as a temporary means to save enough money to get back on their feet.

The laundry rooms in bridge shelters in L.A. are clean, allowing the homeless to take care of sanitation needs.

In the encampments, the experience was entirely different.

What was surprising to me about the shelter population and the encampment inhabitants was that I found them to be two very distinct groups that never intersected. I never found a shelter person who had stayed in an encampment and an encampment inhabitant who had ever stayed in a shelter.

The encampment inhabitants tended to be much younger than those in the shelters. Many of them reminded me of the counter-cultural hippie movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s where “dropping out” of society and living in a communal setting, with the common denominator being drug use, defined their movement. Only for that generation, it was largely marijuana and hallucinogenic drugs.

For the encampment generation today, the drug use is much more serious with the dominant drug being crystal methamphetamine. It was common to see these young people shooting up or smoking meth in glass pipes.

The advocates for the encampments want us to believe that the reasons why the encampment inhabitants never access shelters are because they are afraid of the congregate living arrangements during a pandemic, are concerned about having their few possessions stolen, or fear for their safety.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In the shelters, I always felt safe, I was always required to wear a mask, was constantly reminded about social distancing, and I never had anything stolen from me. In the encampments, I never felt safe, no one ever wore a mask or even concerned themselves with social distancing, and I had a number of items stolen.

The real reason why the encampment inhabitants refuse to access the shelters is simple — the shelters have rules. One rule, in particular, keeps the encampment inhabitants out of shelters and that rule is that drugs and drug use are prohibited.

I know that my observations of the encampments hit a raw nerve with many of the so-called advocates for people experiencing homelessness because they did not comport with their narrative that these individuals are there through circumstances beyond their control and that the encampment lifestyle is not a choice. I disagree.

My observations about the encampments have reinvigorated an important debate because we will never be able to solve the problem of the encampments if we cannot first accurately describe the problem.

The homeless encampments in Venice have led some residents to flee the area because of rising crime rates, that include rape, homicide and arson.

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