Chamber Music Palisades Presents “Voice of Four Horns”

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Members of Quadre will open the Chamber Music 26th Season. (Left to right) Amy Jo Rhine, Adam Unsworth, Lydia Van Dreel  and Daniel Wood.  Guest artist Kristy Morrell will replace Wood at the St. Matthews concert.

If a resident has never gone to a musical event sponsored by Chamber Music Palisades, the first concert of the 26th annual season promises to be spectacular.

Quadre – The Voice of Four Horns will play at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 21, at St. Matthew’s Parish, 1031 Bienveneda Avenue.

Chamber Artistic Director Susan Greenberg said, “These French horn players are the best of the best!”

Acclaimed for its breathtaking horn mastery, Quadre captivates audiences with musical moments of “inspiration, sorrow, love, and virtuosic display,” Greenberg said. “The richly distinctive sound of four horns playing in unison is an experience not to be missed.”

The horn players have toured the United States and have played more than  1,000 concerts. The musicians have collaborated with Grammy award-winning artists on four albums of original pieces and arrangements.

When not touring together, Lydia Van Dreel, Adam Unsworth and Kristy Morrell perform and teach at the San Francisco Conservatory, University of Oregon and University of Michigan.

The fourth member of the quartet, Amy Jo Rhine, is a local horn player who not only plays third horn with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, but quite often plays principal horn, too.

The program will include musical pieces Fanfare for Quadre, Reason to Rhyme, Mirror Images, The Impeuous Winds, Sheperd’s Call and Cuadro Cuadrangulos.

Greenberg will join the horns on flute for L’oiseau des Bois. She will play piccolo with the horns in The Elephant and the Fly.

Susan Greenberg

 

Greenberg is first flute with the Santa Monica Symphony and Vicente Chamber Orchestra and former flutist and piccoloist with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

Single tickets are $35; students are free with ID.  Visit cmpalisades.org to purchase tickets.  Please show vaccination certificate and wear a mask.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homeless Needs Volunteers

Posted on September 13, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

PPTFH is essentially an all-volunteer organization. If you are interested in becoming involved, wish to make a difference, and have a heart for the PPTFH mission, please apply by email (and include your phone number) to Kim Clary at [email protected].

The following help is needed from the community:

TEAM VOLUNTEERS:

The Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homeless (PPTFH) Volunteer Response Team needs volunteers for Area 1 (along SM Canyon including areas of Amalfi and Rustic Canyon and along beach front to Temescal Canyon Rd) and Area 2 (beach front from Temescal Canyon to Bel Air Bay Club and along both sides of Temescal Canyon to Sunset Blvd).

If you like to hike, walk, or bike and want to do something rewarding, please consider joining the Volunteer Response Team in engaging our homeless neighbors and connecting them to the Outreach Team from The People Concern.

VIDEOGRAPHER:

A videographer is needed for a one-time project to work with a small group on a video about the PPTFH outreach work.
HYGIENE KITS:

Hygiene Kits are needed on an ongoing basis to engage homeless individuals. If interested, please contact [email protected] for the items used in the kits.

FUNDRAISING:

The Fundraising Committee is actively seeking volunteers. Prior experience in fundraising and development is helpful but not necessary. A passion for supporting the work of PPTFH and a willingness to engage friends, family and neighbors about our mission is required. We eagerly welcome those interested in learning to research grant opportunities and to write grants, reports or newsletter articles, as well as assist with the mailing of our annual donor solicitation.

Posted in Health, Homelessness | Leave a comment

Darling and Parks Respond to L.A. City Council Emergency Powers

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Beaches were closed during the Covid Pandemic.

Two readers wrote about the L.A. City Council voting to continue City Emergency Resolution that was first passed in March 2020 during the Covid pandemic and now comes up for a vote every 30 days. At the August 26 meeting, the City Council passed the resolution with 10 ayes and 1 no, even though the resolution appears to ignore CDC guidelines.

Reader one asked, “Why is continued passage of a state of emergency justified by L.A. City?” The reader noted that the resolution requires masks in Rec centers and City libraries [but not county libraries]. “What exactly is the state of emergency?”

When the L.A. City Council votes every 30 days to extend this State of Emergency, a second reader said, “It provides justification for RV dwelling and camping in public areas.”

The reader, who is a landlord wrote, “It allows renters to not pay rent without repercussions. A renter could make more money than the landlord and avoid eviction if they chose to not pay rent. A landlord could be homeless and not be able to occupy their property.”

CD 11 Candidate Traci Park responded:

COVID has had an impact on our daily lives, the way we live and how we think about and approach tomorrow. It has had a lasting impact on us all, including our city leaders. But that’s no excuse for freezing in place. Our elected leaders need to take a hard look at what was enacted during the COVID emergency, what worked and what is no longer necessary. When I am elected to the City Council, if they haven’t done so already, I will take a hard look at all of the emergency orders to determine which are no longer necessary, beginning with renter/landlord protections.

I will introduce an ordinance that will finally call for a Renters Bill of Rights that will also include protections for mom-and-pop landlords, who did not receive adequate relief while their own taxes, insurance, maintenance, and other costs continued to rise. We know that nearly two-thirds of Angelinos rent, and they deserve a level of “certainty,” along with our mom-and-pop landlords who need and deserve the same.  That also holds true for our small businesses.

Like my strong support for 41.18, the City Council action to create a 500-foot buffer away from our schools and children, my position on encampments is equally clear: when elected, I will focus on the inhumanity of encampment living with the urgency this problem demands.  We must get people off the streets, for the health and safety of the entire community. We will not criminalize poverty, addiction, or mental health disorders. But we must insist on clean and safe streets, parks, and neighborhoods. This is not an unsolvable problem; it is a matter of resolve and leadership. I will take swift action to get the unhoused into safe settings and restore the full use and enjoyment of our parks, libraries, and recreation spaces to their intended public uses.

Lastly, when I am sworn in, I will hold our state legislators accountable for the promises they made to us all – small business owners, renters and landlords. They need to follow through on their promises that ensures renters get the relief they need, and landlords get the lifeline they were promised and deserve.

 

CD 11 Candidate Erin Darling Responded:

The 2022 LAHSA Homeless count released this week showed that District 11 saw the largest decrease in homelessness anywhere in LA. But this decrease is not enough, we must get people off the streets and inside. Unfortunately, people are entering homelessness at a faster rate than they are exiting it. To stem the tide, we must strengthen renter protections and then let the Covid-emergency protections end. As Kristina Dixon, Co-Executive Director of LAHSA said in an interview with the L.A. Times, “If the greater L.A. area could stop people from falling into homelessness, we could end homelessness in three to four years.”

 

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Community | 2 Comments

Kurt & Whey Opens in the Canyon

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

 

Kurt Gurdal is in his shop Kurt & Whey, which recently opened in  Santa Monica Canyon. He holds Comte Grande Cru cheese, which he carries and is rarely found in Los Angeles.

If a resident has tried to buy Comte Grand Cru or Grey Owl cheese, they know these two highly desirable cheeses are not readily found anywhere on the Westside – or even in Southern California. That changed September 3 when Kurt Gurdal opened a bodega/cheese shop in the Canyon.

Kurt & Whey is his first brick and mortal location. Even though the space is small, the store carries a wide assortment of “must” have sustainable grocery products, such as eggs, berries, Morra frozen pizzas, chicken (from Autonomy Farms) and even Peads & Barnetts Bacon (Sand Diego) – and of course – cheese.

“It was great,” Gurdal said about his opening day. “The community was really welcoming and happy to have something local.”

Even as Gurdal spoke, another resident came in and instantly found chocolate and some noodles. “I’m so psyched,” the customer said about the new shop.

Gurdal’s parents first store in Cambridge “was all about the neighborhood,” Gurdal said. When he was introduced to Frank Langen in November, the two hit it off immediately, because “Frank is all about community.”

Generally, Langen has an artist in that space, but since no one was booked, Langen said, “Why don’t we try it out?”

Gurdal is the son of Turkish Olympic volleyball player Ihsan Gurdal, who moved to California to learn English while playing volleyball at a community college. When his coach went to U.C. Berkeley, Ihsan did too. In 1982, Ihsan moved to Cambridge and coached at Harvard for a time before working at Formaggio Kitchen, and in 1992, took over ownership.

Gurdal’s favorite school lunch was a salami and conte cheese on a thin baguette. Surrounded by children with Lunchables and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, no one wanted to switch until “I gave them a bite and they’d say, ‘give me one of those.’”

“That [conte] was one of my favorite cheeses growing up,” he said, noting that in his house breakfast usually started with goat cheese on toast and coffee. If people were still hungry it would be followed by eggs.

Gurdal came out to UC Irvine to play volleyball, while majoring in computer science. He also played in tournaments in Orange County. “I love the sport,” he said. He completed his degree in economics in 2005.

He went back to the East Coast and worked in the family business, which works with single producers, specialty foods and sustainability.

Formaggio Kitchen is now in four locations: two in Cambridge, one in Boston and one in New York City. It was named a culinary destination among the 50 greatest food stores in the world, according to the Financial Times.

While on the East Coast, Gurdal was sent to work at Neal’s Yard Diary in London, one of the top cheese shops in Great Britain. “It was cool, we only worked with British Isle cheeses,” he said. He returned to the East Coast, where he eventually became a general manager at Formaggio Kitchen.

But the lure of California provided too great, and he began his career here in the Brentwood Mart at the FarmShop.

As Gurdal was carrying a customer’s purchases to the car, they struck up a conversation, and he was soon introduced to her sister, who lived in Rustic Canyon.

The conversation led to Langden, and now Gurdal’s store is now part of another small community, that reminds him of where he grew up.

He continues to “support small farms,” and feels his job is “to communicate the difference” between that food and regular supermarket fare.

For special events he will put together cheese trays, crudité, sandwich platters or appetizers.

The store is located at 169 W. Channel Road, (310) 592-4196 or email [email protected].

(Editor’s note: Gurdal does have Comte Grand Cru and Grey Owl cheese in stock. CTN purchased the Grand Cru to try. The taste is smooth and pleasant and slightly salty. The cheese is firm.  Gurdal has also promised to order cheese curds – another favorite of this editor.)

Posted in businesses/stores, Community | 1 Comment

The New Pot Shop, Cookies, Burglarized

Posted on September 12, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The store windows were smashed at Cookies, which is located on San Vicente. The store which was supposed to open on Saturday, did not.

A new pot shop, Cookies, which was scheduled to open on Saturday, September 10, was closed and boarded up on Sunday. This Circling the News editor walked from Paul Revere Middle School to the store on San Vicente, which is a few stores down from the Shell station on 26th Street.

According to an email from a neighborhood group. Cookies “has advertised all over social media about their grand opening with a ribbon cutting that was apparently was cancelled and the opening delayed. Apparently, Friday, during the night, they were robbed by a couple of vans who had guns with them, and the inventory was stolen.”

Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin confirmed that the store had been burglarized. “Four suspects smashed a window, entered the location and took some items.  No vehicle is mentioned in the report or mention of weapons.”

Pacific Palisades Community Council President Maryam Zar sent a September 12 email to Espin and LAPD West L.A. Commanding Officer Captain Jonathan Tom.

“I cannot believe a pot dispensary can just open up in Brentwood, on the cusp of SM and PP with a school a stone’s throw away, without some sort of community review! I know it’s a ‘permitted use’, but jeez – do we really need this?

“Captain Tom, is there any way I can force a review and bring this to the PP and Brentwood CCs? The Council Office isn’t listening, but in light of this incident, is there anyone at LAPD (or Alison, at LAUSD) that might help us carve out a reason for community review?”

Zar also sent the email to Allison Holdorff Polhill, who is the District Director for LAUSD School Board Member Nick Melvoin.

Tom responded “I understand and appreciate the concern, we’ve checked with the CA Department of Cannabis Control, and they have advised that the dispensary’s license is valid and active. I specifically brought up the issue about the proximity to Paul Revere Middle School and they said it falls outside of the 600 feet minimum established by state law.

“Normally for community input via a zoning hearing, there would need to be an established pattern of problems at the specific location. Obviously if the Council Office were to push for it, it could be a different story. In the meantime, SLO Kirk and our Narcotics unit will be keeping an eye on it and taking appropriate action if any issues come up.”

Brentwood Community Council has now put this item on its September 14 agenda.

It appears that the application can be viewed by the public, with testimony for and against (according to SEC. 104.04, which is below). Additionally, City law states that once the application is complete, the applicant should appear before the local Neighborhood Council.

CTN was contacted by Irene Ancheta from Chapter 2 Agency, who is the PR representative for TRP, which is opening the pot shop. She argued CTN’s story (“Pot Dispensary to Open on San Vincent near Revere Middle School”) was incorrect there was appropriate distance from a pot shop to a school.

The business, which is on San Vicente, is 1,056 yards away and about a nine-minute walk from Revere. The law says a business needs to be outside a 700-foot radius of a school. A residential area is across the street from the store.

CTN asked Ancheta on September 11, “Why not put this store on Wilshire, away from a residential neighbor and the school?”

In a September 12 email Ancheta said, “TRP chose this specific property as it meets the requirements in L.A. for compliant cannabis retail stores, as well as being a part of a major shopping area.”

 

SEC. 104.04 FINAL INSPECTION AND COMMUNITY MEETING:

(a)   DCR (City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation) shall conduct Final Inspections in the manner as provided in the Rules and Regulations. A completed application shall be referred by DCR for Final Inspection as provided in the Rules and Regulations. All applicants must pass a Final Inspection prior to the issuance of a License.

 

(b)   DCR shall conduct a community meeting via video or telephone conferencing or within the defined geographic area of the Area Planning Commission within which the Business Premises is situated. At the meeting, DCR shall accept written and oral testimony regarding the application and then prepare a written report to the Cannabis Regulation Commission summarizing the testimony in favor and against the application. Notice of the community meeting shall be provided as specified in Section 104.05(b). This subsection shall not apply to an application for Non-Retailer Activity in a Business Premises less than 30,000 square feet or Non-Storefront Retailer Activity. The Applicant shall pay the required Community Meeting Fee pursuant to Section 104.19(e).

 

(c)   Within 10 days of receipt of the Notice of Complete application, the Applicant or a designated representative shall contact the Neighborhood Council and offer to appear before the Neighborhood Council to address questions about the application. Written evidence shall be provided to DCR such as an email to the Neighborhood Council or a copy of their meeting minutes.

 

Posted in businesses/stores, Community | 5 Comments

Remembering 911 with Flags on the Village Green

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Flags were placed on the Village Green by the American Legion Post Auxiliary 283 to help commemorate the anniversary of 9/11.

This was the second year that American Legion Auxiliary members placed flags on the Village Green to honor the victims of 9/11.

On Friday, 300 American Flags were placed on the Green by auxiliary members in red shirts and Scouts from Troop 223. The nonprofit board overseeing the Village Green, a private park in the center of the town, approved the request.

Unlike Pepperdine, which annually places a flag for each of the almost 3,000 people who died on September 11, 2001, the Auxiliary feared the Green could not hold that many flags, so each flag represents 10 victims.

History needs to remember American Flight 11, which was set to fly from Boston to Los Angeles, but was crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center.

. . .and United Flight 175, which was set to fly from Boston to Los Angeles and crashed into the south tower of the World Trade Center.

. . .and American Flight 77, from Washington to Los Angeles, which crashed into the Pentagon.

. . . and United Flight 93 from Newark to San Francisco, which crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

There were at least 2,996 fatalities and more than 25,000 injuries. At least $10 billion was lost in infrastructure and property damage. This was the deadliest attack in human history and the single deadliest incident for firefighters (340) and law enforcement officials (72) in the history of the U.S.

The 19 hijackers were affiliated with the militant Islamist group al-Qaeda: 15 Saudi Arabians, two United Arab Emirians, and one each Lebanese and Egyptian.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 223 assisted auxiliary members with placing flags on Friday.

Please read the final transcript from United Flight 93 (below). The heroic efforts of Americans on 9/11 most surely stopped a plane from being crashed into the U.S. Capitol or the White House.

The call was between Todd Beamer and Lisa Jefferson, a telephone supervisor for GTE.

Todd: Hello… Operator…listen to me…I can’t speak very loud. – This is an emergency. I’m a passenger on a United flight to San Francisco.. We have a situation here….Our plane has been hijacked…..can you understand me?

Lisa: (exhaling a deep breath to herself) I understand… Can the hijackers see you talking on the phone?

Todd: No

Lisa: Can you tell me how many hijackers are on the plane?

Todd: There are three that we know of.

Lisa: Can you see any weapons? What kind of weapons do they have?

Todd: Yes…. they don’t have guns….they have knives – they took over the plane with knives.

Lisa: Do you mean…like steak knives?

Todd: No, these are razor knives…like box cutters.

Lisa: Can you tell what country these people are from?

Todd: No…..I don’t know. They sound like they’re from the mid-east.

Lisa: Have they said what they want?

Todd: Someone announced from the cockpit that there was a bomb on board. He said he was the captain and to stay in our seats and stay quiet. He said that they were meeting these men’s demands and returning to the airport… It was very broken English, and… I’m telling you…it sounded fake!

Lisa: Okay sir, please give me your name.

Todd: My name is Todd Beamer.

Lisa: Okay Todd….my name is Lisa…Do you know your flight number? If you can’t remember, it’s on your ticket.

Todd: It’s United Flight 93.

Lisa: Now Todd, can you try to tell me exactly what happened?

Todd: Two of the hijackers were sitting in first class near the cockpit. A third one was sitting near the back of the coach section. The two up front got into the cockpit somehow; there was shouting. The third hijacker said he had a bomb. It looks like a bomb. He’s got it tied to his waist with a red belt of some kind.

Lisa: So, is the door to the cockpit open?

Todd: No, the hijackers shut it behind them.

Lisa: Has anyone been injured?

Todd: Yes, ..they…they killed one passenger sitting in first class. There’s been lots of shouting. We don’t know if the pilots are dead or alive. A flight attendant told me that the pilot and copilot had been forced from the cockpit and may have been wounded.

Lisa: Where is the third hijacker now Todd?

Todd: He’s near the back of the plane. They forced most of the passengers into first class. There are 14 of us here in the back. Five are flight attendants. He hasn’t noticed that I slipped into this pantry to get the phone. The guy with the bomb ordered us to sit on the floor in the rear of the plane………. Oh, Jesus … Help!

Lisa: Todd….are you okay? Tell me what’s happening!

Todd: Hello…..We’re going down….I think we’re going to crash……Wait – wait a minute. No, we’re leveling off….we’re okay. I think we may be turning around…..That’s it – we changed directions. Do you hear me….we’re flying east again.

Lisa: Okay Todd…. What’s going on with the other passengers?

Todd: Everyone is… really scared. A few passengers with cell phones have made calls to relatives. A guy, Jeremy, was talking to his wife just before the hijacking started. She told him that hijackers had crashed two planes into the World Trade Center……Lisa is that true??

Lisa: Todd…..I have to tell you the truth…..it’s very bad. The World Trade Center is gone. Both of the towers have been destroyed.

Todd: Oh God —help us!

Lisa: A third plane was taken over by terrorists. It crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Our country is under attack….and I’m afraid that your plane may be part of their plan.

Todd: Oh, dear God. Dear God……. Lisa, will you do something for me?

Lisa: I’ll try…. if I can ….Yes.

Todd: I want you to call my wife and my kids for me and tell them what’s happened. Promise me you’ll call.

Lisa: I promise – I’ll call.

Todd: Our home number is (201) 353-1073. You have the same name as my wife…Lisa….We’ve been married for 10 years. She’s pregnant with our third child. Tell her that I love her…….(choking up)…I’ll always love her…(clearing throat). We have two boys…David, he’s three and Andrew, he’s one…..Tell them……(choking) tell them that their daddy loves them and that he is so proud of them. (clearing throat again)… Our baby is due January 12…..I saw an ultra sound…..it was great….we still don’t know if it’s a girl or a boy………Lisa?

Lisa: (barely able to speak) I’ll tell them, I promise Todd.

Todd: I’m going back to the group—if I can get back I will.

Lisa: Todd, leave this line open…are you still there?

Lisa: (dials the phone.) Hello, FBI, my name is Lisa Jefferson, I’m a telephone supervisor for GTE. I need to report a terrorist hijacking of a United Airlines Flight 93….Yes, I’ll hold.

Goodwin: Hello, this is Agent Goodwin… I understand you have a hijacking situation?

Lisa: Yes sir, I’ve been talking with a passenger, a Todd Beamer, on Flight 93 who managed to get to an air phone unnoticed.

Goodwin: Where did this flight originate, and what was its destination?

Lisa: The flight left Newark, New Jersey at 8 a.m. departing for San Francisco. The hijackers took over the plane shortly after takeoff, and several minutes later the plane changed course – it is now flying east.

Goodwin: Ms. Jefferson…I need to talk to someone aboard that plane. Can you get me through to the plane’s phone?

Lisa: I still have that line open, sir. I can patch you through on a conference call…hold a moment…..

Todd: Hello Lisa, Lisa are you there?

Lisa: Yes, I’m here. Todd, I made a call to the FBI, Agent Goodwin is on the line and will be talking to you as well.

Todd: The others all know that this isn’t your normal hijacking. Jeremy called his wife again on his cell phone. She told him more about the World Trade Center and all.

Goodwin: Hello, Todd. This is Agent Goodwin with the FBI. We have been monitoring your flight. Your plane is on a course for Washington, D.C. These terrorists sent two planes into the World Trade Center and one plane into the Pentagon. Our best guess is that they plan to fly your plane into either the White House or the United States Capitol Building.

Todd: I understand…hold on…I’ll…….I’ll be back.

Lisa: Mr. Goodwin, how much time do they have before they get to Washington?

Goodwin: Not long, ma’am. They changed course over Cleveland; they’re approaching Pittsburgh now. Washington may be twenty minutes away.

Todd: (breathing a little heavier). The plane seems to be changing directions just a little. It’s getting pretty rough up here. The plane is flying real erratic….We’re not going to make it out of here. Listen to me….I want you to hear this….I have talked with the others….we have decided we would not be pawns in these hijackers’ suicidal plot.

Lisa: Todd, what are you going to do?

Todd: We’ve hatched a plan. Four of us are going to rush the hijacker with the bomb. After we take him out, we’ll break into the cockpit. A stewardess is getting some boiling water to throw on the hijackers at the controls. We’ll get them…and we’ll take them out. Lisa, will you do one last thing for me?

Lisa: Yes…What is it?

Todd: Would you pray with me?

They pray:

Our father which art in Heaven

Hallowed be thy name,

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive our trespassers,

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory

Forever…..Amen

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…

He makes me to lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside the still waters

He restores my soul

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for His name’s sake

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death

I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.

Todd: (softer). God help me…Jesus help me…(clears throat and louder). Are you guys ready?……..Let’s roll!!

All 44 passengers and crew aboard the aircraft (including the four hijackers) were killed when the plane, west of Cleveland, abruptly turned southeast towards Washington, D.C.  and started to descend. When it crashed into Shanksville, Pennsylvania, it was about 20 minutes flying time from the nation’s capital.

Members of the Auxiliary thanked Village Green President Marge Gold (third from right) for helping with the project.

Posted in Community, Holidays | 3 Comments

OBITUARY: Alice “Alli” Faye Lockwood Solum

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

 

Long-time Palisadian Alli Solum, 85, passed away on August 16. She was born on December 27, 1936, at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena to Arthur and Sarah “Sally” Lockwood. She was an only child.

Known to her 10 grandchildren and two great- grandchildren as “Mimi,” Alli approached every aspect of her life with a kindness and selflessness that inspired everyone around her.

She graduated from Riverside Polytechnic High School in 1955 with honors, and then attended the University of Southern California, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1959.

At USC, she was the secretary of her freshman class and the president of her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega.

While attending college, she met her future husband, Conrad R. Solum, Jr. (“Connie”) in 1955. They were married on June 4, 1960, at the Catholic Newman Center at USC.

The couple celebrated 62 years of marriage in June.

With a shared passion for sports, Alli and Connie were lifelong USC football season ticket holders, enjoying games all over the country. Alli was a lifetime member of Woman of Troy, a football scholarship club, along with memberships in Cardinal and Gold, and Associates.

As an alumna she belonged to many organizations at that school, including Trojan League of Los Angeles, Trojan Guild of Los Angeles, Half Century Trojan Club (President), Trojan Marching Band Board and Town & Gown. She served as President of Town & Gown from 1996-1998 and was on the Board for many years.

The Solums established a Town & Gown Endowed Scholarship, and a Tau Kappa Epsilon “TKE” Endowed Scholarship in their name.

Alli was the consummate volunteer. She volunteered at Corpus Christi School for 18 years while her children were attending both elementary and middle schools.

She was a docent at the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, a member of the Board of the Boosters Club for Loyola High School, and at the age of 81, became a member of the Board of Directors of the Homeowners Association.

She loved travelling the world, especially Hawaii, with her family and lifelong friends, known as the “Dirty Eleven.”

She and Connie were among the founders of and met the “Dirty Eleven” while volunteering for the Palisades Jr. Women’s Club, Las Fortunas and Palisades Optimist Club.

This informal group had many parties together, including “Halloween in May,” “Laugh In” and the weddings of all of their children. They traveled together for weekends and vacations with families in tow, to Hawaii, Mexico, Tahiti and Mammoth.

Alli and Connie’s friendship with the “Dirty Eleven” has lasted for more than 50 years.

She is survived by her husband Conrad R. Solum, Jr.; her children, Lori Middleton, Kami Miller (John), Kathy Beckerman (Eric) and Michael Solum (Jennifer); her grandchildren, Ian Middleton, Kristien Hernandez (Michael), Meghan Middleton, C.J. Miller, Ryan Miller, Troy Miller, Lindsey Beckerman, Dylan Beckerman, Sierra Solum and Kaia Solum, and her great-grandchildren, Lucy Hernandez and Bo Hernandez.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 3 p.m. on September 23 at Corpus Christi Church.

For those who wish to remember Alli in a special way, please make donations in her memory to the USC Town & Gown Alli and Conrad Solum Endowed Scholarship. (www.townandgownofusc.org)

Posted in Obituaries | 1 Comment

Pali Teen Entrepreneur Produces My Plots, a Party App 

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

BY CHAZ PLAGER

The hardest part of planning a party is finding the people, and with the advent of the internet things should have become easier.

Surprisingly to Jack Schwartz, 17, it only became more complicated. Fed up with constant plan changes, the Palisades resident set out to change things by developing an app – myplots.

Using myplots, those on the app can set a location, date, and time for a party, and send out invites directly, or accept join requests from other users.

Users are encouraged to post on their Instagram or Snapchat stories “What’s Plots tonight?” to find other users. Active parties are shown on a map corresponding to the user’s location and can be clicked on to learn more.

“I wanted to make it so that no one gets left out,” said Schwartz, who is a senior at Palisades High School. “I want people to connect and create unforgettable experiences with an easy way to access what’s going on in the plot circle.”

Although he launched the app this year, he has been working on it for the past year and half.

In ninth grade, Jack was in the middle of throwing a party when he realized that he could monetize this sort of thing. “I asked myself, ‘Why isn’t there an app directly for throwing parties or a direct app for finding/creating them?’”

Jack then pitched the idea to an app development team, a group of unnamed freelancers he met through the internet, who accepted his idea there and then. When myplots was launched on the App Store, it quickly gained more than 1,000 users.

This isn’t Schwartz’s first experience with entrepreneurship. Before his app, he created his own clothing brand, Loonar Clothing.

“I was successful with marketing [for Loonar], so I thought, why not try this?” Schwartz said. “I’m hosting parties currently to market it, and I’m hoping that eventually it will catch on and the whole world will start using it.”

Schwartz, who loves his math and business classes, said he hopes that larger companies will catch wind of his app and consider sponsoring it. “This isn’t the last app I plan to make,” he said. “No way am I stopping here.”

The founder of the app myplots and Loonar Clothing, Jack Schwartz,  who is in the center with his hand raised, developed the app, to make parties more inclusive.

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On the Market: The Million Dollar Mobile Home View in the Palisades

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The Palisades Bowl is nestled under a mountain and separated from  the Pacific Ocean by the  Pacific Coast Highway.

BY VICKI HALLIDAY

(This story ran on the Westside Current on September 9 and is reprinted with permission. Halliday examines some of the properties that are available at the Palisades Bowl, 16321 Pacific Coast Highway. The property was established in the 1890s as a Methodist camp and remains a source of affordable housing in Pacific Palisades. )

If they are honest with themselves, there’s hardly a soul who hasn’t wondered about the mobile homes across from Will Rogers Beach. Direct access to one of the nicest beaches on the coast, a village of homes and a Pacific Palisades address. It does make one stop and consider!

Historically, much emphasis can be placed on the advent of the Airstream trailer with its factory in Culver City. 1931 and Airstreams were meant for the road, but they were also meant for a more permanent living concept. Just like now, the housing supply was in short supply about this time, and by 1937 there were numerous trailer manufacturers. Instant and mobile housing worked for thousands of defense industry workers and rapidly built manufacturing companies.

As trailers became more and more full-time residences for people, the trailer park as we know them came into existence and the empty area across from Will Rogers began to develop.

These days, they are not only still there but thriving as mobile home parks with clubhouses, amenities and HOAs.

Originally the perfect retirement village where folks could play a card game in the clubhouse and have an easy walk to the beach, today’s residents encompass every age group. However, people still check on each other and provide a community. The sites have expanded up the bluffs to true million-dollar views.

This week, we looked to see what was for sale in this great East of Malibu, Pacific Palisades area. Do note that beyond the asking prices, there is a site rental fee, which ends up being similar to an HOA fee.

This manufactured home (below) has been updated creating a large rooftop deck and a private outdoor dining area outside the kitchen.  Priced at $875K, it’s a two bedroom/two bath California modern bungalow and includes enough covered parking for two cars.  If being across the road from the beach isn’t enough, the clubhouse has a large pool and other communal facilities for outdoor entertaining.

 

How about this view from your roof deck?  It’s an everyday thing when you own this one bedroom/one bath home built in 2020.  All the interior finishes are great, too, with hardwood floors, granite kitchen countertops and the best part is that it is located on a cut de sac street. A beach paradise for a single!  Priced at $595K.

This is a 1969 home (above) which is still very usable.  It could do with some upgrades or bring in a newly built home.  It’s right across from Will Rogers, has a lot of surfer charm and is priced at $469K.  If you like having a view, this one is certainly worth viewing!  Oh, and it has all the clubhouse amenities attached, too.

Recently upgraded, this newly new home is spacious and light with a great view from its second floor.  It’s empty, ready to move in and priced well at $795.  Like the other homes,  it’s across from the beach and minutes to key Westside locations.  It’s a two bedroom/two bath residence waiting for a new owner.

Complete with mature landscaping, an artificial turf dog run, and a lot of privacy, this home (below) comes with fun tile work that adds loads of charm to its great location.  Once again, the clubhouse offers additional amenities that make it ever so easy to call this home. Priced at $650 K for its two bedrooms/one bath and great long time maintenance.

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Residents Invited to Mini-Chautauqua on Saturday, September 10

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

 

The Methodist Church located at 801 Via de la Paz is having a celebration on Saturday.

Residents and families are invited to a kid-friendly celebration as the Palisades Methodist Church marks its centennial on Saturday, September 10. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 801 Via de la Paz – where the 1929 Landmark Tower still stands.

The Church is planning what it is calling a “Mini-Chautauqua”—a day of games and music and fun, recalling the spirit of the old-time gatherings that originally inspired the 1922 founding of Pacific Palisades by Methodists as a Chautauqua site with a neighboring community.

“As the Palisades and our church both celebrate their 100th birthdays, we want Palisadians to experience a sense of the founding era’s joy and fellowship, and how our church is committed to carrying on that legacy,” said Reverend Wayne Walters, Pastor of the Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades. “All are welcome.”

Centennial celebration events will include kids’ games with prizes, arts & crafts, bingo, hourly giveaways, a mini bazaar sponsored by the Methodist Women, an original historical presentation, live music, lunch, and of course a birthday cake at 1 p.m.

At 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. there will be music.

“Since its founding, the Methodist church has emphasized strong community involvement,” Walters said.

CTN spoke with Walters, who told this editor there would be prizes for Bingo, which will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. CTN is “all in.”

The Methodist Church is celebrating its 100th birthday.

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