Alan Eisenstock’s Playlist: Death and Dying Part 1

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Sue

(Editor’s note: Palisadian Alan Eisenstock’s 19th book “Redeeming Justice” co-written with Jarrett Adams, came out on September 14 and was named the Best Book of September by Amazon. “A consuming tale of a broken legal system, its trail of ruin and the fortitude needed to overcome its scarring.”

When Eisenstock is not writing, 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. He sent this list, and a subsequent list that CTN will run tomorrow, at the end of December.)

Hi, Everyone,

Another year comes to a close and we continue to face the ugly reality of Covid. Too many people remain unvaccinated and unmasked, while the Delta and Omicron variants surge. And the death toll rises–more than 800,000 Americans have died. What to do? Idea. Here are 18 “death” and “dying” songs… and this is only Part One. Listen up!

 

  1. “Stagger Lee”  Lloyd Price. R&B singer from Louisiana, nicknamed “Mr. Personality,” recorded this 1958 cover of a 1923 song about the murder of a pimp. Price’s version hit #1 and sold over a million copies.
  2. “Dead Man’s Curve” Jan & Dean. Pioneers of the “California Sound,” William Jan Berry and Dean Orsmby recorded this big hit in 1963. Brian Wilson, Artie Kornfeld, Roger Christian, and Jan Berry collaborated on the writing of the song one day at Brian’s mother’s house in Santa Monica. The result? A typical drag race gone bad song with many mentions of L.A. streets.
  3. “Paint It Black” The Rolling Stones. A 1966 Stones anthem often associated with the Vietnam War as a protest song. I can’t help imagining “the line of cars painted black” as a funeral procession.
  4. “Last Kiss” J. Frank Wilson & The Cavaliers. One-hit wonders recorded their big hit in 1964, a cover of a song written and performed by Wayne Cochran in 1961. Subsequently, J. Frank disappeared and Wayne succumbed to alcoholism.
  5. “Live and Let Die” Wings. Title song from the 1973 James Bond film, the first to star Roger Moore. Paul McCartney and his wife Linda wrote the song, which received an Academy Award nomination. The melody veers off in about ten different directions.
  6.  “Another One Bites The Dust” Queen. Written by the band’s bassist, John Deacon, this became Queen’s best-selling single, passing 7 million in sales. Queen was a major stadium band and this 1980 song was a favorite. Too on the nose for the “death” playlist?
  7. “Only The Good Die Young” Billy Joel. Cool song from Billy’s 1977 album The Stranger. The song is actually about The Piano Man’s quest in high school to have sex with a Catholic girl, premarital sex being a no-no, resulting in… death?
  8. “The Three Bells” The Browns. Country-folk trio Ed Brown and his sisters Maxine and Bonnie recorded this 1959 hit based on a 1939 French song. The song written by Jean Villard Gilles and adapted by Bert Reisfeld is about the life and death of Jimmy Brown,no relation to the Browns who sang the song. Confused? I was.

  9. Michel_Legrand_Bobbie Gentry_Ode_To_Billy_Joe_Soundtrack_LP cover

    “Ode To Billy Joe” Bobbie Gentry. Born Roberta Lee Streeter in Chickasaw County, MI, Bobbie Gentry was one of the first female artists to compose and produce her own music. Her big hit, written in 1967, contained the lyric “There was a virus going ’round, papa caught it and he died last spring.” She wrote that line 54 years ago.

  10. “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” Blue Oyster Cult. Progressive rock band formed in Stony Brook, NY. Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser wrote and sings lead on “Reaper,” perhaps their biggest hit, from 1976. Roeser had a premonition that he would die young and that led to this song. He’s still alive, tottering around at 74.
  11. “Tom Dooley” The Kingston Trio. Famous folk band formed in San Francisco. Nobody knows when this song was actually written but the Trio recorded it in 1958. It became perhaps their biggest hit and one of the best-known murder ballads ever. Murder ballad. Is that a thing?
  12. “Prayer For The Dying” Seal. Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel was nicknamed “Seal” because he was born with flippers instead of hands. Thank goodness for modern surgery. This was a huge hit for him in 1994. LOVE.
  13. “Teen Angel” Mark Dinning. Another teenager-killed-in-a-car-wreck song. This one from 1959 was sung by Oklahoman Dinning and was written by his sister Jean and her husband Red Surrey. It’s different because the death here does not occur in a drag race. Here the poor “teen angel” was left in a car that was hit by a train.
  14. “Wall Of Death” Richard & Linda Thompson. British folk duo and married couple, the Thompsons recorded their most famous album, Shoot Out The Lights, in 1982. Richard wrote this one and I consider it one of his top five songs. LOVE.
  15. “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” Death Cab For Cutie. Alternative-rock band out of Bellingham, WA, began as a Ben Gibbard solo project. This 2005 song, about death, was written and sung by Ben, accompanying himself on acoustic guitar.
  16. “Candle in The Wind” Elton John. Got to have this one. Sir Elton’s timeless tribute to the life and death of Marilyn Monroe from his iconic 1973 album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. LOVE.
  17. “Into My Arms” Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. Australian heroes (well, to me) Nick and The Bad Seeds sing this 1997 song that’s about dying and going to heaven. It comes from his very best album The Boatman’s Call.Apropos of nothing, Nick’s previous band was called The Birthday Party.
  18. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Bob Dylan. We end with Dylan’s hit from the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. A similar sentiment to Into My Arms.

There you are… 18 “death” songs… and that’s only Part One. Amazing how many songs about teenagers dying in horrifying car crashes came out of the 1950s. A fun decade.

Anyway, some advice: Don’t Forget To Disinfect and… PLAY IT LOUD!

The link again: click here:

Fact Check

I don’t know if Buck Dharma is tottering at 74. He could be running marathons for all I know.

Seal was not born with flippers instead of hands.

 

LAST WEEK’S POLL QUESTION:

Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” stampeded past Bob Marley’s “Buffalo Soldier.”

 

THIS WEEK’S POLL QUESTION:

Car Crash Death Challenge: “Dead Man’s Curve” by Jan & Dean or “Teen Angel” by Mark Dinning. Who you got?

 

Alan Eisenstock

Until next week and Part Two…Merry Christmas, Everyone,

 

Alan

alaneisenstock.com

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Fruit Tree Expert to Address Garden Club Monday Night Via Zoom

Posted on January 2, 2022 by Sue

Joanna Glovinsky will speak at the Pacific Palisades Garden Club Zoom meeting.

If you have questions about citrus and other fruit trees in your yard, listen to Joanna Glovinsky speak about “Caring for Your Fruit Trees in L.A.” at 7 p.m. on Monday via Zoom, during the Pacific Palisades Garden Club monthly meeting. She will share her knowledge and provide information about growing these trees.

Glovinsky founded Fruitstitute, the only fruit tree service in Los Angeles, which provides fruit-specific knowledge to backyard growers.

According to Fruitstitute’s mission statement, the group works “to pioneer new and abundant fruitscape, creating cultural change across Los Angeles County” and offers advice on pruning, fertilization, compost and mulch applications, planting and installation – and education.

Formally trained in fruit tree care at Huntington Ranch, Glovinsky discovered that she was “born to prune.” Her love of gardening began at The Ron Finley Project, where she planted and tended edible gardens in South L.A. She then joined forces with Fall Fruit as a fruit tree specialist and community engagement manager.

Glovinsky has a master’s degree in health and social change from USC Annenberg and is studying to receive her arborist certifications.

To learn more about Glovinsky, visit: fruitstitute.com. To attend the Garden Club meeting on Zoom, visit:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88034598506#success (Meeting ID: 880 3459 8506). To find out more about the Garden Club, visit: pacpalgardenclub.org.

Posted in Education, Environmental | Leave a comment

PCH Closed Between Temescal and Chautauqua; Debris Closes Lanes on Sunset

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Sue

A tree slid onto PCH, hitting a utility pole. The wire stretched across the road. It necessitated closing the road in both directions until it could be repaired.

 

Pacific Coast Highway has been closed in both directions between Temescal and Chautauqua, after a utility line fell across the highway early this morning.

A tree slid off the hill near the Lifeguard headquarters on PCH, below the Huntington Palisades, and took down a Frontier utility line. CTN spoke to Caltrans at the scene around 11:30 a.m. and they didn’t know how long the highway would be closed.

Caltrans workers were in the final stages of cutting up the tree. It would need to be hauled away before the wire, which stretched across all lanes, could be fixed.

Caltrans said in addition to this closure, westbound PCH near the McClure Tunnel in Santa Monica was also closed because of a mudslide.

Rain started falling across this area yesterday, and by 8 a.m. this morning, the backyard rain gauge on Radcliffe held 4.1 inches. A lot more rain has fallen since then.

Boulders/rocks came down on westbound Sunset, just before Palisades Drive, and a lane was closed. Near Paseo Miramar, debris was also in the westbound lane, which was closed.

Before Chautauqua Boulevard on Sunset, debris closed the westbound lane.

Ongoing rain is predicted into this evening, so unless you need to be out, stay at home and allow City and State workers the chance to safely clean up the roads.

Several trees on the hill above PCH slid onto the road.

Posted in Accidents/Fires | 1 Comment

Pacific Palisades Resident Arrested After Viral Video Shows Her Slapping Delta Passenger

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Sue

(Editor’s note: The story, which ran on December 28, on the Westside Current, is reprinted with permission.)

A Pacific Palisades woman was arrested for

a wild mid-flight tirade that went viral on social media.

Patricia Cornwall, whose stage name is Patty Breton, was charged with assault on Monday, according to the New York Post.

A federal criminal complaint filed in Georgia detailed the events that erupted on a flight from Tampa, Florida, to Atlanta last Thursday the report states.

Cornwall, according to the New York Post, was trying to return to her seat from the restroom when she asked a flight attendant with a beverage cart that was blocking the aisle for help finding her seat. The flight attendant asked Cornwall to find a vacant seat until the beverage service was complete.

“What am I, Rosa Parks?” Cornwall snapped back, according to court docs the Post received, garnering the attention of the victim.

The man told her that she “isn’t black … this isn’t Alabama and this isn’t a bus,” according to the affidavit.

According to a video of the incident captured by another passenger’s cellphone, the two also screamed at each other to “mask up!”

The report states that Cornwall is then seen slapping the man, who shouts, “You’re going to jail!”

Police arrested Cornwall at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and she was later taken into custody by the FBI.

She posted a $20,000 bond at her arraignment. A judge ruled that she can only fly to return home to Los Angeles.

According to public records, Cornell received a real estate license in California in 2013, which expired in 2017.

“I have been practicing residential real estate for 13 years in Los Angeles/Westside,” she wrote in a recent online posting seeking a roommate in Florida, where she hopes to relocate permanently.

Decades ago, as Patty Breton, she appeared in small televisions roles, according to her IMDb profile. She was on an episode of “Baywatch” in 1987 and had a role on “Married … with Children” in 1989. The actress was also featured in “Playboy: Cheerleaders.”

 

Posted in General | 3 Comments

Hebron Marching Band from Texas Practices at PaliHi

Posted on December 28, 2021 by Sue

The Hebron Marching Band practiced at the Palisades High School stadium.

Much like in “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” on Monday, December 27,  this editor “had just settled down for a long winter’s nap – when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.”

In this case, the clatter was a tremendous orchestral sound of music echoing through Temescal Canyon from the Palisades High School football field – strong, beautiful and  filled with emotion and joy.

My husband mentioned he thought that the band was practicing – but this music was not typical of what the local band had been playing, so Circling the News went over to the field around 8:30 p.m. to investigate.

The parking lot was filled with large buses and trucks. The entire football field had students executing complicated marching moves, while the music continued to overwhelm the canyon with beauty of sound. The flags of the color guard were incredible as the colors thrown about accentuated each song and the mood of the music.

Parents who were watching, told me that they were from Carrollton, Texas (northeast of Dallas), and the Hebron Band, had been chosen to march in the Rose Parade.

Hebron High School is located in Carrollton and is part of the Lewisville Independent School District. There were about  350+ students participating, under four band directors, Andy Sealy (director of bands), Travis Pruitt (associate director), Zach Houston (percussion director) and Justin Sullivan (color guard director).

The band was founded in 1999 and had just been crowned the 2021 State 6A Marching Band Champion and BOA San Antonio Super Regional Champion.

Hebron High School, with 3,583 students in grades 9 through 12, serves a diverse population – with 22 percent of the families economically challenged. The band annually launches a community food drive, partnering with the North Texas food bank to support the food-insecure in north Texas.

Why was the Hebron Marching Band in Pacific Palisades?

This editor had read in the L.A. Daily News, that for the Rose Parade, “bands practice their field shows at home for many months, and when they get to California, ‘they usually find a local school or area near to where they are lodging’ to fine tune everything. A couple days later, the bands make their 5-mile march down Colorado Boulevard and surrounding streets.”

The band, which had taken the Texas Championship, was staying at a hotel near the airport.

I asked the parents how the Hebron musicians ended up in Pacific Palisades and they weren’t sure. They said the field they were supposed to practice on didn’t materialize and all “of a sudden, we’re in Pacific Palisades.”

According to the Daily News, every year between 50 to 70 bands apply and the criteria for selection includes “musicianship, marching ability, uniqueness and entertainment value. In addition, bands with the ability to perform field show maneuvers while marching are preferred. There is no band size requirement, and participants come from around the world.”

Although in the 2022 Rose Parade, all bands will be from the United States. The Hebron Band is number 63 in the lineup.

Additionally, the bands participate in Bandfest, which means they showcase their performances on December 29 and 30 at Robinson Stadium, Pasadena City College, 1570 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. General admission $20; children 5 and younger, free. Parking is free on campus at Structure 4 off Del Mar Avenue. More information at tournamentofroses.com. The Hebron Band will perform on Thursday, December 30.

The PaliHi stadium parking lot was filled with buses that transported Hebron students.

And if Palisades residents are lucky, the band will come back for a final rehearsal. If not, visit: click here.

Posted in Music | 2 Comments

The Challenging, Heartbreaking Story of One Homeless Woman in Our Midst 

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Sue

The car parked on Albright Street for nearly two years, was pushed closer to Charm Acres to allow for tree trimming. The car could not be started, even after it was “jumped.” The police say that it can’t be towed because a person is living in it.

“I feel badly about the situation,” the woman’s sister told neighbors during a Zoom call arranged by Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin on Wednesday. “We’ve tried to help her. We can’t get her to take help. We don’t know what to do, either.”

Daniella, the woman in question, has been living in her car on Albright Street, less than a block from Caruso’s Palisades Village.

In a December 15 Nextdoor Palisades posting, a neighbor wrote: “Our front lawn is NOT A TOILET! The woman living in her car here for the past year-and-a-half is using our lawns as a toilet. She exposes herself daily to our children when she relieves herself.”

The neighbor continued, “When I called 911 to report indecent exposure, the police came quickly and found her about to pee on our lawn again. But they won’t remove her as she’s ‘exposing herself to urinate.’  I mean, who do we call now?”

Despite repeated offers of help from the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness, Daniella has been resistant to leaving her vehicle and accepting other housing.

Espin requested the West Bureau LAPD mental evaluation unit (MEU) meet her, and they did on December 21.

MEU Senior Lead Officer Gregory Parker said, “We can’t force someone into treatment.” He said they can act only if someone is determined to be gravely disabled or threatens to hurt themselves or someone else.

(Gravely disabled is defined as unable “to feed and take care of oneself.”)

Parker said that “she refused any resources and is fixated on her pet.” The dog, Duke, was living in the car with Daniella, but neighbors were concerned about its welfare, and it was removed and placed with a family – and is doing well with regular food and exercise.

Under current legal definitions, Daniella is not considered gravely disabled. She receives an unemployment check – she worked until 2020 – and can feed and clothe herself.

Espin said, “It’s up to the individual to see how far she wants to go to fix her situation.”

More than one person pointed out that a person’s mental illness might prevent them from realizing they need help. Residents were told that under current laws there’s nothing the police – or the family – can do.

Sharon Kilbride, co-president of the PPTFH, explained that Daniella is chugging bottles of vodka—and engaging in excessive amounts of drinking. Kilbride was told that since the car is Daniella’s home, there is nothing police can do.

“That’s her choice,” Espin said.

Someone asked about towing her car, and Espin said that because she’s living there, it cannot be towed because of the Community Caretaking Doctrine. That is California Vehicle Code, Chapter 10, Removal of Parked and Abandoned Vehicles (22650-22856) that states, “A removal pursuant to an authority, including, but not limited to, as provided in Section 22651, that is based on community caretaking, is only reasonable if the removal is necessary to achieve the community caretaking need, such as ensuring the safe flow of traffic or protecting property from theft or vandalism.”

“Her car has been unregistered since 2020. Can’t you do something about the tags?” a resident asked LAPD.

The resident was told it’s just parking citations and there is no arrestable crime.

Another resident asked about the woman exposing herself when she urinates and defecates on neighbor’s lawns: wouldn’t that be indecent exposure? Espin said that “indecent exposure goes back to intent and in this case it’s not gratification.”

Over and over the mantra was, “We cannot force her to move anywhere. We can’t force anyone into treatment.”

Then, Detective Kosal Bun suggested filing a police report: 1) anytime she trespasses onto a yard; 2) when she litters, 3) anytime she disturbs the peace with screaming, and 4) for public drunkenness.

Although those actions will result in citations and not an arrest, with multiple reports, “We could use it as leverage with a judge to have her mental health considered and she might be able to be declared gravely disabled.”

“We need police reports,” Bun emphasized. “We need residents to make reports whether LAPD shows up or not.” He said that reports could be made over the phone to the West L.A. Police station (non-emergency # 877-275-5273 or Espin 310-444-0737 or 37430@lapd.online).

“If we have multiple reports, then the family could take control as conservatorship,” Bun said. “Until we have that, the courts won’t take her away.”

In the meantime, the family and residents feel helpless as they watch someone who they say, “continues to deteriorate.”

Posted in Homelessness | 4 Comments

Community Effort: YMCA, Seven Arrows and Residents Provide Backpacks

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Sue

Kids were happy with new backpacks. made possible through the Palisades YMCA.

Members of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA joined with the Antelope Valley YMCA in Lancaster to hand out school backpacks filled with school supplies and snacks to local elementary school children and their families on December 18.

Palisades-Malibu YMCA Board members Dr. Anita Hanssen and Genevieve Bostic and Y Executive Director Jim Kirtley delivered the backpacks, filled with supplies that had been assembled at the Y on Via de la Paz.

“The families were so thankful for the donated items, and the children were so happy and grateful for their gifts,” Hanssen said. “It was a very moving experience to be part of this event, and a true validation of how special it is to make a difference to those in need. The children’s smiles were in abundance and the holiday cheer was in the air!”

Thanks to one outstanding Seven Arrows sixth-grade student, Matteo Correa de Toledo, the backpacks were filled with holiday cheer.

For his Ethical Leadership Project, Correa de Toledo set a goal of providing supplies for 300 backpacks. He enlisted the support of each grade of the K-6 private school (located on La Cruz and on Haverford), and each grade was tasked with a specific item. Cash donations ($30) instead of school supplies were also suggested.

Seven Arrows students are allowed autonomy in selecting causes “that are close to their heart and mind,” said Fiona Farrahi, Seven Arrows Director of Marketing. “In this case, Matteo chose the Y.”

Farrahi explained that ethical leadership is woven into Seven Arrows education and students are encouraged to be positive contributors to the world. “They can advocate solely or enlist the support of our community anytime of the year.”

In addition to the backpacks filled with school supplies, families also received a bag of sanitary toiletry items.

The backpacks themselves were donated by longtime friends of Kirtley, Brian and Sarah Underwood. Additionally, Amazon had approached Kirtley about the Reading Is Fundamental program — and through the Palisades store, reading kits were also donated.

Y Board Director Maryam Zar said that she had partnered with Kirtley and the executive director of the Antelope Valley Y for the distribution and gave a special thanks to Seven Arrows Head of School Margarita Pagliai.

Zar said the Y has helped vulnerable populations during the Covid 19 pandemic, including a weekly grocery giveaway. The backpack delivery “was the latest effort,” she said. “The community should be proud of the work and the reach of their local Y.”

YMCA Volunteers assembled 300 backpacks on Via de la Paz.

Posted in Community, Holidays | Leave a comment

“Holly Jolly Christmas” Can Come Any Day

Posted on December 23, 2021 by Sue

 

“Holly Jolly Christmas,” sung by Burl Ives, was echoing through the house – his singing just seemed to make everything happy.

The kids were decorating Christmas cookies, the tree was trimmed, the tiny little Dickens village was set up, stockings were by the fireplace, and Christmas was on its way.

But then it wasn’t.

My husband is an airline pilot — and just like for those who are married to firefighters, police or doctors — holidays are not guaranteed.

John was on reserve that December, which meant if he was called because a pilot was sick or couldn’t make the flight, he was responsible to fly it.

And just like that he was assigned a trip on December 23 that went into Christmas. He would be home late Christmas night.

I thought back to a joke my first husband, Ronnie Shakes, liked to tell. “My greatest desire is to die in December and wreck the holidays for my family,” he said and then added, “Should we open Ronnie’s present? He’s dead.”

What do I do about Santa Claus and the kids’ presents?

I’m still humming along with “Holly Jolly Christmas” when I realize all is really good in the world. I’m blessed with a husband, kids — and December 25 need only be a suggestion to celebrate Christmas.

On Christmas Eve, I took my three kids to a church service and we looked at “Baby Jesus.” The next day, a good friend invited us over for their Christmas brunch.

It was then that my normally passive, shy oldest child Shelby got into a fight with her friend Katya, who was also six.

Katya tried to tell Shelby it was Christmas Day.

“It is not. Santa comes tomorrow,” Shelby matter-of-factly told her.

Knowing that 6-, 4- and 2-year-olds don’t really look at calendars, I had simply moved Christmas by a day (to December 26), so that their dad would be home to celebrate with them.

Katya pointed out that Santa had given her presents, and that Shelby should have some, too. Shelby came to me, and I simply explained that Santa must have made an early stop in Culver City. That’s all it took, and everyone was happy again.

After my husband arrived home at about midnight on December 25, we were both awakened by the kids the next morning around 5 a.m. because “Santa had come.”

I don’t remember what Santa brought, but I remember the warmth of having us all together.

This year, I’m once again moving Christmas to January 1 – because Shelby, now 30, is celebrating Christmas at her boyfriend’s family house. One son is out of the country — and my husband is flying.

The tree is trimmed, the stockings are up, cookies are made and frosted, and the tiny village is once again lit.

The exact date doesn’t really matter, nor do the wrapped presents.

The real gift is the joy of spending the day, or any day, with people you love.

To CTN readers, have a “Holly Jolly Christmas!”

And to all — love and joy.

Posted in Holidays | 1 Comment

Another Day at the Illegal RV Encampment on Jefferson

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Sue

The two women told the police officers that a man had hit them and threatened them with a gun.

There were screams and then a woman was sobbing, saying, “He took my dog. He took my dog.”

The woman said the man came into her van, hit her and hit her friend – another woman, threatened them with a gun and then took the woman’s chihuahua and left.

This happened a little after 10 a.m. today on Jefferson Boulevard between Lincoln and Culver. One lane of Jefferson had been blocked off for a homeless encampment cleanup. A Department of Transportation official called 911, as CTN listened.

This editor had been tipped off that the cleanup was underway, involving the line of RV’s and vans parked for months along Jefferson, next to the environmentally sensitive Ballona Wetlands. I had walked over by the van when the screaming started.

The woman who lives in her van said her door was opened (to let in the sun and fresh air), but the man just burst in. She said the man had also tried to take another person’s dog, but that owner, a man, had told him to “get the f*ck out of here.” So, the bad guy came into her van.

She said that she had found the dog, after it had been abandoned, and that gradually she had nursed it back to health. As she related the story, an older model black Chevy Impala, without license plates, drove by and she shouted, “That’s him! The dog is in the back seat.”

It was now about 10:30 a.m. and the LAPD had not yet responded, so CTN called 911 and related the story and was told that police would arrive soon. The first car arrived five minutes later, followed by a second car five minutes later.

Jamie Paige, editor of Westside Current and a Venice resident, explained that unless the incident was reported as a crime in progress, it would not move up to Code 3. A Code 3 means LAPD shows up immediately with lights and sirens. LAPD responded as Code 2 because the caller said the suspect had left the scene.

Upon further investigation, the suspect was found and told LAPD that the woman had stolen the chihuahua from him.

LAPD can’t do anything further, unless the woman files a police report for assault and threatening with a weapon or if the suspect files that the woman stole the dog from him.

People living in the RVs moved belongings off the parkway and put it on the road next to their RVs during the cleanup.

THE BALLONA WETLANDS/JEFFERSON CLEANUP

Neighbors, birdwatchers and environmentalists have decried the illegal parking of RVs and other vehicles along Jefferson, adjacent to the Ballona Wetlands. There are no facilities for camping, no place for greywater, no restrooms. The signs say “No Parking.”

This is an unique wetlands, a mix of saltwater and freshwater, and provides shelter and resting areas for more than one-third of the country’s threatened and endangered species, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

CTN has written to state Senator Ben Allen and Assemblymember Autumn Burke about the degradation, and in October, Allen responded: “I remain concerned by the increase in debris and trash at the Ballona Wetlands. My staff and I have been working extensively with the Department of Fish and Wildlife to ensure they are up to date on areas in need of additional attention.

“We happily welcome the public’s help and input in alerting us to areas of state property needing cleanup so we can notify the proper agencies in Los Angeles. We will continue to work with all relevant jurisdictions in search of long-term solutions that protect the reserve’s ecological treasures.”

When CTN received news this morning that there would be a cleanup, we hoped that perhaps the RVs would be moved, and a real cleanup of the roadway would take place.

Unfortunately, this cleanup was not for the roadway, but a “spot” cleanup for the “front yards” of the RV’s. People who illegally park along the roadway have taken over the walkway between the road and the park, adding structures and strewing garbage.

This car was propped up and looked like it was having an oil change.

The notice alerted those people, living illegally, that the City would begin cleaning at 6 a.m. and be done by 5 p.m. and that “property left behind will be collected and kept by the City for a period of 90 days.”

Many of the occupants simply picked up their stuff on the parkway and moved it to the road.

As CTN watched, L.A. Sanitation picked up jugs of urine, needles and other drug paraphernalia. It appeared that one car parked along the road was in the middle of an oil change, and a bus had tubes draining into a bucket beneath it.

We asked L.A. Sanitation about cleaning the road and were told that this is not their department. That would be the Department of Transportation, which would be needed to move the vehicles so that the road can be cleaned.

A wood structure had been built at the corner of Jefferson and Lincoln, hidden in the bushes next to Ballona. Nice real estate—hope there’s a fire extinguisher handy.

This wood structure was built at the corner of Lincoln and Jefferson.

Posted in Environmental, Homelessness | 1 Comment

Playing the Holy Family – and the Magic of Christmas

Posted on December 22, 2021 by Sue

My second born had colic. During the day he was the sweetest child, but at night just like Jekyll, he turned into a screaming stranger. The crying went on for three to four hours every night and doctors couldn’t offer a reason or a fix.

My daughter, who was barely two, suddenly wouldn’t leave my side. Never. For any reason.

Needing a break, my husband took me out to dinner. Midway through our meal, the babysitter called and explained she couldn’t take anymore.  In the background, I could hear my son’s pained crying and my daughter’s sobs. My spirit sunk as we drove home.

A week later, our church, the Methodist Church in Santa Monica called and asked if we would be the Holy Family on Christmas Eve.

Each year, a family with a newborn and dressed in appropriate Bethlehem garb is asked to walk to the front of the church, pretending to be Mary, Joseph, carrying baby Jesus.

I told  Reverend Don Shelby we couldn’t because of my son’s colic. I also explained my daughter refused to leave my side – I was quite sure the Bible made no mention of Jesus’ older sister.

Shelby listened, and then simply and cheerfully said, “We’ll count on you.”

Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck in her short story, The Christmas Story, describes a young mother’s anguish about giving birth to a boy on Christmas Eve.

“He’ll grow up and be a man and he’ll go off, too, to some Vietnam or other and be blown to pieces and all this will be of no use.” But what, the mother was thinking, was the use of this pain, this agony of birth, endured by women generation after generation, if people kept on killing each other, generation after generation?

After her son’s birth, the Doctor sends a photo to the husband in Vietnam. On the back of the photo he writes, “I wonder if long ago Mary knew that a great man had been born from her womb, a great man who would lead the world to peace, if men would follow him?  Anyway, she hoped as all mothers’ hope! Who knows? I keep hoping; too, with every baby I deliver.

On a Christmas Eve in 1993, we stood at the entrance to the church sanctuary. My son was wrapped in swaddling clothes, my husband and I in robes, my daughter hanging on my hem.

Just as we started to walk down the aisle, a happy young church member produced a big stuffed bear and asked my daughter if she’d like to go play. She looked at me, and then, for the first time in months cheerfully went off with the woman carrying a bear.

While the congregation sang “Silent Night,” we walked to the altar carrying a quiet child. I laid him in the manager and waited for his wails.

They never came.

For the first time in two and a half months he didn’t cry. His big eyes stared at everyone in wonderment.

We were at the front of the church for about 30 minutes, while everyone walked by to see “Baby Jesus.”

A small miracle happened that night.

As the congregation walked out of the sanctuary, we left the alter and walked back to a room to change our clothes. Our daughter came in and asked to be held. We went home and everyone slept that Christmas Eve.

The next night the colic was back and continued for another month and a half. My daughter once again clung to my side.

Every Christmas, I hope for miracles for the people who need them.

I think of how Christmas resonates with the symbolism of a child’s birth. Every time a baby is born, the promise, the hope that baby may be the person who can lead our world to a peaceful coexistence: where differences are respected, evil suppressed, and the joy of life celebrated.

Let this coming year be the beginning of that miracle.

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