Realtor Anthony Marguleas Donates $5,000 (Once Again) to Help Sustain the Village Green

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Sue

Max and Anthony Marguleas aided the Village Green with a donation.

“Amalfi has always made a point of giving back,” said realtor Max Marguleas, after his dad once again donated $5,000 to help maintain the Village Green.

“I have come here my entire life,” said Max, 23, who grew up in Pacific Palisades and graduated from Palisades High School and the University of Colorado at Boulder. “It’s the heart of the Palisades, so we need to take care of it.”

Annually since 2013, Amalfi Estates founder/owner Anthony Marguleas supported the private triangular park in the heart of the town’s business district, which relies entirely on donations from residents, businesses and organizations for upkeep and insurance.

“It’s a visual reminder of why the Palisades is so special,” the elder Marguleas said. “I think of what the town stands for and how this  used to be a gas station before the town rallied to raise money to buy the property and build the Green [in 1972-73].

“The Village Green reminds me of the town’s humble roots and a simpler time. That so many volunteers have spent thousands of hours keeping it maintained is a tribute to the amazing people that make up the Palisades.”

Marguleas reflected on this past year, when so many of us have been confined to our homes and restricted from visiting parks and public beaches for months at a time. “Covid has given us the gift of appreciating something we all took for granted, and now we all cherish our friendships, our health, and even the Village Green a little bit more,” he said.

“We can all give back, it doesn’t have to be large amounts,” said Marguleas, whose team of five agents donate close to $200,000 from their commissions every year to five partner charities.

According to VG board member Marge Gold, the annual budget for the Village Green nonprofit is about $21,000 and the money raised comes strictly from donations and grants.

In addition to tree care/trimming, the nonprofit looks after the fountain, is responsible for trash pickup, takes care of the lawn and flowers and pays for insurance and utilities.

The triangular area used to be a Standard Oil gas station, but in 1972, Standard decided not to renew its lease on the site. The newly-organized Pacific Palisades Community Council established a five-member group called the Village Green Committee.

A lease was signed giving the committee an option to buy the land — if it could raise the necessary funds. Starting in October that year, nearly $70,000 was raised. About $46,000 was used to purchase the land and the rest of the money went to park development.

The Palisades Village Green was certified as a California nonprofit and formally dedicated on August 17, 1973.

Many residents are unaware that the Village Green at Sunset/Swarthmore/Antioch is not a City park, and that it receives no City assistance.

On the green stands a pine tree, five evergreen pears and three tipu trees—”our own little forest,” Gold once said.

All income is generated from donations and fundraisers, which is why Marguleas’ annual contribution has been so important.

“We are so appreciative of Anthony’s very generous donation,” Gold said. “We can’t thank him enough!!”

(Visit: amalfiestates.com or email: Anthony@amalfiestates.com)

To donate to the Village Green or if you would like to join the board, contact Palisadesvillagegreen.org.

In 2019, Anthony Marguleas gave a check to Village Green President Marge Gold, while Vice-president Joan Graves looked on.

Posted in Parks | 1 Comment

SD and CA Schools: Fauci Says Schools Can Reopen

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Sue

Todd County High School on the Rosebud Reservation has not been open for in-classroom learning since last March.

When I compare what’s happening during the pandemic at schools in South Dakota and in California, I feel like I’m looking at a “Tale of Two Cities.”

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. . . ” is the book’s opening, as Charles Dickens goes on to chronicle the class system—the French aristocrats versus commoners.

For so many of us who grew up poor, we understand that the only way for upward mobility is through education.

In South Dakota, most of the schools have opened. Kids are playing sports. People are getting Covid, and when they do, they quarantine themselves – most do not die. Routinely the report of those who have it and those who have recovered is on the news.

However, on the reservations, schools (federally funded) have not opened, “out of an abundance of caution.” My cousin teaches on the Rosebud reservation. So few kids have turned to virtual learning that she was told that she should just drop the kids off her roster – about half the class.

The local newspaper, the Todd County Tribune, reported in late December that the school board was shown how few kids were tuning in. The numbers were so dismal that the board would not share the numbers with the newspaper. The plan was to talk to the tribal government and see if they had any ideas.

Over on the next reservation, I spoke to my niece and another co-elementary teacher, who have been teaching virtually this first semester.

My niece has exactly an hour to teach—that’s all that’s recommended for the second graders. She has a half an hour for reading, a half hour for math—and that includes the homework.

She finally met all of her students just before the New Year. As far as grading, it is difficult because who’s actually doing the work? And how does she teach writing? Kids have never had typing lessons at school.

The other teacher, fifth grade, is frustrated because some of her kids can’t get the internet to work, and many of the parents don’t have a lot of interest in helping kids with school—and there isn’t one device per kid.

Reservation high school students who are athletes (and seniors) transferred to schools where sports are played, so they might have a shot at an athletic scholarship.

Friday night news usually has clips of the high school games being played, and the basketball competition was intense in December. I also watched football, soccer and volleyball during my recent trip to South Dakota.

High School basketball is being played in South Dakota, except at reservation schools.

Contrasting this situation with Los Angeles public schools, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert in the United States, said in a December 30 online conversation with Governor California Gavin Newsom that schools can be opened safely. (Many private schools in California have already opened.)

Fauci said that it seemed “almost counter-intuitive” that schools “seem to be doing better when it comes to the level of infection” than out in the community at large.

“If you really want to get society back to some form of normality, one of the first things you have to do is to get the children back in school,” Fauci said.

As of January 11, the California Department of Public health reported 2,710,801 confirmed cases of Covid, with 29,965 deaths, about a one percent rate. Roughly 75 percent of the dead were 65 or older. Of those who are 17 and younger, there have been six recorded deaths. (Nursing home residents and staff have accounted for five percent of the state’s cases and 35 percent of the deaths. About 74.6 percent of all deaths are those in residents who are 65 and older.)

After his conversation with Fauci, Newsom said public schools could not open for classroom instruction until the average rate of infections in their counties over a seven-day period was less than 28 cases per 100,000 residents.

Los Angeles Unified School District Austin Beutner addresses faculty, students and parents during a weekly video briefing Monday, Aug. 3. (Screenshot)

Seven school district superintendents, including LAUSD’s Austin Beutner, wrote in a letter that “While pleased that Safe Schools for All prioritizes the reopening of public schools with substantial funding, we cannot ignore that the plan fails to address the needs of the urban school districts that serve nearly a quarter of California students, almost all of whom live below the poverty level.” (GovernorLetter-on-Reopening-Funding-Proposal_01.06.21-final.pdf.)

The superintendents pointed out that “[Newsom’s plan would result in educational inequity with less affluent students, who are typically in neighborhoods with higher Covid-19 infection rates, continuing to work from home while students in more affluent neighborhoods return to school,” according to a January 6, EdSource story (“Education and the Coronavirus Crisis: What’s the Latest?”)

The Los Angeles Times wrote, “It’s entirely possible that low-income schools will receive the worst of everything – no new funding, kids still stuck learning from home – while those in more affluent areas open for business and get $450 per student per boot.”

I contacted Buetner’s office on January 7 and asked if there had been any further negation that would allow in-school learning for the poorest neighborhoods (those hit hardest by Covid). When I receive a response, I will update the story.

I agree with Fauci that public schools in Los Angeles need to open. It’s not fair to poor kids that their wealthy peers in Pacific Palisades are attending private schools and have been since September.

Posted in General | Leave a comment

CRIME: SLO Michael Moore’s Last Report

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Sue

Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore gave his last crime report.

Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore sent the following note:

“Dear members of the Pacific Palisades Community,

“Due to my pending retirement, this will be my last crime update. A series of officers will be filling in for me until LAPD makes a permanent selection to handle the job. The officers who fill in will send their version of the crime report to the Pacific Palisades Community Council. It has been great serving the Pacific Palisades community and I will miss being here.”

(Editor’s note: Officer James Allen will be the first temporary Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades. Per the January 10 email from Commanding Officer Jonathon Tom to Circling the News, Tom said: “The selection for the SLO position is a competitive process. We will not be able to make any selections until the City lifts the moratorium on hiring and promotions.” Moore has been the Palisades SLO since March 2006-but served an additional three years as an SLO before coming here.

CTN asked Moore if he had retirement plans. In a January 11 email, he wrote: “I will be dabbling in woodworking/woodcarving and keeping up on the house chores.” When asked how his family felt about his retirement, he said, “My family said it couldn’t come soon enough.”) 

Allen’s email is 39318@lapd.online.

BURGLARY

December 24 to 28, noon to 9:30 a.m., in the 15200 block of DePauw. The suspect turned off the power to victim’s home prior to smashing a window to enter the location. The suspect took victim’s television and fled the area.

January 9, 5 to 7 p.m., in the 16100 block of Sunset. The suspect entered victim’s apartment through a patio door and took jewelry.

BURGLARY/THEFT FROM VEHICLE

December 27 to 29, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., in the 200 block of Ocean Way. The suspect smashed a window to enter victim’s vehicle and took miscellaneous papers.

December 31, 6 a.m., in the 1200 block of Chautauqua. The two male Hispanic suspects (described as 5’9” and 180 lbs.) attempted to remove the catalytic converter from victim’s vehicle but stopped when observed by the victim. The suspects fled the area in a blue 1999 GMC SUV.

January 4, 1:45 to 11 a.m., at Will Rogers State Park Road/Villa Woods Drive. The suspect entered victim’s vehicle and took a purse and credit cards.

January 6, 10:45 a.m. to noon, in the 500 block of Los Liones. The suspect entered victim’s vehicle and took money and a wallet.

January 7, 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the 15900 block of Pacific Coast Highway. The suspect entered victim’s vehicle and took a purse and car key.

January 8, 2 to 3 p.m., in the 15900 block of Temescal Street. The suspect entered victim’s vehicle and took money and credit cards.

January 8, 2:30 to 4 p.m., in the 1500 block of Will Rogers State Park Road. The suspect entered victim’s vehicle and took money, clothing and headphones.

STOLEN VEHICLE

January 6, 6:15 to 8 a.m., in the 1200 block of Rimmer. The suspect took victim’s vehicle from a garage, using keys left in the vehicle.

THEFT

January 9, 1 p.m. in the 15100 block of Sunset.  The two male white suspects, both 35 to 40 years old, tricked the victim into giving them $5,000 to fix dents on a vehicle bumper. The first suspect is described as having brown hair, brown eyes, 5’5″ and the second also has brown hair brown eyes, 6′ and 250 lbs.

Posted in Crime/Police | Leave a comment

Post Office Deliveries Alert — and a Nudge to Thank Your Postal Worker

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Sue

A resident wrote to Circling the News:

“I had a very unnerving experience yesterday. I ordered something online and got a notification that the package would be delivered by USPS that day. I met the mail carrier at my door at 6:30 p.m. and the package wasn’t there. I asked him for it, and he said he didn’t have it and that “I didn’t get a package, and if I had it would have been delivered.”

“Fifteen minutes later, I checked the package status and it had changed and now said it had been “delivered.”

“I immediately filed a complaint with USPS and the third-party site that had facilitated the sale. I called our local post office the next morning around 8 a.m. and asked about the package. I was told that the package was there and had been “mis-scanned” as delivered by another employee at the post office and I could come pick it up.

“When I arrived and did finally get the package, the tracking bar code on the outside of the two-day package had been crossed out. Bottom line? I don’t know.”

Circling the News is alerting you to this story because if you think a package may have been taken by porch pirates, there may be another story.

Another resident wrote about her relative who works as a postal carrier and the importance those essential workers have been through the Covid-19 epidemic.

In the May Postal Record, the National American Letter Carriers secretary/treasurer Paul Barner wrote: “Not surprisingly, it’s the labor community—the working, middle-class women and men—who make up a vast number of the industries that are considered ‘essential businesses’ in this time of crisis. . . .And it’s equally not surprising that the Postal Service, with its unmatched delivery network, is deemed one of these essential businesses. . . .

“Letter carriers are our unsung heroes during this crisis, as they quietly go about their job each and every day without fanfare. We routinely hear about the other heroes in the media, and rightfully so . . .But it’s our letter carriers who truly keep us all connected. Whether it’s delivering a child’s gift as they are quarantined on their birthday, delivering a new game to bond the family together and keep them entertained, delivering a care package or checking on the welfare of a vulnerable customer, each personal delivery by a letter carrier ensures that these small but vital connections are not lost in this new age of social distancing.”

A December 23 Government Executive story (“CDC Panel Designates USPS Workers as Next in Line for Covid-19 Vaccine”) stated that “Postal Service employees will be in the second group of Americans to receive the COVID-19 vaccine under a new distribution plan recommended by a federal advisory panel this week.

“Postal Service employees are now slated to be in Phase 1b of vaccine distribution, as part of 49 million individuals older than 75 or part of the non-health care frontline essential workforce. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made its recommendation in a 13-1 vote, noting USPS workers were part of a group ‘critical to the functioning of society.’

“USPS employees are part of the frontline workforce that has higher exposure rates to COVID-19 and are overrepresented by demographic groups that have been worst affected by the pandemic, ACIP said. Eighteen percent of postal employees are Black, 20 percent are Latino and at least 15 percent are more than 60 years old.”

(Editor’s note: If you suspect there’s a problem with your mail, contact our local office and speak to them directly. And throughout the Covid crisis, your postal worker has delivered to your door – consider surprising them with a thank you gift, like a $20 bill in an envelope, or perhaps a note of appreciation.) 

Posted in Community | 1 Comment

ALAN EISENSTOCK’S PLAYLIST: Conspiracy Theory Songs

Posted on January 10, 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 mid-March: 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,

They believed, “Covid is a hoax,” “Very fine people on both sides,” “We won the election in a landslide.” Then, after these domestic terrorists attacked the U.S. Capitol, he told them, “Go home. We love you. You’re very special.” Who are they? Among others, many conspiracy-theory believers. What to do? Idea! Here are 21 “conspiracy theory” songs. Listen up!

  1. “What a Fool Believes” The Doobie Brothers. #1 hit from 1978 written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. On January 6 that title came alive in images I’ll never forget.
  2. “I’m A Believer” The Monkees. TV stars and rock megastars. Neil Diamond wrote this hit in 1966. The mother of Monkee Michael Nesmith invented Liquid Paper.
  3. “You Make My Dreams (Come True)” Daryl Hall & John Oates. Super pop duo from Philly. Daryl sang lead on most of the songs, John played electric guitar and sang backup. This 1981 title could be a rallying cry for the T***p base.
  4. “Fake Empire” The National. My favorite band. I LOVE this song from their seminal 2007 album Boxer. “We’re half-awake in a fake empire.”
  5. “Goin’ Out of My Head” Little Anthony & The Imperials. R&B faves from Brooklyn sing this 1964 hit written by Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein. Describes love affair with T***p and his rabid followers.
  6. “Don’t Stop Believin'” Journey. 1981 hit by this San Francisco progressive rock band with lead vocals by Steve Perry. “Strangers, waiting, up and down the boulevard…” They were massed outside the Capitol and then the WH cops said, “Okay, come on in.” I once went to the Capitol to lobby and practically got strip-searched.
  7. “I’m Not the Only One” Sam Smith. Megastar Brit singer/songwriter. No, Sam, you’re not the only one. Seventy-five million people voted for this guy. LOVE this song.
  8. “God Only Knows” The Beach Boys. From the definitive 1966 Beach Boys’ album Pet Sounds. Known for lush harmonies, baroque style, written by Brian Wilson and Tony Wilson. “God knows what I’d be without you.”
  9. “Believe” Mumford and Sons. Brit Marcus Mumford et al formed this folk band in London. This was the single from their 2015 album Wilder Mind. Serious question:Believe in what?
  10. “Hero” Family of The Year. L.A. indie band. This 2012 smash was written by Joe Keefe and featured in Richard Linklater’s tremendous film Boyhood. No explaining why T***p is a hero to anyone.
  11. “Just My Imagination” (Running Away With Me)” The Temptations. Great song from 1971 written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong with Eddie Kendricks singing lead. Removal from office now. Being led out of the Oval in handcuffs. An orange jumpsuit matching his orange hair. Sorry. It’s just my imagination running away with me.
  12. “Creep” Radiohead. Great English alternative rock band led by Thom Yorke. My son introduced me to them. We saw them in person at the Hollywood Bowl, one of the greatest live concerts ever. The title is self-explanatory.
  13. “Everybody Knows” Leonard Cohen. LC’s 1988 song is typically dark and pessimistic. “Everybody knows the dice are loaded…everybody knows the good guys lost.” Sorry. My mood.
  14. “Lyin’ Eyes” Eagles. LOVE this 1975 Don Henley-Glenn Frey song with Glenn singing lead. As of now, DT has told more than 30,000 lies, averaging 50 a day. Got to have one song about lying.
  15. “The Sound of Silence” Simon and Garfunkel. Folk music icons’ first big hit from 1965. Until this week, this is what we heard from Republicans. Nowthey’re starting to see a problem? Great. That’s like saying, “We’re down by thirty with a minute left. I got a feeling we might lose.”
  16. “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” Bachman-Turner Overdrive. Canadian rock band from Winnipeg. Randy Bachman, former member of the Guess Who, left that band to join his brother and–I’m guessing–a guy named Turner. Big hit from 1974 and the title describes my biggest fear.
  17. “The Joker” Steve Miller Band. Love this 1973 hit from the San Fran rock/blues and sometimes psychedelic band. Boz Scaggs was an early member. Not thinking “Joker” as in ha ha funny. Thinking “Joker” as portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix in the movie that I could see inciting violence.
  18. “Maybe I’m Amazed” Paul McCartney. Great Paul song from 1970. “Who didn’t see this coming?” I keep hearing and reading that and I have to answer, “Me.” I guess I should’ve read more conspiracy theories.
  19. “Wild Night” Van Morrison. Northern Ireland’s own belts out this opening track from his 1971 Tupelo Honeyalbum. “The people passing’ by stare in wild wonder…”
  20. “Madman Across the Water” Elton John. 1971 song from the album of the same name. What every European saw this week.
  21. “It’s the End of The World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” R.E.M. From 1987. A signature song. In all these playlists, I don’t think I’ve ever included this song. It certainly seems appropriate today. Although I don’t feel remotely fine.

I’ll end with a quote from President-elect Joe Biden: “Enough is enough is enough.”

Since this week has been a week like no other, no Fact Check, Weekly Poll, and usual snark. Next week, they return. Hopefully.

Meanwhile… Don’t Forget to Disinfect and … PLAY THIS ONE LOUD AS HELL!

The link again: CLICK HERE

 

Thanks for being there. Stay there. And stay safe and stay sane.

Alan

alaneisenstock.com

Posted in Arts | Leave a comment

Around the Town Happenings:

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Sue

KaynDave’s:

Circling the News was excited to see KaynDave’s restaurant logo and drawings in the window on the empty storefront next door. Could this mean that the popular small cafe might expand into the former Dry Bar space?

No, the space has been leased to Kitson, an upmarket department store chain whose main store used to be on Robertson Boulevard and was a well-known place for celebrity spotting. In April, Paliskates carried a Kitson popup shop (visit:kitsonlosangeles.com).

 

Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore will retire this month.

Palisades Senior Lead Officer to Retire:

Michael Moore, the town’s long-time LAPD Senior Lead Officer, is retiring on January 13. He will be temporarily replaced by James Allen.

CTN contacted West Los Angeles Commanding Officer Jonathon Tom on January 10 to inquire about the possibility of long-time beach patrol Officer John “Rusty” Redican replacing Moore.

Redican, who has worked in this area for five years, returns calls promptly and is familiar with the town and people.

Tom responded: “The selection for the SLO position is a competitive process. We will not be able to make any selections until the City lifts the moratorium on hiring and promotions.”

CTN asked how long the new officer would be here. “It will be four weeks,” he wrote in a subsequent email. “We are trying to rotate people in and out of the position for four weeks at a time.”

Redican told CTN that he is interested in the position.

STARBUCKS ON SUNSET IS CLOSED:

The Starbucks on the corner of Swarthmore and Sunset Boulevard was closed on Sunday, much to the dismay of many farmers market shoppers. CTN reached an employee at the Starbucks on Palisades Drive, who said his understanding was that the Sunset store had closed because of a Covid quarantine, but the Palisades Drive location remains open. Additionally, Estate and Luxxe coffee shops were available to coffee drinkers on Sunday.

Posted in Community | 2 Comments

Two Virtual Meetings in Pacific Palisades This Week

Posted on January 10, 2021 by Sue

There are two important meetings this week in Pacific Palisades:

* On Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m., the Design Review Board will discuss plans submitted for building remodeling at 107 and 109 W. Channel Rd. (see prior posting, January 6 https://www.circlingthenews.com/design-review-bo…ta-monica-canyon/).

* On Thursday, the Pacific Palisades Community Council will hold its first meeting of 2021 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. (https://zoom.us/j/9146619026  Meeting ID:  914-661-9026. Audio Only/Dial-In: 1-669-900-6833. Meeting ID: 914-661-9026.)

Deborah Hong, LADWP Community Liaison, will update the community on DWP matters affecting the Palisades, including the status of the power pole replacement project in upper Temescal Gateway Park (see the November CTN story https://www.circlingthenews.com/coastal-commission-fines-ladwp-almost-2-million-after-it-destroys-rare-plants-above-highlands/)

There will be a report from PPCC’s new Palisades Forestry Committee on their work to devise a coordinated plan with the city for street/parkway tree planting in the community.

The Board will also take up motions recommended by the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC), including a motion to safely prioritize elementary school reopenings.

Parents and educators are invited to attend the meeting and make public comment. If you are unable to attend, let your Area representative know your feelings. All rep emails can be found at pacpalicc.org.

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Historic Aldersgate Retreat Center on Haverford Is Up for Sale 

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Sue

The Aldersgate Retreat Center, a Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, is up for sale.

Located on Haverford Avenue, between the Woman’s Club and Pierson Playhouse, the three-story, 8,260-sq.-ft. building has been a retreat center for decades. It is currently being subleased by Seven Arrows Elementary School.

The original structure was built in 1892 as a private home near downtown Los Angeles on Harvard Boulevard in the Wilshire District. It features a Mission Revival-style exterior and a Crafstman-style interior.

In 1927, the building was purchased for $3,000, and a year later it was cut in half and moved by trucks and a mule team to its present location in Pacific Palisades.

The We Boys – J.O.C. Lodge was dedicated to Eva Todd Burch (1866-1911), the Sunday school teacher at First Methodist Episcopal Church. A bronze plaque of dedication still hangs in the building’s library.

Over the years, the We Boys grew older and gained members until it was the largest Sunday School for young adult men in the country. Every Sunday, more than 540 young men would get together and study the Bible with Eva Todd Burch.

In the late 1960’s the Lodge was turned over to the United Methodist Conference Board of Laity and in the 1970’s to what is now the California-Pacific Conference of the United Methodist Church.

A dining room and a manager’s apartment were added to the house in the 1940s and major renovations to the bottom floor “Garden Level” were done in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.

Located on .67 acre of land (29,188 sq.ft.), the property for sale also includes the 600-sq.-ft.-Buerge chapel, enhanced by a Meditation Garden, that was built in 1991.

The main structure includes 12 bedrooms and large meeting rooms ideal for large group functions. The center can sleep up to 42 individuals and there’s a large functioning kitchen.

The site is designated a Historic Cultural Monument for its association with the history of the United Methodist Church, specifically the “We Boys” and “Jesus our Companion” young men’s and women’s groups. The designation places certain restrictions upon the owner as further defined in the Culture Heritage Commission report of 2008.

According to Pacific Palisades Historical Society member Shirley Haggstrom, Aldersgate is a L.A. Historic Cultural Monument #727.

“It took Betty Lou Young years, but she finally got this designation in October 2008,” Haggstrom said.

Local historian Randy Young (Betty Lou’s son) told Circling the News that “The structure has been constantly in financial jeopardy for the last 20 years. The zoning is Institutional, meaning that schools, religious groups and other nonprofits do not need a conditional use.”

According to the real estate offering, the owner will entertain a separate proposal for the furniture, fixtures and equipment.

Zoning specifies that current uses allowed in the A1 and R1 Zone are bed and breakfast in historic building, church or temple, club (private, nonprofit), educational institution, hospital, joint living and work quarters, in historic building for professional uses, research and development center, sorority/fraternity house, school, museum and accessory living quarters.

According to the listing, which is being done through San Diego realtor Kidder Mathews, “The property is being offered on the basis of an all-cash closing and the price is available upon request.”

The small chapel is located next to Aldersgate and the Meditation Garden.

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Reliability of Covid-19 Tests Is Questioned; Curative Test May be Providing False Negatives

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Sue

Cars were lined up at Dodger Stadium with people who waited to be tested for Covid.

In November, Circling the News sent several queries to the L.A. County Department of Public Health about the reliability of the Covid tests being given. Elon Musk had tweeted that he had taken four tests, two of which were negative, two were positive.

My daughter had taken two tests: the first (at the VA) was inconclusive, and the second (at an Urgent Care in Culver City) was negative.

When I asked a local doctor about the accuracy of the tests, he sent a link to a website that showed that rapid tests were between 30 and 80 percent accurate. Women who have taken a pregnancy test would eschew a test with that kind of result.

The County Health Department never returned my queries.

According to a January 4 story in Modern Healthcare (“FDA Issues Alert about False Negative Results with Curative Covid-19 Test”), the Food and Drug Administration warned of false negative results with the SARS-CoV-2 laboratory-based test from San Dimas-based Curative.

This test is being used in Los Angeles and other major metropolitan areas, and the company was awarded a contract in November to test federal lawmakers, according to NBC News.

The story noted that FDA warned that results may not be accurate and urged healthcare providers to consider having patients get “re-tested” if they had recently received a test from Curative.

The PCR-based test is authorized for use with a throat swab, nasopharyngeal swab, nasal swab, or oral fluid specimens for the detection of nucleic acid from SARS-CoV-2.

The FDA statement highlighted that use of nasal swabs and oral fluid specimens is limited to symptomatic individuals within 14 days of Covid-19 symptom onset, and specimen collection must be directly observed and directed during the sample collection process by a trained healthcare worker at the specimen collection site.

According to Radio.com 94.7 The Wave (“FDA Issues Warning about Risk of False Negatives with Curative’s Covid-19Test – Widely Used in LA County”), “the City of L.A. offers the test to anyone, regardless of whether they have any symptoms. People swab themselves in their vehicle – without observation – and then toss the sample into a container.”

To reduce the risk of false negative, the FDA said swabs should be limited to patients who have Covid-19 symptoms and who test within 14 days of when their symptoms start, and the specimen collection “must be directly observed and directed…by a trained healthcare worker.”

A January 5 NBC story (“FDA Warns Congress about Covid Test that May Give False Results”) noted that those with Congressional ID have taken the test, which “has been popular and heavily relied upon, particularly on Congressional travel days and in recent weeks due to the holidays.”

“I am a bit alarmed that Fred Turner, the 25-year-old founder of Curative Inc., with no medical background was awarded the contract for testing lawmakers, staff and the media in the U.S. Capitol,” one Republican Senate aide said. “I have been reliant on this service and cautiously optimistic that it’s reliable.”

In an email to Modern Healthcare in the January 4 story, Curative CEO Turner said that the firm “disagrees with the assessment” made by FDA that the test has performance issues. The firm intends to publish the results of a large clinical trial soon, he said.

When asked by a radio reporter this afternoon (January 7), L.A. County Department of Health released the following statement that “DHS is aware of the alert from the FDA about the risk of false negative results with Curative COVID-10 PCR test and we are reviewing and assessing results from clinical studies. . . .Through the County’s result notification process, we remind residents of the risk of false negatives. . .”

 

Posted in Health | Leave a comment

Home Invasion on Monument Street

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Sue

Fran Morris Rosman, Executive Director of The Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, had an unpleasant surprise on Christmas afternoon.

Her husband was away, when “Three young men in hoodies broke into my house.  They slashed a screen door, ran in, and started ransacking,” Morris Rosman said. “I saw them and yelled at them VERY loudly to ‘Get the hell out of my house’ and they ran out and away.  I did not see or hear a car, so they must have arrived on foot.”

Morris Rosman called police and said that Palisades Patrol arrived in a flash and that police arrived almost immediately after.

Circling the News reached out to Morris Rosman to make sure she was okay.
“I’m just fine,” she responded in a December 29 email.  “Thankfully, I am VERY loud, and I yelled at those bastards to get the F out of our house.  They sure didn’t expect a short, senior nice Jewish girl to be like that!  They ran away very fast.”

CTN asked what the police lectured the “victim” about. Morris Rosman said they told her to get outdoor cameras, get a security system and get locks for your gates. “They were polite but of no help whatsoever,” she said and wrote that she lectured them back.

“Homeless camps in a fire zone are a truly awful thing,” she told CTN and in a letter to Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore, she wrote, “We live in a fire area. Houses on Monument burned down in the late 70s. There are many homeless people living in the hills off our street. They have fires at night. They use our street as a toilet.”

Morris Rosman, who has lived in Pacific Palisades since 1985 told CTN that she wrote letters about the invasion, to every single official in Mike Bonin’s office, Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office and the Pacific Palisades Community Council.

“This crime was not my fault,” she said. I live in the hills in the Palisades; this is a fire area. There are many homeless people camping in the hills, starting fires nightly and using our cul-de-sac as their personal toilets. Now they are attacking our homes. Please fix this problem.”

Regarding the home invasion robbery, Moore wrote Morris Roseman back on December 30.  “Good morning, I am aware of the crime. Detectives are working on the case but things like this take time to solve (if ever). You are not likely to be contacted by detectives unless they have questions.”

Morris Rosman said that “So far, only the Palisades rep for Mike Bonin’s office has emailed me, and that was after I emailed them four times and left two messages with two different people.  She told me she will call me.

“How nuts is this?” Morris Rosman asked. “The agencies in charge of keeping us safe, are not.”

 

 

Posted in Crime/Police | 2 Comments