Two CD 11 Candidates excluded from WRAC Debates.

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

CD 11 Candidates Mat Smith (left) and Soni Lloyd have not been invited to the WRAC debate.

(Editor’s note: Two CD 11 Candidates, Soni Lloyd and Mat Smith are being excluded from the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) Forum on April 25. They will be included in the Palisades Podcast, hosted by Maryam Zar and Steve Cron on April 28, and also in the Brentwood/Pacific Palisades Community Council debate on May 3. It raises the larger question of why candidates are also being excluded by WRAC in the City Attorney’s and L.A. City Board of Supervisors District 3 race.  This story ran in the Westside Current on April 22.)

Two Council District 11 Candidates say they want in on a forum being held next week.

On Monday, April 25, six of eight candidates vying for the CD11 council seat will participate in a forum hosted by the Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC). Two candidates, Soni Lloyd and Mat Smith, who were not invited, say they are being silenced and want to be included.

“I’m being kept out of the WRAC Forum on April 25,” stated Smith in a recent email. “I entered this race to win but knew a traditional campaign would be foolish. As a Republican running in an area that has elected a Democrat every election since 1957, I knew endorsements and fundraising would be limited at best. As a result, I have self-financed my campaign and have REJECTED MATCHING FUNDS. I haven’t looked for endorsements, again, because I’m an outside candidate not running a traditional campaign.”

Lloyd echoed the sentiment on a recent Facebook Post: “Westside Regional Alliance of Councils openly admits to manipulating free and democratic elections in Los Angeles. The people are being DENIED their RIGHT to be informed of the issues on THEIR ballot. These are the enemies of our democracy. They are the ones who stand in the way of progress. Shame on you, Matt, and shame on your “committee”.

“We decided to limit the number of candidates so we could provide valuable time to the [invited] candidate and attendees,” stated WRAC Chair and Del Rey NC President Matt Wersinger.

“We want to do a deep dive on several topics and felt we couldn’t’ do that with a crowded forum.”

Wersinger stated that invitations to candidates were based on several factors including polls, endorsements, fundraising and name recognition. “The decision-making process was not based on party affiliation as it’s a non-partisan race and no one is listed with any party on the ballot or filing information.” [ Note: The Circling the News Editor asked to see the polls, but Wersinger never responded.]

Smith said he hasn’t seen any polls adding, “Our team has legally placed over 200 lawn signs throughout Westchester, Playa Del Rey, Mar Vista, and Pacific Palisades, so we’re getting the word out.”

Wersinger noted that there have been and will continue to be numerous forums in the council district. “There’s at least one forum a week– So, there are ample opportunities for all candidates. But, again, what we wanted to do with the candidates was dig into details–having many candidates attend wouldn’t allow us to that.”

The exclusion of candidates isn’t limited to the WRAC forum–four mayoral candidates were excluded from the May 1 Cal State debate. They too are  demanding to be included.

Candidate Rick Caruso in a tweet voiced support for including more candidates on the Cal State debate stage.

“We should have a democratic debate that includes all candidates,” Caruso tweeted. “I challenge Karen, Kevin, Joe and Mike to call on Cal State to include the candidates.”

Jonathan Underland, a spokesperson for Mayoral Candidate Kevin De León, criticized Caruso’s tweet.

“The theatrics of this is that it’s not about democracy but minimizing the chance for him to make a mistake in front of tens of thousands of people,” he said. “In a 12-person debate, there’s a lot less time for error.”

Fifty-five people have qualified to run for 11 city offices in the June 7 election. Voters will have the opportunity to choose a new mayor, a new city attorney, a new city controller—and on the westside, a new council member–setting the stage for the most significant turnover in political leadership at City Hall since 2013.

The Westside Regional Alliance of Councils (WRAC) will present a series of public forums for candidates in those four elections.

The official WRAC forum schedule is as follows:

April 25, 7-9 pm Candidates for City Council District 11

April 26, 7:30-9:30 pm Candidates for City Council District 5

April 27, 7-9 pm Candidates for LA County Board of Supervisors District 3

April 28, 7-9 pm Candidates for City Attorney

The forums will be moderated by Wersinger, along with special guest moderators. Vicki Halliday will be co-moderating the CD11 forum.

 

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Community | Leave a comment

Microplastics Found in Lungs: Seven Percent of LA Plastics Recycled

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

A researcher in Hawaii discovered that decomposing plastic give off greenhouse gases.

A study was released last week in Science of the Total Environment that showed microplastics have been found in people’s lungs. Bigger plastic pieces deteriorate to smaller pieces called microplastics.

Lung tissue from surgery participants found plastic in all lung regions, including the deeper sections. Researchers found 39 microplastics in 11 of 13 lung tissue samples, and included 12 different types of microplastics.

The most prevalent microplastics found were polypropyleen (PP), which is found in carpets and clothing; polyethlyene terephthalate (PET) present in clothing, beverage and food containers; resin, which is a constituent of protective coating and paints; and polyethlene (PE) found in food wrappers, milk containers, toys and detergent bottles.

The study noted additional research was needed to find the effects of microplastics on humans.

In a Medical News Today story, Dr. Osita Onugh said, “The body does not like things that cause inflammation . . .and things that are foreign. So, if it leads to chronic inflammation, that’s where you have things that develop years down the road.” Onugha is a thoracic surgeon and assistant professor of thoracic surgery at Saint John’s Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.

According to that story, plastics are everywhere and, “The United States alone generated approximately 36 million tons of plastic in 2018, but only recycle about 9 percent.  Plastics take from 100 to 1000 years to degrade in landfills.”

Circling the News contacted the Los Angeles Department of Public Works to ask about the plastic recycling rate in L.A.

Public Information Officer Elena Stern said that China’s “National Sword,” which was a policy enacted in January 2018 banned the import of most plastics and other materials to China’s recycling processors. That country had handled nearly half of the world’s recyclable waste for the past quarter century.

“Since the China National Sword Policy, many of the facilities have either closed or modified their business model where they no longer accept residential recyclable materials,” Stern said, noting that the City contracted two Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) to process, segregate and market the City’s blue-bin recyclable materials: Potential Industries in Harbor, and the Athens facility in Sun Valley.

How effective is recycling plastic in Los Angeles? Only seven percent of all residential plastics are recycled:

Here is the problem.

Of the seven kinds of plastic manufactured, only three types (#1 PET, #2 HDPE, and #5 PP) are recycled. They account for seven percent of the plastic in the blue bin.

All other plastic (Types #3, #4, #6, and #7) cannot be recycled because “they are considered contamination and go to landfill,” Stern said.

Quick Review of plastics:

1. PET is safe for food and drinks but can only be used once because of its porous structure. It includes water bottles. PET is accepted at most recycling plants.

2. HDPE (high-density polyethylene), has a high strength-to-density ratio and can be reused. It includes bottles for cosmetics and household cleaners, stool, chairs, toys, some plastic bags, water, juice and milk jugs.

3. Polyvinyl (PVC) is dangerous because it can cause problems with the hormonal system. Highly toxic chemicals, such as DEHA, can be produced during the PVC life cycle. PVC can be found in shower curtains, cleaner bottles, pipes, cooking oil bottles and clear food wrap.

4. Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) is a thermoplastic and one of the oldest grades of polyethylene. It is considered safe – but not environmentally friendly because only a small percent is recycled. LDPE includes bread wrapping, squeezable bottles, shopping bags, packaging foam, trays and other plastic wraps.

5. Polypropylene (PP) is the second-mostly widely produced plastic and is used in yogurt containers, cereal boxes liners, disposable diapers, plastic bottle tops, kitchenware and disposable plates, cups and cutlery. This plastic can be microwaved, but experts say that “it just means that the heated produce will not be deformed in the microwave” and don’t recommend heating it. Some studies prove that even microwavable safe plastic can cause asthma and hormone disruption. Note: Some factories recycle PP’s, but nationwide only three percent is recycled.

6. Polystyrene (PS) or Styrofoam is hard to recycle and includes disposable drinking cups, CD and DVD cases, egg cartons, to-go food containers and insulation, such as building insulation.

7. Other—any plastic not referred to above and includes polycarbonate (PC), which contains highly dangerous BPA (Bisphenol A). Consumers are warned to avoid products with the PC label. These plastics can be found in sport bottles and equipment, baby bottles, medical and dental equipment, electrical wiring and lids.

In Los Angeles only PET, HDPE and PP are recycled, and account for seven percent of plastics. All other plastic goes to landfill . . .and it seems some is going into human lungs and other body sites.

Most plastic today is made from hydrocarbon, which is derived from crude oil, natural gas and coal. Before plastics, consumers used wood, metal, glass and ceramic.

Time to trade in a plastic soap dispenser with a bar of soap?

 

Posted in Environmental | 1 Comment

Saxophonist Ethan Helm Featured at St. Matthew’s Music Guild

Posted on April 21, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Ethan Helm will perform at St. Matthews Music Guild.

New York composer and saxophonist Ethan Helm composed Dream Walk Through Istanbul in 2018 on commission from the St. Matthew’s Music Guild. He will play his creation on Friday, April 29, at 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Avenue.

“Dream Walk” is an autobiographical work of a day spent by the composer in Istanbul after a long transatlantic flight. In it, Helm, a jazz saxophonist, imagines two jazz musicians making their way through the streets of the city, experiencing the diverse sights, sounds and smells in a sleep-deprived wonder. Helm will be the featured soloist along with his musical partner, Owen Broder, also on saxophone.

Helm’s work has been described as pushing the jazz tradition to mysterious and surreal places, casting new light on swing, blues, and expression to bring beautiful and overlooked details into relief.

Helm grew up in Southern California and attended the Eastman School of Music. He is a New York University Steinhardt Doctoral Fellow in jazz performance and composition. Helm was a featured presenter at the 2016 North American Saxophone Alliance Biennial Conference, performing his suite, Paul Desmond’s Sound, with the Texas Tech University Jazz Ensemble.

The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s, under the direction of Dwayne S. Milburn will also present the music of Haydn, Aaron Copland and William Grant Still.

Aaron Copland’s Quiet City was composed in 1939 for the play Quiet City by Irwin Shaw. The piece is scored for solo trumpet, English horn and strings. The performance will be dedicated to the memory of David Searfoss, the orchestra’s long-time principal trumpet who died in late 2021 at the age of 74.

William Grant Still’s Out of the Silence was also written in 1939. Still, known as the Dean of African-American composers, Still was a graduate of Oberlin College and the first African-American to have symphonic and operatic performances by major institutions in the U.S. His wife, a pianist and journalist, noted about the piece that “only in meditation does one discover beauties remote from the problems of earth.”

The jovial Symphony No. 88 was composed in 1787 by Franz Joseph Haydn. Like all of Haydn’s mature works, it is full of grace, humor, and charm. The rousing finale became famous after a performance by Leonard Bernstein and the Vienna Philharmonic went viral, showing the conductor doing little more than nodding and smiling at the orchestra as they played precisely and at break-neck speed.

Tickets and season subscriptions and complete information are available at MusicGuildOnline.org. Phone: (310) 573-7422. Masks are encouraged for all audience members.

Posted in Music | Leave a comment

Why Should I Meditate – and What the Heck Does that Mean?

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

(Editor’s note: Even though meditation has been shown to boost immunity, lower blood pressure, boost creativity, decrease anxiety, help with depression and boost productivity, the idea of sitting still to achieve it seemed pointless to this editor. Not so, according to fitness expert Alison Burmeister, who gave some easy tips for beginners.)

 

Alison Burmeister practices meditation to calm the mind.

BY ALISON BURMEISTER

Meditation is meant to bring peace to our minds and bodies. According to the Dalai Lama (“The Book of Joy”), meditation brings joy by “extending the pause between stimulus and response.”

When we are encountered with something that would stress or annoy us, a regular practice of meditation teaches us to be more mindful and pause before we react. The more mindful we are, the less likely we are to create negative responses in our life. The less negative response we have in our life, the happier we are.

While meditation has been proven to increase happiness, it’s not just about focusing on the positive. Meditation is the practice of “noticing” or “awareness”. If you have ever tried to meditate, you know the mind wanders. Noticing where the mind goes when we sit quietly in meditation is as much a part of the practice as trying to focus on one thing. As we grow more conscious of our thoughts, we trade negative external thoughts that do not serve us for more internal positive thoughts that do.

Ready to get happy? Try these techniques.

Mindfulness Meditation

Mindfulness Meditation brings us back to the original concept of meditation – simply being one hundred percent aware of what you are doing in the present moment.

One of the most accessible ways to practice mindful meditation is to notice your breath. To get started, (for as little as five minutes each day and I highly recommend setting a timer) either lie down or sit quietly in a space with little or no outside distractions.

Then just close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Take an inhale through the nose and let it out the mouth. As you inhale fill the belly with air. Make sure the breath begins down in your abdomen, not in your throat. Feel the breath rise. Up into your chest and fill your lungs with air.

Hold it for a moment.

See how it feels and then when you are ready, release the breath from the chest, down the belly and draw the navel high and tight.

Repeat this a few times until you can feel the rhythm of the breath in and out-like waves of the ocean flowing in and out. Do not hold judgement for what you think should happen, just observe. If your mind wanders, just bring it back to the breath.

Mindful Meditation is about being able to redirect your thoughts when you get sidetracked and come back to your breath rather than be carried away by distractions.

Body Scan Meditation

Body Scan Meditations focus on consciously relaxing different parts of the body –when I do this, I’m often amazed at the amount of tension I hold without even realizing it.

This body scan meditation is best done lying down:

  1. Focus on your feet and how they feel on the floor. Breathe in, and then as you exhale, allow them open like pages of an old book.
  2. Next, the focus goes to your legs. Notice how they feel as part of your body – notice the space between your ankles to your knees to your hips. Breathe in, and then as you exhale, try to relax your legs.
  3. You repeat this process as you move up the body, focusing on adding space between each vertebra, to your shoulders, down your arms and back up to your head. Notice any tension in your jaw, your tongue and the space between your brows.

In addition, body scan meditations are a great way to relieve tight shoulders or a tense neck, which often builds up as a result of stress or anxiety.

 Walking Meditation

Meditation, contrary to popular belief does not have to be still. Instead of using the breath as the object of awareness, walking meditation encourages you to focus on each footstep to be fully present.

To begin, find a space where you can walk 10-15 minutes without interruption. As you walk, become aware of the movement of your steps as you lift and lower each foot to and from the ground.

Bring your attention to one or more sensations that you would normally take for granted, such as your breath coming in and out of your body; sounds of nature nearby or those caused by the movement of your body; or whatever your eyes take in as they observe the world in front of you.

Like body scan meditation, walking meditation allows you to cultivate a sense of mind-body connection by focusing on your body’s physical sensations as it moves. Walking meditation is a great alternative when you might find it difficult to sit still, because it allows you to get moving while still focusing on an object of awareness.

Starting can be hard:

Usually, meditation is not something you just start on your own. Sometimes you need guidance. Luckily, there are options to access meditation, from YouTube videos to apps and instructors. Find one that feels right for you, keep an open mind, and give it a try. Remember life is not so much about the action, but our reaction to it that determines the outcome.

The Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Sunset provides lots of places to mediate.

 

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Uncle of Woman Killed in Venice Home Says “Enough is Enough”

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Courtney Johnson
Photo: Courtesy Johnson Family

By JAMIE PAIGE

It’s a troubling story –two people shot in the head while sleeping in their Venice home last Thursday night. And, although specifics are not yet being released by the Los Angeles Police Department, the uncle of one of the victims, Courtney Johnson, is speaking out and saying, “enough is enough.”

Police were called to investigate the death of 31-year-old Brandon Neal and 30-year-old Johnson who were killed in the home on Berkley Drive sometime between last Thursday night and Friday morning.  Both deaths have been ruled a homicide by the Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office.

Steve Brown, the uncle of Johnson said her death has shaken a family who has already experienced tragedy. “The family fell on hard times in 2003 when Courtney’s older sister passed away from diabetes. After that, everything fell apart for the family,” Brown said. “The family was what you would call a white picket fence family—but her death really impacted them.”

Brown said that’s when Courtney began struggling with addiction.

“She was trying everything from heroin to cocaine to fentanyl,” he said. “The family did what they could to help her. We all tried. We tried to stay on top of it. Her brother tried, her mother tried. At one point I had to cut her off. But it was because we all loved her. The drugs started to get to her brain and then she started to have mental issues.”

Still, Brown says –Courtney was one of the most loving and creative people he knew. “She had a heart of gold and was a fantastic artist who had a way with poetry,” described Brown.

‘Enough is enough’

Brown has lived in Venice for more than 45 years. He too struggled with addiction but has been sober for 14 years. Brown lives in his car near the Venice Senior Center and works with a group of unhoused people to make sure the area is kept clean and safe. “I do this in honor of my wife who loved this park. She used to volunteer here when the [senior] center was open.”

Today, Brown says he struggles with what is being allowed to happen in the community. “I’m angry this is what our community has become. Crime has gotten so rampant because of all this woke nonsense. We voted our way into this mess–we need to vote our way out.”

Although he’s not blaming the Los Angeles Police Department– Brown says he does blame people who “tie their hands and does not let them do their jobs.”

“We have to put a stop to this. I’ve been here forty-five years. I’ve seen this place in every incarnation that it’s been, and I’ve never seen things this bad. You go over to the [Abbot Kinney Branch Memorial] Library, and it’s destroyed. I understand homelessness, but it doesn’t give you the right to be a slob and it doesn’t give you the right to take everything that isn’t nailed down because you feel you’re entitled.”

“We need to start making thing uncomfortable for theses addicts,” Brown added. “They won’t stay around if things aren’t easy. Addicts don’t like being uncomfortable.”

On top of worrying about police arresting who committed the crime, Brown said he’s also worried whoever did it won’t be punished for the severity of the crime.

“They took a life, but if they are juveniles [Los Angeles County District Attorney] George Gascon’s new policies mean they will walk when they turn 25 years old,” he said.

“A lot of people say they are scared. Well, how long do we have to let this carry on. This is an election year. Let’s turn this around. Let’s make something good out of this tragedy and stop future ones from happening,” said Brown.

“Enough is enough.”

The family has set up a go fund me page for Courtney’s funeral expenses—you can click here to learn more.

The story was published in partnership with Westside Current.

Posted in Crime/Police | 3 Comments

Construction at the Airport Could Mean Delays

Posted on April 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

The final pour of concrete for the people mover (roadway in the center) at LAX was announced.

Returning to Los Angeles Airport on April 6, around 1:30 a.m., should have been an easy and fast trip to the freeway. Instead leaving the airport became an exercise in gridlock and futility.

Roadways were blocked, and it took a car about an hour and a half to go from Terminal One to Terminal Six on the lower level. Traffic had been funneled into one lane and there were no signs to alert drivers, who were picking up passengers, about the traffic snarl.

Today, an LAX Public Relations press release stated that the construction of the 2.235- mile elevated concrete structure, which started in 2019, had poured the final concrete for the Automated People Mover (APM).

The APM is the centerpiece of LAX’s Landside Access Modernization Program. The APM is an electric train system that will transport travelers in and out of the Central Terminal Area, connecting them to new off-site parking facilities, regional light rail transportation and the Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility. “The APM project is a critical investment into the infrastructure of Los Angeles as the city prepares to welcome the world to the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” the release noted.

“The completion of the guideway is a remarkable milestone for the project as we are one step closer to realizing a new transportation experience at one of the world’s busiest airports,” said Sam Choy, Project Director at LINXS Constructors. “We’ll soon build off of this accomplishment with train car testing later this year.”

With the guideway structure now complete, work will continue on building the plinths, which is what the train cars ride on, as well as construction of the emergency walkway on the guideway.

Train stations are already under construction and the last steel will be placed for the Center and West CTA stations in the coming months. The train Maintenance and Storage Facility will be electrified this summer in preparation for the arrival of train cars.

LAX is the fifth-busiest airport in the world in 2021 with 48 million passengers. This construction is a $15-billion capital improvement program that will touch on all nine passenger terminals and build new facilities, including the APM, Consolidated Rent-A-Car facility and the West Gates at Tom Bradley International Terminal.

To see the current construction traffic impacts before visiting LAX, go to: https://www.lawa.org/transforminglax/advisories/airport-construction-map?zoom=16

Posted in Alerts, City/Councilman Mike Bonin | 1 Comment

Earth Day Celebrated at Will Rogers

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Two of the giveaways at the Earth Day event at Will Rogers State Park were a plastic measuring spoon and a plastic avocado peeler from Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office.

When a millennial was shown the freebies, he responded, “You went to an Earth Day celebration and got plastic?”

Whoops.

Members of Resilient Palisades were presented with a certificate of recognition by Councilman Mike Bonin (kneeling, second from left).

Resilient Palisades, the local environmental group in town, planned the event that was held on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and was done in cooperation with Councilman Mike Bonin’s and with the L.A. City Mayor’s offices.

There was financial support for the event from Bonin’s discretionary fund and from the City. CTN asked the City and CD 11 offices how much was donated and Chief of Staff for Mike Bonin, Chad Molnar said “On our end, we’ve committed $5K.”

The Mayor’s office had not responded by press time.

Additionally, the Councilman’s office provided 25 tables and 50 chairs for vendors who couldn’t supply their own.

One of the first exhibitors near the parking lot was Athens Services, which supplies trash and recycling pickup to commercial facilities, multi-use buildings and residential buildings (with more than four units). Athens had set up a game, and a child after spinning a wheel, got to guess if something could be recycled or not.

Athens Services employees tried to help kids understand what could be recycled.

For example, the pizza box had two right answers: the top could go into cardboard recycling and the bottom would go into food and compostables. Every participant won either a coloring book or a drink coaster made from a rubber tire.

The Athens staff told Circling the News that they are only able to recycle #1, #2, #5 plastics, the remaining plastics,  #3, #4, #6 and #7, cannot be recycled and are sent to landfill.

Next CTN wandered over to Councilman Mike Bonin’s booth and spoke to Abby Austin, field representative for Westchester/Playa del Rey/Playa Vista.

Austin was asked, “It’s obvious that Councilman Mike Bonin cares about the earth because he’s helping to sponsor this festival, but why hasn’t he saved the birds and animals in the Ballona Wetlands?” (Circling the News has written extensively about the RV’s that have been allowed to trash and foul one of the few environmentally sensitive wetlands left in Southern California, which is in Bonin’s district.)

Austin said that because of Covid, the RV’s could not be moved, but now on May 15, the city can legally tow.

CTN, said it understood that the law prevented the City from towing but “You could have asked them to move to another location, right?”

“Yes,” Austin said, but noted she couldn’t speak further.

CTN was in time to take a photo of Councilman Bonin as he presented a certificate to RP that stated “On behalf of the City of Los Angeles, I am please to recognize Resilient Palisades for creating an Amazing Earth Day Festival at Will Rogers State Historic Park. Your leadership and commitment to protecting our planet, supporting environmentally vulnerable communities and making your neighborhood more resilient make the Pacific Palisades and the entire City a better place in which to live, play, and enjoy.”

After the photo CTN tried to ask Bonin the same question that had been asked of his field deputy but was told he had to leave.

Resilient Palisades once again proved they were good stewards of the earth, with information about solar, EV’s, plant-based solutions (four food trucks with vegan options), emphasizing reusing and gas-free gardening.

The group also organized children’s events. There was music and yoga. There was an estimated more than 500 people who attended the event throughout the day.

On the way out of the event, CTN stopped by the Mayor’s booth, where this editor obtained the plastic freebies.

The Mayor’s office was handing out plastic avocado peelers, plastic spoons and shower timers.

Since 1970, the United States has celebrated Earth Day on April 22. The day marks the anniversary of the birth of the environmental movement. This movement led to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water and Endangered Species Acts.

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson, then a Democratic U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, felt he needed to do something after witnessing the 1969 massive offshore oil spill in Santa Barbara.

The Senator persuaded Pete McCloskey, a conservation-minded Republican Congressman, to serve as his co-chair, and recruited Denis Hayes from Harvard as national coordinator.

On April 19, Resilient Palisades sent a press release: “It was a beautiful day and a huge success! Between non-profit and city organizations, vendors, children’s activities, yoga, vegan food trucks, and entertainment, more than 50 participating groups came together for this day of awareness-building, community connection, and fun.”

RP noted that Earth Day is Friday and urged everyone to take part in an event or cleanup “as we strive to create a culture in which every day is earth day.”

Resilient Palisades, a nonprofit environmental organization, organized an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday at Will Rogers State Park.

Posted in Environmental | 1 Comment

Proof of Mike Feuer’s Attendance at December 2017 Meeting Damning

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

 

Mike Feuer
Photo: File photo from LA Attorney’s office.

Until now L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, who is running for Mayor, has maintained “I don’t know nuthin about nuthin” about his office and its response to the DWP overbilling.

Feuer has denied any knowledge of wrongdoing by people he oversaw or worked with and that includes Attorney Paul Pardis, Assistant City Attorney Thomas Peters, former LADWP senior Cyber Official David Alexander and LADWP General Manager David Wright. All four have pled guilty to charges.

In March 2019, Paradis began working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation into the corruption at the L.A. DWP and the City Attorney’s office. Feuer maintained that he had not attended meetings when plans were made for manipulating a class action lawsuit, for a rigged $30-million no-bid contract and for false statements to the FBI.

NBC4’s investigative team obtained copies of Feuer’s calendar, which showed he participated in a December 1, 2017, meeting with top deputies.

The report, by Eric Leonard ran April 4, 2022: “The City Attorney attended multiple meetings over the years about the PWC/DWP litigation, and it appears from his calendar that he attended one on December 1, 2017,” said Feuer’s spokesman Rob Wilcox (who is now running for City Controller) in an email to NBC. PWC refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the firm that sold the DWP the billing software.

Peters, a Palisades resident, in court filings by federal prosecutors said on “December 1, 2017 he met with, ‘senior members of the City Attorney’s Office,’ to consider paying a blackmailer, who had threatened to expose that lawyers working for the City were both suing the provider of the DWP’s billing software and drafting documents and manipulating a settlement for the DWP customers – who were suing the City for reimbursement of the erroneous billing.

Jamie Court with Consumer Watchdog said that complaints had been brought to the City Attorney or the Mayor since 2015 but have been ignored.

Pacific Palisades David Peterson wrote in an email to CTN, “This is an incredibly spot-on NBC News Report. A California Public Records request produced Feuer’s calendar which confirmed Peters guilty plea where he described the meeting with Feuer regarding the City Attorney’s Office directing their counsel, Paul Kiesel, to pay $800,000 to his former employee who was threatening to expose the City Attorney’s fraudulent conduct.

“It’s amazing how many residents are not aware of what is going on in the City Attorney’s office and the DWP,” Peterson said.

Posted in City/Councilman Mike Bonin, Crime/Police | 1 Comment

Residents Concerned about Crime Invited to April 21 Forum

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

 

There will be a community discussion with L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva “Solutions for Crime and Homelessness with Law Enforcement” from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, at the Santa Monica Bay Woman’s Club, 1210 4th Street. No registration is necessary.

The forum is hosted by John Alle, Santa Monica Bayside Owners Association and a coalition of neighborhood and business associations in Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Brentwood and Pacific Palisades. It will be live on Facebook@Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

Questions for the Sheriff must be emailed in advice: the [email protected] and Alle told Circling the News “It’s a good idea to send questions in advance, so they can be addressed early on.”

Alle told Circling the News that the event is nonpolitical and no discussion regarding the election or any recalls may be discussed by the Sheriff. “This is truly a community discussion,” he said and noted the venue is in Santa Monica because it was centrally located for all affected groups.

Topics covered by the Sheriff will include crime, homeless, shelter and law enforcement.

Posted in Crime/Police | Leave a comment

Community Council Reassigns Environmental Group to Civic 

Posted on April 18, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Members of Resilient Palisades, an environmental organization was admitted to the Pacific Palisades Community Council in March and assigned to a category in April.

We all know about gender reassignment, but the Pacific Palisades Community Council has now introduced a new concept: organizational reassignment.

Members voted to reassign the new environmental organization, Resilient Palisades (RP), as a civic organization at a meeting on April 14. RP had been admitted to the PPCC in March.

Although RP’s mission clearly states that it brings residents together to “address the climate and ecological crisis,” it is now reassigned as civic and will rotate with the Civic League.

At the April meeting, the PPCC also reassigned PRIDE, which had been designated in the civic category to business.

PRIDE helps maintain medians.

PRIDE, which was founded in 1992 and focuses on street beautification, median planting and maintenance, was reassigned to business and commerce. Will that affect their tax-deductible nonprofit status?

Circling the News contacted Council President David Card and asked why Resilient Palisades had not been added to the environmental category with Temescal Canyon Association (TCA), the sole organization in that category.

For those who have not kept up with the PPCC, which states they are the “most broad-based community organization in Pacific Palisades and has been the voice of the community since 1973,” the organization is not a neighborhood council, does not follow the Brown Act (which means all emails and phone calls between members need to be public), and voting is always interesting.

The PPCC, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization, consists of area representatives and nine organizational representatives who sit on the board.

Residents do not vote for nine organizational representatives, nor do they vote directly for the executive positions, which include president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Of the 25 members on the PPCC, a resident only votes directly for two people: an area representative and one at-large representative.

Back to organizational dysphoria. The Chamber of Commerce is the sole organization under business but is dying a slow death while waiting to possibly merge with the Malibu Chamber. So, the PPCC decided to move PRIDE to that category in order to have at least one voting member going forward.

The home construction at 837 Haverford is under review by the Civic League.

With PRIDE out of the civic category, Resilient Palisades was slotted in with the Civic League, an all-volunteer nonprofit that reviews construction plans for homes in Tract 9300.

The sole group in the environmental category is the TCA, which was founded in 1972 and is dedicated to the preservation of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Card was asked why Resilient Palisades was not placed in the environmental group. Did members of TCA not want to share a rotating seat with RP? He did not respond by press time.

CTN reached out to Area 8 Representative Reza Akef who said, “Resilient Palisades definitely deserves a seat at the Community Council. I applaud their work and I’m excited to learn more about them.

“However, the bylaws committee’s justification for not categorizing them as an environmental group [with TCA] perplexes me,” he said, noting that a member of the executive board of the PPCC explained at the meeting that all groups could be considered environmental.

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