The Silent Player at the Genesis: the Riviera Course

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Sue

The Riviera Golf Course was designed by George Thomas, Jr. in 1926.

Expert strategy is one of the key components needed to do well on the historic Riviera golf course. The course has been the site of a U.S. Open, two PGA Championships, a U.S. Senior Open and of course The Genesis Invitational, which is underway this week.

George Thomas, Jr.

The 71-par Riviera was designed by George Thomas, Jr. and completed in 1927. Construction was paid by the Los Angeles Athletic Club, which had a building in downtown, but wanted to add a golf club.

Under the leadership of Club Vice President Frank Garbutt, the 290-acre Santa Monica Canyon, site of bramble brushes and sumac trees and home to coyotes, rabbits and squirrels, was chosen.

After drafting 15 different plans, Thomas found one he liked and, in 1926, construction began. Fill dirt came from the San Fernando Valley, and 1,350 tons of white beach sand was imported for the bunkers. The Riviera was the first golf course in the country to install an underground watering system (cost $58,000).

Dr. John Morton, a renowned arborist, oversaw the planting of 1,000 trees, including sycamores, acacias, poplars and eucalyptus.

Construction took 15 months and when the golf course was finished, the cost was $250,000 (when the average cost of a course was about $70,000). In 1992, under Noboru Watanabe’s ownership, a renovation to preserve the contours of the greens and restore the bunkers cost $1.2-million.

According to “The Riviera Country Club: A Definitive History,” Thomas designed the course with the idea that “the most important thing on the Championship course is terrain, because no matter how skillfully one may layout the holes and diversify them, nevertheless one must get the thrill of nature.”

About strategy, the designer said, “The spirit of golf is to dare a hazard, and by negotiating it reap a reward, while he who fears or declines the issue of carry has a longer or harder shot for his second (or his third on long holes); yet the player who avoids the unwise effort gains advantage over one who tries for more than in him lies, or fails the test.

“Wise is the man who knows how to play each hole as he should play it, and skillful the golfer who can place his shots after he knows where they should go,” Thomas said. “Such a player is exceedingly hard to defeat on a course with proper strategy.”

Former PGA TOUR player Johnny Miller said, “Riviera is definitely one of the greatest, no-nonsense golf courses in the world. It requires a player to play every club in his bag and every shot in his game.”

In 1994, President Bill Clinton played the Riviera. Although he took a few mulligans on the first tee, he reported a score of 85.

The best overall score in tournament play is 264 set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985. Last year, the winner, Joaquin Niemann, had back-to-back 63s and looked like he might finally break the 37-year record, which is the longest record on the PGA Tour. On Niemann’s final 26 holes he went two over and finished at 265.

The course record of 61 was set in 1991 in the third round of the Nissan Open by Ted Tryba, who was the runner-up that year to Ernie Els.

Joaquin Niemann putted to a victory on Hole 18 last year.

Riviera Holes of Note:

Hole 1 tee is just outside the Riviera County Club on a hill.

Hole 1 (503 yards Par 5): Considered one of the easiest par 5s on the PGA Tour, with a 4.296 stroke average in 2014. There is a 75-ft. drop from tee to fairway and many golfers reach the hole in two.

Hole 4 (236 yards Par 3): In 1948, Ben Hogan called it “The greatest par-3 hole in America.” The large bunker in front of the green is superb and the sidehill right of the green would be great if the kikuyu grass didn’t hold every ball hit in its direction rather than releasing it back towards the green.”

Hole 6 (175 yards Par 3): Considered one of the most famous golf holes in the world because of the bunker square in the middle of the green. Members and guests aren’t allowed to use a wedge on the green; PGA Tour golfers are allowed to play the hole however they choose.

Hole 10 (315 yards Par 4): Requires players to decide whether to challenge the narrow-angled green, guarded by bunkers or to lay up down the left side of the fairway. This classic risk/reward hole is a typical Thomas design. Jack Nicklaus said this hole gave more options than any other short par four that he had played.

Hole 17 (576 yards Par 5): An uphill tee shot is required, avoiding a right-side bunker. A second shot must avoid bunkers on the left-side layup area. The green is flanked on the right side by a deep bunker.

“The strategy of the golf hole is the thing which gives the short accurate player a chance with the longer hitter who cannot control his distance,” said George C. Thomas, Jr.

Hole 18 (475 yards Par 4):   Many golfers consider this one of the toughest finishing holes in golf because the tee shot must clear the hill and to the left, to let the golfer have a look at the green. A long approach shot is then played to a green sitting down in an amphitheater. Anything to the left will hit the rough and result in a downhill chip.

There are historic photos inside the clubhouse including this one:

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CRIME REPORT—Senior Lead Officer Espin Reports on Hot Prowl; Attempted Rape

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Sue

Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin wrote in a crime report released on February 9 that “last week was very busy, we had five burglaries and six vehicle crimes and an attempted rape.

“I met with our detectives to see if there are any trends or MO’s (modus operandi or method of) that they believe might be connected,” Espin said. “The Detectives mentioned a couple incidents where the suspects turned off the power to residences. It might be a good idea to place a lock on your electrical box.

“They have seen some cases where the suspects shut down the power to disable the security systems and Wi-Fi,” he said. “Most security cameras now are connected through the Wi-Fi.”

He explained that West Bureau Detectives are handling the attempted rape case and have been out in the area canvasing for clues or evidence.

The attempted rape occurred Saturday, February 4, at about 6:30 p.m. in the 15000 block of Pacific Coast Highway (south of the Lifeguard headquarters).

The suspect approached the victim and engaged in a conversation. When the victim ended the conversation and tried to walk away the suspect grabbed the victim and made statements of intent to commit a sexual battery.

The suspect brandished a bladed weapon (possible knife). The victim was able to create distance from the suspect and able to get away and call the Police.

The suspect is described as possibly a male Hispanic 5’7, 150-160 lbs., about 20-30 years of age, with black hair, wearing dark-colored zip-up sweater and dark pants.

(Editor’s note: there seems to be some misinformation that was spread on a social media site or through gossip that was then presented to Espin as “fact” at the Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting. He attempted to present the facts, but many attending, were not allowing him to speak.)

Suspect sought in attempted rape.

 

ATTEMPTED RAPE:

February 4, 6:30 p.m., in the 15500 block of Pacific Coast Highway (Will Rogers State Beach). Suspect approached victim and made statements eluding to sexual intercourse. In fear, the victim began to yell, and suspect placed hand over victim’s mouth and brandished a blade. The victim pleaded for the suspect to let her go and offered money. Victim was able to get to her vehicle and get away. Suspect fled the area.

 

BURGLARY:

January 29, 2:35 p.m., in the 600 block of Alma Real Drive. Suspects pried open the rear door of a residence, ransacked the home and fled. It was unknown if property was taken.

January 30, 10 to 10:25 a.m. in the 1100 block of Kagawa Street. Suspects entered the rear yard and smashed a rear patio window. The three suspects became startled when they realized the victim was home and fled without taking property. Latent prints were requested, and CCTV is available.

January 31, 7:13 p.m., in the 200 block of Alma Real Drive. Suspect smashed rear window, entered residence, took safe and fled. Suspect left safe behind outside of the residence. CCTV is possible.

February 2 to 3, 5 to 5:30 p.m. in the 15100 block of Pacific Coast Highway. Suspects used a tool to cut the padlock off the lifeguard tower. Once the suspects gained entry, they took a cellphone and battery charger and fled.

BURGLARY THEFT FROM VEHICLE:

February 1 to 2, 3 p.m. to 8 a.m., in the 700 block of Iliff Street. The suspect cut the catalytic converter off a vehicle that was parked in the street and fled.

February 1, noon to 2:30 p.m., in the 17400 block of Tramonto Drive. Suspect pried open vehicle door and took victim’s property.

February 2 to 5, 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., in the 700 block of Ocampo Drive. The suspect removed catalytic converter from victim’s vehicle.

February 2, 1:30 a.m., in the 900 block Galloway. Suspect removed catalytic converter from victim’s vehicle.

February 2, 2:15 to 4:15 p.m., in the 17300 block of Pacific Coast Highway. Suspect entered secured vehicle, removed victim’s property and fled location.

February 4, 4:15 to 6:15 p.m., in the 17300 block of Pacific Coast Highway. Suspect entered victim’s vehicle by unknown means, took property and fled location.

BURGLARY/GRAND THEFT AUTO:

January 30, 5 a.m., in the 15000 block of Sunset Boulevard. Suspects entered locked and secured garage and fled in victim’s vehicle, a 2020 black Land Rover.

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Competing with Fighting Games on E-Sports

Posted on February 13, 2023 by Sue

Players came from across the nation to compete.

By CHAZ PLAGER

Fighting games are a one-on-one computer game usually played in a competitive environment or casually with friends. You pick a character, your opponent picks a character, and each have differing moves they can use, as well as smaller details like movement speed, height, and stamina. Think Street Fighter or Tekken or Super Smash Brothers.

During COVID, I played Guilty Gear XXAC+R, and was instantly hooked.

This year I purchased a competitor pass to Frosty Faustings 15, an annual fighting game tournament held in Lombard, Illinois, about 15 minutes from Chicago.

On February 1, I left Palisades High School early to get on a plane by myself for the first time. I had bought myself a round trip ticket to Chicago. I’d arranged to stay with an online friend my age, with the tentative blessing of my parents, who had talked to his parents beforehand.

After two days of negative digit weather and heavy winds, I flew back at 8:45 p.m. from O’Hare, reaching the Palisades at 12:30 a.m. Overall, the trip cost about $340 to make. The biggest takeaway was a lesson in managing expectations.

The tournament Frosty Faustings started in summer 2007 when Mike “ElvenShadow” Bozcar became sick of having no one local with whom to play fighting games.

The event started small and grassroots, eventually growing into a large, sponsored event that this year attracted 3,300 participants. The tournament was held at the Westin – the entire first floor was used for the event.

With the advent of E-sports, fighting games such as Guilty Gear Strive and Street Fighter V have propelled into the mainstream, with teams and sponsorships being created that regularly compete for serious prizes. You may have noticed I entered as a competitor, meaning I was ready to compete for real stakes,

Though fighting games have a reputation for being hard, I found it was easy. Cumulatively, I have 3,126 hours on fighting games. That’s 130 days straight, or about a third of a year completely dedicated to fighting games.

And yet I’ve only played about 40 hours in person, because I can’t find anyone local who wants to play. I wanted to test my mettle in person, so I entered two at brackets at Frosty Faustings – Persona 4: Arena Ultimax (P4) and Blazblue Centralfiction.

Both are games I love, and both were double elimination tournaments, with several top players entering from across the nation. I felt that surely, I would go extremely far, maybe make the top eight?

No, I was 33 out of 162 in P4, and 65 out of 230 in Blazblue.

I was frustrated. How could I not be? I thought I was really good at something, and it turns out I’m not even in the top 15%. Why did I go 3-2 in both of my brackets?

Whatever the reason was, I learned an important lesson— managing my expectations.

Fighting games are not sports, they are E-sports. One controls moves on the computer and because even though I think about a move in my heard, it might not be done in time on the controller, which opens me up to a “free punish” from my opponent.

It’s frustrating to misinput (mess up an input or make a mistake) and even more frustrating to lose for it. That’s how I lost in the P4 bracket.

And then, I calmed down and realized that this was my first major tournament ever. Why did I expect to do so well?

A quarter of the bracket in any major tournament goes 0-2. No wins, two losses. Even a single win puts you in the top 75% of entrants, and two puts you in the top 60%.

And even if you may be skilled at the game, a competitive environment can cause you to choke up and lose because of mistakes.

When I complained to other contestants that I had only won three times, they just stared at me. One said, “You won three times? At your very first major? Playing one of the worst characters in the (Blazblue) game? And you’re complaining to me, a guy who has been going to tournaments for nearly three years and my best is 4-2?”

“Get real,” another competitor said.

While harsh, his words were entirely correct. I had done extremely well, and because I had set unrealistic expectations, I was obviously disappointed.

Even so, I’m glad I went. Not only did I get to meet several of my online friends who I had met through fighting games, I learned a lot about how to play better, my strengths and weaknesses – and traveling alone on an airplane.

I will absolutely be going back to Frosty next year. I might go 3-2 again. I might do worse. I might do better. But regardless, I had fun this time. Who’s to say I won’t do better next time?

If you’d like to play fighting games either in person or online, please email me at chazoplager@gmail.com.

E-sports are are played against competitors on the screen. The author of the story is playing as Ribbiwawa, which is on the left.

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Get Tickets for the Genesis: Tiger Woods Is Playing

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Sue

Tiger Woods will play in the Genesis this year. Last year, Joaquin Nieman won the tournament.

It was announced on February 10 that Tiger Woods will make the first start of his 2023 PGA TOUR season at the Riviera during this week’s Genesis Invitational.

All of the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will be at the Riviera along with 23 of the top 25 in the world led by defending FedExCup champ Rory McIlroy.

Golfers with California connections include 2021 Genesis winner Max Homa and last season’s runner-up Collin Morikawa. Joaquin Nieman won last year beating Morikawa and Cameron Young by a 2-stroke margin. He will not defend his title because he left the PGA TOUR for LIV Golf. (To see the field visit: genesisinvitational.com/field/).

In 13 starts at Riviera Country Club, Woods is winless. (It was also where he played in his first PGA Tour event as an amateur.)

In an earlier interview, he was asked about the historic Riviera Golf Course.

“We wish we could play more venues that are classic and simple like this,” Woods said. “There’s nothing really — there’s no secret to this golf course.  It’s right in front of you, but it’s hard.  The greens are, except No. 4, everything slopes from back to front, and we all know that, don’t go past the hole, but if you do, there’s a price to pay.”

Round 1 will start on February 16 at 6:30 a.m. with 120 golfers, vying for a $20 million purse. After Round 2, the field will be trimmed. Last year, 76 players made the cut at even-par 142.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, the course is closed to the public. The Collegiate Showcase, which was first held in 2015, will be held Monday.

The showcase features a top PGA TOUR professional and a standout collegiate golfer paired with two amateurs, representing a university.

Gregory Odom, Jr. of Howard University was named the 2023 Pathway Player. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Odom began his collegiate career at the University of Memphis. Following his sophomore season, Odom transferred to Howard. Recently, he earned the top spot in the APGA Tour Collegiate Rankings, and with that a start in the 2023 APGA Tour Farmers Insurance Invitational at Torrey Pines where he finished in third place.

As part of the Pathway Player award, The Genesis Invitational will support Odom’s and Howard University’s travel to Riviera.

The collegiate showcase was first held in 2015, this is the ninth showcase. The teams’ professional and amateurs play a best-ball round with the top three-person team winning a $50,000 donation to the school’s golf program. The low collegiate golfer will earn an exemption into the 2023 Genesis Invitational and will round out the field of 120 players on Thursday and Friday.

To buy tickets, visit: genesisinvitational.com

 

 

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Brush Fire in the Huntington Bluffs Friday

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Sue

A brush fire raced up the hillside below the Huntington Palisades.

Los Angeles and Santa Monica Firefighters mounted an attack by ground and air on the burning brush in steep terrain below the Huntington Palisades on February 10.

The fire was reported at 6:01 p.m. and two lanes of Pacific Coast Highway headed north (west) were initially closed to traffic.

Water drops were made at the Friday fire below the Huntington Palisades.

According to LAFD spokesperson Nicholas Prange, it took 50 minutes to snuff out the flames and hold the burning brush to 1. 5 acres. Crews remained on scene to ensure any hot spots were eliminated. There were no reported injuries, and the cause of fire is under investigation.

It was pitch black around 6:30 p.m., when this CTN editor walked to the LAFD Battalion station in the Will Rogers Parking lot, near the lifeguard headquarters, that was across from the fire.

Although officials couldn’t give cause, this editor jokingly pointed out that firefighters most likely could rule out lightening and electrical wiring.

The left CTN’s editor, a Nancy Drew detective, to suggest that perhaps someone had thrown a cigarette or a candle over the 10-foot wall to start the fire. Or perhaps it was just started by a homeless individual. LAFD Officials could not comment.

Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin was also onsite.

Espin told CTN that the beach patrol had been behind the wall on Thursday, February 9, in the early a.m. and there were no encampments or other signs of anyone there.

The beach patrol actively goes into the hillsides of Pacific Palisades and warns and cites people who are camping illegally.

Last week, the detail found three people with felony warrant parole violations, and they were booked.

But until the courts and jails change policy it appears to be “catch and release” for many criminals.

Earlier, that afternoon, this editor had visited with Espin when he was at the Palisades Recreation Center.

He was there because it has been reported that there are teenaged boys, who fight in the picnic area below the library, the “fight club.” There are also teenagers the “White Claw” crew, who bring alcohol to the park. By being on site, Espin was deterring both activities.

By 6:30 p.m. the fire was out, but firefighters stayed on scene looking for hot spots.

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Palisades Class of 1983 Reunion Announcement

Posted on February 12, 2023 by Sue

Palisades High School Cheerleaders 1983.

Some members of the Palisades High School class of 1983 are planning a 40th reunion for the class.

One of the organizers Anya McCann said, “We would like to get people from our class to sign up on our list if they are interested in receiving the invitation (click here). The reunion is tentatively being planned for September.”

There is also a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/palihigh1983/)

Remembering 1983:

On January 1: The Internet takes another step towards its creation as ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) is moved to TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol).

On February 4, Karen Carpenter, 32, dies from complications from anorexia nervosa, and on February 16, Australian bushfires in Victoria and South Australia, known as the Ash Wednesday bushfires, destroy around 2,000 homes and kill 75 people, 17 of which are firefighters battling the blaze.

March 1, Los Angeles is hit by a tornado (near USC) with wind speeds somewhere between 113 mph and 157 mph. Buildings and property were destroyed but there was no loss of life.

Chuck Hull invents 3D printing, which he called stereolithography on March 9, his patent is filed the following year.

On March 11,  The 9th Annual People’s Choice awards take place. Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda and David Hasselhoff are honored. Favorite Motion Picture is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.

On April 18, Alice Walker is awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple which was published in 1982.

On May 20, two independently researched scientific papers are published with proof that AIDS is caused by retrovirus HIV. The publication is one of the biggest medical events of 1983.

In June, the Palisades High School class of 1983 graduates.

 

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Obituary- Palisadian Burt Bacharach, Award-Winning Composer

Posted on February 10, 2023 by Sue

Burt Bacharach
Photo: Rex

Pacific Palisades resident, and composer, Burt Freeman Bacharach passed away in his home on Amalfi on February 8 of natural causes. He was 94.

Born May 12, 1928, in Kansas City, Missouri, Bacharach was the only child of father Bert, a department store clothing buyer and mother Irma, a painter and occasional songwriter.

The family moved to Queens, New York, in 1932, and Burt began taking piano lessons in elementary school to please his mother.

But, his love for music grew, however, while he was a teen and had access to the nightclubs where jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker performed.

After completing his formal music education at McGill University in Montreal, the Mannes School of Music in New York City and the Music Academy of the West in Montecito, California, Bacharach served in the army between 1950 and 1952 as a pianist for an officer’s club.

In 1957, Bacharach began his partnership with songwriter Hal David. The duo’s first songs, The Story of My Life (recorded by Marty Robbins) and Magic Moments (recorded by Perry Como), were hits.

He toured with Marlene Dietrich as her musical director from 1958-1961.

Bacharach and David, first worked with Dione Warwick in 1961 and a year later a song written for her, Don’t Make Me Over, reached No. 21. The duo went on to write and produce 20 Top 40 hits for Warwick over the next 10 years, seven of which went Top Ten.

He composed theme songs for What’s New Pussycat? and Alfie, both of which were nominated for an Academy Award. He and David received another Oscar nomination for The Look of Love for Casino Royale. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) earned Bacharach a Grammy and an Oscar.

In the decades that followed, Bacharach racked up more than 70 Top 40 singles in the U.S. and six Grammys, including a lifetime achievement award in 2008.

After divorcing his second wife Angie Dickinson, he married lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and they wrote together.

The couple’s biggest hit was the Oscar-winning Best That You Can Do, which they co-wrote with Christopher Cross and Peter Allen for the 1981 Dudley Moore comedy Arthur.

During Covid, Bacharach released a five-song EP Blue Umbrella with Nashville songwriter Daniel Tashian. In an interview from his home in Pacific Palisades Bacharach said about composing, “In these times it’s like a lifesaver, while being terrified at what’s happening outside.”

At the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, last October, “An Evening of Dance to the Music of Burt Bacharach” was presented with some of his signature songs: Alfie, What the World Needs Now is Love, Are you there (With Another Girl), Do You Know the Way to San Jose, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, Don’t Make Me Over, There’s Always Something There to Remind Me, The Look of Love, Anyone Who Had a Heart, Walk on By, The Blob, Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head, Message to Michael and I Say a Little Prayer.

Then Bacharach wrote, “For many years, I’ve wanted to see my music reimagined in some kind of theatrical production – not just a jukebox musical formula of songs, but an original work with its own story and appeal. I’ve found an ideal collaborator in Mark Morris, whose brilliant choreography and deep musicality give songs new meaning and dimension through movement.”

Bacharach was married four times: to Paula Stewart, actress Angie Dickinson, songwriter Carole Bayer Sager and Jane Hansen. He had four children: daughter Nikki (with Dickinson); son Christopher (with Sager) and son Oliver and daughter Raleigh (with Hansen). He is survived by his wife, Jane Hansen and their children Oliver and Raleigh, and son Christopher. He is predeceased by a daughter, Nikki.

Posted in Obituaries | 1 Comment

Pharmaca/Medly Will Close All Locations and Shift Prescription Accounts to Walgreens

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Sue

The Pharmaca pharmacy, located on Sunset, is closing tonight. All records will go to Walgreens.

The Pharmaca chain, which was sold to Medly in 2021, will close all of its stores and pharmacies this month. Medly, which filed for Chapter 11 in December, was subsequently purchased by Walgreens.

Pharmaca not only filled prescriptions, but also hosted beauty fairs, carried a wide-range of health and wellness brands and had an expert staff of licensed aestheticians, herbalists, naturopathic doctors, and homeopathic and traditional pharmacists. The store carried conventional products such as Tylenol and Vitamin C, but also had herbs and other natural supplements.

A resident visited the Palisades Pharmaca store today, February 9, and was told that all prescription accounts will be transferred tonight to the Walgreens store on Wilshire and 19th Street in Santa Monica.

If customers want to transfer their account to another pharmacy, they need to have their new pharmacy make a call to that Walgreens and the account will be transferred, the resident was told.

This editor also visited the store, today, February 9, and a clerk said that everything in the store is 50 percent off. She said that she felt sorry for the people working in the pharmacy because they only had a two-day warning that Walgreens had purchased it. The clerk said those working in the store found out at the same time as the pharmacists, so clerks will have two weeks to look for work.

According to a story today in Beauty Independent, a retail industry magazine: “Vendors were alerted via email Wednesday that the natural beauty and wellness chain’s 22 stores will close on February 25, followed by its e-commerce platform on March 31.

“In a transaction approved Tuesday [February 7], Walgreens acquired select Medly assets in bankruptcy proceedings, including prescription files, inventory and intellectual property, for $19.35 million in cash, but did not take over Pharmaca’s stores.”

CTN contacted the landlord for the Palisades Pharmaca to see if he knows what will go into that huge space on the corner of Sunset and La Cruz.

Before Pharmaca arrived in 2000, the space was occupied by the Bay Pharmacy (which opened in 1949). Wehiba Kalifa purchased the store from long-time owner Al Green and sold it to Pharmaca in 2004. She said she planned to return to her native Ethiopia to live.

Barry Perzow founded Pharmaca in 2000 in Boulder, Colorado. The Palisades store was Pharmaca’s first store in Southern California. When Medly purchased Pharmaca, it had 28 locations in California, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico and Illinois.

Medly began as a Brooklyn brick-and-mortar pharmacy, whose family had been in business since the 1980s. In 2017, Medly started free same-day prescription delivery.

During Covid, the digital pharmacy took off and by 2022, the magazine Business Insider reported, it served 32,000 patients online and in 51 stores, which generated $270 million in revenues.

However, Medly racked up $35 million in losses in the first half of 2022 prior to accounting for interest and taxes, according to a slide presentation obtained by Business Insider.

Beauty Industry reported today, “To cut costs, Medly laid off 1,100 out of about 1,900 employees and planned to shutter about 50% of its stores. Yet, it couldn’t dig itself out of a hole as the pandemic conditions that had accelerated its sales diminished. Mired in debt amounting to about $110 million, Medly filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December last year.”

Everything is on sale inside the Palisades store, including supplements, cosmetics and cards.

Posted in businesses/stores, Health | 6 Comments

Infamous Sunspot Became a Sore Spot and then Was Demolished

Posted on February 9, 2023 by Sue

The Sunspot Hotel was located at the base of Potrero Canyon.

Carl’s Sea Air Café, built in 1938 was designed by Burton Alexander Schutt and A. Quincy Jones. It was a one-stop oasis for food, gas and a motel room at the base of Potrero Canyon.

Located across from lifeguard headquarters at Will Rogers State Beach, a Palisades resident, the late Ted Mackie, joked that it was the best place in town to take a date: “a bar, a restaurant and a motel, all in one location.”

The restaurant/motel was used as the location of “Mildred’s at The Beach,” in the film, Mildred Pierce and in an episode of the 1970s series, The Rockford Files.

Carl’s Sea Air Cafe, used as a movie set was named “Mildred’s” for the movie “Mildred Pierce.”

By the mid-1970s, Carl’s located at the foot of the Pacific Palisades bluffs had evolved into the Sunspot, a bar and mecca for the disco dance craze.

The City of Los Angeles took over the land in a swap with Occidental Petroleum Corporation, which had planned to drill for oil below Via de las Olas. (An extensive campaign, by activists and residents, prevented the drilling.)

The city had planned to make money by having the motel/restaurant run by concessionaires.

According to a 1991 L.A. Times Story (“Sun Set a Long Time Ago on Ex-Beach Oasis: Redevelopment: Improvements have languished because of red tape and concerns that the property may be endangered by landslides”), “But by the mid-1980s they [the City] had become disillusioned with the Sunspot. The bar and disco did not fit the family entertainment orientation of a recreation department. And Sunspot operator Edward Andrews had failed to improve the property.”

In 1986, the city evicted Andrews and requested proposals for a new operator to run the property for three to six years. It was felt by the city that was the time period that would be needed to complete filling the canyon. (Editor’s note: George Wolfberg Park at Potrero opened in December 2022, 36 years later).

Businessman and attorney Andy Camacho made the sole offer to rehabilitate the Sunspot as a restaurant, lounge and motel, that would be called the Tides Inn.

He would open a family-oriented restaurant and adjoining bar, and the rent he paid to the City would help pay for the construction of a park in Potrero Canyon, immediately behind the property.

There was a lack of parking, but L.A. City officials said they had been told by the State that an adjoining property could be made available for parking.

But Caltrans, which used that land to store equipment for repairs on Pacific Coast Highway didn’t want to relinquish the land. (Editor’s note: Caltrans is also the holdup now for the completion of a trail from Potrero to Temescal).

It took three years for the Department of Recreation and Parks and Caltrans to negotiate a lease for the adjoining property and it was finally resolved in 1989.

Local historian Randy Young said that eventually “an agreement was hammered out for parking to be situated on the old right of way that was cut off by the Killer Slide of 1958.”

According to the Times, “In October, a city zoning official rejected plans for construction of a 1 1/2-acre, 131-space parking lot. Associate Zoning Administrator Albert Landini said studies for the parking lot did not adequately assess the danger of landslides.”

Landini also said the plan failed to describe how cars would enter and exit Pacific Coast Highway, without a traffic signal.

Another city official raised concern about landslides, noting that the Sunspot was at “moderate to high risk” of suffering landslide damage.

“Recreation and Parks officials had never anticipated such problems, despite a history of landslides in neighboring Potrero Canyon dating back at least 50 years. No one had ever raised the possibility that the Sunspot property might be unsafe,” the Times wrote.

Then on December 22, 1994, in a Times story (“Chance to Fix Up Pacific Palisades Fabled Sunspot Motel Slides Away”), “A landslide seems to have definitively buried renovation hopes for one of Pacific Coast Highway’s first motor hotels.”

About 700 tons of earth crashed into the building. “The slide crushed the westerly portion of the building–the part that would have been the restaurant,” said Joe Cobarrubias, chief geologist for the city’s Building and Safety Department. “It was 11 a.m. and there’s no telling who would have been in there. I’m glad to see we didn’t use it. Sometimes you win a few.”

After the slide, the city walled off the area, the remaining building was demolished, and the remaining Sunspot debris removed.

A photo of the interior of the Sunspot restaurant from the 1950s.

Matchbooks used to be given to customers to help advertise businesses.

Posted in Restaurants | 8 Comments

Illegal Grading and Excavation in Paseo Miramar

Posted on February 8, 2023 by Sue

A local Palisadian building contractor, using 10-12 workers, illegally removed a city barrier and cut LADOT signs off a closed portion of Paseo Miramar on February 1.

The signs were taken down and the white fence removed illegally to allow excavators on the road.

The company then used two excavators to illegally clear and grade a closed portion of the public road. Paseo Miramar, in the 600 block, is not in use, but still considered a viable roadway by the city.

The private company, hired by developer Ryan Kavanaugh, was asked by residents if they had permits.

Workers replied they were simply doing brush clearance.

But the machinery appeared to be widening the road and cutting into the hillside and the toe of property of residents living above the road. Trucks hauled out two loads of dirt. One of the residents lost internet when the company doing the grading, cut a Spectrum line.

Workers also cut into plants in California State Park Land, which borders the other side of the road.

Residents tried unsuccessfully to get inspectors from L.A. City Street Services code enforcement division to come to the site.

Finally, on February 6, a group of residents stood in a line in front of a car, truck and grader to prevent the vehicles from entering the closed portion of Paseo Miramar, while waiting for police and City Street Services.

The residents refused to move or be intimidated.

Eventually, inspectors from the Bureau of Street Services did come to the site and confirmed that the sign should not have been removed. It was put back up.

CTN visited the site on February 7, because Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin had told Kavanaugh, over the phone, that he could bring permits to him, and he would personally go with Kavanaugh to the site to show them to residents. Neither man showed between 11 and noon.

CTN contacted Espin who said, “He has not shown me any documents as of now.”

Part of the Paseo Miramar Road is covered with landslide

Kavanaugh, who built 815 Paseo Miramar, owned by Kwahi Leonard, also owns six additional lots on Paseo Miramar.

This street has not been vacated and is still considered open to the public. It has not been used by vehicles since the late 1940s when a landslide buried a portion of the road.

The city then built a temporary substandard road, at the end of Resolano Drive cutting through and connecting to the residents above the landslide. (That road has a street grade of D and was last inspected in November 2011.)

Kavanaugh initially tried to have Paseo Miramar vacated, so that he could develop a gated community for lots 646-701, which he owns.

Residents on this hill are a tight-knit group and look out for each other and the land.

They explained the reason they did not want Paseo Miramar vacated was because if there should ever be a problem with Resolano Drive, the street could be made accessible for the people who would be trapped at the top if the hill.

A developer owns the land below the Kawhi Leonard estate at the top of the hill.

In February 2016, Kavanaugh signed an agreement to comply with the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in connection with the development of a single-family home, which Leonard eventually purchased for $17.1 million.

In that agreement, Kavanaugh withdrew an application for the street vacation of Paseo Miramar, and the City Council approved a haul route for development of the single family home.

After the most recent excavation and grading attempts, the Miramar Homeowners Association sent a February 3 letter to the City asked if there were permits issued and if there had been a CEQA study. According to the Bureau of Engineering, no applications for any permits had been submitted as of February 7.

For Kavanaugh to move forward with developing the lots, he would need to abide by the contract he signed in 2016, which would require him to obtain an initial study per CEQA and apply for all permits.

Members of the Miramar Homeowners Association told CTN, “We’re not NIMBYS. We do not oppose any building on private property. But we would like the city to enforce their own laws on developers to ensure safety of life and property in a beautiful, but fragile landscape, as they do to all of us home owners.”

 

PASEO MIRAMAR’S ESPERA AVENUE:

This is Espera Avenue, which was always a trail.

There is another oddity in the Los Angeles Street system.

A line is drawn on city maps for Espera Avenue, off Paseo Miramar. Most likely that was done in the 1920s, but Espera is a “paper” street. It only exists on paper and was never built.

When a Paseo Miramar homeowner sold a home, which also had a large expanse of hillside below it, the new owner claimed that he was planning on planting lavender on it. He said he did not plan to build, but intended to be a steward for the land, just as the couple, who had lived there for decades, had done.

The area, which this CTN editor had walked about five years ago, was a beautiful respite that abutted State Park Land, and a meditative site filled with wildlife and birds.

The homeowner/developer now has plans for three homes to be put in the hillside below the purchased house and above the “paper” street.

Residents on the hill above, looked down and saw illegal grading and tree cutting in the public right of way on the Espera trail several weeks ago.

The contractor was stopped by the city because there was no permit for grading.

Now a permit has been procured for soils boring in the public right of way. The architect is Daryl Olesinski. Drills will be on the trail next few weeks, residents were told. As CTN stood with residents, two potential investors and a realtor stopped by to speak with the architect.

If work continues, residents just want developers/contractors to play by the rules and have the proper permits.

Adjacent to State Parkland, with views of the Pacific Ocean, residents also want to make sure the development has Coastal Commission approval.

The side of the hill was graded and a temporary “road” constructed. Below the brown house on the hill is where a developer wants to put three houses.

Posted in Parks, Real Estate | 6 Comments