City Council Set to Vote on Venice Bridge Home Lease Extension

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Sue

This encampment was located a block from bridge housing in Venice (white building in the background). The community wants the City to obtain a Coastal Permit in order to extend the lease.

(Editor’s note: This story appeared in the Westside Current on November 8 and is published with permission. The story should resonate with residents of the Westside, including Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Venice, Westchester, Playa and Marina del Rey because the City acted without community involvement. Now, the community is asking the City to take the proper steps and obtain a Coastal permit.)

The Los Angeles City Council is set to vote on a lease for the extension of the Venice Bridge Home despite community pushback.

On Wednesday, council member will vote on whether or not to accept a recommendation by the Department of General Services (GSD) to extend a lease for the ABH located at 100 Sunset Blvd.

The Venice Stakeholders Association (VSA) is asking the Council to refrain from voting on the extension until the City obtains a Coastal Development Permit from the California Coastal Commission.

The ABH opened in February of 2020 and, as stated on Councilmember Mike Bonin’s council website, was only supposed to last a maximum of three years. In June, however, Bonin asked to extend the lease for the ABH.

“The ABHs were proposed because it was taking too long to bring on the HHH units,” stated Mark Ryavec, president of the VSA, a non-profit organization  committed to civic improvement in the Venice neighborhood. “The city said that the use of the MTA lot would be temporary and that tents and other temporary structures would be removed after three years.”

Bonin also asked the City Council to authorize the Department of General Services (GSD) to negotiate and execute a sublease agreement with People Assisting the Homeless (PATH), the service provider currently overseeing the ABH.

John Henning, the attorney representing the VSA, stated in a letter to the City Council president and other city officials, including the city attorney, that an extension would require a Coastal Development Permit from the City, which requires a public hearing and is appealable to the Coastal Commission.

 “Under state law, a Coastal Development Permit must be obtained for any development within the Coastal Zone. Without a doubt, the placement of a homeless shelter about two blocks from the Venice Beach Recreation Area and the coastline – even a “temporary” one – is “development” under the Coastal Act. Therefore, a Coastal Development Permit is required,” Henning stated.

Henning also stressed that the City would need to have a Local Coastal Program (LCP) certified by the Coastal Commission for all development in the zone following a duly noticed public hearing.

“The LCP process will take about six to nine months before any action would take place, and that would be passed December of this year when we get a new council person,” stated Ryavec.

Also noted in the letter is that before the bridge home was built, a De Minimis waiver was granted –which made the City exempt from the requirement to obtain a Coastal Development Permit.

“The “temporary” Bridge Housing project was not properly the subject of a de minimis waiver in the first place because there was at least some potential for some adverse effect on coastal resources. These impacts are in a host of impact categories, including parking, noise, public safety, surface water contamination, hazardous substances in soil and groundwater, traffic and aesthetics. The potential impacts of the original project were discussed at length in our December 11, 2018, correspondence to the Coastal Commission in opposition to the initial de minimis waiver.”

Henning said the first waiver was granted because the shelter was only supposed to last for three years and therefore, would have minimum impact on coastal resources.

“To issue successive waivers extending that already generous three-year time frame would make a mockery of the CDP process, which is designed to evaluate the impacts of a project for its entire lifespan. The city should not even request such a waiver; much less should the Coastal Commission grant one. ”

Ryavec also underlined that wasteful government spending alone indicates that the extension should not take place.

“The failure here is to look at the cost of building the facility and the cost to maintain it versus the minimal number that has reported to have found permanent housing. It shows a phenomenal waste of taxpayer dollars.”

Bridge Home is a Nightmare For Neighbors

Henning’s letter also noted that the ABH is the only “Bridge Housing” facility in the City that is sited in a residential neighborhood and since opening its doors has been a “nightmare” for neighbors.

“In the past three years, due to [Councilman] Bonin’s apathy and  disrespect for the residents and the City’s failure to enforce the law within a “Special  Enforcement Zone” that was created specifically to protect the neighbors, the facility has  been a nightmare for residents. It has drawn significantly more homeless people to this  area of Venice, increasing crime and recently spawning a shooting that sent two people to  the hospital.”

The letter goes on to say that “With the proposed 12-month extension of the lease (likely only the first of several  extensions to come), the purportedly “temporary” Bridge Home facility is taking on a more  permanent character, just as the residents feared it would. Yet a permanent facility is not  what the residents were promised, and it is not what the Coastal Commission authorized.  Instead, having endured a three-year long nightmare, the neighbors of the facility  reasonably expect, and deserve, to have any further use of the site rigorously reviewed by  the relevant City bodies and the Coastal Commission, as required by the Coastal Act. “

When asked about Bonin’s positioning that the community blocks every homeless project in front of them, Ryavec stated that’s not the case.

“He’s engaging in rhetoric–and acting the victim once again. We’re forcing the city to abide by the law. He [Bonin] could have applied for the coastal permit a year ago. It’s not the communities desires, it’s his desires. He’s trying to sneak this through at the end of his tenure and has ignored the coastal act. That’s what we’ve come to expect. ”

As for the vote, it will take place on Wednesday morning. The meeting is set for Wednesday, November 9 at 10 a.m.

 

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

Palisades Football Dominates Huntington Park 48-0

Posted on November 8, 2022 by Sue

PaliHi’s Zaire Peters (#24) makes the tackle, stopping Huntington Park in the fourth quarter.

A week later, and a different team stepped on the field. Palisades High School crushed Huntington Park 48-0 in the first round of the Division 1 playoffs at Stadium by the Sea. The week before the Dolphins had lost to Venice 60-14, losing the Western Conference title. Both teams had been undefeated going into that game.

“The kids were really embarrassed last week,” said PaliHi head coach Chris Hyduke. “They wanted to redeem themselves. They were playing better tonight because they didn’t want to be what they were last week.”

Coaches had told players throughout the season that “It’s okay to lose if you play hard,” but in the game against Venice players weren’t playing to the best of their abilities.

Hyduke said Venice was a good team, but his team just wasn’t playing well that night. The coaching team felt this game against the Spartans was a step back in the right direction.

“They’re a young team,” Hyduke said, and noted that the team was 8-3 on the season and 4-1 in league with the only defeat against Venice. “Losing was a good experience, but I am very proud of them, tonight.”

Hunting Park, which was seeded 14, took the kickoff on their own 15-yard line and slowly moved the ball up the field to the Palisades 45, before losing the ball on downs with about five minutes left in the first quarter. Palisades took over and four plays later had their first touchdown when quarterback Roman La Scala ran it into the endzone.

Kellen Ford would kick the first of six PATs for the Dolphins.

On the kickoff, HP fumbled the ball on the team’s six-yard line, and it was recovered by sophomore Rowan Flynn. Christopher Washington took it if for the touchdown. He would have three for the game, with 128 rushing yards.

Huntington Park failed to move past their own 39 and the Dolphins took over on downs. Washington carried it to the 23-yard line. A pass to junior Sean Grier saw another touchdown.  At the end of the first quarter, Palisades was up 21-0.

Palisades Eric Daniels and Matthew Spoonamore both recovered fumbles that turned into scoring opportunities for the Dolphins. Jason Alexander intercepted a pass on the 23-yard line, once again stopping any forward movement for the Spartans.

At half the score was 48-0

Wide receiver Mikael King-haagen had 104 yards for the game and one touchdown. Amari Yolas carried for 60 yards.

Freshman Harrison Carter scored a touchdown. Quarterbacks La Scala had seven of eight completions with 128 yards and Zachary Lifton had two of three completions for 98 yards.

Defensively, leading the Dolphins in tackles this season is senior Savyour Riley, followed by sophomores Jesse Ettus and Jake Treibatch.  Junior Evan Nehrenberg leads the team in sacks.

Next the Dolphins face Dymally High School, seeded sixth, at home, in the quarterfinals on November 10 at 7:30 at Stadium by the Sea. Palisades is ranked third behind Carson and the top-ranked Granada Hills.

Posted in Sports | Leave a comment

Obituary: Paul Morantz, Champion for Those in Cults

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Sue

Paul Morantz, a California lawyer who crusaded against brainwashing self-help gurus, crooked psychotherapists and menacing cults, including one that nearly killed him with a rattlesnake, died October 23 at a Santa Monica hospital. He was 77.

Palisades resident Bob Vickrey wrote on October 31: I heard today of the passing of one of my longtime friends, Paul Morantz, and I immediately thought about the story he had sent me several years ago. He asked me to assist in editing the piece and help him find an outlet for publication.

“This is a marvelous true story that deserves reposting for those who have never read it before (as well as for those who have).

“Rest in Peace my friend,” Vickrey said.

The story Vickrey edited for Morantz ran in 2020 on CTN https://www.circlingthenews.com/the-tarot-cards-foretold-the-future-of-friends

Morantz, a long-time resident, who lived in Rustic Canyon, was unafraid of taking on Synanon, the Church of Scientology, the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones and a self-help group whose therapists beat their clients.

His son, Chaz, said his father often cited a maxim attributed to the folk-hero frontiersman Davy Crockett: “Be always sure you are right, then go ahead.”

Paul was born in Los Angeles on August 16, 1945. His father worked in the meatpacking industry; his mother was a homemaker. He spent his boyhood playing sports and was a devotee of the University of Southern California football team.

After high school, he joined the Army Reserve and eventually enrolled at USC.

Initially, he wanted to be a sportswriter and got a job writing at USC’s Daily Trojan. He graduated in 1968 and was offered a position by the L.A. Times, but his girlfriend talked him into going into law school, which he did. He graduated from USC Law in 1971.

His first job was as a public defender, but he later wrote, “I left. . .not liking getting off guys. I would rather put them away in jail for a long time.”

Paul went to work part time in his brother’s office, while pursuing freelance writing projects, including a Rolling Stone story about surf music duo Jan and Dean. He later helped adapt into a TV movie called Deadman’s Curve, based on their song of the same name.

Then he got a call from his brother’s high school friend, a liquor store owner who said he knew an alcoholic being held captive at a nursing home in a government check scheme. Paul investigated and talked to nurses and others at multiple Los Angeles-area nursing homes.

He discovered that elderly alcoholics were being sold for $125 to nursing homes by a man posing as a volunteer outreach counselor at the county’s drunk court. In nursing homes, the alcoholics were sedated with thorazine, while the homes collected government checks for their stays.

Paul filed a class-action suit and won a $300,000 judgment. At least two of the people involved in the scheme served jail time.

According to his son, the “captives” case launched his father’s legal reputation. “My dad just hated bullies,” he said. “He wanted to stand up for people and help them fight back. He really had it out for sociopaths and other malicious leaders that took advantage of their followers.”

In 1977, a man whose life had been destroyed by Synanon, a California drug rehabilitation organization that evolved into a religious organization, contacted him. The founder of Synanon, Charles Dederich Sr. viewed himself as a prophet and ordered his followers to undergo vasectomies and abortions and to physically attack enemies.

Paul sued Synanon on behalf of several members who had managed to escape. Three weeks after winning a $300,000 judgment, he reached into the mailbox in his Pacific Palisades home and a 4 ½ foot rattlesnake sunk its fangs into his left wrist.

He managed to get to his neighbor, who wrapped Paul’s arm in a tourniquet while waiting for first responders.

As he was being treated, firefighters beat the rattlesnake with shovels and chopped off its head. They discovered the snake’s rattles had been removed, meaning there was no warning to alert Paul.

The doctor said Paul, 32, at the time, was “extraordinarily lucky” to survive. Dederich and two members of the hit squad were arrested a few days later on charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

After that case, he became a highly sought-after litigator for victims of cults and pseudo-religious groups.

He represented a father who tried to get his son back from the cult leader Jim Jones, of the Peoples Temple. (More than 900 members killed themselves in November 1978 in a murder-suicide in Jonestown, Guyana.)

Paul helped sue the Los Angeles-based Center for Feeling Therapy, whose therapist beat their patients in a procedure called “sluggo.”

He had many run-ins with the Church of Scientology in court and in public. At one of the health fairs sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce in 1995, he was approached by a man who wanted to speak to him about psychology.

“He showed me a list of questions clearly displaying an anti-psychotherapy bias,” Paul wrote. “Boy did he pick the wrong guy.”

Paul challenged him: “You’re with Scientology.”

The host of the health fair tried to kick the group out, but Paul told her that the Scientologists would probably bankrupt her in litigation.

“Let me handle this,” he said.

And as the group put on a skit about electroshock treatments, Paul spoke to the crowd. “The people speaking here have the right to do so. They also have an interest in denouncing mental health professionals. They have that right. You have the right to know who is speaking. So, I am telling you this is from Scientology. You can walk away or continue to listen, but at least now you will be clear to the source.”

But, Paul also believed that religion could be a force for good. “Whether we worship single or multiple deities, Mother Nature of the Church of the Divine Meatloaf, our populace seems hard wired to believe in some greater force,” he wrote in his memoir. “When groups use the power of peer pressure and brainwashing to control people and make them surrender their autonomy, their money or their moral compass, I feel compelled to step in.”

Paul is survived by his son and two grandchildren.

Paul Morantz in the hospital after being bitten by a rattlesnake placed in his Pacific Palisades mailbox.

 

Posted in Obituaries | Leave a comment

CRIME REPORT: October 26 through 29 – Senior Lead Officer Report

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Sue

LAPD Beach Detail has started patrolling the hills at night, looking for warming fires.

Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin wrote: I hope this email finds you well. We are now getting into colder weather in our area. We (LAPD) are continually checking for encampments where people could possibly be setting up cooking or warming fires.  As you can see in the pictures, our Beach detail Officers and I were checking the hillsides in the evening to make sure there were no encampments.

“Please reach out to me directly if there is a question or concern. I tend to get emails from residents about comments or alleged activity happening through social media platforms that are not occurring or a little exaggerated. The rumor mill can create fear and panic with information not being vetted or fact checked.”

SLO Espin (310) 444-0737 or 37430@lapd.online

 

BURGLARY:

October 26, 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., in the 400 block of Ocampo Drive. A suspect smashed the victims sliding glass door with an unknown tool to gain entry. The suspect ransacked an then removed property that included watches, cuff links, and then fled. Latent prints were requested.

October 29 to 31, 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. in the 14900 block of Corona Del Mar. Suspects used a sharp object to cut lock securing gate to construction site. Once inside the suspects removed tools and fled location.

 

GRAND THEFT AUTO:

October 23, 5:30 to 7:45 p.m., in the 17000 block of Pacific Coast Highway. A vehicle was taken from the street.

THEFT:

October 29, 5:45 p.m. in the 15200 block of Sunset Boulevard. Suspect entered store, took items and left without paying. The suspect was confronted by staff and then fled location.

 

Posted in Crime/Police | Leave a comment

More Tree Thoughts via Letter from Arborist Carl Mellinger

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Sue

The tipu tree has a beautiful canopy.

(Editor’s note: Regarding the proposed tipuana tipu trees for the Palisades Recreation by the bocce courts, I invited Palisades resident and arborist Carl Mellinger, who also serves on the Village Green board to join me in the park.)

He wrote afterwards in a November 2 email: “nice walking around with you the other day. Here are my comments on the Tipuana tipu trees.

“I have always been impressed by this great umbrella shaped tree,” Mellinger said. “I think this tree is a good selection for the park given the design and the initial intention to get umbrella trees to create a shade area for the users.

“I think it’s paramount that the intent and the design is what is driving this selection of this decurrent tree. It is difficult to find large umbrella trees such as this that grow well in Southern California,” he  said. “Yes, the trees can be a bit messy when they drop their flowers but that’s for a very short period, and this goes as well with the foliage.

“Therefore, the blowing should not be too frequent; plus, the courts can be cleaned with push broom if necessary.

The roots from the tipu trees, resulted in the brick pathways having to be redone. But roots can be managed.

“They [tipu] can have surface root problems, but this can be diminished with adequate watering in the early years of their development. In addition, a continuous lateral root barrier can be installed at the farthest location possible that will alleviate and minimize any root growth toward the court.

“Regarding pests, not all tipu trees are affected by the tipu psylid or aphids. Treatments are simple and can be done systemically with good control.

“I have heard that a neighbor’s arborist recommended the Incense cedar tree for possible substitution,” Mellinger said. “That tree is not appropriate for this part of the region, even though some specimens can be found in LA, but most of them were planted in the 40’s and 50’s. That tree belongs in the higher altitude mountains and is very susceptible to pests and disease. Plus it is an excurrent tree, with minimal canopy which will not satisfy the design plan.

“Thanks for including me in this query, I was born in the PP and have deep memories of the PP park and its surroundings.”

Carl Mellinger

Mellinger and this editor also looked at the other trees in the park and he noted that most of them needed water and many of them needed maintenance. Even before the drought, this Rec Center is a revenue recovery center, which means that the funds from Palisades programs must pay for some of staff salaries and utilities, such as water. The permit fees collected for parties and special events go the general fund of the Department of Recreation and Parks.

The City does not appear to have the money to regularly water – or trim trees, which Mellinger said should be done about every three years. It might be interesting if locals could start a maintenance fund for the Rec Center trees.

Additionally, this editor wondered who asked for a tree in the bocce area, because the landscape designer Pamela Burton Company, did not place a tree by the courts. There is a row of trees by the sidewalk by the entrance to the courts.

If a tree were to be planted, it seems like the initial landscaping company should be consulted. CTN called and emailed that company about why they had not placed a tree by the courts, and if they had, which tree would they have suggested. No one has responded.

The two x’s mark where the tipu trees would be planted. The initial landscaping design did not specify trees for that area.

Posted in Parks | 1 Comment

While Politicians Fight over Plans, Homeless Die on Streets

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Sue

 

This man was found near the ocean, unresponsive because of hypothermia.

It used to be in the “good” old days that winter shelters would be set in armories, churches and abandoned buildings to help those who were homeless avoid the cold nights on the streets. Now there are only 143 spots for the more than 60,000 people on the streets.

A man was found unresponsive because of hypothermia on a bus bench on Pacific Coast Highway on November 4. Paramedics transported him to a hospital. The gallon jug of gasoline next to him was kept by firefighters.

He is just one of many who have nowhere to go to keep warm in the cold weather. Many of those homeless have been responsible for warming fires in Pacific Palisades. Those fires often get out of control and burn up the hillsides threatening hillside homes above the brush, such as the fire on October 8, that burned below Corona del Mar.

Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness co-president Sharon Kilbride was asked by CTN why people aren’t placed in shelters on cold nights.

In a letter to City and County officials, obtained by Circling the News, Kilbride wrote: It seems pretty crazy that we have 69,000 homeless people and very few winter shelters in the city. We don’t have any on the Westside.

“These are questions that need to be addressed and we need answers why we are leaving people suffer on our streets during cold and rainy months.

“Warming fires will be more prevalent in our hillsides and our streets to keep warm,” Kilbride said. “You would think it would be a lot more cost effective to have winter shelters in place. People need to stay warm rather than LAFD having to put out fires and not to mention the destruction of property and community safety issues.”

CTN emailed L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl. Her media spokesperson Barbara Osborn responded with a November 1 press release from the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority “Reimagined Winter Shelter Program Now Open in L.A. County.”

The winter shelter program is open from November 1 through March 31.

There are five locations (Lancaster, Whittier, and in Los Angeles Western Avenue, 25th Street and West View Street) that have room for 143 people.

LAHSA wrote “we are re-envisioning the Augmented Winter Shelter Program to ensure that we focus resources where our unsheltered neighbors need them most.”

What does that mean? If a severe weather event is declared, emergency hotel vouchers can be deployed to the regions of the county that are experiencing the severe weather event.

The new program will provide 142 motel vouchers per day for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the city of Los Angeles and 367 motel vouchers per day for people experiencing unsheltered homelessness across the rest of Los Angeles County during periods of inclement weather.

Hotel rooms will be available when:

  • The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast calls for three (3) days of low daytime temperatures accompanied by night wind chill temperatures of 32 degrees or less.
  • The forecast calls for 1 inch of rain in 24 hours.
  • The forecast calls for three (3) consecutive days of 1-4 inches of rain or more accompanied by temperatures at or below 50 degrees.

Almost 70,000 homeless – and if it’s cold enough – there are exactly 652 places they might be able to go. Otherwise, there is only 143 spots in the City on a “good” day in the winter.

Candidates running for mayor, Rick Caruso and Karen Bass, were contacted about the lack of winter shelters. So were Councilmember candidates Erin Darling and Traci Park.

Darling said, “Whether it’s a lack of in-district winter shelters or a dearth of cooling centers in the summer, it seems like every year the City and its partners are caught flat-footed by totally predictable, seasonal weather events.

“As Councilmember, my office will work with LAHSA, RAP and other agencies year-round to make sure we’re ready to get people inside when the elements become dangerous,” Darling said.

Park said, “Once again, LAHSA has failed to open any winter shelters in CD-11 or SPA 5 and offers no transportation for unhoused people to the handful of winter shelters they have opened across LA County.

“Despite receiving hundreds of millions of dollars annually, they’ve only opened a total of five centers (one of which is all the way out in Antelope Valley) with a total of 143 beds, substantially fewer than the 264 beds offered last year,” Park said. “With the homeless population in LA County totaling nearly 70,000 people, this effort seems dismal at best. And, with temperatures dropping, warming fires will only become more common. This creates a broader public safety risk, especially in our dry hillside and canyon communities. It continues to astound me that those responsible for providing shelter and housing fail to act with the urgency this crisis demands.”

If Caruso or Bass responds, we’ll update this story.

The homeless cannot be allowed to stay outside when the temperature drops. They suffer hypothermia: it’s a deaths sentence.

Posted in General | Leave a comment

Palisadians Show Support for Iranian Women

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Sue

 

Palisadians showed support for Iranian women by holding a protest.

Story and Photos by: CHAZ PLAGER

The Palisades Farmer’s Market on Sunset and Swarthmore was just a bit noisier than normal, on October 30, thanks to the March for Iranian Women’s Rights being held.

Led by Palisades High School juniors Sarah Soroosh Maghadian and Clementine Causse, more than 30 people marched back and forth across Sunset, carrying pickets and banners expressing support for women in Iran.

“We’re here to show people that we care, and the government that we care,” Maghadian said. “America has a lot of power affecting politics around the world, and if we show we care, we can get the word out and maybe even people in power will listen.”

Protests were being held across the country, in support of Irani woman.

Authorities had shut down the internet and cell service in Iran in response to protests. That country’s morality police are being blamed for the imprisonment and murder of some women.

Protestors in Iran are upset with those police and the hijab laws, which require girls nine years and older to cover their hair and wear loose clothing. Over the summer, Iran’s hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi, issued further restrictions on women’s dress and ordered all “responsible entities and institutions” to step up hijab law enforcement.

Mahsa Amini’s parents say she died after police beat her while in custody for allegedly violating these laws. President Raisi has said authorities are investigating Amini’s death and called Iran a champion of women’s and human rights.

The Palisades protest was advertised through flyers and social media. The Palisades Women’s Club also sponsored the event.

Maghadian said she was motivated by the killing of Mahsa Amini and asked her friend Clementine to help her set up the protest. The protest went from 10 a.m. to noon, with cars driving by and honking in support.

Sarah Soroosh Maghadian (left) and Clementine Causse organized the protest.

 

Posted in Community, Schools | Leave a comment

“Four Angels” Will Be Featured    

Posted on November 6, 2022 by Sue

Boris Allakhaverdyan will be featured at St. Matthew’s Music Guild concert.

The world premiere of Grammy Award winner Richard Danielpour’s Four Angels for Clarinet and String Quartet will highlight St. Matthew’s Music Guild’s concert at 8 p.m. on Friday, November 11.

Boris Allakhaverdyan, Los Angeles Philharmonic principal clarinet, will be the soloist. He was appointed to that position in 2016, after having previously served at the principal clarinet of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the associate principal clarinet of the Kansas City Symphony. Allakhverdyan is the Gold Medal winner of the prestigious 2007 Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.

Danielpour is considered one of the most gifted and sought-after composers today. He has been commissioned by some of the most celebrated artists of our day including Yo-Yo Ma, Jessye Norman, Dawn Upshaw, Susan Graham, Emanuel Ax, Gil Shaham and Frederica von Stade.

Commissioning institutions include the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Maryinsky Theatre and Vienna Chamber Orchestras. Richard Danielpour’s Four Angels for Clarinet and String Quartet was commissioned by New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art and is a reflection on the Birmingham church bombing in 1963. Danielpour created a version of the work for solo clarinet and string orchestra on commission from St. Matthew’s Music Guild in 2021.

In addition to Four Angels, the concert will include Sinfonia No. 10 in B minor by Felix Mendelssohn, and Latin Grammy Award winner Yalil Guerra’s Clave para Cuerdas y Percusión, an effervescent work that evokes the rhythms and harmonies of his native Cuba.

The program closes with Karl Jenkins’ suite for strings, Palladio.

A pre-concert lecture, “Liner Notes with Tom Neenan,” begins at 7:10 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Neenan’s insights are always informative and include information that illuminates the music and selected pieces.

Concerts are held at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Tickets are $35, or Music Guild Season passes are available for as little as $200. For information, visit: or call (310) 573-7422.

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Mother’s Plea for Help: Find My Son

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Sue

The following note was shared with neighbors and communities with the hope that this mother can find her son, who went missing on Halloween.

The mother, Pastor Dr. Frances Wattman Rosenau, wrote:

My son Andrew is still missing, and we are devastated. Please share this and look out for Andrew. He has no phone, no ID, and no credit or debit cards on him.

He is wearing a black suede jacket, dark gray dress pants, black dress shoes, and a maroon dress shirt with a gray dress vest.

Andrew just turned 18-years old, three weeks ago. But he is still very much a kid. He goes to Pali High and is a senior.

He does not do drugs or drink and loves his little brother and sister very much. I took this Halloween photo of my three beautiful children less than an hour before he left and I haven’t seen him since.

He asked me to make him this costume so he could go trick-or-treating with his siblings and his dog (which never happened).

He has NEVER done this before. He has NEVER gone out and not come home.

Andrew has a kind a generous heart. He can be really hard on himself and holds a lot inside. He has not had the easiest ride in life, especially recently, and is suffering from depression due to circumstances beyond his control.

He is not dangerous. Just scared. Call the police if you see him or contact me.

Andrew, if you see this, come home. You are my heart. We are not whole without you.

*Please Share*

Rev. Dr. Frances Wattman Rosenau (She/Her)

Pastor
Culver City Presbyterian Church
11269 Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90230
310-398-3071

 

Los Angeles Police Department is aiding in the investigation:

The family of Palisades High School senior Andrew Jason Wright and the Los Angeles Police Department’s Missing Persons Unit are asking for the public’s help in locating him.

Wright was last seen on foot, on October 31, 2022, around 6:00 p.m., near the 1700 block of Federal Avenue. He hasn’t been seen since and his family is concerned.

Wright is described as an 18-year-old male Asian with brown hair and brown eyes. He stands 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs approximately 190 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black coat, maroon vest, gray pants, and black leather shoes.

If you have seen or have any information regarding the whereabouts of Andrew Jason Wright, please contact Los Angeles Police Department, Missing Persons Unit, at (213) 996-1800. Case # 220816256.

During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247). Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most Keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters “LAPD.” Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on “webtips” and follow the prompts.

(Editor’s note: CTN received news today, Saturday, November 5 around 4 p.m. that “Andrew is home! We are so grateful to share that Andrew came home and is alright. No other details yet at this time. But, we are truly grateful for all who shared info and prayed for him and his family. This is a joyous day!”

Rev. Dr. Frances Wattman Rosenau (She/Her) Pastor Culver City Presbyterian Church)

Posted in General | 1 Comment

Volunteer Treasurer Sought for Homeless Task Force

Posted on November 3, 2022 by Sue

 

PPTFH in Need of a Treasurer

The Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness (PPTFH) has recently learned that its highly valued treasurer, who has served very effectively for the past three years, will leave that position effective November 30, 2022.

As this is an all-volunteer organization, a volunteer  is sought, someone who has Quick Books and Donor Box experience, is willing to contribute a few hours a week and has an interest in being an integral part of the PPTFH organization.

The nonprofit can be flexible in tailoring the job description and duties to the time and availability of the volunteer.

Please help us by circulating this special need and by asking those you know who may have the required skill sets. Of course, feel free to volunteer yourself!

A new treasurer is needed as soon as possible so that there is sufficient time for a reliable and effective transfer of duties.

Please contact Sharon Browning or Sharon Kilbride or Pam McGranahan by emailing info@pptfh.org .

 

The homeless in Pacific Palisades are offered help and not allowed to camp on lawns. If they do not want help, LAPD is helpful.

Posted in Homelessness | 3 Comments