Circling The News

Charlotte Kamdar, a sophomore at Palisades High School, has created a sign for all Pacific Palisades residents to place in their yards. “It symbolizes the strength and resilience of our community as we return and rebuild our homes.

“These signs not only show our commitment to coming back but also serve as a reminder to those driving through that many of us are planning to return as soon as possible,” Kamber wrote.

This signs are free, and Kamdar promises “We will place it for you.”  (310) 571-8140 or Instagram is @palisadesstrong and to receive a form, the link is https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScQi-voscvXz5KGS95KFx9pdDb0uII9TPYUdGWlINtCqjW3cQ/viewform?usp=dialog

The jump in sales tax to 9.75% is intended to help people like this man who was sleeping along PCH, his shoes were in the curb. Police helped him move across the roadway, so he wouldn’t accidentally stumble out and get hit. He said he didn’t want help.

(Editor’s note: This appeared in the Westside Current today and is reprinted with permission.)

By JAMIE PAIGE

A new quarter-cent sales tax to fund homelessness programs in Los Angeles County takes effect Tuesday — raising the county’s base sales tax from 9.5% to 9.75% — just days after a federal judge publicly questioned how previous funds for homelessness were handled.

The timing has raised new concerns about transparency and accountability, especially in light of revelations that tens of millions in public dollars may have been mismanaged by agencies tasked with addressing the region’s homelessness crisis.

Measure A — formally titled the Affordable Housing, Homelessness Solutions and Prevention Now — replaces Measure H, a half-cent tax approved by voters in 2017 that was set to expire in 2027. Unlike its predecessor, Measure A is permanent unless repealed by voters.

Roughly 60% of the tax’s revenue is earmarked for homelessness services, with another 35.75% allocated to the newly formed L.A. County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency. Fifteen percent will be distributed to cities based on their annual homeless population counts.

But just last week, during a federal court hearing in the LA Alliance for Human Rights case, U.S. District Judge David O. Carter said the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) had been the subject of 18 years’ worth of audits, many of which revealed systemic mismanagement of funds. He accused the county of intentionally withholding a recent internal audit — conducted before the November vote on Measure A — from the public.

“The people deserve to know where their money is going,” Carter said in court, calling the lack of transparency “deeply troubling.”

The review uncovered widespread failures in how homelessness funds were managed by LAHSA, the joint city-county agency responsible for coordinating homeless services throughout the region.

According to the audit, one of the most striking findings revealed that LAHSA had issued more than $50 million in Measure H-funded cash advances to subcontracted service providers beginning in 2017, without any formal agreements outlining how — or even if — the money would be repaid.

As of July 2024, LAHSA had recovered just $2.5 million — or 5% — of the $50 million in advances distributed over the seven-year period. The majority of the funds remain outstanding.

Adding to those concerns, Judge Carter also referenced a separate, court-ordered audit conducted by the private consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal (A&M), which examined more than $2.3 billion in homelessness spending across three major programs, including Mayor Karen Bass’s Inside Safe initiative. The report uncovered unreliable financial records, fragmented oversight, and little clarity on how taxpayer dollars were being tracked or spent.

A&M reported that fragmented data systems across LAHSA, the city, and the county — combined with inconsistent reporting formats — made it difficult to verify expenditures, assess bed counts, or measure performance.

“The lack of uniform data standards and real-time oversight increased the risk of resource misallocation and limited the ability to assess the true impact of homelessness assistance services,” the firm concluded.

According to court filings, LAHSA did not initially provide all requested financial data, forcing A&M to make repeated requests in order to reconcile expenditures. As a result, auditors were unable to quantify the total amount spent by the city to create shelter beds or deliver supportive services.

Nevertheless, despite the troubling findings from both audits, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors moved forward last week with the approval of a $656 million spending plan funded by Measure A revenues. The plan also draws on $209 million in unspent Measure H funds and $42.6 million in state grants.

The Los Angeles City Council has already approved a similar motion, calling for a study on how to bypass LAHSA and manage contracts with homeless service providers directly.

While LAHSA has disputed parts of both audits, the agency acknowledged the need for improvement and pointed to reforms already underway, including the launch of new data dashboards and systems for real-time tracking of shelter availability and services.

Preliminary results from the 2025 homeless count indicate a 5% to 10% decrease in unsheltered homelessness across the region.

Still, as Measure A takes effect and residents begin contributing to a new round of public funding, questions remain about whether the systems in place are sufficiently reformed — or equipped — to manage the money effectively.

(After the Palisades Fire on January 7, one of the first questions one of CTN’s out-of-state readers asked was “What happened to the man with that interesting collection? Did it survive?” The reader was referring to Palisades resident Howard Yonet, who had one of the most impressive collections of oddities and antiques, which he had collected over his lifetime. He, like many people in the  Fire, lost everything. He had given CTN a copy of his book detailing the items. We plan to continue to run the items he had shared  – and lost.)

These are antique children’s playthings. The first two photos include a cast iron horse that would be pulling a wagon or chariot and also, a wood ball on a string.

One had to catch the ball in the small wood cup.

The lower  photo is of a bear and wolf on a board jumping over the moon. The last photo is Daniele’s doll when she was a child.

(Editor’s note: Palisades resident Howard Yonet has an interesting collection of curios from around the world and with his permission, Circling the News is publishing one a week. About the collector: Dr. Howard Yonet was born in Brooklyn in 1934 and attended Brooklyn College. He went to Baylor Medical School and then returned to do an internship at Bellevue Hospital. Yonet completed his residency at the Manhattan V.A. and the Montefiore Hospital. During this time he went skiing in Vermont and the Catskills, and while traveling found barns filled with early American pieces. This led to his interest in American Antiques.

In 1965, he married Daniele, who was originally from Nancy, France. During the Vietnam War, Yonet was drafted as a medical officer and stationed in Landstuhl, Germany (1966-1969). This was close to the French border, which meant he and Daniele and could visit her family.

While abroad, the Yonets took weekend trips through France and Italy, purchasing many interesting pieces at flea markets.

The family settled in Pacific Palisades in 1970 and Yonet practiced general radiology until 2006. He continued to acquire antiques and collectables at estate and garage sales and the Salvation Army Store. He also enjoyed looking for collectibles while traveling in Montana, Idaho, Colorado and Massachusetts. Daniele’s family helped add to his collection.)

The Palisades Rec Team takes the Championship title

For some March Madness is all about college basketball. But Palisades players turned it into March Madness in Los Angeles. They won back-to-back titles for the City’s Recreation Center’s West Region Championship.

When most of the Palisades burned on January 7 and the Palisades Recreation Center was closed, the Palisades players, who had signed up for basketball had to do a quick assessment. Do we call it a year? Or do we continue practicing and playing games in a new location?

In his second year as head coach of the Pali Rec Co-Ed Minors All Stars, Vijay Srinivasan put those questions to the team, and everyone wanted to play.

Srinivasan sent a March 30 email to CTN. “The All-Star team just won the West Region Championship,” he said and noted it was not an easy feat. It was only through teamwork and determination that the team won six straight games to claim the trophy.

In the Championship game at the Obama Rec Center, the Pali win was led by Kingsley Citron with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Arjun Srinivasan, the team’s only returning player, had six points and 14 rebounds. Other players who contributed to the win were Hunter Ma, Knox Redick, Josh Adhoot, Dax Skinner, Beckett Thomas,  Kai Bowman and Matthew Bundy.

Srinivasan was aided by assistant coach John Skinner.

“I was a local Palisades resident until January 7, but will be back one day when we rebuild,” Srinivasan said.

This sign was on a post in the upper Marquez Knolls areas and the photo was taken March 22.

“Communities are rebuilding after L.A. fires despite lack of soil testing for toxic substances” was the headline in a March 27 L.A. Times Story.

The first two paragraphs made it clear that there are possible toxins after the January Fires that destroyed the two communities.

The story continued, “In Altadena and the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of L.A., reconstruction has begun despite the fact that the soil on affected properties has not been tested for toxic substances.

“The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s controversial decision to forgo soil testing in communities burned in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires sparked pushback Wednesday as California lawmakers questioned whether the practice will prevent residents from knowing if there are toxic substances on the land before rebuilding begins.”

Only at the end of the story are the toxins identified: “Environmental and health officials have warned that wildfire ash from burned buildings can contain hazardous substances including cancer-causing arsenic and brain-damaging lead.”

Circling the News is not advocating one way or another for people to return to standing homes before they feel safe, but I am suggesting that scientists/journalists tell you want the toxins are, so you can test for it.

As long as toxins are not named nor defined and the term is generically used, it does not allow a person to take action. Instead, the term toxins continues to spread fear.

Additionally, since some toxins such as Benzene are naturally occurring, a baseline reading before and after the fire would give clearer results.

LEAD:

Lead, which filled gas tanks for almost as long as cars have been driving, was effectively banned in the United States by the mid-1990s.

Lead was also used in paint, and it was banned in 1971 in California. It was banned in the United States in 1978, and owners of pre-1978 “target housing” has to be disclosed, and any homes that performed renovation, repair or painting projects in child-occupied facilities had to follow specific rules.

According to the EPA, 87% of homes built before 1940 still contain lead-based paint. This number decreases slightly to 69% in homes built between 1940 to 1959, and then drops to 24% for homes built between 1960 to 1977.

In California, the Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992 states that individuals must permanently remove lead-based paint hazards in accordance with federal standards. Our house on Radcliffe, built in the 1930s and renovated in 1994, had to have lead testing done before the renovation.

Generally, it seems that any home in the Palisades built after 1978 or remodeled after that date should not have lead.

Lead is also found in older water pipes—but the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has tested for metals in the water and areas were given the “all-clear.”

Here are other items that might have lead: toys, cosmetics (about 60% of lipstick test positive for lead), pottery (glazed on some ceramic items, porcelain and China), soil (contaminated from leaded gasoline, which remains contaminated a long time), lead ammunition, diving and fishing weights and lures, batteries, electronics, jewelry and antiques.

If you are worried about lead, have your property tested and if found have it removed.

ASBESTOS:

The use of asbestos was banned in California in 1977.  However, houses built between 1930 and 1950 may still contain asbestos.

Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous silicate minerals that were used because it was considered a good insulator and is fire resistant.

Asbestos could be found in attic and wall insulation, vinyl floor tiles, roofing and siding shingles  and automobile clutches and brakes.  Despite California’s ban on asbestos, homes constructed after 1989 may have asbestos as some imported products may have contained this harmful mineral.

Some people cite the World Trade Center Towers destruction as a reason to be worried in Pacific Palisades. According to several sources, asbestos was still legal in the 1960s and thousands of tons were used in the construction of the twin towers, both 1,700 feet tall. After 911, the air was filled with jet fuel, asbestos and other particulates with estimates of between 1,000 and 2,000 tons of asbestos released in the atmosphere.

If you are worried about asbestos on your property, have it tested and removed.

State Parkland burned during the January 7 fire. This photo was taken from Lachman Lane fire road.

BENZENE:

This editor was told that some people are worried about benzene in the ground.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, benzene is formed in nature and also from human activities. Natural sources include volcanoes and forest fires. It is also a natural part of crude oil, gasoline and cigarette smoke.

Benzene is used often in the United States to make other chemicals that are used to make plastics, resins, nylon and synthetic fibers.

It is also used to make detergents, drugs, dyes, some types of lubricants and pesticides.

About 50% of the entire nationwide (United States) exposure to benzene results from smoking tobacco or from exposure to tobacco smoke. An interesting fact is that benzene has been detected on Mars.

According to a University of Technology Sidney May 2023 story (“Plants Remove Cancer Causing Toxins from Air”), “A ground-breaking study has revealed that plants can efficiently remove toxic petrol fumes, including cancer causing compounds such as benzene, from indoor air.

“Not only can plants remove the majority of pollutants from the air in a matter of hours, they remove the most harmful petrol-related pollutants from the air most efficiently. For example, a known carcinogen benzene is digested at a faster rate than less harmful substances, like alcohols,” the study reported. “The researchers found that the Ambius small green wall, containing a mix of indoor plants, was highly effective at removing harmful, cancer-causing pollutants, with 97 per cent of the most toxic compounds removed from the surrounding air in just eight hours.”

Some residents worry that benzene will travel through ground soil to underground water (wells). Palisades residents are on a public water system and receive water from the Department of Power and Water. This utility company routinely tests for numerous chemicals.

When land is cleared of debris, the Army Corps of Engineers scrapes the top six inches of soil.  It is then removed and taken to a dumping site.

HOME TESTING:

In an early newsletter, CTN asked readers if they had properties tested. Of those who responded, here are the results.

Standing home on Las Pulgas: The testing was specifically for asbestos and lead. Testing was done only on hard surfaces with a wipe (no upholstery or soft surfaces); results indicated no evidence of asbestos.  However, there was lead in high enough levels to require a certified lead abatement company to address this situation safely.

Standing home on El Medio: “There was no asbestos found in the house as a result of smoke and ash entering from the fire. There was 15% asbestos in our old kitchen linoleum. Due to water damage from things that melted in our refrigerator it will need to be removed by a special abatement team. Of various spots tested throughout our house, only one floor location by an exterior door exceeded the federal standard for lead, but we will still have all surfaces wiped down by the same abatement team that’s taking out the flooring. From what I’ve heard finding some lead inside surviving homes is common.

Michael Lane Townhouse: We have found high levels of lead in our townhome, adjacent to Topanga State Park. The kitchen, main bedroom, and some ductwork was positive. Further testing is needed.

Upper Bienveneda standing home: We tested positive for lead, negative for asbestos. This test result, per the many WhatsApp chats we are all on, seems to be common for homes on Bienveneda and in Marquez. A friend on Glenhaven whose home burned completely had one testing sample come back with trace amounts of asbestos.

Two El Medio bluff homes: We were out of town last weekend and my brother called me to let us know that there were several people on our property removing asbestos!  We are not sure where that came from as we had everything removed 30 years ago when we bought our home.

New Home on Embury – complete rebuild: Tests were negative for asbestos and lead.

Standing garage studio on Fiske: No asbestos and some lead of differing amounts.

A recent news story was released about 20 firefighters that were tested after the Palisades/Eaton Fires. There was no distinction about which area they were located.  They were found with lead and mercury levels five and three times higher, respectively, than a control group of firefighters. Firefighters regularly risk exposure to chemicals and metals — including lead and mercury — when responding to house and commercial fires in an urban setting.

Firefighters were on these sites for several days, as opposed to a single fire-fighting activity.

AIR QUALITY:

After the January Fires, there have been three rain events. Does rain clean the atmosphere?

According to a Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2015 research paper “Can Rain Clean the Atmosphere?” researchers wrote: “As a raindrop falls through the atmosphere, it can attract tens to hundreds of tiny aerosol particles to its surface before hitting the ground. The process by which droplets and aerosols attract is coagulation, a natural phenomenon that can act to clear the air of pollutants like soot, sulfates, and organic particles.”

A 2023 CBS News story “Does Rain Help Clear Wildfire Smoke? A Meteorologist Explains”) “Not only does rain nourish plants, and replenish water supplies, but it cleanses the air. As rain falls through the atmosphere, it attracts ten to hundreds of suspended particles in the air. These can range from pollutants to organic particles, such as is the case now, with tons of smoke suspended in the air from the Canadian wildfires. This is a process called “coagulation.” When the rain travels from the atmosphere to the ground, it takes all of these suspended particles down with it, essentially cleansing the air”