The Mambas, a local 12U Boys AYSO squad, finished the season 14-1 after advancing to the Area 1-P championship game. Photo courtesy of Jordan Pynes
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
The AYSO Area 1-P League Champions Tournament consisting of teams representing Culver City, West LA, South LA, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Los Feliz and Hollywood was held last weekend, January 13 and 14, at Belmar Park in Santa Monica.
The Mambas, a local Boys 12U squad representing Region 69, won the league title in December and continued their winning ways in the Area playoffs, advancing all the way to the final game after two thrilling wins. Head coach Jordan Pynes and assistant Steve Gilison guided the soccer team to a 14-1 overall record in one of the best runs by a Palisades-based AYSO team in over 30 years.
The Mambas’ roster consisted of 11 talented players: Ryan Bonakdar, Oliver Darvish, Max Gerber, Leo Gilison, Kai Holyoak, Jack McCutchen, Linken Merrill, Dominic Petersen, Asher Pynes, Josiah Vazales and Noah Zarnegin.
In the first game on Saturday, the Mambas beat Santa Monica, 5-4, on penalty kicks after the sides tied 2-2 through regulation and overtime. Bonakdar converted the winning kick in the shootout.
The semifinals on Sunday saw the locals beat West LA, 5-2. The championship game that evening was a tense struggle as Gerber scored with 10 seconds left in regulation to pull the Mambas even at 2-2 with Los Feliz and force overtime. Neither team scored in the extra session, and Los Feliz prevailed, 5-4, in the shootout to hand the Mambas their only defeat in a remarkable season.
Pacific Palisades native and former Palisades Charter High School standout Justin Howard is off to a fast start for the Ohio State men’s volleyball squad.
On January 9, the Buckeyes’ 6-foot-6 redshirt senior middle blocker was selected the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Defensive Player of the Week—the first of the 2024 season—by the league office.
Howard was deserving of the recognition after pacing the fourth-ranked Buckeyes with nine blocks in the team’s first two matches: victories over North Greenville and Daemen College in Columbus.
Since then, Ohio State has picked up two more home wins, beating St. Francis in four sets and UC San Diego in five sets. Through four matches, Howard has recorded 32 kills and 13 blocks.
The son of David and Nicole Howard, Justin won three City titles at Pali High, and he captained both the Dolphins and his Pac6 Volleyball Club squad to championships in 2019. He also led Pac6 VC to a third-place finish in the 2018 Junior Nationals.
Howard powered the Southern California Volleyball Association to its first USAV High Performance national title in 2018, delivering the match-winning ace to clinch his team’s five-set semifinal victory. His brother, Spencer, was a forward on the Northwestern University men’s soccer team, and his uncle, Carl Borack, was a fencer in the Summer Olympics in 1972 in Munich.
A journalism major, Howard was the 2023 recipient of the Ken Dunlap Award, an annual honor that is given to a player who exhibits the character of the program’s very first men’s volleyball coach Ken Dunlap (1968-71) after whom the award is named. Howard was the third winner and was chosen by the coaches, players and support staff last fall.
A three-time MIVA Academic All-Conference and OSU Scholar Athlete honoree, Howard played in 31 matches and 114 sets as a redshirt junior last season, setting career highs in kills (142), assists (11), digs (44), total blocks (87) and points (190).
As a redshirt sophomore in 2022 he missed most of the season due to injury, but hit .361 with 40 kills in 10 matches. In 2021 he saw action in 40 sets, hitting .436 with 32 kills on 61 swings while recording 31 blocks. He practiced with the team in 2020 as a redshirt.
Ohio State takes on No. 1 UCLA (a roster that includes Palisadians Cooper Robinson and Spencer Graves) and No. 13 USC (led by Palisadian Dillon Klein) this weekend in the First Point Federation Cup Austin, Texas.
Jack Levey looks for a teammate to pass to during January 12's 51-42 Western League victory over visiting Fairfax. Photos by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Western League play resumed last week, and the Palisades Charter High School boys basketball team started the new year with back-to-back victories that boosted the Dolphins’ confidence after having endured a rough December in which they lost seven of nine games.
On January 10, Palisades held off visiting LACES, 63-60, thanks to Mikal Sims Dickerson, who scored the last of his 14 points on a layup off an inbounds pass with 10 seconds left to break a 60-60 tie with 10.2 seconds left. After Ryan Conner missed a go-ahead three-pointer for the Unicorns, Mo Butler was fouled with .5 seconds left and made the second of two foul shots to provide the final margin.
The highlight of the game was an alley-oop pass from Butler to Aten Hassan for a dunk that gave the Dolphins a 57-52 lead with 2:15 left. LACES was playing without two starters, including injured top scorer Donovan Cornelius.
Wyatt Junger and Hassan each had nine points, Jordan Farhadian had eight, and Butler, Lukas Haas, and Jack Levey each finished with six for the Dolphins, who nearly let a double-digit lead slip away in the last six minutes. Joshua Sangster scored 24 for LACES.
Two nights later the boys were back in action against visiting Fairfax, and this time it was the Dolphins who trailed for most of the contest before outscoring the Lions, 17-3, in the fourth quarter to prevail, 51-42. Farhadian scored 12 points, Hassan had 10, Butler had nine, Sims Dickerson had eight and Eli Levi added six as Palisades improved to 3-2 in league. Jaden Depina led the Lions with 17 points.
Lukas Haas defends LACES guard Yasin Sharif in the January 10 Western League game. Palisades prevailed, 63-60.
On Saturday, January 13, Palisades took on highly ranked Village Christian at Fairfax High and lost, 93-58. On Monday, January 15, the Dolphins beat Antelope Valley, 75-40, in the MLK Day Classic at Grant High to improve to 5-12. They wrapped up the first round of league Wednesday, January 17, at Hamilton and start the second half Friday night, January 19, at Westchester before returning home for an intersectional duel with Agoura on Saturday afternoon, January 20.
Meanwhile, the Pali High girls rallied late to edge LACES, 53-50, thanks to 15 points and 15 rebounds by Aniah Bradley. Jennica Essapour had nine points and Riley Oku added eight. On January 12, the girls won, 61-48, at Fairfax paced by Elly Tierney, who scored 16 points.
On Saturday, January 13, the Dolphins traveled south to face Redondo Union and had no answer for Sea Hawks center Ella Zimmerman, who recorded a career-high 38 points on 12 of 16 shooting from the field, and added 13 rebounds, five steals, three assists and a block. The University of Portland-commit scored 20 of her team’s 29 points in the first half. Alyssa Ramirez had eight to lead Palisades.
This a crucial week for the Dolphins (13-7), who host back-to-back games versus league frontrunners Hamilton and Westchester with a chance to climb to the top of the standings.
2023 year-to-date burglaries through December 20 Photo courtesy of LAPD
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Following a pre-holiday increase in reports of burglaries, Los Angeles Police Department West LA Burglary Detectives hosted two communitywide town halls via Zoom—explaining at the most recent meeting on January 3 that 12 suspects had been arrested in connection with some of the incidents.
“In the last few weeks, we here at LAPD have arrested seven South American burglary crew suspects,” LAPD Detective Robert Hoebink said. “Our fellow agency partners have arrested another five—that’s Beverly Hills and Glendale.”
Most of the suspects “appear to be associated,” Hoebink continued, and “part of an organization that we’re still trying to figure out all the details” on. LAPD also arrested another suspect who they believe is part of a “larger” “gang crew,” Hoebink said, which is responsible for “a lot of commercial burglaries.”
For the suspects arrested so far, Hoebink said their activity can primarily be attributed to Brentwood, Bel Air, and Benedict, Franklin and Coldwater canyons in the Mulholland area. At the time of the meeting, Hoebink said he did not want people to get “complacent and let down their guard,” as there were still crews operating in the Palisades and Riviera areas.
Along with the arrests, LAPD was able to recover some of the stolen property when searching vehicles and residences: “We returned over $1 million of property so far that we have been able to easily identify and we still have a few items left.”
Prior to the town halls and arrests, several concerned residents reached out to the Palisadian-Post to speak about the increase of burglaries.
“You feel very alone when you get broken into—your neighbors didn’t see anything,” one resident, whose home was burglarized, said to the Post.
Another resident said it felt like Palisadians were “sitting here waiting for it to happen to the next person,” since the frequency of burglary incidents had increased.
“As a citizen, everyone knows someone it happened to directly in the last six weeks,” they said in mid-December.
LAPD Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin reported on December 17, 2023, that the area was “getting hit hard with vehicle crimes and residential burglaries”—noting a 14% increase of burglaries in year-to-date data (10 more than 2022 at the time).
“These residential burglaries are happening throughout the day and early evening hours,” Espin wrote. “The burglars are figuring out ways to climb or scale to the second-story balconies, and breaking the windows to get into the house. In some cases, the burglary suspects are accessing the property from the side or rear yard from the brush or hillsides.”
By December 27, 2023, Espin wrote that he hoped that data was showing that the crime spike was “tapering off”—though, prior to the increase, in a community alert issued September 2023 by LAPD West Los Angeles Area, it was reported that over the last several months, the station saw a “wave of burglaries targeting residential single-family homes” in places like the Palisades, Brentwood, Westwood Hills, Bel Air and beyond.
“We are seeing a downward trend in the residential burglaries in some of these communities that are heavily being impacted,” LAPD Detective Carlos Carrillo said January 3, “but we don’t want to let our guard down at this point, because we don’t want that trend to come back up.”
Toward the end of the meeting, LAPD Captain Richard Gabaldon said that throughout the West Bureau, West LA is the only area where burglary was down (14%) in year-to-date information, which he said is due, in part, to hardening homes and listening to the senior lead officers’ advice.
Items being targeted, according to the community alert and town hall meetings, include jewelry, luxury handbags, watches, safes and cash. The suspects were using tools like Wi-Fi jammers, handheld short-range radios, window punch and possibly a laser cutter.
Some of the items LAPD has been able to recover
When it comes to burglaries in the Palisades area, Hoebink said during the first town hall on December 21, 2023, that LAPD believes it has been a mix of South LA gang crews and South American theft groups—both of which the detective described as “sophisticated” with “distinct” modus operandi. Suspects are trained for burglaries before they arrive in places like Los Angeles, according to Hoebink.
Hoebink said the South LA gang crews used to be described as “knock knock burglars,” where they would knock on front doors and go to the back of the home to break in if no one answered.
“Most of the time now, they’re doing extensive surveillance,” Hoebink said, adding that they watch houses for three to four weeks at a time, using Google Earth searches to see what cars may be parked in a driveway to aid in establishing patterns. Hoebink said parking in a garage can help prevent this from being trackable, or parking at least one car in the driveway at all times, so it appears like someone is home.
“Most people feel violated [after a burglary],” the first resident who spoke with the Post said about hardening the community following the burglary at their home. “I see it as an opportunity, trying to prevent it for someone else.”
There are several ways residents can harden their homes to make them less attractive for burglaries, including installing cameras (ideally hard-wired, as Wi-Fi cameras can be shut off—though Hoebink said a Wi-Fi camera is better than no camera—that film in color) and a protective screen on glass windows/doors (including on the second-story), which will act as a deterrent, as it slows suspects down when trying to enter a home. Hoebink also said alarms are “highly” suggested, including glass-break sensors.
“I always like to talk about your efforts to protect yourself and your home security,” Hoebink said, “and I say it’s a balance of security versus convenience, and everyone’s balance is different.”
The detective said that, in some cases, suspects were getting $200,000 to $300,000, and up to $1 million, worth of goods from a single home. Since break-ins tend to be focused on the master bedroom and closet, the detective suggested spreading valuable items—like jewelry, designer purses and cash—throughout the home. He also recommended installing several safes and splitting items of value between them.
If a person is home at the time of the burglary, Hoebink suggested they scream to let the burglar know they are there, as “these suspects, across the board, do not want confrontation.”
In order to help catch suspects and recover stolen items, the detective said that video and photo footage was instrumental in 70% of solved cases.
“I used to say, cameras used to be great to stop burglaries, but they’re really not anymore,” Hoebink said. “They don’t stop burglaries. But they are a tremendous help to us because they help us harden the target as a neighborhood. The more cameras you have in the neighborhood, the higher chance that we have at solving our cases.”
For a chance of recovering stolen items, the detective suggested installing trackers, like AirTags in things like designer purses. He also recommended having footage, including photos and videos, as well as a list of serial numbers from items when applicable.
“If you live on a street that has access to the brush hillsides, please keep your eyes open for suspicious vehicles that are parked there,” Espin wrote. “Unless you see a crime, there is no need to call the police, but definitely either document by writing down or if you have a security camera facing the street. See if you are able to capture a picture or video of the suspected vehicle. This could be used at a later time for detectives to follow up on if they believe the street is being used by the burglary suspects.”
Hoebink said going forward the goal is apprehending suspects, then putting out messaging to citizens to harden their homes and have LAPD patrol with “extra high visibility” to let suspects know they are still in the neighborhoods.
To contact Detective Hoebink to claim any of the recovered items, email 38280@lapd.online.
Best Decked Out Hall Photo courtesy of the Liska family
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
As the lights have come down and decorations are stored away for the next holiday season, the Palisadian-Post is announcing the winners of the 2023 Deck Your Halls home decorating contest, as voted on by the community.
The Liska family, who reside in the Alphabet Streets and were entry #3 on the ballot, won Best Decked Out Hall—marking the first time they won a prize in the contest.
“We love to embrace the holiday spirit with festive, colorful lights and decor, both outside and inside our home,” Lacie Liska said to the Post. “It’s become a tradition with our family.”
When asked if the family had a favorite decoration, Lacie said her boys loved the large Santa Claus inflatable, who could be seen waving to passersby from the front balcony.
Joanna and Charles Curtis, entry #10 on the ballot, won this year’s prize for Best Theme—the couple has previously participated and taken home prizes in the contest, most recently in 2021.
“My family loves decorating for Christmas,” Charles said. “As a rule, we don’t start decorating the outside until the day after Thanksgiving … My kids, Joey (14) and Violet (11), were a big help this year, but none of it happens without the support of my amazing wife, Joanna.”
Charles said the family loves the blend of inflatable decorations with real wood decorations, with their wooden reindeer, sleigh and snowmen family placed beside an inflatable Santa Claus in a fire truck.
“My favorite decoration is the 12-foot arch that we added this year,” Charles shared. “It really added to the overall feel and complemented the Santa on the fire truck really well.”
This year’s home decorating contest marked the first time the Post sought a winner with the Greenest Decor, as inspired by reader feedback, awarded to the home with the most environmentally sustainable decorations.
Robert and Jo Ann Klein, entry #7, earned the award for Greenest Decor. Jo Ann revealed that the couple’s decor-inspiration lay behind their eight grandchildren, who all live in the Palisades.
“They love that we decorate for every holiday,” Jo Ann said to the Post. “Along with Christmas, we do Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter [and more].”
When asked which decoration might have stuck out to the voters in relation to sustainability, Jo Ann credited their lights, which were all LED.
Jo Ann and Robert, who live in the Alphabet Streets, met in first grade at Corpus Christi School and moved to town in 1949. Their three children were born here.
For winning the Deck Your Halls contest, the families were awarded items from Theatre Palisades, The Smoke Label, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, Alfred, BE ROSY, Palisades Gift Shop, Porta Via, LadyBird, and Flour Café & Pizzeria.
A rendering of the project with lagoon restoration maximized Photo courtesy of RCDSMM
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Ahead of the end of 2024, Temescal Canyon Association hosted its annual meeting on the evening of December 11, where board updates and a presentation on Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains’ proposed Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project were discussed.
Founded in 1972, TCA is a nonprofit organization, which operates with a mission to advocate for the “preservation of open space in the Santa Monica Mountains, ensuring ample access to all of our parkland, and enhancing the public’s experience of the Santa Monica Mountains by building and maintaining trails and leading public hikes on these trails.”
The annual meeting was led by TCA President James Alexakis, who began by reporting updates about what the organization worked on and accomplished in 2023, including hosting TCA-led hikes once per month (weather permitting), coordinating with Pacific Palisades Community Council Area 2 Representative Steve Cron to get a Palisades Highlands trailhead back in working order and spreading the word to the community about a proposed pedestrian bridge connecting George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon to Will Rogers State Beach over Pacific Coast Highway.
“Right now we’re gathering information on that, making sure the community is informed and their input is taken into account,” Alexakis said of the proposed bridge project, “but as a majority, we are in favor of the bridge.”
Upcoming TCA events are slated to include a hike led by area historian Randy Young. The organization is also working on a butterfly garden at Los Leones, as well as helping members build their own private butterfly gardens. It is also working on putting together dedications for late TCA members Susan Orenstein and James Kenney.
Alexakis explained during the meeting that, while current officers, including Alexakis, Vice President Gil Dembo, PPCC Representative Shirley Haggstrom and Treasurer Barbara Dembo, were continuing their positions, three board seats were open. He then nominated Eric Appleman, who was later approved by vote to join the board. Two additional board seats remained open—Alexakis said that interested community members could reach out for more information about joining.
After TCA board business concluded, RCDSMM Principal Conservation Biologist Rosi Dagit spoke on the agency’s proposed Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project, which has received support, to date, from California State Parks, Caltrans, County of Los Angeles Beaches & Harbors, State of California Wildlife Conservation Board, Coastal Conservancy, and California Department of Fish & Wildlife.
“The Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project is a multiagency cooperative effort that seeks to protect and restore precious biological and cultural resources, create an integrated program for coastal access, emergency response and interpretation, and proactively address the effects of sea level rise,” according to a summary on the RCDSMM website.
Topanga Lagoon, which is located west of where Topanga Canyon Boulevard meets Pacific Coast Highway, is on parcels primarily owned by California Department of Parks and Recreation and County of LA Department of Beaches & Harbors.
“What I think is really important to note about Topanga Creek watershed is that it’s the third largest watershed that drains into the Santa Monica Bay,” Dagit explained. “And because so much of the watershed is contained within Topanga State Park—even though there are 12,000 residents and a major state highway going through the watershed—it actually retains all of the species that are supposed to be there and doesn’t have too many that aren’t supposed to be there.”
Since the early 1900s when the land in the area was developed and PCH was constructed and shifted, Topanga Lagoon has faced “disappearing wetlands,” Dagit explained. Topanga Lagoon used to be over 30 acres, Dagit explained, compared to the restored Malibu Lagoon, which is 11 acres.
The lagoon is a “last sanctuary for endangered fish,” like the tidewater goby and the “only reproducing population in Santa Monica Mountains” of steelhead trout. The area provides an “important surf break” and “popular beach” with “limited visitor services.” The land also includes “Gabrielino/Tongva cultural sites,” as well as Topanga Ranch Motel.
After meeting with stakeholders, RCDSMM determined the primary priorities of the proposed project include restoring the lagoon, a plan for sea level rise, protecting the surf break, creating interpretation and trails and visitor services, and improving ecological function.
Specific project goals are “lagoon ecosystem restoration and expansion,” “estuary function and water quality improvement,” “sensitive species protection,” “Caltrans bridge replacement for species recovery,” “climate resilience enhancement,” and “minimal disruption during construction.”
Four alternatives are being considered for the project, Dagit explained, starting with doing nothing, then focusing on maximizing the Topanga Lagoon space, maximizing the historic sites and maximizing sea level rise resilience.
The project timeline includes environmental review from 2019 to 2024, including an EIR public comment period slated for early 2024, with the EIR expected to be finalized in June. The design phase is expected to take place between 2024 and 2026, with construction slated for 2027 to 2031, and post-construction monitoring from 2031 to 2036. It is currently funded through December 2026.
Those who wish to learn more about the project, including information about upcoming meetings, may sign up for an email list.
I finally got around to going through our basket of Christmas cards tonight.
It always has to be just the right moment.
——-
I was reminded of an old frat brother, Frank Ramsey. From Madisonville—a town smack in the ribs of Kentucky.
Frank’s dad was an absolute legend Kentucky basketball player who went on to win seven championship rings with the Celtics. In the heartland of Kentucky, Frank’s dad was a christened saint.
Winding down my senior year in college, he was our guest speaker at some dinner event at the fraternity house for all of us knuckleheads.
To start off his toast, in an incredibly thick, relaxed, confident, genuine Madisonville, Kentucky accent, he said, “Boys, listen good. You are who your friends are.”
I just wish I could describe the way and the pace that he said that sentence.
With his heartfelt, make-you-bleed Hopkins County accent, it took longer for him to say the word “friends” than it did for me to slug down my third Rebel Yell and Coke.
He went on to say the friends you choose in your life become—in many ways—a mirror of who you are.
Because you borrow a little bit from all of them, and because they borrow a little bit from you.
I think he was right.
It’s easy to look back at those childhood pals, or early girlfriends who meant the world, or those friends along the way that may not be close now—but they were shooting stars.
They were there with us—for a precious moment along the way.
On the flip side, I’m sure there are some friends along the journey who didn’t show who you wanted to be—but showed you who you didn’t want to be.
They all mattered.
They all added up. They’re all a little bit of the soup of you.
Some just a smidgen of seasoning, but they’re all in the soup.
Shaping your beliefs. Your passions. Your dreams. Your style …
They challenge you. They hurt you. They inspire you. They root for you. They warn you. They test you.
Friends.
And if you’re really, really lucky, there are a few that even love you.
——-
It’s funny how all the messages on those Christmas cards keep trying to come up with some new, clever, hipper, more fun way of saying “Happy Holidays.”
The truth is, I kind of wish the cards didn’t have any words on ’em at all.
Just the pictures. Just that one-liner on the card where your friend handwrites something like, “Thinking of you.”
They’re saying that no matter how far away they are in this world—we matter to them.
Enough that they took one of their cards, not a big pile of cards, and picked us.
Wrote our name out on the envelope. Licked a stamp. And stuck it in their town’s mailbox.
Just so we could have a moment, a little moment, remembering those days. Those times with them.
When we open up their card—when we look deep in their eyes on that card, they know …
We’ll remember.
We’ll remember when we were on the same beautiful road. That same road, taking it all in—but looking ahead.
Goodbye, my Christmas cards.
Goodbye, till we meet again.
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Tobi Coughlin, a Resilient Palisades Vegan Solutions team member and plant-based weight loss coach.
Now’s the perfect time to dip your toes into veganism and experience the positive impact on your health, the environment and animal welfare.
With the New Year often comes a commitment to adopt healthier lifestyle choices. In January, Veganuary is a global initiative challenging and supporting people to eat plant-based for the month.
One of the primary reasons individuals choose to participate in Veganuary is its positive impact on personal health. Scientific studies consistently show that a well-balanced vegan diet can lead to lower cholesterol levels, better heart health and a reduced risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes. Additionally, plant-based diets are often rich in fiber, vitamins and antioxidants, promoting overall well-being and a strengthened immune system.
For those concerned about the welfare of animals, Veganuary provides a concrete way to align personal choices with compassionate values. Adopting a plant-based lifestyle reduces the demand for products sourced from industrial farming practices, supporting a more humane treatment of animals.
Photo courtesy of Resilient Palisades
Environmental sustainability is another key driver behind the Veganuary movement. Animal agriculture significantly contributes to deforestation, water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s easier than ever to adopt a vegan lifestyle. Supermarkets are stocked with plant-based options, and restaurants offer vegan dishes that rival their animal-based counterparts.
Try some tasty options for yourself at Pali Veg Fest, a vegan street food festival happening right here in the Palisades. It’ll also be a terrific opportunity to meet and get answers to all your questions from your Resilient Palisades Vegan Solutions Team neighbors.
Pali Veg Fest will take place Sunday, January 14, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 861 Alma Real Drive, in front of Palisades Branch Library.
For more support from your Vegan Solutions Team and Veganuary, visit resilientpalisades.org/plant-based-solutions and veganuary.com/en-us.
January 1 marked the start of the new year—and the day many new California laws went into effect. From a minimum wage increase, workplace changes and more, here are some noteworthy laws that could bring some day to day changes for Palisadians.
Minimum Wage Increase
California’s minimum wage increased from a rate of $15.50 per hour to $16 for all employers at the start of 2024.
In 2016, then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a law that increased the minimum wage each year until it reached $15 per hour. After $15 was reached, annual increases were set to take place on the first day of the year.
However, a number of California cities and counties have enacted minimums above the state’s—including Los Angeles County, which raised its floor to $16.90 in July 2023. On July 1, 2024, the minimum wage in Los Angeles will increase to $17.27 per hour.
And in April, Assembly Bill 1228 will go into effect, raising the minimum wage of fast food workers to $20 per hour.
Workplace Changes
California workers are now guaranteed five sick days—or 40 hours—up from the three days employers were previously required to provide, due to Senate Bill 616, introduced by State Senator Lena Gonzalez.
Upon signing the bill on October 4, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom said too many people were left to choose between “skipping a day’s pay and taking care of themselves or their family members when they get sick.”
“We’re making it known that the health and wellbeing of workers and their families is of the utmost importance for California’s future,” he shared in a statement.
According to the governor’s office, offering sick days reduces health care costs and “helps save employers money,” through increased productivity and morale.
Introduced by State Senator Steven Bradford, Senate Bill 700 makes it unlawful for an employer to discriminate against a person in hiring, termination, and any term or condition of employment, or otherwise penalize a person because of their use of cannabis off the job and away from the workplace. The bill makes it unlawful for employers to request information from an applicant for employment relating to their prior use of cannabis.
Housing
Written by State Senator Susan Eggman, Senate Bill 267 prohibits the use of a person’s credit history as part of the application process for a rental housing accommodation. Housing providers are asked to “reasonably consider … alternative evidence in lieu of the person’s credit history,” such as lawful, verifiable alternative evidence of the applicant’s reasonable ability to pay. This can include, but is not limited to, government benefit payments, pay records and bank statements.
Public Safety
Senate Bill 2 prohibits a person from carrying a concealed firearm in most public places, including—but is not limited to—playgrounds, amusement parks, churches, banks, stadiums, arenas and more.
Senate Bill 14 defines human trafficking as a “serious felony,” meaning offenders of this crime can face up to life in prison.
Assembly Bill 701 sets harsher punishments for individuals convicted of dealing high amounts of fentanyl. AB 701 will potentially increase prison sentences and penalties to those in possession of more than one kilogram of the substance.
There is a great exercise class two days a week in the Palisades that I’ve enjoyed for years – we meet from 1:15 until 3:00 Tuesdays and Thursdays in Janes Hall at the Presbyterian Church. Our instructor Arne Hyman provides a fitness class easy on the joints and accessible to everyone. We have enjoyable warmups to music followed by stretching and mat work with elements of resistance training, yoga and Tai Chi. Our class is mostly local residents who enjoy the social side of group exercise. No advance sign-ups are required and the charge is $10 per class. Come and join the fun.
Owls
There is a beautiful pair of Great Horned Owls hooting around the Alphabets. Please don’t put out rat poison! Owls are the best rat exterminators.
Polar Plunge
The annual Polar Bear Plunge was this weekend at Annenberg Beach House. The mascot is sooooo cute and I might do it next year, take the plunge in the ocean. Happy 2024, everybody!
All-Stars
A big congratulations to the rec center’s major all-star team, who recently won the city’s flag football title!
PRIDE
Thank you, Palisades PRIDE, for the new clock tower in town. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it is worth a visit.
Eagles
It is always a treat to read how many scouts make it to Eagle in Pacific Palisades. What a special accomplishment.
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