Everyone agreed last Wednesday about the quest to protect Santa Monica Bay from polluted stormwater, but residents challenged the City’s preparations for the proposed $15.9- million Temescal Stormwater Diversion Project. Appearing at a public meeting in the Palisades Branch Library community room, Heal the Bay President Mark Gold and Palisadian Fran Diamond, chairperson of the Los Angeles Regional Water Control Board strongly supported the project, arguing that it was an important use of Proposition O funds. Built by the City of Los Angeles, the new underground system along Temescal Canyon Road, just north of Pacific Coast Highway, would trap rainstorm runoff from October through April and would consist of three separate structures. During a storm, water would first drain into a diversion tank, and then into a hydro-separator (which separates pollutants such as trash and debris from the rainwater). The water would then flow into a 1.25-million-gallon, cement-reinforced holding tank at the bottom of Temescal Canyon Park, where it could stay for up to three days before traveling to the Hyperion Treatment Center in El Segundo.   Questions by residents in the audience focused on the adequacy of studies conducted by the City, the choice of location, leaking sewer pipes, the effectiveness of the system and who would pay for maintenance. ‘ Environmental, geotechnical and traffic reports. Residents questioned why an environmental impact report (EIR) hadn’t been done. According to Public Works information officer Michelle Vargas, this project qualifies for a CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) categorical exemption, thus avoiding an EIR. Residents then questioned the completeness of the geotechnical report done in 2008, which stated: ‘Our evaluation did not include a detailed evaluation of the landslide susceptibility or stability of the slopes adjacent to the project.’ ‘We want you to do the work that you require us to do when we build our homes,’ said Bernard Kinsey, who lives on the slopes above Temescal Canyon. ‘We’re not trying to stop you, but you haven’t done your work.’ Residents wanted to access the (Continued on Page 3) traffic plan, which has not been available to the public. They are concerned that the heavy traffic when Palisades Charter High School dismisses was not adequately investigated, nor was the loss of parking along Temescal Canyon Road. ‘We’ll come back next month with the traffic plans,’ promised Kendrick Okuda, Proposition O program manager for the Bureau of Engineering. ‘ Choice of Temescal Canyon. Since a large portion of the watershed that drains into the diversion tank is uninhabited land, resident Todd Thompson said: ‘I feel like you’re spending money in Temescal not because the need is the greatest here, but only because you have property there.’ He estimated that about 60 percent of the 1,600 acre watershed was uninhabited. Gold corrected him, ’80 percent of the watershed is uninhabited, but under the Clean Water Act, the law says every single beach needs to be clean.’ Bureau of Sanitation’s Watershed Protection Division Manager Shahram Kharaghani acknowledged, ‘We selected the park because it is city government land and we did not have to acquire other land.’ ‘ Leaking Sewer Pipes. Current plans are to drain the 1.25-million gallon tank into a newly-constructed pipe that will connect to an existing 3,000-ft. force main that runs into the Coastal Interceptor Sewer below PCH. Leaks have been found in the existing force main, which drains sewage from Via de las Olas. Residents want assurance that those leaks will be fixed before the project starts. Michelle Vargas, a spokesperson for Public Works, said that a closed-circuit television camera is inside the pipe and will soon determine the total damage. Okuda said $600,000 has been set aside to pay for a new lining in the existing force main and the new pipe to the force main. As reported in the Palisadian-Post (‘Aging Sewer, Slow Response Meant Beach Hazard,’ January 31, 2007), Kharaghani attributed much of the beach pollution to the city’s aging sewer lines.   A resident wanted to know how the city knew that polluted water at Will Rogers Beach is coming from stormwater runoff and not broken sewer pipes.   Gold told the group that source tracking can be done to find the origin of the pollution, which would allow the City to know if the pollution was from broken sewer pipes. He acknowledged that it had not been done in Temescal. ‘ Effectiveness of the system. Another resident said it was his understanding that the system didn’t work with all storms. Vargas said that the diversion system will activate anytime there is a storm of at least 2.65 cubic feet of rain per second (a little less than .2 inches over a 24-hour period). According to Okuda, the device will capture the first runoff, which is considered the most polluted. Everything in excess of 1.25-million gallons will divert back into the existing storm drain and run into the ocean. Another resident questioned whether this project was indeed the best use for the money or whether it could be better spent replacing aging sewer lines across Pacific Palisades, as well as leaking septic tanks in Rivas, upper Rustic Canyon and Mandeville Canyon. ‘ The cost of maintenance and who would pay for it. Resident Chris Spitz wanted assurance that before construction begins, adequate funding will be in place to clean and maintain the proposed hydro-separator.   In an e-mail to the Post, Spitz wrote: ‘We have learned from credible residents that the hydro-separator at the Sun Valley stormwater diversion project is rarely if ever maintained or cleaned, leading to the malfunctioning of that facility.’ The $500 million in Proposition O money is not targeted towards maintenance and there have been no provisions yet for the Temescal project. Given the numerous unanswered questions, City officials promised to hold a second informational meeting in March. Residents were also assured that the proposed October start of the project could be delayed. (A tour of a stormwater diversion project in Sun Valley is scheduled for tomorrow, in order for residents to view the operations. To attend, call Vikki Zale at (310) 822-2010.)

Although Elyse Walker Men opened on Antioch Street in September, the owner postponed her official opening party until last Friday evening, when invited guests, residents and local business people celebrated in the new store from 6 to 9 p.m.   ’Originally our party was supposed to be in October and then the market crashed,’ said Elyse Walker, who owns three other clothing stores and a shoe store on Antioch Avenue. ‘Although the market continues to crash, we decided to have a party anyway.’   While guests enjoyed beverages, appetizers and sweets, Walker acknowledged that the current business climate is hardly optimal. ‘It is hard; nothing is easy right now,’ she said. ‘Guys are not huge shoppers in a recession. It’s all a matter of how hard do you want to work.’   Jeweler Peter Norman, who opened his new store on the corner of Antioch and Sunset last October, said that business has been decent: ‘I’m not unhappy, because it’s such a great area.’ As a party favor, guests were given a cashmere blanket from B. Chyll, designed by Palisades resident Leslie Gifford, who started the popular sweater line in the fall of 2007. ‘It’s locals helping locals,’ said publist/event director Tori Springer, who was happy with the large turnout. ‘We all need something to celebrate in these times.’   ’I was working here earlier,’ said Ramis Sadrieh, owner of Technology for You, who does computer-related support for the stores. ‘I stopped by to congratulate Elyse and [her husband David].’   Daniel Sapozhnikov, owner of Ogden Cleaners on Sunset, who does the tailoring for the new store, also stopped by and praised Walker.   Walker’s employees all wore chic black dresses and the latest fashion from her shoe store, five-inch heels. ‘We like to dress up,’ said men’s store manager Cameron Cohen, ‘but it’s hard to run around in five-inche heels all day.’   One of the celebrity guests was Palisadian Giada De Laurentiis, host of three Food Network shows (‘Everyday Italian,’ ‘Weekend Getaways,’ and ‘Giada at Home,’ a contributing correspondent on NBC’s ‘Today Show’ and author of the best-selling book ‘Everyday Italian.’ She said she met Walker through The Pink Party, an annual event that Walker started in 2004 to raise money for the Women’s Cancer Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.   ’My brother died of cancer and I’ve worked on the Party with Elyse,’ De Laurentiis said. ‘It’s been rewarding working with her.’   Chayim Frenkel, the Cantor at Kehillat Israel, offered his explanation for the continued popularity of Walker’s five stores, the first of which opened in 1999.   ’Elyse and her husband are so philanthropic and giving. That’s why the store gives off the aura it does,’ Frenkel said. ‘It’s not just about the bottom line, it’s ‘What can I do to give back to the community?”

‘I am most humbled and thrilled,’ City Councilman Bill Rosendahl told the Palisadian-Post after seeing his 75-percent lead in the election an hour after the polls closed Tuesday night. ‘I’m most grateful to all those who had confidence in me, and I look forward to serving another four years,’ Rosendahl continued. With nearly 100 percent of the polls reporting by Wednesday morning, Rosendahl had received 16,728 votes (74 percent) compared to his challenger Harry ‘Craig’ Wilson, a hydrographer for the L.A. Department of Water and Power, who had 5,781 votes (26 percent).   Rosendahl, 63, said he believes he will be more effective in his second term because he understands the job better.   Now that he has won, he hopes to move forward with plans to complete the long-stalled creation of Potrero Canyon Park. This past year, he helped to ensure that proceeds from the sale of two city-owned properties on Alma Real will be dedicated to the park and not the city’s general fund.   Without the help of his staff, Rosendahl said he couldn’t have won the election. ‘My whole staff matches my philosophy that we are here to serve the people.’   This next term will be a challenging one, Rosendahl admits, as the city grapples with a projected $400-million budget deficit.   Rosendahl’s goal is to secure funding to hire more police officers, especially for the West Los Angeles Community Police Station.   ’We’re the most vulnerable to losing officers because we have lower crime,’ the councilman said.   Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (who won reelection with 56 percent of the vote) will release his proposed budget on April 20 and the City Council has until mid-June to pass the budget. Rosendahl said that the Council will look for places within departments to make cuts and explore ways to generate revenue. ‘It will be a difficult process.’   In the race for the Los Angeles School Board District 4 seat, Marshall High School teacher and counselor Steve Zimmer narrowly won with 26,023 votes (56 percent). Mike Stryer, a Fairfax High School social studies teacher and Pacific Palisades resident, received 20,339 votes (44 percent).   ’I want to congratulate my opponent, Steve Zimmer, on a hard-fought, substantive campaign that focused on key issues facing our educational system,’ Stryer said in a statement to the Post. ‘I am pleased to say that both Steve and I avoided any personal or nasty attacks during the campaign and debated issues in a serious, informed way.’   Zimmer, 38, replaces Marlene Canter, who served two terms on the seven-member school board and who had endorsed Stryer.   Stryer, 47, said he looks forward to continuing his work at Fairfax, where he has taught for five years. He thanked all of those who supported him during the campaign.   ’In particular, I want to acknowledge the tremendous support that I received in Pacific Palisades,’ said Stryer, who lives in Marquez with his wife, Barri, and their children, Adam, 14 and Leah, 11.   ’I cannot properly describe the incredible outpouring of effort and passion put into this campaign by Palisadians. It’s yet another testament to the great community in which we live.’

The Junior Women’s Club, one of the most philanthropic organizations in Pacific Palisades, continued its tradition Tuesday evening by handing out $77,200 in grants to 32 local schools and organizations. ‘We’re so excited to be able to give back to the community,’ said JWC’s president Kim Kedeshian. ‘In the last 10 years we have given more than $500,000.’   She acknowledged that it was harder to raise money in 2008, given that the group’s major fundraiser, the November home tour, came as the economy was heading downhill. ‘We had to make tough decisions because we couldn’t fund everyone who applied.’   The recipients were divided into four categories.   A total of $17,600 was given to nine groups in the arts and recreation category, including Palisades Art Association to continue its mission, Camp Josepho for construction of three fire prevention areas, Cub Scout Pack 223 for financial subsidies to needy families, Calvary Christian School for a canopy over a snack table near the athletic field, the Historical Society for archiving tapes to gold CD’s, Chamber Music Palisades and Palisades Symphony to continue their programs and Palisades-Malibu YMCA for a new water line on their Sunset and Temescal property. Movies in the Park received funds for upgrading equipment. ‘If it weren’t for the Junior Women, we wouldn’t have been in the park last year,’ Brad Lusk said.   Ten charitable organizations received a total of $20,600, including the Palisades Americanism Parade Association, which organizes the Fourth of July parade and fireworks show. ‘We’ll make this the best event ever,’ promised PAPA President Rob Weber.   Palisades Cares received money for mailing recycling pamphlets, and the Chamber of Commerce received grants for holiday decorations and Chrysalis/Street Works. Fire Station 23 (equipment) and Station 69 (Smokey’s care) received money, along with ITN Greater LA (transportation for the elderly), World Church Palisades Hunger Walk, The Kris Kelly Foundation for medical care of needy animals, the Palisades Woman’s Club for clubhouse renovations and Meals on Wheels.   Junior Women gave $33,000 to seven education-related groups, including the El Dustberry Foundation in Rustic Canyon for a fly-spray system for the rescued horses and the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation, which provides student scholarships. The Palisades High Booster Club will use its money for the college center for computers and additional college visits. ‘This grant will help us develop relationships with more colleges,’ said counselor Ruth Grubb.   Paul Revere’s booster club (PRIDE) asked for money to help build its outdoor classroom. ‘It’s so wonderful, all the support you give public schools,’ said Ellen Pfahler, who accepted for Revere. Three elementary schools received funds: Canyon, Marquez (funding enrichment teachers) and Palisades Elementary (purchasing a portable sound system).   In the beautification category, $6,000 was divided between Palisades PRIDE (the median at Sunset and Monument), Palisades Beautiful (purchasing new trees), Palisades Village Green (tree trimming) and the new Sunset Beach Association for beautifying an area at Sunset Boulevard and PCH.