The City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works plans to construct a $15.9-million diversion system along Temescal Canyon Road that will be used solely for rainstorm runoff from October through April, if it obtains local city coastal approval and Coastal Commission approval.   Ideally, stormwater will one day drain into a diversion tank that feeds into a hydro-separator, which separates out pollutants such as trash and oil. The debris remains in the hydro-separator and the water flows into a 1.3-million-gallon cement-reinforced holding tank at the bottom of Temescal Canyon Park (just north of Pacific Coast Highway), where it will stay for up to three days before being sent to the Hyperion Treatment Center in El Segundo.   The LADPW plans to finance construction from Proposition O, which passed in 2004 and allowed the city to issue up to $500 million in general bonds for watershed projects that clean up and prevent pollution of waterways and beaches.   The diversion system will filter rain from the 1,600-acre watershed area that encompasses El Medio on the west, Via de la Paz on the east, and the ridge line of the Santa Monica Mountains to the north, which means a great deal of the runoff comes from parkland. That area does not have a high concentration of trash and toxins such as used motor oil, antifreeze, fertilizers, pesticides and pet waste, which are the most common stormwater pollutants, according to Michelle Vargas, spokesperson for the Department of Public Works. Despite being a low-pollution site, the Temescal location was selected for the facility because it is on city-owned property.   The diversion system will be housed underground at three sites in the canyon. The first stop for the stormwater will be the diversion tank (16 ft. by 12 ft. and 24 ft. deep). From that tank the water drains into the hydrodynamic separator, while the cleaned water continues towards the beach to the holding tank. The separator is 16 ft. in diameter and will be buried 25 ft. below ground, with a 5-ft. by 5-ft. hatch being the only visible feature at the surface.   The holding tank will be buried under a playing field and playground area. This tank is 166 ft. by 66 ft. and 30 ft. deep. After construction, the field and playground will be reinstated.   Construction is expected to start next September and take about a year.   Temescal Canyon Road, of course, is a major artery in and out of the Palisades. At a December 5 public hearing at the Palisades Branch Library, Bureau of Engineering Temescal Stormwater Project Manager Andy Flores said that the bike lane and sidewalk on both sides of the road would remain open, but that traffic could be reduced to one lane each way.   Community activist George Wolfberg asked that a traffic study be presented to the Pacific Palisades Community Council.   ’The traffic plans for this project are currently being developed in compliance with L.A. Department of Transportation requirements,’ Vargas said. ‘The project team will be able to inform residents about it when it is finalized, sometime towards the end of project design in the spring of 2009.’   At the public hearing, several audience members wondered if there were sensors in the system in order to alert that the hydro-separator needed to be cleaned. Although the audience was told that there are no other existing systems like this, and that it is state-of-the-art, the hydro-separator and the holding tank would have to be visually inspected to see if they need cleaning.   ’Maintenance will be done on a routine scheduled basis per manufacturer’s indication,’ Vargas told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday. ‘The [1.3-million-gallon] tank will also be maintained on a regular scheduled basis.’ He sadded, ‘As in any bond measure, the Prop. O funds passed by L.A. voters and approved by the L.A. City Council only cover the cost of construction.’   Unfortunately, ‘All of the Prop. O money has been committed,’ said Alex Fey, the Legislative and Environmental Officer for Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office on Tuesday. ‘We’re looking for an ongoing funding source, maybe a property assessment. We’re looking at different options.’

President-elect Barack Obama ran his political campaign on the word ‘Hope,’ and, coincidentally, a cinematographer with the first name Hope helped spread his message. Hope Hall, who grew up in Pacific Palisades, has spent the past six months making videos about Obama’s campaign and transition into office, which play on BarackObama.com, Change.gov and other media outlets. The 39-year-old has traveled the country with Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden filming their speeches and rallies, including the Democratic National Convention (DNC) and election night. Hall has also made promotional videos of their supporters, including singer Alicia Keys and Death Cab for Cutie’s guitarist Chris Walla. ??’The election was the best night of my life, so far,’ Hall told the Palisadian-Post from Washington, D.C. ‘I filmed the front rows of the audience and Obama’s whole speech from the foot of the stage. I got to hug and congratulate Obama and Biden afterwards. I stayed out until 8 in the morning, and the week following continued to be the best time of my life.’ Hall, who attended Canyon School and Paul Revere Middle School, landed a job with Obama’s New Media through her friend Amy Rice, also a cinematographer. Rice co-directed a documentary about Obama, and Hall had helped her with the filming. When New Media was looking to hire, Rice recommended Hall for a staff position. Although the job paid minimally, Hall could not decline. ‘I imagined saying ‘No’ to see what it would feel like, and it just didn’t make sense at all, viscerally, emotionally, philosophically, intellectually,’ said Hall, who sublet her apartment in New York and headed to Chicago to stay with friends of her parents and godmother. Her mother, Betsy Hall, lives in Chicago and her father, Tom Hall, resides in Pacific Palisades with his wife, Rebecca. Hall had supported Obama since hearing him speak at the DNC in 2004. ‘He struck me as conscientious and thoughtful more than anything else,’ she said. ‘I agreed with his stand on the war in Iraq, which I had been actively opposed to, marching against, and working hard to stop long before it started.’ Since starting the job, one of Hall’s favorite videos to make was ‘Signs of Hope and Change,’ featuring Obama supporters. She shot footage of the nation’s landscapes and of American citizens canvassing and holding signs that read ‘Hope’ and ‘Change.’ ‘It was really fun to help create a portraiture of supporters,’ Hall said. ‘Many people were becoming energized politically for the first time.’ At the DNC in Denver, she interviewed former President Jimmy Carter, who was the first politician to inspire her at age 7. ‘When I was introduced as Hope Hall from the Obama Campaign to Jimmy Carter, he exclaimed, ‘Your name is Hope? And you work for Obama?’ at which point he gave me a huge hug. ??’I was so nervous interviewing him that I had to check afterward that I had remembered to press record on the camera, which doesn’t happen to me often anymore.’ Hall earned her bachelor’s degree in history and French from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in documentary film and video from Stanford University. She has made several documentaries and received an honorable mention at Sundance in 2000 for ‘This is for Betsy Hall,’ which is about her mother, who struggles with anorexia and bulimia. After the election, Hall decided to continue working for Obama as part of his transition team. She now lives in Washington, D.C. with her sister, Gillette, one of five siblings. She shoots press conferences and makes videos about the new administration such as the economic policy team. After the inauguration on January 20, Hall plans to return to New York, but she hopes to continue to work for Obama’s New Media part-time. ‘I put everything on hold to do this,’ she said. ‘The pace is so crazy that I can barely manage to make a personal call during the week. I am looking forward to resuming my life, my own work and my teaching.’ She teaches cinematography at The New School in New York. Hall is grateful for the experience and the opportunity to spend time with the future president. ‘He’s exactly the way he has been characterized,’ she said. ‘His strongest attribute is his transparency; he doesn’t hide.’ To view Hall’s videos, visit her blog at hopevideo.tumblr.com.

One of the distinctive landmarks in Pacific Palisades’the giant orange Union 76 ball, located near the corner of Via de la Paz and Sunset’was taken down on Saturday afternoon and trucked away. ‘I was told that the ball was supposed to remain,’ ConocoPhillips station owner Robert Munakash told the Palisadian-Post on Monday. ‘It wasn’t my decision, but rather ConocoPhillips [the company].’ The Palisades resident said that although he owns the lease for the station, the corporation owns the land. Munakash acquired the station’s lease last February from Frank Jakel, who recalled that the ball was already in place when he bought the franchise in 1974. It was Munakash’s understanding that the decision to remove the iconic orange ball down was mandated by the Palisades Design Review Board, which designates a square-footage stipulation for business signs. A new sign, in tandem with the orange ball, would have exceeded the square footage allowed and would have required ConocoPhillips to obtain a variance. The new monument sign was installed on the corner last week. ‘We got it okayed,’ said Jakel, who was visiting the station on Monday. ‘It was grandfathered in. The DRB gave its okay for both the monument sign and ball.’ Rick Mills of the Palisades Design Review Board said, ‘It was grandfathered in, until Conoco made a change in the signage.’ ‘The Review Board must follow the requirement of the specific plan that prohibits roof signs, pole signs and projecting signs,’ Mills told the Post on Tuesday. He added that the Review Board didn’t oppose the sign; they enjoyed it, especially when it was draped to look like a pumpkin in October, and they knew many people in the community liked it. ‘If someone wants to vary from the specific plan, that applicant must apply for an exception to the West Area Planning Commission,’ Mills said. He didn’t think that ConocoPhillips had done that. When ConocoPhillips bought Union 76 stations three years ago, Jakel was worried that the corporation would eliminate the infamous orange ball, designed by advertising creative director Ray Pedersen for the 1962 Seattle World’s Fair. Beginning in 1967, tens of millions were made and distributed by Union 76 over the years. Jakel originally sought a home for the ball at the Flight Path Museum at LAX. He told the Post, ‘The museum owns a 1941 model Union Oil tanker truck and the tugboat that filled it.’ But, the sign remained in the Palisades. In January 2006, fans of the orange ball were dismayed to learn that Conoco had plans to ‘destroy all balls.’ Rock critic and cultural historian Kim Cooper started a nationwide Save the 76 Ball campaign and more than 3,000 people joined her by signing a petition to oppose the balls’ destruction. A year later, ConocoPhillips agreed to donate several dozen orange Union 76 balls to select museums, and maintain a few historic and architecturally significant balls. In addition, the company announced plans to order 100 new 76 balls in CP’s signature red and declared that no private individuals would be allowed to purchase a 76 Ball. The Post called ConocoPhillips headquarters on Monday to find out the ultimate fate of the Palisadian ball, which was like a beacon to people traveling east on Sunset Boulevard that they were entering the tiny Pacific Palisades business area. Tami Walker, manager of ConocoPhillips brand’s management, spoke to the Post Tuesday morning, ‘We’re trying to track down what happened,’ she said, ‘We’re investigating this particular situation.’

One of the most anticipated arrivals of the New Year is the first baby born to parents living in Pacific Palisades. The winning infant and his or her family will receive 35 gift items, including announcement cards from the Palisadian-Post, a free photography session at Christa Meola’s studio, dinners to Beech Street Cafe, Kay ‘N Dave’s, the Golden Bull, Mick’s Caf’, and The Village Pantry, and various useful services and gift certificates from local merchants. Launched in 1954 by the Post, the contest’s first winner was Arnold Anchordoguy, followed two years later by Elizabeth Gail Muller (there was no contest in 1955). Last year’s winner was Devereaux Tae-Jin Dumas. To be eligible, parents must have a Pacific Palisades mailing address (zip code 90272). The attending physician must specify time of birth and attending weight in writing. Parents who have an early January baby should call the Post’s editorial department (454-1321) with the date, time and location of birth, or e-mail Sue Pascoe at features@palipost.com.   Monday, January 5 at 5 p.m. is the initial deadline for notifying the Post. If there are no babies born by that time, the deadline will be extended to January 12.

After 25 years as a freelance photographer traveling the world, Rick Steil is now sharing his expertise with Palisades Charter High School students and looking to expand the photography program. Steil, who lives in Pacific Palisades with his wife Nicole and their two sons, was hired to teach PaliHi’s photography class this fall. Since arriving, he has solicited support from the school’s administration and the booster club to purchase more cameras and equipment for a photo studio. The intent of the studio is ‘to teach students a trade, so they will be able to get a job in the photography world,’ he said. Steil is now asking the community to donate old digital and film cameras for his 150 students to use. He allows them to check out the school’s 16 film cameras and 10 digital cameras on the weekends, but ‘I can never fulfill the demand,’ he said. ‘I want them to be able to take photos of their family, neighborhood, way of life, what they feel and experience every day,’ said Steil, a native of Iowa who has shot fashion in New York and Paris. Most students in his five classes have never taken photography before so ‘it’s a level playing field for all of them,’ Steil said. ‘Some of these kids do not excel at math or English, but photography is a voice and a creative outlet for them,’ Steil, who graduated in photography from the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, found out about the job at Palisades High after offering to be a guest speaker in photography teacher Rob Doucette’s class last April. ‘I spoke to [Doucette] for about three hours and he said, ‘Did you ever think about teaching? The kids would just eat you up; they would love you,” Steil said. Doucette was planning to retire from full-time teaching after 34 years, and he now teaches yearbook and an advanced photography class part-time. The job appealed to Steil because he traveled all over as a freelance photographer and wanted to spend more time with his sons, Tyler, a freshman at PaliHi, and Tucker, a sixth grader at Paul Revere. He now teaches students how to photograph people, sports, recreation, night scenes and urban and environmental landscapes. He works with them on their prints in the darkroom and with Adobe Photoshop. ‘It’s a life change and change is always good,’ Steil said. To donate old film and digital cameras or to make a monetary donation to the photography program, contact Steil at rsteil@palihigh.org or (310) 454-9856.

Oscar-Winning Actor Makes a ‘Big Splash’ at Benefit Event

Hillary Clinton famously declared that it takes a village to raise a child. Last Wednesday, it took an internationally recognized, Academy Award-winning movie star to help raise Village Books during these difficult economic times. Tom Hanks appeared at the Swarthmore Avenue-based independent book store, where the longtime Palisades resident and star of ‘The Da Vinci Code’ signed sets of DVDs and book sets related to his various movies. ??’This is the neighborhood book store,’ Hanks told the Palisadian-Post. ‘I’ve been buying my books here for years.’ Despite cold, blustery weather, people (and one canine named Murphy) turned out in droves to greet the popular actor. At any given point, a line of about 30 fans snaked inside the cozy store to Hanks’ table in the rear for a chance to meet the celebrity, who twice won the Oscar (for his portrayal of the AIDS-afflicted Andrew Beckett in 1993’s ‘Philadelphia,’ and as Forrest Gump in 1994). In his familiar animated, rapid-fire staccato, Hanks told the Post that he and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, have long been loyal to Katie O’Laughlin’s idiosyncratic reader’s nook. ‘I came in one day and asked Katie, ‘How’s business?’ and she said, ‘Well’,’ this, that, and the other. She and I had coffee and I asked what I could do to help.’ A bemused Hanks recalled how they some potential legal snafus arose regarding the idea to stage a special screening of his 1998 romantic comedy, ‘You’ve Got Mail,’ because such a fundraiser would be supporting a business rather than a charity. ‘And so I sat down with my people and we looked at the calendar and chose the coldest, rainiest, windiest day of the year to hold this signing on,’ he joked. In fact, the December 17 event, officially slated for 7 to 9 p.m., started a half-hour early after Hanks asked his ‘crack team’ (as he kept teasing them) of PR and security personnel to let the first of the customers, shivering outside the store, in from the cold. As they entered, Hanks facetiously shouted, ‘Come on in! Big celebrity in the back of the store!’ Like so many book stores these days, the 11-year-old Village Books has struggled to stay afloat. So the irony of the signing by Hanks, who portrayed an aggressive book-chain baron out to squash Meg Ryan’s tiny bookshop in ‘You’ve Got Mail,’ was not lost on O’Laughlin. ‘I’ve kidded him that he wants to reverse the ‘bad’ his character did in ‘You’ve Got Mail,” said O’Laughlin, who pointed out another similarity to her big-screen counterpart: Ryan’s character in ‘Mail’ is named Kathleen Kelly, while O’Laughlin’s full name is Kathleen Ryan O’Laughlin. How’s that for cosmic? ??Indeed, the spirit of the feisty little bookstore that could resonated that evening, as Village sold many copies of ‘Mail.’ Also flowing out the door like the night’s downpour were copies of David McCullough’s ‘John Adams,’ inspiration for the award-winning HBO mini-series, starring Paul Giamatti, on which Hanks served as executive producer. The star of numerous Oscar-nominated features, Hanks doesn’t play favorites, as every film represents ‘singular experiences,’ he said. ‘I remember the day, the people, the good times. They’re all great, I just have a great time getting to play in a movie.’ ??Amid the chatter of the cash register ringing up books and DVDs and the party atmosphere of a store staying open after hours, Hanks’looking Hollywood-regal in a black suit, matching ring, and a white dress shirt, sans tie’cheerfully kibitzed with fans. ‘I’ll sign any book,’ Hanks mock-boasted, surveying the shelves. ‘I’ll sign Frank Lloyd Wright’s buildings. I’ll sign Marlon Brando.’ Almost immediately, a pair of young siblings pushed forward, each offering a Dr. Pepper bottle adorned with a red Christmas ribbon. Hanks signed a ‘Catch Me If You Can’ DVD and the ‘Polar Express’ children’s book, chatting the kids up like some celebrity Santa. He teased the youngest, a shy little girl who hadn’t said a word: ‘Isabelle, I wish you would give other people a chance to talk.’ Many customers were locals who had walked over to meet and greet their world-famous neighbor, packing the cozy store with some much-needed holiday cheer. To the adults, whose excitement and high spirits were palpable, meeting Hanks seemed the equivalent of children lining up to sit on Santa’s lap at the town’s ‘Holiday Ho Ho Ho!’ event. Interestingly, about nine out of ten customers were female. Kate Montgrain came with her friend, Joan, and got a copy of ‘The Road to Perdition’ DVD signed for her husband, Mike. ‘That’ll be a good surprise,’ she said of her Christmas gift. Mary Louise Piccard made it a point to appear with her 13-year-old twin daughters, Emily and Grace, in tow. ‘It’s very important to support an independent book store,’ she said. ‘So as long as Katie stays open, we’ll keep coming.’ Gayle Elliott, a local who teaches literature at Cal State Dominguez Hills, bought the ‘Da Vinci’ book. ‘He’s persevered in his career,’ Elliott said. ‘He’s literate, intelligent, and he understands that a community has to live with literature.’ Christine Ofiesh bought a ‘Da Vinci’ paperback (even though she already owned the book), along with its sequel, ‘Angels and Demons.’ ‘He was warm and wonderful and unpretentious and kind,’ she said, glancing at her copies, signed by Hanks. Naz Sykes got her copies of ‘Mail’ and the ‘Polar Express’ book signed to Liam, Luka, and other friends and relatives. ‘He’s so funny,’ Sykes said, moments later. ‘This’ll make such a unique gift for the holidays. And, of course, I’m supporting the store.’ Hanks even got to shake the paw of Murphy, a ‘woodle’ who came down with his guardians, Patrick Hart and Lynette Guy. Hart, who owns an audio/visuals facility, said that ‘Apollo 13’ has ‘some of the best audio/visuals ever made.’ Moments later, Maddy Leshner and Juliette Boberg, both 14, gushed about meeting the star. Boberg’s favorite Hanks film is ‘Gump’; Leshner picks ‘Saving Private Ryan.’ USC student Cagri Bicici learned of the signing via his Palisadian host, Mary Tuncer. As Tuncer and Bicici were leaving to eat at the neighboring Village Pantry, the latter, a native of Turkey, expressed, in his limited English, much excitement over his brush with Hollywood. ‘It was very surprising to see him. This is my life’s opportunity!’ he said, smiling. Mark and Diana Holden drove all the way up from Palos Verdes to bring daughter Payton, 7, to meet Hanks. They bought so many copies of ‘Polar Express’ (about 10 books) that they could have used the titular train just to haul their purchase back home. At 120 copies purchased, ‘Polar’ proved the evening’s best-selling item. At one point, Hanks was about to dedicate a copy of ‘Angels,’ a film adaptation of which he will star in come May 2009. At a loss for what to inscribe, Hanks turned to his ‘crack team.’ ‘What’s a good phrase for ‘Angels and Demons?’ I need something thematic!’ Not getting any takers, the Post chimed in, ‘How about ‘Coming soon!’?’ ‘There you go,’ Hanks smiled, his Sharpie scribbling away. ”Coming soon!” The next day, O’Laughlin said she was impressed with Hanks and pleased with the turnout. ‘He gave personal attention to every single person,’ O’Laughlin said. ‘The highlight was just experiencing his warm, giving, generous, and extremely funny spirit! He is as wonderful as you hope he would be! I am eternally grateful!’ Ultimately, actor and customers alike delighted in supporting O’Laughlin’s enterprise. ‘I love the personal touch and the sense of history,’ Gayle Elliott said of Village Books. ‘If a town loses its book store, it’s lost its soul.’