At first, Pacific Palisades resident Amy Madnick felt embarrassed by the publicity she received for winning one of the 2007 Golden Sparkplug Awards, given annually by the Community Council to civic-minded citizens. ‘But with time, I realized that it has also offered me the opportunity to share my passion about the American Cancer Society and Relay for Life,’ Madnick told a crowd of about 160 community members gathered at the American Legion Hall for the Citizen-of-the-Year dinner last Thursday. Madnick and fellow Sparkplug winner David Card were honored. Community Council Chairman Steve Boyers congratulated Madnick for organizing the first Palisades Relay for Life, an event in which people run or walk for 24 hours to raise money for the American Cancer Society. He applauded Card for beautifying the landscape near the sewage pumping station on Temescal Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway, and for his work on the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee (PCCAC). ‘Both of you are celebrated individuals who are now an integral part of the history of this community,’ Boyers said. ‘You will always be remembered and respected.’ Madnick asked the principal at Marquez Elementary School to host the first relay in 2004. She convinced merchants to make donations and found volunteers to help out at the event, Boyers said. ‘The Relay for Life is an annual event that has taught many schoolchildren the importance of community service, and it has improved the quality of life in our community,’ Boyer said, presenting Madnick with her award. Madnick, a social worker at Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, lost both her parents to cancer. ‘Relay for Life has made me feel closer to my father and my mother and their legacy than anything I have done as a social worker, mother or wife, since my parents passed away in 1976 and 1984,’ Madnick said, choking back tears. To beautify the area near the pumping station, Card asked the Rotary Club to purchase plants and recruited the labor from Boy Scout Troop 23, Boyers said. He secured funds from the Palisades Junior Women’s Club to pay for a solar-powered irrigation system. Card also convinced L.A. Department of Recreation and Parks and the Public Works Bureau to maintain the new landscaping. ‘The project was just successfully completed last week,’ Boyers said, ‘and because of your efforts, it has beautified and improved our community.’ Card, a landscape designer, was also honored because of his work on the PCCAC. He conducted public meetings to gather input for the long-planned park on 40 acres in Potrero Canyon. ‘We had lots of controversy, but we came together with a plan, which will be fabulous,’ Card said. The committee approved the plan in January and has submitted it to the city for consideration. Card thanked the PCCAC Chairman George Wolfberg and Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl and his staff, along with everyone who participated in the meetings on Potrero Canyon. He acknowledged Rotary Club member Perry Akins, who came up with the idea to beautify the landscape near the pumping station, and Eagle Scout candidate Jamie Hubbs for helping organize the Boy Scout volunteers. ‘Get involved in your community,’ Card said. ‘It’s fun.’

The fourth meeting of Pacific Palisades merchants was held last week at Spanky Lane, a children’s boutique on Via de la Paz, to discuss ways to get the message out to Palisades residents to shop locally, and also to address concerns about the empty storefronts in the business district. Ironically, Spanky Lane’s co-owners Angela Wilder and Marni Diamond notified customers this week that they are going out of business. This follows the closure of Nevicella Apparel and Petique, also on Via, a week ago. The April 22 meeting was sparsely attended but included Palisadian Joe Ziden, who runs Z Gallery (a home furnishing store in Santa Monica), and expressed interest in seeing how local stores were doing. Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s field deputy Jennifer Rivera attended the meeting to hear concerns and to see if Rosendahl could help in any capacity. ‘We’re trying to understand the real issue,’ Rivera said. She was told about the empty storefronts on Swarthmore Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, some of which have been vacant for almost two years. Many merchants were also concerned about the lack of building maintenance on those properties. ‘We’re reaching out to you, to see if there’s anything we can do politically or legally,’ Marni Diamond told Rivera. Many of those who attended said it would be helpful if Rosendahl would speak to Palisades Partners, landlord for nearly all the stores on the 1000 block of Swarthmore, plus the empty spaces on Sunset, vacated by The Nest Egg and The Office Supplier. ‘Hopefully, we can meet with a member of Palisades Partners,’ Rivera said. ‘Bill is willing to talk to them. We need to know their long-term goal.’ Another overriding frustration expressed at the meeting is that local residents buy goods through the Internet under the mistaken belief that it is cheaper than shopping in town. Angela Wilder explained the dilemma in succinct terms: ‘When you buy stuff on the Internet, you’re flushing independent stores down the toilet. That is your choice. But when these stores close, you’ve made that choice.’ The group discussed ways to encourage local shopping, including having waiters and shop owners wear T-shirts with the SHOPP logo, and SHOPP signs posted in the store windows, reminding Palisadians to support local businesses. A SHOPP gift basket is being assembled and will be given by realtors to new residents. The baskets will include a bottle of wine donated by Gelson’s and another local wine dealer, free Theatre Palisades tickets, merchant coupons and a SHOPP merchant directory. The merchant meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month, now at a new location to be announced.

Five local teachers will receive the 2008 Lori Petrick Excellence in Education Awards for their achievements in the classroom. Selected by the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation, the winners are Canyon School teachers Kellie Howard and Akimi Sujishi-Watson and Palisades Charter High School teachers Stephen Klima, John Rauschuber and David Schalek. ‘Teachers are often taken for granted,’ said foundation member Paula Leonhauser. ‘It’s a way of rewarding them for their dedication, time and energy.’ The award, given annually since 2003, honors the late Lori Petrick, who was a popular third and fourth grade teacher at Marquez and Palisades elementary schools, respectively. The teachers will each receive $2,000 and a crystal trophy during an afternoon ceremony at a residence in Pacific Palisades on May 18. Any educator who works within the Palisades Charter Complex for five or more years can apply for the award. Teachers must submit a 2,000-word essay or a 10-minute videotape explaining why their teaching methods represent the best practices in education and how they communicate high expectations to their students. This year, 17 teachers applied for the honor. Topanga Elementary teacher Paul Astin and Marquez teachers Laurie Salzman and Jean Vegas received honorable mention. A group of professional educators reviewed the applications and then visited the teachers’ classrooms. Merle Price, former LAUSD deputy superintendent, and Patty Lancaster, head counselor at Archer School for Girls, observed the secondary-school teachers. Terri Arnold, former Palisades Elementary principal, and Michelle Bennett, former Westwood Charter School principal, evaluated the elementary-school teachers. The secondary school judges wrote that it is apparent that Schalek, a physics and physical geology teacher, loves the subject he teaches. When they visited his class, he had the students involved in problem-solving exercises throughout the period ‘This teacher was a pleasure to watch,’ Lancaster wrote. ‘With a huge class (35) and a difficult subject ‘ everyone seemed engaged.’ Judges described Klima, an English teacher, as an excellent lecturer. They thought he related well to students, who responded to the questions he asked. In addition, ‘He applies content to historical context as well as present day,’ Price wrote. According to the judges, Rauschuber, a social studies teacher, engages students with current events. He also provides them with the support they need to achieve. ‘Wow, this teacher is an inspiration ‘ He is dedicated to his students learning and proficiency,’ Lancaster wrote. Elementary judges applauded Howard, a second grade teacher, for engaging students and having a classroom environment that reflects all subject areas. ‘Kellie is a very strong teacher,’ Bennett observed. Sujishi-Watson, also a second grade teacher, received praise for her instructional strength. ‘It was a pleasure to observe her interaction with students,’ Bennett said. Mark Snyder, board chair of the foundation, said he is pleased with this year’s selections. ‘The members of the foundation board believe there are many wonderful teachers in the community, and we want to do our small part in recognizing their efforts,’ Snyder said. (The Palisadian-Post will profile each winner in future issues.)

After returning home from work on April 18, Bernie R. was in his Marquez Knolls backyard, reading his mail, when he heard a ruckus coming from the front of his house. As he went around the side to investigate, he saw his six-year-old Doberman, Zeke, under attack by two pit bulls. Bernie’s property is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and gated, but the two dogs broke in through a front gate to gain access to the yard. ‘They jumped on my dog and started tearing him apart,’ said Bernie, who requested that his last name be withheld. He tried to pull the dogs off, but neither pit bull had a leash or a collar. He kicked at one dog, which turned from Zeke and attacked Bernie. The homeowner grabbed a wooden patio chair and started hitting the dog; when the chair broke, Bernie grabbed a second chair to defend himself, and it also broke. Then he threw a ceramic basin at the dogs, which allowed Zeke a momentary escape. The smaller of the pit bulls, which Bernie estimated to be about 70 pounds, ran off. But the larger one, close to 100 pounds, ran after Zeke. Bernie ran into the house for a stick and a hammer, ran back outside and forced the larger dog off Zeke, then chased the pit bull into the street. He saw his neighbor, who was taking her baby out of the car, and asked her to call the police. Another neighbor, alarmed by the tremendous racket, had already called 911. Bernie followed the pit bull into a cul de sac to see if it was going home, but also to make sure nobody would be hurt. A UPS truck was parked in the cul de sac with a door open. Conveniently, the dog jumped into the truck and Bernie slammed the door shut, then waited for the police. Once officers arrived and Animal Control had taken away the larger pit bull, Bernie drove his dog to a local veterinarian, who advised him that Zeke needed to be taken to an emergency facility. At the animal hospital, Bernie was told that Zeke needed to be put down because he had serious puncture wounds on his head, neck and back. His lung cavity had also been punctured. ‘He was the sweetest dog in the world,’ Bernie said. ‘He got along with other dogs and kids. He was affectionate and friendly to a fault. ‘I was pretty much an emotional mess and so was my wife,’ he added. As far as Bernie knows the small pit bull has been euthanized and he’s not sure about the status of the larger one, which was in Animal Control custody. ‘My understanding is that the landlord has told the renters that they had to put the dogs down,’ Bernie said.

Assemblywoman Julia Brownley and State Senator Sheila Kuehl have requested that Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston give the State Attorney General documents from the Pacific Palisades Community Council regarding the legality of the photo-enforced stop signs placed in several parks, including Temescal Gateway Park. Public outcry about the cameras started last July, when motorists began receiving $100 fines for failing to come to a complete stop at signs in the park. Some residents felt that they had been ticketed unfairly, arguing that the installation was faulty. Some objected to the photo that showed a car, but not the driver’s face. Others asserted that it was illegal for Redflex, the company that installed the cameras, to receive 20 percent of the fine, and that the appeal process was unfair. In response to various complaints, the Community Council sent a letter and documents dated April 8 to Brownley and Kuehl, asking them to request that the State Attorney General’s office provide a formal opinion on the legality of the installation and use of photo enforcement. Edmiston beat the Council to the punch by asking for an informal opinion from the Attorney General’s office, which he made public on April 7. In that informal opinion the AG’s office agreed with the conclusion by the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority’s (MRCA) law firm Richards/Watson/Gershon that traffic control as practiced through video cameras was legal. The Attorney General’s office wrote, ‘MRCA, as a joint exercise of powers agency, could adopt a traffic control ordinance pursuant to Government Code section 53069.4. That section authorizes local agencies to adopt ordinances and to make the violation of those ordinances subject to an administrative fine or penalty.’ But, Community Council Member Jack Allen accused Edmiston of ‘spoonfeeding RWG a limited and misleading set of facts. What Edmiston is attempting is an end run around the Community Council’s request and preempting the Community Council’s effort to get a formal opinion from the Attorney General regarding the legality,’ Allen wrote in an e-mail to the Palisadian-Post. Allen reiterated that the Community Council is requesting a formal opinion. In an e-mail to the Post, Supervising Deputy Attorney General John Saurenman explained, ‘Formal opinions and informal advice letters are very different animals. An informal advice letter is just that’an informal letter providing advice to a client.’ ‘A formal opinion addresses more weighty issues and is given a great deal more weight.’ As an example, when an appellate court is ruling on an issue, the hierarchy of precedent it uses is basically Supreme Court decisions, followed by appellate court decisions, and then’formal Attorney General opinions.’So we very carefully consider which requests for opinions to grant and then very carefully prepare these opinions,’ Saurenman said. The informal opinion given to the MRCA by the Attorney General’s office was based on a seven-page document from the RWG law firm, which wrote that they received their information from documents supplied by the MRCA, and through conversations with Edmiston, MRCA Staff Counsel Laurie Collins and Chief Ranger Walt Young. RWG wrote, ‘We have performed no independent verification of the status of these roads or paths. If our understanding of the facts is inaccurate in any way, or if the facts change, please let us know immediately as that could affect our opinion.’ Both Brownley and Kuehl called for further consideration of the case. In an April 22 letter to Edmiston, Brownley wrote, ‘Accordingly, both as the Assemblymember representing Pacific Palisades and as a legislative participant on the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board, I am requesting that you reopen the question and instruct the attorneys to fully consider the evidence and legal briefs submitted by the Pacific Palisades Community Council.’ ‘MRCA is going to ask the Attorney General to look at the documents [from PPCC] and if there is new information, to consider it in their opinion,’ Laurie Newman from Senator Kuehl’s office told the Post on Tuesday.