Seth Grinspan, 46, a known transient, was allegedly stabbed and killed by Alfred Delagraza, 48, also a transient, in the 15300 block of Pacific Coast Highway at about 7 p.m. Saturday night. Police said that apparently an altercation took place between the two men and ended when Grinspan was stabbed, across the highway from the lifeguard headquarters, near the mouth of Potrero Canyon. According to firefighters from Station 69 in Pacific Palisades, who were first on the scene, a blood trail enabled them to pinpoint the exact location where Grinspan was knifed. He had moved about a hundred yards toward Temescal Canyon Road before collapsing. He was dead when the firemen arrived. The suspect ran across PCH to the lifeguard tower. When the female lifeguard saw he had a knife, she slammed the door shut and called police. According to Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore, firefighters held the suspect until the police arrived and took Delagraza into custody. Grinspan was well known to Moore. ‘He did cause problems,’ Moore said. ‘He had been accused of physically attacking a woman who lived in the Palisades.’ Grinspan also had a prior history of arrests. ‘We knew him to be a violent homeless person who had previous altercations with law enforcement personnel and with local residents,’ said Scott Wagenseller, owner of Palisades Patrol. Delagraza, who was not known by Moore or members of Palisades Patrol, will be charged with murder.

Last Thursday, an associate zoning administrator at the L.A. Department of City Planning postponed deciding the fate of a proposed automated car wash and 24/7 mini-mart at the Shell station on Sunset Boulevard at Via de la Paz. But Administrator Dan Green, who presided over the hearing, said he was “inclined to reject” the car wash proposal, citing the Specific Plan, which regulates the character of buildings in Pacific Palisades commercial zones. Green left 10 days for proponents and opponents of the project to submit further arguments to be considered by the Planning Department. His final resolution is not expected to be made public until the first week of September. If approved, Shell station owner Jin Kwak would replace the station?s garage with a 1,640-sq.-ft. mini-mart and a 756-sq.-ft. car wash, which would operate from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Dozens of Palisades residents, fearing increased noise, traffic and crime, attended the standing-room-only hearing in West L.A. No resident spoke in favor of Kwak’s plans. After two hours of oral testimony, residents left encouraged by Green?s comments. In an e-mailed message to the Palisadian-Post last Friday, Green wrote that he needed more time to ?digest all of that information, especially in light of the effort that went into producing it.” Also, he said he will review provisions of the municipal code and conduct any necessary independent research. He made no statement regarding the mini-mart and declined to answer questions about whether he would be similarly “inclined to reject” it. At a Palisades Community Council meeting just hours after Thursday?s hearing, members alluded to what could be a more costly battle. Some believe that Kwak will appeal a negative decision or reapply with only cosmetic changes. “This guy might look like a small, immigrant business owner,” Vice Chair Richard G. Cohen said. “But he’s got significant resources.” Kwak owns six gas stations throughout Southern California, according to his project manager, Larry S. Turner, and has already converted many of his station?s garages into mini-marts and car washes?considered more profitable. Culver City recently rejected Kwak’s application to build a car wash there after neighbors of the would-be wash feared noise pollution. “We’re up against people who know their business,” said Council Chair Steve Boyers, a lawyer. “But as someone who goes to court, I’d rather have what looks like a victory than what looks like defeat.” In July, the council unanimously adopted a motion opposing the issuance of a conditional-use permit for the project. Members berated Kwak at that meeting for using false information on his application to the city. That application said that the station was surrounded on all four directions by commercial properties. It did not mention the three multi-unit residential buildings near the project, including a three-story condominium complex directly behind the proposed car wash. In June, the board of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association (PPRA) voted to oppose the Shell station plans. Since then, its members have actively organized opposition to the proposal. Ten of its members spoke during Thursday’s hearing, each elaborating on how this project would increase traffic at a crowded intersection, noise next to the condominium complex and possibly crime by attracting loitering. Project manager Turner has tried to allay residents’ fears. Speaking to the Post this week, he said that the impact of the project would be “negligible.” He says that the city concluded that no traffic study would be required when it approved the Mitigated Negative Declaration. A city official familiar with the application said that studies are not usually required except for very large projects. Turner cited an acoustical study that predicts that “sound levels will be below existing daytime ambient noise levels at all adjoining and nearby residential properties” as long as proper mitigation measures are used. Those measures, which Turner said would be required, include using a sound muffler, “bi-fold” doors at the entrance and exit of wash, and limiting hours of operation from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Turner called it ‘premature’ to say whether Kwak would appeal a negative ruling. “You have to play the first quarter of the ball game before you play the fourth,” he said. The PPRA isn’t taking any chances. Members have retained a lawyer, Roger Holt, from Greenberg Glusker just in case this fight expands. “I don’t believe it’s over,” PPRA President Barbara Kohn said. “I don’t know how far it’s going to go. But I expect an appeal.” Letters regarding the station’s plans can be sent by e-mail to planning@lacity.org or by fax: (213) 978-1334. Please include the case number: ZA 2006-9396 (CU). —– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.

The quad remodeling project that started in June at Paul Revere Charter Middle School is expected to be finished before school starts on September 5. The parent-initiated project includes redesigning and repairing the school’s aging interior courtyard that was rutted with potholes and in general disrepair. With cement benches already in place, the bedding walls that surround the trees and planting areas were poured on Monday. The next step of the $300,000 project is pouring colored concrete for the walkways. After that, colored-concrete rectangular tiles will be placed in a fan-like pattern in the middle of the center grouping of benches. Portions of the area will have stabilized composed granite (similar to the material used for baseball infields) because it doesn’t erode and can handle a high volume of foot traffic. Adding trees and bedding plants will be the final step before students arrive on campus. Parents Nancy Babcock and Lori Vogel have overseen the project that was designed by parent and award-winning architect Eva Sobesky and is being built by H&H Construction. ‘We will definitely be done by the time school starts,’ said general contractor Jake Hunsaker of H&H, who had originally bid on repairing the cracked sidewalk that LAUSD planned to replace in that area. When the parents brought plans that would not only repair the sidewalk, but redo the entire area, LAUSD facility manager John Napoli helped finalize an agreement. The parents interviewed Hunsaker, liked his credentials and thought he was a perfect fit for the project. Until last week, Babcock and Vogel were still about $50,000 short in their fundraising and were trying to decide what to cut from the budget, including trimming back on the number of plants, which they had originally tried to get donated. ‘No one donates plants anymore,’ Babcock said. Last Thursday Babcock opened her mail and found a $30,000 check from the California Community Foundation on behalf of the Stone Family. She and Vogel were thrilled because instead of cutting something out, they were able to stay with the original plans. Construction thus far has also included sandblasting all of the concrete to make it aesthetically beautiful and installing French drains to improve drainage as well as irrigation lines for the plants. Currently, there is no money for the planned seven-foot diameter dedication piece mosaic for the center of the quad, nor funds to repair the 1968 round-tile mosaic that was moved from the quad to in front of the library. Donations or people who are willing to contribute their expertise are being sought. Additional funding would provide more landscaping items and garbage bins and pay for power-washing the existing sidewalks surrounding the quad. PRIDE’s Capital Campaign Team is grateful for all the donations that made the renovations possible, including a $50,000 donation from the Kelton Family, whose children went through Revere and who now have grandchildren at the school. Other donations came from the Broad Foundation, Cindy Simon Foundation, Tom Safran (the first person who donated), AYSO, Dwight Stuart, Paul Revere student body funds, PTSA and PRIDE, LAUSD, and local organizations that support public education, including the Palisades Junior Women’s Club, Riviera Masonic Lodge, Riviera Country Club, the Palisades Optimist Club, the Lions Club, American Legion Post 238, homeowner associations from Upper Mandeville Canyon, Crestwood and Brentwood, and various parents and community members. Once this project is completed, Revere parents have additional plans to update the California Distinguished school. ‘The next project will be a running track,’ Babcock said. Individual or corporate donations, including those from alumni or parents with younger children, are sought not only for this project, but also for continued improvements. Make tax-deductible checks out to PRIDE and send to PRIDE Capital Campaign at Paul Revere Middle School, 1450 Allenford Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90049. If anyone would like more information or a personal tour of the campus please contact Nancy Babcock at natcoopeve@aol.com.

The Community Council voted last Thursday to approve sending a letter to L.A. School Board member Marlene Canter that advocates traffic control and parking solutions for Marquez Charter Elementary School. The suggestions include 1) turning one-third of the existing playground into parking, 2) leasing DWP land adjacent to the school, 3) mandatory car-pooling of students, and 4) providing busing, ‘especially for 154 students who live in the Highlands.’ Crafted by members of the Marquez School Traffic Committee, which is chaired by council member Janet Turner, the letter states that the Marquez PTA, Friends of Marquez and teachers support the proposed solutions. Discussion of the letter was not added to the council’s agenda until the day of the meeting, and several council representatives questioned if the school had been consulted. ‘I kind of feel that because school is out it [the council] is sandbagging the situation,’ said Cathy Russell, who represents area seven (Rustic/Santa Monica canyons). She was assured by Turner, who represents the Marquez area, that this was not the case. ‘We have support of the PTA and we have support of the principal,’ Turner said. ‘We’re not sandbagging anybody, I can assure you.’ Longtime member Jack Allen voiced his concerns. ‘I don’t like turning a third of a playground into a parking lot. That’s a sensitive issue in this community. It’s also dangerous [to have cars in a playground].’ Turner reassured him that ‘we’re working on that to design some way of keeping them apart.’ After the interchange, George Wolfberg moved that Chairman Steve Boyers finalize the letter with amendments and send it to Canter (who represents Pacific Palisades schools) with an invitation to attend the next PPCC meeting in September. The motion passed unanimously. On Friday, the Palisadian-Post contacted Principal Phillip Hollis, who responded by e-mail: ‘I cannot recall anyone agreeing to approve turning a third of the playground into parking. When did this conversation take place? I have asked my PTA chair (Katy Anastasi) and she too cannot recall ever saying such a thing! ‘I do recall a conversation with John Grosse [a member of the Marquez School Traffic Commitrtee] regarding such a possibility. But, never did anyone agree that this would be an appropriate solution,’ Hollis continued. ‘There are many flaws to this idea, including the tarmac being unable to support the weight of the automobiles, the difficulty of the flow of students, and with up to 400 students using the playground at lunch time, we need all the space we can get. I do not support the idea of turning our playground into a permanent faculty parking area.’ Turner, who brought the motion before the council, was asked this week why Hollis and the charter school’s governing board had not been given a copy of the letter prior to the meeting. ‘My understanding was that they were aware of the [proposed] solutions,’ Turner said. ‘I made the effort of calling a few people and we got the impression that they approved.’ Turner added that she was unaware that the governing board at charter schools must approve local decisions affecting the school. The council’s letter notes that ‘since March 2004, residents of the Marquez Knolls area of Pacific Palisades have been complaining about serious traffic congestion and parking problems in the adjacent residential neighborhood caused by the [enrollment] expansion of Marquez Elementary.’ The letter continues, ‘Recent attempts by Principal Hollis and the city to ease the traffic situation at Marquez Elementary have been somewhat helpful, but the problem has not abated. More than five hundred cars stop at Marquez Elementary every school day. The dangers and the confusion, not to mention the inconvenience of all those concerned, demand we do more to mitigate the traffic congestion and parking problem. The school population has gone from roughly 500 to close to 800 students and there is virtually no busing or mandatory car-pooling. The school has only 25 on-site parking spaces. This is unsatisfactory, as the staff is closer to 100. As a result, school-related parking has overrun the neighborhood.’ Speaking with the Post this week, Turner said she and her Marquez neighbors are frustrated about the situation. ‘We’re tired of excuses,’ she said. ‘We want to have a dialogue and invite all interested parties,’ including Marlene Canter. As an after thought she added, ‘It’s a huge playground; there’s no reason it can’t be fixed [for parking].’ —– Staff Writer Max Taves contributed to this article.

When Edie McClurg is channel surfing, she occasionally comes across “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” the 1980s teen movie that has become a staple on cable television. “It comes on a lot. If I’m flipping around the dial, I’ll look at it,” McClurg says casually. For her, though, the movie is not just 102 minutes of comic entertainment, it’s a chance to walk down memory lane. Although McClurg’s name may be unfamiliar, her face and voice are anything but. In ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ McClurg played Grace, the secretary and assistant of Principal Ed Rooney, Bueller’s arch-nemesis in the film. This Saturday evening, Palisadians will have the opportunity to see her in person at Movies in the Park, which will screen “Ferris Beuller’s Day Off,” after a brief introduction by McClurg. ‘I’m just going to say, ‘Hello, it was a lot of fun making the movie and I hope you enjoy the movie,’ says McClurg, who lives in the Hollywood Hills and might be joined by Palisadians Cindy Pickett (who played Ferris’s mother in the film) and Jonathan Schmock, who played a maitre d’. McClurg, a redheaded character actress who relies heavily on her keen improvisational skills and hilarious accents to elicit laughter, has been in hundreds of productions, including guest appearances on “Seinfeld,” “Roseanne,” “Full House,” “Malcolm in the Middle” and “Mad About You.” She’s done voice acting in “Bobby’s World” and Disney/Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life” and “Cars.” She has also played memorable bit parts in “Carrie” (in which several of McClurg’s scenes were filmed at Palisades High) and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,’ just to name a few. Chances are, if you’ve watched television shows or movies in the last 30 years, you’ve seen Edie McClurg. ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,’ released in 1986, written and directed by John Hughes and starring Matthew Broderick, is the story of a high school student who skips a day of school to gallivant around Chicago with his girlfriend and his best friend, trying to elude his parents and the principal. Like many other John Hughes flicks (‘The Breakfast Club,’ ‘Pretty in Pink,’ ‘Sixteen Candles’) ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ has become a classic in the teen comedy genre. ‘I thought it would be okay, just the summer’s teenage movie,’ McClurg recalls. ‘At the time some of the reviewers were a little concerned that it would give good kids bad ideas, but it just struck a chord with so many people.’ Now the film ranks at number 10 on Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Top 50 Best High School Movies.’ In the film, McClurg delivers one of the film’s most memorable lines. ‘Oh, he’s [Ferris] very popular, Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, bloods, waistoids, dweebies’they all adore him. They think he’s a righteous dude,’ she says, in her trademark thick Minnesota accent. ‘I just added [the accent] at the end of the line during my audition,’ McClurg says. ‘John [Hughes] laughed, and that’s how I got the part.’ McClurg, a self proclaimed ‘brain’ in high school, remembers asking Hughes which teenage stereotype he fell into. He smiled and replied, ‘I was a wastoid.’ A ‘wastoid’ or not, Hughes take on high school life still resonates with a lot of people. This Saturday, join the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce and Movies in the Park Palisades for ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ at 8 p.m. on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Admission is free, and they might be taking roll: ‘Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?’

THURSDAY, AUGUST 16 Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the campfire center past the General Store. Sing songs, tell stories, and roast marshmallows, courtesy of the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority. Admission is free; parking is $5. A lecture by German author Jens Rosteck titled ‘Living without Stopping’Jane and Paul Bowles,’ 7:30 p.m. at the Villa Aurora. Please call (310) 573-3603 for tickets ($8). Shuttle service starts at 7 p.m. on lower Los Liones Drive. FRIDAY, AUGUST 17 Palisades Beautiful meeting, 10 a.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Upcoming neighborhood tree planting will be discussed. Members, friends and the general public are welcome. Contact: www.palisadesbeautiful@earthlink.net. A free screening of ‘Rio Bravo,’ starring John Wayne and Dean Martin, at 2 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Free admission. SATURDAY, AUGUST 18 A sale of slightly-used books, hosted by the Friends of the Library, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library parking lot, 861 Alma Real. All proceeds benefit the local library. Volunteers are needed for the monthly work party at the Village Green from 9 to 11 a.m. Just bring shears and gloves. Contact: Marge Gold at (310) 459-5167. Movies in the Park features ‘Happy Feet,’ 8 p.m. at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Admission is free. SUNDAY, AUGUST 19 Amelia Saltsman signs her book, ‘The Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook,’ 11 a.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. (See story, page 13.) Summer Splash, a free, family-oriented activity hosted by the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, 5 to 7 p.m., in the Y’s Temescal Canyon pool. MONDAY, AUGUST 20 ‘Bear-y Last’ Pajama Storytime this summer, for children of all ages, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Parents and teddy bears are welcome. TUESDAY, AUGUST 21 Story-Craft Time, suggested for children four and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Monthly meeting of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association, 7 p.m., Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited. The busy agenda includes a report by Lauren Skinner of the L.A. Department of Public Works about the sewer replacement/repair on Amalfi Drive and Mesa Road. Malibu Palisades Orchid Society presents a panel of orchid experts, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. The public is invited. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 22 Emmy Award-composer Sean Callery conducts a master class on film and television work, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Villa Aurora in Paseo Miramar. Reservations: (310) 573-3603. THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the campfire center past the General Store. Sing songs, tell stories, and roast marshmallows, courtesy of the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority. Admission is free; parking is $5. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 Theatre Palisades summer musical, ‘The Boy Friend,’ opens at 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road. Shows run through October 14. Ticket reservations: (310) 454-1970.