With Democratic prospects high, the local Congressman could lead a Democratic offensive

The future of political discourse in the country could be radically changed come November by one word, six-letters long: W-A-X-M-A-N. In a curious intersection of local and national politics, one of the country’s most powerful Democrats in the Congress is also the area’s local congressman. And in case you thought that the words ‘powerful’ and ‘Democrat’ don’t mix in an era of Republican Party domination, think again. Congressman Henry Waxman, 67, has represented Pacific Palisades and the rest of West Los Angeles since 1974. When Democrats lost control of Congress in 1994 after a Democratic landslide, Democrats like Waxman lost their seats as committee chairs. Because the rules that govern Congress give chairs a powerful role in shaping legislation, the Democratic loss was significant. But Waxman found a way out of Democratic doldrums. In 1997, he joined the Government Reform Committee as the ranking Democratic member. Long considered one of the less powerful committees in the House, it has little direct control of government agencies and even less direct control of Congress’s massive budget. In the face of the committee’s relative powerlessness and a fraction of Republicans’ human and financial resources, Waxman has transformed the Government Reform Committee into a forceful tool of Democratic power with far-reaching consequences. And Republicans have taken notice. Waxman’s research staff on the committee now pumps out hundreds of reports per year which critically examine almost every nook and cranny of the Bush Administration. From intelligence used to justify the Iraq war to abstinence-only education to global warming to steroids in professional sports to middle class economic woes, Waxman’s reports function as a second opinion to the Administration’s talking points. Last week, the chief aide to Karl Rove resigned after a Waxman report found close ties between the disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff and the White House. Last month, his reports uncovered internal Commerce Department e-mails to suppress data of global climate change. In fact, his reports have become so frequent that the committee’s website features an RSS feed, mostly used by news agencies to channel large streams of stories online. Although Waxman has found a niche in the Government Reform Committee, Republican control has meant a less direct role for Waxman in crafting legislation. In his first 20 years in Congress, he was one of the most prolific authors of environmental and health legislation, writing the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and several health bills, including one of the first bills to address AIDS. As Democratic hopes of retaking the House this November brighten, the possibility of a Waxman-led Government Reform Committee has enlivened his supporters. Will Waxman focus on no-bid Halliburton contracts? Or the faulty intelligence used to justify invading Iraq? Democrats and Republicans want to know. ‘The thought of Henry Waxman chairing that committee is very exciting,’ said Fran Pavley, the state assembly member, who represents Pacific Palisades and parts of western L.A. County. ‘He knows where all the bodies are buried in Washington. And he is really a constituent’s best friend to make sure the government is doing what is supposed to do.’ With fewer than three weeks before the November election, Waxman spoke with the Palisadian-Post to discuss his past work in Congress as well as his priorities for this district and the nation in the next term. What follows are excerpts from the Post’s interview with Congressman Waxman last week: You’ve been called a ‘partisan warrior’ by detractors and supporters. Is that a label you accept? Well, I’m a partisan Democrat because I strongly believe in the principles of the Democratic Party and because I’d rather see Democrats in positions of power. In terms of the job of being in Congress, I’ve always thought we need to work on a bipartisan basis. I would hope we [Democrats] would restore civility and inclusiveness to the legislative process. What about ‘liberal’? Do you reject that label? It depends on how people define it. I think the right wing has tried to redefine it. I consider myself in the liberal political tradition. By that I mean trying to use government to provide for social justice’to provide opportunities for Americans who might otherwise be left behind. I think what conservatives stand for these days is to tell you what the appropriate religious view is and to impose it on everybody. And they seem to favor the well-to-do. They forget the fact that there are people who need government assistance. Children born to poor families need healthcare. And they certainly need quality education if they are going to have a chance to succeed. Social justice requires that we give everyone a full opportunity to live the American dream. You’ve been in Congress for almost three decades. How has Washington changed? When I came to Congress 30 years ago, it wasn’t so nasty and partisan. People did work together. I authored the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and laws to provide for generic drugs. And there wasn’t a bill that I authored that didn’t have Republican support. I think the Republicans who have been in Congress for 12 years have given a good example of how not to behave. They’ve tried to exclude the Democrats from consideration of legislation. They’ve negotiated legislation within the Republican ranks. And they’ve denigrated the committees, so that the committees which used to be made up of experts who can work together on a bipartisan basis now pretty much rubberstamp the bills given to us by the Republican leadership without input from the people who know a lot about it. And that’s a mistake. I always thought it desirable to hear criticism; collaborative ideas are worthwhile because not all good ideas are Democratic ideas or Republican ideas. In what specific ways does being in the minority party prevent you from pushing your agenda? We’ve touched on a number of issues that the Republicans didn’t want to deal with. But it’s not easy when you’re doing it from the minority party. We can’t call hearings. We can’t issue subpoenas. We can’t draw the public attention that the Committee in power is able to draw’by bringing people in and having them testify publicly. There’s been a lot of speculation in Democratic and Republican circles about what issues you’ll pursue if the Democrats win and you become chairman. Can you tell me what we can expect from a Waxman-led Government Reform Committee? There are a lot of issues that we won’t know until we’re at that point. But the overall theme that I would want to pursue is the waste, fraud and abuse of taxpayers’ money. I’ve seen so much of it’especially by people who call themselves fiscal conservatives. It’s really quite shocking. The billions that we’ve wasted on government contractors. The earmarks for pork-barrel projects. Bridges to nowhere, things like that. And the constant refusal to recognize that we need to watch out for taxpayers being fleeced. You’ve said that you are personally involved in the debate over the future of the Veterans Administration building in Westwood, but you’ve deferred to local authorities on a Westside subway. Why? Isn’t transportation is a big issue for your constituents? The subway and transportation is decided by the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA), which is made up of representatives of local governments. And they have to design the plans. They look to Congress to provide some of the funds. We have provided funds for the subway system in L.A., but when we did that over 20 years ago I insisted on a provision that would prohibit tunneling through the Fairfax and Wilshire area because it was a high methane gas area. I held hearings it at the time, and people gave us testimony that it could be the source of a ball of fire. Mayor Villaraigosa asked me at look it again. We convened an independent group of experts. They came back with the unanimous decision that it could now be done safely, although a number of them said that they doubt it could have been done safely 20 years ago. In light of that decision, we’re going to remove the provision that would stop tunneling in that area. What is your official position on the Veterans Administration building? In the case of the VA, that is strictly a federal responsibility. The VA is federal property. It is deeded to the government on the condition that it would be used for veterans. I think that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs wanting to provide leases to use the property for other purposes and then use that money for veterans’ care is not appropriate. Plus, we have such enormous traffic congestion problems already and to start privatizing the use of VA property would be a serious mistake. I’ve told that to the secretary. And I will continue to fight that development. What about the current proposals to develop liquefied natural gas facilities off the coast of Malibu? I’m following that very carefully. I’ve written to the California Public Utilities Commission. I know that the governor has the power to veto it. I’m concerned about it adding to air pollution problems in the L.A. Basin, in addition to potential threats from terrorists. If you are re-elected, you’ll be entering your 16th term in Congress. What are you most proud of? I’m proud of the legislation that I’ve sponsored that has become law. I’m also proud of the oversight work I’ve done. One of the things that I’m very proud of is the tobacco hearings that we held and the reports that we issued on the dangers of smoking and how addictive nicotine is. The hearings we had with the CEOs of the American tobacco companies brought a human face to the tobacco industry and convinced people how these businesses were willing to lie to Congress about their product. While it didn’t lead to some of the legislation that I would have liked to have seen, it has brought about a transformation in the attitudes about smoking.

Parents Want Cop Reassigned

The Los Angeles Unified School Board will review the personnel history of a school policeman currently under investigation for using force against students and adults in Pacific Palisades in September. The Board will also examine the internal policies of the L.A. School Police Department in a closed session within the next two weeks. ‘I understand the community’s concern,’ wrote LAUSD Board President Marlene Canter to the Palisadian-Post Wednesday morning. ‘While I’m confident that the L.A. School Police will conduct its own thorough review of the situation, the School Board will also be looking at it from both a personnel and a policy perspective. ‘This does concern me. Right now, I have more questions than I have answers so this is something that the Board will need to thoroughly review,’ wrote Canter, who represents the Palisades. At a Palisades Community Council meeting last Thursday, representatives from the L.A. School Police Department reaffirmed their agency’s decision to not reassign Officer John Taylor. That decision has angered students, parents and community members, who have expressed concern over the officer’s history of excessive force as well as the Department’s ability to conduct a thorough and timely investigation. According to Sgt. Glenn Besunder, LASPD Chief of LASPD Lawrence Mannion reviewed the case again and stood by his decision to keep Officer John Taylor on duty in the Palisades, where he monitors safety at several local public schools and areas of high student concentration. ‘Why shouldn’t we consider the Chief’s decision a slap in the face of Palisades residents?’ asked Janet Turner, a Community Council member. Turner has sponsored a proposal to be debated at next Thursday’s council meeting on whether to pressure the LASPD to reassign the officer during the investigation. Besunder fielded dozens of questions from concerned community members, but said that rules governing investigations kept him from answering most questions.The LAUSD has official jurisdiction over the School Police, and Palisades Charter High School, an independent charter, contracts its safety out to the District’s police. Local parents have expressed disappointment with LAUSD’s and PaliHi’s responses to their concerns since the September 19 incident. Bruce Ishimatsu, the parent of a Pali student who was not involved in the incident, said, ‘PaliHi cannot take a backseat to the police on this. The School Police are there at the permission of PaliHi. This affected students there, and I think the school has to be proactive.’ ‘I’m worried about him [Officer Taylor] acting the same way in another incident,’ said Carolin Herrmann, PTSA treasurer at PaliHi and the mother of two students at the high school. ‘He’s not dealing with criminals or adults. And that kind of behavior doesn’t protect children.’ LAUSD Chief Operating Officer Dan Isaaks later told the Post he is confident that an investigation will be timely and thorough, but he said he couldn’t comment further on the issue because of the ongoing investigation. Isaaks oversees operations at the District’s police department. PaliHi Executive Director Amy Held could not be reached for this article. In previous e-mails to the Post, Held has encouraged parents and students to speak with internal investigators. Tom Hill, a middle-aged businessman in the Palisades, was pepper-sprayed in the face by Taylor on September 19. Hill said that the officer’s refusal to allow medical attention for a teenage boy sprayed in the face with the chemical at close range incited the crowd. ‘The kid was screaming in pain. I wanted to jump in there and let the kid go,’ said Hill, who attended the council meeting and spoke to the Post this week. ‘He [Taylor] could have diverted the situation. But instead, he drew a lot of intense emotion.’ Based on his experience that day, Hill strongly supports removing Taylor from the area. It is still unknown if there are other internal investigations pending against Taylor. He has been investigated by Internal Affairs before, but he has never been found guilty of any wrongdoing by the LASPD. As previously reported in the Post, Taylor’s excessive use of force cost him a promotion in 2002. A superior officer refused to promote him that year based on multiple excessive use-of-force incidents. There are more than 70 internal investigations being conducted within the LASPD, and Taylor’s investigation is expected to take longer than nine weeks. Prior to 2005, an officer recommended for dismissal following an internal investigation could not be fired because the investigation exceeded the time allowed by District contracts. The Post was also told by an informed source that since 2005, multiple officers who were recommended for punishment following internal investigations were not disciplined because of protracted investigations. Lt. Tim Anderson, who oversees internal investigations, could not confirm or deny these allegations.

Several weeks before Palisades Bowl homeowners were notified of owner Eddie Biggs’ intention to convert the mobile park to resident ownership, residents were already concerned about Biggs’ apparent violation of mobile home resident laws. These laws require an owner to offer both a short- and long-term lease to new tenants. According to residents, Biggs was offering only long-term leases. Michelle Bolotin, a realtor for Coldwell Banker, encountered a different rent problem when trying to sell homes in the Bowl. “I was in escrow with three properties in the park when I got a call from Biggs that the rent was going to go from $500 to $1,300,” Bolotin told the Palisadian-Post. This violates Section 151.06 F2 of the RSO (Rent Stabilization Ordinance), which states the ‘maximum rent may be increased by an amount not to exceed the rent on any existing comparable site in the park, or 10 percent, whichever is lower.” ‘We realized we needed to get the homeowners association together for issues like this,’ said resident Katy Montgomery. The final push for the residents came when they received a notice August 10 about the proposed mobile park conversion. The park, which consists of people of various occupations such as teachers, musicians, computer programmers and free-lance artists, also has a large number of seniors, retirees and disabled individuals. In an August meeting, Biggs’ conversion attorney Richard H. Close explained that no one would be required to convert, but as soon as one person did, L.A. Rent Control would no longer be in effect for the park. Low-income residents would still qualify for lowered monthly rates under state guidelines, which Close maintains would be advantageous for the residents. ‘They would continue to rent under a better rent control than they do now,’ Close told the Post Tuesday. Residents who make even marginally more than $38,800 for a single taxpayer would see their rents rise to market value. Additionally, residents would not find out the purchase cost of their individual pads until far into the conversion process–after 60 days and after the city made sure that the owner is complying with all the laws and has examined all the documents. The entire conversion process could take up to two years. One of the documents required by state law is a survey of whether the residents want their park to convert to resident ownership. If the majority of the residents oppose the conversion, their opinion is factored into whether the conversion is approved. However, there are problems with the law, according to Norm Kulla, Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s district director and senior counsel. ‘The interpretation of the law is unclear whether the survey means majority,’ said Kulla. who feels the law is open to litigation. Close agreed with Kulla’s assessment. ‘Legislative history does not have power to block the conversion because of the survey,’ he said. When the first homeowners’ meeting was held in August, more than 100 people attended. They elected officers, established committees and asked for donations towards the cost of retaining lawyer Sue Loftin. She is also employed by James Goldstein, a mobile park owner who is converting his seniors Colony Cove Mobile Estates in Carson. When Palisades Bowl association president Christopher Damon was asked why they would retain a lawyer who was helping take another park condo, Damon replied, ‘That’s why we hired her. We wanted someone who knew both sides.’ In late August, the association filed a grievance with the L.A. Rent Stabilization Board about Biggs’ violation of rent stabilization laws. They also researched state and mobile-home case laws and contacted elected officials to enlist their help to stop the conversion. They prepared a conversion fact sheet that they presented to Councilman Rosehdahl, which stated: ‘Residents are opposed to the conversion because it is NOT a bona fide conversion, but is being done in bad faith and merely to get out of rent control.’ Close disagrees with their assessment. ‘I think they don’t understand the benefits to owning land next to the ocean,’ he said Tuesday. ‘The residents who don’t want to buy are fully protected. Residents will end up owning space and paying less than they currently are paying for rent.’ Close said that the conversion process is an educational process and that there are funds available for every single person in the Bowl who wants to convert. He agrees that if a single resident goes to a bank and asks for a loan, he or she won’t get it. ‘Banks are not interested in one loan,’ Close said. ‘We prepare a whole package of the number of people who are looking and the amount of money involved.’ According to Close, moderate-income residents will find that there is money available through City of L.A. community redevelopment agencies. Bowls residents have also visited other mobile home parks in the city, which have about 6,000 residents, according to the Bowl association, and are some of the last vestiges of affordable housing. Although conversions have taken place throughout the state, this is the first park in L.A. to go through the process. The only other mobile park in District 11 is Tahitian Terrace, a seniors-only park adjacent to Palisades Bowl, where residents are worried that their park will follow suit. On Monday, Councilman Rosendahl and members of his staff–Kulla, Andrea Epstein and Jim Lowenstein’toured Palisades Bowl and spoke to officers of the association. ‘People who are living here now, they’re the ones I’m concerned about and their future,’ Rosendahl said. The slippage of the hillside below Asilomar and above the Bowl is largely responsible for many of the current maintenance issues in the Bowl. And the liability that could result from the hill creating future damage is a major reason the residents oppose conversion. A week ago, Dave Keim, chief code enforcer for the Department of Building and Safety, sent an inspector to the hillside after the Post asked for his department’s input. On Thursday the inspector reported that he had observed signs of slope instability. Keim sent the report to the state, which has jurisdiction over mobile parks. If Palisades Bowl converts to resident ownership, the residents would assume liability for the hillside, including remediation, according to Close. Shortly before Biggs took ownership of the park in August 2005, the previous owner, Fred Keeler, Jr., had a 10-ft.-high cut made in the toe of the mountain. ‘It was the wrong thing to do,’ Kulla said. ‘Neither the city nor the Coastal Commission gave permission for the cut.’ Representatives from the city, state and Coastal Commission are working together to decide what the next steps will be. The residents have been told that Tahitian Terrace owner Desmond McDonald, Biggs and the city are discussing a geological study, which could cost $300,000. When Rosendahl was asked whether the city could stop the conversion process until liability from the hillside could be determined, he responded, ‘We’ll look into it and find out who is responsible and what can be done.’ ‘No, it won’t stop the process,’ Close said. ‘I believe the conversion process is the key to solve the hillside problem and provide the financial ability and necessity for the slide problem to be dealt with.’

Palisades Cares will present the first Palisades Environmental Forum, ‘A Look at the Environment and What You Can Do to Help,’ on Tuesday, October 24 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Janes Hall at Palisades Presbyterian Church, corner of Sunset and El Medio. L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl will give introductory remarks. The panel, moderated by Palisades environmental activist Peter Kreitler, will include Assemblymember Fran Pavley; Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay; Ferris Kawar from Sustainable Works; and Neil Guglielmo, division manager, Solid Resources Citywide Recycling, L.A. City Bureau of Sanitation. Topics will include global warming, the state of Santa Monica Bay and local waterways, and concrete things we can do to help in our daily lives. Rev. Peter Kreitler, formerly on the parish staff at St. Matthew’s, is Minister for the Environment for the Episcopalian Diocese of Los Angeles. He is founder and co-host of EarthTalk, a Santa Monica cable television show known as America’s most informative environmental talk show. After less than six years as a politician in Sacramento, former school teacher Fran Pavley has gained worldwide prominence as a strong and creative advocate for the environment. On September 27, her second landmark global warming bill, AB 32 (Nunez-Pavley), was signed into law. The bill requires that the state reduce its greenhouse gas emissions from significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and requires mandatory reporting of emissions from significant sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2002, Pavley authored the landmark global warming bill, AB 1493, which will require automobile manufacturers to reduce tailpipe emissions by 30 percent by 2016, beginning with the model year 2009. “My first bill has resulted in 11 other states following our lead with the same emission reductions required from cars and light trucks,” Pavley said. “My office is now receiving inquiries from other state legislatures on how we passed AB 32. I believe that next year we will see climate legislation all over the country that is similar to California’s.” Mark Gold, who holds a doctorate degree in environment from UCLA, has been the executive director of Heal the Bay since 1994. His nonprofit, environmental organization is dedicated to making Southern California coastal waters and watersheds, including Santa Monica Bay, safe, healthy and clean. In particular, Gold has worked on research projects concerning urban runoff pollution, DDT and PCB contamination in fish, and the health risks of swimming at runoff-contaminated beaches. He created Heal the Bay’s Beach Report Card and has authored or co-authored numerous California coastal protection, water quality and environmental education bills. Ferris Kawar has been developing a Sustainable Living Workshop in Santa Monica through Sustainable Works for the last three years, helping businesses and homeowners develop plans for living sustainably. He is also the Los Angeles editor of Greenopia, a guide for living green. At Tuesday’s event, Whole Foods Markets has generously donated green bags for the first 100 attendees, and Village Books will have environmentally-themed books for sale. “All community members are invited to attend this forum and learn more about the health of our environment and what we can do to safeguard it for our children and ourselves,” said Marie Steckmest, founder of Palisades Cares. “Let’s be active participants in saving our earth.” Her Web site is www.palisadescares.org. CAPTION: Rev. Peter Kreitler, Minister for the Environment for the Episcopalian Diocese of Los Angeles. CAPTION: Assemblymember Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills), who attended the Palisades’ Fourth of July parade this summer, will be a featured speaker at an environmental forum on Tuesday, October 24.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19 Canyon Charter School’s 12th Annual Pumpkin Patch and Bake Sale today, 1:45 to 5 p.m. and tomorrow, 7:45 to 8:15 a.m. and 2:45 to 5 p.m. at the school, 421 Entrada Dr. An Evening with Editors as Writers, featuring Gina Frangello, Stacy Bierlein, Leelila Strogov and Cheryl Alu, 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. Frangello serves as executive director of Other Voices Magazine and will read from “My Sister’s Continent,” an edgy, compelling, first novel. Stacy Bierlein’s fiction appears in the literary magazines and anthologies, Young Wives Tales and All Hands On. Strogov and Alu are editors at Swink Magazine. Annual Country Bazaar tonight, 7 to 9 p.m. ($5 admission includes a dessert and beverage), and tomorrow, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (free admission; gourmet luncheon for $10), at the Community United Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Reservations: 454-5529. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 20 Palisades Beautiful meets at 10 a.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Upcoming neighborhood tree planting will be discussed. Public invited. Contact: 454-6560. The Friends of the Library and the Palisades AARP chapter present the 1939 comedy ‘Midnight,’ starring Claudette Colbert, Don Ameche, Mary Astor and John Barrymore, 2 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Free admission. Open house at the local Republican headquarters, 4 to 6 p.m. in Suite 220, the 881 Alma Real building. Public invited. “Trail to the Stars: Immortal Heroes of the Constellations,” an easy two-hour hike, 7 p.m. in Temescal Gateway Park. Meet in the front parking lot and then explore the night sky through binoculars and a telescope. Parking is $5. “Understanding November’s Ballot Measures,” a presentation by Palisadian Iris Kaphan of the League of Women Voters, hosted by the Palisades Democratic Club, 7 p.m., Mort’s Oak Room on Swarthmore. Public invited. Gala opening concert for the Music at St. Matthew’s season, featuring the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and the Men and Boys Choir of Hereford Cathedral, England, 8 p.m., in the sanctuary, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Admission at the door: $25. (See story, page TK.) SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21 Volunteers will meet for a work party on the Village Green from 9 to 11 a.m. Newcomers who want to have fun and be a part of the community are invited to participate. Just bring shears and gloves. Contact: Marge Gold at 459-5167. Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine will hold a two-day Holiday Boutique and Crafts Fair, noon to 4 p.m. today and Sunday. SRF provides free parking, available in the upper lot at 17080 Sunset Blvd. (See story, page 15.) SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22 Annual Village Fair, sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Antioch and Via de la Paz. Free admission. MONDAY, OCTOBER 23 Monthly meeting of the Palisades Civic League, 7:30 p.m., Gabrielson Hall at the United Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. (See story, page TK.) TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24 Professional storyteller Rebecca Martin presents “Celtic Tales” for children of all ages and their families, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library. (See story, page TK.) Registered art therapist Diane Alvy will be guest speaker at the Palisades Art Association meeting, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Special tours of Seven Arrows’ urban garden, 11 a.m. to noon at the campus, 15420 La Cruz Dr. (See story, page 14.) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 “Russia and the Volga River,” a slide presentation by a Culver City couple, will highlight the Palisades AARP Travel Group meeting, 2 p.m., Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. (See story, page TK.) THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26 Monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, hosted by Neu You Skin Rejuvenation Center and Rocco’s Cucina, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., 910 Via de la Paz. Public invited. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library meeting room, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. Poet Rex Wilder, a Pacific Palisades resident, signs “Waking Bodies,” 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. _____________________________________________ WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8 Monthly storytime program for babies and toddlers (under age 3), and their parents and caregivers, 10:15 a.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. The new program, which combines stories, songs and fingerplays, will continue December 6. Contact: 459-2754.