With only four months remaining on its lease, Renaissance Academy signed a settlement agreement last Thursday with Village Real Estate, owner of the 881 Alma Real building where the school is located. As part of the agreement, both parties dropped their lawsuits against each other, and the school will remain in the building until June 30. Scott Adler, the school’s contractor and a board member, told the Palisadian-Post Tuesday that Renaissance had agreed to the settlement because ‘although we thought we had an excellent case against them [owners of the building], focusing on the school is much more important than how much money we get.’ Renaissance, which has an enrollment of 320 students in grades 9 through 12, filed a civil lawsuit against Village Real Estate November 12 in an attempt to gain more use of its renovated 13,600 sq. ft. of space through June. The battle between the school and owners began last September, after the school had only been in session for three days, when Greg Schem, a managing partner of the building, gave Renaissance a notice of termination of the lease effective June 2005. Schem, who leases the school a suite on the ground level (suite 114, restricted to office use) and terrace-level suites T-8 and T-9, told the Post in an e-mail that according to the settlement agreement, ‘RA has the option to give back about half of its space on the first [ground-level] floor and will complete the build-out of about 1,000 sq. ft. in suite T-9, which was originally part of its premises.’ Construction in T-9 was halted last August when black mold was discovered. After the mold was removed, Schem questioned the school’s plans for the space, which became a subject of the lawsuit Renaissance filed against Village Real Estate. The owners responded to the lawsuit January 5 with a countersuit, but also gave Renaissance a settlement option. Work on T-9 began last Saturday, according to Adler, who said, ‘We’re adding two rooms’production studios A and B.’ He expects the space to be finished by this weekend. Adler, who is also an RA parent, said that the school intends to give back about 2,500 to 3,000 sq. ft. of space in suite 114, approximately half of its leased ground-level space. This would then give Schem the right to re-lease the space, after tearing out most of the school’s improvements. ‘We’d have to pretty much gut it because we’re not going to put a school back there,’ Schem said, explaining that most of his tenants require small, individual office spaces. Schem also wrote in his e-mail letter that the owners ‘have also agreed to notify Fancy Feet, Gerry Blanck Karate, Kumon, and any other terrace-level tenants that we would [now] consent to a proposed sublease on the terrace level, provided they do not extend beyond June 30.’ Adler confirmed that the school is subleasing the one-room space from Kumon as well as another room on the terrace level, where Renaissance will pick up about 1,700 sq. ft. to use as classrooms. The school will continue to hold some classes at Aldersgate Retreat Center, and occasionally at the YMCA and Mort’s Oak Room. Other parts of the settlement include a Student Traffic and Building Impact Plan submitted by Renaissance and a revised Student Conduct Policy which Schem said ‘will seek to reduce any detrimental impact to other building tenants and the community’ while the school continues to occupy the space. He added that the owners have also ‘agreed to release any remaining tenant improvement allowances owed,’ referring to the $75,000 promised for tenant improvements as part of the lease. ‘Overall, we are pleased to have been able to come to a mutually acceptable settlement on this difficult matter,’ Schem said. ‘We wish RA good luck in their future location and will now focus on re-leasing the soon-to-be-vacated space.’ In the settlement, Renaissance will not be getting back from Village Real Estate any of the nearly $500,000 it claims it spent on renovations. ‘That’s part of the LAUSD case,’ Adler said, referring to the lawsuit Renaissance filed against the Los Angeles Unified School District last June when the District refused its request for space. ‘LAUSD is more responsible for our dilemma than the [owners of the Alma Real building]. And you can’t collect twice.’ A hearing on that case is scheduled for March 11. ‘Palisades High School is still our first choice for a school site,’ said Adler, who confirmed that Renaissance is pursuing other sites, including Glabman’s furniture building on Barrington and Olympic, and space on other school campuses such as Webster Middle School in West Los Angeles.

Five local youths and young men have been arrested for trespassing and vandalism after being caught spray painting a concrete storm run-off basin adjacent to the Santa Ynez Park entrance off Palisades Drive in the Highlands. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Chris Ragsdale was tipped off to the graffiti problem recently by local residents, park rangers and Bel-Air Patrol Highlands senior lead officer Aaron Sias. Two juvenile suspects were arrested on January 24 and two adult suspects and one juvenile suspect were arrested on February 1. The arrested suspects are all male, and range in age from 16 to 21’two live in Pacific Palisade, two are from Brentwood and one from Santa Monica. The suspects will all appear in court and face penalties such as fines, probation and community service. In certain cases, adults could get jail time. The ‘taggers’ had clearly been painting in the storm-drain channel for quite a while, as the walls and floor are nearly covered with graffiti. Ragsdale is working on having ‘No Trespassing’ signs put up in the area, which is closed to the public. He warmed that is particularly dangerous for people because it could easily become flooded in heavy rains, owing to runoff from the mountains. Also, if there are problems in the nearby reservoir, water could be released and cause a flash flood. In addition, all debris left in the area goes straight to the ocean via the channel. A group of taggers recently noticed several Bel-Air patrolmen in the area and ran off; park rangers later found two boxes containing about 40 cans of spray paint, respirators, a camera and a five-foot ladder. Graffiti vandalism has also spread through the Palisades Drive area, hitting lightpoles, mailboxes, trees and nearby streets. One license plate of a car that dropped taggers off in the area was traced back to the Highlands. The art itself is elaborate and includes a small dragon and various stylized nicknames. On one wall is scrawled ‘Cops got me on the run.’ The area is officially part of L.A. City parkland. Sias said that the tagging generally occurs sporadically from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., occasionally up to three times a day. ‘We want to stop the problem,’ said Ragsdale, who added that the LAPD is scheduling surveillance of the area using a volunteer surveillance team and community groups.

As a lawyer, business owner and civic leader who serves on the city, county and state levels, Angela Reddock believes her combination of business and civic skills makes her the best candidate for the 11th District City Council seat. The seat will be vacated by termed-out Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski in June. Reddock is running against fellow first-time political candidates Bill Rosendahl and Flora Gil Krisiloff in the nonpartisan primary election March 8. Appointed to the City’s Transportation Commission by Mayor James Hahn in January 2002, Reddock advises the Department of Transportation on traffic issues, but feels frustrated by the lack of resources devoted to mitigating traffic. As a councilperson, she would like to serve on the transportation, budget and environmental affairs committees and be part of redirecting the priorities of the city. Her campaign slogan is ‘Putting People and Neighborhoods First.’ A partner in the law firm Collins, Mesereau, Reddock & Yu, LLP, Reddock, 35, grew up in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama, in a close-knit extended family. ‘I spent a lot of time with my grandmother,’ she told attendees at the Palisades AARP meeting last week. She recalled joining her grandmother, an assistant in a convalescent home, on a picket line, fighting for fair wages. When she was 9, she and her mother, an administrative assistant, moved to Los Angeles, where her mother’s siblings already lived, ‘in search of the good life on the West Coast.’ They settled in Compton, where Reddock attended elementary school and began her involvement in student government. Her junior high school had a sister program with Brentwood School, where Reddock attended high school. ‘It was my first connection with the Westside and I’ve been on this side ever since,’ said Reddock who lives in Westchester. Reddock was encouraged to look into East Coast colleges by a Brentwood teacher who himself had attended Amherst College, where she ended up studying political science and English. She spent her junior year abroad at Oxford University. ‘I love the East Coast, but I love L.A. more, so I came back,’ she said. Immediately after college, Reddock was one of 12 Coro Foundation fellows, a year-long fellowship in examining different areas of government, from public affairs to nonprofits and government entities and, ‘how they work together to build consensus and get things done.’ Reddock worked on L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Burke’s campaign and interned with LAUSD, MTA and other governmental agencies. She interviewed civic leaders including Kenneth Hahn and Willie Brown. ‘It was my first opportunity as an adult to hone leadership skills, shine as needed but also learn the art of mediation and consensus-building in a group. I decided whatever else I do professionally, I’d be involved in government.’ After graduating from UCLA Law School in 1995, she began her law career at a boutique firm specializing in employment and labor law, and spent eight years at the L.A. branch of Jackson Lewis, a national firm. ‘I was on the partnership track, but I wanted the freedom to be involved civically and and to pursue my entrepreneurial passions.’ Currently, she is a co-owner of an executive transportation service on the Westside as well as managing partner at her law firm which specializes in employment law. The part of her work she is most proud of is the training she does for large companies’training workforce and management on preventing discrimination, harrassment and workplace violence. She also has served on nonprofit boards, such as the executive committee for Ability First. Supervisor Burke appointed her to serve on the County Small Business Development Commission in October 2002. Reddock was surprised when former Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson asked her to serve on the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology in 2003, since she has no experience in the field. ‘He said ‘The reason we need you on the board is that you understand how to create policy and regulation.’ It’s a heavily regulated industry and we fall under the Consumer Protection Agency.’ Her priorities while in office would be traffic, public safety, environment and development but first and foremost addressing the needs of the district’s residents. ‘Making sure I deliver in our local services that our tax dollars pay for’filling potholes, fixing sidewalks and trimming trees,’ she said. ‘These are the things we’re in business to do at the city council level.’ Traffic, she said, is a citywide issue. ‘To get to the root of the problem, we have to look at regional solutions, working with the 14 other councilmembers to get traffic moving on major thoroughfares’Wilshire, Lincoln, Sepulveda and Santa Monica boulevards’streets that go through multiple districts. A large part of our ability to make change within our city depends upon funding we receive on the county, state and federal levels. ‘I want to be sure we receive a better share of these dollars for public safety. I want to preserve and possibly build or enhance current open spaces. Everyone wants to build here, and we are starting to lose the quality of our existing neighborhoods. Planning is taking place in an ad hoc fashion.’ Reddock would like to call a summit, bringing together residents, stakeholders, business leaders and experts in planning and development to talk about development needs in the district and put together a strategic plan. ‘My goal is to involve as many interested members of the community as possible.’ In fact, this goal is pervasive in her campaign. ‘People feel distant from City Hall, that their voices are not always heard and that they don’t have full access,’ Reddock said. ‘People are frustrated. They want to feel as though they have a connection to their elected representative. This would be a priority for me and my staff.’ If elected, Reddock would hire a chief of staff, deputies on certain issues as well as deputies specializing in various neighborhoods. ‘Resident-constituents can have direct access. When they call our office, they’re going to get a return call within 24 hours by someone who knows their neighborhood and issues.’ She also plans to hold office hours throughout the district where people can meet with her one-on-one or as groups. She would continue to attend community meetings as she has throughout her campaign. Another of her ideas is to form 11th District advisory groups, made up of neighborhood and business leaders, which would meet quarterly. ‘Many of our issues are the same throughout the district. I want to foster the spirit that we all live in a common place, share common concerns and can work together to reach common solutions.’ Reddock began campaigning late last summer and her field team consists of director Pirikana Johnson and two top UCLA students. ‘It’s a family effort, my mother and aunt are heavily involved with day-to-day operations,’ she said. Reddock set up her campaign office on Sepulveda in Westchester a month ago. ‘Business associates who have known me and seen me in action are committed to helping me get the word out.’ Reddock, who is single, has a brother who is a senior at Southern Texas University. Her father, who served in Vietnam and is retired from the Army, also lives in Texas. As busy as she is in the political drama, Reddock still makes time for her spiritual life as an active member at Citizens of Zion Baptist Church in Compton. ‘I know firsthand what it is to be an advocate,’ said Reddock, who adds that ‘as a litigator, I spend most of my time discouraging litigation, because it is an enormous use of resources.’ She believes the City should use consensus and mediation more to work through problems. Two examples are Playa Vista development and LAX expansion. ‘The current litigation against these projects could have been prevented had elected representatives brought stakeholders to the table earlier in the process and said ‘Let’s talk about this and see what we can do to build consensus and address everyone’s concerns to the extent possible.” Living so close to the airport, Reddock is personally affected by LAX expansion, and opposes the existing plan. ‘If we’re going to spend dollars on anything, we need to spend it on taking cars off the street and not encouraging more cars. We’ve got to increase spending for the Green Line so it goes all the way to the airport. [Currently it stops a mile from the airport.] Reddock is interested in regional airport solutions and encouraging people to use airports in Palmdale, Ontario and Orange County. Reddock said she wouldn’t trade the experience of campaigning for anything. ‘No experience in my life has allowed me to work with so many wonderful people, to delve into so many issues that really affect our everyday lives. ‘Imagine what we could do if the city worked together. I want to focus on the big picture and not just putting on Band-Aids. Otherwise my time in office would be null and void.’

The IDEAS Studio could open by May in the building formerly occupied by Marquez Market, corner of Marquez Avenue and Bollinger. More than two years in the planning, the studio is an enrichment center which will offer science and technology-related programs for children up to age 12. The six-week-long courses, which will be competitively priced with other enrichment programs, will offer four basic learning modules’the environment, the ocean, space, and the human body. ‘It’s a new way of teaching, and of learning,’ said Palisadian Maurizio Vecchione, the IDEAS Studio chairman and co-founder. ‘Our programs, which will be inter-disciplinary, are designed to enrich children in a new exciting, exploratory and participatory format.’ Vecchione, whose son attends elementary school in Santa Monica, said the 2,500 sq. ft. studio is inspired by the belief ‘that the journey of learning is just as much fun as the great ideas that are the result. Remember the last great idea you came up with? Remember what it felt like? What stimulates great ideas? We see the IDEAS Studio as a place where kids can imagine anything, and explore a world filled with adventure and surprise.’ He said the idea for the studio started when he and another Palisades dad, Zac Hartog, got to talking about the need to provide a unique learning experience in the area of science and technology, especially for younger children. The two men met when their children attended preschool at Kehillat Israel. ‘We wanted to create an environment where children enjoy bringing their ideas to life at their own pace, in a fun atmosphere where their surrounding becomes a third teacher,’ said co-founder and CEO Hartog, who is a producer and director of television commercials. He has two young daughters, the oldest of whom attends Marquez Elementary. ‘Unfortunately, we tend to think of science and technology as being for boys,’ he said. ‘At IDEAS, there will be no gender barrier.’ Course content will provide children the opportunity to take a virtual walk on the moon in a glass-enclosed, state-of-the-art computer lab designed to resemble NASA’s Mission Control. At a module known as gadget central, home to the LEGO Robot Family, kids will build, program and race robots in the Robo-arena. The high-tech science lab will offer a variety of opportunities, from making colored slime to analyzing a strand of hair under a digital microscope. Plans also call for a fully outfitted art/media lab, which will combine traditional arts and crafts with digital art where children can make their first movie, create their own art show, or launch their own family Web site. For the youngest explorers, there will be a colorfully padded arena filled with developmental toys and a gigantic soft block climbing pyramid. ‘When the kids walk in the door of IDEAS they’ll know this is not an ordinary studio,’ said Zac’s father, Michael Hartog, who is vice-president of design and development. ‘No matter what their age, there will be a lot for the children to explore.’ In the module on the ocean, for example, children will learn not only what makes a submarine float’and sink’but how it is built. And instead of children just playing video games at home, at the studio they will learn not only how these games are made but how to create their own. Quoting Albert Einstein in a company press release sent out this week (‘Imagination is more important than knowledge’), Vecchione, himself a physicist, said that IDEAS ‘will provide the opportunity for children to discover both. We believe that children need to explore, learn and enjoy at their own pace. Our teaching technologies are also being incorporated into programs being offered to private and public schools, as well as software, smart toys and interactive media.’ Class descriptions, schedules and pre-enrollment will soon be available on the IDEAS Studio Web site (www.theideastudio.com). Classes will be offered for toddlers during the day and for elementary and preteen students after school. Weekend courses are also planned, as is a summer camp.