By ALYSON SENA and BILL BRUNS In addition to wrestling with fears about the Renaissance Academy’s potential traffic impact on Alma Real (see story above) and receiving an update about Verizon’s fiber-optics installation plan for Pacific Palisades (page 4), the Community Council heard updates about the following three issues at last Thursday’s meeting. CAR WASH NOISE Area Representative Stuart Muller reported that Palisades Gas and Wash is currently in compliance with the City of L.A.’S noise code. The latest sound measurements, taken August 25 between 5:15 and 5:30 p.m., were within the legal 65-decibel sound level (which allows for a 1-dB variable). Jay Paternostro, a noise inspector in the Dept. of Building and Safety, took a reading that was between 63 and 65 dBs. Meanwhile, an independent consultant/audio engineer working with Muller’s Car Wash Noise committee, measured 65 to 66 dBs. Both measurements were taken after the Village School annex construction (at La Cruz and Alma Real) had stopped, since the construction had corrupted Paternostro’s August 19 sound measurement at Palisades Garden Caf’. The car wash, run by operations manager John Zisk, ‘has been able to comply in essence with the decibel readings,’ Muller said. However, he also mentioned that the car wash’s high-speed motor fan was not in use when the readings were taken. Muller said that Zisk, who has made just under $10,000 worth of modifications to alleviate the car wash noise, ‘seems to be open’ to the idea of a plexiglass screen to enclose the car-wash tunnel, which would lower the sound readings about 5 dBs. Earlier, Zisk told the Post that enclosing the tunnel would be a last resort, since it would be ‘five to 10 times more expensive.’ (Palisadian-Post, August 26). On average, according to Zisk, about 200 cars go through the wash daily, and the vacuuming, washing and drying process for each car should take about ’35 minutes tops.’ MOVIES IN THE PARK Movies in the Park earned a round of applause from audience members, who learned that about 700 people turned out for the final screening, ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ Council chairman Norman Kulla said he received about 15 communications telling him that the inaugural event at the Palisades Recreation Center ‘contributed to a real sense of community.’ Some noise concerns were raised, mainly by two residents who said they are willing to work with Chamber of Commerce organizers David Williams, Arnie Wishnick, John Wirth and Bob Sharka to alleviate sound problems at next year’s series. Council secretary Karyn Weber, who lives near the park entrance, said the film committee had been receptive to community concerns and ‘made sure the neighbors around the park were taken care of.’ Every night, ‘there was a different tweak to the noise’ as the sound crew tried to alleviate problems for neighbors, said Weber, who noticed the sound was loudest near her house the final night. Residents Mark and Jan Victor, who live at the back entrance to the park, at Frontera and Alma Real, said they had to go inside from sitting on their porch when they heard a loud woman’s voice coming through the speakers. ‘It was loud enough so I had to close the windows and doors,’ Mark Victor said. ‘I can’t be in my yard unless there’s a repositioning of the speakers.’ Chamber president Williams said his committee added two speakers to the original four after about 450 people turned out the first night. ‘We had been expecting 100 people,’ said Williams, who received complaints following the first showing but none after the last three. The Chamber set up two speakers in the back of the field so that sound was better distributed. ‘I’m interested in finding a way [to alleviate sound] so it doesn’t blast into my house,’ said Victor, who’s lived near the park for 25 years. ‘I’ve never complained about any event at the park, and I don’t want to take [Movies in the Park] away, but I certainly don’t want it expanded.’ Williams reassured the Victors that the Chamber had not talked about expanding the event, and is planning to keep it at four films next August. ‘GRANNY FLATS’ BILL On Friday, following a brief discussion at Thursday’s meeting, Kulla wrote to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on behalf of the Community Council. His letter opposed AB 2702, which would make it easier for property owners to build second units, or ‘granny flats,’ next to existing homes. Said Kulla: ‘We are informed that AB 2702 has passed both legislative houses and has been sent to you for your signature. Our council opposes this legislation and urges that you veto this bill. ‘Our opposition is based upon the following concerns: by prohibiting local government from requiring either unit be owner-occupied, the legislation essentially legalizes duplexes in areas now zoned R1; it preempts local regulation of such matters as parking; in a community such as Pacific Palisades which is largely zoned R1, the bill would nearly double the number of allowable housing units, further stressing our traffic and infrastructure problems; and, by making no mention of CC&Rs the bill leaves these contracts in legal limbo. ‘We recognize the need for more housing, but the approach taken by this bill is a short cut that overwrites local regulatory law long established to protect the quality of life in residential communities.’ Schwarzenegger has 30 days (until September 25) in which to either sign or veto this bill, or it automatically becomes law.

Since July 9, the day she signed on as principal at Palisades Charter High School, Gloria Martinez has experienced a full range of emotions: the exhilaration of the new challenge, the breathless pace of learning about the school and its governance, and the anxiety that comes with all the unknowns. One thing that Martinez is not worrying about is what she calls the ‘tough pieces” discipline and special education. Her experience as vice principal at Malibu High School gave her time to develop a positive approach to discipline, and her educational background (she has a doctorate in education from UCLA) has equipped her with tools for tailoring programs to special education needs, from physical disabilities to learning deficiencies. ‘I have already dealt with the tough pieces at Malibu,’ she says, ‘but I know there will be new challenges.’ Replacing Linda Hosford, who retired in June, Martinez will become the first principal at PaliHi under the new management triumvirate. Her job will focus on the academic arena and looking after the welfare of the 2,800 ninth through 12th graders who are expected to show up for classes on September 8. She will be assisted in running the school, which became financially independent this last academic year, by executive director Jack Sutton and chief business officer Greg Wood. A native of Whittier, Martinez joins the staff with 17 years in education. She began teaching Spanish at St. Bernard High School, a racially diverse co-educational school in Playa del Rey, where she remained while pursuing her master’s degree and Ph.D. After taking over the vice principal’s position at Malibu in July 1999, she made sure that she always taught at least one class’a practice she would like to resume at PaliHi, perhaps after her first year. ‘I will miss teaching,’ she says. ‘It is a good way to get a pulse on the school.’ She also loves basketball and football and expects to out of her office ‘walking around and about. I like seeing our students involved.’ Martinez says she’s ‘all about giving all students a great opportunity’opening doors rather than closing them.’ She and her six siblings were given the opportunity that she believes this country promises. Her mother Rachel, who was a production pattern-maker, and her father Proto, a carpenter, worked hard and emphasized the importance of education which resulted in each of their children graduating from college. With her experience and expertise in maximizing academic achievement for all students’struggling and gifted alike, Martinez says the challenges in making sure each student receives what he or she needs are multiple. First, there’s the size of the school. Classroom space will spill into portable bungalows if the anticipated 2,800 students show up the first day, 100 more than last year. Martinez says that she will try to keep class sizes to 30-35 students. A second challenge is the student body’s diverse educational background. The school serves 117 different Zip codes and 60 percent of the students travel from other parts of the city. The third factor is communication’between teacher and student and between teacher and parents. Focusing on the ninth grade, Martinez explains that some 20 faculty members have been meeting this summer to work out the details of creating professional learning communities. Teachers in various departments’e.g., math, science, music, English, social studies’will be coordinating their curricula so that the high achievers will be challenged, and the average or slower learners will also be addressed. Martinez calls this differentiated instruction, which means that the teachers will try to use different instruction methods depending on the needs of the students. There will be assessments along the way, instead of waiting until midterm grades come out, and many resources will be utilized. ‘Whatever it takes,’ says Martinez, ‘the board is willing to provide funding; whatever comes out of the data, they’ll support.’ Martinez will also continue emphasizing the AVID program (Advancement Via Individual Determination), which prepares students for four-year college. ‘The whole goal of this program is to move middle-of-the-road GPAs (2.0) to a 3.5 or higher,’ she says. After enjoying stunning success with this program at Malibu (there were three AVID classrooms), Martinez will encourage as many students as possible to participate. There are criteria, including the student’s willingness to participate. ‘AVID won’t work unless students are on board,’ she says. Encouragement is also Martinez’s preferred approach towards discipline. She plans to reward students with Dolphin tickets for ‘catching students doing something right,’ such as picking up trash. The tickets are then entered into a weekly raffle for retail gift certificates. While Martinez’s experience and background give her confidence in her new job, she is comfortable with collaboration. Any visitor to her office notices the open door and welcoming greeting. While she calls the arrangement of furniture good feng shui, it also attests to her open- door attitude. The blinds on the windows have been raised, extraneous furniture removed, and the room painted a clean warm white. Her desk, placed in the corner, makes way for a small round conference table, where she prefers to talk with visitors, faculty and board members. ‘All this is new territory for me and I am grateful to have such resources to work with,’ Martinez says. She has already met with Brian Bower, the executive director at Granada Hills High School’the only other independent charter with joint leadership affiliated with the LAUSD’and with Merle Price, the former Pali principal who will assist the school in its charter renewal next spring while advising Martinez on the workings of LAUSD. Although the month before school has required attending a lot of meetings, Martinez is excited about the future. ‘The meetings are long, but I want to help kids; that’s the neat piece.’ Martinez, Sutton and Price will introduce themselves to the students at a school assembly on Wednesday morning, September 8.

By ALYSON SENA and BILL BRUNS With the Renaissance Academy opening in less than a week, founding director Paul McGlothlin has been working overtime to finalize opening-day plans, complete classroom construction and secure various community facilities for eventual use by the 250 students he expects on September 8. Enrollment at the new new public charter high school will include about 100 ninth graders and just under 100 sophomores (as indicated by the students who showed up for class orientation this week), plus about 50 juniors and seniors. The school has hired 14 full-time teachers. During his appearance at last Thursday’s raucous Community Council meeting, McGlothlin managed to resolve only one of several controversial issues that worry residents who live near the 881 Alma Building, where Renaissance has leased 13,000 square feet for classrooms and offices. McGlothlin announced that students will not be allowed to drive their car to school (a prospect which had threatened to further congest neighborhood residential streets) and must sign a contract to that effect. Yesterday, McGlothlin told the Palisadian-Post that Alma Real will be not used in any way by parents, carpools, vans or school buses to deliver students in the morning or pick them up in the afternoon. ‘We’ve taken that street off the boards,’ except for faculty who will be parking in the building at the school’s expense, said McGlothlin, who added that a teacher or parent volunteer will stand in front of the school entrance to make sure people abide by this protocol. Renaissance students will be walking to school, commuting by public transportation, riding in parent-run carpools and vanpools, or will be taking the school bus. McGlothlin has leased three school buses through Four Winds, a Los Angeles area school bus operator, and bus passes will cost $40 a month. ‘The bus company said it’s not feasible to use the parking lot area at the Palisades Recreation Center for dropoff or pickup,’ McGlothlin said yesterday, following a Tuesday night meeting. This will eliminate another objection raised by Huntington Palisades residents at the Community Council meeting. ‘We are now working to use the existing bus zones’ at nearby Palisades Charter Elementary (on Bowdoin and Via de la Paz) or the car-pool zone along Swarthmore across from Village School, McGlothlin said. Renaissance classes will begin at 9 a.m. (at least 45 minutes after these schools begin) and end at 3:30 p.m. In addition, Renaissance parents are organizing gathering and delivery locations in the Palisades for kids commuting by carpool or vanpool. The school will give students the option of bringing their own lunches or buying food catered by a Westside food service company. ‘There’s also a great deal of interest from local vendors who want to provide box lunches,’ McGlothlin said. The kids will eat in supervised indoor and outdoor areas and, ‘if they want to leave the building and go into the village at lunch, their parents have to sign a release.’ Meanwhile, McGlothlin has been negotiating the use of community facilities and services, including the adjacent branch library, the nearby recreation center, Pierson Playhouse and Temescal Gateway Park. Park director David Gadelha said he met with Renaissance athletic director Jon Palarz about the school renting the old gym and playing fields for midday (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) P.E. classes. ‘Nothing’s been reserved yet; they have to come back and fill out a permit,’ said Gadelha, who’s happy to rent space as long as ‘we don’t have park activities at the times they want to use the facilities. We could use the revenue.’ Renaissance hopes to have its theater arts students use Pierson Playhouse (Haverford at Temescal Canyon Road). ‘We would like to work with them but the final arrangements have not been made,’ said Eva Holberg, vice president of administration for Theatre Palisades’ executive board (the Pierson Playhouse landlord). The matter will be further discussed at the next board meeting on September 8.