By JOLENE HULL Palisadian-Post Intern ‘Tis the season for merry machinations and Christ- mas chaos in the satirical holiday comedy ‘Inspecting Carol,’ presented by Theatre Palisades. The actors of the Soapbox Playhouse Theater Company are busy preparing for their annual performance of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ After being informed by the theater’s financial director that the theater is bankrupt, the play’s exuberant Lithuanian director, Zorah Bloch (played by Susan Lucci lookalike Pamela Murphy) is panic-stricken. The advisor also informs her that an inspector from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is expected to arrive at any moment to adjudicate whether funding should be continued or cut. Then, without warning, an overly enthusiastic actor named Wayne Wellacre (Stephen King) shows up to audition for a part in the production. Zorah assumes this is the NEA inspector in disguise, so she more than willingly gives him a part in the play, as well as incorporating his fatuous ideas and catering to his every need. After numerous shenanigans, including a steamy stage seduction, the real NEA inspector shows, only to bear witness to the most outrageous and appalling dress rehearsal of ‘A Christmas Carol’ this side of the North Pole. My favorite character was by far Sidney Carlton (George Hoth). After cast mate Walter E. Parsons (Arden Haywood), fails to utter any one of this Ghost of Christmas Past lines in the play, Sidney reassures him it was okay since ‘a lot of people forget their lines …just not the whole play.’ Although slow-going for a while, ‘Inspecting Carol’ is a solid play, fueled by its witty and unforgiving script. In addition, the acting and set decoration were both lively and convincing. Other highlights include a giant Tiny Tim, a run-of-the-mill turkey and a politically charged Ebenezer Scrooge. The play also features Benjamin Ackerman (Luther Beatty), John Clement (Phil Hewlitt), Manfred E. Hofer (Larry Vauxhall), Paul Huebl (Bart Frances), Martha Hunter (Betty Andrews), Paula K. Long (M. J. McMann), Cynthia Rothschild (Dorothy Tree-Hapgood), Jack Winnick (Kevin Emery) and Evan Smith (Luther Beatty understudy). The play is written by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Company, directed by Sherman Wayne and produced by Shirley Churgin and Lee Minderhout, ‘Inspecting Carol’ continues Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through December 5 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road, Tickets: 454-1970.
Palisadian Michael Lyle won a 2004 Emmy award for stomping his feet in sync to film, and slapping boxing gloves against the floor. A Foley artist, Lyle won the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special’ for HBO’s ‘And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself.’ ”The Emmy Awards ceremony brought rare recognition to this behind-the-scenes Hollywood craft. After the film is shot, the Foley artists begin their work. Since the sound recordists on the set are mostly focused on capturing dialogue, Foley artists come in and add the ambient sounds that give the film or TV show a ‘real, authentic’ feeling. ”On a recent Thursday afternoon at Universal Studios, Lyle was starting the evening shift of Foley work with his partner Paul Stevenson and Foley mixer Matt Mondrick. ”Mondrick sits at a large mixing table in a glass booth, while Lyle and Stevenson work on the stage. The film is projected without sound on a large monitor and two portable super-sensitive microphones pick up every move of the two Foley artists. The work requires replicating sounds from the intricate movement of people and objects. ”While working on an episode of the television series, ‘LAX,’ the two men first rub cloth together for the scene. This cloth track will add the subtle background noise of people’s clothing moving. Next, they work on footsteps, one of the Foley artist’s specialties. ”Lyle says he has over 50 pairs of shoes, ‘from combat boots to 6-inch stilettos,’ each chosen to make a specific sound. ‘It’s funny seeing us at the thrift store with a bunch of women’s shoes walking around with them to see what sound they make,’ says Stevenson. ”Looking like a crazy tap dance duo from an old silent movie, the men focus intensely on the screen while moving in rhythm to create the walk of the character they’re playing. There are a variety of walking surfaces to choose from in the studio: coffee grounds on a concrete surface for a sidewalk, dirt with grass and wood chips, gravel, rugs, and other squares of different material throughout the stage floor. ”The soundproofed studio is filled with props’glasses, kitchenware, food, shoes, magazines, telephones, guns, rifles, metal pipes, a tub and various buckets of water, and a well-worn car hood. ‘If we don’t have it, we make you think we have it,’ Lyle says. ”’When we see something new [on the screen], our brain goes into high gear, we run around for a minute and get an idea [of how to make that sound], we usually figure it out quickly.’ ”In another run through the scenes, the two sit at separate microphones, using props to make yet another layer of sound. Someone is spit at and Lyle slaps a wet chamois cloth against his hand to replicate the sound. For a fight scene, pairs of jeans slapped on the floor are used to represent the sound of a body hitting the floor. ”The work is intensely physical. ‘I’ve got to stay in really good shape for this,’ says Lyle, who works with a trainer to keep in top condition for the job. ‘There are about 50 people who make a living at it in town,’ he says. About two-thirds of them are women, many who started as dancers. ”There are tricks of the trade that are passed down, such as using coconuts for horse hooves and paper clips taped to a glove for dog and cat paw steps. ”Lyle credits being a lifelong drummer to his ability to be a ‘sync-monkey,’ synchronizing his movements exactly with what’s happening on the screen. ‘It’s very rhythmic,’ says Lyle, who also enjoys the overall creativity of the job. Foley artists have to be able to quickly replicate any sound on a first viewing. If an actor knocks something with a weird rhythm, Lyle can hear it back once and replicate it automatically, a talent that comes from his percussion background. ” ”In his musical career, he leads the eight-member jazz band The BlueCat Express, which also includes his wife, Heather, a vocalist (the group’s CD ‘Spirit of New Orleans’ is available at Village Books). The couple have lived in Marquez Knolls since 1993. ”Lyle was training to be a sound effects supervisor seven years ago when he got thrown into a Foley stage. ‘An editor put me in a studio cold and said, ‘Get this film done,” recalls Lyle, who learned he had a knack for it. ”Lyle, 44, also loves the autonomy of the job, ‘Foley artists are among the few people in the film business who are allowed to do their own thing. When directors or producers hire us, they know we’re going to get the job done. It’s up to us to do what the film or TV show needs. It’s nice to go to work with your team.’ ”The process starts when an editor, while watching the film, notes on a chart the exact moment when a specific sound effect is needed. The Foley mixer can record up to nine separate tracks of different Foley sounds for one scene in a TV show, and 24 tracks for a film. ”The Foley mixer cues up the scene to the correct spot, and makes sure the sounds and movement are in perfect sync. He may occasionally have to ask the Foley artists to redo a scene if, for example, one of their stomachs grumble, since the microphones are so sensitive they will pick up the sound.” ”Finally the mixer will mix the Foley tracks with dialogue, sound effects and music to create the final product. ”’When you really get the groove of moving in sync with the picture, it’s the same feeling as playing with a band when it’s going well,’ Lyle says.
Coach Don Randolph instructs his players to keep both feet on the ground during throw ins. From left are Sam Masius, 12, “buddies” Ted Forscher and Kerry Virgien, Max Masius, 15 (practicing his throw-in technique), David Coles and Mike Roux. Photo by Margaret Molloy
By MARIE-CLAUDE HAMEL, Palisadian-Post Contributor From afar, nothing seems unusual. It’s 9:30 on Saturday morning and the sports field at Calvary Christian school is swarming with young soccer players in blue and red jerseys. Coach Don Randolph, wearing a yellow T-shirt, runs with the players, giving them last-minute advice for the play. ”But as one gets closer to the field, something special differentiates this game from the average one: young soccer players, not donning any of the teams’ colors, run up and down the field, assisting the team members with their moves. Those young aides, ‘buddies,’ are the key to the success of the American Youth Soccer Organization’s VIP program for children with special needs. ”’Each player is assigned a buddy from the moment he or she walks on the field to the time of walking off the field,’ Randolph said. The buddies are mostly friends and family members of the VIP players, volunteers from the local AYSO teams or from the local Boy Scout troop. ‘If I have to give credit to anyone for the success of the program, it’s to the buddies. These are young soccer players who have never experienced anything like this before,’ he said. ”Although Randolph is an attorney with a full load of complex cases, he has already spent 10 years volunteering as a coach for AYSO. When he was asked to organize and coach the Pacific Palisades’ VIP soccer program, which stands for Very Important Players, he said that both he and his wife Suzanne knew this was something they had wanted to do, it was just a matter of when. It now seems as though the fall of 2004 was just the right time for Don and Suzanne. ”Since the Randolphs’ daughters, Christina, 16, and Maggie, 12, were already playing in AYSO teams, Don said they waited for their 10-year-old son Charlie to be ready to be involved in a sport before starting the Palisades’ branch of the VIP program. Now Charlie, who is autistic, is able to participate in a team sport for the first time in his life, while being coached by his father. ‘Charlie is staying a little longer every week. Perhaps he’ll stay for a whole game by the end of the season,’ Don said. ”Charlie is part of the 10-year-old and under co-ed group, which now has about 12 registered players, while the over-10 group has about six players. The younger group takes to the field from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, while the older group plays between 10 and 11:30 a.m. on the same days. ”But the VIP program is still a work in progress. Having officially started only in late September, Don said he felt the program could grow rapidly. ‘We now have about 18 to 20 players registered and we’re very pleased, but I would be very happy if we could grow the program to about 50 players.’ In addition to Don, Chris Jones helps coach the team and also has a son, Dylan, who plays in the older group. Volunteer Nancy Weintraub also helps with coaching, and her son Ted is one of the buddies. ”According to Debbie Held, the commissioner for AYSO Region 69, which encompasses Brentwood, the Palisades and adjacent neighborhoods, the VIP program was greatly needed in the Palisades and she was pleased when Don accepted her offer to start the project. ‘It takes a lot of energy to get the ball rolling, and Don has been a great organizer and a great coach,’ she said. ‘There is a need for this program in this community and I think it’s great time that we have a VIP project in place. It’s now just a matter of getting the word out to the community and letting them know that this is available to their children.’ ”The VIP project has its arms open to many children who would otherwise be unable to participate in a team sport. ‘Anyone with any disability that doesn’t make a child too fragile to play is welcome,’ said Suzanne Randolph. Although the program is open to any child with physical or mental impairment, Suzanne said that the majority of the Palisades’ VIP members have autism. According to AYSO, these children can often feel isolated in schools and in special programs, but the integration of the non-disabled players to the VIP program allows for a healthier growth and exchange for the children with special needs. ”Mike Roux, a 16-year-old who, on the Saturday we visited, was sporting a blue jersey and scored the first goal for his team, has found in VIP the outlet he needed in order to satisfy his desire to play sports. His father Chris, who also fills in as a temporary coach, explained that since socialization is the main difficulty for autistic children, the idea of a team sport helps lift some of the barriers. ‘Kids like Mike think about themselves all the time, so the concept of a team broadens his world,’ Chris said. ‘He really does enjoy it. He played for three years in the Westchester VIP program, but this is closer to home.’ ”But some of the children are newer to the scene. One of Mike’s friends, 15-year-old David Coles, is one of them. Having gone for the first time to a VIP soccer game two weeks before, he sat on the sidelines until halftime, when he finally decided to join in and, according to Don, quickly became the star of the show. ‘He’s a natural,’ Don said. ”But David’s mother Laurie said she thinks that his agility may come from someplace else. ‘He plays computer games constantly. We think that’s why he’s so quick to learn,’ she said. Laurie said that David loves to write and has a great imagination. ‘I think he lives his life through the stories that he writes and I think that’s him trying to have friends: the ones who live in his stories. That’s why I think [VIP] is very important. It’s part of their socialization.’ ”David, who, like Mike, wore a blue jersey, scored at least two goals during Saturday’s game, making him once more very popular with his team and with the group of parents who sit on the sidelines and encourage all players. ”At the end of each game, the players give each other cheers and run through a tunnel made by their family members and the volunteers. It is difficult not to notice the joy on the children’s faces as they pass under their loved ones’ arms. ”Although this volunteer, parent-run national group has for its obvious goal to benefit children with special needs, Don said he feels that the buddies also go home with a great gift. His daughter Christina has been a buddy for the whole season and she said that, in many ways, the experience has touched her life. ‘I’ve worked in my little brother Charlie’s classroom before. I was a volunteer and there was a lot of one-on-one work. But school is tough for everybody. With soccer, the kids are having more fun and their faces light up. It’s wonderful to see that.’ There are some difficulties for the buddies as well. Christina said that she often works with the more disabled children since she has that experience with her brother Charlie at home. But for the most part, she said that all that is required is that one knows the basic rules of soccer and has some coordination. ‘It’s not heavy duty. For anybody who likes kids, it’s great and it’s really fun,’ she said. ‘And it’s not hard to come up once a week and brighten up your whole day in the process.’ ”Don also said he believes in the advantages that youngsters get from being involved in the program. ‘It gives the buddies a greater appreciation of the world, of the life and of the spirit of these kids. Anytime a child with special needs gets to participate in a program like this, everybody benefits.’ ”(Editor’s note: The VIP season ends November 20. A spring VIP season is being organized. If you are interested in registering your child in the VIP program, contact Kathy Slattery at 459-2552. If you are interested in volunteering for VIP, contact Suzanne Randolph at 459-3170.)
”Margaret (‘Dugi’) Michel died at home in Pacific Palisades with family and loved ones by her side November 5. She was 90 years old. ”The only child of John and Margaret Duguld, Dugi was born in Los Angeles on May 21, 1914 and spent her youth in Whittier. She graduated from Whittier High School in 1931 and UCLA in 1935, where she was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity. In 1934, she was selected as a delegate to the first American-Japanese Student Conference held in Tokyo. A year later she became UCLA’s student body president, the first woman to hold the position at a Southern California co-educational university. ”After college, she taught elementary school in the El Monte School District. ”She married Walter James Michel of Santa Monica in 1937 and was a resident of the Palisades for 50 years. Dugi and Walter were married for 59 years. ”Dugi was a member of the Santa Monica Charity League, National Charity League of Los Angeles, Gold Shield, Angels Attic, The Committee of Twenty Five in Palm Springs, and the First Century Families of Los Angeles. She was vice-president of the UCLA Alumni Association and UCLA scholarship chairman for four years. She was also involved with Good Shepard Guild and the Guilds at Corpus Christi Church. A Girl Scout leader and den mother, Dugi never missed an activity for her children or grandchildren. ”She is survived by her six children: Barbara (Rex Edward) Fountain, Jr. and daughters Michel (Dean) Bennett, Melinda (James) Gormley and Melanie (Joseph) Davis; Trudy (James) Kern and children Christopher, Kati and Courtney; Peggy Michel; Christine (Harrison) Spencer and sons Trey and Peter; John Michel (Tina Watson) and sons Riley and MacAllister and Susan (Kent) Santos and son Michael. Her three great-grandchildren Megan Gormley, MacKenzie Davis and Bradley Bennett also survive her. ”Her final resting place will be at Holy Cross Cemetery next to her husband and her parents. ”In lieu of flowers, donations in Dugi’s memory can be sent to the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center c/o Jill Shapiro, 710 Westwood Plaza, Room 1-151, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769, or UCLA Foundation for the Margaret Duguld Michel Scholarship Fund, UCLA Office of Gift Planning, 10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90024-6516.
John Lee Allen, an avid outdoorsman who worked as an engineer at Douglas Aircraft his entire career, passed away at his home in Pacific Palisades on November 11. He was 87. ”Allen was born September 21, 1917, in Eagle Rock, the third son of Reginald Pearce Allen and Sarah Gertrude Kinder. His early Kinder ancestors were in America before the American Revolution. The Allen ancestors came from Cornwall, England. ” Allen graduated from Eagle Rock High School in 1935. As a young man, he worked at the California Hardware Company before becoming a mail carrier and later a teller at Citizens Bank. ”He attended UCLA and participated in ROTC before transferring to USC to continue his study of mechanical engineering. In 1941, Allen graduated from USC and began working for Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, where he worked on the heating and cooling of the DC-3. ”In 1955, Douglas Aircraft transferred Allen and 30 other families to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work on the C-132. While there, he attended the First Presbyterian Church and met Jean Anderson, a museum curator and schoolteacher. They were married on September 5, 1958, and traveled to Colorado for their honeymoon. Their first son, Keith Edward, was born at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa on September 18, 1959 and their second son, Roger Stewart, was born on December 6, 1960. ”In 1963, Douglas moved many families back to California. The Allens acquired a home in Pacific Palisades and joined the Palisades Presbyterian Church. Allen continued to work for Douglas in Santa Monica and Huntington Beach on projects like the Skylab, until he retired in 1973. ”Allen loved the outdoors and hiking in the Sierra Nevada. He began going to the mountains with his father and brothers, Virgil and Paul. Later, he belonged to the Sierra Club and climbed Mt. Whitney three times. He helped his sons become Eagle Scouts and taught them about the outdoors and the environment. He also took his whole family to the top of Mt. Whitney. ”A kind and peaceful family man, Allen preferred classical music by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, and loved listening to Wagnerian operas. In addition to traveling to the Swiss Alps and to Cornwall, England, he also enjoyed gardening and spent many hours growing orchid cactus, epidendrums, avocados and oranges. ”Allen developed macular degeneration, which gradually caused legal blindness. In 2002, his kidneys began to fail and he began kidney dialysis at UCLA in January 2003. ”He is survived by his loving wife, Jean, son Keith Allen of Ventura, and grandson Colin Allen; son Roger Allen (wife Cathy Larson) of Santa Monica; sister-in-law Evelyn Allen, and nephews, Dean, Brent, Terry and their children. ”Services will be held at Palisades Presbyterian Church on Sunday November 21 at 2 p.m. ”Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, 800-227-2345, or the National Kidney Foundation, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 395, Los Angeles, CA 90045, or the Midnight Mission, 396 S. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA’ 90013.
Hidden behind a stack of books in her office at the Palisades Branch Library on Alma Real, Diana Lisignoli-Cochran goes about her job quietly and efficiently. And although she prefers not to draw attention to herself, she has already made a profound difference in her newly appointed position as senior librarian. ”’This community has the right to a great library and that’s what we want to give them,’ says Lisignoli-Cochran, who took over September 20 when predecessor Cheryl Collins transferred to a new library in Westwood. One of her top priorities since then has been to expand the library’s volume of books. ”’I’m really anxious to build up the collection. Right now we have about 45,000 books, which is about average for a library this size,’ she says. ‘Regional branches would have at least twice that. We’d probably be limited to about 80,000, so we still have a long way to go before we reach our limit. I noticed we’re especially lacking in biographies’particularly those of the sports, music and historical varieties.’ ”In addition to building a larger collection of books, Lisignoli-Cochran oversees the safety and maintenance of the building, works with Friends of the Library, assigns free library cards, and supervises a staff consisting of four librarians, two full-time clerks, three part-time clerks and four messenger clerks (primarily responsible for shelving books). ”Fresh starts are nothing new for Lisignoli-Cochran. She has worked at a number of Los Angeles area libraries, including her previous position in Playa Vista, where she had served since January. Before that, she worked at a branch in Woodland Hills for three years. She and her husband of 14 years, David, recently moved to Brentwood and enjoy living on the Westside. ”The Palisades branch (located at 861 Alma Real Dr.) was one of 33 libraries remodeled or rebuilt under Proposition DD, which passed in 1998. Asked about her new venue, Lisignoli-Cochran says it compares favorably to other libraries she’s worked in. ”’The layout here is very good. There are separate rooms for young adults and adults, the setting is beautiful with a nice view and the sunlight through the windows in the daytime. We have guided Internet access for all eight children’s computers, which are equipped with Kids’ Path (a child-friendly computer program). We also just updated to Windows 2000.’ ” ”Like many in her field, Lisignoli-Cochran loves to read and if one were to catch her with her nose in a book, it would probably be fiction or romance. ‘I’m a romantic at heart,’ she confesses, citing Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Sue Grafton as three of her favorite authors. ”Lisignoli-Cochran grew up in Santa Rosa and earned her B.A. in history from Sonoma State University. She wanted to be a P.E. teacher but didn’t have the science background. So she enrolled in graduate school at USC with the intention of working in hospitals as a medical librarian, but ultimately earned her master’s degree in library science instead. ”Computers have transformed the nature of the job since Lisignoli-Cochran started her career 20 years ago. With access to information so much more immediate nowadays, she notes how important it is for libraries to stay on the cutting edge of technology. ”’Things are quite a bit different than they used to be,’ she says. ‘Back then, if a patron wanted a book they might have to wait for our copy to be returned, whereas now we get books very quickly for people. Computers also make inventory a lot easier. We can punch a button and locate exactly where a book is. That takes a lot of the detective work out of the equation.’ ”Web sites and passwords also make checking out books, videos and DVDs easier for patrons. ‘We used to order books based on what’s being checked out more frequently, which we don’t have to do now because we can borrow from all over the system. Another thing that’s different is that patrons can renew or put holds on books from home.’ ”To reserve a book online, go to www.lapl.org. For the library call 459-2754.
Forever green and forever desirable. The Veterans Administration property, 400 acres of coveted open space between Westwood and Brentwood, straddles two city council districts, but remains an island unto itself under the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. While the south side of the campus, which is bisected by Wilshire Boulevard, houses the country’s largest veterans hospital, the north side is scattered with 150 World War II-era buildings, a few upgraded for dormitories and service operations for vets, but most in need of structural upgrades. ”Over the years, a piecemeal planning approach has resulted in dozens of ideas to develop the property, including the most recent plan to create a commerical development the size of two Century Cities. But, this September, the Department of Veteran Affairs announced it would establish a new advisory committee to work on developing a 25-year, long-range master plan. ”The VA history began in the 1880s when 700 acres were donated for an old soldiers home for Civil War veterans. The self-sustained community contained not only a hospital and housing, but also a chapel, theater and recreational facilities, including a golf course and vegetable garden. ” ”As the number of veterans diminished over the last 50 years, portions of the property were leased to outside operations, including Brentwood School and UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium and Wadsworth Theatre, but much of the property remains underutilized. ”For the past 25 years, the VA property has been eyed by real estate developers and promoters, with rumored uses including an NFL stadium, biomedical research facility, commercial development and an expansion of the UCLA campus. ”But the integrity of the land has remained protected by the federal government’s Veterans Affairs department, whose main purpose remains focused on serving the medical needs of war veterans. ”’This facility is the largest in the 168-facility system,’ said Ken Clark, regional director for the VA hospitals in Southern California and Nevada, who participated in an Urban Forum panel discussion last month in Westwood on the fate of the property. ”’We serve 1.2 million ambulatory care patients annually and provide 900 beds in the hospital,’ Clark said. ‘In addition to direct service, the VA also trains medical interns and residents jointly with UCLA and conducts research. The facility also provided the first dialysis unit on the West Coast.’ In 1998, Congress instructed the West L. A. VA to develop a long-term master plan, and in 2001 a committee unveiled a plan that elicited clamorous opposition from the Brentwood community, City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Rep. Henry Waxman. ”Representation on that committee was limited to VA administrators, facilities consultants three Brentwood residents and Lisa Pinto, district director for Congressman Waxman. ‘Neither the county, city or Westwood residents was represented,’ said Flora Krisiloff, chairman of the Brentwood Community Council who served on the committee. ”The problem with the plan, which would have created Century City-type development, was that it was based on the highest and best use of the property if commercially developed, said Krisiloff. ‘It didn’t take into consideration environmental impacts, or that it was donated land or most importantly the needs of the veterans.’ ”Krisiloff, who is a candidate to replace Miscikowski on the City Council, was instrumental in expressing local demands that the Federal Government develop a new master plan and was recently selected to serve on the new planning committee. ”Recognizing that ‘the VA is not in land-use management, but in the health-care business, Clark said that the Secretary of Veterans Advisory Affairs, Anthony J. Principi, announced in September that a Federal Advisory Committee would be established to provide advice in the development of the new master plan. ” The major difference this time around, according to Pinto, from Congressman Waxman’s office, is that the advisory committee will seek input from all stakeholders, including political, residential and property interests. ”’The first of the year, a contractor will be selected who will develop and evaluate options for the most appropriate plan,’ Clark said. While the plan is scheduled to be completed by December 2005, both Clark and Pinto are doubtful. ‘This is the largest VA in the nation, surrounded by densely populated residential communities and heavy traffic,’ Pinto said. ‘This will require a delicate balance among all the stakeholders.’ Another consideration in developing a master plan is the historic nature of the site. The National Preservation Act stipulates that remedies be used to avoid doing harm to historic resources. Thirty-nine of the mostly Spanish Revival buildings are eligible for historic status, while the historic chapel and the red trolley station already have National Historic status, as does the national cemetery, according to Ken Bernstein, director of preservation for the L.A. Conservancy, who also participated on the panel. While recognizing that the first priority is the needs of the vets, Bernstein said that he did not think that that aim was inconsistent with adaptive reuse of historic buildings. ”Although panel members, which also included Yaroslavsky’s deputy Laura Shell, would not speculate on the planning outcome, they were consistent in their support for the change in course.” ”’I have no idea where this [planning process] will go,’ Clark said. ‘This is a clean slate, if you will.’ ”Congressional District Director Pinto is hopeful the Federal Advisory Committee will be meaningful. ‘There will be open meetings, note-taking, and the Congressman will be monitoring every step of this process, including who will serve on the committee,’ she said.
After acquiring DBL Realtors last week, Sotheby’s named Alan Long (middle) president of the firm’s Southern California operations. Long, one of the founders of DBL, is flanked by Frank Symons (left), executive vice-president of Sotheby’s Southern California, and Stuart Siegel, president of Sotheby’s International Realty in New York. Photo: Sotheby’s
In a surprise move, Sotheby’s International Realty acquired the nine Dalton, Brown & Long Realtors offices last Thursday. The Palisades DBL office, located in the business building at 15308 Sunset, will now operate as Sotheby’s International Realty. Alan Long, formerly president of DBL Realtors and one of its founders, has been named president of the Southern California region. ‘The opportunity to become part of the Sotheby’s organization will provide our sales associates with tremendous potential to grow their businesses,’ said Long, who also told the Palisadian-Post that the Palisades office and its 45 agents would continue to serve the community ‘exactly as it does now. We are very pleased to have access to Sotheby’s client base.’ Last year, DBL Realtors was the fourth-largest real estate brokerage firm in L.A. County, posting $3.3 billion in sales. The acquisition nearly triples Sotheby’s presence in Southern California, adding more than 600 sales associates working out of DBL’s offices located in the Palisades, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Los Feliz, the Sunset Strip, Pasadena, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. Now, more than 750 agents will be affiliated with Sotheby’s. ‘Under Alan Long’s leadership, DBL Realtors has established an outstanding reputation for professionalism and enjoyed great success, as evidenced by the company’s sizable growth in this market,’ said Stuart Siegel, president of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. ‘We were attracted to this company because it shares many key attributes’savvy marketing, community involvement, and first-class service to their sales associates and clients.’ Asked how the acquisition came about, Long told the Post that he ‘received a call four or five weeks ago from Stuart [Siegel] suggesting we have dinner. It was that simple.’ Long said that given the continuing trend towards consolidation in the real estate industry, he had recently received several offers to buy his firm but turned them all down because ‘they all wanted me out. Sotheby’s offer provided the best opportunity for me and my associates to expand. It’s a big market out there.’ Thrilled by the news is local agent Betty-Jo Tilley, who joined DBL a year ago. ‘Sotheby’s has always had a cachet, an image of sophistication, so I think it’s an ideal match for us.’ Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 primarily to service clients of Sotheby’s auction house, which has been in operation for over 250 years and is known worldwide. In addition to Southern California, the company operates brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets, including Manhattan, the Hamptons, Connecticut, Palm Beach, San Francisco, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The DBL acquisition by Sotheby’s is its first since the company was itself acquired in February by NRT Inc., the largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States. NRT also owns several other real estate franchises and brokerages, including Coldwell Banker, which has three offices in the Palisades (Sunset West, Sunset East and the Highlands). ‘We will continue to be what we have always been’friendly competitors,’ Long said. ‘While we are all now owned by the same company, we are operating under different names, different brands.’ Asked how clients will be able to differentiate one company from the other, Long said: ‘It will come down to the individual service they receive from our agents, as it always has.’ NRT is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation, which provides consumer services worldwide. Besides real estate, its companies (including Cheap Tickets, Ramada Inn International, Travelodge, Avis and Budget Rent-a-Car) provide various travel services. Now, the only two remaining independent real estate firms in the Palisades are A.M. Realty and Palisades Realty. Prudential California Realty, located at 881 Alma Real, is owned by the country’s second-largest real estate company: Home Services of America Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.
Negotiations between Renaissance Academy and Greg Schem, landlord of the 881 Alma Real building, came to a halt this week when the school’s board authorized the filing of a civil lawsuit against Village Real Estate, LLC, the building’s owner. Schem told the Palisadian-Post Wednesday morning that he had not yet received a copy of the lawsuit filed by the new charter high school, which has an enrollment of more than 300 students in grades 9-12. In a six-hour board meeting November 10, Renaissance Academy board members decided that no further ‘good-faith settlement proposals’ on their part could be made to resolve the ongoing landlord-tenant dispute, which began during the first week of classes in September when Schem, in a surprise move, terminated the school’s lease effective June 16, 2005. ‘Although we very much wanted to avoid filing suit, and would still prefer to resolve the dispute through negotiation, we feel we have a very strong case, and are therefore confident we will receive a good outcome in the courts,’ the RA board wrote in a press release posted on the school’s Web site (www.rahigh.org). Bill Bryan, president of the RA board and a school parent, told the Post Tuesday: ‘We’ve done all the begging that there is to do. The lawsuit speaks for itself.’ The board’s decision to file a lawsuit came after it received a settlement proposal from Schem in late October. ‘We proposed a compromise on how we’d work together with [the school] and the City [of Los Angeles] to up the number of students on the terrace level to 150,’ Schem said Tuesday. To date, the L.A. Department of Building and Safety has officially restricted the ground level for administration and counseling, and stipulated that only 90 students occupy the four permitted classrooms on the lower terrace level. According to Bryan, Schem’s proposal ‘didn’t really invite a counter. In order to agree to the proposal, we’d have to agree to using less space than we are now.’ Since receiving clearance from the L.A. Fire Department in October, Renaissance has been allowing 150 students to attend classes on the terrace level. Those students have been using seven of the eight classrooms on that level. Independent study groups of about 10 students have been using the ground level. Other RA students have been attending classes at alternate Palisades locations, including the YMCA board room, a private home, Aldersgate Retreat Center on Haverford (which is owned by the United Methodist Church) and, occasionally, at Mort’s Oak Room. The press release announcing the lawsuit this week stated ‘that the strains of running a high school at multiple locations’in particular the extra challenges faced by our wonderful teachers, and the substantial extra rental costs’have become more than we can bear.’ ‘We feel we’ve been denied the fair use of the space we’ve rented,’ Bryan reiterated to the Post. ‘The necessity [for filing a lawsuit] is to attempt to get more use of the space through June.’ In addition to obtaining instructional use of the ground-level space, Renaissance wants approval to complete renovations in a second chunk of space on the terrace level, about 1,000 square feet in suite T-9, where construction was halted in its initial stages when black mold was discovered. ‘We began submitting plans to finish the space and [the landlord] has refused them,’ Bryan said. ‘T-9 is an unusable shell at the moment, but it could be [finished] easily in a week.’ Renaissance also needs the landlord’s approval to complete installation of the life safety upgrades, which would allow for more students to occupy the school’s space. ‘We have still not received approval,’ Bryan said. According to Schem, ‘The school continues to violate numerous Building and Safety codes and we’re puzzled as to why no enforcement action has taken place.’ While Schem said Wednesday morning that he had not seen the aforementioned lawsuit, he confirmed that he had not filed a suit against Renaissance, though he did not dismiss the option. ‘We can take [RA] to court and we’ll undoubtedly win,’ he said. Meanwhile, the Pacific Palisades Community Council subcommittee formed during the council’s September 23 meeting to address concerns regarding Renaissance, is ‘dormant,’ according to council vice-chairman Kurt Toppel. The committee met three times, but didn’t reach any specific recommendations. ‘It’s not the Community Council’s job to do what the school should do,’ Toppel said Tuesday. Bryan said, ‘The subcommittee proved to be an unwieldy forum for addressing the issues, and we decided one-on-one discussion between the council and the school would be more productive.’
Paul Revere students walking home from school face either a trail, a part of a sidewalk or a sidewalk that is directly next to the road, functioning as a shoulder for the road. Photo: Rick Steil
A year ago, Paul Revere sixth grader Carlos Macario was killed in the crosswalk as he ran to catch the westbound MTA bus at the intersection of Sunset and Allenford. The tragedy was a grim reminder that this corner’a half block from the middle school that serves 2,190 sixth, seventh and eighth graders’is part of an overwhelming onslaught of traffic and congestion that plagues the neighborhood every school day. Now, a year later, little has changed. Traffic still backs up on Sunset in the morning and at dismissal, cars clog Allenford’the only access road to the school’and neighbors still complain about their inability to get in and out of their streets. Immediately after the accident last October, Revere principal Art Copper met with LAUSD representatives and West L.A. traffic officials to address the chaotic traffic situation that exists around the school at arrival and dismissal times. A number of suggestions to tame the traffic nightmare and remedy the dangerous situation were discussed, including strict enforcement of No Parking signs on Allenford, letters to parents urging carpooling, posting School Zone signs and conducting a Department of Transportation survey to determine the volume of traffic on Sunset. According to Mo Blorfroshan, DOT engineer, a three-day 24-hour traffic count conducted in June 2004 showed almost the exact same volume (25,170 vehicles) as the three-day count taken in November 2003 (25,242). Meanwhile a parent transportation committee, now under the leadership of Revere parent Sue Pascoe, has pursued ways to increase bus transportation to and from school, particularly for Palisades students, most of whom arrive or depart by private car. Although there are 22 LAUSD ‘yellow’ buses serving the school, these are designated for magnet school students, students who come from schools that are overcrowded, and those who are not otherwise served by transportation, as in the case of students who live in Topanga Canyon. At the afternoon dismissal, there is public bus service for homebound students. Three MTA ‘school trippers’ stop on Allenford; two travel westbound on Sunset to Marquez, and one travels eastbound toward Beverly Hills. Some students use the MTA commuter buses that travel east and west on Sunset in the afternoon, particularly if they have missed the school tripper or if those buses are overcrowded. Since the opening of Revere in 1955, housing has steadily grown in the Palisades, including the significant population in the Highlands, nearly 10 miles from the school. ‘There was never an adequate projection done about the number of students being added to both Paul Revere and Marquez Elementary,’ according to Pascoe. The school district stopped providing resident bus service in 1979, as a consequence of Proposition 13, but has reserved $16.7 million of its annual budget for Other Transportation Students, Pascoe told the Palisadian-Post. Antonio Rodriguez, LAUSD branch director of transportation, says that a few schools fall under the distance and hazard category, ‘in cases where there are no sidewalks on part of the walking route assigned to children, in which case the busing becomes necessary because of a safety issue.’ Pascoe cited the students who live near Chautauqua as qualifying for bus service under this category. ‘For most of the route [from Chautauqua to Allenford], the sidewalk is either a trail, a part of a sidewalk or a sidewalk that is directly next to the road, functioning as a shoulder for the road,’ she said. ‘And there are blind curves all along Sunset.’ In researching ways to provide more buses for students and thereby reduce the passenger car crush on Allenford, Pascoe investigated the idea of piggybacking on school bus service to and from Palisades High School. She soon discovered that the contract service, First Student Buses, could not provide a PaliHi bus early enough to accommodate Paul Revere students. They could provide an additional bus to Paul Revere, paid for by parents at a cost of $600 a year’an annual fee Revere booster club thought was ‘prohibitive for many families.’ Pascoe then contacted LAUSD to see if the district would contract their buses that arrive at PaliHi before 7:15 a.m. for Paul Revere, but ‘the district refuses to contract those buses out to parent groups because as a public entity they they would lose their tax and insurance status,’ she said. Having reached an impasse in trying to remedy the traffic crisis at Revere, Pascoe is appealing to the community to encourage school board member Marlene Canter to support busing students from the Palisades and Brentwood to Paul Revere. ‘Paul Revere is a school that is entitled to local busing because of the safety issue,’ Pascoe said.
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