Home Blog Page 38

Milestone Man

By
Steve Galluzzo
-
Pali High baseball coach Mike Voelkel picked up his 300th win in the Dolphins’ 7-4 victory over Hamilton on March 7.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Palisades High baseball coach Mike Voelkel reached a number few coaches can last Friday at North Venice Little League. The Dolphins beat Western League rival Hamilton 7-4 to give their coach his 300th victory with the blue and white and afterwards he took it in stride, as he had the previous 299.

“It’s great… a big milestone in California and losing one year to COVID,” said Voelkel, now in his 18th season at Palisades after having relocated to Southern California from the state of Washington, where he coached at Hoquiam and Aberdeen high schools in Grays Harbor County in the 1990s. “It just means that I’ve been doing this awhile. Down here teams play year-round so being able to practice over a longer period of time makes a huge difference. Also, there are more schools in LA than in the Pacific Northwest so there’s more talent since more kids are playing.”   

Voelkel entered the 2025 season two wins shy of 300 and crept to within one of the mark after Palisades’ 6-1 triumph over Kennedy on March 1. On Friday, Ian Sullivan (four innings) and Max Miller (three) handled the pitching while Andreas Konnari got two hits to pave the way to victory. Palisades, despite not being able to play or practice at George Robert Field as a result of the Palisades Fire, began the season with back-to-back lossses to reigning league champion Venice. The teams will meet a third time April 23.    

Since taking the reins from Tom Seyler in 2008, Voelkel has piloted the program to 20 or more wins six times. Under his leadership, the Dolphins have made the playoffs every year except 2013 and last year marked the first time they failed to make the highest division.

Voelkel has posted an exceptional record in league play, guiding the Dolphins to 11 league crowns, including a 72-game winning league streak from 2017 to 2024. Palisades advanced to the City Open Division championship game at Dodger Stadium in 2019 and has made the semifinals at USC twice under Voelkel, in 2014 and 2023.      

AYSO Spring League Registration Open

By
Steve Galluzzo
-

AYSO Region 69, consisting of Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, Topanga and parts of Santa Monica, in collaboration with its affiliate Aspire Soccer Coaching, is moving forward with its Spring League program.

Registration is now underway for March 15-22 with a pause for Spring Break April 14-20. Games start this Saturday, so register as soon as possible.                                             on the website: //form.jotform.com/Corinne_Coach/pal.

All activities will take place at Paul Revere Middle School with the following weekday options:

Tuesdays or Thursdays from 4:15-5:15 p.m. for U5, U6, U7 and U8; Tuesdays or Thursdays  from 5:15-6:15 p.m. for for U10 and U12. All weekday participants also play games on Saturdays. The schedule is as follows:

U5, U6, U7 and U8 Boys from 8:30-10 a.m.; U5, U6, U7 and U8 Girls from 10-11:30 a.m.; U10 and  U12 Boys and Girls from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Families that have relocated or face challenges with road closures can choose a Saturday-only program combining practice and game experience in a single day.Region 69’s staff includes coaches Pete, Louis, Corinne and Cindy, who are more than just instructors. Families that lost their homes will receive a 50 percent discount on Spring League registration. Please use the coupon code HOMELOSS during checkout. Registrations after March 15 are welcome.

For questions or information, call or text (818) 570-3829.

Dolphins on All-League Teams

By
Steve Galluzzo
-
Mechal Green
Photos by Steve Galluzzo

The Western League was the best in the City Section in basketball this winter as three boys and three girls teams made the Open Division. Many Dolphins earned All-League accolades, led by sophomore guard Jack Levey, who was named Most Outstanding Player. Joining him on the first team  are Tommy Pickens and Kye Davis. Making the second team were Julian Cunningham and Mikal Sims and honorable mentions were Eli Levi and Aten Hassan.

Jack Levey
Elly Tierney

For the girls, Elly Tierney, Riley Oku, Sincere Aubrey and Ayla Teegardin made the first team and Alyssa Ramirez and Olivia Lewis made the second team. In girls soccer, first-teamers are Mechal Green, Caroline Quigley, Leila Jafari, Ava Loos and Alina Evans. Second-teamers are Erin Landis, Sibley Norris, Maya Hively, Ava Friedman and Maria Kneirim.

 

Tommy Pickens

Ritts Equals NCAA Division III Record

By
Steve Galluzzo
-
Oberlin senior Zach Ritts
Courtesy of Oberlin Athletics

Zach Ritts had an afternoon to remembeer last Saturday. In the second game of a doubleheader against Asbury, the Oberlin College senior third baseman stole seven bases to set a school and North Coast Athletic Conference record. His total tied him with  three other players for the second-most steals in a single game in NCAA Division III history. Isaac Taylor of Transylvania set the record with eight swipes versus Centre on April 2, 2018.     

Ritts is enjoying life in Ohio. He has started eight of the first nine games for the Yeomen, colelcting six singles, one double, seven RBIs and five runs scores. After his record-setting performance he improved to 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.    

Ritts grew up in the Highladns, played in the PPBA, went to Marquez Elementary and Paul Revere Middle School and was the opening day pitcher for Pali High his senior year in 2021, allowing one hit and zero runs in four innings to beat Narbonne. He went on to earn second team All-Western League recognition and was joined at Oberlin by league MVP and All-City infielder Kyle Grassl.

Pali High Soccer Falls in City Semis

By
Steve Galluzzo
-
Harper Given
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

A trip to the first-ever City Open Division girls soccer final was at stake Feb. 25 when fourth-seeded Palisades traveled to Woodland Hills to take on top-seeded Cleveland at Taft High. It was a rematch of last year’s Division I semifinal and once again the Cavaliers prevailed, building a 3-0 lead before the Dolphins managed to score on a penalty kick just before full time.

In the quarterfinals five days earlier versus No. 5 GALA, Ava Loos and Mechal Green scored in regulation and Palisades (16-2-1) prevailed 5-3 in a shootout.

Softball Gets Fresh Start

By
Steve Galluzzo
-
Sarah Feldman has pitched every inning for the Dolphins this spring.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

When she accepted the role of starting pitcher for the Palisades High varsity softball team, freshman Sarah Feldman knew she had big shoes to fill. However, she has shown the poise of a veteran so far, throwing every inning of the Dolphins’ season so far and earning the respect of her teammates with her tenacity and poise in the circle.       

“I started playing when I was 9 and my first season I played outfield,” Feldman said. “When I was 10 I convinced my coach to let me pitch and I’ve done it ever since.”

Feldman, who lives in Santa Monica and attended Lincoln Middle School before Pali High, plays club for SoCal Choppers’ 16U fastpitch squad (based in Santa Clarita) and isn also active in Swim with Heart, a non-profit program that offers year-round swim instruction and team training. Her 11-year-old sister started in softball but now plays soccer.

“I was originally going to go to Samo but we talked about it as a family and decided on Palisades,” added Feldman, who has two dogs (Sadie and Belle). “Pitching at Pali is a step up from travel ball, but I like it.”         

Feldman tossed a complete game in the Dolphins’ 9-1 nonleague loss at Oak Park last Friday, throwing 114 pitches. “That’s nothing… I’m used to high pitch counts,” she said. “If I have a bad inning I give myself some grace. I’m a freshman, so there’s room to grow and I love my teammates. They’re like my older sisters, they make me laugh and they and they even dance with me.”   

A ninth-grader trying to replace three-year starter and All- City selection Briana Vasquez, who finished her Palisades career with 320 strikeouts and is now a freshman at La Verne, Feldman has no fear of failure—a quality Dolphins coach Linda Park appreciates.

“Bri was the backbone of our program,” Park said of Vasquez, who   was named SCIAC Pitcher of the Week on Monday after tossing complete-game one-hitter Saturday versus Bethel. “Sarah’s done a phenomenal job! She keeps us in every game.”

Feldman notched her first victory Feb. 27, strking out nine Centaurs  while allowing only two hits in a 10-0, six-inning shutout. She had five strikeouts in an eight-inning win against St. Monica one week later—a game in which she also got her first hit. She had seven strikeouts in her prep debut against Leuzinger on Feb. 25.

Vasquez pitched the Dolphins to the City Division I semifinals last spring and it will be tall order for Palisades to make it back there given  that the roster includes seven underclassmen.    

City of Los Angeles Issues Evacuation Warnings, Address-Specific Evacuation Orders

By
Sarah Shmerling
-
Areas in purple will be under evacuation warning beginning March 12 at 7 a.m.
Map courtesy of LAFD

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The city of Los Angeles has issued evacuation warnings for several areas and limited, address-specific evacuation orders due to forecasted high rains, according to Los Angeles Fire Department Spokesperson Margaret Stewart.

The warnings and orders will go into effect from Wednesday, March 12, at 7 a.m. to Thursday, March 13, at 6 p.m., due to the storms, which “have the potential to trigger mudslides and debris flows.”

“The warnings and orders are in recent burn areas, which are especially susceptible to heavy rain,” Stewart wrote.

Within the Palisades fire area, this includes Getty Villa area, Highlands near the burn areas, Bienveneda area near Temescal Canyon Park, Rivas Canyon/Will Rogers State Park area, Mandeville Canyon above Tanners Road, Old Ranch Road and Rustic Creek.

“Homes in the warning area with high risk will be visited by LAPD today[March 11] to issue specific evacuation orders,” Stewart continued. “If you are not home, they will leave a flyer with important evacuation information.”

PCH to Close to Residents in Burn Scar Area Due to Storm

By
Sarah Shmerling
-
Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday morning, January 8.
Photo by Sarah Shmerling

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

A portion of Pacific Coast Highway will close to residents in the burn scar areas beginning Wednesday, March 12, due to “safety threats from an incoming storm,” Caltrans announced on March 11.

“Caltrans, in consultation with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, local agencies and law enforcement, will be closing a segment of Pacific Coast Highway/State Route 1 to residents and businesses in burn scar areas due to safety concerns from the incoming storm beginning Wednesday, March 12 at 12 p.m.,” read the statement. “Only emergency vehicles and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ debris-hauling contractors will be allowed through the closure. Residents with homes in the burn scar area should consider alternate routes in the afternoon hours or consider teleworking if possible.”

The closure will be in effect from Carbon Beach Terrace in Malibu to Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades.

Caltrans reported that the road would be reassessed on Thursday, March 13, to see if the highway could reopen to residents and businesses with passes by Friday, March 14, at 6 a.m., if not earlier.

“This is dependent on the extent of the storm and resulting impacts of any debris flows,” Caltrans wrote. “The forecasted thunderstorms and rain of up to an inch per hour could result in heavy downpours that can cause debris basins to overflow, especially on Wednesday evening.”

LADWP Clears Portions of Palisades for Safe Water

By
Lily Tinoco
-
LADWP "Do Not Drink" area map as of March 5
Courtesy of LADWP

Unified Utilities Rebuild Operations Center Opens at Palisades Recreation Center

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Portions of Pacific Palisades have been cleared and notified that their water is now safe for drinking after the Palisades fire—with additional zones anticipated to be cleared as soon as this week, according to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Director of Water Quality Division Jonathan Leung.

The cleared portions include zip code 90402 and portions of 90272: areas east of Temescal Canyon Road and south of Bestor Boulevard in the LADWP service area.

A “Do Not Drink, Do Not Boil” notification was issued on January 10 due to the potential of wildfire contaminants. LADWP announced on February 25 that these precautions were no longer necessary in some zones, “as stringent testing of the water quality confirms that all drinking water standards are being achieved for this area.”

“To protect against wildfire-related contaminants, [LADWP] implemented a comprehensive flushing and testing plan, which was approved by the State Water Resources Control Board—Division of Drinking Water,” according to LADWP. “In accordance with this plan, LADWP has been conducting thorough flushing, sampling and water quality testing of the water distribution system in the Palisades area.”

The SWRCB-DDW confirmed on February 24 that all standards for drinking water quality had been achieved. This means residents within these areas can use water for baby formula and juice, bathing, hand-washing, washing dishes, making ice, and food preparation.

Leung announced during a town hall on March 4 hosted by Mayor Karen Bass that additional samples “continue to point” in the “right directions,” with a “major announcement” that could be ready as soon as March 6 or 7 regarding water quality in the rest of the Palisades area.

The department has launched a map where residents can search a specific address to see if it falls within the LADWP No Not Drink, Do Not Boil notice area.

LADWP also announced the establishment of a Unified Utilities Rebuild Operations Center at Palisades Recreation Center, which opened on Saturday, March 1.

At the operations center, customers impacted by the Palisades fire have access to LADWP services to help them rebuild, turn on and off water and power services, and receive answers to questions. Other utility services provided by corporate and government partners are also slated to offer services at the center.

“LADWP crews have worked around the clock since the Palisades fire to restore power to the Palisades area,” LADWP Chief Executive Officer and Chief Engineer Janisse Quiñones said in a statement. “The opening of UUROC is the next phase in LADWP’s commitment to serve our customers in the rebuilding of the community. We want to be easily accessible to our customers who are already dealing with so much as they begin to rebuild their homes and businesses.”

The operations center is in the small gym at 851 Alma Real Drive. It is currently open Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, visit ladwp.com/palisades.

Multiple Agencies Partner to Launch Unified Access Pass

By
Sarah Shmerling
-
Information about where to obtain access passes
Courtesy of the Office of Mayor Karen Bass

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Multiple agencies have partnered together so Palisades fire-impacted residents, businesses, and contractors and employees can acquire a unified access pass, which began March 3.

“Law enforcement is now using one unified pass,” according to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Dominic Choi during a town hall hosted by Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, March 4. The effort was a collaboration between Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, LAPD, City of Los Angeles and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office, according to the City of Malibu.

Previously obtained passes (including red for residents with no expiration date and blue for contractors with valid dates) will still provide access to the area.

“As long as they’re valid passes—they’re not duplicates—they will be honored at the checkpoints,” Choi said. “There’s no need to go back and get the new unified pass.”

Each person going in and out of the area needs to obtain a pass that matches their identification, which will be checked at access points, Choi said.

Those operating the check points have seen an increase in fake/duplicate passes, Choi continued, citing that last Saturday, March 1, by 10 a.m., more than two dozen counterfeit or duplicate passes were encountered, which has been causing “significant backup” in lines to enter the area.

“I know it’s a little bit of inconvenience, but please make sure that the appropriate people are getting the valid passes from these pass distribution centers,” Choi said.

Access passes can now be picked up Monday to Saturday between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Disaster Recovery Center at UCLA Research Park West (10850 West Pico Boulevard); Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Santa Monica College – Malibu Campus Admin Building Interpretive Center (23555 Civic Center Way); and Saturdays at Malibu City Hall (23825 Stuart Ranch Road) between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

While conducting crime suppression efforts, California Highway Patrol was alerted to a home that had several cars parked outside on Saturday evening, February 22, Choi explained during the town hall. A resident of the Palisades was having a dinner party with 25-plus guests, Choi continued.

Those in attendance had “fake contractor passes” that were confiscated, Choi explained. The party was dispersed, he said, and everyone left peacefully.

During the Q&A portion of the town hall, a question was posed about the presence of National Guard in the area, to which Vahid Khorsand with the Board of Public Works responded: “There is no timeline for the National Guard to leave the Palisades at this time.”

1...373839...2,545Page 38 of 2,545
© Pacific Palisades Post, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272