Paul Morantz (Page 13) Abank in the Village Last Year, Has We Launched a Major and Aggres- Fire Scares Within a Week of Each Plead Guilty to Four Bank Robberies

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Paul Morantz (Page 13) Abank in the Village Last Year, Has We Launched a Major and Aggres- Fire Scares Within a Week of Each Plead Guilty to Four Bank Robberies Palisadian-Post Serving the Community Since 1928 24 Pages Thursday, March 15, 2018 ◆ Pacific Palisades, California $1.50 Let’s Play Ball! Amazon Books Heading to Palisades Village By SARAH SHMERLING is an area “that we know is full of leased, with Amazon Books the Managing Editor readers.” 18th confirmed tenant. Palisadians have not turned At the three Amazon stores he next chapter of Caruso’s the pages at a local store since Vil- currently in California titles are laid Palisades Village has been lage Books closed its doors in June with covers rather than spines out. Twritten: Amazon has signed up to 2011, despite a fierce fight by -lo At the flagship store in Seattle, create a “bricks and mortar” store cals, including Tom Hanks, to save which stocks 6,000 books initially when the project opens on Sept. 22. it. chosen through its “social cata- “We created Amazon Books to Other retailers at the loging” website Goodreads, there be a place where customers discov- 125,000-square-foot complex will has been a list of recommended er books and devices they’ll love,” include SunLife Organics, Vintage volumes by Amazon founder Jeff Cameron Janes, vice president of Grocers and Cinépolis’ Bay The- Bezos. Amazon Books, told the Los Ange- atre. It includes his wife MacKenzie les Times. Caruso reported that 80 percent Tuttle Bezos’ Hollywood thriller He also noted that the Palisades of the 40-plus spaces have been “Traps.” Big, Worried Crowd for Safety Town Hall Councilmember Mike Bonin takes on questions. Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA cars was a relief, as the impending Pali High, ensured parents that Reporter threat by the California regulators the school is increasing security to eliminate local beach’s mid- measures as the consideration of a oncerned for safety, privacy night-to-5 a.m. curfew has locals physical fence or gate around cam- and peace of mind, Palisadi- worried it will draw rowdy beach pus continue. The issue is how to Cans filled Mercer Hall at Palisades goers onto their front lawns at 2 balance that out with the warmer Charter High School to the brim a.m. atmosphere of an open campus. on Tuesday, March 6, for a com- Bonin informed the audience While such challenges are all munity town hall focused on local that he is working on acquiring a pending long-term solutions, Pali- crime and safety. coastal development permit from sadians can, in the meantime, find After a recent 9 percent uptick the Coastal Commission that will some comfort in being number 175 in crime, concerned citizens took allow the current curfew to remain out of 209 on the property crime action and arranged a community in place. rate in LA County list, and 190 in Double threat: Honorary Co-Mayor Janice Crystal, top left, threw out the first pitch of the season at town hall to pick the brains of lo- Moore once again reiterated most violent. the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, March 10, followed quickly cal police and officials, including the importance of preventive or de- This is, as one observer said, by her co-mayor and Yankees fastball fan Billy Crystal, right. And then, below, Palisadian-Post Sports LAPD Senior Lead Officer Mi- terrent measures to take to reduce still one of the safest towns in the Editor Steve Galluzzo succeeded in making the funny man laugh. All money raised will be spent on chael Moore, Deputy Fire Chief burglaries. From doorstep cameras United States. maintaining the Field of Dreams. For more details, turn to Page 7. Photos by Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer Armando Hogan, Neighborhood to taking an extra second to lock The issue now is to keep it that Prosecutor Veronica de la Cruz their Tesla, what gets stolen is ul- way. Robles, a Palisadian on the city’s timately up to the victim. legal team and Pacific Palisades This was not enough for some: $19 Million Lottery Winner Pleads Community Council Chair and Alphabet Streets residents—suf- THIS WEEK iN Marquez Knolls resident Maryam fering from a current spike in bur- Guilty to $40,000 Bank Robberies Zar. glaries—are still pushing ahead pali life The town hall gave commu- with their own self-financed plans By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA nity members an opportunity to to hire extra protection for their Reporter present their concerns directly to neighborhood. THE SNAKE, THE CULT officials, including Councilmem- Highlands residents hoped to AND THE NASA ROVER: former lottery winner, accused ber Mike Bonin. hear of an update on evacuation The Technicolor World of of stealing $3,700 from Union “In last year’s budget process plans for the area after having two Paul Morantz (Page 13) ABank in The Village last year, has we launched a major and aggres- fire scares within a week of each plead guilty to four bank robberies. sive effort to get more able-bodied other, to which they were told a James Allen Hayes, 55, won a The Seasoned Bandit officers off of desk duty and back plan is still in the works by way of SuperLotto jackpot worth $19 mil- Photo courtesy of FBI out onto the streets,” Bonin said, community outreach and planning. lion dollars in 1998, according to assuring Palisadians that LAPD “That way we’re all speaking the Los Angeles Times. according to documents submitted has started re-deploying officers the same language, no one is con- “I’m not going to blow the by the agency to court on March 5, around the city. “We have five ad- fused and our goal is to provide money,” Hayes pledged at the time. admitted to four out of 11 bank rob- ditional officers for the West LA you the best care we can in that “I know I’ll change. But only for the beries—one of which took place on area as of this deployment period time of crisis,” Hogan said, adding better … Mainly what I want to do Sunset Boulevard in the Palisades in and that is a trend that hopefully that canyon and hillside communi- is help out my family and friends in September 2017. continues.” ties are being prioritized first. need.” And, he added, maybe take a Over the course of six months, The promise of more patrol Dr. Pam Magee, principal of Transcendental Beauty at trip to Hawaii. Hayes stole close to $40,000, all of Music Guild Concert Hayes, who was working as a which was insured by the Federal He was reported on multiple The plea agreement Hayes has (Page 22) residential security guard in Ventu- Deposit Insurance Corporation. occasions as fleeing the scene in a signed required his agreement that ra County until his near-record win, He handed over notes to bank golden PT Cruiser: He was captured each violation could, at a future was said to have accepted the prize tellers informing them he had a gun. on camera more than once. sentencing, result in up to 20 years’ money in $684,000 installments “I have a gun. Give me $6,000. Although the remaining seven imprisonment and a $250,000 fine over 20 years. Don’t pull any alarms or don’t call charges of bank robbery against per offense. Two decades later, the money anyone,” said the note from Hayes Hayes were dismissed, the U.S. Hayes returns to district court had gone and Hayes turned to crime. to Union Bank teller on Sunset district court will take them into in downtown Los Angeles on The Camarillo man dubbed the Boulevard, according to court doc- consideration when determining a March 15. “Seasoned Bandit” by the FBI has, uments. sentence. Page 2 Palisadian-Post March 15, 2018 WEB TALK This week’s hottest topics on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram Palisadian-Post Amazon Books is coming to Pacific Palisades as Caruso’s Pali- sades Village project takes shape. #palisades #palipost #caruso OUT OF THE PAST #palisadesvillage #amazonbooks June 26, 1969 22¢¢ Your Two Cents’ Worth Don Zipperman takes his turn at the piano for the Summer Theater Workshop of Santa Monica Playhouse, one of many responsibilities. Got something to say? Call (310) 454-1321 or email 2cents@ palipost.com and get those kudos or concerns off your chest. Names will not be used. A Warning To the young man who had been partying next door to me: It was unnecessary to defecate on my lawn, I am discarded. I’ve been asked by multiple friends if I have an “issue.” I may press charges! JODY BRISKIN We seriously need a deli, too Corpus stars KATHLEEN EDWARDS JENSEN A shout out to the Corpus Great news! Before anyone bashes this choice, please visit an Amazon Christi academic decathlon Books store. You’ll see why they’ll be solid, long-term tenants, where team. Nice job on 11. Nice tech-savy & traditional paper book lovers can co-exist. job on individual to: Natalia ROSANNE MANGIO (9), Keira (6), Sydney (5), I am very saddened that Caruso is bringing in Amazon Books instead Brooke (5) and Bill (1)! Great of the book store like the one we had, which was owned by one of our Community.....Amazon is ‘THE COMPANY STORE” , It owns job guys. Whole Foods, and has made it nearly impossible for REAL PEOPLE to stay in business.....Is there no way to make Caruso SEE that and re-think what he is doing....The Palisades was created, and founded by Co-Mayors REAL PEOPLE, not a bunch of conglomerates.....I hope some of the Janice and Billy Crystal are Palisades Community gets this and expresses their disappointment in a big way....This is simply, NOT OK......
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