Palisadian-Post Serving the Community Since 1928
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Palisadian-Post Serving the Community Since 1928 20 Pages Thursday, January 24, 2019 ◆ Pacific Palisades, California $1.50 Three Decades in the Making Countdown to the Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Potrero Canyon Park 2019 Pali Bee By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA of dirt excavated from Caruso’s Reporter Palisades Village construction site, a move that was challenged lose to 35 years after plans by Palisadians who made claims to turn Potrero Canyon into a of the dirt being toxic, and neigh- Cpublic park were announced, city bors on Potrero who complained officials held a groundbreaking of dust clouds being formed as a ceremony on Tuesday, January result of the transfer. 22, to initiate a year-long con- At Tuesday’s ceremony, as struction project. Wolfberg approached the micro- The ceremony marks the end phone to thank all in attendance of a decades-long planning and for their work, he offered a stark approval process and a begin- reminder that their work wasn’t ning to a project that will install Breaking ground at Potrero Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer over yet. picnic areas and a pathway from “I want to remind every- Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer the Palisades Recreation Center The new 46-acre park will David Card and George Wolfberg one that we want to see a bridge Students who live or attend school in Pacific Palisades in down to Pacific Coast Highway, feature riparian landscaping, sce- who were both in attendance. across [Pacific Coast Highway] grades one through five are encouraged to sign up for the 2019 which is slated to open in 2020. nic ocean views, further access to Back in June 2018, the Board so that people do not get killed,” Pali Bee, which will take place on Sunday, February 10, at Pal- The ground was officially nearby hiking trails, ADA bath- of Recreation and Park Commis- Wolfberg said. “That bridge is “broken” by Councilmember rooms and fences and gates to sioners awarded a contract worth going to save lives and make this isades Charter High School. For more information or to register Mike Bonin, General Manager insure adherence to park hours. over $13.5 million to contracting a complete pathway from the for this year’s spelling bee, visit palipost.com/palibee2019. of the Department of Recreation “This is an exercise of taking company OHA USA, Inc., also Recreation Center to the sand.” and Parks Mike Shull and Gary a lemon and making lemonade,” known as Obrascón Huarte Lain. Lee Moore, City Engineer for the said Palisadian Joe Halper, com- The company was tasked Bureau of Engineering. missioner on the Recreation and with complex labor assignments, “This has been a very, very Parks Board. “A lot has happened including “clearing and grub- UTLA and LAUSD long time in coming,” said Bo- and it has all happened because bing” the “demolition and dis- nin, who gave a look back on the of local residents and the [repre- posal of existing concrete access history of the project that dates sentatives of Council District 11] road,” and the “construction of back to the 1980s. “It is time for really pitching in and getting it wet riparian zone through the Strike a Deal this to get done. It is time for the done.” center of the canyon,” to name a community, for the region, to get Halper largely credited the few. Palisadian Teachers to Return to Classrooms the beautiful park that they de- completion of the project to the At the end of 2016, the can- serve.” diligence of fellow Palisadians yon received 122,000 square feet Back to the Drawing Board Park Advisory Board Seeks Relocation Site for Dumpsters By SARAH SHMERLING Editor-in-Chief fter dozens of community members attended a Pacific APalisades Park Advisory Board special meeting in October 2018 to voice their concern about the relocation of six dumpsters at Pal- isades Recreation Center from the maintenance yard area to a spot near the tennis courts, the board has been working with the Recre- ation and Parks Maintenance de- partment to find a less contentious space. Raul Leon, Principal Grounds The PAB is looking into if an area along Temescal Canyon Road is a Maintenance Supervisor of the Pa- viable option. Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer cific Maintenance division, attend- Canyon Charter Elementary School Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer ed the board’s January 16 meeting ple space for the sanitation truck yard. At what point does it rise to to share a presentation of another to comfortably move around. The the level of an issue that the city By JAMES GAGE voting on the agreement now,” UTLA sent out a press re- feasible location for the six dump- dumpsters are used for several will fund the relocation of those and CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA Melvoin told the Post Tuesday lease detailing certain aspects of sters: an area off Temescal Canyon parks around the Palisades in ad- dumpsters?” evening. “The board is not voting the deal, calling it a “victory for Road, south of Palisades Charter dition to the Rec Center, including “That would be a question for eachers voted to approve an until early next week on Tuesday. public education.” Per a two-page High School. the Bluffs and Temescal Park. what priorities are currently,” Leon agreement made between Los Teachers will be back in school summary released by UTLA, the “Being in the Palisades, the In order to assist with finding explained. TAngeles Unified School District [Wednesday]. We know the teach- deal includes a 3 percent retroac- areas are very, very hard to find,” a space that will work, the Park Board members suggested and United Teachers Los Angeles ers miss their kids and the kids tive salary increase for the 2017- Leon explained. Advisory Board created a subcom- that funding goes through the Los that was presented early Tues- miss their teachers. We’re grateful 18 school year and a 3 percent The relocation site must be big mittee, led by Palisadian Rob Elli- Angeles Parks Foundation, which day morning after an all-night for everyone’s patience. salary increase retroactive to July enough to accommodate the six son, that so far includes about 15 would be a “fast track to get the bargaining session ended at 6:15 “The Board of Education 1, 2018. current dumpsters as well as am- people who are directly affected by [right of entry],” Palisades Recre- a.m., bringing to a close a strike votes on Tuesday, but the Superin- It also includes a guaranteed the dumpsters, including residents ation Center Director Erich Haas that had begun on January 14— tendent has been negotiating with nurse at every school, with 150 on Alma Real and Frontera drives, said. the first in the district since 1989. UTLA negotiating teams with the full-time nurse positions to be and a Pali High coach. Issues of the But before fundraising for the As the Post went to print on understanding that the Board will filled for the 2019-20 school year. current location include rodents proposed location could begin, Tuesday evening, preliminary ratify.” In 2019-20, the district will hire and noise waking up neighboring the board is inviting community numbers showed overwhelming “Good news for our families 41 full-time teacher librarians and children as early as 5:15 a.m. members to voice their opinions support for the deal, according and teachers!” Los Angeles May- another 41 in 2020-21. “One of the things we iden- about the proposed location, with to UTLA President Alex Capu- or Eric Garcetti Tweeted at noon The district will also hire tified early on is if we’re going longtime board member Bob Ben- to-Pearl. on Tuesday. “After days of tire- at least 17 additional full-time to move those dumpsters, where ton explaining that there should be The Board of Education and less negotiations here at City Hall, counselors by October 1, 2019. are viable potential options that public notice for the next meeting, union members are expected to LAUSD and UTLA have reached Importantly, the deal also elimi- we could consider?” Ellison ex- which is scheduled for April 17. ratify the deal next week, accord- an agreement that—pending ap- nates a contract provision, Sec- plained. “The idea is finding some- “It sounds like the overall ing to LAUSD Board of Educa- proval by the teachers represented tion 1.5, allowing the district to thing that is best for the communi- thing that you’re pitching, Raul, is tion Member for District 4 Nick by UTLA and the Board of Edu- increase class sizes during times ty and that the community can rally that you’re saying that right now Melvoin. cation—will allow students to go of “economic hardship” while si- behind.” there’s issues with the bins that “The plan is that teachers are back to school tomorrow.” multaneously reducing class sizes The Temescal Canyon site were at the park, that we’re dealing incrementally between 2019-22. would require work, including with rat issues, with smell issues A joint press conference Tuesday grading, leveling, asphalt, adding and with the issue of having a big, morning held by Mayor Garcetti, a gate and a windscreen—which big, big, big truck come in when Superintendent Beutner and Ca- would cost about $53,000 and there’s a ton of kids at the biggest puto-Pearl announced the tenta- take about three or four months park in the Palisades and that’s tive deal to the public. to construct. Leon is also hoping going to all go away,” Palisadian “The strike that nobody want- that the new site will house up to Jimmy Dunne, who has worked ed is now behind us,” Beutner said eight dumpsters instead of the six closely with the PAB on the Vet- at the press conference.