INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPRING HOMES & GARDENS Vol. 4, No. 14 • May 23, 2018 Uniting the Community with News, Features and Commentary Circulation: 15,000 • $1.00 Tenants Hold Rent Protest n Sunday, about 50 tenants who live in a downtown apartment Obuilding owned by Pacific Palisades landlord Lisa Ehrlich, staged a protest at the Palisades Farmer’s Market. Organized and assisted by the VyBe chap- ter of the Los Angeles Tenants Union, the tenants opposed a rent increase for a one- bedroom apartment from $1,050 to $1,300. Ehrlich had not raised rents since 2008. Comparable neighborhood one-bedroom apartments rent for $1,500. In an earlier story, Ehrlich said one rea- son for higher rents was because DWP had increased rates for garbage collection (Re- cycLA). “Fees have tripled,” Ehrlich said. Tenants accused Ehrlich of substandard housing conditions. But Ehrlich said that tenants were being coached to create aware- ness of the state repeal of the Costa Hawkins legislation. Costa Hawkins, which went into effect in 1995, prohibits cities from capping St. Matthew-s 66th Town Fair was celebrated on May 19. Charles Wyruch and Rocco October Weinberg joined Pacific Palisades rent increases for properties built after residents in enjoying rides such as the Roc-O-Plane and Paratrooper, and enjoying strawberry shortcake and the cakewalk. Proceeds February of that year. The apartments, built raised from the fair benefit St. Paul’s, a sister school in Haiti. Photo: Lesly Hall Photography in 1989-90, are not under rent control. Palisades Chamber Halts Trash Clean-Up By SUE PASCOE and BILL BRUNS Palisades PRIDE, to bring about a fundrais- cleaning in the Palisades business district now without the Chamber’s money, the BID will ing campaign that would pay Chrysalis to amounts to three people three times a week. not h ave enough money late this year to mportant as it is, trash collection and collect the trash and clean sidewalk areas. This spring, the Chamber board voted continue the coverage that is currently pro- sidewalk cleanup in the Pacific Palisades Every year through 2017, the Chamber to transfer its Chrysalis money (nearly vided by Chrysalis. Ibusiness district is not a sexy topic to solicited donations through a community- $30,000) to the BID. The Chrysalis con- The total BID budget for the coming fiscal write about, but the subject raised concerns wide mailer and managed to raise about tract includes the cost of labor, liability year is $180,000, which includes $108,000 for at the latest Palisades Business Improvement $30,000 a year (helped by the annual $7,500 and workers comp, vehicle and gas ex- cleaning, maintenance and beautification ef- District (BID) board meeting on May 2. contribution from realtor Michael Edlen) to pense, uniforms, supplies and trash liners. forts; $16,158 for communication/market- “The Chamber of Commerce is out of fund one or two workers for two days a week. At the May 2 meeting, BID member and ing; and $54,100 for management/city fees. the trash business,” said BID executive di- When the Palisades BID came into ex- Chamber board member Rick Lemmo (who “We don’t have $80,000 in our budget [to rector Laurie Sale, “and it’s now our job.” istence two years ago, every business in the represents Caruso’s Palisades Village proj- pay for Chrysalis a full year],” said Zorensky. Back in 2002, when the business district town’s main business district (from Carey ect) reiterated that the Chamber would no Lemmo reassured BID members that along Sunset, Monument, Swarthmore, La Street to Via de la Paz) began paying a yearly longer serve as the fundraiser and financial all trash collection and sidewalk cleaning Cruz, Antioch and Via de la Paz was plagued assessed fee. Some of these funds were ear- conduit for Chrysalis services. in and around the Caruso complex will be with overflowing trash bins, unwashed side- marked to help expand the services pro- “Why won’t the Chamber keep doing paid for by Caruso. walks and debris-filled gutters, jewelry store vided by Chrysalis, while other funds went it?” asked David Peterson, who represents owner Saad Mazboudi decided to take action. to sidewalk power washing twice a year and PRIDE on the BID board. Luncheon for Town’s As president of the Chamber, Mazboudi tree trimming. “Everything we do has to benefit the joined with Arnie Wishnick, the organiza- BID was able to hire two additional Chrys - Chamber,” Lemmo said. 90-Year-Olds Will Be tion’s executive director and a member of alis workers, so that the total amount of “Doesn’t picking up trash benefit the businesses?” Peterson asked. Held June 2 “If you go to other [community] neigh- The Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club will borhoods, the Chamber is not responsible host its annual luncheon honoring Palisa- for this,” said Chamber representative dians 90 years and older on Saturday, June Nicole Howard. 2, from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the clubhouse, “The Chamber is not a trash organiza- 901 Haverford. tion,” Lemmo said. This free celebration will include lunch and “It should be the Chamber’s responsibil- entertainment. Bill Bruns, an adviser with the ity,” Peterson said, but Howard noted that Palisades News and former longtime editor in a block of five businesses, only two might of the Palisadian-Post, will be guest speaker. be actual Chamber members (who pay a To RSVP and receive an invitation (spous - yearly fee to belong). es, family members and caregivers are invit - BID President Elliot Zorensky said that ed), please call Fay Vahdani at (310) 699-5885. Page 2 Palisades News May 23, 2018 May 23, 2018 Palisades News Page 3 Eva Milan Engel Jonah Bahari Julia Musumeci Jackson and Austin Geiger (right) Revere Film Festival Adds Horror Genre By LAURA ABRUSCATO genre,” Fitzer said. “That’s when we decided from a computer virus. together the postings of thoughts and Staff Writer that it would be fun to add a special horror In live-action, Morgan Hillenbrand took prayers, and then stated that the last step is Photos by Lesly Hall Photography category this year. And the horror films first for TEXTCHAINed. One judge com- that nothing changes. “We need common- seemed to be huge audience-pleasers.” mented, “TEXTCHAINed is a well-crafted sense gun laws in America,” Engel said. “I cary music, mysterious masks, giant Thirty-three films were screened, each and evocative drama that takes place be- think we need change.” toy spiders, random noises and even of them one to six minutes in length, and tween two families, seemingly unaware of The music video “Finesse” by Brooklyn Sbewitched typewriters made an ap- awards were given out to first, second and the other. Morgan Hillenbrand uses a com- Taylor and Jonah Bahari tied for first place pearance in several student movies, prompt- third-place winners in each category. plex and disarming narrative strategy. De- with “Runaway Baby” by Emmett Whitaker. ing the addition of the horror genre at the Gabriel Groenwold took first in the hor- spite the tragic storyline the audience will Bahari described making their music fourth annual Paul Revere Middle School ror category with Did You Hear That?As one feel enormous sympathy for the lead char- video as fun. Sixth-grader Whitaker’s video Film Festival on April 25. judge said, “The filmmakers assigned them- acter. TEXTCHAINed is notable for its showed a 4-year-old being chased by her “When we launched our 2018 film fes- selves to make an intense and horrifying clever use of lenses, angles, depth of field, mother in order to have a pull-up put on. 1 tival season we still only included the same thriller, and they have delivered. The entire and time-lapse photography.” He said of the actress, his 4 ⁄2-year-old origi nal six categories (Animation, Com- cast comes through with strong, sympa- First place in the Public Service An- neighbor Emily Cudzil, “She’s very coop- mercial, Documentary, Live Action, Music thetic performances. The supporting play- nouncement category went to Eva Milan erative and she’s a great actor.” Video, and PSA),” said Revere parent Susan ers are sharply drawn and the special effects Engel for Stop the Insanity, her anti-gun- Jackson Geiger also worked with a young Fitzer, who organized the festival along with are professional.” violence video inspired by the high school actor in his winning commercial HedBanz. parents Sage Grandy and Debbie Sachs, his- Harrison Denman won the animation shooting in Parkland, Florida. The movie The commercial showed Geiger’s difficulty tory teacher Jon Hyman and Assistant Prin- category for Charlie’s Story, where the com- starts with a quotation from Albert Einstein: in trying to play the “What Am I?” guessing cipal Justin Koretz. puter-animated Charlie cleverly steps out “Insanity is doing the same thing over and game with his 5-year-old brother Austin “However, when we received all of the of his own world and interact s with other over again and expecting different results.” and ended with the line, “HedBanz is not live-action submissions we noticed that a types of animation as he travels through Using video and audio from the shooting suitable for children under 7.” large percentage were from the horror different worlds trying to save his friends that she found on YouTube, Engel edited Julia Musumeci explored Ecuador for her winning documentary, From 0 to 19,437 Feet. Musumeci, who has family there, showed the diversity of the landscape from Kilbride Named Honorary Fire Chief the beach to the Amazon rainforest, and in- haron Kilbride, who has been instru- terviewed an 11-year-old Quito girl about mental on the enforcement commit- her life.