accepted

September 16, 2015 Palisades News Page 3
California Incline Construction Update
Due to slope stabilization, the pedestrian overcrossing above the Incline may now be
replaced during Incline construction. Initially it was going to be place one to two years later
and require another Incline closure of four to six months. Photo courtesy of City of Santa Monica
By SUE PASCOE
Editor
Many people who have moved to
the Palisades in recent years
may not know about the 1978
October fire that destroyed 16 homes and
St. Matthew’s Church sanctuary as it roared
through the Santa Monica Mountains just
north of town.
According to Los Angeles firefighters, the
fire season, which typically begins in October,
is ahead of normal this year because of
the drought and persistent heat.
Hillside residents received notices asking
them to water plants and vegetation, while
still following water restrictions. L.A.
County Fire Chief Daryl Osby wrote in an
August 21 letter: “The four-year drought
has forced us all to cut back on water usage;
however, we would like to encourage those
residents in the wildland-urban interface
to continue to judiciously water plants and
ornamental vegetation in accordance with
your local water restriction ordinance.”
Additionally, all Palisades residents
should make sure brush clearance is properly
done.
Observe Red Flag days. In 2006, LAFD
was asked to identify areas such as very narrow
roads, hairpin turns, tight curves and
key intersections that, if not cleared of vehicles,
would create a choke point during
a fire. People need to be able to evacuate
fire areas and firefighters need to be able to
access these areas. Vehicles illegally parked
will be ticketed and towed.
If a fire is close to your property, evacuate.
Leave early to avoid being caught in
fire, smoke or road congestion. Don’t wait
to be told by authorities. If it is an intense
wildfire, they may not have time to knock
on every door.
“When the wind comes up, all bets are
off,” retired Fire Station 69 Captain Mike
Ketailly told the News.
If you have an elderly neighbor, make
sure they get out, too. The evacuation center
for Pacific Palisades is Palisades High
School. For those who have large animals,
such as horses, the evacuation center is Paul
Revere Middle School.
Remember: You can replace property,
but not lives.
Be prepared. LAFD reminds residents to
keep a pair of shoes and a flashlight ready
in the event of a night evacuation and to
have the six “P’s” ready: 1.) people and pets;
2.) papers, phone numbers and important
documents; 3.) prescriptions, vitamins and
eyeglasses; 4.) pictures and irreplaceable
The California Incline bridge, which
closed in mid-April for reconstruction,
is on target for completion by
May 2016.
“It is 30 percent complete,” said Santa
Monica City Engineer Lee Swain at the
PCH Task Force meeting held in Malibu on
September 2. “All the piles have been completed
and 450 soil nails have been put into
the bluffs.”
Swain explained that the nails extend 20
to 75 feet into the bluffs and then are surrounded
by concrete, which stabilizes the
slope. One of the requirements of MCM
Construction, in addition to the bridge replacement,
was slope stabilization.
The Incline Replacement Project has
been in the planning stages since 2009,
when the 1930s-built bridge was deemed
seismically unsafe.
“By December, two of the three bridge
decks will be laid,” Swain said.
Although there were dire predictions of
traffic problems along Pacific Coast High-
Be Prepared for a Possible Wildfire
Photo taken on October 23, 1978, above Temescal Canyon. The fire destroyed 16 homes
in Pacific Palisades and St. Matthew’s Church sanctuary.
Photo: Jim Kenney
memorabilia 5.) personal computers (information
on hard drive and disks) and
6.) plastic (credit and ATM cards) and cash.
Before leaving your house: close all windows
and doors to prevent sparks from blowing
inside; close all doors inside your house
to slow the spread of fire; turn on the lights
in every room, the porch and yard, to make
your house more visible through the smoke
or darkness; and move furniture away from
windows and sliding glass doors to avoid
ignition from the radiant heat of the fire.
Help firefighters by making sure all combustible
yard furniture is away from your
home; attach garden hoses to faucets and
place them so they are accessible; place a
ladder against the house on the opposite
side of the approaching fire for access to
the roof; and shut off butane/propane or
natural gas valves.
way because of the closure, traffic is flowing
smoothly, except for evening and weekend
traffic jams at the PCH/Pier exit.
The stoplight at the Incline, which is almost
permanently green, has led to complaints
about the short timing of the light
at Chautauqua and PCH, and the resulting
backup of cars turning onto PCH and West
Channel Road. At the meeting, Caltrans officials
said they would check the timing.
Additionally, Santa Monica police asked
if the light at the Incline could be programmed
to turn red, in order to allow cars
attempting to make a left into beach parking
just north of the McClure Tunnel the
opportunity to do so safely.
On September 9, Construction Manager
Curtis Castle reported on the pedestrian
overcrossing (POC) that goes directly above
the Incline.
“The City originally planned to replace
the POC one to two years after the Incline
project. This would have required another
closure of about four to six months of the
Incline,” Castle said. “However, due to condition
of the current POC and the desire to
take advantage of the current closure and
avoid a second closure of the Incline, the
City is planning to demolish and replace
the structure as part of a change order to
the Incline contract.”
The City of Santa Monica is working
with the contractor to determine cost before
proceeding.
Marquez School
Hosts Food Truck
Festival Sunday
The seventh annual back-to-school
Food Truck Festival will be held from
4 to 7 p.m. on Sunday, September 20
at the Marquez Elementary School
lower yard.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit
Marquez.
Co-chairs Amanda Keston and
Laura Marie Salinas said, “Everyone is
welcome and we look forward to seeing
you there! It’s going to be a really
fun day of food and fun at Marquez.”
Food trucks will include Baby’s
Badass Burgers, Joe’s Pizza, The Green
Truck, Border Grill and Martin’s Ice
Cream Truck.
The Palisades High School awardwinning
marching band and the PaliHi
dance team will perform. Cheer
Mania will teach cheers and lead
other activities.
Marquez spirit clothing will be on
sale. Parents working with Marquez
Adopt A Book will be on site to allow
parents and friends to purchase a book
to celebrate a child’s birthday or honor
a teacher (or make a cash donation).