Earlier this week, the LAPD announced one sobriety checkpoint taking place tonight in the Valley. This morning, they announced two more, one in Harbor area and another on the Westside. From 6:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m., they will be on Avalon Boulevard between Opp Street and I Street in Wilmington and from 7:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. at Pacific Coast Highway and Temescal Canyon Road in Pacific Palisades. Stay safe out there.......

At just past midnight, a Los Angeles Fire Department ambulance carrying four firefighter paramedics and a critical medical patient were involved in a collision with another vehicle at Temescal Canyon Rd. and Pacific Coast Highway. The driver of the other vehicle was airlifted to the hospital in critical or serious condition according to Ron Meyers, LAFD Spokesman. The four firefighters were transported to the hospital for non-life threatening injuries and the original patient in the......

The end of the trail at Parker Overlook | All Photos by Zach Behrens/LAist For most of the 5.5-mile Pacific Palisades hike at the popular Paseo Miramar trail towards Parker Overlook, you can see the ocean. Located two blocks east of Pacific Coast Highway on Sunset (map found below), the hike is a popular one, often leaving the dense hillside neighborhood at the top of the street strapped for parking, which means hikers must......

Brace yourselves, Southlanders--there could be tornadoes brewing out there. The National Weather Service in Oxnard has issued a Tornado Warning for southwest Los Angeles County in southwest California, including the cities of Malibu, Pacific Palisades and Topanga until 9:45 p.m. PST. [KABC] Although it's a brief warning, the overall weather picture remains grim here in the greater Los Angeles area. We're under warnings and advisories galore; the flood advisory is still up for Ventura and......

So, looking forward to the Golden Globes tomorrow night? If you like lists being read aloud (and, really, who doesn't?) then NBC has a show for you. But, wait, there's more! Since the news conference announcing the winners will take one hour, NBC is filling the other two hours originally scheduled for the Globes with a "Dateline" special, including interviews to be conducted by Matt Lauer with some actors that are up for some......

The answer is yes, there was good chance that these two domestic violence related homicides could have been prevented. If it took place in another part of the city, say the Van Nuys area, Eagle Rock, Hollywood, South LA, or even the Pacific Palisades, something maybe could have been done. Though, in Tunjunga where two murders took place yesterday, under the jurisdiction of the the LAPD's Foothill Division, the funding just wasn't there for a......

What will Hike The Geek do?!?! In order to face up to budget-balancing woes and a state-wide financial crunch, Governor Schwartzenegger has proposed to close 48 different national park sites, as well as cut funding to many school, health care, and criminal justice programs. Parks in the L.A. area like the Will Rogers State Historic Park, Topanga State Park, and Pio Pico State Historic Park in Whittier will all be shut down, affecting many......

Love it or hate it, tonight's New Year's Eve. And while half of the city has vacated for NYE's in Vegas, there's plenty to do right here in LA to welcome '08. Fireworks Catch the midnight fireworks in Marina Del Rey. At 11:55 pm and 30-seconds, one firework will be shot into the air for each second, counting down to midnight--and then a few more into 2008. The show be seen from anywhere in the......

Within 48 hours, building fires in Los Angeles did not take a holiday vacation. Early this morning in the Westlake neighborhood, a fire broke out in a three story converted-to-apartments Victorian home. Eleven residents, including two children were displaced while one man died. The cause is unknown. Early last night on Budlong Ave. near 117th St, a fire, most likely caused by a space heater, killed a 48-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman in......

If you support independent anything, listen up: Village Books in Pacific Palisades is on the verge of closing. Thank you big box chains, for screwing with the independents again. How to help right away: Shop at Village Books this weekend for the 15% off sale. You know you've got holiday shopping to do and why not do it at Village Books? How to help after this weekend: If you are an author, have a signing......

We interviewed Mike Davidson, CEO of Newsvine, at the EconSM conference at the Beverly Hilton today. We discussed everything from how anyone can make a cit-journalism hit on Newsvine (and take 90% of the revenues), to the details of the 13-month-old Web site's re-launch this week to Davidson's longing for the now-shuttered Mort's Deli in Pacific Palisades, where he grew up. This interview is not rudely cut-off, despite the distraction of the pool area below.......

Here’s the thing: this book isn’t even out yet. But because we live in Los Angeles, and this book is about Los Angeles, you’re in luck. We’re all in luck. Denise Hamilton and the bevy of supremely talented noir writers that contributed stories to this book are signing all over town this week. And the book will be, yes, you guessed it – available for signing at the readings two weeks before the rest of......

Tonight, the Mayor's office announced that they will announce the LA WiFi Initiative tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. They say that the network "will be the single largest citywide-network in the country providing wireless, cost-effective, high speed internet access." How fast will it be? Will it reach the far sides of the city such as Sunland-Tujunga, San Pedro, Pacific Palisades and East LA? Will it have ads to supplement cost like in San Francisco and......

Photo by Melyviz Submitted for your viewing pleasure, some webcams from in and around our fair burg. Venice, Pacific Palisades, LAX, Avalon Downtown, Long Beach, Burbank and others are over here.......

One of LA's most popular bloggers, Kevin Roderick, mastermind behind LA Observed, will be reading tonight from his fabulous book Wilshire Boulevard, Grand Concourse of Los Angeles at Village Books in Pacific Palisades. Although he bears a striking resemblance to Bush's Brain, as lovingly pointed out by GOP flag-waver Moxie, Roderick's concerns are far more local, specifically the going-ons at the LA Times and other media outlets here in the City of Angels. The......

- Last week Santa Monica extended its tyrannical smoking ban to now include restaurant patios, bus stops, ATMs and movie theater lines(!); now Burbank wants to further restrict freedoms. Why not grow a pair and just ban the sales of smokes? Oh thats right, you like the taxes you collect on them. - LA Daily News - CBS wants you to know that Terry Lee Shields, 350 lb., accused child molester, of Anaheim, 51......

- Handicapable Pacific Palisades Boy Scout is told that in order to go camping he's got to have one of his parents accompany him. Parents say they would rather accompany the lad to court where they will sue the Scouts. - NBC4 - La Cañada woman falls for the old Illegal Immigrant Wins Lotto and Will Split It With You Trick - La Cañada Valley Sun - Ventura dodged the Wal*Mart-Starbucks urban sprawl of......

The border-lovin Minutemen make a surprise appearance at the Pacific Palisades 4th of July parade, causing distress, confusion. But Mayor Tony is still able to force a smile while posing with a clown. - Tabloid Baby The Great Taco Hunt spends the 4th on the Wesssside, where Tacos La Flama gets a mixed review. Thumbs down on the asada, thumbs up on the al pastor, "the al pastor was the real show stealer. The......

Another step has been taken in transforming downtown with the Grand Avenue project. Now we're not sure we're going to get the technicalities of municipal development right, but as we read in the Daily News, an agreement to begin design on the park (see illustration) that will stretch from the Music Center to City Hall has been approved. A gallery of park proposals from the people has been put together by good-intentioned rabble-rousers at......

Ever buy the New York Times in New York City? If you have, you know that the best section in the whole paper is actually the locals-only City Section. Its where the masters of 43rd Street put their youngest, hippest and usually most-talented writers. The City Section is the pitch perfect read for a New Yorker, because it practically defines the city. So what about for us in Los Angeles? Well, for one, we......

Happy birthday to Wolfgang Amadeaus Mozart, born today in 1756 in Salzburg. If you're reading this, odds are you're not in Austria at the big celebrations. And locally, well, things are a lot more low-key. The LA Chamber Orchestra will perform all of Mozart's piano concertos — it will take a while, and their big shindig won't be until Saturday. If you're booked, on Tuesday head to the Pacific Palisades for a smaller chamber......

Technically, it's in Pacific Palisades, but the Getty Villa — which reopens tomorrow — feels like it's a million miles from the PCH. Newly added are a tall, rectangular entry (stairs. Lotsa stairs) and an amphitheater that faces the Villa. The entry serves to make visitors feel small and meek, but it also creates an almost tunnel-like experience that conducts them out of the traffic-y, hectic world below. What struck us the most was......

Mark Sarvas has championed local reading series, excoriated the LA Times Book Review, and tirelessly blogged about all things literary on his site The Elegant Variation. With its smart writing, frequent updates and splashes of wicked humor, it has become required daily reading — for both Angelenos and folks in the Big Established Publishing World in NY. He is also a founding member of the LitBlog Co-Op (more about that below), which announced its latest......

So when we heard that KCRW's Chris Douridas was arrested, we figured it was for the usual Hollywood fare -- drug possession, drunk and disorderly, etc. But Douridas, who's been with KCRW 15 years, was arrested on Jan. 6 outside the Circle Bar in Santa Monica for allegedly drugging and trying to kidnap a 14-year-old girl. That one we didn't expect. According to the LA Times story this morning: Douridas, 43, was arrested shortly......

Today's LA Times online has a great foodie feature called 20 Delicious Deals that lists a variety of spots around town where you can do some good eating for great prices. Unlike the earlier Los Angeles mag piece on 25 under $25, the Times didn't set a price cap, or aim to have full meals at all their spots, but instead selected outstanding single menu items, like a Pain au chocolat at Pacific Palisades'......

LAObserved.com reminds us that the December 12, 2004 issue of The Los Angeles Times Magazine profiles KCRW's Frances Anderton. Ms. Anderton hosts the weekly radio program, "DnA: Design and Architecture," which focuses on LA designers and architects. The article also lists some LA landmarks that Anderton claims enrich her soul. Her list includes these gems: Theme Building, Los Angeles International Airport, Pereira & Luckman, Welton Becket & Associates, Paul Williams, 1961. My first love.......

Local political junkies are slowly turning their attention from last week’s election to the upcoming City Hall races. The Mayor’s race is attracting the most attention due to the high-profile challengers to Mayor Jim Hahn, though both of Hahn’s fellow City-wide elected officials—City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo and City Controller Laura Chick—are up for re-election. The seven eight odd-numbered Council districts will also hold elections, with six seven incumbents seeking re-election and Councilmember Cindy Miscikowski......

LAist has been too busy bombarding you with other notable happenings to give our readers the proper heads-up that the Los Angeles Conservancy Modern Committee 20th Anniversary event deserves. This is coming up next weekend, so get your tickets ASAP. (Order form here.) The ModCom 20th Anniversary Tour, billed as "20/20/20" 20 Years, 20 Sites, 20 Bucks, offers two days of tour itineraries with so many treats that LAist is already stressed about seeing......

Tonight, noted author Carolyn See will read her contribution to My California: Journeys by Great Writers, an anthology of travel and adventure stories about Calfornia, at Village Books in Pacific Palisades. Donna Wares, based in Long Beach, edited this valentine to our state. Contributors such as Michael Chabon, Thomas Steinbeck, Dana Gioia, Matt Warshaw, Patt Morrison, T. Jefferson Parker, Edward Humes, Rubén Martínez, Aimee Liu, D.J. Waldie, and Firoozeh Dumas have donated their work......