Palisades-News-June-3-2015-

Page 6 Palisades News June 3, 2015HeardAbout TownNo Sparkplugs, No Citizen?How come there hasn’t been a Citizenof the Year announced or even names forthe annual Sparkplug Awards?(Editor’s note: The Pacific PalisadesCommunity Council, which will make theselection, has decided to move the awardsfrom the spring to the fall. The honoring ofPacific Palisades residents for those prestigiousannual awards will be held at thePPCC holiday meeting on December 10,2015. Look for more information aboutnomination guidelines this fall.)Road Danger on PCHOn Pacific Coast Highway, just beforethe gas station and Entrada, the slowlane suddenly is forced into the adjacentlane because the roadway juts out wherethe small underground tunnel is located.There are no markers, no warning signsand there should be. This is an accidentwaiting to happen.Long Light at TemescalThe other morning during rush hourI waited eight minutes for a light tochange. Cars were backed way up intoTemescal Canyon Road. What can wedo about this?(Editor’s note: We asked Caltrans publicinformation officer Patrick Chandlerto check on the timing and let us know thetiming of the lights on Temescal and Chautauquaduring morning and afternoonrush hour.)Check Out the MailboxThey say you shouldn’t leave outgoingmail by your mailbox for the postal carrierbecause there are too many dishonestpeople who might take it. So, I went to themailbox on the corner of Radcliffe andCarthage and dropped a letter in thepostal box, but when I checked to see if ithad gone down, it was still there. I pulledthe letter off the lid and realized someonehad put something sticky in there,so I took the letter to the Post Office. Itold the postal employees about it, but Idon’t think they understood. So, I’mjust warning everyone.Time Waits for No OneI’m glad to see the clock is back on theclock tower building (at Monument andSunset)—and this one actually keeps time!Engine 69 Coming BackAt the Community Council meetingthe Deputy Chief said he’s working tobring Engine 69 back to the Palisades. Itcan’t happen soon enough, and it shouldnever have gone away.———————If you’d like to share something you’ve“heard about town,” please email it tospascoe@palisadesnews.comANN CLEAVESProtect Yourself from ScammersBy LAURA ABRUSCATOStaff WriterAnyone can be a victim of telephonescammers. Not giving out personalinformation to unsolicited callers iskey to preventing these crimes.When I first received a call from someoneclaiming to be from Microsoft tech support, hetold me that error messages had shown therewas a technical problem on my computer. Itsounded reasonable, but I wondered why theywould initiate the call.While the caller was recommending stepsto fix problems on my computer, I begansearching online for Microsoft scams andlearned that callers impersonate Microsofttech staff, then try to download malicioussoftware on your computer, or take control ofyour computer and get bank account andpassword information, or get your credit-cardnumber and charge you fraudulently. I hungup before downloading anything or payingany money.The next time I got a call from “Microsoft,” Iasked for a callback number, and in an onlinesearch found out this phone number wasconnected to the same fake Microsoft scam.The third time they called, I had recentlybeen through the experience of helping anolder relative who was a victim of a phonescam and identity theft. While researching thesubject, I came across AARP’s Fraud WatchNetwork website with information on the conartists who do these scams, how they aretrained, how they try to get people to feelheightened emotions so they can scam them,VIEWPOINTalong with other techniques.This time, I immediately said “Remove mefrom your call list,” and when the personreplied, “Don’t you want to fix your technicalissues?” I said, “I know who you are and I’mnot going to talk to you, so remove me fromyour list.”A detective I talked to in the course ofhelping my relative told me: no governmentagency will ever call you and ask for information;you wouldn’t win any contest/lottery withoutentering; and no lottery/contest you wonwould call and ask you for your information.When alleged family members call, seeming toneed help or say that they are in a predicamentneeding emergency money, check with anotherfamily member first.My relative was scammed into giving outsome personal information and I learned thata con artist can quickly forge checks and makefraudulent debit withdrawals from a victim’saccount. Thankfully, in our case the withdrawalswere eventually refunded.Other current scams take place in person.One involves someone asking people outsidea bank to deposit a check for them, since theydon’t have an account, and after they get theirmoney, the check bounces. Or criminals knockon the door and get the resident into theirbackyard to distract them, claiming to be froma utility company or looking for a lost pet,and then a partner comes in to rob the house.“If anybody comes up to you unsolicited—by phone, e-mail, or at your home—that shouldbe a red flag,” said former Pacific PalisadesSenior Lead Officer Chris Ragsdale. A goodreminder for all of us.Thought to Ponder“Always be a first-rateversion of yourself,instead of a second-rateversion of somebody else.”― Judy Garland (1922-69)Founded November 5, 2014———————15332 Antioch Street #169Pacific Palisades, CA 90272(310) 401-7690www.PalisadesNews.com———————PublisherScott Wagensellerswag@palisadesnews.comEditorSue Pascoespascoe@palisadesnews.comSports EditorTyler Keckeisensports@palisadesnews.comFeaturesLaurie RosenthalLRosenthal@palisadesnews.comGraphics DirectorManfred HoferDigital Content and TechnologyKurt ParkAdvertisingJeff Ridgwayjeffridgway@palisadesnews.comGrace Hineygracehiney@palisadesnews.comJeff Parrjparr@palisadesnews.comAdvisorBill BrunsContributing WritersLaura Abruscato, Laurel Busby,Libby MotikaContributing PhotographersBart Bartholomew, Shelby Pascoe———————A bi-monthly newspaper mailed on thefirst and third Wednesday of each month.14,500 circulation includes zip code 90272and Sullivan, Mandeville and Santa Mon -ica Canyons.All content printed herein,and in our digital editions, is copyrighted.Online:palisadesnews.com