Marquez Charter Elementary in Palisades is badly damaged
Extreme fire danger, poor air quality and other hazards shut down hundreds of schools across about two dozen Los Angeles-area districts on Wednesday — and likely longer — as officials were en route to survey “significant damage” at 63-year-old Palisades Charter High School, famed as a location in the movie “Grease” and several other Hollywood productions. Portions of the main Marquez building and several portable buildings were still standing Wednesday, but the main office and many of the original classrooms were completely destroyed. Flames were still burning on the property, putting the remaining structures at risk.
Howard Blume covers education for the Los Angeles Times. He’s won the top investigative reporting prize from the L.A. Press Club and print Journalist of the Year from the L.A. Society of Professional Journalists chapter. He recently retired “Deadline L.A.,” a past honoree for best public-affairs radio program, which he produced and co-hosted on KPFK-FM (90.7) for 15 years. He teaches tap dancing and has two superior daughters.
Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.
