Marina Del Rey

"Selling L.A. " reality show viewers may wonder if any of the featured homes actually sell. Although perhaps not in time for the closing credits, some houses under consideration for the show do find a buyer outside the roving eye of the camera. One home that agent Rebekah Schwartz was promoting to HGTV for its 15 minutes of fame was the Marina del Rey pad that former Laker Lamar Odom rented a few years back. Listed at $1.995 million in January, it closed early this month at $1.825 million.

Question: There are five directors on our homeowners association board. If the vote on an item is two yes, two no and one abstention, what is the outcome: yes or no? Answer: Yes or no? Neither. The matter is unresolved because it did not receive a majority of votes. Tie votes prevent a board from taking any action on the motion. Glassman is an attorney specializing in corporate and business law. Vanitzian is an arbitrator and mediator. Send questions to P.O. Box 10490, Marina del Rey, CA 90295 or email noexit@mindspring.com .

Most voters have by now received their sample ballots, and those who plan to vote by mail are sending in their applications. The June 5 election is underway right now. It is noteworthy for several reasons. Los Angeles County voters will be selecting a new district attorney, and this is the first time since 1964 that there is no incumbent trying to hold onto the seat. The field is wide open. To win outright in this nonpartisan race, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote.

"Selling L.A. " reality show viewers may wonder if any of the featured homes actually sell. Although perhaps not in time for the closing credits, some houses under consideration for the show do find a buyer outside the roving eye of the camera. One home that agent Rebekah Schwartz was promoting to HGTV for its 15 minutes of fame was the Marina del Rey pad that former Laker Lamar Odom rented a few years back. Listed at $1.995 million in January, it closed early this month at $1.825 million.

Set along 38 feet of sand, this beach house makes the most of its location with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and doors facing the water. There are even ocean views from the glass-enclosed shower and free-standing tub in the third-floor master bedroom suite. Location: 5107 Ocean Front Walk, Marina del Rey 90292 Asking price: $8.65 million Year built: 2010 House size: Four bedrooms, 51/2 bathrooms, 5,863 square feet Lot size: 3,644 square feet Features: Three-stop elevator, three balconies, two fireplaces, floating-style stairs, dual refrigerators, media room with surround sound, electric blinds, sliding doors, side lawn, three-car garage, two-spot carport.

Watching Alzheimer's disease steal away the memory, talents and very selves of its victims is hard enough for the people who love them. Now, a new pill formulated by a respected pharmaceutical company and approved by the Food and Drug Administration will do little to help most patients and will bring misery to some, say two medical investigators. The drug, Aricept 23 mg, is no more effective on the whole than the disappointing ones already on the market - but is more likely to cause gastrointestinal problems, wrote Drs. Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz of Dartmouth Medical College in an article published Thursday in the medical journal BMJ. The new formulation was devised to serve commercial objectives, they say, and was approved despite a poor showing in company-sponsored tests.

Comcast Entertainment Group president and chief executive Ted Harbert has sold a condominium in the Azzurra high-rise in Marina del Rey for $1.63 million. The corner unit offers unobstructed north and south views of the marina, the Santa Monica Mountains and the Malibu coastline. It has an open floor plan, two balconies, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and 2,171 square feet of living space. The 19-story building, built in 2003, is known for its art collection. Paintings, sculptures and photographs from artists including Andy Warhol, Ed Ruscha and Roy Lichtenstein adorn the lobby and other public areas.

At the new version of the Jamaica Bay Inn, Marina del Rey gets what it has needed for a long while: an on-the-water, upscale hotel that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Call it barefoot luxury. The Jamaica Bay Inn sits at the intersection of Palawan Way and Admiralty Way, along the marina’s tranquil Mother’s Beach, known for its gentle waves. The Pacific Ocean and the Venice  fishing pier are a short walk away. More than 16 months ago, the hotel closed for an extensive renovation that expanded it  to 111 rooms and added marina-view suites and a 150-seat indoor/outdoor restaurant called Vu that serves breakfast, lunch and eclectic dinners.

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of an empty slip. Or in the case of Marina del Rey, more than 200 of them. In good times, there was a two-year waiting list for spaces and small boaters complained that they were being pushed out by bigger boats. But as of February, Los Angeles County officials said, the number of boat slip vacancies at Marina del Rey had nearly doubled to 259, compared with 133 a year earlier.

A big thank you to Jeffrey L. Rabin and your newspaper for the articles. These revelations may be the only way to lead to a correction of mismanagement that our country representatives have allowed. The Marina entrances have been constricted, the main channel has silted up and the seawalls have been crumbling. Have our public servants actually been serving private and personal interests? STAN HARRIS Marina del Rey

Most voters have by now received their sample ballots, and those who plan to vote by mail are sending in their applications. The June 5 election is underway right now. It is noteworthy for several reasons. Los Angeles County voters will be selecting a new district attorney, and this is the first time since 1964 that there is no incumbent trying to hold onto the seat. The field is wide open. To win outright in this nonpartisan race, a candidate must get more than 50% of the vote.

Calera is best known for its compelling Pinot Noirs, but the limestone soils of the Gavilan Mountains east of Monterey Bay work their magic on Viognier too. That's the genius of the site founder Josh Jensen chose for Calera Wine. This Viognier comes from the Mt. Harlan vineyard, first planted with the grape in 1983 and farmed organically. The bouquet of jasmine and ripe stone fruit draws you in right away. Then comes that lush texture and the tastes of honey, pear and tropical fruit.

Re "Awkward moments for Romney," May 8 So Rick Santorum has now endorsed Mitt Romney after calling him everything short of the devil incarnate. Santorum has now done a flip-flop of his own and stands behind the man he denigrated at every possible opportunity. The outcome is predictable: Flocks of sheep will follow this epiphany and develop amnesia about every dagger Santorum threw at Romney for months on end. Welcome to politics, folks. It's for the solidarity of the party.

Barbaresco doesn't usually come in under $30 - and when you find a Barbaresco of this quality at this price, jump on it. One of the great bargains in Piedmont is the Paitin "Serra" from the Elia Pasquero family, which has been farming these hillside vineyards since the late 18th century. Very drinkable already, the 2008 has a lovely bouquet of cherries and earth. Complex and elegant, this Barbaresco has lots to reveal as it sits in the glass - concentrated dark berries, violets, tobacco leaves and more.

Hankering for a Chianti? The 2009 from Fèlsina is a beautiful mouthful, everything you want in a Chianti Classico - an explosion of cherries with mellow tannins and a chiseled structure. Lovely finish too. Delicious drinking from a consistently excellent producer. Region: Tuscany, Italy Price: About $18 to $22 Style: Classic Chianti What it goes with: Pasta, pizza, roast chicken, grilled chops Where to find it: Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949)

The former Marina del Rey headquarters of automotive legend Carroll Shelby was sold along with two office buildings for $6.5 million. Shelby, once a race car driver, set up shop for his fledgling car company Shelby-American at 1042 Princeton Drive in March 1962, his website said. That year he introduced his first Cobra sports car, and in 1963 a Cobra won the United States Road Racing Championship. The company operated out of a red brick industrial and office complex built in the late 1950s that, according to books on Shelby, had previously been leased by playboy race car driver and entrepreneur Lance Reventlow.

Fees for use of public boat docks in Marina del Rey and recreation facilities at Chace Park are being increased by the Board of Supervisors. Docking charges for visiting craft will be raised from a minimum of $3, or 30 cents a foot, to $8, or 50 cents a foot, to bring county fees in line with those charged by other Southern California harbors. In addition, the supervisors have approved increases in rental charges for use of indoor facilities, outdoor fields and equipment rental at Chace Park.

What a view! Re " Getting a close-up with an L.A. icon ," March 23 Now that it's a media event when a resident of the city gets permission to visit the Hollywood sign, it makes me sadly wistful for the many times throughout my youth and young adulthood when I didn't have to win a nationwide sweepstakes to get next to the landmark and take in that wonderful view of the city. I just had to hike up the hillside. William Campbell Los Angeles City Council vs. Wal-Mart Re " Council votes too late to block Chinatown Wal-Mart project ," March 24 So the L.A. City Council was outwitted by Wal-Mart, which secured its permits the day before the council voted against the discount retailer's project in Chinatown.