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July 2024 Golden Ager Series 2024 - See Page 9
Palisades’ Vons Market Among Hundreds to be Sold Under Merger Plan The Sale Is Intended to Satisfy Regulators By Zach Armstrong The Vons supermarket in the Pacific Palisades, located at 17380 Sunset Blvd, is one of hundreds of stores that Kroger and Albertsons seek to sell in order for regulators to approve their massive merger, as per an updated plan. The intended $25 billion merger between the grocery franchises was first announced in 2022, when an agreement was reached for Kroger to acquire Albertsons. Both chains are the parent companies of prominent California brands: Safeway, Vons and Pavilions belonging to Albertsons, while Kroger owns Ralphs and Food 4 Less. If approved, the new combined business would own almost 5,000 stores, thousands of pharmacies and fuel centers, and dozens of distribution centers and plants, according to Patch. While union leaders and regulators criticized and attempted to block the move, such as when the FTC sued to
halt the acquisition in February, Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen alleged the move would save as much as $1 billion and lead to lower prices and higher wages. Under the deal, Golden State locations would be sold to C&S Wholesale Grocers, according to Patch. The Pali storefront would be one of more than 60 California locations offloaded by the companies, and among several in L.A. County such as those in Malibu, Culver City, Beverly Hills, Huntington Beach, Marina del Rey and West Hollywood. In its suit, the FTC asserts that the deal would lead to higher prices for groceries and other essential household items, reduce competition which would lower the quality of products while narrowing consumers’ choices for where to shop, and erase competition among workers. “This supermarket mega merger comes as American consumers have seen the cost of groceries rise steadily over the past few years. Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons would lead to additional grocery price hikes for everyday goods, further exacerbating the financial strain
consumers across the country face today,” said Henry Liu, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, in a news release. “Essential grocery store workers would also suffer under this
deal, facing the threat of their wages dwindling, benefits diminishing, and their working conditions deteriorating.” That suit is scheduled for trial at the end of August, according to Patch.
dozen new venue assignments for the 2028 games that were announced by LA28 officials on Friday: The Marine Stadium in Long Beach will host canoesprint and rowing; The Galen Center– USC’s basketball and volleyball arena– will host badminton; the Dignity Health Sports Park will host cycling, hockey, rugby and tennis; The LA Convention Center will host tennis, judo, fencing, wrestling and taekwondo; and The Peacock Theatre will host weightlifting. Additional venue assignments
throughout L.A. and elsewhere are set to be announced in the coming months, according to Patch. The 2028 games will mark the sixth time (the fourth since 1904) that golf is featured among the Olympic sports. LA2028’s Opening Ceremony will be held on July 14 of that summer. As for this year’s games, the Olympic golf competitions are set for Aug. 1-10 at Le Golf National; the annual host of the FedEx Open de France and the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Olympic Golf Is Coming to the Pacific Palisades To Host the World’s Finest Is Fitting for the West L.A. Course By Zach Armstrong In the Summer of 2028, while the Olympic Games take place at several venues throughout Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades’ own Riviera Country Club will be the site for the international multi-sport event’s golf competitions. “The Riviera Country Club will offer a prestigious and continuously challenging backdrop for golf’s most elite players, and we look forward to sharing one of the finest courses with our fans around the world.” Antony Scanlon, executive director of the International Golf Federation, said in a
release. To host the world’s finest is fitting for the West L.A. course, as it often ranks high among those in California and the U.S., while holding a storied history of hosting world-class tournaments. Golfweek recently ranked Riviera #4 on its Best list of private courses in California, while placing it at #17 among classic U.S. courses. Since 1969, Riviera has consistently landed in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses, recently coming in at #18 in the U.S. and #4 in the state. In the last few decades, the Palisadian country club has been the host of the 1995 PGA Championship, 1998 U.S. Senior Open and 2017 U.S. Amateur, in addition to several NCAA competitions. Riviera is also set to host the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2031 U.S. Open. The Riviera was one of more than a