James Carter earned a varsity letter in soccer this fall as a sophomore at Earlham College, a NCAA Division III school in Richmond, Indiana. He was also named to the All-Heartland Athletic Conference first team as a defender. Carter started his soccer career with Region 69 AYSO in Pacific Palisades and was chosen as an all-star in third grade. The team, coached by Chuck Davis and Bill Barnum, called themselves the Tornadoes. The following year the boys renamed themselves the Rattlers. While playing for Davis, Carter’s position was left defender. As U12 AYSO players, the all-star team ended the season 61-1-5 in 2002-2003. The following year, the team joined the Galaxy Alliance Rattlers, coached by David Estes, and continued to play together as a club team. Although the players attended different high schools, (Carter went to Oaks Christian), their team stayed together and was coached by UCLA All-American Tim Pierce. A fellow Rattler, Alex Pack (former co-captain at Brentwood), plays defense for Union College in Schenectady, New York, also a Division III school. ‘ Five other players from the Rattlers’ 2002-03 AYSO all-star squad have played or currently play at the collegiate level, albeit different sports. Kyle Stanich plays lacrosse at Colgate; Christopher Barnum is a freshman on the Stanford basketball team; Jackson Liguori played football at Yale last fall and Charlie James played football as a freshman at Williams.” Carter is the son of Palisadians Rick and Adele Carter.
Thursday, January 13 – Thursday, January 20
SATURDAY, JANUARY 15
Come celebrate the release of ‘Runewarriors: Ship of the Dead,’ the third and final book in the Runewarriors saga, 7 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Authors James Jennewein (a Palisadian) and Tom S. Parker will be signing books, reading excerpts and engaging in semi-witty banter. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 16
Renata Zerner discusses ‘Dance on the Volcano: A Teenage Girl in Nazi Germany,’ 2 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.” Zerner describes in detail the attitudes of young people and adults, including ethnic Germans influenced by the Nazi ‘religion,’ and how they dealt emotionally with the destruction around them, and the tension between the Nazi propaganda and the reality they had to face at the end of the war.
MONDAY, JANUARY 17
The Pacific Palisades Historical Society hosts historians Roger McGrath and Randy Young, who will try to stump the audience with their third Palisades history quiz, 7 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The public is invited.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s Culture in the Canyon program features Dr. Craig Woodson, who will explain his approach to ethnomusic therapy’how music can play a role in cultural rehabilitation, 7:30 p.m. in Woodland Hall at Temescal Gateway Park. The program and parking are free.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 20
Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Dr. Fran Walfish discusses ‘The Self-Aware Parent,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. A healthy relationship based on mutual trust is every parent’s wish. The bond between infant and parent is a natural phenomenon, but as children reach their preteens and form their own personalities, fireworks between the child and parent can ensue. Drawing on 20 years of clinical experience and new theories on attachment, Dr. Walfish (a consultant to Parents magazine) argues that parents need to distinguish their own personality types in order to make more informed decisions about how they interact and raise their own children.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21
A concert by the Chamber at St. Matthew’s, with baritone Jose Adan Perez, 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church. Admission at the door: $35 ($10 students). Information and tickets: www.MusicGuild.org or (310) 573-7422.
CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 6, 2011
FURNISHED HOMES 2
GUEST HOUSE. 3 rooms, garden setting, French doors, hardwood floors, laundry, very quiet. Available Dec. 1st. $2,100/mo. Utilities included, cat okay. (310) 454-8150
3 BDRM, 1 BA. $3,100/mo. 2 car parking, close to Village, schools, shops & beach. Pets OK. Appliances, washer/dryer, dishwasher & refrigerator. Min. 1 year lease. By appt. only. Eric, (310) 428-3364
FULLY RENOVATED!!! 4 BD, 5.5 BA. * Built in 1927 by J. Paul Getty for his mistress. Original California tiles, great yard, patio, decks w/ all whitewater views. Whitewater ocean view from every room. Fully renovated to 4 bdrm, 1 billiard/recreation room, wine cellar, living & dining room, 3 door/car garage w/ loft. 3 story home w/ elevator. Big beams, romantic outdoor whitewater view spa, steam sauna, 3 indoor jacuzzi spa tubs, great storage & plenty of amenities. New lighting & closets. Live in a place of history & charm. $10,000/mo. 17809 Porto Marina Way, Pacific Palisades. (213) 494-0059
SPLIT LEVEL 3 bd, 3 ba, large studio. Nice canyon view, very clean, fireplace, new flooring, rugs, patio, garage, laundry room. Shown by appt. $4,800/mo. (661) 270-9231
UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c
BEAUTIFULLY REMODELED 1 BDRM APARTMENT. Best ocean views in town. Stainless steel appliances, wood floors, fireplace, pool, laundry onsite & parking. Small pets ok. Please call (310) 227-9612. Equal housing opportunity.
2 BED APT. IN VINTAGE BUILDING. 2 bed, 1 bath apt. available now. Sunset & Baylor. New paint/wood floors, $1,850/mo. Doug, (424) 242-4570
NEUTRA BUILDING! ARCHITECTURAL WONDER. 2 bed + 2 bath on Sunset Blvd. Huge wood deck w/ jacuzzi white water ocean view, private yard, and garden facing the ocean water and dolphins @ 17050 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 for $3,475/mo. Spacious living room, wood floors, beautiful fireplace, high vaulted wood ceilings w/ gigantic window, building courtyard, outdoor fireplace. Kitchen: gas stove, dishwasher, and white tile countertops. Bedrms: wood floors, lots of closet/storage space. Bathrm: tile floors, granite countertop. 1 car garage parking w/ washer and dryer hookups. Vintage architect property built on Pacific Palisades Hills simulating a sinking ship into the ocean has 4 units on our newly remodeled 4 leveled building. For more information contact (213) 494-0059 or fidel@benleedsproperties.com or go to http://leeds.postlets.com
CONDOS, TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d
GEM IN THE PALISADES, Sunset & Almar. 2 bdrm, 2 1/2 ba townhouse. Hardwood, tile, carpet, w/d, dishwasher, roof deck, parking. $3,350/mo. (310) 395-1073
ROOMS FOR RENT 3
PALISADES HOME PRIVATE BEDROOM & BATHROOM, PRIVATE ENTRANCE, YARD, PEACEFUL, GREAT LOCATION, KITCHEN, UTILITIES, MAID, INTERNET, CABLE, W/D. WILL CONSIDER SHARING ENTIRE HOUSE. NO PETS. (310) 709-7383, COQUISROCKS@GMAIL.COM
WANTED TO RENT 3b
FURNISHED HOME NEEDED. German family of 5 needs furnished home. July-Aug 2011. Local references available. Mitch, (310) 454-1844
MATURE WOMAN NEEDS ROOM to rent. Non-smoker, local Palisadian. Quiet & lovely. Call Patty, (310) 454-7907
OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c
OFFICE SUITE in the Atrium Building on Via de la Paz. 2 offices, reception area and restroom. Attractive space approx. 900 sq. ft. One year plus sub-lease. Rent negotiable. Great space. (310) 459-5353
OFFICE FOR LEASE. Professional building in Pacific Palisades Village for lease. Lovely and spacious suite available. Reasonable rent price. Excellent tenant improvements. 850 square feet. Please call Tracy Rasmussen at (310) 459-8700 for more details.
230 SQ. FT. OFFICE SPACE for lease in the heart of the Village. Close to shops & restaurants. Monthly parking on premises. 1 year lease. (310) 227-9612
VACATION RENTALS 3e
WEEKENDS ONLY GETAWAY. Stunning 2 bd, Malibu Road on sand w/ 60 ft. balcony. Fully furnished w/ large flat tv/internet. We only use home M-F. Looking to package 10 to 40 weekends including summer peak season beginning Friday afternoon ending Sunday evening. Call (310) 456-2813 for details.
BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b
ACCOUNTANT/CONTROLLER. Quickbooks/Quicken setup. Outsource the hassle’all bookkeeping needs including tax prep for home or office. Get organized now! (310) 562-0635
NEED HELP WITH FINANCIAL MATTERS? Financial mgmt, bookkeeping, reconciling, bill paying, etc. Caring & confidential. (310) 459-2066 or (310) 218-6653
COMPUTER SERVICES 7c
MARIE’S MAC & PC OUTCALL. I CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE WITH: ‘ Consultation on best hard/software for your needs ‘ Setting up & configuring your system & applications ‘ Teaching you how to use your Mac or PC ‘ Upgrades: Mac OS & Windows ‘ Internet: DSL, Wireless, E-mail, Remote Access ‘ Key Applications: MS Office, Filemaker, Quicken ‘ Contact Managers, Networking, File Sharing, Data backup ‘ Palm, Visor, Digital Camera, Scanner, CD Burning. FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL ‘ BEST RATES. (310) 262-5652
YOUR OWN TECH GURU * EXPERT SET-UP, OPTIMIZATION, REPAIR. Problem-Free Computing Since 1992. Work Smarter, Faster, More Reliably. If I Can’t Help, NO CHARGE! ALAN PERLA, (310) 455-2000
THE DETECHTIVES’. PROFESSIONAL ON-SITE MAC SPECIALISTS. PATIENT, FRIENDLY AND AFFORDABLE. WE COVER ALL THINGS MAC ‘ Consulting ‘ Installation ‘ Training and Repair for Beginners to Advanced Users ‘ Data recovery ‘ Networks ‘ Wireless Internet & more. (310) 838-2254, William Moorefield. www.thedetechtives.com
USER FRIENDLY’MAC CONSULTANT. User friendly. Certified Apple help desk technician and proud member of the Apple consultant network. An easy approach to understanding all of your computer needs. Offering computer support in wide variety of repairs, set-ups, installs, troubleshooting, upgrades, networking, and tutoring in the application of choice. Computer consulting at fair rates. Ryan Ross: (310) 721-2827. email: ryanaross@mac.com ‘ For a full list of services visit: http://userfriendlyrr.com/
EXPERT COMPUTER HELP ‘ On-site service’no travel charge ‘ Help design, buy and install your system ‘ One-on-one training, hard & software ‘ Troubleshooting, Mac & Windows, organizing ‘ Installations & upgrades ‘ Wireless networking ‘ Digital phones, photo, music ‘ Internet ‘ Serving the Palisades, Santa Monica & Brentwood. DEVIN FRANK, (310) 499-7000
GARAGE, ESTATE SALE SERVICES 7f
PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? an estate sale? a moving sale? a yard sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. ‘ BARBARA DAWSON ‘ Estate/Garage Sale Specialist ‘ (310) 454-0359 ‘ barbdawson@roadrunner.com ‘ www.bmdawson.com ‘ Furniture ‘ Antiques ‘ Collectibles ‘ Junque ‘ Reliable professionals ‘ Local References
HOUSEKEEPERS 9a
PROFESSIONAL MAID SERVICES In Malibu! We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Licensed. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419. professionalmaidinmalibu@google.com
BETSY IS LOOKING FOR A HOUSEKEEPING JOB. Good references & experienced. Monday through Friday. Please call (323) 393-7123 or (323) 935-3240. Own transportation & can communicate in English.
SISTERS HOUSECLEANING. Would you like your home and business so clean they shine? Call us, we have good references. Serving the community for over 20 years. We offer final cleaning. For free estimate, call Flora at (310) 720-7751. Bond #6743361. www.sistershousecleaning.com, cleaning411@gmail.com
MIRIAM’S HOUSEKEEPING. Available Monday through Friday. Has own car & CA DL. Local references. 14 years experience. Tel: (213) 746-4216 or cell: (310) 346-0360
HOUSEKEEPER, 11 years experience. Good local references, good with children & pets. Speaks English & Spanish. Call anytime. (310) 313-5158, (310) 703-7642 or (310) 804-3248. Ask for Irma or Sylvia.
ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a
PRIVATE CAREGIVER ‘ Available day & night. Experienced, excellent references, mature, CPR & first aid certified, fluent English, own transportation. Please leave a message at (310) 745-7021
CAREGIVER * 10 yrs experience, 3 star chef, life saving techs. Perfect driving records & references. Resident of Pacific View Estates. P/T or F/T. Low rates. Wendy, (310) 454-1956
GARDENING/LANDSCAPING 11
PALISADES GARDENING ‘ Full Gardening Service ‘ Sprinkler Install ‘ Tree Trim ‘ Sodding ‘ Sprays, non-toxic ‘ FREE AZALEA PLANT ‘ Cell,(310) 701-1613, (310) 568-0989
POOL & SPA SERVICES 13e
PALISADES POOL SUPPLY. SWIMMING POOL SERVICE & REPAIR. 15415 Sunset Blvd., P.P. 90272 (310) 459-4357. www.PalisadesPool.com
STEREO, TV, VCR SERVICES 13g
1 REMOTE CONTROL THAT WORKS! Is your entertainment system not entertaining you? We can tune up your system, bring it up to date, hide wires, mount TVs, install speakers, etc. We can even reprogram or replace your remote control so it is easy to use. Call us, we can help! Lic. #515929. Stanford Connect, (310) 829-0872
WINDOW WASHING 13h
THE WINDOWS OF OZ. Detailed interior/exterior glass & screen cleaning. High ladder work. Solar panels/power washing also avail. Owner operated. Lic., bonded & insured. Free estimates. (310) 926-7626
MR. CRYSTAL WINDOW CLEANING. Please call Gary: (310) 828-1218 Free estimate, friendly service, discounts. Licensed & Insured.
HOUSESITTING 14b
HOUSESITTING/PETSITTING ‘ Available for short or long term. Sharp, reliable, recently retired professional. References. Susi, (310) 454-1457, susi824@aol.com
PERSONAL SERVICES 14f
HOUSEMAN/DRIVER. Light cooking, maintenance, to and from appointments. Full time or part time available. Salary negotiable. Excellent references. Call John Mueller, (310) 709-9143
PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g
PRIVATE DOG WALKER/housesitter, Palisades & Santa Monica. S.M. Canyon resident. Please call or email Sherry, (310) 383-7852, www.palisadesdogwalker.com
MISCELLANEOUS 14k
FINE ART INSTALLATION. Confused about where or how to hang your art collectibles? Rick Strauss has been installing fine art for years in homes and offices throughout the Westside. Reasonable rates. (310) 459-8212
SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d
PIANO INSTRUCTION. Give the life-long gift of music! Very patient, creative teacher. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced, local. Lisa Donovan Lukas, (310) 454-0859 www.palisadesmusicstudio.com
TUTORS 15e
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. Children & adults. 20+ years teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, ESSAY WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly Sp. Ed. teacher. Call Gail, (310) 313-2530
MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145
PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & ISEE). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134
MATH & CREATIVE WRITING SKILLS: COLLEGE ESSAYS, SAT/SAT II/ACT/ISEE/HSPT MATH PREP. All math subjects thru calculus. Jr. high thru college level writing skills. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Local office in Palisades Village. Call Jamie, (888) 459-6430
EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR ‘ All grade levels ‘ Grammar ‘ Conversational ‘ SAT/AP ‘ Children, adults ‘ Great references. Noelle, (310) 273-3593, (310) 980-6071
SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR. All levels (elementary to college). Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614
GROZA LEARNING CENTER. Tutoring K-12, all subjects & reading. SAT, ISEE, HSPT, ACT, ERB, STAR. Caring, meticulous service. GrozaLearningCenter.com ‘ (310) 454-3731
EDUCATIONAL THERAPY. All ages and abilities. Academic, Cognitive and Behavioral Support. Palisades Tutoring & ET Services’Local 10+ years. Arlana J. Morley, MS. (310) 459-4125, (310) 738-5099
MATH & SCIENCE TUTOR. Middle school-college level. BS LAUSD credentialed high school teacher. Test prep. Flexible hours. AVAILABLE to help NOW! Seth Freedman, (310) 909-3049
READING & WRITING TUTOR. Credentials in general ed. & special ed. 30 years of teaching / tutoring experience. Offering individual / small group sessions. Elaine, (310) 454-6070
ENGLISH TUTOR. Oxford University (M.A.) and Eton College Graduate. Former teacher at top London Prep school. All ages. References available. Call Mark, (310) 254-6177
MODERN GREEK TUTOR WANTED. Wanted: Modern Greek tutor in the Palisades. Have survival skills, but want to become fluent. Also looking for speakers to practice w/ at any level. (310) 428-7589
MATH, CHEMISTRY, PHYSICS TUTOR * All math through AP calculus, AP chemistry and AP physics. Ask about homework club!!! www.clc90272.com or (310) 459-3239
PRACTICAL FRENCH TUTORING. Make learning or improving French a dynamic and fun experience. Tutors all levels in the comfort of your home. Free level assessment. Call Francois @ (310) 804-1650
MATH/SCIENCE/SAT TUTOR. Widely used by Palisades residents. Excellent references. Dozens of satisfied clients at top schools. Call Will at (510) 378-7138
MUSIC LESSONS & INSTRUCTION 15h
GIVE THE GIFT OF MUSIC! 5-10 lesson package for someone you love. Guitar instructor. From hard rock to blues, funk. Any age or level, music theory & ear training. BA Music degree, great with kids & adults. excellent local references. Danny Day, (310) 745-2792, (310) 454-6962
CONCRETE, MASONRY, POOLS 16c
MASONRY, CONCRETE & POOL CONTRACTOR. 40 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES. New Construction & Remodels. Hardscapes, landscapes, custom stone, stamped concrete, brick, driveways, retaining walls, BBQs, outdr kitchens, fireplaces, foundations, drainage, pool & spas, water features. Exlnt local refs. Lic #309844. Bonded, ins, work comp. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 ‘ WWW.HORUSICKY.COM
CONSTRUCTION 16d
SEME TILE. License #920238, insured. All phases of tile work. Kitchens, bathrooms, walkways, etc. No job too small! Call Steve, (310) 663-7256. FREE estimates! Email: semetile@gmail.com & website: www.semetile.com
ALAN PINE, GENERAL CONTRACTOR ‘ New homes ‘ Remodeling ‘ Additions ‘ Kitchen & bath ‘ Planning/architectural services ‘ Insured ‘ Local refs. Lic. #469435. (800) 800-0744 or (818) 203-8881
PALISADES CONST. SERVICES. All phase construction and remodeling. All interior and exterior construction. Additions, concrete, tile, wood work (all), brick, patios, bathrooms, fences, bedrooms, permits. We have built (2) new 2,500 sq. ft. Palisades homes in the last 3 yrs. Please contact us to schedule your FREE CONSULTATION and FREE ESTIMATE. ALL JOBS WELCOME! Please call Kevin, Brian Nunneley, (310) 488-1153. Lic. #375858 (All Palisades referrals available)
ELECTRICAL 16h
PALISADES ELECTRIC. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. All phases of electrical, new construction to service work. (310) 454-6994. Lic. #468437 Insured Professional Service
LICHWA ELECTRIC. Remodeling, rewiring, troubleshooting. Lighting: low voltage, energy safe, indoor, outdoor, landscape. Low voltage: telephone, Internet, CCTV, home theatre, audio/video. Non-lic. Refs. LichwaElectric@gmail.com, (310) 270-8596
FENCES, DECKS 16j
THE FENCE MAN. 18 years quality work ‘ Wood fences ‘ Decks ‘ Gates ‘ Chainlink & patio ‘ Wrought iron. Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996
FLOOR CARE 16m
GREG GARBER’S HARDWOOD FLOORS SINCE 1979. Install, refinish. Fully insured. Local references (310) 230-4597 Lic. #455608
CENTURY HARDWOOD FLOOR. Refinishing, Installation, Repairs. Lic. #813778. www.centurycustomhardwoodfloorinc.com ‘ centuryfloor@sbcglobal.net ‘ (800) 608-6007 ‘ (310) 276-6407
JEFF HRONEK, 40 YRS. RESIDENT. HARDWOOD FLOORS INC. ‘ Sanding & Refinishing ‘ Installations ‘ Pre-finished ‘ Unfinished ‘ Lic. #608606. Bonded, Insured, Workers Comp. www.hronekhardwoodfloors.com (310) 475-1414
K&Z HARDWOOD FLOOR EXPERTS. Refinishing, installation, recoat, water & fire restoration. Free est. Lic. #804641. (800) 500-1146, (818) 905-0428
HANDYMAN 16o
HANDYMAN ‘ HOOSHMAN ‘ Most known name in the Palisades. Since 1975. Member Chamber of Commerce. Non-Lic., but experience will do it. Call for your free est. Local refs available. Hooshman, (310) 459-8009, cell (310) 433-4720, 24 hr.
LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 487-6464
LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy: Marty, (310) 459-2692
‘ DJ PRO SERVICES ‘ Carpentry, Handyman, Repairs. ALL PROJECTS CONSIDERED. See my work at: www.djproservices.com, Non-lic. (c) (310) 907-6169, (h) (310) 454-4121
PALI HANDYMAN & CONST. SERVICES. LOW COST HOME IMPROVEMENT. All jobs welcome such as all painting exterior-interior-walls-moldings etc., un-sticking of doors & windows, concrete, tile, brick/block, carpentry, woodwork, patios, decks, all fencing, gates, doors, cabinetry, drywall repair, roofing, additions, flooring, bathrooms, kitchens, water damage, electrical, plumbing, pressure washing, picture hanging, lighting, stucco, repair, sanding, clean up and trash removal and all other projects or fix it problems needed. Call now for a FREE ESTIMATE! Kevin, Brian Nunneley, (310) 488-1153 (always working in Palisades). Lic. #375858, bonded and insured. 24 hr/7 days service available also!
HANDYMAN. Skilled labor/Jack-of-all-trades. $30/hr. or will bid job. Non-lic. Bill Clark, (310) 435-9754
WILL ASSEMBLE ANYTHING! * From BBQs to bikes, Palisades college student will assemble ANYTHING for $15/hr. Call Daniel at (310) 230-0031
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16p
SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686
PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16r
PAUL HORST ‘ Interior & Exterior ‘ PAINTING ‘ 56 ‘ YEARS OF SERVICE. Our reputation is your safeguard. License No. 186825 ‘ (310) 454-4630 ‘ Bonded & Insured
TILO MARTIN PAINTING. For A Professional Job Call (310) 230-0202. Refs. Lic. #715099
J W C PAINTING. Residential & commercial. Years of experience. Affordable & reliable. Local references. Lic. #914882. Free estimates. jwcpnc@yahoo.com. Call Jason Childs (Charlie), (310) 428-4432
ALL SEASONS PAINTING ‘ ‘Start the year off with a fresh coat of paint!’ Winter painting specials include: ‘ Kitchen Cabinet Refinishing ‘ Garage Doors ‘ Fences ‘ Deck Staining ‘ Stucco/Drywall Repair ‘ Interior/Exterior Color Specialist ‘ Excellent references! ‘ Great rates! ‘ FREE ESTIMATES! ‘ Over 30 years experience in Palisades area ‘ All work guaranteed! ‘ Licensed & bonded. Lic. #105761. Randy, (310) 678-7913
REMODELING 16v
KANAN CONSTRUCTION. References. BONDED ‘ INSURED ‘ St. Lic. #554451 ‘ DANIEL J. KANAN, CONTRACTOR, (310) 451-3540 / (800) 585-4-DAN
COMPLETE CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION ‘ Kitchen+bath ‘ Additions ‘ Tile, carpentry, plumbing ‘ Quality work at reasonable rates guaranteed. Large & small projects welcomed. Lic. #751137. Call Michael Hoff Construction, (310) 774-9159
HELP WANTED 17
THE YOGURT SHOPPE is seeking full & part time help and a full time Store Manager. Please send resume to clive@aplacetomix.com. (310) 459-0088. We are ‘the place to mix’ in Pac. Pal.’Come join our family!
SPORTS EDITOR. Westside weekly seeks F/T Sports Editor, responsible for writing, editing & layout. Photo skills desirable, car essential. Salary + benefits. Resume to editor@palipost.com
AUTOS 18b
1964 PLYMOUTH VALIANT ‘ Slant 6 Offenhauser motor. Replaced brakes, starter and radiator. Interior needs work. $2,499 OBO. Call Phil at (310) 254-0783
GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d
RIVIERA ESTATE SALE. ’50s-’60s furn/furnishgs/accessories. Full fun garage! 1570 San Remo Dr. Fri.-Sat. Jan. 7-8, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Photos/details: www.bmdawson.com
ESTATE SALE * St. John’s Collection, silver, decorative lamps, Viking sewing machine, prof. iron, large planters, wall decor, candelabras, china cabinets, china, candles. (310) 487-6840
PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e
BEAUTIFUL BLACK AND WHITE Biewer Yorkie puppies. AKC. Photos available online. Ready for Christmas. Emmy, (310) 454-6891, emybeeme@yahoo.com
WANTED TO BUY 19
WANTED: USED RECUMBENT EXERCISE BICYCLE in good condition. (310) 454-8927
‘Seize the Day’ in Pasadena
Amanda Seraphin’s floragraph, a depiction of her likeness in flowers and seeds, was one of 60 portraits on Donate Life’s Rose Parade float, which won the 2011 Theme Trophy for its depiction of ‘Seize the Day.’ Seraphin, who spent her childhood in Pacific Palisades, became an organ donor after suffering a tragic accident seven years ago at the age of 25. Donate Life’s floragraphs were placed on flying kites, because float designer Dave Pittman thought kites were symbolic of the opportunity to share sun, wind and the beauty of the moment. The families of organ donors and their recipients teach us all to live in the moment. Former Palisadian Liz Seraphin, who worked as an L.A. County school principal and is now a supervisor for teacher interns in special education, spoke to the Palisadian-Post on December 23 about the float, her daughter’s life and the decision to donate Amanda’s organs. Amanda and her older sister, Kristen, attended Corpus Christi School through eighth grade. Both girls started gymnastics at the Palisades-Malibu YMCA before switching to Broadway gymnastics and then to a gym for Olympic hopefuls in Long Beach. At that point, the 11-year-old Amanda asked if she could take riding lessons instead. She took her first lesson at Equus riding school in Topanga Canyon and was hooked. For 10 years, Amanda devoted all of her spare time to riding. She graduated from Santa Monica High School and attended Santa Monica College. After graduation, she worked as a teacher’s assistant at Brentwood School and for a law firm, but one day she told her mom, ‘I don’t want a desk job, I want to ride and train horses.’ Amanda began working at stables in Topanga, teaching children, training horses and competing in cross country, dressage and eventing (an equestrian event comprising dressage, cross-country and show jumping). ‘She was at the stables every day except Monday,’ Liz said. In April 2003, Amanda went to train at a ranch in Temecula. Her horse got caught in a rail, fell down with Amanda on its back, and when it got up, stepped on Amanda’s head. Liz received a phone call that her daughter had suffered a serious accident and had been airlifted to Riverside Regional Hospital. Amanda remained at the hospital for four days, before a doctor approached Liz about donating organs because her daughter did not have a pink dot on her driver’s license, designating her as a donor. ‘I was in a state of shock,’ Liz said. ‘I didn’t know what to do, so I asked her boyfriend, sister and friends and they said ‘Amanda would want to donate.’ They spoke for her.’ After her death, ‘Amanda’s heart, lungs, pancreas, liver and kidney were donated. ‘I had to think about what was right, what was good and what was noble and that was the best decision,’ Liz said, noting that initially she received letters from two of the people who received organ donations, but was too grief-stricken to reply, so she put the letters in a closet. Eventually Liz, who lives in West L.A., became a Donate Life Ambassador, sharing her experience with colleges, universities and grief centers. ‘It was good for me to speak about the experience,’ she told the Post. About six months ago, Liz started to write an article about her experience, found the two letters from Amanda’s donors and reread them. When she was invited to a One Legacy event, she was asked if there was anyone else she wanted to invite, and she spontaneously named the two people who had sent the letters. Arturo Nunez, who received Amanda’s liver, was so ill at the time that his family had been told to make preparations for his death. He recently told Liz that before the donation, he was lying in bed and dreamed that ‘he reached behind his head and took a young woman’s hand, taking her to a new place, going over trees,’ Liz said. ‘I couldn’t have thanked him more for telling us.’ Jim Barnett, 53, had been a diabetic for nearly 26 years and was on dialysis, with failing vision. After the pancreas and kidney transplant, he no longer needed insulin and his vision has improved.’ ‘My greatest wish was that they have better lives through Amanda,’ Liz said. ‘They do. Barnett was recently told by his doctor, ‘Your appointments are boring. There’s nothing to look at.” Nunez’s doctor told him, ‘You’re a walking miracle, go out there and live your life.’ Seraphin has been honored in a number of ways. Her name is engraved on a marble memoriam at a local parish and on a bronze leaf on the Tree of Life at the hospital in Riverside. The American Association of University Women has established scholarships in her name at Mt. St. Mary’s College. ‘But, the greatest honor is Amanda’s floragraph on the Rose Parade float,’ Liz said.
Another Delay for Los Liones Signal
Weside Waldorf School trustees hoped the long-awaited stoplight installation at the corner of Los Liones Drive and Sunset Boulevard could begin at the end of December 2010. The money ($605,305) was in place and the school had been requesting final plan approval from the City since last May.   However, the project was once again delayed when LADOT (Los Angeles Department of Transportation) requested a design change in November, and the drawings then had to be re-reviewed.   ’The opportunity to expedite the installation of the signal during the school’s December holiday break was lost,’ said trustee Jeff Beall, noting that the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) has almost finished ‘indexing’ the project. They have had the plans since November 1.   ’Indexing means filing,’ Joaquin Macias, Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s senior field deputy told the Palisadian-Post on January 3. ‘I have called the BOE to find out the exact time the contractors will be able to pull the permits and I hope to hear before the end of the week.’   ’Once approvals are complete, a meeting will be scheduled between representatives of the Westside Waldorf School and Phong Nguyen at BOE and a construction permit will be signed,’ Beall said. If the construction permit is issued before the end of January, the bulk of the heavy roadwork could begin February 21-25 during a school break.   ’If the work can be scheduled during that time frame, then the date for final installation and full activation of the traffic signal should be before April 2011,’ Beall said.   The Waldorf School was required to install a stoplight as part of its conditional use permit to open in January 2007. City officials conceded that traffic at that intersection wasn’t sufficient to necessitate a light, but bowed to pressure from Castellammare residents who wanted a stoplight to create a safer left turn from Los Liones onto eastbound Sunset.
Charter Schools Group Awards $9,000 in Grants
Seeking to encourage collaboration between the five elementary schools, Paul Revere Middle School and Palisades High in the Palisades complex, the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation (PCSF) awarded $9,000 in innovation grants on December 10.   Foundation co-chairs Susie Newman and Eileen Savage announced that three inaugural awards had been made in three disparate areas: music, school gardens and an astrophotography lab.   The idea for the grants came about when parents complained to Foundation chairs that there needed to be greater integration between schools. Parents were unhappy, for example, that students were reading some of the same books at Revere and PaliHi.   Savage and Newman set up two meetings between the eighth and ninth grade English teachers so that they could discuss the curriculum.   ’It was exciting how they worked together,’ Newman said. Inspired by those meetings, they persuaded the Foundation board decided to award grants as an incentive for teachers from different schools to work together.   In September, at the monthly coordinating council meeting (held so principals and school representatives can discuss common issues), the co-chairs announced the availability of grants, with the specific criteria that the idea must involve students from more than one school. The grant announcement was also posted on the PCSF Web site.   After reviewing the numerous grant applications, the board awarded $2,000 to David Schalek, PaliHi physics teacher and a Lori Petrick Excellence in Education award winner, to create an astrophotography lab. Schalek envisioned high school students taking photos of astronomical objects with a CCD (charge-coupled device) camera for telescopes and then studying the photos with elementary school buddies in order for both groups to learn more about astronomy.   Revere band director Yosuke Miyoshe (also a Petrick award winner), who has collaborated extensively with PaliHi band director Arwen Hernandez the past three years, applied for money for musical instruments. Although the grant is not specifically for equipment purchase, PSCF members gave the music program $2,000 because they felt that the department had established precedent in bridging the gap between middle and high school curriculum, and hoped it would encourage other departments to follow their lead.   Canyon Elementary School kindergarten teacher Susan Hamilburg received $5,000 for her gardening proposal which included curriculum development and workshops. She noted that each school has established a garden.   ’The purpose of the Palisades Garden Workshop is to support and sustain emerging garden and lunch programs throughout the Pali Complex schools, grades K-12,’ Hamilburg wrote. ‘This workshop will be the first step towards the ultimate goal of a fully-integrated edible education for all students in the Pali Complex.” ‘   With the money, the first workshop will be held at Paul Revere’s revitalized outdoor classroom, and representatives from each school will attend in order to develop a three- to five-year plan. Hamilburg notes that hands-on education, such as gardening, is especially important when standards-based curriculum and standardized tests dominate primary and secondary public education.’   PCSF established the Lori Petrick Excellence in Education Awards in 2003 to recognize and reward teaching excellence and creativity in the classroom.’Additionally, PCSF awards $1,000 scholarships each year to 10 graduates from PaliHi.’   PCSF, a nonprofit, was established in 1988 to provide resources and support for the schools, and to try to create a seamless K-12 education. Contributions are sought to continue to support its mission. Visit: www.palischools.org.
Group Seeks Palisadians Who Want to ‘Trade’ Second Homes
Five longtime Pacific Palisades families who own vacation homes in locations ranging from the mountains to the deserts have formed a group informally called ‘Second Homies.’ The goal is to make it safe, reliable and easy to swap vacation homes with other group members.   The group was the brainchild of Tom and Michele Alper, who reside in the Marquez Knolls neighborhood and have two sons in college, Mike and Matt.   ’As empty nesters we now have more opportunity to travel and a vacation condo that is frequently unoccupied,’ Tom says. ‘We discussed trading it with other people who have second homes, but we weren’t comfortable trading our home over the Internet with people we’ve never met.’ Tom decided to place an advertisement in the Palisadian-Post to see if other local families might have an interest in this idea. He received a number of inquiries and ultimately five couples decided to meet face-to-face to see whether the concept felt right.   The group held their first meeting at the Oak Room restaurant on Swarthmore, where they were all pleasantly surprised to see a quick rapport develop based on their shared enthusiasm for travel. The attendees shared details of their second homes that include destinations such as Santa Fe, New Mexico; Leucadia, California; Park City, Utah; and Whistler in British Columbia.   The couples all had different reasons for wanting to participate.   Scott and Ashley Cohen live in the Alphabet Streets with their 2-year-old son, Mason, and newborn daughter, Soleil. ‘Our motivation for joining,’ says Scott, ‘is to connect with a trusted community of like-minded families that we know on a personal level in the Palisades area to share the benefits of traveling to each others’ locations in an ‘easy, trusted’ way.’   Longtime residents Julie and George Kalmar have a daughter, Gabrielle, in college and an 8-year-old son, Jonah. They had tentatively begun to use an online exchange program with positive results, so doing the same thing with local families was an easy choice.   ’People tend to be emotionally attached to their second homes, so it’s a lot of fun to share it with others,’ Julie says.   Empty nesters Scott and Marilyn Rutherford live in the upper Alphabet Streets. They told the group, ‘We never liked to rent our vacation home out’too much wear and tear. But people tend to treat more gently the home of someone they know, so swapping with a close group seems to be the best of both worlds.’   Longtime Palisadians Merritt Adams and Sandy Rand take pride and pleasure in sharing their mountain vacation home with others. ‘Because we have a 14-year-old son, Spencer, who is in school here, we have limitations on how much time we can spend away. Even with friends and family frequently using our second home, there are still many weeks when it sits empty and that seems like a waste of a great resource. Plus, it would be terrific for our family to be able to borrow other nice homes in destinations where we would otherwise pay for hotels.’   The group’s second meeting took place at the Adams-Rand’s home (north of Bestor Boulevard), where the group set forth some basic tenets about how the group would function.   A key decision was to limit the size of the group to about 15 local families to ensure that everyone felt at ease with each other. Another decision was that no money would be exchanged, but that each home borrower would utilize and pay for an owner-specified cleaning service at the end of their stay and cover the estimated utilities.   While there are numerous online house-trading organizations, this group of Palisades families feels much more at-ease about the idea of opening their homes to others who reside locally and whom they personally know and trust. The group plans to continue to meet every few months to socialize and to solidify the details of their program, with the goal of having the trading begin in early 2011.   For more information or to attend a casual meeting with Palisades neighbors to talk about trading second homes while enjoying a glass of wine, please send an e-mail to palitrades@gmail.com.
Ceramics Teacher Shapes Students
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
One of the first activities Ellen Unt gives Ceramics I students at Palisades High is ‘sculpture go around.’ At tables of six, each student is given a small piece of clay, which they fashion into something that is added into a group sculpture. ‘It’s the first chance for them to feel the clay,’ Unt said. ‘The sculptures are not graded and I tell them I have no expectations. There is no pressure and they are not judged.’ This exercise also gives the teacher a way for her to begin understanding the individual personalities of her students. ‘Some kids are really timid, which you can see by the way they handle it,’ Unt said. ‘Others instantly craft something that has popped into their heads.’ Thoughtful, and surprisingly calm in the midst of five classes, each with 34 students, Unt has been teaching at PaliHi since 2005. The Chinese duality of yin and yang comes to mind when speaking with Unt, who seems to have combined polar opposite subjects: thoughtful reflection and manual creation of objects. Unt, an accomplished ceramist, feels that her class gives students something that they can’t get in a traditional classroom. ’I notice for myself and for my students that working with the clay becomes a kind of meditation. They can sit for the entire period with intense concentration,’ Unt said. ‘Students also develop longer periods of concentration and focus. This helps their brains develop in different ways from an academic class. The first graded project is a pinch bowl’a small piece of clay that students shape into a bowl. ‘Slowly we do more intricate projects,’ Unt said. By the end of the first semester, students have made a name plaque, a coil vase, a box and a mug. When her students have completed assigned projects, they are allowed the freedom to design their own project. At a class in December, one clay piece waiting to be fired was a cartoon-figure bomb. ’The first semester is a lot of skills-building, but the fun is the second semester,’ Unt said, noting the year culminates with each student making a ceramic model of his or her own hand. ‘They always turn out well; 80 percent of them are excellent. It is not an easy task because students are required to work with dimension and focus on spatial awareness.’ Surprisingly, Unt’s degree from UCLA was not in fine arts, but rather philosophy. ’I was really excited about all these deep questions that I didn’t think people talked about,’ said Unt, who was also interested in Eastern religions and yoga. During that time she took ceramics at Santa Monica College and different adult schools because UCLA doesn’t allow non-art majors to take classes. Upon graduating in 1999, Unt originally thought she would teach at the college level, but she realized that university jobs are hard to come by and professors are required to publish, which she did not want to do, so she received a master’s degree and teacher’s certification from Cal State Northridge in 2004. For her master’s project she used thin sheets of pure porcelain, which symbolized the mind, and behind each one there was an image that represented an actual event, experience or person from her life. The tile was lit from behind. ’The idea for the project stemmed from my philosophy background, in particular, Locke’s notion of identity, which validates the existence of a single person over time through the persistence of a causal continuity of memory,’ Unt said. ‘I thought it was interesting that throughout our lives, we have millions of experiences, and yet it is through these mere occurrences that we consciously or unconsciously latch on to particular ones that we hold on to and replay, resulting in our personal story.” Undecided between teaching at the high school or college level (her mother, Katrin, was a middle school art teacher), Unt thought back to when she attended Cleveland High School in the San Fernando Valley and recalled the joy and freedom she felt in her first ceramics class. ’Teaching high school became appealing because that’s when I first started to feel more confident,’ Unt said. ‘I thought maybe I could give that same sense of joy and purpose.’ After student teaching at Kennedy High School, Unt spent her first year at Birmingham High School, which was frustrating: ‘The kilns were always broken. I still had the kids working with clay, but they couldn’t take projects home because they were never fired.’ A year later she moved to PaliHi, where she had five electric potter’s wheels, one kick wheel and two kilns. For every project, Unt gives students clear guidelines, and projects are graded in four areas: meets project requirements, craftsmanship, originality and aesthetics. Although Ceramics II is not offered, Unt allows advanced and AP art students to work in her class at their own pace. ’The one difficult thing about teaching is that I haven’t had time to focus as much on my own projects,’ said Unt, who has exhibited in various galleries. ’Recently, I was inspired to a new series of work, looking at the different personalities of the heart. The image came to me with a heart with trees and the veins of the heart are like roots that morph into the tree.’ An earlier series of Unt’s work was based on the bioengineering of food. She was bothered that fruits and vegetables were genetically manipulated using insect and fish genes for particular outcomes such as longer shelf life or protection from certain insects or diseases, which made it ‘easier’ on the food industry to make a profit. She sculpted a tomato that was bisected by a fish, and fashioned a scorpion with a potato body. On the ears of corn the individual kernels carry the message: Herculex 1, engineered to control weeds. ‘The sculpture was based on my frustration of not knowing whether corn is corn,’ Unt said. Unt thinks ceramics is important because it allows students to envision a project, work on it and produce a finished project. ’The patience they develop is important,’ she said. ‘In an instant society with texting and microwaves, they learn that not everything is instant. One can’t rush clay. ’Sometimes they have to make an object three or four times,’ Unt continued. ‘If their box cracks or breaks, then they have to figure out how to fix it, which means they also learn problem-solving and planning.’
Las Madrinas Ball Benefits Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
During the holiday season, Las Madrinas honored 40 California families and their daughters for their service to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles at the annual Las Madrinas Ball. President Robin Nenninger formally welcomed the families and guests to this evening of tradition, family and friends and thanked everyone for joining Las Madrinas with their support of our research programs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She described the organization’s current program, the Las Madrinas Endowment for Autism Research, Interventions and Outcomes. Las Madrinas has supported pediatric medicine for over 75 years and is one of the first Affiliate Groups of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. In 1939, Las Madrinas began its tradition of honoring families who have demonstrated a commitment to the civic, cultural and philanthropic life of the Los Angeles community by presenting their daughters at the annual Las Madrinas Ball. Donations made in honor of the young women by their families and the annual support of the members and friends of Las Madrinas have created six research endowments at the hospital since 1988. Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with USC’s Keck School of Medicine since 1932. The Saban Research Institute at the hospital is among the country’s largest and most productive pediatric research facilities.
Food Historian to Talk on One of L.A.’s First Breweries
The Culinary Historians present food historian Charles Perry, who will speak on ‘Beer and Baseball: The Maier Brewing Dynasty,’ on Saturday, January 8 at 10:30 a.m. at the Los Angeles Public Library downtown. In 1850, Los Angeles was a wine-drinking Old California pueblo, but as Yankees filtered in, they started breweries as early as 1854. By the end of the century, a thirsty, fast-growing city had made Bavarian immigrant Joseph Maier one of its leading citizens. The Maier family promoted public entertainments, above all baseball; Eddie Maier pitched for numerous local teams before taking the helm at Maier Brewing in 1909 and organized his own Pacific League team, the ultimate ancestor of the Hollywood Stars of 1938-58. Along the way, Eddie lived life on the grand scale, organizing car races that set world records and throwing barbecues for 4,000 at a time at his Simi Valley ranch. The Maier Brewery closed in 1974, but the 101 Freeway still makes a jog just east of Alameda Street, where the brewery stood when the freeway was built. A reception with themed refreshments will follow Perry’s talk at 11:30 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Perry is president of the Culinary Historians. He has written and spoken widely on food history and is the co-author of ‘Medieval Arab Cookery’ and ‘Spuds, Truffles and Wild Gnocchi: The Patina Cookbook,’ and the author of ‘The Haight-Ashbury: A History.’ The Culinary Historians of Southern California is a nonprofit organization that supports the culinary collections at the Los Angeles Public Library. Visit chscsite.org.
