Theodore Dwight Buettell, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1957, died of metastatic cancer on July 4 at age 88. Blessed with a great sense of humor, he would have enjoyed knowing he ‘went out with a bang.’ Born at home in a blinding blizzard on February 3, 1922 in Mitchell, South Dakota, Dwight grew up in small-town America where his father was the local dentist. He had one younger brother, Bob. During high school days, Dwight argued against George McGovern on the debate team, then moved to California to study at Caltech. Upon graduating in 1944 with a degree in industrial engineering, he was immediately drafted and trained as a Navy radar technician. On November 25, 1944, Dwight married the love of his life, Marjorie, a UCLA graduate with whom he would spend the next 65 years. After the war, he began work at Douglas Aircraft as part of the post-war aerospace boom, while contributing to the baby boom with Michael in 1946, Christina in 1949 and Heidi in 1953. Dwight attended night classes to earn his MBA at UCLA, began teaching ‘Time and Motion Study’ courses, and learned computer programming on the original room-size computers at UCLA. He usually carried a few ‘tab cards’ in his shirt pocket for handy scratch paper, and eagerly forecast the dawn of the computer age. In 1957, the Buettells moved to Rustic Canyon where Dwight planted a massive, experimental iris garden, taught the family how to use a telescope to map the skies and plotted exotic travels to the South Seas and Tibet. The family began attending the Palisades Presbyterian Church, and in 1972 they moved to the upper Chautauqua neighborhood. Dwight eventually settled at TRW, where he worked for decades as a computer consultant before retiring to his many hobbies, including geneology, rare maps, exotic seashells, travel and the L.A. County Museum of Art’s Far Eastern Art Council, which he served as president. At home, Dwight and Marjorie landscaped and maintained their own Japanese garden, grew several varieties of hibiscus and cymbidiums, and hosted garden tours and annual art sales. In their later years they also participated in the Caltech Century Club and enjoyed two grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Dwight’s gentle kindness, sharp mind, eternal optimism and irrepressible good nature will long be cherished. There will be a small, family service at home. In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations in Dwight’s name to the UCLA Prostate Cancer Research Program, the Palisades Presbyterian Church or the L.A. County Museum of Art’s Far Eastern Art Council.
Anna and David Ondaatje held a joint photography exhibition in mid-June featuring their travel and portrait photography from Africa, Europe, the U.S.A. and the Caribbean. Some 200 people attended the father-daughter exhibition, ‘Wandering Eyes: A Photography One-Night Stand,’ in Pacific Palisades, which yielded $5,700 for P.S. Arts. Founded by Palisades resident Paul Cummins, P.S. Arts, recruits, hires, underwrites and trains professional artists to develop curriculum and teach classes during the regular school day.’The organization also works to educate and empower classroom teachers through arts-related workshops that demonstrate how to integrate creative expression and the arts into core academic subjects. ‘Our family’s original gateway to the organization was through the ‘Express Yourself’ art-making event that takes place every year at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica,’ says Liz Ondaatje, who serves on the P.S. Arts board. At this all-day event, guests are greeted by rows of arts booths and endless art supplies as professional artists and teachers guide children through a rich array of projects. ‘My children looked forward to this event every year; it was just like Halloween. ‘From the beginning, P.S. Arts has kept its commitment to provide arts education to 11,000 Title I kids once a week, every week throughout the school year,’ Ondaatje says. ‘ In the Los Angeles area, the organization serves the entire school district in Lawndale, and four schools in Santa Monica. This is part of the P.S. formula, hiring actual practicing artists to be an integral part of the curriculum.’ Anna Ondaatje, a 2005 graduate of St. Matthew’s School, just completed her freshman year at Harvard, where she studies languages, literature and philosophy. She interned at P.S. Arts in 2009 as a senior at Windward School and is working there again this summer. Her father, David, is a film director, screenwriter and chairman of the RL Winston Rod Company in Montana. He was an undergraduate at Harvard and a graduate student at University of Cambridge, England. He is rarely seen without a camera. ‘
“War of the Worlds” (2010), inspired by the 1953 movie. Art by Pacific Palisades resident Sean G. Day from the new “UFO’s Reel vs. Real” art exhibition at Flying Saucers Caffeine and Art in Santa Monica.
A funny thing happened on the way to some errands: it inspired a UFO invasion. Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Sean G. Day happened to pass by the newly opened Flying Saucers Caffeine and Art, a caf’ and gallery on the Westside. ‘I just drove one day and it hit me,’ says the local artist. ‘It’s a double entendre with the saucer cups. So I walk in and I said, ‘Where are the flying saucers?” The caf’s owner, Ryan MacLeod Morris, was open to Day’s idea. ‘I said, ‘Let me put a program together of artwork,’ and I found an article in Starlog magazine called ‘Reel vs. Real.” A few months later, Day completed 27 acrylic paintings based on stills from a range of science fiction B-movies from the 1950s, including ‘Forbidden Planet,’ ‘Earth Versus the Flying Saucers’ and ‘The Day the Earth Stood Still.’ The exhibit, ‘UFOs Reel vs. Real,’ runs through July at Flying Saucers, 306 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. For ‘Reel vs. Real,’ Day also plucked images from ‘The Invaders’ TV show and ‘U.F.O.,’ a British cult sci-fi series, and from myriad sci-fi books and magazines in his personal collection. ‘It’s going on a 60-foot wall,’ Day says of his display. ‘It’s a one-off thing for me. I do mostly landscapes and Northwest Indian art and hard-edge painting. ‘I won’t only have the paintings, I’ll have movie posters and information to go along with the paintings,’ he says. The infamous McMinnville saucer and Roswell are also referenced in ‘Reel vs. Real.’ When asked to name his favorite sci-fi flicks, he offers ”War of the Worlds’ and ‘Forbidden Planet”those two are very interesting for that period in the early 1950s.’ In back-door fashion, Day, in interpreting the cosmic scenes, got to keep his hand at his first love. ‘Obviously I’ve included my interest in landscapes,’ he says, even if those ‘landscapes’ may be lunar surfaces. ‘It’s kind of a total effect.’ Originally from East Hanover, New Jersey, Day moved to Los Angeles in 1968 to attend Art Center College of Design. ‘I’ve had a long designing career,’ he says, working for a design firm based in City of Commerce. Jaime Geller, the jewelry store on Antioch, was one of his clients. But recently, he quit the company. ‘I’m finished with that career, I’m a full-time painter now,’ he says. ‘My first love is painting.’ Previously a resident of Culver City, Day has lived in the Alphabet streets since 1982. He made the move to the Palisades after ‘I worked on [the interior design of] a children’s store here in town [the now-defunct Rainbow Patch children’s boutique on 873 Via de la Paz], and I told my wife of 41 years, Jeanne, this is a nice little community. So we looked for a home here.’ The Days raised two children here: daughter Tiffany, who today is a psychologist living in Fontana, and son Brandon, who works for St. John’s Hospital as a lead dispatcher/supervisor and lives in Redondo Beach. Both of their offspring attended PaliHi. Day has exhibited his art before but he says his previous art shows ‘usually aren’t as themed as this one is. I plan to do more theming in the future.’ But for Day, the future and past are currently colliding in ‘UFOs Reel vs. Real.’ Contact: 310-868-UFO1; visit facebook.com/flyingsaucercafe.
A new book, ‘Blanket of Stars: Homeless Women in Santa Monica’ (Angel City Press), gives voice and grace to women from various backgrounds and their journey. Writer Frances Noble and photographer Ian Noble set out to walk the streets and record women’s stories, and ultimately to give them dignity, understanding and respect. On the pages of the book, women speak for homeless women everywhere. Each shares a compelling history of her life, as she has lived it, revealing the intimate details that led to the street. For some, there is a spirit of independence and overcoming the odds; for others there is the fear of each new night where all that protects them is a blanket. Some hail from other states, coming to California for health reasons, to escape an abusive man, or to find a job. Some suffer from mental illness; others are pulling out of alcohol or drug abuse. Some find shelter in the open air, others in shelters or at halfway houses. The Nobles write in their introduction that the women ‘say they live outside because they don’t qualify for assistance: they say they’ll lose their freedom if they go inside, or they’re afraid of the men at the shelters; or the bank stole all their money; or that the FBI and the CIA are after them. Many have a hard time knowing what they think, much less saying it, because their thoughts are muddled and their words don’t come out right. They hear extra voices in their heads, see things the rest of us don’t see, and believe things the rest of us don’t believe.’ The common denominator: they’re poor. Frances Noble, a 35-year resident of Santa Monica, is a best-selling author and a lawyer. She has been a featured speaker at numerous literary venues, a writer in residence at Yaddo, and a judge in the 2007 annual writing contest for the international writer’s group, RAWI. Her son, Ian, is an architectural and fine-art photographer.
‘Palisades Pool Party’ Web series. From left to right: Danny Zaccagnino (Mischa), Katie Seeley (Bianca), Ashley Schneider (Cassidy) and Mary Kasnias (Tori).
This summer, there’ll be many a pool party in Pacific Palisades. But probably not one like ‘Palisades Pool Party,’ a Web Series created by a pair of screenwriters”native Palisadian Tai Fauci and her creative partner, Jack Monroe”that’s been online since last fall and will continue to run long after Labor Day Weekend rolls around. ‘We spent a lot of time and money and hard work on ‘Pool Party,” Fauci says. ‘It’s gaining traction.’ Since the Webisodes began to appear at palisadespoolparty.com in late September, ‘Palisades Pool Party’ has received over 250,000 views. The program was filmed at a Sunset Boulevard residence near Will Rogers State Park. ‘The show was shot in the Palisades, which is where I grew up and where my parents still live,’ says Fauci, who lives in Culver City. ‘We would like to expand and feature local businesses and more of the town itself
Posed in front of PAPA’s Fourth of July home-decorating contest winner are (left to right) Nick Mercer, Ari Olswanger, Vicki Mercer (front), Molly and Jim Mercer, Maria Moranda, Jorge Fernandez and Katie Mercer. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The Mercer residence on Toyopa Drive (between Drummond and Carey) nabbed first place in the Fourth of July home decorating contest, organized by the Palisades Americanism Parade Association. Second place went to Joe Almaraz (owner of the venerable Palisades Barber Shop on Antioch) and his wife, Nina, who live on Sunset. The contest was sponsored this year by Anthony Marguleas, founder and president of Amalfi Estates on Monument. ’I elected to sponsor the contest when I attended a PAPA meeting in March and learned that the contest was not held last year because no one would sponsor it,’ Marguleas said. ‘It was a perfect fit for my company so I was happy to volunteer. Jim and Vicki Mercer, who won an American flag that had been flown over the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., placed second in the inaugural decorating contest two years ago. In 2009, Jim and Sam, one of the couple’s five children, were at home the week of the Fourth. Vicki, a pediatrician, was at a medical convention and Sam’s four siblings, Andrew, Katie, Nick and Molly, were out of town. Sam, who was 15 at the time, read about the decorating contest in the Palisadian-Post, and convinced his father to enter. The Mercer men went to Party Pizzazz on Sunset, purchased anything that resembled patriotic decorations and put them up. They lost out to an aggressive effort by Ali and Lauren Hoffman, who decorated their parents’ home on Via de la Paz, and added streamers to the trees and chalk designs on the sidewalk. After seeing the Hoffman property, Jim Mercer promised, ‘We’re gunning for first place next year. Now that we know what it takes to get first, we’ll spend that extra $16.’ ’My husband was a college runner who rarely came in second,’ Vicki said. In anticipation of last year’s contest, Mercer returned to Party Pizzazz and ordered additional banners and bunting. ‘I figured we’d have to amp it up,’ he said. ‘I’d much rather have first place.’ Unfortunately, the 2009 contest went on hiatus. Disappointed, but undaunted, Mercer still decorated. This year Mercer, a lawyer with Bryan Cave in Santa Monica, was ready for the judges, who included Marguleas and his family, Honorary Mayor Gavin MacLeod, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Arnie Wishnick and attorney Rob Weber, who drove around the Huntington Palisades, the Alphabet streets and the Via/Swarthmore (Continued on Page 21) bluff neighborhoods south of Sunset to look at homes. ’The judging was pretty subjective,’ said judge Weber, who served as PAPA president in 2008 and 2009. ‘We just liked the Mercers’ home the best.’ Mercer said it took about an hour to decorate the house, fence and trees. Nick, 22, who graduated in May from Connecticut College with a degree in anthropology, missed out on the bedecking. ‘I slept in,’ he admitted. Sam, who was skateboarding in Aspen, also missed helping his father this year. ‘But he was the one who came up with the idea of the stars on the trees,’ Jim said. Although Sam, who graduated in May from a snowboard school in Maine, was not at home to celebrate the win, his 17-year-old twin sister Molly, a senior at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, Connecticut, was decorating cupcakes in the kitchen with red, white and blue frosting on the morning of the Fourth. ’This block is so sweet and enthusiastic,’ Molly said, noting that for many years Jim and Colleen Buerge had hosted a huge gathering across the street from them during the parade. Her classmate Ari Olswanger, who was visiting from Chicago, enjoyed celebrating her first Fourth in the Palisades. ‘I love it so much, it’s so exciting,’ she enthused. Also home for the day was daughter Katie, 29, a lawyer for O’Melveny & Myers, and her fiance Jorge Fernandez. Mercer has already started to plan for next year and Vicki hints what might be added. ‘Look for something special in the arch above the door.’ Said contest sponsor Marguleas: ‘Driving around with the other judges on July 3 and seeing all the homes decorated and how excited people were was incredible. This contest is one of those special small-town traditions that makes you realize why the Palisades is such a special place. ’It was also was exciting to have Gavin Macleod with us and to surprise the winners with the award,’ Marguleas continued. ‘I look forward to sponsoring this contest for many years to come, and I hope more people participate next year and get in the Fourth of July spirit.’
Tennis pro Vince Spadea won last year’s second annual ‘Shotgun 21’ tournament at the Palisades Tennis Center.
The Palisades Tennis Center will host the third annual “Shotgun 21” Tournament on Sunday, July 25, and if this year’s event is anywhere near as exciting as the first two, it’s a day of tennis local residents won’t want to miss. Organizer Steve Bellamy has again lined up a star-studded field for the 32-player unisex, drop-hit tournament, which will start with a qualifying draw from 12:30 to 4 p.m., followed by the main draw beginning at 4:30 p.m. Men and women will play each other head-to-head in a format that implements underhanded serving, no “lets” and no “winning by two.” There will be a minimum of $15,000 in cash and prizes. The inaugural tournament two years ago saw Alex Bogomolov edge John Isner in one semifinal and Phillip King edge Sam Querrey in the other, both by 21-20 scores. In the final, Bogomolov took a commanding 20-11 lead before King reeled off nine straight points to force a winner-take-all championship point. Bogomolov won after a breathtaking 40-stroke rally. Last year, PTC junior Clay Thompson advanced all the way to the final and had four match points, but ATP Tour veteran Vince Spadea ultimately prevailed, 21-20. Other past and current pros who have played the first two years include Taylor Dent, Alexandra Stevenson, Ashley Harkleroad, Donald Young, Devon Briton, Robert Kendrick, Derrick Rostagno, Scott Davis, Chuck Adams, Cecil Mammitt, Jill Craybus, Alex Reichel, Zack Fleishman, Ramon Delgado, Kevin Ulyett and Andre Sa. The tournament also gives some of the PTC’s best players a rare chance to test themselves against the pros–on the very same courts they practice on every day. Last year, Thompson and Palisadian Walker Kehrer (now playing for Stanford) were joined by ranked PTC juniors Blake Anthony, Alex Giannini, Robbie Bellamy and Brandon Michaels, among others. Celebrity participants have included John Lovitz, Gavin Rossdale, Josh Morrow, Melissa Rivers, Elisabeth Shue, Chad Lowe, Donna Mills, James Larosa and Pacific Palisades’ own beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith. “This is one of the most unique tennis experiences you can ever have–and it’s free to anyone who wants to come out and watch,” Bellamy said. “It’s a great chance to see a ton of tennis from some of the best players in the world in one afternoon. You also get to see men playing against women, which is something you don’t get on the regular tour. I mean, where else would you see a 9-year-old boy playing a 50-year-old woman?’ The rules are designed to “level the playing field.” Servers must strike the ball with their racquet hand above the point of contact. A feed is considered ‘in’ if it lands anywhere on the half of the court from which the feeder is serving in singles and anywhere on the side of the court the feeder is serving to plus the alley in doubles. Players alternate serving five points apiece, switching from the “deuce” or “ad” courts, just like in ping pong. “I’ve played World Team Tennis too and I think exhibitions like this that introduce new rules are awesome,” Bogomolov said after pocketing the $10,000 winner’s check and a $2,000 limited edition Fender Stratocaster electric guitar in 2008. “Anything that attracts more people to the game is only going to help our sport.” Those who want to do more than just watch can pay $50 for a spot in the qualifying tournament. At least four qualifiers will earn wildcards into the main draw and an opportunity to trade groundstrokes with the pros and celebrities. The main draw will start at 3 p.m. and conclude by about 7 p.m. Anyone interested in playing should call 310-573-1331 or visit the PTC Web site: www.palitenniscenter.com.
Football great Jim Brown felt honored to ride as the grand marshal in this year’s Fourth of July Parade. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
When he played professional football, Jim Brown always attracted a crowd–both on and off the field. He gave it everything he had on each and every snap, and he never missed a play. Five decades later, the man considered one of the greatest sports figures of the 20th Century applied that same zeal and concentration to his role as grand marshal of this year’s Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade–and, once again, he scored the winning touchdown. “To me, this is a real honor–something you jump at the chance to do,” said Brown, who was accompanied by his wife Monique, son Aris (8) and daughter Morgan (7). “I’m absolutely delighted.” The Browns live above the Sunset Strip in the Hollywood Hills, but they are no strangers to the Palisades. “I used to come here and swim at the beach with the kids,” Jim said. And Monique added: “We’ve come here periodically. We enjoy the Palisades very much.” One of the first people waiting for Brown when he arrived at the Pacific Palisades United Methodist Church before the VIP luncheon was Charlie Meister, founder of the L.A. Lacrosse League, who had Brown sign several sticks and a black-and-white photograph of Brown at Syracuse University, where he starred in football, basketball, track and lacrosse: “The guy is a legend so it’s kind of him to sign stuff for our inner city program,” Meister said. “We’ll be working with his Amer-I-Can Foundation so I’m thrilled.” During his junior season at Syracuse, Brown was named a second-team All-American in lacrosse. Then, his senior year (1956-57) he made first-team All-American and his 43 goals in 10 games ranked second in the nation. The only person enshrined in the pro football, college football and lacrosse halls of fame, Brown was an all-star midfielder in lacrosse at Manhasset High School on Long Island. “I loved lacrosse and the best thing it gave me was conditioning,” Brown said. “It kept me in great shape and it was also very physical, just like football.” Next to greet the sports icon was local resident Barbara Smith along with her great- nephew, 13-year-old Jacob Alexander of Allentown, Pennsylvania, who was in town visiting. His grandfather, Sam Alexander (Smith’s brother-in-law) was Brown’s teammate at Syracuse and is even mentioned in Brown’s 1989 autobiography “Out of Bounds.” In fact, both of them were running backs on the football team–Alexander a senior and Brown only a sophomore. “It’s great to meet him because my grandfather is always talking about him,” Alexander said. “Sam was a great, great competitor… very smart, very scientific,” Brown remembered. When he retired in 1966 at the age of 30, Brown was the National Football League record-holder in single-season rushing yards (1,863 in 1963) career rushing yards (12,312), rushing touchdowns (106), total touchdowns (126) and all-purpose yards (15,549). His career rushing record was finally surpassed in 1984 by Walter Payton, but Brown still ranks eighth on the all-time list even though he played only nine seasons, all with the Cleveland Browns. “I have no regrets about walking away when I did,” Brown said. “I’m happy I left in my prime and didn’t stay too long. I accomplished everything I wanted to. We won the championship in 1964, we were runner-up in 1965 and I was MVP my last season. That speaks for itself. I could leave without having to explain myself.” Asked to name his proudest accomplishment as a football player, Brown said it wasn’t his 5.2 yards-per-carry average (still the highest in league history), his three Most Valuable Player awards, his eight rushing titles or his nine Pro Bowl berths. It wasn’t being inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971, nor was it the fact that he did not miss a game his entire career. No, the two things he cherishes most are winning the NFL championship and the respect he received from his opponents. “That [1964] championship was such a perfect example of teamwork,” Brown said. “Not just on offense, but defense too. We shut out [quarterback] Johnny Unitas, which wasn’t easy to do. We had a potent passing attack and knew their defense was going to stack against our run. We had several of what we called ‘attitude plays’ that we could run at any time, no matter what defense they ran against us.” In the first NFL title game to be televised by CBS, Brown rushed 21 times for 114 yards as Cleveland crushed the Baltimore Colts, 27-0. Brown possessed a unique blend of power, speed and agility that made him the premier ball carrier of his day. In 2002, the Sporting News named him the greatest professional football player in history. Yet on July 4 he hesitated to compare himself to greats from other eras: “I don’t like to do that because the game is constantly changing. I just admire individual talent. When you think of someone like Earl Campbell you immediately associate him with power and explosiveness. Other guys, like Gale Sayers and Eric Dickerson, were poetry in motion. With Walter Payton it was sheer heart and willpower. All great runners have their own characteristics that make them great.” Now 74, Brown is still an astute observer of the game. Among his favorite active players to watch are running back Adrian Peterson, linebacker Ray Lewis and quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Drew Brees and especially Brett Favre, whom he called “a freak of nature.” Brown thinks the way football is marketed and the product presented today has improved tremendously, but the game sometimes is being shortchanged: “Money is the driving force in the game now and agents are looking out for their players but not necessarily the player’s team. Money is not something that should be No. 1 in anyone’s life. Look at all of the millionaires who are unhappy or in trouble. Quality of life is what’s important.” Considered a “throwback” player, Brown bristles at the idea that athletes of his generation were not as good. “When you deal with a classic car that’s built with care, part by part, you take a lot of pride in it because it’s well-made,” Brown said. “Now if you buy a new car, it’s made of paper mache but it has all the technology and you can get any [radio] station you want. It is what it is. Old or new, it’s all good.” While eating lunch and mingling before the parade, Brown shared numerous stories from his life and career, like the friendship he formed with another iconic sports figure of the 1960s and 70s, boxer Muhammad Ali. Brown was one of the first athletes to publicly support Ali when he was stripped of his world heavyweight title for refusing to be inducted into the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War. “It was the right thing to do because you could see Ali was sincere in his religious beliefs,” Brown said. “I was the color commentator at ringside for several of his fights, including the Rumble in the Jungle in Zaire against George Foreman when Ali won back the title. I remember thinking Foreman would kill him. I even told Ali ‘You can’t beat that guy!’ And he said ‘Just you watch.’ Afterwards he said ‘So, what do you think of that, big boy, huh?’ He just had tremendous confidence and belief in himself. The only thing I didn’t like is that he went a bit too far with his cruel comments toward Joe Frazier.” In 1988, Brown founded Amer-I-Can, a life-management skills organization that operates in inner cities and prisons to combat the gang problems in Cleveland and Los Angeles. More than 20 years later he remains active in both voice and action. “We walk into schools and bring kids’ grades up,” Brown said. “Not just me, everyone involved. We’ve done some great work.” Regarding his acting career, Brown named “Dirty Dozen” and “100 Rifles” as two of his favorite roles. He went on to co-star in films such as “Three the Hard Way,” “Take a Hard Ride,” “One Down, Two to Go,” “Original Gangstas” and “On the Edge” along with fellow pro football player-turned-movie star Fred ‘The Hammer’ Williamson. During the luncheon, Brown was besieged by parents asking him to pose for pictures, autograph footballs and jerseys for their children, or merely wanting to shake his hand. Yet he patiently obliged every request as he stood in the middle of Via de la Paz waiting to climb into the back seat of the car that he and his family would ride in the parade. Just as he always did on the football field, Brown gave it his best as grand marshal–and the crowd cheered. His family seemed to enjoy the experience just as much as he did. “We’re very family-oriented,” Monique said. “It’s great to be here. I used to come to parades with my dad when I was a kid. It’s an honor to share this patriotic day with the community.”
The Mustang 9 All-Stars won the Section Championship last week and advanced to the Super Regionals in Los Alamitos.
The Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s Mustang 9 All-Stars won the Section Championship for the first time last weekend, beating Torrance American 11-10 on Saturday in the semifinals and beating Smith Park/Pico Rivera 16-1 in the championship game on Sunday. Bryant Reese pitched three innings Saturday, allowing one run, and added five hits, including four doubles. Justin Howard had four hits, walked twice and scored four times. Shane Skelly pitched a four-inning complete game in the final, allowing one unearned run. He also made a game-ending double play with the tying run on third base to preserve Saturday’s win. Nico Chapus had three hits and three walks in the tournament and pitched the sixth inning to record the save against Torrance American. Xander Hurley had four hits and two walks batting clean-up and pitched in relief on Saturday. Andrew Arth had four hits and Harrison Listen had three hits, including a three-run triple in Sunday’s final. Russell Cohen played second base and Nick Kerkorian played third base and threw a runner out at first from right field. Jack Sandifer pitched in relief Saturday. Rounding out the roster were Alyssa Wallin, Trey White, Jack Rocchio and Joe Suddleson. Jason Reese was the head coach and John Hurley and Mark Skelly were his assistants. Palisades continues its season in the Super Regionals in Los Alamitos this Saturday at 11 am. Also advancing to the Super Regionals was the Bronco 11s team, which defeated Monterey Park, Charter Oaks Silver and East Long Beach last weekend in West Covina. The Super Regionals open today in Fontana. In all, the PPBA fielded teams in the 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 and Pony age divisions. The 10s (Mustang) squad hosted the Sectionals at the Field of Dreams complex last week but lost its first two games to Lynwood and Paramount.
Junior Lifeguards sprint towards the water at the start of a relay during the first week of this summer’s Junior Lifeguards Program at Will Rogers State Beach. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
When the summer Junior Lifeguards Program started up again last week at Will Rogers State Beach, hundreds of aspiring lifeguards ages 9-17 took to the sands and swells to learn the basics of water safety, swimming, body surfing, surfing, physical conditioning, competition skills, first aid, lifesaving, rescue techniques and CPR. Pacific Palisades resident Lee West recalled he and his sister attending the clinics over 37 years ago and he still remembers the skills and confidence they gained that summer. “We had our mom drive us to Will Rogers [Beach] every day from the Hollywood Hills for this same Junior Guard program,” he said. “That was the best summer I had as a kid! I still remember the skills and confidence I gained from that training.” West, who runs on the sand every morning, watches new waves of children go through the program each year and can’t help but get a little nostalgic: “The equipment is better now, but I can see it is still the same fun and experience!” Head Program Director Eldin Onsgard remembers West from the summer of 1973: “He took fifth place in the All City competition back when they used large canvas rafts instead of the new paddleboards today. Back then we never used sunscreen and now we mandate it and rash guards too!” Last summer was one of the most successful ever for the local program. Several Will Rogers members stood out at the National Lifeguard Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in events such as the Individual Paddle Board Race, Individual Run-Swim-Run, Individual Swim Race, Rescue Race (a simulated rescue event which requires a JG “victim” and a JG rescuer), Swim Relay (a team event made up of 5 swimmers) and Iron Guard (an individual event consisting of a Run-Swim-Run-Paddle-Run). There are four age groups: AA (ages 16-17); A (ages 14-15); B (ages 12-13); and C (ages 9-11).
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