CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 20, 2010

May 20, 2010

OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, MAY 31, FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY. THE CLASSIFIED AD DEADLINE WILL BE THURSDAY, MAY 27, AT 11 A.M.

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES FOR SALE 1e

$248,000. IMMACULATE SENIOR UNIT. 1+1 condo + patio on Palisades Dr. Quiet, park-like setting, lots of trees. Min age 62. 2 car gar, elevator, 1/2 mile to bch. Broker, (310) 795-3795 (c), (310) 456-8770 (h)

FURNISHED HOMES 2

LOVELY 4 BED. FURNISHED HOME. Beautifully furnished home on desirable Las Casas Ave. 4 Bed., 2.5 Baths, 2,700 SF. $5,900/mo. (310) 463-6323

LIGHT, AIRY, SPACE IN THE TREE-TOPS. 1 bed/bath, huge living areas for 1-2, non-smoker, no pets. Exceptional. Avail. 3-?? months. $2,700/mo. includes ALL. (310) 454-2568

EXECUTIVE RENTAL! MOVE RIGHT IN! Immaculate, fully furnished, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath. Pool, gym, spa, near trailheads, mountain view, minutes to the beach. (310) 459-9111

TRANQUIL WOODED SETTING. Charming 2 bed, 2 bath. Monthly (3 mo. min.) Furnished & equipped. No smoke/pets. $2,670/mo. for everything. (310) 454-2568

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

NEWLY REMODELED 2 BD, 1 BA with canyon views on quiet street. $3,400/mo. Call Dolly Niemann, (310) 230-3706. Lic. #00416255

DUPLEX FOR RENT. 1 bdrm + office, 1 bath, quiet residential area near village. $2,800/mo. (310) 738-4400

CAPE COD NEAR BLUFFS WITH VIEW. Super charming, sunny, 1-level, 2 bed, 1 ba (sep tub/shower) + den + lg living rm. 1,700 sq feet. 2-car garage. $4,000/mo. (310) 770-3940

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

REDUCED PRICE! CHARMING, sunny upper unit. 1 bdrm.+office/den. Hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces, 2 baths, 1 car garage, on-site laundry, small pet considered. $1,985/mo. (310) 459-5576

TWO BEDROOM, ONE BATH, sunny & roomy upper floor, glimpse of bay, walk to daily errands. Small pet considered. Available now. Call Michael, (310) 883-8049

PALISADES 1 BEDROOM apt. Large, remodeled, carpet, gas stove, refrigerator, one year lease, new paint, laundry, storage, covered parking. No pets, Non-smoker. $1,325/mo. (310) 477-6767

PALISADES GUEST COTTAGE: Small & charming studio apartment with separate entrance. Built-ins, stove & fridge. $900/mo. Utilities included, street parking only, no pets. (310) 210-8455

CHARMING DUPLEX, walk to village. 2 bedroom, 1 bath. New kitchen, jacuzzi tub, hardwood floors, private yard. $2,995/mo. Consider pets. (310) 454-4599, (310) 266-4151

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

$350/MO. SMALL MODERN bedroom, just-reduced rental, in Santa Monica luxury apartment, off Montana near ocean. Seeking responsible, friendly, female professional or college grad. student to share apartment w/ retired arts professional. Must provide occasional afternoon local driving: short drop-off/pick-ups; other assistance, own time. (Full rental value, $600/mo.) Contact 4artistry@gmail.com, phone evenings only. (310) 310-3429

1 FURNISHED BEDROOM, full bath share P/T. Female student preferred. 5 min. walk to village/5 min. drive to beach. $825/mo. includes utilities, wireless & possible cable. Kitchen priv., W/D. Lower rent in exchange for house/cat sitting. (310) 454-7554

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

PROFESSIONAL BUILDING in Pacific Palisades village for lease. Lovely and spacious suite available. 750 square feet. Reasonable rent price. Excellent lease hold improvement allowance. Please call Ness, (310) 230-6712 x105, for more details.

2 OFFICE SUITES, windows, cathedral ceilings, 2nd floor, First Federal Bank building on Sunset in Palisades Village. 450 sq. ft. $1,400/mo. Call Ev Maguire, (310) 600-3603 or (310) 454-0840

OFFICE AVAILABLE IN VILLAGE. Light & bright, recently remodeled 4-office psychotherapy suite has office available. Private waiting room, kitchen & bath to share. Parking negotiable. Email srl@ucla.edu with interest. (310) 230-2236

SPACE FOR LEASE. (310) 454-9606, (818) 458-4454. Ask for Irena.

FOR RENT: A large office overlooking Sunset Blvd. in the heart of the village. $500/mo. Available June 1st. Please call Jim @ (310) 459-2757

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

VACATION RENTALS 3e

SUMMER IN PALISADES. Ocean views surround, just behind village. Brand new kitchen & baths. 3 bedroom, 2 baths, kids large playroom, outdoor paradise. Available Jul.-Aug. Furnished. $5,000/mo. (310) 428-8625

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

PART TIME BOOKKEEPER TO GO! F/C Bookkeeper specializing in small businesses & private individuals. QB, QUICKEN & PEACHTREE PROFICIENT. PC or MAC. Excellent refs. Call Joanie, (310) 486-1055

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 ‘ bmdawson@verizon.net ‘ www.bmdawson.com ‘ Furniture ‘ Antiques ‘ Collectibles ‘ Junque ‘ Reliable professionals ‘ Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

FORMER LAW FIRM MANAGER can help you get organized. Executive level business or personal assistant services. Office organizing, writing, project and event planning. Concierge services on a project or weekly basis. Call Patty, (310) 394-3085

MESSENGER/COURIER SERVICES 7n

MESSENGER & COURIER SERVICES (S. Cal.). Direct, same day or overnight, PU & Del. 24/7 guaranteed, on-time service. All major credit cards accepted. Santa Monica Express Inc. ‘ Since 1984 ‘ Tel: (310) 458-6000 www.smexpress.com

MISCELLANEOUS 7o

PSYCHIC & TAROT READINGS BY NATALIE. Find what’s in store for the future & the untold reasons of the past. 1 free question by phone! (323) 378-5897

DAYCARE CENTERS 8

PALISADES LEARN & PLAY * Licensed in home Pre-K program. Summer session only available. F/T & P/T, flexible days. Healthy meals provided. Fun & educational. (310) 459-0920

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

MY OUTSTANDING NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER of 10 yrs is avail. this July Mon.-Fri., 8:30-5pm., as our kids are in school full time. She drives her own SUV w/ a perfect driving record. Speaks fluent English. Does all cooking, shopping, errands & light housekeeping. She is simply the best w/ children of all ages & all household responsibilities! Please call Natalie at (310) 467-3769 or call Lorena directly at (323) 572-5306

NANNY: Looking for a full time job Monday through Friday. Live out. Experienced with newborns & all ages. References, drives, legal & responsible. Available for babysitting also. Esther, (310) 903-7174

EXPERIENCED NANNY & HOUSEKEEPER. Reliable, caring & flexible. Bilingual and I provide my own transportation. Great local references. Call Nancy at (818) 209-6024

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

LOOKING FOR A HOUSEKEEPING JOB. 12 years experience, own transportation, legal, local references. delmycleaning.com. Call Delmy, (323) 363-9492

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE: Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & weekends. Excellent w/ animals, speaks English, 43 yrs. experience. Available now. Call Angela, (323) 732-9720 (h), (323) 383-6574

HOUSEKEEPER. Housekeeper. Good local references, own transportation, available Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Call Rosalba, (323) 377-2485

THE BEST HOUSEKEEPER. 25 years of references in the Palisades. Bilingual. Tuesday and/or Thursday. Call Paula, (310) 454-5199

EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER. Excellent worker, dependable, trustworthy, excellent cook. Call Arlina, (323) 229-9327

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

HOUSEKEEPER. Available Monday through Saturday. Local references, own transportation, good with children & pets, 12 years experience. Please call Ruth, (310) 590-9763 or (323) 731-1510

GREAT HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE! Experienced and reliable, wonderful with children and pets. Excellent English. Wednesdays and/or alternate Tuesdays. Please call Raquel at (213) 736-5362

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

SPECIALIZE WITH SENIORS. Friendly/patient personal trainer. Customize workouts to fit your needs. Enjoy P/T in the convenience of your own home. Call Karen for free consultation and get started! (818) 626-8670

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

GREEN MOUNTAIN LAWN CARE. Trim trees, sprinkler systems, hillside clean ups, masonry. Insured, Workers Comp., Liability. Phone: (323) 934-9284 Website: danielvelasco.webs.com

MOVING & HAULING 11b

HONEST MAN SERVICES. All jobs, big or small. Moves & hauls it all. 14 foot truck. 20th year Westside. Delivery to 48 states. (310) 285-8688

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.

EXPERT WINDOW CLEANER ‘ Experienced 22 yrs Westside. Anything under 25 feet. Clean & detailed. Can clean screens, mirrors, skylights & scrape paint off glass. Free estimates. Brian, (310) 289-5279

AUTO DETAILING 13i

DOES YOUR CELL PHONE WORK? Are you tired of going outside to use your cell phone at home? We may be able to boost your cell phone to work indoors. Call us, we can help! Stanford Connect, (310) 829-3115

CATERING 14

CHEF & EVENT MANAGER! Cordon Bleu Chef and 15 year veteran event manager wants to help you plan your event! $60 per hour. Please call or email Danielle . . . (310) 691-0578 or daniellesamendez@gmail.com

COOKING/GOURMET 14a

PART TIME IN-HOME CHEF. Experienced in home chef available part time. References available upon request. Please call Roni @ (818) 307-3117

HOUSESITTING 14b

HOUSESITTING/PETSITTING. Available for short or long term. Sharp, reliable, recently retired professional. References. Susi, (310) 963-5269, susi824@aol.com

PERSONAL SERVICES 14f

CLARITY’. NEED HELP ORGANIZING? Office, Kid’s Rooms, Photos, Storage, Etc. Personal Organizer Lisa Viscardi can help. Call (310) 702-7314. Email Lisa@ClarityLV.com. Visit www.ClarityLV.com

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

HORSE STALLS FOR RENT. Horse stalls for rent near Will Rogers Park. Easy park access, rent neg. dep. on feed and cleaning needs. Call Bob, (949) 235-4761

FITNESS INSTRUCTION 15a

HAVE FUN! GET FIT! NORDIC WALKING CLASSES. Certified Advanced Nordic walking instructor, Palisades resident teaches private/group classes in the Palisades. Weekends. (310) 266-4651

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

NEED SAT MATH TUTORING? Learn from a college math major who scored a 800. (310) 892-7221

MATH/SCIENCE/SAT TUTOR. Widely used by Palisades residents. Excellent references. Dozens of satisfied clients at top schools. Call Will at (510) 378-7138

CARPENTRY 16a

RESTORATION & MAINTENANCE. Home improvement. No job too small! Carpentry of any kind. Bathrooms, kitchens, doors, cabinets, decks & gates. State license #822541. Reasonable prices. Contact Ed Winterhalter at (310) 213-3101

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

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 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 avail.)

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

CASALE CONSTRUCTION CO. LLC ‘ Lic. #512443 ‘ Kitchen and Bath Specialist ‘ General Contractor ‘ Residential ‘ Commercial ‘ New Construction ‘ Additions ‘ Remodeling ‘ (310) 491-0550 (o) ‘ (310) 927-1799 (c) ‘ www.reemodeling.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

DRAPES/BLINDS 16g

LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE SHUTTERS, blinds, or indoor/outdoor drapes? Available locally @ Carpets West. Call for a free estimate. (310) 454-0697, 874 Via de la Paz

ELECTRICAL 16h

PALISADES ELECTRIC. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. All phases of electrical, new construction to service work. (310) 454-6994. Lic. #468437 Insured Professional Service

ELECTRICIAN HANDYMAN. Local service only. Non-lic. Please call (310) 454-6849 or (818) 317-8286

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

HARDWOOD FLOOR INSTALLATION & Refinishing Services available locally @ Carpets West. Call (310) 454-0697 for a free estimate. We carry a large selection of hardwood samples. 874 Via de la Paz

HANDYMAN 16o

HANDYMAN ‘ HOOSHMAN ‘ Most known name in the Palisades. Since 1975. Member Chamber of Commerce. Non-Lic. Experience do it, not lic. Call for your free est. Local refs available. Hooshman, (310) 459-8009, 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

PALISADES CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. All jobs and calls welcome!! All phases of const. and home repair. A fresh alternative from the norm, very courteous, very safe, very clean!! Call for a free estimate and consultation. Please call: Kevin, Brian Nunneley, (310) 488-1153. Lic. #375858

PETER PAN HOME REPAIR. Serving all of the Westside!! (310) 663-3633. Non-lic.

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

‘NOW’S THE TIME!’ to take care of your painting projects with a contractor that has 35 years of experience and great local references. ALL SEASONS PAINTING, (310) 678-7913. Lic. #571061

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

A PACIFIC PAINTING. Residential, commercial, industrial. Interior/exterior. Drywall, plaster, stucco repair, pressure washing. Free estimates. Bonded & insured. Lic. #908913. ‘Since 1979’ (310) 954-7170

OWEN GEORGE CRUICKSHANK ‘ Paperhanger ‘ Removal ‘ Repair ‘ Painting ‘ Handyman services as well. Lic. #576445. (310) 459-5485

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

MYSTERY SHOPPERS earn up to $150 per day. Undercover shoppers needed to judge retail and dine-in establishments. No experience required. Call (877) 648-1571

MANICURIST & HAIRSTYLIST WANTED for rental with clientele. Contact Nikki, (310) 459-1616

THE SKI CHANNEL & THE SURF CHANNEL located in the Palisades village have immediate openings for interns in programming, production & marketing. (310) 230-2050

FURNITURE 18c

ROUND CRIB, mattress, bedding. HAND PAINTED whimsical fairies & flowers, gently used by granddaughter. Will email photos, compare at www.ababy.com. $800. Susan, (310) 459-3600

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

MULTI FAMILY** Fri. 5/21, Sat. 5/22 8 a.m.-2 p.m. NEW & LIKE NEW: Toys, designer clothes (M/W/childrens). Household, kitchen items, bookcases. 1033 Lachman, 1056 Tellem.

HOLLYWD HILLS! Classic antiques/furnishgs/ clothes/jewelry/etc. 2316 Holly Dr. (90068 TG 593, E3) Cuenga/Odin. Fri.-Sat. May 21-22; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Photos/directions: www.bmdawson.com

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

CHARITY SALE! ‘ To benefit Saint John’s Health Center. FABULOUS ITEMS FOR SALE. Saturday and Sunday May 22 & 23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 11870 Santa Monica Blvd. btwn Bundy & Barrington

Chamber’s Expo Is a Sunday Hit

dev

May 20, 2010

The Expo drew residents and visitors to some 50 sponsor booths along Antioch Street.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, *Staff Photographer*

So there stood Gricelda Gamboa, in the clutches of a giant lizard writhing all over her body. No, this wasn’t the penultimate chapter of a Republic serial, but the scene midday on Antioch Street at Sunday’s Community Expo, where Gamboa, Village School’s director of auxiliary programs, was showing off Yoshi. The people-friendly monitor lizard, along with a giant tortoise and a 9-foot albino boa constrictor, are among the exotic animals that will be part of Animal Safari, one of 50 classes being offered at the school’s day camp this summer. ‘We not only teach them,’ Gamboa said with a cockatoo perched on her shoulder, ‘the class is also hands-on.’ Indeed, as animal handler Jennifer Portillo (who teaches Animal Safari) kept a watchful eye, kids pet and caressed the lizard, the boa, and the Sulcata tortoise, which lives up to 80 years. Village School joined more than 52 businesses, institutions and entrepreneurs with booths promoting health, the environment, education, financial services, camps, home and garden, religion, travel and technology at this year’s Expo. Hosted by the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, the Expo stretched along Antioch between Art on the Village Green and a car show featuring 43 classic cars parked along Via de la Paz. Not all of the exotic animals were real. On Via, dentist Phil Trask of Pacific Palisades Pediatric Dentistry, with daughter Laura by his side, worked the street fair with an orange kangaroo puppet. He had a grand time handing out samples of toothpaste and mouthwash to the passing kids. Around the corner, Lewis Finocchio, a business consultant and car enthusiast, stood by his 1929 roadster with daughter Amy. The display car was a true automotive Frankenstein, consisting of a Ford cowl section, a Mustang radiator and steering box, Camaro transistors and tilt steering column, and a Studebaker Avanti step pad. ‘I fabricated everything to make it fit,’ Finocchio said. ‘This engine’s built for a 3,600-pound car. This car weighs 1,400 pounds.’ He added, ‘I let the kids sit in it. It’s not a museum piece. That’s how I got started [being interested in cars] as a little kid.’ Car aficionados found many impressive automobiles to gawk at on Via, from the orange, two-door 1955 Thunderbird and the 1965 Chevy Corvette to the graphite 1967 Jaguar XKE and the aquamarine 1951 Ford Country Squire woody. ‘I’m having a great time,’ said Jon Stokes of Stokes Tire Pros in Santa Monica, who underwrote the Expo’s car show. He helped kids ease into his lime green-and-white LMP3 French Norma M20F formula racing car. Silver sponsor Wells Fargo Bank, recently relocated to 15240 Sunset Boulevard, employed a steady stream of young representatives to greet the public. At the OneWest Bank (formerly First Federal) booth, branch manager Jean Porter (whose dad was a former owner of the town’s longest-running business, Norris Hardware) was handing out reusable grocery bags and other paraphernalia bearing the OneWest logo. This was only fitting since the adjacent table was You Logo Girl, a company devoted to branding merchandise. On the Village Green, the Pacific Palisades Art Association (PPAA) displayed an array of artwork that ranged from Degas-esque portraits to framed photo landscapes and collages. ‘People are just really excited to see how much is available,’ said PPAA’s leader, Annette Alexakis, who had a dozen artists in attendance. Barbara Leibovic, director of the Chabad Palisades’ Little Maccabees program, was guiding youngsters at an arts-and-crafts table, aimed at children ages 2’10, to create forms out of Playfoam and make their own spin-art with paint and glitter. ‘It’s been going great out here today,’ she said. ‘The kids are attracted to every color and texture.’ Geri Amster and Scott Davis of Altour Palisades on 15309 Antioch”an Expo gold sponsor”shared the history of their agency. Formerly Travelmore, which opened its doors in 1967, ‘we joined Altour International in 2005, and it’s been a wonderful company to work for,’ Amster said. Davis added that this was an amazing time to travel, with trips to Australia going for $999 and good deals available on such destinations as New Zealand, Tahiti (via Crystal Cruise) and a two-for-one package to Europe. On a stage at the corner of Antioch and Via, music instructor Patrick Hildebrand provided the Expo’s soundtrack with his Amazing Music band. At one point, he led a collection of students of all ages who have learned to play at his 867 Swarthmore studio, and they jammed on such recognizable hits as ‘Tequila’ and some Beach Boys tunes. Michael Cladis, a one-man-band (joined by one accompanist), entertained the kids with his music at the other end of Antioch. The Chamber, represented by executive director Arnie Wishnick and his associate, Marilyn Crawford, expressed thanks to the Expo’s volunteer committee, co-chaired by Joyce Brunelle of Suntricity, Inc. and Roberta Donohue, publisher of the Palisadian-Post. Expo merchants and participants said that this year’s festival was a successful improvement over last year’s inaugural event. ‘It’s been good for us,’ said OneWest’s Porter. ‘It’s a little better this year’it’s more relaxed,’ noted car buff Finocchio. And Stokes agreed: ‘There are more people this year.’ At press time, it was premature to speculate whether next year’s Expo would include live silverback gorillas and Bengal tigers.

Dispute Stalls Palisades Vons Remodel

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May 20, 2010

In January, Vons announced plans to remodel its store on Sunset Boulevard at Pacific Coast Highway starting in March. The Palisades Design Review Board approved the 10-week project as long as Vons continued to work with the Department of Transportation (DOT), but the Pacific Palisades Community Council opposed the current parking lot entrance/exit and asked that it be realigned. The Council announced that it would press the City of Los Angeles to insist that the Vons driveway on Sunset Boulevard be realigned with the light at the corner of Castellammare Drive. Currently that is not possible because of an underground electrical vault. Norm Kulla, senior counsel for City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, extracted a promise from the L.A. Department of Water and Power that they would move the vault. According to DWP spokesperson Carol Tucker, the most likely timeline for the move would be in 2014. At last Thursday’s Community Council meeting, Chairman Richard Cohen noted, ‘Mr. Kulla is seeking an agreement of the parties, which would compel Vons to fund the relocation of its driveway in accordance with the community’s wishes, once the vault is relocated.’ Cohen told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday, ‘We think that intersection is inherently unsafe and should be realigned. We don’t care how the cost is allocated between the City, Vons or the landlord.’ Vons does not own the property. Carlos Illingworth, Vons’ manager of public affairs and government relations, wrote in an e-mail to the Post on Tuesday: ‘We do not consider it our responsibility to solve the issue with the intersection. We have made every effort to be engaged with the City and DOT in looking for possible solutions.’ A nearby neighbor to Vons, Carol Bruch, who initially raised parking-lot safety concerns when the remodel was announced, asked at Thursday’s Council meeting how Vons would be held responsible for the cost of a future realignment if they were given the go-ahead to start the remodel. ‘We would allow them to grade it now and put the money in an escrow account,’ said Councilmember Paul Glasgall. ‘Is it even feasible that they will be able to grade it?’ resident Todd Sadow asked. Councilmember Barbara Kohn said that a 1992 study showed it would be possible to grade from the parking lot to the street, but another Council member said he thought there was a problem with the old study. According to Illingworth, ‘Vons was presented with a plan from the DOT to align the intersection’that was not’feasible’due to the fact that it did not take our building into account.’Vons has presented an’alternative to the City Council office and DOT for the relocation of our driveway. It is up to’them to determine’what street improvements’can be’made’to achieve the goal that the community would like to see.’ Nate Kaplan, a spokesperson for Rosendahl, sent an e-mail on May 11 to the Post, saying that ‘Kulla and field deputy Jessyca Avalos met with’Vons and DOT on May 6 and reviewed the 20-year history of the Vons-Sunset driveway misalignment with Castellammare. They discussed alternatives to realignment, such as modification to the existing entrance and the proposed remodel.’ ’From that meeting, there are various concerns that both DOT and our office are checking up on,’ Kaplan continued. ‘This project, although only a remodel, is one that the Pacific Palisades community feels is an integral part of Vons’ future development/improvements and is monitoring it closely, particularly as it may impact the future realignment, the intersection of PCH/Sunset (as an entrance to Palisades), and the effect upon surrounding residents.’ During the remodel, Vons initially planned to install an energy-efficient refrigeration system, move the loading dock from the south side to the opposite side of the store, install a Starbucks and patio on the south side, and rearrange the interior space to increase the sales-floor size to 24,542 square feet (about half the size of a prototypical Vons).

PRIDE Plans for 10-Ft. Clock on Swarthmore

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May 20, 2010

Palisades PRIDE plans to install this decorative clock on Swarthmore Avenue in front of Baskin-Robbins.

Palisades PRIDE has plans to install a 10-foot-high decorative clock on Swarthmore Avenue in front of the Baskin-Robbins shop. ’It will be a nice landmark feature on a major street in downtown,’ said Sam Rubin, president of PRIDE, which was established in 1992 with the mission of enhancing the visual appeal of the Palisades, especially the business district. The clock, which will cost about $15,000 including installation, will replace a dead Chinese flame tree that Palisades PRIDE member Hal Maninger and his wife, Jean, purchased. In 1996, Maninger and Chuck McGlothlin led an effort to beautify Swarthmore with new sidewalks, lampposts, hanging flower baskets, benches and trash bins. The ficus trees, which were tearing up the sidewalks, were replaced with 18 Chinese flame trees. While all the other Chinese flame trees thrived, the Maningers’ tree died about four years later. They bought another tree to replace it, and then that tree died. ’We concluded that we were wasting our money,’ Maninger said, adding that he speculates the soil is damaged because Baskin-Robbins clients dump their leftover ice cream and trash on it. PRIDE now plans to purchase the two-dial clock, which will sit on a cast aluminum post with forest green finish and gold highlighting, from Electric Time Company, based in Massachusetts. The organization will then hire Alexander Construction, Inc., based in Woodland Hills, to install it. So far, PRIDE has raised about $8,000 from the Riviera Masonic Lodge No. 780, Optimist Club, Chamber of Commerce, Swarthmore Merchants Association and individual PRIDE members. Rubin is talking to two other potential donors to close the funding gap. PRIDE has submitted a permit application to the Los Angeles Board of Public Works’ Office of Community Beautification to install the clock. Rubin expects to hear back in the next two to three months. He has received letters of support from L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, the Pacific Palisades Community Council, the Village Green, Swarthmore Merchants Association and the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association. The clock will be synchronized to a GPS satellite to ensure that the time is always accurate, Rubin said. Palisades PRIDE will have its name displayed on the top. ’This proposed street clock is the cherry that never got placed on the sundae,’ Rubin said of the beautification work completed in 1996 by Maninger and McGlothlin, who received the Palisadian-Post’s Citizen of the Year award in 1997 for their efforts. PRIDE continues to sell sidewalk tiles on Swarthmore for $450 and is also looking for someone to donate $1,500 to pay for the bench in front of the old Wells Fargo building (Wells Fargo relocated to 15240 Sunset Blvd. on April 26). The donor will have his or her name placed on a plaque next to the bench. All money donated supports PRIDE’s projects around town. Information: www.palisadespride.com.

Marquez Playground Reopens

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May 20, 2010

At the Marquez Elementary playground Sunday, Palisades Patrol CEO Scott Wagenseller (right) and former honorary sheriff Rich Wilken (left) swore in Roger McGrath as the town's new honorary sheriff. Photo: Heather Wilken — At the Marquez Elementary playground Sunday, Palisades Patrol CEO Scott Wagenseller (right) and former honorary sheriff Rich Wilken (left) swore in Roger McGrath as the town’s new honorary sheriff. Photo: Heather Wilken

Starting this Saturday, the Marquez Elementary School playground will once again be open to the public on weekends and school holidays. The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has granted a 15-week temporary contract to Palisades Patrol, which will open and close the gates at dawn and dusk, pick up trash and enforce a ‘no dog’ policy. ’The Marquez community owes a big thanks to Palisades Patrol for stepping up and allowing the playground to reopen,’ said Marquez Principal Phillip Hollis. The playground, with climbing structures, handball and basketball courts, and a grass field, was closed in September. The City of Los Angeles and LAUSD had a joint-use agreement in 2002 to keep the playground open to the public during non-school hours. The agreement was not renewed after that year, but the playground was inadvertently kept open. When the lapsed agreement was discovered last September, neither the city nor the district was willing to assume the liability, citing budget constraints. Marquez Elementary parent George Kalmar collected 200 signatures on a petition that he sent to LAUSD and city officials asking that the playground be reopened. He then began the process of forming a nonprofit organization, Friends of the Playground, to purchase insurance and assume liability, but decided it was too much of an undertaking. Scott Wagenseller, chief executive officer of Palisades Patrol (a private security company), told the Palisadian-Post that he wanted to help out the community because ‘I know that the Palisades is very short on playground space.’ Since Palisades Patrol already works with LAUSD, Wagenseller figured he could take over the liability under his company’s insurance, which has a $10-million limit. Palisades Patrol provides its services to Palisades Elementary, Paul Revere and Marquez Elementary. All of the officers are qualified under state law to work as school security guards. On May 5, Wagenseller met with Hollis and LAUSD representative Eileen Ma to reach the agreement. Wagenseller explained that they signed a temporary lease to expedite the opening of the playground and to make sure that the arrangement is feasible for both parties. To keep the playground open, Hollis encouraged residents to follow the Boy Scouts example: ‘Pack in, pack out trash.’ In addition, residents must follow the rules by not bringing their dogs onto the playground. Palisades Patrol officers will cite dog owners and send the citations to the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, which has the ability to levy fines. ’I am a dog owner and dog lover myself,’ Hollis said, ‘but my first order of business is to provide a safe, clean environment in which to educate children, not to accommodate a dog park. We have small kindergarten and first-grade children playing on this yard five days a week. The last thing we need is for unruly dog owners to foul the yard for everyone and force it to be closed.’ Hollis and Wagenseller, however, are both optimistic that there will not be any problems and that a permanent lease will be signed. Wagenseller is already talking to the school about the possibility of placing security cameras on the campus, so his dispatch center can monitor the property. To celebrate the recent collaboration, Palisades Patrol hosted a party at the playground last Sunday to announce the town’s new honorary sheriff. Roger McGrath, a longtime Pacific Palisades resident and historian, will be the fifth honorary sheriff, succeeding Mike Lanning, Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 223. ‘It’s a ceremonial position,’ Wagenseller said. ‘We let the sheriffs create their own agenda. Depending on their schedule, they can just be ceremonial or they can be proactive in safety and security issues in the town.’ A Palisades High School graduate, McGrath has taught history at UCLA, Cal State Northridge and Pepperdine. The Marine veteran is the author of ‘Gunfighters, Highwaymen and Vigilantes’ and has appeared in many documentaries on the History Channel, including ‘Cowboys and Outlaws’ and ‘The Real West.’

Thursday, May 20 – Thursday, May 27

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May 20, 2010

THURSDAY, MAY 20

Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, will sign and discuss his new book, ‘Tattoos on the Heart,’ 7:30 p.m. in the Parish Hall at Corpus Christi Church, 890 Toyopa. Hospitality will be provided by Homeboy Bakery, and copies of the book will be available for sale by Village Books. The public is invited.

FRIDAY, MAY 21

Tracy Debrincat signs ‘The Moon Is Cotton & She Laugh All Night,’ a prize-winning debut book of short stories, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

SUNDAY, MAY 23

Palisades High School students will read from their literary magazine, Tidelines, 5 to 6:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. A community Interfaith blood drive and bone-marrow donor screening will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset. The public is encouraged to participate.

MONDAY, MAY 24

Monthly meeting of the Pacific Palisades Civic League, followed immediately by the organization’s annual meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Tauxe Hall at the Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. The agenda has one item, under new business: 547 Muskingum (second-story addition). Pacific Palisades resident Glenn Yago discusses and signs ‘Financing the Future: Market-Based Innovations for Growth,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

TUESDAY, MAY 25

The Tuesday evening hike with Temescal Canyon Association members will take the trail from Temescal Canyon to Rivas Canyon. The public is invited. Meet at 6 p.m. in the Temescal Gateway Park parking lot. Contact: (310) 459-5931 or visit temcanyon.org. Marla Murphy will be the featured speaker at the Pacific Palisades Art Association meeting, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Ave. She will demonstrate her way of creating a work of art. The guest fee is $5. Kathy Jackson, Ph.D., will facilitate a discussion of Tracy Kidder’s ‘Mountains Beyond Mountains,’ the second annual Palisades Reads book selection, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. The public is invited. (See story, page 12.)

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26

Sunrise Assisted Living hosts a free Alzheimer’s support group on the second Monday and fourth Wednesday of each month, 6:30 p.m. at 15441 Sunset. RSVP: the front desk (310) 573-9545.

THURSDAY, MAY 27

Artist/filmmaker Bob Bryan conducts an interactive young-adult workshop, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. ‘ Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited.

Michael Brennan, 63; Engineer, Craftsman

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May 20, 2010

Michael James Brennan, a third-generation resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on May 17. He was 63. Born in Los Angeles, Michael attended Palisades Elementary until Marquez Elementary was completed. He rode the bus to Paul Revere Junior High, then University High for one semester until Palisades High opened in 1961. While in high school, he worked as a messenger clerk at the Palisades Branch Library. Michael attended UCLA for his undergraduate studies and Cal State Northridge for his graduate degree in mathematics. He then joined Lockheed Aeronautics in 1969 as a systems analyst. In 1986, he was among the first members of the engineering department to receive a Lockheed Product Excellence award for Outstanding Professional Performance. In 1990, he transferred to Lockheed Advanced Development, remaining until his retirement in 2002. In 1985, Michael started his own craft business, Thy Rod and Thy Staff, creating hiking staffs and pixie wands for weekend Renaissance Faires, street fairs, and science-fiction conventions in the California area. His extensive science fiction and fantasy collection has been donated to the Eaton Collection at UC Riverside. Michael married Nancy Elaine Wallace in 1970, and they raised two children here in Pacific Palisades: Alice, who now lives in Arlington, Virginia; and Chris, who lives in Costa Mesa. A member of the Palisades Presbyterian Church, Michael was a Sunday School teacher with his wife for many years. He was ordained Deacon in 2003, serving from 2003-2005 and in 2008. He served as Deacon Moderator from 2005 to 2006. Memorial services will be held on Sunday, May 23, at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church, corner of Sunset Boulevard and El Medio. In lieu of flowers, donations in Michael’s name can be made to one’s favorite charity.

Monsters Created for Peace

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May 20, 2010

This monster was created for a Village School project by Stefan Bucher, author of “100 Days of Monsters” and creator of www.dailymonster.com.

A monster-laden banner, designed by Village School students and prominent artist Stefan Bucher, has been sent to a school in Mali, West Africa, as part of the Global Art Project for Peace. In exchange, art created by 300 Mali students in the school, run by Peace Corps volunteer Dina Carlin, will be exhibited at Village School this fall. ‘Peace is a big scary monster,’ says Village School art teacher Margot Mandel, explaining how monsters fit into the global theme of peace. ‘If we could view monsters as peaceful, cuddly creatures, rather than as the boogey man, it would be the start of sending our view that peace is possible, that we can tame the monster that people never thought could be tamed.’ Mandel, who received a bachelor of fine arts degree from Carnegie Mellon and her master’s in education from UCLA, said the idea for the banner came about in jigsaw fashion. Third grader Harris Culhane visited the Hammer Museum with his parents and saw an exhibition by Bucher, an illustrator, graphic designer and writer who is famous for his online illustrations and storytelling experiments with monsters. The family obtained the artist’s information and gave it to Mandel, who contacted Bucher. She told him about the Pacific Palisades K-6 school and its theme ‘Going Global’ and asked if he would consider being part of a project submitted to the Global Art Project, based in Tucson, Arizona. ‘He was totally on board from the beginning,’ Mandel says. Bucher designed his monster during a school assembly on March 15. He dropped blobs of India ink on a canvas and then gave the ink a spritz of canned air, which blew the ink in different directions. He rotated the paper around, looking at different angles, until he began to see a monster emerge. Using Sharpies, he extended the ink, then drew a monster. As he drew, his art was projected on an overhead screen and students were encouraged to ask questions. Bucher, a native of Germany, moved to California in 1994 at the age of 20 to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. Explaining that he stayed because he felt he had more opportunities in the United States, Bucher worked briefly at a Portland advertising firm before opening 344 Design in Los Angeles. After passing a citizenship and language test, he is now officially a resident. Nationally recognized, he is the author and designer of ‘The Graphic Eye: Photographs by Graphic Designers from around the Globe,’ ‘All Access: The Making of Thirty Extraordinary Graphic Designers’ and ‘100 Days of Monsters.’ One Village School student asked Bucher why he started drawing monsters. ‘It came to me when I was driving,’ he said. ‘There was a shadow on my arm and it looked like an unbelievable creature, like a friendly monster.’ After Bucher completed his monster, Mandel had the image blown up and placed on a four-foot by eight-foot banner. The next step involved 293 students making their own monsters, using Bucher’s process. Mandel, who has taught at Village School for the past 16 years, knew that having students create their own monsters would be the easiest part of the project for her. When students enter her art classroom, the first sign they see is ‘There are no mistakes, only happy accidents.’ After the students finished, the most difficult part of completing the artwork was to cut out each monster and find the best place to glue it on the banner that contained Bucher’s monster. ‘We had a puzzle party,’ says Mandel, who with the help of parents Kate Mcgowan Pearce and Ora Nadrich spent hours cutting and gluing. ‘It became a puzzle, working to fit each monster in.’ Once completed, Mandel took the banner to a store to have the piece photographed. The large banner with all of the individually glued pieces (which kept falling off) made the piece seem fragile, which seemed to Mandel like another way of speaking about the global peace issue. At the store, the banner was photographed, then the shadows and lines were Photoshopped out. Mandel sent a photo of the final project to Bucher, who responded: ‘Wow, this is crazy cool. I love the texture of the little monsters on the face. It’s like porcelain. I’m putting it on the blog right away.’ On his Web site www.dailymonster.com, Bucher wrote: ‘Hey, remember when I told you about drawing monsters at the Village School in Pacific Palisades a few weeks ago? Well, teacher Margot Mandel and her students took one of those monsters, made it into a big honking banner’which they’re submitting to Katherine Josten’s Global Art Project at the Tucson Art Center where they know me’and added monsters of their own to it. How many monsters? Conservative estimates put it in the bazillion range.’And what an amazing job they did of it, too!’ On April 15 at Village School, the banner was presented to Josten, who started her project in 1994 to create a culture of peace through art. Participants are asked to make a work of art that expresses a vision of global peace and goodwill. An international exchange is organized by matching participants, group-to-group and individual-to-individual. The exchange occurs the last week of April biennially. Village fourth grader Kate Reilly asked Josten, an award-winning artist whose paintings are included in museum collections and who taught art for 14 years at the college level, ‘When you started this organization, did you have any second thoughts?’ ‘I never lost sight of the dream,’ Josten said. ‘But every day I have second thoughts.’ Mandel said that in addition to sharing the students’ art, ‘we’re hoping to continue relations with the Mali school,’ which is sending its art from Africa via its Peace Corp leader. According to parent Mcgowan Pearce ‘She is coming to New York in June, and will send us their piece from there.’

Photographer Busch Pours Images into ‘H2O’ Gallery Show at g169

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May 20, 2010

By ELIZABETH MARCELLINO Palisadian-Post Contributor The theme of the ‘H2O’ show at gallery 169 in Santa Monica Canyon was clear from its title. But the scope of work by photographer Douglas Busch left some guests of the intimate, modernist gallery at the May 8 opening imagining a second artist. Combining vintage black-and-white contact prints downstairs with vibrant digital color images upstairs, the exhibit offers up water in a wide range of incarnations and shows distinctly different versions of the artist’s vision. The large-format black-and-whites focus on structural elements’ some man-made, some natural, like rocks’on or near water. A meditative, faraway shot gives Malibu Pier the long, narrow look of a bridge to nowhere, floating above a near invisible ocean. Another peers in close-up between sand and shadows of the weathered wood underbelly of the Santa Monica Pier. The perspective of each vintage platinum or silver chloride print seems quite deliberate. ‘I only take one image,’ says Busch, a resident of Malibu. ‘If you don’t commit to the image, it comes across.’ An anecdote illustrates that commitment. In the 1980s, Busch was working with 12′ x 20′ cameras (originally designed to capture large groups at banquets) but wanted to photograph Spider Rock, which stands 800 feet high in Canyon de Chelly, Arizona. He completely rebuilt a camera to get the vertical format he needed and drove more than 1,500 miles from Chicago to the national park. There, he shot only two exposures before packing up to drive home. ‘I’m a purist,’ he says, adding, ‘I never crop,’ but only use precisely what is ‘in the glass.’ The digital color photos reveal another sensibility. These, says Busch, ‘are about mood and emotion, [transitioning] from subject to metaphor.’ Most show the ocean uninterrupted to the horizon. Quite abstract, they have a painterly quality, even in near miniature”some works printed on alumibond measure only 6′ x 6.’ Three larger photographs displayed together serve as a study in vivid primary colors. The first, a close-up of undulating ocean unbounded by sky or shore, is pure indigo. The next two show an expanse of the Pacific at sunrise or sunset. Both sky and water are caught in a hot dandelion yellow in one and a vibrantly surreal red in the other. It seems the colors must have been altered in the printing. But Busch says no: ‘Go to the beach and sit there to see the drama that unfolds in changing light.’ Busch worked with large-format cameras for more than 35 years, designing some of his own, including a 40′ x 60′ model that he says is the world’s largest portable camera. He began working with smaller digital cameras as a way to reanimate his vision. A gallery table, filled with both coffee-table and 6′ x 6′ images, includes landscapes, street scenes, the ruins of European castles and Native American pueblos, nudes, gardens, self-portraits, heavily tattooed subjects and snapshot-like images from Miami shot as commentary. That’s all before considering the 58-year-old artist’s extensive work as a residential design-builder (‘it’s three-dimensional art for me’) and his ardent environmentalism. At one point, he mentions the need to avoid ‘getting stale.’ But it’s quickly forgotten as he moves on to his recent work in China, an exhibit to showcase street scenes from Moscow, and development of a center to educate consumers about green building materials. With so many ideas in his head, it’s no wonder some thought his photographs were the work of multiple artists. But no, just one artist with multiple personalities, in a good way. ‘H2O’ shows at gallery 169, 169 W. Channel Rd., through June, by appointment only. Thirty percent of the proceeds from works sold will go to Heal the Bay. Contact: Frank Langen at 310-963-3891.

Love Walk to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

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May 20, 2010

For the third year in a row, the Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club (PPWJC) is joining forces with the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation (DSLRF) for the annual Love Walk on June 6 to raise money for innovative and groundbreaking breast cancer research at DSLRF. Registration for the walk begins at 8 a.m. and the walk will begin at 9 a.m. in front of the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. DSLRF, a nonprofit 501(c)3 breast cancer research foundation in Santa Monica, is working to eradicate the disease in a unique way.’DSLRF is recruiting women to partner with them by taking part in the recently launched breast cancer initiative, Love/Avon Army of Women.’So far, almost 333,000 women have joined. DSLRF is dedicated to preventing and eradicating breast cancer and improving the quality of women’s health through innovative research, education and advocacy. Dr. Susan Love, a Pacific Palisades resident and DSLRF president, is focusing the research on the intraductal approach because she believes that breast cancer begins in the breast ducts. ’Our foundation is excited to partner again with the PPWJC to go beyond a cure and raise money to eradicate breast cancer,’ Dr. Love says. ‘Many women in the Palisades have taken part in our research studies and continue to donate and support the foundation because they know every penny raised is going to a local nonprofit that is doing breast cancer research right here in the community.’ The Love Walk has thus far raised more than $100,000 for the DSLRF. The 5K walk through the Huntington Palisades is open to people of all ages, and local schools and businesses are encouraged to participate and help raise awareness. To register, visit www.dslrf.org. Yogaworks Pacific Palisades is hosting a pre-race reception for the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation ‘Love Walk’ on Saturday, June 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the studio, 15327 Sunset. Yogaworks is partnering with the Palisades Art Association to have the evening themed as an art gallery with works of art by 10 or more artists in the Palisades.

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