Home Blog Page 1998

Thursday, June 24 – Thursday, July 1

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THURSDAY, JUNE 24

Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. India Radfar and Amina Cain will speak about their books, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore. Radfar, the author of three previous books of poetry, will read from her memoir, ‘The Autobiography of My Mother-in-Law or Speaking Aramaic in America,’ which takes as its subject her family and the Persian Jewish community of Los Angeles. Cain is the author of a collection of stories entitled ‘I Go to Some Hollow,’ and an upcoming chapbook, ‘Tramps Everywhere.’

FRIDAY, JUNE 25

  ‘Cash on Delivery!’ by Michael Cooney, a Theatre Palisades production directed by Sherman Wayne, 8 p.m. at the Pierson Playhouse on Temescal Canyon Road. Also Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through July 11. Tickets: call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.

SATURDAY, JUNE 26

Palisades artist Esther Pearlman will introduce her new book, ‘It’s Not Easy Being a Woman, Vol. 2,’ 3 to 5 p.m. at Mick’s Caf’, 859’Swarthmore. Her artwork will be on display.

MONDAY, JUNE 28

The Pacific Palisades Civic League has cancelled its June meeting, as there are no active issues pending. Please check the July 22 Palisadian-Post for the next meeting announcement. Ian Graham discusses his memoir, ‘Unbillable Hours: A True Story,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

TUESDAY, JUNE 29

  Temescal Canyon Association hikers will start from Trippet Ranch in Topanga and take the Musch Trail to Eagle Junction. The public is invited to join. Meet at 6 p.m. in the front parking lot at Temescal Gateway Park for carpooling. Contact: (310) 459-5931 or visit temcanyon.org.   City Councilman Bill Rosendahl will join a town hall meeting focused on emergency planning in Pacific Palisades, 7 p.m. at the Palisades Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Ave. The public is invited. ‘

THURSDAY, JULY 1

  Pacific Palisades resident Gary Nash discusses and signs his new book, ‘The Liberty Bell,’ which explores the impetus behind the bell’s creation and its meaning through successive generations, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

PaliHi Pool Delayed; Loans Are Needed

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Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center at Palisades High will have a two-lane teaching pool (foreground) and a 12-lane competition pool (near the gymnasium) when it is completed later this summer.
Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center at Palisades High will have a two-lane teaching pool (foreground) and a 12-lane competition pool (near the gymnasium) when it is completed later this summer.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Palisades Charter High School officials had hoped to open the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center to the public by July 1, but construction delays have pushed that date well into the summer.   ’We are moving forward with all due haste,’ PaliHi’s Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held said.   She speculated that construction could be completed as early as July 15. However, the aquatic center will need to pass an inspection by the Division of the State Architect and the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Office of Environmental Health and Safety before it can open.   ’We are planning our official ribbon-cutting for English teacher Rose Gilbert’s birthday on August 2,’ PaliHi’s Operations Manager Maisha-Cole Perri said. Gilbert has donated more than $2 million and provided a $750,000 loan towards the construction of the $4.9-million aquatic center, which will be named after her late daughter.   The 12-lane competitive pool and adjacent two-lane teaching pool was originally supposed to be completed by April 1. The contractor, Sarlan Builders, which is doing the job at cost, agreed to pay $2,000 of liquidated damages for every day that construction is not complete, with the exception of rain delays and other delays out of the contractor’s control, Dresser-Held said.   Dresser-Held continued that the amount paid in liquidated damages will simply cover the costs the school is incurring.   '[PaliHi has] to continue to pay for project management and inspection as well as some smaller change orders due to unforeseen conditions,’ she said.   Dresser-Held explained that construction has been delayed because of a number of factors. For instance, the contractor had to excavate more dirt than anticipated. Since the pool is being built on fill, there were some issues with the structural slab. The water lines were also incorrectly shown on district and city plans, and the rainy weather, especially in February, contributed to the delays.   PaliHi officials sold swimming passes to residents and rented pool time to aquatic groups for this summer. Perri and the newly hired aquatic director Andrew Cervantes plan to collaborate on ways to compensate those people.   Cervantes, who has worked for more than 10 years with the Los Angeles County aquatics program, will begin work on June 28.   The school has raised $3.13 million of the $4.9 million needed for the aquatic center, so on June 8, the board unanimously approved taking out a loan up to $1 million from Bank of the West to finish construction.   The board also voted to take out a three-year loan from the bank for $354,580 as part of the refinancing of the track and field loan (originally borrowed from De Lage Landen Public Finance). Both loans will have a fixed interest rate of approximately 6.15 percent.   The original $750,000 loan for the track and field improvements was secured in June 2007 and a balloon payment of $354,580 was due this year.   ’When the pool loan was being looked at, the board asked to review the possibility of refinancing the balloon payment,’ said PaliHi’s Chief Business Officer Greg Wood. ‘This assists PaliHi with its cash flow by extending the terms on the balloon payment instead of making it all at once.’   Under the terms of the pool loan, PaliHi will make interest-only payments for the first six months and then principal and interest payments for the next five years, Wood said.   ’At the end of the five and a half years, the remaining balance will either be paid off or refinanced,’ Wood said. ‘If the full $1 million is borrowed for the pool, the balance outstanding at the end of the five-and-a-half-year loan period will be $589,300.’   The loan will be paid for out of the general fund in 2010-11 and 2011-12, but then Wood anticipates that the school will be able to cover the payments with increased revenue from civic center permits. Community groups and organizations can purchase civic center permits to use the school’s pool, playing fields, parking lots, classrooms, meeting rooms and gym.   Wood expects more money from the civic center permits because the track and field loan will be paid off and the school will build up a clientele for the pool.

Jim Brown Is July 4 Parade Grand Marshal

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Sports legend, actor and activist Jim Brown will ride as grand marshal in this year's Fourth of July parade.
Sports legend, actor and activist Jim Brown will ride as grand marshal in this year’s Fourth of July parade.

Few American athletes are as revered or as recognized as former pro football great Jim Brown, who has been chosen to ride as grand marshal in the Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade.   ’Palisadian Steve Sommer is friends with Jim [Brown] and he came to our office knowing we were looking for a grand marshal,’ said Arnie Wishnick, executive director of the Palisades Chamber of Commerce. ‘We got Jim on the phone and when I asked if he wanted to accept this honor, he said he’d be delighted. And as a former movie reviewer at the Palisadian-Post, I’m delighted too because he had quite an acting career.’   It has been 44 years since Brown stunned the sports world by announcing his retirement at the age of 30 as the National Football League’s career rushing leader. Despite playing only nine seasons’all of them with the Cleveland Browns’he ran for 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns and is still eighth on the list of all-time leading rushers. His 5.2 yards per carry average remains the highest in league history. Brown was a unanimous first-team All-NFL selection eight times and a nine-time Pro Bowler; perhaps most impressively, he never missed a game in his entire career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1971.   In 2002, The Sporting News named Brown the greatest professional football player of all time. As unstoppable as he was on the gridiron, however, his accomplishments off the field have been just as impressive. He has always been an advocate of racial equality, voicing public support of basketball superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and world heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali when each changed his name upon converting to Islam. Brown’s social activism kept him in the headlines and his face on the covers of numerous national magazines. That notoriety served as a springboard to his career in Hollywood.   Brown began his acting career with a brief role in the film ‘Rio Conchos’ in 1964. Three years later he appeared in an episode of ‘I Spy.’ He then went on to star in such hit movies as ‘The Dirty Dozen,’ ‘100 Rifles,’ ”tick’tick’tick’ and ‘I’m Gonna Git You Sucka,’ ‘The Running Man,’ ‘Any Given Sunday’ and ‘Mars Attacks.’   Always controversial, the outspoken Brown was the subject of James Toback’s book ‘Jim: The Author’s Self-Centered Memoir of the Great Jim Brown,’ and his own autobiography, co-authored by Steve Delsohn and titled ‘Out of Bounds,’ published by Zebra Books in 1989. Eight years ago, director Spike Lee filmed an insightful retrospective on Brown’s professional career and personal life.   At 74, Brown seems to have just as much energy as he did at 24. ‘I’m not interested in trying to work on people’s perceptions,’ he is quoted as saying. ‘I am who I am, and if you don’t take the time to learn about that, then your perception is going to be your problem.’   In 1988, Brown founded the Amer-I-Can Program, a life-management skills organization that operates in inner cities and prisons to combat the gang epidemic in both Cleveland and Los Angeles, where he currently resides with his wife Monique.

Palisades Welcome Signs Debated

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The Pacific Palisades Community Council encouraged Sam Rubin on June 10 to conduct a community poll to find out if the majority of residents want welcome signs to Pacific Palisades installed.   L.A. City Councilman Bill Rosendahl told Rubin, president of Palisades PRIDE (a nonprofit organization established in March 1992 to enhance the visual appeal of the Palisades), that he would support the installation of new signs if Rubin received approval from the community. Rubin initially approached the Council asking for feedback on the proposal on March 11.   At that meeting, Rubin presented a sign with a graphic of the Santa Monica Mountains and the bay from the viewpoint of the Via de las Olas bluffs. He explained that the signs would be metal with vinyl reflective lettering and be mounted on existing city poles or independent sign poles. He proposed three potential sayings: ‘Welcome to Pacific Palisades,’ ‘Pacific Palisades Drive Safely’ and ‘Pacific Palisades.’   Rubin explained that the signs, designed by resident Chris Do, would replace the city’s blue signs, which read Pacific Palisades in white lettering and are located on Pacific Coast Highway at Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard. Rubin also proposed placing two additional signs on Sunset near Allenford and after Chautauqua.   In response, the Council formed a committee comprising Stuart Muller, George Wolfberg, Harry Sondheim, Gil Dembo, Steve Boyers and Barbara Kohn to discuss the look, slogan and placement of the signs.   On June 10, the committee reported to the Council that it did not support the new signs. ‘The committee is satisfied with just using the current blue and white city signs,’ Sondheim said.   Council member Stuart Muller reported that the committee reached out to the community and received mostly negative feedback. The committee received responses from 25 individuals and five homeowner groups (Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association, Pacific View Estates, Castellammare, Sunset Beach and Via Mesa).   Those opposed expressed concern that the signs would draw more visitors to the Palisades resulting in more traffic, parking problems, noise, litter and crime. Some feared it would encourage tourists to look for the Via de las Olas bluffs, so they could see the ocean view depicted in the signs, and as a result, it would increase traffic and crime in that neighborhood.   PRIDE member Peter Scolney countered that ‘PRIDE has received many e-mails in support of the signs, while Muller has reported that he has received substantial e-mails and communications against them. I believe that this is a project that merits serious consideration and a process by which the community is polled.’   Council Chair Richard G. Cohen suggested the Council ‘table this, knowing that the committee doesn’t view it favorably. Maybe the committee would change its mind if thousands of voices favored the signs.’ Cohen then suggested Rubin take a poll of the community.   Rubin told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday that he plans to discuss with his board how to conduct an objective poll that accurately reflects the opinions of the community at-large.

VA Dedicates a New Veterans Home

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Left to right, Post 283 Auxiliary members Vi Walquist, Ruth Hackney and Susie Johansen and Post 283 Commander John Johansen listen to a speech at the dedication of the new Veterans Home on the VA grounds.
Left to right, Post 283 Auxiliary members Vi Walquist, Ruth Hackney and Susie Johansen and Post 283 Commander John Johansen listen to a speech at the dedication of the new Veterans Home on the VA grounds.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

On Flag Day, a new Veterans Home was dedicated on the VA property in Brentwood with a dais full of government speakers including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Councilman Bill Rosendahl. But it was more than a dedication of the $253-million building, which will house 396 aged and disabled veterans; it was a celebration of gratitude to the men and women who have served in the United States armed forces. A 50-ft.-by-80 ft. flag provided the backdrop for the ceremonies, emceed by Stan Chambers, a Navy veteran and pioneer Los Angeles news reporter for KTLA television. A Marine Corps marching band played ‘It’s a Grand Old Flag’ and a military medley, including ‘Anchors Aweigh,’ ‘The Caissons Go Rolling Along,’ ‘The Marines’ Hymn,’ ‘The Air Force Song’ (‘Off we go, into the wild blue yonder’) and the Coast Guard’s ‘Semper Paratus.’ Upon hearing ‘their’ song, the numerous veterans in the audience rose in respect, and some sang along. Emil Wroblicky of Pacific Palisades American Legion Post 283, a Marine veteran, was responsible for the band at the ceremony. ‘I called the Marine base at Miramar and asked if they could attend,’ Wroblicky said. ‘General Tom Conant promised they’d be here. He was also supposed to be here, but then he was called to Afghanistan.’ Bob Ryan, Post 283 Adjutant, was recognized for his efforts as a member of the VA Board that helped cut through bureaucracy to have the facility completed (it’s only the sixth Veterans Home in California, a state that has more than 2.1-million veterans). Post 283 was also thanked for its $2-million-plus contribution to the Fisher House, which opened last year and offers families of veterans a place to stay for free while their loved ones are hospitalized at the VA. Additionally, Post 283 members and auxiliary were instrumental in providing patriotic paper hats and flags for every person in attendance. Governor Schwarzenegger’s speech highlighted his appreciation of veterans and the Veterans Home project. ‘As each and every one of you knows, freedom is not free. For more than 200 years it’s been paid for in blood and in sacrifice by those who have worn our nation’s uniform. Let us never forget that America is the land of the free only because it is the home of the brave.’   He noted that 20 years ago, sites for five homes had been designated, but then nothing happened. When he became governor, he appointed Tom Johnson as Secretary of Veterans Affairs and said that getting the homes built was a number-one priority for his administration. In recent years, homes have opened in Ventura and Lancaster, and ground has been broken for homes in Fresno and Redding.   Yaroslavsky said he was at the function because the VA is part of the county and not the City of Los Angeles because it was never incorporated. ‘We look forward to partnering with the VA in the years ahead to make this the kind of place that not only veterans will be proud of but the United States of America will be proud of,’ he said. Councilman Rosendahl served as a psychiatric social worker in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, during the Vietnam War. ‘That one year in that clinic told me something that I will never, ever forget. War ain’t fun for anybody,’ he said. ‘But if we didn’t go and fight for our freedom we wouldn’t be standing here today.’ During the dedication ceremony, four World War II planes flew over. ‘They were SNJ naval trainers,’ Post 283 Commander John Johansen said afterwards. ‘They were training planes and one of the pilots is 87 years old.’ Johansen, a Navy vet, would know because American Legion Post 283 sponsored the fly-over. After the ceremony, the Palisades Legionnaires hosted a luncheon for members of the Marine Corps band at the Fisher House. Applications are now being accepted for the Veterans Home, which will open for patients this fall. An applicant must be age 62 or older (or younger if disabled), a resident of California and have served honorably in the military. There are two levels of care: a residential care facility for the elderly, or assisted living unit; and a skilled nursing facility including an Alzheimer’s/dementia or ‘memory care’ unit. Call (424) 832-8202 to apply for further admission information.

Betty Ticho, Founder of County Epilepsy Society

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Betty Ticho, shown here testifying about epilepsy at a meeting in Washington, D.C.
Betty Ticho, shown here testifying about epilepsy at a meeting in Washington, D.C.

Betty Ticho, who founded the Los Angeles County Epilepsy Society (LACES) in 1957 and served as its executive director for 30 years, died after a brief illness on May 29 at Santa Monica Hospital, surrounded by family and friends. She was 89. A Pacific Palisades resident for about 50 years, Ticho served as a script consultant for various television productions involving epilepsy, such as the 1985 ‘Special Friend’ episode of ‘Diff’rent Strokes.’ She also appeared on the radio, issued press releases that resulted in numerous newspaper articles, and spoke to many organizations to raise awareness about epilepsy. ‘Mrs. Ticho has a special place in the hearts of many who knew her over many years, and thousands more who, know it or not, have benefited from her work to found and build the L.A. County Epilepsy Society so many years ago,’ noted Susan Pietsch-Escueta, executive director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles.   Ticho recruited countless volunteers to work alongside her staff as they provided services and support to people with epilepsy, raised funds for research, and educated the public’reducing the stigma associated with the condition. The daughter of Frank and Sara Tullis, Betty was born December 18, 1920, in Louisville, Kentucky. Her younger sister, Marji Bentley, recalled, ‘She inherited our mother’s musical aptitude and our father’s artistic talent.’ As a teenager, she won two Junior Music Club piano awards and the Cowles Medal, played with the University of Louisville Philharmonic and performed for the governor of Kentucky. She also played the violin and the viola, as did her sister, and they would sometimes join their mother in a trio, with their mother playing the piano.)   After the family moved to Chicago, Betty completed high school and then earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees in social work from the University of Chicago. She served as the fashion editor of the university’s Pulse magazine and earned money to assist in paying younger sister’s college expenses by making hats, doing fashion sketches and modeling.   She moved to California when her husband, Harold Ticho, became a professor at UCLA. She worked at the Brentwood Veterans Administration Hospital, where she contracted tuberculosis. She and Harold divorced in the mid-1960s.   Active in the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club, Ticho also joined the efforts to restore the carousel on Santa Monica Pier. She was a cat lover and enjoyed tending to her ‘farm’ of ping-pong tomatoes, strawberries, limes and herbs.   In addition to her sister, Marji Bentley (husband Richard), Ticho is survived by her nephew Rev. Richard Bentley, Jr.; nieces Beth and Martha Bentley; and honorary sons John Tobias and John (Jesse) Sovella. Her family extends special appreciation to the staff of Salus Home Care who cared for her as if she were a beloved relative.   A memorial gathering will be held in Pacific Palisades on Sunday, June 27, at 2:30 p.m. Contact gathering4betty@gmail.com or call Rev. Bentley at (626) 261-1428 for the location.   Memorial contributions may be sent to The Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles, Meals on Wheels West, Richard and Marji Bentley Music Scholarship Endowment at Texas Women’s University or PFLAG.

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF JUNE 24, 2010

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OUR OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, JULY 5, FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY. THE CLASSIFIED DEADLINE WILL BE THURSDAY, JULY 1, AT 11 A.M.

HOMES FOR SALE 1

BURBANK HOME near Disney Studios for sale by owner. Very clean 2 bedroom, 1 bath, large living room. Large kitchen with built-in appliances & work island plus wetbar. Nice bathroom. French doors from both bedrooms open to private backyard, detached garage. (661) 270-9231

OCEAN VIEW HOME FOR SALE!! Marquez Knolls Estates. 3 bedrm, 2 bath. Expansive ocean and canyon views! Move in as is or design to your liking. Owner/agent. Call: Alex, (310) 291-5554

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES FOR SALE 1e

$242,000. IMMACULATE SENIOR UNIT. 1+1 condo+ patio on Palisades Dr. Quiet, park-like setting, lots of trees. Min age 62. 2-car garage, elevator, 1/2 mile to bch. Broker, (310) 795-3795 (c), (310) 456-8770 (h)

LAND WANTED 1f

LONG-TIME PALISADES FAMILY seeks land to build home (one or more). Contact Howard at (310) 454-3704

FURNISHED HOMES 2

WONDERFUL LIGHT & SPACE. Peaceful canyon views. 1 bed/bath w/ flowing living areas (1,400 sq. ft.). Protected patio w/ spa. Totally furnished & equipped for immediate move-in. Flexible terms. Monthly @ $2,400-$2,900. (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

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

DUPLEX FOR RENT. 1 bdrm + fireplace, 1 bath, quiet residential area near village. $2,650/mo. (310) 738-4400

FURNISHED APARTMENTS 2b

FURNISHED 2 BEDROOM FOR RENT ‘ Fully furnished Palisades 2 bedroom apartment, July 1-Sept. 1. Cozy home. $2,300/mo. all in. T: (310) 270-3248, info@patrickholland.co.uk

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

TWO BEDROOM, ONE BATH, sunny & roomy upper floor, glimpse of bay, walk to daily errands. Small pet considered. Available now. $2,200/mo. Call Michael, (310) 883-8049

REMODELED LARGE 1 BEDROOM. Balcony, minutes to village & beach. Ocean view, pool, laundry room, 2 parking, pet friendly, one year lease. $1,725/mo. (310) 454-8837 or (310) 403-5273

PALISADES SINGLE/STUDIO apt. New paint, full kitchen, new carpet, gas stove, refrigerator, laundry, covered parking, storage. Non-smoker, no pets. One year lease. $1,085/mo. (310) 477-6767

CONDOS, TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d

OCEAN VIEW GEM! STEPS TO BEACH. (1+1) Romantic CUSTOM ocean vu. Blonde wd floors, balcony, 2 pools, Tennis/24 hr. sec./Sunset & PCH. $2,550/mo. (includes util.). Owner MIKKI, (509) 263-5873 Pacific Palisades’This won’t last!

SPECTACULAR OCEAN/MOUNTAIN VIEW in Pacific Palisades. Cathedral ceilings, bathroom with marble tile spa tub, multiple patio balcony, large gourmet kitchen with top stainless appliances, 24/7 security guarded. Heated pool, jacuzzi and health club privileges. (310) 463-7125 or (310) 463-7826

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

CORNER WINDOW OFFICE, cathedral ceilings, 2nd floor, First Federal Bank building on Sunset, in Palisades Village, 320 sq. ft. $1,300/mo. Call Ev Maguire, (310) 600-3603 or (310) 454-0840

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

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 RENTAL. Unique Village office space. Quiet, quaint setting with village view, 4 rooms including kitchen & bath. Fantastic location. $1,695/mo. Bob, (310) 459-1220

PROFESSIONAL BUILDING in Pacific Palisades Village for lease. Lovely and spacious suite available. 977 square feet. Reasonable rent price. Excellent lease hold improvement allowance. Please call Ness, (310) 230-6712 x105, for more details.

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

WE OFFER BOOKKEEPING, assistant services and project management. Home or office. Organize180@aol.com, (310) 456-0157

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

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

MY OUTSTANDING NANNY/housekeeper of 10 yrs is avail this July Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., 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, (310) 467-3769, or call Lorena directly, (323) 572-5306

GREAT NANNY * Eduvina has been with our family for ten years, providing constant loving care of three children and one house. The children are grown and we are helping her seek new employment. Three to four days per week. Contact (310) 415-0804 or saradtucker@yahoo.com if interested.

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

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

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

HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE. We clean your house or apartment. Dependable, low rates. Francis or Ramon, call us. (310) 869-3079, centenocleaning@yahoo.com

HOUSECLEANING: Confidential, honest and reliable. I can use my cleaning supplies or yours. I have experience, references & transportation. Feel free to call: Mariana (310) 435-2510, moni.hemo@hotmail.com

LOOKING FOR A HOUSEKEEPING JOB. Available now. Monday through Friday, good references & experience. Please call Celia, (323) 384-6392. celiahurtado31@yahoo.com

HOUSECLEANING. Alicia, available Thursdays and Saturdays. Cleaning supplies furnished. Call (310) 367-3214

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Tues. thru Sat. Live-out. Excellent deep cleaning, loves to cook, wonderful w/kids & animals, good refs, no driving. Call Helen, (562) 333-5579 or helenroxy1270@hotmail.com

HOUSEKEEPER ‘ Available Monday through Friday. Has own car, CA DL & insurance. Local references. 10 years experience. Daisy, (323) 732-8192 or (323) 793-8287

LOOKING FOR A HOUSEKEEPING or babysitting job. Available Monday through Friday. Good references and experience. Drivers license and own car. Please call Alicia, (323) 394-5901

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE. Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Excellent deep cleaning. Good references. English fluently. Reliable & experienced. Aurora, (213) 663-3943

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

CAREGIVER ‘ In-home care. CNA. HHA. State certified. Pacific Palisades resident. Free assessment with no obligation. P/T or F/T. (310) 592-6695

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

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

MASSAGE THERAPY 12b

MOBILE MASSAGE TREATMENTS in home, office, boat or plane. Young & old. Accredited practitioner w/ 17 yrs exper. Offering personalized therapies including: Reflexology, deep tissue, circulatory, sports & MAGNET plus several more. Chair massage, ear coning & gift certificates avail. Call LORETTA at (310) 455-1541 OR (310) 600-3505. TO YOUR HEALTH.

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 12c

PSYCHIATRIST. Child, adult and family. 30 yrs. experience. Board certified. Evaluation and treatment. Psychiatric testing. All psychiatric disorders including ADHD, OCD, MDD, PA, work related and personal injury, labor issues, sexual harassment, custody, and family issues. Patient comment ‘Yes you are humorous but you are no Seinfeld’ Pacific Palisades and Valley office. Stanley L. Goodman M.D., (310) 463-7125, (310) 463-7826 or (818) 300-0102

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.

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

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

LIFEGUARDS: Safety lifeguard services for your private parties and events. L.A. County and state certified lifeguards. Alex, (310) 457-0244, mwsnowboarder310@gmail.com

PERSONAL ASSISTANT: 33-year-old married male. Responsible & personable with safe car. English-speaking to assist family w/ driving & bookkeeping. Contact Ryan, (310) 569-1317 or (310) 463-7125

PERSONAL ASSISTANT: Mature English-speaking woman w/ Jeep Commander. Responsible & personable. Experienced w/ children. To provide transportation & bookkeeping. Contact Tracy, (310) 734-9563

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

CLUBHAPPYDOG.COM (310) 359-3433. Doggie day camp, play group, outings. ‘The Club Med for Dogs.’ Start your puppy at 4 months old.

PERSONAL SHOPPING 14j

DESIGNER CONSIGNER LA! Sell your designer clothing at our next event. Pick up service available. www.designerconsignerla.com

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

PERSONAL TRAINER 15c

Peak Performance Fitness Training. Ivan Baccarat, N.S.C.A., A.C.E. Cert. Personal Trainer. Body Shaping ‘ Strength ‘ Fat Loss ‘ Prenatal/Post Partum ‘ Cardio ‘ Kickboxing ‘ Stretch/Flexibility ‘ Plyometrics ‘ Endurance ‘ Core Work. Individualized Program Design. Balance training for older adults. 20 yrs. experience ‘ Insured ‘ Excellent references. Call for a free consultation, (310) 829-4428

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

3 DAY SONGWRITING WORKSHOP FOR KIDS. Aug. 30, 31 and Sept. 1. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Give the life-long gift of music! Very patient, creative teacher. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced, local. Lisa Donovan Lukas. Contact for more information: (310) 454-0859, lisa@palisadesmusicstudio.com, www.lisadonovanlukas.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

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

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

HGTV CONSTRUCTION/DESIGN TEAM. We are a full service construction/design team ready to remodel any room for you. We revive any room or outdoor space for you. We can bring your ideas to life. From simple affordable alterations to extensive overhauls and additions. We are the right company for you. Call (310) 877-5577 & (310) 877-5979. http://debonairrenovations.com/home/home.html

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

BEST ELECTRIC. Lowest rates. 7 day. 24 hour service. Lic. #695411. Over 30 years experience. (310) 621-3905

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

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, 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

PLUMBING 16t

EXPERT PLUMBER 25 YRS. EXP. Intelligent, cost effective solutions for your plumbing problems. Encompassing all aspects of residential and commercial plumbing. Reasonable, reliable, excellent references. Karl Kolpin, (310) 200-7239. Lic. #776518 B-C36 Bonded, insured.

REMODELING 16v

KANAN CONSTRUCTION ‘ References. BONDED ‘ INSURED ‘ St. Lic. #554451 ‘ DANIEL J. KANAN, CONTRACTOR, (310) 451-3540 / (800) 585-4-DAN

HELP WANTED 17

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

WANTED: SECRETARY with medical transcription ability for a humorous psychiatrist. Please contact Stanley Goodman at (310) 463-7125, (818) 300-0102 or (310) 463-7826

WANTED: BOOKKEEPER for local Palisades office for a humorous physician. Please contact Stanley Goodman at (310) 463-7125, (818) 300-0102 or (310) 463-7826

PHYSICIANS MANAGEMENT NETWORK INC., A medical billing & coding company located in Palisades Village Center has an immediate opening for a F/T experienced medical billing and coding expert. Contact sunny@pmninc.biz (310) 230-7400

AFTERNOON NANNY WANTED. Family seeks PM help; M-F; 3-7 SAT; 3-10. Driving, errands, lt meal prep, lt hsekpg. Must hv own car, cln rec, exclt refs. $16+ car allow. (310) 454-5450

SITUATIONS WANTED 17a

PERSONAL ASSISTANT. Recently returned from Europe, highly qualified administrative assistant looking for work in the Palisades area. Not only do I enjoy working as an assistant, I am really good at it, and I have all the qualities necessary to excel in such a role. Contact: Lise, (310) 266-4460

AUTOS 18b

CLEAN 2003 MAZDA MPV for family or nanny. Good condition; 65,000 miles; blue, leather, sunroof, racks, power everything. Detailed in/out. $7,500 OBO. Lara, (310) 617-3112

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

BIG YARD SALE!! Antique 46′ round clawfoot oak table with two leafs, 6 ladder back chairs w/ cane bottoms. Furniture, pictures, vintage tapestry, dishes, glassware, designer clothes, jewelry, books & much more! Sat. 6/26, 9 a.m. till 3 p.m. 766 Almar Ave., Pacific Palisades.

MULTI-FAMILY GARAGE SALE!! * Sunday, 6/27, 8 a.m.-1p.m. 1149 Monument St. P.P. Furniture, electronics, toys, clothes and more! NO EARLY BIRDS PLEASE!

FIRST EVER LIVORNO LOOP TAG SALE! Treasures include designer new/used clothes, shoes, purses, accessories for all; stunning jewelry, new luggage; rare furniture/rugs; killer electronics/tools; gorgeous linens/kitchen and garden-items; cool music/books/movies and fun toys galore! 17060 Livorno Drive, Saturday, 6/26, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. only! Please email lisa90272@gmail.com re: early-bird passes. Don’t miss the best of the best!!!

PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e

Weimaraner Puppies AKC Litter * 6 rare blue Weim. male pups & 3 silver (1 male, 2 female). Smart, excellent companions, family, bird dog: $1,250 to $1,450. (310) 936-5853, Chris

Outrigger Paddling ls in Her Blood

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Pacific Palisades resident Alli Kahanamoku, vice president of Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club, is also a descendant of the Duke Kahanamoku, who introduced surfing to the continental United States.
Pacific Palisades resident Alli Kahanamoku, vice president of Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club, is also a descendant of the Duke Kahanamoku, who introduced surfing to the continental United States.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Now, it should be no surprise that outrigger paddling is in the blood of Pacific Palisades resident Allison ‘Alli’ Kahanamoku. It’s the state sport of Hawaii, and Kahanamoku, a board member and a former coach at the Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club (MDROCC), is a descendant of Duke Kahanamoku, who introduced surfing to the continental United States. So paddling runs in the family. ‘I was nine years old when I entered my first competitive race,’ says Kahanamoku, a longtime member of MDROCC, as her father, Sandy Kahanamoku, founded the club with Steve Kekuewa in 1967. She currently serves as vice president with club president Chris King. The club ‘takes up most of my life outside of the kids and being a wife,’ says Kahanamoku, a homemaker who handles marketing/PR and helps with the basic running of the club, ‘making sure that our canoes are up to par. We use Hawaiian traditional outrigger canoes. We have eight [six-person] boats [each 40 feet long] and privately, our members own one man canoes.’ MDROCC is a member-run nonprofit dedicated to the ancient Polynesian tradition of outrigger canoeing. With men’s and women’s teams, MDROCC, under the auspices of the Southern California Outrigger Racing Association (SCORA), participates in an annual schedule of competitive racing that takes members to such areas as Ventura, San Diego and San Luis Obispo. During practice runs, MDROCC sails from Marina del Rey’s Mother’s Beach up to the waters offshore Santa Monica Beach and Will Rogers State Beach. MDROCC also has a children’s program. SCORA’s 18 clubs hold races every season, and MDROCC held its race at Mother’s Beach, in Marina del Rey, on May 23. ‘Right now, we’re about to go into our sprint season,’ Kahanamoku says. MDROCC members pay $350 in annual dues to compete in Iron Man, Sprint and Nine-Man races. Off-season (October through February) paddling dues cost $100. ‘It’s a very diverse team,’ says Paula Daniels, a Westside resident on the women’s outrigging team. ‘There’s a real cross section of people in our club. We have architects, plumbers, electricians, actors.’ Every Southern California team has 90 boats per division and several coaches. During the racing season, from spring until October, an average of three races are held monthly. ‘For us, we have regular practice hours Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. till dark,’ Daniels says, ‘and on Saturday mornings from 7:30 to 10 and from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. The practices are very rigorous, coaches working us through technique and giving us exercises to build strength.’ The men practice Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Speed racing runs 12 miles while longer races are 22 miles, and every canoe has a motorboat escort. In the latter, every 20 minutes or so, two or three members will jump in from the motorboats and relieve members rowing in the canoes. ‘The first time I did this, I thought this was the weirdest thing I’d ever done in my life,’ Daniels says, laughing. Kahanamoku says the season wraps up in the fall, beginning with a 26-mile race from Newport Beach to Catalina Island. ‘Catalina is the championship of the California races,’ she says. ‘After that, there’s the Moloka’i race on the last weekend in September [for the women; the men compete in October]. That’s usually the culmination of the season.’ Here on the mainland, outrigger paddling is not as high profile as other water sports but that’s changing, according to Daniels. ‘It is growing,’ she says. ‘We’ve got a thousand [spectators] at the SCORA races. ‘Paddling is as popular in Hawaii as NASCAR racing in Indiana, but in Southern California, it lags behind the popularity of surfing,’ Daniels continues. ‘Surfing became more widely adopted and assimilated into California culture, maybe because it is an individual activity. Outrigger racing is a team sport that requires a different kind of commitment.’ Born on the Big Island, Kahanamoku grew up in the shadow of outrigger canoing. ‘My grandfather started the canoe club in Kona, where I was raised until I was about 11,’ she says. ‘My parents met paddling [at MDROCC]. My mother was born and raised in Venice, and they met at the club my father founded.’ (Sandy Kahanamoku passed away in 2003.) Kahanamoku moved to Los Angeles, where she grew up in Westchester before attending Santa Monica College and Cal State Northridge. Today, Kahanamoku and her husband, Adam Mermel, who works in real estate and property management in Santa Monica, have two girls: Keala, 5, who on Friday graduated from Palisades Presbyterian Preschool, and Alana, 1′. Kahanamoku has lived here since 2004 while husband Adam is a lifelong Palisadian. When Kahanamoku met her husband, she came full circle. ??’I actually met Adam when he came paddling [at MDROCC],’ she says, laughing. ‘We’re convinced our two daughters will meet their husbands paddling.’ Kahanamoku’s sister Julia used to paddle and her younger brother, Makoa, still does. ‘We also have cousins in Hawaii. It’s definitely a family affair.’ To members of clubs such as MDROCC, paddling is an energizing endeavor that fuels the other areas of their lives. ‘It’s absolutely breathtaking,’ Daniels says. ‘You’re paddling into the sunset, the birds are flying. You shed the work day. It’s like golf, you have to fully engage. The stroke is key. The other thing I like about the sport is the teamwork. You have to work well with everyone in the boat. And when it comes together, it’s really nice. ‘One of the things my Maui grandfather wanted to impress upon us as we were growing up was the natural intelligence of the original Hawaiians. They had no written language and did not create a society which conferred degrees or created corporations; but they knew how to work effectively with the tools of nature, using them to their best advantage exactly as they existed. Who needed to invent a compass, for example, when you could navigate by stars?’ So what exactly brought Daniels, a middle-aged professional, to carve an intensive paddling schedule into her busy calendar? ‘It was burnout that drove me to [the sport],’ Daniels says. ‘After days, months, years of word wrangling in artificially lit offices, I needed to get out on the water. It was always my place of restoration.’ A couple of years ago, Daniels wrote an essay about her first encounter with paddling in 2007. ‘I worry about whether my body will hold up in a longer race than I have ever done, in a sport that is relatively new to me,’ she wrote. ‘I am older than Hawaiian statehood; my birth certificate shows that I was born in Honolulu, ‘Territory of Hawaii.’ I won’t be the oldest one paddling, but I am well above the average age of the top competitors in the field.’ A self-described ‘workaholic,’ Daniels became ‘immediately hooked’ with the sport. She says that ‘being on a paddling team has definitely reformed that part of my life.’ Today, Daniels practices three times a week and describes herself as ‘hooked enough and competitive enough to get up at 3:30 a.m.’ to drive two or more hours to participate in one of the thrice monthly races held by SCORA at various beaches along the Southern California coast. In her essay, Daniels wrote: ‘I feel impaired or stunted in the limited range of skills cultivated today. I know how to operate a computer and an iPhone, and, on a good day, can manage the information from a whole lotta emails. I can make my way around courthouses and capitol buildings and city halls’But I don’t know how to build my own house or grow my own food. I don’t know how to read the stars for direction; how to raise fish; how to make fiber for cloth. ‘But now, I do know how to paddle an outrigger canoe.’ So how do the outrigger paddlers of California fare against those in Hawaii, where outrigger paddling is the official sport? ‘The women and the men are in the top four clubs within our divisions here [in California],’ Kahanamoku says. ‘When we go to Hawaii, we’re dealing with another playing field. But we are becoming more competitive. To be participating in that sport in Hawaii, it creates a huge family. That’s an important part of that sport. Having respect for the ocean, it’s very humbling. It’s an amazing feeling. ‘It’s a family tradition. There’s a lot of that history that we carry with us.’ For more information on Marina del Rey Outrigger Canoe Club, visit marinaoutrigger.org

Sitcom Writer ‘Saves Summer’ With Debut Children’s Book

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Cover art of “Nathan Saves Summer” by Carrie Anne Bradshaw. The book was written by Emmy-nominated TV writer and producer Gerry Renert, a resident of Pacific Palisades.

The germ of the idea for sitcom writer Gerry Renert’s debut children’s book came when he was a kid in West Hartford, Connecticut. ‘I used to swim at this pool,’ Renert recalls, ‘and this big kid used to always belly flop. I remember the lifeguard warning him, ‘If you keep doing that, you’re going to splash all the water out of the pool.’ Decades later, Renert, whose writing career began with prime time comedies and children’s programming, is starting to make a splash with ‘Nathan Saves Summer’ (Raven Tree Press). The just-published ‘Nathan Saves Summer’ has already been chosen as a Children’s Book-of-the-Month Club feature for July. Locally, he read his new book to students at Seven Arrows Elementary School and he will sign copies around the city, including at Bookstar in Studio City on July 17 and closer to home at Barnes and Noble in Santa Monica on July 24. Illustrated by Carrie Anne Bradshaw, ‘Nathan Saves Summer’ concerns the titular hippopotamus, who is determined to be the lifeguard for a small pond where the local animals vacation. In addition to teaching kids determination, Renert’s all-ages book, endorsed by the U.S.A. Swimming Foundation, communicates lessons on water safety and responsibility. ‘The story of Nathan has a really strong message of not giving up on what your passions are in life, no matter how others try to tell you differently,’ says Bradshaw, who lives in Paso Robles. ‘There is always a way of becoming who you want to be. I knew I had to make Nathan a character that kids would find lovable, emotionally expressive, as well as cute to look at.’ Renert’s professional career began while he was a student at UCLA Film School. He sold a spec script to ‘The Bob Newhart Show’ and from there went on to write episodes of ‘M.A.S.H.’ and ‘Rocky Road’ on TBS. He has also sold screenplays to Warner Bros., Fox and Penny Marshall’s production company. He co’created’the animated preschool TV series ‘ToddWorld’ with children’s book author Todd Parr. The series ran on Discovery Kids’from 2003 through 2006. ‘I got together with Todd and extracted six distinctive-looking characters from 30 stories he had written and we built a show around them,’ Renert says. ‘It was actually nominated for three years in a row for the Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Children’s Program.’ Renert has also worked as a creative director at CGRW Advertisting, and at a division of Saatchi and Saatchi. ‘My real background prior to TV and movies is advertising, putting imagery with copy, so that was not a big leap for me,’ he said. ‘You have to tell a story with few words.’ No sooner had the book been released when Renert started to think about a sequel. ‘I’ve already written a second manuscript and I want to turn this into a ‘Nathan Saves” series,’ he says. ‘If there was a sequel I would love to work with Nathan again,’ Bradshaw says. Renert would also like to adapt the property for other media. ‘We’re in discussion right now to translate it to an iPad app and create a video game that would incorporate water safety. Renert, who has lived in the Palisades with his wife, Liz Stahler, and their border collie Marcello since 1986, enjoyed the opportunity to share his new book with the neighborhood kids. At his reading at Seven Arrows, he met head-on with his target audience: children ages 5 to 8. ‘Part of me has wanted to be a teacher although I’ve been a little gun-shy about dealing with kids,’ Renert says. ‘I prepared a lot of information about lifeguards and water safety. Nine people drown a day in this country. So talking about water safety was every important.’ One child asked Renert, ”I’m writing a children’s book, how many pages should it be?’ I’m a little shocked by how sophisticated they are.’

New Books Feature Law and Liberty

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Nash Explores Facts and Myths of the Liberty Bell

The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell

Historian Gary Nash, who often takes an oblique angle in his examination of American history, presents the fascinating history of the Liberty Bell in his latest book, ‘The Liberty Bell.’   The Pacific Palisades resident and author of such books as ‘Forbidden Love: The Secret History of Mixed-Race America (1999); ‘The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America (2005),’ will talk about the book and sign copies on Thursday, July 1 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books.   The bell, which has become a symbol as important as the American flag, carries with it a long history of both fact and legend. Nash traces the story from the bell’s creation to its uses over the decades from clarion call to patriotic prop.   Originally cast in London in 1752 to hang in Pennsylvania’s State House steeple, the bell cracked at it first testing, and was subsequently recast by two Philadelphia artisans. However, it was the words, that were imprinted around its brim that over time have made it both a statement of justice and a provocative challenge: ‘Proclaim liberty thro’ the land and to all the inhabitants thereof.’   In his book, Nash fills in much-needed context surrounding the bell’s role, from announcing the signing of the Declaration of Independence to its seven cross-country journeys over the decades.   ’The Liberty Bell’ is one of the Icons of America short works published by Yale University Press. The series, edited by Mark Crispin, features leading scholars, critics and writers focusing on American history and culture through the lens of a single iconic individual, event, object or cultural phenomenon. Other books in the series include ‘Wall Street: American’s Dream Palace’ and ‘Small Wonder: The Little Red Schoolhouse in History and Memory.’   Nash, a Pacific Palisades resident, is professor emeritus at UCLA and director of the National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA. His book, ‘The Urban Crucible: Social Change, Political Consciousness and the Origins of the American Revolution,’ was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in history.

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