Rod Van Hook, a local radio sportscaster and Pacific Palisades resident, passed away on November 7 in Santa Monica Hospital of heart failure. He was 61, and had battled several serious illnesses in the last three years, including pancreatic cancer, kidney failure and heart disease. Born in South Dakota on July 31, 1948, Rod arrived in California at the age of 3. He attended Corpus Christi School in Pacific Palisades and St. Monica’s High School, then studied at UCLA, where he graduated in 1970. Rod’s one passion was sports, which he played as a youth and which then became his profession as a radio sportscaster. He began his career 40 years ago at KMPC radio, where he worked from 1972-1978. He then moved to KFWB to become a sports anchor from 1979 to 2000. After KFWB, he worked at ESPN radio until 2006. During his time at these stations he won three Golden Mike awards and was honored many times by the Los Angeles Press Club and Associated Press. His final job was at Sports USA radio until early this year, when he could no longer work. Rod was considered the ultimate professional, with a great sense of humor, and even though he loved the Bruins you would never know it from his reporting. He covered the Olympics, Super Bowls, Rose Bowls, the World Series, the L.A. Open, pro and college games and many other sporting events. His knowledge of sports history was tremendous; even after he became so seriously ill, it never failed him. He is survived by his daughter, Kelsey Van Hook, a junior at George Washington University; his 9-year-old son, Chance Van Hook of Burbank; his brother, Perry Van Hook; his former wife, Chris Van Hook of Pacific Palisades; and many friends and colleagues. Services will be held on Saturday, January 2, at 11 a.m. at the Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, 15821 Sunset Blvd. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Rod’s memory may be made to the Yosemite Association (P.O. Box 230, El Porto, CA 95318).
Before The Golden Bull, There Was Eddie’s Chili Verde
This summer, Don Cranford learned that a restaurant called Eddie’s Chili Verde once occupied the building where his restaurant, The Golden Bull, stands today on West Channel Road in Santa Monica Canyon. Originally built in 1924, the building first served as the branch office of Santa Monica real estate agent Frank E. Bundy (of Bundy Avenue fame), and later as Ted’s Grill before the 1938 flood devastated the Canyon and Ted’s relocated to Entrada. Photo: Courtesy the Pacific Palisades Historical Society.
On a warm afternoon in August this year, Don Cranford spotted a married couple standing outside his restaurant, The Golden Bull in Santa Monica Canyon. The husband was taking photos of the Bull’s sign and exterior, so Cranford went out to say hello. Having owned the Bull since 1984, he has seen all kinds of people enter the establishment, best known for its steak and cocktails. But he quickly realized that his visitors were not ordinary tourists. Bill Kane, with his wife, Sylvia, had traveled all the way from their home in Tempe, Arizona to see Cranford. They arrived harboring a bombshell of information, backed up by vintage photographs from the late 1930s and early 1940s. Back then, The Golden Bull was a restaurant called Eddie’s Chili Verde, opened by Kane’s uncle, Eddie Kane. ‘I didn’t know the restaurant existed until I found the menu and pictures,’ Kane, 79, told the Palisadian-Post from his Tempe home three months after his L.A. visit. ‘I found the pictures first and it didn’t say where it was.’ Kane had discovered the Eddie’s ephemera in 2000. Originally belonging to his father, William Kane, Sr., it had been boxed away at Kane’s brother’s house in their native Marlbrough, Massachusetts. ‘My father died in 1981, but Eddie’s material stayed in his house in Marlbrough until my mother died in November 1987,’ Kane said. ‘I only got a cursory look at the material at that time and it went to my brother’s house. ‘I didn’t get interested in genealogy until about 2000, when I wrote a book on the family history. It was then that I remembered the material that was at my brother’s.’ Kane recalled his initial conversation with Cranford. ‘This guy came out and said, ‘Can I help you?’ I said, ‘My uncle used to own this place.’ He said, ‘Your uncle?’ So I told him the story, and he said, ‘I never heard that!’ I brought in the photos. We sat down and we talked a while. He said, ‘You know what? I remember getting my liquor license and it was in the name of Eddie and Jean Kane.” Cranford pored over Kane’s photos; images he had never seen before. ‘I knew it was called Eddie’s Chili Verde because that was on the liquor permit,’ Cranford continued, ‘but I never heard anything about the restaurant. And I couldn’t figure out when Eddie’s was here. I was amazed because I had never seen pictures of the restaurant’s inside. And back then, it was just one building.’ One point of confusion remained. The Bull’s current owner had sensed that an Italian eatery once existed in the building. ‘When I first came here,’ Cranford said, ‘we still had all these Chianti bottles all along the ledge of the fireplace.’ As local historian Randy Young would discover, there was an explanation for this as well. Until recently, the only restaurant known to occupy 170 W. Channel Rd. was the original Ted’s Grill, owned and operated by Ted and Mabel Pemberton, before it relocated to 146 Entrada. (A section of the now-defunct second location, dormant but still standing, remains the Canyon’s oldest structure.) Copies of Kane’s materials regarding Eddie’s Chili Verde were given to Young, a founding member of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society. He then looked through old phone directories, newspapers, and records at Building and Safety downtown to solidify his knowledge of the history of the original edifice at 170 W. Channel. ‘The big revelation,’ Young said, ‘is that it’s been a restaurant for a very long time.’ The building began life as Palisades and Canyon Property, the branch office of Santa Monica real estate agent Frank E. Bundy (yes, that Bundy’). Bundy obtained a building permit in 1923 and, in 1924, construction was completed. The next tenant, from 1933 through 1938, was Ted’s Grill, followed by Eddie Kane’s restaurant. ‘What I believe happened,’ Young said, ‘is that Ted Pemberton gave up the building after the 1938 flood, and that Eddie’s went in there, in late 1938. The liquor permit was granted in early 1939.’ When the flood swept through Santa Monica Canyon in 1938, it hit hard. ‘On Short Street, a barn came down,’ Young said. ‘It jammed the road like a dam and all the debris went on top of this barn. They had to rebuild the road [West Channel] and build a bridge over that chasm so the businesses could survive. The street used to be a channel (hence the street’s name), but it got clogged up and buried in six feet of mud.’ In the aftermath of the flood, the business district was re-developed: trees were planted and the streets were paved. At 170 W. Channel Rd., an eatery called the Pizza Kitchen (which may explain the Chianti bottles Cranford had discovered), later existed in 1947 and 1948, followed by The Golden Bull, which opened in 1950. An extension to the original building, which today houses the bar room, was built a year later. When Eddie Kane opened his restaurant in the Canyon, the menu promised chili and spaghetti as well as hamburger, fried onions, Italian meatballs and spaghetti sandwiches. Customers could order Sunfreeze ice cream for dessert. By all accounts, Eddie Kane was a colorful character. ‘He was my exotic uncle in California,’ recalled Kane, who grew up in Marlbrough. ‘He was kind of my hero, a cousin that I knew, but I didn’t know. I always looked forward to when he came. He always told me stories, and he was a great chef. He always cooked meals for the extended family.’ Kane traced the history of his Uncle Eddie’s career as a restaurateur. ‘In the ’20s,’ he said, ‘he went to New York and opened a diner in New Rochelle,’ Kane said. ‘The Pullman diners were very popular. But he lost [the diner] in 1930 after the stock market crash in the Great Depression. He told me that he rode the rails west because he didn’t have any money. He stopped in Texas, he didn’t like that. He stopped in Tombstone. He spent a month or so there and decided, ‘No, I’m going to keep going west.’ And he ended up in Santa Monica. That was in 1931. He opened his first restaurant in May 1932,’ on Ashland Avenue near the beach. Eddie sent photos of the restaurant to his New England relatives. But they never knew about the second restaurant, in Santa Monica Canyon Some of the photos Kane discovered featured members of the Tommy Tucker Band, who apparently frequented Eddie’s after gigs. ‘Eddie was a very fun-loving person,’ Kane said, ‘and he and Jean seemed to have a close connection with musicians. Some of them stayed at their apartment building.’ Eddie and Jean moved to Palm Springs in 1946 because of Jean’s asthma. She died in November 1968. Eddie died on July 5, 1974 of complications from a brain aneurysm. ‘He was hospitalized, and he died within two weeks,’ Kane said. ‘I went out and handled all of the funeral arrangements and closed up his house. That’s when I found all the materials.’ Kane relocated to Arizona in 1971, where he worked for 15 years as the director of economic planning and development for the state. He worked another 15 years as the director of education for Thunderbird Graduate School of International Management in Glendale, Arizona, retiring at the end of 1997. Upon visiting The Golden Bull last summer, Kane had this initial impression: ‘It’s so much older now. From the pictures, it looked like a desert location.’ The building that houses the Bull has survived not only flooding, but the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and it thrives today on the appeal of its old school, Sinatra-era flavor. For Cranford, the Kanes’ visit this year was more proof that even after his nearly half-century association with the Bull, the surprises keep coming. ‘It continues to amaze me,’ Cranford said.
Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the historic cafeteria in Temescal Gateway Park. Parking is free. The public is invited. Palisades Charter High School Theatre presents ‘The Diviners: A Play in Two Acts and Elegies,’ tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults, $10 for students. (See review, page 12.)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
Theatre Palisades presents ‘Things We Do For Love,’ a comedy by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., through December 13. For tickets, call (310) 454-1970.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
The SPIRAL Foundation holds its annual eco-friendly holiday bazaar benefiting artisans and humanitarian projects in Nepal and Vietnam, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and Sunday, December 13, at 211 Vance St. in Pacific Palisades. Contact: (310) 459-6671 and www.spiralfoundation.org.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
The Chabad of Pacific Palisades hosts its annual Chanukah Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monument Street (between Sunset and Bashford). The public is invited. The Temescal Canyon Association will host a special evening hike to see the Christmas lights and boat parade along the Venice canals with an optional dinner afterwards at one of the many nearby restaurants. Note: For this hike only, meet for carpooling at 5 p.m. in the parking lot in Temescal Gateway Park. The public is invited. For more information, call (310) 459-5931.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 14
Sunrise Senior 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: Bruce Edziak at (310) 573-9545. Moonday, a monthly poetry reading, will feature Doraine Poretz and Kathleen Tyler, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15
Culture in the Canyon at the Chautauqua Series features an illustrated talk about the winter solstice, 7:30 p.m. in Woodland Hall at Temescal Gateway Park. The public is invited. The program and parking are free for the evening. Monthly meeting of the Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association board, 7:30 p.m. at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center. The public is invited. Stage actor Bryan Torfeh appears with Chamber Music Palisades to narrate Igor Stravinsky’s ‘L’Histoire du Soldat’ (‘The Soldier’s Tale’), 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Tickets ($25, students free) at the door. (See story, page 13.)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17
The Palisades Branch Library presents a talk by Kwei Quartey, author of the Ghana-based mystery novel ‘Wife of the Gods,’ 6:30 p.m., in the community room, 861 Alma Real. Free admission.
Palisades center Donae Moguel (right) tries to shoot over Carson’s Janitha Iamaleava in the Colts’ 49-42 victory in last Friday’s championship game. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Trailing Carson by 16 points at halftime last Friday night in the championship game of the Palisades Beach Invitational, it was gut check time for the Palisades High girls’ basketball team. Coach Torino Johnson’s squad responded the way he hoped it would, narrowing its deficit to two points with under three minutes remaining, but the visiting Colts made their foul shots down the stretch and hung on for a 49-42 victory. “That was really the difference,” Johnson said, referring to the second quarter, in which Palisades was outscored 14-2. “We stopped attacking, started watching and the game got out of hand. Once the girls got it together we started chipping away at their lead.” Three Dolphins made the All-Tournament squad: guard Ashlie Bruner, forward Nicole Flyer and center Donae Moguel. Bruner had 15 points in Palisades’ 61-54 semifinal win over Calabasas and added 10 points, six rebounds, six steals and three assists in the final. “I’m just reading the floor and giving my teammates a lot of open looks,” Bruner said. “If we can cut down on the turnovers and improve our rebounding and defense we’ll be really good.” Moguel has big shoes to fill, trying to replace the graduated Dominique Scott, one of the best post players in the City last year. So far, Johnson likes what he sees from Moguel, who had 11 points and seven rebounds against Carson and a game-high 22 points in the Dolphins’ 59-34 runaway victory over Camarillo in the quarterfinals. Flyer led the Dolphins’ second-half resurgence against Carson, finishing with 11 points, three assists and eight blocks. “We didn’t stay consistent throughout the game, but if we play them again I think we can win,” Flyer said. “The more we practice, the more we’re getting used to each other and everyone is finding their specific role. We’re all friends and we have a close team so we’re looking forward to a great season.” Wednesday’s semifinal between Carson and LACES came right down to the wire (the Colts won 55-51), but the next night’s second semifinal pitting Palisades against Calabasas was perhaps the most thrilling game of the tournament. Palisades built a 13-point lead after three quarters, but the Coyotes closed to within 56-53 with 1:05 left. Guard Skai Thompson stole an inbounds pass and was fouled, Bruner added two clutch free throws, and the Dolphins escaped. “I called a timeout after they had cut the lead to three and the girls came back to our bench and the first thing they did was laugh,” Johnson said. “They weren’t freaking out, they had the attitude like ‘we are going to win this game.’ So I tapped into that aggression.” Palisades opened the tournament last Tuesday with a 47-18 blowout over Manual Arts–a game in which all but two players scored at least a basket–and that momentum carried it all the way to the finals for the first time in the six years it has hosted the Beach Invitational. When teams dropped out last year, the Dolphins ended up sharing the title with Marymount and Notre Dame Academy. This year’s tournament ran much smoother and, more importantly, a toy drive donated about $1,500 worth of holiday presents to the California Children’s Hospital. “I’m thrilled to death the way things turned out,” Johnson said. “This was by far the best this tournament’s ever been and I’m proud that we got to the finals.” The Dolphins travel to Arizona next Friday for the Nike Tournament of Champions.
Zoe Aliado and the Dolphins went undefeated in winning their annual Palisades Soccer Showcase last weekend. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Redemption was the goal of the home team before the opening game of last weekend’s Palisades Holiday Soccer Showcase. Many of the Dolphins’ players still felt the sting from a loss to Cleveland in the playoffs two years ago, so just call Friday night’s win payback. “I was really focused for that game because they knocked us out my freshman year,” Palisades co-captain Kathryn Gaskin said. “Last year we tied them so this time we had to beat them.” Palisades played well in its own tournament last year but had only three draws to show for its efforts. This time, the Dolphins won every game, starting with a 3-0 victory over the Cavaliers in which Gaskin, Lily McGuire and Jacklyn Bamberger scored. On Saturday afternoon Gaskin booted home the only goal off of a cross from McGuire for a 1-0 victory over Stockdale of Bakersfield. Gaskin then assisted on Yasmine Tabatabai’s first-half goal in a 1-0 victory over Sylmar. Palisades goalkeeper Kiki Bailey did not allow a ball to get by her the entire tournament. “I didn’t have to make too many saves,” Bailey said. “The closest a team came to scoring was with about four minutes left in the Sylmar game when a ball bounced high and I had to tip it over the crossbar.” The Dolphins have rebounded nicely from nonleague defeats to West Valley League opponents Granada Hills and Taft. Palisades began defense of its Western League crown Wednesday against Venice and travels to Fairfax for a 2:30 kickoff Friday. Boys’ Soccer Palisades got goals from Shane Centkowski, Nathan Cutler and Alex Anastasi to beat San Pedro, 3-0, in its season opener. The Dolphins began Western League play at Venice on Wednesday and host Fairfax at Stadium by the Sea this Friday at 2:30 p.m.
Garrett Nevels was named All-Tournament and Palisades finished fifth at the Pacific Shores boys’ basketball tournament in Redondo Beach. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Led by senior captain Garrett Nevels, the Palisades High boys’ basketball team took fifth place with three wins and one loss at the Pacific Shores Tournament in Redondo Beach last week. Nevels had 29 points, including seven three-pointers, in the Dolphins’ 85-67 first-round win over Cathedral, had 11 points in a 61-49 loss to eventual-champion Long Beach Poly, scored 16 points in a 68-60 win over Santa Monica and closed the tournament with another 29 points (including six threes) in a 73-65 victory over Harvard-Westlake. Coach James Paleno said forwards Kenneth Towner (19 points against Santa Monica) and Rico Matheney were key contributors throughout the tournament. “We’re a very young team but we play hard,” he said. “Our focus is to cut down on our mistakes and to get better as the season goes on.” Palisades plays a nonleague game at Cleveland on Friday at 7 p.m., then has a week off before opening the San Fernando Valley Invitational against Verdugo Hills on December 18.
Freshman Kiani Lane was a force for the Pacifica Christian girls’ varsity volleyball team this season.
In only three seasons, the Pacifica Christian girls’ varsity volleyball team has enjoyed more success than most programs accomplish in decades and a big reason for the Seawolves’ success is the contributions of Palisadians Kelly Ryan and Kiani Lane. The school is located in Santa Monica and the team has won 30 consecutive league matches, three straight league titles, a CIF Southern Section Division 5-A championship and back-to-back state tournament berths. Ryan, a senior outside hitter and defensive specialist, has been with the program from the start and earned First-Team All-Heritage League honors. The 17-year-old from the Palisades Highlands played one year of club volleyball in Santa Monica before arriving at the school and credits former coach Jason Lee and current coach Kasia Eatherton for developing her interest and skill in the sport. “Our athletic director Kevin Kelsey makes sure that we learn the character-building aspect of sports as well as the sport itself,” Ryan said. “There is a lot of unity on our team.” Perhaps Lane can bring back the coveted title in coming years. A graduate of Calvary Christian, the 14-year-old Marquez Knolls resident brought five years of club experience with Sports Shack to Pacifica Christian. The freshman opposite hitter and backup setter fit right in with this year’s squad. Not only did she play volleyball in the fall, she simultaneously ran cross-country, even running a 3.2-mile race in the morning and playing a CIF quarterfinal match that same afternoon. After winning the Division V-A title last year, the Seawolves moved up to Division V-AA this season and finished with a 20-9-2 mark, including eight straight victories at the end of the regular season. They went into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in Division 5-AA but lost to Saddleback Valley Christian in the semifinals. They again qualified for the state playoffs but fell to Mission Prep of San Louis Obispo. Although Pacifica Christian will be losing its “Founding Four” to college next year, with Lane back and more talented players such as Palisadians Brittany Louks and Julia Johnston waiting in the wings, the Seawolves’ program figures to be strong for many years to come.
Kids storytime features Palisadian Teresa Anne Power reading her book ‘The ABC’s of Yoga for Kids,’ which uses the alphabet, rhyming vignettes and colorful illustrations to introduce children to yoga in a kid-friendly way, 3:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Pacific Palisades resident Magali Amadei reads and signs ‘Does This Pregnancy Make Me Look Fat?’ at 7:30 p.m. in Village Books. Amadei is a mother and acclaimed model who has appeared on the covers of major magazines, including Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Marie Claire.’
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4
The Palisades Branch Library presents the film ‘Fred Claus’ (2007), an engaging comedy staring Vince Vaughn and Paul Giamatti, 1 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. Free admission. Holiday Ho!Ho!Ho! festivities, hosted by the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, 5 to 8 p.m. on Swarthmore, north of Sunset. ’FREEZE,’ the’Young Angels winter dance with guest Hip Hop artist Khao and deejay R.E.N., 7 to 10 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Middle School students welcome. For tickets ($20 online; $30 at the door) visit www.youngangelsofamerica.org. Palisades Charter High School Theatre presents ‘The Diviners: A Play in Two Acts and Elegies,’ on December 4, 5, 10, 11, and 12 at 7 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. on December 12. Tickets at the door are $12 for adults; $10 for students. (See story, page 14.) The St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra and Choir join organist Roger Daggy to present a holiday musical spectacular, 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda. For tickets ($35), visit MusicGuildOnline.org or call 310-573-7422. Tickets are available at the door. Theatre Palisades presents ‘Things We Do For Love,’ a comedy by British playwright Alan Ayckbourn, 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m., through December 13. For tickets, call 310 454-1970.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5
Palisades Beautiful holds its quarterly meeting, 10 a.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Upcoming neighborhood tree planting will be discussed. Members, friends and the general public are welcome. Contact: palisadesbeautiful@earthlink.net
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6
The Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra presents a world premiere of ‘Budapest,’ a collaboration between Maestro Alvin Mills and soprano Ildy Lee, 3 p.m. at Paul Revere Middle School. Program also includes vocal artists from the Camarata of Los Angeles. Admission is free. Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church presents the third annual Celtic Christmas concert, featuring the Kevin R. Blandford Memorial Pipe Band, 4 p.m. in the church sanctuary, 15821 Sunset Blvd. Tickets at the door: $20 for adults; $10 for seniors and children. Marianne Jas and Dr. Esther Ting discuss ‘Total Health the Chinese Way: An Essential Guide to Easing Pain, Reducing Stress, Treating Illness, and Restoring the Body Through Traditional Chinese Medicine,’ 5 p.m. at Village Books. Dr. Ting has treated more than 140,000 patients on two continents. Palisades Symphony Orchestra and Brentwood Palisades Chorale perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Oratorio, 7:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Joel Lish conducts. The performance is free.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8
Monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., hosted by Bentons: The Sport Shop, 1038 Swarthmore. The event features hosted hors d’oeuvres, a drawing for gifts donated by Chamber members, and 20 percent off non-sale merchandise.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9
The Pacific Palisades AARP chapter holds its annual holiday luncheon, 12:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. For reservations ($25), please call Mary Cole at (310) 459-8373. The public is invited.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10
Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club holiday boutique with a music performance by Cali Rose, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the clubhouse, 901 Haverford. Lunch reservations: (310) 454-7144 or 230-2792. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the historic dining hall in Temescal Gateway Park. Parking is free. The public is invited.
Los Angeles County lifeguards recovered this anchor on November 17 that may date back more than 100 years and be a part of the Long Wharf’s history. The Long Wharf was a deepwater port that existed in the late 1800s off of Pacific Palisades. The anchor is currently displayed in the garden next to Los Angeles County Lifeguard Headquarters in Santa Monica, but could be relocated to Will Rogers State Beach if found historically significant. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
While lifeguard Andrew Greger was scuba diving off the south end of Will Rogers State Beach three weeks ago, he discovered what appears to be an anchor from the late 1800s. ’Our assumption is that it is off the tall ships that used to anchor at the Long Wharf,’ said Mickey Gallagher, central section chief for the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division. The Long Wharf was a deepwater port with a 4,720-foot wooden pier that extended into the ocean from the mouth of Potrero Canyon. Southern Pacific Railroad Company head Collis P. Huntington built the wharf in 1893, precipitating a 12-year political debate over whether San Pedro or Santa Monica Bay should be the official harbor of Los Angeles. San Pedro won out in 1897, and the Long Wharf was eventually dismantled. After Greger, a rescue boat captain with the Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard Division, saw the anchor shaft and a tip of the fluke poking out of the sand, he asked if he and the other lifeguards could recover it. Not realizing there was any historical significance, Gallagher agreed to let the lifeguards lift the anchor on November 17 as part of an underwater recovery drill as long as it was placed in the garden near headquarters, located south of the Santa Monica Pier. Gallagher thought it would give the outdoor garden a nautical look. ’It wasn’t until we had it in Santa Monica that we realized it could be more than just a regular anchor,’ Gallagher said. He has since asked Greger to contact maritime museums to invite experts to examine the anchor. ’I do hope it is a piece of history that we recovered,’ Gallagher said. Lifeguards at Will Rogers and Topanga State Beaches would like the anchor relocated to Will Rogers, so that it can be displayed alongside the rock monument and railroad tie that memorialize the Long Wharf, lifeguard Sam Bertolet told the Palisadian-Post. ’The beach lifeguards at Will Rogers and Topanga are willing to put up their own money, time and vehicles to transport the anchor to the Long Wharf historical site and purchase a plaque, which will have information about the anchor,’ Bertolet said. ‘The lifeguards will also secure the anchor on site so it cannot be stolen.’ Gallagher responded that if the anchor has historical value, he would consider moving it from Santa Monica to Will Rogers or a maritime museum. If the anchor were displayed at Will Rogers, he would need to study ways to preserve it and prevent vandalism. ’I want to do the right thing,’ Gallagher said, adding that he also wants to respect the people who found the anchor by including their names on a plaque. Ernest Marquez, who grew up in Santa Monica Canyon and co-authored ‘Port of Los Angeles: An Illustrated History from 1850 to 1945,’ thinks the anchor could be a nice addition to the historical monument he created (with the support of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society) at Will Rogers. ’Anchors were placed a distance from the wharf with a buoy attached for vessels to tie to if there was no space at the wharf,’ said Marquez, a San Fernando Valley resident. ‘It is possible the anchor found is one of those anchors. If so, then it would be a part of the wharf and its history.’
Pacific Palisades resident Gabrielle Bresnik poses next to a cardboard cutout of her step-grandson, astronaut Randy Bresnik, at Kennedy Space Center in Florida before his shuttle launched on November 16. Bresnik was not able to say good-bye to Randy because he was in quarantine for several days. Randy’s wife, Rebecca; his father, Randy Sr., and stepmother, Ruth, were the only ones allowed to visit him.
When Palisadian Gabrielle Bresnik gathered among family to watch her step-grandson’s shuttle launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 16, she wished her late husband could be there. ’I thought about him in that moment, and I thought how proud he would be of his grandson,’ said Bresnik, the widow of longtime Palisadian Albert L. Bresnik, who died in 1993 at age 79 and was the personal photographer of famed aviator Amelia Earhart. Albert’s grandson Randy Bresnik was one of six NASA astronauts who traveled to the International Space Station from November 16-27 as part of the STS-129 mission. Randy, who grew up in Santa Monica, served as the flight engineer for the ascent portion of the flight and performed two space walks on his first trip to space. While aboard Shuttle Atlantis, Randy celebrated the birth of his daughter, Abigail Mae, on November 21. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in Houston. The purpose of the mission was to deliver spare parts and supplies to the station as well as bring home astronaut Nicole Stott, who had spent three months in space. ’Randy wanted to pay tribute to his grandfather,’ Bresnik said, so he borrowed a photograph of Albert from her as well as Earhart’s lucky scarf from the Ninety-Nines Museum of Women Pilots in Oklahoma City to take with him on the mission. Earhart always wore her multicolored scarf on long-distance flights, but for some reason did not wear it on that ill-fated trip in 1937, when she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean near Howland Island. Albert, who owned a camera shop on Swarthmore Avenue, nearly accompanied Earhart on that trip, but there was not enough room for his camera equipment. The photos he took of her before she left were later published in the book ‘Last Flight.’
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