With the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center scheduled for completion in June, Palisades Charter High School officials are now looking at a price tag that has risen from $4.6 million to $4.9 million. PaliHi’s Executive Director Amy Dresser-Held told the Palisadian-Post on Monday that the cost has increased because last spring the architectural firm, Aquatic Design Group, made a mistake with its designs, which meant that the contractor had to excavate more dirt and pour more concrete than anticipated to construct the pool. Since then, there has been negotiating on the cost of the additional work. In addition, the aquatic center is being built on fill, so there have been extra costs to make sure the site is stable, Dresser-Held said. Throughout construction, soil inspectors have been coming out to look at stability (such as after a rainstorm).   So far, the school has raised $3.2 million, including pledges of $100,000. English teacher Rose Gilbert, who inherited millions from her late husband Sam, has donated more than $2 million of that money toward the construction costs, and the facility will be named after her late daughter and swimmer, Maggie.   In addition, Gilbert, 91 and still teaching, gave the school a $750,000 loan in January, so the center (with a 12-lane competitive pool and adjacent two-lane teaching pool) could be completed by this summer. The loan, with a set interest rate of 5.6 percent, will be repaid on a quarterly basis over a five-year period, starting after the pool is finished, according to Chief Business Officer Greg Wood.   The loan will be paid back through revenue collected from permits, which community groups and organizations can purchase to use the school’s pool, playing fields, parking lots, classrooms, meeting rooms and gym.   In January when the price tag was $4.6 million, the board directed Wood to look into securing a second loan for $750,000. He has since received proposals from Wells Fargo, CalNational/US Bank and Bank of the West. ‘I am still evaluating those options,’ Wood told the Post last week. He expects to update the board at an April meeting. When the Post asked Wood if he would now investigate securing a $950,000- to $1.05-million loan in light of the increased costs, he responded, ‘That is up to the board to decide; there are fundraising efforts going on.’ Jeanne Goldsmith, a consultant hired to help raise money for the aquatic center, said she is speaking to individuals about giving large sums of money and is pleading with the community to help in any way possible. ‘The time to step up is right now,’ she said. PaliHi is selling summer passes (valid from July 1 to September 8) for $500 for an individual and $800 for a family. The aquatic center will be open this summer from 5:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. There will be free swimming available on Sundays. The school is also selling one-year swim passes that are valid from July 1 through June 30, 2011 for $1,000 per individual and $1,500 for a family. Wall tiles (which will be displayed inside the aquatic center complex) are on sale for $500. The title, with room for 15 words or two lines of text, can be a gift to honor a swimmer, a graduate of PaliHi or an entire family. ‘If they want the tile in the pool right away, they need to contact me ASAP,’ said Goldsmith, who is already ordering tiles. Individuals, businesses and organizations may purchase a lane for $50,000 and have their name displayed on it. Six of the 14 lanes are still available. Two groups or individuals can split a lane for $30,000 each. Naming rights to the scoreboard for $150,000 and the instructional pool for $350,000 are also for sale. Goldsmith said the school has submitted grant proposals, but with the economic downturn, ‘many foundations have had their endowments cut, are curtailing their spending, and are re-evaluating what they’re giving to.’ She said foundations are choosing more ‘high-risk, life-altering causes’ such as food banks and shelters. Frank Ryan, a marketing communications consultant who was hired by PaliHi’s Booster Club to raise money for the pool, has sent grant proposals to 62 major foundations in Southern California. Ryan said that he hasn’t heard back from 40 foundations and the others chose not to contribute. He agreed that foundations have had their funding cut and are being more selective. He told the Post that he also thinks PaliHi should have contacted more potential givers before announcing the project. ‘Usually with fundraising, you raise the most in the initial stages,’ said Ryan, who was hired after the fundraising campaign began. Nonetheless, Ryan said that he and Goldsmith are both working hard now to secure the additional funding. He thinks the pool will be a valuable addition for the school and community. Most importantly, young people will have the opportunity to learn how to swim. Those interested in making a donation should contact Goldsmith at (310) 454-9033 or visit PaliHi’s Web site: www.palihigh.org.
Lorena Benson, 109; A Former Palisadian
Lorena Benson, a former resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on March 5 at Mom’s Place, a senior-care home in Camarillo. She was 109 years old. Born to Hiram and Louisa Medbery on September 27, 1900, Lorena grew up with nine siblings in a small farming town in South Dakota. She graduated from Yankton College, then taught school until moving to Pasadena in June 1925 to marry Charles Benson. They raised four children. Lorena, who was widowed in 1952, taught in a Monrovia elementary school from 1951 until she retired in 1965. While living in the Palisades with her daughter Lois for about 15 years, she was active in the Community United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School and was president of the Women’s Society. Travel, reading, handcrafts, exercise, crosswords, playing Hand and Foot, and being with family were all things Lorena enjoyed. She was known for her smile, her keen mind, patience and a positive attitude. In addition to her husband Charles, Lorena was predeceased by her son, Robert. She is survived by her sister, Beverly Hood of Laguna Woods; daughters Lois Anderson of Pacific Palisades, Bonnie Lowe of Camarillo and Ora Phillips of Long Beach; 10 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren and nine great-great-grandchildren. At Lorena’s request, a private memorial service will be held at her daughter’s home in Pacific Palisades.
Services Held for Richard Turco, 40
Richard Cameron Turco, age 40, died peacefully in his home on March 9. He lived with his mother, Barbara Marie (Bren) Turco, in Pacific Palisades. His father, Richard P. Turco, resides in Sherman Oaks. A memorial service and burial were held at Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica on March 29.
Rebecca Newman, 89; Writer, Artist
Rebecca (Becky) Newman, author, artist and 20-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on March 21. She was 89. Newman led a long and creative life. Known mostly for her writing, she crafted novels, short stories, scripts, screenplays and children’s stories. Among her best-known novels are ‘The Belly Dancer in the Barrel of Oil’ and ‘Dr. Mengele Dies,’ in which the German SS officer and physician in the concentration camps escapes and two Israeli Mossad agents capture him in Paraguay and bring him to trial. In the midst of this covert operation, love blooms between the two agents. Newman taught creative writing for over 20 years at UCLA Extension and English at various colleges. In 2008, she took up painting, explaining that ‘my imagination runs wild,’ which accounted for the range of subjects she explored on canvas. Her work ran from Chagal-esque lovers and pastorals to Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’ and animals, and was exhibited last summer at the Palisades Branch Library community room. She also enjoyed her membership in the Palisades Art Association. Born August 2, 1920, and raised in New York City, Newman lived most of her life in the Los Angeles area.’Due to her astonishing beauty, the young Rebecca Horn also worked as a model for painters. She later remarked that a painting of her (as a model) by painter Raphael Soyer hung’in the Brooklyn Museum. In World War II, Rebecca Horn served as a WAC in the Signal Corps. After the war, true to her humanist-activist leanings, she was active in the American Veterans Committee, Los Angeles chapter, trying to insure decent housing for veterans returning from the war. In that organization she met another veteran activist, Everett Spector, who became her first husband and the father of all her children. They shared a 15-year marriage. Later, Rebecca was married for 41 years to the late Hollywood film and sound editor John (Hans) Newman, who died in 2005. She is survived by her three sons, Phillip, Michael and Lincoln, and grandchildren Adam, David, Elijah, Aviva and Maya. A funeral service was held on March 23 at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, followed a day later by a memorial get-together at the Tahitian Terrace in Pacific Palisades, where she lived for many years.
Thursday, April 1 – Thursday, April 8
THURSDAY, APRIL 1
A Spring Break Family Campfire, 7 p.m. at the stone amphitheater in Temescal Gateway Park (off Sunset Boulevard). The event is free; parking is $7. Activities include nature tales, campfire songs, games and marshmallows. Just bring a blanket or chair to sit in. Please, no dogs.
FRIDAY, APRIL 2
David Auburn’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama ‘Proof’ opens tonight, 8 p.m., at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The Theatre Palisades production runs Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoon through May 9. For ticket information, visit theatrepalisades.org or call the box office at (310) 454-1970.
SATURDAY, APRIL 3
Opening reception for Amanda Barrett’s one-person show, 2 to 5 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited to join this Pacific Palisades Art Association event.
MONDAY, APRIL 5
Howard Frank Moser discusses and signs his Civil War novel ‘Walking to Gatlinburg,’ a story of brotherhood and survival, action and adventure as a Vermont teenager searches for his older brother, a Union soldier reported MIA at Gettysburg, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. The story also involves the Underground Railroad and a striking array of characters.’Mosher, who lives in Vermont, has previously appeared at Village Books to read from ‘The Fall of the Year’ and ‘Waiting for Teddy Williams.” Tom Nuccio of Nuccio’s Nursery will speak about azaleas and camellias at the monthly Palisades Garden Club meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7
Baby and toddler storytime, a lap-sit mix of songs, finger plays, stories and flannelboards, for children under the age of 3 and their grown-ups, 10:15 a.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real.
THURSDAY, APRIL 8
Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. Best-selling author Lori Gottlieb discusses and signs ‘Marry Him! The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Gottlieb, a journalist whose previous book was ‘Stick Figure: A Diary of My Former Self,’ is also a frequent commentator for NPR’s ‘All Things Considered.’
Looking at the Big Picture Books
A New Skirball Exhibit Casts a Spotlight on Jewish Children’s Book Creators
n the last decade, popular picture books have been a major source of material for Hollywood blockbusters”everything from the ‘Shrek’ series to ‘Night at the Museum’ and ‘Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs.’ In a first major exhibition of this type, original children’s book art from some of those best-selling children’s books will be on display in ‘Monsters and Miracles: A Journey through Jewish Picture Books,’ at the Skirball Cultural Center from April 8 to August 1. Also among the featured Jewish authors and artists of picture books: Maurice Sendak (‘Where the Wild Things Are’), William Steig (‘Shrek!’), Eric Carle, Daniel Pinkwater, Mark Podwal, Francine Prose, Lemony Snicket and cartoonist Art Spiegelman. Co-organized by the Skirball and the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, ‘Monsters and Miracles’ is billed as ‘the most comprehensive museum consideration of the Jewish picture book.’ The exhibit was assembled by cultural critic Ilan Stavans, , a humanities professor at Amherst University, and scholar Neal Sokol, with Skirball associate curator Tal Gozani. It makes for a logical thematic follow-up to last year’s successful Skirball exhibit, ‘Zap! Pow! Bam! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938’1950,’ which connected the dots between mainstream American comics and the Jewish creators who pioneered the field. The current exhibition features more than 130 original works of art, texts, and related objects from picture books and children’s literature, some of them time-honored classics. ‘Monsters and Miracles,’ which has historical examples dating back to the 12th century, also includes works from books by Isaac Bashevis Singer, Marc Chagall, and El Lissitzky. ‘The exhibit had to be cut down severely, it was way too big,’ says Gozani. There was easily enough material to do another show (although no plans for a sequel are currently in the works). ‘We’ve gathered an amazing collection of original art with work culled from private collections, archives, a lot of it from the artists themselves,’ Gozani continues. ‘One of the points that the exhibit wants to make is part of an important trend in our society mixing media,’ Stavans tells the Palisadian-Post. ‘The new generation are more oriented toward graphics ‘ graphic novels, the Internet, television. The picture book is the interface between literature and images.’ ‘We have some original drawings from ‘Where the Wild Things Are,” Gozani says. ‘We have three original illustrations from ‘Shrek’ and one illustration from the original ‘Curious George’ book. It’s the page with the Man in the Yellow Hat as he puts George on the boat to America, which parallels the story of the authors themselves.’ ‘This project was at least four years in the making,’ Stavans says. ‘I had done in the ’90s an anthology of Jewish stories [‘The Oxford Book of Jewish Stories’] and had read Jewish stories. After the book was published, I was interested in seeing Jewish literature from different perspectives and different age groups.’ At first, Stavans thought that he might do a follow-up anthology focused on picture-book artists. Then he changed course. ‘I thought it would be exciting to be involved with a museum exhibit,’ he said. ‘It wasn’t until 2005 that I became committed to the project and from there it developed.’ Previously, Stavans co-curated several shows, including a photo exhibit about Isaac Bashevis Singer in New York. However, ‘this is an exhibit that brings art from a substantial number of artists,’ he says. ’It was easy [to put together] in terms of vision but daunting in terms of permission requests and having artwork travel [from museum to museum],’ Stavans says. ‘In some ways, it’s been challenging, but overall it was an utter pleasure.’ ‘Most people such as the artists were very excited to lend works,’ Gozani says. ‘This exhibit is the first of its kind, calling attention to picture-book writers and artists,’ Stavans says. ‘This industry that is very lucrative and important doesn’t come out of nowhere but has a clear sense of continuity that begins with the Passover haggadah [Seder books outlining the holiday’s historical text] from the 16th century, which have biblical images for children, through Maurice Sendak and William Steig.’ ‘Even though it’s an exhibit for an American audience, it’s really not just American-Jewish picture books but Jewish picture books [from different places and in different languages worldwide],’ says Stavans, a native of Mexico City. Some of those places include the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Russia, Poland and Israel. Languages represented include English, French, Hebrew, Yiddish and Portuguese. The Skirball exhibit (which after its run will be on display at the Eric Carle Museum from October through January 2011) is organized into six sections that cover the Bible, the shtetl (Yiddish for ‘village’), monsters and goblins (including the towering clay-monster Golem and the wraith-like Dybbuk”two creatures from Jewish folklore), and new trends such as the Internet and Hollywood, which in recent years has made big-budget movies based on ‘Curious George,’ ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ and, of course, ‘Shrek.’ In addition to the illustrations, Gozani notes, ‘There’s a ton of interactive features. Each section has an iPod listening station with recordings of celebrities doing readings: Henry Winkler, Paul Reiser, Miyam Bialik, Carol Liefer, Ed Asner and Tony Kushner, who has a story in the exhibit. ’They did these amazing readings,’ Gozani says. ‘A lot of the authors also did recordings themselves.’ ’I want the audience to be aware that storytelling amongst Jews has been a crucial aspect to convey to children, the next generation, how social and moral systems work,’ Stavans says. ‘We do it in subtle ways. We’re passing on knowledge and wisdom that is done in a comfy setting in which the parents sit with the child and open up a book.’ In addition to ‘Monsters,’ on April 7 at 8 p.m. at the Skirball, Ilan Stavans will moderate ‘A Celebration of the Jewish Picture Book,’ a panel with four artists showcased in the exhibit: Mordechai Gerstein, Serge Bloch, Simms Taback and children’s book author Laurel Snyder. Admission: $12 general; $8 members; $6 full-time students. ’Monsters and Miracles’ is included with museum admission: $10 general; $7 seniors and full-time students; $5 children 2’12; free to Skirball members and children under 2; free on Thursdays. Skirball Cultural Center is located at 701 N. Sepulveda Blvd. (take the Skirball Center exit off the 405 in Bel-Air). Contact: (310) 440-4500; visit Skirball.org
‘Urinetown’ Spoofs Musicals
Theater Review
‘Urinetown’ has an exceptional cast, sensational choreography, laugh-out-loud jokes and asides, but ultimately it is a spoof of musicals with an ending that left me wishing writer Greg Kotis had chosen a different direction. Shades of ‘Three Penny Opera’ (Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht) and even ‘West Side Story’ (Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim) float through the songs and the story that is currently playing at the Morgan-Wixson Theater at Pico and 27th Street through April 10. The story starts with narrator, policeman Officer Lockstock (Justin Waggle), explaining to the audience they won’t see Urinetown until the second act. His asides throughout the play are not only meant to clarify, but are also humorous. During a melee, another character asks if Lockstock if he is worried he will be killed, to which he replies something to the effect, ‘They can’t kill me, because I’m the narrator and then the play won’t end.’ Waggle’s comedic timing and stage physicality are some of the funniest I’ve seen in years. Lockstock and Officer Barrel (James Paul Xavier), who also does a nice turn as the second fiddle, are required to enforce the town’s pay-to-pee policy. After 20 years of drought, private toilets are no longer available and people must pay to use the facilities. For society’s ‘have-nots’ it becomes increasingly difficult to find the money for normal bodily functions. When Urine Good Company, the business which has a monopoly of all public amenities, decides to raise the fees, a group of citizens led by Bobby Strong (David Laffey) stages an uprising and refuses to pay. Strong has been encouraged to follow his heart by Hope Cladwell (KeatonTalmadge), who has recently graduated from an expensive private university and has come back to work for her father Caldwell Cladwell (Michael Heimos), CEO of Urine Good Company. Hope is taken hostage by Strong and his group, with the idea that they will be able to better negotiate with her father. Talmadge and Laffey, cast as the love interest, were lovely and their voices were remarkable. Heimos, cast as the villain, was pure fun; his eyes seem to twinkle, even as he sang ‘Don’t Be the Bunny,’ describing how one has to be prepared in life or suffer consequences. Penelope Pennywise (AnnaLisa Erickson) is in charge of Public Amenity #9 and makes sure that people pay to pee. Erickson’s voice range, from a low G to a high C+, is put to good use. Directed by Valerie Rachelle, with musical direction by Anne Gesling, this production is topnotch. ‘Urinetown,’ with music by Mark Hollman, lyrics by Hollmann and Greg Kotis, was originally supposed to open on Broadway on September 13, 2001, but was postponed by the World Trade Center attacks and subsequently opened a week later. It ran for 965 performances and nabbed 2002 Tony Awards for Best Book, Best Original Score and Best Direction in a musical. For tickets, call: (310) 828-7519 or visit SantaMonicaMusicals.com.
Easter Sunday Dining
BEAURIVAGE
26025 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu 310-456-5733 At this charming Malibu restaurant, there will be continuous service on Easter Sunday, April 4, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The prix fixe menu is priced at $50 for adults, $25 for children under 12 (excluding tax and gratuity). The menu includes home-baked croissants, dessert and complimentary champagne with selections of salads, egg dishes, fish, seafood, poultry, meats and more.
FIG RESTAURANT
Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows 101 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica 310-319-3111 Brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at this attractive indoor/outdoor restaurant under the guidance of Chef Ray Garcia. Brunch will include starters, a choice of entr’e and dessert, as well as plenty of holiday cheer. The price is $65 per person plus tax and tip.
TASTE
538 Palisades Dr. Pacific Palisades 310-459-9808 A three-course prix fixe brunch menu priced at $29 per person ($14 for kids) will be served at this Highlands eatery. ‘Bottomless Bubbly’ will be available for $14 per person.
SADDLE PEAK LODGE
419 Cold Canyon Rd. Calabasas 818-222-3888 A three-course brunch served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. may be started with a champagne cocktail (for $12) if diners wish. The savory holiday menu created by Executive Chef Adam Horton features entr’e selections of eggs Benedict, brioche French toast, sliced leg of lamb sandwich, or grilled sumac-crusted Ahi tuna. The brunch is $50 per person with a two-course option for children priced at $25, exclusive of tax and gratuity.
CEZANNE
Le Merigot Hotel & Spa 1740 Ocean Ave. Santa Monica 310-899-6122 From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., brunch will feature a two-course menu with a basket of baked goods for $39 per person (or $49 if champagne is added). The price for children, aged 12 and under, is $25 at Cezanne, where the Easter Bunny will be handing out goodie baskets to all the children. Main course selections will vary from eggs Benedict or ricotta souffl’ pancakes with blueberry syrup, to roasted chicken breast, roasted salmon, jumbo lump crab, crispy whitefish, provencale roast leg of lamb, or braised short ribs with mac ‘n cheese.
DANTE PALISADES
1032 Swarthmore Ave. Pacific Palisades 310-459-7561 Brunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Dante’s, where the menu offers Italian brunch entrees for $9.95. Selections include a cucina panini with eggs menu, or eggs and asparagus Contadina (grilled asparagus wrapped with pancetta and topped with fried eggs). Diners may start with a champagne mimosa.
ON SUNSET
Luxe Sunset Hotel 11461 Sunset Blvd. Brentwood 310-691-7584 The lavish Brunch at On Sunset includes an omelet station, a carving station featuring leg of lamb, ham, roasted sea bass and farmers’ market vegetables, a seafood station, and saut’ station with French crepes, waffles, blueberry pancakes and more. There will also be a salad bar and a Viennese table with artisan breads, pastries, desserts and confections. The price is $49 for adults, $39 for seniors, and $19 for children. Brunch service will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
LOCANDA DEL LAGO
231 Arizona Ave. Santa Monica 310-451-3525 ’Buona Pasqua,’ the Easter menu, will be served all week from April 3’9. The three-course menu is $55 with an entr’e choice of Alaskan halibut or $49 with lamb sirloin. The four-course menu is $69. All four entr’e choices are available a la carte. A wine-tasting pairing is $24 per person. Tax and tip are additional.
TIVOLI CAF’
15306 Sunset Boulevard Pacific Palisades 310-459-7685 Hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Tivoli, where they are now serving all-natural hormone free meats and organic eggs. Their three-egg omelets with two ingredients are $4.99.
THE BISTRO GARDEN
12950 Ventura Blvd. Studio City 818-501-0202 Easter Brunch, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., will feature a three-course menu priced at $48 per person. The children’s menu is $25 (12 and under). Entr’e choices are eggs Benedict, chicken and mushroom crepes, grilled lamb chop, broiled Lake Superior whitefish, and pan-seared rib eye steak.
SIMON/L.A.
8555 Beverly Blvd. West Hollywood 310-358-3979 Easter Brunch at the Sofitel Hotel restaurant will be served family-style for $40 per person. Breakfast dishes will be served along with entr’e choices of roasted organic chicken, roasted New York steak, Alaskan halibut, West Coast salmon, roasted leg of lamb, or striped bass.
Nurseryman Tom Nuccio Will Discuss Camellias and Azaleas
Tom Nuccio, owner of Nuccio’s Nursery in Altadena, will talk about the selection and care of camellias and azaleas at the Palisades Garden Club meeting on Monday, April 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. The public is invited. Most Palisadians are familiar with the camellia sasanquas that bloom in November and December, and the japonicas, which take over in January and February. This year’s well-spaced rains produced a flurry of camellias that will continue blooming throughout the month, Nuccio says. The show will be over by April, but azaleas will continue to flourish all spring. Nuccio’s Nursery, founded by Tom’s father and uncle in 1935, offers some 500 varieties of camellias and azaleas (divided about 50/50) on the family’s six acres. Open to the public, Nuccio’s also furnishes many Southland retail nurseries and landscapers’ needs. While the nursery continues to have success with the beloved azalea varieties, such as George Tabor (a big lavender) Red Bird (pink/red) and Alaska (white), new colors are slowly gaining ground. ’In the last few years, there has been a lot of effort to create yellow camellias,’ Nuccio tells the Palisadian-Post. ‘Bred from the wild yellow one from China, the new varieties include the Aki-no, a pale yellow that looks like a peony, and Senriksuko, that shows off a peachy pink border, like the Peace rose. There are also dwarfs, different- shaped flowers and a spectrum of leaf colors, such as the maroon foliage of Little John.’ Nuccio continues, ‘A new entry in the trade that landscapers are just learning about is the Shiro Kujaku (white peacock), a Japanese variety with a big, white candle-shaped bloom. Speaking of sun, azaleas are not cactus, and they do need water, Nuccio says, but adding that more tragedies occur from over-watering than under-watering. Nuccio, who operates the nursery with his brother and cousin, spends his time doing just about everything’propagating plants, selling and public speaking. ‘I’m the one who does the speaking, mostly to garden clubs and dedicated gardeners.’ A philosophy major from Santa Clara, Nuccio says that all he knows he has learned on the job. ‘My dad as a kid was interested in camellias; they were his first love. Azaleas were a nice companion. He had a backyard nursery and worked in a glass factory during the day. The nursery moved from Alhambra to its present location in 1946.’
Dolphins Splash Beverly Hills Meet
Palisades High Girls’ Varsity Swim Team Is Second, Boys Ninth
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The mission is clear this season for the Palisades High girls’ varsity swim team: regain the City Section championship. The Dolphins will get their chance to do that come May, but the mission last week was to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish at the Beverly Hills Invitational. Mission accomplished. After strong qualifying times Wednesday, Palisades led for much of Friday’s finals meet before settling for second place out of 11 schools, just three points behind La Canada. The Spartans edged El Segundo in the 400 freestyle relay–the last event–to gain the points necessary to overtake Palisades by the slim margin of 244 to 241. Still, it was an impressive meet all around for the Dolphins. Hayley Hacker won the 100 backstroke in one minute, 2.75 seconds and fellow senior Hayley Lemoine swam third in the 200 individual medley (2:18.71), an event won by Palisadian Alex Edel of Harvard-Westlake in 2:15.70. Lemoine was fourth in the 100 freestyle in 56.80 seconds while seniors Shelby Pascoe (5:28.91) and Ana Silka (5:37.05) finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 500 freestyle then reversed their positions in the 200 freestyle, Silka taking third (2:04.03) and Pascoe fourth (2:07.33). Emily Newman, Fullerton, Pascoe and Silka were fifth in the 200 freestyle relay (1:47.96), and Mia Svenson was third in the 500 freestyle consolation final. “I didn’t go any best times but high school meets are more about placing rather than going best times,” Pascoe said. “Everyone on varsity swam really fast and it just happened at the end of the meet we were three points behind, but we did our best.” The Dolphins got off to a fast start when the foursome of Hacker, Sabrina Giglio, Lemoine and Newman finished second (1:54.89) in the 200 medley relay behind a Harvard-Westlake team that included three former Palisades-Malibu YMCA swimmers (Edel, Allison Merz and Catherine Wang). Junior Zoe Fullerton won the consolation final in the 200 individual medley in 2:27.41 and was sixth in the 100 butterfly championship heat. Giglio was fifth in the 100 breaststroke finals and Jeanelle Manzo was sixth in the consolation final. Rachel Jaffe was seventh in the 100 backstroke consolation final (1:12.10). Hacker was seventh (27.13) in the 50 freestyle finals while Newman was fourth in the consolation final (27.32) Having won its first two meets–Granada Hills and San Pedro–the girls’ varsity is showing tremendous depth. For instance, sophomore Samantha Rosenbaum’s second place swim in the consolation final of the 200 freestyle, just 53 hundredths of a second behind winner Lauren Nadel of Santa Monica High. The frosh/soph girls also performed well. The Dolphins’ 400 freestyle relay team of Tatiana Fields, Olivia Marsh, Mara Silka and Cynthia Jinno was fourth in 4:11.56, Jinno was sixth in the 100 individual medley (1:12.07) and 50 butterfly (31.18), Silka was third in the 200 freestyle (2:12.28) and Eve Baryotam and Mara Silka were third and fifth, respectively, in the 200 individual medley. Fields was fourth in the 100 freestyle (59.82), the 200 freestyle relay of Baryotam, Mara Silka, Soheila Kamjou and Olivia Marsh was third in 1:51.81, Kamjou was fourth in the 50 backstroke (32.61), Baryotam was third in the 50 breaststroke (36.60) and the 200 medley relay team of Kamjou, Baryotam, Jinno and Fields was second in 2:06.20. The boys’ varsity team was ninth in a field of 12 teams with 77 points, finishing 17 points ahead of Western League rival Venice. The 400 freestyle relay team of seniors John Cullen and Lev Vaysman, sophomore Stephan Kang and junior Kai Alexander swam second behind Culver City in the consolation final in 3:45.62. Cullen was seventh (1:48.20) in the 200 medley relay final and sixth in the 100 backstroke (58.80), senior Wyatt Elliot was seventh in the 50 freestyle (23.79), sophomore John James Amis was fifth in the 100 breaststroke final (1:05.57) and the 200 freestyle relay foursome of Elliot, Amis, Kang and Alexander was second to Torrance by seven hundredths of a second in 1:39.50. For the frosh/soph boys, Matthew Hammer was fourth in the 100 breaststroke (1:02.27), fellow sophomore Andrew Hacker was third in the 200 freestyle (1:57.89), sophomore Sid Prabhu was seventh in the 100 butterfly (1:07.04) and the 200 medley relay of Hammer, Anthony Pronichenko, Henry Siegel and Alistair Whatley was seventh in 1:59.45. The girls’ varsity team remains focused on its primary mission. “Hopefully by [City] finals some of our faster frosh/soph swimmers will move up to varsity to give us the depth we need to win,” Pascoe said. “It would be great to win City this year as a senior and reclaim our title from Cleveland, which beat us last year.” sports@palipost.com