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Barry Levine, 64; Realtor, Entrepreneur, Family Man

Barry Levine, a 27-year resident of Pacific Palisades, died on September 27. He was 64.   Born in Boston on June 13, 1945, Barry quickly developed a magnetic personality. He was the most committed and generous son and brother, and he played a major role in raising his little sister.   After moving to California in 1979, Barry established Barry’s Deli in Marina del Rey. Three years later he moved to Pacific Palisades and started a career in real estate. He was also an entrepreneur, starting and selling several businesses in his lifetime.   Barry was a loving husband and devoted father and brother. He coached his kids’ AYSO soccer teams, encouraged them in their academic studies and guided them in life. While his home was in Southern California, Barry never forgot his Boston roots and was thrilled in recent years to cheer on the city’s successful sports franchises’the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox.   An enthusiastic man who was full of personality, whether in his working life or his personal time, Barry was motivated by one thing: the family he loved and who loved him. His family was his life.   He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Corey; his daughters Julie Beiser (husband Jonathan), Jaclyn, Jennifer, Jessica and Jamie; his son Jeremy; two grandchildren; his sister Ronna (husband Edward); and his nephew, David Fisher.   Private services will be Friday at Mount Sinai in Hollywood.

More Than Just Horseplay

Polo Season Ends Sunday with Annual Chamber of Commerce Tournament

Manny Ramos cools off Mistress, a 10-year-old mare owned and ridden by Will Rogers Polo Club President Andrew Bossum.
Manny Ramos cools off Mistress, a 10-year-old mare owned and ridden by Will Rogers Polo Club President Andrew Bossum.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

It is often referred to as the ‘Sport of Kings,’ the most ancient of games with a stick and ball that dates back to Persia more than 2,500 years ago. We know it as polo, and although the modern version is attributed to the British, it can be traced to Manipur, India, where it was called Pulu (ball). The only polo field left in Los Angeles is at Will Rogers State Historic Park. ‘Winston Churchill once said that a polo handicap is your passport to the world,’ said Felice Densa, general manager and executive director of the Will Rogers Polo Club, where the Hector Sustaita Memorial Tournament was held for the seventh time last weekend. ‘Everyone brings their own horses. They’re very expensive and extremely well-trained.’ Tournament play began back in May and last weekend’s event was named after the prominent heart surgeon who suffered a fatal heart attack while playing polo at Will Rogers in 2002. Most of his family, including his widow Clara and daughter Marina, attended. Densa, who began playing here in the early 1980s, retired two years ago. She has managed the Club for the past six years. Prior to that she served as its game coordinator. Started in 1953 by the legendary C.D. LeBlanc, Will Rogers is the 13th oldest polo club in the United States and hosts charity matches, fundraisers and private functions. It received 501(c)(3) classification last year. Polo matches consist of four to six chukkers (quarters), each seven-and-a- half minutes long. Regulation fields are 300 yards long by 160 yards wide (Will Rogers is slightly shorter and narrower) and have goal posts at either end, through which the ball must be hit (either on the ground or in the air) to score a goal. ‘A guy told me that polo is the most fun you can have with your clothes on’and he was right,’ said Lesa Slaughter, who played in Sunday morning’s practice match. ‘In this sport, women can play alongside men because the horse is the big equalizer. It’s not necessarily brute force. Part of it is horsemanship, part of it is the horse. A slow person on a fast horse can still win.’ Slaughter, who lives in Woodland Hills, used to be a Hunter jumper but has been playing polo for over eight years, ever since graduating from law school. ‘Once I tried it I was hooked,’ she said. ‘It’s fast, exhilarating, and the best thing is that you are part of a team. The positions are interchangeable and constantly overlapping.’ Teams consist of four players, designated by numbers. No. 1 is an offensive player, No. 2 is the offensive midfielder, No. 3 is the pivot (both offense and defense, typically the highest-rated player) and No. 4 is the defensive back. Each player is expected to mark his or her numerical opposite. So a No. 1 guards the other team’s No. 1, a No. 2 guards the other team’s No. 2 and so forth. One of Will Rogers’ best resident pros is Ernie Darquea, who not only plays but manages many of the players’ horses, which are transported by trailer from the San Fernando Valley or Moorpark to Will Rogers for games. Horses, like people, need years of practice. ‘You can start them at three years old getting used to the mallet and riding in traffic,’ said Darquea, who lives in Lake View Terrace. ‘Horses don’t like other horses coming at them. They don’t like bumping into each other. They’re used to a certain pecking order in a herd, and it can take a few years for them to get over those instincts.’ Training consists of trotting a horse for half an hour every day and riding it once or twice a week. Horses are replaced after every chukker, although some have enough stamina to last two. Darquea likened the rules of polo to those of driving: ‘The idea is to prevent collisions. Whoever has the right of way has the advantage and right of way is determined by the line of the ball. You can’t cut another rider off or come at them head-on or else it’s a foul.’ Players’ equipment includes helmets, gloves, leg guards, goggles (optional) and, of course, mallets, which range in length from 49 to 54 inches depending on a horse’s height. Like their riders, horses wear protective gear during games’mainly bandages or boots and tendon guards to protect their legs. Manes are shaved and tails are tied or ‘braided’ so mallets won’t get caught in them when swung. ‘It usually takes five to 10 minutes to get a horse ready,’ Darquea said while using tape to braid 12-year-old Dexter, an Argentine thoroughbred he bred and raised himself. Serving as referee for Sunday’s final was Will Rogers’ own Ardeshir Radpour, former captain of the USC men’s polo team and head coach since 2000. Before that, he spent five years in the uniform of Tommy Trojan, galloping Traveler (the team mascot) up and down the sidelines after every USC touchdown. Radpour played in Sunday’s consolation game, leading Malibu to victory over Beverly Hills. Atop the clubhouse roof calling the play-by-play action for all three matches, as he has for 15 years now, was sports announcer Al Epstein, who confessed he had next to no knowledge of the sport prior to landing the gig at Will Rogers: ‘I had a Ralph Lauren shirt in my closet’that’s about all I knew. When I showed up, I didn’t have a roster. I didn’t have anything. I just started describing the action, and I guess they liked me because I was hired.’ Epstein is also the official timekeeper (he keeps a digital clock next to the microphone) and scorekeeper, hanging hand-painted wooden tiles on a makeshift scoreboard whenever a goal is scored. Will Rogers Polo Club President Andrew Bossum rode for Beverly Hills in the consolation game and showed why he is a rated player. He has been playing at Will Rogers since 1992 and has ridden horses since the age of 4. ‘Our main objective is to raise money for charities, so I help organize that and try to attract players here,’ said Bossum, who lives in Bette Davis’ old house in Burbank, near the L.A. Equestrian Center. ‘It’s been a lot of fun, and the best part is, I still get to play.’ Hard at work in the saddling area below the field last Sunday was Manny Ramos, who watered down the horses to keep them cool on a hot afternoon. One of the mounts under his care was Bossum’s 10-year-old mare Mistress, who won several awards as best polo pony this summer at Will Rogers. The championship match pitted Darquea’s green-clad Santa Monica four against blue-attired Palisades, captained by another of Will Rogers’ highest-rated pros, Domingo Questel. Momentum swung back and fourth until Darquea scored in the waning seconds to tie the score. After Darquea and Questel traded goals in the shootout, Chuck Stanislawski made the decisive penalty shot from 40 yards out to win the game for Santa Monica. The 2009 season concludes this Sunday with the 17th annual Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce tournament. The consolation match starts at 10 a.m., followed by the championship match at noon. It is free to the public (except for a $12 parking fee) and Densa expects a good turnout. ‘Watching up close, you really appreciate the beauty and athleticism of the horses,’ she said. ‘They learn just like we do and the more they do it the better they get at stopping, starting, accelerating and turning. It’s a very exciting sport to watch and an even more exciting sport to play.’

Neenan Ushers in 25 Years at St. Matthew’s

Music at St. Matthew's Director/Conductor Tom Neenan.
Music at St. Matthew’s Director/Conductor Tom Neenan.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

When Music Director/Conductor Tom Neenan plans a new season of concerts for the Chamber Music Orchestra at St. Matthew’s, there are many considerations beyond choosing from the wealth of music written for chamber orchestras. Were that the only consideration, Neenan would be facing an embarrassment of riches. But he has to keep an eye on the budget, listen to his audiences’ preferences and provide continuing challenges for his musicians. The 2009-10 season, which opens with music by Mozart, Haydn and Honegger on Friday, October 9, exhibits Neenan’s masterful creativity in producing a series that meets these myriad requirements. ‘In May or June, I sit down with my concert master Yi-Huan Zhao and our contractor Patricia Massey, who is also principal clarinetist, to talk about the season coming up,’ Neenan says. ‘We consider personnel and music we may want to substitute for what I have planned.’ The orchestra, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season, is made up of professional musicians, many of whom have been together for 20 years. Neenan formed the orchestra in 1984 with his wife, Robin, who is the principal cellist, and composer/musician Maria Newman. ‘Part of it is pure budgeting. I have to figure out how many concerts we can afford with the full orchestra that feature most of the players. We typically have an opening piece, a concerto and a longer piece. ‘This year it was obvious to us that we would have a couple of full orchestra concerts but more programs that feature smaller ensembles.’ Neenan felt encouraged with this idea after having a conversation with St. Matthew’s Music Guild President Fred Doering. ‘We talked about doing music with choir, organ or small brass and string groups,’ Neenan says. Three programs from this year’s series will offer ensembles featuring a range of music, from Beethoven’s ‘Serenade for String Trio’ to Judith Weir’s 1984 ‘The Bagpiper’s Trio.’ Following the tradition of including guest artists and ensembles, the Catgut Trio will perform with violinist Zhao in February, and the Concord Ensemble returns in April for a program of polychoral masterpieces by Monteverdi and Gabrieli, plus music by Stravinsky and P’rt. Unlike past years, this season will lack a commissioned work, reflecting the uncertain economy. But Neenan enjoys the trust that both the players and audience have in him. ‘The orchestra expects me to give them music that is interesting to play rather than the same old music. I have developed a trust with the members of the orchestra that they’ll delve into it and embrace it and perform it really well even if it’s new and requires more work.’ Neenan is particularly pleased with the concert scheduled for March 26, co-sponsored by Villa Aurora. The program is built around music using 13 musicians rather than the full 35-member chamber orchestra and features three composers: Hanns Eisler, Aaron Copland and Arnold Schoenberg.   Eisler, a German ‘migr’, was the first of Schoenberg’s disciples, whose music became more popular in style with influences from jazz and cabaret. His collaborations with Bertolt Brecht included music for the playwright’s works as well as protest songs. After fleeing Germany in 1933, Eisler sought refuge in the United States, moving to Los Angeles, where he composed several Hollywood film scores. The Eisler’s piece will be a collection of several brief cantatas for solo voice and chamber ensemble. They include pieces about subjects as varied as white bread, the Sputnik, and impressions upon seeing a religious painting. It uses 13 players, which matches the instrumentation Copland used in the original ‘Applachian Spring,’ and Schoenberg’s ‘Prelude to the Afternoon of a Fawn,’ also arranged for a small ensemble The Holiday concert on December 4 will bring a joyous crescendo to the year’s end, featuring brass and string ensembles from the orchestra, the Choir of St. Matthew’s Parish and organist Roger Daggy playing solo music by Mozart, Schubert and Liszt. A special evening with pianist Andrew von Oeyen in recital is planned for November 13. Von Oeyen, who grew up in Malibu, first performed at St. Matthew’s when he was just 15. Since then he has established a reputation as a soloist and chamber musician. During the 2009-10 season, he will tour Japan with the Berliner Symphoniker Orchestra and violinist Sarah Chang. His program at St. Matthew’s will feature Mozart, Schubert and Liszt. Looking over his career with the chamber orchestra, Neenan is proud of the growth in both subscriptions and the budget, and the orchestra’s standing in the community. ‘People in L.A. know about us,’ he says. ‘Our reputation for interesting programs is well known; I get frequent requests from composers to debut their work.’ Even with a 30-percent drop in subscription income, Neenan says the community rallied and contributed to a special fundraiser allowing for the 2008-09 season to include eight programs, ‘with a little bit of editing.’ This year’s series will comprise seven concerts. ‘A lot of people have been supporting this orchestra from the beginning,’ Neenan says. ‘I tell our audience how impressed I am with them because they come. Last June, we premiered Tarik O’ Regan’s ‘The Eyes of the Stars,’ based on the poem of the same name by Anglo-Irish poet Edward Thomas. Although it was new to the audience, they loved it because they have developed a level of trust with me and the orchestra.’ o o o The Music at St. Matthew’s season begins on October 9 at 8 p.m. at St. Matthew’s, 1031 Bienvenida. Four long-time principal wind players (Phil Feather, oboe; Patricia Massey, clarinet; David Sarachene, bassoon; and Teag Reeves, horn) will be featured in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Winds. Swiss composer Arthur Honegger’s Pastorale d”t’ and Haydn’s valedictory Symphony No. 104 (‘London’) will also be presented. For series information, call 310-573-7787, ext. 127 or visit stmatthews.com/musicguild. Individual tickets are $35 at the door.

Pathologist Talks on Garden Pests

Dr. Jerry Turney, plant pathologist for L. A. County, will address members and guests of the Palisades Garden Club on Monday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Ave. With the continuing problem of Citrus disease, Turney will discuss the history and current status of the major citrus diseases in the state, Other blights he has studied include the oleander leaf scorch, which is caused by the glassy-winged sharpshooter, and is fatal. He may even talk about the causes of the disappointing tomato crop this hit locally and nationwide. The fungus started in nurseries in the South, where the plants were sprouted before being shipped and sold at nurseries across the country.   Turney received his B. S. degree in botany from Cal Poly and his Ph.D. in plant pathology from the UC Riverside. He has served as the curator of the camellia gardens at the Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens, a research horticulturist at the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and is currently the plant pathologist for the Department of Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures for the County of Los Angeles.   In addition, Turney was formerly a licensed landscape contractor, and is currently a licensed agricultural pest control advisor and an ISA certified arborist. His primary fields of expertise are plant pathology, mycology and arboriculture. Born in Redlands, Turney currently lives in South Pasadena. His leisure time interests include basketball, fly fishing, canoeing and backpacking.

Neighborhood Chef Steve Mindel to Sign Book Oct. 4

Steve Mindel and son Jake in the kitchen. Mindel estimates the family has spent more than 200 hours putting together the book “Cooking for Our Friends.”
Photo by

Attorney Steve Mindel is a managing partner at Fienberg, Mindel, Brandt & Klein. He mentors USC law school graduates, sits on the advisory board for a family law legal clinic, is a past co-president of University Synagogue, has earned his black belt in Tae Kwon Do and has refereed for AYSO Region 69. But to his Pacific Palisades neighbors, he is known as the king of the kitchen, the ‘Grenola loop’ chef. (The streets off Las Cases south of Sunset constitute the loop.) Every year his family hosts five to six large dinner parties and Mindel does the cooking. Mindel, with the help of wife Nancy and sons Sam, 16, and Jake 13, has just published his first book, ‘Cooking for Our Friends.’ He will sign and talk about his book at Village Books on October 4. He also promises to bring some of the appetizers he discusses in his book from 4 to 6 p.m. ‘About 10 years ago, Sam and I decided that we should have a family cookbook and document all our family recipes so we wouldn’t lose them,’ said Mindel, who started storing the dinner menus and recipes from different parties, which ranged from 30 to 300 people. At those events, Mindel masterminded and cooked everything from appetizers and salads to main courses and desserts. As Mindel pondered what to do for his 50th birthday, Sam suggested putting together a cookbook that could be given to guests at the party. Mindel agreed and pulled the family in. His sons took photos and arranged them on the page and his wife served as copy editor. ‘The cookbook was a good idea because it drew us even closer to each other by having us recall all of the joyous times we have had in the kitchen together,’ Jake said. ‘I took some of the photographs, helped make the food look appetizing for the photographs and assisted in the cooking. The difficult part was putting the finishing touches on the book.’ The first half of the book lists the party and the menu, and on the opposing page, photos of the event are shown, including holidays such as Thanksgiving, Passover, Hanukkah, New Year’s and Fourth of July. There are also celebratory dinners for his law firm, the University Synagogue Pillar Dinner, and a fundraiser for John Kerry, where Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa sampled Mindel’s barbecued tri-tip roast, penne rigate with a pesto sauce, barbecued sausage and grilled vegetables. For that party Mindel, planned and cooked for 300 people, and, for his sons’ bar mitzvahs, he cooked for 200. The second part of the book contains the recipes along with photos of what the food should look like as its being prepared. ‘It’s how guys cook,’ Mindel said. ‘It’s more like a shop manual, with lots of pictures and few words, because that’s how we do it. Here’s the meat, here’s what it looks like after it’s browned.’ The section also provides tips such as having barbecued ribs sit in the refrigerator overnight, covered with a dry rub, before cooking and how to reheat food before serving it. Mindel guesses he has been cooking since he was seven or eight, following an accident in which his mother fractured her back. ‘She was the executive chef, I was the sous chef,’ said Mindel, who grew up in Fowler, California. Mindel continued cooking until he left home at 18 to attend UCLA. In college and during law school, he loved to cook for friends and neighbors.   Mindel is already planning his second book about the nitty-gritty of cooking for a big party, including how to figure preparation time, the quantities to order and prepare, and how much staff you’ll need. ‘My ultimate goal is to self-publish three cookbooks and then take it to a publisher for a wider distribution,’ Mindel said.

Thursday, October 1 – Thursday, October 8

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1

Community briefing on the Temescal Canyon Park Stormwater Project, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Palisades Charter High School’s Back to School Night, 6:15 to 9 p.m., including a book fair in the library starting at 5:15 p.m. La Strada International Deli will sell dinner entrees for $5 each and donate $1 from every sale to the PTSA. Information: Debra Meiers at dsm.emailaddress@verizon.net. Two Conscious Parenting experts present ‘Little Soul Productions: Self-Esteem,’ a parent/child DVD with a hearty story, music and animation, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2

Paula La Brot reads her children’s book ‘Ben’s Blimp in China’ 6:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. All the baby pandas in China have mysteriously disappeared and children learn geography while rescuing the bears. La Brot, a Topanga resident, received her master’s degree from Pepperdine University. Theatre Palisades presents Larry Shue’s ‘The Nerd,’ 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The character-driven farce centers on a dinner party interrupted and brought down by the titular houseguest from hell. Performances continue Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through October 11.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3

The Palisades-Malibu YMCA Pumpkin Patch opens at Simon Meadow, corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard. The Patch will be open weekdays 3 to 7 p.m., and weekends 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4

Pacific Palisades attorney Steve Mindel discusses and signs his cookbook, ‘Cooking for Our Friends,’ 4 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. (See story, page 12.)

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5

Catherine Mullally, executive director of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, will talk about breast health in Los Angeles County, 6:30 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. ‘The Face in the Mirror: Writers Reflect on Their Dreams of Youth and the Reality of Age’ features reflective essays from 20 celebrated authors who explore the person they wanted to be and the person they are today. Contributors present at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books will include Aviva Layton, Aimee Liu, Leon Whiteson, Jane Ganahl, Barbara Abercromie and Victoria Zackheim. Dr. Jerry Turney, plant pathologist for L. A. County, will address members and guests of the Palisades Garden Club, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Ave. (See story, page 13.)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8

Mark Frost, a novelist, television/film writer, director and executive producer, will sign his latest book, ‘The Game Six: Cincinnati, Boston and the 1975 World Series: The Triumph of America’s Pastime,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Frost conducted interviews with nearly all the players involved (as well as fans, sportscasters, and historians) to recreate what many consider to be the most exciting baseball game ever played. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The early agenda includes a discussion of Los Angeles Unified School District’s plans to sell .027 acres of land on Temescal Canyon Road across from where the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center is being built at Palisades Charter High School. The public is invited.

Vikings Still Rule the Beach

PaliHi Football Loses Sixth Straight to Santa Monica, 35-0, in Rivalry Game

Preon Morgan made his first start at quarterback on Friday, running for 86 yards and throwing for 51 yards in a 35-0 loss to Santa Monica.
Preon Morgan made his first start at quarterback on Friday, running for 86 yards and throwing for 51 yards in a 35-0 loss to Santa Monica.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Watching Palisades High players walk off the field at Santa Monica College last Friday night, one would not have guessed they had just lost the “Battle by the Beach,” 35-0. Yes, Palisades suffered another blowout–its sixth in a row at the hands of its crosstown rival. Yet the feeling on the sidelines afterward was far different than the one that existed following the season-opening loss at Hollywood. That’s because, over the course of 48 minutes, the Dolphins had made strides towards becoming the team Head Coach Kelly Loftus and Offensive Coordinator Kris Hawkes envisioned it could. “It’s a learning curve and we showed some improvement tonight,” Hawkes said. “However, we have a long way to go. We still don’t have 11 minds out there working together. The bottom line is we’re not going to win if we put up zero points.” No, the Dolphins didn’t score, but they had several sustained drives against perhaps the toughest opponent on the schedule. If not for a costly penalty and a fumble deep in Vikings territory late in the second quarter, the score might have been closer than 21-0 at halftime. Making his first start after sitting out Palisades’ first game with an ankle strain, senior quarterback Preon Morgan offered glimpses of what fans should expect to see at Stadium by the Sea this season. He made several electrifying runs and finished with 86 yards in 11 carries and nine pass completions for 51 yards. “In the beginning, I felt a little slow,” said Morgan, who had only a couple of days to practice before his first start under center. “I had the ankle taped up pretty good so that wasn’t a problem.” Morgan and his receivers were not in sync at times, a detail the quarterback hopes to fix in the Dolphins’ home opener tomorrow against Lynwood. “My play recognition needs to get better and we need to adjust some of our routs and we’ll be fine,” said Morgan, who was told he would start earlier that day. “This is only my first week of practice so it’s only going to get better.” Loftus said the thing his team needs to improve the most is the running game. Malcolm Creer gained 43 yards in 12 carries and Kemonta Reed added 15 yards in five carries against the Vikings. Loftus said his backs must do a better job finding the holes: “We need to get more explosion coming through the line.” Ben Ingram had four receptions for 13 yards, Kevin Mann caught three passes for 26 yards, Creer caught one pass for 11 yards and Paul Logan had one catch for five yards. Brandon Taylor rushed for 113 yards in 13 carries and scored all three of the Vikings’ touchdowns in the first half. Palisades’ defense held Santa Monica at bay for most of the last three quarters, except for a 40-yard touchdown pass from Garrett Safron in the third quarter and Shane Jones’ three-yard run with 2:13 left in the game’a touchdown set up by a botched snap that Palisades punter Alex Anastasi was forced to fall on at the Dolphins’ 5-yard line. Climaco led the way with seven tackles, Samuel Robertson, Tommy Brown and Aaron Ussery each had six, Neko Holmes and Kolmus Iheuhacho both had five and Jeremy Smith, Hakeem Jawanza, Devyn Vatete-Reyes, Marquice Shokir, Roman Thomas and William Goldberg made four tackles apiece. One positive was that the Dolphins, who were flagged 10 times for 120 yards against Hollywood, committed only three penalties for 30 yards against Santa Monica. “The key is to improve each game and be firing on all cylinders by the time league rolls around,” Hawkes told his troops. “We have to have a great week of practice.” Santa Monica got the better of its beach rival for the sixth straight time–matching the streak it had from 1984-89–and has won the last four meetings by 35, 35, 36 and 35 points. Palisades’ last win over the Vikings was a 16-12 victory in 2003 under coach Jason Blatt. The Dolphins’ largest margin of victory was 22 points–a 61-37 blowout under coach Ron Price in 1999. “We can build on what we did tonight,” Loftus said. “We played well in spurts, now we just have to be able to finish drives and get points in the red zone.” With its victory last Friday, Santa Monica improved to 16-6-2 against Palisades. Below is a year-by-year look at the rivalry: 2009 Santa Monica 35, Palisades 0 2008 Santa Monica 42, Palisades 6 2007 Santa Monica 35, Palisades 0 2006 Santa Monica 42, Palisades 7 2005 Santa Monica 24, Palisades 14 2004 Santa Monica 20, Palisades 7 2003 Palisades 16, Santa Monica 2 2002 Santa Monica 20, Palisades 9 1999 Palisades 61, Santa Monica 37 1998 Palisades 23, Santa Monica 21 1997 Palisades 15, Santa Monica 13 1996 Santa Monica 35, Palisades 28 1990 Palisades 0, Santa Monica 0 1989 Santa Monica 24, Palisades 8 1988 Santa Monica 21, Palisades 0 1987 Santa Monica 48, Palisades 42 1986 Santa Monica 32, Palisades 0 1985 Santa Monica 34, Palisades 6 1984 Santa Monica 28, Palisades 7 1983 Palisades 26, Santa Monica 13 1982 Santa Monica 21, Palisades 0 1981 Palisades 14, Santa Monica 14 1980 Palisades 21, Santa Monica 15 1979 Santa Monica 24, Palisades 15

Frosh/Soph Blanks SaMo

Frosh/soph players raise their helmets after a rousing 36-0 victory over Santa Monica last Thursday afternoon. Photo: Michele Lynch
Frosh/soph players raise their helmets after a rousing 36-0 victory over Santa Monica last Thursday afternoon. Photo: Michele Lynch
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Palisades High’s frosh/soph football team showed that the future of the program is bright, shutting out host Santa Monica, 36-0, last Thursday afternoon. The lopsided win was the Dolphins’ second under first-year coach Ray Marsden. The balanced attack was evident from the start as quarterback Nathan Dodson found tight end Dylan Helberg for a 15-yard touchdown. Hand-offs to Max Smith and Ricky Lynch resulted in 1-yard and 12-yard scoring runs. Gio Falcon handed off to Caelen Ryan, who took it 40 yards for the game’s final touchdown. Lynch, who scored Palisades’ first points of the season last week against Hollywood, kicked three extra points with Dodson holding. Not only did Palisades’ defense keep the Vikings off the scoreboard, it also produced points of its own. Willie Anderson’s tackle in the end zone led to a safety. Then, late in the game, Smith intercepted a pass and returned it 60 yards for the Dolphins’ fourth touchdown. The Dolphins have outscored the opposition 63-6 in their first two games. “We [coaches] were very pleased with the whole team’s effort today,” Marsden said. “We’re beginning to see what these young men are capable of and we’re looking forward to the Lynwood game next week.”

Palisades Tennis Serves Notice

Sophomore Jessie Corneli lines up a forehand during Palisades' intersectional tennis match at Beverly Hills last Thursday.
Sophomore Jessie Corneli lines up a forehand during Palisades’ intersectional tennis match at Beverly Hills last Thursday.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Coach Sean Passan figured the Palisades High girls’ tennis team would take its lumps early in the season and that’s just what happened to the Dolphins in back-to-back intersectional matches against CIF powers Beverly Hills and Mira Costa last week. Passan, in his second year since taking over for longtime coach Bud Kling, has an inexperienced but talented squad which he hopes to mold into a championship contender by season’s end. “More than anything those first two matches showed the girls that there is high caliber tennis out there and that’s the level I expect,” Passan said. “I want them to set goals, try to achieve them and have fun, win or lose.” Playing 18 sets under the round robin scoring used by the Southern Section, Palisades fell to Beverly Hills last Thursday. Technically, it was only a practice match for Palisades so Passan didn’t keep score, but he said the host Normans were the overall winners even though Palisades took a majority of the doubles sets. “Both of us [coaches] were subbing players in and out,” Passan said. “I’m trying to get a feel for who likes playing where. Our lineup isn’t set by any means but I have some ideas for certain players.” Against Mira Costa in Manhattan Beach, score was kept and the Mustangs came away with a 17-1 victory. “They enjoy matches like this because they get a chance to test themselves against better players,” Passan said. “That’s valuable experience for a team as young as ours.” Sophomore Jessie Corneli played No. 1 singles in both matches and was happy to get tough matches in before the start of Western League play. “I didn’t win any sets but I got some games,” said Corneli, who lives in Inglewood but has always gone to school in Pacific Palisades–first at Marquez Elementary, then at Paul Revere Middle School and now at PaliHi. “We’ve got it under control now. I think we have pretty strong singles and while we don’t have a lot of experience we have the potential to be really good.” Corneli said she prefers the City Section’s straight-up, best two-out-of-three set format, where No. 1 plays No. 1, No. 2 plays No. 2 and so on down. The first team to seven points wins the match. “I prefer that because it’s easier to just play one girl, instead of trying to figure a different player out every set,” said Corneli, the only Palisades player to participate in the All-City Individuals last season, reaching the second round of singles. “The key right now is taking it one match at a time. Just focus on winning each match. If we do that we’ll make the playoffs.” West Valley League rivals Granada Hills and Taft are two of the favorites for the City title. Palisades and Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies are the favorites in the Western League, although Passan admitted he knows very little about several of the teams: “The University coach is now the LACES coach, Hamilton lost everyone except its best player, we lost almost everybody and the same goes with Venice.” After spirited tryouts, Passan narrowed the squad down to 30 players. The last couple of varsity spots are being contested by a handful of players. Sophomore Perri Zaret, senior Elizabeth Silvers and sophomore Sumayyah Shabazz will join Corneli in singles, while junior Saba Youssefzadeh and sophomore Alice Musher will challenge for positions too. Varsity captain Dalia Shamsian will play doubles along with senior Ashley Navas and juniors Malina Loehrer, Pamela Soffer, Katie Takakjian and Phoebe Driscoll. Sophomore Emily Wettleson will captain the junior varsity, which includes senior Yuliana Baskina, juniors Brindly Yermian, Charlotte Farrant, Regina Doland, Madi Bisharat and Shadi Amerieh, sophomores Elle Nakamura and Leslie Ramos and freshmen Jenny Chang, Sara Freedland, Annie Gingold, Julie Levitan, Katherine Pfannkuche and Melody Wilkenfeld. “Our whole focus right now is on Hamilton,” Passan said during Monday’s practice at the Palisades Recreation Center. “We want to start league off on the right foot.” Palisades beat host Hamilton on Wednesday, hosts Westchester in a league match at 2:30 p.m. today and plays University at Stoner Park next Tuesday. The Dolphins lost to Taft in the City quarterfinals last fall.

Spikers Swept by San Pedro

Sophomore opposite hitter Meghan Middleton and the Palisades High girls
Sophomore opposite hitter Meghan Middleton and the Palisades High girls
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

What a difference a year makes. Last fall, Palisades opened its season with a three-game sweep over San Pedro. Last Thursday, the Pirates returned the favor, making short work of the Dolphins, 25-21, 25-17, 25-14, in the first match for both schools. Marisa Bubica, Ana Maricic, Joleah Gordon and Andrea Weischedel each had eight kills for San Pedro, which made an early statement that it will be a strong contender for the City Section title come November. Freshman outside hitter Molly Kornfiend got her prep career off to a rousing start, leading the Dolphins with a team-best nine kills and adding four digs. Senior middle blocker Hannah Fagerbakke had two kills, junior outside hitter Kasey Janousek had two aces, senior libero Tait Johnson had 13 digs and senior setter Lauren Gustafson had 21 assists and four digs. Senior Emily Cristiano added six kills and four digs and freshman outside hitter Kaitlin Kaufman had three kills. Palisades went undefeated against City opponents on its way to a second consecutive section title last fall, but that team was led by City Player of the Year and Palisadian-Post Cup winner Laura Goldsmith, who is now starting at Colorado College. Her younger sister Zoe is a junior opposite hitter on this year’s team. Palisades opened Western League play with a sweep at Hamilton on Wednesday and hosts Westchester today at 4 p.m. The JV match will be at 2:30 p.m. On Friday, the Dolphins travel south for the two-day La Jolla Beach Invitational–a chance to get valuable experience at their first tournament of the season. Cross Country The Palisades High cross country team opens its season this afternoon in a nonleague meet against Canoga Park at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. Races start at 2:30 p.m. and consist of boys’ and girls’ frosh/soph, junior varsity and varsity events. Western League competition begins next Thursday, October 1, with a dual meet against University, also at Pierce College. The regular season concludes with a dual meet against archrival Venice on October 29.