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Overtime Doesn’t Pay

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Palisades sophomore Nicole Flyer maneuvers for a shot against LACES in Friday's Western League contest. The Dolphins lost in overtime.
Palisades sophomore Nicole Flyer maneuvers for a shot against LACES in Friday’s Western League contest. The Dolphins lost in overtime.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Fifteen minutes after the game was over Palisades High girls basketball coach Torino Johnson was still struggling to put into words what had happened. His Dolphins were seemingly in control with possession of the ball and a 10-point lead with four minutes to go in last Wednesday’s Western League game against LACES. Then it all went horribly wrong. The Unicorns closed the fourth quarter on a 10-0 run to force overtime, then outscored Palisades 8-1 on its home court to win, 53-46, dropping the Dolphins to 1-2 in league and 11-6 overall. “Tonight was an indication of where we can go and where we should be,” Johnson said, scratching his head in bewilderment. “This is sort of uncharted territory for us.” LACES entered the game 0-2 in league but Torino claimed its record is deceiving. “In my opinion they are the best team in our league,” he said. “They execute at a high level and we needed to prove that’s where we are.” The Unicorns employed a collapsing defense to keep Palisades’ leading scorer Dominique Scott (16.3 points, 11.5 rebounds per game) in check. When Johnson called a timeout after LACES pulled to within a basket late in the fourth quarter, Dolphins players trudged off the court with heads down, hands on hips. “The body language was no good,” Johnson said. “We looked like a defeated team out there even though we were still winning.” Eight league games remained heading into Wednesday’s contest at Westchester (result undetermined at press time) so the Dolphins’ season is far from over, but Johnson hopes he can right the ship before it’s too late. “Last year we might’ve had better talent but I think we have a better team this year,” he said. “We just aren’t playing to our potential right now. The girls just have to believe in themselves and what they can do collectively.” Boys Basketball Poor shooting was the main reason for Palisades’ 71-66 home loss to University last Wednesday. The Dolphins were just 20 of 65 from the field and missed their first eight attempts of the fourth quarter, enabling the Wildcats to surge back ahead after Palisades went on a 23-9 run in the third quarter to take its first lead. Aaron Fitts scored 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Garrett Nevels added 16 points for the Dolphins (13-7, 2-1), who rebounded from their second loss to the Wildcats (the first was by three points at the San Fernando Valley Invitational) by routing host LACES 78-51 on Friday’a momentum builder heading into Wednesday’s showdown against first-place Westchester, one of the top-ranked teams in the state. Nevels led the charge with 17 points, Fitts had 12 while Rico Matheney and Adam Griffin each added 10 points and Sam Stapleton had seven assists. Girls Soccer So far the Dolphins are wreaking havoc on the Western League, having outscored their first four opponents 27-2. LACES was the latest victim, falling 6-0 last Wednesday on two goals by Natasha Burks and one apiece from Samantha Elander, Kate Rosenbaum, Meredith Kornfeind and Yasmine Tabatabai. Boys Soccer A 2-0 victory over LACES last Wednesday at Stadium by the Sea kept Palisades (4-2-1, 4-0-1) atop the Western League standings going into Tuesday afternoon’s game at Westchester, which the Dolphins won 3-1.

Riley Signs with Pali Blues

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Stanford junior and local resident Ali Riley has signed to play with her hometown Pali Blues for the upcoming season. Photo: Stanford Athletics
Stanford junior and local resident Ali Riley has signed to play with her hometown Pali Blues for the upcoming season. Photo: Stanford Athletics

The Pali Blues have yet to play a game, but the local women’s soccer club team took a major step towards defending its W-League championship last week by signing local resident Ali Riley, a junior at Stanford who started every game for New Zealand at last summer’s Beijing Olympics. Playing for her hometown team seems a perfect fit for Riley and it’s hard to tell who is more thrilled–her or Blues head coach Charlie Naimo. “We are so excited to get the ball rolling with the signing process and I can’t think of anyone better than Ali,” Naimo said. “Not only is she a great player with a world of experience, but she is a Palisadian. We had hoped to have her with us last year, however she was competing in the Olympics.” Riley has over 20 caps with the New Zealand national team and she was a member of the Football Ferns’ first World Cup side in 2007. She scored the team’s first international goal in a tune-up contest against China in July, then assisted on the first goal of the Ferns’ opening Olympic game. She showed her versatility in the fall after moving from forward to defender in her junior season at Stanford. Having already garnered many Pac-10 Conference honors, the Pacific Palisades native has high expectations for her upcoming senior year. A multiple Palisadian-Post Athlete of the Year honoree, Riley has done it all on the soccer field. She was an All-CIF player at Harvard-Westlake High and excelled for her Westside Breakers and So Cal United club teams. “I am so excited to play here in the Palisades, for my family and all of our friends who have supported me throughout the years,” Riley remarked. “Playing with such talented players will be inspirational and I’m excited to learn from them. I want to improve everyday and see what it takes to make it at the highest level. It will prepare me for my final year at Stanford and hopefully a professional career!” Riley’s signing comes on the heels of Blues General Manager Jason Lemire announcing that more players were drafted into Women’s Pro Soccer, a new league that will include a Los Angeles-based franchise called the Sol. WPS held its second draft last Friday and five more Blues players were selected for the inaugural season, upping the total to 15. “These are exciting times for us,” Lemire said. “We’ve watched half of our team get drafted after a championship, now it’s time to top it in ’09. Our staff has confidence that we will succeed in doing that. Our fans have a lot to be excited about.” Goalkeeper Val Henderson will remain in the area. The UCLA product was taken by the Sol with the 33rd overall pick. She compiled a 7-0-0 record with six shutouts and a 0.14 goals against average for the Blues last season. Defender Carrie Dew will also stay in California after being selected 12th overall by the Bay Area’s FC Gold Pride. Midfielder Brittany Klein (picked 14th overall by Chicago), goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (FC Sky Blue, 18th overall) and forward Mele French (FC Sky Blue, 60th overall) round out the players selected from the Blues. “The prevalence of Blues players in the WPS Draft reflects the quality of players our organization attracts and produces,” Lemire added. “It speaks to Charlie [Naimo] as a coach and a tradition of excellence we plan to continue here year after year.” The Blues begin their sophomore campaign in the W-League in May and will once again play their home games at Palisades High’s Stadium by the Sea.

Marvin’s Proudest Memory

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Former Coach Reflects on Palisades’ 1969 City Basketball Championship

Jerry Marvin thumbs through the official program of the '69 L.A. City Basketball Championships. In his right hand is a blue commemorative patch.
Jerry Marvin thumbs through the official program of the ’69 L.A. City Basketball Championships. In his right hand is a blue commemorative patch.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Yes, it is safe to say Jerry Marvin is still very much addicted to basketball. So much so, in fact, that he celebrated his 79th birthday last Wednesday by taking his son to the Palisades High boys’ varsity game against University. Sitting in the stands he was subtly reminded that his legacy lives on every time he happened to glance at the City Championship banner hanging on the near wall of the Palisades gym. Embroidered into its fabric are the numbers 1-9-6-9, representing the magical year when Marvin led the Dolphins to their first and only section hoops crown. “Has it really been that long?” he joked upon being told that this Sunday marks the 40th anniversary of that team’s historic victory–by far the most cherished memory in his 37 years as a high school coach. “I remember that game it was yesterday,” said Marvin, who lives at the top of Las Lomas, just a couple half-court heaves above campus. “It was very special because they were all local kids. This was before busing, before transfers. The entire community was behind us. We had a huge crowd. It seemed like the whole town was there.” Marvin was the head coach at Bell for seven years before taking over at Palisades when the school opened in 1961, partly to compete in the same league as his dad, Jerry, Sr., whom he played for at University. Little did he know it then, but Marvin would stay at Palisades until he retired in 1991, piloting the Dolphins to 29 straight playoff appearances. Even a short conversation with Marvin produces countless fascinating stories and he is happy to share a few “blasts from the past” if his favorite subject comes up. And when he talks, you listen… and learn. “Jerry is my mentor. He’s a great man and a great friend,” said current Palisades coach James Paleno, who took over for Marvin and has continued his predecessor’s winning tradition despite coaching in the City’s toughest league–one that includes perennial state powers Westchester and Fairfax. “We’re still trying to put another banner up there for him. He set such a high standard.” Palisades’ opponent on that rainy night 40 years ago was Reseda, which had dealt the Dolphins their only defeat that season. “Coach [Marvin] Lee had an excellent team led by his son Greg, who went on to play at UCLA,” Marvin recalled. “It was our last nonleague game and three of my starters had the flu. We had one or two few close calls after that but we never lost again.” The championship game proved anticlimactic. Palisades took charge from the opening tip and built a sizeable lead by halftime. “I could hear one of their players telling his coach that we were playing zone [defense], then the next timeout another player told him we were in man-to-man,” Marvin recalled. “I knew then that we had them completely confused.” Marvin made sure his team did not lose its focus in the second half and the Dolphins wound up winning 85-57–then the most lopsided margin in finals history–in front of 6,040 fans at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. “I had my subs in as early as the second quarter,” Marvin said. “I wasn’t a proponent of laying it on. Afterwards I said something like ‘You’ll remember this for the rest of your life.’ Then they took me into the shower and drenched me.” Kenny Baker poured in 30 points and Chris Marlowe added 29, completing a “dream season” in which the Dolphins finished undefeated in the Western League, then vanquished Taft, Fremont and Jefferson in the playoffs, setting up a rematch with the West Valley League champion Regents. “That was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Marvin admitted. “We were the epitome of slow white guys. We weren’t particularly fast. [Kenny] Baker was our tallest player and he was only about 6′ 4″ or so. That group really defied the odds. But actually I saw it coming two years ahead of time. I knew we’d be good if we stayed healthy but we turned out to be even better than I thought.” The game has changed immeasurably since Marvin paced the sidelines–and not necessarily for the better: “When I coached there was no ninth grade, no three-point line and no shot clock. We ran a version of the triangle offense called the ‘double post’ and we used a matching zone defense call the ‘Jitterbug.'” Marvin’s mind is still sharp as a knife and he not only has vivid memories of January 25, 1969, he can also remember every player and the role each of them had on the team. Reminiscing about the good old days before watching the Lakers-Cavaliers game on Monday night, Marvin revealed what made that championship squad so special. “Unity was the real strength of that team,” he said. “It was the best team I ever had but not the most talented. The next year we were physically better and we may have been the year before as well. But that year we put it all together. It was a special group. Every one of those kids went to college.” When it comes to the 1968-69 season, Marvin is a walking encyclopedia. Following are his recollections of all 13 players, many of whom attended the “Silver Anniversary” celebration in 1994, when the court in the main gym was officially dubbed “Marvin’s Garden”: #35 Chris Marlowe, forward: “He was the best competitor I ever had. He wanted the ball in the clutch and you always knew he?d make it. He made All-City in basketball and of course captained the 1984 Olympic volleyball team. I guess you could say he became a pretty successful broadcaster, too.” #34 Don Shaw, forward: “I nicknamed him ‘Stubby’ because he had the smallest hands in the world. But he was a deadly corner shooter. You just couldn?t sag on him and he could single-handedly break down a zone defense. He went on to coach the Stanford women’s volleyball team to the 1992 NCAA title.” #42 Kenny Baker, forward: “He was our captain and our high-post center but he could really play anywhere on the floor. He was good in the key and he was a great passer. He captained the San Diego State volleyball team to a championship in 1973.” #24 Doug King, point guard: “He was the quarterback of the offense and I believe the only kid I ever had who played three years on varsity. He was only a junior but he was like a coach out there. He never cared too much about scoring.” #23 Kris Jamtaas, forward: “He rounded out our starting lineup and he was all hustle. He was left-handed so he played on the right side and he was a defensive stopper. He was good at volleyball too and won a club title at Washington State.” #22 John LeLevier, guard: “Our second-string point guard, a very capable guy to have out there if Doug [King] needed a rest or got in foul trouble.” #21 Bruce Feingold, guard: “Highest GPA in his class. He could run the offense also. In fact, he and John [LeLevier] had been the starting guards for Coach Bud Ware?s Bee team, which was undefeated in league. They would?ve started on most of my teams.” #43 Mark Weiss, forward: “Another junior who played like a senior. Went on to play basketball at Cal Lutheran University. He married his high school sweetheart [Susie Honig]. He died of brain cancer about 10 years ago.” #31 Jay Hanseth, forward: “Best athlete on the team. Played basketball and volleyball at UC Santa Barbara. Very steady and dependable.” #40 John Berlin, center: “I remember he lived near Riviera Country Club. He was our second-string center. Moved to Pebble Beach where he worked in public relations. Big force on the boards.” #41 Jeff Jacobs, center: “He was another of the three pivot men I had coming off the bench. He was basically our third-string center behind Don [Shaw] and John [Berlin]. Great rebounder. Was an All-American volleyball player at UCLA.” #33 Kelly Broom, forward: “Fourth junior on the team. He played behind Don [Shaw] in the corner. Also played on the Santa Monica College championship team in 1971. As I recall he was a beach volleyball player too.” #30 Ron Cox, center: “Ronnie’s biggest claim to fame was he was a great surfer. Honestly, that’s what I remember most about him. But he came back from Australia to attend my retirement party which I appreciated.”

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 15, 2009

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FURNISHED HOMES 2

PICTURE PERFECT LEASE, Huntington Palisades. Beautifully decorated 3 bd, 3 ba, LR w/ FP, FR w/ FP, FDR, den, lovely garden, pool. Furn or unfurn at $14,500/mo. Contact Dolly Neimann, (310) 230-3706

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

$4,250/MO. 3 BDRM, 2 bath+den house with fpl & white picket fence, close to village, hardwood floors, newer appliances, garage, lovely garden with paid gardener. Pets welcome. (310) 454-9840

RANCH STYLE 2 bd, 1 ba w/ oak floors, formal DR, lg LR, w/ wood frpl., Kit w/ deck. Brick patio. Hk-ups, gardener included. Huge fenced property allows rec veh parking. $3,600/mo. (310) 454-1575

EL MEDIO BLUFFS, Quiet studio guest house with full bath & walk-in closet. Separate entrance, mountain views, no smoking, no pets, ktchnt, H/AC included. $1,500/mo. Call (310) 230-1921

MARQUEZ: 3 BR+2 BA, great room w/ open beamed ceiling, Country kitchen & designer baths, new AC, patios & Zen Garden for entertaining. $5,250/mo. (310) 502-3665

RUSTIC CANYON CRAFTSMAN CHARMER with 3 bd, 3.5 ba, great room with river rock FP, & cathedral ceilings. Huge porch & large yard. $7,000/mo. Call Dolly at (310) 230-3706

ALPHABET STREET HOUSE, walk to village: 2 bd, 1 ba, LR w/wood frpl, formal DR, kit w/ bkfast area, den opens on patio and garden; gardener incl. No dogs. $3,500/mo. (818) 458-0712

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

BEAUTIFUL 2 BD + 2 BA * $2,695/mo. Small pet ok with deposit. Quiet building, new carpet, marble floors, crown molding, gas fireplace & appliances. Walk to village and beach. With 1 month free rent. Call (310) 454-2024

LARGE 1 BDRM, 1ST FLOOR, pool, Sunset & Temescal, small bldg, patio, quiet back unit, 2 car parking spot/tandem. Walk to beach & Village. Call (310) 999-4425

UNFURNISHED APT. $3,600/MO. Unique find in Mediterranean triplex. Large upper unit, 2 bd + bonus room, 1 bath. Plantation shutters, fireplace, ceiling fan, balcony, garden, garage, light & airy. 1 yr lease. No pets, N/S. (310) 804-3142

HOLYOKE BLUFFS: Newly redone large studio. Top-of-the-line full kitchen w/ granite & stainless appls. Full bath. Design décor. Charming patio, separate entrance. Tranquil location. Laundry facilities, utilities, HD cable included. Unique setting. Single occupant. No pets. Refs. 6 mo. Lease. $1,890/mo. w/ dep. (310) 454-3806

CONDOS, TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d

GEM IN THE PALISADES, 2 bdrm, 2½ ba, townhouse, hdwd, tile, new carpet. Large roof deck, W/D, dishwasher. Parking. $3,500/mo. (310) 392-1757

MALIBU, 2 BDRM, 1½, BA, two story, two car parking, security. Across from the Colony. Views, pool, tennis court, great shopping & beach. $2,500/mo. (310) 589-9195 x205

3 BD, 2½ BA PALI HIGHLANDS TOWNHOUSE. Private two car garage, patio w/ French doors, dining room w/ wet bar, kitchen w/ granite, utility room & powder room. Second floor w/ large master suite, 2 addl. bedrooms share full bath. $3,777/mo. (310) 889-8998

COMPLETELY REMODELED 2 BD, 2 BA CONDO IN THE PALISADES VILLAGE. Laundry inside. Easy access to unit with secure parking. Also available furnished. $2,750/mo. (310) 454-6058

ONE BLOCK TO BEACH • 1 bdrm, 1½ ba condo overlooking Los Liones State Park, surrounded by hiking trails, pool, retreat ambience. $2,300/mo. (310) 420-1028

AMAZING OCEAN VIEWS, designer interior. 2 br+2 ba condo. ½ block to beach. 5 min to Santa Monica. All new granite, marble, hrdwd flrs, cabinets, appls, high ceils, large deck, huge closets. W/D in condo. Ocean view patio. Garage. 1,200 sq. ft. $4,200/mo. (310) 702-1154. www.MalibuCoastline.com

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

STUDIO KITCHENETTE, FULL BATH, private entrance, private home. Walk to village, utilities included. $1,050/mo. 6 month lease. (310) 454-3883

WANTED TO RENT 3b

LOCAL EMPLOYED male seeks guesthouse. Quiet, local references. Non-smoker, no pets. Call Palisadian-Post, (310) 454-1321

SUMMER RENTAL WANTED. Family of 5 looking for home/condo Jul 3-Aug 1. Excellent local references. Contact bsjanes@grandecom.net or (210) 861-3967

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

PALISADES OFFICE SUITES AVAILABLE in the heart of the Village including: 1) Last remaining single office suite at $1,600 per month and 2) Office suites ranging in size from 1,015 sf to 3,235 sf, all with large windows with great natural light. Amazing views of the Santa Monica mountains, private balconies and restrooms. Building amenities include high speed T1 internet access, elevator and secured, underground parking. Call Brett at (310) 591-8789 or email brett@hp-cap.com

LARGE 378 SQ. FT. WINDOW OFFICE on Sunset in Pacific Palisades Village. $1,750/mo. Call (310) 600-3603 or (310) 454-0840

OFFICES FOR SUBLEASE. Large & small offices, 400-1,800 sf. Available short term. 881 Alma Real Dr. $800-$3,600/mo. (310) 459-8700

PROFESSIONAL BUILDING in Pacific Palisades village for lease. Lovely and spacious suite available. Lease hold improvement allowance. 850 square feet conveniently located in the village. Please call Ness, (310) 230-6712 x105, for more details.

OFFICE SUBLEASE OPPORTUNITY ACROSS FROM PACIFIC OCEAN. Four offices available in Pacific Palisades, at corner of Sunset and PCH, fabulous ocean views. Includes telephone system, internet access & utilities. Lease terms negotiable. Call Angela at (310) 566-1888

CHARMING CONSULTING OR THERAPY OFFICE. Airport internet and fax. Available by the hour. References required. Call (310) 455-8623

VACATION RENTALS 3e

MAMMOTH: 3 BDRM, 2½ BA, TOWNHOUSE. 2 car garage, walk to Eagle Lifts, hot tub, swimming pool, located on Sierra Star Golf Course. (310) 230-4104

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS! Billion dollar rock solid company creates a millionaire every 10 days. Make 2009 the year of the “Upturn,” not the downturn in your financial life. Call (310) 795-1515

LOST & FOUND 6a

FOUND: YOUNG CAT gray & white back, solid white stomach & legs. Front paws de-clawed. Corner of Charm Acres & Via de la Paz. Friendly. Needs home. Call Jackie, (310) 454-4270

PERSONALS 6b

VERY ATTRACTIVE EUROPEAN MALE, aspiring Southern California real estate investor. Blond, hazel eyes, 29 years, 6’4”, 190 lbs. Speaks 3 languages, well traveled. Seeking above average, well-to-do female professional, age open, who prefers to be treated like a lady and enjoys the finer things in life. Casual, short term, or possible long term relationship. Call Pete, (310) 775-0443 • www.europete.com

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

Quickbooks Gathering of Data for 2008 to prepare for your visit to your CPA. Also bill paying, bank statements reconciliations, business or personal full-charge bookkeeping, property, staff and nursing care management/scheduling are available in the Palisades. Call Shirley at (310) 570-6085

BOOKKEEPING & FINANCE services: prepare for taxes, pay bills, reconcile accounts, financial analysis/ planning/budgeting/counseling. Computer expertise. Caring & thorough. (310) 218-6653, (310) 459-2066

QUICKBOOKS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS. Set-up, Data Entry, Reporting, Tax Preparation. 10 Years of Experience and Flexible Hours. Palisades Resident. Doris, (310) 913-2753

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

MARIE’S MAC & PC OUTCALL • I CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE WITH: • Consultation on best hard/software for your needs • Setting up & configuring your system & applications • Teaching you how to use your Mac or PC • Upgrades: Mac OS & Windows • Internet: DSL, Wireless, E-mail, Remote Access • Key Applications: MS Office, Filemaker, Quicken • Contact Managers, Networking, File Sharing, Data backup • Palm, Visor, Digital Camera, Scanner, CD Burning • FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL — BEST RATES • (310) 262-5652

YOUR OWN TECH GURU * SET-UP, TUTORING, REPAIR, INTERNET. Problem-Free Computing, Guaranteed. Satisfying Clients Since 1992 • If I Can’t Help, NO CHARGE! COMPUTER WORKS! Alan Perla (310) 455-2000

THE DETECHTIVES™ • PROFESSIONAL ON-SITE MAC SPECIALISTS. PATIENT, FRIENDLY AND AFFORDABLE • WE COVER ALL THINGS MAC • Consulting • Installation • Training and Repair for Beginners to Advanced Users • Data recovery • Networks • Wireless Internet & more • (310) 838-2254 • William Moorefield • www.thedetechtives.com

USER FRIENDLY—MAC CONSULTANT • User friendly. Certified Apple help desk technician and proud member of the Apple consultant network. An easy approach to understanding all of your computer needs. Offering computer support in wide variety of repairs, set-ups, installs, troubleshooting, upgrades, networking, and tutoring in the application of choice. Computer consulting at fair rates. Ryan Ross: (310) 721-2827 • email: ryanaross@mac.com • For a full list of services visit: http://userfriendlyrr.com/

Are Your Children Protected From Harmful Websites? • Parental Control Software • Virus Removal • Data Backup • File Recovery • Internet Training • Speed up your slow computer • (310) 433-4099 • www.pcrescuela.com • WE COME TO YOU!

GARAGE, ESTATE SALE SERVICES 7f

PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? an estate sale? a moving sale? a yard sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. • BARBARA DAWSON • Garage Sale Specialist • (310) 454-0359 • bmdawson@verizon.net • www.bmdawson.com • Furniture • Antiques • Collectibles • Junque • Reliable professionals • Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

A SENSE OF ORDER ORGANIZING. Professional organization & coaching. Every area of your life & home. 16 yrs. exper, exclnt refs. Free consultation. Deva Taffel, Psy.D. (818) 787-4488

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

NANNY, MATURE RUSSIAN LADY. 13 years local experience looking for nanny job, 3 days a week (Mon., Wed., Fri.). I can provide excellent references. Call Nadia, (323) 599-7677

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

MY FABULOUS NANNY HOUSEKEEPER. 18 years same family. Looking for work in Palisades. US citizen. English-speaking. Drives. Great with babies and kids. Trustworthy. Loving. Call Vonnie, (310) 617-2644, or Rosa, (310) 617-2643

DOMESTIC AGENCIES 9

VIP NANNY AGENCY • “Providing very important people with the very best nanny.” • Baby Nurses • Birthing Coaches • Housekeepers. (818) 907-1017, (310) 614-3646

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

“PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.” We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER/ELDER CARE, day or night, available Monday-Sunday. Own transportation, excellent ref’s. Call Maria, (310) 948-9637

HOUSEKEEPING AVAILABLE FOR 1 DAY OR 5 DAYS of the week. I have good refs. Own transportation w/ valid driver’s license. For more info, call (310) 673-8758. Ask for Maria.

HOUSE & APT CLEANER! Speaks English & Spanish. Very good references. 25 years experience in Pacific Palisades. Available Mon., Thurs. & Sat. Call Maria Sylvia, (h) (310) 391-7424, (c) (310) 804-3248

EXCELLENT HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER. Available Mon.-Sat. Good refs. Own transportation. Over 19 yrs exper in Malibu & Beverly Hills. Speaks English. Call Yolanda, (h) (323) 731-6114, (c) (323) 580-2859

WONDERFUL HOUSEKEEPER looking for employment. Full time, part time or per day. Excellent experience and refs. Honest & responsible. Call Aleida anytime, (310) 597-9326 or (323) 608-8483

HOUSE CLEANING. Homes, Apartments, Offices. One time • Weekly • Monthly • Vacancies. Own transportation • Good refs. 25 yrs exper. Rebeca Acosta, (818) 633-3630

PALISADES HOUSEKEEPER W/ 15 yrs experience! Excellent references. Honest & dependable. Legal resident. Child & pet care also. Avail Tues, Thurs, & Sun. Carmen, (323) 460-6473 or (213) 618-9671

HOUSEKEEPER AND NANNY!! Good references and great experience. Available Monday-Friday. Honest & reliable. Live out. Please call Karina, (323) 919-2244

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTING. Monday-Friday. Own transportation. Excellent experience and references. Call anytime, (818) 982-1283

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

GOOD COMPANY Senior Care. A premiere private duty home care agency. Provides in-home care and companionship to help people remain independent and happy at home. If you are a caring individual who would like to join our team, please call (323) 932-8700. joni@goodcopros.com

GARDENING/LANDSCAPING 11

PALISADES GARDENING • Full Gardening Service • Sprinkler Install • Tree Trim • Sodding • Sprays, non-toxic • FREE PLANT • Cell, (310) 701-1613, (310) 568-0989

GOT ROSES—FRUIT TREES? Now is the time to prune and treat! 100% organic—Invisible Gardener. (310) 457-4438 • organicdatabank.info

HEALTH & BEAUTY CARE 12a

SINUS PROBLEMS? HARD OF HEARING? Neck & shoulder tension? Treatment seen on CBS, NBC. New customers only: $125 treatment for $75. For information & appointments call (310) 455-8623

WINDOW WASHING 13h

THE WINDOWS OF OZ. Detailed interior/exterior glass & screen cleaning. High ladder work. 10% new customer discount. Next day service available. Free estimates. Licensed & bonded. (310) 926-7626

CATERING 14

HOLIDAY EVENT PLANNER & CULINARY STUDENT. Le Cordon Bleu student and event planner to help with your holiday prep, cooking, serving, menus & all event details. 10+ years experience. $40/hr. Please call Danielle, (310) 691-0578. daniellesamendez@gmail.com

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

PRIVATE DOG WALKER/runner/housesitter, Palisades & Santa Monica. S.M. Canyon resident. Please call or email Sherry, (310) 383-7852, email: Sherry230@verizon.net

PERSONAL TOUCH. DOG WALKING/OUTINGS/SITTING SERVICE. Cats, too! 30 yr. Pali resident. Very reliable. Refs available. If you want special care for your pet, pls call Jacqui, (310) 454-0104, cell (310) 691-9893

FITNESS INSTRUCTION 15a

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

PERSONAL TRAINER 15c

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

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

PIANO TEACHER. I have several years experience in teaching piano to children. Excellent references. Call Nadia at (323) 599-7677

TUTORS 15e

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. Children & adults. 20+ years teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, ESSAY WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly Sp. Ed. teacher. Call Gail, (310) 313-2530

MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145

PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & ISEE). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134

CLEARLY MATH & MORE! Specializing in math & now offering chemistry & physics! Elementary thru college level. Test prep, algebra, trig, geom, calculus. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Math anxiety. Call Jamie, (310) 459-4722

EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR • All grade levels • Grammar • Conversational• SAT/AP • Children, adults • Great references. Noelle, (310) 273-3593, (310) 980-6071

SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR. All levels (elementary to college). Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614

K-4 ELEMENTARY TUTOR • CA & AZ Cert. Elem Teacher • Qualified in all subjects but specialize in reading skills K-4 incl phonics, reading comprehension, spelling & writing • Will strengthen learning while building academic confidence & self-esteem • Motivational, creative, positive relationships w/ students • Will come to your home. Caroline, (424) 228-5744 or email cmiller16@gmail.com

SPANISH TUTORING. South American teacher, university degree, all levels: college and beyond. Learn, improve, get confident for studies, work & traveling. Call (310) 741-8422

SPANISH TUTOR, CERTIFIED TEACHER for all levels. Has finest education, qualifications, 21 yrs exper. Palisades resident, great references, amazing system, native speaker. Marietta, (310) 459-8180

EXPERT TUTORING. Biology, chemistry, SAT, ACT. Exper classrm teacher. Exclnt refs. Great student rapport. (310) 456-4747

CONCRETE, MASONRY, POOLS 16c

MASONRY, CONCRETE & POOL CONTRACTOR • 36 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES • Custom masonry & concrete, stamped, driveways, pools, decks, patios, foundations, fireplace, drainage control, custom stone, block & brick, tile. Excellent local references. Lic. #309844. Bonded/insured/workmen’s comp. Family owned & operated. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 • www.horusicky.com

CONSTRUCTION 16d

ALAN PINE, GENERAL CONTRACTOR • New homes • Remodeling • Additions • Kitchen & bath • Planning/architectural services • Insured • Local refs. Lic. #469435. (310) 457-5655 or (818) 203-8881

JOLYON COLLIER • CUSTOM FINISH CRAFTSMANSHIP • Specialty Construction • JolyonCollier.com • Non-lic. • (323) 493-3549

ELECTRICAL 16h

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

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

ELECTRICAL WORK. Call Dennis! 26 yrs experience, 24 hours, 7 day service. Lic. #728200. (310) 621-3905

FENCES, DECKS 16j

THE FENCE MAN • 18 years quality work • Wood fences • Decks • Gates • Chainlink & patio • Wrought iron • Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996

INDEPENDENT SERVICE CARLOS FENCE: Wood & Picket Fences • Chain Link • Iron & Gates • Deck & Patio Covers. Ask for Carlos, (310) 677-2737 or fax (310) 677-8650. Non-lic.

DECK REPAIR, SEALING & STAINING. Local resident, local clientele. 1 day service. (See ad under handyman.) Marty, (310) 459-2692

FLOOR CARE 16m

GREG GARBER’S HARDWOOD FLOORS SINCE 1979. Install, refinish. Fully insured. Local references (310) 230-4597 Lic. #455608

CENTURY HARDWOOD FLOOR • Refinishing, Installation, Repairs. Lic. #813778. www.centurycustomhardwoodfloorinc.com • centuryfloor@sbcglobal.net • (800) 608-6007 • (310) 276-6407

HANDYMAN 16o

HANDYMAN • HOOSHMAN • Most known name in the Palisades. Since 1975. Member Chamber of Commerce. Lic. #560299. Call for your free est. Local refs available. Hooshman, (310) 459-8009, 24 Hr.

LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 487-6464

LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy: Marty, (310) 459-2692

HANDYMAN SERVING PALISADIANS for 14 years. Polite & on time. No job too small. Refs available. Non-lic. Ready for winter? (310) 454-4121 or cell, (310) 907-6169. djproservices@yahoo.com

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16p

SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16r

PAUL HORST • Interior & Exterior PAINTING • 55 YEARS OF SERVICE • Our reputation is your safeguard. License No. 186825 • (310) 454-4630 • Bonded & Insured

TILO MARTIN PAINTING. For A Professional Job Call (310) 230-0202. Refs. Lic. #715099

SQUIRE PAINTING CO. Interior and Exterior. License #405049. 25 years. Local Service. (310) 454-8266. www.squirepainting.com

ZARKO PRTINA PAINTING. Interior/Exterior. Serving Palisades/Malibu over 35 years. Lic. #637882. Call (310) 454-6604

PAINTER, SMALL JOBS PREFERRED. Interiors only. 20 years experience. References available. Very reasonable rates. Excellent craftsmanship. Non-lic. Tim, (310) 433-9610

PAINT/PAPERHANGING by NANCY. Master craftsmanship in Palisades. Since 1988. Free estimates. Lic. #537105. (818) 883-4600

REMODELING 16v

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

LABOR OF LOVE HOME REPAIR & REMODEL. Kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, tile, doors, windows, decks, etc. Work guar. Ken Bass, General Contractor. Lic. #B767950. (310) 487-6464

HELP WANTED 17

DRIVERS: TEAMS EARN TOP DOLLAR plus great benefits. Solo drivers also needed for Western Regional. Werner Enterprises, (800) 346-2818 x123

WANTED: LIVE-IN CAREGIVER, at least 3 years experience, for one hospice patient. Pay commensurate w/ experience. FT or PT. Call (310) 454-1956. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Good personal appearance a plus.

EARN $1,000-$3,200 a month to drive new cars with ads. www.YouDriveCars.com

MYSTERY SHOPPER. Enjoy this unique and interesting position and the associated training. Are you responsible, motivated and computer literate? Are you interested in providing feedback to a Fortune 50 company specific to store conditions and service levels? Hourly rate for driving time, observation time, report time applies. Mileage reimbursed based on distance associated with assignments. For additional information and to submit an on line application visit qualityshopper.org. No Associated Fees.

AUTOS 18b

REDUCED! 1999 FORD F250 Super Duty V10 Supercab Longbed, black w/ lumber rack & Weatherguard tool box. Great work truck! $5,000 OBO. (310) 576-0622

2006 SUBARU TRIBECA B9. Gold, very good condition, almost fully loaded. 14,000 miles. $18,000. (310) 471-2423

FURNITURE 18c

BEAUTIFUL NEW WROUGHT IRON TRUNDLE BED with 2 mattresses. Orig. $1,200, now $250. Designer wicker desk, $200. To see, call (310) 573-2024

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

NEIGHBORHOOD GARAGE SALE! Computer equipment, router, printers, tape drive, modem, Canon lenses, camping tent, air purifier, elegant junque! 500 block Radcliffe Ave. Sat. Jan. 17, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

BEAUT. FURN/FURNISHGS/kitch-hsehold goods/linens/china/collectibles/prints/antique engravings. High-end & vintage jewelry. Fri.-Sat., Jan. 16-17, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. 333 Mt. Holyoke. Swarthmore, rt on DePauw, left on Mt. Holyoke. (TG 631, A-6). Photos/details: www.bmdawson.com

PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e

TERMINALLY ILL PET OWNER is interviewing to find homes for 3 wonderful pets. Email below for pictures and to begin dialogue. saekorn@aol.com

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

PIANO SALE! Samick upright style. Beautiful ivory color. Great condition. Must see! $1,350 or best offer. Located in the Highlands. Call Kathryn anytime, (310) 874-1498

THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE SET. Enormous collection! Perfect condition, 53 trains—all wooden, 10 buildings & 6 tunnels/tolls. Plus lots of track. A young boy’s dream present. Value $1,800, reduced to $750. Christine, (310) 849-6250

WANTED TO BUY 19

WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, working or not. ‘50s, ‘60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 895-5057 • profeti2001@yahoo.com

Simon’s “Lost” Finds Pierson

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Revival Gets the Theatre Palisades Treatment

‘Lost in Yonkers’ debuted on Broadway in 1991 when Neil Simon was at the height of his powers as America’s premier playwright. A movie adaptation by Martha Coolidge, starring Mercedes Ruehl and Richard Dreyfuss, quickly followed. Directed by Sherman Wayne and produced by Martha Hunter and Pat Perkins, Theatre Palisades’ production of ‘Yonkers’ proves, if anything, that the Simon play is worth reviving. This local version opened Friday night. Set during World War II, ‘Yonkers” premise is simple: teen brothers Jay (Jason Lockhart) and Arty (Joel Rosenthal) are shipped out (very reluctantly) to live for 10 months with their batty relatives when dad Eddie Kurnitz (John Clement) must take out-of-state work to raise $9,000, which he owes to loan sharks who will surely kill him if he does not repay. Eddie, as it turns out, was in a pinch”the money he had borrowed for a failed attempt to save the life of Jay and Arty’s sick mother. ‘Right now, I’d go into debt again just to eat an onion roll,’ says a homesick Eddie as he travels through the Deep South to raise the $9,000 by selling scrap iron to factories. Unfortunately for Jay and Arty, their fate is ostensibly worse than Eddie’s as they must shack up with their intimidating Grandma Kurnitz (Marilyn Berney) and her loyal daughter, the daffy Aunt Bella (Rebecca Silberman), who is 35 and suffers from arrested development due to a childhood bout with Scarlet Fever. Also in the picture is Bella’s anxiety-ridden sister Gert (Chrissy Cawley). ‘We have to stay here to save Pop’s life!’ Jay rationalizes regarding his Yonkers hell. Living with Grandma Kurnitz is no picnic for anyone. ‘Her eyes were like two district attorneys,’ says Kurnitz’s other son, the shady Uncle Louie (Brian Robert Harris), as he describes the one person more terrifying than any of the underworld characters he’s become mixed up with. ‘He’s amazing,’ Arty exclaims as he observes Uncle Louie’s theatrics. ‘It’s like having a James Cagney movie in your house!’ Even though this play won the Pulitzer Prize, ‘Lost in Yonkers’ is comfort-food Simon”a quasi-autobiographical work on a par with ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs,’ ‘Biloxi Blues’ and ‘Broadway Bound.’ His ‘Yonkers’ is a bowl of chicken soup for the soul. With a funny bone floating in it. Even though you may not choke yourself laughing on it, this concoction will certainly warm you up. While Lockhart solidly carries the bulk of the play as the elder brother, Rosenthal, the youngest actor, appears green in places, struggling to maintain his New York accent. But the sold-out opening-night crowd clearly adored both young men. Berney as callous Grandma Kurnitz, and Clement and Harris, as the weak, well-intentioned single father and the ridiculous mug, respectively, deliver the stand-out performances. Silberman also does a nice turn as the ditzy Bella, and Cawley mines laughs from the play’s smallest, least fleshed-out role. In Act Two, the dramatic subtext at the play’s core rises to the surface, and that’s when Silberman shines most, as we witness Grandma Kurnitz’s long-obedient golem Bella rage against her colder-than-clay creator. We also learn how the horrors of the Old Country have hardened Grandma. This point of the play is where all of the character development pays off effectively. Costume designer June Lissandrello and Wayne’s set design effectively steeps the visuals in the Forties. The props team makes one minor misstep: surely they could have done some dollar-bin diving for an older, more authentic-looking period comic book for Arty to read. For variety’s sake, one wonders whether Theatre Palisades should have staged this play hot on the heels of another dysfunctional immigrant-family comedy, ‘You Can’t Take It With You?’ Both ensemble pieces are set during a world war and feature a household of eccentric ethnic characters. At the ‘Yonkers’ wrap party, Wayne informed the Palisadian-Post that the production company had no choice but to move up ‘Yonkers’ in the season’s schedule to fill a hole after the rights to stage ‘Don’t Dress for Dinner’ evaporated following the success of Marc Camoletti’s other hit revival, ‘Boeing Boeing.’ Less farcical than ‘You Can’t Take it With You,’ ‘Lost in Yonkers’ provides stronger material for the actors to chew on. Courtesy of Theatre Palisades, family feuds are back: somebody notify Richard Dawson! ‘Lost in Yonkers’ runs weekends through February 15 at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Fridays and Sundays, $16, adults; seniors and students, $14; Saturdays”Adults, $18; seniors and students, $16. Tickets: (310) 454-1970; or visit www.TheatrePalisades.org.

Biologist to Tell Story of Local Birds on January 20

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Red-tailed hawk takes on a Cooper's hawk on the SMC campus.
Red-tailed hawk takes on a Cooper’s hawk on the SMC campus.

Santa Monica College biology professor Walt Sakai will share his knowledge of birds in the Santa Monica Mountains on Tuesday, January 20, at 7:30 p.m. at Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset Blvd. Sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and presented by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), Sakai will describe the habitat and characteristics of local birds. Birds are everywhere and in every color imaginable. Petite to large, local birds are clever, awe-inspiring, resourceful, and a reliable source of free entertainment. Professor Sakai was awarded $1,000 from the Los Angeles Audubon Society and $500 from the Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society to start and operate a MAPS (Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship) bird-banding station in Solstice Canyon in the Santa Monica Mountains. Chautauqua series meetings are held the third Tuesday of every month at 7:30 p.m. in Woodland Hall in Temescal Gateway Park. Everyone is welcome; the program and parking are free for the evening. Visit LAMountains.com for more MRCA programs.

Las Madrinas Celebrates 75 Years of Tradition

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Palisadians include, back row, from left: Sarah Rose McMahon, Molly Marilyn Peterson, Bridget Florence Hearst, Katherine Claire Kanoff, Marin Margaret Dennis, Stephanie Anne Hinds Front row, from left: Lindsay Louise Simon, Eleanor Galt Crowell, Christina Morgan Irvin, Alexis Bailly Dunne, Erin Moore Hookstratten
Palisadians include, back row, from left: Sarah Rose McMahon, Molly Marilyn Peterson, Bridget Florence Hearst, Katherine Claire Kanoff, Marin Margaret Dennis, Stephanie Anne Hinds Front row, from left: Lindsay Louise Simon, Eleanor Galt Crowell, Christina Morgan Irvin, Alexis Bailly Dunne, Erin Moore Hookstratten

In December, Las Madrinas honored 39 Southern California families and their daughters for their service to the Southern California community and Childrens Hospital Los Angeles at the annual Las Madrinas Ball. Las Madrinas, which has supported pediatric medicine for 75 years, is one of the first Affiliate Groups of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Since 1939, the organization has been honoring families who have demonstrated a commitment to the civic, cultural and philanthropic life of the Los Angeles community by presenting their daughters at the annual Las Madrinas Ball. Donations made in honor of the young women by their families and the annual support of the members and friends of Las Madrinas have created six research endowments at the hospital since 1988. This is the second year of support for the Las Madrinas Endowment for Autism, Interventions and Outcomes. Researchers are working on developing and analyzing new technology for early diagnosis, testing and evaluating therapies and to tracking outcomes. Founded in 1901, Childrens Hospital Los Angeles has been treating seriously ill and injured children for more than a century. It is one of America’s premier teaching hospitals, affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine at USC for more than 75 years, and is a leader in pediatric research.

One Woman Can Make a Difference

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Santa Monica resident Stephanie Waisler Rubin founded the Unatti Foundation to raise funds for food, shelter and education for children in Nepal.
Santa Monica resident Stephanie Waisler Rubin founded the Unatti Foundation to raise funds for food, shelter and education for children in Nepal.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

By VICTORIA TALBOT Special to the Palisadian-Post In Santa Monica the door is ajar. Stephanie Waisler Rubin is seated at her desk in traditional Nepalese garb. At home, she is a photographer and art teacher at the Brentwood Art Center. In Bhaktapur, she is the American mother to a dozen young girls. Her narrow office is flanked with photos. Photos of smiling family members are on one wall and faces of Nepalese children line the other. She glides up the stairs to make tea in an apartment that is clearly home to small children. Stephanie is married with two children of her own. Toys litter the floor in a happy heap, and Hindu deities grace the d’cor. Her calm demeanor reigns over the pleasant dishevelment. In 1998, Stephanie traveled to New Delhi with her father, Lee, to document on film his work as an artist for the National Gallery of New Delhi. On the trip, she began photographing kids for a book she imagined on Third World children. She took a side trip to Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, and visited nearby Bhaktapur, Nepal’s third-largest city. Outside her hotel, two ragged boys, Rajesh and Ramu, offered their services as her city guides for a few rupees. Over the next few days, they showed her the ancient city. They were dirt poor. When she returned to the United States, Stephanie was moved to do something significant for the pair. With a receipt from some handcrafts she had purchased from a merchant the two had referred to as ‘uncle,’ she contacted the man and suggested that she would like to help the boys get an education. Several months later, they had worked out the details. She held her breath and sent funds to the uncle to place the boys in school. Three months later, Stephanie received proof that a small contribution could really make a difference. She received a letter from their headmaster with their school report. Excited by the news, she enrolled their siblings until her funds were exhausted. A photographer and children’s art instructor, Stephanie was far from wealthy. But it cost only $900 a year per child to feed, clothe and educate them at boarding school. That is when the concept of a nonprofit foundation came into focus. She returned to Bhaktapur and met a five-year-old girl, Unatti, at Bal Mandir, the state-run orphanage. As a single woman, she could not adopt Unatti, but the seed for the creation of a permanent home for underprivileged girls in Nepal was planted and Unatti Foundation was born. The word unatti means progress and development. Bhaktapur, at the foot of the Himalayas, is a center of culture and religion, noted for architectural and natural beauty. The economy depends for the most part on tourists and the trekkers who stop on their way to climb Mt. Everest. At her Santa Monica home, Stephanie dives into her passion for her girls. Every Monday, there are business meeting on SKYPE, and she ‘talks’ to her girls. Ebullient, she fetches their school reports. ‘See,’ she says. ‘Our girls are learning English on their own computers.’ Through the years, Stephanie has learned that she has a better chance of succeeding if she can start the girls at a younger age. Many have never lived in a family or a home. The most recent additions are 3′, 4 and 5 years old. Ramesh Pradhananda is head of operations for Unatti. His family is fifth generation Bhaktapur. ‘People tell him of orphans and needy kids,’ Stephanie says. ‘He knows; he sees kids on the street. When we have space available, we have potential candidates.’ The new girls include one who lived in the streets with a schizophrenic mother, another child with no mother and a father with tuberculosis, and another girls whose mother committed suicide rather than remain in a bad marriage. When the children arrive, they often suffer from malnutrition and other health issues associated with poverty and poor hygiene. Rajesh and Ramu received three to four years of education. Today, they still correspond with Stephanie. Rajesh is a Malaysian security guard and Ramu is still a city guide. ‘Ramu dropped out early, but his younger siblings finished high school,’ Stephanie says. ‘The lack of support [for sponsored children] from their uneducated parents had been a big struggle in getting the children to continue their studies. They are thinking of finding food for dinner now; not seeing the possibilities of four more years of school.’ She learned a lot from that experience. The Unatti home is simple and clean, but does not provide all the modern conveniences we live with in the affluent West. In Nepal, the average income is $250 a year; literacy is 46 percent and unemployment 42 percent. ‘For me, it’s a fine line between maintaining the integrity of their community and giving them luxuries we take for granted, like hot running water,’ Stephanie explains. ‘My girls have never sat in a bathtub of hot water. I struggle with wanting to take them all to my hotel and let them enjoy what my kids get every night: a bath.’ What started as schooling for two children has grown into a nonprofit organization that is educating a second generation of women. They attend the two top English schools in Bhaktapur (there are seven English schools). They are no longer living in poverty and their future is bright. But Stephanie has big plans. Unatti Foundation has secured land to build a permanent home for the children. The property is large enough to raise chickens and water buffalo, and to plant a kitchen garden. She hopes the girls will learn self-sufficiency and manage the finances for this and their handicrafts business. Today, the project is entirely dependant on donations, but Stephanie plans to teach the girls skills to create handicrafts, manage the business, and market, sell and distribute the products themselves. She hopes the operation will be nearly 50 percent self-sufficient by 2013. In the process, these girls will elevate their entire community. She also hopes to open a school for local women. ‘Everything comes from individual donations from people I know who have seen me travel back and forth. One reason I can do it is because no one here takes a salary,’ Stephanie says. ‘The entire project runs on $30,000 a year. For us, $1,050 takes care of one girl for a year, including everything.’ Only $90,000 is needed to build their dream home. Next year, Stephanie Waisler Rubin and her young family will travel to Nepal. They will not be alone. About 10 families of donors will be joining them. ‘They want their children to meet the children they have been supporting, and we will do a huge child-to-child delivery,’ she says. For that, children here gather used clothing. ‘We hand-carry these items to Nepal where the Unatti girls organize giving these gifts to children even less fortunate than themselves. We document this very moving day and bring the images back to show our American children, who will be able to see the boys and girls who are enjoying their old shoes. By putting a face on it, the kids at home can really see the process.’ For more information, visit www.unattifoundation.org

Stanley Sevilla, 88; Lawyer, Longtime Marquez Activist

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Stanley Sevilla
Stanley Sevilla

Stanley Sevilla, a treasured family man and resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, January 3, owing to complications associated with pancreatic cancer. He was 88. Born April 3, 1920, and raised in Cincinnati, Stanley was the son of Dienna and Isadore Sevilla, immigrants from the Spanish enclave of Istanbul, Turkey. The Sevillas ran a pharmacy in Cincinnati. Stan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Cincinnati in 1942, and from Harvard Law School in 1948. In between, he served as a captain in the Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946, stationed in Puerto Rico. Stan briefed bomber crews on how to navigate their way from Puerto Rico, hopping from island to island on the route to Europe. This gave him a lifelong interest in aircraft and flying. After graduation from Harvard, Stan married Lois Howell in 1948; they moved to Los Angeles to start their married life and Stan’s law career. They moved to their new home on Merivale Lane in the Palisades in 1962. Stan practiced law with Bernard Axelrad and Alan Ross, partners and close lifelong friends. More recently, he ran his law practice from home with the able assistance of his daughter Carol. Stan served on many boards of directors, including Caesar’s World and the Casper Mills Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships for orphans. He was a founding member of the Marquez Knolls Neighborhood Association, once serving as president. He was a member of the Pacific Palisades Optimist Club as one of its most optimistic members. Golf was Stan’s great enthusiasm, at first on public courses and later as a longtime member of the Riviera Country Club. He introduced his children to backpacking, camping and fishing. He loved the views of the Sierras and hiked to the top of Mount Whitney several times. Stan traveled extensively to other places as well, visiting 34 countries and six continents. He enjoyed a cruise down the Amazon in 2003 and attended reunions at Ramey Air Force Base in Puerto Rico in 2005 and 2007. Last June he went on safari in Botswana. Above all, Stan was a loving family man who was most proud of his children, putting all five of them through college. When this was accomplished, he put his wife Lois through college as well (at UCLA). In addition to Lois, his wife of 60 years, Stan is survived by his beloved children, Stanley O. (wife Julienne) of Torrance, Susan (Richard Low) of San Francisco, Donald of Tujunga, Carol of Santa Monica, and Elizabeth (Robert Reeves) of Culver City. He loved and greatly admired his eight grandchildren. Stan is also survived by his sister Eugenia and her husband, Raymond Chuan. The funeral was private. A memorial service is pending. In lieu of flowers, donations for a scholarship in Stan’s name may be made to the Casper Mills Scholarship Foundation at 12340 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 212, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

Eva Lux, Longtime Palisades Hairdresser

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Eva Lux
Eva Lux

Eva Lux, who worked as a hairdresser in Pacific Palisades for more than 30 years, passed away on January 11 after a long battle with cancer. She was 72. Born in Vienna on December 8, 1936, Eva moved at age 17 to a small town near Salzburg, where she met the love of her life, Franz Lux, while taking night classes in English. They soon married and, after a few years, immigrated to America and settled in Venice, where they raised their family and spent their life together. Eva worked as a hairdresser for Peter Csato on Via de la Paz and then at Solis Salon on Swarthmore. She had many longtime clients who adored her. She will always be remembered for her sweet and kind nature, always doing for others and being a strong and amazing person. In addition to her husband Franz, Eva is survived by her daughter, Isabella Solis (husband Gary) of Pacific Palisades; her son Gordon (wife Sandra) of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and granddaughters Danielle Solis, Lauren Solis and Isabella Lux. A funeral mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 17, at St. Monica’s Church, 725 California St., in Santa Monica.

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