Palisades Football Falls to Rival 42-15; Plays Uni in Homecoming Game Friday
Coach Kelly Loftus stands over running back Tyquion Ballard, who was injured on Palisades’ first offensive play and did not return in last Thursday’s 42-15 loss at Venice. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Palisades High football coach Kelly Loftus didn’t have to wait for Halloween to watch a horror movie this year. The film of last Thursday night’s 42-15 loss to Venice was worthy of an “R” rating’ and he saw the uncensored version. “We got out-hit, out-played and out-hungered,” Loftus said. “When you don’t bring your ‘A’ game against a good team that’s what happens.” The Dolphins had no tricks but plenty of treats for Venice, which capitalized on each and every mistake its opposition made. The nightmare started on the opening kickoff when J.R. McConaco broke to the outside and raced 87 yards for the Gondos’ first touchdown. Palisades’ fortunes went from bad to worse when running back Tyquion Ballard got popped on the first play from scrimmage and didn’t return. Receiver Joseph Hyman tried to play the first series but he, too, was sidelined for the game. Punter Casey Jordan also went down with an injury. “Losing some of our key guys didn’t help but we still didn’t respond to adversity as well as we should have,” Loftus said. “The important thing for us now is to realize the season isn’t over. We still have a lot to play for.” Venice scored with frightening ease on each of its first three possessions, building an insurmountable 28-0 bulge less than 13 minutes into the game. Khalid Stevens provided the Dolphins’ lone highlight of the first half, bursting through the line for a 60-yard touchdown that pulled Palisades within 21 points early in the second quarter. However, the Gondos answered with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Alfonso Medina to Jonathan McNeal and took a 35-7 lead into halftime. Facing a fearsome blitz all game, sophomore quarterback Conner Preston stood in the pocket and completed 21 of 33 passes for 186 yards, including a 25-yard scoring strike to Stevens with 1:08 remaining in the game. Stevens rushed for 138 yards and Preon Morgan stepped in for Hyman to make nine catches for 70 yards. Loren Artis added five receptions for 45 yards and Tanqueray Towns had three for 24 yards. * * * * * * The Palisades High varsity football team couldn’t have hand-picked a better opponent for Friday’s homecoming game at Stadium by the Sea. The Dolphins will try to rebound from last Friday’s Western League loss to Venice when they host cellar-dweller University Friday at 7 p.m. It is the last home game of the season for Palisades, which finishes with an afternoon game at Hamilton next week. Palisades (4-4, 1-2) is tied for third in league and must win its last two games to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Wildcats (1-7, 0-3) have scored only 13 points in three league games.
Pali Volleyball Nets City’s No. 1 Seed; Hosts West Adams in Playoff Opener
Lauren Gustafson (right) sets up a kill attempt for teammate Hannah Fagerbakke. The Dolphins host West Adams in the first round of the City playoffs Thursday night. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The latest edition of the Palisades High girls volleyball team looks much different from the one that steamrolled through the City Section playoffs on its way to the championship last fall. The bad news for would-be opponents is that the present Dolphins are gelling at just the right time. Is there no team capable of thwarting Palisades’ bid for a repeat? The answer lies ahead. Palisades was awarded the top seed in the City playoff draw and begins defense of its title Thursday at 7 p.m. when it hosts #32 West Adams Prep in the first round. If the Dolphins win, they will entertain either #16 South East or #17 Eagle Rock next Monday night. If they lose they will drop to the Invitational bracket and host the South East-Eagle Rock loser in the second round. Despite playing sluggishly in their final nonleague tune-up the Dolphins swept Sylmar off its home court, 25-20, 25-23, 27-25, Monday night for their 11th consecutive victory since their lone defeat to Santa Monica back in September. It was the Dolphins’ showing last weekend at the Redondo Tournament, however, that convinced Coach Chris Forrest that Palisades is poised for another championship run. “We really came together and played our best volleyball,” said Forrest, whose team finished seventh in the White Division. “On Friday we beat Oxnard and lost 3-1 to North Torrance. We came back early the next morning and barely lost in five to [Burbank] Burroughs, then we beat [Long Beach] Millikan. Those were all quality Southern Section programs much stronger than anyone we played in league.” One reason the Dolphins got better and better as the season progressed is the maturity of junior setter Lauren Gustafson, who switched from outside hitter to fill the shoes of three-year starter and City MVP Jenna McCallister. Over the last two months, Palisades’ floor leader has come to embrace her new role. “Jenna’s an amazing setter but when she graduated someone had to step in,” said Gustafson, who tallied 32 assists, four digs and three aces against Sylmar. “It’s different but I love the pressure. You expect to touch the ball on every play so you have to concentrate at all times.” Not only has Gustafson stepped up her game, she has learned to trust her teammates and earn their trust in return. She has her choice of weapons to pass to in seniors Laura Goldsmith and Chelsea Scharf and juniors Emily Cristiano, Tait Johnson, Hannah Fagerbakke, Bonnie Wirth and Christine Frapech. Anchoring the defense are senior middle blockers Kelly Yazdi and Kelsey Keil, defensive specialists Sam Jaffe and Danielle Wolff and freshman middle blocker Meghan Middleton. “Our team chemistry has grown so much since the beginning,” Gustafson said. “We’re feeding off the energy of each other. It’s always harder to defend a championship but that just motivates us to work hard every day at practice.” Goldsmith was unstoppable in the playoffs a year ago and has been a stabilizing force all season, providing most of the kills early on while Forrest experimented with different lineups. “Last year we didn’t have to get used to each other,” she said. “We’d been playing together for three years. This is a different team with different strengths. I think our biggest strength is our offense. We can hit from anywhere on the court.” Gustafson said neither fatigue nor the long bus ride were factors against Valley Mission League champion Sylmar, which is seeded #4 and could meet the Dolphins again in the semifinals. Both coaches knew a victory would strengthen their position heading into Tuesday’s seeding meeting. “It was important to get this win because we didn’t play in any City tournaments and I thought that might penalize us,” Forrest said. “They’re one of the best teams in the Valley so to come all the way out here and beat them gave us a strong case for the top seed.” Longtime Spartans Coach Bob Thomson said he wouldn’t be shocked to see Palisades raising the trophy again in a few weeks: “Pali has the experience. They know how to win. Our match is a good example. We couldn’t win the big points.” Home court advantage is something Forrest stressed from the start to guard against complacency. “We talked about seeding a lot, actually,” Gustafson said. “We really want to play at home because we play our best there.” “We like having the crowd on our side,” Goldsmith agreed. “Playing in front of our fans give us a little extra push.” Goldsmith is eager to find out how much the competition in Redondo has prepared the Dolphins to face the City’s best. “This tournament got us playing at a higher level,” she said. “Hopefully we can maintain it all the way to the end.” Palisades’ junior varsity squad is seeded #2 and plays #15 Manual Arts at 10:30 a.m. in the first round of Saturday’s City playoff tournament. If the Dolphins win they will play either Carson or Van Nuys in the quarterfinals at noon. Semifinals are at 2 p.m. and the final is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
Coach Sean Passan is getting the Palisades High girls’ tennis squad prepared for the playoffs. The Dolphins are seeded third and host a quarterfinal match next Wednesday. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Another year, another Western League title for the Palisades High girls tennis team. Now, the Dolphins are setting their sights on an even bigger prize–their fourth straight City Section championship. Palisades (13-4 overall, 11-1 in league play) wrapped up the league crown last week with 5-2 wins over LACES and Hamilton. The Dolphins are seeded third out of 12 teams in the City’s upper division playoffs. Marine League champion Carson is seeded #1 and West Valley League winner Granada Hills is the #2 seed. Hamilton, second in the Western League behind Palisades, is #5 and hosts #12 Eagle Rock in the first round Monday. The top four seeds receive first-round byes and the Dolphins will host #6 Taft or #11 Verdugo Hills in the quarterfinals next Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Palisades Recreation Center. The City semifinals and finals are November 17 and 19 at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.
Beach volleyball great Randy Stoklos was inducted into the Hall of Fame in October.
Lifelong Palisadian Randy Stoklos was one of this year’s six international inductees into the Volleyball Hall of Fame at a ceremony October 23 in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Stoklos, who grew up and still lives in Castellemmare, is one of the best beach volleyball players of all time. Stoklos teamed with fellow Palisades resident and Hall of Famer Sinjin Smith to form the winningest partnership in the sport’s history. They won 114 titles, five FIVB World Championships and $1,902,488 in prize money. Stoklos was named the AVP’s Most Valuable Player in 1989 and 1991. “Being inducted is a great honor for myself, but I don’t feel like I am coming in alone with all the players I have competed with, whether playing as partners or against,” Stoklos said. “They will be coming into the Hall with me. I could never have done this without them.” Look for a feature story on Stoklos in an upcoming issue of the Palisadian-Post.
Natasha Rothenbucher of Sunset Mesa holds scale on the balance beame at the BGS Olympic Dream Classic. She scored a 9.75 and Broadway Gymnastics won Level 5. Photo: Rachel Brown.
Pacific Palisades girls have Broadway Gymnastics School on the verge of being the best team in Southern California for the second year in a row. Broadway’s Girls Level 5 team outscored its rivals in each of its first four meets of the season. The Level 4 team is right behind, winning two titles and placing third at Southern California’s third preliminary competition and the Level 6 team won the Silver title at the Sectional Championships. BGS’s Level 5 Palisadians include Hayley McCormack, Nicole Gobrieal and Natasha Rothenbucher of Sunset Mesa. At the BGS Olympic Dream Classic, McCormack won the all-around Level 5 championship and three event titles. She also finished a close second, winning silver in floor exercise. Rothenbucher won four silver and three Bronze event titles and also won the bronze AA championship title at the Southern California West Sectional Championship in October 25. She also qualified to compete in the platinum group at the state championships, an exclusive group of gymnasts earning a score of 37.0 or higher. Taylor Slutzker of Pacific Palisades contributed to the Level 6 second-place team title at sectionals, winning the floor championship title and placing third in floor exercise. Slutzker also earned two bronze all-around titles, two gold, four silver and one bronze event titles. Jacqueline Vogel, also of Pacific Palisades, contributed to the Level 4 team’s successes with three silver titles and a bronze all-around title. “The compulsory teams are off to a great start,” Kort Borg, Broadway’s Girls Head Coach, said. “We’ve trained hard all summer and came in prepared for the season.” Broadway’s Level 5 team was the state champion in 2007 and is in the running to repeat in 2008. The Level 4 team was fourth last year and is working hard to place in the top three this year. The Level 6 state meet will be held this Saturday and Sunday (November 8-9); the Level 5 state meet is Nov. 15-16 and the Level 4 state meet is Nov. 22-23.
St. Matthew’s 8th-grader Nick Edel won the 100 individual medley and scored in three other events at the Junior Delphic League Swim Championships. Photo: Andy Bernstein
It was a case of David against Goliath when St. Matthew’s boys’ swim team competed in the Junior Delphic League Championships last Saturday at Oaks Christian School in Westlake and David gave a good account of himself. When all of the points were totaled the Falcons sat in second place out of eight schools, behind only powerhouse Harvard-Westlake. Meanwhile, St. Matthew’s girls finished eighth overall out of 10 schools Perhaps the Falcons’ most impressive stat was that 37 of the 40 sixth, seventh and eighth-graders on their roster competed. Including fifth-graders, who are not eligible for the championships, the team has 61 members. “This is an outstanding accomplishment for our team and our program, going up against much larger schools,” Athletic Director Andy Bernstein said, speaking on behalf of coaches Sarah Newman, Eric Butler and Bruce Harlan. “We’re very proud of all of our swimmers.” In the boys’ 200 medley relay, St. Matthew’s foursome of Matt Chen, Nick Edel, Alexander Landau, and Alex Kahn took first place and bettered their seed time by four seconds. The Falcons’ 100 medley relay (Matt Douglas, Kieran Sheridan, Brandon Kupfer, and Kurt Kirschner) took third, as did the 100 freestyle relay (Kupfer, Sheridan, Matt Moses and Kirschner). Scoring points by swimming ninth in the event was the team of James Mann, Andrew Jones, Douglas and Eric Rosendahl. The 200 freestyle relay (Chen, Kahn, Landau and Edel) brought home the runner-up ribbon. Individually, Landau took first place and Kupfer was fourth in the 25 butterfly and Chen won the 25 backstroke. Nick Edel won the 100 individual medley and was second in the 50 freestyle, Kahn was fifth in the 100 freestyle (lowering his time by three seconds) and eighth in the 50 freestyle. Chen was third in the 100 individual medley and Sheridan was sixth in the 25 backstroke. For the girls, Courtney Carswell swam second in the 25 backstroke and Amy Nadal was 10th in the event. Carswell also finished fourth in the 100 individual medley. The 100 medley relay team of Charlotte Notaras, Amelia Green, Brooke Reese, and Liza Wong was ninth; the 100 freestyle relay (Alex Jackson, Reese, Brianna Kupfer and Taylor Pecsok was ninth and the Falcons’ 200 freestyle relayers (Carswell, Maggie Adair, Nadal and Alessandra Laurent) placed seventh.
Judith Carr Arend died October 22 in a tragic accident while walking along Palisades Drive, near her Pacific Palisades home. She was 70. Born October 13, 1938 in Santa Monica, Arend grew up in the Palisades Riviera neighborhood. She graduated from Marymount High School and the University of Southern California, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. A devout Catholic all her life, Arend married and raised her family for many years in the North Shore suburbs of Chicago before returning to Southern California and her hometown to work for her father’s business (MultiMedia Services) and eventually care for her parents, Bernard and Helen Carr. Throughout her life, Arend was a devoted wife and mother, and a kind and caring friend to all who knew her. She was an accomplished tennis player and, in the last decade, took up golf. She adored her grandchildren and niece. She was an adventurous traveler and fabulous cook. As someone once said, “She made everything she did look easy and effortless; she never wasted a move.” In recent years, Arend devoted herself to caring for her parents, now deceased, and her husband, who suffers from a long-term illness. Arend is survived by her husband, Tom; her daughter, Kathe Bassi of Los Altos; her son, Tom, Jr. of Washington, D.C.; and grandchildren Kristina, Jessika, Sofia and Tatiana. She is also survived by her brother, Tim Carr (wife Evelyn), and her niece, Rebecca Eaton, as well as her beloved aunt, Barbara Alessini. A memorial service was held on Monday, October 27 at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in the Palisades.
John Harrington ” src=”https://palipost.com/story_photos/N-harrington.jpg” width=”199″ />
John Harrington
John Francis Harrington, who owned the town’s most popular camera store for nearly 50 years, died peacefully on October 26, near his home in Pacific Palisades. He was 84. Born on March 12, 1924, in Charleston, South Carolina, John displayed both academic and athletic prowess while attending Bishop England High School. After graduating in 1940, he entered College of Charleston and was quickly named co-captain of the men’s varsity basketball team. His stalwart support for World War II and international diplomacy led him to join the U.S. Navy, where he served from 1942-46 as a Lieutenant Junior Grade (JG) aboard Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) 981. He made eight combat landings. Under the GI Bill, John returned from active duty in postwar China to complete his undergraduate degree at Northwestern University’s School of Journalism. He also was reunited with Celeste Antoinette Coari, a smart, edgy and eye-catching Chicago native, whom he had met while in Midshipman school. Their acquaintance was made when Celeste’s sister cajoled her to volunteer at a “welcoming luncheon” for new officers—a meal that changed Celeste’s life forever. The couple was married in 1948. Together, John and Celeste, descendants of turn-of-the-century European immigrants, were determined to move to balmier climes after a fierce snowstorm in Chicago prevented them from delivering their daughter, Cathy, at the hospital of their choice. Soon afterward, John convinced Celeste to load up the family’s 1954 DeSoto sedan with their two children, Pat and Cathy, and drive to California along Route 66. After deciding to live in Pacific Palisades, the Harringtons purchased their first home for $17,000, settled into married life, and gave birth to two more children, Debby and Kevin. As an amateur photographer during World War II, John developed a passion for creatively capturing both unconventional and traditional images. With minimal formal training, he understood the key elements of photography, such as arranging and framing objects and distinguishing unique patterns. “I never went anywhere without my camera,” John told the Palisadian-Post, recalling how he chronicled his growing family and the Palisades village. “When my children saw me, they’d put on a fake smile because they knew I was going to photograph them doing something.” John’s keen business sense, enriched by his enthusiasm for photography, provided the foundation to open Harrington’s Camera Corner, with Celeste, in 1958 at 15428 Sunset (on the corner of Antioch Street). For nearly half a century, this family-operated business was legendary in the Palisades, and so was John Harrington. John served three generations of loyal Palisadian families with witty humor, a deep concern for customer satisfaction, and personal integrity—all of which contributed to the success of the business. He also had a distinct regard for the privacy of his customers, one of the many reasons dozens of celebrities entrusted him with their printed memories. In an interview with the Post, John reflected on four decades of local retail ownership and fondly described meeting Zsa Zsa Gabor, Peter Graves, Audrey Hepburn, Francis X. Bushman, Tatum O’Neal, Walter Matthau, Paul Henreid, Lady Sylvia Ashley, Dame Gladys Cooper, John Raitt, Gavin MacLeod, Vin Scully, Martin Short, Bob Denver, Adam West, Buckminster Fuller and many others. Following the death of his wife Celeste in 1992, John was proud to turn the business over to his daughter Cathy so that he could pursue his myriad hobbies and interests—golfing, traveling and photojournalism. But he couldn’t keep himself away, and became a part-time employee until the business was sold in 2005. In 1997, after John had retired and was enjoying his carefree status, his college classmate Louis Rubin proposed the idea of jointly creating a historical, photojournalistic coffee-table book charting ocean commerce along America’s Southern seaboard. Louis, an essayist, novelist, and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina, and John, photographer extraordinaire and Louis’ patient editor, set out to investigate the glorious South. From tugboats to battleships, the two men captured the essence of maritime activity, ultimately publishing Seaports of the South in 1998. John’s charm, grace and generosity represent the end of an era, as his longtime golfing cronies would certainly attest. Ed Jacobson, Vince Mangio (before he died), Wally Miller and John’s best friend Dale Van Vlack played local courses each and every Thursday for over 40 years. Golf strategy sessions were held at Mort’s Deli, where John and Dale met daily to deliberate on top-tier golfers and the PGA Tour. The two were especially appreciative of the much-loved deli worker, Albino, who took great care to satisfy John’s regular order: coffee and a slightly charred plain bagel . . . hold the cream cheese. John was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and friend. He will be deeply missed by his surviving family members, his children and their spouses: Pat and Sandy Harrington, Cathy and Ruben Rodriguez, Debby Harrington, and Kevin Harrington; his grandchildren and their spouses: Diane and Ron Kiino, Dennis Rodriguez, Shaun and Amy Harrington, and Morgan Harrington; and his three great-grandchildren: Liam and Sutton Harrington, and baby-to-be Kiino. Services will be held on Saturday, November 1, at 10 a.m. at Corpus Christi Catholic Church on the corner of Sunset and Carey. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (www.alzfdn.org). The extended family is deeply indebted to the Palisades community and Corpus Christi Church, both of which have provided immense love and support.
Bernice Bratter and Helen Dennis discuss and sign Project Renewment: The First Retirement Model for Career Women, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. This guide for retired career women or those about to make this life change is a friendly support group-style discussion of the psychological pitfalls associated with leaving a life of work.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1
California State Parks and the Will Rogers Ranch Foundation host a birthday celebration in Will’s honor, 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. at Will Rogers State Historic Park. (See story, page 13.)
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3
Neil Aitken discusses and signs his book of poetry, The Lost Country of Sight, winner of the 2007 Philip Levine Prize for Poetry, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Horticulturalist Dexter Friede will be guest speaker at the Palisades Garden Club meeting, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Public invited. (See story, page 15.)
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the law offices of Brett A. Bjornson, 860 Via de la Paz. Public invited. Non-Chamber members: $25. Palisadian Dan Bienenfeld discusses and signs Align for Life, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Hailed as “The Michaelangelo of Alignment” by Richard Simmons, Bienenfeld has spent over 30 years as a practitioner, teacher, trainer and leader in the field of Structural Integration. His book is a methodical and definitive guide to optimizing the SI process.
A “Stairway to Dreams” will be constructed from the parking lot between the tennis courts off Frontera Drive up to the Palisades Recreation Center’s Field of Dreams. Photo rendering: Architect Rick Poulos/The Arpen Group ” src=”https://palipost.com/story_photos/N-stairs.jpg” width=”199″ />
A “Stairway to Dreams” will be constructed from the parking lot between the tennis courts off Frontera Drive up to the Palisades Recreation Center’s Field of Dreams. Photo rendering: Architect Rick Poulos/The Arpen Group
The dirt trail on the steep hillside leading up to the Palisades Recreation Center’s Field of Dreams from the parking lot off Frontera Drive will soon be converted into a cement “Stairway to Dreams.” The Palisades Community Center Committee (PCCC), with the support of Pacific Palisades Pony Baseball Association (PPBA) and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), raised $100,000 to construct a stairway from the lower parking lot between the tennis courts to the playing fields. Construction should begin in the next couple of months. “It has been our dream to complete this project,” said Bob Benton, PCCC vice chair and PPBA commissioner. Many people use the trail to reach the fields, and several have fallen. The hillside is especially slippery after it rains, said PCCC chair Mike Skinner. PCCC, a nonprofit association dedicated to improving the park’s programs and facilities, raised more than $1 million to renovate the Field of Dreams in 2003, and raises about $50,000 annually to maintain the fields, Benton said. “The staircase is one of the final touches on the overall project,” said Skinner, who also serves on the PPBA board. About 75 donors gave money for the project, including AYSO and PPBA families and the Palisades Junior Women’s Club. Fundraising began on opening day of the baseball season in March. “A lot of people saw the need, and they appreciate the park,” said Rick McGeagh, who serves on the PPBA board. Many organized leagues use the four diamonds and grass outfields to play baseball, soccer, softball, flag football and lacrosse. The six-foot-wide staircase will have side railings and a landing in the middle. The landing was included so that the stairway would not be too steep, McGeagh said. Architect Rick Poulos designed the rendering of the staircase with the assistance of The Arpen Group, a civil engineering company in Granada Hills. The Los Angeles Department of City Planning told the PCCC it would not approve the permits to construct the stairway until the Pacific Palisades Community Council gave its approval. The Council voted unanimously at last Thursday’s meeting to support the project. PCCC is in the process of hiring a contractor and is still raising money to make additional improvements to the Field of Dreams, including putting awnings over the bleachers. Donations can be sent to PCCC, 11030 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 203, Los Angeles, CA 90025. Information: (310) 473-2078.
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