Three staff members on the Palisades Charter High School newspaper’James Bourne, Katy Pool and Fiona Hannigan’won top ratings at a national journalism convention in St. Louis on November 13-16. More than 5,000 students attended the event, including 12 from PaliHi who were accompanied by their advisor, Mary Capelli. As one of the current Tideline editors-in-chief, Bourne won a superior award and was the highest-ranked individual in copyediting, outpacing several hundred competitors. In order to win that distinction, Bourne took a 50-question multiple-choice AP-style test, wrote three captions for three different photos, and wrote headlines for three unrelated stories. Although dictionaries, journalism stylebooks and electronic spellcheckers were permitted under contest rules and used by competitors, Bourne, who is a senior and has been on the Tideline staff for three years, didn’t use them. After graduation, he plans to eventually gain a master’s in journalism, with an ultimate goal of becoming a foreign correspondent. For the news, editorial and feature-writing contests, students attended a mock ‘press-conference’ on a given topic, took notes, and then had just one hour to write an article. Tideline entertainment editor Pool, a junior who began journalism this year, received a superior for her review on the City Museum in St. Louis. Tideline news editor Hannigan, a senior, won an excellent in feature writing for her story on an organization called the Backstoppers that works with spouses and children of fireman, police and other officers killed in the line of duty. Capelli was pleased that three of her students were honored, noting that ‘It’s competitive and they didn’t give a lot of awards at the conference.’ In addition to competing, students listened to keynote speakers and attended seminars on topics ranging from interview techniques and editorial policies to photography and layout. ‘The convention was a rewarding experience, and it was amazing to see all the different publications and student journalists from all over the country,’ said Hannigan, who plans to pursue journalism in college. ‘I think it is important to get a perspective on journalism and the different views on it, especially through expert opinions. Regardless of how many awards we win, if any, these conventions are always worthwhile.’ Earlier this fall, the Tideline received a Gold Medalist Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for the 2007-2008 school year. The annual competition, which began at Columbia University in 1925, evaluates student-edited newspapers and magazines in order to recognize excellence in student media. Judged by out-of-state high school journalism teachers from award-winning programs as well as college journalism professors, the Tideline received 936 out of a possible 1,000 points and scored 224 points higher than the previous year, when it received a bronze medal. ‘This competition features the elite high schools in the nation,’ said Capelli, who is in her fourth year as advisor. ‘The members of the Tideline worked hard to boost their previous ranking and analyzed other student newspapers in order to find ways to improve.’ Judging was based on four categories: Tideline writers received 290 points out of a possible 300 for coverage and 366 points out of 400 in writing and editing. The staff earned 183 out of 200 in graphic presentation and 97 out of 100 in business operations. In addition to praising the newspaper, CSPA judges also offered several areas for improvement including decreasing editorializing in news coverage, making layout styles more consistent and identifying all people in photos. The Tideline, which published 20 times a year, also won a Crown award, given only to papers that are economically sustainable. ‘We receive $2,500 from the booster club and come up with the other $7,000 through advertising,’ said Capelli, who noted that the students who were in charge of the paper’s advertising/business last year are now in business school at USC. The 2007-2008 editors-in-chief, Megan Greene and Ross Lipschultz, are attending Northwestern. ‘We scour the halls for the best talent,’ Capelli said.

Haldis Toppel Is Active on Two Boards

With a community activist as a husband, Pacific Palisades resident Haldis Toppel said she couldn’t help but become involved. Her husband, Kurt, joined the Community Council in 1990 and served as its president from 2005-06. He was also president of the Marquez Knolls Property Owners Association (MKPOA) at various times over a 10-year period and Citizen of the Year in 1998 for his leadership in securing a new gym at the Palisades Recreation Center. Toppel attended meetings with him, and they discussed the issues around the dinner table. Soon, community leaders were asking for her help. ‘If I see a need, I try to do something about it,’ Toppel, 66, said. ‘Some people will see a car accident and drive by; I am more compelled to stop if I think I can be of assistance in some way.’ In recognition of her years of volunteerism, the Council is honoring her with the Community Service Award on December 11 during a potluck dinner meeting in Temescal Gateway Park’s historic dining hall. ‘Haldis has been tremendously productive in her service to the Council,’ said chair Richard G. Cohen. ‘Often working behind the scenes, she has organized our Citizen of the Year events, worked tirelessly with the by-laws committee and produced our area representative map. ‘She has facilitated the day-to-day functioning of the Council by handling the e-mails and other administrative functions in a dedicated and selfless way,’ Cohen continued. ‘She has devoted endless hours for the betterment of our community and is truly a community treasure.’ Toppel, who worked for the city of Los Angeles as an information system manager for 20 years, has also assumed Kurt’s former role as MKPOA president. Council representative Janet Turner, who lives in Marquez, encouraged her to take the position a couple years ago. ‘In a weak moment, I said ‘yes,” Toppel said, chuckling. The MKPOA was in the middle of an expensive lawsuit at the time. ‘The organization may have folded at that point, and I knew it was important and served a great purpose,’ Toppel said. ‘My goal was to put it back on its feet, and it’s now considered a strong organization.’ Indeed, it’s the largest homeowners group in the Palisades with more than 1,200 homes and a membership rate of about 30 percent. Through MKPOA, Toppel has worked to alleviate traffic problems in Marquez and created a mediation process for homeowners to discuss concerns such as view obstruction. She is hoping to convert the DWP’s property into a parking lot for Marquez School. Right now, many of the school’s staff park in the neighborhood. ‘She’s like the Energizer Bunny,’ Turner said. ‘She keeps on going and going and her boundless energy is infectious. It encourages others to do more for the community as well.’ In 2005, Toppel and Palisades resident Steve Lantz fought to keep the Commuter Express Line 430 bus in service. The bus is the only express line available between Pacific Palisades and downtown, so when the city was considering cutting the route because not enough people were riding, Toppel knew she had to take action. ‘I negotiated with Loyola High School and the L.A. Department of Transportation to re-route the bus to stop at Loyola High School [and thus, increase ridership],’ she said. ‘That bus is now filled to capacity, and I understand there’s often standing room only.’ The Toppel’s adult son, Curt, 28, attended Loyola, so she knew transportation was also an issue for the school. Curt is now a professional volleyball player with a degree from Stanford. Toppel initially moved to Pacific Palisades to live with Kurt, who she met through mutual friends in 1973. They married in 1976 at the Aachen Cathedral in France, where Charlemagne was crowned and later buried.   Haldis grew up in Germany, but came to Los Angeles in 1961, so that she could be with her mother, who was working here as a physical therapist. She attended L.A. City College, majoring in math and engineering, then worked as a stewardess for Continental Airlines for seven years (during that time she learned to fly). In the 1970s, she switched careers, earning a degree in information systems management from the University of San Francisco. Toppel said she never considered moving back to Germany after finding Americans friendly and hospitable. She is glad to live in the Palisades, which is a wonderful place ‘because so many people care.’

Mary Cole Is Here, There, Everywhere

December 04, 2008

Sue Pascoe , Staff Writer

Mary Cole is one of the town’s unsung heroes, the kind who cheerfully volunteers for numerous organizations but is seldom acknowledged. That oversight was corrected last week when she was one of three activists chosen to receive a Community Service Award from the Pacific Palisades Community Council. Cole, a 43-year resident, will be honored at the Council’s potluck dinner meeting on December 11 in Temescal Gateway Park. Ironically, she will also be setting up tables, putting out food and cleaning up afterwards, as she has done for the past six years. Cole, who in 1973 was one of the first members of the Community Council, also served for five years as the Chamber of Commerce alternate representative and is now the AARP representative. ‘I give a lot of time to AARP because the members enjoy the group so much,’ said Cole, who serves as vice president and is currently planning the AARP holiday lunch. ‘I wish more people would pitch in, but they can’t or won’t.’ AARP meets once a month with a varied program of speakers and entertainment. She is also a driver for Santa Monica-based ITN (Independent Transportation Network), which provides a transportation alternative for the elderly who either no longer want to drive or have given up their licenses. ‘I also drive other seniors around, friends, neighbors,’ said Cole who in addition has been a volunteer on the Chamber Music Palisades board since its inception in 1996, and a member of the hospitality committee at Theatre Palisades. Just for good measure, Cole also works in the Santa Monica Unitarian Church office when needed, and recently joined the Palisades Historical Society. ‘I’m always doing something,’ she said, laughing. Her latest volunteer project involves assembling a scrapbook on the history of the Chamber of Commerce. In two weeks she will serve free hot chocolate from The Pantry at the Chamber’s Holiday Ho!Ho!Ho! event on Swarthmore. ‘I’ve met so many great people,’ Cole said. ‘That’s the best thing about volunteering in so many different organizations.’ During her interview with the Palisadian-Post at Starbucks, numerous people stopped to chat with the bubbly and friendly woman. She laughed when I asked her if she knows everyone in town. Cole said that she heard friends say, ‘Don’t walk in town with Mary, you never get anywhere, it takes too long.’ Cole, who grew up in a small town in Ohio, moved to California in 1966 with her husband and their three boys. After looking for a home in the Valley, Cole said she didn’t want to live there and instead they found an ocean-view home in Sunset Mesa. ‘It was important to me to be in a place that has community spirit,’ Cole said. She moved briefly to Santa Monica after her divorce in 1980, but the Palisades, with its small-town feel, drew her back to her current address on Radcliffe. Her history of volunteering goes back to when her boys, David, now 53, Chris, 50, and Kevin, 47, were young. In the late 1960s, she joined a group of Palisadian women who pressed for fair housing in West Los Angeles, and after Martin Luther King’s death in 1968, Cole was part of the Join Hands movement that created the symbolic bumper sticker featuring intertwined white, brown and black hands. That core group of women still meets for lunch monthly, calling themselves ‘The Drunk for Lunch Bunch’ (the name was coined after one long-ago lunch that involved too many margaritas). ‘We’ve gone through bad and good times, and ups and downs,’ said Cole, who earned her BA in psychology from Cal State Dominguez Hills when she was 45 and has worked in numerous jobs, including as a teacher’s aide at Paul Revere Middle School and as a mental health worker. She has four grandchildren.

The Temescal Canyon pool, where children learned to swim, the disabled benefited from physical therapy and senior citizens exercised daily for more than 50 years, may soon be filled in with dirt. On Tuesday night, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board voted unanimously to move forward with pursuing a coastal development permit waiver from the California Coastal Commission to fill in the vacated pool and to pursue a long-term master planning process for Temescal Gateway Park. By a vote of 6-4, the board also rejected an open bid solicitation for a five-year lease agreement for the Temescal pool, which Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston had proposed on November 14. The board made its decisions at midnight after listening to testimonials for and against retaining the pool from about 30 community members in a packed Stewart Hall in Temescal. More than 200 Pacific Palisades residents attended the meeting, and many sat on benches outside next to the open windows because the room was unable to accommodate everyone. Palisades-Malibu YMCA Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche was the first to step to the microphone to encourage the board to allow the Y to re-open the pool, which had to be closed in February because of a recirculation leak. The Y had hoped to repair the pool, which includes replacing the 50-year-old pipes, for a cost of about $400,000. The Y has been unable to reach a new lease agreement with the Conservancy. ‘Generally, the YMCA is prepared to meet the terms outlined in the bid request and invitation,’ Pfannkuche said. However, the Y would need the lease extended to a minimum of 10 years. ‘In order to raise the substantial funds from the local community to repair and renovate the facility, the YMCA must be able to offer its donors a minimum 10-year commitment of pool availability,’ she said. Pfannkuche said the Y would also ask for an annual base rent of $1, which the Y has paid for decades. In Edmiston’s bid request and invitation, he asked that the new lessee make a contribution of about $75,000 a year toward the Conservancy’s at-risk youth programming in Temescal. The Conservancy purchased the park with Proposition A to create trails and provide this programming. ‘Please consider that in lieu of the at-risk youth contribution, the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles, of which the Palisades-Malibu YMCA is a branch, annually provides financial assistance to send more than 20,000 at-risk youth to residential camping programs,’ Pfannkuche said. ‘Given the high costs of operating the pool facility, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA’s annual budget unfortunately cannot accommodate the additional $75,000 per year.’ Edmiston attempted to create a compromise with the Y (the only potential bidder to step forward on Tuesday) by suggesting the Conservancy board consider offering the Y a $400,000 loan to repair the pool. The Y could charge a $5 pool admission and that money would be used to repay the loan and fund at-risk youth programming, he said. ‘It allows for the continuation of the pool until the high school pool can be built,’ Edmiston said. ‘This is an opportunity to transition the community.’ Palisades Charter High School has plans to construct the Maggie Gilbert Aquatics Center and had a groundbreaking ceremony in August, but actual construction has yet to begin. Conservancy board members, however, struck down Edmiston’s suggestion. ‘We have waited too long to fulfill our mandate [to serve at-risk youth]’ said Antonio Gonzalez. ‘We should deal with this forthwith.’ Amy Lethbridge, the Conservancy’s deputy executive officer of youth programs, told the board that the at-risk youth programming is about providing wildlife and nature education, so the pool is rarely used. Conservancy board member Sara Wan responded that ‘We’re a state agency and it’s not appropriate for us to have a community function. It’s a temporary solution [to re-open the pool], and we will have less chance to do what we want five years from now.’ The Conservancy will now begin a process to create a master plan for Temescal Gateway Park with Dudek, an environmental and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Encinitas. There will be public hearings, and Dudek will prepare a draft report that will be the subject of at least one public meeting prior to a formal hearing before the Conservancy’s governing board for adoption. Pfannkuche told the Palisadian-Post Wednesday morning that ‘We are deeply saddened by the decision made by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board. While we appreciate the efforts of Conservancy board members and staff to try to compromise with the YMCA on a solution, their final vote took our community pool away. Friends of the Temescal Pool, led by John Yeh and Ilene Cassidy, should be celebrated for their strong and selfless efforts through this long process.’ Yeh and Cassidy formed the nonprofit organization to encourage the rehabilitation of the Y pool, and membership has grown to more than 2,000 members in about two months. At Tuesday’s meeting, they advocated for the pool along with other residents including 93-year-old Lillian Weizer, who exercised there, and disabled citizen Howard Rosenfeld, who used the pool for therapy. ‘For those of us who cannot walk, either temporarily or permanently, the Temescal pool is the only accessible part of the entire park, and the pool is the only way we can get aerobic exercise,’ Rosenfeld said. Norm Kulla, Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s northern district director and senior counsel, informed the board that Rosendahl supports preserving the pool. Kulla said the Councilman’s office believes the YMCA could meet the Conservancy’s mission to serve at-risk youth through its swim programs. But members of Friends of Temescal Canyon spoke out against reopening the pool. ‘Since the closure of the pool, there has been an absence of noise and dangerous traffic,’ said Nancy Markel, who co-founded the organization. ‘The area is being revitalized with birds and other wildlife returning. Temescal Canyon is a rare treasure, and we hope these new changes will remain.’ Pfannkuche, however, says it’s regrettable how much hardship the pool’s closure has caused on local residents. ‘The YMCA board stands committed to providing a new community aquatics program in the Palisades, as soon as possible,’ she said. ‘In Tuesday’s testimonies, our swimmers spoke with passion about their experiences at the pool, and the relationships that helped them be strong in spirit, mind and body; these relationships can continue at the YMCA, even while we are without a pool. As always, the YMCA is here for everyone; financial assistance is available for those in need.’

A 10-week-old Dalmatian will arrive at Fire Station 69 on Saturday after a brief ride from LAX. That same evening he will leave for a month’s training before making the station his home, replacing the late Buddy. The puppy needs a name and Station 69 firefighters are seeking community input. Choose one of the eight names below (or provide your own suggestion on paper) and put your selection through the mail slot by noon Saturday at the fire station, corner of Sunset and Carey. Only one vote per person. Possible names include: Buddy II, Spot, Pali, Sunset (Sunny), Chief, Carey, Skipper, Smokey, Duke and Zorro. The new puppy, which was born on September 27 at the Allen Kennels in Winder, Georgia, will have big paws to fill because Buddy, who died last December, was a goodwill ambassador to the town, and beloved by the community. Allen Kennels specialize in large dogs and breed for character and temperament, which is important for a dog that not only goes to neighborhood birthday and block parties, but also participates in the Fourth of July parade. The newest addition to Station 69 is a gift of the Miller family: Ram, Caroline, Jake, 9, Cole, 7, and Gigi, 4. The station and its firefighters have a special significance for the family, because on November 22, 2004, Gigi was born there after her parents realized they were never make it from their home to the hospital in time for the delivery. Every year, the family celebrates Gigi’s birthday with the firefighters. When the Millers offered to buy a new dog after Buddy died, the firefighters said no. Caroline asked again this past summer, and this time the answer was affirmative. The 36 firefighters, who work on three different shifts, had to vote to take responsibility for the dog’s expenses, including vet bills, food and training. ‘The vote was overwhelming to have a dog,’ said Scott Gill, who has been Station 69’s hook-and-ladder driver for six years. After the Millers located a puppy, the firefighters knew that some sort of training would be needed. ‘We decided that with 36 guys, the best thing for the new puppy was to have one trainer,’ Gill said. Clint Rowe, a Hollywood trainer who has prepared animals for ‘Turner and Hooch,’ ‘Man’s Best Friend,’ ‘Borat,’ and ‘You Don’t Mess With the Zohan,’ will work with the puppy. Rowe is also currently training Wilshire, Fire Station 29’s Dalmatian. ‘He normally doesn’t do this, but he did it for us,’ Gill said. Rowe will teach the dog boundary and house training, as well as a few simple commands. When he returns to the station, two firefighters on each shift will specifically deal with him. Palisadians Ninkey Dalton and Charles Eglee, whose late Dalmatian Bongo used to play with Buddy, will donate $100 towards the new puppy’s care. Addition checks can be made out to Fire Station 69, and on the memo line write ‘puppy fund.’

By TERESA DAVID Special to the Palisadian-Post Seventeen members of Boy Scout Troop 223 received their Eagle Scout award during a ceremony at St. Matthew’s Sprague Center that included a dinner and multimedia show on November 25. To gain Eagle Scout status, a boy must be in a troop at least five years, attend weekly meetings, monthly campouts and education sessions, several summer trips, perform community service, and attain merit badges. Troop 223 community service projects require a minimum of 100 man-hours by the Eagle Scout candidate and his Scout volunteers. Following are the new Eagle Scouts and their projects: 
 Todd Bertorelli and Andrew Notaras helped dig out and create a tiered picnic area next to the St. Matthew’s Parish Center. Ryan Tipton leveled and laid 360 sq. ft. of flagstone on the ground around the picnic area. Charlie Montgomery installed a stone walkway next to Sprague Center, Will Hookstratten worked on a retaining wall at the school, and J.J. Nelson installed a retaining wall above the pool. Wyatt Bertorelli built shelving for a computer area at the Westside Food Bank and Sam Cortese created a landing for storage of food barrels and collected canned goods. Brian Cheung coordinated the painting of agricultural bins at the Downtown Women’s Center on L.A.’s Skid Row. George Economou painted benches at Corpus Christi Church and Kyle Kolligian made and planted two organic vegetable garden boxes at the school. Graham Gallaher completed several major projects for the Veteran’s Administration’s garden and Isaac Margulies built a storage area for the Upward Bound House. Michael Mazzarella designed and constructed four large storage boxes for toys, equipment and other items for the Neighborhood Youth Association in Venice. Mitchell Oei built a portable stage for performance for pre-schoolers attending the St. Joseph’s Center for Early Development and Michael Schem designed and built three planter boxes and bench seats in front of the Palisades YMCA. These 17 projects totaled 2,240 service hours to complete, and on each project an Eagle Scout was assisted by about 20 other Scouts. Troop 223, which has 110 Scouts, is celebrating its 57th year in Pacific Palisades. Scoutmaster Michael Lanning has led for 55 years, and has produced 598 Eagle Scouts, a record number for Boy Scouts of America. Unlike many troops, Lanning encourages his Scouts to have earned their merit badges by the age of 15, not the typical age of 16 or 17. This allows a Scout time to accomplish his Eagle Scout community service project before he is a sophomore in high school when academic or sports demands may deter the young man from his goal. Troop 223 will travel to the Philmont High-Adventure Base in New Mexico and Emerald Bay on Catalina this summer. There will be an open house on Tuesday, December 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Matthew’s Sprague Center. Call Mike Lanning at (310) 820-1600, Ext. 223.