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Patricia Traxler, 88; Longtime Palisadian Was Married 63 Years

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Patricia K. Traxler, who had lived in Pacific Palisades for 60 years, died August 1 at UCLA/Santa Monica Hospital after a brief illness. She was 88.’ Born in Kansas on April 4, 1920, Patricia graduated from high school in 1938 and went to work for Boeing. She worked as an electrical wire inspector at the B-29 plant in Wichita until World War II broke out, then joined the U.S. Navy and worked as a postal worker stationed at Treasure Island in San Francisco. It was there that she met her future husband Douglas, who was also in the Navy working aboard a training ship. The couple enjoyed a short courtship before driving to Reno to get married on a three-day pass. After the war, Douglas, a petroleum geologist, returned to UCLA for a master’s degree and later began his career at Signal Oil and Gas. The couple rented a house in Beverly Glen and became parents. In 1948, they built their home on Friends Street and moved in a year later. Patricia was a homemaker who loved to cook and a member of the Junior Women’s Club. In addition to her husband of 63 years, Patricia is survived by her daughter, Saundra Dolbee of Santa Monica. A graveside service will be held. Please call Gates, Kingsley & Gates for more information at (310) 395-9988. Contributions may be made in Patricia’s name to the Muscular Dystrophy Association, 3300 E. Sunrise Dr., Tucson AZ 85718.

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 7, 2008

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

HAWAII EXISTS IN LA! NEW INVENTORY. 11 HOMES AVAIL. Terrific Opportunity! PCH/Sunset. Up to 1,600 Sq. Ft. $179,000-1.1 million. Some completely remodeled, many upgrades. Ocean views, wood floors, new kitchens, sun deck, rec center w/ pool/spa/gym. Steps from the sand. Condo alternative. Agent, Michelle Bolotin, (310) 230-2438

HOMES WANTED 1b

WE BUY HOUSES, APTS & LAND! ALL CASH, AS-IS, FAST CLOSE. David, (310) 308-7887

FURNISHED HOMES 2

FULLY FURNISHED, CHARMING & quiet 1 bdrm, 1 ba cottage. FP, walking distance to village & bluffs. Short term available. $2,500/mo.+security. (310) 459-0765

CHARMING FURNISHED 3 BDRM, 1¾ ba home, hardwood floors, F/P, walk to Village and bluffs. No pets. Short term available. $5,000/mo.+security.(310) 459-0765

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

EL MEDIO BLUFFS 3 bdrm, 2 ba, Cape Cod. Corner lot, charming. 1/2 blk walk to bluffs. $6,000/mo. Call Elizabeth, (310) 293-8999

HIGHLANDS 3+2 HOME: Beautiful panoramic mtn w/ ocean views. Bright, airy, high ceilings, 2 decks, new paint, F/P, tile, ss appls, included. Lrg pvt clubhouse, olympic pool, tennis, gym, gardener incl. Available 8/15. $4,200/mo. Marty, (310) 459-2692

3 BDRM, 1 BA. $3,600/mo., utils incl. 2 car pking, close to village, schools, shops & beach. Pets OK. Appliances, W/D, D/W, refridg. By appt. only. Eric, (310) 428-3364

PASEO MIRAMAR. Spectacular views! 3 BD, 2½ BA, 2 car garage, charming whitewashed ranch house. Deck, pool, gardener, fruit trees. $6,800/mo. Available now. (310) 459-7819

ATTRACTIVE 3 bdrm, 1.75 ba plus bonus room. El Medio bluffs area. Lrg mstr bdrm, fireplace, all appliances. Corner home with mountain view. Gardener included. Available approximately 8/20/08. $4,500/mo. Call (310) 454-1669

FAMILY COMING INTO TOWN and you want them close to you without the hassle of a hotel? Rent this Great house in the Palisades, walking distance to village. 3 bedroom plus loft, $250 a night from 8/19/08 to 9/1/08. Please call (310) 592-6289

LOVELY HIGHLANDS TOWNHOME. 2 bd, den, 3 ba, hardwood floors, high ceilings, private garage, mountain views, full spa. $3,850/mo.+security. (310) 459-0765

VIEW TO ZUMA BEACH 3+2.5 home, Castellammare. Indoor/outdoor lifestyle. $7,500/mo. Call Lynne, (310) 614-3106

OPEN SUN., 2-5 P.M. 680 Bienveneda Ave. (S of Sunset). 3+2 cozy beach bungalow, recently renovated, w/ hwd flrs, fplc, Fr drs, plantation shutters, stainls applncs, Waterworks fixtures, 43” flat scrn w/ Bose surround sound speakers, & yard w/ al fresco dining patio. $1,549,000. www.marcrobinsonrealestate.com

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

HOLYOKE BLUFFS. Newly redone large studio. Top-of-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 for right person. Ref’s. 6 mo. Lease. $1,890/mo. w/ dep. (310) 454-3806

PALISADES 1 BDRM apt, remodeled, quiet, clean, gas stove, fridge, near village, one year lease, covered parking with storage, laundry. No pets. Non-smoker. $1,320/mo. (310) 477-6767

STUDIO GUEST HOUSE, Pacific Palisades. Bathroom, kitchenette, new carpet, walk to village and bus stop. N/S, no pets. $1,500/mo.+deposit, utilities included. Quiet. (818) 754-2892

SANTA MONICA. Uniquely special unit for a uniquely special person. Charm, style and luxury—all this and more in a prime Santa Monica location. This pristine one bedroom+den has it all. Luxurious “Waterworks” bath plus a powder room for a guest. Living room with high beam ceilings, custom shutters, and wood burning fireplace. Delightful marble kitchen, washer/dryer, AC & FA. This rare find is the separate top floor unit—one of only four, in an enchanting “boutique” building. Also included, its own private garden patio and garage. No pets. Available Sept. $3,500/mo. (310) 826-7960

WANTED TO RENT 3b

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

LOOKING FOR HOUSE/guesthouse, December 18th-December 26th. In/near Village. 2 bds, King pref, kitchen, ref’s, 2 adults, n/s. Please contact Hermine, (808) 875-4209 or herminehaha@yahoo.com

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

PALISADES OFFICE suites available in the heart of the VILLAGE including: 1) Last remaining single office suite at $1,650 per month and 2) Office suites ranging in size from 700 sf to 2,400 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

BEAUTIFUL, SINGLE OFFICE available for an individual. Located in the heart of Pacific Palisades. Includes free internet. Ready to move in at $1,250/mo. Call Liz, (310) 230-8335

2 FURNISHED OFFICES on Sunset Blvd. In Spectrum Bldg. Across from beach. $1,100/mo. Each includes 2 desks; parking; utilities (except phone); shared conference room and kitchenette. High speed internet available. Please contact Pam or Rob @ (310) 230-6866

MEDICAL/DENTAL SPACE AVAILABLE in Palisades Village! Great location! 1,200 sq. ft. Newly renovated boutique building. 6 offices and reception area. Available Sept. 1st. 910 Via de la Paz. Please call Vicki, (310) 475-6400

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

REALISTICALLY earn more money in the next year than the past 5 years combined. (800) 687-2735

PERSONALS 6b

ANNE MARIE: I am the person you dreamed of. Please call. Michael Heartsong, (323) 839-1578

MISCELLANEOUS 6c

Please join Governor Bill Richardson For An Event Benefiting • THE OBAMA VICTORY FUND • Thursday, Aug. 14, 2008 • 5:30 P.M. — VIP Reception • 6:15 P.M. — General Reception • Requested Contribution: $250 per person • Limited VIP tickets: $1,000 per person * SPACE IS LIMITED—RSVP REQUIRED PRIOR TO THE DATE OF THE EVENT * RSVP REQUIRED. For more information contact Adia Smith at asmith@barackobama.com or (310) 277-2008 * * *

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

BOOKKEEPER BY THE HOUR • Need help with getting your books in order? Help is near! Call Joanie, (310) 486-1055

BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING AVAILABLE in the Palisades including financial reports, payroll & sales tax reports. Highly experienced, fast, discreet w/ excellent local references. Call Shirley, (310) 570-6085

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

WEB SITES AND GRAPHIC DESIGN. Development for business. Photo editing, holiday cards. Contact Maggie, (310) 985-0959 or Maggie@maggiesweb.com

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

SOLAR/WIND ENERGY 7l

ALTERNATIVE ENGINEERING SOLAR • GO SOLAR • TAX INCENTIVES! Design & engineering solar/wind systems • Huge rebates • Financing available • Local Palisades contractor • Lic. #912279. Call for free consultation: (877) 898-1948

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

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

GREAT NANNY—SAD DAY. Our nanny of 7 years is available Sept. 1st. Our youngest is off to Kindergarten! CA DL, own car, close to Pac Pal, reliable, honest, loves kids. Call Gretchen or Rick, (310) 456-2142

NANNY, 15 YRS. EXPERIENCE. All ages! PEACE OF MIND FOR WORKING PARENTS. Best references. CPR/CDL. L/O (L/I when needed). Loving care for baby/pets/home. Last 5 years in Palisades. Phyllis, (818) 340-7183

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. Available Monday-Friday. Good experience, honest, reliable. Excellent references. Call Rosalba, (323) 873-3255 anytime

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER Monday thru Friday. References, own car, CDL, light English, friendly, hard working. Please call Luz, (818) 523-6142 or (818) 270-5401

OUR FABULOUS HOUSEKEEPER available Wednesdays. Immaculate cleaner, great with kids. References available. Please call Barbara, (310) 454-4030

HOUSEKEEPERS’ PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, Mon.-Fri. Clean your home or apartment. Efficient, hardworking, pets no problem, no iron. Please call Lorena, (213) 568-2349 & Claudia, (323) 331-5150

FULL-TIME HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE. Tuesday, Thurs. & Sat. Housecleaning, laundry & ironing. Good w/ pets, exper, local refs. Please call Adelina or Magdalena at (323) 527-4538, (323) 634-0736

HOUSE CLEANING, 15 yrs experience, references if needed. Free estimate. Available Monday thru Friday. Speaks English. Call (323) 907-2213

HOUSEKEEPER, EXPERIENCED, REFERENCES, has own transportation, speaks some English. (818) 765-8728 home, (818) 391-8647 cell. Call anytime.

HOUSEKEEPER/HOUSESITTING, Mon. thru Sunday. 25 years experience. Excellent ref’s. Reliable. Call Elizabeth, (323) 463-7889

HOUSEKEEPER, EXPERIENCED. Weekends. Will keep your home sparkling clean w /personal care. CDL, car, English, pet friendly. Housesit while you are away. Ref’s. (310) 866-0940

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE every other Tuesday. Own transportation. California driver’s license. Good Palisades references. Call Maria, (323) 938-8108

HOUSEKEEPER Three days a week. Own transportation. References. 10 years experience! Call Teresa or Soledad, (310) 590-9763

GARDENING, LANDSCAPING 11

PALISADES GARDENING • Full Gardening Service • Sprinkler Install • Tree Trim • Sodding/Seeding • Sprays, non-toxic • FREE 10” Flats, Pansies, Snap, Impatiens. (310) 568-0989

WATERFALLS & POND CONSTRUCTION: Water gardening. Japanese Koi fish. Filtration pond service, repair & maintenance. Free estimates. (310) 435-3843, cell (310) 390-1276. www.TheKingKoi.com

PACIFIC TREE and LANDSCAPE. All your tree trimming and landscape design needs, brush clearing, removals, replanting. 25 years serving the Westside areas. Call (310) 866-3376

GARDENING SERVICE. Sprinkler installation, tree trim, sodding, seeding, maintenance. Free estimates. Call Salomón, (323) 252-0112

PRECISION LANDSCAPE SERVICES! Tired of mow, blow, let’s go! Specializing in fine maintenance • outdoor lighting • fertilizing • automatic timer repair & installation • artificial grass installation • hillside clean ups • new sod • sprinkler repair. Fair prices. (310) 696-6453

MOVING & HAULING 11b

HONEST MAN SERVICES. All jobs, big or small. Hauls it all. 14 foot truck. 20th year Westside. Delivery to 48 states. (310) 285-8688

MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES 12c

NEIGHBORHOOD THERAPIST: Caring, patient & local Palisades Psychotherapist available for help and insight into issues relating to your personal and interpersonal life. To make an appointment with Dr. Aunene Finger, Board Certified MFT, please call (310) 454-0855. www.neighborhoodtherapist.com. Lic. #37780

MISCELLANEOUS 12f

CARDIO FIT & FIT FOR SENIORS • Morning & Exercise Classes • $10 PER CLASS • Contact “TC” (310) 699-1491

CARPET CLEANING 13b

MARIO’S CARPET CLEANING. Commercial, residents and apartments. 7 day service! Free estimate! Call (323) 939-9295 or (323) 839-7018

WINDOW WASHING 13h

EXPERT WINDOW CLEANER • Experienced 21 yrs on Westside. Clean & detailed. Can also clean screens, mirrors, skylights & scrape paint off glass. Free estimates. Brian, (310) 289-5279

THE WINDOWS OF OZ. Got view? Extremely detailed interior/exterior glass and screen cleaning. Specializing in high ladder work. 10% new customer discount & next day service available. Owner operated. Free estimates. (310) 926-7626

AUTO DETAILING 13i

MARIO’S AUTO DETAILING. All hand wash and detail service. At your home or office. 897 S. Crenshaw Blvd. #11, L.A. Call (323) 939-9295 or (323) 839-7018

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

HAPPY PET • Dog Walking • Park Outings • Socialization • Insured. Connie, (310) 230-3829

PACK LEADER DOG WALKING. Let me tire your dog out with fun walks! Training included in pack leader style, like “The Dog Whisperer.” Over 10 yrs exper. w/ dogs. Over 1 yr w/ Palisades clients. Liability insured. Refs. & pet sitting also available. Bea, (310) 467-9399

PERSONAL TOUCH DOG WALKING/sitting service. Cats included. Pali resident over 25 yrs. Very reliable. Refs available. If you want special care for your pet, please call me. 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

TUTORS 15e

KEEP STUDENTS INVOLVED in learning. Relaxed summer reading, writing, grammar & math, reinforcement & review. 30+ years teaching/tutoring experience. Call Gail, (310) 313-2530

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

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 & Spanish! 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

SAT/ACT/MATH TUTOR. UCLA Bachelors + USC Masters; 9 yrs of teaching standardized test prep; proven success in increasing students scores; private or small group lessons at your home; (310) 600-3027

ENGLISH TEACHER available to tutor in essay writing, grammar and important test preparation. Call Louise, (310) 459-2433

CARPENTRY 16a

FINE WOODWORKING/HANDYMAN. Porches, doors, kitchens, cabinets, etc. No project too small, references available. Reasonable prices. General contractor. Lic. #822541. Contact Ed at (310) 213-3101

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. (800) 800-0744 or (818) 203-8881

DOORS 16f

“DOOR WORKS” • Residential and commercial, door repairs, replacements. Handicap services, weatherstripping. Free est. Premium service. Lic. #917844. (310) 598-0467, (818) 346-7900

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. Lic. #775688. Please call (310) 454-6849 or (818) 317-8286

ELECTRICAL WORK.Call Dennis! 26 yrs experience, 24 hours, 7 day service. Lic. #728200. (310) 821-4248

FENCES, DECKS 16j

THE FENCE MAN • 14 years quality workmanship. Wood fences • Decks • Gates • Chainlink & overhang • 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. 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

GOLDEN HARDWOOD FLOORS. Professional Installation and refinishing. National Wood Flooring Association member. License #732286. Plenty of local references. (877) 622-2200 • www.goldenhardwoodfloors.com

JEFF HRONEK, 39 YRS. RESIDENT • HARDWOOD FLOORS INC. • Sanding & Refinishing • Installations • Pre-finished • Unfinished • Lic. #608606. Bonded, Insured, Workers Comp. www.hronekhardwoodfloors.com (310) 475-1414

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

GREENHOUSE Handyman & Home Maintenance. Major & Minor Home Repairs/Installations. Green Home Improvements & Retrofits. Termite/Moisture Damage Specialist. (800) 804-8810

HANDYMAN. Painting exterior/interior, baseboard, water damage repair, drywall repair, tile. 18 yrs. Excellent service & experience. Free estimates. Non-lic. Call Fortino Matias, (310) 502-1168

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 • 54 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. 35 years in service. License #637882. Call (310) 454-6604

PACIFIC PAINTING SINCE 1979 • Interior/Exterior Residential/Commercial • Custom painting • Wallpaper removal • Drywall repair • Bonded & Ins. Lic. #908913. (310) 954-7170

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

COMPLETE CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION • New/Spec Homes • Kit+bath remodeling • Additions • Quality work at reasonable rates guaranteed. Large & small projects welcomed. Lic. #751137. Michael Hoff Construction today, (424) 202-8619

MISCELLANEOUS 16z

INDEPENDENT SERVICES. Wood fences, iron gates, patio cover. Finish carpenter, door installation, casing, base, crown molding, drywall and paint. Call Emilio Cruz, (310) 672–2055 or (310) 709-4124

HELP WANTED 17

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

PART-TIME live-out housekeeper. Must speak English, references, drive, CDL, car. Call (310) 230-0330

PART TIME BOOKKEEPER. Flexible hours, must have experience with QuickBooks Pro. Call Pam or Rob, (310) 230-6866

WANTED: GREAT HOUSEKEEPER! Must be experienced with great refs, own car, good English. Hours: Tues.-Fri., 7 a.m.-4 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. (Saturday will sometimes be babysitting.) Vacation: Two weeks paid. Salary: $600/wk (raise after one year). Send letter or resume by email to bird@odysseyla.com or fax (310) 230-1604

HOUSEKEEPER WANTED: Full-time, live-out. Must speak English and have own car, CDL, local references. (310) 694-4674

ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITY. Create a realistic 5 figure income/mo. Opportunity and products with no rival. (800) 439-1193

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. Immediate F/T. Pacific Palisades solar company. Excellent communications & computer skills. Submit resume to info@sunkingsolarpv.com

DIRECTOR OF OUTREACH: Organize & manage outreach programs for productions involving social, educational & spiritual outreach campaign. Organize & design educational publications, correspondence & socio-cultural event. Supervise staff & manage casting for in-house productions. Responsible for bi-annual newsletter. Job site: Pacific Palisades. Send resume to Paulist Productions, Inc. 17575 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

SEEKING LIVE-IN NANNY from Friday, 7:30 a.m. thru Sunday, 9:30 a.m. For nice Palisades family to care for 3-year-old twin girls. Must speak English well. Lisa, (310) 874-8508

INTERNET RESEARCH SUPPORT needed for locally funded service project part time. Responsiveness a must. Send resume to joe1263@aol.com

WRITER NEEDED for part time assignment. Approximately 100 hours to support a locally funded service project. Send writing copy and resume to joe1263@aol.com

AUTOS 18b

1999 FORD F250 Super Duty V10 Supercab Longbed, black w/ lumber rack & Weatherguard tool box. 265K miles. Great work truck! $6,500 OBO. Call John, (818) 621-0061

2005 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT. A show stopper with grey customized paint. 12k miles and smells like new! Asking $119k obo. Contact Warren at (323) 581-5200.

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

MOVING SALE, INDOORS. Saturday, 8/9/08, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Furniture and others. 15515 W. Sunset Blvd. #213. Call for entrance info. (310) 663-9575

MULTI-FAMILY SALE: Outdoor mosaic fountains, bistro, bar tables, chairs, furniture, wicker, art, clothes, more! Friday, 8-10 a.m. Saturday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 1036 El Medio, Pacific Palisades.

GREAT COLLECTIBLES. Nice gifts, fun treasures, very eclectic. Antique dresser, & armoire, opened boxes and found much more. Friday only 8/8, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 618 Erskine, P.P.

WANTED TO BUY 19

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

Thursday, August 7-Thursday, August 14

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THURSDAY, AUGUST 7

Family Fun Night, sponsored by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, 7 p.m. at the new Rubell Meadow in Temescal Gateway Park (follow the signs inside the park). The free program includes nature stories, songs and a campfire (weather permitting) with marshmallows. Open to all. ‘Dainty Mabel & the Spiteful Child from Saskatoon,’ a Theatre Palisades Youth production, continues at the’Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.’Tickets ($12) are available by calling (310) 454-1970. Co-written and directed’by Palisadian Nancy Cassaro Fracchiolla, this original family-friendly’musical melodrama is’best described as ‘The Little Rascals’ meets ‘A Fractured Fairy Tale.’ Pacific Palisades resident Gene Harrison Starbuck discusses and signs ‘Cutler’s Gate,’ his Colorado-based novel about the 1918 flu epidemic that killed more Americans than all the wars of the 20th century combined, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9

Second week of Movies in the Park, an every-Saturday-in August event hosted by the Chamber of Commerce event, features ‘Ghostbusters,’ starting at dusk (about 8:15 p.m.) on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center. Admission is free.

MONDAY, AUGUST 11

Moonday, a monthly Westside poetry reading featuring poets Annie Reiner and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12

Story-Craft Time, suggested for ages 4 and up, 4 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real.   Final summer outing by the Temescal Canyon Association hiking group will explore the now-upscale Venice canals, with the option of dinner at one of many nearby restaurants. Meet for carpooling at 6 p.m. in the Temescal Gateway parking lot just north of Sunset. No dogs. Expect to be back close to 9 p.m. Contacts: visit temcanyon.org or call (310) 459-5931.

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13

Monthly meeting of the Palisades AARP chapter, 2 p.m. in the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Public invited.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 14

Meg Waite Clayton discusses and signs her novel, ‘Wednesday Sisters,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Humorous and moving, this novel’set in California during the tumultuous 1960s’earns a place among those popular works that honor the joyful, mysterious, unbreakable bonds among friends.

Pacific Palisades Has a Public Pool

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Although it was a sultry afternoon last Thursday, the Rustic Canyon public pool was nearly empty.
Although it was a sultry afternoon last Thursday, the Rustic Canyon public pool was nearly empty.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

With the YMCA pool in Temescal Canyon closed, and construction on the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center at Palisades High not yet underway, it seems that Pacific Palisades is without a public pool. But Cindy Sivak reminds residents about an overlooked swimming facility at the Rustic Canyon Recreation Center. ‘I have lived in Pacific Palisades for two years, and thanks to a posting in the Two Cents column, I found out that there was a swimming pool in Rustic Canyon,’ Sivak wrote in an e-mail. ‘I went there on a Saturday afternoon and there were only three people swimming. I said to the young woman who collected my $2.50 admission fee that this was L.A.’s best-kept secret. She said, ‘Yes, nobody knows about this. It’s always empty.” Last Thursday at 1 p.m., a visiting Palisadian-Post reporter found two children swimming in the Rustic Canyon pool and two women sitting on the deck. A lane line was stretched on one side of the 20-yard pool, but there were no lap swimmers. (The six-lane YMCA pool is 25 yards long and the 12-lane PaliHi pool will be 25-meters, just over 27 yards.)   One drawback to the Rustic pool is that its depth ranges from two feet nearest the locker rooms up to only four feet by the lane line. Open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. during the summer, the pool is mostly empty, according to pool manager Crystal Francher, who recently graduated from UC Davis and will enter graduate school this month at the University of Cincinnati. Francher said that the pool becomes more crowded between 2 and 4 p.m., when the Rustic Canyon campers come over, but usually it’s slow. ‘Most people say they didn’t even know this place existed,’ said Francher, who thinks this pool is one of the nicest spots to work because of its location nestled in Rustic Canyon. The former Venice High School swimmer has also worked at Stoner and at Westwood during the off-season.   L.A. Recreation and Parks opened the pool on June 21 this year, and will close it on Labor Day. The pool also accommodates a three-member youth swim team that works out every day from 4 to 5 p.m., with meets on Saturdays (ending this week). There is also inner-tube water polo, a fun sport that Francher enjoyed in college, but no one signed up for the Rustic Canyon program this year.   Pool admission is free for youth, 17 years old and under; adults are $2.50, or $2 if a public library card is produced. A city rule, which is enforced, proclaims that every child seven and under must have a guardian, which means if you have twins, there must be two adults; or if three children, three adults. A lifeguard is on duty at all times. The pool is located at 601 Latimer Rd. Contact: (310) 230-0137.

PaliHi Aquatic Center Breaks Ground

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English teacher Rose Gilbert, age 90, is ready to dig with the help of (left to right) City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, American Legion Commander Lee Barkesdale, PaliHi facilities director Chaz Yench, swim coach Maggie Nance, executive director Amy Held, principal Martin Griffin and chief business officer Greg Wood.
English teacher Rose Gilbert, age 90, is ready to dig with the help of (left to right) City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, American Legion Commander Lee Barkesdale, PaliHi facilities director Chaz Yench, swim coach Maggie Nance, executive director Amy Held, principal Martin Griffin and chief business officer Greg Wood.

When Palisades High English teacher Rose Gilbert donated another $900,000 for the school’s state-of-the-art aquatic center on July 15, she did so with one stipulation’that the groundbreaking ceremony be held August 1, one day before her 90th birthday. So Gilbert was glowing last Friday when, just as she had requested, officials pool broke ground on the blacktop playground south of the gym’the very spot where she expects students to be swimming by fall 2009. ‘The next goal I have is to ensure that every student at PaliHi is going to be a certified swimmer by the time they graduate,’ said Gilbert, who has been teaching at the school since it opened in 1961. ‘When it’s done I want to be the first person to jump into that pool!’ Gilbert has worked with 14 principals at PaliHi and she recognized four of them — Merle Price, Don Savarese, Linda Hosford and Gloria Martinez (all of whom were on hand) — as part of the lifeblood of PaliHi.   New principal Martin Griffin also attended, along with PaliHi facilities director Chaz Yench, athletic director Rich McKeon, chief business officer Greg Wood and parent Jeanne Goldsmith, whose consulting firm was hired to fundraise. ‘Rose is one of the oldest teachers in America,’ PaliHi Executive Director Amy Dresser Held said in her opening statement. ‘She’s amazing, she’s inspiring and her generosity is the reason we’re here today.’ Gilbert’s most recent donation brings her total contribution to $2 million’more than half the estimated $3.5 million needed for the project. Still, as she pointed out, ‘As we dig into the ground, we need people in the community to dig into their pockets to raise the rest of the money.’ The facility, called the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center in memory of the teacher’s late daughter and swimmer, will consist of a 12-lane competitive pool and a shallower two-lane instructional pool. ‘Next month will be 20 years since I sat in her class and Rose was 15 years past retirement then,’ said Maggie Nance, PaliHi swim coach and chairman of the pool committee. ‘Thanks to her, today we cross the line from theoretical to practical. In a little over a year, where you sit now will be deep water.’ In October, a party will be held for past PaliHi swimmers to raise money for the project. Carol Pfannkuche, executive director of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, has donated two lifeguard towers. ‘The secret to a long life is to do things that matter and keep doing them,’ local City Councilman Bill Rosendahl said. ‘I asked Rose once what keeps her going and she told me ‘I’m teaching today, and I will teach tomorrow.” Also addressing the audience were Lee Barkesdale, commander of American Legion Post 283, which made a $50,000 donation to the pool fund; and Jay Flood, parent of three PaliHi graduates and one of the chief architects for the project. When the speeches were over, Yench passed out hard hats and handed Gilbert a golden shovel, which she used to dig up the first pile of dirt. Pictures were snapped, then Held and Nance presented Gilbert with her birthday cake and joined the audience in singing her ‘Happy Birthday.’

Free Saturday Movies In the Park Are Back

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A perfect antidote to a stressful week of driving, expensive restaurants and long movie lines is Movies in the Park, now underway once again every Saturday evening in August. This week’s free screening is ‘Ghostbusters,’ rated PG, which starts at dusk on the Field of Dreams at the Recreation Center on Alma Real Drive. ‘Ghostbusters’ is a 1984 sci-fi/comedy/action film about three New York City parapsychologist professors who are fired from the university after their research grants expire. The trio decides to start a ghost exterminating company, and business abounds as ghosts run amok in the Big Apple. Eventually the ‘ghostbusters’ are faced with a supernatural power, an ancient Sumerian goddess named Gozer, who will destroy the world unless they can exterminate her first. The film was directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts. It was the top grossing film of 1984. Last Saturday at 5 p.m., when Movies in the Park board members set up the screen, sound and video systems for ‘Spiderman,’ the field was mostly empty. But by showtime, there were close to 600 people for the fifth year of this community event. Eagle Scout candidates Hank Adelman and Charlie Stilger from Troop 23 sold soda, candy, water and Pringles to help fund their Eagle projects. Black fleece blankets that are embroidered with the Movie in the Park logo were available for $35. A limited number are still left and can be purchased before this week’s movie.. ‘We started coming last year,’ said Palisadian Rob Prins, who viewed the film with his wife Mayumi and daughters Madeline and Ansley. ‘We have to come next week for ‘Ghostbusters.” ‘I miss the hot dogs,’ said Tom Hofer, who has been attending the series every year. He wasn’t the only one who voiced pangs of loss over the dogs. Adam Besserman, who was helping PopStar-Popcorn owner Elana Schwarzman sell varying sized bags of popcorn, said ‘I was looking forward to the hot dogs. I’m not going to lie.’ The first three years, L.A. Recreation and Parks, through Palisades park director David Gadelha, donated the frankfurters and manpower. ‘That was David’s way of giving back to the community, but he was transferred,’ said David Williams, a Movies in the Park board member along with John Wirth, Andy Frew and Brad Lusk. Last year, former Citizen of the Year Mike Skinner donated the hot dogs and manpower, but an additional problem arose this year. ‘I think we can find sponsors to pay for the hot dogs,’ Williams said, ‘but now we’re required to have park employees to man the stand.’ Another roadblock is securing the necessary permits. Norman Kulla, senior counsel for local City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, was contacted about the hot dog situation. ‘If this is a bureaucratic problem, we’ll see what we can do to fix it,’ Kulla told the Palisadian-Post on Wednesday. In order to defray annual costs of about $7,500 (including film rentals, insurance, security, permits and clean-up), Movies in the Park’Pacific Palisades, an incorporated nonprofit organization, must rely on community donations. The 2008 series is supported by funding from the Junior Women’s Club, Rotary Club, Affinity Bank, American Legion Post 283, Brad and Sharon Lusk, Laura McNevin/Coldwell Banker, Technology for You!, Dan Urbach/Prudential California Realty and residents Lee Calvert and Cheryel Kanan. The park opens at 6 p.m. for picnics. Moviegoers are reminded that no stick-leg chairs, alcohol, smoking or dogs are permitted.

Families Enjoy YMCA Olympics Night

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Three-year-old Paige MacDougall aims her bow and arrow with help from her father Tom at the archery location. They almost hit the bull's-eye.
Three-year-old Paige MacDougall aims her bow and arrow with help from her father Tom at the archery location. They almost hit the bull’s-eye.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Opening ceremonies for the Beijing Olympics are tomorrow, but here in Pacific Palisades the summer games were held last Friday evening at Simon Meadow near the entrance to Temescal Gateway Park. Speakers blaring the theme songs from ‘Rocky’ and ‘Superman’ heralded the Palisades-Malibu YMCA’s first ‘Olympics Night’ from 6 to 8 p.m., as children of all ages got a taste of what it might be like to one day compete in the world’s most prestigious athletic event. ‘This is part of our Family Fun Nights and since this is an Olympic year and it’s starting next week we thought it would be fun to make that the theme,’ YMCA Program Director Ray Cruz said. ‘It’s a lot of fun and everyone gets a little gold medal.’   The latest edition of this summer series, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pacific Palisades, included games and activities for children of all ages, including archery, croquet, rock climbing, balance beam, tether ball, zip lines, moon bounce, basketball and the always-popular dunk tank. Kids also enjoyed face-painting and numerous arts and crafts.   ’We’re also encouraging guests to bring their recyclables (paper, plastic and aluminum) because we’re collecting them,’ Cruz said. Some families brought picnic lunches while others consumed slices of Palisades Pizza in between events. Bryce Lozinski, a 10-year-old going into fifth grade at Palisades Elementary, threw a mean fastball and was the first to dunk Aleksa Maglich, an incoming senior at Palisades High and a member of the Y’s youth and government team. ‘This is my fifth year coming to the summer camps,’ said Lozinski, who tried his hand at every activity. ‘I like the dunk tank the best!’ Five-year-old Jaden Trinder, a first grader at Marquez Elementary, had her face painted, Nicholas Catalan showed skill on the rock climbing wall and brothers Zack and Parker May took turns throwing brightly colored balls through a humongous hoop. Three-year-old Paige MacDougall and her five-year-old brother Joseph each showed skill at the archery pit. With assistance from their father, they shot arrows at the target with surprising accuracy. ‘This is our second time coming to Fun Night,’ said their dad Tom, who lives with his wife Grace in the El Medio bluffs neighborhood. ‘It gives us a chance to feel part of the community.’

‘Dainty Mabel’ Showcases Local Youth

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Theater Review

Members of Theatre Palisades Youth rehearse
Members of Theatre Palisades Youth rehearse

By SUE PASCOE Staff Writer ‘Dainty Mabel & the Spiteful Child from Saskatoon,’ an original musical melodrama, opened on Friday at the Pierson Playhouse on Haverford Avenue. This production is brimming with the ‘cute factor,’ leaving audience members with a perpetual smile because so many of the talented youth are endearing, appealing and just plain sweet. The play, written by Nancy Casaro Fracchiolla and Randall Thropp, is divided into two parts. Each half of the play has a melodrama surrounded by three vaudeville acts. A comedy trio, comprised of Snoops (Eric Jackson, Jr.), Durant (Bryson Rawn) and Higgins (A. Warner Hiatt), was a crowd-pleaser with their antics, card tricks and stage presence. As a bonus, before the show started, the three boys mingled with theatergoers and demonstrated several tricks. A word to the wise: if one of them offers to show you how to make money disappear”the trick works. In the first act, the audience is shown large flash cards that help with the appropriate cues: ‘hiss,’ ‘boo,’ ‘applaud,’ etc. An evil realtor kidnaps the father of the motherless Dainty Mabel (Katherine Reinhold) in an effort to get the deed to their Klondike property. A special mention goes to ‘Papa,’ Alex Pohill, 14, who, with a fake moustache, was entirely credible as an adult actor. It took a quick check of the program to realize that he wasn’t one of the three adult actors (Andrew Zimmer, Dorothy Dillingham Blue and Randall Thropp) who provided a stable base during the many transitions that this musical requires. The second half of the play featured the melodrama ‘The Spiteful Child from Saskatoon.’ As Precious O’Brien, Danika Masi lights up the stage with her moxie, as she makes the transition from winning a Saskatoon contest to trying to make it on Broadway. Stealing the show was Izzy Kalichman, who, as a gypsy, promises Precious that she will become ‘big.’ Actor Stefan Mudlo also does a nice turn as the has-been boxer Tug Puxley. Fracchiolla directs 20 youth in the production with aplomb. The pacing is good, and the audience was filled with enthusiastic young people. The fun costumes include parkas with fur, showgirl dance outfits, and jackets and hats straight from the ’20s. Special credit should be given to wardrobe crew for fitting the cast in various costumes, all of which reflected the different stories and eras presented. Aiden Greenwald, who was in charge of lighting and sound, also did a Herculean job. In addition to the stage performance, the vaudeville motif has been expanded to include costumed youth selling refreshments before the show and during intermission. The treats included ‘penny candy,’ popcorn and ice-cream. Final performances are tonight, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2.p.m. Tickets: $12. For reservations, call (310) 454-1970.

Lavin’s Children’s Book Tackles ‘Big Scary Divorce’

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Palisadian Audrey Lavin
Palisadian Audrey Lavin

Last month, when author Audrey Lavin read her children’s book ‘How I Survived My Parents’ Big Scary Divorce’ to a roomful of kids, she asked the crowd how many of them came from a separated household. ‘Half the room raised their hand,’ Lavin tells the Palisadian-Post. ‘A lot of adults said, ‘I could use your book.” In ‘Big Scary Divorce,’ illustrated by Bonnie Lemaire (‘Too Many Zucchini for Zachary Beany’), first grader Maggie McFatcha and her brother experience some serious divorce anxiety. Lavin’s light-yet-firm debut tale comes from a real place. ‘It’s based on my own divorce and my daughter’s feelings on the divorce,’ says Lavin, 45. ‘I’ve basically channeled Zoey.’ If Lavin’s name seems familiar, it could be because the Post once wrote about her pig, Arnold, which is named after Hooterville’s most famous porcine citizen. In 1996, Lavin moved to the Palisades, where she lived for 12 years. Despite the divorce and a relocation last September from Rustic Canyon to Santa Monica Canyon, Lavin’s children still attend Seven Arrows Elementary and Lavin feels very much the Palisadian. ‘I come all the time,’ she says. ‘It’s my town.’ Long before she lived here, Lavin grew up ‘in the slums of Beverly Hills’ and studied journalism at San Francisco State. She transitioned from working as a freelance writer for various Rupert Murdoch publications to learning on the job as a writer/director on syndicated news magazines ‘A Current Affair’ (1988) and ‘Hard Copy’ (1994) after Murdoch bought out Metromedia and formed Fox Television. ‘I was raised by a pack of wild Australian journalists,’ she says. ‘I can drink any of them under the table.’ Lavin went on to work on ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ and create such shows as ‘Amazing Tales’ for Animal Planet in 1997, and ‘Power of Attorney,’ which ran for two seasons on Fox. ‘My ex-husband created ‘Judge Joe Brown,” she says. ‘I actually found Judge Joe Brown for him,’ and she adds that she also discovered K-Earth radio personality Lisa Stanley. Today, says Lavin with a laugh, ‘I’m done with entertainment. After so many years of making really [crappy] television, I want to contribute something positive to society.’ Hence, ‘Big Scary Divorce.’ When she decided to publish a children’s book, Lavin eschewed the publishing house channels, hired Montreal-based illustrator Lemaire, and printed it herself. She hopes that seven-year-old protagonist Maggie’s travails will reach ‘other children in the same boat.’ Today, Lavin’s children, Charlie, 11, and Zoey, 9, are doing fine, but they were aged 8 and 6 respectively during her 2005 split, and they underwent counseling, despite their parents’ amicable divorce. ‘They have survived it with amazing grace,’ she says, adding that relations with her ex are good under the circumstances. ‘We’re great co-parents. We have 50/50 custody and we get along great.’ Next up for Lavin: sequels and an October 5 Orange County Book Fair signing. Lavin already has a title for the next Maggie McFatcha installment: ‘It’s called, ‘I Have Two Houses and You Don’t.”

Palisadian Joins ‘Merchant Moms’ with My Little Roo

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Palisadian Kelsey Clark carries her 11-month-old son, Vance, in a baby carrier featuring a slipcover from her new business, My Little Roo. The covers slip easily on and off the carrier with an overlay opening on the chenille backside, similar to a pillow sham.
Palisadian Kelsey Clark carries her 11-month-old son, Vance, in a baby carrier featuring a slipcover from her new business, My Little Roo. The covers slip easily on and off the carrier with an overlay opening on the chenille backside, similar to a pillow sham.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

By ALYSSA BRICKLIN Palisadian-Post Intern Kelsey Clark, a Palisadian mother of three, has a new business called My Little Roo’a company that makes slipcovers for front baby carriers, adding function as well as style. The covers are easily machine washable and feature a front pocket. ‘The pocket is ideal for me,’ says Clark, who has an 11-month-old son, Vance. ‘I walk everywhere, and now I don’t have to carry a baby and a bag, I can just slip my phone and keys in there.’ My Little Roo covers fit most baby carriers, including Baby Bjorn, Snugli, Jeep, Infantino, and Lascal, and prolongs their usable life by reducing the need for washing. The idea for My Little Roo was born in 2001 along with Clark’s first son, Aidan. Two children later, she decided to get the ball rolling. ‘I thought, if I’m going to do it I need to do it now while I have a baby of my own to promote it,’ she tells the Palisadian-Post. She began working on the business three months ago, and her self-created Web site debuted last week. Clark and her mother sewed a makeshift model of what they wanted the slipcover to look like, and then took it to a small design company in Redondo Beach. Now the company manufactures nine versions of the product for Clark’three unisex fabrics, three girls’ fabrics and three boys’ fabrics. ‘I wanted to go with a vintage feel,’ explains Clark, who handpicks the material with an eye on the environment: the inside of the cover is made with chenille recycled from vintage bedspreads she finds at estate sales and on eBay. It also creates a soft surface that is comfortable for the baby. My Little Roo products have already reached celebrity hands, thanks to helpful contacts Clark made while working as an assistant to movie director Robert Zemeckis for seven years. She was able to send two custom My Little Roo covers in a gift package from a producer to Angelina Jolie’s twins. Tory Spelling and Matthew McConaughey also own the custom covers, and Clark personally delivered a sample of her product to big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton. Starting a family-centered business has been a fun and meaningful project for Clark who, after her fast-paced Hollywood job, had to make a major transition into stay-at-home motherhood. ‘You have to sort of reinvent yourself,’ explains Clark, who has channeled her creativity into My Little Roo. ‘It was something I needed to do for me. Plus it helps with the insanity of having three kids!’ Clark clarifies that although she is enjoying being busy with work, family always comes first. Through the process of starting her business, Clark was surprised to find many other mothers running similar small operations from home. In fact, she created her Web site under the Web host ‘merchant moms.’ She says she would like to eventually take her budding business to stores, but for now she’s focusing on testing the market. ‘The idea right now is to get My Little Roo into the public eye and into as many hands as possible,’ says Clark, who hopes the product will catch on with the many celebrity moms, and that the word will spread throughout the local community. A native of Southern California, Clark attended college in Utah. She and her husband Aaron, a land-use consultant in Westwood, have been residents of Pacific Palisades for three years. They have three sons: Aidan, 7; Brennan, 3; and Vance, whom Clark carries in her own baby carrier’covered with a My Little Roo slipcover, of course. To view and purchase a My Little Roo cover ($59.99) visit mylittleroo.com. The site also features sleek gift-wrapping in recycled packaging.

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