Two Palisades Charter High School principal candidates fielded questions about their educational philosophy and background inside a crowded Mercer Hall last Thursday and Friday. Faculty, staff, parents and students gathered during the lunch hour to meet candidates Mara Simmons, an instructional leader at California Academy of Liberal Studies Early College High School, and Martin Griffin, who is overseeing the creation of alternative schools in the Escondido Union High School District. The hiring committee interviewed Simmons and Griffin twice in April and will make a recommendation to the governing board at its June 3 meeting. Simmons or Griffin will replace interim principal Marcia Haskin, who came out of retirement to fill the position last fall. On Thursday, Simmons, who has held one principal post (at Animo Leadership Charter High School in Inglewood from 2001-04), described herself as an out-of-the-box thinker and a hard worker who often stays at school until 6 or 7 in the evening. If hired, Simmons said she would like to increase the number of students taking Advanced Placement classes and introduce the International Baccalaureate program, which teaches students how to live and work in a globalizing world. ‘I am a strong proponent of preparing students for college and for life,’ Simmons said. When asked what she had observed during her visits to PaliHi, she answered, ‘I believe cohesion may be your biggest problem.’ To develop more camaraderie, she would create more opportunities for teachers to interact. At the beginning of the school year at Lennox Middle School, where Simmons was assistant principal from 1997-2001, the administrators hosted a Hawaiian party to kick off the school year. Palisades High officials offered Simmons the principal job last year, but she declined. Last Thursday, she told faculty, staff and parents that she had needed extra time to finish her doctorate in urban leadership from Claremont Graduate University, and ‘I didn’t feel as if I could fully give you me. I can now successfully say that is behind me.’ Her school, with about 300 students, also had a high turnover, losing two-thirds of its staffing, so she wanted to stay to provide stability. She moved from a teacher position into the role of instructional leader to oversee curriculum. She now thinks that CALS Early College High School, located in downtown Los Angeles, is stable enough for her to move on. ‘I love my school, but I will love any school I am at,’ Simmons said. ‘I am hoping it is Pali.’ On Friday, Griffin told parents, faculty and staff that he believes it’s important to work together to help children succeed. ‘We have to give them the ability to think ‘ to continuously be learners,’ he said. ‘One of the most important things is to provide them with the foundations.’ Griffin has been principal of Mount Miguel High School in Spring Valley (2000-03) and San Pasqual High School in Escondido (2003-07). He is currently developing Learning Centers in the Escondido district that emphasize computer-aided educational programs and independent study. ‘I always like to be a part of educational reform,’ he said. His goal for PaliHi would be to raise expectations. ‘It’s not a school that’s broken. It’s how to we continue to raise the bar to be more and more competitive so our students can compete in the world market.’ Griffin said he would like to enroll more students into Advanced Placement classes. He did so successfully at San Pasqual, which had a student population of about 2,500, by encouraging students to enroll and providing them with extra support. As a result, Newsweek magazine named the school as one of the top 1,000 schools in the United States. ‘Many students don’t feel welcome in [AP] classes, and all they need is encouragement,’ he said. He describes his role as a principal as one that ensures everyone on campus is working toward the same vision as a team. ‘I don’t work alone; I work with people,’ Griffin said, adding that he is always available, but asks people to schedule an appointment so he can give them his proper attention. ‘Developing communication is key.’ Griffin is currently working on his doctorate in administration in an urban setting from UC San Diego/University of San Diego/Cal State San Marcos. If hired, he would take time off from his studies in order to fully focus on PaliHi and then transfer doctorate programs. He looks forward to the possibility of working at the high school. ‘I love kids,’ Griffin said.

Scott Knight and his partners, Tim and Judy Perr, already had a successful business in Pacific Palisades when they decided to launch a new venture: Pali Wine. The three, who freely admit they were amateurs when it came to wine production, have an actuarial consulting firm (Perr & Knight) in the 881 Alma Real building. The company was founded in 1994 and has 100 full-time employees across the country, with offices in Irvine, Jersey City and Boca Raton. Their business is solid and growing, so what would possess them to enter a field as speculative as producing and selling wine? ‘It evolved out of drinking wine,’ Tim Perr said. ‘Judy and I enjoyed visiting wineries and collecting wines and the business became intriguing to us.’ The Perrs (who live in the Palisades) and Knight gathered equally enthusiastic wine-drinking friends and co-workers to start a company, and were ‘cheeky’ enough to vow they wouldn’t be satisfied unless it featured a quality pinot noir. ‘We didn’t want to make an average wine,’ Tim said. ‘We want the best fruit and best winemaker and yet keep the prices as low as possible.’ They started by convincing Brian Loring, a legendary pinot noir winemaker in Lompoc, to craft the wine. Their enthusiasm and a plan to produce single-vineyard wines finally convinced Loring and, in January 2005, Pali Wine came into existence. Next, the group had to find the right grapes, because most had already been promised to other wineries. Oregon’s Shea Vineyards had offered fruit to Loring and he gave some to Pali Wine, along with grapes from Durell (Sonoma) that he didn’t need for his own production. ‘He was completely instrumental,’ Judy Perr said. ‘He could have had sold the grapes to anyone, but he sold to us.’ The Palisades group also secured small amounts of grapes from Inman Olivet (Russian River), Carasacchi Jalamas (Lompoc), and Turner Vineyards (Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara). When the grapes were harvested, the 20 partners and additional friends worked the ‘crush’ at Lompoc, which meant they de-stemmed, pulled off leaves and separated other undesirable material from the grapes. ‘The first few years, we had no paid labor whatsoever,’ said Knight, a Santa Monica resident who admitted that the agricultural community surprised them because, ‘people at other wineries are willing to help you out and you do the same for them.’ ‘The people in the wine business are down-to-earth,’ Tim noted. ‘Everyone does business on a handshake and everyone keeps their word.’ The Pali Wine group’s next decision was whether to use corks, because corks cause between five and 10 percent of wines to become tainted with trichloroanisole (TCA), which is harmless but gives the wine a bad taste. ‘About one bottle out of every six has TCA,’ Judy said, ‘but the problem is people don’t think it’s a good wine unless it has a cork.’ Instead of a cork, Pali wines have a saranex liner that allows a small amount of air to leak into the bottle, which is how wines age with a cork. In 2005, the Pali Wine Company produced 1,300 cases of pinot noir and received high grades from various wine tasters. One-third of their product was sold through mailing lists and the rest wholesale in 13 states. In 2006, the group retained the same vineyards and added Fiddlestix (Santa Rita Hills), Morntazi (Willamette Valley, Oregon) and Keefer Ranch (Russian River). They produced 3,000 cases and were licensed in 26 states. From the 2007 harvest, they project that they will have 4,000 cases from 11 vineyards and will reach 40 states. ‘We’re also looking toward the international market,’ Knight said. Last year, the group purchased their own winery in Lompoc, which they share with their friend Brian Loring. ‘We built a winery that we could all fit into,’ Knight said. Pali wines continue to grow in popularity and continue to score in the 90’s. Anthony Dias Blue with the Blue Lifestyle Minute said, ‘Pali Wine Company’s 2006 Pinot Noir, Fiddlestix, Santa Rita Hills for $48 is the best I have tasted yet this year. At 94 points, this pinot is bright and juicy with black cherry and serious fruit.’ Pali Wine Company is also creating a special reserve with a Palisades theme. Although the Perrs live in the Huntington Palisades, the first two bottles will be called Albright and then Bestor, followed by other street names. Maybe Charm Acres? The company currently makes eight different pinot noirs that can be purchased at Gelson’s or by visiting www.paliwineco.com

More than a year ago, a federal district court judge dismissed a lawsuit that the parents of a 14-year-old autistic boy filed against Pacific Palisades Boy Scout Troop 223 alleging discrimination on the basis of their child’s disability. The parents appealed the judge’s decision and, last Thursday, their attorney, Christopher Knauf, presented their case at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pasadena before Judges Jay Bybee, Marsha Berzon and Barry Silverman. ‘We feel the lower court erred in dismissing this case,’ Knauf said. The parents, Palisades residents Jane Dubovy and Mike Reilly, argue that Boy Scout Troop 223 violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) when the Scout leaders excluded their son, Casey Reilly, from a week-long scouting trip, which prevented him from advancing in rank. In October 2006, Federal District Court Judge S. James Otero dismissed the case, ruling that the Boy Scouts is a private club that does not have to comply with ADA, which became law in 1990. ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability, but private clubs and organizations are exempt from the law. Last Thursday, Knauff argued that a 2001 case mandated that a private organization, the Professional Golfers’ Association, follow ADA and, therefore, that could apply to the Scouts. ‘They don’t meet the definition of a private club,’ Knauf said, arguing that Troop 223 is open to every boy of a certain age in the community, and this is the only restriction. Reilly met all the requirements, but when his disability became an issue, he was excluded, Knauf said. In 1993, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the Boy Scouts is a private club that is exempt from the Civil Rights Act, which also means it doesn’t have to follow ADA, attorney Carla Kerr countered. ‘It’s not a legal argument,’ she said, noting the Boy Scouts can legally exclude members based on religion and sexuality. Kerr, who works for the firm Hughes Hubbard & Reed, said that just because the Boy Scouts invites neighborhood boys to join does not make it an open club. Churches, which are private organizations, also solicit members, she said. The judges should make their decision in the next six months, Knauf said. If the parents lose the case, they can appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. If they win, their case will return to the federal district court for a trial or the Boy Scouts can appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. The issue began in 2005 when Reilly’s father could not attend a seven-day trip to Emerald Bay on Catalina Island. The Boy Scouts had asked Reilly’s father to attend all of the activities to supervise his son, who has a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, which is associated with impaired communication skills, repetitive patterns of behavior and weak motor skills. Reilly had to participate in the trip in order to become eligible for Eagle Scout. His teenage brother was able to travel with him on the trip, but Scout leaders refused to allow this, Knauf said. After the campout, one of the troop leaders e-mailed Reilly’s parents, citing their son’s disability as an obstacle in his participation, and saying their son would not advance, but could start again as a first-year Scout. Paula Pearlman, who is helping with the case through the Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC), argued that it was unfair to require Reilly’s father to attend every function when that is not a requirement of the other boys in the troop. Reilly shouldn’t be forced to start over when ‘he would have gone on the trip, and he wanted to go,’ Pearlman said. It’s not uncommon for troops to require parents of children with disabilities to attend all functions, Kerr said. Troop 223 has existed for more than 50 years, and other children who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autism have participated with the help of their parents, she said. ‘Asking one father to go is not outrageous.’ Reilly, who has outbursts where he spits, kicks and swears at the other children, requires additional supervision, Kerr said. Fathers, who volunteer to run Boy Scouts, would have had difficulty supervising him and the other 12- to 15-year-old boys during the seven-day trip. The hope of the lawsuit is that troop leaders will receive adequate training to work with children who have disabilities, said Shawna Parks, director of DRLC. By excluding Reilly from the trip, ‘they’re saying if you have autism, you can’t be in our group,’ said Pearlman, executive director of DRLC. Kerr said that Reilly was not asked to leave the Boy Scouts, but to start over with a younger group. Perhaps he would be more mature, Kerr said. ‘I don’t think they were unfair to him.’ Knauf countered that even if Reilly had been held back a year, his behavior issues would not change because of his autism. ‘He had the right to move forward with his friends,’ Knauf said. Last Thursday, attorney Jennifer Brockett, with the firm Davis Wright Tremaine, filed a friend of the court brief on the parents’ behalf. She believes people with disabilities should be able to participate in recreation in their communities without facing discrimination. Brockett said she hopes her brief will encourage the judges to consider how their decision will affect not only Reilly, but also other children with disabilities. ‘The ability to participate in recreation is the ability to participate in society,’ Brockett said.

After having six of his mail carriers bitten or threatened by dogs in the last two months, Pacific Palisades Postmaster Jason Miles is taking action. ‘I have to provide a safe working environment for my employees,’ said Miles, who is asking local dog owners to restrain their animals between 9:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. ‘Do not place your animal in a situation where it could even come in contact with one of my employees,’ Miles wrote in an open letter to homeowners. ‘While you may not believe that your pet is a threat, my employee–your mail carrier–is a stranger who must enter the property of a territorial animal.’ If you chose not to keep your pet restrained and the dog is threatening or has made threatening advances, Miles will stop mail delivery to your residence. In order to resume delivery, the registered owner of the dog will be required to meet with Miles and sign a contract, which includes a statement that the dog owner will have the dog restrained during delivery hours. ‘The suspension of delivery is not the most desirable method, not do I enjoy the inconvenience that it may cause you, but it is completely legal and well within my rights to protect my employees,’ Miles wrote in his letter. He noted that two of the recent dog attacks caused injuries that were serious enough to require medical treatment and transportation to a medical facility. Miles has also contacted the L.A. County Department of Animal Services, which will enforce code 53.34: ‘It is illegal to allow your dog to assault, menace or threaten another person or other animal. Failure to control your dog could result in losing your dog and the right to own a dog for three years.’ Mail carriers are equipped with Mace to help ward off attacks, Miles said, but usually have their hands full with mail and are unable to reach the Mace in time. Working in the Palisades, carrier Julie Garcia suffered a dog bite that put her on disability for six months and required plastic surgery to her face. ‘I was aware that there was a dog at the residence,’ Garcia said. ‘The yard had a three-and-a-half-foot fence around it, but as I approached the yard, a man opened the door and the dog leaped over the fence and bit me on the face.’ Miles said, ‘Over the course of their careers, 65 to 70 percent of my carriers have been bitten. This is not okay.’ Supervisor Otis Foster pointed out that when a mail carrier is bitten and leaves work (either to be treated or to go out on disability) it affects the entire community. ‘We have to cover that assignment,’ Foster said. ‘Then people complain because the mail is late.’ ‘You can’t expect a new person to learn 500 names in three hours,’ said Miles, who warned dog owners that carriers can file civil lawsuits if they are bitten.

While former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley hopes to win a seat in the state Senate in November’s election, knowing full well that her ‘face’ time with her constituents in the 23rd district will be diminished, she promises to keep an indelible X on her calendar for the Fourth of July parade in Pacific Palisades. ‘I like getting to know people around the district and won’t give that up, that’s what energizes me,’ says Pavley, who often visited the Palisades farmers market and held a number of town hall meetings while representing the area in the Assembly. ‘And I’ll be there for the parade, absolutely. I’ve missed riding in my own parade car.’ Pavley, 59, and Democratic Assemblyman Lloyd Levine are vying to replace Sen. Sheila Kuehl, who after serving six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate will be termed out this year. Levine, 38, is being termed out of the 40th Assembly District, which encompasses the San Fernando Valley. While Pavley hasn’t been seen parading down Via de la Paz these past two years, she has been traveling around the country and the world, meeting with government officials on the 2006 carbon reduction law that she authored that caps the amount of greenhouse gases emissions from motor vehicles and stationary sources. Since having been termed out in 2006, the Agoura Hills resident has served as a senior climate advisor for the Natural Resources Defense Council and participated on panels at colleges and universities around the state. ‘This last year and a half has been very valuable for me,’ Pavley says. ‘I’ve looked at it as a sabbatical from office. And I continue to see that global warming is the critical, environmental challenge of the 21st century. This has energized college-aged students to tackle this issue. They see there is something beyond material gain that informs their value system.’ The state Senate is somewhat of a mystery to many voters, Pavley has learned while campaigning around district that embraces Oxnard on the north, Santa Monica on the south, West Hollywood to the east and Hidden Hills in the north San Fernando Valley. ‘Everyone is so engaged in the presidential election, they sometimes forget that there is a state primary on June 3,’ Pavley says. ‘Some people tell me that we must get out of Iraq or that the traffic congestion is Los Angeles must be solved. People are also concerned about ocean protection, about pollution in general.’ Although there might be confusion as to what a state senator can do, Pavley says, ‘people agree that they want a government system that works and they don’t like the partisan infighting and grandstanding.’ But among the challenges that concern voters and that Pavley hopes to be able to address in Sacramento are the increasing prison population, the critical condition of health care, and the poor performance of California schools. Remembering the advice that Sen. Kuehl gave her when she was a freshman in the Assembly, Pavley says that, if elected, she will focus on just two or three issues. Also heeding Kuehl’s counsel, she espouses collaborating with fellow legislators. While in the Assembly, Pavley joined with three other members who shared her interests, and the four of them divided up the big issues, depending on the level of expertise of each. ‘The state is too big not to divide up duties,’ she says. She followed this system working with Sen. Kuehl, in an effort to eliminate any overlap on issues between the two districts. ‘Sheila focused on issues west of the Santa Monica Mountains, and I in the Valley.’ Kuehl took the lead on traffic safety along Pacific Coast Highway, a leadership role Pavley would like to continue. Pavley spearheaded hearings on the Ahmanson Ranch acquisition that resulted in turning the 2,983-acre ranch into parkland and saving it from development. Having been in Sacramento for six years, Pavley understands the ways of state government and feels far more prepared than when she entered the Assembly in 2000. ‘Transitioning from being a middle school teacher to an Assembly person and learning to delegate to staff members was difficult,’ she says. ‘It took over a year to really let go of my schedule and policy areas. But I learned that it is far more effective to let people find their strengths and then let them go.’ With all intentions to continue her focus on spurring increased investment in alternative fuels, renewable energy and clean technologies, and improving California’s public schools, Pavley also knows the Senate must continue to wrestle with fixing the structural budget deficit. Politically astute, Pavley is realistic enough to know that a major restructuring can’t be done in an election year, nor does she believe it advantageous to string out the budget process. ‘California is one of only three states, including Arkansas and Rhode Island, that requires a two-thirds vote in the legislature to pass the budget, so the minority controls a lot of the outcome. If you hold out, you end up caving in anyway.’ Because Senate District 23 with its overall population of 847,000 is so heavily Democratic (51.7-percent registered Democrats versus 28.1-percent Republicans) the primary winner should easily prevail in the November general election. Both candidates have swarmed the district with long days of campaigning and a barrage of political flyers. Campaigning has become a family affair for Pavley. Her husband, Andy, who retired three years ago from a 31-year career teaching seventh grade science, has been representing Fran at neighborhood meetings and town hall events that coincide with her other commitments. Her daughter Jennifer designed the ‘Vote for Fran Pavley, Vote June 3’ T-shirt. Despite 16-hour days ahead for the next two weeks, Pavley looks forward to stealing time at her condo in Oxnard, next to the beach, where dogs are allowed to run off leash. ‘Forty minutes from our house, this is where we can bicycle on the beach and enjoy life without a phone or fax.’