THURSDAY, APRIL 17 Mark Harris screens his Academy Award-winning documentary, ‘The Long Way Home,’ and leads a discussion following the screening, 6:30 p.m., Kehillat Israel synagogue, 16019 Sunset. Admission is free and the public is invited. Palisadian Dr. Michael Gyepes discusses and signs his latest novel, ‘Hotel Transylvania,’ about exiles, refugees and immigrants during 18th-century Paris, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. FRIDAY, APRIL 18 The monthly Movies at the Library series features ‘Funny Face,’ starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn, 1 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. This free program is co-hosted by the Friends of the Library and the Palisades AARP chapter. Theatre Palisades presents Michael Frayn’s ‘Noises Off,’ 8 p.m. tonight and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday, through May 11 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Tickets: (310) 454-1970 or visit theatrepalisades.org. SATURDAY, APRIL 19 Volunteers are invited to join the monthly Village Green gardening and maintenance project, 9 to 11 a.m., corner of Swarthmore and Sunset. Just bring shears and gloves. Contact: (310) 459-5167. Sally Linden presents a Palisades art show, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the upper deck at the Spectrum Club, 17383 Sunset. Contact: (310) 454-4944, ext. 133. SUNDAY, APRIL 20 The Santa Monica Bay Auxiliary of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles presents its annual Spring Garden Tour from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., including two gardens in Pacific Palisades, two in Santa Monica and two in Brentwood. (See story, page 12.) MONDAY, APRIL 21 Cal State Long Beach professor Sherna Berger Gluck shares her knowledge of oral history at the Pacific Palisades Historical Society meeting, 2:30 p.m. in the Methodist Church lounge, 801 Via de la Paz. Public invited. Information/RSVP: (310) 454-2101. TUESDAY, APRIL 22 Novelist Lisa See (‘Peony in Love’) is the guest speaker at the annual Author’s Tea, sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, 7:30 p.m., at the clubhouse, 901 Haverford. Tickets at the door: $10. (See story, page 12). Jennifer Kwon Dobbs reads from her book of poetry, ‘Paper Pavillion,’ which touches on themes of transnational adoption and her personal history and identity as a woman who came to America from Korea, 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. Also, editor Neil Aitken reads excerpts of the Boxcar Poetry Review. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23 The Palisades AARP Travel Group’s monthly meeting features a slide presentation on Laos, 2 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 9861 Alma Real. Public invited. Monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hosted by the IDEAS Studio, 16650 Marquez. Non-members: $25. Billy Mernit discusses and signs ‘Imagine Me & You,’ a novel riff on the romantic comedy, 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. THURSDAY, APRIL 24 Palisades resident Bob Klein, head of the St. John’s Medical Center Foundation, will speak about St. John’s at the Palisades Rotary Club meeting, 7:30 a.m., Gladstone’s restaurant on PCH at Sunset. Contact: Citizen of the Year Dinner, sponsored since 1947 by the Palisadian-Post, 6:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall on La Cruz. Bill Minor discusses ‘Trek: Lips, Sunny, Pecker and Me,’ a comic adventure novel set in 1976 along the Oregon Trail, 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore.
CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF APRIL 17, 2008
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
FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY to own a home in the Palisades! 2+1 fixer across from the beach. Asking $259,000. Agent Pia Coleman, (818) 590-3610
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
FULLY FURNISHED/UNFURN & tastefully remodeled. 3 bdrm, 2 ba cul-de-sac home in Marquez school district. Great floor plan. New kitchen & bath. 6 mos.-1 yr. $6,500/mo. Agent Gwen, (310) 749-8821
UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a
MDR ADJ 4+3, family room, office. Hardwood, carpet, grassy back, yard, 2-car garage, close to airport and Marina. Move in condition. $4,500. (310) 393-8373
UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c
2 BDRM guest house + family room. NO KITCHEN. Small refrigerator, hotplate, hdwd flrs, AC/heat, cable, internet, util. incl rec center. Beautiful view. $1,800/mo. Mary, (310) 454-9337
HALF BLOCK TO BEACH off Sunset. Patio, newly tiled flrs, hdwd flrs in living room, new carpet, pool, security building, parking, hiking close by. $1,650/mo. (310) 459-6369
HEART OF THE VILLAGE. Walk to beach & state park. Beautiful, lrg 1 bdrm, pet friendly, pool, great neighbors. Avail 5/1. $1,650/mo. Wonderful place to live. Jeannie, (310) 454-8837
CONDOS, TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d
PANORAMIC unobstructed ocean view. Luxury penthouse. Walk to beach, 7 mins to Santa Monica. 2 BR + 2 BA. All new interior. Hwd, granite, stainless steel. Ocn vu deck. W/D, garage, quiet & safe. $4,400/mo. (310) 230-4200. www.MalibuCoastline.com
ROOMS FOR RENT 3
LOVELY BRENTWOOD HOME (north of Sunset) private garden level, furnished rooms w/ bath. W/D, pool, kitchen privileges, N/S, N/D, no pets. $850/mo. incl util. (310) 472-6466
BEDROOM, LARGE DEN, private bath on lower floor of Pac Pal home. Private entrance. Furn/unfurn. $795/mo. (310) 454-1159
WALK TO VILLAGE, Palisades family home. Sunny furnished room. Prefer female student. Wireless avail. Avail 6/1. $900/mo. Call (310) 278-3027
WANTED TO RENT 3b
LOCAL EMPLOYED male seeks guesthouse. Quiet, local references. Non-smoker, no pets. Call Palisades Post, (310) 454-1321
RETIRED MILITARY widower, non-smoker, no pets wants to be near family. Looking for guesthouse, apt. near village. (310) 548-7159
3 BDRM+ HOME or larger or condo for month of July. Need yard and good neighborhood. Great local references. (310) 393-1171
GUESTHOUSE/STUDIO wanted to rent. Local employed male. Trustworthy. Contact Alex, (310) 454-6463
OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c
PALISADES OFFICE SUITES available in the heart of the VILLAGE including 1) Single office suites with windows in each office and some with balconies starting from $975 per month and 2) Office suites ranging in size from 950 sf to 5,000 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
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE now in the heart of the village. Creative options for space to lease or sublease. Call now, (310) 383-9520
OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE. Could be one or 2 offices. In the village. Private bathrooms. (818) 487-8983 or (310) 459-4441
VACATION RENTALS 3e
FULLY SELF CONTAINED 24’ Fleetwood Terry trailer across the street from Will Rogers State Beach. Pacific Palisades. $1,400/mo. (310) 454-2515
FULLY SELF CONTAINED 28’ Kit Road Ranger trailer across the street from Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. $1,600/mo. (310) 454-2515
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5
SEEK PRIVATE INVESTOR for short term $170K bridge loan. 10 pts. for 6 mos or less. Secured by real estate. No brokers please. (310) 454-0685
BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b
BUSINESS OR PERSONAL bookkeeping available to my neighbors in the Palisades including bank reconciliation, financial reports, payroll and sales tax reports. Highly experienced, fast, discreet with excellent local references. Call Shirley, (310) 570-6085
COMPUTER SERVICES 7c
COMPUTER SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT. HOME & BUSINESS–Windows Vista/XP–20 Yrs exp. frankelconsulting.com (310) 454-3886
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
GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 7f
PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? an estate sale? a moving sale? a yard sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. • BARBARA DAWSON • Garage Sale Specialist • (310) 454-0359 • bmdawson@verizon.net • www.bmdawson.com • Furniture • Antiques • Collectibles • Junque • Reliable professionals • Local References
ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h
PERSONAL ASSISTANCE, ORGANIZATION & bookkeeping. Superior services provided w/ discretion & understanding. Pali resident, local references. Call Sarah, (310) 573-9263
“Do You Have Projects You’ll Never Get Around To?” (Tax Organization Welcome!) • ‘ORGANIZERJESS’™ • Your Professional Organizer & Personal Assistant By the Hour • Clutter Catch-up • Home & Office Organization • Space Planning • Habit Coaching • Create Effective Systems • More Space & Clarity • Impeccable Palisades References • Call Jessica at (310) 429-3289
HOME INVENTORY SERVICES 7j
HOME INVENTORY SERVICES for FIRE THEFT, Earthquake, wills/estates, rentals, divorce. Incl video, photos & detailed reports. Pali resident. (310) 230-1437 www.homesweethomevideo.com
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
DOMESTIC AGENCIES 9
NEVERLAND NANNIES & DOMESTICS. We assist local families in finding domestic professionals for their household needs. Caring nannies, doulas, nurses; attentive assistants, housekeepers, chefs & more. Please call at anytime. (818) 888-9894, (818) 653-6999. www.NeverlandNannies.com
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
HOUSEKEEPING/BABYSITTER/ELDERCARE avail. Mon.-Sun. Own transportation. Excellent references. Call Maria, (310) 948-9637
PLEASANT, EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER available Mon.-Fri. Live out. Excellent local references. Some English. Please call Olga, (323) 802-4224
EXPERIENCED-IMMACULATE HOUSEKEEPER and nanny available two days per week. Speaks English and drives. Excellent references. Honest and trustworthy. Please call (310) 230-0260
HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Mon. Tues. & Wed. Own transportation, Very good local references. Call Ayda, (310) 397-7586
HOUSEKEEPER available Tuesday & Thursday. Own transportation, experiences, references. Please call Erica, (213) 385-7922
HOUSEKEEPING/BABYSITTING Monday-Friday, full time, own car, experienced, references. Call Susie, (310) 442-6426 or (310) 663-7836
HOUSECLEANER W/ many years experience. Available Monday, Tuesday, Friday, Saturday. Very good local references. Call Holga, (310) 207-8323, or cell, (310) 968-1138
HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER, 10 years experience. References avail. Mon./Tues./Fri./Sat. Call Maria, (323) 298-7125
HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER. Available Mon.-Fri. Own car, CDL, references. Trustworthy. Call Emelda, (323) 717-0472
ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a
EUROPEAN CAREGIVER. Any days & some nights. Over 12 yrs exerience in private homes, hospitals, convalescent homes. Excellent local references. Call Martine, (310) 458-3037 or (424) 214-9091
IN-HOME COMPANION/CAREGIVER. Responsible & compassionate female. Errands, shopping, some food prep. Own car, clean DMV, excellent refs. English speaking only. Call (310) 650-5900
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
MOVING & HAULING 11b
BC HAULING & CLEAN-UP • Houses • Garages • Apts • & Yards. All junk removed. Home demolition, i.e. patios, yards & walls. Truck with lift-gate. (310) 714-1838
INTERIOR PLANTS 11c
CALVIN’S PLANT SPECIALISTS! Interior, exterior plant care & installations. Rose garden maintenance, organic vegetable gardens, Serving Malibu over 50 years. Free estimates. Call (310) 460-8760
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
WINDOW WASHING 13h
HAVING A PARTY? SELLING some real estate, or just want to do some spring cleaning? Get those WINDOWS SHINING by calling No Streak Window Cleaning, where we offer fast friendly quality service you can count on! For a free estimate, call Marcus, (323) 632-7207. Lic. #122194-49, insured.
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
MISCELLANEOUS 13i
SUNSET HOUSE & CARPET CLEANING • Window washing • House cleaning • Carpet cleaning. Over 33 years experience. Call Barry at (818) 887-7150
PERSONAL SERVICES 14f
A WELCOME HOME SERVICE specializing in personal assistance, organization & home management. 12 years experience in high profile homes. Please contact Linda, (310) 980-2403
PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g
HAPPY PET • Dog Walking • Park Outings • Socialization • Insured. Connie, (310) 230-3829
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
PET HEAVEN • TOTAL PET CARE • Training. Walking. Playgroups and hikes. 30 years Pali resident. References. Call (310) 454-0058 for a happy dog!
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
SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d
PIANO LESSONS by UCLA Piano Major & Pali resident. Call Meriette, (310) 741-8280
TUTORS 15e
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. Children & adults. 25+ years teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, ESSAY WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly Sp. Ed. Teacher. 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
READING SPECIALIST • Master of Education—Reading and Learning Disabilities • Special Education Teaching Certificate: K-12 • Regular Education Teaching Certificate: K-9 • Elementary Education Teaching experience: 12 yrs • Services provided for special & regular education students of all levels • Academic areas taught include reading (phonics and reading comprehension) writing and spelling • Private tutoring includes accessing the student’s needs, developing an individualized education program and implementation of that program. Palisades resident. Call Brandi, (310) 230-9890
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 grades • Levels • Grammar • Conversational • SAT/AP • Children, adults • Great references. Noelle, (310) 980-6071
SPANISH TUTOR CERTIFIED TEACHER for all levels. Has finest education, qualifications, 20 yrs exper. Palisades resident, many good references, amazing system, affordable rates. Marietta, (310) 459-8180
TRAVELING TO MEXICO, South or Central America or Spain? For tourism or work? I can help you with Spanish communication. I am a Palisades resident from South America. Great experience. I teach all ages, students, businesspeople. All professionals, groups ok. (310) 741-8422
CREDENTIALED MATH & STUDY SKILLS TEACHER (BA-UCSD, M.Ed-UCLA, Ph.D. candidate-USC) Tutor K-College. Most subjects. 15 years recent classroom experience in the Palisades. Libby, (310) 963-0093
LEARN TO SPEAK FRENCH LIKE THE FRENCH DO! Private lessons in conversational French. You’ll be ready for Paris. Will Paris be ready for you? (310) 770-8864
SUMMER CAMPS 15f
JULIE VAN HERWERDEN’S. Summer Art Camp in the Palisades. Save a spot. Sign up now! Visit summerartcamp.info
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
THE TOWN & COUNTRY BUILDERS • General Contractors • State Lic. #441191 • Remodeling • Additions • Masonry • Concrete • Flagstone • Patio • Stone Wall • Tile • Fireplace • BBQ • Deck • Brick • Steps • Retaining Walls • Driveway • PLEASE CALL (310) 578-7108 • FREE ESTIMATES
CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 25 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 450-6237
CONTRACTOR for remodeled rooms, editions, bathrooms, kitchen, windows, painting, construction on hillside, blueprints, deal w/ city inspections. Bonded, ins. Lic. #887326. Call for free est. (888) 783-7195
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
FENCES 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.
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
D.J. CARPENTRY & REPAIRS. Serving the Palisades 13 yrs. Non-lic. No job too small. Prompt, friendly service. (310) 454-4121, cell (310) 367-6383
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16p
SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686
LOCKSMITH 16q
LOCKSMITH • (310) 396-7784 • Bill Walter, Residential & Commercial • License #LCO-4438. Emergency Service 24/7
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. Ref’s. 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
ALL SEASONS PAINTING. Interior/exterior, local licensed color specialist for 30 years. Kitchen cabinet clean-up. Fast, clean & on time. Lic. #571061. Call (310) 678-7913
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, (310) 230-2930
ARCHER JORDAN CONSTRUCTION • Quality Work • Competitive Pricing • Call James Jordan, (310) 579-7722 mobile, (310) 399-7478 office. Lic. #908588
ROOFING 16w
PALISADES ROOFING • All types of roofing. Waterproofing & water damage repairs. Best service • Best price • Guaranteed • Lic. #751137. (310) 230-2930. Fax (310) 230-2931
HELP WANTED 17
DRIVERS: TEAMS EARN TOP DOLLAR plus great benefits. Solo drivers also needed for Western Regional. Werner Enterprises, (800) 346-2818 x123
DENTAL-ORTHODONTIC ASSISTANT. Exclusive office in Pacific Palisades. Exceptional opportunity. Call (310) 454-0317
WORLD-RENOWNED PLASTIC surgeon looking for an admin assist & patient relations coordinator to join our team in Pac Pal. Will train & reward generously. Call (310) 459-6792
COSMETIC RN. World-renowned plastic surgeon. Pacific Palisades. Injectables/laser. Call (310) 459-6792
NANNY NEEDED for family with 2 children, F/T, Live in, Tues.-Sat. Must speak English, drive and have own trans, and have newborn experience. Please call (310) 344-1740
BABYSITTER NEEDED in Palisades 2 days a week, after school (starting at 1:00 or 2:30 p.m.) until 6:30 p.m. Extra hours are available, but not necessary. Must drive, car provided. Excellent English required to assist with homework for 2 grammar school children. Must be happy, active/energetic person with experience with children. (Tuesdays and Thursdays would be ideal.) Call (310) 740-1266
FINE STATIONERY STORE in Santa Monica, specializing in custom invitations seeks experienced reliable & detail oriented sales assistant to provide creative guidance & a high level of customer service. Excellent communication skills & knowledge of grammar & etiquette a must. 4-5 days per/wk. incl. Sat. Email resume brendahimmel@verizon.net
LIVE-IN caregiver 5 days/week. Must drive & have own car. Experienced with references. CNA or LVN preferred. (310) 489-5496
OFFICE MANAGER for medical construction co. Construction experience a must. Accounting/billing, contract experience required. $18/hr. Fax (310) 573-1686. andrea@galaxymedicalbuilders
COOK / HOUSEKEEPER / LIVE IN / SPK ENG. YOUR OWN STUDIO APT. DRIVE / LAUNDRY / ERRANDS. MIN. 3 YEARS 1 FAMILY. RECENT LOCAL REF ONLY. $600/wk. (310) 459-9904
PART-TIME ASSIST. for design-related business. Maintain sample library & client data base. Proficient in word & excel. Neat, organized & courteous, with good math & writing skills. Flex. hrs. Home office. (310) 230-1616. Send resume to helen@hmresourcegroup.com
GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d
THREE FAMILY YARD SALE! Sat., April 19, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. 1160 Fiske St. Electronics, 2001 Electric cart, furniture, household items, clothing, toys and much more. No early birds.
GREAT FUN SALE! Antiques/Collectibles/hsehold goods/Jewelry/clothes/Fun stuff! Fri.-Sat., Apr. 18-19, 8 a.m.-4 p.m; 900 Galloway (corner of Carey). www.bmdawson.com for pix.
PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e
MALE BORDER COLLIE PUPPY. 9 weeks. $500. Call Paul, (310) 459-4745
WANTED TO BUY 19
WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, working or not. ‘50s, ‘60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 895-5057 • profeti2001@yahoo.com
WILL PAY CASH for used watches. I will buy your used watch such as Cartier & Rolex. All brands considered. (310) 717-9917 or netplay@mac.com
“Brentwood”: Then and Now
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
In tracing the affluent community’s history, ‘Brentwood’ reveals its Pacific Palisades connections —————————————————— You might say that Jan Loomis married into Brentwood history. The author of the new book ‘Images of America: Brentwood’ (Arcadia Publishing) became interested in the subject following her wedding to Robert L. Loomis, the grandson of Arthur L. Loomis, whom she met while both were college students at Claremont. ‘We became more interested in Brentwood history when we moved to the Palisades permanently in 1973,’ she told the Palisadian-Post. Robert’s grandfather lived in the Huntington Palisades, and was active with the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce and the Palisades realty board. Loomis and Robert, who publishes the San Diego Daily Transcript, live in greater San Diego. However, until 1990, the Loomises lived on Vance Street, off Chatauqua, where they raised their sons, Robert D., now 42, and Richard R., 41. ‘That particular piece of land,’ Loomis, 63, said ‘was rumored to be won by [original Palisades landowner] Robert Conran Gillis in a poker game.’ Arthur’s father, Laurence Duncan Loomis, was in real estate and was among the original Westside developers (along with the Jones, the Bandinis, and such familiar Brentwood names as William Edward Sawtelle, Nathan Pearl Bundy and Harry M. Gorham). Westgate (Brentwood’s original moniker), was so ‘named,’ Loomis said, ‘because it was outside the west gate of the Old Soldiers Home (now the Veterans Administration site).’ The 300-acre Home served as a hospice for Union veterans of the Civil War. Originally, the area that would become Brentwood popped up in the diaries of the Spanish missionaries. ‘They would mention that there were native people [the Gabrieli’o Tongva Indians],’ Loomis said. The Loomis family, represented photographically in ‘Brentwood,’ emigrated from England in 1637 and settled in Windsor, Connecticut, Loomis explains. ‘My husband’s family went West, and the immediate generation that came to California came from McPherson, Kansas.’ Then they discovered land. ‘They wanted people to come but there was little incentive, so they created the soldier’s home. They were correct,’ Loomis reports. ‘Land at that point was a dime a dozen. Just lima beans, barley and hay. In fact, the lima beans won a silver medal at the 1904 St. Louis World Fair.’ L. D. Loomis and his partners formed the Santa Monica Land and Water Company in 1897 ‘so that the land could be sold as stock,’ said Jan Loomis (who notes that the company’s records informed a great deal of this book). The majority stock was bought by Gillis, a native of Nova Scotia who had followed his brother out to California. Gillis, who was related to Sawtelle by marriage, owned most of the company by 1902 and, therefore, possessed what is now present-day Brentwood, Santa Monica, Brentwood, and Pacific Palisades. In 1906, the Western Pacific Development Company bought 360 acres from the Land and Water Company and began laying out Brentwood Park, named for William Lynton Brent, president of the Merchants Trust Company and an investor in the Brentwood venture. Gillis subdivided the land outside the west gate of the Soldiers’ Home into lots for a community he called Westgate. These lots were sold for $150, with some bigger lots costing $350. San Vicente Boulevard, with its trolley tracks down the median, connected the area to the rest of Los Angeles. Other developments followed–Westgate Acres, Westgate Gardens, and Westgate Heights. ‘The boundaries were not as defined as they currently are,’ Loomis said. ‘Sawtelle was its own entity. Santa Monica was the town.’ Sawtelle was incorporated in 1906 as a city, and was later annexed to Los Angeles in 1922. According to Loomis’ book, ‘The entire Brentwood area was annexed to Los Angeles in 1916’ upon the completion of an aqueduct and access to an unlimited water supply. Its original borders included the Soldier’s Home property to the east, 26th street at Santa Monica to the west, the mountains in the north to Mulholland, and San Vicente to the south. In 1921, Gillis went on to sell some Santa Monica Land and Water holdings to the Rev. Charles H. Scott, who purchased some property as a site for the Methodist colony that, in the following year, became Pacific Palisades. With her first such book, ‘Brentwood,’ now in stores, Loomis has already begun preparing her next book: ‘Images of America: Pacific Palisades’ is tentatively scheduled for a summer 2009 release.
Author Lisa See Talks at Woman’s Club Tea
Author Lisa See will be the guest speaker at the annual Author’s Tea, sponsored by the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club on Tuesday, April 22 at the clubhouse, 961 Haverford. See’s latest novel, ‘Peony in Love,’ takes place in 17th-century China in the Yangtzi River delta, and is based on the true story of three “lovesick maidens’ married to the same man, one after the other, with not one of them reaching age 20. Together, they wrote the first book of its kind to have been written and published anywhere in the world by women. (The lovesick maidens were part of a much larger phenomenon: In 17th century China, more female writers were being published than in the entire rest of the world at that time.) Born in Paris but raised in Los Angeles, See spent much of youth in Chinatown. Her first book, ‘On Gold Mountain: The One Hundred Year Odyssey of My Chinese-American Family’ (1995), traces the journey of See’s great-grandfather, Fong See; the patriarch of a sprawling family who overcame obstacles at every step to become the 100-year-old godfather of Los Angeles’ Chinatown.? Woman’s Club members Judy Grosh, Sheila Dowst and Madeleine Zaloom will serve tea. The event benefits the Braille Book, ‘Expectations,’ for the Junior Blind. Tickets ($10) will be available at the door or from members of the club. Checks should be made to the Woman’s Club.
Meet William Saroyan in His Own Words
By ERIC VOLLMER Voice In The Well Productions will present a Read All About It Literary Cabaret Tribute to celebrate the memory of writer William Saroyan on Friday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. This is a sneak preview of the show, which will also be presented on Wednesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. at the Pacific Resident Theatre (701 Venice Blvd.) as part of a festival to accompany the production of Saroyan’s Pulitzer prize-winning play, ‘The Time Of Your Life.’ Born in Fresno of Armenian parents in 1908, Saroyan found his lasting theme in the immigrant’s heartfelt quest to fulfill the American Dream. Though his childhood was overshadowed by his father’s death and the five years he spent in an orphanage, Saroyan grew up to be a larger-than-life figure who combined the high-spirited verbal flamboyance of Walt Whitman with the bohemian vigor of a Zorba the Greek. Through song and story, Voice In The Well performers will recall inspired feats from his lively imagination. Hank Saroyan, the Emmy award-winning producer and director, will be on hand to offer fond family reminiscences about his own fabled uncle. Largely self-taught, Saroyan started his writing career with a marathon undertaking in San Francisco, where he declared that he would conceive and write an original story a day for thirty straight days. The result, ‘The Daring Young Man On The Flying Trapeze,’ and that story collection–combined with his sheer bravado–made him world-famous in 1935. Actor Lee Boek will present an adaptation of Saroyan’s tall tale about ‘Ramon Internationale,’ a Filipino wrestler who brought the City of San Francisco to its knees. John Frank and Dalia Vosylius will offer a concert reading of his moving one-act play, ‘Hello, Out There.’ William H. Bassett, who played Saroyan’s ‘Kit Carson’ in his college days, will provide the audience with a glimpse of that hifalutin’ character. Jacqueline Mahoney will sing ‘Come On-A My House,’ a quirky and lively pop song that Saroyan co-wrote with his cousin. It was made famous by George Clooney’s aunt, singer Rosemary Clooney, in the Big Band Era. Jeffrey Van Der Byl will close the show with a valentine of a story that Saroyan wrote in honor his grandmother, Lucy Garoghlanian. Caption: William Saroyan.
Monsignor Liam Kidney Celebrates 40th Anniversary
Monsignor Liam Kidney, pastor of Corpus Christi parish, celebrates his 40th anniversary as a priest this year. To mark this milestone, a special Mass will take place at Corpus Christi Church on Sunday, April 27 at 11 a.m. On May 2, the parishioners will honor Monsignor Kidney with an anniversary dinner and celebration at the Luxe Hotel in Brentwood. Now in the second of two six-year terms, Kidney has overseen an increasingly busy and vibrant parish, says Jane Richardson, who has both a personal friendship and pastoral relationship with Kidney. A 21-year parishioner, Richardson, now on staff at the church, says the pastor wants to see things happen. ‘He’s a dreamer, who doesn’t just dream, but formulates ways to make things happen.’ Richardson points to Kidney’s keen interest in ecumenism especially in these racially and ethnically charged times. ‘He has advanced these themes in his adult education classes and has invited academics such as Dr. Amir Hussain, an associate professor at Loyola Marymount University, to discuss Islam.’ Former Corpus Christi Principal Sister Patricia McGahan marvels at Kidney’s unbounded optimism and a positive attitude, but still wonders how he can always be so upbeat. ‘I guess we share a certain thinking of Irish people, but he’s far more ‘out there’ than I,’ she says, sharing her boss’s Irish sense of humor. The eldest of five boys, Kidney was born in Cork City, Ireland, in 1944 to Kitty and Denis Kidney. He attended Mungret Jesuit School in Limerick and earned a degree in philosophy. Following a visit by Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Timothy Manning in 1962, Kidney was invited to Los Angeles to study for the priesthood. In 1964, he attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and was ordained a Catholic priest on April 27, 1968. In his quest for knowledge and continuing education, Kidney completed workshops in youth ministry, Bible studies and pastoral care. In 1978, he obtained a master’s degree in administration from St. Mary’s College, and continues his study of church history. He is an authority on first-century Christianity. Kidney has led a varied and fulfilling life in ministry for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, including posts in youth ministry, bereavement, high school teaching and leadership, associate pastorships and pastor positions. He also ministered in radio and television media from 1979 to 1989 for the Archdiocese. One of the highlights of his media ministry was serving as the executive producer of the Papal Youth Conference when Pope John Paul II came to Los Angeles in 1987. His many appointments have included serving the people of God in Long Beach, Hacienda Heights, Brentwood, La Puente, Santa Fe Springs, Venice and Camarillo. He served as principal at Bishop Montgomery and St. Bernard High Schools. Monsignor Kidney was the founding pastor of Padre Serra parish in Camarillo, where he served for 12 years. His ministry there included the planning, financing, and building the new parish church and center. Following the retirement of Monsignor John Mihan in July 1999, Kidney was appointed pastor of Corpus Christi, and in November of that year he was honored with the title of Reverend Monsignor. At Corpus Christi, Kidney has overseen a flurry of activity, increasing the number of church ministries, strengthening the church’s support for the interfaith Palisades Ministerial Council, and defining his strength as leader and organizer with understanding and compassion. “When I was principal and awaiting the new pastor, I had never met Liam; I had only seen him on TV,” Sister Patricia recalls. “From the beginning, he was respectful of my opinion and dedicated to education–and to the importance of the whole spiritual dimension as a key for life. In my career, I have worked with five pastors, and he tops them all.” Both Richardson and Sister Patricia are impressed not only with Kidney’s intellect and spirituality, but also with his intuition and humanity. What was once an aging parish population has seen an inundation of young families, Richardson says. At the same time, there are parishioners who have been in the church from its founding in 1952, and a very active seniors group has sprouted under Kidney’s tenure. ‘Liam has an extraordinary ability to be in touch in the society’where we are and where people are coming from,’ Sister Patricia says. ‘He wants to know what the people want and makes his decisions based on those priorities.’ Kidney’s Irish gift for communication remains his strength. His sermons are often laced with everyday metaphors, often from his youth in Ireland, which help to illuminate the gospel. ‘He can speak with the smallest child and to the poor and the rich,’ Patricia adds. Perhaps the most telling proof of his profound belief in the goodness of mankind is found in his discovery of the positive themes in movies, even the most violent of the lot. One recent Sunday, he was talking about the outlaw shoot-’em-up ‘3:10 to Yuma’ and commenting on contemporary political and moral issues, Sister Patricia recalls. ‘After Mass, he was stopped outside the church by a young couple who started talking about the movie. They then turned to introduce Liam to the director and producer.’
Everychild Foundation Awards $1 Million Toward Youth Center
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
At a time when the State of California proceeds with more crippling cuts to health services and education, the Pacific Palisades-founded charitable organization Everychild Foundation continues to contribute to improving the future of Los Angeles by donating $1 million to Mar Vista Family Center that will be earmarked to create a new state-of-the-art Youth Center. Founded by Jacqueline Caster nine years ago, Everychild is comprised of 225 Los Angeles women who each donate $5,000 in annual dues in lieu of putting on fundraising events. Since in 2000, Everychild has donated just under $6 million in grants. Prior grants have funded a mobile dental clinic, construction of 15 new libraries in public elementary schools, the renovation and expansion of a child abuse counseling center, the establishment of a youth learning center at a home for troubled teens, and the purchase of a transitional home for emancipating foster youth. Each year, Everychild invites roughly 30 to 50 nonprofit organizations to apply for its single annual grant. Mar Vista Family Center is a grass roots agency serving a low-income, densely populated and gang-ridden neighborhood adjacent to the only federal housing project in West Los Angeles. A two-story, 11,500 square foot Youth Center will be created to allow Mar Vista to clear its 300-child waiting list by increasing its program capacity by 50 percent, from 650 to about 1,000 kids. On March 24, Everychild broke ground on a project for its 2007 recipient, Heart of Los Angeles Youth (HOLA), a multi-cultural center that offers fine arts, athletic and education programs for more than 1,300 underserved youth annually throughout the city. The funds will transform the Lafayette Park Community Center, located in a dangerous park in the blighted Rampart District, into a safe space for neighborhood children. Soon, more than 2,300 at-risk youth will have an enriching safe haven with learning spaces and a wireless technology center at the L.A. Recreation and Park center, thanks to Everychild’s $1 million dollar grant. Everychild Foundation began when Jacqueline Caster recruited people to take part in her unique humanitarian project. She sought the assistance of many in the Palisades community, including Caster’s Highlands neighbors, founding members Cynthia Alexander and Debra Colbert. About 56 women participated in making the first grant of $230,000, awarded to QueensCare, which went to the outfitting of a new mobile dental clinic serving students in low income elementary schools within L.A.U.S.D. Everychild also raised the money for the new playground, which was recently unveiled at L.A. Orthopaedic Hospital. ‘Soon, that number of children will almost double with the opening the new playground where more than 128,000 children are anticipated to visit it annually,’ Caster said. In addition to Everychild’s efforts, satellite organizations with similar charitable ambitions have mushroomed. ‘We have already directly inspired the creation of seven other foundations based on our model, the newest being the Women’s Fund of Northern Santa Barbara County,’ Caster said. ‘They just launched themselves this month and we will be very excited to watch their progress.’ Created in 2004 after its founders read an article about Everychild, Women’s Fund has since donated more than $1.4 million in the Santa Barbara area, which includes some very large matching grants. In addition to Women’s Fund, Everychild spawned the creation of the local Women Helping Youth, and the Today and Tomorrow’s Children’s Fund at Mattel Children’s Hospital, which, in three years, has amassed some $400,000 for medical research projects. Heather DuBoef (sister of Everychild member Tawny Saunders) works for the three year-old Nevada Women’s Philanthropy Foundation, which, at the end of this year will have donated more than $1 million. Everychild member Robin Broidy founded the AVIVA Platinum Associates, serving troubled girls, while Everychild member Stefania Magidson founded the Blue Heron Foundation, which assists Romanian orphans.
Council Hears Proposal for Full Public Funding in City Elections
A debate has begun in Los Angeles about whether the city should provide full public funding for city election campaigns, and last Thursday members of the Pacific Palisades Community Council expressed their views. The council did not formally vote on whether to support public financing for political campaigns. However, the majority of council members and about 10 residents who attended the meeting indicated they supported the effort. The Rules and Government Committee of the Los Angeles City Council has asked community and neighborhood councils to share their opinion. ‘This is a rare opportunity where the city is asking for feedback on such an important policy,’ said Trent Lange, board president of the California Clean Money Campaign, an organization dedicated to eliminating money as a barrier in election campaigns and reducing the influence of interest groups. Lange presented information about full public funding for election campaigns at last Thursday’s meeting and asked Council members and attendees to fill out a questionnaire about how the program should work. California Clean Money and the Los Angeles Department of Neighborhood Empowerment will compile citizens’ comments into a report that will be released in June or July. Based on recommendations in the report, a ballot measure will be written for a 2009 or 2010 election, Lange said. California Clean Money has met with five community groups already, and Lange said the majority of residents have expressed support. L.A. City Council candidates who raised the most money for their campaign won 78 percent of the elections from 1993 to 2005, Lange said. Seventy-two percent of the money raised came from outside the district the candidate represented. About half of the money came from corporations, developers and unions. Candidates would have the option of participating in the full public financing program, which would have specific restrictions on private fundraising and using personal funds, Lange explained. Arizona, Maine and Connecticut and the cities of Portland, Oregon, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, provide full public financing for elections. The estimated cost of this program is $6.1 million to $9 million more than what the city spends now for its partially funded public financing program. That program costs about $2 million annually and is paid for through the city’s general fund. Candidates can voluntarily participate in the partially funded public program, which provides limited matching funds to those who raise a certain amount of money and agree to limit personal funds. The concern is that unlike full public funding systems, candidates can still raise money from special interests to receive matching funds, Lange said. ‘With the budget crisis we have in this state,’ said Council member Jack Allen, ‘I don’t see how we can afford to finance a clean money campaign. I don’t think the taxpayers will be receptive. Why should a taxpayer have to finance a candidate they don’t support?’ Council member Mike Stryer, however, disagreed. ‘I think we will save a tremendous amount,’ he said. ‘We will reduce some of the frivolous spending by our councilmen.’ The city gives huge breaks to corporations, resulting in millions of dollars, added Palisades resident Maureen Cruise from her seat in the audience. ‘The system now is absolutely shameful.’ The public funding program would give community members who wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford a campaign the chance to run for office, said Council member Janet Turner. ‘I think a lot of really good people might run and might contribute.’ To learn more, visit the California Clean Money Campaign’s Web site at www.caclean.org or call (310) 481-0814.
PaliHi Grad Tours in ‘High School Musical’
As soon as Helene Yorke graduated from the University of Michigan last June, she packed her belongings in three suitcases and headed to New York. She sublet an apartment in Queens and began taking the subway into the city every day to audition for musicals. ‘It was me growing up,’ said the 22-year-old Palisades Charter High School graduate who had majored in theater in college. At some of the auditions, Yorke thought she would be perfect for the part, but she didn’t hear back. After two months, she landed a small role in her first off-Broadway show, ‘Walmartopia,’ that ran from September 3 to December 31, and then came her big break: She is now touring with Disney’s ‘High School Musical.’ ‘Sometimes I am sitting in the dressing room, and I think I am getting paid to do this; I feel so lucky,’ Yorke told the Palisadian-Post from Minneapolis. Yorke was the youngest person on the 11-member cast for ‘Walmartopia,’ a musical about a single mom who speaks up to her corporate employer and finds herself and young daughter jettisoned to a future where Wal-Mart dominates the entire world. She played various roles in the political satire, from a Wal-Mart executive donning a patriotic tie and a man’s wig to a Hooters’ girl in a skimpy outfit. The show, directed by Daniel Goldstein, was performed at the Minetta Lane Theatre in Manhattan. ‘Walmartopia was a learning experience,’ Yorke said, noting she picked up valuable tips from cast member John Jellison, who has 17 Broadway credits. While performing in ‘Walmartopia,’ Yorke auditioned twice for one of the main characters, Sharpay Evans, in Disney’s ‘High School Musical’ and was hired to replace actress Chandra Lee Schwartz. When she opened her first show of the national tour in Baltimore on February 19, reviewers described Yorke as ‘scene stealing’ and ‘sizzling in stilettos.’ She is now performing in venues across the nation until August, including the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa, June 17-22. The musical is based on the Disney Channel movie with all the same characters and songs. ‘I just love playing the misunderstood mean person,’ Yorke said. ‘She’s funny, you can laugh at her.’ She plays a drama-club president who schemes to keep her talented peers, characters Troy Bolton and Gabriella Amontez, out of the high school musical in order to keep her role in the limelight. ‘It’s ironic that I’m playing the queen bee of the high school because that was not who I was at all,’ Yorke said. ‘I was an awkward, goofy person. I was a drama geek.’ At PaliHi, Yorke performed in four musicals: ’42nd Street,’ ‘Oklahoma!,’ ‘Crazy for You’ and ‘Les Miserables.’ Her high school drama teacher Victoria Francis, who retired in 2004, said Yorke grew tremendously as a performer between her freshman and senior years. ‘She was vocally outstanding in ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Crazy for You,” Francis said. ‘Even as a senior, I could see her going on to Broadway.’ In high school, Yorke took singing lessons, danced with the Westside Ballet in Santa Monica and attended acting classes in London and on the East Coast. She thanks her parents, Rhos and Andrea Dyke, for finding her opportunities to pursue her love for theater. She has two brothers: Lance, 21, who attends Shimer College in Illinois and Sutherland, 19, who is at a military preparatory academy in New Jersey. Yorke began ballet dancing at three years old and first discovered her love for singing and acting in her drama and choir classes at Paul Revere Middle School. ‘I knew she was going to be a success,’ said Janet Smith, her middle-school choir teacher. ‘She had a strong work ethic, a beautiful singing voice, a delightful personality ‘ I knew there was a lot of potential in her.’ Yorke credits Smith, who retired in 2003, for her accomplishments. ‘She was so encouraging about what I was doing,’ Yorke said. ‘She made me believe it was possible.’ Yorke auditioned for seven universities with musical programs and chose the University of Michigan, where she performed in the musicals ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ ‘Seussical the Musical,’ ‘The Boys from Syracuse,’ ‘Tommy’ and ‘The Pajama Game.’ ‘There is something so freeing, spiritual about being on stage and communicating with an audience,’ Yorke said. ‘There is a conversation, an energy that you receive from an audience.’ She now enjoys sharing that energy with the pre-teens who attend ‘High School Musical.’ Many ask for her autograph after the show. ‘I love being able to bring theater to youth,’ she said. She performs the musical for young people eight times a week and lives in hotels or with friends as she travels across the country. Yorke hopes to perform in a Broadway musical one day. ‘There is so much more I want to accomplish. This is just the tip of the iceberg.’
Palisades Resident Becomes New Pali Elementary Principal
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
After finishing her first week as Palisades Charter Elementary principal, Palisadian Joan Ingle’s optimistic manner and 32 years of education experience is helping the school make a seamless transition after the unexpected departure of principal Tami Weiser in February. On Monday morning, the school office was surprisingly cheerful with roses from Ingle’s mother’s garden joining a platter of freshly baked muffins. ‘I love to bake,’ Ingle said, and promised that one of her specialties, cupcakes, would be coming soon. Ingle’s charm and warmth are matched by her educational qualifications. In 1976, after graduating from San Fernando State College in art and art therapy, she went to work at a private school in Honolulu. ‘It was an interesting three years,’ she said. ‘I would’ve stayed on, but I had allergies to everything.’ After moving back to Southern California, Ingle helped start a private school, the Pasadena Waldorf School, where she became interested in students’ ‘invisible disabilities,’ such as difficulty in learning due to processing and reading issues. ‘We have to look at differentiating for all students; that’s good teaching,’ Ingle said in an interview, pointing out that the numbers of students identified as special needs has grown. ‘We’re better at identifying those students.’ Ingle also worries that young children are subjected to academics too early. ‘Are we really honoring the phase of childhood of letting them play?’ she asked. ‘Children are overscheduled and don’t have enough free time.’ After three years at the Waldorf School, Ingle established a home-based nursery school. At that time, kindergarten classes in LAUSD often had more than 30 students, so Ingle offered an alternative for parents who felt that their children were unprepared to thrive in such a large classroom. While running the school, she also took graduate classes and, by 1991, had completed her master’s in special education with an emphasis in educational therapy. Later that year, she moved to Chicago with her husband, Jeffrey, who owns the Ingle Group, a custom publishing firm. They lived there for six years and their youngest two children, Ana and Dan, attended SPAN schools, which are public schools that encompass kindergarten through high school. While in Chicago, Ingle and her husband went back to school; he finished his master’s and Ingle studied psychology (specifically psycho-educational diagnosis). In 1997, they moved back to the Palisades and her children enrolled in Revere. Ingle found a job in Sulfur Springs Unified (Santa Clarita), as an educational therapist, working with special needs kids. In 2000, she accepted her first position with LAUSD in the same field. Her office was at Local District D (now District 3) and she went from school to school on the Westside. She even worked for a year at Palisades High, when her son, Dan, was a senior. While working at the local district, Ingle completed a master’s degree in administration, which enabled her to work three years as assistant principal at Westwood Charter School. Even though she liked the school, in order to one day become a principal, she needed a second job as an assistant principal, which she filled at Roscomare School. ‘It wasn’t a charter, but it’s a high-performing school, with an AP of 942,’ Ingle said. ‘Palisades Elementary is 920. The schools are similar because they both have dedicated parents and good teachers.’ Ingle is worried about LAUSD’s impending budget cuts and hopes that it doesn’t mean that class sizes will be increased. She also worries that many young good teachers will be let go elsewhere in the district. She’s already well familiar with Palisades Elementary, calling it ‘a wonderful choice for parents who want to have their children attend a home school and for it to be such a good one.’ Ingle son Andrew is attending Cal State Channel Hills, Ana graduated from Empire State in New York and is an administrator at a small liberal arts college, and Dan has received a full seven-year scholarship to an MD/Ph.D. program at the University of Iowa.
