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Giglio, Keller Win Parade’s First Patriotic Essay Contest

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Ava Giglio (left) and Claire Keller were the winners of the parade committee's inaugural Fourth of July essay contest for first- through fifth-graders.
Ava Giglio (left) and Claire Keller were the winners of the parade committee’s inaugural Fourth of July essay contest for first- through fifth-graders.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Ava Giglio and Claire Keller won the inaugural Fourth of July essay contest, initiated by members of the parade organizing committee. Children in grades one through five submitted essays of not more than 150 words on the parade theme: ‘America! Land That We Love.’ Both students received a $100 savings bond from US Bank, and were invited to the pre-parade luncheon, where they read their winning essays. They also rode atop a fire truck in the parade. Their essays, along with other contest entries, are being bound and will be delivered to U.S. troops overseas. Keller, 8, wrote about America’s freedoms. ‘In some countries you are not allowed to speak freely about the government or its leaders,’ she said. ‘I think it is important to be able to say what you think and not be punished for thinking differently than other people.” Keller, who completed second grade at Carlthorp School, was born in Philadelphia but has lived in the Palisades for the last seven years with her parents and two younger brothers. In addition to playing piano, swimming and reading, she likes to play with her friends. ‘I was excited to write about the freedom that I enjoy in this country,’ said Keller, a member of the local Mormon Church. Giglio, 11, also wrote about personal freedom. ‘In other parts of the world (like the Middle East) girls have to wear what they are told to wear, or they are punished. But in America we are allowed to wear practically anything (as long as it’s not flip flops at school).’ Growing up in the Palisades, she has attended Marquez Elementary and will enroll at Paul Revere Middle School in September. She has been in more than 14 musicals and plays at theaters in the area. In addition to being a talented tap dancer, Giglio also plays basketball at the park and belongs to the Palisades Presbyterian Church, where she is a member of the choir and church band. ‘My favorite thing about living in the Palisades is the Fourth of July parade and fireworks,’ Giglio said.

Merchant Donations Insure Parade Luncheon Success

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Parade VIP luncheon organizer Carolyn Haselkorn
Parade VIP luncheon organizer Carolyn Haselkorn
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Nearly 30 local businesses donated sandwiches, pasta dishes, Mexican food, salads, desserts, beverages and supplies to the annual VIP luncheon on July 4, held prior to the parade in the Methodist Church courtyard on Via de la Paz. ‘Thanks to these generous donations, we were able to provide our guests with ‘a taste of the Palisades’ and eliminate these costs from the parade committee’s budget,’ said Carolyn Haselkorn, who organized the event on behalf of PAPA (the Palisades Americanism Parade Association). ‘We also benefited from the volunteer help of many local residents, who enabled us to greet and serve nearly 300 people’ at decorated picnic tables in the sheltered space, Haselkorn added. Among those enjoying the festivities were parade grand marshal Marion Ross, parade marshal Rose Gilbert, reviewing officer Major General Terry Robling, Honorary Mayor Gavin MacLeod, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan (who now owns The Village Pantry and Oak Room on Swarthmore), City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Citizen of the Year Bob Jeffers, Mr. and Miss Palisades (Christopher Alexakis and Elena Loper), Olympic champion Carl Lewis, former Heisman Trophy winner John Huarte, and Chamber of Commerce director Arnie Wishnick, who sported a red-white-and-blue lei. Rich Wilken, one of the parade announcers, served as the luncheon’s emcee, introducing the various VIPs. Participating restaurants, bakeries and fast-food cafes included Caf’ Vida, Dante’s, Kay ‘n’ Dave’s, Mayberry, Noah’s Bagels, Palisades Garden Caf’, Palisades Pizza, Paolo’s, Pearl Dragon, Piccomolo, Pinocchio’s, Robeks, Subway (both Sunset locations), Taco Bell, Tivoli Cafe, Village Pantry and Vittorio’s. Other contributing businesses: CalNational Bank, CVS Pharmacy, Festa Insurance, Party Pizazz, Ronny’s Market, Starbucks, Viktor Benes Bakery and Vons Market. Food was delivered to the church by members of PAPA People, including Don Haselkorn, Sharon Sharpe and Christina and Rick Gables, as well as other members of the luncheon committee: Bobbie Farberow, Sharon Shaw and John Petrick. Food servers included Larry Brown, Farberow, Jackie Madoff, Francine Lis, Shaw, Barry Stein, and Marianne Ullerich, with Fran Altman and others on clean-up duty. The reception desk at the entrance to the luncheon was manned by Cheryel Kanan and her daughter, Debbie Kanan, along with Lee Calvert. Senior Girl Scout Troop 128 (consisting of students from Palisades High and one from Harvard-Westlake) made decorations. ‘The girls arrived early, along with their leader Juliet Giglio, to decorate the courtyard,’ Haselkorn said. Additional decorations were made by students in the afterschool STAR program at Marquez Charter Elementary, under the direction of Heather Wilken. Admission to the luncheon is open to parade participants as well as contributors who donate $150 and more to PAPA.

Council Opposes Full Public Funding for City Elections

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Meeting on June 26, the Pacific Palisades Community Council (1) decided that it would not encourage full public financing for city elections, and (2) opposed a local apartment owner’s request for a variance to convert his building into condominiums. By an 1l to 6 vote with one abstention, the Council failed to approve a motion that would have encouraged the Los Angeles City Council and Mayor Villaraigosa to develop a ballot measure on public funding for city elections. The motion needed a two-thirds vote to pass. Council member Janet Turner recommended the motion because the City Council’s Rules and Government Committee has asked community councils to share their opinion about whether the city should provide such a program. On April 10, the Council listened to a presentation by 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 special-interest groups. ‘I feel that we are a very important community and what we say does carry some weight,’ Turner said, when proposing the motion. ‘I think we should encourage the City Council to look into this measure; otherwise, we could be preventing some really fine candidates from running.’ Candidates would have the option of participating in the public financing program, which would have specific restrictions regarding private fundraising and use of personal funds. The program’s estimated cost is $6.1 million to $9 million more than what the city spends now for its partially funded public financing program, according to Lange. That program costs about $2 million annually and is paid for through the general fund. Resident Lou Del Pozzo, a Clean Money Campaign volunteer, asked the Council to vote in favor, saying, ‘We need a City Council that will vote for the interests of voters, not for outside big-money interests.’ Council member Jack Allen voted against the motion because he does not think full public funding will eliminate influence peddling and would be a waste of taxpayer money. Later, he told the Palisadian-Post: ‘There are better ways, I believe, of attacking influence peddling, such as denying both elected and appointed officials from voting on issues that would benefit a donor. My concern is that if public financing is adopted, it will eliminate support for better methods of controlling influence peddling.’ On June 26, the Council also voted 12-5 with one abstention to write a letter of opposition to the Office of Zoning Administration regarding a variance that an apartment complex owner is seeking in order to convert his apartments into condos. Sam Malak, who owns the 23-unit apartment complex at 16101 Sunset, does not have enough parking spaces to meet the requirements of a condominium complex, so he is asking for the variance. His building was built in 2000 with two parking spots per unit and six guest parking spots. City regulations would require that his condos provide 11 guest parking spots ‘ five more than what is available. ‘There is not enough room to provide more parking,’ Malak told the Community Council. Members complained that parking in that area near Muskingum Avenue is already congested, but Malak insisted the parking situation would not change. ‘I don’t see that it would make a difference,’ he said. ‘The only thing that changes is going from renting to ownership.’ Malak would like to convert the complex because ‘the building is a good candidate for condos, and there is a demand for ownership.’ He said he will continue to operate the building as an apartment complex if he does not receive the variance. Council member Harry Sondheim said he opposes the variance because it sets a precedent for contractors to construct apartment buildings and then change them into condos, so as to avoid complying with city rules. The Office of Zoning Administration will make the final ruling.

THURSDAY, JULY 10-THURSDAY, JULY 17

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THURSDAY, JULY 10   US Bank hosts the monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 15245 Sunset. Public invited. Non-members: $25.   Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Public invited.   Family Fun Night, 7 p.m. at the new Rubell Meadow in Temescal Gateway Park (follow the signs inside park). The free program includes nature stories, songs and a campfire (weather permitting) with marshmallows. Open to all.   Kim Calder signs ?Who?s To Say What?s Home,? 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Calder brings a heartfelt sense of loss to bear on her raw, funny and heartbreaking debut collection of poems. FRIDAY, JULY 11   Palisades Beautiful holds its quarterly meeting, 10 a.m. at the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Upcoming neighborhood tree planting will be discussed. Members, friends and the general public are welcome. Contact: www.palisadesbeautiful@earthlink.net.   The Palisades-Malibu YMCA presents a family Western barbecue, plus ice cream sundaes and a sing-along, 6 to 8 p.m. on Simon Meadow, corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Road. Admission is free; parking is $5.   Theatre Palisades presents ?I Love You, You?re Perfect, Now Change? at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Haverford. Directed by Lewis Hauser, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, the musical plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through July 20. Ticket reservations: call (310) 454-1970 or visit?www.theatrepalisades.org. SATURDAY, JULY 12   Friends of the Library book sale, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Palisades Branch Library parking lot, 861 Alma Real.   Self-Realization Fellowship Temple presents ?An Evening at the Lake,? a concert featuring Shanti Shanti, 6 p.m., at the Lake Shrine, 17190 Sunset. Tickets are $20. Refreshments begin at 5 p.m. Contacts: (310) 454-4114 and www.shantishanti.com. MONDAY, JULY 14   Moonday, featuring poets Russell Salamon and Keith Holyoak, starts at 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Sign-ups for open readings begin at 7 p.m. TUESDAY, JULY 15   Story-Craft Time, suggested for ages 4 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real.   The public is invited to join the Temescal Canyon Association hiking group as it carpools to the Palisades Highlands and explores beautiful upper Santa Ynez Canyon. Meet 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.   National Park Service historian Tim Sinclair will explore the life and work of Booker T. Washington, 7:30 p.m. on the Rubell Memorial Lawn in Temescal Gateway Park. Free admission.   The Malibu Orchid Society features a lecture by hybrid specialist Peter Lin on miniature cattleyas, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman?s Club, 901 Haverford.?The public is invited. THURSDAY, JULY 17   Aram Saroyan, son of the novelist William Saroyan, discusses and signs ?Complete Minimalist Poems? and his other works, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. (See story, page 16.)

PALISADES-WILL ROGERS 5/10K

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Four Runners Win Race for First Time

Vivien Wadeck raises her arms in elation as she hits the tape in the Palisades-Will Rogers race on July 4. The 29-year-old junior from Cal State Los Angeles won the women's 5K in 17:15.
Vivien Wadeck raises her arms in elation as she hits the tape in the Palisades-Will Rogers race on July 4. The 29-year-old junior from Cal State Los Angeles won the women’s 5K in 17:15.
Photo by

It seemed fitting that in the same year the annual Palisades-Will Rogers Race entered its fourth decade, it produced four first-time winners. Purely a coincidence, right? Maybe. Or maybe it’s a subtle reminder that while a runner’s prime is short, the race is far from reaching its peak. On the contrary, it weaves itself more tightly into the patriotic fabric of the community every Fourth of July and is now one of Pacific Palisades’ oldest holiday traditions. The 31st chapter began shortly after 8:15 on the morning of July 4 when Fire Station 69 paramedics Ed Strange and Dayne Coyle were introduced as this year’s official starters. As a sea of humanity flooded the intersection at Alma Real and Toyopa, the gun was fired and runners began their trek through the Huntington, inspired by the Rocky theme song “Gonna Fly Now” and cheered on by their families, friends and neighbors lining the race route. “This is always one of the best days in the Palisades,” said Strange, who is retiring July 29 after 35 years as a paramedic, the last 15 at Fire Station 69. “The only time I missed this race was last year when I had knee surgery. It’s a thrill for me. I have so many fond memories.” The 10K race was founded in 1978 by Palisades Ridgerunners Brian Shea, Chris Carlson and Bill Klein and the 5K was added in 1986. The day’s first winner was 31-year-old Brian Duff of West Los Angeles, who completed the 5K course in 16:49. Running the race for the eighth time, Duff said he didn’t train for it and wasn’t expecting to win despite finishing second last year. “It all depends on who shows up,” said Duff, who ran track and cross country at Loyola High in Los Angeles, then ran the 800 meters at Georgetown University. “It was a little warm but not nearly as bad as last year.” A slow pace ensured that the 5K record of 14:10, set in 2003 by Palisades’ own Peter Gilmore, would not be threatened. Duff’s best time ever was 15:40 in 2002. The men’s 10K winner was another Will Rogers Race veteran, 32-year-old Mar Vista resident Kevin Purcell, who runs for the “Fluffy Bunnies,” a Santa Monica-based track club sponsored by Nike. “I’ve run this race 15 times or so and this is the first time I’ve won,” said Purcell, who started pulling away from the pack just before the four-mile mark and finished in 34:10. “I’m usually in the top five but I guess this was just my year to come out on top.” Purcell was challenged on the grueling switchbacks of Will Rogers State Park by two-time winner and “Bunnies” teammate Tyson Sacco, who finished third–almost a full minute behind the winner. “It’s a great race, though,” Sacco said. “This is the 12th year in a row that I’ve run it.” The men’s 10K standard of 29:46 was established by Russell Edmonds of New Zealand in 1983–the same year that Palisades High standout Katie Dunsmuir set the women’s 10K record of 35:09. If knowing the lay of the land proved advantageous for the men’s winners, unfamiliarity with the course mattered little to Cal State Los Angeles track and cross country teammates Vivien Wadeck and Shawna Burger. Each won in her very first attempt. Encouraged to try the race by Golden Eagles Coach Gretchen Corrales, Wadeck took the 5K lead at the mile mark and never relinquished it, breaking the tape in 17:15 and winning by 40 seconds in the fastest women’s time since 2004. The women’s 5K mark of 16:29 was set by Annetta Luevano in 1995. “This was a flat, fast course and I generally don’t like that but this was really well organized and a lot of fun,” said Wadeck, a 29-year-old junior from Studio City who decided to run the night before the race. “I was visiting my family in Sierra Vista [Arizona] and didn’t get back until Wednesday evening.” After taking a few moments to catch her breath, Wadeck hovered near the 10K chute in anticipation of her friend’s arrival. She didn’t have to wait long. Burger won the race in 37:56–more than three and a half minutes ahead of the second-place finisher. In truth, her primary competition was herself. “It was challenging, but the harder the course the better I do,” said Burger, a 23-year-old senior who earned All-American honors after finishing first on her team at the cross country nationals in Joplin, Missouri in November. “I love the 10K and I enjoy the Fourth of July so this is my ideal vacation.” Having just returned from Jamaica, where he defended his Muay Thai super welterweight title, kickboxer Baxter Humby enjoyed another triumph by finishing first in his age group, sixth among men and eighth overall in the 5K. Running his hometown race for the sixth time, the “One-Armed Bandit” covered the 3.1 miles in 18:21–his fastest yet. “My goals were to win my age group and place Top 10 overall, so I did what I set out to do,” said Humby, who lives in Tahitian Terrace. “Normally I take a break after a fight but this year I kept right on training to prepare for this.” Replacing Coldwell Banker as this year’s title sponsor was Pacific Palisades Bank. William E. Simon and Sons again served as corporate sponsor. The field consisted of 2,537 runners: 1,569 in the 5K and 968 in the 10K. For complete online results, visit the official race Web site at www.palisades10K.com or log on to the Race Central site at www.runraceresults.com.

I, GIANT ROBOT

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Palisades High graduate Eric Nakamura has built an empire on the back of his postmodern magazine

Eric Nakamura poses with Bossy Bear, one of the novelties popularized by the Giant Robot stores.
Eric Nakamura poses with Bossy Bear, one of the novelties popularized by the Giant Robot stores.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Nakamura and a guest enjoy a meal at his restaurant, gr/eats, on Sawtelle.
Nakamura and a guest enjoy a meal at his restaurant, gr/eats, on Sawtelle.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

A recent art opening at the San Francisco store.
A recent art opening at the San Francisco store.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

It began with some folded pages, a few staples, and a lot of imagination, which spawned a magazine, a chain of pop culture stores, a restaurant, an art gallery, and, nearly, a way of life including movies, music, books, comics, toys, food, and fine art. In the process, one Palisades High graduate helped transform a nondescript section of Sawtelle Boulevard into one of the liveliest sections on the Westside. Five words come to mind: Rick Caruso, watch your back! The magazine is Giant Robot, and the PaliHi grad is Eric Nakamura, who, once upon a time, worked for the Palisadian-Post. But Giant Robot is not your ordinary pop culture publication. ‘It’s a lifestyle magazine,’ says Nakamura, 38. As president and publisher of the Asian-American-flavored periodical, Nakamura created a niche on the back of an American failure: the lack of Asian-American inclusion in mainstream American entertainment. Clearly, in the last five years, more Asian-American faces appear on television (‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Lost,’ and ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ on which no less than judge Carrie Ann Inaba, choreographer Cheryl Burke and champion Kristi Yamaguchi appeared last season). In 1994, before the Hong Kong explosion in feature film, when Asian-Americans were an ‘All-American Girl’ away from being invisible on network TV, Nakamura didn’t sit around crying over the lack of representation. Instead, he created a magazine that not only became the core of a commercial empire but broke some ground. A walk through the Winter 2001 issue (# 23) typifies this atypical publication’s attitude. Articles read like Web logs a few proverbial minutes before blogs mushroomed online. You can join Nakamura as he and Beastie Boys keyboardist ‘Money’ Mark Nishita visit the Korean Friendship Bell in San Pedro, or enjoy a Q & A with Hong Kong’s ‘King of Trash Cinema’ Wong Jing. You can learn about Lou Griffin (‘the Jane Goodall of Japanese Snow Monkeys’), or hear from the editor of a magazine covering Tokyo’s crazy-quilt, candy-colored Harajuku district. There’s a shopping tour of Saigon, reviews of everything from James Sturm’s Jewish baseball team graphic novel “The Mighty Golem’s Swing” to Death Cab for Cutie’s latest album, and facetious articles about the “Red Skull Theory.’ Eccentric and eclectic, GR might throw in an article on hitman caper film auteur Seijun Suzuki or a Q & A with cartoonist Kazuo Umezu alongside music reviews of the Cure or Electric Aborigines. It’s an ‘anything goes’ kind of mag. From 1984-2006, Eric Nakamura’s parents lived on the edge of the Palisades border by Brentwood’s Country Mart. As a result, Nakamura, who should have attended Uni High, went to Pali, where he played varsity tennis and was surprised to learn that ‘there were actually poor kids living in the Palisades.’ Scott Stokdyk, Academy Award-winning special effects man (the ‘Spider-Man’ movies), attended PaliHi at the time, as did Dom DeLuise’s sons. PCH’s Jack in the Box and the late Village Pizza were prime PaliHi hangouts. ‘We’d go where the girls go,’ Nakamura smiles, remembering the notorious weekend house parties where ‘200 kids would come. It would spill into the streets and a police helicopter would shine a light to disperse them.’ At Pali Hi, Nakamura learned to use ‘a wet dark room’ under ‘a really great teacher,’ photography teacher Robert Doucette. ‘A little hippie, a little punk rock.’ While at Santa Monica College, Nakamura worked on the school paper and for a neighborhood photo lab. A relentless shutterbug, he captured such bands as The Inclined playing PaliHi’s lunchtime concerts. He was among some friends who hung out with Michelle Friedlander, the subject of the Inclined’s ‘She Won’t Go,’ the night before she was killed in a car accident. ‘She had drove down from Santa Barbara [where she attended UCSB] to see U2,’ Nakamura recalls. ‘We hung out in a small group. The next day, on the drive back up, she died.’ A relentless shutterbug, Nakamura freelanced for the Village View, shooting Sonic Youth, Public Enemy, The Bangles, The Sparks, and Leaving Trains, fronted by then-Post writer James Moreland. In 1991, Nakamura joined the Post as staff photographer. ‘To me, it was for all the marbles,’ he says. ‘It was my first professional experience.’ Many staffers have fond memories of Nakamura’s year at the Post, such as when Nakamura contributed a piece of high-grade raw meat from his parents’ restaurant to the Secret Santa gift exchange’which was won by restaurant critic Grace Hiney. Nakamura’s camera-work caught the eye of the Pasadena Star, which tried to lure him, but Nakamura instead attended college, heading to UC San Francisco, then UCLA to earn his East Asian Studies degree. ‘The Post prints the papers up [on site],’ Nakamura marvels. ‘That’s insane. The people here probably take it for granted. I actually had to know how the press worked. That experience, you can’t beat that.’ Giant Robot may benefit from a small army of writers, artists and cartoonists, but the magazine’s voice is the singular composite of co-editors Nakamura and Martin Wong. Post-college, a camera-strapped Nakamura hit the L.A. club scene. Enter Wong, an Anaheim Hills native of Chinese descent. Via mutual friends, the two UCLA grads met and clicked. ‘We would see each other at a lot of places like Jabberjaw,’ Wong, 39, says of the now-defunct Pico Boulevard club. ‘I’d go three to four times a week. I’d see him at the various shows. Soundgarden, Mudhoney, the [Red Hot] Chili Peppers were hot. We were two Asians with really long hair. ‘On the one hand we were into this music, which was largely not Asian, but we also bonded on old Japanese toys. Hong Kong movies were really hot. You could go to the San Gabriel Valley and, for $5, see a double feature, eat shrimp chips, drink tea with dried mango, and go get vegetarian Chinese food in the area afterwards. Eventually, you can see our taste grow in the magazine”food, art, architecture. It wasn’t just total fan boys obsessing over one thing. It was a whole cultural landscape.’ For a magazine named after a hi-tech Japanese anime character, Giant Robot has decidedly low-tech origins. The first two issues were crudely-produced ‘zines. With issue # 3, Wong came aboard as co-editor, and GR gathered steam with a glossy magazine format, even as its staff welcomed donated computer equipment. Nakamura’s infatuation with Japanese flicks and cartoons had begun during his West L.A. childhood, which he spent soaking up monster and samurai movies on the UHF channels. ‘Nobody was into that at the time,’ he says of GR’s beginnings. Wong adds that they were writing about pop culture trends that ‘even Asians weren’t into it yet.’ For Nakamura, Wong became the perfect professional partner because ‘he’s amenable to many ideas. He’s good at English. That fits my shortcomings. He’s less of a business person, but he knows how to write a magazine. And he loves film.’ Soon, Nakamura and Wong realized that when it came to their taste in pop culture, they were not alone. ‘There was nothing else like it,’ Nakamura says of GR. ‘People were like, ‘Oh, my God! Where’s this been? This is so obvious!” One must remember L.A.’s youth culture tempo in the pre-Internet days of 1994. As a city, Los Angeles was just emerging from the racial divisions of the Rodney King and O.J. Simpson trials, and entering a postmodern, multi-ethnic era. Quentin Tarantino was riding high in Hollywood, fusing noir, ghetto and pop culture with story and style elements he borrowed from Asian films. Alternative music had become a mainstay atop Billboard’s charts, and greatly influencing L.A.’s alternative scene was a convergence of trends. The Beastie Boys had entered their Atwater Village phase, segueing from a frat boy mentality into their good-citizens-of-the-world shtick. As they musically embraced different cultures and politically launched a crusade to free Tibet, the Beasties influenced L.A.’s hipster contingent with a now-defunct magazine and record label (both dubbed Grand Royal) and hip Los Feliz clothing outlets X-Large and X-Girl. All of this coincided with the cresting Silver Lake music explosion, led by another experimental musician Beck, while publications such as Ben is Dead led L.A.’s burgeoning ‘zine scene of homemade publications. Meanwhile, the influence of manga and anime had begun consuming American comic book and animation industries. In 1994, Asian pop culture enjoyed only a cult following in America. Miramax had yet to import an influx of Asian superstars (Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Jet Li) to the multiplexes. John Woo was still an art-house phenomenon, while Ang Lee had yet to break the ice in Hollywood with ‘The Ice Storm,’ and Sofia Coppola was a decade away from watching ‘In The Mood for Love,’ which informed her ‘Lost in Translation.’ Enter Giant Robot. ‘Eric and Martin only write about the subjects that they are passionate about,’ says former GR cartoonist Lisa Strouss. ‘It is never something just to please a crowd. And a lot of things they’ve covered in early issues are huge now, like Uglydolls and Wong Kar Wai.’ Tower Records was an early GR booster. After much rejection, chains such as Borders and Barnes & Noble agreed to carry the magazine. ‘As we gained more and more momentum, companies came to us,’ Nakamura says. That included top advertisers and toy vendors with product geared toward GR’s perceived hip demographic. ‘We grew incrementally,’ Nakamura continues. ‘I was not willing to let it disappear. Other people joined up.’ For six years, Bill ‘the Bear’ Poon worked for GR as, among other things, their de facto mascot. Poon came aboard in 2000 as a copy editor. ‘Then,’ Poon says, ‘I started writing anime reviews and graduated to writing real articles, including receiving a colonic and staying at the Chung King mansion in Hong Kong.’ Poon also shipped merchandise for mail order and later worked at the retail store. ‘When Eric first suggested I write the interview with the man who grew enormous melons,’ Poon says, ‘I was pretty stoked since I really did not have any writing background. He looked at my first draft and said, ‘Whoa, that’s a very dude way of writing it,’ which really wasn’t my intention, but people seemed to like it.’ One day, Poon recalls, ‘I had walked into the room when Eric says, ‘Hey, Bill, wanna try this bear suit on?’ He started taking random pictures. He placed the images throughout the next GR issue and readers got a kick out of it. So then I started wearing it at trade shows.’ ‘Before I moved to Los Angeles,’ Strouss recalls, ‘I used to work at a magazine stand on Capitol Hill in Seattle. Giant Robot seemed to be the most unique’the design was really fun, and the writing was fresh without being elitist. People would ask for it a lot.’ Upon moving to L.A. from Seattle, Strouss cartooned for GR’s short-lived ‘zine-within-the-magazine insert, Robot Power. ‘At that time, ‘zine culture was still thriving,’ Strouss explains, ‘and I think Eric and Martin felt that Robot Power would be a vehicle to fit content that didn’t make it into the regular magazine.’ Strouss initially came on board as an intern, ‘which, at that time, meant folding heaps and heaps of t-shirts. This was in 2000 and they were in transition from having an office downtown to back at Eric’s family’s house. Giant Robot had taken over a good portion of the place, and there were mountains of t-shirts all over the living room, as well as a Superman pinball machine. I was on t-shirts for a while until I ate 30 packs of ramen in one day for an article. After that, I got to do a lot more fun stuff, like writing music reviews and editorial brainstorming.’ ‘Eric and Martin use to always get a chuckle at the article submissions coming in,’ Poon recalls. ‘I always heard, ‘People seem to think that adding swear words make their articles cool.” ‘My favorite part of that experience was interviewing [cartoonists] Dan Clowes and Chris Ware at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel [for Robot Power],’ Strouss says. ‘Dan was working on the ‘Ghost World’ movie and Chris had just finished publishing his ‘Jimmy Corrigan’ book. It was kind of a stretch to fit them under the umbrella of ‘Asian American Pop Culture’, but Eric and Martin are huge indie comics supporters.’ Nakamura and Wong downplay the major movie stars who have granted GR interviews. Being Asian or Asian-American, Wong notes, does not get a celebrity a free pass in the magazine if the GR staff are not feeling it. So if projects such as ‘Code Name: The Cleaner’ and ‘Lucky Number Slevin’ outnumber the ‘Kill Bill’ movies on her resume, Lucy Lui may not appear much in these pages. ‘We don’t want to look back and say we promoted this [lousy] movie,’ Wong says. Even then, a Tarantino might not get as much ink as the Shaw Brothers flicks that he liberally ‘pays homage’ to in ‘Kill Bill.’ ‘After a month of making plans, sanding wood-paneled walls, removing ink-spotted carpet, and renovating an old neon sign, a new chapter in the Giant Robot dream is ready to unfold” So began the Winter 2001 issue’s editorial about GR’s first brick-and-mortar location, an extension of GR’s successful online store. Hit the Japanese-centric Sawtelle District on a Saturday night, and you’ll find one of the most social, affordable, and walkable neighborhood pockets. Front and center, between La Grange and Mississippi, stands GR’s retail empire. Today, Sawtelle Boulevard is a thriving amalgam of hip Japanese eateries, sushi bars, ramen houses, and boba shops, with a neighboring Starbucks. But when Nakamura opened his first store”which sells tees, books, and cutesy plastic critters with catchy names such as Little Bony and Bossy Bear”there was next to nothing there. ‘I don’t think people give us credit, but it’s okay,’ Nakamura says of revitalizing the neighborhood of his youth. ‘I know we’ve helped a lot. The realtors know we exist. It’s a marketing point.’ Since its opening, Nakamura has opened GR stores in San Francisco, New York’s Lower East Side, and Silver Lake. Across Sawtelle from the original location stands GR2, which has art gallery space showcasing Asian and non-Asian artists alike, while Nakamura’s restaurant, gr/eats, offers American/Asian cuisine (‘udon and hamburgers,’ as Nakamura short-hands it). The restaurant may seem a leap until one learns that Nakamura’s parents started Hakata in Santa Monica. (GR even started a staff softball team, which won first place in the Los Angeles Parks and Recreation league one year). ‘When the store first opened,’ Poon says, ‘people would pop their head in and ask what we sold. The store is like a 200-square-foot rectangle. I’m thinking, ‘It takes a minute to walk through, why don’t you just look?” Celebrities began to drop by the Sawtelle store. ‘Normally I don’t get star struck,’ Poon adds, ‘but when Asian pop superstar Jay Chou was shopping, I was [excited].’ Whereas Little Tokyo may harbor an Issei first-generation atmosphere, the Sawtelle District, thanks in large part to the GR conglomerate, has become decidedly Nisei with its vibrant, youthful nightlife and energy. Even Huell Howser took note of the GR phenomenon in a 2002 episode of his PBS show devoted to the neighborhood, in which he chatted up Nakamura while holding up a plush toy character of a canine shaped like a pup tent. “A hut dog?!’ Howser asked, incredulously, turning to his cameraman. ‘Louie, can you get a shot of that?” Nakamura says that he learned a lot about how to run a retail business during a high school stint working at Benton’s Sport Shop, where he experienced ‘stocking and accountability issues’ first-hand. ‘He probably runs a cleaner ship than I do,’ he continues of his ex-employer. ‘He’s got to worry about everything. As a boss, I realize why.’ Last year, Giant Robot celebrated a milestone with a Japanese American National Museum exhibition in Little Tokyo. In a stroke of serendipitous synergy, “Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues’ ran concurrently with the much-hyped Takashi Murakami show at MOCA’s Geffen Contemporary only blocks away. ‘It broke all attendance levels,’ Nakamura says ‘Biennale,’ which attracted 2,700 people to its opening and about 20,000 to the exhibit overall. Despite rapidly approaching GR’s 15th anniversary next year, Nakamura and Wong insist that they have nothing specific planned beyond another National Musuem show in November 2009. ‘I think GR was way ahead of its time when it started,’ says one of independent comics’ brightest stars, Adrian Tomine. ‘I guess nowadays its much easier for people to go online and learn about, say, Chow Yun Fat, but when I first started seeing GR, each issue was like a dense packet of new cultural information. ‘Unfortunately,’ continues the ‘Optic Nerve’ cartoonist, ‘I think the kind of impact that Martin and Eric have had on mainstream American culture is the kind of thing that’s impossible to definitively measure or attribute, so in some ways, they don’t get the credit they deserve.’ In fact, GR has since influenced other successful publications and stores, Asian-American or otherwise. It’s safe to say that such ethnic-endeavors-with-attitude as the New York-based Heeb magazine have benefited from the pan-Asian magazine’s journey. While GR was toasting its 10th anniversary and expanding its empire in 2004, Mark Nagata and Brian Flynn”the guys who launched the Japanese action figure-obsessed Super7 magazine in 2003”opened a Super7 store in San Francisco, while Paul Budnitz launched his like-minded KidRobot chain nationwide. There’s also a Robot Love in Minneapolis and a Big Brobot in Germany. While it may not have invented such toy stores (the Emeryville, CA shop Kimono My House has been selling anime and sci-fi toys since 1980), GR no doubt paved the way for a hipper kind of pop culture shop. Originally a black-and-white quarterly, GR, now on issue 54, is bi-monthly and full color. Wong credits Nakamura as the ambitious engine behind GR’s constant expansion. ‘I worked for McGraw-Hill for 10 years,’ Wong says. ‘Giant Robot is the hardest job of them all. I don’t have to wear a tie, but when you’re working with a guy like Eric, he’s on the clock 24 hours. If I’m working late, he’s working later.’ Wong, who is married to GR graphic designer Wendy Lau, posed with their four-month-old daughter, Eloise, in last issue’s GR. So what does Nakamura think of the progress of Asians in America, via the recent flurry of Asian-American faces hitting the airwaves: the aforementioned ABC shows, ‘Battlestar Galactica,’ and Tila Tequila? ‘It’s just a start, it could be better,’ Nakamura says, observing how ‘disproportionate’ it is compared to African-American representation on TV. But he notes the difference: black culture is ‘adopted universally’ by mainstream America. ‘That’s the next step. More non-action stars’ and Asian-Americans being a normalized part of the mainstream American fabric, not cast as awkward outsiders. ‘Why ‘Harold & Kumar,’ why not ‘Harold & Fred,” he asks, bemused. Yet despite a lopsided playing field, Nakamura and Wong are content to have helped open the door a crack wider for Asian culture in America, even as it was simply a by-product of two persnickety guys following their muses and geeking out. ‘People still don’t understand Giant Robot,’ Wong says. ‘There’s a lot of people who shop at the stores and they think it’s a catalogue and something that they should get for free and it’s like, ‘no.” Today, Nakamura’s parents”whom Nakamura says survived a ‘post-apocalyptic’ World War II experience following the bombing of Japan and U.S. internment camps”are proud of their son’s accomplishments. Nakamura and Wong are content to have helped open the door a crack wider for Asian culture in America, even if it was a by-product of two persnickety guys following their muse. ‘The same two guys write 85 percent that doesn’t happen anywhere. Does Hugh Heffner [do that]?,’ Wong says with a chuckle. ‘We don’t pretend that we are the voice of Asian-America. If you meet us, you know what movies we saw, what restaurants we dig, what toys Eric bought if you read the magazine regularly. It’s our lives. It’s kind of cool. It’s open to ridicule, but there’s a core following that enjoys it and that’s satisfying.’ ‘Despite all their success,’ Tomine says, ‘Martin and Eric have managed to stay extremely friendly, involved, accessible, and most incredibly, as enthusiastic as ever about the things they love.’ For information on Giant Robot magazine, stores and restaurant, visit www.giantrobot.com.

THURSDAY, JULY 3-THURSDAY, JULY 10

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SATURDAY, JULY 5 Theatre Palisades presents ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ at the Pierson Playhouse, 941 Haverford. Directed by Lewis Hauser, with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, the musical plays Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m., through July 20. Ticket reservations: call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. TUESDAY, JULY 8 The public is invited to join the Temescal Canyon Association hiking group as it takes the Musch Trail from Trippet Ranch to Eagle Junction. 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, JULY 9 Monthly meeting of the Palisades AARP chapter, featuring a talk about estate planning by Palisades attorney Brett Bjornson, 2 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Public invited. THURSDAY, JULY 10 US Bank hosts the monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at 15245 Sunset. Pubic invited. Non-members: $25. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. Kim Calder signs ‘Who’s To Say What’s Home, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore.

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 3, 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

REAL ESTATE BUYERS. 5 FREE TIPS you should listen to before making any offers. No obligation. Call 1 (800) 935-0445 x101. Prudential California Realty

TOUGH MARKET—LET’S WORK TOGETHER. Partial trade plus $ for your home up to $2,500,000 +/- Mendocino County. 5 bdrm, 3 bd, 4,000 sq ft +/- remodeled home. Office, DSL, 6 plus acres, exc. Water, perimeter fenced. Ezy 101 access, 2 hrs. S.F. $949K or ? Russ, (707) 489-0963, C-21 agent. Email rustytow@yahoo.com

HOMES WANTED 1b

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

NICE COUPLE LOOKING for small Palisades family home that needs TLC (to live in, not tear down) where owner wishes to sell below-market, rather than fuss. We’re flexible, renting bluffs house, family in town. Please call (818) 929-7131, STUARTBCOHEN@aol.com

HOME EVALUATION 1d

WHAT ARE HOMES selling for in your neighborhood? No hassle, no obligation, you don’t even have to talk to an agent. Go to www.PALISADESHOMEVALUES.net. Prudential California Realty

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

SPECTACULAR DESIGNER view home. 3+3+den, Ocean/mtn views in Village Bluffs. Master w/ fireplace & den. Lrge deck, hardwood floors through out. Also available furnished, short term T.B.D. $8,000/mo. (310) 344-0344

ATTRACTIVE UNFURNISHED 3 bdrm, 1 ba, dining rm, garage near Village, fenced yard; no dogs, cat OK. $4,000/mo. Leave message, (818) 705-4400

OCEAN MOUNTAIN VIEW. 2 BD, 11⁄2 BA, hardwood floors newly remodeled. Granite kitchen, new paint, 2 car garage, front and back, no pets. $4,000/mo. Negotiable. (310) 393-8971

STUDIO GUEST HOUSE, El Medio Bluffs (avail. 8/1/08). Full bath, walk-in closet, kitchenette, mtn views, quiet. $1,500/mo. (utilities included). (310) 230-1921

PACIFIC PALISADES RENTAL: 4+4+office. 16619 Marquez Terr. 3,300 SF, 1/3 acre, ocean view, walk to Sunset. $9,500/mo. EDWARDS ESTATES, (310) 963-5902

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 8/1. $4,400/mo. Marty, (310) 459-2692

3 BDRM, 1 BA. $3,800/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

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

1 BDRM, 1 BA six unit vintage building. Hdwd & tile, ldry in bldg. Front & back patio. Light and bright. Parking avail. $1,625/mo. 1 yr. lease. (424) 228-4570

PAC PAL APT w/ mtn vu. Unfurn upper 1 bdrm, 1 ba quiet bldg w/ pool. Light & airy. Laundry on-site. Hdwd flrs. 1 car prkg inclded. 1 yr min lease. Credit ck. Sm pet ok w/ dep. $1,795/mo. + $1,795 dep. Call Jay, (310) 200-0063 (shown by appt only.)

PALISADES 1 BDRM apt, upper, sunny, new paint, carpet, large kitchen, gas stove, fridge, one year lease, covered parking, storage, laundry. No pets. Non-smoker. $1,325/mo. (310) 477-6767

HALF BLOCK TO BEACH off Sunset. 1 bdrm, 1 ba. Newly tiled flrs thruout. Pool, security bldg, parking, hiking close by. $1,650/mo. Avail now. (310) 459-6369

LOVELY AND BRIGHT. 2 bdrm, 1 ba, tile floors, frig, stove, d/w, laundry room, covered parking, close to Village. Great closets and storage. $1,980/mo., 1 yr lease. (310) 589-9195 x203

WANTED TO RENT 3b

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

OFFICE SPACE in Palisades/Santa Monica area. Need one room, restroom access, telephone/computer availability. Looking for $500-$700/mo. (310) 459-5235

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 1,400 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

MORTGAGES, TRUST DEEDS 4

MORTGAGES/FORECLOSURES. Stated income, 80% to $3 million (low adjustable/fixed rates). Are your existing loan payments adjusting higher? Do you need cash out since your credit line was “frozen”? Do you need lower payments & higher loan amount options? Debt, equity, bridge & mezzanine money. All property types. Visit www.realloans.com for info. **2,000 new CA foreclosures PER DAY (& increasing). 50% discounts. Visit www.thecreditcrisis.net (videos, blogs & updated local foreclosure data). **Foreclosure bailout programs: Are your mortgage payments late or in foreclosure? Cash in 7 days (loans/quick sale) for Pali homes. Call Rick Tobin @ First Financial, (310) 571-3600 x203, or email: info@realloans.com CA DRE #01144023

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

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

INCOME INVESTMENTS 5a

R.E. INVESTOR $280,000 to complete construction needed. Guaranteed 18% interest share profits upon sale. No brokers, agents, or loan deals, secured by R.E. Leave message, (310) 454-0685

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

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

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER. Home/office/garage/ life! Clear your space, clear your mind. Get expert help w/ clutter, files, closets, garages, time mgmt, more. Clarify priorities/transform life! Sasha Lauren, (310) 927-0297. www.RemarkableTransformations.com

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

MISCELLANEOUS 7n

CALL THE “INSTANT ASSISTANT” for home/office secretarial. MWord, Works, PC/Mac, Excel, Act, QuickBooks, Quicken, organization, property management, outlook. (310) 480-2798

DAYCARE CENTERS 8

PALISADES LEARN AND PLAY. Creative & nurturing Pre-K program. Crafts, music & educational curriculum. Openings for summer & fall, F/T or P/T. (310) 459-0920

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

NANNY/BABYSITTER available Monday through Friday, own car, excellent English, local references. Please call Julia at (310) 613-2161

NANNY. 15 yrs experience. Infant/school age. 4+ yrs. Best local references. CPR/CDL. PEACE OF MIND FOR WORKING PARENTS. L/O (L/I for parent trips only). Former kindergarten teacher. Great with pets. Call Phyllis, (818) 340-7183

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 any time. (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

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday-Friday. References. Experienced. Call Violeta, (310) 425-9015, (818) 391-8647

HOUSEKEEPING/BABYSITTING, Available Sat.-Fri. Full or part time. Live out. Good references. Please call (310) 312-6519

HOUSEKEEPING, EXPERIENCED, good references. CA drivers license. Speaks English. Available Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday. Call Flor, (323) 571-8299 anytime, leave message.

NANNY OR HOUSEKEEPER, 18 years experience. References. Speaks English and Spanish. Call Gisela, (323) 428-1677

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HOUSE CLEAN & food on your table in the evening? Unique maid service & chef at home made possible. Meticulous cleaning & international healthy food. Please call: (310) 386-7435

EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER available Monday thru Sunday. Contact Roxan at: (323) 710-6653 or (323) 662-7515

HOUSEKEEPER, also some babysitting, local references, own transportation, very experienced and pleasant person. Avail Mon thru Fri. Live-out. Call Elba, (310) 826-1253 or (cell) (310) 966-7244

HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. Excellent references, experience. Has own transportation. Honest, hard working. Call Olga, (310) 207-8323 or (310) 968-1138 (cell)

HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER available Monday-Sunday. 25 years exp. Excellent references. Reliable. Call Elizabeth, (323) 463-7889

HOUSE CLEANING AVAILABLE. Monday-Friday. Own transportation. CDL, Green card. Good local references. Call Milago, (323) 228-1401

HOUSEKEEPER & BABYSITTING AVAILABLE. Thursday+Friday. Local references. Own transportation. Call Alejandra, (323) 252-0052

HOUSEKEEPER. Monday-Friday. Own transportation. Excellent local references. Call Judith, (310) 386-5948

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

TOTAL CARE: Elder care/companion/nanny/housekeeper. Live-in or live-out. Many years experience, excellent references! Please call Nellie, (818) 357-8363

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

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

NUTRITION 12d

GLUTEN-FREE FOOD Delivered. Delicious gluten-free & dairy-free food delivered to your home or business. Gourmet, international cuisine. Fresh, never frozen. Discounted monthly service. www.glutenfreeglobal.com

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

“THE WINDOWS OF OZ” 15% Off 4th of July Special! Professional interior/exterior glass & screen cleaning. The Windows of Oz. Got view? Next day service available. Owner operated. Free est. (310) 926-7626

MISCELLANEOUS 13j

SUNSET HOUSE & CARPET CLEANING • Window washing • House cleaning • Carpet cleaning. Over 33 years experience. Call Barry at (818) 887-7150

HOUSESITTING 14b

PROTECT YOUR UNATTENDED OR EMPTY PROPERTY. Use my house-sitter offer. Experienced, great references, satisfaction. Call (310) 633-3167

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT 14d

TANGO EXPO MILONGA. July 30 and every last Weds of the month, at the Blankenship Ballet Co. 132 Brooks Ave, Venice. An exposition of Argentine Tango dance with an intro to area instructors, complimentary lesson previous to Milonga (8:30 to 9:30), refreshments, performance by Forever Tango dancers. 9:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Tickets $15. For more info: www.tangoexpomilonga.com

PARTY ENTERTAINMENT 14e

AT HOME HAIR & MAKEUP PARTIES * Unique runway top model parties for kids, makeup lesson and consultation parties for adults. www.barbaraelizabeth.com

PERSONAL SERVICES 14f

HEALTHY FOOD EVERYDAY. Chef at your home, 1 day and will cook for full week. Healthy choices: Sugar free desserts, low calories, low carb, high in fiber, iron, etc. Int’l choices. (310) 386-7435

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!

PHOTOGRAPHY 14h

PROFESSIONAL HEAD SHOTS for all occasions by a professional photographer. Digital or film. Call Gayle Goodrich, (310) 230-8388 or (310) 502-6733

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

SWIM LESSONS and LIFEGUARD. Experienced, Red Cross cert. female college student. Great w/ kids. Local resident. Please call Emily, (310) 913-0959

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

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

SUMMER IN-HOME TUTORING to strengthen skills, all subjects K-8, reading & writing grades 9-12. Credentials in elementary, special ed and reading. Masters in education. 23 yrs classroom teaching experience, 2 yrs reading recovery specialist. Palisades resident, affordable rates. Diana, (310) 717-5472

SUMMER CAMPS 15f

PAINT CAMP, ages 8 thru 12. Painting and drawing with local artist Kristel Lerman in private outdoor studio. Monday-Friday. (310) 699-2820

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

R.N.D. MASONRY & REPAIR. Brick, block, stone, concrete, stucco. No job too big or small. Free est. (310) 924-0959, (424) 298-7374

CONSTRUCTION 16d

CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 25 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 245-0078

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

NEED ELECTRICAL WORK DONE? Call Dennis Frederick. 26 yrs experience. Lic. #728200. (310) 821-4248

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

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

WANT YOUR PROBLEM SOLVED? Would you like a fair price? Then call the Problem Solver. Lic. #113200. 27 yrs exp. (310) 337-9802, ask for Douglas

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. 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

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

OWEN GEORGE CRUICKSHANK. WALLPAPER INSTALLATION. REPAIR, REMOVAL, PLUS PAINTING. Lic. #576445. (310) 459-5485

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

HELP WANTED 17

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

FULL TIME RECEPTIONIST FOR BUSY PACIFIC PALISADES WEEKLY NEWSPAPER. Multi-task/self starter. Immediate opening. Variety of duties, classified ads, light bookkeeping. Dependable. Must have excellent phone & people skills. Bilingual helpful. Computer skills. Salary + benefits. Resume: Dept. C, P.O. Box 725, Pacific Palisades 90272, fax (310) 454-1078 or email: info@palipost.com.

TEACHER’S AIDES wanted for September. 3-5 hrs/day. Must be 18 or over. No experience necessary but welcomed. Contact Marquez Charter School, (310) 454-4019

DISTRIBUTORS WANTED: Billion dollar company seeks motivated people for anti-aging products. Call (310) 454-4121. “While we stop to think we often miss opportunity.”

SHORT-TERM CHILDCARE WANTED. Two weeks in Sundance Mountain Resort (Utah) during film and music workshops, taking care of a delightful three-year-old boy. Room, board, travel included, plus salary to be determined. High School, college, or older. July 25-August 8th. Call Cristina at (310) 962-5590, (310) 454-8734

AUTOS 18b

1999 FORD F250 Super Duty V10 Supercab Longbed, black w/ lumber rack & Weatherguard tool box. 265K miles. Great work truck! $7,500 OBO. Call John, (818) 621-0061

FOR SALE: 1992 Mercedes Benz 190-26. Papers with history. 98,000 miles. Superb condition. Maintained. A GEM! (310) 459-4239

FURNITURE 18c

COUNTRY FRENCH DINING TABLE, 72”L x 42”W x 30”H, and two 18” extensions. Natural pine with French green base, medium distressed. Includes 10 chairs. $4,750. (310) 459-2356

SOLID CHERRY DINING SET. Gorgeous solid wood table+4 chairs. Classic, yet makes a statement. Measures 61” x 40” fully extended. Ends fold down to 24” x 40”. Excellent cond. $600. (310) 454-0867

WANTED TO BUY 19

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

Jim Buerge: A Man of Tradition

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Jim Buerge with his wife, Colleen, and their daughters (left to right) Caitlin, Tess and Erin in a Ford 2008 Mustang from Buerge Ford/Chrysler/Jeep in Santa Monica.
Jim Buerge with his wife, Colleen, and their daughters (left to right) Caitlin, Tess and Erin in a Ford 2008 Mustang from Buerge Ford/Chrysler/Jeep in Santa Monica.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

A third-generation resident of Pacific Palisades and keeper of a family business dating back to 1915, Jim Buerge values tradition. So it’s only natural that he would become involved with the town’s most important tradition: the Fourth of July parade. This year, Buerge made the largest individual pledge to the parade’s organizing committee and will serve as the lead presenting sponsor. ‘Buerge Ford/Chrysler/Jeep has supported the parade in a big way at a time of serious need,’ said parade president Rob Weber. ‘The parade is one of the oldest civic traditions in the Palisades, and we are thrilled to now be associated with one of the longest-standing families in town. We graciously thank the Buerge family for helping to keep our wonderful community tradition alive and growing.’ Said Buerge, ‘This is the first year that I was asked to become a lead sponsor. Rob Weber called me and asked if I could help. The parade was struggling. It’s a good cause and I want to keep it going.’ In fact, for the last seven years, the parade has been a big part of Buerge’s life. Every July 4, the Buerges (Jim and his wife, Colleen), whose house is located along Toyopa near where the parade ends, throw the biggest party on the route. ‘[My friends] come to the house and they supply beer and so forth,’ Buerge, 37, said. ‘The father-in-law of one of my best friends comes down from Santa Barbara. We take 30 whole chickens, chop them up, [cook up] chicken, tri-tips and lamb chops. Last year, we had our first outhouse on the side. So we’ll have one or two at the house again.’ Thanks to Buerge’s participation, various new cars will be incorporated into the parade, including the Chrysler Aspen SUV hybrid, and the Dodge Challenge and Viper. The dealership will also be ‘sponsoring and supplying the YMCA with a truck in the parade to put kids in it,’ Buerge said. The life-long Palisadian explained why the parade is especially dear to his heart. ‘My grandparents had a place on Haverford called the Farm. We used to go up to Via [de la Paz] and watch the parade, close to the Methodist church. My father, John, who now lives in Malibu, rode on a horse in the parade.’ Growing up, Buerge was an active member of the Santa Monica Methodist Church and the Santa Monica YMCA. Today, he serves on the boards of the Palisades YMCA and Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center. A PaliHi graduate, Buerge studied at the Ford/Chrysler College in Detroit. After graduating, he returned to the family business. Located in West L.A. between Bundy and Barrington, Buerge Ford/Chrysler/Jeep is still a family affair. Jim Buerge works as the dealership’s vice president and general manager, and his father, John, is the president. John’s wife, Joy, runs the business office, and his son, J. D., does accounts payable and receivable. Now married for 15 years, Buerge met another Palisadian, Colleen Goodrick, in 1986’but evidently, it wasn’t their first encounter. ‘I met my wife in high school,’ he said, ‘and I went over to her house and her mom said, ‘I’ve seen you somewhere before’ and pulled out photos of us at the Methodist church [in Santa Monica] holding hands. This was news to us.’ Buerge strayed from the Palisades to buy his first house in Encino. But there was something dissatisfying about living there, as well as the three-and-a-half years he spent residing in Santa Monica. ‘Nobody knew their neighbors,’ he said. ‘We talked about moving back to the Palisades,’ Buerge said. ‘For my wife, it was a done deal, but I thought the Palisades was so overpopulated. But as soon as I got up there, I realized that I was wrong.’ When Buerge moved back to town with his family, ‘We were looking at Kagawa. I saw more potential on Toyopa. It never crossed my mind that we’d be on the parade route. We did sent out e-vites, but we said, bring your chairs and so forth. Every year, it grows bigger and bigger. We start cooking right after the race at around 10 a.m. People start showing up around 12:30, 1 p.m. The parade gets to my house about 2:30 p.m. ‘It’s a great day for everybody. My first couple of years, I saw people I hadn’t seen in 20 years.’ There’s a second reason why Toyopa turned out to be great for Buerge. His three children”Caitlin, 10, Tess, 8, and Erin, 5”attend Corpus Christi, ‘so it’s just down the street and makes it convenient. ‘They love the parade,’ Buerge continued. ‘They pick out their red, white, and blue outfits. They’ll sit on the curb and I line up 30 chairs on the grass or in the driveway, and the kids who don’t care play in the back yard on the swing set.’ Seven years and seven Parade barbecues later, what does Buerge think about returning to the Palisades? ‘It’s the best place to live,’ he said. As for the parade, Buerge was glad to receive that call from the parade committee. ‘It’s more of an honor for them to call us and ask us,’ Buerge said. ‘We’ve been in business since 1915. It’s just a way to give back to the community and keep the tradition going.’

Chabad Appeals Temescal Eviction

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The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy board will vote on Monday night whether to allow the Palisades Jewish Early Childhood Center to continue operating its program in Temescal Gateway Park until the end of January. A year ago, the Palisades Chabad’s preschool was given notice that its lease agreement with the Santa Monica Conservancy would not be renewed. According to the lease, which expired this June 23, ‘the landlord and tenant agree that this lease will not be extended or renewed under any circumstances beyond the termination date.’ Despite the language, Chabad Rabbi Zushe Cunin asked for a lease extension at the beginning of June. Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston denied the request, but Cunin has subsequently appealed Edmiston’s decision to the Conservancy board. The board has the power to make the final determination at its 7:30 p.m. emergency meeting on Monday in Stewart Hall at Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset Blvd. The public is invited. Cunin told the Palisadian-Post that he has asked for an extension because it is taking longer to secure the proper permits to relocate the school to a storage building off Los Liones Drive at the base of Castellammare resident Gene Gladden’s property. ‘We do believe that we will be in our new location long before January,’ Cunin said. ‘We are pursuing this for the security of our parents and ourselves.’ Cunin signed a three-year lease agreement with Gladden, but the 28-year-old storage building is not easy to access. The building sits on a hillside behind the Mormon Church’s gated parking lot and along the Getty Villa’s service road. Gladden’s driveway is shared with other neighbors and located off a narrow road. The Mormon Church and the Getty have denied the Chabad access, and the Castellammare neighbors have argued that Gladden’s driveway is not appropriate. Cunin has agreed he would not use the driveway. Cunin and his attorney Benjamin Reznik, a partner at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler and Marmaro, examined city-planning files and discovered a reference to a dedicated public easement off Los Liones. According to Reznik, the road is located on part of the Getty’s service road and a portion of the Mormon Church’s property. Reznik said he is currently pursuing plans to use the public easement to access the building and will soon apply for a conditional-use permit (CUP) to operate a school in a residential zone. ‘The current CUP process is taking longer than we expected,’ Cunin said. The Chabad has found other facilities that could temporarily house the preschool, but would prefer to stay in Temescal Gateway Park, Cunin said. As customary over the last few years, the preschool has packed its belongings into storage for the summer and is operating a summer program at Palisades Elementary. Cunin has sought help regarding the Temescal lease agreement from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s office. On June 26, California Secretary for Resources Mike Chrisman sent a letter to Cunin on behalf of a request from Schwarzenegger. According to the letter, obtained through the Public Records Act, Chrisman provided Cunin ‘with what I hope are helpful guidelines for proceeding with the SMMC board.’ Chrisman attached guidelines that explain the application process. Chrisman also drew up a document for Cunin to sign. The document indicates that if the Conservancy board extends the lease, the Chabad will abide by certain stipulations, such as paying rent for the entire term of the extension and complying with the terms of the previous lease agreement. ‘The purpose of this is to reinforce their commitment,’ said Sandy Cooney, spokesman for the California Resources Agency. ‘It is not a guarantee of any kind of lease extension.’ Cooney said the letter was sent because Cunin asked for assistance, and the agency tries to help groups whenever possible. The Conservancy is under the California Resources Agency’s umbrella, but is an independent organization with complete autonomy to authorize or deny the lease extension, Cooney said. While the Resources Agency does not have the ability to approve an extension, one member of the seven-member Conservancy board is a representative from the agency. ‘How much weight [the letter] will carry with the board is not important here,’ Cooney said. ‘The board will make the decision independently.’ Cunin said he is grateful to Schwarzenegger’s staff. ‘The governor is a children’s advocate, and we do appreciate that they are trying to be helpful, so the children can have an easy transition into their next school,’ Cunin said. If the Conservancy board decides to allow the Chabad to stay until January, this would not be the first extension on a non-renewable lease agreement. The 2006 lease agreement, which expired in June 2007, also contained a clause that said, ‘The landlord and tenant agree that there will be no extensions to this agreement.’

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