A four-page draft document focused on access, trail uses and facilities in the future Potrero Canyon Park will be considered for approval by the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee on Wednesday, January 16, at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center. Residents are encourage to attend the meeting and comment on the various proposals in the draft document, prepared by a committee of 16 Pacific Palisades community representatives who have been holding public meetings since late 2004. ‘This document reflects the intended use of the Potrero public space, as reflected in public planning documents and in committee/subcommittee and public discussions,’ said Committee Chairman George Wolfberg. He continued, ‘Our process took into account the requirements and preferences of the California State Coastal Commission and City of Los Angeles officials and staff. Much of the funding for this project will be from the sale of homes and residential lots owned by the City of Los Angeles along the rim of Potrero Canyon. The canyon land is owned by the City, and will be operated and maintained by its Department of Recreation and Parks.’ The City acquired Potrero Canyon in the 1960s, by condemnation, ‘for public recreation and park purposes,’ according to the Potrero committee’s Web site (www.potrero.info). There’s insufficient space in this article to detail all the various proposals for Potrero (please visit the Web site), but here are some of the most significant issues presented in the committee’s document’years before work can even start on the actual park that will stretch from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. 1. Bridge for Beach Access: Build a bridge over PCH to allow safe, direct and unimpeded access to the beach, canyon and village for walkers, runners, and bicyclists, and to avoid interfering with the flow of traffic on PCH. A pedestrian over-crossing is the Committee’s top priority, to ensure a safe crossing of PCH and to prevent further pedestrian deaths. [Committee member Chris Spitz urges residents to attend next Wednesday’s meeting in order to provide their input into this controversial proposal. ‘I have concerns about cost, funding, security, maintenance, environmental impact, feasibility of alternatives, and extent of public support,’ says Spitz, who lives along the canyon’s rim. ‘Current community opinion about the bridge should be ascertained to the extent possible. I also note that Pam Emerson of the Coastal Commission recently indicated that the Commission has no position on the bridge at this time and is not opposed to alternatives (as long as its goal of beach access is achieved).’]
Palisades Expert Warns about Liver Disease
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The liver is not the most glamorous of organs and is rarely mentioned in song or prose. Yet liver disease is on the rise among 40- to 60-year-olds in the United States, which means this overlooked body part deserves a spotlight. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that one in every 55 people in Los Angeles County have hepatitis C, the most common blood-borne illness in America. Alarmingly, two-thirds of these people are not aware they have the disease. ‘It is getting worse and worse,’ said Pacific Palisades resident Dr. Sammy Saab, an internationally known liver expert. ‘People often contract the virus when they are in high school and college, but it takes two to three decades before the disease becomes full-blown.’ In fact, ‘some 80 percent of the people in the beginning stages of liver disease have no symptoms,’ Saab said. ‘It’s like high blood pressure–a silent killer.’ Saab explained that people afflicted with hepatitis C today might have experimented with needles or drugs decades ago, and one or two times may have been enough for them to contract the virus. Other major risk factors include blood transfusions that were done before 1992 and having kidney dialysis. The only way doctors can diagnose early-stage liver disease is through blood tests, but if the disease is detected early, it’s treatable. ‘If you catch liver disease at an early stage, you can halt it or even reverse it,’ Saab said. There are injections and pills for hepatitis C. Many people are not concerned about hepatitis C because they thought they were immunized. Unfortunately, existing immunizations are only for the other two hepatitis viruses: A and B. Hepatitis A is most commonly transmitted by the fecal-oral route, such as contaminated food. It does not cause permanent liver damage, but can make you sick for as long as four to six weeks. The vaccine for hepatitis A is most commonly recommended if you travel outside of the country to areas where there is a high prevalence of the disease. Hepatitis B is spread through blood and sex and for the most part people recover, but in some it can linger on and cause chronic liver disease. A vaccination for B is recommended for adults at increased risk of infections and all infants. According to Saab, the liver is soft and mushy like tofu, but if one has untreated hepatitis or alcoholism, the liver becomes diseased and tissue is replaced with scar tissue, which makes it hard, leading to cirrhosis. If cirrhosis goes unchecked, varicose veins develop in the esophagus (called esophageal varices) and the disease can progress to cancer of the liver. Those cancer patients need to be screened every six months. ‘If we can catch liver cancer early, we can cure someone,’ Saab said. ‘And anyone with liver cancer should be considered for a liver transplant.’ Doctors are able to do a blood test that predicts how long a patient with liver disease can live, which is called a M.E.L.D. score (Model for End-Stage Liver Disease), which ranges from 6 to 40; the latter reflects more serious disease. The M.E.L.D. score determines the order for receiving liver transplants. ‘Half of all liver transplants today are a result of hepatitis C,’ Saab said. Fatty liver may replace hepatitis C as a major problem in the future and is a result of lifestyle choices, Saab said. Those patients usually are overweight and have diabetes and/or high cholesterol. ‘A fast-food diet gets converted to fat in our livers,’ said Saab, who noted the alarming fact that ’20 percent of California kids are obese.’ Fatty liver takes the same route as hepatitis C: liver damage that results in scarring and eventually produces cirrhosis, which can cause cancer or liver failure. Saab’s advice for preventing fatty liver is, ‘Eat healthy, avoid fatty and sweet foods, exercise, and limit alcohol intake to one or two drinks a day.’ Saab, an associate professor of medicine and surgery at UCLA, is traveling to China in February to talk about hepatitis B and C, and liver transplants. In May he’ll be featured at a conference in Canada and in July he’ll lecture on liver transplants in Paris. He and his wife Peggy have four children: Kenny, 10, Clara 9, Elena 7 (all of whom attend Corpus Christi School), and Adelaide, 4.
Devereaux Tae-Jin Dumas Is Town’s First Baby of ’08
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
It seems as if Devereaux Tae-Jin Dumas is destined for good luck. Born to Gregory and Soo-Young Dumas, he is the first Pacific Palisades baby of 2008. Born on January 2 at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center, Devereaux weighed 8 pounds and 15 ounces and was born just shy of 1 p.m. He is the Dumas’ third child and was welcomed by big sisters Zoe, 3 and Mikah, 2. Since Devereaux would have to be born via C-section, the Dumases were given three birthday choices. Simply attempting to avoid giving birth on a holiday, they had all but decided on January 2. A quick discussion with Soo-Young’s father, who is well versed in Chinese astrology, solidified their decision, because he assured them that January 2 was the best date. However, he specified that the baby would have to be born before 1 p.m. The morning of January 2 went quickly, noon passed and baby Devereaux was still in utero. ‘I was running around everywhere, saying ‘We’ve got to get in there now, this baby has to be born by 1 p.m., or I don’t know what’s going to happen,’ Gregory recalls. Fortunately, Devereaux arrived at 12:54 p.m. on his lucky day, in the year of the golden pig. ‘The golden pig only comes around every 100 years so he’s supposed to be very blessed. Between that and looking at the [Chinese astrology] charts, the naming and winning the Palisadian-Post contest, maybe it’s true, maybe it’s all coming true,’ Soo-Young said of Devereaux’s early good fortune. The baby’s name was decided on just three weeks before the due date. Tae-Jin, which means ‘grand’ or ‘bigger than life’ in Korean, was suggested by his grandfather. Devereaux was chosen by Gregory, who had been given full naming rights by Soo-Young after a naming mishap with their second child, Mikah. The couple had decided on the name Mikah months before her birth. Then three days before she was born, they changed their minds. A month after she was born, Soo-Young sent Gregory down to the courthouse to have her name officially changed. ‘We got her social security card and everything, but within a month decided it wasn’t her name, so I convinced him to go to court and get her real name,’ Soo-Young said. ‘Because of that, I got first dibs on the name,’ Gregory said. ‘I could have named him Cletus Sue, and she couldn’t say anything.’ However, Gregory came up with the name Devereaux, which they both loved. The Dumases have lived in the Palisades since 2001. The two were looking for houses on the Westside and wound up having dinner randomly at Terri’s on Swarthmore. ‘We were sitting on the sidewalk and thought, Wow, this is like Mayberry, such a homey little village and we thought, Oh my god, we want to live here,’ Gregory said. After looking at nearly 20 houses the couple settled into their new home on DePauw in July 2001, shortly after their July 3 wedding. In March 2004, first daughter Zoe was born and second daughter Mikah followed in September 2005. ‘We really like the small-town atmosphere that you can’t get anywhere else in L.A., that we know of,’ Soo-Young said. Still, despite loving Pacific Palisades, the Dumases spend much of their time traveling, all over the world. As the owner of his own Internet marketing company with many international clients, Gregory has many opportunities to travel, and he usually brings his family with him. ‘When Zoe was born I was afraid to cross the street with her,’ Gregory said. ‘A few months later, we were in the Middle East with her.’ Last November, Gregory and Zoe went on a special trip, just the two of them, spending six days in Paris and six days in Dubai, where at one point, they even found themselves lost in the desert. Still, they won’t be deterred from traveling, as the couple agrees that it is important to teach their children about all the different people in the world. The Dumases are looking forward to future trips and plan to visit Asia soon, particularly Korea, where Soo-Young was born and raised until she was 7.
Palisades Crime Dipped Last Year
Property and violent crimes in Pacific Palisades decreased two percent in 2007 from 2006, reflecting a citywide trend, according to Los Angeles Police Department records. Last year, violent crimes fell to 20 from 24 in 2006. The LAPD’s West L.A. Division recorded four ‘assaults with a deadly weapon’ and 15 robberies in the Palisades, but no rapes. One person was murdered here in 2007. As reported in the Palisadian-Post, police said that Alfred Deglaraza stabbed fellow transient Seth Grinspan, 46, to death below the Via de las Olas bluffs along Pacific Coast Highway on August 11. Deglaraza was later apprehended by police. There were no homicides recorded in 2006. There were 367 total property crimes last year, down from 372 during 2006. Burglary and ‘grand theft auto’ fell by 18 and seven percent, respectively. Despite the general trend downward in property crimes, theft from vehicles and general theft increased by nine and three percent, respectively. Last year’s small decrease in crime does not amount to any identifiable trend, according to LAPD Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore. ‘When you look at the difference, it’s only two percent [compared to 2006],’ Moore said. ‘It’s not a big difference. I’d like to say people are being more careful, but I think it was just the way the numbers went.’ The decrease in assaults with a deadly weapon was the result of increased police attention to homeless people in the Palisades, Moore said. ‘Last year, we put a lot of pressure on the homeless and the crimes they generate.’ The police officer urged local residents to take seriously the threat of crime. ‘Our job is to help fight crime, but it’s the community’s job to prevent it in the first place,’ Moore said. ‘This is probably the safest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles, but people still need to be cautious.’ Every category of serious crimes fell citywide in 2007, according to the police department. Homicides dropped 18 percent to 392, the lowest level since 1970. Rape decreased by 13.8 percent; robbery, 6.2 percent; aggravated assaults, 9.3 percent; burglary, 4.1 percent; car burglary, 0.2 percent; general theft, 6.1 percent; and auto theft, 8.3 percent. Police officials and city leaders have hailed the statistics as evidence of effective policing. ‘Thanks to the outstanding work of Chief [William] Bratton and the brave men and women of the LAPD, Los Angeles is bucking the national trends,’ said L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. ‘The historic lows in crime is great news for our economy, our families and everyone who lives, works and plays in Los Angeles.’
Local Teens Wrap for Charity
Children for Children, a group of teenagers from local high schools, held their first annual gift-wrap event on December 20 at the Palisades Branch Library. Children for Children is affiliated with the Westside Guild of Childrens Hospital. The group was established in 2005 by Palisadian Lauren Gunderson to raise money to buy teen-friendly items for patients at CHLA. Children for Children has held several Walk-A-Thons in the past, but this year they decided to provide gift-wrapping services in exchange for a voluntary contribution to the hospital. The event was organized by C.C. O’Connor, president; Kate Morrissey, vice president; Anna Ondaatje, treasurer and event coordinators Maddie Amos and Lizzy Porter (all founding members of Children for Children). They were joined by wrappers, Laura Wu, Christina Duerr and Rachel Buckly. The girls attend Harvard-Westlake, Marymount and Windward. There were six wrapping styles to choose from and 100 percent of the profits from the event are used to purchase iPods and CD players for adolescent patients who are receiving treatment at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Next year, the second annual gift-wrap event is planned for the same location.
Calendar for the Week of January 10
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The owner of the Shell Station at Via de la Paz will speak about future plans for his property. Also, council members will discuss two controversial automated stop-sign enforcement cameras in Temescal Gateway Park with MRCA Chief Ranger Walt Young. The most up-to-date agenda can be found at the council’s Web site (www.pp90272.org). FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 Theatre Palisades presents Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of ‘Twentieth Century’ at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets (adults, $16; seniors and students, $14) call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. (See story, page 11.) SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 Local historian Randy Young leads a walk-and-talk in Rustic Canyon, hosted by the Temescal Canyon Association’s hiking group. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Temescal Gateway Park front parking lot for carpooling. Public invited. MONDAY, JANUARY 14 The Palisades Branch Library’s Drama Book Club meets at 6:45 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. Members will discuss ‘Lysistrata’ by Aristophanes. There will be staged readings of selected scenes and a description of the playwright and the theatre of his time. TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association board meeting, 7 p.m., Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited. Photographers Linda Zamelsky and Alice Hall discuss orchid photography at the Malibu Orchid Society meeting, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Guest speaker Joe Edmiston commemorates Scottish heritage, human compassion and the love for nature shared by Robert Burns, 7:30 p.m. in the dining hall at Temescal Gateway Park, corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 Potrero Canyon Citizen Advisory Committee meets at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Public invited. THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 Dr. Denis Rodgerson, professor emeritus at UCLA and a pioneer in stem-cell banking, will speak at the Palisades Rotary Club breakfast meeting on ‘Regenerative Medicine and You,’ 7:15 a.m., Gladstone’s restaurant on PCH at Sunset. Contact: (310) 442-1607. Bill Boyarsky, former Los Angeles Times reporter, columnist and editor, will discuss and sign his new book, ‘Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics,’ 6:30 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 Friends of the Library will screen ‘High Society’ at 1 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Admission is free. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Grace Kelly, with classic songs by Cole Porter.
Calendar for the Week of January 10
THURSDAY, JANUARY 10 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The owner of the Shell Station at Via de la Paz will speak about future plans for his property. Also, council members will discuss two controversial automated stop-sign enforcement cameras in Temescal Gateway Park with MRCA Chief Ranger Walt Young. The most up-to-date agenda can be found at the council’s Web site (www.pp90272.org). FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 Theatre Palisades presents Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of ‘Twentieth Century’ at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets (adults, $16; seniors and students, $14) call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. (See story, page 11.) SUNDAY, JANUARY 13 Local historian Randy Young leads a walk-and-talk in Rustic Canyon, hosted by the Temescal Canyon Association’s hiking group. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Temescal Gateway Park front parking lot for carpooling. Public invited. MONDAY, JANUARY 14 The Palisades Branch Library’s Drama Book Club meets at 6:45 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. Members will discuss ‘Lysistrata’ by Aristophanes. There will be staged readings of selected scenes and a description of the playwright and the theatre of his time. TUESDAY, JANUARY 15 Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association board meeting, 7 p.m., Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited. Photographers Linda Zamelsky and Alice Hall discuss orchid photography at the Malibu Orchid Society meeting, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Guest speaker Joe Edmiston commemorates Scottish heritage, human compassion and the love for nature shared by Robert Burns, 7:30 p.m. in the dining hall at Temescal Gateway Park, corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16 Potrero Canyon Citizen Advisory Committee meets at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Public invited. THURSDAY, JANUARY 17 Dr. Denis Rodgerson, professor emeritus at UCLA and a pioneer in stem-cell banking, will speak at the Palisades Rotary Club breakfast meeting on ‘Regenerative Medicine and You,’ 7:15 a.m., Gladstone’s restaurant on PCH at Sunset. Contact: (310) 442-1607. Bill Boyarsky, former Los Angeles Times reporter, columnist and editor, will discuss and sign his new book, ‘Big Daddy: Jesse Unruh and the Art of Power Politics,’ 6:30 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited. FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 Friends of the Library will screen ‘High Society’ at 1 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Admission is free. The film stars Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong and Grace Kelly, with classic songs by Cole Porter.
The Art and Science of Photographing Orchids
Photographers Linda Zamelsky and Alice Hall will discuss the art and intricacies of photographing orchids at the Malibu Orchid Society meeting at 7 p.m. on January 15 at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. The program will also include a culture session with Karen Smith, who will talk about the use of Merit 75 WP for the eradication of mealy bugs. Zamelsky’s interests have always been in the visual arts. In the past, she was a teacher and a ceramicist. For over 20 years, she worked as an architectural designer for commercial and residential projects. Most recently, photography has been her focus. Active in the Norwalk Camera Club, she won first place awards in the annual competition for her portrait of ‘Keep Your Eye On The Ball,’ a photo of her grandson Jonathan, as well as for the photograph of a Phalaenopsis. Hall, who has been a professional photographer for over 30 years, will offer tips on photographing orchids. A graduate of the Art Center College of Design, her career began with creating album art and advertising for record companies, including A&M, Capitol, CBS and MCA. Alice was a staff photographer for NBC Television Network for 12 years. There she created images for advertising publicity and promotion. Extensive location coverage for movies and miniseries took her to such places as Russia, Thailand, Mexico, Australia and throughout the United States. Currently she runs her own photography business specializing in portraits of people and pets. Her work can be viewed at www.ashpetpix.com or www.ashphoto.com
Willard Cummings, Jr.; SM Buick Dealership Owner
Willard (Bill) Cummings, Jr., a Santa Monica Buick dealer and former Pacific Palisades resident, passed away on January 4. He was 75. Cummings was born December 11, 1932 in Los Angeles, the son of Willard Lyman Cummings, Sr. and Vesta Vickers Cummings. He grew up in Santa Monica, but later lived many years in the Palisades. After graduating from Harvard School in North Hollywood, Bill attended General Motors Leadership Management School for Dealers in Flint, Michigan and Santa Monica College. At 26, he became president of Cummings Buick, Inc. in Santa Monica, a dealership founded by his father in 1937 at 1501 Santa Monica Blvd. Bill had started with the company at age 14. He retired from the dealership in 1991 and subsequently leased his properties to other automotive enterprises as president of Cummings Properties, Inc. Bill was an avid golfer, who at one time was a member of the Riviera Country Club and the Los Angeles Country Club. He and his wife, Joan, were members of Bermuda Dunes Country Club (his favorite course) and lived in a home there in addition to their home in Encinitas. Bill hosted events for the PGA tour and participated in many golf tournaments. He is survived by his beloved wife, Joan Redman Cummings; his loving daughters, Cynthia Cummings Murphy of Pacific Palisades and Linda Cummings Mortenson (husband Doug) of Northern California; grandchildren Sean Murphy (wife Tiffany), Ryan Murphy and Alissa Mortenson; great-granddaughter Natalie Marie Murphy, and stepchildren Fred Redman (wife Valerie), Mary Albert (husband Eric and daughters Aryn and Jennifer) and Tricia Pezel (husband Matt and daughter Lauren). Bill was well loved and will be missed. He wanted all to know how much he appreciated their friendship throughout his life. Services will be private. In memoriam, donations may be made to the Willard Lyman Cummings, Jr. Award at the Santa Monica College Foundation, 1900 Pico Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405.
Chinese Weather Pali Blues’ Storm
Women’s Soccer Team Ties Beijing 1-1 In Rainy Debut at Stadium by the Sea
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The conditions were not exactly ideal, but the Pali Blues soccer team made the best of them in its first-ever game at Palisades High’s newly-renovated Stadium by the Sea. On a cold and rainy night, the squad served notice that the future will be sunny and bright by dominating Beijing for much of Friday’s exhibition game before settling for a 1-1 tie. “I could not be happier with our group after drawing with one of the top two teams in China,” Blues Coach Charlie Naimo said. “We knew that playing a game this early in the year was going to be challenging. The girls really did a fantastic job.” In the tradition of friendly international matches the two teams lined up at midfield for introductions and the national anthems before the opening kickoff. Once the game started, the Blues did their best impression of keep away, using pinpoint passing and deft dribbling to limit the amount of touches their talented opponents got. Using primarily a 4-4-2 formation (four defenders, four midfielders and two forwards), the Blues faced a strong wind in the first half but nearly took the lead late when Kasey Moore (University of Texas and United States U-20 national team member in 2006) fed Cal State Fullerton’s Brianna Buffington on a breakaway. “As the second half started, we tweaked our philosophy a tad by adding high pressure all over,” Naimo said. ‘Statistically, we had 19 corner [kicks] to their 0. But as the game of soccer goes you have to finish more than one no matter how much you dominate.” With the wind now at their backs, the Blues were determined to attack more over the last 45 minutes. Fittingly it was team captain Kendall Fletcher, the first player to sign with the Blues, who scored the Pacific Palisades team’s first goal. The former University of North Carolina standout and FIFA World Youth champion gave the Blues a 1-0 advantage on a set piece at about the 65th minute and it appeared the narrow lead would hold up until Beijing netted the equalizer on a counterattack in the 78th minute. The Blues pressed for the go-ahead goal in the final 10 minutes but were unable to score. All in all, Naimo was encouraged by the result and believes the best is yet to come. “I have this vision of seeing people walk over to PaliHi on game day just like they do in Europe,” he said. “The community will count the minutes between games.” The Blues’ starting lineup consisted of goalkeeper Karen Bardsley; fullbacks Fletcher, Kara Kabellis, Janessa Currier and Jill Oakes; halfbacks Kacey White, Rosie Tantillo, Brittany Klein and Leah Tapscott; and forwards Ouying Zhang and Kandace Wilson. Naimo named Buffington, Moore, Kikki Bosio and Cammie Levine as key contributors off the bench.
