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Two Accidents in the Highlands

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A two-car collision in the Palisades Highlands Monday afternoon sent two people to Santa Monica Hospital with minor injuries, including this 96-year-old driver. Photo: Joyce Simmons
A two-car collision in the Palisades Highlands Monday afternoon sent two people to Santa Monica Hospital with minor injuries, including this 96-year-old driver. Photo: Joyce Simmons

The first of two accidents on Palisades Drive Monday occurred when a driver attempting to make a left-hand turn onto Chastain Parkway collided with an Infinity heading downhill on Palisades Drive. The accident, which happened in the Highlands shortly after 3 p.m., sent both drivers to Santa Monica Hospital with minor injuries. A 96-year-old woman was attempting to make the left turn. The person driving the Infinity was a 55-year-old woman, said a fire department spokesman. According to Joyce Simmons, a Highlands resident who was at the scene, ‘The woman who had been heading down Palisades Drive was in the street and lying on a stretcher. The older women stayed in her vehicle and LAPD questioned her while she sat in the car.’ The second accident on Palisades Drive occurred at 7:50 p.m., when the driver of a lone vehicle heading downhill lost control and ran off the roadway. There were no reported injuries. Station 23 responded and found the car in the brush along the shoulder. According to Captain James Varney of nearby Fire Station 23, ‘Palisades Drive is a treacherous road between Sunset and the Highlands. In addition to the downhill slope and curves, there are no lights. ‘Going downhill people drive so fast, they fail to estimate how sharp the S-curves are about a mile north of Sunset,’ Varney said. ‘The result is they sometimes end up in the bushes on the other side of the road.’ ‘People go over the line constantly,’ said Susan Weider, who has lived in the Highlands for 10 years. ‘I never drive in the inside lane at night.’ In early November, Travis DeZarn, 18, was traveling downhill when his car skidded, crossed a double yellow line and struck a car traveling uphill. He was killed instantly. ‘The speed limit [45 mph] is perfectly safe,’ said Varney, but the design of the road is an invitation for some to speed. ‘There are people going through the pass at 70 mph–I’ve clocked them,’ Weider said. ‘I’m going 50 mph and they pass me at insane speeds.’

Las Pulgas Group Gathers to ‘Save’ Canyon

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More than 60 residents met Tuesday night to discuss a problem that many had faced before: How to keep Las Pulgas Canyon from being developed? For the first time in more than a decade, neighbors of the 33-acre canyon have reactivated Save Las Pulgas Canyon, Inc., a nonprofit formed 18 years ago to fight development there. ‘Tonight is the beginning of starting an overwhelming force that will save the canyon,’ said Lloyd Ahern, a past and current leader of SLPC. The coastal canyon sits east of Sunset Boulevard and west of Temescal. For the first time since Barry Maiten bought property in 1996, it risks changing hands. And the uncertainty of the next owner’s intentions has propelled the canyon’s neighbors and local conservationists to action. ‘Monitor activity in the canyon,’ Mary Rapoport exhorted fellow canyon residents. ‘If you hear a chainsaw or see bulldozers going in, record it. I think there’s enough [reason] to get people mobilized right now. Our experience is that it’s not just going to affect people on the rim. Every one of us who lives in this community has a stake that this canyon be preserved to protect wildlife.’ Sotheby’s realtor Rodrigo Iglesias, who is selling the property, says that he is not trying to sell the property to a developer, but rather to someone hoping to build a single-family estate. The prospect of a single-family home in the canyon is not what worries Las Pulgas neighbors, who live on adjacent streets Grenola, Marquette, Bienveneda, Muskingum and Puerto del Mar. ‘I wouldn’t mind if a person bought it to have a home their with pastures and a meadow,’ said Chuck Rapoport. ‘My concern is development.’ The canyon’s history of near-development leaves neighbors wary. In 1989, then-owner Neil Senturia planned to build 45 single-family homes in the canyon. Previous plans called for building as many as 125 homes there. The nonprofit’s biggest ally may be nature itself. The canyon has a history of geological instability. In the early 1990s, geologists and property assessors cited its flood-prone creek, inadequate drainage and water runoff, unstable soil and landslide-prone hillsides as evidence of a practically un-developable canyon. In fact, in the mid-1990s, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy’s Executive Director Joe Edmiston passed on purchasing the property at any price because of the canyon’s hazardous liability. For now, the nonprofit, which has already hired an environmental lawyer, has a modest goal: to make sure the next owner follows the law. ‘We know they have property rights,’ Ahern said. ‘But it’s our job to make sure they go through all the proper channels. My fear is that someone buys the canyon and in a sleight-of-hand–maybe in the city’he gets away with something he shouldn’t.’ Added Doug Green: ‘If Save Las Pulgas is diligent to make sure [the next owner] follows the rules, I don’t think there can be development. If they do it right, development won’t be economical.’ But some members at Tuesday night’s meeting want the nonprofit to be more proactive. They want the canyon to be made into a park. ‘We need a better alternative than just saying we’re going to limit the property owner’s rights,’ said one man, who lives on Marquette. ‘Everyone shirks the liability. If someone buys it, it’s their right to develop it. The conservancy has to buy this. Joe Edmiston got scared 18 years ago because of liability. But it doesn’t mean he’d do the same today.’ Ahern said, ‘The long-term goal is to make this public property.’ —- To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.

Rosendahl Reiterates Slow Growth for District

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During a speech Monday night at the joint annual meeting of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association (PPRA) and No Oil, Inc., Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl outlined his priorities to slow, manage and sometimes reject pending development projects in the Palisades and the rest of his large Westside district. The councilman’s 30-minute talk was a welcome message to members of the largely slow-growth groups. Since its establishment in 1958, the PPRA has fought against various commercial and residential developments in the Palisades. Some of the same members helped found No Oil! in 1971 to battle Occidental’s bid to drill for oil along Pacific Coast Highway, near Potrero Canyon. Although Rosendahl’s speech mainly focused on much larger projects elsewhere in the district–LAX expansion, city transportation, the West L.A. Veterans Affairs property and a proposed Santa Monica Bay LNG terminal–he also discussed pending Palisades issues. Rosendahl said he ‘took a strong position’ against Shell station owner Jin Kwak’s appeal of an L.A. zoning administrator’s decision denying Kwak’s bid to replace his station’s garage with an automated car wash and a 24-hour mini-mart. The councilman said it is ‘very hard’ for an applicant to successfully appeal a zoning administrator’s decision. A decision on this appeal could come as early as next Wednesday at a West L.A. Planning Commission hearing. Despite owner opposition, Rosendahl said he is trying to ‘have a hand’ in the attempted conversion of Palisades Bowl’s mobile homes from rental units into resident-owned properties. The process, if completed, could effectively mean eviction for many of its lower-income residents. ‘The owners are saying, ‘You can’t have a hand in this. It’s a state issue.’ Well, we’re trying to,’ Rosendahl said. Citing fears of terrorism and environmental damage, Rosendahl reiterated his strong opposition to Australian-based Woodside Natural Gas’ plans to import natural gas through underground pipelines from an offshore LNG terminal in Santa Monica Bay that would connect to Southern California’s existing gas network. Controversially, the pipelines would travel below the west end of LAX and then along Westchester Parkway. ‘I came out strongly against it. Very strongly,’ Rosendahl said. ‘LAX is a main terrorist target. It [the LNG terminal] should be built somewhere else.’ Rosendahl, who chairs the city’s Public Works Committee, said it is ‘too early to say’ what direct role he will have regarding the project. But he said that ‘opposition [to the proposal] is lining up in the right way.’ Woodside representatives dismiss fears of a terrorist threat to LAX and environmental damage. They say that the underground pipelines would not be visible to the public and would pose no greater threat than the existing 90,000 miles of natural gas lines already present in Southern California. A longtime opponent of developing the VA’s 388-acre campus, Rosendahl said he has stepped up efforts against commercializing the property. In March, he traveled with Santa Monica City Councilman Bobby Shriver to Washington, D.C. to lobby the Department of Veterans Affairs to modernize the VA facility on behalf of veterans, and he wants 300 beds built to accommodate homeless vets. Rosendahl, who chairs the Southern California Regional Airport Authority, wants to limit growth at LAX. He said he is working to promote Ontario Airport as a substitute for Orange County and San Bernardino residents, noting that more evenly distributing traffic among the two airports would also reduce traffic congestion. ‘Fourteen percent of our traffic at LAX comes from Orange County,’ he said. ‘[But these travelers] don’t want to be on the 405.’ Rosendahl said that an $800-million renovation of LAX will modernize the Bradley Terminal and help pay for a people-mover to transport commuters to the light-rail Green Line, which now stops a mile-and-a-half away from the airport. He said the cost of this modernization will be ‘passed off to the airlines.’ The councilman, who is vice-chair of the city’s transportation committee, told the audience he expects that traffic ‘will get worse before it gets better.’ But he’s optimistic about mass-transit projects. ‘We can truly have the [light-rail] Expo Line into Santa Monica in seven years if all goes well,’ Rosendahl said. ‘And we can have the Green Line connect to LAX in the next five years.’ On Monday, Rosendahl along with Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and other L.A. leaders unveiled a ‘contra-flow’ system for Olympic and Pico boulevards. That system will restrict parking during rush hours on both streets. Traffic lights will be reset to give commuters traveling west on Olympic and east on Pico longer green lights. City officials estimate that commuters could save as much as 45 percent in travel time. —- To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.

WINTER SPORTS SCHEDULES

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(Varsity times only)

BOYS BASKETBALL Nov. 28 — Hoover, 7 p.m. (Campbell Hall Tour) Nov. 29 — West Adams Prep, 6 p.m. (Campbell Hall Tour) Nov. 30 — Arleta, 7:30 p.m. (Campbell Hall Tour) Dec. 1 — TBD (Campbell Hall Tour) Dec. 3 — Antelope Valley, 3 p.m. (Beverly Hills Tour) Dec. 5 — TBD (Beverly Hills Tour) Dec. 7 — TBD (Beverly Hills Tour) Dec. 8 — TBD (Beverly Hills Tour) Dec. 17 — TBD St. Bonaventure (San Fernando Tour) Dec. 26 — TBD (Santa Barbara Tour) Jan. 4 — Washington, 7 p.m. Jan. 9 — @ Hamilton, 4 p.m. Jan. 11 — Fairfax, 7 p.m. Jan. 14 — @ Venice, 4 p.m. Jan. 16 — University, 4 p.m. Jan. 18 — @ LACES, 7 p.m. Jan. 23 — Westchester, 4 p.m. Jan. 28 — Hamilton, 4 p.m. Jan. 29 — @ Fairfax, 4 p.m. Feb. 1 — Venice, 7 p.m. Feb. 4 — @ University, 4 p.m. Feb. 6 — LACES, 4 p.m. Feb. 8 — @ Westchester, 7 p.m. ___________________________________________ GIRLS BASKETBALL Nov. 28 — Panorama, 7 p.m. (Palisades Tour) Nov. 29 — TBD, 7 p.m. (Palisades Tour) Nov. 30 — TBD (Palisades Tour) Dec. 1 — TBD (Palisades Tour) Dec. 10 — @ Crenshaw, 4 p.m. Dec. 19 — TBD (Nike Tour) Dec. 20 — TBD (Nike Tour) Dec. 21 — TBD (Nike Tour) Dec. 22 — TBD (Nike Tour) Dec. 26 — TBD (Ayala Tour) Dec. 27 — TBD (Ayala Tour) Dec. 28 — TBD (Ayala Tour) Dec. 29 — TBD (Ayala Tour) Dec. 31 — TBD (Ayala Tour) Jan. 9 — Hamilton, 4 p.m. Jan. 11 — @ Farifax, 4 p.m. Jan. 14 — Venice, 4 p.m. Jan. 16 — @ University, 4 p.m. Jan. 18 — LACES, 4 p.m. Jan. 23 — @ Westchester, 4 p.m. Jan. 28 — @ Hamilton, 4 p.m. Jan. 30 — Fairfax, 4 p.m. Feb. 1 — @ Venice, 4 p.m. Feb. 4 — University, 4 p.m. Feb. 6 — @ LACES, 4 p.m. Feb. 8 — Westchester, 4 p.m. ___________________________________________ BOYS SOCCER Nov. 29 — San Pedro, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 5 — @ Farifax, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 7 — Santa Monica, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 12 — @ Venice, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 14 — Hamilton, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9 — @ University, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 11 — LACES, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 16 — Westchester, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18 — Fairfax, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 30 — @ Hamilton, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — University, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6 — @ LACES, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 8 — @ Westchester, 2:30 p.m. ___________________________________________ GIRLS SOCCER Dec. 5 — Farifax, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 6 — @ Marymount, 3:15 p.m. Dec. 12 — Venice, 2:30 p.m. Dec. 14 — @ Hamilton, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 9 — University, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 10 — Notre Dame Academy, 7 p.m. Jan. 11 — @ LACES, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 16 — Westchester, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 18 — @ Fairfax, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 25 — @ Venice, 2:30 p.m. Jan. 30 — Hamilton, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 1 — @ University, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 6 — LACES, 2:30 p.m. Feb. 8 — @ Westchester, 2:30 p.m.

Locals Impact Volleyball Programs

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Five girls from Pacific Palisades left home this summer hoping to find playing time as freshmen in major college volleyball programs and all managed to succeed. Audrey Eichler, a middle blocker out of Harvard-Westlake High, stepped right into the starting lineup at Boston College, playing every match for the Eagles and finishing second on the team in kills (285) and hitting percentage (.258). Her agility also led to 90 blocks, 61 digs and 22 service aces for BC in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Kelly Irvin of Marymount High, a club teammate of Eichler’s on Gene’s Team, committed to the University of Virginia and won the starting setter position, leading the squad with 1,061 assists, 76 kills, 282 digs, 27 aces and 31 blocks while also playing in the tough ACC. Defensive specialist Ali Hoffman had 194 digs and 11 aces in 49 games for Washington University in St. Louis, helping her team win the NCAA Division III Championship. Hoffman played for Marymount High and for Sports Shack?s 18-1s club team. Kaitlin Segal attended Bucknell, which competes in the Patriot League. She played in 97 games as an outside hitter and was credited with 194 kills with a .182 hitting percentage. She also had 33 aces, 33 blocks, 34 assists and 184 digs. She, too, played for Sports Shack?s 18-1?s team. Libero Madison Wojciechowski played more games than any other player at the University of Pennsylvania, breaking the Quakers? all-time single-season record with 457 digs. She had 34 digs in a match (second most ever at Penn) and 32 digs in another match (fourth most) to go along with 21 aces and 32 assists. Penn finished runner-up to Princeton in the Ivy League. Wojciechowski also played on Sports Shack?s 18-1’s team.

Bellamy Heads PTC Juniors

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Nine top junior boys from the Palisades Tennis Center spent their Thanksgiving breaks in hotel rooms and on tennis courts, grinding out points against the nation’s best players. The USTA Junior Nationals took place in four locations across the country: Florida, Georgia, New York and Dana Point, California. Regions consisted of 64 players (each having qualified by virtue of their national ranking). The California region included a field of players from New York, Florida, Texas, Utah, Illinois, Nevada, Arizona, Washington and Pennsylvania. PTC players excelled in the double elimination event, compiling a 28-18 record against a field full of opponents ranked in the top 200 in the nation in their age groups. Leading the way in the boys 12s was Robbie Bellamy, who beat three fellow Californians as well as players from Texas and Nevada. His biggest win came against Yannik Mahlangu of Henderson, Nevada, who is ranked No. 32 in the nation. Bellamy won a third-set tiebreaker, 11-9. His match against Alejandro Llamas of El Paso, Texas, was even closer. Bellamy squandered seven match points then staved off two himself before prevailing, 15-13, in a third-set tiebreaker. PTC players Eduardo Nava and Alex Giannini each won two matches. Nava took out the nation’s No. 68-ranked player Hayden Sabatka of Littleton, Colorado, 7-5, in another third-set tiebreaker. Meanwhile, Giannini eliminated the No. 4 seed in straight sets. In the boys 18s, PTC players dominated the draw, as five players won at least two matches. Walker Kehrer won five matches, beating two players from Florida, two from California and one from Pennsylvania. Daniel Moss and Clay Thompson each won four sets. Moss, who has accepted a spot on the Pepperdine men’s team next year, beat the 31st-ranked player in the nation in straight sets while Thompson rolled over Davis Mangham of Seattle Washington, ranked No. 59 in the nation, 6-2, 6-1. Thompson, who just turned 15, typically plays opponents three years older than him. Also in the boys 18s, PTC product Alex Sohaili had wins over players from Utah, Florida and California and Reece Milner had two wins over players from Northern California. Milner will play at the University of Virginia next year. ‘I am just stunned at the results of these kids who play everyday at a little public park,’ PTC Head Pro Chris Harradine said. ‘These nine are shining today but we have 50 more kids who are hard on their heels. It’s a blast being a part of all of this.’

Gymnasts Win State Titles

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Taylor Slutzker performs a dismount on the vault at the California State Championships. Photo by Noel Calucag
Taylor Slutzker performs a dismount on the vault at the California State Championships. Photo by Noel Calucag

Taylor Slutzker, Shelby Slutzker and Rachel Weston of Calvary Christian School and Hayley McCormack of Corpus Christi combined to win 11 state gymnastic titles at the California State Championships held in San Diego, Glendora and Santa Barbara. Taylor Slutzker won the state title for the balance beam, floor exercise and all-around at Level 5 while Weston placed first in the floor exercise and was second in the all-around competition. Both girls helped Broadway Gymnastics win the Level 5 team championship, finishing first out of more than 90 programs statewide. McCormack won the uneven bars and placed second all-around at Level 4. Earlier this year, Shelby Slutzker took first place in the balance beam, floor exercise, vault and all-around at Level 7. The Level 5 title was Broadway’s second team title ever. Its first championship came two years ago in Level 4. Weston has been a member of both state championship teams. This upcoming season McCormack will compete at Level 5, Taylor Slutzker will move up to Level 6, Weston will move up to Level 7 and Rachel to level 7 and Shelby Slutzker will move up to to Level 8.

Pirates Gobble Up Valley Squads

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Pirates players celebrate near first base after the final out of last Sunday's Mid-Valley Gobbler championship game. Photo courtesy of Gabi Falconello
Pirates players celebrate near first base after the final out of last Sunday’s Mid-Valley Gobbler championship game. Photo courtesy of Gabi Falconello

The Palisades Pirates, a local U-11 baseball team, won five games over Thanksgiving weekend to capture first place at the Mid-Valley Gobbler Tournament. Under the guidance of coaches Pat Vastano and Rick McGeagh, the Pirates gobbled up the opposition, finishing undefeated with 37 runs scored to just 11 allowed. In Friday morning’s opening round, the Pirates defeated the Toluca Titans, 6-4, thanks to the pitching of Matt Kassowitz and Ezra Steinberg, accurate throws to the plate by Cade Hulse and Cameron Kao and aggressive baserunning by Hulse, Kassowitz, Jack McGeagh and Bryant Falconello that led to several runs. On Saturday, the Pirates routed the San Fernando Blackhawks, 13-1, in the morning game and, in the second game of their doubleheader, ousted the Conejo Crush, 6-2. Pitchers Jed Moscot and Tony Rogari combined for the win over San Fernando, with clean-up hitter Steinberg getting several clutch hits and Hulse clearing the outfield fence for a home run. Zack Dufour, Matt McGeagh and Rogari combined to pitch the Pirates to victory over the Crush. Jed Moscot, Falconello and the McGeagh brothers led the offense with multiple hits and RBIs. The Pirates opened the playoffs Sunday morning with a 8-1 victory over the San Fernando Valley Cats. Steinberg had three hits while pitchers Kao, Blumenfeld and Kassowitz made the Pirates’ early lead stand up. Sunday afternoon’s final was a mere formality for the Palisades squad, which triumphed, 14-3, over the Valley Wolves. Solid pitching performances by Kassowitz and Steinberg, coupled with three hits each by Steinberg and Matt McGeagh and two apiece by Michael Vastano (two RBIs), Kassowitz (3 RBIs) and Dalton Blumenfeld (RBI) put the Wolves away early. “We had four outfield assists on strong throws to the plate to cut down a runner, with Bryant Falconello puting on a fielding clinic at third base and Ezra Steinberg with a circus catch in center,” Pat Vastano said. “We made very few errors all weekend. I couldn’t be happier with the way this team played in the tournament. We went 5-0 and won the championship. Can’t ask for more than that.”

PaliHi Winter Sports Previews

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Dolphins’ Basketball & Soccer Squads Start Seasons with Well-Defined Goals

Senior forward Tuekeha Huntley will hoist up plenty of jump shots for the Palisades High girls basektball team this season.
Senior forward Tuekeha Huntley will hoist up plenty of jump shots for the Palisades High girls basektball team this season.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Girls Basketball New coach Torino Johnson said his goal is to raise expectations for a program that reached its pinnacle in 1999 when it advanced to the state championship game in Sacramento. His first objective is to win the league championship, which would automatically take care of his second objective’qualifying for the City’s upper division playoffs. To return the Dolphins to their glory years of the late ’90s, Johnson has beefed up the schedule, starting with Palisades’ own Beach Invitational this week. He also has the team slated to play in the Nike and Best of the West tournaments prior to the start of league play. Johnson said the Dolphins are an older group but not necessarily experienced. Key returners include senior point guard Mariah Lyons, senior forward Tuekeha Huntley, junior guard Utopia Kates and junior forward Cinthia Hernandez. Center Dominique Scott will be a factor around the basket under Torino’s system, which stresses being disciplined and physical in the paint. The Dolphins’ varsity roster does not include a single underclassman, but includes three six-footers in Scott (6′ 2′), Huntley (6′ 0′) and junior post player Katie Bell (6′ 1′). The Palisades Beach Invitational has expanded from eight to 16 teams this year and Torino changed the format from pool play to bracket play, meaning teams must keep winning to advance to the finals. The Dolphins opened against Panorama on Wednesday (result unavailable at press time) and play either L.A. Jordan or Crossroads tonight at 7 p.m. Boys Basketball If any team in the City Section seems capable of challenging the ‘Big Three’ of Taft, Westchester and Fairfax, it is the Dolphins, who have 10 seniors and will look to improve upon last season’s 19-10 mark which saw Palisades fall one win short of a berth in the state playoffs. Point guard Taylor Shipley, a three-year starter, and guard Aaron Hawk-Harris, who made All-City last year despite missing half the season, will lead a Dolphins’ attack that also features hustling guard Brandon Greer and slick-shooting forward Irvin Kintaudi. As always, the Dolphins face a daunting schedule, beginning with four tough tournaments’Campbell Hall, Beverly Hills, San Fernando and Santa Barbara’and a nonleague game against Washington thrown in for good measure. Coach James Paleno, who began his 17th season one victory shy of 300, said the strength of his team is its work ethic and chemistry. His players have been in the program him for three or four years and know what to expect. Palisades is ranked No. 25 in Southern California in at least one poll and Paleno said that because of that other teams will be looking to knock them off. The Dolphins must win by out-executing and out-smarting their opponents. Over the summer, Palisades played and beat perennial powers Fremont and Loyola and lost by only two points to Westchester. The Dolphins played Hoover in the first round of the Campbell Hall Tournament on Wednesday (result unavailable at press time) and play West Adams Prep tonight at 6 p.m. and Arleta on Monday at 7:30 p.m. Girls Soccer The Dolphins won the City Invitational title at East L.A. College last season and are gunning for a repeat of sorts’except this time it is the City Championship they are after. Returning to lead Palisades’ attack are forwards Kelly Mickel, Rachel Furhman and Kate Rosenbaum’all of whom scored clutch goals in the playoffs. Though the squad loses three key players to graduation’defender Sarah McNees and forwards Sara Newman and Lauren Pugatch’it returns sophomore Erika Martin and junior Laura Goldsmith. Coach Kim Smith, who guided the Dolphins to the City finals three years ago, has been holding rigorous practices on the new field at Stadium by the Sea, preparing her girls for a run at the Western League title that eluded them in 2006. A stat the Dolphins will look to improve upon is turning ties into victories. Palisades lost only one league game a year ago yet finished third in the standings because of five ties. Once again keeping opposing strikers at bay will be goalie Allison Kappeyne, who posted eight shutouts last year, aided by defenders Brittany Johnson and Jazmyn Anderson. Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies was added to the Western League last season, joining Palisades, Westchester, Venice, L.A. Hamilton, L.A. University and Fairfax. Nonleague games looming early on Palisades’ schedule are Marymount and Notre Dame Academy, who play in the Southern Section’s Sunshine League. Boys Soccer The challenge facing Palisades will be finding a way to replace last year’s leading scorer Osbaldo Garcia, who netted 16 goals and added nine assists. Coach Dave Williams said the Dolphins may not quite have a player of Garcia’s unique ability, but may have four or five that are just a notch below. Senior striker David Linares and sophomore Alex Smith could emerge as potent scorers in the Dolphins’ offense, which could hinge on the continuing progress of center midfielder Sebastian Diaz and outside midfielder Michael Rey. Anchoring the defense will be senior sweeper and team captain Eric Rosen and goalie Charlie Bailey. The Dolphins also hope to reverse a disturbing trend: they have lost in the first round of the City playoffs 12 times in the previous 14 seasons, including a 3-2 overtime loss to Washington last year. Williams sees no reason his squad cannot win 10 league games, which would likely be enough to finish first and secure a high postseason seed. The team he is most concerned about is Fairfax, which has most of its players returning. With 46 players between varsity and JV, the question for Palisades will be whether increased numbers equate to a higher retention rate come grade time. Palisades opens the season today at Stadium by the Sea against San Pedro (varsity kickoff at 2:30 p.m.) and also hosts a intersectional game against Santa Monica December 7.

Calendar for the Week of November 22

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23 Theatre Palisades presents Agatha Christie’s classic whodunit ‘The Unexpected Guest,’ Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through December 16 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Call (310) 454-1970 for ticket information, or go to www.theatrepalisades.org. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 24 Center for the Jazz Arts is providing live jazz music at Tivoli Caf’ each Saturday in November from 8 to 11 p.m. at the caf’,15306 Sunset. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 25 Friends of Film presents ‘Saudis in America,’ by Saudi director Fahmi Farahat, 6:30 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Admission: $5. (See story, page TK.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 26 Monthly meeting of the Pacific Palisades Civic League, 7:30 p.m. in Gabrielson Hall at the Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Public invited. Author Joy Horowitz and City Councilman Bill Rosendahl will be guest speakers at the 49th annual meeting of the Pacific Palisades Residents Association, 7:30 p.m. in the Palisades Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Public invited. Refreshments will be available beginning at 7 p.m. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 27 Library Storytime for children of all ages, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The Pacific Palisades Art Association meets at 7 p.m. at the Palisades Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford Avenue. Please bring art materials. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28 Photographer Pierre Odier will present ‘Crossing Siberia: First Land Expedition Back to the U.S.’ at the Palisades AARP Travel Group meeting, 2 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. One-day craft workshop for junior high and high school students to create necklaces and bracelets, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library on alma Real. Limited to the first 25 showing up.

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