After Friday night’s thunderstorms, Pintoresca Dr. resident Kristen Ding awoke Saturday morning to this beautiful rainbow over the ocean and the Bel-Air Bay Club. A graphic designer and amateur photographer, Ding and her husband Mitchell Chang and their two sons Atticus and Skylar have lived in this ‘magical’ neighborhood above the Bel-Air Bay Club for eight years. Their current home, clad in stainless steel, designed by Palisadian architect Eve Sobesky, was featured in the Palisadian-Post last year. Photo: Kristen Ding
The family of a teenage girl who filed a lawsuit against Palisades Charter High School for sexual harassment by a teacher changed its legal complaint last week in L.A. Superior Court to seek additional damages. In an effort to invalidate a series of court losses unfavorable to the legal and financial protection of PaliHi’-and independent charter schools statewide, say legal experts-‘the school petitioned the United States Supreme Court in July. The nation’s highest court has not yet announced if it will hear the case, but that decision could come within a week. Each year, thousands of cases are sent to the Supreme Court in hopes of overturning lower court decisions. The court historically hears less than one percent of the cases submitted. The lawsuit against PaliHi was filed in June 2004 by Dr. Thomas Knapp, father of a then-13-year-old parochial student who alleged she was harassed by longtime teacher Ron Cummings during a visit to his history class in February while she was touring the school as a prospective student. The suit alleges that’-among other charges’-Cummings commented on her breasts, humiliated her religious background and unnecessarily interspersed a class lecture on European history with sexual innuendo. Knapp filed the suit after then-Principal Linda Hosford refused to follow Knapp’s demand that Cummings be fired. The California Supreme Court declined the school’s petition in March of this year, essentially making the decision of the Second Appellate District court into law. That decision stripped the school of its identity as a ‘public entity’ and redefined it as a ‘non-profit public-benefit corporation.’ The consequences of that seemingly minor change are now beginning to have significance: no longer a ‘public’ school, PaliHi loses protection from punitive damages as well as other legal and financial threats historically extended to public schools and their employees. The original suit demanded that the school pay Knapp $125,000, the estimated cost of four years of private-school tuition. But seizing on the school’s recently redefined legal identity, Knapp lawyer Ed Carney changed the suit last week to demand punitive damages in addition to the $125,000. The amount of those damages will be determined by a jury, Carney told the Palisadian-Post last week. He also defended his client’s effort to pursue more money from the school. ‘We didn’t want money,’ Carney said. ‘We wanted [Cummings] fired. If he had been fired, then [Knapp’s daughter] would have gone there. That would have been the end of the matter. The only redress we have is money.’ Following a complaint by Knapp, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing issued a ‘public reproval’ of Cummings but did not revoke his teaching credential. PaliHi Executive Director Amy Held said Cummings still teaches at the school. Early last week, the Superior Court judge approved Knapp’s request to seek more damages. But the judge left the school the option of challenging it, Carney said. Held told the Post on Wednesday that she could not comment on pending litigation against the school. A trial date in Superior Court has not yet been set. That hearing would be postponed should the U.S. Supreme Court decide to hear the case, a legal analyst told the Post. —– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
Citing the strictures of the Palisades Specific Plan and widespread community opposition, the Department of City Planning rejected a controversial application last week that would have allowed a local Shell station garage to be replaced with a 24-hour mini-mart and an automated car wash. Community activists and neighbors of the station on Sunset Boulevard at Via de la Paz argued that the changes would significantly reduce their quality of life, bringing more noise, traffic, crime and even ocean pollution. ‘I’m pleased that this time the system worked as it should,’ said Richard G. Cohen, vice chair of the Palisades Community Council. ‘The community rose up to voice its opposition to the proposed development, and we were heard.’ Said Council Chair Steve Boyers: ‘My initial reaction is that the community has been vindicated. The community is to be congratulated for quickly and effectively coming together and the many individuals and organizations that participated should feel proud to have pulled together.’ The Community Council, the Pacific Palisades Residents Association and other homeowners groups vehemently opposed Shell owner Jin Kwak’s application for a Conditional Use Permit. And more than 100 residents signed petitions condemning the proposal, which had no public support from any Palisades resident. If it had been approved, the 24-hour mini-mart would have occupied 1,640 sq. ft., and the car wash, operating from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., would have been 756 sq. ft. Increased lighting would have been used, but the station’s eight gas pumps would remain. The fate of the service bay remains undetermined. It is unclear whether Kwak plans to appeal the city’s decision. The owner and his project manager, Larry Turner, did not respond to the Palisadian-Post’s numerous requests for an interview. Culver City’s planning department rejected Kwak’s application to build a car wash there. But he has appealed that decision, say Palisades community members, who are looking for cues. One official closely involved in city planning said the success of an appeal is ‘highly unlikely’ because the applicant does not have the support of Councilman Bill Rosendahl nor the Palisades community. Associate Zoning Administrator Dan Green made the decision following an impassioned August 9 hearing, where dozens of residents urged him to reject the proposal. Residents pointed to a sweeping array of consequences. They said that the car wash and mini-mart would add congestion to an already crowded residential street; the wash would bring burdensome noise levels to an adjacent 107-unit condominium complex and other nearby residences; car wash run-off would pollute the beach; and the around-the-clock mart would attract ‘criminal activity.’ Seeking to allay those fears, Turner referenced noise and traffic studies that he said contradicted residents’ predictions. For example, an independent acoustical analysis projected that the noise created by the car wash would be below ‘existing daytime ambient noise levels’ if mitigation measures were used. A traffic study, he said, performed by an independent expert and confirmed by the Department of Transportation, concluded that the projected increase was ‘less than significant.’ In language that sometimes sounded like a rebuke, Green’s 21-page decision criticized almost every aspect of Kwak’s application, including its independent studies. For example, Green noted that the acoustical report did not analyze the impact of noise from car horns, radios and alarms. The main basis for Green’s denial, he wrote, was the language and intent of the Specific Plan, which regulates development within the Palisades commercial zones. That Plan was created by local residents but is part of the city’s building code. It first became effective in 1985 and was last amended in 1993. The plan explicitly prohibits the addition of ‘wash racks,’ but not ‘car washes.’ Kwak seized on that omission, arguing that the plan permits car washes. Green rejected that argument and wrote that ‘wash racks’ are a broad city planning term used to refer to a large variety of car washes. ‘References to the term ‘car wash’ are in the public vernacular, just as the word ‘house’ is commonly used,’ Green wrote, ‘but is not referred to in the Zoning Code while ‘dwelling’ or ‘dwelling unit’ is the legally correct term.’ Further, Green sharply dismissed nearly all of the applicant’s justifications for the proposal as ‘generic,’ ‘without merit’ and ‘naked and unsupported by the facts.’ The administrator’s decision also drew heavily from community feedback. ‘The car-wash use’based on significant public input’provides no particular convenience to this community,’ Green wrote. ‘In fact, not one person or organization has expressed any support for this use. Apparently, existing [car wash] alternatives satisfy this population.’ Jack Allen, who helped draft the plan, told the Post he was happy with the administrator’s decision. ‘When we did the Specific Plan, we never wanted anything like that,’ Allen said, referring to an automated car wash. ‘That was our intent when we wrote [it].’ —– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
Three youths were arrested for possession of marijuana, and a fourth was charged with selling a narcotic at the Mobil gas station on the corner of Sunset and Swarthmore last Sunday. The station was under surveillance by West Los Angeles Vice as a result of prior illegal activity. At about 5 p.m., LAPD officers observed a parked Honda Accord containing five males, who appeared to be smoking, rolling cigarettes and passing a pipe. At one point, the 18-year-old driver got out of the car and made a phone call. A short time later, a black Lexus drove up and marijuana was exchanged for money. The Lexus driver, an 18-year-old Palisades male, was charged with selling an illegal substance and transported to jail. Bail was set at $30,000. The driver of the Honda, along with a 17-year-old passenger and a 15-year-old passenger, was charged with possession. The other two 15-year-olds were not charged and were released to their parents. All three 15-year-olds are Palisades residents. Both cars were impounded as a result of the arrests. This was the latest in a series of recent incidents at the Mobil station, according to police. On August 1, a Mobil mini-mart cashier was arrested for selling alcohol to a minor. On September 14, eight minors were arrested for consuming alcohol and, in two cases, possession of cocaine and methamphetamine. On September 19, the Mobil cashier was again arrested for selling alcoholic beverages to minors and was booked. The problem with underaged criminal activity at Mobil has resulted in the LAPD requesting the Palisades Community Council’s assistance ‘in taking a stand against the Mobil station’s practice of selling alcohol to minors as well as allowing the property to be used as a haven for minors to consume alcoholic beverages and narcotics.’ ‘We have a policy of not selling to minors, but my cashiers have made mistakes,’ Mobil owner Saeed Kohanoff told the Palisadian-Post on Monday. ‘I am recruiting a new cashier as well as sending all of them to ABC [Alcohol Beverage Control] training.’ ‘We check ID all the time,’ Kohanoff added. ‘I don’t know how this cashier misjudged. I take full responsibility.’ Community outcry regarding the easy availability of alcohol to minors in the Palisades prompted the LAPD vice unit to start local surveillance in this area. In the September 14 incident there was no proof that the cashier had sold alcohol to minors, but according to Palisades Senior Lead Officer Michael Moore, at least three of the youth were drinking beer while sitting in a SUV parked in front of Mobil’s mini-mart. The mini-mart cashier was fraternizing with the juveniles and did nothing to stop them from consuming alcohol on the property, police said. Arrests were made for underage drinking, open containers of alcohol and curfew violations. The 17-year-old male and three females (two 16, one 17) were released to their parents after the arrest. All are Palisades residents. ‘Some parents are in denial that their kids are doing it,’ said Sgt. Ronnie Crump of the West Los Angles Police Vice squad. For example, he said, one girl told her father she had not been drinking, but just holding the beer for someone else. Crump then told the father to smell his daughter’s breath. ‘As we were completing the investigation,’ Crump said, ‘a vehicle pulled in, and we could clearly see three males drinking beer.’ In addition to the alcohol, drugs were discovered. An18-year-old was arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) and was detained for possession of cocaine and crystal meth. A passenger, 18, was arrested for possession of crystal meth with the intent to sell. A second passenger, 17, was arrested for underage drinking and released to his father’s custody. Two are local residents and the third was homeless, but told officers that he stayed with other students in the area. While that operation was underway, a Palisades woman who had been in the Mobil mini-mart asked the police if they didn’t have something better to do than to pick on minors. That kind of attitude baffles Crump. ‘Why should there be a tolerance for minors’ unlawful behavior?’ he asked. ‘Do they want kids driving down Sunset drunk?’ Susan Strick, the neighborhood prosecutor for the City of Los Angeles, echoed Crump’s sentiments to the Post on Monday. ‘We’re trying to keep these kids safe and everyone else around them, too,’ she said. ‘I’m prosecuting a gentleman at the Mobil station,’ Strick added. ‘I’m concerned about these reports.’ Police reports are sent for review to the California ABC, the state agency that controls alcohol licenses. ‘If the police reports substantiate the claim, then we can file an accusation based on that,’ said Brandie Richard, supervisor of ABC investigation. ‘They [police] take criminal action, we take administrative action.’ Penalties range from fines to suspensions to revocation of the beer and wine license. If a business owner elects to have a hearing, he or she appears before an administrative law judge.
A large swath of the entrance to Will Rogers State Beach at Temescal Canyon Road was flooded six-inches deep for days after the Friday and Saturday rainstorms. The failure of the lot to drain had local residents questioning the quality of the county’s recent $13-million improvement project. Photo: Stuart Muller
By STUART MULLER Special to the Palisadian-Post County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s name is prominently displayed on the big sign at the Temescal Canyon entrance to Will Rogers State Beach. In fact, his name is almost as big as Ol’ Will’s! I guess he takes credit for the rehab job along the beach. This means he also deserves credit for its current problems: the project is still not complete and the costs continue. Last Saturday morning, after the first significant rainfall since spring, the area west of the Temescal Canyon entrance, around the parking attendant booth, was flooded with six inches of water over an area of about a half acre. I propose we call this Lake Yaroslavsky, in his honor! Last year, when his deputy, Maria Chong Castillo, and the county’s Project Manager Gilberto Garcia appeared before the Palisades Community Council to explain the long delay in completing the project and the massive cost overrun, they vowed to have the project completed before summer began. It would require a major push, they said. I expressed my great concerns that, in the rush to completion, the quality of the work would be compromised. I also demanded accountability for any problems. Now, it seems that my fears were well founded. In addition to the parking lot drainage problems, there are myriad other problems: the outdoor showers don’t drain; the layout of the exit restricts egress to PCH; there is no vehicle access from the east parking lot to the west parking lot; there are landscaping issues (dead trees, sprinklers spraying away after the rainstorm, during a period of drought); a concession stand that never opened; poor workmanship in the building’s finish work; an incomplete bike path; and haphazard wiring to public telephones. I’m sure if you asked the county’s Garcia about these problems he’d give the standard bureaucratic reply: ‘We’re working on it.’ Does that mean just getting paid or does it mean accomplishing tasks in an efficient, competent and professional manner? I wish Will Rogers could give us his thoughts on this! I don’t feel that I’m looking at a ‘half-empty glass.’ I think the glass is at least two-thirds full. It’s just that we paid for a full glass and the waiter’s gone home. And don’t expect to get a full glass at the beach snack bar. It’s closed! Zev, whom are you going to hold accountable for this mess? And who’s going to fix it? Can you point your finger and tell us your intentions, Mr. Supervisor? (Muller is a member of the Palisades Community Council and a past Citizen of the Year. The county has spent more than $13 million renovating the beach. The county awarded Gonzales Construction, Inc. the contract in November 2005, and work began a month later.) County Responds to Queries About Will Rogers Project (Editor’s Note: In response to Stuart Muller’s Viewpoint, the Palisadian-Post asked Maria Chong Castillo, Deputy to L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, why flooding occurred at the entrance to the new parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach last weekend; why travel between the east and west parking lots is restricted; why the concession stand is still closed; why there are drainage problems with the new showers; and when the parking lot north of Gladstone’s will be complete. Castillo oversaw construction of the Public Works project for the county. Gonzales Construction was the contractor hired by the county. Castillo’s e-mail response follows.) It is my understanding that there is a catch-basin inlet in the area where the rainwater was ponding that is supposed to collect and drain the surface runoff from this area to the beach. According to Beaches and Harbors maintenance staff, this catch-basin inlet and drainage pipe were clogged with leaves and debris from runoff coming off PCH. They cleaned the inlet and pipe today (Monday) to alleviate the ponding and facilitate the drainage. The storm-drain catch basins in the parking lots all include fossil filters to remove debris and pollutants from the runoff before it drains to the beach. According to the County’s Department of Beaches and Harbors, a striping and signage plan has been developed to allow for circulation between the west and east parking lot areas, and the plan will be implemented in the next few weeks by its maintenance staff. Beaches and Harbors is expecting to receive the last piece of equipment (a three-compartment sink) for the concession building by the end of September so that we can obtain approval and sign-off from the Health Department by mid-October. Once we get a sign-off from the Health Department, the facility can be opened for business; however, this is at the discretion of the concessionaire. As part of the original design, gravel drain pits (approximately 2 ft x 2 ft x 1.5 ft deep) were installed at each of the four shower areas to capture and percolate the water from the showers; unfortunately, the drain pits seemed to be undersized for the volume of water being generated by the showers, so the gravel drain pits were enlarged to 6 ft x 6 ft x 5 ft deep. The work has been completed, inspected and tested at each of the four shower locations. The enlarged drain pits are working much better to alleviate the standing water problem, according to Beaches and Harbors maintenance staff. Parking Lot 5 [directly north of Gladstone’s], including the restrooms and showers, were opened to the public on September 8. The contractor is scheduled to complete the remaining miscellaneous punch-list items for this area in the next two weeks. Also, a change-order has been issued to the contractor to convert the lifeguard access ramp to a stairway will be completed in the next two weeks as well.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. Victoria Foyt discusses and signs ‘The Virtual Life of Lexie Diamond,’ a suspenseful ‘Whodunit’ novel, 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. Fourteen-year-old Lexie copes with alienation at school and her divorced parents’ disappointment with her computer-driven life. When her mother is killed in a mysterious car crash, Lexie finds credible evidence of foul play, and is forced to adapt and grow as a person in order to follow the clues. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28 Theatre Palisades presents ‘The Boy Friend,’ book, music and lyrics by Sandy Wilson, 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road. The show, directed by Lewis Hauser, runs Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees through October 14. Ticket reservations: (310) 454-1970, or visit www.theatrepalisades.org. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Kids of all ages are invited to a puppet show featuring ‘Story of Zee: Adventure One: Borrowing China,’ written by Marcie Gilbert and illustrated by Patricia Krebs, 11 a.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. Las Doradas will host ‘Fiesta para los Ni’os,’ The Hands that Hold Our Future,’ to benefit the Neighborhood Youth Association’s Las Doradas children’s Center. Silent auction at 11 a.m., lunch begins at 12:30 p.m. at Palisades Presbyterian Church Jan’s Hall, 15821 Sunset Blvd. Chamber Music Palisades presents Prokofiev’s ‘Peter and the Wolf,’ featuring CMP Co-Artistic Director Delores Stevens as narrator and musicians, free for families, 2 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real Dr. SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 The Temescal Canyon Association Sunday hikers will explore new territory in Sullivan and Rustic Canyons, including a hidden 511-step staircase. Meet at 9 a.m. in the Temescal Gateway parking lot (Sunset and Temescal) for carpooling. Bring lunch and water, but no dogs. Public invited. Contact: (310) 459-5931. MONDAY, OCTOBER 1 Cordelia Frances Biddle discusses and signs ‘The Conjurer,’ a mystery set in Philadelphia in 1842, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Palisades Garden Club meeting, featuring a talk by Jorge Ochoa at 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. (See story, page TK.) St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra presents a free concert at 8:15 p.m. in St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. (See story, page TK.) WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3 Former Palisadian Becki Weinheimer discusses and signs ‘Converting Kate’ at 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Sharq Art, the Villa Aurora and the Palisades Branch Library co-host a free screening of ‘Shadows,’ a documentary about Afghanistan women, 6 p.m. in the library’s community room, 861 Alma Real. (See story, page TK.) Weekly writing meeting for members of all 12-Step programs or anyone with a habitual problem or illness, 7 to 8 p.m. at 16730 Bollinger Dr. Telephone (310) 454-5138 or e-mail info@12stepsforeverybody.org. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4 Brian David Cinadr, a two-time Pushcart Award nominee for America’s Best Short Story, reads his latest work, ‘The Last Day and Texas State Highway 105,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5 Storytime for children and their adults, “suggested” for children ages 3 to 5, 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Children’s Librarian Gail Kim is offering a special four-session storytime series beginning today for preschoolers and their parents (or caregiver) to participate together and develop reading readiness skills. Richard Maxwell discusses and signs ‘The Elements of Persuasion: Use Storytelling to Pitch Better, Sell Faster and Win More Business,’ 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore.
25 Years Later, Bob Benton’s Sporting Goods Store Thrives on Swarthmore
Bob Benton and his store manager, Dottie Henkle, inside Bentons, the Sports Shop, a fixture on Swarthmore since 1982. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Two years ago in March, Bob Benton faced a crisis at his sporting goods and clothing store on the corner of Swarthmore and Monument. His landlord, Palisades Partners, announced that it was going to hike rents to “market level” on its Swarthmore properties (18 of the 22 storefronts on the 1000 block), and his proposed new lease would nearly double. Benton knew he couldn’t find a similar, affordable location in the Palisades, but could he afford to commit to a five-year lease? Benton received an outpouring of public support from his regular customers, yet negotiations with the landlord dragged on for more than a year before Benton finally decided to plunge ahead and “make the new lease work,” he told the Palisadian-Post in September 2005. “I made a good decision,” Benton said this week, as he continues to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his store. “I’m still living here with my family, I’m still making a living, the community needs the products we offer, and I’m doing something that’s my life.” Benton said the new lease has “forced me to do a few things differently, like taking the quality of our products up a notch. If you’re carrying a basketball for $12.95 and you can sell a better basketball for $19.95, you won’t lose customers here in the Palisades by simply carrying the more expensive ball, or by offering $10 Speedo goggles instead of a $5 model. “Most residents won’t drive out of town just to save a few bucks,” Benton said. “And when it comes to kids, parents want the best quality shoes and equipment.” Benton gives major credit for his store’s success to Dottie Henkle, who has been on his staff since 1984. “That was a great hire,” he said, beaming. “About two years after I opened, I needed a manager. Dottie was divorced, a single mom with four kids, and she had no real experience, but she was a customer of mine, she needed a job in town so she could watch after her kids, and she had helped her ex-husband in his construction business. “Dottie has evolved into being one of the best buyers you’ll ever see, a person who is respected in the industry,” Benton continued. ‘With a store this size [just 2,200 sq. ft.], we have to be very selective in ordering our inventory. Very few people drive to the Palisades to shop, and you don’t want residents leaving town to shop, so you have to offer a variety of clothing lines–running shoes, workout wear, surf wear, jogging bras, everything–and you have to anticipate six months in advance what’s going to appeal to the people living here.” Bob Benton knows he is fortunate to have a business that reflects his life-long interest in sports. “I was a sports junkie as a kid. When the World Series was played during the day, I’d tell my mom I was sick so I could stay home and watch the game on TV. It was always baseball: playing the game, trading cards, listening to Vin Scully on my transitor radio when I was in bed.” He was 11 and living in Tustin when the Dodgers came to L.A. in 1958. After his family moved to West L.A., Benton attended Loyola High School and then Santa Clara College, where he landed a job running the baseball stadium and announcing all the games on the PA system. “I was the voice of Buck Shaw Stadium,” he said with a laugh. After graduating in 1969 as a business major, Benton landed a job in commercial lending with Union Bank in downtown Los Angeles. Six years later he became controller for a record company, Music-Plus, “where I got my retail experience” and also began consulting for a sporting goods store in San Diego. “That’s how I heard that the owner of Smith’s Sporting Goods was going out of business and his store in the Palisades was available, in the former Norris Hardware location,” Benton said. At that time, Benton and his first wife and lived in Manhattan Beach and had two young children. “We decided to come up here and buy a house,” he said, “because it would allow me to have a business but also do the things at home my wife was unable to do because she worked downtown as a banker.” Benton recalled that his store’s previous owner, Milt Smith, was Mr. Addidas (the shoe’s trademark three stripes are still on the ceiling), and “his store was literally jock straps, gray sweatpants and track shoes,” at a time when the sporting goods business was transitioning into broader-based fitness clothing and popular new youth sports such as AYSO soccer. “In 1982, Pacific Palisades didn’t have a population base to support a surf and beach volleyball shop, a running gear store, an athletic equipment store and a clothing store, so I kind of wrapped all those into one business,” Benton said. “The biggest change in my store has been to become much more family oriented,’ he continued. “Our kids’ business is about half of our business now, from the early days when it was hardly anything. Families come in for soccer gear, baseball gear, volleyballs, basketballs and playground balls, and we do a big business with the YMCA swimmers, young and old.” Asked about important decisions he has made along the way that worked out well, Benton replied, “The key decision was not to specialize in any one thing and to make a business commitment to family. That’s really where we’ve had our growth, selling to young girls and young boys, but also to parents who come along with the kids and spot something they need themselves. This is not a glamorous Montana Avenue store that tries to appeal to the 18-to-30 ‘looking good, feeling good’ crowd. Our market is under 15 and over 45. “You have to cater to your market or you don’t survive in this town,” Benton added. “It’s like opening a restaurant here without a kids’ menu. Pearl Dragon is the only place with a hard liquor license, but look all the kids that eat there.” Benton has been married for 12 years to Sue Kohl, the assistant manager at Prudential California Realty. “She brought five kids to the marriage, I brought three,” he said. “Six of them played in the PPBA (Palisades Pony Baseball Association), and that’s how Sue and I met: I coached her son, David, on the Orioles, when he was 9. My son Michael was also on the team.” Benton coached baseball for about a decade and has been the volunteer commissioner of the PPBA for about 20 years. Along the way, he played a pivotal role in the community-based $1.5-million renovation of the long-neglected playing fields at the Palisades Recreation Center. “I had a guy retiring from my board, Mike Skinner, and I figured he needed one more volunteer job, so I encouraged him to pursue the new fields,” Benton said. “Mike and I became a two-man committee and he was the guy who made it happen.”
Tom Neenan conducts the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra at a recent practice. The Chamber ‘s 2007-2008 season begins October 19, and a special free program will be performed on October 1. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
St. Matthew’s Music Guild will open its 2007-2008 season on October 19 with an opening night gala, patrons supper and concert featuring a return appearance by Philip Vaiman in Samuel Barber?s lyrical “Violin Concerto.” St. Matthew’s Music Guild is known throughout Los Angeles for presenting the classical music in a stunning architectural and acoustical environment, designed by architect Charles Moore. Programs are offered at a reasonable price and at a convenient location, St. Matthew’s Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. All performances begin at 8 p.m. This season consists of eight programs. The second performance, on November 9 will feature a West Coast appearance by the Montreal-based Ensemble Caprice, which has appeared at the Vlaanderen Festival in Bruges, Belgium, the Netwerk-Reihe of the Organisatie voor Oude Muziek in The Netherlands, the International Recorder Symposium in Stuttgart and the Ancient Music Rencontres in Heidelberg. Since taking the 2005 Boston Early Music Festival by storm they have produced several highly acclaimed CDs and been nominated for three Prix Opus awards. Music for the season by J.S. Bach will be performed on December 14 and will feature “Cantata 140–Sleepers, wake!,”Cantata 10–My soul doth magnify the Lord,” “Brandenburg Concerto No. 4” and “Violin Concerto in E Major” performed by violinist Yi-Huan Zhao and The Choir of St. Matthew?s Parish. On January 18, composer-in-residence Dwayne Milburn’s world premiere of a new piece for clarinet and orchestra will be performed, preceded by Debussy?s ?Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun? (arr. Shoenberg), Barber’s “Knoxville: Summer of 1915” and Vaughan Williams’, “Five Variants of ?Dives and Lazarus.” On February 15, members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic will return for a program to include Brahms? Sextet in B-flat major plus music of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and John Harbison. April 4 brings a West Coast performance of American composer and conductor Murray Sidlin’s suite of arias, duets and instrumental works from Copland’s operatic masterpiece, ?The Tender Land.? Phil Feather, oboe d’amore, Rose Beattie, mezzo-soprano, Richard Bullock, bass trombone and John van Houten, tuba, will perform works of Wagner, Brahms, Angel and Wright on May 2. The season?s final program will be June 6 and will feature solo performances by David Searfoss, trumpet, playing Persichetti’s “The Hollow Men,” and Marda Todd, viola, playing Vaughan Williams? “Flos Campi.” The St. Matthew?s Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1984 by Tom Neenan, who is the music director and conductor of the orchestra. ?We started with four people who wanted to develop a chamber orchestra,? Neenan told the Post in 2004. They hit their stride 10 to 12 years ago, Neenan said, when they got a core group of 20 to 25 musicians playing in the orchestra. Now the 35-member St. Matthew?s Chamber Orchestra is recognized as a fully professional ensemble that has earned critical acclaim and public admiration for more than two decades. To subscribe to the 2007-2008 series call: (310) 573-7787 ext. 127 or visit: www.stmatthews.com/musicguild.
Kai Forbath kicks a field goal in the fourth quarter of UCLA’s 44-31 Pac-10 victory over Washington Saturday night at the Rose Bowl. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Palisadian Kai Forbath booted not one, not two, but three field goals in UCLA’s 44-31 Pac-10 victory over Washington Saturday night at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Bruins’ redshirt freshman, who was an All-CIF placekicker and punter at Notre Dame High in Sherman Oaks, split the uprights from 47, 39 and 30 yards against the Huskies. He has made eight field goals and 14 of 14 extra point tries in four games at UCLA this season and leads the Bruins with 38 points scored. The good news for UCLA is that because he did not play in 2006, Forbath still has four seasons of eligibility remaining. Forbath lettered all four seasons at Notre Dame High and helped lead the Knights to a 35-1 record and three CIF Southern Section titles. In his last two prep seasons he converted 26 of 33 field goal attempts, made 134 of 135 extra points and had a punting average of 46 yards. Sibling Rivalry? Former Palisades High football players Geoff and Mitchell Schwartz will suit up in different uniforms this Saturday when sixth-ranked California travels to Autzen Stadium to take on 11th-ranked Oregon with first place in the Pac-10 Conference at stake. Geoff, a senior, is a starting offensive tackle for the Ducks while younger brother Mitchell, a freshman offensive lineman at Cal, will make the trip with the Bears. Geoff won the Post Cup Award as Palisades High’s outstanding senior athlete in 2004 while Mitchell won the James A. Mercer Award as the school’s top scholar-athlete last spring.
Palisadian Names Spotlight Winners at Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness
Palisadian Jake Steinfeld (left) and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut the ribbon to officially open a brand new fitness center at Marvin Elementary School in Los Angeles. Photo: Duncan McIntosh / Office of Gov. Schwarzenegger
When it comes to physical fitness, no two men are more knowledgeable than Palisadian Jake Steinfeld and California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last Tuesday at Marvin Elementary School in Los Angeles, Steinfeld was the Master of Ceremonies at the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Spotlight Awards Ceremony and his enthusiasm was evident the moment he took the microphone. “Do you know that over 10,000 kids took our Governor’s challenge last year?,” Steinfeld asked his audience. “And this year we traveled up and down the state, visited with schools, kids, principals, superintendents, and I’m happy to announce that over 69,000 children in California took the Governor’s Challenge.” In addition to being Chairman of the Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Steinfeld is the founder of major league lacrosse, Fit TV and the first ever on-demand fitness television network, Exercise TV. He is also a best selling author and Chairman of Body by Jake Global. After thanking all of the event sponsors, Steinfeld could not contain his excitement as he announced the next speaker. “I go back a long way with this man, and yes, he’s probably the greatest–well, for sure the greatest bodybuilder that’s ever lived,’ Steinfeld said. “He’s an action hero, but most importantly, this man leads with passion, not perception. He unifies people, he doesn’t divide people, and that’s what makes him not just a special man, but a great Governor. I want to introduce my good friend, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.” With that, Schwarzenegger, a former Palisades resident, addressed the crowd of children: “Thank you very much, Jake, for the great introduction. And of course I want to say right off the top I think we owe it all to Jake, not to me, because Jake is really the one who has the energy and follows through. Every day he’s working on improving health and fitness amongst our youngsters in California. He’s done such an extraordinary job in bringing everyone together. “I have been involved in fitness my whole life. Even when I was at your age we were exercising every day back in Austria on the other side of the globe. But sports and fitness was a very important component in our whole day of education, if it was track and field, if it was soccer, if it was swimming. It was all kinds of an endless amount of different sports that we were doing. Well, then I decided to be a world champion in exercising, weightlifting and bodybuilding. I know what impact sports and fitness had on me, and how successful I became in my life because of health and fitness and because of exercising regularly. So I was convinced that I wanted to go and get that message out there to all the youngsters all over the world, but especially here in America. “I was very fortunate that 17 years ago President Bush the first appointed me to be Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and I traveled through all 50 states, going from school to school, state to state, to promote health and fitness and to make sure that the schools keep their P.E. teachers and keep their gymnasiums open. “Now every year we’re going to put 40 million dollars in so we can hire extra physical education teachers, because you deserve it. The only way you can get the program and the training is if we, the adults, give you the opportunities. I’m very proud that we as a state have been the first to increase the fresh fruits and vegetables in our schools, that we are the first ones to have banned junk food and sodas from our schools. Parents have to be involved, teachers have to be involved, principals have to be involved and you, the students, have to be involved. Together with the sponsors that we have, we can create a really healthy atmosphere here. California is way ahead of every other state and I think we are very proud of that.” Steinfeld took the podium again and introduced Awards Committee members Peter Vidmar (a gold-medal winning gymnast) and Lisa Fernandez (three-time Olympic softball gold medalist). Then, he announced the winners in seven different categories. Marvin Elementary finished first out of 31 schools that participated in the program.
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