The Pacific Palisades Community Council’s Marquez Transportation committee has contacted Marquez Charter Elementary Principal Phillip Hollis and asked to attend the next governing board meeting in September to discuss school-related traffic and parking issues. At its August 9 meeting, the Community Council voted unanimously to send a letter to L.A. School Board member Marlene Canter, arguing that ‘more than 500 cars stop at Marquez Elementary every school day. The school population has gone from roughly 500 to close to 800. The school has only 25 on-site parking spaces. This is unsatisfactory, as the staff is closer to 100.’ The council approved sending the letter, which suggested four solutions (including a recommendation that one-third of the Marquez playground be turned into a parking lot) after they were assured that the principal and the school had approved it, which was not the case. This week, the Palisadian-Post checked the numbers cited in the letter. In the faculty parking lot there are 30 numbered spaces, an additional curbside spot and a handicapped spot, bringing the total to 32 spaces. This year’s faculty number is 32, plus 25 aides and five office personnel. According to Principal Phillip Hollis, the number of projected students for this school year is 598, not ‘close to 800.’ And the 500 cars arriving at the school every day? Maybe not in the morning or in the afternoon. This spring, an official of the L.A. Department of Transportation Crossing Guard Section counted cars and children at the intersection of Marquez Avenue and Edgar Street, but found the numbers too low to warrant a crossing guard. In order to qualify, a minimum of 300 cars and 20 walking children must go through the intersection in one hour, according to Sergeant Juanita Wildy. Hollis, who has been seeking a crossing guard, has asked for a recount. John Grosse, a member of the council’s Marquez committee, has suggested that additional faculty parking could be built on the playground next to the dismissal gate and near the kindergarten bungalows. This would mean relocating the kindergarten/first-grade play structure, as well as moving two basketball courts and a handball court. If cars were routed to the far end of the playground, trees and part of the grass yard would have to be removed. This week, Hollis suggested that an ideal place for additional parking would be at the intersection of Ida Street and Marquez Avenue, but the school does not have the funds for such construction. Hollis is also concerned that there are no sidewalks for children to walk safely to school on adjoining streets, which could help alleviate some vehicle traffic.
Palisades Residents Share a Good Movie, Laugh
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
More than 900 residents and guests watched ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’ at the Palisades Recreation Center Saturday evening. ‘I was amazed that after the movie started, people just kept coming and coming,’ said Arnie Wishnick, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, which co-hosts the August screenings with the nonprofit Movies in the Park committee. As a special treat, two of the actresses from the movie, Palisadian Cindy Pickett and Edie McClurg, spoke about making the movie. ‘While we were waiting for them to set up the cameras and lights in the Bueller house, there was a pool table in the basement and we went down and played,’ said Pickett, who played Ferris’ mother. ‘We got quite good.’ Pickett also confessed that she met her husband, Lyman Ward, who played her onscreen husband, Tom Bueller, in the 1986 comedy. The couple had two children, but have since divorced. McClurg, who is hilarious as the school secretary, said that when she showed up on the set with a bubble hairdo, director John Hughes asked her how many pencils she thought she could get in her hair at one time. It turns out that three was the maximum, as evidenced by a scene in the movie. In addition to the two actors, the second assistant director on the movie, Ken Collins, also attended the Palisades screening. ‘We shot the first half of the movie in Chicago,’ he recalled, ‘and the other half in Los Angeles.’ When the crew moved back to L.A., the remaining high school scenes were shot at El Camino High School. ‘The kids in Chicago were white and pudgy,’ Collins said, ‘and the kids in California were thin and tan and looked like they were actors.’ Collins lives in Larchmont and came because of Pickett, who he has directed in ‘Without a Trace.’ ‘I consider the parade scene [in Ferris Bueller] to be one of the highlights of my career,’ Collins said. ‘It was the greatest feeling seeing it on-screen.’ The three said they were thrilled that the film is ranked number 10 on Entertainment Weekly’s ‘Top 50 Best High School Movies’ and continues to be a cult classic. This year’s Movies in the Park series will conclude on Saturday at 8 p.m. with ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,’ the highest grossing movie of 1989. Directed by Palisades resident Steven Spielberg, the film stars Harrison Ford and Sean Connery. Admission is free, but attendees are reminded: no alcohol, no stick chairs and NO DOGS. One of the conditions of obtaining permission to show films on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center was that no dogs would be allowed.
How the Mortgage Crisis Affects Pacific Palisades
By JIM and ELIZABETH STEIN, JAE WU and SEAN McMILLAN With the mortgage market in turmoil, one question that real estate agents in Pacific Palisades are hearing is ‘How will the Palisades market be influenced by the current foreclosures?’ We feel that a somewhat minor local influence can be expected as a result of this mortgage correction. Suffice it to say that lenders will continue to lend; the lending business is a $10-trillion industry that we believe is in a correction mode. Google ‘mortgage implode’ and you get a site that points you to the ‘Implode-o-meter’ which counts, as of Tuesday, 130 lenders in the U.S. that were forced to shut down operations. Some of these institutions were among the largest in the business. Seven large lenders remain in the business. So what does all this news mean to you and, most importantly, what should you be doing right now to make sure you are protected? Let’s first hear from mortgage brokers Jae Wu and Sean McMillan of First Financial Mortgage in Santa Monica, who are industry leaders in their field. Over the last few years, many loans were made to borrowers whose situations normally would not have allowed them to obtain financing. These borrowers did not qualify for Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loans, so they got ‘nonconforming’ loans. These loans were called ‘sub-prime’ or ‘Alt-A’ loans. The money for these ‘nonconforming’ loans does not come from the government-sponsored entities of Fannie/Freddie but from private institutions and investors. In Westside markets, nonconforming loans are in the form of the jumbo loans that many people have employed to finance their home purchase. The increase in defaults and foreclosures are credited to the soft real estate market that is being experienced nationally and the credit tightening that a soft market normally creates. Compound the soft market with the exotic and low down payment financing that 42 percent of first-time buyers used in recent years to purchase their home–and you have a recipe for the fallout that has recently taken place. How does this affect us here in Pacific Palisades and neighboring markets up to this point? Locally, we are dealing with jumbo loan rates being significantly higher now than they were a few weeks ago (@ 7 ‘-7 ‘ percent). Additionally, there is a lack of liquidity in the market because of private institutions and investors who have ceased entirely the purchase of mortgage-backed securities. No financial institution/private investor purchase of mortgage-backed securities, no money to lend to nonconforming loan borrowers. This all amounts to a readjustment that is taking place where lenders are reviewing files with a much more cautious eye than in the recent past and are taking much longer to review a borrower’s profile than before. What the lenders will be looking for now is the ability of the borrower to repay even in times of extreme distress. Can that person pay on their loan or have the ability to sell if they have to, and is there enough ‘equity’ in the home? For those of you who have a mortgage, this market is not going to affect you on your current mortgages. The people this crisis is affecting are those who are selling right now and those who want to purchase a home. If you are a potential buyer, you are going to be scrutinized more than ever before. The main thing you should do is make sure that your credit has been carefully reviewed by you or your mortgage professional. Your great credit is one of the main features that will differentiate you in whether you get a good loan or not. Make sure you can document the income you earn and be sure to document where your down payment is coming from. As a seller, you are going to have to be flexible with your buyer as they work in this climate. Work with a loan broker who is prepared to complete your file in the strongest way possible so that your loan gets funded as quickly as possible. If you would like to discuss this article or any other questions you may have, please call or write to Jae Wu or Sean McMillan at team@wumac.com or (310) 234-3278. +++++++++++++++++++++++ Now for the current real estate market from leading Pacific Palisades agents Elizabeth and Jim Stein with Prudential California Realty. How will the local housing market react to this mortgage market and what can you do to navigate in this climate if you are considering buying or selling? We believe that this mortgage market will have an impact on the mindsets of our buyers and sellers more than how it will actually play out in the form of price decreases in this area. The media is running with this topic every day and is creating fear in those considering a real estate transaction now. The fear created in the press, we believe, will be worse than our local reality. With this mortgage market correction, we will have to navigate through a tricky terrain. A few suggestions for those considering buying and/or selling now: – If you are a buyer, be prepared with proof of your great credit rating and proof of funds when you go in with an offer. One current shift that we have experienced is lenders are taking longer to get loan packages done. The lenders are, as promised, reviewing a borrower’s financial status with a much more careful eye. By offering your credit rating and proof of funds up front, you give a seller additional comfort in your overall profile and ability to close on time even with this existing mortgage market challenge. – Additionally, as a buyer, it is critical that when you get a loan lock, get it in writing and most importantly, confirm that the lock is good through to the end of the escrow period. We have heard of loan documents being signed and lenders refusing to fund, citing the disappearance of the loan program previously offered. – If you are a buyer, a ‘must’ right now is to do double loan applications. This means to apply with two mortgage brokers so that if a loan program or rate is discontinued, you can still work with the other broker to close your escrow. – If you are a seller, work closely with your real estate agent to understand and anticipate your buyer’s needs and how they might change due to lenders’ demands. Consider carrying a second trust deed for your buyer. This will lower their loan-to-value ratio and should assist them in getting financing faster and more easily. Also, you can consider buying down points on your buyer’s loan. This allows your buyer to afford more in the purchase price of your home. – As a seller you can request that the earnest money deposit be released from escrow upon the removal of contingencies. This is an added measure of security that the buyer plans to close escrow on time and as offered in the contract. If you would like to discuss this article or for any other questions you may have, please e-mail steingroup@prula.com or call Jim Stein at (310) 230-3769 or Elizabeth Stein at (310) 230-3712. For much more on this topic of mortgages, local real estate and how to best position yourself in this market, there will be a free evening conference on September 17 at the Palisades Branch Library on Alma Real from 7 to 8 p.m.
Calendar for the Week of August 23
THURSDAY, AUGUST 23 Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the campfire center past the General Store. Sing songs, tell stories, and roast marshmallows, courtesy of the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority. Admission is free; parking is $5. FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 The Theatre Palisades summer musical, ‘The Boy Friend,’ book, music and lyrics by Sandy Wilson, opens at 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. Visit: www.theatrepalisades.org. SATURDAY, AUGUST 25 Final night of Movies in the Park features ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,’ 7:45 p.m. at the Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Admission is free. SUNDAY, AUGUST 26 Final evening of Summer Splash, a free, family-oriented activity hosted by the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, 5 to 7 p.m., in the Y’s Temescal Canyon pool, just north of Sunset. Friends of Film screen ‘Father G and the Homeboys,’ narrated by Martin Sheen, 7 p.m. in Pierson Playhouse on Haverford. Admission is $10. (See story, page TK.) Palisades Symphony will perform highlights from Mozart’s Opera ‘Don Giovanni’ at 7:30 p.m. in the Palisades Lutheran Church, 15905 Sunset, corner of El Medio. MONDAY, AUGUST 27 The Palisades Branch Library hosts a community reading of Oscar Wilde’s comedy, ‘The Importance of Being Earnest,’ 7 p.m. in the library’s meeting room, 861 Alma Real. Pacific Palisades Civic League meeting, 7:30 p.m. in Gabrielson Hall at the Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Public invited. (See story, page TK.) Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy meeting, 7:30 p.m., with public testimony at 8 p.m., Stewart Hall in Temescal Gateway Park. The agenda is posted at www.smmc.ca.gov. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 29 Young Adult program at the Palisades Branch Library presents a seminar with classic cartoon animators Max Espinoza and Ruben Gerard, 4 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. THURSDAY, AUGUST 30 Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the campfire center past the General Store. Sing songs, tell stories, and roast marshmallows, courtesy of the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority. Admission is free; parking is $5.
Still Going Strong
By LARRY NILES Special to the Palisadian-Post Age is simply a question of mind over matter. Just ask Leonard Wolfe, who turned 90 on August 10 yet continues to play tennis four or more days a week, outwitting Father Time in the same manner that Roger Federer dispatches opponents at Wimbledon. In fact, not only is Wolfe still playing, he’s still striving to improve his game. He spends several hours a week refining his strokes with his ball machine. He is even taking lessons to improve his forehand and his coach, Gino, claims Wolfe is the best “physical therapist” he knows. Wolfe has lived in Pacific Palisades for 52 years. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, but moved with his family to Southern California when he was 10. He graduated from University High in West LA and then UCLA. He began playing tennis at the age of 14 and has played the sport continuously ever since, except for a seven-year hiatus due to tuberculosis, which he contracted in India while serving as a warrant officer in the army for five years during World War II. After successful treatment during his 12-month stay at the VA Hospital in San Fernando, Wolfe completed his university studies and went to work for the State Franchise Tax Board, where he became a supervising auditor. Upon retiring in 1982 after 31 years as a state employee, Wolfe continued to sharpen his tennis skills and became well known on local courts as an ageless southpaw player. Before moving to the Palisades in 1955, Wolfe lived in Westwood and used to ride horses in the Marquez area for 50 cents an hour. Marion, his wife of 57 years, passed away eight years ago but Wolfe lives on with his two cats in a house he bought 60 years ago on the Via bluffs. As an avid player, Wolfe follows all of the major tournaments on television and gives enthusiastic support to younger athletes. One of his proteges is 14-year-old Sara Lee, a budding tennis star who trains at Riviera Tennis Club. Wolfe is also a friend and fan of local distance runner Kara Barnard, an eight-time winner of the Palisades-Will Rogers 5/10K Race. “Leonard is one of the nicest people one would ever hope to know,” says Eric Valentine, his longtime friend and doubles partner. Wolfe plays in a weekly doubles group and frequently fills in a couple of days for another group. Although the oldest player, he claims he is still the fastest on the court. And after the match, he heads to Gelson’s for coffee with his pals. Wolfe seldom misses a chance to dine at Denny’s in Santa Monica, where the friendly staff have a table and coffee waiting for him when he arrives. Two weeks ago, they even surprised him with a cake on his birthday, which he thought they didn’t know about. ‘Leonard is never without a story or a joke,’ says longtime friend and local tennis player Gene Golling. Wolfe bought a new car several months ago and plans on driving for many years to come. To what does he attribute his longevity and athletic prowess? ‘Clean living and healthy eating,’ he says.
Dr. Henry Gong, Jr., M.D.; 60
Member of California’s Air Resources Board
Dr. Henry Gong, Jr., beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend and physician, passed away at his home in Pacific Palisades on August 17. He was 60 years old and had been suffering from ongoing heart complications. Dr. Gong was a world-renowned physician, researcher and professor widely respected for his work in respiratory and pulmonary medicine. He was a physician at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center, where he served as chairman of the Department of Medicine, chief of Environmental Health Services, and medical director of Respiratory Care Services. Dr. Gong was also professor of medicine and preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC and the appointed physician member of the Air Resources Board for the State of California. A frequent lecturer on the effects of air pollution, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and the evaluation of pulmonary patients for air travel, Dr. Gong published more than 250 papers and book chapters related to respiratory diseases and the health effects of air pollution, and acted as a reviewer of over 20 professional journals and research organizations, including the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the New England Journal of Medicine, European Respiratory Journal, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the Health Effects Institute. During his distinguished career he earned numerous honors and awards, including the Environmental Achievement Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Carl Moyer Award from the Coalition for Clean Air; Robert M. Zweig, M.D. Memorial Award from the South Coast Air Quality Management District; and the Clean Air Award from the American Lung Association. In addition to serving on the California Air Resources Board, he served on many other advisory boards, including the Clean Air Scientific Advisory Committee for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; chair of the scientific sessions for the American Thoracic Society and American College of Chest Physicians; and chair of the Institutional Review Board and Continuing Medical Education Committee at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center. Henry Gong was born on May 23, 1947 in Tulare, California, to Choy and Henry Gong. He was the youngest of four children and the only sibling born in the United States. When he was about six, his family established a grocery business in Dos Palos. Henry was educated in public schools, graduating from Dos Palos High School in 1965, and spent his spare time helping out at the family?s National Market grocery store. Dr. Gong earned his bachelor?s degree from the University of the Pacific and his medical degree from UC Davis. In 1975, he completed his residency training in medicine at Boston University Hospital and began his fellowship in pulmonary medicine at UCLA, where he continued as a full-time faculty member for the next 15 years. He started at Rancho Los Amigos in 1992 and, a year later, joined the Keck School of Medicine. Henry married his wife Jan on June 30, 1968, while they were both undergraduate students at UOP in Stockton. They moved to the Palisades in April 1977 and raised two children, Greg and Jaimee, who were both educated in local public schools. Jan and Henry joined Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church in 1980 and Henry later served six years as an elder. He will be greatly missed by his surviving family, including his wife Jan, son Greg, daughter Jaimee Gong (husband Cyril Megret), granddaughter Lilymiel Megret-Gong, and many nieces and nephews. A viewing will take place from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Friday, August 24, at Faith Chapel, Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. The memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 25, in Palisades Presbyterian Church, with a 3 p.m. gravesite internment to follow at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Breathe California, 5858 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036; or the Palisades Presbyterian Church Mission Fund, 15821 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
Achieving “Peak” Performance
There are lots of ways to celebrate a birthday, but it’s hard to “top” what Andy Lundberg did in anticipation of turning 50 just a few weeks ago. Lundberg scaled Mont Blanc, the highest peak in the Alps (and in fact all of Western Europe), reaching the summit of 15,574 feet on July 31. Also known as “La Dame Blanche” (French for “White Lady”), Mont Blanc lies between the regions of Aosta Valley in Italy and Haute-Savoie in France. “Somehow, I managed a smile when I reached the top but I don’t know how–that was a real haul,” Lundberg said. “With the wind chill it was about -10 degrees Fahrenheit up there.” A Palisades resident since 1985, Lundberg is a partner in Latham & Watkins’ Los Angeles office and co-chairs the firm’s global Insurance Coverage Practice Group. He was recently named one of America’s top 10 policyholder lawyers. Lundberg’s passion for mountain climbing was ignited in 1994 at his 20-year high school reunion in Seattle, Washington, where he was born and raised. “I had a few drinks and entered into a pact with my two best buddies from the class of ’74 to climb Mt. Rainier the following summer,” Lundberg recalled. “I did, I liked it and I’ve climbed it three more times since then.” Rainier is the tallest mountain in the Cascades at 14,410 feet and its summit is topped by a pair of volcanic craters, each over 1,000 feet in diameter. “The guide service up there (Rainier Mountaineering) has it wired,” Lundberg said. “One day of ‘school’ and two days of climbing and you’ve done something pretty unusual. Plus, you pound yourself into the best shape of your life to get ready for it.” Lundberg was instantly hooked and, upon conquering Rainier for the first time, has tried to do a climb every summer since.
Sandra Malone, 79; Village Green Fan
Sandra Malone, a former longtime Pacific Palisades resident and widow of the recently deceased John Malone, died at her Lake Isabella home on July 23 of natural causes. She was 79. Born Sandra Sisk in Sylva, North Carolina, in 1927, Sandra attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and graduated from UNC at Chapel Hill in 1950. After marrying journalist Karl Fleming, she had four sons. The family settled in Pacific Palisades in 1966. Divorced after 15 years of homemaking and childraising, Sandra re-entered the work force and found employment at Coutinho Caro & Co., a German-based international steel company. Without any training in the field, she quickly became one of Southern California’s top salespeople. She retired in 1987. Sandra was extremely outgoing and active in Palisades community life, taking an instrumental hand in the 1973 creation of the Village Green, a community-funded project. With four sons, she was involved in scouting as well, particularly with Troop 223. An avid gardener and traveler, she had just returned from a week-long vacation on the Hawaiian island of Maui, with her son Mark and his family, at the time of her death. Sandra married retired Hughes engineer John Malone in 1997, and lost him to heart failure in May of this year. She is survived by her sons Charles Fleming of Silverlake, David Fleming of Westlake Village, Russell Fleming of Venice and Mark Fleming of Sacramento; stepchildren Mark Malone of Santa Cruz and Cyndee Murphy of Florida; and grandchildren Katherine, Frances, Allison, Lesli, William, Sam, Nathan and Nicholas Fleming; Christy, Brittany and Chelsea Murphy; and Hannah and Noah Malone. A memorial service will be held at the Self-Realization Fellowship in Pacific Palisades on Saturday, September 29, at 11:00 am. Donations may be made in Sandra’s name to the Village Green Committee (P.O. Box 14, Pacific Palisades) to help support its ongoing ownership and maintenance of this treasured pocket park.
Teddi Winograd, 87; Peace Activist
Teddi Winograd, mother of Pacific Palisades resident Marcy Winograd and co-founder of the Peace and Conflict Studies Center at the Palisades Branch Library, where she donated books to honor the victims of the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, passed away on August 21. She was 87. A friend of the late Norman Cousins and a member of the Palisades Democratic Club and Palisadians for Peace, Teddi spent much of her life in Pacific Palisades, though she lived in Beverly Hills. On weekends, she joined Marcy and the Palisades Democratic Club, attending forums featuring local lawmakers and hosting then-Secretary of State candidate Debra Bowen in Marcy’s backyard in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood. From 1962 to1985 Teddi, along with her beloved husband Sam Winograd, founded Teddi of California, a successful women’s apparel line known for its bright floral prints. After retiring from her life as a clothing designer, Teddi became active in politics, hosting monthly meetings of Progressive Democrats of Los Angeles in her home. When Marcy moved from the Palisades to Marina del Rey to challenge incumbent Jane Harman in the Democratic Party primary in 2006, Teddi quipped that she was running too–campaigning nonstop for her daughter and appearing at events with peace activists Cindy Sheehan and Tom Hayden. As a result of Marcy’s campaign, Teddi launched the Great Minds series, welcoming authors Gore Vidal, John Dean, Elizabeth de la Vega and John Nichols into her home. A week before Teddi died of cancer, she insisted on following through with a fundraiser for Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich. After enjoying an anti-war serenade by a three-man band while resting in her peach-colored bedroom, Teddi courageously went to her window to wave to Kucinich and the crowd gathered in her backyard garden. Teddi loved to visit her daughter for an ocean-view ride along the bluffs, followed by an early dinner at Dante’s. She often spoke proudly of her daughter’s years of teaching at Paul Revere Middle School and Palisades High School. Teddi is survived by her son Barry of Alameda, daughter Marcy (husband Buddy Gottlieb), and grandchildren Gina Gardner of Pacific Palisades and Ben and Rachel Winograd of Alameda. Office of the Americas peace activist Blase Bonpane will lead the memorial service on Sunday, August 26, at 1 p.m. at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 Centinela Ave. In lieu of flowers, friends and family may send donations to Palisadians for Peace, 934 Las Pulgas Rd., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 or the USC Andrus Gerontology Center, 3715 McClintock, Room 110, Los Angeles, CA 90089.
PaliHi Pool Fundraising Underway
If all goes well, groundbreaking for an aquatics center at Palisades Charter High School that will include a 8-lane competitive pool and a separate lesson pool will begin next June, with completion by February 2009. The pool, which will be located on the northwest corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Bowdoin Street, is envisioned as a community venture. Total cost of the aquatics center is projected at $3.5 million and $1,280,000 has been raised thus far, according to Greg Wood, PaliHi?s chief business officer. Before groundbreaking can take place, the school must have 50 percent of the cost ($1.75 million) in the bank and another 25 percent pledged. Rose Gilbert, who has taught English at Pali since the school opened in 1961, donated most of the money thus far ($1.1 million), and was the impetus that got the project underway. The complex will be called the Maggie Gilbert Aquatics Center in honor of her late daughter. Aquatic Design Company, an architectural firm that specializes in pools, has been retained and a business plan for operating the pool is complete. Parent Jeanne Goldsmith, who works for Mission Possible, a fundraising group, is developing the fundraising plan. ?The idea is that outside of school hours, on weekends and during the summer the pool will be available for community groups and users,? said Maggie Nance, the school?s swim team coach and member of the pool committee, who is helping with the business plan. ?If kids are playing water polo, they won?t have to drive over to Harvard-Westlake anymore for club practices, they can do it here.? ?The reality is there is insufficient pool space on the Westside,? added PaliHi Executive Director Amy Held. She pointed out the only competition pool in Pacific Palisades is the Palisades-Malibu YMCA pool in Temescal Canyon, an aging facility that is only six lanes and wasn?t built for water polo. “The Y pool also can?t be upgraded because of the geology of the area,? Nance said. ?We?ve met with the Y and continue to meet with the Y to see how we can work together,? Held added. The plan has always been that the pool will benefit the high school as well as the community. ?It is not sustainable financially to operate the pool only from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. [school hours],? Nance said. ?Once opened, the pool will be in constant use.? ?The pool is designed for maximum community use,? Held said. The high school currently permits its fields and gyms for outside use. The plan is that through permits, admission fees, swimming lessons, swim meets and rentals to summer and sports camps, the pool will generate enough revenue to break even. The yearly cost is projected to be $500,000, which includes heating, chemical, maintenance and staffing costs. ?By doing upfront planning, we won?t run into the problems that LAUSD and other cities have,? Nance said. A recent L.A. Times photo showed a child looking through a chain-link fence an empty LAUSD pool at the Miguel Contreras Learning Center on Third Street, which was closed because planning precluded it from community use. Held and Nance feel that this is the difference between a regular LAUSD project and a charter school project. ?Charter law becomes free from bureaucracy, not just with education, but also with facilities,? Nance said. Nance and Held attended a three-day conference hosted by the USA Swimming Facility Development Department on new pool construction, which covered issues concerning construction and highlighted possible problems once the pool opens. While at the conference they ran their business plans by USA Swimming Facility Director Mick Nelson, who thought the plans looked good and that their revenue estimates were conservative. He also reinforced PaliHi?s architectural choice as one of the top in the country. On August 29, the pool committee will meet with representatives of California Environmental Quality Act, the first step in major construction. Professional facilities project manager Chaz Yench, who splits his time between Palisades High and Granada Hills (also a fiscally independent charter), will oversee construction. He is currently overseeing the new PaliHi track and field construction. This is the third facilities construction project that PaliHi has undertaken in recent years. The first was the bungalows, which cost $800,000; the second is the stadium renovation, expected to be completed in late September at a cost of $1.5 million. ?Each project is a building block,? Held said. ?With each one we learn how to raise funds and manage the construction. In the near future we foresee doing a $10 to $20 million performing arts complex.? ?Every time we do a project we get better at it,? Nance said. Further questions about the pool project can be directed to Nance maggienance@gmail.com or Held aheld@palihigh.org Anyone wishing to donate can contact Greg Wood (310) 459-0310.
