Storefronts are generally attractive, intended to entice customers, but the back walls are generally colorless and drab, unless you look at the parking lot behind the stores on the west side of Swarthmore. The back wall of Paliskates is resplendent with color, thanks to Charlie Edmiston. Paliskates owner Erika Simpson, who asked Edmiston to paint the building’s wall, gave him free rein. ‘He’s been on our skate team since he was 14 years old and he’s very talented,’ Simpson told a reporter at the Palisadian-Post. ‘I support and encourage local talent.’ Edmiston, 19, went into the alley, sat down and pondered the 15-ft.-by-50 ft. space. After some contemplation, he started by using two shades of green and yellow house paint for the background. After buffing it, he used spray paint for the characters. He didn’t work from a sketch, but instead did ‘free-styling.’ After he finished the characters, he outlined everything in black. The entire process took three days. The result is striking, fun and joyful. One of the neighboring business owners looked out while Edmiston was working and told him ‘We wish you could do our buildings, too.’ Edmiston would be glad to do other buildings, when he has time. Currently, he’s completing his second year at Otis College of Art and Design in Westchester. ‘I’m definitely happy,’ Edmiston said about school. ‘You just go into the studio and paint whatever you want.’ Edmiston, who attended Palisades Elementary, Paul Revere Middle School and Palisades High School, has drawn since he was little. ‘I wasn’t always good in math and science,’ he admitted. Once he started the art program at Palisades High and took AP classes, he found his niche. ‘When I was a junior, I could see how motivated the teachers were to get students into art schools,’ he said. ‘ I started researching colleges.’ Since he didn’t feel like leaving Southern California, Edmiston only applied to Otis. ‘It’s tough to get in,’ he said. Currently, he’s living at his childhood home in the Palisades. (His mom Pepper is a contributing columnist for the Palisadian-Post, and his dad is the executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.) Edmiston submitted a portfolio of 13 pieces from his junior and senior year at Pali, which included a few abstracts and some still lifes. Before graduating, as part of his AP art final, he painted two murals above the steps next to the tunnel on the Pali High campus, which garnered him A’s. His first year at college was a foundation year, which meant he studied the basics, including sculpture, design and life and composite drawing. He originally thought about choosing a double major in graphic design and painting, but later decided to major solely in painting. There is nothing more satisfying to Edmiston than to spend the entire day in the studio. ‘It is so chill,’ he said. ‘Recently, I have been working on mixed media, which includes tempera, spray paint and cel vinyl, a medium that cartoonists use for cartoon cels. ‘You don’t have to follow any rules for art,’ he said. ‘You find a medium that you’re comfortable with.’ His latest is car paint, which is thick and glossy, that doesn’t wear away and has an opaque quality. But, there is a downside: ‘You have to wear a mask because it is harmful to your lungs,’ Edmiston said. In addition to painting, he’s also started exploring photography. ‘I like to be well-rounded,’ he said. In his junior year, he will intern with working artists, and as a senior he will participate in a show in which galley owners, magazine editors and other artists are invited. Although he still has two years left at school, this young talent is already being recognized. Edmiston’s work was recently exhibited in art shows in Culver City and Venice and he sold paintings at both. Out of hundreds of entries for a design contest for the Santa Monica Pier, his design is one of the finalists. In addition, he recently started working with a film company that is flying him to Spain in July to document a large group show in Barcelona. To view or buy Edmiston’s work go to www.charlieedmiston.com.
Junior Women Name Annie Barnes President
Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club (PPWJC) celebrated the successes of the outgoing board headed by Megan Webber and the installation of new board members with an ‘In-N-Out’ party at the home of Annie Barnes, the incoming president. Barnes has been a member of the PPJWC for six years and has held numerous offices in the organization, including having served as vice president under Megan Webber. In addition, in 2005 she led the Juniors’ annual holiday home tour. Annie lives in the Highlands with her husband, Kevin, and their two sons, Parker and Preston, who attend Calvary Christian School. Among other efforts, Annie spearheads the community service program at Calvary Christian School, together with her co-chair Kelly Holscher. In that role, Annie acts as the school’s official liaison with numerous service organizations, including Union Rescue Mission, Operation Christmas Child, Los Angeles Christian School, Soldier’s Angels and Casa Hogar Sion Orphanage. Under the leadership of Megan Webber, PPJWC contributed over $100,000 to the community in education, recreation, beautification and community services. In addition to Barnes, the 2007/2008 PPJWC board of directors includes Kim Kedeshian, vice president; Sarah Ann Brien, secretary; Elizabeth Giovine, treasurer; Nuka Solomon and Jennifer Munakesh, boutique co-chairs; Jessica Kirkwood and Amy Fink, bulletin editors; Liz Cohen, business chair; Heidi Epstein, club historian; Helen Dameris, community service chair; Anita Hall and Mary Lee Malcolm, fundraising chairs; Christine Bishop, project selection chair; Allison Massey and Deepthi Brown, publicity co-chairs; Jackie Hassett, home tour chair; Christine Ofiesh, meeting programs chair; April O’Sullivan and Michelle Jordan, membership co-chairs; Gabi Brumbach, nominations chair; Megan Webber, parliamentarian; Kris Kelly and Lee Ann Conway, clubhouse coordinators; Alyssa MacMiller and Stefanie Skinner, special events chairs; and Caitlin Villante, sustainer liaison. Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing and preserving the quality of life in Pacific Palisades. Membership is open to all women who live in Pacific Palisades and the vicinity. Contact: (310) 285-3218 or visit wwwPPJWC.com.
Paintings Depict Scenes at “Water’s Edge”
Schomburg Gallery will present ‘Water’s Edge,’ an exhibition of paintings by Sally Lamb and Humbert Curcuru beginning this Saturday, May 12. An opening reception takes place on Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. Featured in the show are oil and watercolor paintings depicting water scenes from around the world, including local landmarks such as Santa Monica Bay, Pacific Palisades and the Venice Canals. Palisadian Sally Lamb received her BFA from USC. Her paintings have appeared in more than 50 exhibitions nationwide and are included in numerous private collections. In her ‘Umbrella Series,’ she captures the essence of California summer fun. Lamb’s career has included creating children’s book illustrations and covers, Shakespearean costume designs and interior wall murals. Humbert Curcuru studied art at the Academie Jullian in Paris, the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, and Parsons New School of Design in Paris. His paintings are included in numerous public and private collections. ‘Water’s Edge’ runs from May 12 through June 9, 2007. The Schomburg Gallery is located at 2525 Michigan Ave., Bergamot Station, in Santa Monica. Contact: (310) 453-5757 or go online to at www.SchomburgGallery.com.
Getty Takes Walk On the Wild Side
Exotic beasts strike a regal pose in a new exhibition
Known for her thick skin yet gentle nature, Clara was wildly popular throughout Europe in the 18th century, touring throughout the continent for nearly two decades. She attracted legions of fans, including the famous French painter Jean-Baptiste Oudry, who made her the subject of a life-sized portrait. Clara is a rhinoceros, and the unveiling at the J. Paul Getty Museum of Oudry’s enormous painting of her, on display for the first time in more than 150 years, threatens to ignite ‘Clara-mania’ all over again. The painting is the centerpiece of the Getty’s new exhibition ‘Oudry’s Painted Menagerie,’ which showcases 11 other of the artist’s heroic images of animals, from leopards to exotic fowl. Many depict star specimens of King Louis XV’s menagerie at Versailles, creatures that Oudry observed firsthand as a regular visitor to the palace. Oudry), a renowned court painter in France and Germany, was considered the greatest animal painter of his day. He created Clara’s portrait in 1749 when the high-profile rhino, a docile creature with major star power, was the sensation at the annual Saint-Germain fair in Paris. ‘We’ve all fallen completely in love with her,’ says Mary Morton, the Getty Museum’s associate curator of paintings and the exhibition’s organizing curator. The sentiment is not surprising, especially in view of the painting’s recent history. In 2001, ‘Clara’ and another important Oudry painting, a life-size portrait of a lion, were shown to Getty professionals Mark Leonard, head conservator of paintings, and Scott Schaefer, curator of paintings, while they were traveling through Germany looking for needy conservation cases. The two king-sized canvases, in poor condition, had been rolled up and stored for generations in the basement of the Staatliches Museum Schwerin in northeast Germany. Oudry sold ‘Rhinoceros’ and ‘Lion’ in 1750 as part of a suite of 13 animal paintings to one of his principal patrons, Christian Ludwig II, a German duke smitten with all things French, who installed them as a virtual menagerie inside his castle, now part of the Staatliches Museums Schwerin. The Getty team agreed to take on the ambitious project of repairing and restoring the newly uncovered paintings, bringing them to Los Angeles to be treated and exhibited before eventually returning them to Germany (the exhibition first travels to one other venue, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston). ‘My first thought when I saw both pictures was astonishment at the personalities that were captured in each of the animals,’ conservator Leonard said in a recent interview. ‘I was naturally, as I think many people are, drawn to the rhinoceros, because she is such a gentle giant. Even when we initially saw the painting lying on the floor covered with a discolored varnish, under really bad lighting conditions, that eye that Oudry painted looking directly at us, just reached out to everybody in the room.’ The eyes have it from curator Morton’s perspective, too. ‘It’s the eyes in Rembrandt’s portraits that make you feel the presence of a soul in his paintings,’ she says. ‘Oudry does the same with animals.’ A variety of themes enliven the exhibition, from the history of collecting exotic animals to the rising interest in natural history and science that coincided with Oudry’s career. ‘It’s the Enlightment,’ Morton notes. ‘He was making paintings during a time when people are thinking hard about what things actually look like.’ Yet Oudry’s images transcend mere likeness and empirical study. His animals inhabit lush, imaginary landscapes, heightening a sense of drama and granting noble status heretofore reserved for human subjects. ‘These are very moving, intense paintings in addition to being technically brilliant,’ Morton notes. While Oudry was wildly esteemed in his day, his legacy has lessened over time, mainly because animals were his chief subject. ‘We want to push him right up into the first tier with people like Boucher, Chardin and Fragonard,’ says Morton. ‘He’s one of the great painters of the 18th century.’ The exhibition, including 20 of Oudry’s drawings, continues through September 2 at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr., in Brentwood. Another engaging section of the exhibition is devoted to the subject of ‘Clara-mania’ and showcases a variety of objects inspired by the celebrity rhino. ‘Medieval Beasts,’ an exhibition of manuscripts from the museum’s collection, also complements ‘Oudry’s Painted Menagerie.’ Contact: or visit www.getty.edu. Mary Morton, who lives in the Palisades, first spotted ‘Clara,’ Oudry’s outsized rhinoceros painting, in the Getty’s conservation studio in 2004. She was at the institution interviewing for a curatorial position, and little did she realize that the work of art would become the focal point of an exhibition she would eventually organize: ‘Oudry’s Painted Managerie: Portraits of Exotic Animals in 18th-Century Europe.’ Accepting the post as associate curator of paintings at the Getty represented a homecoming for Morton, who grew up in Hancock Park and graduated from Marlborough School. She and her husband, Keith Forman, an energy executive, and their two daughters, Lillian, 6, and Anna, 4, moved to the Palisades 2 ‘ years ago. ‘It’s a real feeling of community in the Palisades,’ she says. ‘For people with kids, it’s heaven.’ In 1998, after receiving her Ph.D. in art history from Brown University, Morton became associate curator at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, where she oversaw a series of major exhibitions falling into her area of expertise: 19th- and early 20th- century European painting. Among them was the groundbreaking exhibition ‘Courbet and the Modern Landscape,’ which she brought to the Getty for its premiere showing. Morton praises her colleagues Scott Schaefer, curator of paintings, and Mark Leonard, conservator, for lovingly bringing Clara back to life. ‘It took a leap of imagination to see what they saw,’ Morton recalls. ‘She looked really tattered. The end result is magic.’ Morton will lead a gallery talk on ‘Oudry’s Painted Managerie’ at 3 p.m. on Wednesdays, May 23 and June 6.
CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 3, 2007
HOMES FOR SALE 1
SPECTACULAR 180° ocean view overlooking Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. Huge private outdoor area for entertaining with sunset views of Catalina island and the Malibu necklace. Fantastic opportunity to own this charming 1 bdrm, 1 ba plus office home located in Palisades Bowl mobile home park. Space rent $800. Buyer pays no property taxes or HOA fees. $495,500. Agent, Franklin, (818) 577-7116
BEAUTIFUL CORNER VIEW HOME. El Medio bluffs area for sale by owner. Open house: Sunday, 5/6, 1-4 p.m.; Tuesday, 5/8, 1-4 p.m. 16056 Aiglon St., Pacific Palisades. (310) 699-1133
ANGUILLA, BRITISH WEST INDIES. Situated on one acre with 200’ of waterfront and spectacular views of 4 islands, this private, romantic, Caribbean water’s edge one-of-a-kind West Indian Villa with an established rental income history is available for $2M. Contact: (264) 497-3282 or anguilla@earthlink.net
DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU BUY OR SELL • www.ThePacificPalisadesMLS.com • DRE #01701994
HOMES WANTED 1b
WE BUY HOUSES, APTS & LAND! ALL CASH, AS-IS, FAST CLOSE. David, (310) 308-7887
FURNISHED HOMES 2
CHARMING COTTAGE, fully furnished, 1 bdrm, 1 ba, F/P, close to village & bluffs. Flexible terms. No pets. $3,250/mo. (310) 459-0765
UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a
PACIFIC PALISADES HOME. 2 bdrm, 2 ba, new carpet and paint, rear deck. Walk to beach, steps to pool. $2,500/mo. (310) 454-7557
LOVELY FAMILY HOME on private road to the beach. Children ok. 3 bdrms, den, living room/great room, 2-car garage, lots of storage, gardener included, Available May 15. $5,500/mo. Call (310) 383-8055, (310) 578-7884, (310) 455-7055
UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c
PALISADES STUDIO with full kitchen, stove, refrigerator, new paint, sunny with view, carpet, blinds, laundry, storage, one year lease, NO PETS, NON SMOKER. $985/mo. (310) 477-6767
UNUSUAL 1,800 SQ FT upper apt. in Mediteranean triplex near bluffs. 2 bdrm+bonus rm, 1 ba, tiles, wood floors, plantation shutters, frplc, ceiling fans, garden. $3,500/mo N/S, no pets. (310) 804-3142
SANTA MONICA “Best Area,” Yale and Montana. Adorable 1 bdrm, fenced and gated compound with 10×30 ft garden patio. Built in 1936. Completely redone, peg and groove wood floors, F/P, shutters, stainless and marble kitchen, Waterworks bath, W/D, enclosed garage, no pets. Charming 4 unit building, avail. 5/1/07. $2,650/mo. (310) 826-7960
DUPLEX LOWER LEVEL; spacious 2 bdrm, 2 ba; built-ins, closets, approx 1200 sq.ft., private entrance & patio, large yard. $2,750/mo. (818) 786-2277
CONDOS/TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d
AMAZING OCEAN VIEW. Stunning interior 2 bdrm, 2 ba condo close to town. 1/2 block to beach. 1,200 sq. ft. All new granite, marble, hdwd flrs, cabinets, appliances. High ceilings, large deck, huge closets, W/D, garage. $3,690/mo. (310) 230-4200 • www.malibucoastline.com
LARGE PALISADES CONDO for rent. 2 bed, 1.75 bath with a very large living area. Amazing location: EdgewaterTowers at Sunset and PCH. $3,200/mo. Call (310) 390-7722, x123
EDGEWATER LARGE 2 bdrm, 2 ba adjacent to pool. All amenities very private. $3,200/mo. Incl all utilities. Deidra, (310) 450-3889, or Kirk, (310) 936-1991
ROOMS FOR RENT 3
FURNISHED ROOM in private home. Located near bluffs. Pet care necessary. $700/mo. (310) 459-0765
WANTED TO RENT 3b
LOOKING FOR room in guesthouse in exchange for cleaning and cooking. Own transportation, CDL. References. (310) 691-3787
OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c
PROFESSIONAL BUILDING in Pacific Palisades. Newly painted, renovated suite with new pergo laminated floors. Pleasant office space located in village. 862 sq. ft. Call Maria, (310) 230-6712 x114
PALISADES OFFICE spaces avail in the heart of the VILLAGE. 1.) 250 sf with views of the Santa Monica mountains. Best suite in building. 2.) 750 sf 2-room suite and reception area with large windows, great natural light, balcony. Elevator and parking. Call (310) 591-8789 or e-mail leasing@hp-cap.com
FABULOUS PALISADES OFFICE space in the village. Sublease 4 days per week, waiting area, view, free parking. $850/mo. eliteconnections@adelphia.net. (310) 459-2612
VACATION RENTALS 3e
RV FOR RENT. 29’, fully self-contained travel trailer. Just steps to Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades. $1,900/mo. (310) 454-2515
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5
INVESTOR PARTNER SOUGHT for residential real estate renovation, local projects. Capital needed $250K-1 million. No agents, reps, loan brokers. Qualification required. Serious inquiry only. (310) 454-0685
FROM THE LOCKER ROOM TO THE BOARD ROOM. These guys do it all. Premier business club. Strongest applicants accepted. (888) 376-5215 • www.dreamsbecomereality.net
DREADING MONDAY? Work from home. Potential for executive-level income. No commute, no boss, total freedom. Call Edward, (800) 472-6035
COMPUTER SERVICES 7c
COMPUTER SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT. HOME & BUSINESS–Windows Vista/XP–20 Yrs exp. frankelconsulting.com (310) 454-3886
MARIE’S MAC & PC OUTCALL. I CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE WITH: • Consultation on best hard/software for your needs • Setting up & configuring your system & applications • Teaching you how to use your Mac or PC • Upgrades: Mac OS & Windows • Internet: DSL, Wireless, E-mail, Remote Access • Key Applications: MS Office, Filemaker, Quicken • Contact Managers, Networking, File Sharing, Data backup • Palm, Visor, Digital Camera, Scanner, CD Burning • FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL — BEST RATES • (310) 262-5652
YOUR OWN TECH GURU * Set-up, Tutoring, Repair, Internet. Enjoy Problem-Free Computing. Satisfying Clients Since 1992. If I Can’t Help, NO CHARGE! COMPUTER WORKS! Alan Perla (310) 455-2000
THE DETECHTIVES™. PROFESSIONAL ON-SITE MAC SPECIALISTS. PATIENT, FRIENDLY AND AFFORDABLE • WE COVER ALL THINGS MAC • Consulting • Installation • Training and Repair for Beginners to Advanced Users • Data recovery • Networks • Wireless Internet & more • (310) 838-2254 • William Moorefield • www.thedetechtives.com
NCS COMPUTER SERVICES • HOME & BUSINESS • SAME DAY ON-SITE COMPUTER REPAIR, NETWORKING, WIRELESS. 10% DISC MENTION OF AD. CALL (310) 729-6845
GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 7f
PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? an estate sale? a moving sale? a yard sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. BARBARA DAWSON • Garage Sale Specialist • (310) 454-0359 • bmdawson@verizon.net • www.bmdawson.com • Furniture • Antiques • Collectibles • Junque • Reliable professionals • Local References
ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h
CLARE’S SECRETARIAL SERVICES: Business support company specializing in the organization of your home or office. Trained in U.K. References available. (310) 430-6701
OVERLOADED WITH CLUTTER? All Areas Organized can restore order to any home, office or garage w/ effective organizing solutions. Including: paper management, desk overhauls, home office set-ups, clutter control, closet organization, filing & storage systems. Save time, energy, money & space while reducing stress! Professional, reliable & non-judgmental. Locally based in Pacific Palisades. Call (310) 562-7271 for consultation. Member National Association of Professional Organizers.
PERSONAL ASSISTANCE, ORGANIZATION & bookkeeping. Superior services provided with discretion & understanding. Pali resident, local references. Call Sarah, (310) 573-9263
HOME INVENTORY SERVICES 7j
HOME INVENTORY SERVICES for fire, theft, earthquake, wills/estates, rentals, divorce. Includes video, photos & detailed reports; Palisades resident. (310) 230-1437 • www.homesweethomevideo.com
DAYCARE CENTERS 8
PALISADES LEARN AND PLAY. Creative & nurturing Pre-K program. Crafts, music & educational curriculum. Openings for summer F/T or P/T. (310) 459-0920
NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a
VIP NANNY AGENCY. “Providing very important people with the very best nanny.” (818) 907-1017, (310) 614-3646
WEST LA NANNIES • Caring • Committed • TRUSTED • (310) 584-4555
NANNY/LIGHT HOUSEKEEPER, 10 yrs exp. Loves kids, energetic, responsible excellent refs. DMV, clean record. Bilingual Spanish/English. Avail Mon.-Sun. F/T Live out. Call Mirna, (323) 937-2323
NANNY/TUTOR/DRIVER: Cancel your TUTOR, toss your BABYSITTER, chuck your DRIVER. I am that and more rolled into one! Available 5 days per week to help with your kids, ages 3-18. QUALIFICATIONS: UC Berkeley Graduate/Writer; Active Volunteer/Mentor with an LA-based educational organization for teens; Nanny; Tutor/Homework Helper/Writing Coach; Licensed/ Insured Driver w/ safe, well-serviced car; Conscientious, creative & accountable; Excellent local references. RATE OF PAY: $50.00 per hour and worth every hard-working penny. CONTACT: TutorNanny@Verizon.net, or (310) 383-3002 for resume & local references.
HOUSEKEEPERS 9a
“PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.” We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419
HOUSEKEEPER • BABYSITTER. Available Mon.-Fri. Own transport. Very good local refs. Call Connie, (323) 898-7056
ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a
ELDERCARE/HOUSEKEEPING & childcare. 12 years experience in Palisades home. Excellent references. $15/hr. Call (323) 766-9178
EXPERIENCED, SKILLED TRUSTWORTHY elder caregiver/housekeeper speaks excellent English, drives own car. Employed 10 years in the Palisades. Highly recommended. (310) 454-5372
ELDERCARE/COMPANION or HOUSESITTING. Available 5 p.m.-6 a.m. Good References. Responsible, honest, creative, own transportation, CDL, insured. Call Ruth, (310) 622-3432
GARDENING, LANDSCAPING 11
PALISADES GARDENING • Full Gardening Service • Sprinkler Install • Tree Trim • Sodding/Seeding • Sprays, non-toxic • FREE 10” Flats, Pansies, Snap, Impatiens. (310) 568-0989
WATERFALLS & POND CONSTRUCTION: Water gardening. Japanese Koi fish. Filtration pond service, repair & maintenance. Free estimates. Cell, (310) 498-5380, (310) 390-1276. www.TheKingKoi.com
www.ongoldenpondec.com. Under supervision of Aquaculture Engineer. We service Koi ponds and design filtration systems according to your needs. We considerably improve the aesthetics. (310) 922-5817
MOVING & HAULING 11b
HONEST MAN SERVICES. All jobs, big or small. Hauls it all. Homes and businesses. 14 foot van/dollies. 15th year Westside. Delivers to 48 states. (310) 285-8688
TREE SERVICE 11d
JOHNSON’S STUMP REMOVAL. Remove stumps & dead trees before termites get to them. Lic. #685533. Since 1924. Brad, (310) 454-8646
MASSAGE THERAPY 12b
AWARD WINNING MASSAGE by Natalie. Deep tissue specialist. Call (310) 993-8899. www.massagebynatalie.faithweb.com
THAI MASSAGE in the Palisades. Experience an ancient form of healing with Phoebe Diftler. Compassionate, intuitive practitioner/Thai massage and yoga teacher. (310) 573-1499
WINDOW WASHING 13h
HAVING A PARTY? SELLING some real estate, or just want to do some spring cleaning? Get those WINDOWS SHINING by calling No Streak Window Cleaning where we offer fast friendly quality service you can count on! For a free estimate call Marcus, (323) 632-7207. Lic. #122194-49, Bonded
EXPERT WINDOW CLEANER • 21 yrs Westside. Clean & detailed. Free estimates. Can also clean screens, mirrors, skylights & scrape paint off glass. Brian, (310) 289-5279
PARTY ENTERTAINMENT 14e
SOUTHERN CRUX BARTENDING SERVICE • Andrew Funke Certified Bartender • Parties • Special Events • Etc. (310) 699-8190
PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g
HAPPY PET • Dog Walking • Park Outings • Socialization • Insured. Connie, (310) 230-3829
PET HEAVEN • TOTAL PET CARE • Training. Walking. Playgroups and hikes. 30 years Pali resident. References. Call (310) 454-0058 for a happy dog
PERSONAL SHOPPING 14k
YOU SHOP . . . DR. WRAP wraps it up at your location! Beautiful papers & satin ribbons; gift baskets wrapped; corporate & personal wrappings. Highly professional & seen on HGTV. Resume available. $75 min. “house call.” Call Dr. Wrap, (310) 995-5624. www.wrapitupmobile.com
FITNESS INSTRUCTION 15a
HAVE FUN! GET FIT! NORDIC WALKING CLASSES. Certified Advanced Nordic walking instructor, Palisades resident teaches private/group classes in the Palisades. Weekends. (310) 266-4651
PERSONAL TRAINER 15c
FITNESS 4 LIFE. Innovative training, massage and de-stressing techniques. For fitness, rehabilitation and a happy healthy life. Using Pilates, Yoga, Weight training, Martial Arts, Cardio, Dance, Mass##age and Meditation. In the comfort of your home. Meena Amani, (323) 377-7149
SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d
NEED HELP WITH COLLEGE ADMISSIONS ESSAY? Recent graduate & professional writer available. Will help to perfect essay for admissions success. Call (310) 985-1607 or e-mail maxtaves@gmail.com
VIOLIN INSTRUCTION. Expert, friendly guidance at all levels by highly qualified teacher. Home or studio. Teaching in Palisades 20 years. Laurence Homolka, (310) 459-0500
GUITAR LESSONS. Will come to you. Learn technique, music theory, and ear-training to play your favorite songs or write your own. Eric Teplitz, (310) 876-2520
TUTORS 15e
INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. EXPERIENCED TUTOR 20+ YEARS. Children & adults, 20+ yrs teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly special ed teacher. Call (310) 313-2530
SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR. All levels (elementary to college) Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614
MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145
EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR • All grades, levels • Grammar • Conversational • SAT • Children, adults • 7 yrs exper. • Great refs. Noelle, (310) 273-3593
READING SPECIALIST • Master of Education—Reading and Learning Disabilities • Special Education Teaching Certificate: K-12 • Regular Education Teaching Certificate: K-9 • Elementary Education Teaching experience: 12 yrs • Services provided for special & regular education students of all levels • Academic areas taught include reading (phonics and reading comprehension) writing and spelling • Private tutoring includes accessing the student’s needs, developing an individualized education program and implementation of that program. Palisades resident. Call Brandi, (310) 230-9890
PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & ISEE). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134
CLEARLY MATH TUTORING. Specializing in math! Elementary thru college level. Test prep, algebra, trig, geom, calculus. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Math anxiety. Call Jamie, (310) 459-4722
SPANISH TUTOR, CERTIFIED TEACHER for all levels. Has finest education, qualifications, 18 yrs exper. Palisades resident, many good references, amazing system, affordable rates. Marietta, (310) 459-8180
CONCRETE, MASONRY, POOLS 16c
MASONRY, CONCRETE & POOL CONTRACTOR. 36 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES. Custom masonry & concrete, stamped, driveways, pools, decks, patios, foundations, fireplace, drainage control, custom stone, block & brick, tile. Excellent local references. Lic. #309844. Bonded/insured/ workmen’s comp. Family owned & operated. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 • www.horusicky.com
CONSTRUCTION 16d
J. BELL CONSTRUCTION * Custom new homes • Additions • Kitchen remodels • Bathroom Remodels • Established 1979 • Lic. #00376978 & Bonded • (310) 714-1116
ELECTRICAL 16h
PALISADES ELECTRIC. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. All phases of electrical, new construction to service work. (310) 454-6994. Lic. #468437 Insured Professional Service
ELECTRICIAN HANDYMAN. Local Service Only. Lic. #775688. Please Call (310) 454-6849 or (818) 317-8286
NEED ELECTRICAL WORK DONE? Call Dennis Frederick. 25 yrs experience. Lic. #728200. (310) 821-4248
FENCES 16j
THE FENCE MAN. 14 years quality workmanship. Wood fences • Decks • Gates • Chainlink & overhang • Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996
INDEPENDENT SERVICE CARLOS FENCE: Wood & Picket Fences • Chain Link • Iron & Gates • Deck & Patio Covers. Ask for Carlos, (310) 677-2737 or fax (310) 677-8650. Non-lic.
FLOOR CARE 16m
GREG GARBER’S HARDWOOD FLOORS SINCE 1979. Install, refinish. Fully insured. Local references (310) 230-4597 Lic. #455608
CENTURY HARDWOOD FLOOR. Refinishing, Installation, Repairs. Lic. #813778. www.centurycustomhardwoodfloorinc.com • centuryfloor@sbcglobal.net. (800) 608-6007 • (310) 276-6407
HART HARDWOOD FLOORING. Best pricing. Sr. discounts, quality workmanship. Bamboo, maple, oak and laminate. Installation & refinishing. Call for free quote. Lic. #763767. Ron, (310) 308-4988
GOLDEN HARDWOOD FLOORS. Professional Installation and refinishing. National Wood Flooring Association member. License #732286. Plenty of local references. (877) 622-2200 • www.goldenhardwoodfloors.com
HANDYMAN 16o
HANDYMAN • HOOSHMAN. Most known name in the Palisades. Since 1975. Member Chamber of Commerce. Lic. #560299. Call for your free est. Local refs available. Hooshman, (310) 459-8009, 24 Hr.
LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 487-6464
LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy: Marty, (310) 459-2692
HANDYMAN • PAINTING • DRYWALL REPAIRS • Water damage repair • Small carpentry work • Tile • 17 years EXCELLENT service & experience. FREE ESTIMATES! Call (310) 502-1168. Not lic.
HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16p
SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686
PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16r
PAUL HORST • Interior & Exterior PAINTING • 53 YEARS OF SERVICE. Our reputation is your safeguard. License No. 186825 • (310) 454-4630 • Bonded & Insured
TILO MARTIN PAINTING. For A Professional Job Call (310) 230-0202. Ref’s. Lic. #715099
SQUIRE PAINTING CO. Interior and Exterior. License #405049. 25 years. Local Service. (310) 454-8266. www.squirepainting.com
SPIROS PAINTING. INTERIOR/EXTERIOR Painting on the Westside since 1980. Lic. #821009. Fax and phone: (310) 826-6097. NO JOB is too small or too big for Spiro the Greek
ZARKO PRTINA PAINTING. Interior/Exterior. 35 years in service. License #637882. Call (310) 454-6604
PAINTING PERFECTION. 100% complete satisfaction, prep, prime, quality materials, experienced, local, home improvements, remodels, carpentry, roofing, masonry, caulking, tile, landscaping, decks, brick, stone. (310) 457-4652
PLUMBING 16t
BOTHAM PLUMBING AND HEATING. Lic. #839118. (310) 827-4040
JLK PLUMBING. Re-pipe and sewer specialist & all plumbing repairs. Mention this ad & receive 10% off. Lic. #722414. Call (310) 678-6634
WHITTLE’S PLUMBING • Drain & sewer problems • Garbage disposal & H2O heaters • Copper repiping & gas lines • Fixtures, remodels • Gen. Construction • Free est. Lic. #668743. (310) 429-7187
REMODELING 16v
KANAN CONSTRUCTION • References. BONDED • INSURED • St. Lic. #554451. DANIEL J. KANAN, CONTRACTOR, (310) 451-3540 / (800) 585-4-DAN
LABOR OF LOVE HOME REPAIR & REMODEL. Kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, tile, doors, windows, decks, etc. Work guar. Ken Bass, General Contractor. Lic. #B767950. (310) 487-6464
COMPLETE CUSTOM CONSTRUCTION • New homes • Kitchen+Bath remodeling • Additions. Quality work at reasonable rates guaranteed. Large & small projects welcomed. Lic. #751137. Call Michael Hoff Construction today, (310) 230-2930
HELP WANTED 17
DRIVERS: 150K PER YEAR-TEAMS! Earn more plus GREAT Benefits! Western Regional Solo and Team Runs. Werner Enterprises, (800) 346-2818 x123
ADVERTISING SALES REP for weekly community newspaper. Experienced self-starter, full time, excellent benefit package. Resume attention: Publisher, P.O. Box 725, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 or fax (310) 454-1078 or email: info@palipost.com
EARN $800-$3,200 MONTHLY to drive brand new cars with ads placed on them. www.AdCarDrive.com
PALISADES SENIOR needs add’l capable, dependable part-time team members w/ car for non-medical tasks: Meals, errands, dog walking, gardening, incl weekends. $10/$12 per hour. (818) 364-9947
BABYSITTER, GOOD with kids, responsible, English speaking, licensed driver, experienced & references. Friday or Saturday afternoon/evening. (310) 488-2172
DRIVERS: Hiring O/O & Co Drivers For 11 Western Regional CDL-A. Glenda @ (800) 552-0950 x114
ADMIN ASST. FOR S.M. architect’s office, part time 2-3 days per week. Exp. in contracts, bookkeeping & scheduling, along with gen. office asst. Hrly rate comm. w/ exp. Send resume to fredfelix@boto.com or fax (310) 451-4005
BOOKKEEPER Approx 20 hours a month, your schedule. 3 accounts: business, personal, financial, investments. Full charge experience. GL/TB, low volume. (310) 454-8010
RECEPTIONIST-ORTHODONTIC OFFICE. Exclusive practice in Pacific Palisades. Exceptional opportunity—Salary DOE. Please call (310) 454-0317
PACIFIC PALISADES VILLAGE SPA, “The Secret Garden Spa” seeking a commission/rent facialist, manicurist, hairstylist and reflexologist. Please call Angelica at (310) 459-1363
NANNY WANTED FOR 2-month-old calm twins. Palisades ocean view home. 9:30 a.m.- 4 p.m. M-F, good pay. Starting June 1st. Call Laura, (310) 454-6901
AUTOS 18b
1999 JETTA GLS black, automatic, 102K miles. $5,000 obo. (949) 433-8180
2004 BMW MOTORCYCLE GS 1150 Adventurer, like new, less than 2,300 miles, black, no accidents, under warranty. Must sell, (no room to store it). 1st owner, all records. $15,000. (310) 454-0685. Great deal!
1969 CORVETTE AUTO 350 CID. Matching numbers, total rebuild engine, less than 2,000 miles since engine rebuilt. Black on black coupe. Asking $29,000 obo. Leave message, (310) 454-0685. Great driver.
OCEAN MOTORS AUTO BROKER. Buying or leasing a new car? Let us help you! We can negotiate the deal & arrange delivery. Call us for a quote: (310) 356-7649 • www.oceanmotors.org
2002 VOLVO SEDAN. Good condition, leather, moon roof. 17,500 miles. (310) 459-3266, (310) 820-8980
2003 TOYOTA 4 Runner SR5, V6, silver with low jack, one owner, excellent condition, clean in & out, maintenance Toyota Santa Monica. $18,300. (310) 801-0673 • Hector73@cya.net
GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d
HUGE MOVING SALE. May 5th. 15001 Bestor Blvd. behind house in driveway. Furniture, tables, lighting fixtures, art, books, brand new couch, pillows. We have it all! 9 a.m. No early birds.
PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e
PAPILLONS PUPPIES. 4 males, tri-color, ACA registered. (818) 804-1595
AKC MINI DACHSUND. Darling black & white long haired, pied male. Julie Sterling, (310) 573-1150
MISCELLANEOUS 18g
DODGER TICKETS FOR SALE! 4 seats, field level behind home plate incl parking. 5/2 Dbacks, 5/23 Brewers, 7/2 Braves, 8/13 Astros, 8/27 Nationals, 8/29 Nationals. (310) 459-3458
ALMOST BRAND NEW shoes, size 7, evening dresses (mother of the bride), size 6-8, for sale. (310) 454-9337 or (310) 985-5852
WANTED TO BUY 19
WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, working or not. ‘50s, ‘60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 895-5057 • profeti2001@yahoo.com
WANTED: A USED 4-wheel cart for 2 people to use in mobile home park. (310) 459-3765
PaliHi Principal Gloria Martinez Resigns
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Principal Gloria Martinez informed teachers and staff last Friday that she would not return to Palisades Charter High School, where she has headed the school’s academic instruction since fall 2004. Surprised school leaders met this week in an emergency session to plan to fill the vacancy. ‘Palisades Charter High School is a phenomenal place,’ wrote Martinez in a letter to school employees, noting that she will remain principal until school ends in June. ‘We have so much to be proud of, such as the wonderful programs we have established and other successes’ I feel it is time in my career to move on to new educational challenges and opportunities that have been afforded me.’ Martinez, who has a doctorate in education, has been hired as an education consultant at Loyola Marymount University, PaliHi officials said. School board members and administrators were startled and saddened by the news. ‘I am really shocked,’ said Board President Bud Kling, the school’s veteran tennis coach. ‘We made a recommendation to renew her contract after a review. I don’t know what transpired since then.’ ‘It’s a loss for the school, especially for the instructional program at the school,’ Executive Director Amy Held said. ‘Dr. Martinez is extremely talented. And she did a lot for this school.’ Teachers and board members credit Martinez with raising the 2,700-student school’s academic profile. During her tenure, it became a California Distinguished School and it received a full six-year accreditation. They also say that she brought a needed focus to the school’s lowest-performing students. She brought or expanded programs like Academic Watch, AVID, the Literacy Program, Dolphin Days and the Pyramid of Interventions’all of which aimed to identify underachieving students and raise their proficiency. Those efforts earned the respect of many faculty members like longtime Spanish teacher Ruth Mills. ‘It’s clear that she cares most about students,’ said Mills. ‘Our [API] scores kept going up. Our achievement gap narrowed bit by bit every year. And our retention of ninth-graders went up substantially.’ It is not known what prompted Martinez to decide to leave her position. She did not respond to interview requests from the Palisadian-Post. Many teachers consider the quiet administrator a ‘weak leader.’ They criticize her for pushing through a school calendar change despite student, parent and teacher opposition. And some parents blame her for the administration’s ‘mismanagement’ of a new enrollment policy. The school’s board has recently discussed ways of restructuring the administration that could ‘dramatically’ alter the role of principal, according to one board member. Currently, the executive director and the principal divide administrative functions. Three assistant principals–who manage areas including athletics, attendance, discipline, enrollment and scheduling–report to Martinez, whose primary duty is to oversee academic instruction. One possible new arrangement might have assistant principals report to the executive director or the board, leaving the next principal exclusively focused on academics. Whatever board members decide, the next director of the school’s academic program will inherit a high-performing school with multiple challenges’among them, overcrowding, a large achievement gap and weak math and science scores. More than 40 percent of the school’s students come from low-performing, overcrowded middle schools (not including Paul Revere, a high-performing school). And despite progress, there still exists a large gap in performance. State education data show that socio-economically disadvantaged and African American students at PaliHi score significantly below the school’s average. The school’s rank recently dropped statewide owing to relatively weaker science scores. Although the school excels in history and English, students score below average on state math and science tests. After earning her doctorate in education from UCLA, Martinez taught Spanish at St. Bernard High School in Playa Del Rey and Malibu High School, where she eventually served as an assistant principal before coming to PaliHi. Board members expect a challenge to replace Martinez by the beginning of next school year. ‘It’s not easy to find good administrators,’ said Board member and Pali parent Eileen Savage. ‘But with every loss comes opportunity. We will look for someone with strong leadership skills with a focus on raising achievement among underperforming students.’ Some at the school believe that a slow search might be worth the wait. When former Executive Director Jack Sutton left, the school opted out of its initial candidates and waited a full academic year before hiring Amy Held last summer. ‘We have to look really hard to find a replacement,’ said Ruth Mills, who will miss the departing principal. ‘And we need to take the same care with choosing a replacement as we did with Amy Held.’ ———– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
Doctors Prick a Harsh Regime
By MELISSA BEAL Palisadian-Post Contributor In Myanmar, a 4-year-old orphan boy suffered for more than two years with a prolapsed bowel through an ostomy site. In simple terms, his intestines were protruding from a hole in his stomach. Only $250 was necessary to surgically repair the child’s organ, but his orphanage could not afford it. This boy was one of more than a thousand patients treated in and around Yangon and Pathein during a medical mission trip to Myanmar, led by Palisadians Dr. Marna Geisler, a pediatrician, and Dr. Terri Rock, a family physician who specializes in travel medicine. They worked in conjunction with The Myanmar Compassion Project, a non-profit organization in Rangoon. They were accompanied by a nurse and a nurse practitioner, plus Geisler’s husband, William Bierschenk, two of their children, Kate, 17, and Garrett, 16 and Rock’s 23-month-old daughter, Melanie. Thousands of children in Myanmar have no access to medical care, a result of drastic reductions in healthcare spending under a military regime. The nation spends less than $1 per person per year on health-care and the World Health Organization has ranked Myanmar’s health care system as the second worst in the world. Last July, Myanmar’s top general, Than Shwe, spent more money on his daughter’s wedding than was budgeted for health care for one year. ‘It’s worth the whole trip to have one human who won’t suffer for the rest of his life,’ said Rock, who recently received a photo of the little boy, now healthy, whose prolapsed bowel was fixed as a direct result of their trip in December. Geisler, who has been working on medical mission projects for 18 years, and Rock, who has more than 30 years of mission experience, met on a mission trip to Honduras several years ago. Still, Myanmar proved to be their most rewarding project. ‘It has never been as rewarding or gratifying as this trip, because no one had ever gone on a medical mission, and no one is going back,’ Rock said, alluding to aid restrictions in the Southeast Asian country. Geisler chose Myanmar for a medical mission trip after visiting the country with her husband in 2005. They were impressed with the beautiful ancient pagodas and other tourist spots in the former Burma, but were appalled by the poverty and disease they saw as they rode their bikes off the beaten path through local villages. Many of the local children had lice and scabies and, according to some locals, AIDS, malaria and snakebites were the three leading causes of death. Myanmar’s military government has placed serious restrictions on humanitarian groups, making it difficult for anyone to provide aid to Burmese people in crisis. Even the Red Cross was forced to leave the country, for administering AIDS tests. As a result of such stringent rules, Geisler and Rock’s team had to move to different locations every day in order to avoid government officials who might have attempted to blackmail or threaten them for providing medical care to those in need. Although the team had acquired permits to practice medicine in some villages, the government kept a close watch on them throughout their trip. To prevent any activity considered illegal by officials, a government ‘minder’ stayed at Geisler’s exam table at all times. Although he could not speak English, he could ensure that the Burmese translator was discussing nothing more than medicine with the mission team. ‘He was actually quite bored, so we put him to work,’ Geisler said. ‘We taught him how to take blood pressures and how to do urine dip sticks. It was funny, our big, bad overseer, doing urine sticks because he was bored.’ They also received a great deal of help from their guide, Zinmar, who was orphaned at an early age and raised in Pathein. She worked at the hotel where the team stayed. Geisler met Zinmar last July when she went to meet with local medical personnel to set up the December trip. Zinmar helped them set up various clinics and put Geisler and Rock in contact with area hospitals. Their team was unable to secure access to any hospitals, but with Zinmar’s connections they were able to send patients with serious health problems to those facilities that were better equipped than their outdoor clinics to deal with surgical matters. Geisler and Rock’s team paid for several surgeries, including the boy with the prolapsed bowel, with some donations, but mostly by underwriting them themselves. They also used their own money to pay for travel expenses, medication and government bribes. ‘It’s amazing how little it costs to help these people,’ Geisler said. However, medical expenses for so many people gets costly. The team also purchased medication, at reduced prices, from India and China. Although the Burmese people were familiar with most medications, they could never afford them. A doctor’s examination, however, was something most of the Burmese, especially the children, were unfamiliar with. ‘Most of them were scared. They didn’t know what a doctor was,’ Rock said. ‘We had on white coats but they didn’t know what that meant. They’ve never had a shot or any doctor experience.’ Every patient was given a medical exam and then sent to the expedient pharmacy staffed by Geisler’s children, Garrett and Kate, for a three-month supply of vitamins, analgesics and any other necessary medication, before visiting Geisler’s husband Bill, acting as Santa Claus, for a new toy. One little girl they examined was particularly frightened. Unsure what the doctors were doing to her or the other children, she hesitated to climb up on the examination table. Her big brother, quickly came to her assistance, slapping her in the face as if to say, ‘Get over it.’ Geisler and Rock laughed at the young boy’s methods, but then, no longer afraid, the little girl climbed up on the table for her examination. For her struggle, she received vitamins and a new toy. At another orphanage, Geisler examined a village boy who had heard about their clinic and walked an hour and a half to see the doctors. ‘He was basically healthy and couldn’t come up with a reason to see a doctor so he listened to everyone ahead of him in line,’ Geisler said. ‘He came to me with an entire litany of complaints, from headaches to chest pain to asthma to cough to diarrhea to arthritis to high blood pressure’everything the people ahead of him in line had complained about.’ The little boy was given a clean bill of health, vitamins, a toy and new shirt. To him, it was completely worth his arduous walk. On Geisler and Rock’s first day, their last patient was an area policeman. He waited in line with everyone else and was diagnosed and treated. He made no threats to shut them down, nor did he attempt to blackmail them. On their last day, however, they were not so lucky. At sundown, at an outdoor clinic outside Zinmar’s childhood home, the military caught up with them. ‘They obviously knew we were there all day and waited until we saw everyone who needed help,’ Geisler said. ‘But we were threatened with jail time if we did not shutdown immediately.’ Due to nightfall and a lack of electricity, the team was already in the process of closing their outdoor clinic. Nevertheless, they were forced to pay the fine for illegally providing medical care. Neither Geisler nor Rock know exactly how much the fine was because their translator, who was in charge of monetary issues within the country, paid the officials and refused to disclose the amount, advising the doctors not to worry about it. However, they do know that the amount was pretty substantial, at least enough to purchase the pig that fed the village later that evening. Still, it was completely worth avoiding a stint in a Burmese prison. Earlier in the day, Rock and Geisler had treated the children of the same military officials who had threatened them. The next day the officials met them for breakfast at their hotel to escort them immediately out of town. Before Geisler and Rock left Myanmar, they gave Zinmar a digital camera, so when she had an opportunity to use the Internet, she could send e-mail updates and photographs of the villagers they had helped during their visit. ‘We can get so burned out here at our offices,’ Geisler said. ‘It’s so nice to go to other countries where you can do what you can with what you have and people are thankful for it.’
Scholar to Explore Islam’s Diversity and Richness
The September 11 attacks revealed Americans’ ignorance about Islam, and suddenly churned up an awareness of the world’s second largest religion that had lain undisturbed like sediment at the bottom of a river. According to Dr. Amir Hussain, associate professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Loyola Marymount University, Americans are no better informed now than six years ago. Too many Americans have learned the little they know about Islam from talk-radio hosts, tabloid newspapers and commercial TV, believing, for example, that the Qur’an is a book of violence and that Muslims are engaged in a bloody battle to kill non-Muslims. ‘Antagonism against Muslims, like anti-Semitism, is a result of ignorance,’ Hussain says. ‘And when you don’t know, you assume, and it becomes very easy to stereotype.’ Hussain, who is a Muslim, will give an introduction to Islam as part of the Corpus Christi Distinguished Speakers series on Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the church, at 890 Toyopa Dr. The public is invited. Hussain was 4 when he immigrated with his parents to Canada from Pakistan. The son of a working-class father, he completed all his academic work at the University of Toronto, which included, ironically, learning about his own religion. ‘Only about 4 percent of Muslims come from religious schools because most attend public school, so what I knew about Islam was mostly cultural,’ he says. Hussain understood the importance of studying the three great religions in order to understand what they have in common and how bridges can be built. ‘In many ways, Muslims, Christians, and Jews hold much in common,’ he writes in his book ‘Oil and Water: Two Faiths, One God.’ ‘All three religions are monotheistic, involving the worship of one God. The three religions are also prophetic traditions. The Qur’an mentions a number of prophets by name, many from the Hebrew Bible, and three from the New Testament: Zechariah, John the Baptist and Jesus.’ Hussain also writes in his book, ‘Muslims believe that Jesus was a great prophet, born of the Virgin Mary who is mentioned more by name in the Qur’an than she is in the New Testament.’ In 1997, Hussain came to the United States to join the faculty at Cal State Northridge. He was excited about the prospect of teaching in an institution where many of the students, like him, were the first in their family to attend college. He also looked forward to living in Los Angeles, home to some 600,000 Muslims. ‘Discouragingly, the university suffered from a lack of funding for the humanities, which was so ironic,’ he says, ‘because the humanities help us to know who we are. This is important!’ In 2005, a position opened at Loyola Marymount, which was exciting for Hussain. ‘Here I am in a Catholic university, in the largest archdiocese in the United States, and in a city with the largest diversity of religions in the world.’ His curriculum load this year spans the academic ladder, from teaching a course in world religions to freshmen and a graduate course on Islam and interfaith dialogue. To achieve interfaith dialogue, Hussain says that one must have not only a deep understanding of one’s own faith, but also an understanding and appreciation of the other’s faith. He facilitates the dialogue by offering lessons that Muslims can learn from Christians and that Christians can learn from Muslims. In the first instance, he calls upon Muslims to worship God instead of Islam. Muslims can begin to understand the Qur’an as more metaphorically true than literally true, as more and more Christians see the Bible. ‘Muslims can also learn a great deal from Christians about developing their religious communities in North America,’ Hussain says. ‘Muslims have been here just 40 years. They have been concerned with establishing places of worship, and during the last two decades a few Muslim social-service organizations have also sprung up. Now, they must establish community centers, senior centers and educational institutions, as have Christians and Jews.’ Christians have much to learn from Muslims, which Hussain says can be as simple as finding a Muslim friend to talk to. ‘This may be a neighbor, a doctor at the local hospital, a teacher, a restaurant owner or the manager of the ethnic grocery store.’ The next step, he says, is to listen and learn. ‘You don’t start out by asking questions such as ‘Why do Muslims hate us?” He also cautions Christians to be careful to get their information on Islam from reliable sources, not from people who have no first-hand information about Islam or Muslims. It’s also important not to blame your Muslim friend for evils that some other Muslims may have committed.’ Before September 11, Hussain would give a presentation about Islam every two months or so. In the months afterwards, he was giving one about every three days. His mission, he says, is to emphasize the commonality between the two faith traditions. ‘We share a common history and a common civilization.’ In addition to Hussain’s lecture next Thursday, audience members will be able to see an episode of ‘Little Mosque on the Prairie,’ a Canadian TV show. A $5 donation is suggested. Contact: (310) 454-1328.
SM Conservancy Ends Temescal Preschools’ Leases
By MELISSA BEAL Palisadian-Post Contributor The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy voted Monday night to approve two resolutions, giving Little Dolphins by the Sea and the Palisades Jewish Early Childhood Center one-year non-renewable leases at their locations in Temescal Gateway Park. Temescal Gateway Park is a public park, owned by the State of California and operated by the SM Mountains Conservancy since 1994. Little Dolphins, a private preschool operated by Seven Arrows Elementary School, opened in Temescal the same year, and the J.E.C.C., also a private preschool, opened in 2000. Since 1997 the Palisades Chabad, which sponsors the J.E.C.C., has also operated the Palisades/Malibu Jewish Community summer camp in the same location. Seven Arrows also runs a summer camp and after-school program, called Roots and Wings, in their location. In an interview with the Palisadian-Post, Joe Edmiston, executive director of the Conservancy, said: ‘There are kids in South-Central Los Angeles that are being denied the opportunity to use this park that is funded by taxpayer dollars, because exceptionally wealthy people, exceptionally well-connected people have mandated that the SMMC has to give these people [the preschools] preferred, exclusive access to the park,’ said Joe Edmiston, executive director of the SMMC. The SMMC has extended the leases for both schools in the past. But as a result of its board decision this week, the schools will be forced to vacate the park within one year. ‘The Chabad program already had a provision saying their lease was not renewable,’ Edmiston said, ‘and the Little Dolphins program has also been given an extended period of time due to political pressure from wealthy individuals who happen to have their children in these schools.’ At Monday’s meeting, parents from Seven Arrows presented several ideas that would allow Little Dolphins to keep its classrooms in the park, while helping the Conservancy meet its goal of increasing public access’especially to underserved youth’in the park. Their plan was denied. A spokesperson for Seven Arrows said that administrators were ‘devastated’ by Monday’s vote, but had no further comment. Rabbi Zushe Cunin of Chabad Palisades did not attend Monday’s meeting. He said that the J.E.C.C. will reserve comment until he hears from the Conservancy about the vote’s outcome. ‘I would like to hear directly from them to us to know how to react,’ Cunin said. ‘We have had regular contact with them, and an open dialogue.’ At the end of one year, the classroom space in Temescal will be put to public use. The Conservancy has already submitted proposed plans for both locations, but nothing has yet been approved. ‘Other people want to use this space,’ Edmiston said, ‘but until now it has been exclusively for the schools. It’s just not fair for a public park area, paid for by public taxpayers, to be walled off for an exclusive private use.’
Residents, Officials Tackle Traffic Woes in Marquez
Everyone at the Marquez neighborhood traffic meeting on April 20 concurred that traffic around Marquez Charter Elementary School during drop-off and pick-up is horrendous and parking for school events is a problem. But that was the last time there was complete agreement in the room. Ideas about how to fix the problems varied widely and resulted in a loss of civility as residents expressed anger at LAUSD official Brad Smith, Marquez principal Philip Hollis, city traffic engineer Mo Blorfroshan and each other. This was the second meeting organized by resident John Grosse, a new Community Council Sparkplug Award winner for his efforts in dealing with this issue. Grosse began tackling the problem three years ago after he counted 500 cars going past his home on Edgar one morning during school drop-off time. The current school population is 650, but is projected to drop to 590 this fall, which would of course lessen traffic. The school campus has 39 classrooms, but only 24 parking spaces, which means insufficient parking for all of the teachers, aides and administrative staff. If there is a school event, cars are parked on neighborhood streets. When Hollis came aboard last September, Grosse approached the principal and a traffic meeting was held in December. At that meeting, Blorfroshan agreed to install a stop sign at Edgar and Marquez, ‘No Left Turn’ and ‘No U-Turn’ signs (during certain hours of the day) at Edgar, Livorno and Bollinger, and a crosswalk at the west intersection of Marquez and Edgar. All of those recommended changes were implemented in an effort to increase traffic flow. ‘People crossing the street would make U-turns on Marquez and people driving down Jacon couldn’t get out to go to work,’ Grosse said. ‘Now they can.’ The downside of changing the traffic pattern is that drivers now turn on Bollinger and make U-turns and pull into residents’ driveways, causing new safety issues. ‘It is extremely dangerous with parents on cell phones, driving big SUVs and not paying attention,’ said Bollinger resident Mike Asad at the April meeting. ‘Someone is going to get hurt.’ Another Bollinger resident, Brian Fernee, asked if Blorfroshan had done a traffic impact study and was incredulous when Blorfroshan said he hadn’t. A traffic impact study was not required for the signs that were installed. Margaret Goff, president of the Marquez Knolls Homeowners Association, asked the principal to institute carpooling. Hollis said that he had recommended this and had also asked his parents to refrain from using hand-held cell phones during drop-off, but that he had no way to enforce either of his requests. ‘Residents are making all the concessions,’ Fernee said. ‘Parents aren’t making any concessions.’ As tempers boiled, another Bollinger resident asked a key question: ‘Why don’t we try to go after the problem? Is the problem one of timing, congestion or volume?’ Grosse noted that in 1993, the year the school became a charter, traffic started to increase and that the school became a draw for people outside of the Marquez area. Hollis pointed out that in this year’s lottery, only 10 students were taken, which means the majority of the children attending Marquez are now from the area. But, he added, ‘a significant portion of our children are from the Highlands.’ There are 154 students from that area or 23 percent of the student body. Some of the Highlands students used to ride the DASH (the ‘commuter’ bus liking the Highlands to the Palisades) until the service was cancelled in 1999. The Palisadian-Post queried Virginia Flores, field deputy for school board president Marlene Canter, about whether there is a maximum walking distance for students to elementary schools, before LAUSD will supply buses. Buses are provided for magnet-school students who live farther than a two-mile radius from their school. Flores spoke to David Palmer, deputy director of the LAUSD transportation branch, who replied in an e-mail: ‘The District does not provide transportation for students into their local resident school. Although Marquez has a rather large attendance area, size of an attendance area and distance from the school are not factors in determining transportation eligibility.’
