To celebrate National Arbor Day on Friday, April 27, Palisades Beautiful will host a program about Frederick Law Olmsted, one of the great landscape architects of the late nineteenth century. Don Marquardt, who plays the lead in a current documentary on the life of Olmsted (commissioned by the American Society of Landscape Architects), will talk about his subject at 4 p.m. in the Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. Olmsted is best known as the co-creator of Central Park in New York City, where he transformed a waste dump into a haven that brought the beauty and respite of the countryside to crowded city workers during the Industrial Revolution. He also designed George Vanderbilt’s Biltmore Estate in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and the original layout of the campus grounds at Stanford University. Readers of ‘The Devil in White City’ by Erik Larson will remember Olmsted’s impressive contributions to the 1893 Chicago Exposition. ‘A Clearing in the Distance’ by Witold Rybczynski is a recent prize-winning biography of Olmsted Marquardt, who recently retired as parks maintenance director for Culver City, previously worked for the City of Ventura. He has taught for decades in UCLA Extension’s landscape architecture program and currently teaches History of Landscape Architecture.
Helena Ruffin Wins Berth in Juried Show
Palisades resident Helena Ruffin’s art piece ‘Rising’ has been selected for the 2007 Art of Photography, sponsored by the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego. Tim Wride, curator and head of the department of photographs at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, judged the entries. Of the 9,800 images submitted, only 103 were selected. The Art of Photography Show, an international exhibition, will be on view at the Lyceum Theatre Galley in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter through May 28. ‘The photography within this exhibition stands out as contemporary art,” said Lisa Smith, associate producer of the event. “The pieces selected by Mr. Wride were created by artists with something to say about our time. This aspect of ‘voice’ is very valuable to serious contemporary art collectors today.’ Over the years, Ruffin has turned her interest in photography from a serious hobby into a full-fledged artist. Her first exhibition at Congregation Kol Ami in West Hollywood, focused on her celebration of French culture. Her range shifted from the iconic’vibrant flower markets, dramatic rooftops’ to the enigmatic, especially with snapshots taken on the Paris Metro. Ruffin will be participating in an art panel discussion on digital photography, sponsored by the Palisades Art Association on April 24 at 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Panelists will offer tips on how to crop photos, use special equipment, and will discuss various aspects of digital photography and give demonstrations of their methods. Guests are invited to bring their laptop computers to work on their own photographs.
Composer Adrienne Albert’s New Work Follows Mother/Daughter Theme
Composer Adrienne Albert will premiere her new chamber work with the Pacific Serenades Chamber Ensemble on Tuesday, April 24, 8 p.m., at The UCLA Faculty Center. A long celebrated vocalist known particularly for her collaborations with Igor Stravinsky and Leonard Bernstein, Albert began composing her own music in the early 1990s. In little more than a decade, her concert works have been widely performed throughout the United States, Europe, Thailand, and South Africa. Albert’s piece, ‘Between the Dark and Daylight,’ is a mother/child-themed work for flute, harp, violin, viola, and cello. It was inspired by the program’s title, “We all cherish our children’s future,” a line from a John F. Kennedy speech which Pacific Serenades Founder/Artistic Director Mark Carlson chose as the theme for the 2007 season. Albert’s work centers on the idea that every child deserves to be brought into a world free of strife, disease, and hunger and takes its musical references from lullabies of cultures all over the world. Most recently, Albert, a Palisades resident, has been awarded a National Endowment for the Arts grant through The American Composers Forum. She is former composer-in-residence for both the Wagner Ensemble and The Los Angeles Doctors Symphony Orchestra which commissioned two orchestral works that were premiered on the West Coast and have had numerous performances across the country. Igor Stravinsky discovered Albert’s “perfect boy alto” voice and hired her to be the alto soloist on his Mass. She worked with him on numerous occasions and recorded three more solo recordings with him, including his Four Russian Songs For Flute, Harp, Guitar, and Voice, Cantata, and his last song, “The Owl And The Pussycat.” Albert also enjoyed a long working relationship with Leonard Bernstein as a singer and contractor on his celebrated recordings of Mass and ‘West Side Story,’ on which she performed with Kiri Te Kanawa and Jose Carreras. She also sang at Bernstein’s 70th birthday celebration in Tanglewood under the baton of John Williams. Other solo recordings include songs of Charles Ives with the Columbia Symphony and Phillip Glass’ opera ‘The Photographer’ with Glass conducting. Pacific Serenades Chamber Ensemble is now in its 21st season. One of its most distinctive aspects is that it has commissioned and presented 86 world premieres by 44 different composers since its inception, more than any other organization of its kind in the country. The ensemble consistently draws Los Angeles’ top musicians into Pacific Serenades’ stable of performers, including principals of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony and Long Beach Symphony. Tickets are $32. Student rush tickets are available for $5 (at the door only) Contact: (213) 534-3434.
News in Brief: From Las Pulgas to Sprint Tower
Neighbors Find No Common Ground in Las Pulgas Canyon Residents who oppose lighting Las Pulgas Canyon with 13 city street lights found no resolution with that canyon’s owner, Barry Maiten, during an April 12 meeting at City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl’s office. A nighttime tour of the lights is planned for neighbors, but no date has been set. As reported in the Palisadian-Post (‘Residents Fight Street Lights in Las Pulgas’, March 29), Maiten, who owns the 26-acre canyon, wants to use the 20-ft.-high lights for safety. He says that they will prevent tagging and homeless encampments on his property. However, neighbors living on the canyon’s rim say that many of the lights disturb their sleep and their views. They also dispute safety threats to the canyon. In place of lights, representatives of dozens of neighbors whose property borders Las Pulgas Canyon offered their suggestions to reduce threats to the canyon, including a willingness to participate in a Neighborhood Watch program that would monitor trespassing. But Maiten is intent on using the lights. The Department of Public Works installed the lights at Maiten’s request beginning in 2005. But the lights have been turned off since mid-2006, pending Coastal Commission approval. The commission has asked Rosendahl to weigh in. His office says that it will approve the lights only if there is a ‘consensus’ among the canyon’s neighbors. Sprint Relocates Site; Council Takes No Stand After complaints by neighbors, Sprint Nextel Corp. has relocated its proposed cell-phone tower across the street from the Sunset Mesa home of Dr. Walter and Andrea O’Brien. But the O’Briens and their neighbors, who fear effects to their health and property values, want the company to move the 30-ft. tower out of their neighborhood. The company needs the approval of the board of the Department of Public Works to acquire a variance for this tower, which would be disguised as a concrete pole. As reported in the Post (‘Two Proposed Cell Towers Draw Ire,’ March 1), Sprint Nextel originally planned to install the tower in the public right-of-way immediately outside the O’Briens’ home on Surfview Drive in Pacific View Estates. That proposal meant the tower would be within 25 feet of their children’s playground and 50 feet of their bedroom. The O’Briens had hoped the Palisades Community Council would support their opposition to the current proposal at last Thursday’s meeting. But the Council did not vote to oppose the project. Members said that they needed more information from Sprint representative Courtney Schmidt and the O’Briens to make ‘an informed decision.’ They might take a stand on the project at a future meeting. Rustic Canyon Renovation ‘On Hold’ The most recent city estimates far exceed the bond money designated for renovations at Rustic Canyon Park, said Neil Drucker, an L.A. Bureau of Engineering program manager who oversees park renovation throughout the city. ‘To be honest, the estimates were laughable,’ he told the Palisadian-Post this week. As reported in the Post (‘Upgrades in Rustic Park Await ‘Reasonable’ Bid,’ March 1), the completion of the park’s renovation depended on lower estimates from the General Services Department, which was awarded the contract. GSD spent more than $300,00 to modify a bathroom and build a handicap-accessible ramp between 2004 and 2005, leaving all of the community’s priorities for renovation unmet. Among their goals, community members want to resurface basketball courts, replace aging tiles and repair the park’s entry courtyard. Drucker said that if GSD and their subcontractors cannot commit to a bid that is within the approximately $430,000 remaining budget for the project, he will urge the city to look to outside bidders. ‘It will probably be a month to two months before we have a handle on which way we’re going,’ he said. ————- To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
PaliHi Calendar, Enrollment Remain Unresolved
Stakeholders of Palisades Charter High School hoping for closure on a controversial calendar change or a nail-biting admissions policy probably left the school’s Tuesday board meeting disappointed. Although the board voted on the issue in November, parents still aren’t sure when school will begin next year’and even whether their children will be admitted. The most recent news on the school’s calendar change and admissions policy are detailed below: In Third Vote, Teachers Oppose Calendar Change In a third vote of faculty, the overwhelming majority of teachers at PaliHi voted to maintain the current academic calendar in place of a controversial and increasingly unpopular calendar that might take effect next year. According to the vote held by teacher’s union UTLA, 74 teachers voted to keep the current calendar and 45 voted to adopt the new calendar. One teacher chose not to vote. Speaking to the board, PaliHi teacher Pam Harbour said, ‘I urge the board to take a re-vote based on the stakeholders you represent, not your own personal interests.’ But the board has been unwilling to re-vote on the change, which is now part of negotiations between UTLA and school administrators. UTLA representative and PaliHi teacher Joi Tanita said that this most recent vote will shape the union’s position at the bargaining table. If the change is approved, classes in the 2007-2008 school year will begin on August 20 and end June 6, rather than beginning after Labor Day and ending in late June. Also, the first semester would end before winter break, rather than ending weeks after winter break. Last November, the school’s board voted against parent and student majorities and adopted the new calendar. At that time, teachers were narrowly supportive of the change. The board expects that an earlier first semester final and an extra three weeks of instruction time before Advanced Placement tests will benefit students academically. Majorities of students, parents, and now teachers oppose the change. They say that Pali’s proposed schedule will conflict with the calendar of all other local public schools, affecting some school sports teams and winter and summer vacation plans. They also say that the school’s administrators overestimated academic benefits and underestimated the calendar’s financial costs, when they were originally polled in September. The possible costs of the change, which could be as high as $80,000, were not included on the original ballot. ‘Families are rightfully upset that they have not been kept apprised of the status of this issue since a letter went out in November about the board vote,’ wrote Amy Held, executive director. ‘Notification of all school community members will go out as soon as negotiations on the matter are completed (projected to be by May 10).’ 95 Revere Students Remain Wait-Listed PaliHi seats remain elusive for 95 students from Paul Revere Charter Middle School. As reported in the Palisadian-Post (‘Sixty Win Pali Seats; Error Means Fewer Transfers, March 22), applications to the high-performing school have far exceeded the 700 available ninth-grade seats, jeopardizing enrollment for dozens of students who attend the longtime ‘feeder’ school but live outside the Palisades. Pali administrators required that all accepted students send the school a confirmation of their intent to attend next fall. Those letters had to be postmarked by April 10, but the school has not yet counted those confirmations. The school predicts that by next week it will be able to begin taking students off the waitlist. At Tuesday night’s board meeting, Assistant Principal Margaret Evans said that based on current projections not all wait-listed students will be accepted. According to PaliHi records, the school has accepted 589 students for ninth grade and expects that 115 students will enroll in the Magnet program. The school has reserved 20 seats for Palisades residents who might enroll. In order to comply with new federal education law No Child Left Behind, it has also been forced to reserve 76 seats for students from overcrowded, low-performing schools throughout Los Angeles. Not all those seats are expected to be filled. As previously reported, school clerical errors have reduced the amount of spots available for grades 10 and 11. Those errors have also confused and angered parents. Board member Eileen Savage assailed the administration’s admissions practices Tuesday night. She was also angered by the lack of more current enrollment data. ‘At this point we don’t have trust from the community,’ Savage said. ‘I just don’t think we’ve done a good job. Our communication has been as clear as mud. And now we have to rebuild that trust.’ ———– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
Calendar for the Week of April 19
THURSDAY, APRIL 19 Screening of ‘Sugihara: Conspiracy of Kindness’ about a Japanese diplomat who rescued Jewish refugees under Hitler’s regime, 6:45 p.m. at Kehillat Israel, 16019 Sunset. The film’s running time is 82 minutes. A short discussion will follow. Free admission. Please park in the KI lot. ‘Deliver Me: True Confessions of Motherhood,’ a collection of personal essays, stories and poems by 20 writers, edited by Pacific Palisades resident Laura Diamond, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Welcoming reception for the three spring fellows at the Villa Aurora on Paseo Miramar, 7:30 p.m. Free admission. Please RSVP to 573-3603. Shuttle service starts at 7 p.m. on Los Liones Drive, just above Sunset. FRIDAY, APRIL 20 ‘Movies in the Afternoon’ at the Palisades Branch Library features a 2 p.m. screening of ‘Top Hat,’ starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The film is free and open to the public. A naturalist offer a deeper look into astronomy and discuss the overlooked in the night sky, 7 p.m., Temescal Gateway Park, 15601 Sunset. Meet in the front parking lot. The program is free, but parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395, ext.106 or visit www.LAMountains.com Elizabeth Davidson discusses and signs ‘Funky to Fabulous: Surefire Success Strategies for the Savvy, Sassy and Swamped,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. Davidson is a nationally recognized expert on empowerment, and gives strategies to overcome fear, perfectionism and various kinds of ‘funk.’ The Stern Lecture series, featuring Rev. Martin L. Smith, an Episcopal theologian in residence at Saint Columba’s Church in Washington, D.C., today at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., St. Matthew’s Church on Bienveneda. Reservations: 454-1358. SATURDAY, APRIL 21 Volunteers are needed for a monthly work party on the Village Green from 9 to 11 a.m. Newcomers are especially welcomed; just bring shears and gloves. Contact: Marge Gold at 459-5167. Dr. Felice Miller will present ‘The Big Squeeze: Aging Parents/Adult Children Developing a Guilt-free Relationship,’ 10:30 a.m. at the Palisades Branch Library. Palisades High students Sarah Tehrani and Alexa Cline sponsor ‘Buzzing for Change,’ a haircutting session, with proceeds benefiting the American Cancer Society, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the campus. Ken Corre discusses and signs his novel, ‘The Victim Donor,’ 4 to 6 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. SUNDAY, APRIL 22 Canyon Charter School’s 113th Annual Fiesta and silent auction, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the campus at 421 Entrada Dr. Annual CROP Hunger Walk in Pacific Palisades, noon for registration and warm-up festivities, 1 p.m. for the 5K walk, starting in front of the Palisades Branch Library on Alma Real. The Pacific Palisades Garden Club’s annual garden tour, 1 to 5 p.m., rain or shine. The plant sale, from noon to 4 p.m., is at 1416 Amalfi. Advance tickets ($20) are encouraged. Contact: (310) 454-7826. MONDAY, APRIL 23 Monthly meeting of the Pacific Palisades Civic League, 7:30 p.m. in Gabrielson Hall at the United Methodist Church, 801 Via de la Paz. Public invited. The agenda includes two homes continued from the last meeting: 1144 Chautauqua (second-story addition) and 1150 Fiske (new two-story residence). TUESDAY, APRIL 24 The Palisades Branch Library, in conjunction with the Coop Theatre Company, presents a salute to William Shakespeare, 6:45 p.m. in the community room, 861 Alma Real. Festivities will include a program of staged readings. Contact: 459-2574. The Palisades Art Association hosts a panel discussion on digital photography, 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. (See story, page 13.) WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25 Novelist Amy Ephron, author of ‘One Sunday Morning’ and ‘Cup of Tea,’ will speak at the Woman’s Club annual author’s tea, 1 p.m. at the clubhouse, 901 Haverford. (See story, page 13.) Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., hosted by WineStyles at 970 Monument (Suite 116). Public invited. THURSDAY, APRIL 26 Palisades resident Perry Akins will talk about ‘Snow Skiing in Dubai’ and his recent trip to the United Arab Emirates, 7:15 a.m., Palisades Rotary Club meeting, Gladstone’s restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway. Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Public invited. Author Matthew Jaffe and photographer Tom Gamache discuss and sign their book, ‘The Santa Monica Mountains: Range on the Edge,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore.
Konrad Kellen, 93; Rand Analyst, Valued Assistant to Thomas Mann
Konrad Kellen, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades who lived a colorful and influential life, died April 8 in Los Angeles. He was 93. Kellen was a policy analyst at The Rand Corporation in Santa Monica and a major contributor to the organization’s pioneering studies dealing with the war in Vietnam and the motivation of terrorists. He joined Rand in 1966 to become part of a research team undertaking a major project exploring the motivation and morale of combatants in North Vietnam. He was among the first to argue that the U.S. bombing of North Vietnam would not deter the resolve of the Viet Cong and the North Vietnamese Army. ‘Kellen was a leading scholar of psychological operations who made major contributions during the Cold War and in helping to develop our understanding of terrorist motivations,’ Rand president and CEO James A. Thomson said. ‘His scholarly contributions were influenced by the depth of his unique personal experiences.’ Born in Germany in 1913, Kellen fled with his family to escape the persecution of Jews by the Nazis and eventually made his way to New York, where he worked on Wall Street. During the late 1930s, he moved to the Palisades and served as a valued research assistant to Nobel prize-winning author Thomas Mann, who had also fled the Nazis. Kellen, who worked for Mann from 1939 until he was drafted into the Army in 1943, described one of his responsibilities in an interview with the Palisadian-Post. ‘Mr. Mann wrote the fourth volume of his stories of Joseph during my employment. He wrote in longhand on plain sheets of paper, no lines, and I transcribed it on the typewriter every day. I was the first reader and I enjoyed it greatly. He would write every day, no matter where he was, about two or three pages a day’never more, never less’and he wrote in an extremely economical style. When he read my transcripts, he would only change a word here, a word there. If he cut a sentence, generally it would show up 10 pages away. He knew English very well, but his German was unequaled in its beauty, its richness and its wonderful nuances.’ During World War II, Kellen served as an intelligence officer with the U.S. Army in Europe and was awarded the Legion of Merit. After the war, he served as a political intelligence officer with the occupation forces. Upon returning to the United States, Kellen served in senior posts at Radio Free Europe. During the early 1960s he worked at the Hudson Institute with Herman Kahn, the renowned military strategist who had earlier worked at Rand. Konrad was also a friend of Albert Einstein, who was a distant relative. Kellen authored or contributed to dozens of reports during his Rand career, which continued through 1996. He also wrote a biography of former Russian premier Nikita Khrushchev titled ‘Khrushchev: A Political Portrait,’ and ‘The Coming Age of Women Power,’ which predicted that women would reject men’s traditional view of their role in society. Kellen is survived by his wife, Patricia Kellen; his son David Kellen of Pacific Palisades; his daughters Jennifer and Elizabeth Kellen of Pacific Palisades; and his sister Estella Mysels. Services will be private.
Gail S. Crew, 87; Resident Of the Palisades Since 1953
Gail S. Crew, a resident of Pacific Palisades for 54 years, died April 16 at St John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. She was 87. Born in Gary, Indiana, in 1920, Gail graduated from the University of Chicago with a degree in political science and worked for a number of years as administrative secretary for Chancellor Franklin Murphy at UCLA. Gail is survived by Herbert A. Crew of Pacific Palisades, her husband of 43 years; her son Stephen Beckwith of Santa Rosa; and stepsons Herb Crew of Corvallis, Oregon; Dick Crew of Scottsdale, Arizona; Don Crew of Victoria, British Columbia; and John Crew of San Francisco. All five sons graduated from Palisades High between 1967 and 1975. In addition, Gail is survived by 11 grandchildren and was thrilled to be introduced to her first great-granddaughter at Easter. At Gail’s request, no services will be held. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a favorite charity is suggested or, as Gail was always an avid reader, donations to one’s local library would be appreciated.
Isabel N. Lindmark, 85; Popular Seamstress Here
Isabel N. Lindmark, a resident of Pacific Palisades for fifty years and an in-demand seamstress until her final year of life, died on April 8 from ovarian cancer. She was 85. Born July 8, 1921 in Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira, Isabel later migrated with her family to Argentina. She opened a designer lingerie boutique in Buenos Aires and became an avid golfer. It was at a golf club that she met her future husband Olof, a Swede, who owned and operated an import-export business in Argentina. The couple was married three days after Olof proposed, barely allowing Isabel enough time to sew her bridal outfit. Isabel was a loving and devoted wife to Olof for 43 years until his death in 1995. They enjoyed traveling and a shared love of golf. Even after Olof’s death, Isabel’s interest in golf never waned. Although she no longer played, she watched golf matches every weekend and was a big fan of Tiger Woods. Until a year before her death, Isabel ran a successful alterations business in the Palisades. She had a long list of clients, from both within and outside the community, who considered her an arbiter of style and trusted her judgment when it came to decisions regarding their wardrobes. Many of her clients had the experience of buying an outfit and taking it to Isabel only to have her say that it absolutely had to be returned because it was unflattering or made the wearer look frumpy or fat. And take it back they did. A warm, loving, generous, loyal and unselfish human being, Isabel became close personal friends with many of her clients over the years. Although she had no children of her own, she took a keen interest in the children and grandchildren of her clients. The walls of her home were filled with their photos and she loved listening to stories about them and having them visit. When they became adults, these children became a whole new generation of clients. Isabel was an active member of Corpus Christi Church, where for years she served as a sacristan and Eucharistic Minister. A memorial celebration of her life took place at the church on Friday, April 13. Isabel spent the last two weeks of her life both at St. John’s Hospital and Berkeley East, where she seemed to have more visitors, more phone calls and more flowers than any of the other patients. Although she had no relatives in this country, her large and loving family of friends and clients encircled her and returned the love and affection she had always showered on them.
Bea Thurston, Pioneering Pilot
World War II pilot and Pacific Palisades resident Beulah (Bea) St. Claire Smith Thurston passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 14. Born in New York City on January 13, 1923, Bea attended Roanoke College before studying aeronautical engineering at Penn State University. Upon graduation, Bea enlisted in military and became a member of an elite corps of women who were the first female military pilots in U.S. history and were more commonly referred to as the WASPs (Women Airforce Service Pilots). After her training at Sweetwater, Texas, she ferried planes across the United States and towed live ammunition targets to aid in the training of army gunners. After World War II, Bea married George W. Thurston and parented five children, including Sheryl Thurston Rosenbaum, an environmental engineer who lives in Pacific Palisades with her husband, Gary Rosenbaum, and their two children, Samantha and Joe, who are students at Paul Revere Middle School. While raising her children in New Jersey and Rhode Island, Bea worked as a high school math teacher and a realtor. More recently, she served as national president of the WASPs of World War II from 2002-2004, and represented that organization by riding in a number of Pacific Palisades Fourth of July parades and at other functions around the nation, including an event at the White House on Veterans Day 2002. Last year, she was inducted into the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame. In recent years, Bea was accompanied by her caregiver Shirley Ali, and they were fixtures at the Palisades Recreation Center attending Bea’s grandchildren’s many sporting events and at the Sunday farmers’ market on Swarthmore. She is survived by her children, Crystal Thurston of Sun Valley, Idaho; David Thurston of Cambridge, Massachusetts; George Thurston of Chester, New York; Robert Thurston of East Greenwich, Rhode Island; and Sheryl Rosenbaum of Pacific Palisades; three sisters, Adabelle Miller, Daisy Dennis and Gloria Robertson; and 12 grandchildren. Bea will be buried with full military honors at the National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on Monday, May 7, at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be sent to the “WASP Endowment” at Texas Woman’s University Foundation, P.O. Box 425618, Denton, TX 76204.
