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“Roughed Up” by the Riders

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Roosevelt Deals Pali Its Third Straight Loss

Third baseman Jonathan Moscot (#23) watches short stop Andy Megee (#10) collide with left fielder Eric Verdun in pursuit of a pop fly in the sixth inning of Monday's game against Roosevelt, which scored on the botched play.
Third baseman Jonathan Moscot (#23) watches short stop Andy Megee (#10) collide with left fielder Eric Verdun in pursuit of a pop fly in the sixth inning of Monday’s game against Roosevelt, which scored on the botched play.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

This was supposed to be the year the Palisades High baseball team proved it can play with the best teams in the City Section. Three games into the season, the Dolphins are still searching for an identity after lopsided losses to Cleveland, Santa Monica and Roosevelt. ‘You’d think after 21 games [including winter ball] that we’d have our lineup figured out but we’re still trying to find the right mix,’ Palisades Head Coach Tom Seyler said after Monday’s 9-1 loss to Roosevelt at George Robert Field. ‘We’ve traditionally been slow starters and unfortunately we’re living up to that.’ Palisades (0-3) tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth inning when Cole Cook singled and Jonathan Moscot followed with an RBI double, but things began to unravel in the top of the sixth. The Rough Riders (2-1) took the lead for good when Pali left fielder Eric Verdun dropped the ball after a violent collision with short stop Andy Megee in pursuit of a pop fly, allowing Paul Frankel to score from third. Jonathan Torres doubled down the left field line to score two more runs and chase Pali starter J.R. Bromberg. ‘I’m a little surprised–I definitely thought they’d give us a better game,’ said Roosevelt Head Coach Scott Pearson, whose team won 32 games last year before being upset by San Fernando in the quarterfinals of the City playoffs. ‘Palisades is better than what they showed today.’ While its defense was giving Roosevelt extra outs to work with, Palisades’ offense was having trouble timing All-City left-hander Martin Villanueva, who won 13 of 14 starts as a sophomore last season. The Riders’ ace went the distance, allowing five hits with nine strikeouts. ‘He’s the third really good pitcher we’ve faced,’ Seyler said. ‘We’ve struggled at the plate, sure, but we’re also not running the bases well, we’re not fielding well and even our pitching hasn’t been sharp. We’re allowing too many hits on two-strike counts.’ The morning after losing its opener to Cleveland, 6-3, in the first night game ever at George Robert Field, Palisades was held to three hits in a 7-0 defeat at crosstown rival Santa Monica on Saturday. All three games were part of the Southern California Invitational, which continues today. Cook pitched a gem against Cleveland, allowing five hits and striking out 10, but was denied the win because of mistakes behind him. Four of the Cavaliers’ six runs were unearned. Cleveland starter Mickey Brodsky allowed two runs in five innings. ‘We’re down but we’re not out,’ Seyler said. ‘There’s still a lot of baseball to be played this season.’

CLASSIFIED ADS FOR THE WEEK OF MARCH 1, 2007

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

OCEAN VIEW 3 BDRM, 2 BA open floor plan. 1,440 sq. ft. Tahitian Terrace mobil home park, rent control, pets ok, all ages. $450K. Agent, Franklin, (818) 577-7116

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, fireplace. Close to village & bluffs. No pets. Flex terms. (310) 459-0765 CHARMING FURNISHED 3 bdrm, 13?4 ba home, hardwood flrs, F/P, walk to village & bluffs. No pets. Short term available. (310) 459-0765

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

SERENE CANYON VIEW. 761 Chautauqua, 2 bdrm, 2 ba, den, lanai, formal din/rm, fireplace, hdwd flrs, enclosed backyard, gardener incl., 2 car garage. $4,000/mo. lease. (310) 454-8282 HIGHLANDS BEAUTIFUL 5 BDRM MEDITERRANEAN. Must see, former model, superb condition home on gate, guarded street. Large romantic bathroom w/ jacuzzi tub. 2 large mstr bdrm suites w/ panoramic ocean views, extensive use of marble Italian tile, hdwd flrs. 2 FP, freshly painted, large ocean view deck off of mstr bdrm, landscaped yard, w/ patio, 2-car gar. Walk to Summit club, pool, tennis courts. $7,995/mo. 2 1/2% broker co-op. (800) 638-4354 or (818) 817-3691 UNFURN/FURN 1 bdrm, 1 3/4 ba, guest quarters. Ocean views, office, like new kit/ba, limestone flrs, behind gates. $3,000/mo., util incl. 6 mos or longer. Call agent Holly Davis, (310) 230-7377 PACIFIC PALISADES MOBILE home 2 bdrm, 2 ba, new carpet and paint, rear deck. $2,500/mo. (310) 454-7557 MID-CENTURY ARCHITECTURAL 3 br, 2 ba in prime Palisades location, private wooded lot, 2 fireplaces, wood floors, built-ins, marble/granite finishes, approx. 1,900 sq. ft. $6,500/mo. (310) 230-7901 OCEAN VIEWS. Castellammare in Pacific Palisades, 3 bdrm, 1 3/4 ba, large family room, F/P, hdwd flrs. $5,300/mo. for lease. Call agent, Debby Harrington, (310) 454-5519 LUXURIOUS 5 bdrm, 6 ba, home, prestigious Palisades Highlands, tennis court, waterfall, rock slide, pool, hdwd flrs. $18,000/mo. Call Agent, Trista, (310) 858-5476

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

PALISADES SINGLE, large, remodeled, new carpet, stove, refrigerator, covered parking, storage, new paint, non-smoker, No pets, one year lease, laundry. MUST SEE. $1,065/mo. (310) 477-6767 CHARMING 1,800 SQ. FT. upper apt. in Mediteranean triplex near bluffs. 3 bdrm, 1 ba, tiles, wood floors, plantation shutters, frplc, ceiling fans, garden. $3,500/mo. N/S, no pets. (310) 804-3142 GUEST HOUSE, completely remodeled. High-tech guest house Palisades. Includes small yard, private entrance. Ultra high tech. One of a kind. Must see. Street parking. $1,750/mo. Will consider small pet with deposit. Showing by appointment only. (310) 309-8272 UPPER 2 BDRM, 1 BA, freshly painted, berber carpet, front and back door, plenty of light, 1 garage parking, laundry, No pets. $1,750/mo. Call agent Loren, (310) 870-1757 2ND STORY ARTIST loft, high vaulted ceilings, F/P, W/D, 2 lg sundecks, private entrance, Marquez area. Must see! $1,950/mo. $4,500 deposit. (310) 741-8276

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 2d

LARGE 2 BD, 2 BA with formal dining and great master. Oversized patio. Hardwood floors throughout. Sunny pool. Walk to village. Laundry in unit. $3,200/mo. Janet, (760) 902-2090 for easy showing TOWNHOUSE, LIKE NEW. 3 bdrm+2.5 ba or 2 bdrm+ den. Extra storage, view, balcony/patio, pool/tennis. Master with jacuzzi/steam shower. Hardwood, granite, marble. $4,500/mo. (310) 433-7008

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3b

GARAGE SPACES WANTED for classic Bentleys. Insured, limited access. Office: weekdays (310) 822-2436, or hm, (310) 454-0468 MATURE LADY SEEKS room. Will trade part/all of rent by helping with menu planning (healthy/ gourmet), diet planning, cooking, office help, etc. Please call (310) 218-6653 or (310) 459-2066

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE in professional building in Palisades village. Completely renovated. 862 sq ft. Call Ness, (310) 230-6712 x105 TIRED OF COMMUTING DOWNTOWN? Furn/unfurn office for lease near Pacific Palisades Village (on Sunset). Prices range from $300-$1,000 for desk cubicles or executive office suites. Receptionist, copy machines, laser printers, fax, kitchen, conference rm w/ computer, monitor, TV & VCR. Incl cleaning service & alarm system. Call (310) 254-5496 OFFICES FOR SHORT to medium term sublet available with potential for long term with the right person in the heart of Pacific Palisades. Prefer media-oriented and creative ventures. Office furniture and many business tools included as well as potential use of world class recording studio. Available immediately. (310) 230-2050 SANTA MONICA 8-LAWYER SUITE. has one window office now available for lease overlooking Clover Park. $1,500/mo incl. parking. Additional optional amenities: online library with public records, conference room, fax, photo copier, DSL, kitchen, etc at cost. Call Peter, (310) 450-9582 x214 PALISADES OFFICES FOR RENT, 2nd floor. 15115 1/2 Sunset Blvd. Across from Ralphs. $950/mo. and 1 furnished office, $650/mo. (310) 459-0765 SUBLEASE AVAILABLE NOW: 17383 Sunset Blvd., Pacific Palisades. Approx 1,458 sq. ft. The office space is broken up into 6 separate areas, which includes an incredible ocean view. Please contact Elissa @ (310) 390-2340

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

ATTENTION AFFLUENT PROFESSIONALS: HASSLE-FREE BUSINESS with proven track record. Not everyone will qualify. (570) 971-7527 * www.SeekFinancialFreedom.com

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

COMPUTER SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT * HOME & BUSINESS’20 Years Microsoft Experience * HELPING WITH: Windows XP’Windows Media Center. www.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. End Run-around. Pop-up Expert! Satisfying Clients Since 1992. If I Can ‘t Help, NO CHARGE! COMPUTER WORKS! Alan Perla, (310) 455-2000 THE DETECHTIVES TM. 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

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 HANDS-ON ORGANIZERS FOR HOME OR OFFICE! Get rid of clutter! Moving help? Packing/unpacking. Sheila, (213) 705-0968. www.blueroomstudios.biz/clutter_busters.htm GARAGE ORGANIZING. Make your garage more usable and organized. Call (310) 403-1845 or (310) 493-1008

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

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

VIP NANNY AGENCY. ‘Providing very important people with the very best nanny.’ (818) 907-1017, (310) 614-3646 GREAT PRE-SCREENED Nannies available. Let us help you with your nanny search. We are a dedicated, professional agency and we will find the right match for you. Whether you are looking for full time or p/time, L/I or L/O help, we can help you. Call Sunshine Nannies at (310) 614-5065 or (310) 801-8309 CHILDCARE UCLA GRAD ’92. Grew up in Palisades, tutor/healthy cook, perfect DMV, CPR cert. Immaculate references, very flexible availability. Teresa, (310) 428-0088

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, REFERENCES, EXPERIENCED. Own transportation. Speaks some English. Available Monday-Sunday. (323) 299-1797. Call evenings, or cell (818) 742-5680 HOUSEKEEPER, EXPERIENCE & LOCAL references. Own transportation. Looking for full time Mon.-Friday, English speaking. (323) 646-4300, call anytime. HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER available Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Own transportation, CDL, local references. Call Mabel, (213) 618-1969 or (213) 383-2631, after 5 p.m. HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday. Many years experienced. Good references. Call Paula, (818) 922-4062, cell HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER available Monday & Tuesday. References. 17 years experienced. Call Gisela, (323) 428-1677 EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER available Monday & Friday. Own transportation, honest, reliable. References upon request. Call Teresa, (323) 569-8193 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday-Friday. Good references, experienced. Call Karla, (818) 826-9995 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Tuesday & Saturday. Own transportation, CDL, insured, very good references. Call Emilia, (323) 235-9184 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday-Saturday. Many years experienced. Very reliable. Refs. Call Gloria, (323) 571-8299 HOUSEKEEPER EXPERIENCED 17 YEARS, reliable, local references, own car, CDL, insurance, Available Tuesday & Sunday. Please call Rufina, (310) 836-8853 or (310) 663-4853 CLEANING LADIES, PART-TIME. Mother-daughter team. Excellent cleaners. Speak English. Have car. References. Call Yolanda, (310) 488-8526 HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER AVAILABLE M-F own transportation, CDL, local references. Call Blanca, (213) 487-9302

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

ELDER CARE IN YOUR HOME. Available days, Mon.-Fri. Excellent local references, 10 yrs exper, own transportation, CDL, insured. Call Sandy, cell (818) 272-3400, or hm (818) 896-7696 EUROPEAN CAREGIVER/personal assistant. Excellent local references. Over 10 years experience in home, hospital & convalesent homes. Call Martine, (310) 458-3037, or cell (310) 403-6790

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

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

MASSAGE THERAPY 12b

AWARD WINNING MASSAGE by Natalie. Deep tissue specialist. Call (310) 993-8899. www.massagebynatalie.faithweb.com

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

PET HEAVEN * TOTAL PET CARE * Training. Walking. Playgroups and hikes. 30 years Pali resident. References. Call (310) 454-0058 for a happy dog. HAPPY PET * Dog Walking * Park Outings * Socialization * Insured. Connie, (310) 230-3829 DOG WALKER. Flexible hours. Call Travis, (310) 795-2170

FITNESS INSTRUCTION 15a

HAVE FUN! GET FIT! NORDIC WALKING CLASSES. Certified Nordic walking instructor teaches private/group classes in the Palisades. Weekends. Call for schedule & rates. (310) 266-4651 PERSONAL TRAINER 15c GET FIT, STAY HEALTHY with Dani S. Weight loss, strength training, cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, sports performance, well being. Call Danya, (310) 717-9227, for special rates Now!

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

PIANO INSTRUCTION. Give the life-long gift of music! Very patient, creative teacher. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced, local. Lisa Lukas, (310) 454-0859. www.palisadesmusicstudio.com 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

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 MATH & SCIENCE TUTOR Middle school-college level. BS LAUSD credentialed high school teacher. Test Prep. Flexible hours. Available to help NOW! Seth Freeman, (310) 909-3049 EXPERIENCED (7 YRS.) & PROFESSIONAL tutor; Ph.D. (physics) UCLA; distinguished teaching fellow awards; physics & math (algebra, precalculus, calculus, AP) high school to college levels, SAT 1 & 2, ACT; student-friendly. Call (310) 280-8624 ENGLISH TUTOR. All ages, flexible and fun. Recent graduate. English/Philosophy major. Call Travis, (310) 795-2170 NEED HELP acing the SAT Verbal/Essay and AP English Exams? I’m a top ranked SAT Essay scorer and AP Language and Comp scorer for the College Board. My students have matriculated to Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Tufts, USC, UCLA and many other top universities. I also provide help with college essays and applications. I have fifteen years of professional experience helping students realize their potential. Contact M.L. Rosenthal, (310) 387-9054 EX-TEACHER/EXPERIENCED tutor. All subjects. Specializes in math, sciences and French study skills, test preparation. K-12. My home or yours. References. Jackline, (310) 454-1919

KIDS’ ACTIVITIES 15g

SPRINGBREAK/AFTER SCHOOL BEACH CLUB. Kids ages 5-14. Located at Will Rogers State Beach. Sports, arts & crafts, games, fun activities. M-F, (310) 399-3098. www.afterschoolbeachclub.com

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

DRAPES/BLINDS 16g

SILK DRAPES CUSTOM made Frenchpleat, Boxpleat, Rodpocket. We import SILK fabric. Manufactured in California. Designer quality, wholesale prices. (310) 230-0484, silk@plumridge.com www.plumridge.com

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 (Not lic.). Please Call (310) 454-6849 or (818) 317-8286 BRIGHT ELECTRIC over 23 yrs experience. Fast electrical repair * New construction * Remodeling * Meters upgrade * Rewiring * Recessed lighting * Light control * Trouble shooting, etc. Lic. #843079. (310) 800-5210

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 16l

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 16n

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) 455-0803 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 16o

SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. ic. #324942. (310) 393-5686

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16q

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

PLUMBING 16s

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 16u

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) 455-0803 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

ROOFING 16v

PERMANENT ROOF SINCE 1924 * Repairs * Re-roof * New construction * Lic. #868864. (310) 838-ROOF

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 BRENTWOOD ART CENTER seeks great people-person with outstanding customer service and administrative skills. Best candidate is conscientious, attentive to detail, friendly and outgoing. Requires computer skills. Willing to provide training to capable, computer-literate candidate. Must be available two Saturdays per month. Medical & dental benefits. Email resume to: jordan@brentwoodart.com ANIMAL BATHER, FULL or part time for busy grooming shop in town. Prior grooming experience preferred but will train. Benefits provided. Salary based on experience. (310) 459-2009 CUSTOMER SERVICE. Here’s a great full or part time steady job. Applicant must enjoy assisting customers over the phone. Must speak good English & have basic computer skills. Stevenson Ind. 881 Alma Real Dr., Ste. 310. (310) 459-9393 x202 ACCOUNTANT/TAX/PARALEGAL wanted for estate planning law firm in Pacific Palisades. Computer skills and congenial personality a must. Fax resume to (310) 459-4477 SALES REPRESENTATIVE Spectrum Club Palisades. Min. 2 yrs sales exp. Exp. in health club industry pref. Competitive pay! Email cover letter & resume to hrspectrumla@spectrumclubs.com. (310) 459-2582 x222, fax (310) 727-9310. www.spectrumclubs.com SEEKING ORGANIZED ADMINISTRATIVE assistant in fine arts & antiques. Full Time, salaried position will run our home office. Minimum 2 years office experience & college degree. Resumes to gardenantiques@hotmail.com RESTAURANT hiring crew members. Mgmt potential for right candidate. Noah’s Bagels. Competitive pay & free bagels! Call Peter, (310) 230-1461 PALISADES HIGHLANDS SPA. Space available. Looking for healers. Contact Donna, (310) 779-3840 HOUSEKEEPER/DRIVER Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 3-8 p.m. CDL & car. Local references, must speak English. Call (310) 387-7722 SEEKING COMPUTER SAVVY, very organized acct. manager trainee for local promotional products company. 30k+ benefits. Call 2-5 p.m., ask for Lynne, (310) 230-1295 PINOCCHIO & CUCINA is looking for delivery driver P/T. Inquiries call (310) 454-0709 OFFICE HELP: Part time, flexible hours, good phone skills. Home office, (310) 454-9743

AUTOS 18b

2000 BMW 323i, 58K miles, excellent condition. $16,000, financing available. (310) 454-2075 or winfieldking9@gmail.com 2002 VOLVO Sedan. Excellent condition, leather, moon roof, very low mileage. (310) 459-3266 1968 FORD RANCHERO GT. $600 or best offer. Runs good. Call Rich Donohue, (310) 393-3295 2005 TOYOTA SIENNA LE minivan. Good condition, 25,000 mi. Phantom grey, 8-passenger, S &R side airbags, DVD, automatic power sliding dr. Bluebook $24,000, asking $21,000. Marcelo, (818) 633-6869

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

NO ORDINARY GARAGE SALE! New items at wholesale prices. Shabby Chic furniture, lamps, mosaic cafe tables & wrought iron chairs, beautiful wall & garden fountains, birdbaths, mailboxes, garden planters, new purses, leather wallets, Bo-Ho bags, belts & skirts. New & gently used clothes, pool table, light fixture, corner computer table & more. 1036 El Medio Ave. Friday, March 2nd, 9 a.m.-11 a.m. Saturday, March, 3rd 8 a.m.- 2 p.m. Call to preview, (310) 454-2451. BRENTWOOD ESTATE SALE: 12655 Homewood Way, LA 90049. FRI., SAT. & SUN. Mar 2, 3 & 4. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunset to North on Kenter, immediate left on Homewood up to Homewood Way left. Antiques, contemporary furn, residential furn, art, china, crystal, garden furn, accessories. PACIFIC ESTATE SALES MULTI FAMILY GARAGE sale. Toys, cribs, clothes, electronics, furniture, some appliances and lots, lots more. SAT.-SUN., March 3 & 4, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 832 Toyopa Dr. No Early Birds!

PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e

HORSE FOR LEASE In Pacific Palisades. Exp. Adult rider. Call Kelly, (310) 666-7038 GOLDENDOODLE puppies (1/18/07) are looking to join a lovable family. Adorable wavy apricot and champagne color. Bred for temperament, health guarantee, parents AKC. $2,000. Call for pictures/questions, (310) 498-9730

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

CANYON FIREWOOD. Featuring local soft & hardwood. Delivery & stacking anywhere on premisis with no hidden cost. Also willing to haul away wood of any kind for a nominal fee. Contact Doug, (323) 293-7675 or (310) 753-3307 or email RobinQueen@sbcglobal.net

WANTED TO BUY 19

WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, working or not. ’50s, ’60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 895-5057 * profeti2001@yahoo.com WANTED: USED TREADMILL in good condition. (310) 454-8927

Couch Potatoes, Meet Your Trail Guide

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A man leaps from the Hotel Del Coronado's signature turret in 'The Stuntman,' starring Peter O'Toole. Although the scene was supposed to look like the Florida coastline, the famous San Diego hotel was used in 'Some Like it Hot,' starring Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Hotel Del Coronado Archives.
A man leaps from the Hotel Del Coronado’s signature turret in ‘The Stuntman,’ starring Peter O’Toole. Although the scene was supposed to look like the Florida coastline, the famous San Diego hotel was used in ‘Some Like it Hot,’ starring Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe. Photo: Hotel Del Coronado Archives.

Of course you knew that Pamela Anderson and David Hasselhoff once prowled Will Rogers State Beach during the ‘Baywatch’ glory days, but did you know that the beach also played host to the ‘Creature from the Black Lagoon’? You likely have been to Patrick’s Roadhouse along PCH, but did you know the former bordello was also the scene of two crime dramas from the 1950s starring Humphrey Bogart and Mickey Rooney? Probably not, unless you’ve already perused a copy of Harry Medved’s new book, ‘Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoer’s Guide to Exploring Southern California’s Great Outdoors’ (St. Martin’s). As a 15-year-old Palisades High student in the late 1970s, Medved began channeling late-night sessions watching B-movies like ‘Santa Claus Conquers the Martians’ and ‘Robot Monster’ into a four-book series that celebrated Hollywood’s worst movies. Those books, like ‘The Fifty Worst Movies of All Time’ and ‘The Golden Turkey Awards,’ which he co-wrote with his brother Michael, now a film critic and conservative talk radio host, sold more than 200,000 copies worldwide and paid homage to films that seemed destined for the dustbin. Twenty years after his last book, ‘Son of Golden Turkey Awards,’ was published, Medved has distilled his encyclopedic knowledge of film’both good and bad’into a book that is part trail map, movie guide and Southern California history book. He says he dedicated one year between jobs to writing the book, but he has spent his lifetime researching the subject. Medved, who heads public relations and edits content for Fandango, one of the nation’s leading online movie ticketing destinations, hopes to use movie history to lure people to the ‘great outdoors.’ ‘When I met my wife, I tried to get her to go to Death Valley,’ he said. ‘But she wasn’t interested until I showed it to her in ‘Spartacus’ and ‘Star Wars”Lucas used the movie for about seven scenes in Episode IV.’ In the past month, Medved’s guided tours of the cinematic history of Malibu Creek State Park and Palisades Park in Santa Monica have made longtime residents feel like newcomers, whether it be stepping into scenes of ‘Planet of the Apes,’ ‘MASH,’ or ‘Ocean’s 11.’ The book is divided into four sections that correspond to the region’s geological diversity: beaches, deserts, mountains, and lakes and rivers. Special attention is paid to points of local interest like the Santa Monica Pier (‘The Sting’), the Santa Monica Mountains (‘Easy Rider’) and the Malibu coast (‘Chinatown’). For Medved and his brother, PaliHi was a fountain of ideas. His brother’s book looking back on his graduating class, ‘What Really Happened to the Class of ’65?’ became a national bestseller that preceded his career as a writer and social commentator. For Harry, who graduated in 1978, the frequent visits of film crews to the school sparked his early interest in film. In fact, the book’s co-author, Bruce Akiyama, and photographer, Greg Tucker, were both Pali graduates. During an interview with the Palisadian-Post at his Fandango office in West L.A., Medved discussed his new book, bad movies and must-see places to visit. You and Bruce Akiyama, who helped write the book, were classmates at PaliHi. How did your collaboration on the book begin? One of the things we had in common was a love for bad movies. I didn’t know anybody else who wanted to see movies like “Old Dracula” with David Niven at what used to be the Bay Theater in the Palisades. Another thing we noticed was all the movies that were shot locally. Often after a movie, we’d compare notes and say, “That looked like San Vicente Boulevard. What do you think?” So we kept a record of where movies were shot locally. What inspired you to write the book? Since 9/11, airport travel has been such a hassle for my wife, two daughters and me. I’ve always felt it’s easier to throw kids in the back seat of the car and find exotic locations in Southern California. There’s a reason filmmakers came to Hollywood 100 years ago. It’s because you have this great diversity of landscape between the deserts, mountains, and beaches. I think a lot of people in L.A. take it for granted. Vacations for them mean leaving for the Caribbean. But we’ve got these historic treasures in our backyard. There are so many spectacular getaways that people wouldn’t know about unless they worked in the film industry. And I’m hoping to unlock those secrets. The other inspiration came from my work at the Screen Actors Guild, where I worked for 10 years. I was able to get insider tips about where movies were made in Southern California. There are certain places where actors and stunt performers had worked in the great outdoors and remarked that they wanted to go back. And I thought someone should write a book about these mythical places. Can you recommend one of these ‘mythical places’? Guadalupe Dunes. It’s off Highway 1 between Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo. Where else can you find dunes 500 feet tall? It’s one of Hollywood’s favorite Middle East locations. They shot Cecile B. DeMille’s “Ten Commandments,” “Hidalgo” and “Pirates of the Caribbean 3.’ It’s a windy place that’s not great for swimming but it’s surreal. Any other must-see places? Everyone knows about Avalon, but not as many people know about Two Harbors, the isthmus on Catalina. Hollywood built this to look like a South Seas island. And it was used to film “Mutiny on the Bounty,” “Peter Pan,” “Set It Off” and “The Suicide Kings.” It’s a place that stars would go to work and return to for vacation. This is your fifth book on movies, but the first one not about bad movies. Why the change? I didn’t see a future in the bad movie business. Plus, I didn’t see happiness in roasting Hollywood’s most dubious achievements. I didn’t want to be Mr. Bad Movie for the rest of my life. So I decided that at 25 I was going to hang up the Golden Turkey Awards and pass the torch to somebody else. (Editor’s note: John B. Wilson, a ticket-taker who worked with Medved at the Village Theater in Westwood, asked him whether he had plans to do an annual worst movie award. Medved said no, but gave Wilson the go-ahead to run with the idea. Soon after, Wilson started the Golden Raspberry Awards or Razzies.) How did you enter the ‘bad’ movie business in the first place? My brother, Michael, came home one night to introduce me to his fianc’e. It was really late, and he had just gotten engaged. He was shocked to find me still awake in front of the tube watching ‘The Horror of Party Beach.’ I was really involved in it because I had never seen a movie that bad. It was stupendously bad. So Michael said, “Hello, Harry. I’m glad you’re awake. I want to introduce you to the woman who is going to be my wife.’ I turned around for five seconds, said ‘hello’ and went right back to watching “The Horror of Party Beach.” My brother was so offended that I would be glued to the screen that he asked, ‘What is this fascination with bad movies?’ He couldn’t understand how I could be so fascinated. I said, “When you see something this truly god-awful, it’s truly an achievement. I felt that some of these movies needed some form of recognition for their egregiousness. These were like masterpieces in reverse. Michael really noticed my fascination with bad films and thought that there was book in this. Our first book, ‘The Fifty Worst Films of All Time,’ was published in 1978. Do they make ‘bad’ movies like they used to? Back in the 1950s–and even the 1960s–there was a strange seriousness that made them so appealing. The style of filmmaking was to present outlandish subjects, whether it was a giant man-eating carpet from outer space that lands in Lake Tahoe and devours the entire teenage population at the high school prom. That would be presented with a straight face. There’s no way you could get away with that today. And that’s why bad movies aren’t what they used to be. The truly crackpot nature of those films is what makes them amazing. Are audiences just more sophisticated? The camp culture has caught up with Hollywood. So that if you’re going to make a bad movie today, it’s almost like they make intentional bad movies. They almost seem like they’re winking at the audience. There’s a smugness about them. What makes a quintessentially bad movie is one where the filmmakers didn’t know it was bad. What local landmarks that you mention in your book were the location of any ‘bad’ movies? The cave at Leo Carrillo did appear as the monster’s lair for ‘Beach Girls and the Monsters’ and Roger Corman’s ‘Attack of the Crab Monsters.’ Griffith Park was home of ‘Robot Monster,’ ‘They Saved Hitler’s Brain,’ ‘Dinosaur Island’ and many others. (Medved’s book is available at Village Books on Swarthmore. On March 11, he will lead a cinematic tour of Venice Beach. To reserve a place on the tour or find about other upcoming tours, e-mail Medved at hmedved@yahoo.com.) ————- Reporting by Staff Writer Max Taves. To contact, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 985-1607 ext. 28.

Bringing Home the Oscars

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Above, Forest Whitaker with wife Keisha after winning the Oscar for best actor.
Above, Forest Whitaker with wife Keisha after winning the Oscar for best actor.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Forest Whitaker, a 1979 graduate of Palisades High School, is joined by his wife Keisha as he enters the Vanity Fair part at Morton’s, holding the Oscar he won for best actor in “The Last King of Scotland.” Paliades resident Laurie David, wife of Larry David, won the Oscar for best documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” David was executive producer of the global-warming film starring Al Gore.

Expert to Offer Tips on Container Gardening

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The Black Magic, with its dark purple leaves, is one of the most sought-after elephant ear varieties. Grow elephant ears with other coarse-textured plants like bananas, gingers and cannas, such as the Tropicanna pictured here.
The Black Magic, with its dark purple leaves, is one of the most sought-after elephant ear varieties. Grow elephant ears with other coarse-textured plants like bananas, gingers and cannas, such as the Tropicanna pictured here.

Brian Sullivan, senior horticulturalist at Descanso Gardens, will offer his suggestions on container gardening at the Palisades Garden Club meeting on Monday, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Descanso Gardens is renowned for a camellia forest with more than 34,000 plants and more than 700 camellia taxa, growing on 20 acres, an extensive rose garden with more than 3,000 plants, and California native plants. While these collections mostly dictate what goes into the landscape, the seasonal flowerbeds and containers provide an outlet for color and unusual plants, Sullivan says. Sullivan is responsible for the flowerbeds and the color displays in the large terracotta containers that decorate the lower part of the garden referred to as the courtyard. ‘So the landscape changes with the seasons. We might have chrysanthemums in the fall, tulips in the spring.’ A 10-year veteran at the garden, Sullivan does the seasonal thinking– what’s coming up next–but he also is involved in planning for large capital improvements and fundraising. ‘The most exciting thing I’ve been involved with recently is the olive grove that we are planting on the hillside behind the area. We have a mix of cultivars, mostly sterile, from Greece, North Africa and Spain. It will provide a great educational resource for visitors to the garden.’ Sullivan’s career in public horticulture is a departure from his intended plans after graduating from Boston University with a degree in business. ‘I was working in marketing in the film business, and it really wasn’t for me,’ he says. ‘I didn’t know about public horticulture and the opportunity for careers in the field.’ He researched some public gardens and applied at Descanso. I started out as a maintenance worker, but slowly worked my way up. I took classes at UCLA and Pomona and I’ve been here ever since.’ Sullivan will bring ideas and displays to the Garden Club meeting, with tips on soil, plant selection and arrangement. He will also demonstrate techniques on how to keep a pot looking good for three to six months. With an enthusiasm for travel, Sullivan visited Ecuador last summer and brought back many ideas for unusual plants. ‘The most fun I’ve had recently is with elephant ears (colocasia),’ that tuberous bulb plant that defies logic in size and proportion to other plants. ‘I like to mix them with other tropical plants like bananas, gingers and cannas.’ The elephant ears come in many color varieties’the black leaf, red stemmed, green (colocasia esculenta) and purple leaf (black magic). Sullivan says that most gardeners buy the giant-sized bulbs, and that more and more container-grown plants are being sold. He will be touring the narcissus plantings at Descanso Gardens on March 11 at 1 p.m. Not only will he advise on how to select and plant these bulbs, he also will offer tips on working with bulbs for a spring display. All are welcome to the Garden Club meeting.

Plant Spirit Medicine: A Divine Journey

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Eliot Cowan
Eliot Cowan

A drum circle welcomed visitors into the cozy warmth of Woodland Hall in Temescal Gateway Park on a Saturday afternoon in January. We settled into chairs facing the fireplace to hear Eliot Cowan speak about healing, plant spirits and the search for connection to each other and the world. Cowan is a teacher, healer and Tsaurirrikame, a fully initiated shaman in the Huichol tradition. The Huichols are an indigenous group of the Sierra Madre of Western Mexico. Shamans are individuals in any culture who have “especially vivid experiences with the spirits of nature,” Cowan explains in his book “Plant Spirit Medicine” (Swan Raven & Co.). “Shamans make friends of the spirits of nature and call upon them for help with everyday affairs.” Cowan wanted to begin his talk by telling us a sacred Huichol story, “a teaching story” that he said applies to people across the globe. But in order to hear the story, we first had to participate in a fire ritual in which each person jumped twice over the fire’in this case, a metal bowl containing a burning log. Our group of 58 people retreated outside into the drizzling rain and lined up to perform this ritual, an immediate bonding experience intended to connect us to nature and open our hearts to the story we were about to receive. Back inside, Cowan took time and care in telling the tale, which taught us about the danger humans face when they forget that they are connected to everything else–the plants, animals and the earth. “Healing is not a product of human cleverness or technique, but a divine gift,” Cowan said, comparing elements of the Huichol story to the Judeo-Christian story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. “The plant people never left the Garden of Eden. They still live in this pleasant state of wholeness and harmony. They are wonderful healers because they’re generous and willing to help people on the way back.” Cowan was a licensed acupuncturist when he synthesized herbalism, Chinese Five-Element theory and shamanism into a healing modality called “Plant Spirit Medicine” in the early 1980s. He apprenticed with the late Don Guadalupe Gonzalez Rios, an eminent Huichol shaman. In Chinese philosophy, the study of the five elements (fire, earth, metal, water and wood) provides a framework for understanding balance and harmony as it relates to illness and health. The balance or imbalance of these elements in a person can be detected by observing the emotions. In his book, Cowan describes how he learned to observe his patients’ emotions by talking to them, using his senses–smell, sound and sight–and feeling a person’s arterial pulse. These observations help him detect the underlying imbalance of constitutional elements that is at the source of a client’s “disease.” He then uses shamanic methods to call upon the healing power of plant spirits, which help restore natural harmony. PSM practitioners often use drumming, breath work or similar techniques to enter the dream state of consciousness. Cowan uses drumming. The ‘medicine’ of plant spirits comes from building friendships and alliances with them during visits to this realm; Cowan calls friendship ‘the one active ingredient in plant medicines.’ While he has used homeopathic preparations and drops of flower essence as carriers or ‘messengers’ to deliver the healing spirits to his patients, Cowan is not using these herbal tinctures as a cure for disease. In his book, he emphasizes that the magic is not in the matter, but in the spirit. “Illness today is rooted in becoming so disconnected from the natural world,” Cowan said. He believes that ancestral traditions such as the shamanic methods of the Huichols are integral to our connection with nature and, subsequently, to our health. To help people explore and understand this connection, Cowan founded the Blue Deer Center, a nonprofit retreat organization in Margaretville, New York. The Center’s mission is to promote a balanced relationship with the natural world and provide ancestral approaches to healing, ritual and retreat. Cowan also teaches Plant Spirit Medicine courses around the world. The class consists of six one-week teaching sessions spread over a year and a half, with practice and home study between sessions. For more information, visit www.plantspiritmedicine.org or www.bluedeer.org.

Young Palisadians Updated

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Patric Verrone
Patric Verrone

PATRIC VERRONE, son of Maiya Williams Verrone and Patric M. Verrone, won the Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. This is Patric’s second writing award this school year. A sixth grader at Corpus Christi School, he won second place for his age group in the Palisades library’s Summer Creative Writing contest, announced last October. Patric enjoys performing in theater productions, and most recently appeared in ‘Miss Nelson Is Missing’ at the Morgan-Wixson Theater in Santa Monica. He also plays trumpet, makes movies at home and plays with his pet mice. He is an older brother to fourth grader Marianne and first grader Teddy, both Corpus Christi students. Palisadian DIMITRI CHESNE, 11, starred as Dill in Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts on February 27 and 28. Chesne’s credits include ’42nd Street’ (Billy Lawlor) at Pierson Playhouse in Pacific Palisades, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ (Fyedka) at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre and ‘Dear Charlotte’ (Davies) at Crossroads Middle School Theatre, as well as several national and international commercials. He enjoys writing, directing and editing his own movies, playing electric guitar, singing, tap dancing, practicing karate, skateboarding and kickboxing. ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ was the second production in Phantom Projects’ season, which includes three plays and a Young Artists Workshop. The nonprofit educational theater group presents a combination of classic texts from high school curricula and original message-based plays about issues of immediate relevance to young people. SETH T. MANDELKERN, son of Mark Mandelkern and Margot Metzner and a first-year student at Colby College in Waterville, Maine, was named to the dean’s list for his academic achievement during the fall 2006 semester. Students whose grade point averages are in the top 30 percent are named to the dean’s list. Seth is a graduate of Palisades Charter High School. MICAELA ROSENTHAL and JILLIAN RICHMOND were named to the dean’s list at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, for the fall 2006 semester. To qualify for the dean’s list, they had to receive grades equivalent to a 3.5 on a 4.0 scale for the semester. JESSICA C. ANTICO and BERIT E. AUERBACH-LYNN were named to the dean’s list at Boston University for the fall 2006 semester.

Upgrades in Rustic Park Await ‘Reasonable’ Bid

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Restarting renovations and upgrades at Rustic Canyon Park awaits a more ‘reasonable’ estimate from the city’s General Services Department (GSD), said Neil Drucker, who manages the allocation of Proposition K funding. High construction costs and inefficient management derailed progress there, leaving all the community’s priorities unmet. Beyond a disability-friendly bathroom replete with a wheelchair ramp and guardrail, the city park has little to show for the $300,000 in Proposition K funding that was spent there between 2004 and 2005. Learning that only $130,000 is left from the original bond money allotted for the park’s refurbishment, community members expressed their frustration at last Thursday’s Community Council meeting and pressed Drucker for efficiency and accountability. ‘We spent a lot of time and money on this,’ said Council Chair Steve Boyers. ‘And I think it’s fair to say that we’re severely disappointed.’ A local volunteer neighborhood oversight committee (LVNOC) met several times between 2004 and 2005 to create a list of priorities for the nearly $500,000 allocated for the park. Among other projects, they planned to install an automatic irrigation system, resurface the basketball courts, repair the entry courtyard and replace old tiles. But the higher-than-expected costs of the initial bathroom repairs left the LVNOC’s goals stalled until the recent news that Councilman Bill Rosendahl acquired an additional $300,000 for the project. Although much of the money lost to waste has been restored, there are ambiguous signs that the funding will be better spent. General Services was originally hired to complete the project in place of a private contractor because using their services would allow the park to remain open during construction. The Bureau of Engineering is charged with managing the GSD’s work, but insufficient staff levels in that bureau meant that much of the construction cost went unsupervised, said Drucker. ‘We now go through each and every invoice,’ Drucker said. ‘We didn’t have the staff to go into the details of every project at the time the Rustic Canyon construction happened. Now that I have a fuller staff, I can assign them to examine every tooth and nail of the project.’ The high cost and low quality of GSD’s past work at Rustic Canyon raised concern among council members, who want to use a cheaper, private contractor. One reason cited for GSD’s high costs was the fact that workers sign in and out of work each day at GSD’s downtown headquarters rather than at the construction site. At times, that meant that traffic delays inflated labor costs by two to three hours more than a private contractor per worker per day, according to Drucker. Although less expensive construction options might exist, General Services is entitled to the remaining $130,000 allotted by Prop. K funding. The allocation of the newly acquired $300,000 could depend on politics, according to Drucker, who said he can recommend an outside contractor, but the City Council will ultimately decide the award. One council member asked Drucker, ‘When will construction resume?’ Drucker responded, ‘I’m hoping within a month. I’ll come back with a cost estimate. But as a caveat, I’m not going to come back if the GSD contract is embarrassingly high.’ ———- Reporting by Staff Writer Max Taves. To contact, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext 28.

Two Proposed Cell Towers Draw Ire

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The low population density and mountainous enclaves in Pacific Palisades don’t just mean clean air, scenic beauty and high property values. They also mean weak cell-phone signal strength and dropped calls. But filling the gaps in coverage has brought an unwelcome intruder: large cell-phone towers. Two new proposals to install cell towers in Sunset Mesa and Highlands residential areas have roiled homeowners and homeowners associations, who want cell-phone reception but fear repercussions to their health and property values. Andrea and Dr. Walter O’Brien recently received notice that Sprint/PCS intended to follow through with what seemed like a dormant plan to install a 25-foot ‘camouflaged tree’ that would double as a cell-phone tower within 25 feet of their children’s playground and 50 feet of their house on Surfview Drive, near the Getty Villa. On February 14, the O’Briens and their neighbors met with Sprint representative Courtney Schmidt and Jeff LaDou, a management analyst for the Bureau of Engineering. ‘The meeting was a joke,’ said O’Brien, an orthopedic surgeon. ‘The Sprint representative said, ‘We’re not really here to discuss if there’s going to be a cell tower, but rather what it’s going to look like.” Although the O’Briens sit next to hundreds of acres of empty parkland and across from vacant lots, Schmidt insisted that no other spot would suffice and the company didn’t want to ‘disrupt trees,’ O’Brien said. Meanwhile, residents living within 500 feet of 16699 West Via La Costa, a vacant lot adjacent to the Enclave in the Highlands, were recently given notice of T-Mobile’s plan to install a ’22-foot monopine’ which includes 12 panel antennas and four ground-level cabinets surrounded by an 8-foot-tall chain-link fence. The news caught almost all residents by surprise, and many felt the announcement provided them little time to organize an appeal. ‘To date, no one has provided us much information about it,’ said Mitch Chupack, president of the umbrella Summit Homeowners Association, which includes the Enclave. ‘If we had more notice about this, we would have been all over it. I think we’re all a little pissed off.’ About a dozen residents visited the proposed site in a meeting with a consultant to T-Mobile last week, and most felt like their concerns were unanswered. ‘This came at us out of the blue,’ said Karrie Barnett, who lives near the proposed tower. ‘We were there for more information. And the consultant really did not have the kind of information we were looking for.’ Many residents who spoke to the Palisadian-Post planned to attend a public hearing this morning at the Office of Zoning Administration to formally oppose the T-Mobile plan. But a host of federal and state laws benefiting cell-phone companies have severely weakened local resistance to cell-phone towers. In fact, the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 prohibits states and local governments from regulating wireless facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of ‘radio frequency emissions.’ And a 2002 state law allows wireless providers to install wireless facilities in the ‘public right of way.’ Norm Kulla, who directs policy for City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, said that he has pushed the federal government to enforce its health standards, but that federal law has left the cell-phone companies to virtually police themselves. In the absence of federal control, Kulla has pushed cell-phone companies that build here to commit to third-party inspection and community oversight. But he says the approach has been mixed. In a recent meeting with T-Mobile, they did not commit to this plan. The lack of regulation has stoked residents’ fears. Lynne Henney successfully fought an attempt to install AT&T wireless panels at Calvary Church in 2002. Now she is fighting T-Mobile’s plans in her Highlands neighborhood. ‘I’m worried about the risks of the radiation from these towers,’ Henney said. ‘I’ve read that there’s a significant incidence of tumors as a result of this radiation.’ Numerous studies using mice show an increase of tumors as a result of electro-magnetic radiation, but there is currently no conclusive evidence that shows harmful effects to humans from cell-phone tower radiation. Although most residents oppose the T-Mobile plan in their backyard, some local residents believe the costs will be negligible. They also argue that covering holes in cell-phone coverage provides residents safety by allowing an extra form of communication in the case of natural disaster. Art Zussman, president of the Enclave Homeowners Association, lives close to the proposed site. He’s content with the company’s plans to disguise the tower as a pine ‘tree,’ and he feels the aesthetic impact is irrelevant because it’s ‘out of sight’ of most homes. Final approval for these two cell-phone towers will probably depend on the community response rather than the law. In 2005, Cingular moved its proposed site to an alternate location after significant opposition from Mount Holyoke residents. A spokesperson for T-Mobile did not return a call to the Post. Because T-Mobile is installing the tower on private property rather than public property, they are not subject to more restrictive city regulations. Ed Miller, an Enclave resident who manages the property that will be leased by the proposed cell-phone tower, did not return a request for an interview. Caroline Semerdjian, public relations manager for Sprint/Nextel, told the Post Tuesday that company engineers did not know a children’s playground was near the proposed site on Surfview Drive. Despite past statements to the contrary, the company now considers empty land across the street from the O’Briens to be ‘a very viable solution.’ —————– Reporting by Staff Writer Max Taves. To contact, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.

City, LAUSD Officials Tackle Traffic at Revere

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Paul Revere Interim Principal Fari Yashar met with city officials and parents last Thursday to seek solutions for traffic issues plaguing the school. ‘We worry about the safety of our students,’ she said. ‘Our major concern is traffic.’ Yashar told officials that three years ago a student was killed while running across Sunset to catch a bus. Three weeks ago a student was hit by a car in front of the school as he crossed Allenford. ‘Fortunately he was okay,’ she said, ‘but we want to know what you can do to help with safety.’ Yashar asked if a regular stoplight could be installed at Brinkley and Allenford, where there is currently a blinking light that allows cars to exit from the school driveway, ‘It is a three-way stop which ends up in absolute chaos,’ said parent Nancy Babcock. L.A. Department of Transportation representative Hamed Sandoghdar said that a light couldn’t be installed until the sidewalk, which slopes onto the driveway, is changed to a step-down curb. ‘It won’t be easy to change,’ said Charles Leone of Councilman Bill Rosendahl’s office. ‘It’ll be a special project.’ He promised to look into getting funds to have the change made. The school safety committee also wanted timing extended on the light at Mandeville Canyon and Sunset, where parents exit to improve traffic flow out of the school in the morning. ‘If we change one light, it could result in issues at other lights,’ Sandoghdar said. He agreed to observe different intersections during school drop-off times and look for traffic patterns to see whether a change was feasible. The need for traffic solutions has increased in recent years as local enrollment increases bring an estimated 1,000 cars a day to Revere, not including commuter traffic. ‘Kids are jumping out of cars whenever they can,’ parent Debra Barnett said at the meeting. Leone responded, ‘Is there funding available for crossing guards?’ He was surprised when he was told that the city doesn’t supply crossing guards for middle schools. He promised to look into the possibility of acquiring one for Paul Revere because of its unique traffic situation. LAUSD District Three Complex Project Manager John Napoli noted that Mayor Villaraigosa has started to put traffic policemen at troublesome intersections. ‘I think this intersection [Allenford and Brinkley] is a good candidate,’ he said. Leone said he would explore this suggestion. DOT’s Sandoghdar was impressed with the available space along the west side drive on the Revere campus. ‘LAUSD should hire a consultant to look at the space and redesign it, stripe it and maybe put in speed humps’ [to help with traffic before and after school], he said. Brad Smith (LAUSD Health and Safety) was unaware that Paul Revere is located five miles from the Palisades Village and is within walking distance of only a few potential students. He said it might be time to revisit the idea of using idle LAUSD buses parked at Palisades Charter High to transport students from the Palisades to school in the morning.

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