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Sandy Ricker, sailor, horsewoman

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Sandy Ricker
Sandy Ricker

Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Sandy Ricker passed away on November 10 after a long illness. She and her husband Tom had lived here since 1970. Sandy worked at UCLA as a medical technologist for 22 years, retiring seven years ago. She had many interests that kept her busy. After she and Tom started sailing in the 1960s, they bought their first sailboat, graduated to bigger boats and finally owned the one of their dreams. They loved the ocean and all the creatures in it. The Rickers spent many vacations in Laguna, enjoying the art, the Pageant of the Masters, and the waves. Sandy also loved horses and rode her own horse for years. She inherited a racehorse and was busy breeding her. She spent time helping handicapped children learn to ride at the Equestrian Center. Sandy, who loved all animals, always had at least one Doberman and one parrot in the house at all times. She was also closely connected to her church, Corpus Christi, and was a big participant in all the ministries. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her brother Don Tinnerman (wife Jan), nieces and nephews, and many friends. A memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. today at Corpus Christi. In lieu of flowers the family would prefer donations be sent to either the ASPCA or the World Wildlife Fund.

CLASSIFIED ADS FROM THE NOVEMBER 9, 2006 ISSUE OF THE PALISADIAN-POST

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

LAS VEGAS HOMES, CONDOS. Interested in a 2nd home or relocation? Listings emailed free. Call Rob or Janet. Realty One Group. (702) 882-1454. www.RobSellsVegas.com 180′ OCEAN VIEW. 3 bdrm, 2 ba, Mfg home offers the beach-seeking buyer a private oasis across from the beach at sought-after Tahitian Terrace. 1,440 sq. ft. Rent control, pets ok. $450K. SC Realty, Franklin, (818) 577-7116

HOMES WANTED 1b

WE BUY HOUSES, APTS & LAND! ALL CASH, AS-IS, FAST CLOSE. David, (310) 308-7887

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

PRIVATE GARDEN STUDIO guesthouse. $1,600/mo. Laundry, kitchenette, large closets, utils, Wifi paid. References and credit checked. Flex lease. No pets. (310) 874-3233 SANTA MONICA CANYON HOUSE. 1 block from beach, 3 bdrm, 3 ba, balcony w vu of cyn, approx 2,600 sq. ft., fireplaces, patio, 2 car garage, w/d, fridge stv, d/w. Quiet st., Palisades Sch Dst. $3,750/mo. Utils incl’d. 1 yr lse. (310) 990-3372 SPACIOUS HOUSE MAR VISTA, 3 bdrm, 2 ba, living room with fireplace, family room, large closets, dbl gar, backyard, gardener. Lease $2,850/mo. (310) 454-5893

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

CHARMING 1,200 SQ. FT. UPPER APT in Mediterranean triplex near bluffs. 3 bdrm, 1 ba, tiles, wood floors, plantation shutters, frplc, ceiling fans, garden. 1 year lease. $3,500/mo. Available 11/15. N/S, no pets. (310) 804-3142 SPACIOUS APARTMENT. 3+2 UPPER unit. QUIET bldg. Garage, laundry, new carpets, bright. Lots of storage space. $2,600/mo. 1 year lease. No pets/smoking. (310) 498-0149 CHARMING QUIET RESIDENTIAL 1 bdrm, 1 ba, studio, new paint, new carpet. $1,400/mo. Call Sean, (310) 454-0288, cell (310) 487-8039

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

ROOMMATE NEEDED. 2 bdrm apartment in Westwood area. Female/student. $600/mo.+1/2 util. (310) 625-6494

WANTED TO RENT 3b

HOUSE WANTED TO RENT during the holidays. Family coming from out of town. Dec 27th-Jan 4th. If you are away for the holidays & would like to rent your house or apartment in the Palisades please call Daniel, (310) 562-1615

VACATION RENTALS 3e

ENJOY CALIFORNIA DESERT RANCHO MIRAGE. 3,000 sq. ft. home, $5,000/mo. 3 bdrm, 3 ba, Wi-fi, Springs Club, pool, spa, gym, many golf courses available. 3 minutes from cineplex and restaurants, 2 minutes to Eisenhower Hospital. Contact (212) 583-1796 or unoneill@aol.com LUXURY PARIS APT. $2,500/2 wks, Jan.-Feb.-Mar. 2007, 2,000 sq. ft. 3 bdrm, 2 ba, elevator, parquet floors, Wi-fi, all util incl., 2 blks from Luxembourg Gdns. Walk to movies, cafes etc. Contact (212) 583-1796 or unoneill@aol.com

CONDOS/TOWNHOMES FOR RENT 3f

PACIFIC PALISADES FOR LEASE. Stunning totally remodeled townhome, granite kit, 2+2 1/2 + den, mtn view, hdwd flrs, high ceilings, pool, tennis, 2car pvt garage. $3,400/mo. (310) 260-7764

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

ATTENTION AFFLUENT PROFESSIONALS: HASSLE-FREE BUSINESS with proven track record. Not everyone will qualify. (570) 971-7527 – www.SeekFinancialFreedom.com FIND YOUR COMFORT ZONE? Control your lifestyle? Financial Freedom is ?? Chrisiemarie, (800) 470-5781

PERSONALS 6b

SEMPER FI. HAPPY BIRTHDAY & BLESSINGS always to all US Marines, family and friends. 11/10/06. Ray E. Nasser, US Marine, Purple Heart. 16321 PCH #63, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-7432

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

QUICKBOOKS FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS. Set-up, Data Entry, Reporting, Tax Preparation. Over 10 Years of Experience. Palisades Resident. Doris: (310) 913-2753

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

COMPUTER SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT -HOME & BUSINESS – 20 Years Microsoft Experience -HELPING WITH: Windows XP – Windows Media Center FRANKEL CONSULTING 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 DETECHTIVESTM – 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 ADONIS COMPUTERS. Around-the-clock computer sales & service. We handle viruses, pop-ups, Internet, tutoring, repairs & upgrades. 25% off your first visit. (866) 423-6647

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 7f

PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? a moving sale? a yard sale? a rummage sale? an estate 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 – Furniture – Antiques – Collectibles – Junque – Reliable professionals Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

PERSONAL ASSISTANCE, ORGANIZATION & BOOKKEEPING. Superior services provided with discretion & understanding Palisadian resident. Local references. Call Sarah, (310) 573-9263

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. Sunshine Nannies, (310) 614-5065, (310) 801-8309 OUR NANNY IS CURRENTLY SEARCHING for a new job because our children are now grown. She has 20+ yrs of nanny experience. We are sure she will be a great help to any family as she was to ours for 9 years. If interested, please call Edys at (213) 291-4890. References available upon request. BABYSITTING/HOUSEKEEPER Wed./Sat./Sun. afternoon or evenings. 14 years experience, references. Call (323) 241-8423 & leave message or (323) 460-6473

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 HOUSEKEEPERS AVAILABLE M-F. Own transportation, 10 years experience. Great references. Call Marlene or Dinora, (323) 758-8964 EXCELLENT HOUSEKEEPER. Great with kids & cleaning. Prefer live in. Perfect references. (310) 689-8015 HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER available M-F and Sunday. Very good references. Many years experience. Please call Maria & leave message. (818) 669-1950 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday & Friday every other week. Excellent references, trustworthy. Please call Laura, (213) 977-1029 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri. Own transportation, CDL, good references. Call Teresa, (310) 202-7275

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

CAREGIVERS/COMPANIONS Live in/out. Minimum 2 years experience. 3 work related references required. CNA’S/CHH’S welcomed. Bondable. Call (323) 932-8700

NURSING CARE 10b

HOME/PRIVATE CARE GIVER. 15 years experience. CNA certified & Home Health Aid certified. Very reliable & dependable. Have own car, CDL. Full time or part time. Preferably at night. Local references available upon request. Elena Gonzales, (310) 993-2664

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

TREE SERVICE 11d

JOHNSON TREE SERVICE. TREE – SHRUB – STUMP REMOVAL SINCE 1924. St. lic. #685533. (310) 454-8646, Brad

MASSAGE THERAPY 12b

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

WINDOW WASHING 13h

EXPERT WINDOW CLEANER, 20 years Westside. Clean and detailed. Free estimates, sills and screens included. Up to two stories only. Brian, (310) 289-5279 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

HOUSESITTING 14b

YOUR PALISADIAN HOUSESITTER, reliable, experienced, loves animals, lives in the Palisades. References upon request. Call Karen, (310) 570-7297

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. Connie, (310) 230-3829 TRUSTED HOUSE/PET CARE IN PALISADES AREA. Retired teacher with 3 golden retrievers. Walking – Playgroup therapy – References. Call Chris, (310) 454-4768

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

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 MUSICAL TRAINING IN YOUR HOME. Piano – Voice – Guitar – Drums – Percussion. A system of communication which allows for miraculous & immediate results. Cathleen, (310) 390-1969

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 ages – All levels – Local refs – Flexible hrs. 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 WRITER/TUTOR/EDITOR/ESL: 25 yrs teaching experience. Extraordinary results with application essays from middle school-college. Grammar becomes logical & beneficial. Higher level critical thinking & reading comprehension become intertwined skills. Fare fees. References: Karen, (310) 230-7856 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 ELEMENTARY TUTOR: Palisades Teacher with MA in Education. Available for students K-8 who need help with academics or ISEE test prep. Help your child have a great year. Call Lara, (310) 294-0123 SPANISH TUTOR, CERTIFIED teacher for all levels. Has finest education, qualifications, 17 yrs exper. Palisades resident. Many good references. Amazing system. Affordable rates. Marietta, (310) 459-8180 LOCAL CREDENTIALED HS TEACHER. Experienced tutoring specializing in Algebra and Chemistry. Experienced in helping students with learning differences too! Call Carole at (310) 749-3378 PROFESSIONAL PRIVATE TUTOR (Mathematics, Science, SATs, ACTs) 9+ years experience, UCLA graduate w/ degree in Mathematics. First lesson half off! Janice, (949) 351-5717, www.TheLATutor.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 STANFORD-EDUCATED Math & Science Tutor- Four years experience tutoring Physics, Chemistry, Algebra 1&11, Geometry, Trig, Analysis, Calculus, SAT11 1C & 2C, and even robotics. Young(ish) and personable. Engineering degree. In-home convenience. References. Chris, (323) 309-6687

CABINET MAKING 16

CUSTOM WOODWORK AND CABINETS. Craftsmanship quality, 20 years experience, local resident. Local references available. General Contractor Calif. License #402923. Ron Dillaway, (310) 455-4462. rondillaway@yahoo.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

CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 20 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 450-6237 ALAN PINE, GENERAL CONTRACTOR. New homes – Remodeling – Additions – Kitchen & bath. Planning/Architectural services – Licensed & Insured. #469435. (800) 800-0744 or (818) 203-8881 PALISADES CONSTRUCTION NOW ACCEPTS VISA, MC & AMEX! Custom remodel – Decks – Floors – Kitchen – Bath – Elec. – Plumbing. Nobody does it better! Lic. #784088. Jason, (310) 980-2463

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

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. Senior 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 & refinishing. National Wood Flooring Association member. Lic. #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 THE HANDY GUY. Any job, big or small. Over 16 years experience. Lic #B-858574. We’re proud to donate our services to Habitat for Humanity. (310) 216-9034 LOCAL ENGLISH HANDYMAN serving the Palisades 10 years. You can trust me to do the job right. Hourly rates/bids. Not lic. (310) 454-3838 – (310) 367-6383 HANDYMAN – PAINTING – DRYWALL REPAIRS – Water damage repair – Small carpentry work – 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. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16q

PAUL HORST – Interior & Exterior – PAINTING – 52 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 and 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 LADY WANTED FOR LIVE-IN position. Light housekeeping. Help with handicapped daughter. (310) 457-3393 ESCROW OFFICER & ASSISTANT wanted F/T. Make a positive change now. Call Sharon, (310) 451-5411 Fax resume: (310) 458-1988 PART TIME CHILDCARE helper needed weekday afternoons, CDL & excellent driving record required. rebeccalobl@earthlink.net INCREASE YOUR NET WORTH! Business authority with passion for celebrating life & success. Shares proven wealth strategies, critical company info. www.xlr8wealth.com LOOKING FOR PLEASANT FEMALE CAREGIVER with experience and references to help care for senior male individual, Palisades resident. Live-in. Call Manuel, (562) 644-0919 WANTED COLLEGE STUDENT who drives own car, CDL, homework helper. Fun & friendly. Two times a week. 3 p.m.-8 p.m. Please call (310) 573-5041 GENERAL MAINTENANCE POSITION is available NOW! F/T, flexible hours, full benefits. Pay commensurate with experience. Email resumes to PBrown@CalvaryChristian.org or fax (310) 230-9268 WANTED: HYGIENIST. For Thursday only. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Call (310) 454-3732. Fax: (310) 459-2245 GETTY VILLA MUSEUM STORE ASSOCIATE Malibu, CA. P/T, varied sched (eve, wknds). 2 yrs retail exp., H.S. Diploma. $10.70/hr. Cover letter, resume to jobs@getty.edu ICE ACCESSORIES IN THE BRENTWOOD GARDENS is now hiring sales associates! The perfect candidate can work 4 days a week, which may include many weekends from 10:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Prior experience in upscale ladies apparel or accessories is a MUST, along with a sparkling, enthusiastic, upbeat attitude. We offer a competitive salary and benefits plus commission. Please email your resume, availability and salary history to: T9460@earthlink.net. BENTONS SPORT SHOP: full- & part time retail sales personnel needed. Positions avail for both mornings &/or afternoons. Exper helpful but not mandatory. Apply in person: 1038 Swarthmore, (310) 459-8451 HOUSEKEEPER WANTED 2 days per week (schedule flexible) for family of 4 in Brentwood Hills. Call Cheryl: (310) 780-8115 SMART & FUN BABYSITTER for our smart 9 year old. Call (310) 454-9160 LOOKING FOR FULL TIME RECEPTIONIST. Tuesday-Saturday. Tuesday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Some customer service skills required. Willing to train. Call Cathy, (310) 713-7685 YMCA TREE LOT. Positions available for labor & sales, Need delivery drivers. Call Jim, (310) 454-5591. Apply at YMCALA.org/PM

AUTOS 18b

1989 CADILLAC EL DORADO super clean, 112K, new alt., new battery, new radiator, new front brakes. $3,000 obo. Ask for Roger, mention ad: (310) 450-5644 1999 MERCEDES BENZ E430 59,000 miles, excellent shape. Original owners moved to India. $16,000 OBO. Call John, (310) 390-5144 1969 CORVETTE STINGRAY, blk/blk, original paint, 350 c.i.d., recent prof. rebuilt, 101K miles, automatic t-tops, fully restored. $35,000 firm. Great driver, no accidents! (310) 454-0685, leave message 2005 BMW G51150 ADVENTURER, BLACK, like new, 3,000 miles, tank bag, cover, always garaged heated, grips, Eng. guard, must sell. $15,000. (310) 454-0685, leave message INTERSTATE TRAILER, 12′ L x 6′ W x 7′ H, enclosed, single axle metallic gray, 2005 rear loading door ramp, side door, lockable, like new, carpeted interior. $5,000. (310) 454-0685, leave message CASH 4 MERCEDES BENZ $ 1980-1995, running or not. Any questions please call (310) 995-5898 1995 MITSUBISHI MONTERO SR fully loaded, excellent condition, sun roof, third row seat. $5,500. (310) 367-5803 2002 CHRSYLER TOWN & COUNTRY VAN LTD. Single owner, loaded, w/ DVD/VHS, chrome wheels, new tires, 44,000 miles w/ 70,000 factory warranty. Excellent family car. Great condition. $11,900 obo. (310) 913-1700

FURNITURE 18c

CAL KING CANOPY BED. Iron with green patina. 85″ tall. Lovely design on head and footboard. $300. (310) 454-0069 BEAUTIFUL ANTIQUE TURN-OF-CENTURY mahogany dresser (mirrored wood grain design), Walnut glass fronted book case with lower cabinet. 1930s French armoir, 1930s Thonet style single head and footboard. 1900 brass head & footboard (double) with mattress. Tall 1930s oak glass front supply cabinet. California King with navy upholstered base. Two matching white 7′ modern couches. (310) 472-0883 STEINWAY BABY GRAND PIANO & BENCH. Walnut. Louis XV. Mint condition. $50,000. Call (310) 459-3448 COUNTRY FRENCH DINING ROOM SET, $1,800 obo. Seats eight. Beautiful, pecan finish. Eight chairs. Carved legs, excellent quality. Purchased at Glabmans new for $8,000. Karastan rug (8′ x 12′) for $350. (310) 913-1700

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

GARAGE SALE, 15001 McKendree, (cross street Bestor), Friday, November 10th, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Children’s toys, strollers, plants, stones, super comfortable armchair, computer items & more. BIG GARAGE SALE, Saturday, November 11th, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. 16179 Sunset at Las Lomas. Woman’s clothing sizes 4, 6 & 8 & shoes, sizes 7-7 1/2, household items, books, nice stuff. GARAGE SALE ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11th. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. 676 El Medio Ave. Baby supplies, stereo equipment, clothing accessories, excellent condition.

PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e

I HAVE AN ENGLISH BULLDOG for immediate adoption. AKC Registered, Health: 100% ok, de-wormed (+1 year health guarantee), Shot: 1st shots, and vaccinated. Weight: 15-16 lbs, age: 11 weeks, colors: brown/white. Raised in a loving home, not a kennel, housebroken and potty trained. $500 (shipping included anywhere). If interested, (206) 339-5273 (leave message) or please email me asap: missesrowe@yahoo.com

WANTED TO BUY 19

WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, ’50s, ’60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 306-7746 – profeti2001@yahoo.com

Spikers in Payback Mode

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Palisades High Volleyball Ready for Quarterfinal Showdown at Sylmar

Palisades freshman Emily Cristiano (middle) tips a ball over two Garfield blockers during last week's three-game victory in the first round of the City playoffs.
Palisades freshman Emily Cristiano (middle) tips a ball over two Garfield blockers during last week’s three-game victory in the first round of the City playoffs.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Maybe it was the new wrinkles added to the offense. Or maybe it was postseason adrenaline kicking in. Whatever the reason, the Palisades High girls varsity volleyball team is clicking on all cylinders and visiting Cleveland had a front row seat Monday night. “We’re peaking at just the right time,” Assistant Coach Chris Mortimer said. It certainly seems that way. The fifth-seeded Dolphins (14-1) played with startling efficiency, needing only 65 minutes to power past the 12th-seeded Cavaliers 25-15, 25-12, 25-20 and advance to the quarterfinals of the City Section playoffs. Cleveland simply had no answer for the one-two punch of hitters Laura Goldsmith and Alex Lunder, who finished with 12 and nine kills, respectively. Goldsmith ended the match with a service ace down the line. “I’d say they were better than most of the teams in our league,” Lunder said of Cleveland, which managed two brief leads, both early in the third game. “They kept a lot of balls in play.” According to junior libero Rachael Ehrlich, the key to the Dolphins’ success is teamwork. “Earlier in the season we were playing more as individuals,” she said. “Now, we’re playing more as a team. We know our roles much better now.” Ehrlich’s primary role is to provide accurate passing and defense in the back row and she was at the top of her game all night. Ehrlich was a whirling dervish on the court, finishing with 13 digs, five assists and three aces. Her hustle was never more evident than on the final point of the second game when she dove to return a serve inches off the floor, allowing setter Jenna McAllister to feed Jenny Donohue for a well-placed crosscourt kill. Last Thursday, Palisades made short work of 28th-seeded Garfield 25-17, 25-18, 25-16. The Dolphins raced to early leads in each game, allowing Head Coach Matt Shubin to empty his bench. Had Palisades lost its opening match it would have dropped to the City Invitational bracket. “I was a little worried we might overlook Garfield in the first round [last Thursday] but we were in control the whole time and all the girls got a chance to play, which is nice” Shubin said. “And tonight was maybe the cleanest we’ve played the entire season.” If it was difficult “getting up” for severely overmatched opponents in the first two rounds, Palisades was certainly motivated for Wednesday’s quarterfinal match at fourth-seeded Sylmar. After all, the Spartans handed the Dolphins their only loss of the season on September 18. “We’re a better team now than we were then,” Lunder said. “I guess it’s fair that they got the higher seed because they beat us head-to-head, but I definitely think we can beat them if we play like this.” Goldsmith agreed: “We have a different rotation now. Before I was passing most of the time. Now I’m hitting more which is good because I’m a better hitter.” Not only had the Dolphins not hammered out the kinks in their offense the last time they faced Sylmar, they were also without their head coach. Shubin was serving a suspension for missing a mandatory coaches meeting and Mortimer had to take his place. ‘I don’t think the girls will need any added incentive for this one,’ Shubin said with a smile. ‘They haven’t forgotten what happened last time.’ If victorious Wednesday (outcome was unknown at press time), the Dolphins would likely travel to top-seeded and defending City champion San Pedro for a semifinal match next Tuesday night.

Tennis Opens City Playoffs

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The City Section girls tennis playoffs began Monday and Palisades High’s team was nowhere to be found. That’s because the top-seeded Dolphins had a first-round bye and did not have to play until Wednesday’s quarterfinal round (results unavailable at press time) in the 12-team championship bracket. ‘We’ll see how the draw plays out,’ Pali Head Coach Bud Kling said. ‘We have a couple of players sick right now so we may not be at full strength for our first match.’ Palisades (15-2), the defending City champion, hosted No. 8-seeded Sylmar, which beat ninth-seeded Cleveland 5-2 in the first round. If the Dolphins were victorious yesterday, they will meet the winner of No. 4-seeded Marshall and No. 5 Granada Hills next Monday in the semifinals at 1 p.m. at Balboa Tennis Center in Encino. The finals are next Friday at 1 p.m.

Pali Football Lets Victory Slip Away

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Late Mistakes and Dubious Playcalling Contribute to 27-21 Loss at Westchester

Coaches often use the phrase “hindsight is always 20-20” to explain away mistakes made during games. Not even that seems an adequate excuse, however, for what occurred at the end of last Friday night’s varsity football game at Westchester. When it was over, everyone on the Palisades sideline was still trying to figure out what had just happened. The scoreboard read Westchester 27, Visitors 21. “We’re all very upset,” Head Coach Leo Castro said. “Some of the kids are pointing fingers and that’s what I’m disappointed with most. That’s not what I teach our players to do.” Clinging to a 21-19 lead with just over two minutes to go, Palisades had a first down at its own 17-yard line, needing a first down to run out the clock. Westchester had one timeout left. “Robert [Gillett] and I were pleading in the huddle to let us run it,” Palisades High senior tailback Dajuan Cofield said. “I was sure we could pick up the first down and the game would be over.” Instead, backup quarterback Michael Latt (replacing starter Raymond Elie, who had dislocated his left index finger while breaking up a pass on the prior defensive series) was instructed to take a knee three times, after which kicker Joe Berman punted from his own end zone, giving Westchester the ball back at the Dolphins’ 37-yard line with 24 seconds left. “It’s easy to second-guess now and say we should’ve run the ball but our thinking was that Michael [Latt] hadn’t taken any snaps and we didn’t want to risk a turnover,” Castro said. “I also don’t think the officials spotted the ball correctly after the punt. It should have been 10 yards further up field.” To its credit, Westchester (3-6, 1-3) took advantage of the Dolphins’ clock mismanagement and scored when quarterback Isaiah Barton scrambled out of the pocket and heaved a pass to receiver Khallid Muhammad, who caught the ball in the end zone. “Normally, Raymond [Elie] would have been the safety in that situation but he was hurt. The kid [Darren Morrow] we had in his place is a senior, too. It wasn’t just his fault. The whole defense fell asleep.” What happened next was even more embarrassing for the Dolphins. Westchester was flagged for two excessive celebration penalties after the touchdown and had to attempt the two-point conversion try from Pali’s 33-yard line. Barton swept left on a quarterback keeper and scampered all the way into the end zone. While it had no effect on the outcome of the game, the play exposed Palisades’ inability to defend a basic run the Comets had used repeatedly throughout the second half–including six plays in a row during a 72-yard scoring drive earlier in the fourth quarter. The outcome overshadowed a fine performance by Cofield (73 yards and two touchdowns in 14 carries) and Elie (nine of 13 for 128 yards and one touchdown), who is hoping to be back under center in time for the playoffs. Three weeks ago, Palisades came within two inches of spoiling Hamilton’s homecoming. This time, the Dolphins came within two seconds of ruining Westchester’s homecoming. Both games exemplify why in football every yard and every second count. Friday’s loss, however, was harder to swallow because of how suddenly the resilient Comets snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. “It was crazy the way it ended, but I’m not pointing any fingers,” Cofield said. “We win as a team and we lose as a team. That game is history and we just have to move on.” The Dolphins have had little time to dwell on last Friday’s loss. They travel to first-place Venice (7-2, 4-0) tonight for their league finale. “We’re 0-4 on the road so far, so we’d like to change that,” Cofield said. “With our starting quarterback out, Robert [Gillett] and I are going to get the bulk of the carries. Everyone needs to step up if we’re going to win this game.” Defensively, Pali’s gameplan will be to slow down Gondos running back Curtis McNeal, who has rushed for 1,773 yards and has scored 33 touchdowns this season. Venice crushed University, 55-24, last Friday. Pali beat University, 15-14, on October 13. “I know Curtis well,” Cofield said of his backfield counterpart. “He’s a great back. I actually beat him in the 100 meters last year in track. I ran 11.2 and he ran 11.3. So far, he’s put up big numbers for them.” Castro fears the loss to Westchester might cost his team a home game in the first round of the Invitational playoffs. “We would have to be seeded in the top eight for us to get a home game,” he said. “That could still happen but this loss definitely hurts our chances.” Friday’s frosh/soph game kicks off at 4 p.m., followed by the varsity at 7 at Venice High.

Pali Runners First at League Finals

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Everything seems to be rounding into form for the Palisades High cross country team as it heads down the home stretch of the season. Both the boys and girls varsity teams took first place in the Western League finals meet last Wednesday at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. The Dolphin boys won with a low score of 29, distancing themselves from the rest of the league by a decisive margin. Venice was second with 61 points, followed by University (75), Hamilton (78), Westchester (165) and LACES (172). Five of the top 10 finishers were from Palisades. Leading the way was Marco Tringali, who ran the hilly three-mile course in 16:56. Teammates Jann Stavro (17:37), Muhanad Elias (17:40), Jason Kil (17:56) and Jeff Boone (18:09) placed 5-8, respectively. ‘I’m happy we won league and I was happy with our spacing but our times are going to have to drop significantly to compete for the City,’ Pali Head Coach Ron Brumel said. The varsity girls race featured the first of three potential head-to-head meetings between the City’s two fastest runners’Kristabel Doebel-Hickok of Palisades and Katja Goldring of Hamilton. Goldring won in a record time of 17:06 while Doebel-Hickok, running easily, crossed the finish line in 17:20’the fourth fastest City time ever at Pierce. ‘Kristabel ran very smart’ Brumel said. ‘Her goal is to medal at the state meet. Winning City would be nice and she has never beaten Katja so that would be a feather in her cap. I think she can do both of those things. But Kristabel’s sights are set on state.’ Palisades’ girls won by an even greater margin than the boys. totaling 30 points. University finished second with 64, followed by Hamilton (68), Venice (103) and Fairfax (131). Sarah Shores was fourth overall in 20:22, Angela Perry-Spahn was fifth in 20:38, Natalie Farnham was ninth in 21:53 and Cecelia McGaughran was 10th in 22:13. The City prelims were Wednesday (results unavailable at press time) and the City Finals are Saturday, November 18.

Calendar for Week of November 9

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9 Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library community room, 861 Alma Real. Palisadian Lisa Rosenbaum signs her debut novel ‘A Day of Small Beginnings,’ 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. A luminous tale packed with Jewish history, this is ‘The Lovely Bones’ meets ‘Fiddler on the Roof,” said Publishers Weekly. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10 Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Rorem’s Violin Concerto are the featured works in an 8 p.m. concert at St. Matthew’s Church on Bienveneda. Tickets at the door: $25. Opening night for the Theatre Palisades production of ‘Charley’s Aunt,’ 8 p.m., Pierson Playhouse on Haverford. Ticket reservations: 454-1970. This classic comedy runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through December TK. Palisades resident Michael Sitrick, chief executive officer of his prominent PR/crisis management firm, inaugurates a new monthly speaker series, 8:30 p.m. at Kehillat Israel on Sunset. Public invited. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 11 Opening auditions for ‘The Glass Menagerie’ by Tennessee Williams, directed by Sherman Wayne, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. Auditions continue November 13, 7 to 10:30 p.m. All roles are open. The Theatre Palisades production will run from January 12 to February 18. Contact: 454-1970. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 12 Rustic Canyon Recreation Center holds its annual fine arts and crafts show and sale, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 601 Latimer Rd. Contact: 454-5734. (See story, page 13.) The Junior Women’s Club stages its 21st annual Holiday Home Tour and Boutique, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (See story, page 1.) MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13 Moonday, featuring poets John M. FitzGerald and H’l’ne Cardona, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books on Swarthmore. (See story, page 13.) TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14 Palisadian Iris Kaphan of the League of Women Voters will give a post-election analysis of the various ballot propositions, 7:30 a.m., Palisades Optimist Club meeting, Mort’s Oak Room. Public invited. Martha French Patterson, a longtime Palisadian, author and raconteur, will address the Palisades Woman’s Club, 11:45 a.m. at the Clubhouse, 901 Haverford. (See story, page 13.) Storytime for children ages 3 and up, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 15 Monthly meeting of the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee, 7:15 p.m., Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real. Public invited. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16 Palisades High graduate Norman Ollestad will discuss his debut novel, ‘Driftwood,’ 7:30 p.m., Village Books. (See story, page 6.) FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 17 St. Matthew’s Parish School hosts its annual Christmas Faire, 6 p.m. at the Sprague Center, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. (See story, page 16.) ‘Trail to the Stars,’ an easy hike and a view of the planets, from Mercury to the newly ‘demoted’ dwarf planet, Pluto, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in Temescal Gateway Park. Bring a blanket, water, a jacket and a flashlight. Meet in the front parking lot; parking is $5. ____________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Come have fun and be a part of your community. Volunteers will meet for a work party on the Village Green from 9 to 11 a.m. Newcomers are especially welcome. Just bring shears and gloves, and watch as the Christmas tree lights are installed by the fire department. For more information, contact Marge Gold at 459-5167. Inexpensive flu shots, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Knolls Pharmacy on Marquez Avenue. First come, first served. Immunizations are $25 for customers age 9 and older. Medicare Part B patients (non-HMO) are invited to participate at no charge. Onsite Wellness Service, Inc. bills Medicare directly. SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19 Ron Webster will lead the Temescal Canyon Association in a 6- or 7-mile hike to a 50’s missile site and on to the Canyonback area of Brentwood, 9 a.m. Meet in Temescal Gateway parking lot. Wear hiking boots or sturdy shoes. Bring lunch and water. No dogs. Fancy Feet Dance Studio benefit featuring carnival games, a DJ, and three 20-minute performances, 2 to 5 p.m. on the Terrace Level parking lot at 881 Alma Real. Proceeds will help offset the cost of sending 43 young dancers to New York this summer for the Studio’s first dance education study program. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1 Auditions for Theatre Palisades Youth production ‘Bubba The Cowboy Prince,’ an original musical directed by Nancy Fracchiolla, based on the popular children’s story by Helen Ketteman, 4 to 6 p.m., and tomorrow, December 2, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. (See story, page TK.) WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13 The Department of Recreation & Parks will hold its Board of Commissioners meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the Rustic Canyon Recreation Center, 601 Latimer Rd. The public is invited.

Harassment Lawsuit Pulled from PaliHi Student Newspaper

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Palisades Charter High School’s student newspaper, Tideline, was missing an important element last Thursday: half of the front page and an article about a school sexual-harassment lawsuit printed on the reverse side. Late that night, the article’s noticeable omission made the evening television news. And the lawsuit it discussed, which at first glance seems narrow in scope, might now have significant legal implications for the viability of charter schools statewide. After pressure from the school’s administration and accused teacher, Ronald Cummings, not to run the story, student journalists ripped the article from virtually all 2,000 copies of the semimonthly newspaper before distribution Thursday afternoon. Although the staff of the award-winning newspaper recognized their legal right to publish the article, which was based on public records, they feared that not complying with administration’s demands might have delayed distribution of the paper. Almost every copy of the paper had been held in Principal Gloria Martinez’s office since Tuesday that week. And editors were uncertain whether the school would try to pose legal challenges to the paper’s distribution. PaliHi Executive Director Amy Held said she knew of no plans to delay distribution if students had not complied with the school’s request. ‘Our lawyer at the Student Press Law Center said the administration and Mr. Cummings had no legal basis for removing that article,’ said Donovan Malloy, one of the editors-in-chief. ‘But we had a commitment to our advertisers to distribute the paper on schedule.’ Impromptu flyers circulated the campus that afternoon, alerting students to the article’s omission and directing them to a Web site that described the lawsuit against the popular and unconventional teacher. Ron Cummings has taught history at PaliHi for 17 years, and many of his students speak fondly of his class as well as his ‘racy jokes and provocative humor.’ But the same characteristics that have endeared the teacher to many AP European History students were also the source of emotional trauma to an eighth-grade, parochial student. In February 2004, a 13-year-old female student visited PaliHi and attended classes for a day in expectation of enrolling the following year. But after her visit to Cummings’ class became charged with sexual innuendo, at times directed at her, she no longer felt comfortable enrolling there. Among other complaints, the girl alleged that Cummings commented on her breasts, humiliated her religious background and unnecessarily peppered a class lecture on the 19th century with sexual language. Immediately following the incident, Dr. Thomas Knapp wrote to then-Principal Linda Hosford on behalf of his daughter asking for an investigation of the incident and the dismissal of the teacher. Knapp’s lawyer, Ed Carney, also wrote to Hosford on multiple occasions and warned of possible legal action. Following a school investigation in May 2004, Hosford admonished Cummings for his classroom behavior in a letter of reprimand. ‘I have concluded that, on the day in question, there was sufficient evidence to support a finding that you either fostered inappropriate classroom discussion or at least allowed such classroom conversation to exceed the boundaries for acceptable discussions,’ Hosford wrote. Hosford also wrote that the teacher’s use of sexual language was ‘unnecessary’ and ‘an attempt to gain favor with your class by using surprising/shocking language.’ For Thomas Knapp, Hosford’s letter to Cummings did little to address his daughter’s complaints. In June 2004, he sought further action in a lawsuit filed with L.A. County against Palisades Charter High School and the Los Angeles Unified School District. Knapp’s lawsuit alleged that his daughter’s traumatic experience excluded the possibility of sending her to PaliHi. And Knapp demanded that the school pay for the cost of four years of private high school, estimated at no less than $125,000. That lawsuit and the appeal that followed were dismissed on technical grounds in July 2005 and July 2006, respectively. And those decisions have produced unexpected consequences for the legal autonomy of California charter schools. An L.A. Superior Court and the Second Appellate District Court of Appeal ruled that Knapp did not follow the demands of the Government Claims Act, which requires that public agencies be given advanced written notice of a legal claim. Interestingly, the courts also determined that Palisades High is not a public agency independent of LAUSD. Despite the school’s charter, they ruled that the school is ‘operationally rather than legally independent’ from the District. The significance of that ruling has created an unexpected alliance. Sensing the threat of this decision to the legal rights of charter schools, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) filed a petition in support of Knapp’s request for a rehearing. In other words, the state’s chief charter school organization supported overturning two court victories for Palisades Charter High. Why? The CCSA fears that if the courts’ rulings stand and charter schools are not considered legally independent, then severe legal and economic consequences could follow. It believes that without legal autonomy, charter schools might have difficulty borrowing funds. And it anticipates that school districts will not want to create new charter schools if those districts must be held legally responsible for the debts and obligations of charter schools. The CCSA’s support was decisive for Knapp’s successful bid for rehearing of the case, said Carney. The case will be reheard November 30. In January 2005 following a complaint from Thomas Knapp, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing issued a ‘public reproval’ of Cummings. The Commission did not revoke his teaching credential, and he teaches part-time at PaliHi. It is unknown whether his part-time status at the school is the result of disciplinary action. Cummings would not return a request for an interview with the Palisadian-Post.

Hungarian Recalls His Boyhood Brush with the 1956 Revolution

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Peter Csato still has a scar on his forearm where the bullet from a Russian machine gun tore through his skin during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Peter was only 12 at the time, although he was a breaststroke swimmer and large for his age. The uprising of young Hungarian students against their Communist government and occupying Soviet forces had begun a couple of days earlier, on October 23. ‘It was a slow process,’ says Csato, who owns Le Studio hair salon on Via de la Paz. ‘When you’re under Russian occupation, it’s not easy to organize something of that caliber.’ Imre Nagy, a Communist reformer, led the nation for most of the 10 days of the revolution, during which Soviet troops retreated. But the Red Army returned in huge numbers on November 4, killing more than 2,000 Hungarians. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Hungary’s fight for freedom. ‘It was an exciting 10 days because we actually thought Hungary would be free,’ recalls Csato, who was living with his family in Eger, northeast of Budapest. ‘We were sure that the Americans were going to come and help us because the Hungarian people were so pro-American.’ But the Americans did not come. And Hungary remained under Soviet control until 1989. ‘It was a really depressed society,’ Csato says about Communist Hungary in the 1950s. ‘Being a sportsman, I had a pretty good life. Sport was everything for the Communist regime because that was showing the world that we could do anything.’ The day the revolution broke out, Csato remembers that officials closed schools. ‘I woke up in the morning and the news on the radio was that the revolution broke out in Budapest,’ he says. ‘I could hear on the radio the machine guns going off and the tanks out on the streets.’ During the next few days, Csato and his friends joined other young men in the streets armed with Molotov cocktails, crude incendiary weapons that consisted of a glass bottle filled with flammable liquid such as gasoline and a gasoline-soaked rag that was lit on fire. Csato was throwing Molotov cocktails at Russian tanks the day he was hit by machine-gun fire from one of the tanks. ‘I didn’t even feel I was hit,’ says Csato, who was wearing a long-sleeved shirt that hid the wound. ‘Then I saw blood running down my fingers and almost fainted from that. I went to the hospital and they sewed me up to stop the bleeding.’ At the time, Csato’s father was mayor of Eger, working, unwillingly, under a Communist government. ‘There was a lot of hassling at his work,’ Csato says. ‘He was hassled by our neighbor, a guy who was an anti-Communist and called [my father] a traitor.’ Csato worried about his father’s safety, especially after witnessing the deaths of people on both sides’Hungarian revolutionaries, members of AVO (the Soviet-backed secret police) and Russian soldiers. ‘It was sad because, later, we talked to the Russians’they were really nice young guys,’ Csato says. ‘They said, ‘You know, we’re here because our government sent us here. We understand that the Hungarian people want to be free, and we agree with you.’ You find yourself relating to the guys you were trying to kill. It was a weird feeling.’ Csato remembers that when the Russian troops started pulling out, his father drove him on the back of a motorcycle to watch the caravan of tanks going back to Russia on the main road. ‘It was a happy moment because we thought we were going to be free,’ he says. But when the Americans didn’t come, ‘we were disenchanted for quite a few years. We just hated Eisenhower. Not America, just the president.’ Some 200,000 Hungarians fled to the West, but others, like Csato’s family, remained in their homeland. ‘By the time my family realized the Americans were not coming, it was too late to leave,’ Csato says. ‘[The Russians] secured the border. People could leave but it was a lot more dangerous.’ Csato left Hungary eight years later in 1964, when he was 20. ‘I left with the Hungarian water polo team,’ he says. ‘I went to the ’64 Olympics [in Tokyo] and I ‘forgot’ to go back. I defected.’ The Hungarians won the gold medal that year but Csato wasn’t interested in returning home to celebrate. The government sentenced him to seven years in jail for defecting. Csato lived in Vienna for three years before moving to the United States. It wasn’t until 1970 that he was able to arrange a visit to see his mother in Vienna, where he introduced her to his wife, Alexia, a Frenchwoman he had met and married in California. His parents later visited them twice in the U.S. Csato and Alexia, both hairstylists, opened Peter Csato Coiffeurs in Santa Monica Canyon in 1969, and were there for 2-1/2 years before moving up to the Palisades, where they lived for many years. Their daughter, Celeste, is a singer/songwriter who teaches vocal lessons here. Hungary was still under Communist rule when Csato returned for the first time in 1972. Not yet an American citizen, he worried that he would not be able to leave his home country once officials knew he was there. ‘It was a horrible experience going through the border,’ he remembers. ‘I said to myself, ‘Why am I going back to the cage?’ Because who knows, they could just keep me.’ At the border, officials recognized his name, took his papers to a separate room ‘for what felt like an eternity’ and then waved him through the gate. ‘I thought for sure they were following me,’ he says. ‘I really wanted to know that I could leave again with the papers, legally. I had nightmares for days; it was really uncomfortable. It’s amazing what your mind can do.’ Csato crossed back over the border to Austria after just one week in his home and discovered, much to his relief, that leaving was a simple process. ‘There were several gates’those heavy, metal gates, and no-man’s land, just minefields,’ he says. ‘When we passed the last gate into Austria, I said, ‘I’m free again.” Csato’s parents have since passed away, but his sister still lives in Eger, where they own a house together and a winery. ‘It’s like the West now,’ he says, ‘it’s like going to Vienna or Paris. Most of the buildings are restored. It’s such a good feeling to go back.’ The 50-year anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution caused Csato to reflect on the power of ‘this little country rising up against a huge country like the Soviet Union.’ ‘It was unbelievable,’ he says, ‘what the desperation to be free does to people.’

Save Our Earth: Individuals Can Become Emissaries for Change

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Laurie David and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., two active environmentalists and leaders in educating the public about global warming, spoke last week at the Bellarmine Forum on Environmental Responsibility at Loyola Marymount University. They both talked about what we can do as individuals. David, a Pacific Palisades resident and producer of Al Gore’s ‘An Inconvenient Truth,’ suggested that we should act like global warming activists and shift our attitude and behavior. ‘It’s about change,’ she said, and she gave attendees some good examples: 1) Change incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents (cfls). David stated that if everyone changed five light bulbs, that would be the same as taking eight million cars off the road for a year. (Note: you can buy cfls at Norris Hardware, Home Depot, and IKEA. You’ll save money too, because they use less electricity and last longer.) 2) Unplug your cell phone charger when it’s not in use; 3) Replace your toilet paper and paper towels with environmentally friendly products. Save the trees that filter CO2. (You can buy these products at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s). 4) Don’t use paper napkins made from virgin timber. Save the trees. (You can buy alternatives at Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s or use cloth napkins.) 5) Buy hybrid cars. 6) Turn off the lights if you are not in the room. David said that 60 percent of our energy is from coal, which is the leading cause of global warming. 7) Bring your own coffee cup to Starbucks. 8) Reduce your carbon footprint. (You can Google that or read an upcoming article here.) 9) Bring your own garment bag to the dry cleaner. Bring a canvas bag to the grocery store. David stated that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags per year and less than one percent are recycled. 10) Get off catalogue lists. Americans receive 17 billion of them per year. (Two ways to get off these lists: call the number on the catalogue, or write to Mailing Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 15012-0643.) 11) Support an environmental group. 12) Become an environmental activist. The solution is YOU! Kennedy, a noted environmental lawyer and author (‘Crimes Against Nature,’ ‘The Riverkeepers’) said we need to protect the environment because nature enriches us, is the infrastructure of our community, and the source of our values. He discussed how pollution from coal-burning plants results in asthma of the local residents and mercury contamination in fish. He called on the attendees to protect the environment for our own sakes, reminding everyone that we are the emissaries for future generations. One thing you, the reader, can do is to sign up for ‘green power’ today at ladwp.com. If you have a business, consider how you can be more sustainable. Remember, we all can be environmentalists! (Suggestions for the Save Our Earth column can be sent to senior editor Libby Motika at lifestyle@palipost.com)

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