Martha Madden Mohr, 83; Former 54-Year Resident
Former longtime Pacific Palisades resident Martha Madden Mohr passed away Monday, October 23 in Spokane, Washington. She was 83 and had been battling a long illness. Martha loved the feel of Pacific Palisades and she focused on raising a family, running a business, enjoying picnics on the beach and watching the sun set in the ocean. She and her husband, Richard, loved to travel (especially to London) and all things British. A year after Richard’s death in 2002 she moved to Spokane to be close to her son and his family. Martha was born September 12, 1923 on a farm near Kingman, Indiana. She attended Indiana University and graduated in 1945 with a business degree. She married Richard Mohr of Indianapolis in 1947, and they moved to Southern California in 1950. Together, they founded International Bookfinders, an innovative out-of-print mail order book search service. They moved to the Palisades in 1959 and worked out of their home on upper Chautauqua, using the cherished Palisades Post Office “Box One” as their business address. At first, their company focused on locating hard-to-find books for individual customers but over the years they began amassing impressive collections of books on a single topic and selling them to universities and libraries. International Bookfinders specialized in Western Americana. Martha is survived by her son, Mark Mohr (wife Tami) and her grandchildren, Kellen and Kylie. Private services will be held at a later date. Donations may be sent in memory of the Madden family to the Rush Creek Cemetery, 11052 N. B’dale Road, Bloomingdale, Indiana 47832.
Palisadians Flex Political Muscle with Contributions
Washington, D.C., has an extra shade of green this fall–thanks in no small part to Pacific Palisades. Local residents have given more to political parties and candidates running for U.S. Senate and Congress than they ever have in a mid-term or non-presidential election, helping to make the Palisades one of the most important zip codes nationwide for campaign war chests. ‘Political discourse has become more shrill,’ said Scott Corwin, a local resident and one of the Democratic Party’s biggest fundraisers. ‘It’s becoming so vociferous and the volume of political giving is being driven upward.’ Palisadians have contributed more than $1.3 million since January 2005, according to data from the Federal Election Committee. That means that contributions are up more than 109 percent since the 1994 election cycle. And that figure would be much higher when contributions to state offices like governor or state senator are included. Palisades contributions to the Democratic Party outnumber contributions to the Republican Party by a 3-2 ratio. But the share of Republican contributions has grown since 2002, the last non-presidential election. While giving to the Democratic Party rose 142 percent to $347,920 in that period, Republican funding increased 440 percent to $228,702. Curt Baer, president of the Palisades Republican Club, credits the fear of a Democratic sweep with motivating Republican donations. The largest financial support for the Republican Party came from Frank and Kathrine Baxter and Dennis Tito. The Baxters have given more than $100,000 to the Republican Party and Republican candidates since 2005. A national surge in large donations has given the Republican Party a $100-million advantage over the Democrats, which some political observers say might be large enough to overcome this year’s anti-incumbent sentiment. If the threat of an imminent electoral defeat has scared Republicans into action, it has also encouraged the flow of Democratic dollars. ‘I am finding that Democrats are more willing to open their checkbooks because they realize their money is going to good use,’ Corwin said. ‘They sense that another $5,000 in a Tennessee Senate race, for example, can make a big difference.’ Corwin helped to raise $250,000 for U.S. Senate candidate Harold Ford at a West L.A. fundraiser this summer. Because Democratic victory in state legislature and Congressional races is virtually assured, the Palisades Democratic Club has looked beyond Los Angeles. The Club recently voted to send money to competitive and pivotal Congressional races in Stockton and Sedona, Arizona. The Palisades Republican Club has not yet decided where to send money raised through local fundraisers, but it wants the contributions to go where ‘they’ll be needed most,’ Baer said. The largest Democratic contributions in this election came from Larry and Laurie David and Thomas and Janet Unterman. Both households each gave more than $100,000 to the Democratic Party and Democratic candidates. For Thomas Unterman, the managing partner of a venture capital firm, Republican ‘backsliding’ on the environment and civil liberties was a key factor in his decision to contribute to Democrats this year. ‘I have progressive political views,’ Unterman said. ‘And I’ve been fortunate to be able to support candidates whose political views coincide with mine.’ New federal campaign spending regulations restrict donations to individual candidates to $2,100 per election cycle. They do, however, allow for contributions as large as $26,700 to Democratic and Republican committees and third-party Political Action Committees, or PACs. The share of contributions from the Palisades that went to Democrats increases when individual candidates and Democratic-leaning PACs are included. Hillary Clinton received $70,000–more money than any other candidate. EMILY’s List, Forward Together PAC and Dianne Feinstein were also among the top 10 recipients of Palisades contributions that leaned toward Democrats and Democratic groups. Presidential elections have historically generated more contributions than mid-term Congressional elections, and the Palisades is no exception. In 2004, residents gave more than $3 million during that election, which was more than the community has ever given in an election. When zip codes were ranked by the size of their political contributions to federal elections that year, Pacific Palisades ranked fourth statewide and 40th nationally. In 2004, Palisades money also favored Democrats. Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry received more than $500,000 while President George Bush gathered nearly $300,000. But the community’s recent tendency to favor Democrats has not always been a given. In the 2000 election, contributions to then-Republican candidate Bush nearly doubled contributions made to Democratic challenger Al Gore. And the Republican Party received 20 percent more than the Democratic Party that year.
City Block’s Board Request for Permit at Beglari House
Last Tuesday, shortly after the Los Angeles Board of Building and Safety Commissioners found that the Department of Building and Safety had ‘erred or abused its discretion” in its dealing with a property owned by Rustic Canyon residents Mehr and Vickey Beglari, board president Javier Nunez was fired by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. Within days of Nunez’s ouster, the commissioners’ unanimous decision (5-0) at the October 17 public hearing to reinstate the building permits and Certificate of Occupancy for the Beglari’s principal residence at 909 Greentree Road was blocked by the city attorney’s office. The Palisadian-Post has not yet been able to obtain any details as to why this action was taken by the city. Nunez, who apparently was given special treatment on some projects, had been under investigation for several months, as have been several other commissioners. The Building and Safety Commission is an advisory board that hears cases and can refer them back to department head Andrew Adelman for review. The board has no authority to take action’such as reinstating the permits and Certificate of Occupancy in the Beglari case. While it is not currently known if grading can continue on the Beglaris’ other property at 921 Greentree, public records show that on Monday this week, Building and Safety officially rejected the couple’s request to have the documents at their 909 residence reinstated, which was the subject of the October 17 hearing. Meanwhile, the trial on the contempt case brought by several neighbors against Building and Safety head Adelman regarding the handling of the Beglari case will begin January 22. The five-year dispute centers on the setback at 909 Greentree, which the plaintiffs argue is 14 feet closer to the curb than permitted by the municipal code.
Council Urges Stricter Enforcement of Leaf Blower Ban
The Pacific Palisades Community Council unanimously passed a resolution October 12 calling for stricter enforcement of a citywide ban on gas-powered leaf blowers in residential neighborhoods. Although the ban was officially passed in 1997, local residents have noticed few changes since the ban went into effect because of its inconsistent enforcement. The Los Angeles Police Department and the Bureau of Street Services can fine gardeners using the gas-powered blowers and their employers $271 each, but local residents said that those two agencies rarely ticket offenders. ‘Basically, where we are now is that if you report a violator, then the police officer or street-use inspector will come out the next week,’ said George Wolfberg, a Community Council member and supporter of the resolution. ‘But they [gardeners and landscapers] don’t always come at the same time. It’s very inefficient [enforcement].’ Rather than waiting a week for an investigation, supporters of the ban want LAPD officers and Bureau of Street Services inspectors to enforce the law when violations are observed. Wolfberg said that when the LAPD was more persistent in citing violators, ‘it made a big difference in compliance.’ In the past, the LAPD has said that citing offenders for using gas-powered leaf blowers is ‘not a high priority.’ But local residents said that any future change would likely depend on LAPD’s willingness to enforce the law. ‘If I see people using the leaf blowers, I ticket them,’ said Michael Moore, the senior lead officer for LAPD in Palisades. ‘The leaf blower ban is an infraction. It’s not mandatory for officers to enforce infractions. It’s always been very difficult to get officers to enforce that law. A lot of officers don’t have the luxury of cruising around and looking for these kinds of violations.’ Only one Bureau of Street Services investigator, Ivan Campbell, works in Palisades and Brentwood, and he has pledged to spend more time spotting violators. The law’s passage owes its success, in part, to the Palisades, where residents formed Zero Air Pollution L.A., ZAP, in 1995 after gardeners and Echo Inc., the manufacturer of the gas-powered blower, united to fight the law. The law, which aims to primarily reduce air pollution, passed after considerable controversy in 1997. Opponents of the municipal ordinance argued that the law unfairly punished low-income gardeners. The Association of Latin American Gardeners said that complying with the law would mean less business for gardeners, who would have to use rakes to clean yards. Opponents also disagreed with the projected benefits on L.A. air pollution. Echo Inc. also filed a lawsuit against the city in 1998, but lost the case.. Gas-powered blowers using two-stroke engines consume more gas and oil and, consequently, emit large quantities of pollutants. Residents also complain about the noise from the machines, which operate as high as 100 times the healthy limit for human ears. Battery-operated blowers can legally be substituted for gas-powered blowers in Los Angeles and do not emit noxious pollutants. But users complain that the machines do not hold charges long enough to clean multiple yards.
Eco Experts Give ‘CPR’ Strategies for Saving Our Earth
It takes a team to reverse the impacts of global warming. With this truism, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley was referring specifically to the cadre of environmentalists who served on the panel of the Palisades Eco Forum Tuesday night, but she could have been calling all of us to the team. The first event in the Palisades spearheaded by Marie Steckmest, founder of Palisades Cares, brought together experts who in each of their respective areas of expertise gave their perspective on the job of saving our earth from oblivion. Councilman Bill Rosendahl greeted some 50 audience members and reiterated his commitment to environmental issues, before introducing his staff’s new environment specialist, Deborah Weinstein. Rosendahl then turned over the meeting to moderator Peter Kreitler, founder/co-host of EarthTalk, a cable television show, who introduced the panel: Pavley; Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay; Ferris Kawar, Los Angeles editor of Greenopia, a guide for living green, and founder of Sustainable Works, which helps businesses and homeowners develop plans for living sustainably; and Neil Guglielmo, division manager, Solid Resources Citywide Recycling, L. A. City Bureau of Sanitation. All panelists agreed that the work of saving our earth is three-pronged. ‘Restoring the health of our earth requires more than a band-aid, or even a couple of sutures, Kreitler suggested. ‘The body is diseased. We need systemic changes now, or CPR for our fragile island home. Conservation, preservation and restoration encompass our work as environmentalists.’ In her six years in the Assembly, Pavley has championed legislation that will reduce California’s contribution to global warming. First there’s her automobile emissions reduction bill that calls for a 30-percent reduction by 2016. Second is this fall’s AB 32, which will set caps on industry emissions and require them to be cut by 25 percent, to 1990 levels, by 2020. ‘This can be achieved by adopting renewable energy standards, green buildings and schools, fuel-efficient cars, and production of green technology,’ Pavley said. ‘But no state, county or city can do this alone.’ The effects of global warming are registered in the air quality and climate change, Pavley added. ‘Climate change will effect our currents, fish stock, coral reefs.’ While in office (she plans to run for State Senate in 2008), Pavley has worked with Heal the Bay’s Gold on providing state money for the Clean Beaches Initiative and dry weather run-off diversions. The latter has paid off just this week with the news that every Will Rogers beach received “A”s on Heal the Bay’s end-of-summer report card. ‘This has never happened before,’ Gold told the audience. ‘It’s a big deal,’ adding that the city of Los Angeles had adopted the beach-quality standards that require that all Santa Monica beaches must meet fecal-matter standards or face a $10,000-per-day fine. Gold added that the runoff diversion pumps will begin operating year-round in the next couple of years as funding becomes available. These pumps direct runoff water to the Hyperion treatment plant in El Segundo instead of having it flow directly into the ocean. But all panelists agreed that the success of strategic policies depends on our participation in conservation efforts. Kawar, from Sustainable Works, focuses his efforts on environmental education for residents of Santa Monica and Los Angeles. The nonprofit organization offers a six-week sustainable living workshop that provides ‘everything you wanted to know about reducing your impact on the environment.’ Workshops are set Mondays at 7 p.m. continuing on October 30, and Wednesdays at 7 p.m. continuing on November 1. Call Kawar for details at 458-8716, ext. 1. The workshop topics include water, energy, waste, chemicals, transportation and food and shopping., and Kawar offered a sampling of the ideas covered. Using water, he suggested the obvious savings such as turning off the water while brushing your teeth or capturing the start-up cold shower water in a bucket to be used to water plants. But he also informed the audience that moving water around California uses the equivalent of one-third of all home energy. In energy use, he suggested using fluorescent bulbs, and unplugging rechargers, computers, and stereos while not in use. As for waste, he suggested bringing our own coffee mug to work (instead of using throwaway cups), using a cloth bag for shopping, and using home eating utensils for take-out meals. And, he encouraged everybody all to compost fruit and vegetable waste. Guglielmo, with the city’s recycling division, offered a quick review of the material that can be placed in each of the department’s waste bins’black, green and blue. He also reminded the audience that certain materials, such as paint and solvents, used motor oil, batteries and fluorescent tubes and bulbs can deposited at S.A.F.E collections centers, including the center at UCLA, 550 Charles E. Young Dr. West, which is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Finally, Guglielmo encouraged audience members to attend the department’s free composting workshop on November 18 at Palisades Charter High School.
New Rec Center Director Knows the Palisades
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
David Johnson, the newly-appointed Senior Director at the Palisades Recreation Center, is no stranger to Pacific Palisades. Johnson took over on September 1 for David Gadelha, who accepted a position with Municipal Sports running L.A.’s adult baseball leagues. Johnson was promoted to the Palisades from Penmar Recreation Center and although he still lives in Baldwin Hills, he has many friends here and enjoys the community. ‘I love what I do because I’m involved in sports and I get a chance to make a difference in kids’ lives,’ he says. ‘That’s the aspect of the job I love the most.’ Sports has been a big part of Johnson’s life for as long as he can remember. He was an All-Westside baseball player during his senior year at Westchester High in 1983, when the Comets won the City Section championship at Dodger Stadium (he went three-for-four at the plate). He also played on offense and defense in football. ‘The team wasn’t very good back then,’ he admits, ‘but Kenny Norton Jr. was our running back.’ Westchester was in the same league as Palisades and Johnson remembers playing against Steve Kerr, who went on to star in basketball at the University of Arizona and later won NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. Johnson’s athletic prowess earned him a scholarship to Tennessee State, a Division I program in Nashville, where he played tennis and baseball while earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education. After graduating, he worked as an accountant for television shows and movies for nine years. Answering another call, Johnson was hired by the City in 1999 as the Recreation Coordinator at Griffith Park’s Boys Camp. Three years later, he was promoted to L.A. Kids’a grant-funded basketball, baseball, soccer and softball camp for underprivileged kids. From there, he became the Senior Director at Stoner Park and then at Penmar. ‘I grew up following UCLA in basketball and USC in football, ‘Johnson says. ‘I still play in a competitive softball league and I love to ski up at Big Bear. I also like to swim and jet ski.’ One of Johnson’s first orders of business is to beef up the Rec Center’s after-school program. He has already talked to Palisades Pony Baseball Association Commissioner Bob Benton, AYSO Region 69 Commissioner Debbie Held and Palisades Tennis Center Manager Heidi Wessels’three people with whom he will need to work closely to accommodate the growing number of kids in a variety of sports who use the facility year-round. ‘I’m really impressed with the new gym and especially the Field of Dreams,’ Johnson says. ‘I remember coming here years ago and this is definitely a huge upgrade.’ In addition to his administrative duties, Johnson is busy setting up a new youth basketball league to begin in January for boys and girls ages 5-14. He is hoping to start sign-ups by the end of the month. Also starting in January are T-Ball and Five-Pitch Softball. Johnson is trying to get more teams for the Roller Hockey and adult leagues. For information about the Rec Center’s upcoming programs, call Johnson at 310-454-1412.
Pali Football Loses by Inches
Two inches were all that separated the winners from the losers in last Friday afternoon’s Western League football game at Hamilton High. That’s how close Palisades quarterback Raymond Elie came to scoring the go-ahead touchdown. Instead, Dolphin players and coaches were left to ponder what might have been after their final drive fell short of paydirt, allowing the Yankees to run out the clock and preserve a 29-26 homecoming victory. Starting at its own 20-yard-line with 5:56 left, Palisades marched 78 yards in 11 plays, converting two fourth downs in the process–the second on a leaping sideline catch by Timmy Gonzales. On third-and-goal from the two, tailback Dajuan Cofield slipped while trying to cut upfield and fell a yard and a half from the end zone. On fourth down, Elie took the snap and dove forward behind a wall of blockers. It was difficult to tell if the ball crossed the plane of the goal line, but when the officials cleared the pile and placed the ball down, Hamilton had held with 1:54 remaining. The game was not over, as Palisades still had two timeouts and a chance to force a safety and get the ball back trailing by only a point. Instead, Hamilton tailback Paul Davis took a handoff from his own endzone and swept around left end for a seven-yard gain. The Yankees picked up a first down two plays later and from there quarterback Noah Paul took two kneel downs to kill the last 40 seconds. Perhaps Dolphins Head Coach Leo Castro summed it up best: “We needed one yard and we couldn’t get it.” Hamilton (6-1, 2-0) had taken the lead by gambling on fourth-and-eight from its own yard 12-yard-line. Instead of kicking, Yankees punter Alex Hoffman-Ellis caught Palisades’ defense off guard by throwing a pass in the flat to Sammie Rogers, who raced 88 yards up the sideline for a touchdown that put Hamilton in front by a point with 7:46 remaining in the fourth quarter. Gary Peters ran for the two-point conversion and upped the Yankees’ lead to three. Hamilton then recovered an onside kick at the Dolphins’ 36, but failed to gain a first down and punted to set up Palisades’ final drive. It was a gut-wrenching end to a game that had begun so well for the Dolphins (4-3, 1-1). After Palisades recovered a muffed punt deep in Hamilton territory, Joe Berman’s short field goal gave the visitors an early lead. A fumble return for a touchdown by Robert Gillett and a three-yard run by Cofield on fourth-and-goal gave the Dolphins a seemingly insurmountable lead. Elie set up Cofield’s score by intercepting Paul’s wobbly pass and returning it to the Yankees’ six-yard-line. Rogers finally gave the home crowd something to cheer about when he caught a 65-yard touchdown pass to put Hamilton on the board early in the second quarter. After Pali failed to move the ball on its ensuing possession, Jevoni Buchanan knifed through the line and deflected Berman’s punt out of bounds inside Pali’s 10-yard-line. Peters plunged over right tackle for a touchdown two plays later. Another blocked punt by Hoffman-Ellis led to Paul’s 23-yard scoring pass to Rogers. In a span of seven minutes, Hamilton had turned a 17-point deficit into a 21-17 lead. Late in the second quarter, Elie intercepted another pass from Paul and returned it 36 yards. Berman kicked a 37-yard field goal just before halftime that pulled Palisades within a point. Elie, who completed 12 of 17 passes for 106 yards, capped a 65-yard drive with a one-yard sneak on the first possession of the third quarter that gave the Dolphins their last lead, 26-21. After Robert Sims’ 29-yard interception return, Palisades missed a chance to increase its advantage when Berman missed a 46-yard field goal. Cofield finished with 110 yards in 22 carries and Deonte Baker caught four passes for 41 yards for Palisades, which hosts Fairfax (1-6, 0-2) in Friday night’s homecoming game. In last Thursday’s frosh/soph game, Palisades edged Hamilton, 17-14. Calvin Parker’s squad improved to 4-1-2 overall and 2-0 in league. The frosh/soph game kicks off at 4 p.m. tomorrow, followed by the varsity game at 7 p.m.
Paly Record Set at First Meet
Brian Timmerman, the new coach of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim program, has a different agenda for his team this season. He wants to keep younger swimmers in the sport for the long term by making practices fun, but for his older swimmers he wants them to be the best they can possibly be, increasing their training to include double and Saturday practices, dry land and cross training. If the first meet of the season is any indication, Timmerman has the Y team on a winning course. Of the 112 swimmers on the team, 74 competed in the first meet of the season last weekend at Loyola College. Allison Merz broke a seven-year Paly girls 13 & 14 Individual Medley record of 5:00.17 (set by Laura Johnson) with a time of 4:58.60. Teammates Jennifer and Kimberly Tartavull also swam the event fast enough for double AA times. Jennifer had an outstanding meet, becoming Paly’s highest point swimmer by taking four firsts in the 100 Free (58.65), 200 Free (2:05.06), 500 Free (5:34.88) and 100 Breast (1:15.04), and placing second in the 50 Free (26.59), 100 Back (1:10.47) and 200 Back (2:29.16). All her times are double AA. Swimmers not only compete against each other, they also compete against themselves constantly trying to improve their times from a C to a B to an A to an AA. In addition to breaking the 400 I.M. record, Merz also took first in the 50 Free (26.52). Competition was so stiff in the 13 & 14-year-old girls that even though Kimberley Tartavull made AA’s in the 100 free (59.11), and 50 (27.36), the times were only good enough for a second and a fourth. Teammate Shelby Pascoe took first in the 100 back (1:10.04), also garnering an AA time and third in the 200 back. Hayley Lemoine placed second in the 200 Fly (2:46.80) and third in the 50 Free (27.34) and 100 Breast. For the first time in several years there is depth in this age group with Hayley Hacker taking fifth in the 200 I.M. In the same division for the boys, 13-year-old Stephen Anthony aged up this, but was still able to take fourth in the 500 Free (6:33.46). Slava Yanov recently joined the team and in his first meet for Paly swam to a seventh in the 100 Fly, doing well enough to get an A time. The nine and ten-year-olds proved that they were just as strong as their 13 & 14 year-old teammates, with Courtney Carswell taking second in three events the 100 and 200 Free and the 200 I.M. (2:52.67) which is an AA time. She placed third in the 50 Free, the 50 Back and the 100 Breast (1:33.89) also an AA time. Mardell Ramirez placed fourth in the 100 Free and 50 Fly and Jayme Rossie took two fifth places in the 50 Breast and the 200 Free. Jack MCGeagh, in his first meet for Paly, placed sixth in two events. Teammate Kenny Saab placed seventh in the 50 Fly and Kieran Sheridan also got seventh with an A time in the 50 Breast. Paly once again swam strong in the 11& 12 category in both the boys and girls division. Jordan Wilimovsky took third in the 200 IM with an AA time of (2:38.90). Nicolas Edel recently aged up and although his highest place was a seventh in the 50 and 100 Breast and the 100 Free: the 50 Breast was an AA time. Olivia Kirkpatrick took second in the 50 and 100 Breast, garnering AA times and just missing a Junior Olympic cut in both events. Paly took third in the meet behind Culver City and Westchester. Spikers Breeze by Venice It wasn’t quite as easy as it had been the first time around, but the Palisades High girls volleyball team remained undefeated in Western League matches with a 25-18, 19-25, 25-18, 25-13 victory at Venice on Monday. ‘We’re still working out a few kinks in our offense and we need to improve our blocking but overall I’m very pleased with our progress,’ Head Coach Matt Shubin said. ‘I’m looking forward to seeing how we do in the playoffs.’ The victory clinched the league title for the Dolphins, who lost a game for the first time in nine matches. Palisades wraps up league play at Fairfax today and begins pool play in the Redondo Tournament on Friday at Lawndale High. The City Section playoffs begin November 1. Triathletes Medal in Vegas Many local triathletes competed in the USA National Championships at the Land Rover Pumpkinman Triathlon October 14 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Los Angeles Tri Club, a Santa Monica-based triathlon club, has a strong Palisades contingent and several were in the field of 900 competitors’a field that included athletes from 57 clubs and representing 24 states in an Olympic Distance Triathlon consisting of a 1.5-Kilometer swim, a 40-Kilometer bike ride and a 10-Kilometer run. A Sprint Distance race, consisting of a ‘ kilometer swim, a 20-kilometer bike ride and a 5-kilometer run, was held at the same time. Scoring for Nationals is based on the combination of aggregate club participation points and individual points for ranking in the top five within a racer’s age division. Among the LA Tri Club participants were several Palisadians who excelled in their respective ages, including two who won their divisions. Claudia Campos placed first in the Female 45-49 age division, while Alan Morelli won the Clydesdale division for competitors weighing over 200 pounds. Campos won the women’s 45-49 division by completing the course in 2:43:07 while Morelli won the men’s Clydsdale 40-and-over division in 2:47:18. Other local triathletes to finish included LA Tri Club head coach Ian Murray (2:46:16), who was 14th in the men’s 35-39 age category; Stacey Stern (2:55:23), who placed fifth in the women’s 35-39 division; and Alexander Miric (2:57:22), who was 28th in the men’s 40-44 age group. Founded in 2000, the LA Tri Club was recently dubbed ‘America’s Fastest Growing Triathlon Club’ by Inside Triathlon Magazine. Murray prepared free training programs to help guide members through their training for Nationals. Several Palisadians from the SoCal Junior Elite Team participated in the Sprint Division and placed high in their respective divisions. In the male 19-and-under group Jared Brown came in fifth out of 12 with an overall finish time of 132:12. He was 33 overall out of 357 competitors. Cory Gottfeld was right behind Brown in sixth place in 132:56, followed by Jonathan Ooms in 136:55. Esme Levy finished first out of five competitors on the female 19-and-under category in 1:39:00. Kelsey Parsons finished in 1:41:05 and Emily Berkin completed the course in 2:01:58.
Alice In Wonderland Stars in In Contemporary Dance Recital
Beginning October 27 at Miles Playhouse
Lion’s Pounce Dance Theater presents a concert of contemporary dance and live acoustic music October 27 through 29 at the Miles Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd. The company will premiere two works: ‘Adventure In Wonderland’ and ‘On The Green,’ choreographed by Sarah Berges with Diane Takamine, both accompanied by live acoustic music. ‘Adventure In Wonderland,’ is set to Manuel de Falla’s ‘Concerto;’ ‘On The Green,’ is performed to original music created by Los Angeles composer Bob Applebaum with Laura Halladay. Suitable for children and adults alike, this dance concert entertains, amuses, and above all, delights the eye and ear through a rich melding of dance and music. The visual impact is complete with original costumes for ‘Adventure In Wonderland’ by Zelda Lambrecht and lighting design (for both pieces) by Susan Havens. ‘Adventure In Wonderland,’ set to Manuel de Falla’s ‘Concerto,’ is a romp through Lewis Carroll’s classic setting with emphasis on the magic, the wonder, and the humor of Alice’s encounters with the Cheshire Cat, the Red King, the Red Queen, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, three White Rabbits, and the Red Queen’s garden flowers come-to-life. ‘On The Green’ celebrates the joy of dance in the spirit of a spontaneous gathering on the village green. The special pleasure of listening to music produced live is a feature of the piece and an inspiration to the dancers. Danielle Dawson and Ella Goodheart, eight- and nine-years old, respectively, turn in sparkly performances as flowers in ‘Adventure In Wonderland.’ Ella Goodheart dances as the evocative ‘dream’ in ‘On The Green,’ accompanied by her dad, Bob Applebaum, and his Ensemble. Artistic director and choreographer Berges produced her own dance works in the San Francisco Bay area for 15 years prior to moving to Los Angeles. Her choreography is informed by a graphic sensibility bolstered by raw emotional expression. She makes use of a variety of technical and stylistic influences absorbed over a lifetime of studying, performing and choreographing dance. In 2004, she founded Lion’s Pounce Dance Theater based in Los Angeles. Currently artistic director of the company, she choreographs and also teaches creative dance for children. Diane Takamine, performer, choreographer and teacher of dance also holds a degree in graphic design. As a performer, Takamine has toured the U.S. and around the world. She has appeared at the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts Dance Series, Los Angeles Open Festival, Palm Desert Dance Under the Stars Festival, with Praxis Project, Spectrum Dance in L.A., and Kaleidoscope Dance Festival. Performances run Friday October 27, 8 p.m.; Saturday, October 28, 8 p.m.; and Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets, $15 for adults, $10 for children under 12, can be purchased at the box office one hour before curtain. For reservations, call 396-7324. Reserved tickets will be held until 10 minutes before curtain the day of the show.
