Black Jack, a popular youth rock band from Pacific Palisades, performed ‘Rock and Roll for a Reason,’ a benefit concert on September 3 in support of My Friend’s Place, a charity that assists and inspires homeless youth to build self-sufficient lives. The sold-out show took place at a private residence in the Palisades and raised $11,500. All proceeds from the concert, including the sale of band merchandise, personal donations and gate receipts will go towards supporting the organization’s youth programs and services in the Hollywood area. ‘This is a wonderful opportunity for our organization to create greater awareness outside of the Hollywood area,’ said Heather Carmichael, interim executive director for My Friend’s Place. ‘It is so refreshing to know that there are teenagers committed to making a difference and wanting to help those less fortunate than themselves.’ Black Jack band members are Palisades residents Samuel Duffey (guitar), Sam Burt (bass), Deacon Fry (guitar), Jeremy McLennan (vocals, guitar and keyboard) and John Rockwell (drums, guitar and vocals). All are eighth and ninth grade students at St. Matthew’s School and Loyola High School. The band was formed as part of Summer Rock n’ Roll camp in 2005, organized by Linda Duffey, Samuel’s mother and a Highlands resident for the past 15 years. Under the guidance of band coach Jake McGregor, an eleventh grade student at Loyola High School, the band practiced nine hours a day, three days a week for one month. ‘After seeing how serious the kids were about their music, I proposed a benefit concert, and My Friend’s Place was chosen as the recipient,’ Linda said. ‘Helping a children’s cause puts everything into perspective for the kids in the band. I’m so proud of these boys’ talent and their desire to want to help others.’ At the benefit concert, Black Jack performed 18 songs, including tunes by The Who, The Beatles and the Eagles. They also played four original songs. ‘Their sound is classic rock, which all the parents are really happy about because we love that kind of music,’ Linda said. In addition to Black Jack’s fundraising efforts, Guitar Center in Hollywood donated two guitars and equipment to support the music development program at My Friend’s Place. Black Jack has performed numerous benefit concerts around the West Los Angeles area including the ‘Save Darfur’ concert to raise awareness and funds to build a drinking well in Darfur. In addition, Black Jack competed in the ‘2006 Battle of the Bands’ at Paul Revere and was awarded professional studio time. The band’s motto, ‘Rock and Roll for a Reason,’ says it all, according to Linda. ‘They love music and they want to do it for other people, to help other children.’
Diving Into Blue
Famous throughout his career for letting his California roots show, artist Peter Alexander is now fully immersed in his ‘blue period.’
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
‘Blue’ is the name of artist Peter Alexander’s monumental mural installed last year at Disney Hall. It’s also the color he has used exclusively in his art ever since. ‘Whatever questions are being asked of blue, it’s consuming them more than I imagined,’ says Alexander during a recent interview in his spacious light-filled studio in Santa Monica. ‘It keeps asking for more.’ Two new paintings, large-scale studies in blue, will cast their hypnotic, lustrous spell at Craig Krull Gallery when the exhibition ‘Dive’ opens this Saturday, September 9. Like the Disney mural, these new paintings are inspired by the Pacific Ocean, the artist’s lifelong muse. While the Disney mural is concerned with surface effects of sunlight dancing on the water, the recent paintings explore underwater depths in layer upon layer of thinned blue oil paint pooling and puddling on smooth sheets of highly polished aluminum. ‘It has the greatest range of dark to light, more than any color I’ve ever worked with,’ Alexander says of the deep blue oil paint he uses, called Phthalo. ‘It can go from almost black to this very brilliant luminescent light blue.’ Alexander recalls how two Californians who previewed the new work at his studio ‘got it immediately; there was no question what they’re about.’ However, to a dealer visiting from New York, ‘they didn’t mean squat,’ Alexander says with a laugh. Born in Los Angeles in 1939, the artist grew up in Newport Beach as the quintessential California kid. He left the state in 1957 to attend the University of Pennsylvania, where he studied architecture, and spent his summers in Los Angeles working in the design offices of Richard Neutra. He transferred to the Architectural Association of London, then went on to study architecture first at UC Berkeley and later at USC. He switched gears and enrolled in the fine arts program at UCLA after a design project he was assigned by William Pereira’s office, one Alexander worked hard on for months and put everything into, was canceled for no apparent reason. ‘I realized I couldn’t spend that kind of time and energy and have it totally out of my control,’ Alexander explains. ‘Anyone who is a painter is doing it because they want control.’ Alexander’s art work is unabashedly connected to his home state, with its endless surf, sand and palm trees. But it is not all filled with sunshine. His now iconic night portraits of aerial views of Los Angeles show the city stripped of everything but the spectacle of its sparkling lights against a darkened ground. Another earlier series on black velvet also focused on capturing the extremes of light and dark’in this case, glittering creatures in the ocean’s depths. His fascination with light, especially how it makes things glitter and glow, can be traced to an event in his youth when he witnessed a spectacular meteor shower in the skies above Southern California. Alexander first gained recognition in the 1960s for his elegantly spare resin sculptures, works that have the appearance of frozen water. Pieces from this period, along with work by other artists associated with the Light and Space movement, were recently highlighted in the Norton Simon exhibition ‘Translucence: Southern California Art from the 1960s and 1970s.’ One of Alexander’s resin pieces also appeared last spring in Paris at the Pompidou’s ‘Los Angeles 1955-1985.’ An early pink and coral resin sculpture will appear in the new show as a counterpoint to all the ‘blueness.’ ‘It’s all the same thing,’ quips Alexander, raising his hands in a gesture that tells of a guy grown weary of the whole business of promoting his art. At the same time, he remains thoughtfully expressive about his work, and how it’s come full circle. ‘It’s about the sublime; that’s what the issue is,’ he says. ‘The biggest similarity between the resins and the new pieces is in their potential effect. It’s the same essential search or desire.’ Alexander first courted the color blue during a stint in 2001 at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel in Santa Monica, where he set up a temporary studio in one of bungalow suites. Although the artist lives close by in Santa Monica Canyon with his wife, Claudia Parducci, and their eight-year-old son (Alexander has two daughters in their late ’30s from a previous marriage), he was seeking a total immersion-type experience at the Miramar similar to one he had just returned from in Laguna Beach. ‘There were no phone calls and no interruptions,’ he says of the adventure living in a friend’s garage in Laguna Beach, where a rooftop perch allowed a perfect view of the coastline. ‘I made a whole slew of little paintings in two weeks because you get up and that [painting] is all you’re focused on. It was thrilling.’ His three-month residency at the Miramar culminated in a one-night exhibition at the hotel followed by a longer showing at the Craig Krull Gallery. Plenty of atmospheric stimuli’from the hotel’s lush courtyard, to dramatic sunsets and the mesmerizing lights of Ocean Avenue and the nearby Santa Monica Pier’surrounded Alexander. Ultimately it was the pool and its constantly shifting and shimmering surface that drew his attention most, inspiring a series of large paintings that capture the depth and seductive aqua glow of a swimming pool. Though his career as an artist continues to bring Alexander recognition and acclaim, his days spent as a youth on California beaches are never far from mind. ‘I was a County lifeguard in Hermosa Beach,’ Alexander says with a gleam in his eye. ‘It was the best job I ever had.’ A reception for Alexander will be held at the gallery from 4 to 6 p.m. this Saturday, September 9. The exhibition continues through October 14. Craig Krull Gallery is located at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Building B3, in Santa Monica. Contact: 828-6410
PaliHi Lags State in Math/Science Scores
Data released this month from the California Department of Education reveal a large gap between humanities scores and math and science scores at Palisades Charter High School. While students often scored above the state average in English language arts and history, few showed more than a basic understanding of math and science. Each spring, students between the second and eleventh grades in California public schools take the California Standards Test, or CST. And school boards use the results of the test to assess the performance of teachers and students. All students are tested for math and English, and students take history and science tests corresponding to their grade level’s curriculum. Test scores are divided into five levels (listed in decreasing order): advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic. A score of proficient or better is the target for all California schools set by the State Board of Education. Fewer students at PaliHi were proficient in math and science than at the average California public high school. Pali outperformed the average school in the Los Angeles Unified School District in math and science. But Pali was outperformed in math and science by Santa Monica High and Malibu High, two schools with similar demographics. While 44 percent of students in the ninth grade statewide showed more than a basic understanding of biology/life science, only 7 percent of PaliHi students did. Chemistry was also a challenge to Pali students: 14 percent of eleventh-grade students were proficient in the subject, compared with 22 percent statewide. Algebra and geometry were consistent stumbling blocks for PaliHi. Students tested for geometry repeatedly scored below state averages. Only 13 percent of tenth-grade students tested for geometry demonstrated proficiency. In some cases, large variations in proficiency existed across grade levels. For example, 23 percent of ninth-grade students taking Algebra I at Pali were proficient. But only 7 percent of eleventh-grade students taking Algebra I were proficient. The Palisadian-Post attempted to speak with the chairs of the math and science departments as well as school data analysts to explain these recent results and discuss strategies to increase proficiency. But Principal Gloria Martinez said that the Post did not have permission to speak with these faculty members. As a result of an apparent new school policy, all faculty and staff need the permission of the administration to speak to the media. In a brief interview Tuesday morning, Gloria Martinez and Amy Held, the school’s new executive director, attributed the school’s low math and science performance to a national shortage of teachers in those fields. When PaliHi was accredited last year by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Martinez said that its algebra performance was criticized. In fact, the percentage of students proficient in algebra and algebra II significantly decreased from last school year. For example, the percentage of tenth-grade students proficient in algebra II fell from 40 percent in 2005 to 23 percent in 2006. Held also cited the impact of overcrowding at PaliHi. The specific student-teacher ratio at Pali was not received by this week’s deadline. It is also unknown whether that ratio differs by subject. Some education experts promote having lower student-teacher ratios for math and science. Held said that the arrival of nine new portable classrooms this school year will help to ease overcrowding and raise student performance. Students’ weakness in math was also revealed in the results of the last school year’s high school exit exam, with dramatic implications. State law requires that graduating seniors must pass an English and math test in order to receive their diplomas. The math test is based on seventh- and eighth-grade standards. According to Department of Education data, last school year 39 seniors at PaliHi did not pass the math section of the test and did not receive their high school diplomas. Twenty-nine seniors did not pass the English portion of the test. Despite PaliHi’s low math and science scores, the school’s overall performance, as measured by the Academic Performance Index, or API, has placed it among the top 10 percent of all California public schools. Above-average humanities test scores have likely offset the impact of low math and science scores on the API in the past. The exact impact of these most recent scores will not be known until March 2007, when the next API is released. PaliHi students scored well above average when tested in English language arts, world history and U.S. history. A majority of ninth-, tenth- and eleventh-grade students received a score of proficient or advanced on these tests. Teachers met this week in groups called Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, to study the recently released data and to develop plans to increase student achievement. Groups of teachers are organized by subject and PaliHi’s administration has high expectations from the approach. ‘It’s a team-oriented approach,’ Held said. ‘To me, it’s a revolutionary way of learning’It pulls teachers out of isolation. Everyone is working together to create common, realistic goals.’ Classes at PaliHi begin September 6.
Calendar for the Week of August 31, 2006
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31 ”Theatre Palisades hosts the monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Pierson Playhouse, corner of Haverford and Temescal Canyon Road. Public invited. The gathering will feature hosted hors d’oeuvres, a no-host beverage bar, a drawing for gifts donated by Chamber members, news from Friends of Film, and scenes from the current TP musical production, “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story.” FRIDAY, AUGUST 31 ”“Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” a Theatre Palisades production directed by Paula LaBrot and starring Joshua Brandenburg, 8 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse, corner of Haverford and Temescal Canyon Rd. Plays every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., through October 8. Ticket reservations: 454-1970. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 ”First Monday Jazz at Mort’s, 7:30 to 10 p.m., featuring Jim Fick, Art Gilbert, Bill Minderhout, David Hayward, List Witherill and others, playing from the Great American Songbook, Mort’s Oak Room, 1035 Swarthmore. Contact: 454-9950. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 ”Wally Mees, pastor of the Palisades Lutheran Church, will talk at the Palisades Optimist Club breakfast meeting about his recent trip to Mongolia, 7:30 a.m., Mort’s Oak Room, 1035 Swarthmore. Public invited. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7 ”Akuvoe Graham signs “The Little Book of Transformation: 7 Days to a Brand New You,” 7:30 p.m., Village Books on Swarthmore. Her book illustrates that only within ourselves will we find all that we are seeking’a sense of place in the totality of life and a heightened sense of our own unique expression. Graham was born in Ghana, West Africa, and has been nationally touring her acclaimed one-woman show, “Spirit Awakening.”
Brandt Brings Collegiality to Presbyterians
When Ed Brandt arrived at his last posting as pastor of Red Clay Presbyterian in Wilmington, Delaware, he found a church in serious trouble. He had been hired to replace a man who had been asked to leave, and faced a seriously demoralized congregation. In the course of seven years, Brandt restored trust among the congregation, which grew by 10 percent, and helped to empower the parishioners to guide the church in the direction they wanted. So what was Brandt to expect when he responded to the call for a pastor at Palisades Presbyterian? He succeeds a pastor who, while having competently provided leadership for the past two years, was strictly interim, so Brandt offers the possibility for the 500 to 600 members of the church to move forward with new energy and a willingness to invest time in him. Brandt and his wife Kelley have taken up residence in the parish house next door to the church, while their three children, Jennifer, 25, Kristopher, 23, and Elwood, 21, are scattered in the Midwest and East. From a lifestyle point of view, Brandt, who grew up in Pennsylvania and has spent his 25-year ministry in rural and suburban parishes in Pennsylvania and Delaware, was happy to move to Southern California. He has attended National Pastor conferences in San Diego for the past four years and was seduced by the benign climate. He and Kelley are runners, and Ed throws caution to the wind when driving his white Cadillac convertible with the top down. But it’s this lifestyle, ironically, which often presents the biggest challenge to discovering a meaningful spiritual life, and Brandt sees his role as helping his parishioners deepen their commitment to God. “I want a person to discover who God wants them to be,” Brandt says. “There are two approaches for a pastor: You can do everything yourself, or you can serve people where they are spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.” With an easy manner, outgoing, and with a joke at the ready, Brandt has yet to meet his entire flock, 300 of whom attend either the traditional or contemporary Sunday services, but intends to. “This congregation is both theologically and economically diverse,” he says. There are those who bought their homes back in 1963, who are land rich and comfortable; others are newcomers, which says a lot that they can buy into the community.” There is also a broad age range, Brandt notes. “The 30- and unders are involved in the church community, but the 30- to 40-year-old group is pretty stretched for time. “When I spoke to the pastor nominating committee, I asked them how tolerant is this parish for change?” Brandt says. “And they said, ‘mighty tolerant.’ So, I thought let’s give it a whirl.” A couple of ideas that Brandt would like to explore are small group ministries, which are based on the caregiving concept, but can be tailored to match specific interests, and developing Sunday service styles that are meaningful to various groups. At his previous church, six couples formed an empty-nesters group, which met once a month for nine months. “They all started by reading ‘If You Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of The Boat,’ which provided a jumping-off point for discussion. Later, it turned out that one of the members became ill, and really didn’t want the entire parish knowing it. But group members rallied and helped her out by bringing meals.” Other groups formed around interests, such as drama, art, Bible study, and even a car lovers group. Brandt will also pursue the idea of offering an evening service, either on Saturday or Sunday night. An idea tried at his last church, the Saturday night service drew a good response in the two years it was offered. Brandt is willing to see whether such a service might attract those who don’t want or can’t make it to Sunday morning services, including singles, which, he admits, are “a tough group to minister to.” Although the traditional service, at 10:30 a.m. attracts a larger attendance than the contemporary service at 9, Brandt thinks the time factor may have something to do with it. “At most churches, the traditional service is the earlier one, and the contemporary is later, and draws more people.” Brandt is not too concerned about the theological position of the congregation, preferring to serve people “where they are. People want to grow spiritually, but don’t want to be melted down and put into a mold.” But, there is one exception, he says. “I appreciate the Christian faith, that’s what I know, but I don’t appreciate Pat Robertson being our poster child.” The pastor is the spiritual leader of the congregation, and is often revered as someone above the mere mortal. But Brandt, who describes his leadership as collegial, sees himself as a builder of people, a mentor and a coach, and not a personality. “You need to be yourself, to know your core,” he says. “This is how you stay focused and survive the cult of personality. You need to have an anchor, not change because you want to impress somebody. Everybody wants to be somebody.” In 2003, Brandt went to the Robert Schuller School for Preaching and learned among many lessons, humility. In five sessions, he was appraised on his strengths and weaknesses. “They said I had good presence, and was able to paint a picture with words, but so what? It was a great story, but what does it mean?” After that lesson, Brandt stopped writing out his sermons and instead developed what he calls a “mind map,” a kind of mental outline of the sermon where the theme is presented, bolstered with stories, and then reintroduced at the conclusion. Brandt’s outside interest in politics, current events and comedy are perfect accompaniments to his sermons. “I like reading newspapers and weaving Biblical text into what’s happening in the world,” he says. “We also had a great tradition at Red Clay called Holy Humor Sunday, held right after Easter. It was an evening of standup comedy where we laughed in the face of death.” Ed Brandt delivered his first sermons at Palisades Presbyterian on August 13, and will be formally installed at both services on Sunday, October 8.
Via Residents Endure Years of Next-Door Construction
From an electric recliner in her living room, Dorothy Bissell can spot someone coming up the driveway of her house on the 700 block of Via de la Paz. The curtains on her two front windows have been pulled back so she can look out onto the street she’s lived on since 1948. A lot has changed, according to Bissell, 86, one of the four founders of Palisades Beautiful, an all-volunteer nonprofit organization dedicated to planting street trees in the community. “My block used to be all single-story homes’1,000 sq. ft.,” she said. Now, hers is one of the few left on the street. Two-story houses are the norm, and the architecture isn’t always the easily recognizable “Craftsman” or “Spanish-style.” Next door to Bissell, at 742 Via de la Paz, a modern house made of glass and wood with an exposed facade is slowly emerging. But it’s not so much the distinct design that bothers neighbors like Bissell or Bernice Owen, who lives on the other side of 742. It’s the fact that the house has been under construction for more than three years. “We had been told by their contractor that they would be finished in January of this year,” Owen wrote in an e-mail to the Palisadian-Post on August 7. “Then it was June and, really, I feel 2007 is a real and frightening possibility.” Part of the delay can be attributed to the fact that the owners only recently, on April 27, obtained a permit to build a swimming pool. They began digging out the yard for the pool area in mid-August. The contractor, John Rotondi, told the Post on Tuesday that the work will take about three to four months to complete. “It took us over a year to get the permit for the pool,” Rotondi said. He acknowledged that construction “has gone on a long time,” but said the delay mainly was due to “upgrading” by his client, Siamak Hodjatie, who owns the property. “The owners decided to pump more money into it. There’s a lot of pride of ownership in it.” The house was designed by Michele Saee, a Los Angeles-based architect who trained in Italy and worked at the avant-garde firm Morphosis, co-founded by Thom Mayne. Its unique features include a solarium/sun room, a wine cellar and a custom bar made of stainless steel that alone costs more than $40,000. “It’s an unusual project,” Rotondi said, adding that the major international design magazines are already lining up to feature it. “It may be the most interesting house in the Palisades.” The neighbors are not impressed, mainly because they cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. They have had to live next to a construction site since early 2003, when work on the new house began. Last year, they grew tired of having to look out at scaffolding and deteriorating plywood, so they complained repeatedly to city officials, who finally forced the owner to clean up the debris in the front yard of the house. Owen and Bissell also contacted the Palisades Civic League (which approved the project in March 2003), the Community Council and former City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski about the condition of the unfinished construction project. In a letter responding to Owen’s concerns in March 2005, Miscikowski wrote: “Construction, in its nature, is noisy, messy and a reality of life in our communities. However, it should not serve as a nuisance or prolonged inconvenience to the neighbors and surrounding area.” Miscikowski added that it was her understanding that “no further delays are expected.” Rotondi said that the owner has spent “an extra $50,000” to appease the neighbors’ concerns, by putting up walls on both sides of the house and plastering ahead of schedule, among other things. However, when the dirt and dust at 742 began to settle this summer, Owen assumed the “messy phase” was over and began painting her house’only to learn, a day later, that workers were going to start excavating for the pool area. She was told that the pool schedule could not be postponed but that workers would put up sheets of plastic on poles along Owen’s property line to keep the loose dirt from blowing up against the wet paint. “I just don’t think there’s a lot of accountability,” Owen said. “This is a town where we pay a lot of taxes. I just don’t feel like there’s anybody watching the store.” “If you live next door to construction noises and an outhouse for [more than three] years, it seems to me like that’s too much,” said Bissell, who can see the Porta-Potty and construction trailer parked in her neighbor’s front yard, from her window. “I would like to see the city change the Building and Safety law to give a permit for three years to complete a house and not let them go on like this for so many years.” Bob Steinbach, spokesman for the L.A. Department of Building and Safety, told the Post in March 2005 that 75 percent of the work at 742 Via de la Paz was complete. He said that while residential construction permits are good for up to two years, they can be renewed after that “for as long as it takes to complete the house. Some owners run out of funds, others run into design problems, others get stalled by the weather, so we have to be flexible.” At the time, owner Hodjatie told the Post that work on the house had been delayed “because of the rain” and that he hoped to finish construction “as soon as possible.” The neighbors’ main concern is that construction could go on for an infinite amount of time and negatively affect their quality of life and the quality of the neighborhood. About a year ago, Bissell planted Australian willow trees in her backyard, along the wall built by her new neighbors, whom she has never met. “The city was giving away trees and you could get seven of them, so I took seven,” she said. “I don’t think they’ll be thick enough to block the wall, but I think they’ll make it look better to have the trees in front of it.”
Fisherman Rescues Driver Whose Car Plunges into Bay
A freak traffic accident occurred at 2:30 Tuesday afternoon, sending a car careening off Pacific Coast Highway and into the ocean below, just south of the Gladstone’s parking lot near Sunset. Palisadian Matthew Wilken, a freelance photographer who also works for Palisades Patrol, responded to the scene after hearing about the accident on a police scanner. He told the Palisadian-Post what he discovered. “A minivan exiting Gladstone’s parking lot clipped the rear of the vehicle (a black pickup truck), sending it spinning out of control and off the edge of PCH into the ocean,” next to the large boulders that act as a breakwater along the highway. Wilken said a nearby surf fisherman saw the pickup fly over the edge and land in shallow water. He rushed to the truck to help rescue the car’s lone occupant, a 19-year-old female, according to Captain Ernst of Fire Station 23, which responded to the accident. The woman was transported to the hospital as a cautionary measure, but only appeared to have suffered “abrasions and contusions around her chest, mainly due to the seat belt,” said Capt. Ernst. A 41-year-old woman who was standing near the collision site suffered minor injuries when she was struck in the sunglasses by debris, but was not hospitalized. The accident created traffic gridlock to Pepperdine as a tow truck from the Valley was forced to block two lanes of traffic while removing the car from the water. Wilken, a graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography, started his business’Hot Shot News Service’in 2001.
Gary E. Nulty, 53; Geologist, PaliHi Grad
Gary Emmett Nulty passed away August 23 in Pleasanton, California, after a 10-year battle with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS). He was 53. Born April 13, 1953 in Santa Monica, Gary attended St. Monica’s Catholic School and later Palisades High. He graduated from San Diego State University and went on to earn a master’s degree from San Francisco State with a degree in environmental science. He was a geologist with PG&E prior to his illness. Having grown up near the beach, Gary enjoyed surfing and traveling along the Pacific Coast. He shared these passions and his love of animals, music, rock collecting and skiing with his wife and daughters. Gary is survived by his wife of 28 years, Vivian J. Nulty; daughters Ashlee Patrice Nulty (24) and Lauren Brittany Nulty (20); and sisters Sally Ann Ward and Patricia Drennon. He was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett and Patricia Nulty, and his sister, Susan Marie Rucker. Services were held August 29 at St. Joan of Arc Church in San Ramon. A private burial was held at Oakmont Memorial Park in Lafayette later that day.
Palisadian Teri McGee, 44, Dies in PCH Car Accident
Theresa Jeannine McGee, a lifetime Palisades resident and Corpus Christi parishioner, died on August 26 in a car accident on Pacific Coast Highway. She was 44. A fourth-generation Californian, Teri was born on her father’s birthday, August 6, 1962 to Julie and Bill McGee. She attended Westlake School and graduated from Palisades High. After graduation, she attended college for early childhood education. Terri worked for many years as a nanny to various celebrities. She became a personal trainer on the Westside and enjoyed it immensely. Helping others was always a top priority for her. She brought a smile to everyone she met. She is survived by her mother, who lives in Pacific Palisades, and her five sisters, Sharon Hasselbrink and Michelle McGee of Marina del Rey; Julianne Miller of Coto de Caza; Suzanne McGee of Sudden Valley, Washington; and Maureen Delacorte of Fullerton, as well as nine nieces and nephews and three grandnieces and grandnephews. A funeral service will be held at Corpus Christi Church. Please call the parish for date and time (454-1328). The family requests that flowers be sent to Corpus Christi in Terri’s memory.
