Local Family
For a family of Pacific Palisades residents, the Lebanon conflict is hitting close to home. Mark Tabit, his wife Jill, and their three sons were on the last commercial airplane out of Lebanon ‘ Lufthansa flight 3517 ‘ just hours before Israeli bombs struck Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on July 13. ‘We didn’t even know that the airport had been bombed until we landed in Chicago,’ said Jill, who has written several feature stories for the Palisadian Post. ‘They didn’t tell us why our plane was delayed.’ The Tabits’ plane, scheduled to leave Beirut at 3 a.m., was delayed a half-hour. Israeli bombs struck the airport at 5 a.m. According to Jill, leaving the airport, the family’s biggest concern was for their daughter Christy, scheduled to leave on a separate flight at approximately the same time. ‘Christy was traveling to Tanzania, where she was going to begin a program to teach young adults English, computer skills, math, and business,’ said Jill. ‘We had general concerns for her, but nothing related to the violence.’ The family had originally traveled to Lebanon on June 24 to vacation and sell property owned by Mark’s father. Mark, a financial advisor for Wachovia Securities, is half Lebanese but was raised in the U.S.; under Lebanese law, only citizens can inherit land, and thus Mark was forced to sell his father’s property. It was the family’s first trip to Lebanon and Mark’s second. While the Tabits’ sons had some initial misgivings about traveling to the Middle East as opposed to a more conventional vacation destination, they were ‘pleasantly surprised’ by what they found. Overall, the family said, they had felt safe, both as Americans and as Christians. ‘Everyone was really friendly to us when they found out we were Americans,’ said Luke, 20, who will be a junior at Notre Dame University. ‘We were out looking for a club to go to one night and we asked these two guys in a car. Once they found out we were Americans, they offered to take us around.’ ‘People wanted to take pictures with us,’ added Tyler, 18. ‘I think they were fascinated with us [as Americans]. ‘We never felt threatened while we were there,’ Jill said, a sentiment echoed by the entire family. ‘We’re upset and sad for Lebanon and its people. Ten percent of the Lebanese people support Hezbollah ‘ the rest don’t. It’s a shame that everybody has to suffer.’ Israel’s bombing began the day before the Tabits left, but ‘we didn’t think it would ever come to Beirut,’ Jill said. ‘We knew there had been bombing 20 or 30 minutes south of the city, but nothing closer.’ The Tabits have several relatives currently living in the central Lebanese town of Bhamdoun; however, they have not directly seen any of the violence that has rocked the south of the country. ‘They’ve told us they feel completely safe,’ Mark said. But still, he added, they’ve been affected by thousands of refugees fleeing the fighting. ‘There have been shortages of food, medicine, and gas,’ Jill said. ‘Power has also been interrupted. They’ve been effected.’ Still, when asked if they would consider visiting Lebanon again, all seemed enthusiastic. ‘I would and will go back after this is all over,’ Mark said. ‘Most of the problems aren’t necessarily coming from the Lebanese people themselves ‘ they are coming from outside interests.’
Movies in the Park Returns This Saturday
What did we do on Saturday nights in August before Movies in the Park? It’s hard to imagine how we passed the hours on those boring summer evenings as the sun went down. Now, we have somewhere to go and movies to see…with the entire community. Moves in the Park will begin its third season this Saturday, August 5, with a screening of the animated cartoon adventure ‘Madagascar,’ directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath for Dreamworks SKG. The Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Film will again present this community event on four consecutive Saturday nights this month on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center. The movies will start at 8 p.m. and admission is free. Highlands resident Greg Schem, landlord of the 881 Alma Real Building and owner of Palisades Highlands Plaza, will be the major sponsor for the second year in a row. Local Boy Scouts will sell candy and soda while park director David Gadelha serves up free barbecued hot dogs. Moviegoers can bring picnic dinners and blankets (plus warm clothing to ward off the typical evening chill). No alcoholic beverages, stick chairs or animals are allowed. This Saturday, from 7 to 8 p.m. before the show, moviegoers are invited to enjoy an ice cream social at 801 Toyopa, near the park entrance. Local resident Robert Newmark is hosting the party with free ice cream for 100 people, and it won’t cost him a dime. It turns out he entered an essay contest for Dreyer’s Slow-Churned ice cream on ‘why my neighborhood deserves to host an ice cream social/block party,’ and he was one of 1,500 winners across the country. ‘I put on a big Fourth of July party, so here it is again a month later,’ said Newmark, who thought of coordinating his event with Movies in the Park. ‘Bring kids and family. It’s a chance to meet neighbors.’ Dreyer’s has already sent him the cups and spoons for the celebration, which will feature 15 different flavors. Newmark’s personal favorite is Old Fashioned Butter Pecan. For more information on Movies in the Park, visit www.palisadeschamber.com or www.friendsoffilm.com. ‘The Goonies,’ ‘Back to the Future,’ and ‘Freaky Friday’ will follow on successive Saturdays. In addition to Schem, who donated $5,000 to underwrite the series for the second year in a row, contributing sponsors include the Palisades Junior Women’s Club, Elyse Walker Retail, the Wirthwhile Fund, Palisades Skate Shop/Paliskate, Technology For You, Johnson Tree Co., and residents. Donations pay for the screen and projection, plus fees for using the park, renting the films, hiring security patrol and clean-up (by Chrysalis), and purchasing equipment, including a new speaker and an extra bulb. The organizing committee includes co-chairs David Williams (owner of Mogan’s Cafe in the Highlands) and Bob Sharka (founder, Friends of Film), Andy Frew (Theatre Palisades), Brad Lusk (Chamber president-elect), and John Wirth (recipient of a Golden Sparkplug Award for his work to launch Movies in the Park). ‘This is a dedicated committee that wants Movies in the Park to go forever, just like the parade,’ said Arnie Wishnick, the Chamber’s executive director. ‘They just need to get funding every year.’ Wishnick, the Palisadian-Post’s movie reviewer who is currently on hiatus, describes ‘Madagascar’ (2005) as ‘a terrific kid-oriented animated comedy that stays adult-friendly every step of the way.’ The stars include Ben Stiller as The Lion, Chris Rock as The Zebra, David Schwimmer as The Giraffe, Jada Pinkett Smith as The Hippo and Sacha Cohen as The Ocelot.
Two Tonys at the Getty
L. A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and British Prime Minster Tony Blair enjoyed a relaxed evening Monday at the Getty Villa, at a reception attended by local business and government officials. Photo courtesy Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Dr. Richard Wonka, 83; Psychoanalyst
Dr. Richard Anthony Wonka passed away on July 23 after suffering a stroke at Desert Hills Special Care Center in Hemet, California. He was 83. Richard and his wife Ann lived in Pacific Palisades for 45 years before moving to Hermet in 2003. Born on February 16, 1923 in Dayton, Ohio, Richard was the eldest of five children. He attended Chaminade High School in Dayton and graduated with honors. He completed his undergraduate studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, and then attended medical school at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. Richard was a medical doctor in the Navy during World War II and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. After military service, he completed a residency in psychiatry and became a psychoanalyst. He was chief of staff at Westwood Hospital In Los Angeles and taught at UCLA Medical Center. He had medical practices in both Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Richard’s love of airplanes began at a very young age and continued throughout his life. As an avid model airplane builder, he spent many hours flying radio-controlled model airplanes and took lessons to become a private pilot. He enjoyed swimming in the ocean, fishing and horseback riding. His skills as a physician and his love of the outdoors and horseback riding combined to make him a valuable asset to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department’s mounted search-and-rescue patrol. He also developed a keen interest in guns and became a knowledgeable collector and award-winning marksman. Richard is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Ann, and his three daughters: Patti Hoyt (husband Bill) of Eugene, Oregon; Debbie Heneise (husband Ken) of Grow Cove Springs, Florida; and Barbara Kayfor (husband Bob) of Hemet. His surviving grandchildren include Ryan Heneise (wife Bethany) and Cady Heneise, and Christopher and his sister Becky Kaylor. He is also survived by sisters Helen Keane (husband Frank) of Centerville, Ohio, and Carolyn Wonka of Venice, and a brother, Greg Wonka of Dayton, Ohio. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 4, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica. In Richard’s memory and in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, 505 S. Ludlow Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402.
Sharon ‘Sherry’ Jo Rosenberg, 62; St. Matthew’s Parishioner, Traveler
Sharon Jo Rosenberg, known to many as Sherry Jo, a 27-year resident of Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, passed away on July 24 from complications of cancer. She was 62. She was a devoted member of the Parish of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in the Palisades, where she served in many capacities, including membership on the Vestry, Parish School activities, outreach programs, and service programs to its senior members. She was a Cub Scout den mother, a team manager for Westside Wolverines football teams, and a supporter of AYSO teams, Palisades Recreation Center teams, Campbell Hall volleyball teams and others on which her beloved son Jon played. Sherry was born in 1943 to Dorothy Jane and George Yount, the latter a naval officer. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1966 and resided thereafter in Southern California. She was known and revered by one and all for her wit, humor, warmth, big heart, friendship to all who were blessed to be near and dear to her, for her holiday parties and decorations, and for her willingness to hear and help all who came into her world. Sherry loved discovering new places and vacationing with her family and friends, and led them on land and sea into fun times on ski slopes in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Cortina, to Hawaii year after year, on ships cruising the seas, on trips to Europe and the Far East, on double-decker buses around Los Angeles to see the neon signs, and on the rails of the L.A. Metro to view station art. She is survived by her parents, who live in Palm Desert; her husband, Jack Rosenberg; her son, Jon Ballentine; her brother, George R. Yount, a retired naval admiral in New Orleans; and sisters Jane O’Hara and Judy Sonnett, both of Columbus, Ohio. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on August 12 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made payable to St. Matthew’s Parish School, P.O. Box 1710, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, annotated: Sharon Jo Rosenberg Scholarship Fund.
Spikers Tan on Sand
Six Palisadians Medal at Junior Olympic Championships
The surf was high and the sand was sizzling at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo for the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Beach Championships–a perfect setting for local spikers to match their skills and wits against the best in the country. The two-day competition consisted of 152 teams (84 girls, 68 boys) from 10 states and when the cheering died down and the sun sank into the sea, five Palisadians stood on the victory platform with medals around their necks. In the girls’ U-12 division, Palisades Highlands resident Christine Irvin and former Palisadian Skylar Dykstra held on to their title from last year, dropping only one match in two days to win the gold medal. Palisadians Lauren Waters and Kate Sommer took the bronze medal after gutsy play on the final day. All four girls play locally for Sunshine Volleyball Club and had just returned from the USA Junior Olympic indoor games in Atlanta where they were teammates on the 12’s Crimson team that finished third in the nation. In the finals, Irvin and Dykstra dug out a 21-18, 21-19 victory over Orange County’s Sarah Hughes and Justine Wong-Orantes–the duo that had handed Irvin and Dysktra their only loss, 22-20, the day before. “We were hoping to play our friends [Lauren and Kate] in the finals,” said Irvin, entering seventh-grader at Corpus Christi. “It was definitely harder this year. There was much better competition. I think it helps that in indoor we are both setters.” “We were pumped up more and we concentrated better for the finals,” added Dykstra, who moved from the Palisades to Hermosa five years ago. “We didn’t make as many mistakes.” Sommer and Waters were playing in their first beach event together. “We did great–better than I expected,” said Sommer who won the Amateur Athletic Union championship in Hermosa Beach with another Sunshine Club teammate, Lanti McLaren, on July 7. Also making waves in their first tournament together were Palisadian Hagen Smith and partner Kyle Baley of Huntington Beach, who captured second place in the U-12 boys division. “We didn’t play so well the first day but after that we got the hang of it,” said Smith, son of pro beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith. “Beach volleyball is fun because there’s only two players so you both have to do everything. I definitely like spiking the best.” Smith, an 11-year-old competing against mostly older boys, plays in his dad’s beach volleyball camp but also enjoys soccer, baseball and tennis. He will start sixth-grade at Corpus Christi in the fall. Palisadian Kellie Barnum and her partner, Blake O’Brien, played smart and used accurate touch shots to earn bronze medals in the U-14 girls’ division. Barnum and O’Brien were teammates on Sunshine’s 13-1s Crimson squad, coached by Palisadian Cari Klein, which finished second nationally in the gold division at the JO indoor games. Kelly Irvin, Christine’s older sister, won the gold medal in the U-18 division with partner Ashley Lee of La Habra Heights. An All-CIF setter/outside hitter at Marymount High, Irvin teamed with Megan Tryon to win the U-17 AAU national title last summer and enjoyed equal success this year with Lee. The pair went undefeated en route to first place, ousting Devon Dkystra (Hermosa) and Megan Saraceno (Redondo Beach) in the finals, 21-14, 21-14. “We play club together [on Gene Selznick’s 17-1s team] so we know each others’ games, which is really important on the beach,” Irvin said. “On the beach you have a lot more court to cover so communication is a key factor.” With the victory, Irvin and Lee will represent the United States in the main draw of the Youth World Championships September 5-10 in St. George, Bermuda. In the boys’ U-20 final, Mark Van Zwieten and Keawe Adolpho of Florida beat former Palisadian Joey Dykstra (Hermosa) and his partner, Andy McGuire (Manhattan Beach) in three games. The USAV Beach tour will travel east to Virginia and Maryland before returning to Seal Beach on August 19 for the Tour Championships. Paly Swim Evaluations Underway Anyone interested in joining the Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim team can come to the Temescal Canyon pool for an evaluation any weekday at 5 p.m. between August 7-11 and August 14-18. There will be no swim practice from August 21-September 4. Practices will resume Tuesday, September 5. For more information, e-mail Paly head coach Brian Timmerman at lbdt@aol.com or call the YMCA at 454-9637.
Madsen’s Magic Ends at Poker World Series
Jeff Madsen’s magical carpet ride through this year’s World Series of Poker tournament finally ended Tuesday night when he busted out in the second round of the $87-million Main Event, but the 2003 Palisades High graduate is still on cloud nine after pocketing $1,476,852–not bad for a 21-year-old UC Santa Barbara student who had to borrow against his college fund just to play in the Series. Ever since he finished first in a $2,000 no-limit hold’em tournament on July 16 to become the youngest player ever to win a WSOP event, Madsen’s good fortune has been the talk of the Las Vegas strip. Even before his amazing run was over, however, Madsen insisted that all of the money, accolades and notoriety will not change the player or person he is. “I’ve sort of taken it all in stride,” he said Friday from his room at the MGM–the fourth hotel he had stayed at since early July. “It’s just poker, it’s just one table and that’s been my approach the whole time. I’m a calm person by nature, anyway, so that’s helped me deal with everything. I’m not used to all of the hype. People have been calling me the Rain Man.” In fact, Madsen has already turned down requests to appear as a guest on both “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night with David Letterman.” “I couldn’t be more proud of the way Jeffrey has handled himself through the whole thing,” said his mom, Harriett. “It just shows the kind of character he has.” While streaking to the top of the WSOP leaderboard with 3,680 points, Madsen turned plenty of heads, including those of past WSOP champions Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer. Neither faced Madsen, but both knew who he was when asked on Saturday. “I’ve not seen him play,” said Moneymaker, who earned $2.5 million as the 2003 winner. “I don’t even know what he looks like, but if you’re out here, you’ve heard his name.” Raymer captured the 2004 title and $5 million, then proved he was legit by making a strong run last year before getting knocked out 25th against a field of 5,619 Main Event players. Does he think Madsen is a flash in the pan? “I don’t know anything about how he plays, but given his results I can say that he must at least be a very good player,” Raymer said. “He may be great, and he may even be world class. No matter how good he is, he’s been very, very lucky.” Throughout his run, Madsen displayed the self-assurance and saavy of a veteran, not someone playing in the WSOP for the very first time. The pro he most admires is Phil Ivey because he, like Madsen, is a “feel” player who relies more on “gut feeling” and instinct than math or percentages. “I definitely think [my anonymity] was an advantage because I’ve seen all of those top pros play on TV whereas they haven’t seen me,” Madsen said. “However, I also think finishing third or better at four different events shows that I’ve been more than just lucky.” This year’s World Series of Poker Main Event attracted a record-breaking field of over 8,700 players, who were divided into four equal groups to compete in four separate rounds from Friday to Monday at the Rio Hotel & Casino. Madsen was in last Saturday’s Group B along with 2,181 others when play started at noon. By the time his first day ended at 3 a.m. Sunday, Madsen was among 860 players who advanced to Tuesday’s second round. “It is exciting to be here, playing against some of the best, but it can also be draining,” Madsen said. “Sometimes, you’re there for 15 or 16 hours straight.” To make it through Day 1 of the Main Event, Madsen had to survive an all-in hand just after midnight. With about $14,000 in chips left, he put his tournament life on the line in a hand against a player in the small blind acting in Seat 3 ahead of him. (Blinds are forced bets from the two players to the left of the rotating dealer button to start each hand.) With the community board of K-spades, 7-hearts, 5-hearts, Seat 3 bet $1,000 and Madsen called. The turn, or fourth community card, was the 3-diamonds. Seat 3 checked, Madsen bet $3,000 and the other player called. The final card was the 2-spades. After Seat 3 checked, Madsen moved all-in with his remaining $9,250. The other player thought for a while, then folded, giving Madsen the pot. His chip stack grew to $22,900, more than double the $10,000 in chips he started with. “I had position on that hand,” Madsen recalled the next day. “Position is the most important thing in poker and I happened to be in the best position at the table on that particular hand.” Madsen lasted six hours on Tuesday before losing when his K-Q pocket cards failed to improve against an opponent’s A-2 after the five community board cards were dealt. He said he would likely leave Las Vegas in a few days but might return in a week to watch the final round. “It was a great experience,” he said. “I started off bad but I was able to make a little comeback. My cards weren’t that bad and I played them as best I could.” Madsen spent most of Wednesday getting some much needed sleep. “I’ve been completely by myself about half the time I’ve been here but my dad drove out to see me get my second bracelet and several friends have come to watch me play. That’s been pretty cool and I’ve appreciated their support.” One of Madsen’s biggest thrills in Las Vegas came on the second day of his first no-limit hold’em tournament, when he found himself sitting next to one of the most famous players in the world, 2000 WSOP champ and fellow PaliHi graduate Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. “We started talking and discovered we both went to Palisades High,” Madsen recalled. “I remember him asking me about [PaliHi English teacher] Rose Gilbert.” Mike and Harriett Madsen will just be happy to have their son back home (they live near Riviera Country Club) at least until he goes back to school in the fall. “Just to do as well as he did, the odds are astronomical,” Harriett said. “He’s been away about five weeks and received so much attention in such a short time that it’ll be good to get back to a familiar environment.” Even with another week to think about what he’ll do now that he’s become a millionaire, Madsen still wasn’t sure. “I’ll be smart with the money,” he said. “I’m still in contention for Player of the Year and the winner of that gets a truck, which would be good because I definitely need a car. And I might do some random shopping… I’m not really sure.” Madsen is sure about one thing–his desire to keep playing poker. “Absolutely,” he said. “It’s fun and I think I’m a pretty good player, so I’ll definitely play more tournaments.” Ferguson, meanwhile, survived Day 2 of the Main Event. He finished with $60,000 in chips–well off the day’s pace but certainly within striking distance for the long-time pro who has won five career WSOP bracelets. (Russ Scott, managing editor of The Dispatch in Moline, Illinois, contributed to this story. His real-time reports from Las Vegas will be posted daily on his blog: luckydogpoker.com through the WSOP Main Event’s conclusion on August 10.)
Sports Mania Catching on at Revere
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Good news travels fast. Enthusiasm spreads like wildfire. Perhaps that is why Paul and Stacey Foxson’s Sports Mania camp is rapidly becoming one of the most popular places for kids on the Westside to spend their summer vacation. The Foxsons love sports and they love to teach sports to children. So for the last several years, the husband and wife team has enjoyed revitalizing the athletic program at Paul Revere Middle School. And out of that passion, Sports Mania was born. ‘I’ve always loved coaching and it just so happens that my background and Paul’s background is in track and field,’ says Stacey, a former heptathlete at Cal State University. “We’ve had so much success with the school program that a summer camp seemed the next logical step.” Now in its sixth year, Sports Mania is a six-week camp for kids ages 5-14. It began July 10 and continues through August 18. Sports Mania is broken down into six week-long sessions. Monday began an “extravaganza week” for campers. The camp is broken down into two three-hour sessions, with a one-hour lunch break in between. Upon arriving at 9 a.m., the 45 kids who attended Monday’s first day were led to a giant board where they could sign up for one of four “tracks.” Each track consists of four sports. Among the choices are soccer, dodgeball paddle tennis, tennis, high jump, tape ball (a form of tag), softball, volleyball, basketball, track and field, yoga and gymnastics. ‘I think one of the things that sets our camp apart from others is that we focus on different camps from nine to noon,’ says Paul, a former two-time All-American decathlete at the University of North Carolina. “We really strive to build character and self-confidence through various sports that will develop specific skills and improve overall athletic ability in a positive and nurturing environment.” The second week emphasized basketball, the third week focused on volleyball and next week’s emphasis will be on football, although kids can still choose from a variety of sports for the first three hours. The final week will be geared towards basketball. “Our kids will learn at least 15 different sports so they are exposed to a broad range of activities,” says Paul, who teaches P.E. at Revere. “One of the coolest things is that there’s one teacher for every six students so you have a lot of interaction going on between coaches and kids. We also offer extended care before and after the camp.” Kids at the Sports Mania staff will be introduced to friendly, top-notch instructors. For example, there’s the ever-smiling Justin, Revere’s physical education chairperson and founder of a non-profit high school scholarship program called DREAMS. Then there’s Tim (a football coach at Santa Monica High), and Nicole, a personal trainer and former Division I soccer player. Other kids will meet Ray, a three-sport coach at SaMo High, Revere P.E. teacher Marty (a Maui native) and former UC Santa Barbara track and volleyball star Kila, who specializes in dance and gymnastics. Campers will also meet a number of “guest instructors,” like Malibu football coach Ray Humphries and PaliHi volleyball coach Matt Shubin. Paul and Stacey expanded their program to include Cyber Mania (now in its third year), Surf Mania (now in its second year) and Music Mania. Cyber Mania is a computer camp focused on game creation, web design, animation and music mixing. The couple is encouraged by the growing number of kids who have signed up each year. For more information about Sports Mania, call 289-2111, visit the Web site at www.sportsmaniacamp.com. or send an e-mail email to sportsmaniacamps@comcast.net.
