ARCS The Los Angeles ARCS held its 48th annual dinner dance in late April at the Paramount Studios. The foundation is a national organization dedicated to helping meet the country’s need for scientists and engineers by providing scholarships for academically outstanding students who are in need of financial aid. This year ARCS provided scholarships to 59 students at seven universities in Southern California. Library Foundation of Los Angeles The Library Foundation of Los Angeles honored writer Norman Mailer, Library Foundation Executive Director Evelyn Hoffman and Wells Fargo Bank at the 11th annual Los Angeles Public Library Awards dinner in May. The evening raised $680,000 for the Library Foundation, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to securing private contributions to support the Los Angeles Public Library. KCET Palisadians Bill (Trust Company of the West) and Karen Sonnenborn (KCET Board of Directors) with son Andrew hosted the First Annual Party for members of the KCET Council for Children and Families. The event was held at their home in Pacific Palisades and attended by members who provide financial support for KCET to continue to develop and broadcast more than 65 hours of quality programming for children and caregivers each week. Westside Children’s Center Longtime Palisades resident Jamie Lee Curtis and Los Angeles first lady Corinna Villaraigosa were honored by the Westside Children’s Center for their work on behalf of children. Curtis, who has written popular children’s books and is active in aiding children in need, was presented with the Big Heart Award, while Mrs. Villaraigosa was named Mother of the Year at the event, chaired by Ava Fries in honor of her late daughter, Camela Markham, also of the Palisades. In accepting her award, Curtis presented each of the 400 luncheon attendants with specially designed gifts of a heart-shaped soap exactly the weight of an average human heart, from Olive, Inc. of Pacific Palisades. The Wellness Community The Wellness Community ‘ West Los Angeles held its eighth annual ‘Tribute to the Human Spirit’ Awards Dinner at the Beverly Hills Hotel. This year’s honorees included Laura Owens and her husband Jack Bender, an executive producer of ‘Lost’; ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ co-star Katherine Heigl; and longtime Wellness Community supporters Ruth and Donald Salk. The Wellness Community is the largest organization in the world devoted solely to providing psychological and emotional support to cancer patients and their families free of charge.
Edward N. Jordan, 98; Began Business Here
Edward N. Jordan, who founded Jordan Appliances in Pacific Palisades in 1947, passed away on July 8 at his home in Lacey, Washington, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He was 98. Edward was born in March of 1908 in Bickleton, Washington to Henry W. Jordan and Elizabeth (White) Jordan. He married Alice Bassett in June of 1941 in Pullman, Washington. They shared a lifelong love of golf. Their first child, Janet, was born in 1943, followed by sons Ross in 1945 and Richard in 1949. After living in the Palisades for many years, Edward and Alice returned to Washington in 1986. Their son Ross continues to operate Jordan Appliances, now the fourth oldest surviving business in town. Edward Jordan enjoyed fishing, panning for gold, picking huckleberries and blackberries, and taking long walks. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, three children, and three grandchildren. There will be no funeral or memorial service, but donations may be made in his memory to Providence Sound-HomeCare and Hospice.
Dorothea Casady, 96; Rustic Resident, Artist
Artist, teacher and longtime Rustic Canyon resident Dorothea Casady died on May 25, bringing to an end a long and, literally, illustrative career. She was 96. Dorothea was born in Texas and raised an only child in Oklahoma by a single mother and a ‘strong Danish grandmother.’ Introduced to art early by her talented young mom, also an artist and teacher, she became renowned as a local painter in her teens and was teaching art at Classen High School by the time she was 22. Later she established and headed the first art department at the University of Oklahoma. Dorothea and her mother made annual trips to Europe on steamer ships to study art during summer break. Later, they traveled to Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico, where they painted the scenery and mixed with local artists such as Ila McAffe, Oscar Jacobson and A.C. Blue Eagle. She was accepted as an art fellow at the prestigious MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, New Hampshire in 1942. She met fellow Oklahoman, puppeteer and marionette-maker Richard Casady in 1940 and three years later they moved to Los Angeles, where they were wed by Richard’s father, Episcopal bishop Thomas Casady. Richard studied medicine at USC and eventually specialized in psychiatry with a private practice in Westwood. During World War II, Dorothea taught camouflage painting techniques for the Army while Dick interned at Fort Sill Army hospital in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. The Casadys lived in Brentwood before settling in Pacific Palisades in 1959, when they built their modern glass and beam home in Rustic Canyon on one of the last available lots. In 1965, while exhibiting her sculpture at Ankrum Gallery on La Cienega, Dorothea met an entrepreneur who recruited her to design sculptures for reproduction. This relationship with Artisan House lasted for the next 41 years; she was still getting assignments from them in February of this year. She also taught a weekly art class at her home studio until early this year. Dorothea lost her husband in 1974. She raised two artistic sons who have been creative in animation, jewelry, photography, illustration and computers. Robin (of Carmel) has published software for Macintosh and Chris (of Silverlake) has worked in special effects on many Hollywood movies. Dorothea was a founding member and first president of the Los Angeles Bead Society. She was also an active member of the Craft and Folk Art Museum, which will host a memorial service to celebrate her life on Saturday, August 5 at 2 p.m. in her garden at 734 Brooktree Rd. Please R.S.V.P. to 454-5218.
Calendar for the Week of July 27, 2006
THURSDAY, JULY 27
The monthly Chamber of Commerce mixer, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., hosted by Wilshire Fireplace (formerly Palace Fireplace), has been cancelled and will be rescheduled. Theatre Palisades Kids present ’42nd Street,’ a 1930’s musical set behind-the-scenes in a Broadway production, opening night at Pierson Playhouse on Haverford. Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on July 27 through July 30 and 2 p.m. on July 29. Ticket: $12. Call 454-1970 for reservations. (See story, page 12.) Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 8 p.m. at the campfire center next to the dining hall, through August 24. Enjoy a fireside program led by local naturalists and celebrate the campfire tradition with stories, songs and (free) marshmallows. Bring stories to share and a picnic dinner. Parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395, ext. 106.FRIDAY, JULY 28
Harpist Michael Rado, with pianist Paul Baker, will perform works by Debussy, Ravel and others, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Susan Allen’s Summer Harp Course concerts will also feature harpist Stella Castellucci on July 31 and students performing a range of harp repertoire on August 4. Admission is free. (See story, page 13.)SUNDAY, JULY 30
Weekly Summer Splash program, featuring family aquatic games, activities and music, 5 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA pool in Temescal Gateway Park. Free admission and the public is invited. By popular demand, barbeque dinners are back, featuring hot dogs and turkey burgers for sale, as well as healthy snacks.MONDAY, JULY 31
Pajama Story-time for children of all ages, 7 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Parents and teddy bears welcome.TUESDAY, AUGUST 1
Tuesday Night Hikes, organized by the Temescal Canyon Association, will seek out the secret stairways of Pacific Palisades. Meet at 6 p.m. in the Temescal Gateway parking lot at the corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. for carpooling. Public invited. Expect to return between 8 and 9 p.m. The Santa Monica Canyon Civic Association board will meet at 7 p.m. in Rustic Canyon Park. Public invited.THURSDAY, AUGUST 3
Longtime Palisadian Karen Stigler will speak at the Palisades Rotary Club meeting on ‘Mediation: Enlarge the Pie, Then Slice It,’ 7:15 a.m., Gladstone’s restaurant, PCH at Sunset. Stigler is an attorney with the Century City Mediation Group, which helps families and businesses build agreements. Public invited. Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 8 p.m. at the campfire center next to the dining hall, through August 24. Enjoy a fireside program led by local naturalists and celebrate the campfire tradition with stories, songs and (free) marshmallows. Bring stories to share and a picnic dinner. Parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395, ext. 106.How to Be Savvy, Like Madame Wu
‘Don’t ever take a partner.’ That seemed to be the paramount advice at Madame Wu’s talk last Thursday night at Mort’s Oak Room. Sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, the speech drew about 50 people and included hors d’oeuvres and dessert courtesy of Mort’s. A longtime Palisades resident, Sylvia Wu owned and operated Madame Wu’s Garden, a Santa Monica restaurant popular with celebrities and renowned for its world-class food and service, for 37 years. Now 91 and still active as ever, she began by recalling the early years of her business and the way in which it grew. ‘I was lucky. In the beginning, I didn’t know much about publicity,’ Wu said. ‘I hired a PR man for $500 a month, but he couldn’t get the Los Angeles Times into my restaurant. I was embarrassed. ‘One day I came out of church and an old lady was walking behind me. She said, ‘Are you that little girl who opened that Chinese restaurant?’ I said, ‘Yes, who are you?” The woman turned out to be the mother of Joan Winchell, the Times’ restaurant editor. Wu explained her situation, and the woman said, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it.’ ‘And she did!’ Wu recalled. ‘Her daughter gave me her last column. She wrote a beautiful piece and from then on we were busy, busy, busy.’ Throughout the speech, audience members were encouraged to ask Wu questions about her business. Mort’s owner Bobbie Farberow took the lead, questioning Wu about the source of funding for beginning her restaurant. ‘When I wanted to open my first restaurant, my husband, King, insisted that I take a partner,’ Wu said. King, an engineer at Hughes Aircraft, suggested a Chinese cook in the company’s cafeteria. ‘But I didn’t want a partner,’ Wu said firmly. ‘One day my husband and I were at a friend’s house for dinner and I told them the situation. They convinced him that I shouldn’t take a partner, and so I gave the cook his money back. I think he was so relieved’he didn’t know if I could make it or not.’ Wu continued, ‘If I had a partner, I wouldn’t have what I have today. My advice to all young people is don’t take a partner. If you’re busy fighting with a partner, you can’t work.’ One young woman in the audience asked Wu what she was most proud of in her life. ‘I’ve never thought about that,’ she said, hesitating. ‘Family, children. I have very good children. ‘I was a wife, a grandmother, a housekeeper’everything. At the same time I ran a business, I took care of my children. At my 90th-birthday party, my two grandchildren told everybody that grandma picked them up from school every day.’ She and King have been married 61 years. Wu also spoke about the internal operations of her restaurant. ‘I told my waiters, ‘You don’t have to kowtow to customers, but if you don’t give them good service, then you will be fired.’ When people came to my restaurant, I made sure they were taken care of; that’s how I started the business.’ After Madame Wu finished her speech, Community Council member Kurt Toppel shared a personal experience at the restaurant. He said that after he was voted in as chairman of the Santa Monica Red Cross in 1970, ‘We wanted to have the installation of our officers and wondered where we should go. Somebody said, ‘Why don’t you ask Madame Wu’s?’ I said, ‘Are you out of your mind? We can’t afford something like that!’ He said, ‘Just ask her!’ So I did. And you said, ‘Oh, it’s no problem. You are so welcome.’ ‘So the entire leadership of the Santa Monica Red Cross came to your restaurant,’ Toppel remembered. ‘The food was great, and it wasn’t expensive. We enjoyed it immensely and you were there to encourage us, and I thank you for that.’ Asked if she had any advice for young businesspeople, Wu responded: ‘First, take care of yourself. Be very careful, and don’t trust too many people. When you go into business, you have to only think of business’you have to concentrate. ‘And don’t take a partner.’
Experts Focus on Alternative Fuels
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‘California should be leading the way in reducing the nation’s addiction to oil,’ Assemblywoman Fran Pavley said last Friday at Santa Monica College. ‘With the technological advances we have, this state could become an economic example in alternative energy sources to the rest of the world.’ Pavley, who has gained international stature for her progressive stance on environmental issues while representing the 41st District since 2000, joined with State Senator Sheila Kuehl to hold a 2-hour conference on sources of alternative energy for vehicles. Several hundred journalists, various officials and curious citizens crowded into SMC’s Concert Hall, with many people having to stand or sit in the aisles. Outside, a number of alternative-fuel cars, including George Clooney’s infamous electric Tango Spied, a 39-inch-wide one-seater which carries a half-ton of batteries, were on display. Inside, experts in various fields of alternative energy each gave a short speech and presentation on their technology and its benefits as a viable vehicle energy source. Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles These vehicles can be charged at home from a standard outlet and contain both a traditional internal combustion engine and an electric motor. They differ from traditional hybrid vehicles in that the latter cannot be charged, and thus rely more on gasoline. Charging allows these hybrids to achieve approximately twice the gas mileage of normal hybrids, which can in some cases top 100 mpg highway. ‘The [power] grid is an energy asset waiting to be used by transportation,’ said Edward Kjaer of Southern California Edison. ‘We expect to see plug-in hybrids by the ’09 or ’10 model year.’ Ethanol Fuels This high-octane fuel is produced from renewable, biological sources such as corn as opposed to fossil fuels. While pure ethanol is not used as a vehicle fuel, it can be mixed with gasoline to create a cheaper, cleaner-burning power source. High concentrations of ethanol, such as E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline), can be used in flexible-fuel vehicles, while lower concentrations, such as E10 or E6, can be used with any vehicle currently sold in the U.S. ‘Flexible-fuel vehicles are coming into the market’we just need the infrastructure [fueling stations, etc.],’ said Robert Babik, whose company General Motors currently has over two million Flexfuel vehicles on the road. Biodiesel ‘Biodiesel is a non-toxic, biodegrable, renewable fuel,’ said Lisa Mortenson of Community Fuels. ‘The material’s safety data sheet says that if you drink it you should chase it with two glasses of water, which is the same thing you do with bourbon.’ Much like ethanol, biodiesel is used as an additive to standard fuel’in this case, diesel. The major problem currently facing biodiesel, as with ethanol, is a lack of fueling infrastructure. Hydrogen fuel cells Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity, with water and heat as the only by-products. Offering zero tailpipe emissions and high efficiency and reliability, the two major barriers to hydrogen vehicles are high cost and lack of fueling infrastructure. While hydrogen cars are not yet on the market, the city of Santa Monica maintains a small fleet of hydrogen vehicles. ‘Hydrogen also provides an opportunity for fast refueling,’ one area where other electric vehicles are lacking, according to Catherine Dunwoody of the California Fuel Cell Partnership. Natural gas Honda Motor Company manager Steve Ellis spoke about the benefits of natural-gas vehicles. His talk touched on the ‘phill’ device, a home-fueling station sold with all new Honda natural-gas vehicles. ‘Phill’ would eliminate many of the fueling infrastructure problems found with biodiesel, ethanol, and hydrogen fuel cells. Natural gas has significantly lower emissions than gasoline, reducing carbon monoxide emissions by 70 percent and carbon dioxide by 20 percent. ‘The door is also open for natural-gas vehicles to be hybridized,’ said Ellis, hinting at even lower emissions from a natural-gas electric hybrid car in the future.
PaliHi Grad Pockets $1.4M in Poker
Until two weeks ago, perhaps the biggest thrill of Jeff Madsen’s life occurred during his senior year at Palisades High, when he and his Dolphin teammates won the City Invitational baseball championship at Dodger Stadium. On July 16, Madsen shocked a packed crowd at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas by finishing first in a field of 1,579 players to become the youngest player (at 21 years and five weeks) ever to win a World Series of Poker event. According to the Associated Press, Madsen pocketed $660,948 in a three-day no-limit hold’em game. And just to prove it was no fluke, he won a second no-limit hold’em game last Saturday, upping his net earnings to almost $1.4 million. What will he do with his newly-earned money? ‘I’m just going to do a lot of random shopping,’ he was quoted as saying in Saturday’s edition of the Los Angeles Times. ‘I really haven’t figured it out yet.’ Madsen, who graduated from PaliHi in 2003, began developing his craft during his freshman year at UC Santa Barbara, playing primarily at the Chumash Indian casino in Santa Ynez, where 18 is the legal gambling age. To earn the victory Saturday, Madsen had to go heads-up at the final table against previous World Cup player-of-the-year Erick Lindgren. The result was the poker equivalent to an unkown qualifier beating Tiger Woods at The Masters. In the final hand, Lindgren raised to $50,000 before the flop (the first three community cards) and Madsen called. The flop came K-Q-2 rainbow (three different suits) and Madsen immediately moved all of his chips into the pot. Lindgren thought for a few moments, then called all-in and showed A-J of diamonds. Madsen showed Q-9, giving him a pair of queens and the lead at that point in the hand. The turn, or fourth, community card was the 5 of diamonds, which gave Lindgren a chance to win the pot with an ace on the final card, any 10 for a straight, or any diamond for a flush. There were 15 cards left in the deck that would snatch victory away from Madsen. But the river card was the three of hearts and Madsen had his second gold bracelet in less than a week. While his winnings have increased Madsen’s bank account they apparently have not warped his values. The morning after hitting his latest jackpot, he was back at home by Riviera Country Club to attend a memorial service for his grandmother. ‘Jeffrey is so cool as a cucumber,’ his mom, Harriett, told AP. ‘You would not know, sitting next to him at the memorial service, that this boy just became a millionaire.’ Madsen, on summer break from UCSB where he is studying film, showed signs of great things to come on July 5 when he finished third out of 670 players in the Rio’s $2,000 buy-in Omaha high-low tournament, good for $97,552. ‘He was a great kid and he had a pretty good bat,’ said Russ Howard, Palisades’ varsity baseball coach from 1986-93. ‘I remember that he was very low key’he always kept his cool.’ Jeff’s older sister Marissa ran cross country and track at PaliHi, where she won the Palisadian-Post Cup Award as the school’s outstanding senior athlete in 2001. Ferguson Also Wins at World Series of Poker Fellow PaliHi grad Chris ‘Jesus’ Ferguson, the Palisades’ most famous poker player and main-event champion at the 2000 World Series of Poker, has cashed in at three tournaments so far during this year’s 37th running of the WSOP. Known most for his trademark black clothes, sunglasses and black hat, Ferguson had tallied $18,530 through July 18. His best finish was 17th on July 7 in an Omaha high-low tournament, worth $9,964. His other cashes include 59th place on July 18 in a no-limit hold’em shootout (for $4,805), and 61st place on June 30 in a pot-limit hold’em for $3,761. Ferguson is one of the top pros considered to have a chance to win the main event, which starts Friday and ends on Aug. 10. World Series officials are expecting about 8,000 players to compete in this single event, about 2,500 more than last year’s record-shattering total. First place money this year is projected to be $10 million. (Russ Scott, managing editor of The Dispatch in Moline, Illinois, contributed to this story.) By RUSS SCOTT Special to the Palisadian-Post ”’ Jeff Madsen’s historic run at the 37th annual World Series of Poker in Las Vegas continued early Thursday morning when he finished third in a tournament, pushing him into second place on the WSOP points leaderboard and second in the overall tournament player of the year rankings. ”’ Madsen, a graduate of Palisades Charter High School, battled his way to third place in the $1,000 buy-in’ seven-car stud high-low event before getting knocked out about 1:30 a.m. at the Rio Hotel and Casino. ”’ It was the fourth time this month that Madsen, of Brentwood, made a World Series final table. He won two of those events, becoming the youngest player ever–at just five weeks past his 21st birthday–to win a coveted gold bracelet. And, of course, the youngest to ever win two bracelets. ”’ The overnight finish netted Madsen $65,971, pushing his total winnings for the Series to $1,467,852, good for second in the player-of-the-year standings behind well-known poker pro Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who has amassed $2,093,730. ”’ Madsen’s final hand pitted him against eventual tournament winner Patrick Poules. “Boy Wonder”, as Madsen is being called by some at the World Series, was knocked out when his lone pair was topped by his opponent’s pair of aces. ”’ A total of 788 players started the tournament on Monday. Madsen was in last chip position when the final table began with eight players, but he fought his way toward the top until running into Poules’ top pair.
Will Rogers Junior Lifeguards Impress at State Competition
Six Will Rogers Junior Lifeguards were part of a team of 88 guards chosen to represent L.A. County at the state competition in Santa Barbara last Friday. Twenty-two chapters of guards and over a 1,000 competitors from Santa Cruz to San Diego were represented at the competition. Regional tryouts were held July 14 at Dockweiler to determine the all-star team. The L.A. County team, which included six guards from Will Rogers was selected from the top qualifiers from: Zuma, Venice, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, El Segundo, Redondo, Torrance, Cabrillo and Avalon. At the state competition, there are individual events segregated by sex which include distance swim, distance run, the run-swim-run and beach flags. The paddle board and swim relays contain six members and consist of both sexes. No team may have more than four members of one sex. In the 9- to 11-year-old girls group, Lilliana Casso placed first in the distance swim, she took second in the run-swim-run and the swim relay took third. In the B category, which is 12- and 13-year-olds, Stephen Anthony took 18th in the distance run and earned a spot at the National Junior Lifeguards competition August 10 in Huntington Beach. Isabel Casso was part of the swim relay team that took first. She also placed third in two individual events, the run-swim-run and the distance swim. A first-place finish in the paddle board relay was made a reality because of the strong leg from Benjamin Lewenstein, who also took 12th in the run-swim-run and 18th in the distance swim. Teammate Trevor McGaughey took 11th in the distance swim and his swim relay took fifth. Will Rogers guard Alex Pekelis sprinted to take sixth overall in the beach flags competition. The United States Lifesaving Association Junior Lifeguard Nationals will be held on Thursday, August 10th in Huntington Beach. According to a Junior Lifeguard handout, a national team tryout will most likely be held on Friday, July 28 at Dockweiler Beach. Those interested should contact their JG instructor for more information.
Gymnastics is O’Brien’s Art
She may only be 12 years old, but when she steps into her arena, Corinne O’Brien performs like someone much older. In a sport as competitive and dangerous as gymnastics, there is little margin for error. So it’s a good thing this native Palisadian possesses a calm demeanor to complement her gritty determination. “I don’t really have a favorite event–I like them all,” she says. She happens to be good at them all, too. O’Brien completed a stellar season in artistic gymnastics by taking second place in the all-around competition at the Level 8 Regional meet in April at Cal State Fullerton. Her score of 37.55 was five hundreths of a second behind that of the winner–an example of just how close competitions can be. O’Brien competed in Region I (out of 8 regions) which is made up of California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. On her way to winning the silver medal for all-around, she took second in floor exercise and third in the balance beam and uneven bars. O’Brien’s successful season came after nearly a year of training only part time due to injuries. In the summer of 2004, O’Brien trained extensively for the Talent Opportunity Program, which tests gymnasts in 10 athletic skills that are the basis of gymnastics. She went directly into her Level 6 competitive season that fall, followed immediately by Level 7 meets in the winter of 2005. Her injuries began during the Level 7 season and continued into the Level 8 season. “It’s not so much the catastrophic injuries I’m afraid of,” Corinne’s dad, Walter, an orthopedic surgeon, says. “It’s the repetitive stress injuries that result from training 30 hours a week, five or six days a week that catches up with many gymnasts. At least one body part is usually aching at any given time. As both a parent and a doctor, it’s hard to know where to draw the line and have them rest.” Walter and his wife, Andrea, a former physical therapist, do not push their daughter too hard. Instead, they let Corinne choose how serious she wants to be about her sport. “Corinne loves to perform gymnastics and her personality comes alive on the gym floor,” Andrea says. “She exudes pleasure as she is obviously doing something she loves. You couldn’t force a child to go to the gym 30 hours a week if they didn’t want to be there.” Andrea says her Corinne showed signs of being a gymnast at an early age. “There were clues from the beginning. She was hanging and swinging from the bars on our poster bed before she could walk. And she would climb on top of a slide at the beach and jump off into the sand, landing like a cat. Our hearts skipped a beat the first time, but it was obvious she was perfectly comfortable doing it.” O’Brien started formal training when she was five. In less than seven years, she is capable of performing Level 9 skills. Levels 4, 5 and 6 are considered compulsory levels and levels 7-10 are Optional levels. At Level 8, gymnasts compete in one of eight regional meets. Level 9 means gymnasts can enter western or eastern USA regional meets and Level 10 competitors are ready for national competitions. The highest level is Elite, which is for international and Olympic level gymnasts. In general, girls advance about one level per year, but O’Brien they can two levels if they master skills. O’Brien has been crowned state champion for four consecutive years: Level 5 uneven bars in 2003, Level 6 uneven bars in 2004, Level 7 balance beam in 2005 and Level 8 balance beam this year. She was also awarded her team’s “artistic award” last year as the gymnast who consistently exhibited the best artistic form in her routines. “When I’m in the middle of a jump, I don’t think about falling,” Corinne confesses. “I’m just focused on what I have to do. I have good coaches who make up all of my routines” O’Brien went to school at Calvary Christian through the third grade, where she was a regional spelling bee champion. She was then home-schooled in grades 4-6. She will begin seventh grade at Windward in the fall. In her spare time, Corinne enjoys spending time with her friends, her 9-year-old sister Courtney (an all-star AYSO soccer player) and her 4-year-old brother Connor. “I’ll never forget a meet in San Diego last year,” Walter says. “Corinne was warming up on the balance beam, which she almost never falls on. She fell and hit the mat hard. She was obviously stunned. Her coach picked her up and propped her against the wall while she regained her senses. Then, when they called her name to compete, she pulled herself together, got on the beam, nailed her routine, and won the gold medal.” What will her future hold? This summer she will be participate in a training camp with the U.S. national team coaches. Gymnastics could end anytime with an injury or she could decide to do other things. However, she will be 18 (the perfect age) for the 2012 London Olympic Games.
Hill Pedals to Medal
Cyclist Tom Hill enjoyed last year’s L’Etape du Tour so much that he decided to try it again this year. He logged over 3,000 miles since January in preparation for the grueling 118-mile race through the French Alps and he needed every bit of that training to persevere in 104-degree temperature July 10. “It was a very long day and the hardest race of my life,” said the 46-year-old Palisadian, who completed the course in eight hours and seven minutes, good enough for a silver medal in his age category. “I was so tired afterwards that I could hardly even talk. I walked to the first aid tent in a daze and spent the next hour on a stretcher recovering from cramps and dehydration.” The L’Etape du Tour is an amateur race held on one of two rest days during the Tour de France. This year’s course was the exact route the professionals took eight days later in the 15th stage of the Tour de France. Hill completed last year’s 112-mile course through the Pyrenees in seven hours and 31 minutes–also a silver medal time. A field of 7,548 cyclists from 46 countries entered this year’s 14th annual L’Etape, which continues to increase in popularity worldwide. Hill was one of 231 American riders. The winner crossed the finish line in just over six hours. Frank Schleck of Luxembourg rode the course in 4:52 to win that stage of the actual Tour de France. The event proved so challenging this year that 2,071 riders–or 27 percent–did not finish. “I don’t think people realized how hard this race would be,” Hill confessed. “Afterwards, I spoke to three guys who compete in Ironman triathlons and they confirmed that this was harder than any Ironman they’ve ever competed in. In fact, only one of them completed the race.” The course this year wound upward through three mountain passes: the Izoard, the Lautaret and L’Alpe d’ Huez, which alone consists of 21 switchbacks. In all, Hill and his fellow riders had to climb 12,500 feet in elevation. Facing severe headwinds for the first 30 miles, Hill pedaled at an average speed of 21.3 miles per hour until he reached the base of the Izoard. By the time he reached that summit, his average speed had dropped to 15 miles per hour. When he reached the base of L’Alpe d’Huez, there was no shade in sight and he was feeling fatigued. During the final climb his speed had slowed to between five and six miles per hour. “The cheering crowd helped us get up the first few switchbacks but soon after the 11 percent grade really started taking its toll,” Hill recalled. “It would’ve been a tough climb even with fresh legs, but we had already ascended two major passes and ridden over 100 miles. With 10 switchbacks to go the course looked like a war zone with riders stopped on either side of the road, many laid out flat on the hot pavement. Thankfully, the spectators poured ice-cold glacier water over our heads and that kept us going. I had told my wife Andrea to expect me to finish between 3 and 4 p.m. and I crossed the finish line at 3:15.” Prior to completing the L’Etape last year, Hill had not raced competitively since 1990 when he won the men’s 28-34 age group at the World Championships in Austria. Hill lives in the Alphabet streets and runs a successful wine bu siness from his office on Via de la Paz. Having raced against three-time Tour de France winner Greg LeMond numerous times while growing up in the Bay area in the 1970s, Hill knows competitive cycling as well as anyone. He predicted Floyd Landis would win the Tour de France this year and, sure enough, Landis finished first by 59 seconds in the second-closest race ever.
