Nurseryman Chris Meyer wants his audience to see salvias the way hummingbirds do’up close and personal’and so he will present a combination of video and photos to the Garden Club members and friends at the meeting on Monday, June 5, 7:30 p.m. at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. “Salvias, commonly known as sages, have been more available and popular ever since Betsy Clebsch wrote ‘A Book of Salvias’ several years ago,” says Meyer, who has 90 different types of salvia on his property in the foothills of Sherman Oaks. “That book was very well received because it was the first one to focus on the California point of view. The California Mediterranean climate is vastly different from what gardening books usually deal with, which is England and New England, both of which have summer rains.” Part of the attraction of salvias is their diversity. The plants can fit into any garden scheme, from shade to full sun, and from rock garden and mountainside to borders. They can be deciduous, or evergreen; annual, perennial or biennial. Heights vary from ground-hugging to six feet tall. Leaves can be tiny and thyme-like to more than a foot long. “I used to think that there were the red salvias and the blue salvias, but then we went down to Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden and learned otherwise. “We used to live in a townhouse, festooned with hummingbird feeders,” Meyer says. “So when when we moved, we said, ‘Let’s put enough nectar bearing plants in so we don’t have to put feeders out ever again.'” Meyer discovered that there are roughly 1,000 salvias, and at his most zealous period he had 150 salvias in his garden: those that love the very hot western exposure and others that grow under trees, and still others that grow next to the neighbors who water daily. With his interest in a garden that attracts wildlife (a topic he presented last year for garden club members), he has planted salvias that bloom at different times throughout the year so he has hummingbirds year round. His garden is also a haven for butterflies, such as the pale and western swallowtails, morning clocks, and the monarchs, which feast on “a couple of hundred milkweed.” Although Meyer doesn’t sell his plants, he does have a greenhouse for propagation. Many of the plants in his garden started from seed and cuttings that he has brought home, even “legally” from England. In an ironic twist, Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden dedicated a salvia named after Betsy Clebsch, which she says she has never been able to grow. The plant produces flowers varying widely in color, from bluish lavender to white or even bi-colored’all on the same plant. It favors dry desert climates in Southern California. In her coast range mountain garden, Clebsch tried three times, but she’s not giving up.
“Into the Woods” Showcases Pali’s Talent
Theater Review
Near the beginning of the first act, the Baker (Michael Jones) says, “This is ridiculous,” and I couldn’t help agreeing, although we had different objections in mind. He was talking about his ineptness in trying to secure four objects for the witch to break a spell in Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods,” currently playing at Palisades Charter High School, and I was thinking about the lack of an adequate space to showcase a musical. This is Pacific Palisades, not some Podunk town in the middle of the boondocks. We live in the middle of “Hollywood,” the show business capital of the world, and we don’t have a decent auditorium. For those of you who haven’t been to a musical at the high school, there is no theater. There is a small auditorium where the orchestra sits to one side of the stage. The audience sits on folding chairs. The drama department tries to make the best of it by renting cushions ($3) or selling them ($10). The shame is that the students are so talented, but they have no space that adequately helps showcase their talents. Some of the students in the orchestra, under the direction of Terry Henderson, play with the Junior Philharmonic. Although they are still in high school, the music rivals the orchestra pits on Broadway. In particular, the musicians Friday night played so smoothly and in such perfect tune, I often forgot it was live and not a recording. The voices, oh the voices: if music is indeed the speech of angels, then they were hovering in the Palisades on Friday night. Once again, though, how do you take such talented performers (some of the seniors are going to Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Tufts and Barnard College at Columbia University) and ask them to perform in a space that rivals my garage for comfort? It’s impossible to see the actors and much of the set. In this particular instance, it was a shame not to be able to see more of the stage because set director India Lawrence’s attractive design maximized the space available. The only character easily viewed was Rapunzel (Christie Pryor) and that was because she was located in a window above the stage. Her lovely voice left an ethereal quality over the show. The costumes were several notches above what you expect at a high school performance, as a matter of fact, they would have been perfect choices for the Broadway show. Sasha Pasternak and Olivia Taylor, who were in charge, are to be commended for the excellence. “Into the Woods” is an interesting musical because it doesn’t follow the classical story line of boy meets girl, problems arise, problems are solved and everyone lives happily after . . .but then it’s one of Stephen Sondheim’s musicals, which are usually dark. The musical centers on fairy-tale characters Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood and a Baker and his wife. The Baker and his wife want a child, but have been cursed by a witch (Annie Tippe). In order to lift the curse, they need a slipper as pure as gold, cow as white as milk, cape as red as blood and hair as yellow as corn. They set into the woods to procure those items. At the same time, Little Red Riding Hood is going to granny’s house, Jack is going to sell a cow and Cinderella is trying to find a way to attend the ball. At the end of Act One, everyone has found happiness, or so they think, and that’s where Act Two starts. As the Baker’s wife (Gilli Messer) sings, “There are rights and wrongs and in-betweens and everyone tells lies.” Sondheim’s musicals always challenge the audience to think and question their own ethics, even as they’re being entertained. As morals are challenged, audience members are left with their own discomfort’think back to Sondheim’s other shows “Company,” “Follies” and “Sweeney Todd,” and his more well-known songs, “I’m Still Here,” “Send in the Clowns” and “The Ladies Who Lunch.” Director Monica Iannessa said she chose the piece to “accommodate the plethora of great female actresses and singers.” “Into the Woods” is a great way to showcase a talented ensemble with numerous unforgettable roles. The musical opened on Broadway in November 1987 and ran for 764 performances at the Martin Beck Theater. It won three Tonys: best score Stephen Sondheim, best book James Lapine and best actress in a musical Joanna Gleason. I saw Gleason play the Baker’s wife and Bernadette Peters in the role of the witch. Vocally Messer and Tippe measure up. Messer, in particular, is always great fun to watch, especially after her rendezvous with Cinderella’s Prince (Eric Rosenstein), who proclaims, “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.” The entire play has scenes that let individual performers shine, which was exactly the director’s intention. Little Red Riding Hood (Lauren Hunziker) was a joy to watch’her maturity and lovely voice made her a stand-out. The duet with the wolf (Charles Henshaw) was pure fun. Milky White (Rosie Krieger), the cow, has no lines with the exception of an occasional “moo” and still manages to steal several scenes with her presence. This is not an easy thing to do, because she’s working with some very talented performers including Jack (Paul Miller). I loved the Princes’ duet as Rapunzel’s Prince (Jeremy Siegel) and Cinderella’s Prince (Rosenstein) performed “Agony.” Although Jones is only a freshman, he takes one of the leading roles (the Baker) and handles it with aplomb. His voice is outstanding and has matured since last year when he had the lead in Paul Revere’s musical. It comes as no surprise that he sang in the LAUSD Honor Choir last year as a bass. As Cinderella, Sara Nygard was lovely and her voice radiant. I challenge the town to go see the exceptional talent. The downside of this musical is the lack of a reasonable space to showcase it. Many people who live in Pacific Palisades went to public high schools and have become exceptionally wealthy through show business. If those individuals are looking for a place to be philanthropic, a new theatre/music center would be the place to start. The shows runs June 1, 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. in Mercer Hall. General admission $10. Seats are on a first-come first-served basis.
Botanicum Seedlings: A Development Series for Playwrights
Hustling is hard for playwrights, even for those who have extensive theater credits and awards. Imagine, then, how the Botanicum Seedlings play-development series can assist a writer in his most important wish’to bring the work to life? Now in its fourth season, Seedlings presents staged readings of three new plays on Sundays at 11 a.m., beginning June 4 in the Theatricum Botanicum’s home in Topanga Canyon. “The series is about serving the playwrights,” says Jennie Webb, currently playwright-in-residence at The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, who created and oversees the Seedlings program. With the collapse of the A.S.K. Theater projects in 2003, which provided an avenue for playwrights to have their work performed, the Theatricum, which is known for its summer Shakespeare repertoire, decided to expand its reach by encouraging new work. Artistic Director Ellen Geer feels the program was a natural evolution for the Theatricum, which began as a place where artists could speak out in times of turmoil. Her father, Will Geer, built the Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga during the 1950s, when he was blacklisted for refusing to testify before the House Committee on Un-American Activities. Webb solicits new plays from all over the country and usually receives between 75 and 100 submissions a year. Israel Baran, a writer and literary critic, reads every play first and gives notes. The plays are then read by two to three people, actors and writers who serve on the reading committee. The Theatricum encourages provocative, political and socially relevant material, and prefers plays which are theatrical and character-driven. Webb says that unlike a lot of companies that are looking for new plays to produce in their own theaters, the Seedlings program is not. “We’re here to help the playwright get to the next level, primarily. In addition, the Theatricum could develop relationships with other theaters, which might be interested in producing the Seedlings play, and finally, the Seedlings program expands the Theatricum Botanicum actors’ repertory. “We give the playwright two rehearsals, a director and a good cast,” Webb continues. She really provides the expert support and what she hopes will be the best combination of director and cast that will communicate what the writer feels is the most important focus. “I talk to the playwrights, and say ‘Tell me about the characters, what are your goals? Is it character-driven?’ Then I go to Ellen and we rack our brains to come up with whom we think would be the best actors to cast.” Webb cites the June 4th play, “Such Moments” by Drew Katzman, that tells the tale of two very complicated women who become an inextricable part of each other’s lives. Both Geer and Webb thought immediately of resident actors Susan Angelo and Melora Marshall in the title roles. Both women have been reigning leading ladies together at the Theatricum since they were ingenues. Angelo currently heads the Academy of the Classics, while working as an actress at repertory companies across the country. The reading is also directed by Ann-Giselle Spiegler, an award-winning director and co-founder of Lit Theater. In her other job as a drama critic, most recently for Backstage West and on air for KCRW-FM, Webb sees a lot of theater and has an extensive recollection of actors and performances. This gives her resources from which to select a cast and directors for Seedlings. As with many of the members of the Will Geer “family,” Webb has worked in many capacities. A graduate of USC’s School of Drama, she started her career as an actress and comedienne. She performed sketch and improvisational comedy in night clubs and theater, and in 1987 co-founded The Rough Theater, a nonprofit theater company which actively produced new works through the mid-1990s. She describes herself as a person who just “kind of falls into things,” and that’s what led her to the Theatricum. “Louis Fantasia, a good friend, and an internationally respected Shakespeare/acting teacher, recommended me for the job at the Theatricum heading the adult acting programs with Susan Angelo in 1989. So I got involved, I taught classes (intensive Shakespeare, classical training, kids’ play writing) and started the public relations for the company.” In 2002, Ellen said to Webb, appreciating her dedication and talent, “How can we help you? The Theatricum commissioned a play that turned out to be Webb’s one-act “Tilting,” which received a staged reading to end the 2001 Summer Repertory Season. Webb said, “How can we help other playwrights?” And that was the “seed” for Seedlings. This summer’s readings include Katzman’s “Such Moments,” which received a reading at Theatre West last weekend. A producer, director and actor, he most recently performed the 40th anniversary revival of “Spoon River Anthology” for Theatre West. “The Resurrection of Dismas and Gestas” will debut on Sunday, June 11. The play, by award-winning New York-based fiction writer Jacob Appel, is a dark comedy about ideas which takes a sharply stylized look at life, death, date, sexuality and property rights. Appel has received awards including the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Award for the Short Story, and has been shortlisted for the O. Henry Award. Brian Patrick Mulligan, who most recently staged “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” at Celtic Arts, will direct. The readings conclude on June 19 with Devin Wallace’s “The Washing Place,” directed by Karen Reed, who’s also an actress at the Company Rep. A historical play set in 12th-century France, the play unveils the colorful world of the troubadours. Based in Los Angeles, Wallace has written and directed several historical works for NPR Playhouse, including “The Glass Harmonica” and “Bitter Lake,” which later adapted into an award-winning screenplay. Several of the plays that have been Seedlings in years past have gone on to fully staged productions. Diane Lefer’s play “Harvest” was produced at the Playwright’s Arena, and James McLindon’s play “The Garden of Dromore” was a finalist in the Grove Theater’s New Plays Initiative. Webb likes the direction that Seedlings is taking the Theatricum, which, she says, has historically stood apart from the Los Angeles theater scene. “I think that this independent ‘we have to do this ourselves’ mentality may be a leftover from the blacklisting days. But my main goal is advocacy. I want us to develop relations with other small theaters. There are more theaters in Los Angeles than in New York. We’re starting to reach out and see the Theatricum go into another arena.” Botanicum Seedlings are free to the public. The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 Topanga Canyon Blvd. For information, call 455-3723 or visit www.theatricum.com.
Cook Pitches Pali into City Quarters
Having pitched seven gutsy innings to beat Westchester and clinch the Dolphins’ third consecutive Western League title the previous week, junior right-hander Cole Cook seemed the logical choice to start Palisades High’s playoff opener last Wednesday against Sylmar. The only question was whether Cook would bring his best stuff to the mound and, if he did, whether the Spartans would be able to hit it. Well, he did, they couldn’t, and the result was a 9-1 victory that proved not all of the best teams in the City Section reside in the San Fernando Valley. “We had to win this first game,” Pali co-coach Tom Seyler said. “We were playing at home, we were the higher seed. It was very important not only for us, but for our league, that we win and win convincingly. These are the kind of games you have to win to earn respect as a program.” Cook tossed a one-hitter with 13 strikeouts and five walks and had command of the strike zone from the start. Andy Megee led the way at the plate with three hits, one RBI and two runs scored for the Dolphins (18-12). The game was much closer than the eight-run final margin would indicate. After the seventh-seeded Dolphins scratched out a run in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI groundout by Tim Sunderland, the 10th-seeded Spartans (14-12) tied the game in the top of the fourth inning on a solo home run to right field by John Contreraz. Palisades took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Mitchell Schwartz singled to score Sunderland. Then, in the next inning, Sylmar starter John Gomez tired, the Dolphins loaded the bases with no outs and went on to score seven runs. That was more than enough cushion for Cook, who struck out four of the last six batters he faced. Unfortunately, Cook was unavailable to pitch two days later in the quarterfinals against second-seeded El Camino Real (26-5), which scored 12 runs in the first two innings to chase Pali starter Johnny Bromberg on its way to a 15-2 drubbing that ended the Dolphins’ season. “We knew we had to play a near-perfect game to beat these guys,” said Pali’s other co-coach, Kelly Loftus. “Everyone knows about their hitting but their pitching wasn’t bad either. We had a lot of called third strikes against us and that’s a sign that we weren’t being aggressive enough at the plate.” Palisades tied the game, 2-2, in the top of the second inning when Austin Jones doubled to left field and scored on Garrett Champion’s single and Champion scored on Matt Skolnik’s sharp double to right. Palisades’ junior varsity edged Grant, 2-1, in the first round of the City tournament and outscored Roosevelt, 11-10, in the second round, setting up Tuesday’s semifinal at top-seeded El Camino Real.
Olympics Day at Canyon School
By DEBBIE ALEXANDER Special to the Palisadian-Post A gray day could not dampen the spirit and enthusiasm of Canyon Charter School students at the annual Olympics Day held last week. This event usually held in March came a bit later this year, so Coach Joey Medaglia had plenty of time to whip the children in shape. ‘I ran them pretty hard to get them ready,’ he explained. ‘The weather today could not be more perfect, if it were hotter it would be a lot harder.’ However, 5th grader Elaine Rosenfeld was thrilled that this is her last time around that track, ‘I am so done with Olympics Day,’ she said. ‘Why can’t we do other sports for this?’ The tradition of Olympics Day is for the kids to get out on the field and do their best running in 10 minute intervals. The two track sizes are 90′ x 40′ for grades K-2 and 120′ x 60′ for grades 3-5. Usually, the younger grades average 20 laps while the upper grades top out at 17. Prior to running, the students do a quick warm up with some jumping jacks and lots of leg stretches. Although the kids are sprinting individually, this year’s theme was ‘Team Up.’ Each class created a colorful banner to parade around at the Opening Ceremonies that began the school day. Student Body Vice President Grace Gregory led The Pledge of Allegiance. Shortly after, Student Body President Patrick Needham recited the Olympic Creed. ‘I love to see them all geared up,’ Librarian Barbara Blake said. Fourth-grader Jeremy Alexander said: ‘I am only going to run one lap and then fall.’ He ended up running 17. Olympics Day also doubles as a school fundraiser organized by a committee of parents. This year, Karen Parcell stepped up to the plate as chair. ‘It was great for the kids because state testing just ended, so the kids had a lot of pent up energy to burn,’ she explained. ‘It is so festive and the kids really enjoy themselves.’ A large colorful sheet of paper was placed on each student’s back for tally marks. ‘We came up with this to make them feel more like they were running in a real competition and for us making the marks it was a bigger target,’ Parcell said. ‘I thought the paper on their backs made it so much easier,’ said kindergarten teacher Mrs. Gorman. ‘Also, this year seemed to run smoother because it was more relaxed. It seemed like the parents went with the chaos of organizing children to run.’ Mrs. Ito’s third-grade class brought in the most pledges and earned a Cold Stone Creamery Party. However, every student received an Olympics day t-shirt, plenty of water to rejuvenate along with a Popsicle and a medal. Every one was a winner, but kindergartner Brandon Iglesias really dug his first Olympics day, ‘I ran 23 laps,’ he boasted. ‘ I can’t wait to beat that next year.’
Weintraub Just Misses Cut
Sitting around and awaiting his fate was more nerve-racking than anything Jason Weintraub experienced on the course last Wednesday at the City Section golf championships. After shooting a final-round 83 at Griffith Park’s Wilson Course the Palisades High junior turned in his scorecard and paced up and down the clubhouse path as subsequent scores filtered in. Turns out, his two-day total of 160 was one stroke over the cut line needed to qualify for the Southern California Regionals June 1 in Murrieta, although Weintraub will be one of two alternates invited should a player ahead of him not be able to make the trip. “I shot a lower score than I did last year and I was hoping it would be enough,” Weintraub said. “It’s disappointing to come up one stroke short.” Daniel Park of Los Angeles CES repeated as the individual champion with an even-par 144. The last player to repeat was Palisades’ Burley Stamps in 1997-98. The top 12 individuals who are not members of one of the two qualifying teams advance to the Regionals on their own. Rounding out Pali’s team were freshman Chris Lee (167), senior Ben Seelig (174), freshman Bo Jacobson (174), sophomore Zach Sklar and (186) and junior Ralph Guglielm (190). In team competition, the Dolphins were unable to defend their title, finishing seventh out of nine schools with a two-day total of 847. “We needed to shoot lights-out to have a chance even to finish second,” Pali coach James Paleno said. Granada Hills Kennedy won the title by carding a low score of 790, four strokes better than second-place Venice, which also qualified for the Regionals.
Sports Roundup
Tennis Center Juniors Stay Undefeated The Palisades Tennis Center continues to show why it has one of the top training programs in the nation for junior players. The PTC remained undefeated in Westside League competition last Sunday with victories in both the Open and Satellite divisions. The Open team beat Beverly Hills, 6-3, with key singles wins notched by Seby Urtiz (8-3), Eduardo Nava (8-4), Audrey Ashraf (8-3), Alex Ghiannini (8-4) and Connor Tracy (8-1). Meanwhile, the Satellite team also won 6-3 with singles victories by Samantha Kogan (8-3), Mark Cohrs (8-5) and Matthew Wilson (8-4) and an 8-3 doubles victory by Samantha Sharpe and Perri Zaret. Steckmest Wins Doubles Match Palisadian Lisa Steckmest, a sophomore at Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, competed in the NCAA Division III Tennis Championships last week in Santa Cruz. Steckmest and partner Kristen Handley of Ventura won their pro set, 8-4, against a duo from Texas Trinity College. Steckmest, who was a standout at Brentwood School, helped lead CMS to a 5-3 victory and a third-place finish in the tournament. Ranked fourth in the country prior to the championships, CMS defeated sixth-ranked DePauw University, 5-4, in the quarterfinals and lost to top-ranked Washington & Lee University, 5-1, in the semifinals before defeating second-ranked Trinity. Rosenthal Earns Leadership Award Palisadian Ari Rosenthal, a senior at Washington University in St. Louis, earned the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s Arthur Ashe Leadership and Sportsmanship Award. Rosenthal, who was an All-CIF player at Brentwood School, is one of 32 singles players who qualified for the NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships in Virginia. A three-time All-American, he was 25-4 at No. 1 singles this season for the Bears and has compiled a 179-54 overall record in four seasons.
State Assembly Primary Candidates
Democrat Jonathan Levey (Editor’s note: Five Democrats are vying for their party’s nomination in the 41st Assembly District primary election on June 6. We begin our profiles this week with Jonathan Levy and Kelly Hayes-Raitt, and will feature Julia Brownley, Barry Groveman and Shawn Casey O’Brien next week. Meanwhile, two Republicans are competing for their party’s nomination: Tony Dolz and Adriana Van Hemert. We will also profile them next week. The seat is currently held by Fran Pavley, who is termed out this year.) By LIBBY MOTIKA Senior Editor There is good news and bad news about term limits. The bad news is that one-third of the state Assembly will be replaced in November, undoubtedly removing some fine legislators who are just hitting their stride. The good news is that one-third of the Assembly will be replaced in November, opening more opportunities for government service. For Jonathan Levey, who is running in the June 6 Democratic primary to replace termed-out Fran Pavley, the news is good. This race gives the first-time candidate a shot at representing the 41st District in an open race. At 36, Levey is the youngest (and tallest at 6′ 4”) candidate in the race, but his career to this point has offered a variety of experiences that persuaded him that he would be effective in the legislature. His decision to enter the race 15 months before the primary surprised some of his friends, who thought it was too late to join the crowded field. Five candidates are vying for the Democratic nomination. “I had thought about it,” Levey told the Palisadian Post. “But that doesn’t get you very far.” His thoughts turned more realistic after he spent the summer of 2004 working for Sen. Tom Dashel’s reelection campaign in South Dakota. “I came back in November 2004; that’s when I started to think seriously about it and talk about it with people I trust.” One of the first people Levey met when he moved to Los Angeles 10 years ago was Superior Court Judge Terry Friedman, whom he met through his work with Bet Tzedek Legal Services. For the past two years, Levey has served as chairman of The Justice Ball, a young professionals event for Bet Tzedek. Friedman, who lives across the street from Levey in Santa Monica, served eight years in the Assembly before he was elected to Superior Court in 1994. Levey grew up in a middle-class Jewish family in St. Louis, the oldest of three children. After graduating from Princeton in 1991 with a degree in public policy and cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1995, he served as law clerk to the Honorable William Bauer on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. While an attorney with the L.A. firm Munger, Tolles & Olson, he created the Munger, Tolles & Olson Associates Foundation, through which attorneys at the firm contribute a percentage of their salaries for charitable donations. Through March 2005, he was vice president at Catellus real estate trust, reporting directly to chairman and CEO Nelson Rising, who is also an active Democratic party strategist. Levey resigned to run for office. Anticipating the reaction of some voters to real estate development companies, Levey endorses Catellus’ approach and cites certain projects, including the conversion of hundreds of thousands of desert acres into a wildlife preserve, reconfiguring Union Station into the hub of the public transit network in downtown Los Angeles and the 300-acre mixed-use project adjacent to SBC Park in San Francisco. “I understand that people in this district are antidevelopment. It should be a difficult place to develop,” Levey says, taking the opportunity to expand on his thoughts about the connection between urban density and transportation. “Long-range planning should encourage higher density in exchange for open space. We cannot afford more and more sprawl,” he says, adding that all future planning should revolve around a transportation hub, such as that being planned for the Santa Monica Transit Plaza between 4th and 5th and Broadway and the 10 Freeway. Some of the L.A. region’s worst traffic congestion is concentrated in the 41st district on the 101 and 405, which has propelled the issue to the front-burner at the local and regional levels. In a whimsical campaign event last week, Levey scheduled a travel race in which contestants using various modes of transportation (the Metro Bus, the Orange Line bus route and surface streets) “raced” across the Valley portion of the district, from Agoura to Encino, in the morning rush-hour. The winner, using the 101, clocked in at 37 minutes, followed closely by two cyclists’one who is a professional. The meaning for Levey is that basic service is not enough, that there are simple changes and improvements that “really could get you to that meeting on time or home for dinner.” Reviving former Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg’s proposed “Commuter’s Bill of Rights,” Levey has devised a 10-point Transportation Action Plan that would include well-maintained roads (but no construction during rush hour), state and local-subsidized towing service during rush hour, designated through-traffic streets prohibiting turns from them during the business day, a flex-time scheduling tax credit for businesses, and regional wireless Internet access. Levey has not only thought about the four or five crucial issues facing the region, and the state’affordable health care, traffic and the quality of life, education and jobs, the environment, and government performance, he has written them in a book, “Ideas in Action.” He recalls that his college thesis advisor used to scoff at students who would say “I know what I mean, but I just can’t say it.” “You don’t know it if you can’t say it,” Levey believes, and has written down his ideas to spell out just exactly what it is he’s going to do if he’s elected. “I want a road map when I get to Sacramento, and these are the ideas I care about. This is what I want to do.” Not wanting to seem immodest, Levey is confident that he’ll be up to speed in Sacramento in six months. “I’m good at a quick learning curve. I’m going to be able to figure this out pretty quickly.” As with the other candidates, Levey divides his time campaigning between the Westside communities of Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades and Malibu and the Valley, from Agoura Hills to Encino. Because he is a teacher at Cal State Channel Islands, where he teaches business law, he is familiar with the northern portion of the district that includes Port Hueneme and portions of Oxnard. In the end, Levey assesses the campaign in the currency of politics: How much money can you raise? have you raised? can you raise? “I’ve been the fundraising leader in the last three reporting totals,” he says, having raised more than $600,000 to date. “I’ve introduced myself to more than 5,000 people and garnered valued endorsements from former Congressmen Mel Levine and Javier Becerra, State Senator Jack Scott and the California Organization of Police and Sheriffs. I think that shows support. It’s the people part that keeps me going.” Kelly Hayes-Raitt: Democratic Primary Candidate for Assembly By LINDA RENAUD News Editor If you’re concerned about Iraq, the environment, education reform, women’s rights and healthcare for all Californians, then Democrat Kelly Hayes-Raitt may just be the candidate for you. However, while it appears she has some credentials to succeed Fran Pavley for the 41st Assembly District seat, the elected politicians in her district’Pavley, State Senator Sheila Kuehl and City Councilman Bill Rosendahl’have endorsed one of her opponents, Julia Brownley. The question is why, given Hayes-Raitt’s background? In 1983 the California League of Conservation Voters brought Hayes-Raitt, a native of Buffalo, New York, to Los Angeles to open its community organizing office. In the years since she has dedicated herself to grassroots issues. As executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air and as Lt. Gov. Leo McCarthy’s environmental representative, she fought against offshore oil drilling, helped found Heal the Bay, worked on legislation to set health standards for toxic mold and to phase out diesel-fueled school buses. In April Hayes-Raitt, a well-known consumer advocate for energy efficiency, recycling and coastal protection who has publicly fought development of the Ballona wetlands, put Governor Schwarzenegger on notice when she testified at two state land commission hearings opposing one of five liquefied natural gas (LNG) platforms. “I will not rest until we have solar panels on every roof in California,” said Hayes-Raitt to a standing-room-only crowd in Oxnard. “After 25 years of fighting, I’m tired of talking about energy conservation. It’s time to talk about independence from the gas and oil industries. California has the brains, resources and sunshine to fully develop clean, renewable, decentralized energy.” While Hayes-Raitt, who is single and the only small business owner in the race, does have some political endorsements (Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamente), and some union support (L.A. County Deputy Probation Officers), she has been running a bare-bones campaign for two years now, having taken time off from her work as a private political consultant and living off the equity of her Santa Monica home. She said she’s raised about $300,000 to date, “and I’d like to raise another $30,000. This is the longest job interview I’ve ever had,” jests Hayes-Raitt, whose other supporters include Martin Sheen, Ed Begley, Jr., Erin Brockovich, the Eagles’ Don Henley (“Welcome to the Hotel Kellyfornia”) and the Sierra Club. “The 41st Assembly District is very important to the Sierra Club,” said Mary Ann Webster, chairperson of the club’s Santa Monica Mountains Task Force. “We interviewed all the viable candidates and found Kelly to be not only the best environmental leader, but the hardest-working candidate we’ve seen in a long time.” The District includes Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Encino, Hidden Hills, Port Hueneme, Westlake Village, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Malibu, Topanga, Santa Monica, parts of Oxnard and Pacific Palisades. By the time the primary is over June 6, Hayes-Raitt said she will have participated in some 60 informal “Meet and Greet” sessions, most of them held in private homes. Although two dozen constituents were invited, only five voters showed up two weeks ago to meet with her at the Casa Gateway residence of Elizabeth Cocca, who thinks the candidate has “tremendous potential. I was immediately taken with her authenticity. Peace is her theme and it’s also mine,” said Cocca, referring to the “Peace Plus” sign on one of Hayes-Raitt’s campaign brochures. Cocca, who works as a substitute teacher in Culver City, said she has never been politically involved before, “except to vote.” She is especially impressed with Hayes-Raitt’s Clean Money Campaign. “There’s a lot of integrity in that,” Cocca said. Before arriving at Cocca’s condo, Hayes-Raitt spent three hours campaigning’going from door-to-door in the Palisades. “I raised a little over $100,” she announced. On the campaign trail, she told the Palisadian-Post that she is the only major candidate in this race limiting her campaign expenditures, which is voluntary in California. Hayes-Raitt knows she will be “outspent” by wealthier opponents. “Clean money campaigns and a clean environment are intertwined,” she said. “We must get polluters’ money out of campaigns, and we must make campaigns about voters, not donors, if we are to truly make ourselves self-sufficient. Voters aren’t going to be getting a lot of mail from me. I’m just going to keep knocking on doors.” Last Sunday evening, Hayes-Raitt gave a staged reading at the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club about her two trips to Iraq called: “Please Go Home and Tell Mr. Bush Not to Bomb Us.” Having visited the war-torn country before and after the U.S. invasion, she talks of the war’s price (“California has sent more soldiers than any other state”). She has become an advocate for Iraqi citizens, saying she wants to help give a voice to the women and children there “whose lives we irrevocably changed. Our president needs to be challenged for getting us in this war.” Hayes-Raitt, who calls herself a “progressive” Democrat, is part of a group which recently sued the federal government over the No Child Left behind Act, which she referred to as “Bush’s efforts to eviscerate our public school system.” According to Hayes-Raitt, many local school districts, including LAUSD, are not getting the funding they are entitled to under the act. Asked what she thought about Mayor Villaraigosa’s plan to take over, all she would say is that if “there’s anyone I would trust with this it would be him.” However, she fears that such a change could “remove community involvement in our schools.”
Locals Reject Potrero Plan
A crowd of almost 200 attended last Wednesday’s workshop on the proposed park for Potrero Canyon, held at the old gymnasium on Alma Real. Many of them arrived ready to pounce on the consensus plan even before the meeting began. The buzz was palpable as they previewed the mock-up of the site set up on a table near the microphone. At least three dozen residents participated in the earlier walking tour of the canyon, and even more signed up to speak during the public comment period in which each person was given three minutes. Attending the meeting, after having taken the walking tour, was Pam Emerson, head of the California Coastal Commission, which must approve what is eventually built in the proposed park. Following a short overview of the project by committee chairman George Wolfberg, recreation subcommittee head David Card explained the constraints his committee faced in coming up with the plan, the most contentious being the proposed access points from the west rim which Card said his committee had recommended in order to provide easier access for residents, emergency personnel, and to encourage “more eyes and ears to watch and protect the canyon.” Before the end of the evening, Card would be seriously challenged on all three points. Also challenged was the committee’s proposal to eliminate one or two of the tennis courts at the Frontera entrance to provide more parking, the proposed pedestrian bridge which would be built at the mouth of the canyon to provide safe beach access, as well as the suggestion of an off-leash dog park on the former Occidental site bordering PCH. Card noted that completion of the park would take years even if funds could be found to start work right away. He pointed out that while his committee had been planning for a year to come up with a plan, a community consensus on exactly how the canyon would be used was now needed before proceeding further. He answered some questions and encouraged everyone to fill out a questionnaire on their preferences for the site. However , when it came time to speak, most residents didn’t seem to care why the Potrero project has been stalled for almost a decade (lack of funds), the Coastal Commission requirements for the three-and-a-half acre site (that there be a riparian habitat, additional parking and a fire road from one end of the canyon to the other), or whether a cistern should be built (to capture and recycle water for irrigation). Their concerns were more basic, such as: “Why do we even need the park? The canyon is fine the way it is.” Many residents decided to take City Councilman Bill Rosendahl, who opened the meeting, to his word. After thanking the advisory committee for “all their hard work,” the community for participating, and his staff (including his legal counsel and former Community Council chairman Norman Kulla and field deputy Andrea Epstein) for creating a forum which he saw as “democracy in action,” Rosendahl encouraged everyone to “speak their minds,” which they did. He also encouraged them “to build consensus,” which proved to be impossible. While the purpose of the meeting was to seek the community’s input, the general consensus by the end of the evening was: “We don’t want a park. We don’t need a park. It’s just going to make the traffic worse!” Some residents who live near the rim said they didn’t even want “a bike path” or “picnic tables. It’s just going to encourage crime.” The controversial Potrero project, which has been ongoing since the mid-1980s, has been on hold the past year because of funding difficulties. The advisory committee, working with Rosendahl’s office, is hoping to obtain Coastal Commission approval to sell two city-owned lots on Alma Real to provide funding to complete Phase II grading and begin Phase III plans for the proposed park. A dozen residents who live on the west rim of the canyon showed up at last month’s Potrero Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee meeting to protest the proposed plan to provide four additional access routes to the new park. Originally, only two entrances were envisioned’one from the top of the canyon at the end of the Frontera parking lot and the other from Pacific Coast Highway. Both are fraught with difficulties. To provide up to 30 new spaces in the Frontera parking lot (below the playing fields), the committee indicated that at least one and maybe two of the eight existing tennis courts would have to be relocated. And to access the park from PCH, the committee is proposing a pedestrian bridge over the highway so that park users can utilize the existing parking lot at Will Rogers State Beach, where parking is generally $7. At that meeting Card explained that another reason to provide four additional access routes’two from De Pauw, one from Earlham, another from Friends’was to mitigate parking woes at the Recreation Center. However, residents weren’t buying it, judging by their comments last Wednesday. Huntington resident Craig Weston said that while he likes the park idea he does not like “the congestion it will bring.” He wanted to know how much more abuse his neighborhood will have to endure considering “how bad the traffic and parking already are because of all the nearby schools.” Alma Real resident Val Clifford pointed out that “gracious park neighbors have already allowed partial skate park and ball fields.” She sees the need for a stop sign at Chapala and Alma Real, speed enforcement and speed bumps, as well as EIR and traffic studies. Huntington resident Marie Peterson urged the committee to “leave the canyon alone. The park is beautiful as it is and should be preserved.” She sees no need for a second community park. Lucia Ludiviccio wants a poll to see if residents even want a park in Potrero. She’s “very much against it.” Resident Mark Victor is opposed to picnics, beach access and spending money. “Why all this effort into this park?” He wants residents who are directly affected by the proposal added to the working committee. Huntington resident Stacia Wells represents Palisades Advocates for Dogs (PAD). She would like to see an off-leash dog park in the meadow area rather than the former Oxy site which is no good “because of traffic and noise.” Jan Chatten-Brown, who lives on Via de la Paz, feels that if there’s going to be a park, “make it nicer and passive, more like Los Liones with a seasonal stream.” As co-chair of PAD she would prefer the off-leash dog area on top of the cistern. Resident William Moran showed a petition opposing both the dog park and west rim access, which he said already had 77 signatures. Resident Doug Fuchs, after thanking the advisory committee for their hard work, said he sees a groundswell of opposition to this park. He owns a lot there and will soon be building a house. He feels only a fraction of Palisades residents even know what’s going on. He thinks west rim access would change the character of the neighborhood, bring trash and security problems. He told Card that his rational for west rim access was not justified, considering that “it is not wanted by the neighbors” and residents should not be put in the position of having to “deputize the proposed park. That is not our job,” he said to applause. While resident Ron Shelton “loves the idea” of restoring the riparian habitat, he reminded the committee that Via de las Olas neighbors are “still fighting the city on erosion and waiting for the street to be repaved.” He doesn’t want more people on that street doing U-turns on his lawn at corner of Friends and Via de las Olas. Friends Street resident Chris Spitz calls west rim access a disaster. “The bluffs are already crumbling.” Dr. Duncan Thomas, who also lives on Friends, is also against west rim access and wants usage and EIR studies be done. Friends resident Jerry Bloore lives closest to the proposed west rim access point. “There’s a constant stream of cars now on our street, so it will just get worse.” Ellen Travis, who lives at Lombard and DePauw and has already lived through 20 years of repairs in the canyon, said that the current Coastal permit allows access only at the top and bottom of the canyon. She supports the sale of two lots on Alma Real to complete Phase 2 of the project. Rim resident Joe Phelps has already had an intruder enter his house from the canyon, parts of which he referred to as “Meth Mountain,” and does not want any more. He quoted a 1993 letter from then Councilman Marvin Braude regarding “not wanting to see big park project.” Phelps is opposed to multiple access to the park. Steven De Sousa, who lives across from one of the proposed western rim entry points, said that unlike some “Nimby” neighbors, he’s an “Imby”: “I want this in my back yard!” While he’s opposed to the west rim access he’s in favor of the proposed uses which he sees as an “exceptional opportunity.” Architect Emily Kovner, who also serves on the Palisades Design Review Board, lives on De Pauw, where there are four proposed west rim access points. “The proposal is egregious and unfair and reflects a lack of understanding of landscape architecture. The committee obviously needs professional help at this point.” She was totally opposed to the suggestion of perhaps turning some of the R-1 lots into parking lots. “Go back to the original plan for a passive park,” suggested Huntington resident David Peterson. “No traffic, gates, or parking. No beach access either.” Dennis Martin, who grew up on Alma Real, agreed. “We were promised a passive park,” Martin said. “No meadows are needed. Just leave the canyon alone.” Chairman Wolfberg told the Palisadian-Post on Wednesday that while he was disappointed so many residents objected to the committee’s consensus plan, he was impressed with the “incredible amount of passion” displayed at the workshop. He saw the parking issue as having a “trickle down effect” and that until it is resolved, it could continue “to stymie our efforts.” The next PCCAC meeting is Wednesday, June 21. (Editor’s note: The results of the questionnaire and background material is available on the Potrero Canyon Citizens Advisory Committee’s Web site: www.potrero.info/bb/.)
Charter Schools Group Hands Out $2,000 Awards
Four individual teachers and a teaching team each received a $2,000 Lori Petrick Educator Award from the Palisades Charter Schools Foundation in an elegant backyard reception last Saturday afternoon at the home of Evette and Dennis Richardson. The award was established in 2003 to honor the late, much-beloved third-grade teacher at Palisades Charter Elementary, who was represented at the reception by her mother, Ruth Bennett, and her two children: John, the CEO of Perennial Financial Services in West L.A., and Kimi, a nursing assistant at the Jade Healing Retreat Center in Beverly Hills who hopes to enter medical school next year. This year’s winners were Jeff Lantos (Marquez Elementary), Marlene Morris (Canyon School), Charlena TerVeer and Kathie Yonemura (team teachers at Canyon), Shari Laham (Kenter Elementary) and Larry Newman (music teacher at Kenter, Marquez, Palisades Elementary and Topanga Elementary). The awards ($10,000 total) were underwritten by the Boone Foundation, a philanthropic group whose mission is to support “passionate people who provide excellent programs to youth.” The family foundation has members residing in the Palisades and attending local schools. According to Charter Foundation member Paula Leonhauser, the award process was broadened this year in order to reach more nominees and honor more individuals who are achieving excellence in education within the Palisades Charter Complex. “Teachers, administrators and counselors who have been part of our complex for five or more years are eligible,” Leonhauser said. The Lori Petrick Award was first given in June 2003 to Bud Petrick, Lori’s husband. A year later, the honor went to former Palisades High principal Merle Price, who played a leading role in gaining charter status for all five Palisades schools. He presented the awards last Saturday, and noted that he will formally retire as an LAUSD administrator in June to become a full-time faculty member in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Cal State Northridge, “preparing future education leaders.” He will teach three classes, advise students and supervise their field work as entry-level administrators. Another speaker was Los Angeles school board president Marlene Canter, who recalled that she raised her kids in the Palisades but now lives in Westwood. “When I was first elected to the board in 2001, you had already come together as an education community,” Canter noted, meaning that all five public schools in the Palisades had gained charter status and were working together on common issues. “You continue to set the example for other communities, such as Westchester/Playa Del Rey and Venice, where parents are taking charge at their schools.” Canter emphasized that test scores in LAUSD elementary schools “are going up faster than the state average,” and these students are now moving into middle school and high school, bringing improved scores to this level.
