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Welcome Home, Will Rogers

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Historic House and Park Reopens to Public March 25th

Curator Bruce Stiny and State Parks intern Michael Pujals work to reinstall the interior features of Will Rogers' living room as close as possible to the way it looked in 1930.
Curator Bruce Stiny and State Parks intern Michael Pujals work to reinstall the interior features of Will Rogers’ living room as close as possible to the way it looked in 1930.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Will Rogers was the trick-roping, straight-talking, apolitical observer of politics and Hollwood star, who lived with his wife Betty and their three children in an unconventional ranch house in Pacific Palisades. Here was a man whose funeral in 1935 was believed to have drawn the biggest turnout of mourners since the death of Abraham Lincoln. A decent man, his great-granddaughter Jennifer Rogers Etcheverry says, whom everybody liked. And yet, a man who nowadays is unknown to many. Echeverrey will join state officials, other family members and guests to celebrate the reopening of Will Rogers’ recently restored ranch house on March 25, and introduce Will to many who know little or nothing of his legend. “My generation don’t have a clue who Will Rogers was,” says Etcheverry, 40, who said that when singing cowboy Roy Rogers died, she got symphathy phone calls from people. “As a matter of fact, Roy (born Leonard Slye) changed his name to Rogers because he was so impressed with Will,” she says. The granddaughter of Will’s second son Jim, Etcheverry is the one in the family who has taken on the more public role in keeping her famous relative’s memory alive. She was born into a ranching family, on both sides, and from her earliest days had a huge interest in Will Rogers. “I traveled to Oklahoma (Will’s birthplace and museum) and attended events there and as I got older was invited to more things. I’m the most outgoing in the family and I enjoy it and have a very strong connection with my great-grandfather.” She also spearheaded the Will Rogers Foundation through which she hopes to raise funds to finish the ranch restoration project and provide money for ongoing maintenance. Will once said of Los Angeles, “It’s a great place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit there,” and he was true to his word when he bought 160 acres in the Palisades in 1922, which he cleared with the idea of eventually plotting a polo field, corrals and a weekend cabin. By 1928, he decided to move his wife Betty and three children, Will Jr., Mary and Jim, from their Beverly Hills mansion to the six-room cabin. From then began a protracted building project that resulted in a 31-room ranch house at the time of his death in a plane crash in 1935. When Will died, all work ceased on the ranch, and you could almost say it didn’t resume until three years ago, when the house was closed by the State for a long overdue $5.5 million renovation. Not a showy guy, Rogers built a rustic wood-framed home with a shingle roof and a verandah that looked out over the sweeping lawn, which served his golfer friends in Rogers’ time. Polo and roping were his games. Will loved the ranch ‘ “It was the joy of his life,” Betty wrote. At home, either on his ranch in Oklahoma or California, he always enjoyed riding horseback, roping steers or playing polo, said his biographer Joseph Carter. “He would scratch his head, grin and quip that he figured there was something wrong with anybody that didn’t like a horse.” Inside and out, Will’s ranch mirrors his passions. When he renovated the house by raising the living room ceiling 14 feet, it allowed him to practice roping indoors and to increase the space to fit his Monterey-style furniture, and art collection. The family lived at the ranch at the height of Will’s career. He was the star of Broadway and 71 movies of the 1920s and 1930s; a popular broadcaster, besides writing more than 4,000 syndicated newspaper columns and befriending presidents, senators and kings. And his house was filled with mementos that included Western paintings and etchings by his friends Charles Russell and Ed Borein, Navajo rugs, Argentine bolas, Native American costumes worn by his kids and animal trophies. Rogers adapted his ranch house to his work and his family. His nephew Tom Milam recalled his uncle Will when he was about 12. “Uncle Will would be up about 5 or 6 to go to the studio, come home for lunch, then saddle up and rope until dinner time in the arena at the ranch.” Tom learned to rope with his uncle, who also taught his father how to rope. He remembers Will as being in “superb athletic shape, a fine horseman. “The most quiet I ever saw him was when he was reading the paper. And he read all the papers he could get his hands on.” Extensive work on the ranch house began in earnest in the fall of 2005 with major upgrades to protect it from the damaging forces of nature’ water, fire and earth quake. The drainage system has been rebuilt, sheer wall for fire protection was installed under the cedar batten and board ranch walls, and a climate control system was installed to protect the artifacts. Betty Rogers deeded the ranch house and surrounding 186.5 acres of rugged canyons and hillsides to the State in 1944 with the proviso that the state would maintain the structures and grounds as a memorial to Rogers, or revert back to the family. Years of stretched state budgets and neglect began to take a toll on the property, and in 2001 Chuck Rogers, Will’s grandson, threatened to sue the state for neglecting the property. The crises was averted when the state launched the extensive restoration that will culminate at the end of the month. Museum curator Rochelle Nicholas-Booth has been working with more than 100 experts on the project. Architects, planners, engineers, construction workers, interpretive specialists and members of the family have contributed to bringing the house back to its earliest period between 1930 and 1935. In order to accommodate the thousands of visitors the ranch enjoys each year, State Parks will renovate the existing museum and refresh the displays. The massive project is the result of a multi-years study that also includes stabilizing the hay barn, historic stable, carpenter shop and guest house. State officials look forward to reacquainting visitors with the ranch. “This was the home of one of America’s most beloved national figures,” said Ruth Coleman, state parks director. “Our children need to learn this story.” The public is invited to the reopening on March 25 at 10 a.m. where they will witness a reenactment of the 1944 ceremony in which the Rogers’ family handed over the deed to the estate to the people of California. The day will also include tours of the home and grounds and a cornerstone laying ceremony by the Masons at Jimmy’s Barn.

Nancy Covey’s Down Home Trip Rejoices in Cajun Country

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Music speaks from the heart, shoulders pain and trumpets joy. And there is certainly no better example than the American idiom: jazz, bluegrass, folk and Cajun. Music soothes in times of stress like war and economic hardship, and blooms with love for people and the land. Palisadian Nancy Covey, a lifelong folk music devotee and concert impresario, has decided to carry through with her annual music tour to the New Orleans jazz festival and Cajun country, almost because of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina. “These musicians need to feel not forgotten,”Covey says. “They are the heart and soul of New Orleans and need to be encouraged to come back and play.” Covey grew up listening to folk music’Odetta, Bob Dylan and The Kingston Trio. “I was always a folkie; my mom and I would listen to music while we cleaned the house.” After Covey graduated from college, she slummed, traveled and serendipitously landed a job at McCabe’s in Santa Monica, where she had enjoyed the concerts over the years and got to know some people. Strapped for money, she told Bobby Kimmel, who started the concerts at McCabe’s, that she needed a job; she’d clean his house. That lasted a short while, until he commandeered her to help him stage a Doc Watson performance in Santa Barbara. Soon she was making $75 a week, which was good money for a 20-year-old in 1974. In no time, she was organizing concerts for McCabe’s, which entailed scouring music festivals around the country for talent. “I booked musicians like John Hyatt, John Lee Hooker in the days before a lot of bands knew they could play a solo acoustic concert,” Covey recalls. “I Remember Flaco Jimenez played, and a little band who called themselves Los Lobos del Este de Los Angeles said they’d play for free.” Los Lobos became friends and later in 1984 played for Covey’s marriage to guitarist Richard Thompson. Covey stayed at McCabe’s for 10 years, and during that time packed them in. Warren Zevon, Jennifer Warnes, T-Bone Burnett, Elvis Costello, Van Dyke Parks and Jackson Brown all showed up to Covey’s going-away party concert at the club. While Covey was at McCabe’s, she started Festival Tours, which was a natural outgrowth of her excursions to music festivals, where she’d talk musicians into coming to perform at the club. “My first tour was to the Vancouver Music Festival. We stayed at the hotel with the musicians, rode the shuttle to the site, and that’s what we still do. I even made it to the New Orleans Jazz Festival when Jack was five months old, and I was breast feeding.” Jack is an eighth grader at Crossroads, who “would spend the whole day playing bass if he could.” The Louisiana trip is set from April 27 through May 4, with a second weekend add-on for the final weekend of music at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Covey has structured the two weeks as an “insider’s trip to Louisiana.” Not knowing what events would unfold six months ago, she booked a hotel in the French Quarter, just behind Jackson Square for the first weekend. The group will have tickets for two days of the festival, and a third day on their own so they can explore New Orleans. The tempo changes with a visit to the swamps of the Louisiana bayous, Cajun Country. One night, the guests will be invited to the home of the zydeco musician Geno Delafose, whose band has been voted Best Zydeco Band in Louisiana. On another afternoon they’ll partake in the annual crawfish boil at Marc and Ann Savoy’s country home. “This is one of the great parties of certainly my year and now theirs,” Covey says. “It’s not open to the public, but only friends and neighbors of Marc and Ann’s will join those on the tour.” The couple are central figures in the revival and tradition of Cajun music. The 700,000 Cajuns in South Louisiana are descendants of French Canadians, who by refusing to pledge allegiance to the British crown, which required them to renounce Catholicism, were forced to flee their homes, and eventually settled along the bayous of south central and south western Louisiana, where they could live according to their own beliefs and customs. Today, Cajuns are famous for their unique French dialect (a patois of 18th-century French), their music and their spicy cooking. They continue to preserve their folk customs, which include the old-fashioned crawfish boil. Covey’s friendship with many of these musicians over the years makes the tour intimate and very local. “My tour is for people who don’t take tours,” she says. “I started this tour for friends, not for the cruise types.” For those interested in Covey’s Louisiana Music Tour, call Nancy Covey at 454-4080 or e-mail to festtours@aol.com.

Marjorie M. Hegener, 88; A Corpus Christi Founder

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Marjorie Mabie Hegener, a former 51-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away peacefully in her sleep on February 27. She was 88, and had lived in Claremont the past four-and-a-half years. Born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Marjorie moved with her husband Joe to Pacific Palisades in 1950. They were founding members of Corpus Christi Catholic Church the following year. Actively involved in a variety of Catholic Church-related philanthropic activities, Marjorie was a lifelong member of the Holy Communion Guild and with her daughters was active in the National Charity League. She served for many years as secretary of the Dunning Foundation and had a longtime devotion to the Sisters of the Social Service and to their mission among the poor. She served with both the Juniors of the Social Service and the Social Service Auxiliary in virtually every office and was a driving force behind the annual Presentation Ball, where both of her daughters and five of her granddaughters were presented. A member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre and a Dame in the Knights of Malta, Marjorie was sustained in her life by her unwavering trust in God and by her heartfelt motto of ‘Faith, Family and Friends Forever.” She was honored with the ‘Spiritus” award by the Social Service Auxiliary in 2002. She was preceded in death by her husband Joseph L. Hegener, who passed away in 1988. Survivors include her son Paul J. (Pete) Hegener and his wife Denise of Vero Beach, Florida; daughters Mary Jo Bernard (husband John) of Salida, Colorado, and Susan Parrish (husband John) of Smith Mountain, Lake Virginia; and her brother Dr. Richard Mabie (wife Kitty) of Claremont. She is also survived by nine grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. There will be a Rosary said for Marjorie at 7 p.m. on March 21, at the Claremont Chapel, 325 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Claremont, and the funeral service on March 22 at 10 a.m., at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church in Claremont. Immediately following the funeral service, she will join her beloved husband at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Marjorie’s memory will be welcomed by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation at 5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 250, Dallas, TX 75244.

CLASSIFIED ADS FROM THE MARCH 2, 2006 ISSUE OF THE PALISADIAN-POST

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

PACIFIC PALISADES BY OWNER. Unique 3 BR, 212 BA Townhome. Stunning Upgrades-New Kitchen and Baths. $799,500 or Best Reasonable Offer. Inspection Sat & Sun. 10-5. www.PalisadesTownhome.com. Townhome will be sold Sun. Mar 5 to HIGHEST BIDDER. (310) 459-5230

HOMES WANTED 1b

WE BUY HOUSE’S, APTS & LAND! All cash as is. FAST close. David, (310) 308-7887

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

FABULOUS MT. VIEWS! 3 bd, 2 1/2 ba townhm, new wood floors, stainless steel appliances, 1,830 sq. ft., community pool, spa, fitness. Direct entry, pvt. 2-car garage. Available immediately. $4,100/mo. Saul Berman, Coldwell Banker, (310) 497-2720 AMAZING OCEAN VIEWS 3 bdrm, 112 ba., Hardwood floors, deck. No pets. Available March 1st. $4,000/mo. Agent, John Portman, (310) 459-5886 x250 PACIFIC PALISADES 2 BDRM, 2 BA. Secluded near village. Hardwood floors, fireplace, skylights, gardener included. $2,650/mo. No pets. (310) 454-5528

FURNISHED HOMES 2

FURNISHED SHORT TERM LEASE June-Nov. Charming 4+2 in alphabet streets. Private grassy yard. Heated pool, hot tub, $5,500/mo. (310) 230-4060

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

SUNSET IN THE VILLAGE. Spacious 1 bed, 1 bath, newly renovated, walk-in closets, gated parking, security bldg, laundry. $2,100 per month. 1 yr lease. (310) 454-6074 SPACIOUS APARTMENT. 3+2 upper unit. QUIET bldg. Garage, laundry, new carpets, bright. Lots of storage space. $2,500/mo. 1 year lease. No pets/smoking. (310) 454-8965 GUEST HOUSE. Gorgeous white water and sunset views. Quiet, private 1 bdrm, liv rm, fplc, 3/4 ba, kitchen all appliances. Wired for computer, util/inc, N/S, no pets, year lease. $1,900/mo. Near Getty Villa. (310) 454-2801

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

STUDIO FOR RENT. Stone floors, beamed ceiling, furnished, large walk-in closet. Access to front and back yard. $2,000/mo. Call (310) 230-6740

WANTED TO RENT 3b

SEEKING 3 OR 4 BDRM HOUSE for rent April 1st for our family. Local references available. Call Illana, (310) 498-0468 SEEKING A LONG TERM housesitting arrangement. 53-yr-old widow. SMC RN student without children/ pets. Desires a quiet environment. N/S. Call anytime. C.R., (310) 548-0626 GARAGE STORAGE SPACE WANTED in the Palisades for a car. The owner lives on Swarthmore and drives it twice per month. Please call (310) 459-7550 SINGLE FEMALE PERSONAL TRAINER needing guesthouse/private room to rent. Willing to trade for P.T. services. Love animals, kids and mature adults. Call Maria, (310) 994-9450 SEEKING A ROOM TO RENT. If you have an extra bedroom, will pay $400/mo while doing computer work in Palisades. Local references. (310) 500-0534 PROFESSIONAL PERSON WORKING for Brentwood mayor and chamber of commerce. Looking for a guest house to rent. Call (310) 926-6686

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE. The Atrium Building, 860 Via de la Paz. Bright window offices. On site management. Parking attendant. Short and long term leases. High internet access. Please call (310) 454 1208 GREAT SANTA MONICA LOCATION, 26th St. and San Vicente. Top floor, bright 2 rm office in smaller bldg. Approx. 500 sq. ft. $1,600/mo. (310) 395-7272 OCEAN VIEW OFFICES for rent in creative suite on Sunset and PCH in Spectrum Club bldg. Near great restaurants. 4 brand new offices. Available now. DSL/Fax and phone lines with call answering will be in. Furnishing available. Shared conference room/kitchen area. Just sit down and do business. $900/mo. to $1,200/mo. depending on size and view and services. Call Pam, Jen or Rob, (310) 230-6866 OFFICE OR ART STUDIO FOR RENT: 3 rooms, bathroom. BRIGHT! IMMEDIATE. $650/mo. 2633 Pico Blvd., Unit D. (310) 393-0936 or cell, (310) 710-1570 OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE. Sunset Blvd. Heart of village. $700/mo. Call (310) 454-3521 LARGE CORNER OFFICE 320 sq. ft. in Palisades village. 15135 Sunset. Second floor, $1,370/mo. (310) 454-0840 or (310) 600-3603

VACATION RENTALS 3e

PRIVATE FURN APARTMENT IN PARIS. Services available. 24-hour hotline. Starting at $75 a night for 2 persons (studios to 4 bedrooms). Privacy, economy, convenience as you live like a Parisian. 5 day minimum. Established in 1985. PSR 90, Ave Champs-Elysees. PSR, Inc. (312) 587-7707. Fax (800) 582-7274. Web address: www.psrparis.com. Email: Reservations@psrparis.com KAUAI, HAWAII: Fabulous 2 bdrm condo. Among 22 acres of tropical gardens overlooking ocean. Poolside restaurant. Full concierge service. Available April 22nd-29th. $1,200/wk. (310) 260-7764

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

I’M THE CEO of my life. Are You? Executive Pay Without Executive Stress! (800) 841-8702 FreedomMyWay.com

LOST & FOUND 6a

$500 REWARD! LOST: BLACK DOGS, lost February 2nd. Escaped from backyard De Pauw St. near Swarthmore. “DRAKE” 11 years old, pit bull/lab mix, white chest, very people friendly. “Stella” 8.5 years, lab mix black retriever. CALL (310) 740-5849

PERSONALS 6b

PROFESSIONAL MAN IN my 40’s seeking friendship, very healthy and fit, good looking, great personality. Please call (310) 926-6686

MISCELLANEOUS 6c

SEMPER FI TO BE ALWAYS FAITHFUL. US Marines code of honor. A class by Ray Nasser. CA cred teacher. 16321 PCH #63, Pacific Palisades. (310) 454-7432

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

PUT YOUR COMPUTER TO WORK – HOME & BUSINESS SURVEILLANCE-Featuring: PC Based Solutions to View your Property Remotely – Live Viewing from Internet & Wireless Handhelds! – FRANKEL CONSULTING – (310) 454-3886 MARIE’S MAC & PC OUTCALL. I CAN HELP YOU IN YOUR HOME OR OFFICE WITH: Consultation on best hard/software for your needs – Setting up & configuring your system & applications – Teaching you how to use your Mac or PC – Upgrades: Mac OS & Windows – Internet: DSL, Wireless, E-mail, Remote Access – Key Applications: MS Office, Filemaker, Quicken – Contact Managers, Networking, File Sharing, Data backup – Palm, Visor, Digital Camera, Scanner, CD Burning – FRIENDLY & PROFESSIONAL – BEST RATES – (310) 262-5652 YOUR OWN TECH GURU – Set-up, Tutoring, Repair, Internet. End Run-around. Pop-up Expert! Satisfying Clients since 1992. If I Can’t Help, NO CHARGE! COMPUTER WORKS! Alan Perla, (310) 455-2000 COMPUTER CONSULTANT, MAC SPECIALIST. Very Patient, Friendly and Affordable. Tutoring Beginners to Advanced Users. Wireless DSL internet. MAC/PC SET UP – Repair – Upgrade – OS X. Senior discounts! Home/Office. William Moorefield, (310) 838-2254. macitwork.com QUICKBOOKS-GET ORGANIZED – Set-up, Data Entry, Reporting, Tax Preparation. Palisades Resident. Doris, (310) 913-2753 LOCAL TECH SUPPORT. Computers, audio, VOIP, network camera. Call for free estimate. Local references. support@Palisades computers.com. Ray Guran, (310) 500-0534

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 7f

PLANNING A GARAGE SALE? a moving sale? a yard sale? a rummage sale? an estate sale? Call it what you like. But call us to do it for you. We do the work. Start to finish. – BARBARA DAWSON – Garage Sale Specialist – (310) 454-0359 – Furniture – Antiques – Collectibles – Junque – Reliable professionals Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

PUTTING IT TOGETHER 25+ years organizing. Organize: home office, file system setup, finances, kitchen, bedroom, closet, garage, etc. Clear the path to enjoy life. (323) 580-4556 PERSONAL ASSISTANCE, ORGANIZATION & BOOKKEEPING. Superior services provided with discretion and understanding. Local references. Call Sarah, (310) 573-9263

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

OUR WONDERFUL NANNY IS AVAILABLE Mon-Fri. Flexible, excellent experience, own transportation, speaks English. Local references. Call Rosa, (818) 620-7507 PROFESSIONAL HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Mon-Fri. 27 years of experience in cleaning offices, buildings and houses. Good references. Have a car. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING for a reasonable cost. Call Carmen, (323) 678-1477 or (323) 252-8069 and ask for Joanna (daughter) BABY NURSE/NIGHT NURSE available starting April. Contact Ms. Dennis for booking, (310) 226-7097 GREAT PRE-SCREENED Nannies available. Let us help you with your nanny search. We are a dedicated, professional agency and we will find the right match for you. Whether you are looking for full-time or p/time. L/I or L/O help, we can help you. Call Sunshine Nannies at (310) 801-8309 or (310) 614-5065

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

“PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.” We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419 PROFESSIONAL HOUSECLEANING. Houses, apartments, offices. Cleaning at very good prices. Please give us a call for more information. We will give you a free estimate. (818) 899-7655. Call anytime. Cell (818) 272-3376. Ask for Erika. Also live in, housekeeping, babysitter and cook. HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday-Friday. Experienced. No car. Some English. Call Maria, (323) 216-8934 HOUSECLEANER AVAILABLE Tuesday and Thursday. Local references and experienced. Own transportation. Call Erika, (213) 385-7922, after 5 p.m. EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday through Friday, any day. Able to manage large home, laundry, floors, etc. Great Palisades references. VERY RELIABLE, speaks English, has own car. Please call Jazmina, (213) 381-5924 EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Own transportation. Will do errands. Reliable. Local references. Experienced. Call Delmy, (323) 759-5159 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Monday-Friday. GOOD REFERENCES! Experienced. Call Irma, (323) 664-8454 IF YOU NEED HELP in your house, I’m available Monday through Friday. Call Delia, (310) 673-0342 HOUSECLEANING! ALICIA AVAILABLE Wednesday. Cleaning supplies furnished. Call (310) 795-8828 HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER EXPERIENCED 10 Years. Excellent references. Good worker. Reliable. Available Tuesday and Thursday. Call Sofia, (323) 737-4734, or (323) 735-7603 NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE NOW! Monday-Friday. Local references. Experienced. Trustworthy. Call Rosa H, (310) 839-4082, or cell, (310) 467-7470 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE TO CARE for your home. Trustworthy and ready to work Now. Please call Eizabeth, (818) 991-4219 EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER. Cook, clean, errands, pet friendly. Available M-F. Resume and references. (310) 736-0455 HOUSEKEEPER 18 YEARS EXPERIENCE. Excellent references. Own transportation. Available Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Call Aida, (323) 735-7603

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

CAREGIVERS/COMPANIONS Live in/out. Minimum 2 years experience. 3 work related references required. CNA’S/CHH’S welcomed. Bondable. Call (323) 692-3692

GARDENING, LANDSCAPING 11

PALISADES GARDENING – Full Gardening Service – Sprinkler Install – Tree Trim – Sodding/Seeding – Sprays, non-toxic – FREE 10″ Flats, Pansies, Snap, Impatiens. (310) 568-0989 GARDEN SERVICE, FULL MAINTENANCE. Monthly and weekly. Clean ups ok. Call Javier anytime, cell (310) 634-5059, or pager (310) 495-0533 TREE AND LANDSCAPE EXPERT. Horticulturist, arborist, landscape manager/designer. Tree diagnosis, trimming, removal, appraisal/donation for tax deduction. Lawn diagnosis, repair. Sprinklers, drip systems. Expert maintenance. Greenhouse/ veggie/herb gardens Comprehensive plant & landscape consulting. Darren Butler, (818) 271-0963

MOVING & HAULING 11b

HONEST MAN SERVICES. 14″ van & dollies. Small jobs to 2 bedrooms. Hauls it all. California/Nevada. Over 12 years. Westside experience. (310) 285-8688

WINDOW WASHING 13h

NO STREAK WINDOW cleaning service. Fast & friendly. Quality service you can count on. Free estimates. Lic. # 122194-49. Pressure washing available. Please call (323) 632-7207

MISCELLANEOUS 13i

HARDSCAPE RESTORATION. Driveways, patios, walk-ways, garages, dirt, oil, rust, paint and moss removal. Concrete, brick, natural stone. Clear and colored-stain sealer. Craig, (310) 459-9000

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

BE HAPPY TO COME HOME! Trusted house/pet care in & around Palisades since 1986. Educated, responsible. (310) 454-8081 PET HEAVEN – TOTAL PET CARE – Training. Walking. Play groups. Does your dog need manners? Call (310) 454-0058 for a happy dog.

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

VIOLIN INSTRUCTION. Expert friendly guidance at all levels by highly qualified teacher. Home or studio. Teaching in Palisades 20 years. Laurence Homolka, (310) 459-0500 PIANO INSTRUCTION. Give your child the life-long gift of music! Patient, creative teacher, specializing in children. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced. Lisa, (310) 454-0859 CERTIFIED CPR & FIRST AID Instructor teaches classes at your location. Contact Ms. Dennis, (310) 226-2845 WOULD YOU LOVE TO LEARN to play piano? Skilled piano teacher specializing with beginners/intermediate children, adults. Karen Barton, B.S. USC trained. (310) 486-1995

TUTORS 15e

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. EXPERIENCED TUTOR 20+ YEARS. Children & adults, 20+ yrs teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly special ed teacher. Call (310) 313-2530. SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR, All levels (elementary to college). Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614 MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145 EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR. All grade levels, conversational & all ages. Local refs, flexible hours. Please call Noelle at (310) 273-3593 READING SPECIALIST – Master of Education-Reading and Learning Disabilities – Special Education Teaching Certificate: K-12 – Regular Education Teaching Certificate: K-9 – Elementary Education Teaching experience: 12 yrs – Services provided for special & regular education students of all levels – Academic areas taught include reading (phonics and reading comprehension) writing and spelling – Private tutoring includes accessing the student’s needs, developing an individualized education program and implementation of that program. Palisades resident. Call Brandi, (310) 230-9890 PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & ISEE). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134 CLEARLY MATH TUTORING. Specializing in math! Elementary thru college level. Test prep, algebra, trig, geom, calculus. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Math anxiety. Call Jamie, (310) 459-4722 ONE-ON-ONE TUTORING! Credentialed teacher of elementary, middle and high school subjects. Local references. (310) 454-8520 SPANISH TUTOR, CERTIFIED TEACHER for all levels. Has finest education, qualifications and experience. Palisades resident. Many good references. Amazing system. Affordable rates. Marietta, (310) 459-8180 PIANO TEACHER IN PACIFIC PALISADES! 20 years experience. I teach in your home. Great with children and adults returning to the piano. Call Karen Rae, (310) 383-0200 PROFESSIONAL WRITER (with CableACE, Genesis, other writing awards) offers tutoring in English and composition or help with your personal writing project. Resume available. Paula, (310) 454-8694 MATH & SCIENCE TUTOR Middle school-college level. BS LAUSD credentialed high school teacher. Test Prep. Flexible hours. AVAILABLE to help NOW! Seth Freedman, (310) 909-3049 HOMEWORK HELPER. Experienced and credentialed English teacher available to tutor in your home or mine. Call Mimi at (310) 367-9456 MATH & SCIENCE TUTOR. Basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, algebra II, biology and SAT prep for middle and high school students. Experienced. B.S. UCLA. Steve, (818) 517-0566

CABINET MAKING 16

CUSTOM CARPENTRY – Entertainment Units – Cabinets – Libraries – Bars – Wall Units – Custom Kitchens – Remodeling – Designed to your Specifications – Free Estimates – CA Lic. #564263 – (310) 823-8523 CUSTOM WOODWORK AND CABINETS. Craftsmanship quality, 20 years experience, local resident. Local references available. General Contractor Calif. License #402923. Ron Dillaway, (310) 455-4462. rondillaway@yahoo.com

CONCRETE, MASONRY 16c

MASONRY & CONCRETE CONTRACTOR. 36 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES. Custom masonry & concrete, stamped, driveways, pool, decks, patios, foundations, fireplace, drainage control, custom stone, block & brick, tile. Excellent local references. Lic. #309844. Bonded/insured/ workmen’s comp. Family owned & operated. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 – www.horusicky.com

CONSTRUCTION 16d

CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 20 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 450-6237 PALISADES CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. KEVIN B. NUNNELEY. (310) 454-5029. Local References Avail. Lic. #375858 L’ESPINETTE GENERAL CONTRACTOR! Custom homes, remodel, improvements, additions, design plans, permits, job co-ordination. BIG or SMALL we get it done! Excellent references. Lic. #818-988. (310) 457-4112

ELECTRICAL 16h

PALISADES ELECTRIC, ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR. All phases of electrical, new construction to service work. (310) 454-6994. Lic. #468437. Insured. Professional Service ELECTRICIAN HANDYMAN. Local Service Only (Not lic.). Please Call (310) 454-6849 or (818) 317-8286

FENCES 16j

THE FENCE MAN. 14 years quality workmanship. Wood fences – Decks – Gates – Chainlink & overhang. Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996

FLOOR CARE 16l

GREG GARBER’S HARDWOOD FLOORS SINCE 1979. Install, refinish. Fully insured. Local references. (310) 230-4597. Lic. #455608 CENTURY HARDWOOD FLOOR. Refinishing, Installation, Repairs. Lic. #813778. www.centurycustomhardwoodfloorinc.com. centuryfloor@sbcglobal.net – (800) 608-6007 – (310) 276-6407 HART HARDWOOD FLOORING. Best pricing. Senior discounts, quality workmanship. Bamboo, maple, oak and laminate. Installation & refinishing. Call for free quote. Lic. #763767. Ron, (310) 308-4988 GOLDEN HARDWOOD FLOORS. Professional installation & refinishing. National Wood Flooring Association member. Lic. #732286 Plenty of local references. (877) 622-2200. www.goldenhardwoodfloors.com

HANDYMAN 16n

HANDYMAN, Since 1975. Call for your free est. Local ref. Lic. #560299. Member, Chamber of Commerce. HOOSHMAN (310) 459-8009, 24 Hr. LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 455-0803 LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy Marty, (310) 459-2692 THE HANDY GUY. Any job, big or small. Over 16 years experience. Lic #B-858574. We’re proud to donate our services to Habitat for Humanity. (310) 216-9034 HANDYMAN SERVICES. No job too small. 10 years experience in the Palisades. Please call (310) 454-3838 for prompt, friendly service. Not licensed. PETERPAN – Quality home repair. Serving entire Westside. (Not lic.) Ask for Peter, (310) 663-3633

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16o

SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16q

PAUL HORST – Interior & Exterior – PAINTING – 52 YEARS OF SERVICE – Our reputation is your safeguard. License No. 186825 – (310) 454-4630 – Bonded & Insured TILO MARTIN PAINTING. For A Professional Job Call (310) 230-0202. Ref’s. Lic. #715099 SQUIRE PAINTING CO. Interior and Exterior. License #405049. 25 years. Local Service. (310) 454-8266. www.squirepainting.com SPIROS PAINTING, INTERIOR/EXTERIOR. Painting on the Westside since 1980. Lic. #821009. Fax and phone: (310) 826-6097. NO JOB is too small or too big for Spiro the Greek ZARKO PRTINA PAINTING. Interior/Exterior. 35 years in service. License #637882. Call (310) 454-6604

PLUMBING 16s

ROBERT RAMOS, Plumbing Contractor – Copper repipes – Remodels – New Construction – Service & Repair – Water Heaters – Licensed – Bonded – Insured – St. lic. #605556 – Cell, (310) 704-5353 BOTHAM PLUMBING AND HEATING. Lic. #839118. (310) 827-4040 JLK PLUMBING. Re-pipe and sewer specialist & all plumbing repairs. Mention this ad & receive 10% off. Lic. #722414. Call (310) 678-6634

REMODELING 16u

KANAN CONSTRUCTION – References. BONDED – INSURED – St. Lic. #554451 – DANIEL J. KANAN, CONTRACTOR, (310) 451-3540 / (800) 585-4-DAN LABOR OF LOVE HOME REPAIR & REMODEL. Kitchens, bathrooms, cabinetry, tile, doors, windows, decks, etc. Work guar. Ken Bass, General Contractor. Lic. #B767950. (310) 455-0803 BASIX DESIGNS & REMODELING, INC. WE DO IT ALL – Kitchen & Bathroom Remodeling Specialist – Room Additions – Interior/Exterior Paint – Windows/Doors – Custom Carpentry – Plumbing – Electrical – Call For Free Estimate – Toll Free: (877) 422-2749 – Lic. #769443

ROOFING 16v

“WE SEAL LEAKS.” Roofing, skylights, gutters, windows, carpentry, painting, slope retention, drainage systems, drywall, plaster, concrete foundations, rock waterfalls, landscaping, patios, remodels, consultation. Not lic. (310) 457-4652

HELP WANTED 17

DRIVERS GREAT PAY, BENEFITS AND BONUSES! The lifestyle you deserve! Regional and team work. WERNER ENTERPRISES, (800) 346-2818 ext 123 ADMIN/PR. Really great position in Pacific Palisades. Will train, develop and reward. Call (310) 454-0317 DENTAL-ORTHODONTIC ASSISTANT. Exclusive office in Pacific Palisades. Exceptional opportunity. Call (310) 454-0317 RECEPTIONIST/ADMIN. Fast-paced, upscale office in Pacific Palisades. Will train and reward. Salary DOE. Call (310) 454-0317 SALES POSITION. Retail women’s luxury goods specialty store in Santa Monica seeks professional salesperson with confident selling skills. Must be able to build and maintain a customer book. Compensation: Commission with guarantee. Benefits and pension plan. No Sundays or evenings. This is an excellent opportunity for the right person as a top salesperson is relocating. Email or fax resume to Deanna. Email Weathervaneii@AOL.com Fax# (310) 393-2077 SECURITY GUARD, UNARMED gatehouse position. Full or part time. Excellent pay, benefits, medical. Great for college students. Call Scott, (310) 454-7741 PACIFIC PALISADES INTERNAL MEDICINE office seeks front office receptionist. Minimum 3 years experience. Energetic and cheerful dispostion. Great phone skills. Salary commensurate with experience. Fax resume to (310) 394-1682 DENTAL ASSISTANT, PART TIME. Brentwood/Wilshire office. We will train. Call (310) 473-2099, or fax resume, (310) 473 4434 AAA HOME INCOME. 23 people needed NOW. Earn PT/FT income. Apply online to get started: www.wahusa.com. EXPERIENCED “ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT” to work closely with the Preschool Director and staff. Must be a team player and a multitasker. Duties include: word processing, filing, events and schedules, admissions, assist clients via phone and in person, assist director and administration. Position open immediately. Fax resume to Seven Arrows/Little Dolphins, Attn: Trish Skinner. Fax: (310) 454-7203 FULL-TIME BOOKKEEPER FOR the Malibu Times newspaper. Become part of our account team. Experienced. Proficent in Quickbooks, Word, Excel. Detail oriented, organized with excellent people skills. Fax resume with salary history to Janice, (310) 456-8986 PART TIME OFFICE AND HOME organization. Excel and Word required. Digital photo management required. Brentwood and Santa Monica. Call (310) 926-0540 or email carolineswelch@aol.com PERSONAL/ADMIN. ASSISTANT. Professional couple in Malibu need detail-oriented, organized, pet-loving, mature, multi-taskers w/ superior communications & PC/internet skills: Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, WordPerfect, Quicken/Quickbooks. Work in home office. Fax/e-mail resum’ & references to: (310) 589-8849 – barb@amzmusic.com GREAT P/T SALES POSITION available in Pacific Palisades retail store. Need creative motivated and flexible individual with people/ customer service skills. Call Megan at the Nest Egg, (310) 573-9777 VIVIAN’S BOUTIQUE LOOKING For P/T salesperson. Call (310) 573-1326

SITUATIONS WANTED 17a

PERSONAL ASST/NOTARY PUBLIC avail. Let me help you run your life more smoothly. I’m proficient in bookkeeping, clerical duties, event co-ordination, mailing, research. Honest reliable, discrete. Local. Excellent/refs. Patti, (310) 720-8004

AUTOS 18b

2000 DODGE RAM 1500 pick-up, 4 wheel drive, V8, loaded. Camper shell, grill guard. 65K miles. $14K obo. (310) 924-9558 CASH FOR CARS $$ Foreign or domestic. Running or not. We come to you and handle all paperwork. Friendly professional buyer. Local references. Please call (310) 995-5898 2003 BMW X5 3.Oi. 28K over 1 year factory warranty. All optional packages. One owner. Grey/green. Like new! $33,700. (310) 869-0837

FURNITURE 18c

LEATHER SOFA plus 2 matching overstuffed chairs. Italian caramel color. Very high end. $5,000 obo. (310) 459-0884, leave message

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

ESTATE SALE! EVERYTHING MUST GO! High end furniture. Some antiques. All in showroom condition. Toys, baby clothes, kitchen knick-knacks, patio furniture. Private appointment only. Please call for showing (310) 990-5807. Please leave email address on voicemail for me to send pictures to you. MOVING GARAGE SALE! Everything must go. Swing set, W/D, clothes, household items, office furniture and more. Saturday, March 4th, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 16714 Bollinger Dr. HUGE LAS FORTUNAS GARAGE SALE! Clothes, household, books, treasures, electronics, art, furniture, kitchen, costume jewelry. Saturday, March 4th, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. 687 Kingman Ave., S.M. GARAGE STORAGE AREA for storage and shop purposes. Frank, (310) 927-6500

PETS, LIVESTOCK 18e

WHITE LAB PUPS AKC registered. 7 weeks old. 2 females, 1 male. Championship line. Hand-raised. Adorable. Must see! $600. (951) 609-4975

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

ADVANTI EXPRESSO Mini-Bar. Never used. $75. Please call (310) 454-5713 HOOVER UPRIGHT VACUUM CLEANER, U645920. Slightly used. $200. (310) 454-5713

WANTED TO BUY 19

WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, ’50s, ’60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 306-7746 – profeti2001@yahoo.com

Michael Ramirez: Drawing Blood in Ink

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Obnoxious. Obsessive. Opinionated. That’s how political cartoonist Michael Ramirez, the featured speaker at the Pacific Palisades Republican Club’s election-year kickoff brunch, described himself on Sunday at the Riviera Country Club. “The difference is I get paid to be obnoxious. Politicians are just obnoxious,” Ramirez said in his opening remarks. “Editorial cartoonists are like pit bulls trained to attack at the slightest provocation. I sometimes feel like this hybrid between Edward R. Morrow and the Son of Sam. You need to know who the enemy is to draw conclusions, then draw blood. I’m an equal opportunity offender. If I haven’t offended you yet, I will soon.” Ramirez’s take on political, social, and economic issues was in evidence throughout his hour-long presentation, which included showing three dozen of his cartoons from a career that included a Pulitzer Prize. During his talk he tackled the national deficit, Social Security, unemployment, Hollywood, 9/11, abortion, affirmative action, sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, HMO’s, and the war in Iraq. However, Ramirez made no reference to the ongoing controversy over the Mohammed cartoons that have been written about but not yet shown in the U.S. mainstream press. “While we all have our own perception about what is going on that is filtered through our experience, there is at the bottom the simple truth, which is what I look for,” said Ramirez, a Republican. The cartoonist’s controversial work appeared for eight years on the op-ed page of the Los Angeles Times, until it was dropped at the end of December. Known for his conservative views, Ramirez is now a senior editor and the editorial cartoonist for Investor’s Business Daily. He is syndicated by Copley News Service and published worldwide in more than 550 newspapers and magazines. “My job is to absorb, analyze, then attack,” said Ramirez, who considers himself a better writer than artist. “However, I’m not na’ve enough to think I can change people’s minds. Whatever I am trying to say has to be clear to the reader. That is who I am writing for. The goal is to draw them into the debate.” One of Ramirez’s concerns is the U.S. political system, which he sees as reactive, and “government that is too big. We now have more people producing red tape than producing products in this country.” He said he also sees an America suffering from an identity crisis, and increasing racial tension. In his talk, Ramirez defended the Bush administration, challenging the notion that the U.S. rushed to war with Iraq when there were “over 50 nations” in support of the effort initially. “And there were weapons of mass destruction,” he insists. “We went there to try and find out where they went.” Ramirez, whose father was a first generation Mexican-American and mother Japanese, speaks four languages. He graduated in fine arts from the University of California Irvine in 1984. When he entered UCI he was planning on becoming a doctor, like each of his siblings (two brothers and two sisters. However, he began drawing editorial cartoons almost immediately for the student newspaper, New University, which merged his other interests: politics and history. After graduating, he went to work for The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, Tennessee, where he won the Pulitzer in 1994. In 1997, the year he was president of the American Association of Editorial Cartoonists, he was recruited by the L.A. Times, which Ramirez considered a great accomplishment: the son of a migrant worker succeeding three-time Pulitzer winner Paul Conrad. The cartoonist said he starts his day around 5 a.m. when he turns on the television news “to see what’s going on.” He’s a ferocious reader and does copious amounts of research because “it’s important to take in all sides.” He joked that to “get all sides,” he reads The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as publications such as Mother Jones. “You can’t draw a cartoon you don’t believe in,” is how Ramirez sees it. “I remember there was a controversy over whether airline pilots should be tested for drugs. I drew a pilot dressed as Hamlet and the caption read: ‘To pee or not to pee.’ An editorial cartoon without a message is merely a cartoon. That’s why what I do is on the editorial pages and not the comic pages.” Before and after his talk, Ramirez autographed copies of his cartoons and was asked by several young Palisadians to assess their own cartooning efforts, which some brought along for Ramirez to sign. Attending the event was former gubernatorial candidate Bill Simon, his wife Cindy, along with their 13-year-old son Griffin, a freshman at Harvard-Westlake. “There’s a real void now that Michael’s not in the L.A. Times,” Cindy said. “I miss him.” Also attending were longtime Palisadians Ann and George Smith, who have belonged to the GOP club for three years. “We’re fans of Michael’s,” said George. “It’s a shame the Times let him go.”

Ernestine Collins Named “Pali Idol”

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By DIVYA SUBRAHMANYAM Sophomore Ernestine Collins, a second-time contestant and singer at her church, became the 2006 Pali Idol at Palisades High School’s fourth annual singing contest last Friday night. The event is a local spinoff of Fox TV’s hugely popular “American Idol.” The competition began with a group of more than 80 contestants, which was pared down to 20 semifinalists, and then, the 11 finalists who performed on Friday night. During the event, the finalists performed and were narrowed down to the three top singers Each of the four judges cast one-fifth of the deciding vote, while the audience acted as the remaining fifth. Members of the judging panel included PaliHi Principal Dr. Martinez (in her second year), Joe Lando, Lilli Lee and James Swindel. Lando co-starred for 10 years on “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” and now guest-stars regularly on ABC Family’s “Wildfire.” Lee, a former producer for the Emmy Award-winning entertainment program “Extra,” has covered “American Idol” competitions. Swindel ha worked in the sales and marketing departments at Island Records and Arista Records for two decades. The program opened with all the finalists in an ensemble performance of “Celebration,” by Kool and the Gang. Several of the singers stepped up to the microphone for short solos, each unique to their voice and style of singing. Then, one at a time, the finalists performed their pieces. Collins, who has a husky but soulful voice, sang “I’m Ready for Love” by India Arie in the first round. She had “a lot of fans,” observed Lando about the large cluster of students who erupted in cheers when Ernestine’s first performance was announced. For the finals, she sang the more powerful “I’m Going Down,” originally recorded by Mary J. Blige. This song showcased Ernestine’s range to a greater extent than her gentler first piece. “You sound like a real American Idol!” exclaimed Lee. Martinez agreed, saying “That song was perfect for your voice’good job.” Ernestine said afterwards that she grew interested in singing when she was quite young. “It started when I was three years old. I saw Patti LaBelle on TV and I just dropped my blocks. I’ve been singing since then.” Active in her church, where she got her singing start, Ernestine also participates in track and field. After two years of Pali Idol experience, she now plans to try out for the national “American Idol” next year. “My heart was pounding when I was on stage,” she said, “[but now] I feel like I can do anything.” The two other finalists were Jasmine Einalhori and Shannon Kinnard. Jasmine’s first-round choice was “I’m Going Down,” and she sang the Lauryn Hill version of “Killing Me Softly” in the second round. Both choices showcased her powerful vocal range. Lee also observed her stage presence, telling Jasmine that she was “very involved” with the music on stage. Shannon sang “My Heart Will Go On,” Celine Dion’s memorable theme from “Titanic.” Martinez complimented her “dynamic voice,” while Swindel expressed admiration for her “powerful pipes.” Shannon’s second-round choice was the classy, smooth, “Don’t Know Why,” by Norah Jones. Collins was awarded $200 and Einalhori and Kinnard received $50. The other eight contestants were Justin Jones, Denise Kotlarenko, Jakeem McGee Lewis, Jordan Lloyd, Raiai Lee, Mia Pruitt, Lauren Tizabi, and Laura Yazdi. They each received gift cards to Tower Records. Pali’s Leadership class and their teacher, Chris Lee, organized the event. Lee, also an American history teacher, hosted the program along with Annie Tippe, the 2004 Pali Idol. During the intermission/first voting period, a documentary from the media class, called “Pali Idol: Behind the Scenes,” was projected to a screen above the stage. It featured interviews with candidates who didn’t make the final cut, but unfortunately, the film’s sound faltered and the viewing had to be cut short. The best thing about this competition, said Lee, is that “it gives people a chance to perform, [people] who wouldn’t normally be able to. Also, this was the best year in terms of support. The contestants were a lot closer than they have been in the past and the camaraderie was great to see.”

Inside L.A.’s Mail Processing Center

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Since last summer, Palisades residents have been contacting the Palisadian-Post with their postal service concerns. The most common complaint has been late mail delivery’mail that was delivered hours, days and, in some cases, months late. In mid-January, I visited the local La Cruz station, and new Manager in Charge Jason Miles said service would improve after he dealt with some internal problems and gave employees the direction and support they needed. He also said that the closure and consolidation of the Marina Processing and Distribution Center into the Los Angeles Processing and Distribution Center last July did not contribute to the Palisades’ decline-in-service issue. Departure times for trucks leaving the plant in South L.A. for the Palisades were adjusted and the automated machines that sort the mail “are very reliable,” he said. Last Thursday, the Postal Service conducted a media tour of the plant, which is located about seven miles south of downtown. The L.A. center occupies 74 acres. With 1.1 million square feet under its roof, the facility is the largest of its kind, on one level, in the nation. It processes about 23 million pieces of mail daily. Given the latter statistic, it felt oddly empty and quiet on the workroom floor as we strolled through the First Class card- and letter-sorting area at 11 a.m. The equipment that usually sorts letters at speeds of up to 36,000 pieces per hour was turned off, and we were told that the few employees working on the machines were doing “preventive maintenance.” “Where is everyone?” I asked, having been told that 4,400 employees work at the plant on a 24-hour rotation. Most are not on the usual 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule, said Delores Killette, consumer advocate and vice president of consumer affairs. They begin arriving at about 3 p.m., and the majority of mail starts coming in at about 6 p.m. “We’re close to the efficient number [of employees],” Killette said, though she emphasized that staffing shortages are not a problem because they have a “supplemental” work force of about 630 temporary employees. The Postal Service hired some temporary help when the Marina center was closed, and 380 employees from that plant’300 clerks and 80 mail handlers’transferred to the L.A. center. Clerks work hands-on with the mail, sorting and distributing, while mail handlers load and unload trucks and drive industrial vehicles. In the plant, First Class card and letter mail is processed in a separate area from the standard, flat mail, which includes large envelopes, catalogs, magazines and newspapers. Our tour did not cover the flat-mail processing area. Mail handlers transfer incoming mail from trucks to the opening unit (OU), also known as the mail preparation unit. Here, machines that look like fork lifts take over, hoisting individual hampers of mail and dumping the contents onto a conveyer belt that carries the mail “downstream,” or towards the front, northern end of the building. The mail heads to an Advanced Facer/Canceller machine, which turns all of the letters stamp-side up, and places a postmark on each piece. The letters are automatically sorted into one of seven bins, and non-barcoded mail must go through an Optical Character Reader, which reads the address and “sprays” on a barcode. A Delivery Bar Code Sorter then sorts the mail by destination into “walk sequence,” or carrier routes, so that clerks at the local stations spend less time manually sorting the mail. The L.A. plant has 84 DBCS machines; the first ones were installed about 10 years ago. These automated machines sort up to 36,000 pieces of mail an hour and require only three employees to run them. Spokesman Larry Dozier compared this to earlier mechanized letter-sorting machines, which were run by 12 to 18 employees and sorted only 2,000 letters per hour. While some mail is processed mechanically at the plant, only a tiny percentage is processed manually’the pieces that are too thick to go through or that could not be read by the machines. Sorted mail is placed in individual trays on a Low Cost Tray Sorter for final dispatch, which means it heads to the loading dock for departure. There are 142 dock doors, 100 of them outbound, each with a destination name written above it. Trucks that deliver the mail to local stations are scheduled to leave the plant at 4:30 a.m., 6:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., but Dozier said the latter dispatch time has been readjusted to 7:30 so that trucks arrive earlier. Asked why mail destined for the Palisades would be delayed in arriving at the local post office, Killette said it might have to do with the scheduling, or reporting times for plant employees. Some of those times have had to be readjusted as well. “Now we’re in a position we can manage, with supplemental help, to be able to deal with the volume,” Killette said. Many of the temporary employees were hired to help handle increased mail volume in recent months. While the volume of First Class mail has decreased, the Postal Service has seen an increase in advertising mail, especially in more affluent areas of the city. Dozier said that mail volume usually drops during the summer, but did not in 2005. There was a temporary increase in volume during the winter holiday season and again immediately preceding the recent change in postal rates. Postal officials attribute later mail delivery in the city to this high volume. They also point to possible problems with delivery routes, which are currently being evaluated and adjusted. Officials are also in the process of hiring 65 additional full-time mail carriers for the entire L.A. district, which is 540 square miles, but would not say specifically where those employees will be distributed. “Twenty have been hired,” Dozier said. “Another 15 are near the end of the process [testing and background checks] and within two weeks we expect to complete work for another 20.” The Postal Service maintains that the Marina consolidation is unrelated to service problems that Palisades residents have been and still are experiencing. However, officials acknowledge internal kinks’both at the L.A. plant and here at the La Cruz station’that are affecting local mail delivery as they are being ironed out.

Village School Seeks June Opening of New Building

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FRAMEWORK FOR YOUNG STUDENTS: A skybox overlooking the basketball court is part of Village School's new sports and arts facility, which is set to open in June. The project, designed by Ardie Tavangarian, also includes a music/drama room, an art room with space for a pottery kiln, and a dance studio with a mirrored wall and exercise bars.
FRAMEWORK FOR YOUNG STUDENTS: A skybox overlooking the basketball court is part of Village School’s new sports and arts facility, which is set to open in June. The project, designed by Ardie Tavangarian, also includes a music/drama room, an art room with space for a pottery kiln, and a dance studio with a mirrored wall and exercise bars.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Village School is preparing to end the school year in June with a bang. That’s when the final nails will be hammered into its new facility for arts and athletics on the corner of La Cruz and Alma Real. The project, which has been under construction for a year and a half, will supplement the existing campus on Swarthmore. While the school’s academic departments will remain at the main site, the business office will move to the new building, where physical education, music, dance and art programs will be headquartered. “We’re bursting at the seams,” said Head of School Nora Malone in an interview with the Palisadian-Post last Wednesday. “We wanted the facilities to match the current program.” She said the school, which currently has an enrollment of 288, has no plans to increase its student population beyond capacity (290) or add any grade levels (currently K-6). Village School parent and Palisades resident Ardie Tavangarian is the designer and builder of the new facility. “It’s an unusual project for me because I’m used to doing very elaborate museum homes,” said Tavangarian, who owns the West Los Angeles firm Arya. “I’ve never had a situation where most of my clients are not even born yet. That, to me, is rewarding, and very challenging.” In fact, three of his clients are his own daughters’Shana, who is graduating in June, and twins Emila and Nila, who are in second grade. His eldest daughter, Sade, attends Harvard-Westlake. Tavangarian and his wife, Tania, have lived in the Palisades since 1991. His design makes use of every inch of the 20,000-sq.-ft. lot, formerly the Yamato Nursery, between Seven Arrows Elementary and the 881 Alma Real building. Part of the challenge was constructing the two-story subterranean parking structure, which will have more than 70 spaces for exclusive use of the school. “We had to bridge over the entire site because the soil was unacceptable to be building on,” he said, explaining that they drilled caissons so as not to add pressure to a large storm-drain pipe that runs under the site. The entrance to the parking lot will be on Alma Real. The 15,000-sq.-ft. space above ground includes a two-story L-shaped building that houses a gymnasium which also serves as a theater, with a stage and retractable, cushioned seating. Other classrooms include a music/drama room with practice and recording space, a dance studio, art room, P.E. office, teachers’ lounge, warming kitchen and concession stand. Many of the rooms overlook the turf field to the west which is just under 6,000 sq. ft. “The building was designed from the inside out,” Tavangarian said, explaining that he was guided by the school’s program as well as his desire to make it a unique building for children. “My focus is to keep bringing a playfulness to it because the main clients are children,” he said. To achieve this playful quality, his team chose circles as the theme, incorporating “peek holes” into the design’along stairwells and in hanging mesh drapes. He selected color variations of red, orange and yellow, and easy-to-maintain, non degradable materials such as natural wood and copper. The railings on the exterior of the building are made of mahogany from Spain, and the surface tiles that line the outdoor walkways are Italian porcelain. The interior walls of the gym are a natural-colored, 12-inch thick concrete to keep sound in and unwanted noises out. Tavangarian plans to cover the exposed equipment storage closets with a patterned, impact-proof material to protect the children. There will be 20 colorful, low-energy light fixtures hanging over the basketball court, which is actually two half-courts. The court floor is white maple “like the Staples Center,” he said. Parents who want a better view of the games will be able to reserve seats in a skybox, another special feature which Tavangarian said will also help raise money for the school. “We’re trying to find ways to take advantage of space,” he said. Even the music/drama room, located directly above the stage and visible from the gym floor, has sliding glass doors so that the space can be used as a secondary stage. “This is going to be a very different experience for [the students],” Tavangarian said. An 18-ft.-wide Ferrari-red roll-up door connects the gym to the field, “to integrate the indoor and outdoor spaces,” Tavangarian said. While the school will hold most of its P.E. activities in the gym and on the small playing field, students will still have to go around the corner to the Palisades Recreation Center park for flag football and soccer, according to Malone. The roof of the structure is a no-maintenance copper, as are the gym’s exterior walls, which have already started to darken. There will also be exposed copper air ducts across the gym ceiling, which is perforated to absorb sound. In contrast to the copper/bronze tone of the gym building, the other half of the L-shape, where administration and multi-purpose rooms are located, is designed with a stainless steel material for a lighter, metallic finish. The entire structure is designed to feel and look more like a residence than an institution, said Tavangarian, who used natural wood trusses instead of the usual steel along the gym ceiling. Some of the natural materials were more costly’a 65-ft.-long microlam beam, for example, cost about $15,000 compared to $12,000 for steel’but he believes they add a warmth and softness to the space. “I’m hoping the building will add value to the community,” Tavangarian said. He has added features like a flower planter at the top of the copper wall on the La Cruz side of the building and a window that defines the corner of the building at Alma Real and La Cruz He plans to incorporate a fountain in which water drips down from the building to the ground below, as was originally suggested by the Palisades Design Review Board. “We’re working with the City [of Los Angeles] because it’s actually not our property,” he said about the corner land around the building. “We want to beautify it and make it part of our project, with minimum maintenance and very little water.” One of his main concerns is protecting the exposed, natural materials from taggers who, in the last few weeks, have spraypainted graffiti on other parts of the new building. Tavangarian welcomes suggestions from the community but said he does not plan to build a wall around the whole structure. The building entrance as well as a rolling gate that opens to the field will be on La Cruz, across from the Blue Cross Pet Hospital. While Tavangarian has had fun with the challenging project, he said this is his “first and probably last school.” He joked about the pressure he feels to complete the project in time for his daughter to graduate on the site in June. He said when he comes home from work every day, his children ask, “What did you do at the school today?”

All that Jazz and More

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By BARRY BLITZER Post Columnist UCLA’s Royce Hall was the scene of Friday night’s performance of Peru Negro, an exuberant, irresistible song and dance company, which since its founding in 1964 has paid homage to Peru’s African heritage. The large and superb cast of male and female dancers, singers, guitarists and percussionists (2004 Grammy Award winners for their CDs) played to a full house of all colors and sects, young and old. Interestingly enough, many of the instruments that Peru Negro uses originated in the early 17th century when the Spanish Conquistadors banned their Peruvian slaves from drumming because they were fearful of religious connections and the ability to transform the participants with trances. So the slaves, in turn, adapted the rhythms to play on chairs, tables and wooden boxes; a fruit crate became a flamenco-like drum, a donkey’s jaw a replica percussion instrument currently played to give the music its rattling charm. Included in the two-hour show were colorful courtship dances, a Peruvian contest of virtuosic tap-dancing, and what was apparently the audience favorite, “Son de los Diablos,” a frantic, up-tempo carnival with dancing devils in comedic costumes, striving to scare the hell out of us. Also rousing were subsequent boy-courts-gal numbers (and vice versa) with numerous pelvic thrusts by both sexes. Provocative to say the least. Minor quibbles. The second act was somewhat repetitious, so, unhappily, was the lengthy audience participation “sing-off” between a vivacious female vocalist/dancer and her macho male singers counterpart; mostly incomprehensible to those in the audience, whose knowledge of Spanish was limited to “Buenos Dias” and “Gracias.” Nonetheless, Peru Negro was a spectacular happening, not to be missed. Back to the present and the ever challenging L.A. jazz scene. Tonight, March 2, The Vic, that funky old pseudo-speakeasy on Main Street in Santa Monica, celebrates its fourth anniversary with the pianist Stu Elson trio. Special guests include belting songstress, the always swinging Barbara Morrison. Call impresario Ray Slayton at (888) 367-5299 for reservations, show times and tonight’s “secret password” to gain admittance. Last, and far from least, is our home away from home, The Jazz Bakery in revitalized Culver City, gratefully a hop, skip and jump from the Palisades, aptly described by its founding mother Ruth Price as a nonprofit jazz theater. Next week’s attractions: Pianist Jon Mayer on Monday, March 6, followed on Thursday through Sunday by the legendary sax man Pharaoh Saunders and trio. There’s free parking, half- price for students with IDs at show times (if not sold out) plus gourmet eateries in the immediate vicinity. Finally, a brief nonsectarian sermon: Stash those John Coltrane and Diana Krall CDs, donate your iPods to Goodwill, then treat your spouse or significant other to some good old low-down live jazz and blues. The musicians themselves will appreciate your patronage and so will we fanatical jazz critics. Amen.

Amy Gumenick Plays a Variety of Roles to Feed Her Passion

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By KAREN LEIGH Palisadian-Post Contributor Ninety seconds. That’s all the time Amy Gumenick had to convince a panel of UC Santa Barbara drama professors that she did indeed deserve admission into the school’s prestigious Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) acting program. “The audition process…was a minute-and-a-half monologue,” she says, “and it was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever done.” That was freshman year. Now, the 19-year-old Gumenick, officially a sophomore BFA candidate, is set to take on her biggest stage role to date in UCSB’s winter play, “By the Bog of Cats.” It’s a modern spin on the classic Greek tragedy “Medea,” and Gumenick portrays Caroline, a trophy wife with an agenda. Though she possesses a wealth of experience in musical theater, she says, “plays are more my calling.” Her passion for acting began at age 8, when Gumenick, a lifelong Palisadian, started dabbling in community productions. “I’ve always loved and been intrigued by theater,” she says. “I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to do it.” She acted with local company Theatre Palisades Kids and in shows at Marquez Elementary and Paul Revere Middle School, before arriving at Palisades High and staking her claim as a standout in the the school’s top-notch drama department. Over four years, her repertoire included Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and the Gershwin musical “Crazy for You.” But the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California’s annual theater festival, where she starred in “Macbeth” as a freshman, opened her eyes to the wonders of non-musical acting. “I love them both,” she says of plays and musicals. “I didn’t feel like I was making a choice.” Senior year, Amy was selected to co-direct a festival scene’Shakespeare’s “Winter’s Tale.” “There’s a different level of appreciation now,” she reflects. “I can put myself in a director’s shoes.” Unlike peers who opt to focus either on comedy or drama, Gumenick’s resume is mixed. In addition to Pali shows, she played the killer cutie-pie Roxie Hart in “Chicago” at Los Angeles’ Young Adult Civic Light Opera and donned Dorothy’s blue-gingham dress for local children’s theater performances. She also spent this past summer acting in a song-and-dance version of “Peter Pan”‘the inaugural production of The Pretenders, a Westside theater company geared towards young adults and created by her sister (and UCSB grad) Lisa, 24. “She did a great job of keeping things professional,” Amy says of her older sister. “When we were rehearsing, she was the director and I was just an actor…to be part of the formation of a company is incredible. This is a stepping stone from educational theater to the professional world.” Next up is July’s production of “Hair,” a musical famous for its full-cast nude scene (says Amy sheepishly, “we’re working that out.” An actor’s life.) Years of theater experience came in handy when Gumenick arrived in Santa Barbara. “Here, I get the conservatory experience with a liberal arts education.” One of a select group admitted to the Bachelor of Fine Arts department, she takes movement, voice, and acting classes which are evaluated daily by faculty'”every day is a final exam.” At the end of each quarter, BFA students are either asked to return or given the boot. “It acts as a driving force. We don’t have the option of slacking.” Constant pressure, she adds, has brought the sophomore actors closer together. “We’ve become family more than a competitive group. “We spend more time together than with our families and friends, anyway.” One of two freshmen cast in last winter’s “Pentecost”‘a play examining politics in Eastern Europe’she found that rehearsals left “little time to fit anything else in.” However, the production, in which she vamped as a Eurotrash personal assistant, was “the most professional I’ve ever done. We were working with real lights, sound effects, staging, and other techs…working professionals.” That role led to appearances in student-directed one-acts and now “Bog,” for which she has been rehearsing nonstop in preparation for the show’s March opening. “It’s exhausting. But I’m so happy. I love what I’m doing.” In rare off-stage moments, Gumenick takes part in improv comedy sessions’and studies. (“I had a 4.0 grade-point average last quarter,” she says proudly.) She has also made the leap to screen, landing roles in several student films through UCSB’s Film Studies department'”another great advantage of being here. These parts were very different from other acting I’ve done.” Exposure to this medium inspires Gumenick to profess a career in Hollywood her ultimate goal. “I want to make a difference through my craft,” she says, “and I think artists reach a wide range of people through film.” Gumenick wants to use her talent to spread messages about mental illness and other troubling issues. “The arts can be used as a tremendous healing tool,” she says, “and if I can affect just one person, that would make everything worthwhile.” As she works towards an acting career, Palisades Highlands resident Gumenick declares herself “so lucky to have a close, wonderful family.” Parents Neil, an acupuncturist, and homemaker Cecile “have never missed a performance.” Rounding out the clan are Lisa and brother Brian, 30, who works as a chef in Barcelona, Spain. Next up for Amy is a possible stint in grad school, and a lifetime of doing what she loves. “Even if I go the Hollywood route, there’s something magical about theater,” she says. “I’ll have that the rest of my life.”

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