Women’s Boutique to Replace Harrington’s
Harrington’s Camera, which has occupied its space at 15248 Sunset since 1958, will close at the end of the month, according to owner Phil Steblay, who acquired the store in January. Taking over the lease will be Sara Stein, a Highlands resident and businesswoman who plans to open a women’s boutique in early October. Dave Licht, who purchased the building which houses Harrington’s, Designers Rug Resource and his own Kay ‘N’ Dave’s Cantina last September, confirmed this week that Stebly would be vacating his space when the lease expires August 31. ‘It’s a matter of economics,’ Steblay told the Palisadian-Post. ‘The rents in our building have been going up dramatically, and along with increased taxes it’s almost doubled our rent. We couldn’t justify paying that amount for a service business that doesn’t have large profit margins.’ Despite this, Steblay is hoping Harrington’s can remain in business in the Palisades. He is currently considering two other options in the village, including sharing a space with another compatible business. ‘Our main intention is to maintain a location in the Palisades,’ said Steblay, who also owns Boulevard Camera on Wilshire in Santa Monica. ‘We love the clientele here and we feel that there is a continuing need for our kind of service; it’s not the mass-market kind of thing that you’d get at a chain store. ‘I’m hoping in the next couple of days that we’ll be able to let everybody know where we’re going,’ Steblay added. ‘We’re really working hard towards opening a new store here.’ Meanwhile, Stein said she will begin renovating her space in September. Named Sara Jo, after Stein’s first and middle names, the store will carry women’s accessories, including handbags, jewelry, and ‘other peripherals like belts and wallets.’ Stein, who is unmarried, has a finance degree from New York University and an MBA from the University of Southern California. She grew up in Ohio, graduated from high school in three years, and enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin. ‘I didn’t like it in Ohio,’ she explained. ‘I was anxious to get out. But my parents wouldn’t let me go to New York or California, so I went to Austin and transferred to NYU.’ Stein moved out to California in 1989 to attend business school at USC and has been here ever since, pursuing careers in finance and entrepreneurship. Among her ventures, she started three consulting businesses and worked for two years in San Francisco during the dot.com boom. ‘I came back [to Southern California] because I missed L.A.,’ she said. ‘I also needed to have spinal fusion surgery, and I knew the medical community here better, too. ‘Following the surgery, I came to the revelation that I really needed to do something meaningful with my life. I was tired of sitting at a computer all day; I felt like it was time to try something new. Dealing with all of these things’inventories, contractors’is a lot of fun for me.’ Although Stein came up with numerous names for the store, including Rishi, after her golden retriever (named for Rajarishi, a royal saint in Hindu mythology), she said people found them difficult to remember. ‘I actually got talked into naming the store after myself. The more I talked to people about it, the more they seemed to like it. They thought it made it more personal to have my name on it. ‘Finally I decided, ‘Okay, it’s not too vain to name a store after myself.” Stein started doing her research early this year, ‘talking to other people in retail and also to leasing agents about spaces and what kind of stores they were looking for. I wanted to make sure my store would be a good fit for the neighborhood, and I think the Palisades is the best place for me. Everything came together here.’ After looking at various locations on Montana Avenue and in Malibu, Stein ultimately decided against them because ‘they were moving too much away from small boutiques and more towards couture: Chanel and other corporate names.’ She said she wants her store to be upscale, but also accessible. ‘Our jewelry will retail for between $40 and $50 up to several hundred,’ she said. ‘Handbags will go for a few hundred dollars up to around a thousand, depending on designer and piece. We will definitely cater towards a high-end clientele, but I want to make sure that everybody can afford something.’ Stein said she has already ordered items from designers including Monica Botkier, Sonia Rykiel and Leonello Borghi. She also has tentative plans to add shoes and clothing to the store next year, but for the time being it will remain accessories only. While Stein herself is new to the retail business, she hopes that her background in finance and entrepreneurship will help her succeed. She is also being advised by Lori Rose, owner of Highlights Lighting in Santa Monica. As for how she got the space, she says it was pure luck. ‘I had already talked to a few agents in the Palisades, and I called Dave Licht [her next-door neighbor in the Highlands] to get his opinion about what was going on in town. I honestly had no idea that he had a space opening up. When I asked him, though, he said, ‘Well, I have a place coming up soon.’ ‘It worked out perfectly because it’s not too big a space [about 900 square feet], so there’s not a huge start-up cost. It’s a good way to get my foot into the neighborhood. ‘It’s so much fun and so exciting’it’s hard to describe.’
Conversion Threatens Palisades Bowl
Palisades Bowl residents filled the large room at the Woman’s Club on Monday night to listen as Richard H. Close of Gilchrist & Rutter, lawyer to Bowl owner Eddie Biggs, explained the steps that are being taken to convert rental spaces in the mobile home park to private ownership, much like a condominium conversion. The Palisades Bowl, one of the last affordable housing sites in the Palisades, is one of three mobile home parks on Pacific Coast Highway between Temescal and Sunset. Tahitian Terrace, a retirement community is adjacent to the Bowl on the east and to the west is Malibu Village, a condominium park owned by residents. Palisades Bowl residents own their mobile homes, but pay rent on their spaces in the park. Currently their rent is controlled by L.A. City Rent Stabilization. Close explained that in a mobile park conversion no one would be evicted and that residents will have the option of either buying their space or continuing to rent. ‘The state law encourages landlords to convert rental parks to resident owned parks,’ Close said. The Palisadian-Post contacted Close’s office in Santa Monica on Tuesday to find out which state law he was referring to, but hadn’t received a response by press time on Wednesday. Close told the audience that he has had expertise in mobile park conversions and that every park he’s been involved with has converted to private ownership. Explaining that there are specific steps a mobile home park must undergo, Close took the audience through the conversion process, which could take as long as two years to implement. First, a notice will be sent to all residents about the mobile home park conversion, which must meet City approval.. The City will make sure that the owner is complying with state law as well as looking at all documents. There will be a physical survey done as well as an appraisal of the lots. The appraiser will look at the value of the land as well as the interest of the common land, such as the pool area. After that step, a homeowners association will prepare the CC & R’s (Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions). Close said his law firm would help residents pursue a loan if they so desired. According to him, the state has a program called Mprop which helps low-income residents buy their lots. Many residents voiced an opinion that they didn’t want to buy and wondered how converting would affect their rent, which is currently under city rent stabilization. If even only one resident converts, the entire park will then be subject to state rent guidelines rather than city guidelines, meaning all residents not defined as low income (one person making $38,000 a year or less or two people making $44,000) will see their rent increased over a four-year period to fair market value as determined by an appraiser. Low-income rent will be increased by the consumer index and would stay approximately the same as it is now. One resident wondered what would happen to his property tax. Close responded that under Proposition 13, owners would have to pay one percent of the purchase price. Many residents wondered whether buying the land means they will be allowed to pour a foundation and build? ‘You will be restricted by what the state says can go into a trailer park,’ Close said. Numerous questions were raised about the deferred maintenance that still hasn’t been complete since Biggs took over ownership last September. ‘Is the hillside going to be taken care of before the sale?’ one resident asked. In a February 2005 story, the Post reported ‘Over 10 inches of rain in early January triggered a crack at the top of the Asilomar bluffs, causing the hillside to move and the streets in the Bowl to buckle. This in turn severely damaged the foundations of at least seven mobile homes, almost all of them on Ivy Bank, a street which abuts the hillside.’ In September, the Post reported, ‘Most of the residents who were evacuated from 12 units in the Palisades Bowl mobile home park in January after heavy rains caused the hillside behind the park to move and the streets to buckle, have returned to their homes. However, some of them are concerned about safety and health issues at the park as a result of the still unremediated damage.’ The hill where Palisades Bowl and Tahitian Terrace are now located were dug out and the land terraced in the 1950s. That dirt from that project was used to fill in the canyon on the lot where Palisades High now stands, according to local resident Stuart Muller. Close assured Bowl residents that the Department of Real Estate will require that current problems are taken care of before the conversion. ‘Typically what happens is the Department of Real Estate requires all deficiencies be corrected,’ Close said. ‘If the hill comes down and it costs $10 million to repair, under the conversion plan, will the homeowners share that cost with Biggs?’ a resident asked. ‘Yes,’ Close answered. ‘I was in escrow with three properties in the park, when I got a call from Biggs that the rent was going to go from $500 to $1300,’ Michelle Bolotin, a realtor for Coldwell Banker told Close. ‘I thought they were supposed to get a 90-day notice.’ Bolotin was told by Biggs that the law only applies to homeowners, not potential homeowners, but the City’s on line rent stabilization handbook, includes the following question and answer. ‘Is rent decontrolled for a mobile home site located within a mobile home park when a tenant sells the mobile home which remains on the same site? No, in accordance with Section 151.06 F2 of the RSO, if the site of a mobile home is voluntarily vacated by all the tenants as a result of a sale of a mobile home, and where the mobile home is not removed from the site, then the maximum rent may be increased by an amount not to exceed the rent on any existing comparable site in the park, or 10 percent, whichever is lower.’ A call from the Post to City Housing, which deals with rent stabilization, confirmed the guidebook’s accuracy. Biggs’ lawyer David Spangenberg was also contacted Tuesday, but did not respond by deadline. Close was very clear that he was only there to answer questions about the conversion, not about other problems the tenants were facing. ‘This park looks worse than when I moved in,’ resident Patty Grim said. ‘The road is a mess, the dirt is everywhere, it looks like Tijuana.’ Another resident who asked to remain anonymous. ‘That [the lack of maintenance] is the residual issue, but the bottom line is to stop the conversion.’
Calendar for the Week of August 3, 2006
THURSDAY, AUGUST 3
Weekly campfire program in Temescal Gateway Park, 7 p.m. at the campfire center next to the dining hall, through August 24. Enjoy a fireside program led by local naturalists and celebrate the campfire tradition with stories, songs and (free) marshmallows. Bring stories to share and a picnic dinner. Parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395, ext. 106.FRIDAY, AUGUST 4
Harpist Michael Rado and her students perform a range of harp repertoire, 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Admission is free.SATURDAY, AUGUST 5
Movies in the Park, the annual Chamber of Commerce/Friends of Film series, opens with a free screening of ‘Madagascar,’ 8 p.m. on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center. Admission is free. ‘The Goonies,’ ‘Back to the Future,’ and ‘Freaky Friday’ will follow on consecutive Saturdays this month.SUNDAY, AUGUST 6
Weekly Summer Splash program, featuring family aquatic games, activities and music, 5 to 7 p.m. at the YMCA pool in Temescal Gateway Park. Free admission. By popular demand, barbeque dinners are back, featuring hot dogs and turkey burgers for sale, as well as healthy snacks. Bring a swimsuit, bring a picnic, bring a friend.MONDAY, AUGUST 7
Pajama Story-time for children of all ages at the Palisades Branch Library, 7 p.m. at 861 Alma Real. Parents and teddy bears welcome. Moonlit Hike in Temescal Gateway Park, from the canyon floor to the Temescal Ridge overlook, where hikers can admire the moonlit view over Santa Monica Bay. Bring water and a jacket; flashlight is optional. Meet at 8 p.m. in the front parking lot, where parking is $5. Contact: 454-1395, ext.106 or visit LAMountains.com.TUESDAY, AUGUST 8
Story-craft time, for children 4 and older, 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Listen to stories and build on them. Tuesday Night Hikes, organized by the Temescal Canyon Association, Meet at 6 p.m. in the Temescal Gateway parking lot at the corner of Sunset and Temescal Canyon Rd. for carpooling. Public invited. Expect to return between 8 and 9 p.m.WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9
Monthly meeting of the Palisades AARP chapter, 2 p.m., Palisades Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Refreshments will be served. Public invited. (See story, page 5.) Teen Reading Club presents ‘Astronomer Space E. Tracy’s Solar System Update,’ 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Tracy, a NASA-award-winning educator, will explain the universe in a fun-filled interactive program.THURSDAY, AUGUST 10
Captain Bill Ernst will speak about ‘Life in Station 23,’ 7:15 a.m., Palisades Rotary Club breakfast meeting at Gladstone’s restaurant. Public invited. Ernst is commander of A Platoon, one of the three platoons that man Station 23 (corner of Sunset and Los Liones). Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting, 7 p.m., Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. Public invited.Local Family
For a family of Pacific Palisades residents, the Lebanon conflict is hitting close to home. Mark Tabit, his wife Jill, and their three sons were on the last commercial airplane out of Lebanon ‘ Lufthansa flight 3517 ‘ just hours before Israeli bombs struck Beirut’s Rafic Hariri International Airport on July 13. ‘We didn’t even know that the airport had been bombed until we landed in Chicago,’ said Jill, who has written several feature stories for the Palisadian Post. ‘They didn’t tell us why our plane was delayed.’ The Tabits’ plane, scheduled to leave Beirut at 3 a.m., was delayed a half-hour. Israeli bombs struck the airport at 5 a.m. According to Jill, leaving the airport, the family’s biggest concern was for their daughter Christy, scheduled to leave on a separate flight at approximately the same time. ‘Christy was traveling to Tanzania, where she was going to begin a program to teach young adults English, computer skills, math, and business,’ said Jill. ‘We had general concerns for her, but nothing related to the violence.’ The family had originally traveled to Lebanon on June 24 to vacation and sell property owned by Mark’s father. Mark, a financial advisor for Wachovia Securities, is half Lebanese but was raised in the U.S.; under Lebanese law, only citizens can inherit land, and thus Mark was forced to sell his father’s property. It was the family’s first trip to Lebanon and Mark’s second. While the Tabits’ sons had some initial misgivings about traveling to the Middle East as opposed to a more conventional vacation destination, they were ‘pleasantly surprised’ by what they found. Overall, the family said, they had felt safe, both as Americans and as Christians. ‘Everyone was really friendly to us when they found out we were Americans,’ said Luke, 20, who will be a junior at Notre Dame University. ‘We were out looking for a club to go to one night and we asked these two guys in a car. Once they found out we were Americans, they offered to take us around.’ ‘People wanted to take pictures with us,’ added Tyler, 18. ‘I think they were fascinated with us [as Americans]. ‘We never felt threatened while we were there,’ Jill said, a sentiment echoed by the entire family. ‘We’re upset and sad for Lebanon and its people. Ten percent of the Lebanese people support Hezbollah ‘ the rest don’t. It’s a shame that everybody has to suffer.’ Israel’s bombing began the day before the Tabits left, but ‘we didn’t think it would ever come to Beirut,’ Jill said. ‘We knew there had been bombing 20 or 30 minutes south of the city, but nothing closer.’ The Tabits have several relatives currently living in the central Lebanese town of Bhamdoun; however, they have not directly seen any of the violence that has rocked the south of the country. ‘They’ve told us they feel completely safe,’ Mark said. But still, he added, they’ve been affected by thousands of refugees fleeing the fighting. ‘There have been shortages of food, medicine, and gas,’ Jill said. ‘Power has also been interrupted. They’ve been effected.’ Still, when asked if they would consider visiting Lebanon again, all seemed enthusiastic. ‘I would and will go back after this is all over,’ Mark said. ‘Most of the problems aren’t necessarily coming from the Lebanese people themselves ‘ they are coming from outside interests.’
Movies in the Park Returns This Saturday
What did we do on Saturday nights in August before Movies in the Park? It’s hard to imagine how we passed the hours on those boring summer evenings as the sun went down. Now, we have somewhere to go and movies to see…with the entire community. Moves in the Park will begin its third season this Saturday, August 5, with a screening of the animated cartoon adventure ‘Madagascar,’ directed by Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath for Dreamworks SKG. The Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce and Friends of Film will again present this community event on four consecutive Saturday nights this month on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center. The movies will start at 8 p.m. and admission is free. Highlands resident Greg Schem, landlord of the 881 Alma Real Building and owner of Palisades Highlands Plaza, will be the major sponsor for the second year in a row. Local Boy Scouts will sell candy and soda while park director David Gadelha serves up free barbecued hot dogs. Moviegoers can bring picnic dinners and blankets (plus warm clothing to ward off the typical evening chill). No alcoholic beverages, stick chairs or animals are allowed. This Saturday, from 7 to 8 p.m. before the show, moviegoers are invited to enjoy an ice cream social at 801 Toyopa, near the park entrance. Local resident Robert Newmark is hosting the party with free ice cream for 100 people, and it won’t cost him a dime. It turns out he entered an essay contest for Dreyer’s Slow-Churned ice cream on ‘why my neighborhood deserves to host an ice cream social/block party,’ and he was one of 1,500 winners across the country. ‘I put on a big Fourth of July party, so here it is again a month later,’ said Newmark, who thought of coordinating his event with Movies in the Park. ‘Bring kids and family. It’s a chance to meet neighbors.’ Dreyer’s has already sent him the cups and spoons for the celebration, which will feature 15 different flavors. Newmark’s personal favorite is Old Fashioned Butter Pecan. For more information on Movies in the Park, visit www.palisadeschamber.com or www.friendsoffilm.com. ‘The Goonies,’ ‘Back to the Future,’ and ‘Freaky Friday’ will follow on successive Saturdays. In addition to Schem, who donated $5,000 to underwrite the series for the second year in a row, contributing sponsors include the Palisades Junior Women’s Club, Elyse Walker Retail, the Wirthwhile Fund, Palisades Skate Shop/Paliskate, Technology For You, Johnson Tree Co., and residents. Donations pay for the screen and projection, plus fees for using the park, renting the films, hiring security patrol and clean-up (by Chrysalis), and purchasing equipment, including a new speaker and an extra bulb. The organizing committee includes co-chairs David Williams (owner of Mogan’s Cafe in the Highlands) and Bob Sharka (founder, Friends of Film), Andy Frew (Theatre Palisades), Brad Lusk (Chamber president-elect), and John Wirth (recipient of a Golden Sparkplug Award for his work to launch Movies in the Park). ‘This is a dedicated committee that wants Movies in the Park to go forever, just like the parade,’ said Arnie Wishnick, the Chamber’s executive director. ‘They just need to get funding every year.’ Wishnick, the Palisadian-Post’s movie reviewer who is currently on hiatus, describes ‘Madagascar’ (2005) as ‘a terrific kid-oriented animated comedy that stays adult-friendly every step of the way.’ The stars include Ben Stiller as The Lion, Chris Rock as The Zebra, David Schwimmer as The Giraffe, Jada Pinkett Smith as The Hippo and Sacha Cohen as The Ocelot.
Two Tonys at the Getty
L. A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and British Prime Minster Tony Blair enjoyed a relaxed evening Monday at the Getty Villa, at a reception attended by local business and government officials. Photo courtesy Reuters/Mario Anzuoni
Dr. Richard Wonka, 83; Psychoanalyst
Dr. Richard Anthony Wonka passed away on July 23 after suffering a stroke at Desert Hills Special Care Center in Hemet, California. He was 83. Richard and his wife Ann lived in Pacific Palisades for 45 years before moving to Hermet in 2003. Born on February 16, 1923 in Dayton, Ohio, Richard was the eldest of five children. He attended Chaminade High School in Dayton and graduated with honors. He completed his undergraduate studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, and then attended medical school at St. Louis University in St. Louis, Missouri. Richard was a medical doctor in the Navy during World War II and achieved the rank of lieutenant commander. After military service, he completed a residency in psychiatry and became a psychoanalyst. He was chief of staff at Westwood Hospital In Los Angeles and taught at UCLA Medical Center. He had medical practices in both Beverly Hills and Santa Monica. Richard’s love of airplanes began at a very young age and continued throughout his life. As an avid model airplane builder, he spent many hours flying radio-controlled model airplanes and took lessons to become a private pilot. He enjoyed swimming in the ocean, fishing and horseback riding. His skills as a physician and his love of the outdoors and horseback riding combined to make him a valuable asset to the L.A. Sheriff’s Department’s mounted search-and-rescue patrol. He also developed a keen interest in guns and became a knowledgeable collector and award-winning marksman. Richard is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Ann, and his three daughters: Patti Hoyt (husband Bill) of Eugene, Oregon; Debbie Heneise (husband Ken) of Grow Cove Springs, Florida; and Barbara Kayfor (husband Bob) of Hemet. His surviving grandchildren include Ryan Heneise (wife Bethany) and Cady Heneise, and Christopher and his sister Becky Kaylor. He is also survived by sisters Helen Keane (husband Frank) of Centerville, Ohio, and Carolyn Wonka of Venice, and a brother, Greg Wonka of Dayton, Ohio. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 4, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica. In Richard’s memory and in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School, 505 S. Ludlow Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402.
Sharon ‘Sherry’ Jo Rosenberg, 62; St. Matthew’s Parishioner, Traveler
Sharon Jo Rosenberg, known to many as Sherry Jo, a 27-year resident of Brentwood and Pacific Palisades, passed away on July 24 from complications of cancer. She was 62. She was a devoted member of the Parish of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in the Palisades, where she served in many capacities, including membership on the Vestry, Parish School activities, outreach programs, and service programs to its senior members. She was a Cub Scout den mother, a team manager for Westside Wolverines football teams, and a supporter of AYSO teams, Palisades Recreation Center teams, Campbell Hall volleyball teams and others on which her beloved son Jon played. Sherry was born in 1943 to Dorothy Jane and George Yount, the latter a naval officer. She graduated from Michigan State University with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1966 and resided thereafter in Southern California. She was known and revered by one and all for her wit, humor, warmth, big heart, friendship to all who were blessed to be near and dear to her, for her holiday parties and decorations, and for her willingness to hear and help all who came into her world. Sherry loved discovering new places and vacationing with her family and friends, and led them on land and sea into fun times on ski slopes in Oregon, California, Nevada, and Cortina, to Hawaii year after year, on ships cruising the seas, on trips to Europe and the Far East, on double-decker buses around Los Angeles to see the neon signs, and on the rails of the L.A. Metro to view station art. She is survived by her parents, who live in Palm Desert; her husband, Jack Rosenberg; her son, Jon Ballentine; her brother, George R. Yount, a retired naval admiral in New Orleans; and sisters Jane O’Hara and Judy Sonnett, both of Columbus, Ohio. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on August 12 at St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made payable to St. Matthew’s Parish School, P.O. Box 1710, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, annotated: Sharon Jo Rosenberg Scholarship Fund.
Spikers Tan on Sand
Six Palisadians Medal at Junior Olympic Championships
The surf was high and the sand was sizzling at Dockweiler Beach in El Segundo for the USA Volleyball Junior Olympic Beach Championships–a perfect setting for local spikers to match their skills and wits against the best in the country. The two-day competition consisted of 152 teams (84 girls, 68 boys) from 10 states and when the cheering died down and the sun sank into the sea, five Palisadians stood on the victory platform with medals around their necks. In the girls’ U-12 division, Palisades Highlands resident Christine Irvin and former Palisadian Skylar Dykstra held on to their title from last year, dropping only one match in two days to win the gold medal. Palisadians Lauren Waters and Kate Sommer took the bronze medal after gutsy play on the final day. All four girls play locally for Sunshine Volleyball Club and had just returned from the USA Junior Olympic indoor games in Atlanta where they were teammates on the 12’s Crimson team that finished third in the nation. In the finals, Irvin and Dykstra dug out a 21-18, 21-19 victory over Orange County’s Sarah Hughes and Justine Wong-Orantes–the duo that had handed Irvin and Dysktra their only loss, 22-20, the day before. “We were hoping to play our friends [Lauren and Kate] in the finals,” said Irvin, entering seventh-grader at Corpus Christi. “It was definitely harder this year. There was much better competition. I think it helps that in indoor we are both setters.” “We were pumped up more and we concentrated better for the finals,” added Dykstra, who moved from the Palisades to Hermosa five years ago. “We didn’t make as many mistakes.” Sommer and Waters were playing in their first beach event together. “We did great–better than I expected,” said Sommer who won the Amateur Athletic Union championship in Hermosa Beach with another Sunshine Club teammate, Lanti McLaren, on July 7. Also making waves in their first tournament together were Palisadian Hagen Smith and partner Kyle Baley of Huntington Beach, who captured second place in the U-12 boys division. “We didn’t play so well the first day but after that we got the hang of it,” said Smith, son of pro beach volleyball legend Sinjin Smith. “Beach volleyball is fun because there’s only two players so you both have to do everything. I definitely like spiking the best.” Smith, an 11-year-old competing against mostly older boys, plays in his dad’s beach volleyball camp but also enjoys soccer, baseball and tennis. He will start sixth-grade at Corpus Christi in the fall. Palisadian Kellie Barnum and her partner, Blake O’Brien, played smart and used accurate touch shots to earn bronze medals in the U-14 girls’ division. Barnum and O’Brien were teammates on Sunshine’s 13-1s Crimson squad, coached by Palisadian Cari Klein, which finished second nationally in the gold division at the JO indoor games. Kelly Irvin, Christine’s older sister, won the gold medal in the U-18 division with partner Ashley Lee of La Habra Heights. An All-CIF setter/outside hitter at Marymount High, Irvin teamed with Megan Tryon to win the U-17 AAU national title last summer and enjoyed equal success this year with Lee. The pair went undefeated en route to first place, ousting Devon Dkystra (Hermosa) and Megan Saraceno (Redondo Beach) in the finals, 21-14, 21-14. “We play club together [on Gene Selznick’s 17-1s team] so we know each others’ games, which is really important on the beach,” Irvin said. “On the beach you have a lot more court to cover so communication is a key factor.” With the victory, Irvin and Lee will represent the United States in the main draw of the Youth World Championships September 5-10 in St. George, Bermuda. In the boys’ U-20 final, Mark Van Zwieten and Keawe Adolpho of Florida beat former Palisadian Joey Dykstra (Hermosa) and his partner, Andy McGuire (Manhattan Beach) in three games. The USAV Beach tour will travel east to Virginia and Maryland before returning to Seal Beach on August 19 for the Tour Championships. Paly Swim Evaluations Underway Anyone interested in joining the Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim team can come to the Temescal Canyon pool for an evaluation any weekday at 5 p.m. between August 7-11 and August 14-18. There will be no swim practice from August 21-September 4. Practices will resume Tuesday, September 5. For more information, e-mail Paly head coach Brian Timmerman at lbdt@aol.com or call the YMCA at 454-9637.
