PaliHi Three Make State Track Finals
Palisades High coach Ron Brumel did not bring a huge contingent to last Friday’s state track and field finals at Cerritos College. In fact, his team consisted of just three athletes–a distance runner, a pole vaulter and a high jumper. Just making it that far, however, is an accomplishment. “They are going to experience a whole new level at the state meet,” Brumel said before the two-day competition began. Junior Bryan Greenberg seemed to have Palisades’ best chance to make it out of Friday’s preliminary round. He won the City Section pole vault title May 25 with a winning height of 12 feet, six inches. Greenberg’s personal best of 13 feet came in the Rotary Invitational Meet at Birmingham High in April. Despite having no place to practice on campus, Greenberg won the Western League finals by clearing 11 feet. At the state meet, however, Greenberg was unable to place in the top nine Friday and qualify for Saturday’s finals. The winning height was 16-11 by a vaulter from Granite Bay High. Also qualifying in a field event was sophomore high jumper Tukeha Huntley. After clearing 4-10 in the preliminaries, Huntley finished tied for second at the City finals with a personal-best height of five feet. The winner, from El Camino Real, cleared 5-3. As one of the top three finishers in the City, Huntley qualified for Friday’s state preliminaries. There, however, she failed on three attempts to clear her first height and was eliminated from the competition. On the track, junior Kristabel Doebel-Hickok qualified for the state meet in both the 1600 and 3200 meter events. Running in the first heat of the girls’ 1600, she ran the mile in 5:09.60, three seconds behind City champion Katia Goldring of Hamilton. The winning time for her heat was 4:51.13. In the 3200, Doebel-Hickok finished 14th overall, clocking a personal-best 11:12.23. The winning time was 10:13.55. Doebel-Hickok’s fastest time previously was 11:14.83 at the City finals, where she finished second behind Goldring.
Surjue, Safii Second at All-City Individuals
Having already proven their mettle in team competition, Palisades High’s Stephen Surjue and Sepehr Safii began the All-City Individual Tennis Tournament determined to show that they are also the best doubles pair in the City Section. By the time last Thursday’s final ended, however, there was no disputing that the best doubles pair this year is Granada Hills’ Jeremy Choo and Vinnie Amor, who beat the Dolphins’ duo 6-2, 6-4, at Balboa Sports Center in Encino. Seeded No. 1 out of 60 teams, the Highlanders’ duo lost 12 games in eight sets en route to the finals and were never in danger of losing a set until the finals, when Surjue and Safii threatened to steal the second set and level the match. The Pali pair, seeded No. 2, had three chances to take a 5-3 lead with Amor serving at 15-40 in the eighth game, but Amor won two long baseline rallies and Surjue hit an overhead wide on the winner-take-all deuce point. “That was our chance right there,” Safii said. “If we win that game we’re right back in the match.” Instead, Surjue was broken in the next game and Choo then served out the match. The two top seeds did not play each other in the team finals May 12, when Palisades beat the Highlanders 19 1/2-10. Surjue and Safii swept their three sets in that match, but Amor was moved to singles and Choo played with a different partner. Amor said Surjue and Safii were the best team he and Choo played this season. “They are definitely the best team. We’ve won all of our matches very easily but these guys gave us a scare in that second set. We had to come up with some big shots to pull it out.” Palisades’ Seth Mandelkern and Michael Light, who had lost to Choo and Amor in the semifinals the day before, won the third place match, 6-2, 7-5, over Noushad Simno and Naseef Ayon of Woodland Hills Taft and also made the All-City team. Granada Hills became the first team to win the City Individual singles and doubles titles in the same season since Palisades completed a trifecta in 1999, winning the team title, the singles title with Ricky Rollins and the doubles title with Peter Shirley and Blake Baumgarten. Palisades’ No. 1 singles player, Ben Tom, lost in the quarterfinals to J.R. Sarmiento of Carson but was awarded the Sportsmanship Award for demonstrating exemplary conduct throughout the tournament.
A May to Remember
Walker Kehrer has won plenty of tournaments so far in his young tennis career. Yet even he did not expect the success he enjoyed in May, when he won two USTA junior events, took third at another, then won a CIF championship with his high school team. Kehrer began the month by winning the 16s division of the 22nd annual Anaheim Tennis Center tournament, one of the largest junior events in Southern California. The 15-year-old Palisadian did not lose more than three games in a match on his way to the finals of the 256-player draw, but there he needed three sets to beat his friend and doubles partner, Alex Brigham of Culver City. Days later, Kehrer traveled north to Sacramento for a National Open event and finished third, earning him an automatic berth at the National Clay Court championships in July in Washington, D.C. Four days after the Sacramento event ended, Kehrer was back on the court at the Quiksilver Junior Championships in Newport Beach. Playing against many of the top 16-year-olds in the nation, Kehrer did not lose a set on his way to the title May 30. With the victory, Kehrer’s singles ranking rose to No. 41 in the nation and No. 12 in Southern California. He and his former partner, Michael Lin, were the top-ranked doubles team in the nation in the 14s last year. “It’s been an amazing month,” Kehrer admitted. “I thought I had a good shot at winning Anaheim but I wasn’t really sure about Quiksilver. I had to play some of my best tennis to win that.” There was still one more May title in store for Kehrer, however. The final day of the month produced perhaps his most satisfying win of all as Brentwood School captured its second consecutive Southern Section Division IV championship. Not surprisingly, the freshman swept his three doubles sets with Matt Plonsker as the top-seeded Eagles routed second-seeded Beverly Hills, 16-2, in Claremont. “I loved playing high school tennis and especially on such a fantastic team,” said Kehrer, who played both doubles and singles during the season. “It’s too bad we weren’t in a higher division so we would have the chance to prove ourselves against bigger schools.” Kehrer got to share his CIF victory with two other Palisadians–junior Aiden Lloyd and freshman Casey Grindon–who paired up to win two out of their three doubles sets in the finals. Under the tutelage of private coach Ross Loel, Kehrer is practicing for the Southern California Sectionals in Fullerton, which begin June 17.
A Mustang Victory Still in the Cards
PPBA PLAYOFF ROUNDUP
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Looking to rebound from last Wednesday’s loss to the Cubs, the Cardinals handed the ball to ace pitcher Paul Kirkpatrick, hoping he could slow down the red hot Phillies. Kirkpatrick did just that, allowing only one run and two hits in two and two-thirds innings and going two-for-two at the plate with two runs scored as the Cardinals won 11-6 and got to where they expected to be all along: the Mustang Division championship series. The Cardinals (15-4) finished first in the National League and earned the top seed in the playoffs before being upset by the third-seeded Cubs, dropping them to the loser’s bracket and a must-win situation against the fourth-seeded Phillies. The Cardinals took a 9-1 lead into the fourth but the Phillies scored three runs to tighten the score. With the Cardinals threatening to add to their lead in the bottom half, Phillies short stop Tyler Newman fielded a two-hopper, stepped on second base and threw to first for an inning-ending double play. Remi Bisharat’s two-out double scored the Cardinals’ final two runs in the fifth inning and gave closer Justin Ruder a cushion. The Phillies, however, rallied on a walk, a single by Alec Dodson, and a groundout by Tommy Collins that advanced the runners to second and third. Ruder struck out the next batter, then Jonathan Sington singled down the third base line to score the Phillies’ final run. The Cardinals advanced to the finals needing to beat the Cubs Wednesday to force a winner-take-all game today at 4:30 p.m. on Diamond 3 at the Field of Dreams complex. The Cubs finished behind the Cardinals in the National League standings despite winning both regular season meetings. Bronco The top-seeded Red Sox (16-3) shook off last Tuesday’s 15-5 loss to the second-seeded Cardinals with a 10-6 victory over the Tigers in an elimination game to determine who would play the Cardinals for the championship. Harrison Wolman and Sam Wasserman each pitched three innings for the Red Sox, who broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the second inning. Wasserman scored twice and went two-for-two, including a single with the bases loaded that plated three runs. The Red Sox needed to beat the National League champion Cardinals (13-5) Wednesday to force a decisive game today at 4:30 p.m. on Diamond 2. The teams met only once in the regular season, with the Red Sox winning 3-2 on a walk-off home run by Daniel Gurvis. The Cardinals entered Wednesday’s contest on a nine-game winning streak. Pinto The Tigers’ offense picked a perfect time to get into a groove. Moving base to base with one single after another, the underdog Tigers pounded out 14 hits in a 13-3 victory over the second-seeded Yankees Tuesday that earned them a second chance at the fourth-seeded Red Sox, who had dealt the Tigers a 7-4 defeat in the finals of the winner’s bracket one week before. Shane Stoklos doubled to leadoff the game, William Winkenhower followed with an RBI single, PJ Hurst singled to score Winkenhower and Dane Morrow singled to score Hurst as the sixth-seeded Tigers (9-10) jumped ahead 3-0. The Yankees (10-9) answered in the second inning with runs by Daniel Furman and Shayan Soltanie. The Tigers increased their lead in the top of the third when Stoklos scored on a high fly ball to center by Matthew Stockman, who then scored on a fielder’s choice. Hunter VanDuzer’s double scored Morrow and VanDuzer scored on an error to increase the Tigers’ lead to 7-2 in the top of the fourth. Soltanie singled to score Jack Brue with the Yankees’ last run in the bottom of the inning. Stockman doubled to ignite a five-run Tigers rally in the sixth inning that put the game out of reach. The Red Sox entered Wednesday’s game undefeated in the double elimination tournament, meaning the Tigers needed to win Wednesday to stay alive in the double elimination tournament. A second game, if necessary, will be today at 4:30 p.m. on Diamond 3.
Local Students Talk Politics with Clintons and Governor
You don’t have to be of voting age to be involved in politics. Some young Palisades students are already meeting local and national politicians and learning about activism. Joshua Corwin, a student at The Willows in Culver City, “has been bitten by the political bug” since attending the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston when he was 11, according to his father, Scott. In April, Joshua got the chance to meet former President Bill Clinton and Sen. Hillary Clinton in Beverly Hills. “I have always wanted to meet President Clinton because of his work now around the world helping fight AIDS,” Joshua said in an e-mail to the Palisadian-Post. “He really seems to care about the children who are suffering, and that made an impact on me. Along with former president George Bush, he also worked to raise money to assist the survivors tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 1994 and Hurricane Katrina.” Joshua, who donated half of his allowance money to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina, said: “I felt like [Clinton and I] cared about the same things in this world’helping people who were not as fortunate as ourselves and making the world a more equal place with opportunity for everyone. “When my dad told me that I could finally have a chance to meet [the Clintons], I said, ‘Count me in’ before he finished his sentence,” Joshua continued. “Of course, when I met Sen. Clinton, I told her that I look forward to seeing her husband as the first gentleman in the White House. She laughed.” In his e-mail, Joshua, 13, described himself as “a strong debater” who often takes the side of the underdog. “I guess it’s just in my nature to fight for the issues that only a few people care about passionately.” A member of The Stop Global Warming Virtual March, Joshua is interested in the effects of global warming on our planet. “This is a subject that more people and companies should focus on instead of avoiding,” he said. “It seems smart to work on this now so that, in the future, we will be a healthier world and new jobs will be created to assist against global warming. “Politics, to me, means a way to change things for the better.” o o o Bernadette Zimmermann, a fourth grade student at Palisades Elementary Charter School, traveled with her class last month to the state capital and met Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “Everybody was very excited!” Bernadette, 10, wrote in a letter to the Post. “When we got to the capitol at Sacramento, we had no idea that we would meet our state’s governor. This was such a surprise for everyone in my class! “Fourth graders from our school have been visiting the capitol for many years,” Bernadette continued. “However, this is the first time a group of students from our school actually spent personal time with the governor.” Bernadette’s father, Bernd, who is a longtime friend of Schwarzenegger, had helped arrange the visit. The students also toured the rest of the capitol, including the legislature and other parts of the state government. In a follow-up letter to Bernadette, Schwarzenegger wrote, “Thanks for coming to see me today in Sacramento! I hope you and your class enjoyed the tour of my office. I was very impressed by all of them, and you can tell them that, too.”
Where We’re Headed: Carolyn See’s New Novel
“There are people from every country with every sorrow, sadness, every kind of culture.” In the novel, young members of two very different families’one Chinese immigrants and the other upper middle class Anglo professionals’become romantically involved and end up spending their most intimate moments in the botanical gardens at UCLA, the only place they feel comfortable together. See says that she “tried not to make it idealistic. They think it’s a great love, but who knows.” The novel, while short, is capacious in not only the diversity of its characters but in the transformations that occur. Phil takes his son Vern and leaves the strict confines of his life. Edith retires to Avalon on Santa Catalina, and Felicia finds a man who will make her happier. People change their lives all the time. See relates her grandson’s experience of leaving graduate school to spend his nights talking with people trading on the Indian stock exchange. “Although it might seem a weird choice,” she says “he’s never been happier.” She paraphrases Simone de Beauvoir in her novel “The Mandarins”: “One of humanity’s strongest urges is to travel.” See, who will travel to India this summer and recently returned from a sojourn to South America, agrees. Although she retired from teaching at UCLA last year, literature is always on heroes this, she learns of the attacks on the World Trade Center when Phil calls her. That scene, in which personal and public tragedy merge, sets the tone for the book, just like the jesters at the beginning of a Renaissance tragedy. That merging also shaped See’s young life. She said: “When I was 11, my dad left. Two and half weeks later they dropped the atomic bomb.” She lost her life partner, the writer and UCLA professor John Espey, a year before 9/11. Those two events helped give rise to the novel, which she wrote scene by scene and then put together into a chronology, which caused her to “have a bit of a nervous breakdown.” See continues to discover new books by writing her weekly book review for The Washington Post. Her recommendation for summer reading is “Miss American Pie” by Margaret Sartor. See likened the book, comprising the author’s teenage diaries, to “The Rosetta Stone.” More than a few readers may liken “There Will Never Be Another You” to this revered artifact for its astute observations about human folly and foresight. Carolyn See will visit Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore, to sign “There Will Never Be Another You” at noon on Monday, June 12. More information on See’s life, writing, and future appearances can be found at www.carolynsee.com.
Designing the Set
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Plays take a slice of life, a moment in a person’s history or a fantasy world and present it to the audience. Actors inhabit that life to make theater-goers believe they’ve received an intimate glimpse of another’s problems, loves and realities. Set designers bring that world to actors and audience members. For the past three years, at Theatre Palisades, Sherman Wayne has designed and helped construct eight sets, including “View From the Bridge,” “Romantic Comedy,” “Inspecting Carol,” “Plaza Suite,” “Bad Seed,” Picasso at the Lapin Agile,” “Moon Over Buffalo” and “All My Sons.” He is currently finishing his ninth, “Fatal Attraction.” In “Fatal Attraction,” the play opening tomorrow at Pierson Playhouse, the set requires a jacuzzi, a fire place, two large wood beams in the ceiling and a balcony overlooking the room. “Most of the sets are designed with Broadway stages in mind, but we don’t have that kind of room,” Wayne says. “I design it so it will fit on our stage. “When you look at the stage before adding the walls and furniture, it looks huge,” Wayne says. “A sofa takes up so much of the stage, that we usually use a love seat instead.” In creating the stage design, Wayne first builds a miniature to a half-inch scale. He then collaborates with the director to make sure they’re on the same page. He’s working with director Michael Macready on “Fatal Attraction.” “Michael usually lets me do whatever I want,” Wayne says, “but on this production, he doesn’t like the table I chose. He feels it’s too big and doesn’t leave enough room on stage for the actors.” Above the stage, two heavy wooden beams are already in place to help an audience envision a rustic cottage. The “wood” beams are actually pieces of Styrofoam painted to look like wood. At one point a flower pot falls off the beam, threatening one of the actors. “If we had the budget of the Ahmanson, we would hire an expert to rig a mechanical mechanism,” he says, “but at Theatre Palisades we make it happen with a spring and a string.” One of the problems with community theater in the Palisades is the small budget for productions: The amount budgeted for scenery and costumes for “Fatal Attraction” is $700. “We are always working with less than we could use,” Wayne said. “We do excellent work, but it all has to do with whom you can attract.” All of the positions, from director to actor to set designer to publicity director, are unpaid. “Fatal Attraction” has several set pieces that are integral to the plot, including the jacuzzi. Wayne envisioned it with a cover that opens when a button is pressed, steam rising out of it, and the movement of the water reflected on the surrounding wall. In reality, a fog machine will supply the steam, a lighting trick will cast the reflection and a stage worker will be behind the set sliding the lid off to coincide with the actress pressing the button. Although there is no water in this fake jacuzzi, the actor will be watered down backstage and appear wet. The realistic-looking stone fireplace actually was built with wood with a Styrofoam veneer. The stones are made by tracing the Stryofoam with a soldering iron. As the foam melts it leaves an indentation. The final step is to spray the “stones” with a granite paint. “This kind of stuff is fun to do because it’s creative,” Wayne says. He points to the black stage floor marked with tape, chalk and dirt. “This will be a peg-and-groove wood floor,” Wayne says. To accomplish that, the floor is painted yellow. The next step is to put a board down and trace on one side with a magic marker to give the illusion of grout. Finally a watered-down wood stain is brushed over the entire floor with a dry brush technique. Wayne, a retired high school drama teacher, is currently vice-president of production at Theatre Palisades. During production, he arrives at the theater around 10 a.m. and leaves at 7 p.m. Wayne says his wife complains “You said when it wasn’t your show (directing) you wouldn’t spend as much time at the theater.” He grew up in Sacramento and attended San Jose State University, where he graduated with a degree in theater. “I fell in love with the theater and have been doing it ever since.” After graduating, he went to work summer stock in Roanoke, Virginia, and from there went to New York City. “I looked for work, pounding the pavement, sending out resumes,” Wayne says. “I wish I had gone to a more prestigious theater school, I wouldn’t have gotten a better education, but in theater it’s who you know. I constantly ran into Yalies, who would only hire Yalies or Northwestern people.” He worked 25 years in the Big Apple. Wayne was the manager for the “Fantasticks,” which was the longest-running show in New York. In the ’60s, he had his own production company that supplied personnel or whatever was needed for Off-Broadway productions. It was a time when Off-Broadway was beginning to flourish and theaters such as Circle in the Square were starting to provide an alternative to Broadway. Wayne produced Off-Broadway plays like “White Rose and the Red” and “Penny Change.” “I have to admit the show wasn’t very good,” Wayne says, “I was just happy to work.” He lived on $50 a week in a third floor “cockroach” walk-up for $80 a month. He admits he was constantly looking for work. “It was hard, but I just persisted,” Wayne says. “Then I got married, had a child and decided to come back to California.” He was hired by the city of West Covina to manage a 3,000 seat theater-in-the-round. He loaded up his child, a dog and a suitcase that was so large it was called “Big Bertha” in a VW Bug and he and his wife, Lynda, drove across the country. From the West Covina theater, he worked as an assistant manager for the Greek Theater and then eventually worked for the Center Theater Group at the Mark Taper Forum. On the first production the Taper sent their set to a scene shop, but found it expensive. They opened their own shop and hired Wayne to run it. “I worked there for a while, but needed to buy a home and get some security,” Wayne said. “I dusted off my teaching credential and started teaching. I discovered I liked it and spent the next 25 years teaching, finally retiring from Hawthorne High School in 2000.” He and Lynda bought a home in Torrance, where they currently live. Lynda is a nurse; Wayne calls her a “super nurse” because she was the head of all the nurses at UCLA. They have two sons: Chris, who is a graphic artist, and Matthew, who works for a truck rental leasing firm. Lynda, a former Palisadian, inadvertently planted the seed for Wayne’s involvement with Theatre Palisades. “She kept talking about a theater she used to drive by that wasn’t open, which got me interested,” Wayne recalls. He meanwhile became aware of Theatre Palisades through a friend, Rich Little, with whom he worked at a theater in Torrance, the Palos Verdes Players. In 2003, Wayne sent a resume to Theater Palisades asking to direct “Picasso at the Lapin Agile”. He wasn’t chosen; however, he had passed around a rendering of what the set might look like and was asked to design it. In addition to designing sets, he also directs. His most recent credit was “Plaza Suite.” The next Theatre Palisades production after “Fatal Attraction” is “Buddy.” “I’m trying to find another designer for ‘Buddy,’ but since I’m in charge of production, if I can’t get anyone to do it, I have to,” Wayne says. “Theatre Palisades needs more volunteers. ‘The show must go on’ is a corny phrase, but it’s true,” he says. “The opening night can’t be changed, so you do what needs to be done to open the show. You do the best you can because of pride and love of theater. “One of my favorite places is to walk on stage before the curtain goes up,” Wayne says, “and know what magic is going to happen. After 50 years I still get goose bumps.”
Russell Nell Hoffman, 84; A Real ‘California Girl’
Russell Nell (Hancock) Hoffman passed away on February 19, 2006. She was 84. She was born in McMinnville, Tennessee, on January 30, 1922. After graduating from Vanderbilt University, she married Air Force Captain James David Hoffman in 1942. Following their marriage in the east, they moved west to Malibu and had two children, Susie and Jimmy. They enjoyed watching the children grow, marry and have children of their own. Predeceased by her husband, who died in March 2000, Russell is survived by her daughter Susie Niebergall (husband Dave) of Malibu; son Jimmy Hoffman (wife Sherry) of Pacific Palisades; and grandchildren Brooke and J. J. Niebergall and Lauren and Ali Hoffman. A real Southern lady, Russell became a “California Girl,” loving boats, dogs and the beach. “Enjoy the ‘purple time,’ Honey,” said her family. “We will miss you.”
Mary Blanchard, 87, Devoted Presbyterian, Active Resident
Mary Carter Blanchard, the eldest member of four immediate family generations living in Pacific Palisades, died peacefully at the Sunrise Senior Living facility on May 3. She was 87 years old. Mary was born in New York on March 7, 1919 to Janet and Reginald Carter. Two years later, her one and only sibling, Norman, joined the family. Mary’s grandfather, Samuel T. Carter, was renowned as the Presbyterian minister who was tried for heresy at the turn of the 20th century. He was put on trial because he interpreted the Bible to prove that God was loving and forgiving, and therefore would never create such a place as Hell. Reverend Carter was acquitted amidst great publicity, and went on to attract an enormous congregation on Long Island, which he continued to serve until his retirement at a ripe old age. Mary was very fond and proud of her grandfather, who inspired her early in life. In a lovely coincidence, another Presbyterian minister once again inspired Mary during the final stage of her life. A while ago, Dr. Charles Svendsen, Pastor of Palisades Presbyterian Church, began conducting discussion groups for the residents at Sunrise Assisted Living. Mary made it a point to never miss one of Reverend Charles’ “wonderful” (her word) meetings, and Reverend Charles kindly returned the compliment by presiding over a very warm and meaningful memorial service for Mary at Sunrise on May 8. Mary met her future husband, Dr. Edward J. (Ted) Blanchard, at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, where he was a resident and she was an orthoptic technician. They fell instantly in love and married in 1940. Ted was a Canadian, who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a flight surgeon and squadron commander for the duration of World War II. Their first two children, Ned and Janet, were born in Canada. After the war, Mary, Ted and the two kids headed for sunny California, where daughter Joan was born in Whittier in 1950. Ted joined an eye, ear, nose and throat medical practice, and embarked upon an illustrious career that spanned more than 40 years. Besides her devotion to her family, Mary was an active participant in her community. She served as a volunteer in numerous organizations. Perhaps her greatest achievement began in the mid-50s when she spearheaded the successful campaign to build Whittier Presbyterian Intercommunity Hospital. She also organized and chaired the women’s auxiliary for many years. The auditorium was named in honor of her many accomplishments for the hospital. In the mid-1980s, Mary and Ted retired to their beloved house on the water at Capistrano Beach. While Ted enjoyed boating, golf, vegetable gardening, and listening to the Dodgers, Mary continued her volunteer efforts in behalf of her new community. She served in several official capacities for the Beach Road Association, working enthusiastically whenever the need arose. Mary and Ted loved their social life, and especially enjoyed weekend visits from their children and grandchildren. After Ted died in October 2000, Mary soon realized that the happy period on Beach Road was at its end. She wanted to be closer to her daughters and grandchildren, all of whom lived in the Palisades. Coincidentally, Sunrise Assisted Living had just opened it doors. It took Mary “about a month” (her words) to adjust beautifully to life at Sunrise. She had a very good time living there for almost five years, making many new friends with the fellow residents and the excellent staff. She was active as president of the residents’ council for 2 1/2 years until resigning just before her death. She also benefited from the outstanding medical care provided by local Palisadian internist Damon Raskin. To top it off, living in the Palisades meant that Mary could look forward every week to numerous visits and outings with her nearby family. Mary is survived by a son Ned Blanchard, who lives in Tustin, and two daughters, Janet Taylor and Joan Blanchard, who live in the Palisades. She is also survived by three grandchildren and a great-grandson. Donations my be made to the Mary Blanchard Memorial Fund at her favorite charity: The Southern California Counseling Center, 5615 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA,90019.
