Susan Sims could talk about the birds, bees and most definitely about trees, but for the Palisades Garden Club, she’ll tackle bugs on Monday, March 6 at 7:30 p.m. at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford. Sims, a board certified master arborist, specializes in diagnosing and curing tree diseases and operates the Sims Tree Learning Center on 6.5 acres in Riverside County. Equipped with degrees in agricultural biology and ornamental horticulture and plant pathology, Sims will lend her experience to the discussion of insects. “I guess I’ll be teaching entomology 101,” Sims told the Palisadian-Post. “I usually talk about the connection between the damage to the tree or plant and the suspected culprit. We need to determine whether it is an insect that is doing the damage, also whether or not the insects are under biological control.” Sims and her husband have been in the tree health care business since 1972, the part of the business that pays the bills, she says. Their consultation work takes them from Ventura to San Diego and is unusual because they are strictly health care specialists, not tree trimmers. “A job might be working with Caltrans or developers to determine if a tree is worth preserving and if so, how do go about it,” Sims said. Another interesting Sims assignment necessitated some detective work. “I got a call from an insurance company about a pine tree that had fallen on a neighbor’s car,” Sims said. “We told the owner that in order to pursue the cause of the accident they would have to go back to the developer who bought the trees, or to the landscape gardener who planted it. We discovered that the roots had been girdling the root ball and cutting off circulation to the tree, which eventually produced a weak spot. The tree could have been left in the original container too long, or the landscaper could have used an auger to dig the hole instead of digging a nice big hole.” The Sims’ other love is the Tree Learning Center, which is dedicated to preservation, education and research. The center maintains a small collection of old-time farming, gardening and transportation equipment and vehicles. In addition, the Simses have a palm collection of more than 100 varieties, and an iris collection. In the museum, visitors can see the mushroom collection, including mycorrihizae’beneficial fungi, which assist in assuring plant health and resistance to disease and insects. Sims says that visitors are welcome to the gardens the last Friday of the month, or may call to make an appointment: (951) 685-6662. The Garden Club meeting is open to the public, and refreshments will be served.
Feasting on Local Color
Lise Luttgens’ travel photographs are wonderfully free of convention. Instead of snapping well-known landmarks and vistas, she points her camera at the rich details of a locale to evoke a powerful sense of place. “I tend to like displays and focus on how people put together windows,” says Luttgens, who shares a townhouse in the Palisades Highlands with her 16-year-old daughter, Kate. Last fall, Luttgens traveled by ship from Venice to Istanbul and her colorful, offbeat impressions of this journey are now on view in a photo exhibition at the Hidden Caf’. There are no images of St. Mark’s Square or the canals of Venice; her take on this city is all about groupings of Murano glass. In Istanbul, she roamed the vast Grand Bazaar for seven hours straight, where she translated the visual extravaganza of this famed marketplace into striking compositions of plates and pashminas. The spice market provided yet another spectacle for her talented eye, with displays of fish, figs, saffron and olives artfully framed in her viewfinder. In contrast to the frenetic marketplace, the quiet elegance of mosque interiors also is illuminated in her original work. When not feeding her fervor for travel and photography, Luttgens is a busy professional who provides executive leadership to nonprofit and health care organizations through her own consulting firm. She was senior vice president and chief operating officer at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles from 1995 to 2001 and most recently served as interim chief executive officer of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California. Yet photography has been a constant throughout much of her life, beginning as a high school student growing up in San Francisco. Her father, a physician, was a serious photo hobbyist whose interest led him to study with Ansel Adams in Yosemite. “He taught me early on the science of photography and built me a darkroom in the attic,” says Luttgens, who remembers whole days happily spent locked away developing and printing pictures. In college, she and a classmate were awarded a grant to travel to New Mexico and produce a slide show about Native Americans. “We set it to music and, of course in those days, it was Cat Stevens,” Luttgens says with a laugh. Aside from this experience, however, Luttgens’ studies were directed elsewhere. She has a B.A. from Beloit College and a master’s degree in public health from Yale. She credits a slew of adventure-filled trips’beginning with Africa in 1995’as reigniting her picture-taking instincts. What followed was a trip with her daughter to Alaska, a South American cruise along the coast of Chile and Argentina and, three years ago, a tour of Australia that culminated in scuba diving with sharks at the Great Barrier Reef. On another trip, Luttgens and her daughter intended to enroll at the language institute when visiting San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, but the marketplace won over, with both mother and daughter consumed with taking pictures. When Luttgens was tapped by Mary Autera, owner of the Hidden Caf’, to exhibit her work in the restaurant, she felt a touch overwhelmed. “I have a reasonably good eye; it’s the technical side of things that is a challenge,” she says. “I wasn’t sure I could pull it together working 60 hours a week.” In stepped Mazi Aghalarpour of Village Photo, who saved the day by assisting Luttgens in sorting through 550 digital images to choose the best 40, and who also lent his expertise in printing. “The whole point of photography is you don’t have to say anything,” Luttgens says in regard to what she values most about the medium. “All you have to do is let people look, and then words aren’t necessary.” The show continues at the Hidden Caf’, 1515 Palisades Dr. in the Highlands through April 23. Photographs, all printed in either an 8 x 10 or 8 x 12 format, are for sale: $35, matted; $60 framed. Contact: 230-9823.
Mortenson and Departing Coach Motivate Paly Team at Y-Champs
Motivated by a departing coach and a former Olympic swimmer, the Palisades-Malibu YMCA performed well at the annual Southern California YMCA Swim League championships last weekend at El Monte Aquatics Center. Paly’s team of 71 swimmers was the second largest in the competition. “All the hard work and effort the kids put into the season has paid off,” said head coach Kameron Kennedy, who is leaving the program to pursue advanced degrees in kinesiology and business at the University of Texas in Austin. “Everyone who participated had at least one personal best time.” At the pep rally Friday night, Jay Mortenson, who won a gold medal in swimming at the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, delivered a rousing motivational speech. Two of his four children, J.P and Nina, swim for Paly. “It was a huge boost for the kids to hear Jay talk and I could tell they were really listening to what he had to say,” Kennedy said. “He showed them his gold medal and it gave the team a lot of inspiration going into Saturday’s preliminaries.” Swimming in her first Y-champs meet did not seem to intimidate eight-year-old Mardell Ramirez. She won the 25 Butterfly and 50 Freestyle events and finished third in the 25 Free. Catherine Wang, 11, took second in the 50 Fly. Thirteen-year-old Alexandra Edel had two Junior Olympic cut times. She was second in both the 50 Free and 100 Free and third in the 200 Individual Medley. Another 13-year-old, Allison Merz, won the 50 Free, was second in the 100 Fly and was third in the 100 Free. Jennifer Tartavull, also 13, made a spring Junior Olympics cut and took fourth in the 50 Free. Erica Drennan, 15, took third in the girls’ 100 Backstroke. For the boys, 10-year-old Nicholas Edel clocked “aa” times in all of his events. He swam second in the 50 Freestyle, third in the 50 Breaststroke and second in the 100 Free. Danny Fujinaka, 13, notched two Junior Olympic and one “aa” time while placing third in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Free. Eight-year-old Alec Wilimovsky placed second in the 25 Free and third in the 25 Breast. Paly’s 8-and- under girls 100 Freestyle Relay took first with Elizabeth Edel, Tiana Marsh, Nina Mortenson and Mardell Ramirez while the boys’ 8-and-under 100 Medley was second, led by Peter Bickel, Joe Walker, J.P. Mortenson and Kent Sheridan. The boys were also runner-up in the 8-and-under 100 Freestyle Relay (Mac Abe, Hunter Loncar, Kenneth Saab and Alec Wilimovsky) and third in both the 9-10 division of the 200 Freestyle Relay (Nick Edel, Kieran Sheridan, Alex Landau and Michael Lukasiak) and the 11-12 division of the 200 Freestyle Relay (Andrew Chang, Leland Frankel, Shervin Ghaffari and Jordan Wilimovsky). In the girls’ 11-12s, Paly’s Wang, Kirkpatrick, Lewenstein and Silka took second in the 200 Medley Relay while Jessica Schem, Shelby Pascoe, Haley Hacker and Rebecca Lawton took third in the 13-14s and the senior girls (Drennan, Ana Silka, Hannah Haberfield and Lizzie Ebert) were second. The 11-12 girls (Olivia Kirkpatrick, Rachel Jaffe, Mara Silka and Georgia Johnson) were third in the 200 Free Relay. Paly won the 13-14 girls’ 200 Free Relay with Alexandra Edel, Allison Merz, Kimberly Tartavull and Jennifer Tartavull. The 13-14 boys’ 200 Freestyle Relay of Mike Buchhauer, Jimmy De Mayo, Fujinaka and Ben Lewenstein swam third. The girls’ senior 200 Free Relay (Drennan, Haberfield, Ebert and Hayley Lemoine) was second. Palisades-Malibu YMCA Director Carol Pfannkuche fully supports the swim program and met with Paly swim parents on Tuesday to discuss qualified candidates for a new coach.
Basketball Roundup
Boys Basketball Midway through the fourth quarter, Palisades led by four points and appeared destined for the L.A. Sports Arena and a spot in the City Invitational Finals. Then, a problem that had plagued the Dolphins all season resurfaced: the inability to close an opponent out. Although the game was moved to Carson High in order to accommodate more fans, host San Pedro still enjoyed the home court and home crowd advantage. Junior forward Max Weischedel was fouled with 19 seconds left and made the first of two free throw attempts to give the fourth-seeded Pirates (20-7) a 62-61 lead. After a pair of turnovers, Pali had possession underneath San Pedro’s basket with 2.6 seconds left and one last chance to win the game, but Weischedel intercepted a pass from sophomore guard Taylor Shipley and dribbled downcourt to run out the clock. Marshall Johnson, who had scored 24 points in the Dolphins’ 77-56 quarterfinal win at top-seeded Venice, once again led all scorers with 19 points. Ashton Roberts added 12 for ninth-seeded Palisades (13-14), which was playing in the Invitational bracket for the first time in coach James Paleno’s 16 seasons. “It was a good run for us,” Paleno said. “I’d still rather be the 16th seed in the upper bracket and have a chance to play for the championship, but as it turned out we got to play a few extra games and we have a lot of young players so this gave them valuable experience. Girls JV Basketball Third-seeded Palisades upset second-seeded Garfield in the semifinals last Thursday to advance to Friday’s final at top-seeded Cleveland. Tip-off is at 3 p.m.
Soccer Falls in Quarters
Granada Hills left wing Nina Manser scored on a rising shot just inside the near post nine minutes before full time and the third-seeded Highlanders hung on to beat Palisades, 1-0, in the quarterfinals of the City Section girls soccer playoffs last Friday afternoon. The goal, Manser’s first of the season, brought an abrupt end to the Dolphins’ season and the high school career of several Dolphins, including striker Lucy Miller, who was held scoreless for just the fifth time this season but still finished with 26 goals in 20 games. “It’s disappointing to come this far and lose, but we still had a great season,” PaliHi forward Kelly Mickel said. “It was one of those games that we knew would probably be decided by one goal.” Palisades sent all but two of its players forward in the final minutes trying to score the equalizing goal. Just before the final whistle, PaliHi midfielder Kate Rosenbaum controlled a cross and took a point-blank shot from six yards out that Granada Hills’ sophomore goalie Amanda Katz punched over the crossbar. The game was nearly a carbon copy of the teams’ semifinal meeting a year ago when it was Palisades scoring a late goal to win and advance to the finals for the first time in school history. Sophomore Allison Kappeyne made 13 saves for the sixth-seeded Dolphins (12-4-4), including eight in the second half. Granada Hills (19-5-2) hosted 10th-seeded Locke yesterday with the winner advancing to Saturday’s final at East Los Angeles College. “I’m really proud of the way we played,” PaliHi coach Kim Smith said. “We lost today but it was still a successful season.”
Spikers Set for Title Run
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
“Rome wasn’t built in a day.” That was the phrase scribbled on a blackboard in the Palisades High gymnasium Monday during the boys volleyball team’s first indoor practice. New coach Matt Shubin will have a new inspirational message for his team each and every day. He hopes the quotes will motivate his players to achieve their goals, the last of which he hopes will be Pali’s first City championship since 1998. “The first step towards the ultimate goal is to win our league,” said Shubin, who was hired to coach the girls team in the fall and now inherits a once-proud boys program that has been only mediocre in recent years. “We have a lot of players still competing for positions and I want to give everyone a fair chance to show what they can do.” With 27 players vying for 10 to 12 varsity spots, Shubin will have a lot of decisions to make before Saturday, when the team travels to Cal State Dominguez Hills for the pre-season Tournament of Champions. The Dolphins will be led by four seniors: outside hitters Joey Sarafian and Beck Johnson, middle blocker Rob Mees and opposite hitter Jacob Khovbian. According to Shubin, junior opposite hitter Will Smith “can jump out of the gym” and will also be a key contributor on offense. Sophomore Scott Vegas, one of four left-handers to make varsity, is expected to be the starting setter. Freshman Matt Hanley, son of local beach volleyball player Linda Hanley, will play libero while fellow ninth-graders Henry Conklin and Jordan Cohen has showed promise at outside hitter. “It’s a privilege to coach this program,” said Shubin, who grew up in Malibu and knows all about Pali volleyball’s storied tradition. “The fact that we’ve had so many kids tryout is good because our junior varsity team will be formidable too. We’re going to take them with us to tournaments and they’ll be competitive.” After compiling an 11-3 record and finishing second in the Western League behind Venice last season, Palisades was awarded the eighth-seed in the City playoffs and was swept by top-seeded Granada Hills in the quarterfinals.
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CAREGIVERS/COMPANIONS Live in/out. Minimum 2 years experience. 3 work related references required. CNA’S/CHH’S welcomed. Bondable. Call (323) 692-3692GARDENING, LANDSCAPING 11
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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 AVAILABLE. Please call Jill Liberman, (310) 828-5087 (H) or (310) 617-1115 (cell) 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) 367-9456CABINET 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.comCONCRETE, 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.comCONSTRUCTION 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) 457-4112ELECTRICAL 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) 317-8286FENCES 16j
THE FENCE MAN. 14 years quality workmanship. Wood fences – Decks – Gates – Chainlink & overhang. Lic. #663238, bonded. (818) 706-1996FLOOR 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.comHANDYMAN 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) 663-3633HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16o
SANTA MONICA HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING. INSTALLATION: New and old service and repairs. Lic. #324942 (310) 393-5686PAINTING, 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 QUALITY PAINTING PLUS: Free estimates. Family-owned and operated for three generations. Serving southern California since 1979. Interior/exterior residential/commercial. Only high grade materials applied. Lic. #698939. James Welsh, (310) 663-3914 ZARKO PRTINA PAINTING. Interior/Exterior. 35 years in service. License #637882. Call (310) 454-6604PLUMBING 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) 678-6634REMODELING 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. #769443HELP 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 LOOKING FOR A LIVE-IN NANNY. Flexible hours. MUST speak some English. Paid overtime. One toddler and one infant. Call (310) 384-6296 DO YOU KNOW JAVA SCRIPT? The Palisadian-Post is working on a project. Send resume with references to Tom Small c/o the Palisadian-Post, P.O. Box 725, Pacific Palisades, 90272, or fax (310) 454-1078 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. GARDENER/HANDYMAN. 1 day a week. Residence. (310) 459-4746 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 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) 456-8986AUTOS 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) 995-5898FURNITURE 18c
DESIGNER’S GORGEOUS CUSTOM CABINET. Antique styled, honey colored pine with glass and wooden shelves. Holds audio equipment, including large speakers, books, artifacts. etc. 7′ wide, 16″ deep, 7’6″ high. $650. Orig. $4,500. (310) 454-8818GARAGE, 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. BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! Antique furn. & furnishgs. Tiger eye oak, Eastlake/DR set, buffet/curio cab/armoires/side tables. Roll top desk/dark leather sofa/bookcases/Sony stereo sys/books/hsehold stuff/tools linens/grt. clothes/jewelry. 14748 McKendree (off Bestor). FRI.-SAT, Feb. 24-25; 8 a.m.-4 p.m. MOVING GARAGE SALE! Everything must go. Swing set, W/D, clothes, household items, office furniture and more. Fri., Feb. 24th, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Sat. Feb. 25th 10 a.m.-2 p.m. ESTATE SALES! MOVING GREAT STUFF! Persian rugs, lamps, gifts, toys, clothes, paintings, mirrors, videos and much more. Will sell by lot. 1287 Rimmer. Sat., Feb. 25th, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.WANTED TO BUY 19
WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, ’50s, ’60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 306-7746 – profeti2001@yahoo.comPalisadian Kesden Rocks the Classroom
By EVELYN BARGE Palisadian-Post Intern It’s Monday morning at Short Avenue Elementary School in Venice, and musician Christo Pellani is handing out egg shakers in every color to the students in Matt Snyder’s fifth-grade classroom. An air of excitement hangs in the room, as each student resists the urge to begin shaking away. Palisadian Brad Kesden stands at the front of the room, guitar in hand. Once the shaker instruments have been distributed, it is only a moment before the classroom has erupted in a musical frenzy. The kids shake in rhythm and sing along to “These Stars are Your Stars,” which is played in the tune of the Woody Guthrie classic “This Land is Your Land.” The musical performance is just one of many that are part of today’s lesson, titled “Back Through the Stars,” a unit of study on astronomy. The students, led by Pellani, will also conduct classical music from composer Gustov Holst’s “The Planets Suite,” with each table in the classroom playing along as a different section of an orchestra. Thanks to Rock the Classroom, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Kesden, this interactive musical experience has become part of the regular curriculum for fifth graders at Short Avenue, a Title I school where 68 percent of the students participate in the National School Lunch Program, which provides free and reduced-cost lunches to qualifying children. Before forming Rock the Classroom, Kesden was working as a writer with experience in books, film and children’s television programs. He began collaborating with celebrities such as Ray Romano and Paul Reiser on major book-writing projects. But the stress of working with celebrities and the growing pressures from big-name book publishers soon led Kesden to realize he wanted out of the entertainment industry. After another celebrity book-writing deal turned sour, Kesden said he decided to look for a new line of work. “Now I had to figure out what I was going to do for a living,” he said. Around the same time, Kesden and his daughter Lena joined the Indian Princesses troop at the Palisades YMCA. He soon formed a friendship with two other fathers in the troop’Richard Foos, founder of Rhino Records, and Adlai Wertman, head of the nonprofit organization Chrysalis that helps poor and homeless people find jobs. “I was just getting to know these guys, when Richard said he always wanted to start a free music program for kids in public school,” Kesden said. “He asked me if it was something I’d like to try to do.” Kesden began researching existing arts programs in schools. “I didn’t want to try to reinvent the wheel,” he said. “It seemed like there were probably a lot of great programs out there that just need money.” In the process of researching, Kesden said he discovered that the obstacles were greater than he initially imagined. “Everyone knows that the arts have been cut to almost nothing in public schools,” Kesden said. “What we didn’t know is that, in this climate of No Child Left Behind standards for teaching the core curriculum, we could go into any school and tell them we want to bring in the greatest free music program ever, but they just don’t have time. If you fall behind in teaching the core curriculum, you’re going to get fired, because they have to keep these kids on point all the time.” Kesden said he realized that, in order to provide Title I public schools with free music programs, Rock the Classroom would have to find a way to incorporate its artistic vision into the existing curriculum requirements. So, with the aid of a curriculum consultant, Rock the Classroom developed an approach in fall 2003 that would reinforce the basic curriculum through a creative, musical experience. “Our approach has just resonated incredibly with educators,” Kesden said. “We really are doing two things at once. Our program meets both the state literacy standards and the state visual and performing arts standards.” The first school to open its doors to Rock the Classroom was Cheremoya Avenue Elementary in Los Angeles. The nonprofit group brought in professional musicians to visit the fifth-grade classroom on a weekly basis. “We send in a guy with a drum, or a keyboard or a guitar and one of our lesson plans,” Kesden said. “Then they’ve got a great class that reinforces the literacy program and teaches them about music.” Rock the Classroom musicians are all professionally trained, take orientation lessons and have a background in teaching. “They go to the school once a week for a whole year,” Kesden said. “They really form a bond with the kids.” Rock the Classroom’s first group of students at Cheremoya spent eight weeks studying a Civil War unit. “We came in and showed them some of the building blocks of music, like rhythm, melody and harmony,” Kesden said. During their studies, the children learned the poem “Harriet Tubman” from their textbooks and then rapped the poem to different beats. “We have them rap it, because it’s fun and that’s the kind of music they listen to,” Kesden explained. “But, to rap it and get it to fit to the beats, the kids have to know where the syllable breaks, which means they also have to know how the word is spelled.” The students also studied the origins and varieties of the blues, which began with the slave songs of the period. At the end of the unit, the students synthesized their knowledge and wrote original blues songs about the Civil War. Each song was required to follow a rhyme scheme, illustrate a specific Civil War figure, utilize simile and metaphor and capture a sense of pain and loss ‘ all essential elements of any blues song. The students performed their songs in groups, and each received a CD with a recording of their performance. “We always bring it back to the text and the material they have to know,” Kesden said. Now, less than two years since Rock the Classroom developed a way of teaching standard lessons through music, the program has been introduced in nine schools with over 550 participating students. One of the participating schools is located in the Bronx. The other eight are Los Angeles-area schools. “It’s just taken off,” Kesden said. “We were able to figure out this approach that other people have been struggling with in terms of the arts.” Kesden, who grew up in New York and moved to Los Angeles with his wife Celia Bernstein in 1988, said he has enjoyed seeing the students at Title I schools respond to the interactive musical experience. “These kids treat you like a rock star,” he said. “They are just not getting the exposure to all the same things that kids in more privileged neighborhoods are. Just that fact that somebody shows up to do something with them, they can’t believe it. They can’t believe someone values them and takes an interest.” He added that the students are not the only ones who take something away from a Rock the Classroom lesson. “There is nothing I would rather do than sit in class with those kids,” he said. “These kids are so starved for something creative, something they’ve barely been exposed to in any other way, and I’m so grateful to be a part of it.” Kesden said he envisions a bright future for Rock the Classroom, and he hopes the organization will be able to bring music to elementary school children nationwide. “I’d like it to be in every elementary school in the country,” he said. “Now that we’ve got something that we can see really works and is easily replicable, it’s really just a question of expanding it.” For more information, visit www.rocktheclassroom.org.
Palisades High Students Help Organize Benefit Concert for Ugandan Children
Who better to support children of war and help tell their stories than other youth? This is the idea behind the upcoming “Share the Love” humanitarian concert and fundraiser, organized by students from 11 schools, including Palisades Charter High School. The youth-produced event, supported by the nonprofit organization One Global Tribe, will be held at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood on Saturday, March 4 from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 pre-sale and $15 at the door. The students are raising money for the rehabilitation of the traumatized and wounded child soldiers at Rachele Rehabilitation Center in Lira, Uganda. The children of northern Uganda are kidnapped in the middle of the night, forced to become child soldiers and then sent to war. “It’s a situation that everyone’s been too quiet about,” said Megan Green, a PaliHi sophomore and president of her school’s Global Tribe community service club. “The main goal [of the concert] is to raise awareness for the cause.” Ryan Devlin (host of “Entertainment Tonight” on MTV) will host the event, which will feature a silent auction and performances by three high school bands, including The Outline, No Sex Just Dancing and Columbia. Special guests include KAOS Project Blowed Youth Poetry Team, with original poetry and spoken word presentations. The bands “have a large high school following,” said Green, who plans to start selling tickets at school on February 27. “I’m pretty sure we’re going to sell out.” On the evening of the event, students will also help launch “The Name Campaign” by selling dog tags ($15 each) engraved with the real name of an actual child soldier. By purchasing a dog tag, “you’re representing the name of a former child soldier in Uganda,” Green said. “You’re saying that you’re taking a stand for these people.” “The Name Campaign” (www.thenamecampaign.org) is dedicated to raising awareness of the 19-year-old conflict and its effect on thousands of children. Dog tags will be available for purchase throughout the year. “We really want to turn them into the next LIVESTRONG bracelets,” Green said, referring to the bright yellow wristbands that support the Lance Armstrong Foundation. One Global Tribe was started by activist Amy Eldon, the host and associate producer of “Dying to Tell the Story,” an Emmy-nominated film about the death of her older brother, 22-year-old Reuters photographer Dan Eldon, in Somalia in 1993. One Global Tribe offers youth and their teachers the tools and knowledge to engage themselves in being global citizens. “It’s an organization whose goal is to unite youth from all parts of the world,” said Green, who started Pali’s Global Tribe club at the beginning of the school year, after community service director Gretchen Miller referred her to the organization. Sophomore Jordan Petitt is vice president of the club. “Share the Love” will bring together youth from the east and west sides of Los Angeles to take a stand on the theme of war and violence. In addition to Pali, other participating high schools include Wildwood, New Roads, Crossroads, Archer School for Girls, Venice, Buckley, Marlborough School, Harvard-Westlake, Oakwood and Windward. “The voice and vision of youth is at the heart of this event,” said Alison Fast, outreach director of One Global Tribe. “We like to promote the idea that you don’t have to wait until you get out of high school to make a difference in the world.” The Knitting Factory is located at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. For more information, visit www.oneglobaltribe.org or www.namecampaign.org.
‘The Cherry Orchard’
Theater Review
If the foreshadowed demise of the orchard hinted at in Act One of Chekhov’s “The Cherry Orchard” had been an Ibsen hint like the pistols in the “Hedda Gabler,” the audience would have prepared for a dark climb to a tragic climax. But “The Cherry Orchard” is not in the vein of Ibsen and Strindberg, who were both tireless manipulators and gloomy naturalists. No, Chekhov is a master at keeping out of the way of the characters. He’d rather let the audience judge human folly for themselves. I was so looking forward to seeing this classic play, which is now on stage at the Ahmanson Theatre through March 19. Director Sean Matthias is credited for using Martin Sherman’s adaptation, which gives Chekhov’s words a distinctly American, even slangy sensibility. The plot serves only to bring a gentle clash between the past and the future, but more precisely gives the audience a window through which we see a romp of emotion, as if we were watching a family holiday reunion. The action swirls around Ranyevskaya (Annette Bening), who has returned to her beloved childhood home and cherry orchard in rural Russia, which is slated to be sold to pay her debts. While the playwright could have set up a particularly sad drama about loss and the passage of time, he never lets the audience feel pathos. The spare stage, sprinkled with a few pieces of turn-of-the-century furniture here and there, and efficient dialogue sit well with me, if I could believe in what’s confined in that space at that moment. This is the problem with this production. The characters, who after all are kin or old family servants, fail to convince us of this intimacy. There is plenty of hugging and kissing, and tearful embraces, none of which stick. Chekhov is a master of detail, and a storyteller, and each of these men and women has a story: Ranyevskaya is a spoiled, harmless elitist who makes countless bad decisions for love; Trofimov (Jason Butler Harner), the revolutionary student, professes to be “above” love while at the next turn he is blinded by hopeless adoration; and Lopakhin (Alfred Molina) is no Simon Legree, but a peasant who made good who can’t quite believe his good fortune. All of these stories are told in mini-monologues that add meat to the bones of the plot, but don’t further the action. Each character tells his or story, but then figuratively walks off the stage. This is Chekhov, certainly. Poet and critical essayist Kenneth Rexroth writes that “there is something intrinsically ridiculous about all the people in the play. Chekhov’s is truly a theater of the absurd. Yet we never think of them as very funny’and we don’t think of them as very sad, either. Chekhov’s people we simply accept.” The talented Molina’s Lopakhin is the one person who holds the center together. Here is a man, son of a serf, whose father was not even allowed in the kitchen of the house he now owns; a man who long ago was shown a kindness by the woman whose estate he has foreclosed, and a man uncomfortable in his new clothes, who is unable to commit to the woman who loves him. In summary, a man we accept because we know him to be human. “The Cherry Orchard” plays at the Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave. Tickets: (213) 628-2772.
