GARRETT WAIT Palisadian-Post Intern Janie Dempsey Watts’ artistic vision has once again led her to publication with a short story called “Southern Spirit” in “Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover’s Soul II,” published February 28. Watts, a Pacific Palisades resident for nearly six years, tells the story of her great-great-grandmother, Matilda Arnold Seabolt, a Southern woman dealing with a horde of bandits in the mountains of Georgia during the Civil War. Seabolt, strong in her determination, fends off the bandits attempting to steal her horse, Snip, during a raid on the family farm. The story of Snip and Seabolt is one that has been passed down from generation to generation, according to Watts. “My grandmother told me that story first,” Watts said. “Then my father and uncle told it to me. It’s part of the great oral tradition of the South.” Watts’ professional writing career has enabled her to carry on her family’s storytelling tradition with a wide array of fictional and nonfictional short stories and screenplays. The Tennessee native’s focus on horses in many of her stories is the product of a childhood spent on horses. “That’s all we ever did,” Watts said. “You know how other people have soccer or baseball? Well, horses are our family thing. We had a farm across the border in Georgia and we went out every weekend to ride horses.” Watts earned a B.A. in journalism from UC Berkeley in 1974. She has focused on writing prose more during the past several years of her career and said she became interested in writing at a young age after reading one of the classic American novels. “When I was 12, I read ‘The Catcher in the Rye,'” Watts said. “I decided it would be great to write more, so in high school I wrote poems and wrote for the high school newspaper. In college, I took English, but I quickly found out it was all analysis so I switched to journalism because I wanted to write. I wrote for the college newspaper and got a job in journalism and loved it.” However, her career as a writer took a different turn when she entered the world of screenplays, something that she says can be frustrating because it takes so much time and financial backing to get a film produced. “I did screenplays for a while, but I wanted more control,” said Watts, who decided to write prose. “It’s easier to get an audience for a shorter piece and you can say a lot more in print.” A Web site announcement led her to submit a story to a “Chicken Soup” book in 2003. The story, entitled “Frosty Georgia Morning,” was published in the first edition of “Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover’s Soul.” The horse theme runs through many of Watts’ essays and her time spent in Georgia and Tennessee as a girl helped shape the background for most of the stories she has had published. In fact, her family still owns the farm in Ringgold, Georgia. “Each of us owns a little piece of the land,” Watts said. “It’s got a little creek and you can fish. I plan to get some more horses some day and move back but there aren’t any on the farm now because you have to be there to take care of them.” Watts, who still rents horses a few times a year and rides with friends, said her love of horses is deeply ingrained and built on the basic enjoyment she experienced with horses as a child. “It’s just fun,” Watts said. “[The horses] are like friends. There was always something you could do with them. You never ran out of any activity, you could train the horses, ride the horses, see new places. It was like transportation. You could see more of the farm and use your imagination.” Watts’ writing career is in a holding pattern right now, she said. She’s waiting to get her first novel, “Moon Over Taylor’s Ridge,” published. She’s seeking an agent to take it around to publishers at the moment, but has several back-up plans for publication. Meanwhile, she’s working on her second novel as well as several short stories about her childhood in the South. She has stories nearing publication in West magazine and Georgia Backroads magazine, along with online essays at boomerwomenspeak.com. Her husband Stephen Spataro, an attorney, and their sons Jack, a student at Santa Monica Community College and Anthony, of Goleta, have been featured in some of her stories published online. However, horses are where it’s at for Watts, especially when she’s writing nonfiction. “I was asked to submit more stories to other ‘Chicken Soup’ books,” Watts said. “It’s very hard to get a short story published. Fiction is much harder to sell; everybody loves nonfiction and that’s what I like to write most. I know I’m good at it so I’ll keep doing it.”
Young Palisadians
JOEL ROSENTHAL, a fourth grade student at Marquez Charter Elementary School, played violin in the Los Angeles Unified School District Elementary Music Festival, Accent on Performance, on April 30 at the Luckman Theatre on the campus of Cal State Los Angeles. Joel, the son of Betsy and David Rosenthal, was the only Marquez student invited to perform in this 2006 Elementary Honor Orchestra. o o o BYRON KENNERLY, a senior at Virginia Tech, won first place in the general news photo category for his work at The Collegiate Times, the school’s student-run newspaper. Kennerly is a graduate of Windward High School. o o o CAITLIN TORTORICI, the daughter of Peter and Susan Tortorici and a freshman at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, received academic distinction for the fall 2005 semester. To be eligible for academic distinction, a student must be full-time and receive a 3.5 grade point average or higher. Tortorici is a graduate of Crossroads School. o o o AMY JACLYN GUMENICK, DAVID DALE LAMB and JESSICA CAREY SANBORN, undergraduate students at UCSB, were selected for the dean’s list for the winter quarter. This honor is earned by students who have attained a grade point average of 3.75 (A-) on a program of 12 or more graded units in the College of Letters and Science or 3.50 in the College of Engineering. o o o DAVID L. PHILIPSON, a student at Harvard-Westlake School, and ARASH GHARIB, a student at Palisades Charter High School, were among 2,500 high school seniors in the nation who won National Merit Scholarships of $2,500 each. The winners were selected based on their academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay describing interests and goals; and a recommendation written by a high school official.
Upcoming Events
Wilson’s ‘ The Piano Lesson’ Plays at Morgan-Wixson August Wilson’s “The Piano Lesson” continues at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. Directed by Donis Leonard, the production continues through Saturday, June 3. This dramatic work centers on the Charles family’s prized and hard-won possession of an antique upright piano covered with ornate carvings detailing their rise from slavery. When Boy Willie comes home with the dream of buying the same Mississippi land that his family worked as slaves, he will need to persuade his stubborn sister that the past is the past, and they should sell the family piano to stake their future. The play runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18; $15 for students and seniors. Contact: 828-7519. Artists of Tomorrow to Perform at Revere The Brentwood-Westwood Symphony, under the baton of Alvin Mills, will present the annual Artists of Tomorrow concert on Sunday, May 21 at 3 p.m. at Paul Revere Middle School, 1450 Allenford. The six young talented musicians are winners of the annual competition sponsored by the Brentwood-Westwood Symphony Orchestra Association, in which 46 talented musicians participated. This year the Howard Engelman Grand Prize of $1, 000 will be divided between Tina Guo, cellist, and pupil of Eleonore Schoenfeld, who will perform the first movement of Dvorak’s Cello Concerto, and Sean Chen, pianist and student of Edward Francis, who will play the first movement of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. The other four winners will perform music by Sarasate, Chopin, Mozart, Chaminade and Richard Strauss. There is no admission charge, and parking is free. Contact: 829-3149. New Roads Parents to Hold Garage-Sale Fundraiser This Weekend The Parent Association of New Roads School will hold a garage sale fundraiser on Sunday, May 21, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the campus of New Roads High School, located at 3131 Olympic in Santa Monica. Proceeds from the sale will benefit New Roads’ financial aid program, which has achieved national recognition for its commitment to providing need-based financial assistance to more than 50 percent of the student population. Early birds can come from 7 to 8 a.m. for the “pre-sale”; $5 admission buys first dibs on everything. Visa/Mastercard will be accepted with a minimum purchase of $10. Last Chance to Catch ‘Bright Ideas’ in SM “Bright Ideas,” playing at the Edgemar Center for the Arts through May 20, is a dark comedy about how far some parents will go to get their child into the “right” preschool. When parents Josh and Generva find out how hard the admissions process is, they go to great lengths to get their son in’including murder! The award-winning play by Eric Coble is directed by Neil Kinsella and stars Michelle Danner, Brian Drillinger, Ali Elk, Michelle Johnson and Kevin Small. The theater is located at 2437 Main St. in Santa Monica. Tickets are $20. Contact: 392-7327 or go to www.edgemarcenter.org. TP Kids Auditions for ’42nd Street’ Theatre Palisades Kids will hold auditions for its summer camp production of “42nd Street” on Friday, June 2, from 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, June 3, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Auditions are open to 4th grade through current 8th grade students and will be held at the United Methodist Church at 801 Via de la Paz. Please prepare to sing a song and dance (bring tap and/or dance shoes). “42nd Street” rehearsals begin July 10 and performances will take place the weekend of July 28 at Pierson Playhouse. This show will be directed by Nancy Fracchiolla and produced by Elisa Varela. For more information, contact: varelae@aol.com or call 573-2004. Korean Dance at the Library on May 23 Dancer Young-Ae Park will demonstrate “Salpuri” (Exorcism Dance), one of the most popular Korean traditional folk dances derived from shamanic ceremonies, and “Da Mong” (Dream Layers), a modern rendition of “Salpuri,” on Tuesday, May 23 at 4 p.m. at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real. This free event, which celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, is the second in a series of cultural programs for families. “Da Mong” is a story dance about a girl who learns how to deal with the dark and mischievous forces that cause confusion, doubt, fear, sadness, shame and hate. She courageously faces these dark forces and transforms them into something beautiful.
Tennis Repeats as City Champs
Dolphins Dump Granada Hills for Second Straight Section Title
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
What separates Palisades High from its opponents is an intangible far more important than acquired skill or natural ability. It may not be noticeable on the court, but the Dolphins’ mystique is alive and well. Just ask Granada Hills. A long-anticipated final showdown pitting the top two tennis teams in the City Section quickly dissolved into a coronation for Palisades, which dominated in both singles and doubles to earn its second consecutive championship and 26th overall with a 19 1/2-10 victory Friday afternoon at Balboa Sports Center in Encino. “The key for us is that when we have to play our best, we’re able to raise our game,” said head coach Bud Kling, who has led the Dolphins to 16 boys titles since he took over the program in 1979. “That’s why we’ve been able to win so many times. We’ve built a tradition of winning. Our players expect to win.” From the moment the first ball was struck, top-seeded Palisades (16-0) played the big points better. The Dolphins won five out of six tiebreakers and the one they lost came late in the match, long after the outcome had been decided. “We’ve had Granada Hills on our radar from day one,” said senior Ben Tom, Palisades’ No. 1 player. “We figured we were probably going to meet them in the finals and we were honestly expecting a closer match.” Tom beat Granada Hills’ top player, Eric Lee, in a tiebreaker, then rallied from a 5-1 deficit and two service breaks to beat the Highlanders No. 2 player, Vinnie Amor, 7-6 (7-4). Each win was worth one point on the scoreboard, but their impact on the opponents’ psyche was just as important. “The whole match came down to a few big points and Palisades won them,” said Granada Hills’ third-year coach Simon Robertshaw. “You have to give them credit. I just hope their guys are sore tomorrow–especially the singles players.” The Dolphins seized control of the match by winning six of seven sets to gain 7 1/2 out of a possible 8 1/2 points in the first rotation of round robin. With a total of 29 1/2 points possible, the first team to reach 15 points wins. “Last year, it was all about ending El Camino Real’s dynasty,” said Palisades senior Seth Mandelkern, who teamed with junior Michael Light to sweep three sets at No. 2 doubles, the first of them in a tiebreaker. “They’d won five in a row and we were the underdogs, so beating them was sweet. This year we were the favorites, so it was about proving our dominance.” “It’s my 17th birthday today,” said Light, who won the City title on his birthday last year as well. “This is the best present anyone can give me.” Freshman Chase Pekar won two sets at No. 2 singles, junior Ariel Oleynik won three of four sets at No. 3 singles and senior Adam Deloje won a crucial tiebreaker at No. 4 singles for the Dolphins. Senior Stephen Surjue and junior Sepehr Safii swept 6-1, 7-6 (2), 6-1 at No. 1 doubles. Juniors George Hudak and Mason Hays won one set at No. 3 doubles. “We were pumping each other up the whole way over on the bus,” said Pekar, who is glad he chose Palisades over Loyola, where most of his friends from Corpus Christi went. “We had the attitude that we were going to win this together, as a team, and we did.” Robertshaw gambled by breaking up his No. 1 doubles team in an effort to bolster his singles lineup. He moved one of his best doubles players, Mark Lewin, to No. 3 singles, but the Highlanders’ fate was sealed when Lewin won only two of four sets and the player he replaced, Dustin Yu, failed to win a set at No. 3 doubles with partner Evan Kopel. “My strategy was to make sure Palisades had to earn each point. I didn’t want to give away any easy sets,” Robertshaw reasoned. “We needed to win between nine and 12 sets in singles and we only got six, so they won that battle.” Kling was surprised by his counterparts’ last-minute change. “He must not have been very confident that they could beat us with their normal lineup. To me, that sends the wrong message to your kids.” Lee swept his last three singles sets but it was too little, too late for the second-seeded Highlanders (14-2), who were vying for their first City title. “This is a great way to go out,” said Surjue, who will attend Howard University next fall. “Not only did we win, we dominated. We’re a stronger team top to bottom than we were last year.” So can the Dolphins make it three in a row next spring? “We’ll have a good chance,” Kling said. “We lose our best singles player and two of our top five doubles players but everyone else will be back. I’m so proud of this team because we played at such a high level all season. In terms of talent it’s not the best team I’ve ever had, but it’s one of the most consistent.”
Different Strokes
“Enthusiasm” and “experience” are words that can easily be attributed to new Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim team coaches Brian Timmerman and Caroline Ryan, who join current coach Eric Butler on deck. Both Timmerman and Ryan are experienced swimmers, not just coaches. Ryan qualified as a junior national level swimmer in the 100 and 200 Butterfly and was the swim team captain at Columbia University. Timmerman was a high school All-American as well as an NCAA Division II national qualifier at UC Davis. Timmerman started swimming as a six-year-old in Santa Monica and eventually joined the Santa Monica High team. In college he took his first coaching job in Sacramento for a summer league team. He remembers having about 200 swimmers all practicing in a four-lane pool. The team practiced from April through August and ended up with faster swimmers than a year-round USA team. After graduating from UC Davis in 1995 with a BA in English, he went to Steven Weiss and coached their aquatic team. Four of his “boys” made the U.S. national team and he traveled with them as they competed throughout California, Washington and North Dakota. “It was fun to travel around the country and go to the big meets,” says Timmerman, who is anxious to begin his new assignment. “As a head coach, I have a chance to help swimmers improve and get them excited about swimming.” While coaching 11- to 14-year-olds and serving as the head boys water polo coach for the CCAT, Timmerman was approached by Paly Aquatics Program Administrator Gayle Kirkpatrick, who asked him to substitute for departing head coach Kameron Kennedy, who left in the winter to pursue an advanced degree. “I liked the kids, I liked the location,” Timmerman recalls. “So when she offered me the head coaching job, I accepted. I wanted the opportunity to set the program. It’s an interesting mix of kids in the Palisades because you have those that could be national swimmers as well as those who are just acquiring their skills.” Timmerman explains that for many kids swimming is not an exciting sport because their heads are always in the water looking at the bottom of the pool, or in the case of the backstroke, they are on their backs looking at the sky. “It takes a lot of dedication and commitment,” he says. “I try to make practices as interesting, exciting and fun as possible. The kids get faster because they want to come and in the process they also get fitter.” Coaching techniques have evolved over the years and Timmerman says the old school method of “how far” and “how intense” was predicated on repetition–doing the same workout over and over. The new school of thought implements more interesting methods and varied training to achieve similar, if not superior, results. Timmerman’s objective is to increase the intensity and time his swimmers spend in the water in a way that coincides with the individual’s age. Above all else, however, he wants workouts to remain fun. He encourages all ages and abilities to try out for the Paly team, especially novices in the 12-14 age range. He and his wife Lisa, a second grade teacher at Marquez, have two children, Lia, 6, and Quincy, 3. Ryan, meanwhile, is a graduate student in social work at USC, where she is currently on the Dean’s list. She was hired as an age group coach and is looking forward to infusing her energy into the Paly program. “I’m definitely excited and enthusiastic,” she says. “I love it, the kids banter and play around.” Ryan grew up in Arizona and swam competitively on a USS swim club team for 19 years. One summer she even taught swimming to ADHD and autistic children. Despite training 20 hours a week, she made the Dean’s list at Columbia. “Time management was huge, getting everything done–the work, swimming, enough sleep,” Ryan said. “The upside was that when I first got to college I already had a built in network. I also got to travel.” Up at the Y pool in Temescal Canyon, Ryan pointed to a lane of six girls who were finishing their workout. “It’s nice because they’re 14 and 15 years old and you can see they’ve developed close friendships. I definitely remember what it’s like to be in high school. I never had a female coach, so I’m glad I can be for them.” If your child or teen is interested in the Paly swim team, call Kirkpatrick at 454-9637 or e-mail gaylekirkpatrick@ymcala.org. For swimmers in need of more lessons before trying out, the Y is offering a special May Madness session where you can sign up for five private or semi-private lessons and get a sixth free
Bellamy Slams His Way to Cerritos Semis
Palisadian Robbie Bellamy continued his meteoric rise up the USTA rankings by advancing to the semifinals in the 12-and-under age division of the Cerritos Junior Tennis Open, one of the most competitive tournaments in Southern California. Bellamy, who just moved up to the 12s, attained a No. 9 ranking in Southern California in the 10s, a division in which he won 14 Open and satellite events. At Cerritos, the sixth-seeded Bellamy defeated Jefferey Chen, 6-0, 6-1, in the first round, beat Kevin Pham, 7-6 (3), 6-3, in the second round and beat Kenny Gea, 6-2, 7-5, in the quarterfinals. Fellow Palisadian Alex Giannini, seeded seventh in the 64-player draw, beat Jack Winn in the first round, 6-2, 6-0, beat Brett Silverstein, 6-2, 6-0, in the second round, and lost to top-seeded Garrett Auproux in the quarterfinals. Another local player, Derrick Levchenko, beat Nishanth Yamani, 6-1, 6-0, in the first round before losing to third-seeded Patrick Skopek in the second round. In the boys 10s division, Palisadians Eric Busi and Joshua Rosen advanced to the second round.
Pali Track Gears Up For City Prelims
Palisades High juniors Bryan Greenberg and Angela Liberatore swept the pole vault events for the second straight year at last Thursday’s Western League finals meet in Culver City. Both train with UCLA pole vault coach Anthony Curran. Liberatore vaulted a personal-best 11 feet, beating her top mark from last year by two feet, to win the girls’ varsity division. Greenberg cleared 13 feet, the same height he reached in winning the gold medal at the Rotary Meet in April. Greenberg and Liberatore will vault at today’s City prelims at Birmingham High. Junior Kristabel Doebel-Hickok took second in both the 1600 and 3200 at league finals and remains a strong contender for the City title in both events. Leah Guerrero won the 100 hurdles, Sara McNees won the 300 hurdles, Tukeha Huntley was second in both the 200 and the high jump, Unique Shanklin was second in the 800 and Alex Cohen was second in the triple jump. Jann Stavro was second in both the 800 and 3200 and Jeff Fujimoto was second in the 300 hurdles.
Optimist/YMCA Track Meet Sunday at PaliHi
The 35th annual Palisades Optimist/YMCA youth track meet will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Sunday, May 21, at Palisades High’s Stadium by the Sea. Cost to register is $20 per child and the event is open to boys and girls ages 3-15. Running events will include 25, 50, 100 and 200-meter dashes and 4 x 100 relays while field events will be the long jump, high jump and shot put. On an overcast day, 156 athletes competed in last year’s meet and several records were broken. ‘We had a great turnout last year and we’re hoping for an even bigger one this year,” event coordinator Jim Kirtley said. Call the YMCA at 454-5591 or log on to the Web site: www.ymcala.org/pm for more information.
Thomas Griswold, 80: War Vet with Charm and Strong Intellect
Thomas William Griswold, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1958, passed away on May 2 following eight months of health battles. He was 80. Tom’s intellectual power and curiosity, his understanding of the world through physics, and his unexpected knowledge of art (unless you knew his mom) and music (Bach and Gilbert & Sullivan were favorites) were impressive. But, in the months before his death, he also displayed strength and determination. Tom was born in Los Angeles on July 29, 1925 to Robert Raymond and Lillian Mae Huntley Griswold. The third of three sons, he grew up in the Depression, hearing tales of his father’s experiences in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Brothers Frank and Tom built (and Bob blew up) model airplanes together, and rode bikes through various neighborhoods in Los Angeles and later San Francisco as their father pursued a successful career in sales of business systems. In the mid-1930s, the boys were joined by a sister, Sue. Tom graduated from Lowell High School in 1943, and at 17 enlisted in the army. He memorized the eye chart while in line, then passed the exam with his glasses off. Tom was assigned to the ASTP “program for brains” at Caltech. The Battle of the Bulge resulted in such high casualties for the Allies that the program was terminated in order to provide replacements. A week before being shipped out following basic training in Alabama, Tom was hospitalized with German measles. He was separated from his unit, which was later wiped out in France. Tom joined a unit in Gen. Patton’s army and was wounded twice. While he was recovering in the UK from a shrapnel wound in his forearm, Tom’s unit fought on the continent and was destroyed. Tom earned two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star with a cluster. He always brushed off these medals, saying “it was just a scratch.” Tom attended UC Berkeley on the GI Bill and earned his B.S. in physics in 1949, graduating summa cum laude, and being elected to Phi Beta Kappa (in his junior year). After graduation, he married Mary Lee Denman. They made their home in Berkeley as he earned his Ph.D. in physics from Berkeley in 1953. Tom accepted a position in the semiconductor research program (diodes and transistors) of Hughes Aircraft, and they moved to a home on Las Lomas in the Palisades and raised a family. Mary Lee went to work in nuclear medicine research at UCLA, and Tom joined start-up venture Continental Device Corporation, which was acquired by Teledyne in the early 1970s. Tom worked at Semtech Corporation before joining JPL and Caltech in the later ’70s, where he worked on the VLSI program for the Pioneer Deep Space Satellite, and sometimes taught, until retirement in 1989. Having separated amicably from Mary Lee, Tom married Cory Mason Griswold in the year of his retirement. Tom leaves behind a proud and sad group of family members, friends and professionals who supported, and was ultimately awed by, Tom in his last months. The group includes former wife and good friend Mary Lee; daughter Kris Griswold (husband Chris Fabian) of Pacific Palisades; son Bill (wife Jennifer) of Whidbey Island, Washington; grandchildren Max and Finn: brother Bob and sister Sue; and a large extended family (including dog Yodi), and friends who cheered from the sidelines. To Tom’s tremendous team of doctors, nurses, and professionals at St. John’s Hospital and Vitas hospice, the family extends profound gratitude for their knowledge, determination and understanding. They also thank Melvin, who gave his heart along with skilled medical care and compassion for the past eight months. Tom was preceded in death by his parents, second wife Cory, brother Frank, and niece Krista. Donations may be made in memory of Thomas W. Griswold to the Heart Institute Fund at St John’s Health Center Foundation, 1328 22nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90404.
Beth Goodale, 86; Loved Camping, Music, Grandkids
Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Beth Goodale passed away peacefully at home on May 2. She was 86. Beth (or Bettie as she was called) was born on January 28, 1920 in Cavalier, North Dakota, to Elda and James McEwen. She came to California as a young child and lived in Brawley, Hermosa Beach and West Los Angeles before moving to the Palisades in 1946. She married Charles Goodale in 1940 in Las Vegas. When he returned from service overseas in World War 11, they built the house in the Alphabet streets where she lived for the rest of her life. While Charles (Chuck) was serving in the army, Bettie formed a “sewing club” with other women whose husbands were away. They mended, ironed, and found ways to keep up each other’s morale. The sewing club still exists, 65 years later, and Bettie looked forward to their lunches together, although they no longer darned socks! Bettie graduated from University High School and Santa Monica City College. She worked as a bookkeeper until she retired to devote herself to being a fulltime mother and wife. She was an accomplished seamstress and made almost all of the clothes for herself and her three daughters,? including two wedding gowns and numerous bridesmaid dresses. Bettie was a dearly loved Brownie and Girl Scout leader for her girls’ different troops and taught crafts as well as other scout lore with enthusiasm. Some of her former scouts stayed in touch with “Goodie,” which gave her great pleasure Bettie and her husband loved traveling together in recreational vehicles and visited 49 of the 50 states. After Chuck’s death, she vacationed in Hawaii with family members and was able to say that she had been in all 50 states. She and Chuck loved camping, waterskiing and, above all, spending time with their family and friends. Bettie loved music and could always be counted on to be the only one in tune around the campfire. She also played the violin, organ, piano and ukulele. In recent years, Bettie’s greatest joy was in her expanding number of great-grandchildren. She delighted in their births, knitting blankets by the score, and had cross- stitched personalized tooth pillows for the older ones. Bettie had numerous health challenges throughout her life, beginning with a heart attack in 1946, several strokes and a recent heart attack in November. Throughout it all, she was determined to live a full and vigorous life. She was aided in this achievement by the skilled and loving care of her personal physician, Dr. Roberta Smith, who came to her aid on numerous times. Bettie also appreciated the close proximity of the firefighters and paramedics in Station 69? who responded to emergency calls for both her and Chuck. She took great pride in being able to live independently in her own home until the end; this was only possible because of wonderful, supportive neighbors. Audrey and Tommy Breslin were always there to lend a hand or a ride as well as a good visit. Bettie was preceded in death by her loving husband of 60 years, Charles Goodale, and a grandson, Michael Cox. She is survived by her three daughters, Patricia Ann Cox of Santa Cruz, Barbara Jeanne Kalty (husband Arthur) of Palos Verdes and Vickie Lee Sparks (husband Peter) of Dinuba; a sister, Elda McEwen and a brother, Harvey McEweir. Her nine surviving grandchildren include Diana Swanson, Debra FitzGerald, Craig Cox, Laura Kalty, Steven Kalty, Holly Sparks, Kevin Sparks, Kristin Bradford and Kyri McClellan, as well as great-grandchildren Andrew, Ryan and Julia Swanson, Blake and Sam FitzGerald, Quinci and Teagan Cox, Nolan Kalty, Curtis and Davis Bradford and Mason McClellan. The family requests that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity in recognition of the appreciation that Bettie had for her home and her hope that other families would be so blessed.
