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1953: William and Dolores Fritzsche

Golden Couples of the Palisades

“Quite honestly, I married the girl of my dreams,” Bill Fritzsche says. “As a boy I used to dream of someone like Dolores. I got lucky.” Fritzsche grew up in Los Angeles, attended Loyola High School and, after a year at the University of Washington, came back to enroll at Loyola Marymount University. He shared a house at the beach with nine other college students, many of whom were World War II veterans. “We’re best friends to this day,” Fritzsche says. Dolores Jones grew up in St. Louis and moved to Los Angeles to attend Immaculate Heart College, where she received a degree in history and elementary education. She also formed a group of close friends, “The Basic Five,” that still gets together. While Dolores was in college, the Catholic colleges in Los Angeles would organize programs such as gathering 90,000 people in the Coliseum to pray for peace and say a rosary against Communism. In 1951, she and Fritzsche were introduced at one of these church events by one of Bill’s roommates. After dating for two years they were married in St. Louis on October 31, 1953’halfway through Bill’s military duty. They honeymooned at the Greenbriar Hotel in Silver Springs, West Virginia, where Bill’s father designed the town’s railroad station. After Bill’s discharge from the Army, he and Dolores moved to Eagle Rock and then on to Santa Monica (with their toddler, William Jr., who was followed by James, Caroline, Elizabeth, Maria, Thomas and Vincent). They wanted to buy a house, but “nice houses in Santa Monica were too expensive,” Dolores says, so they looked instead in Pacific Palisades and found a house on Via de la Paz, where they lived for 16 years. “Living here has been amazing,” Bill says, “You can walk to school, to church and to the stores.” In 1960, the Fritzsches bought a Rayne Water Conditioner franchise, and they eventually owned seven franchises in Southern California. While Bill was expanding their business, Dolores was at home running the household. “Laundry was a racket,” Dolores says. “The children were not allowed to put clothes in a hamper willy-nilly.” “Thank God for wash-and-wear,” Bill adds. “We ate simply; I didn’t cook for leftovers,” Dolores says. “We had lots of bologna and peanut butter sandwiches. When you have seven kids, you get organized.” And you put the kids to work around the house. “Boys need to do things that they know are worthwhile, like raking the leaves,” says Bill, who recalls that when the family moved to a home on Ocampo, the people who bought their house wanted to hire their gardener. “We have two,” Bill told them. The people started to object that they couldn’t afford two. “We have one son do the front yard,” Bill continued, “and one does the back.” Their children all attended Corpus Christi School, over a 23-year span. “I think I was at the school longer than any mom,” says Dolores, who recalls that every summer her husband would plan cross-country trips with all the kids in a station wagon. Without DVDs and Gameboys, how did they cope? Simple, according to Bill. “No eating in the car, and I’d make one child the navigator who got to sit in the front seat with the map.” “After lunch, I’d drive,” Dolores says, “and Bill would call on our daughter Caroline for the ‘Miss Caroline story hour.'” “She’d tell the most amazing stories,” Bill recalls, “and I would do the commercials.” He turns radio announcer and gives his spiel: “Stay at the Dirty Sheets Hotel…” “We’d always stop early and find a motel with a swimming pool,” Dolores adds. Making a marriage work, according to the Fritzsches, comes from having a deep faith and a love for each other. Dolores jokes, “We don’t have more than one fight a day.” “If we fight, we separate and then one or the other will say ‘Sorry’ and the other will be sorry that they didn’t say it first,” Bill says. All of the Fritzsche children are married, and there are 14 grandchildren’with another due in June. “We are blessed,” Bill and Dolores both say.

Possessed by ‘The Black Rider’

Theater Review

Most people go to the theater to see a show that will transport them to a different place or time, to step out of their own reality or fantasy and into someone else’s. But when you go see “The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets,” playing at the Ahmanson Theatre, you’d better be prepared for a full-body experience. The musical fable is the artistic collaboration of avant-garde director Robert Wilson, singer/songwriter/composer Tom Waits and Beat writer William S. Burroughs, who died in 1997. But the production feels like it belongs mostly to Wilson (“Einstein on the Beach”), who also designed the set and lighting. So, if you resist selling your soul to Wilson, you might not make it to intermission. Wilson uses grand-scale scenery, shadow and psychedelic light to create a surreal atmosphere for “The Black Rider,” which is based on Carl Maria von Weber’s German Romantic opera “Der Freisch’tz” (“The Free-Shooter”). The show premiered in Germany at Hamburg’s Thalia Theater in 1990. In the contemporary retelling of this Faustian tale, Wilhelm, a young clerk, accepts magic bullets from the diabolical Pegleg in order to win a shooting contest and the hand of his true love, K’thchen, a woodsman’s daughter. The text, lyrics and images foreshadow the fate of these star-crossed lovers, but the story takes unexpected turns and becomes increasingly wild and dark with every whip of Pegleg’s tuxedo tails. Trees that look like giant, uneven paper cutouts collapse from top to bottom and then later appear upside down. Shooting becomes an amusement, like a carnival game with loud sound effects that go off when the player hits his mark. The highly theatrical production begins like a cabaret, with the characters introduced as “freaks of nature,” and continues to entice the audience with its vaudevillian humor. Wilhelm (Matt McGrath) is, of course, the leading act. McGrath dances with grace and ease even when his partner is the rifle slung across his chest. He also proves to be a smooth and skillful mime, acting out his character’s curiosity and desperation. Like the other characters that inhabit this misty forest world, Wilhelm has a powder-white face and vampire-red lips. But he is the least creepy of the zombie-like creatures, who emerge from a coffin that rises and turns upright in center stage. Leading the crew, as a ringmaster of sorts, is Pegleg, played by the dynamic Vance Avery, who creeps across stage with a slow limp and a dangerously seductive gaze. Actor Nigel Richards is particularly awesome to watch in his three-part role. He plays the hunting boy that K’thchen’s father, Bertram (Dean Robinson), would have liked his daughter to marry, and he howls and screeches like an animal, echoing Bertram and predicting Wilhelm’s struggle. The twisted love story of Wilhelm and K’thchen unfolds tenderly yet comically, as they perform a song-and-dance number in the air, floating awkwardly back and forth but never quite meeting. Actress Mary Margaret O’Hara cleverly portrays the distraught, lovesick K’thchen, singing in an exaggeratedly high-pitched tone and often appearing breathless. She shines during her solo “I’ll Shoot the Moon.” While some audiences will embrace this powerful sensory experience, others might find the production’s stylized beauty and Expressionist storytelling techniques overwhelming. The show is also quite long and the second half is partially performed in slow motion, which adds to its hallucinatory intensity. One thing is clear: Wilhelm is not the only one possessed by magic bullets. “The Black Rider” runs through June 11 at the Ahmanson Theatre. Tickets are available by calling (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

Palisades Film Festival Honors Dom DeLuise

When multi-talented Dom DeLuise is asked if there is anything he doesn’t do, he responds with his usual instant wit: “I don’t run fast.” His zest for life’and for food’is legendary. The fullness of his stature is matched only by the immensity of his pursuits over the years as an actor, comedian, singer, dancer, director, chef, radio host and children’s book author. Friends of Film will honor DeLuise with a lifetime achievement award at the Palisades Film Festival’s opening night reception on Thursday, May 11 at Chefmakers Cooking Academy. “We’re very proud to be honoring Dom, a real class act and a true living legend of the film and television world,” says Bob Sharka, executive director of Friends of Film. “I can’t think of a better place to hold this event, as Dom is a local guy who, like me, is no stranger in the kitchen.” DeLuise and his wife, the actress Carol Arthur, are longtime Palisadians. They raised their three sons Peter, Michael and David (all are in the entertainment business) in the Riviera ranch house they still call home’an energetic household filled with birds, tropical fish, family and friends, where three grandchildren now come to cavort. DeLuise served as honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades in 1984 and, over the years, he has brought his sparkling, lovable clown persona to the Fourth of July parade, serving as grand marshal in 1983. “My father used to yell and scream a lot,” says DeLuise, who switches to Italian and a deep baritone voice to imitate his father’s stern nature. Dom grew up in Brooklyn, where he was one of three children. “When he would leave, we would all be trembling and I’d make some sort of joke about him scaring us. This is when I first realized I could in fact make people laugh.” A graduate of Manhattan’s High School of the Performing Arts, he spent his summers at the Cleveland Playhouse, appearing in productions such as “Guys and Dolls,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Stalag 17,” and “Hamlet.” In 1961, DeLuise debuted on the New York stage in the off-Broadway hit production of “Little Mary Sunshine.” He met his wife Carol while appearing in a summer production of “Summer & Smirk” in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Eight off-Broadway shows later, he starred in the 1968 Broadway production of Neil Simon’s “Last of the Red Hot Lovers.” He first appeared on television as “Dominick the Great” on the “Garry Moore Show,” performing with his good friend Ruth Buzzi. Other television credits include a regular role on “The Entertainers” with Carol Burnett and Bob Newhart, 12 years on the “Dean Martin Show” and many memorable moments as guest host for Johnny Carson on the “Tonight Show.” He starred in his own show, “Dom DeLuise and Friends,” from 1983 to 1990. On the big screen, DeLuise debuted in Sydney Lumet’s 1964 film “Fail Safe.” On the recommendation of the late Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks’s wife, DeLuise was cast in “The Twelve Chairs,” earning him a place in many of Brooks’s best comedies. He and his longtime buddy Burt Reynolds made a string of madcap comedies together including “Smokey and the Bandit II,” “Cannonball Run I & II” and “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” “It was always great fun to work with Burt because you could ad lib,” DeLuise recalls. “I feel like Burt is my brother because we have so much fun together.” These days, DeLuise hosts his own radio cooking segment every Saturday on the syndicated show “On the House” with the Carey Brothers. His cookbooks'”Eat This,” “Eat This Too” and his latest “Eat This Again”‘ are bestsellers. He even has his own Web site, www.domdeluise.com, where he sends out monthly recipes and cooking tips to loyal fans and subscribers. His most recent children’s book is entitled “There’s No Place Like Home” and he continues to regularly lend his talent for voiceover to animated productions. “A lady once pinched my cheeks in an elevator and said ‘I’d like to make soup for you,'” Deluise says, confirming how he projects an image as everyone’s favorite uncle. “They wouldn’t do that to Burt Reynolds or Spencer Tracy,” he adds with a laugh. And given his multi-faceted career, how does he hope to be remembered? “They’re going to remember that I was round, that I was friendly, that I didn’t put anybody down when I did my jokes and there was the smell of garlic in my home at all times.” The Pacific Palisades Film Festival, now in its third year, will screen 20 films from May 11 through 13 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road. For more information, go online to www.FriendsofFilm.com.

Matchmaking

Marilyn Crawford collects three-and-a-half-inch bisque German glass-eyed dolls from the 1900s through 1930s. The small chair was built by Dewitt Mott and was in the collection of miniatures housed at Knott's Berry Farm. The cushion of the chair is petit point.
Marilyn Crawford collects three-and-a-half-inch bisque German glass-eyed dolls from the 1900s through 1930s. The small chair was built by Dewitt Mott and was in the collection of miniatures housed at Knott’s Berry Farm. The cushion of the chair is petit point.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

“I have taken the responsibility to find Dad and Grandpa a good woman! They are tired of minding the kids and they are so lonely. Dad stays in his upstairs room, dressed in his good brown felt suit, staring out into space. He never smiles. “The two gentlemen keep the kitchen clean and put the pots and pans away in their cute German cupboard. The children, of course are happy. The one-year old has a new bed and the baby is in his bassinet. The 2-year old has a quilt of blue and white blocks. The 6-year-old hangs out with Grandpa a lot. The children have toys galore! But a stepmother and step-grandmother would be nice. Someone who would tuck them in at night. Someone who would bake cookies’every day. And someone who would make Dad and Grandpa smile.” Although the story of Dad and Grandpa is fiction, it’s based on a real dollhouse, its occupants and their make-believe life. The tale was written by Marilyn Crawford, the administrative assistant at the Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. Crawford’s interest in collecting started thirty years ago with German closed-mouth bisque dolls circa 1850-1870s. After collecting the larger dolls for 12 years, she started selling them. “My taste began to change,” Crawford said. Eventually all the dolls found new homes and Crawford began collecting the tiniest dolls, their furniture and belongings. The men and children that Crawford refers to in her story are actually miniature dolls living in a dollhouse called Grey Manor, a two-story wooden structure two feet high by three feet wide. The entry doors are white with gold knobs and open on half-inch hinges. The doll house was built for Crawford 10 years ago by Dino Paganelli. He was in his garage building a rocking horse, and there was a dollhouse behind him, when she went by on one of her daily walks near the Westside Pavilion. She stopped and spoke with him, a scenario that was repeated many times over the next few months. “I never had a dollhouse when I was a child,” Crawford said, “and I wanted one so badly.” Eventually, Crawford asked him if he would build her one. “I’ve got a two-year waiting list and I’m 87,” Paganelli told her. “God is not going to take you until you build my dollhouse,” Crawford replied. Paganelli moved Crawford to the top of his list and started on her house about three months later. The construction process took about three months. He hand-cut and installed medium brown hardwood floors throughout the house, and constructed a simulated red brick chimney: each charcoal gray shingle was cut individually. The detail inside each room is amazing: a winding wooden staircase with a round window at the top’with individual panes of glass and French doors. Dollhouses such as Crawford’s are often exact replicas of houses of their time period, some of them so elaborate that they even have running water, although hers does not. In addition to the interior and exterior structure, collectors like Crawford pay a great deal of attention to the furnishings, which are either antique collectibles or replicas. For example, an inch-tall gold and green hurricane replica table lamp can be found for $18.25, a two-inch chandelier with three white lights and frosted globes is $40’and it goes without saying that both lights work. A year ago, she acquired a miniature toy store from 1917 sold by F.A.O. Schwarz. Some of the toys inside the shop were personally purchased by a dealer from Barbara and Elizabeth Mott, whose collection was exhibited at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park from the 1950s to 1992. Currently, Crawford’s “store” is only about half-full of antique toys from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. She’s searching for more. The tiny planes on the wall are approximately a half-inch. The glass front door that opens has a tiny shade in the window complete with an itty-bitty pull. In addition to Gray Manor and her Toy Store, Crawford also has a miniature church which was built in Detroit in 1933. It is complete with stained glass windows, and doors that open. The roof comes off, so that one can see the tiny pews and the altar inside. Crawford found a yellowing card from the builder inside: “CR Gehle, Repair and refinish furniture; living room suites a specialty.” She has been told that it’s an exact replica of a church in Detroit. The fourth miniature building she owns is a red-roofed 1913 Gottschalk cottage house. The Moritz Gottschalk company of Germany was the premiere dollhouse maker during the late 19th and early 20th century, and their houses were characterized by exquisite craftsmanship. The cottage has flowers and flowerpots on the exterior of the porch with a watering pot all to scale. Since an original three-and-a-half-inch doll can run anywhere from $350 to $700, these dolls that were once a child’s playthings are no longer for children. “You have to be old or look old to get in my house,” Crawford says with a laugh. Has she found suitable mates for Grandpa and Dad? According to her story, “The quest for a good woman, one for Dad and one for Grandpa, began about two years ago. I searched and searched for that ‘special’ woman. They were either too plain, too fat, too old, or too blah! It was in Glendale I first laid eyes on her. She was just standing there looking out with her beautiful brown glassy eyes, white porcelain skin and rosy cheeks. Her outfit was a burgundy velvet long dress with a slight train in the back. She is so beautiful! This is the one for Grandpa! Alas, when I brought her home I knew she wasn’t for Grandpa. He was too short’too old’and’too small-boned! You guessed it; Dad got her! They are courting now, and Dad is always smiling and seems to be in a good mood, most of the time.” Grandpa’s sweetheart arrived shortly thereafter. “She is a slender lady dressed in dark green satin with black lace running down the front of her dress and covering her skirt. This lady is originally from Germany, but was found in Glendale, California.” Crawford isn’t ready to relax and enjoy the “happy” family she’s put together. “What I’m searching for now is another doll house, Victorian from the 1800’s in good shape and I’ll finish it with furnishings and occupants.” Crawford was born in Santa Monica and grew up in Venice. After graduating from Venice High, she married and took her first job at the Bank of America in Santa Monica. Since then she’s worked with the Locksley Group, the Wellness Community in Santa Monica, for the past six years, she’s been in the Palisades at the Chamber of Commerce. She has two daughters, Stacey and Lynne, and nine grandchildren. Both daughters are collectors: Lynne collects composite dolls from the 30’s and Stacey collects cookbooks from the 1900s through the 1950s. And are her grandchildren allowed in her house since they are neither old nor look old? “Of course’but they aren’t allowed to touch. They look at the individual pieces and point,” Crawford says, “Someday it will be theirs.”

Katharine B. Abbott, 99; Bridge Expert, Hostess, Jaguar Navigator

Katharine Beckwith Abbott at age 99.
Katharine Beckwith Abbott at age 99.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Katharine Beckwith Abbott, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades who lived in good health until the very end of her life, passed away peacefully on April 25, just two days shy of her 100th birthday. “I arrived at her home on Monday, April 24 with a carful of gifts,” said Abbott’s daughter, Kathie, of Piedmont, California. “All of her family and friends were coming to celebrate her birthday on Thursday.” Instead, Abbott suffered a stroke shortly after her daughter arrived and died the following day. Private services were held on May l at Woodlawn Cemetery, handled by Gates, Kingsley & Gates. “Mother had a very long and very happy life filled with family, friends and many winning bridge hands,” said her daughter. “All who knew her will miss her wonderful smile and incredible blue eyes.” Katharine (“Katie”) Beckwith was born in Akron, Ohio, on April 27, 1906, the youngest of six sisters, one of whom lived to be 107. She graduated from Akron State University with an education degree. One day, while driving along a country road with a girlfriend, Katie met Dick Abbott and one of his friends, and the four decided to drive to the nearest town and have coffee. Katie and Dick began dating and were married in 1929. Katie taught school for two years in Akron, then devoted herself to raising Kathie and two sons, Richard and Jim. Meanwhile, Dick worked his entire career at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. He started making tires and kept moving up to become an executive. The family lived in Akron, then in Virginia and North Carolina before moving to Los Angeles. “My mom played bridge, shopped and entertained out-of-town people,” her daughter recalled. “She was the supreme hostess, and it became a part-time business, supporting her husband. He always acknowledged her role and appreciated it; he knew how important that was for his career.” If a couple visited the Abbott home on business, Katie would handle the cooking, but “when it involved eight or ten people, she would get help’she didn’t want to be stuck in the kitchen,” her daughter said. “But she could do both. I saw her cook and entertain for 20 people or more.” Katie was a highly skilled bridge player throughout her life and had many trophies attesting to that expertise in the cabinet at her home. Not until her final year, when her eyesight began failing and she felt she was holding up the game, did she stop playing. She and her husband greatly enjoyed taking road trips, especially down to a favorite motel in Ensenada, and especially in Dick’s XK-120 Jaguar, a beautiful two-seat roadster. “He flew so much in his job that he just loved to take motor trips,” daughter Kathie said. “He and my mom belonged to the Jaguar Club and used to go on rallies. She was the navigator because she had a wonderful sense of direction’they never got lost. After dad retired, they had a Jaguar sedan that they drove all over the United States and Canada.” The Abbots had “a great marriage’very supportive and romantic,” said their daughter, and it thrived for 58 years until Dick died in 1987. Katie was described by her daughter as a social, outgoing person, with many dear friends. “Everywhere we traveled, people just gravitated towards her, and would soon be confiding all their secrets. “She was also a strong-willed woman. She always knew her own mind. The last couple of years she had help at the house, but she continued to shop at Ralphs and handled all her financial affairs’bills and investments’until the day she died.” In addition to her daughter Kathie, she is survived by her sons, Richard of Santa Paula and Jim of Tucson; grandsons Wesley and Jeffrey; granddaughter Julie; and great-grandson Alex.

Leonard Frazer; Engineer, Yacht Broker, Sea Lover

Leonard L. Frazer, a resident of the Sunset Mesa area of Malibu since 1969, died on April 7 at the age of 73. Born December 21, 1932 in Detroit, Leonard graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in engineering. After graduation he traveled to Los Angeles to follow his dreams. Living in the Hollywood Hills in the 1960s, Leonard wrote engineering handbooks for the aerospace industry and later became a yacht broker for Aggie Chris Craft in Marina del Rey. He truly loved living close to the ocean and driving along the coastline each day. He is survived by his children, David and Deborah.

Charlotte Crabtree: Teacher, History Curriculum Expert

Charlotte Crabtree, a longtime Pacific Palisades resident, passed quietly away April 15, on Holy Saturday between Good Friday and Easter, with her loving family beside her. She was 78. ”Born in Los Angeles on August 14, 1927, she moved at age 2 with her father, John Crabtree, her mother, Lydia Weinholz, and her younger sister, Esther, to the old Weinholz family homestead in North Dakota. After four delightful growing years on the farm, the family moved to St. Louis, Missouri, John Crabtree’s hometown, where a brother, David, was born in 1934. In 1941 the Crabtrees returned to Los Angeles. ”Charlotte graduated with honors from Los Angeles Catholic Girls’ High School in 1944, and from UCLA in 1948 with a major in history. She began her lifelong career as an educator teaching third grade at Washington School in Santa Monica, then became a demonstration teacher at the University Elementary School on the UCLA campus, where she made U.S. history come to vivid life in her fifth grade classroom. She earned her doctorate in education at Stanford. ”From 1962 to 1993 Charlotte taught curriculum studies at UCLA, where she chaired the Division of Administrative, Curriculum, and Teaching Studies in the Graduate School of Education. She was founding director of the National Center for History in the Schools, which established national standards for the teaching of history in the public schools. Awarded a $1.6-million grant, Charlotte organized a national effort to upgrade the teaching of history. She served on the National Assessment Governing Board, the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress in U.S. History, and the California Curriculum Commission, where she co?authored California’s landmark framework for history and social studies. Among her publications is ‘History on Trial: Culture Wars and the Teaching of the Past,’ co-authored with Palisadian Gary Nash, professor of history at UCLA, and Ross E. Dunn, professor of history at San Diego State University. ”She is survived by her sister, Esther Lindop (husband Edmund) of Pacific Palisades; her brother David Crabtree of Santa Barbara; and her niece, Laurie Lindop, a published author who teaches English at Boston College in Massachusetts. ”Charlotte loved her beautiful home in the Palisades and spent many happy hours working in her garden with its spectacular roses and camellias. She was very active in the Palisades Lutheran Church, where she had many friends. In May, the church will have a special memorial service celebrating her outstanding life. ”Extremely dedicated and hard- working, Charlotte was a woman who made a positive difference in her community and in the world.

Frances Schy, 87; A 47-Year Resident

A resident of Pacific Palisades since 1959, Frances Schy passed away on April 17. She was 87. Born in Chicago, Frances moved to California in 1947, where she raised her five children: Mike, Linda, Laura, Katie, Mary and stepdaughter Diane Schnair. She worked at Palisades Travel from 1981 until 1986, when she retired to be a full-time grandmother to Alisa Wolfson and Catherine Reibel. As grandmother to Wiley Uretz, Anthony Cimolino, Patrick Uretz, Suzanne Cimolino, Tony Ureta, and Hank Ureta, Granny Franny frequently attended basketball games, dance recitals and polo matches. Fran had a legendary sense of humor. An avid Lakers fan, she rarely missed watching a game on television. She was also known for her daily two-mile walks through the village, where she often stopped for lunch at Mort’s. Although she had many friends, she always preferred to spend time with family. The family will gather to honor her life later this month.

Alma Meier, 102; “The Plant Lady”

Longtime Palisades resident Alma (Bloedorn) Meier died on April 16 at the age of 102. Born in Germany, Alma emigrated to the U.S. in 1923, meeting her husband-to-be, Fritz, on the trans-Atlantic crossing. They married in 1925 in New York City. In 1941 the Meiers moved to the Palisades, where, in time, Alma became known as ‘The Plant Lady’ for her avid interest in gardening. In 2001, with funds donated by Alma, the Nature Conservancy purchased land in the Zuniga Pond area of Topanga Canyon which was dedicated as the Fritz and Alma Meier Nature Preserve. Predeceased by her husband Fritz in 1991, Alma is survived by a grandniece, Ursula Ferrance, and great-grandnephews Dennis and Dean Nadalin, and great-grandniece Michelle Shaw. She will be missed by her relatives and many close friends. A memorial service will be held in July. In Alma’s memory, donations can be made to a hospice organization, VITAS, 16830 Ventura Blvd., Suite 315, Encino, CA 91436.

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

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 7f

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

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

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

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

NANNY/HOUSEKEEPER EXPERIENCED, good references, speaks English available 5 days and weekends. Please call cell, (323) 490-5750, or home anytime, (323) 750-3874 GREAT PRE-SCREENED Nannies available. Let us help you with your nanny search. We are a dedicated, professional agency and we will find the right match for you. Whether you are looking for full time or p/time, L/I or L/O help, we can help you. Call Sunshine Nannies at (310) 614-5065 or (310) 801-8309

HOUSEKEEPERS 9a

“PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.” We make your home our business. Star sparkling cleaning services. In the community over 15 years. The best in housekeeping for the best price. Good references. Call Bertha, (323) 754-6873 & cell (213) 393-1419 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Excellent references. Has car, English, U.S. citizen. Call Silvia, (323) 422-9017 HOUSEKEEPER AVAILABLE Local references, own transportation. Available Thursday & Saturday. Call Marty, (213) 365-6609, or leave message, PLEASE. HOUSEKEEPER LOOKING FOR WORK. 25 years experience. Excellent references. Available Monday-Saturday. Can do babysitting at night and on weekends. Call Julia, (310) 828-8842 HOUSEKEEPING EXPERIENCED, good references. Available Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Will babysit. Call (323) 571-8299 anytime. Leave message. THE HOME ORGANIZER! Are you too busy to organize your home? Personal service and a magic wand will come to your rescue. Closets, kitchens, bathrooms, garages. Packing/moving. Will stage homes for sale and much more. Call (310) 735-3377 HOUSEKEEPER, 10 YEARS experience. References. Available M-F. I drive. Some English. Call (213) 383-7260 HOUSEKEEPER/BABYSITTER available immediately. Many years experience. Live in preferred. Call Maria, cell, (818) 429-3012 HOUSEKEEPERS/BABYSITTERS AVAILABLE immediately. Can work as a team. Own transportation. Great references. Call Ruth, (213) 925-4049 HOUSEKEEPER/NANNY AVAILABLE Mon.-Fri. Full time, good English and references. Own transportation. CDL. Legal. Please call Aura, (310) 836-1821

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

CAREGIVERS/COMPANIONS Live in/out. Minimum 2 years experience. 3 work related references required. CNA’S/CHH’S welcomed. Bondable. Call (323) 692-3692 EXPERIENCED COMPANION/CAREGIVER. Live in 24/7, $9/hr., one-on-one. Capable of light housework, meal preparation and drive. References available. Call Precious @ (323) 404-5043, email preciosazgarcia@yahoo.com

GARDENING, LANDSCAPING 11

PALISADES GARDENING – Full Gardening Service – Sprinkler Install – Tree Trim – Sodding/Seeding – Sprays, non-toxic – FREE 10″ Flats, Pansies, Snap, Impatiens. (310) 568-0989 TREE AND LANDSCAPE EXPERT. Horticulturist, arborist, landscape manager/designer. Tree diagnosis, trimming, removal, appraisal/donation for tax deduction. Lawn diagnosis, repair. Sprinklers, drip systems. Expert maintenance. Greenhouse/veggie/herb gardens Comprehensive plant & landscape consulting. Darren Butler, (818) 271-0963 POND CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN: Water gardening. Japanese Koi fish. Filtration pond service, repair & maintence. Free estimates. Cell, (310) 498-5380, (310) 390-1276. Visit us at www.TheKingKoi.com

MOVING & HAULING 11b

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

MISCELLANEOUS 12e

DO YOU HAVE MEDICARE? I can find the best and least expensive Medicare Part D prescription plan for you. Private and confidential. (Save $$-join by 5/15). Paula, (310) 454-8694

WINDOW WASHING 13h

NO STREAK WINDOW cleaning service. Fast & friendly. Quality service you can count on. Free estimates. Lic. # 122194-49. Pressure washing available. Please call (323) 632-7207 EXPERT WINDOW CLEANER 20 years Westside. Clean and detailed. Free estimates, sills and screens included. Up to two stories only. Brian, (310) 289-5279

MISCELLANEOUS 13i

PRESSURE WASHING. Superior cleaning, driveways, walkways, patios. Craig, (310) 459-9000

MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT 14d

SINGING PERFORMANCE CLASS & SHOWCASE. (310) 398-3388. voicemadevisible.com. 10 Thursdays 7:30 p.m.-10:15 p.m. May 4th start. AWARD WINNING COACH. ALL LEVELS WELCOME.

PET SERVICES/PET SITTING 14g

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

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

PIANO INSTRUCTION. Give the life-long gift of music! Very patient, creative teacher. Music degree, USC. Qualified, experienced, local. Lisa Lukas, (310) 454-0859. www.pianoteachers.com/ldlukas WOULD YOU LOVE TO LEARN to play piano? Skilled piano teacher specializing with beginners/intermediate children, adults. Karen Barton, B.S. USC trained. (310) 486-1995

TUTORS 15e

INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION. EXPERIENCED TUTOR 20+ YEARS. Children & adults, 20+ yrs teaching/tutoring exper. MATH, GRAMMAR, WRITING & STUDY SKILLS. Formerly special ed teacher. Call (310) 313-2530. SCIENCE & MATH TUTOR, All levels (elementary to college). Ph.D., MIT graduate, 30 years experience. Ed Kanegsberg, (310) 459-3614 MS. SCIENCE TUTOR. Ph.D., Experienced, Palisades resident. Tutor All Ages In Your Home. Marie, (310) 888-7145 EXPERIENCED SPANISH TUTOR. All grade levels, conversational & all ages. Local refs, flexible hours. Please call Noelle at (310) 273-3593 READING SPECIALIST – Master of Education-Reading and Learning Disabilities – Special Education Teaching Certificate: K-12 – Regular Education Teaching Certificate: K-9 – Elementary Education Teaching experience: 12 yrs – Services provided for special & regular education students of all levels – Academic areas taught include reading (phonics and reading comprehension) writing and spelling – Private tutoring includes accessing the student’s needs, developing an individualized education program and implementation of that program. Palisades resident. Call Brandi, (310) 230-9890 PROFESSIONAL TUTOR. Stanford graduate (BA and MA, Class of 2000). Available for all subjects and test prep (SAT & AP). In-home tutoring at great rates. Call Jonathan, (310) 560-9134 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 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 CLEARLY MATH TUTORING. Specializing in math! Elementary thru college level. Test prep, algebra, trig, geom, calculus. Fun, caring, creative, indivdualized tutoring. Math anxiety. Call Jamie, (310) 459-4722

CABINET MAKING 16

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

CARPENTRY 16a

QUALITY CRAFTSMANSHIP! Doors, windows, skylights, decks, drywall, kitchen, baths, etc. Non-lic. (310) 428-3822

CONCRETE, MASONRY, POOLS 16c

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

CONSTRUCTION 16d

CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 20 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 450-6237

ELECTRICAL 16h

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

FENCES 16j

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

FLOOR CARE 16l

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

HANDYMAN 16n

HANDYMAN, Since 1975. Call for your free est. Local ref. Lic. #560299. Member, Chamber of Commerce. HOOSHMAN (310) 459-8009, 24 Hr. LABOR OF LOVE carpentry, plumbing, tile, plaster, doors, windows, fencing & those special challenges. Work guaranteed. License #B767950. Ken at (310) 455-0803 LOCAL RESIDENT, LOCAL CLIENTELE. Make a list, call me. I specialize in repairing, replacing all those little nuisances. Not licensed; fully insured; always on time. 1 Call, 1 Guy Marty, (310) 459-2692 THE HANDY GUY. Any job, big or small. Over 16 years experience. Lic #B-858574. We’re proud to donate our services to Habitat for Humanity. (310) 216-9034 HANDYMAN SERVICES. No job too small. 10 years experience in the Palisades. Please call (310) 454-3838 for prompt, friendly service. Not licensed. PETERPAN – Quality home repair. Serving entire Westside. (Not lic.) Ask for Peter, (310) 663-3633 AVALON ESTATE MAINTENANCE. Specializing in all aspects of home repair. Reasonable rates. Refs available. Prompt service. Non-lic. Call Dustin, (310) 924-2711

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING 16o

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

PAINTING, PAPERHANGING 16q

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

PLUMBING 16s

BOTHAM PLUMBING AND HEATING. Lic. #839118. (310) 827-4040 JLK PLUMBING. Re-pipe and sewer specialist & all plumbing repairs. Mention this ad & receive 10% off. Lic. #722414. Call (310) 678-6634

REMODELING 16u

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

HELP WANTED 17

DRIVERS: RUN WESTERN STATES. Also seeking seasonal and inexperienced drivers. Start! Earn! WERNER ENTERPRISES, (800) 346-2818 x123 AAA HOME INCOME. 23 people needed NOW. Apply online to get started: www.wahusa.com. Enter Ad Code: 235 AFTER SCHOOL HELP WANTED. Two days/week, pick-up children from school, help with homework and dinner, approx 12 hrs/wk. Great driving record required. Ruthanne, (310) 230-4035 PALISADES PROFESSIONAL FIRM seeks Director of First Impressions/receptionist. Detail oriented; prior accounts receivable detail experience helpful; some seasonal overtime. Good salary plus health insurance; 401k; flex-time. Please fax your resume to (310) 313-0242 DRIVER BABYSITTER needed for 3 kids. Monday-Thursday, 2:30-7 p.m. Own car, references. Santa Monica area. C.Raiss@Verizon.net or (310) 617-1170 TEMP POSITION AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: Art school seeks friendly receptionist to assist w/ admin, tasks & classroom set-up. 25-40 hrs/wk. Could lead to a perm position for the right person. Email resume to info@brentwoodart.com. No phone calls, please. AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY: Art school with 2 positions: Office Mgr & Admin Assist. Must be attentive to detail, friendly & outgoing, have a fantastic work ethic & good phone personality. FT (36-40 hrs), incl some Saturdays. Salary based on exp. Resumes to: info@brentwoodart.com. No phone calls please. ROBEK’S JUICE, CORNER OF ANTIOCH & Swarthmore, is hiring F/T, P/T. Good pay, no prior experience needed. Call (213) 952-5211 or fax resume to (310) 230-3971 SMALL FAST-PACED SM office needs self-motivated individual for categorizing, inventory, administrative office work. Full-time, entry level position. Growth opportunity. MUST be: highly organized, self starter, fast learner, have excellent computer & organizational skills, positive attitude, good phone demeanor & ability to multi-task. Please send resumes with references to: bellefemme@earthlink.net or (310) 394-8863 fax BED & BREAKFAST ASSISTANT PT/FT, evenings & weekends. $11/hr to start. Some hotel or restaurant experience preferred. College student ok. Email: info@innatplayadelrey.com. Fax: (310) 574-9920 LOOKING FOR DETAIL-ORIENTED OFFICE ASSISTANT; proficient in MS Office with great phone skills. Duties: creating workbooks, phones, travel arrangements, scheduling, mail, etc. (310) 230-0350 DERMATOLOGY OFFICE, F/T POSITION, Pacific Palisades, seeking energetic and reliable person to perform both front and back office duties. Must have 3 years experience, good communication, organization and some computer skills. Salary negotiable. Fax resume: (310) 459-1014

AUTOS 18b

1994 FORD EXPLORER SPORT 4×4, 2 door hunter green. Alloy wheels w/ BFGAT’s. Brand new master cylinder and brakes. 125,000 miles good condition. $3,200 obo. GREAT CAR! (310) 576-0622 1999 FORD EXPLORER XLT, Black, leather seats, new tires, 4 wheel drive, excellent condition, 47,800 miles. Call Rhonda, (310) 573-9169 2003 BMW 745Li, 12,900 miles, grey. EXCELLENT CONDITION! $62K. (310) 776-0270

FURNITURE 18c

2 TWIN BDS, SLEIGH style w/ wood & iron, mattresses incl, good cond, med brown, $795. 2 matching bedside tables, grt cond, $175/pair. Matching bunk beds, desk w/ hutch, 2 side tables, light wood, grt cond, mattresses incl, $1,275. Pine hutch, grt cond, $575. (310) 230-9947 LARGE CLASSIC WRAPAROUND sectional off-white sofa, 3 pcs, $380. 2 end tables, inlet mirror, $100. 6 highback wicker dining room chairs, seat upholstered, off-white, $240. Gas cooktop, 5 burners, black, $300. Drafting table, industrial, $200. Everything in excellent condition. (310) 454-5528 PLAYER PIANO, BALDWIN, 1988, stainglass panels, bench, 25 rolls, $2,500 obo. (310) 472-9771

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

MOVING SALE. Saturday April 29, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 683 Bienveneda Ave. 3 FAMILY GARAGE & MOVING SALE! Office, chaise, desk chairs, breakfast set, $50 each. 1,000 items, bargains, new area rugs, workout bench, muscle magazines. 906 Lachman Lane. FRI.-SAT., April 28-29. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. NO EARLY BIRDS. COSTUME JEWELRY/knick-knacks/books/records/ prints/souvenirs/signs. Antique furn/glass-top wood display cases. Don’t miss this one. 706 Marr (off Washington Blvd.) Just west of Abbot Kinney in alley behind Holiday Inn. FRI.-SAT., April 28-29; 8 a.m.- 4 p.m. TG 672 A-6

MISCELLANEOUS 18g

AMERICAN GIRL DOLL, horse, bedroom furniture and misc. clothes. Like new! Take all for $475 or make offer. (310) 459-9639

WANTED TO BUY 19

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