Gambill Is New Young Adult Librarian at Palisades Branch
By DIVYA SUBRAHMANYAM Palisadian-Post Intern Henry Gambill, a local resident, started working in his new job as the new Young Adult Librarian at the Palisades Branch three weeks ago. Gambill, whose full name is William Henry Gambill, grew up in the Palisades and attended Corpus Christi, Loyola High School, and then Pepperdine University for his undergraduate and master’s degrees in English. He is a first-time librarian, having taught freshman English, among other courses, at Pepperdine for 13 years. About seven years ago, he decided he wanted a career change. “I think most people understand’you start wondering if this is what you really want to do,” he said. “Being a librarian seemed like something fun. I’d always loved libraries.” Gambill received his master’s of library information science from San Jose State University in 2001. The two-year program taught, in essence, the organization of information. “I was very intrigued by this, because the field has changed dramatically with the Internet,” he said. “I was interested in how you organize and access information on the Web, do research, and deal with copyrights.” Around the same time, his alma mater was renovating the Pepperdine library, so he was hired to help and advise there until its completion. After that, he said, “it was time to move on.” The application process to enter the Los Angeles Public Library system, which does not allow prospective employees to apply for a particular branch, was extensive and included several stages. He received his first interview in October, earning a high enough score to grant him a second one in January. While he was waiting to find out if he got the job, Gambill was worried about where he might be stationed. “You don’t know where you’re going to end up’I could have been placed as far away as Chinatown,” he said. “I was very fortunate to land here.” He has spent the last few weeks on what he calls “step one” of his learning to be the YA librarian. “What you learn in school is philosophy and theory, not really how to step into the library and learn the procedures, how to catalog, how to order books.” “Step two,” which began this week, involves researching programs and the types of events available for him to hold at the library. He is also looking to reinstate the Teen Council, which disbanded when previous YA librarian Brad Allen left in the winter of 2005. On his second day, Gambill was sent to a bimonthly book-ordering session, at which YA librarians meet at the Central Library to look over the lists of materials. “During the period where there was no YA librarian, [senior librarian Janet Gast] ordered a lot of great nonfiction and classics,” he explained. “So I chose a really good representation of young adult fiction. I also noticed holes in our music section, and ordered some new CDs.” The new material, which will arrive shortly, includes books by popular teen authors, such as Meg Cabot, and music by Elliott Smith and the Black-Eyed Peas. Gambill’s own tastes, however, are different. He particularly enjoys mysteries and nonfiction, especially in the field of diversity issues and the history of U.S. immigration. His time as the YA librarian has even introduced him to a new style of popular fiction: manga, or Japanese graphic novels. “It’s a total pleasure to find a new genre you’ve never heard about, like manga, which is really fun and interesting and provoking and sometimes outrageous,” he said. As a Palisades native, Gambill has a unique perspective on the library: once a patron of the old library, he is now a staff member in the new structure. “I basically learned to read at the Palisades library, and the old library had a lot of fond memories for me,” he said. “It’s definitely weird being on the other side of the desk, but it’s been a full cycle, and I’m still learning.”
Running Down a Dream
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
If running 145 miles in seven days sounds hard enough, try doing it over rugged terrain in the face of 50-mile-per hour winds and with a 40-pound pack strapped to your back. That is the daunting task facing Palisadian Fraser Robertson on Sunday when he will be one of 600 people worldwide attempting to survive the 21st annual Darbaroud through the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Also called the Marathon des Sables (“Marathon of the Sand”), the Darbaroud is the runners’ equivalent to the Tour de France and it is not known as the toughest foot race in the world for nothing. Even elite athletes might consider the Darbaroud too dangerous an endeavor, but its degree of difficulty is precisely what motivated Robertson to give it a try when he first heard about the event several years ago. “I’m 50 years old so I figure if I’m going to do this sort of thing, now’s the time,” he says in a cheerful Scottish accent. “I have no illusions about winning–I just want to finish. But I think I’ll do okay in my age group.” Robertson loves to run in the hills above his home in the Highlands and along the beach at Will Rogers. He completed the Los Angeles Marathon two years ago and the Nairobi Marathon last year, but knowing specialized training would be needed for the Darbaroud he enlisted the help of the only American ever to win the race–Lisa Smith-Batchen, who won in 1999 and is participating again this year along with her husband Jay. “Lisa has been sort of like my online coach,” Robertson says of Smith-Batchen, who lives in Idaho. “We communicate via e-mail. She gives advice over the internet on how to train, what to eat, what to wear and what I’ll need to bring with me. I’ve typically been running about four and a half hours on Saturdays and another three and a half hours on Sundays.” Like the Tour de France, the Darbaroud is contested in stages. There are six stages over the seven days, with the first three daily stages set around 20 miles each. The fourth stage is around 50 miles; the fifth stage is always a full marathon of 26.2 miles, and the sixth (and last) stage is from 9-12 miles. While it is possible to power-walk the entire race, Robertson is expecting to run most of the race. “I’m hoping the workouts I get running up Michael Lane and down Paseo Miramar will serve me well,” says Fraser, who garners all of the spiritual support he needs from his wife Sarah and their children Daisy, 3, and Jamie, 2. “It’s a real advantage living in the Palisades and having so many great places to run that are in close proximity.” The Darbaroud’s terrain is not all giant sand dunes. In fact, most of the course is run over salt flats, dried up river beds, rocky desert plains and ancient, dried up lakes. Drastic changes in climate make the week-long journey even more perilous, as temperatures can rise as high as 125 degrees during the day and drop as low as 38 degrees at night. “We have to carry freeze-dried food, 11 liters of water a day, a snake-bite kit, flares, a compass, toilet paper, all of our clothes, sleeping bags… you name it,” says Robertson, who was born in Scotland and now owns a marketing/real estate business at Sunset and Pacific Coast Highway. “I have a lot of unique equipment I got just for this, like odor-free shirts and custom-made gated shoes that keeps sand out.” Although anyone can apply, only so many runners are allowed every year. Each country is allocated only a certain number of spots. Robertson signed up through Dreamchasers Outdoor Adventure Club–the race’s official representative for the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. This year’s race will begin near the remote town of Ouarzazate, Morocco. “I’m in pretty good shape and I’m really looking forward to it,” Robertson says of his first Darbaroud. “And I’m looking forward to a nice long rest when I get back.”
Lacrosse Nets Wins
Palisades High’s varsity boys’ lacrosse squad beat Beverly Hills, 12-11, on Monday and the junior varsity followed with a 2-1 victory. Palisades took a 1-0 lead only to see Beverly Hills come back to score three unanswered goals. The game was tied 6-6 at halftime but the Dolphins took an 11-8 lead into the final quarter. Sophomore Riley Gitlin scored four goals, while fellow 10th-grader Eric Rosen and junior co-captain Josh Packer each added three. David Lee and Sudsy Dyke rounded out the scoring for Pali. Goalie Jafet Santiago made nine saves in his first start. In its previous game last Thursday, Pali’s varsity beat NJC 15-9 in Woodland Hills. Gitlin had six goals and three assists, Josh Packer had three goals and one assist, Travis DeZarn and David Lee each scored two goals and Sudsy Dyke and Rusty Miller scored one apiece. Sophomore goalie Jesse Poller made 12 saves. Baseball The Dolphins improved to 4-0 in Western League play with a 9-3 win over Hamilton last Thursday at George Robert Field. Andy Megee went two for three with a double and Tim Sunderland hit a solo home run in the fourth inning for the Dolphins. Right-hander Seri Kattan-Wright (2-0) recovered from a bases-loaded jam in the first inning to allow just two hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Softball The Dolphins defeated host Hamilton 11-5 last Thursday as Stephanie Torres went four for four with two triples and three RBIs and Emily Noel (4-2) pitched a seven-hitter with 10 strikeouts. In a nonleague game at Garfield last Friday, Palisades lost 9-4. Krystal Mitchell pitched a nine-hitter with four strikeouts for the Dolphins, whose home opener against University was rained out Monday. Swimming The Dolphins swept all four divisions (frosh/soph boys and girls and varsity boys and girls) against Crenshaw Monday at Temescal pool to remain undefeated in the newly-realigned Western League. At the varsity level, Palisades took first place in every event, including relays. Boys Tennis In a matchup of unbeaten teams, the Dolphins moved into sole possession of first place in the Western League with a 5-2 victory at Venice. Senior Ben Tom won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles while Stephen Surjue paired with Sepehr Safii to sweep at No. 1 doubles for Palisades (8-0, 5-0). Boys Volleyball Palisades posted its second victory of the season over Fairfax on Monday, winning 25-19, 25-18, 24-26, 25-16.
Locals Lead Sunshine Club In Junior Olympics Qualifier
Five Palisadians led the Sunshine Volleyball Club’s 12-and-under team to victory at a Junior Olympic Qualifying tournament last weekend at Artesia High in Lakewood. The first-place finish ensured the team a spot at the Junior Olympics, held this year from June 28 to July 5 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. A trio of Corpus Christi students was instrumental in the squad’s march to the championship. Outside hitters Christine Irvin and Lanti Moie-McLaren and middle blocker Lauren Waters all contributed in Sunshine’s narrow semifinal victory over Los Gatos Vision. Also playing key roles in the team’s success throughout the tournament were local defensive specialists Madison McAndrews (St. Paul) and Kate Sommer (Lighthouse Christian). The team went on to sweep Bakersfield Kern River 25-11, 25-10 in the finals. Under the leadership of head coach Stephanie Wigfall, Sunshine fell behind Vision 9-1 in the third and decisive game before Skylar Dykstra took over the serve and won five consecutive points to pull Sunshine within 9-6. Then, one point away from defeat, Irvin reeled off nine consecutive points on serve to give Sunshine a 16-14 victory. Rounding out the team were twins Lauren and Manon Fuller, Maddy Klineman, Rachel Vetter and Grayce Campbell. Sunshine’s 13s Crimson squad finished third, the 14s Gold squad and 14s Platinum squads were third and the 16s squad finished fifth.
Board Approves Pool Designers
On March 21, the Palisades High board of directors unanimously approved the hire of Aquatic Design Group to design the school’s on-campus aquatic facility, a $2.4-million project expected to take four years. After weeks of research and consulting, PaliHi swim coach Maggie Nance, along with pool committee member Jim Bailey, recommended ADG to the Board for its reputation in building state-of-the-art pools throughout the country. “We could not find a record of any place that registered a complaint about a pool that ADG designed,” Bailey said. “Their track record speaks for itself.” ADG has already started drawing up plans and is expected to have initial sketches done next week. In the meantime, Nance is in the process of looking for a grant writer for the proposed project–an outdoor pool consisting of between eight to 10 lanes located near the PaliHi gymnasium. Nance, PaliHi’s head swim coach for three years, flew to USA Swimming headquarters in Colorado Springs on Wednesday to attend a pool-building conference. Nance said that choosing a construction company is still a year to a year and a half away.
Cynthia Lee Fine, 47; Multimedia Professional
Pacific Palisades resident Cynthia Lee Fine, a beloved daughter, sister, mother and wife, succumbed after a lengthy but noble battle against breast cancer on March 28. She was 47. A deeply faithful woman of unending grace and love, Cynthia inspired all who knew her. She was at peace at the time of her death. Born on December 7, 1958 in Vermillion, South Dakota, Cynthia grew up in San Diego. She majored in political science at UC Santa Barbara, and completed her senior year in the UC Abroad program at the University of Grenoble in France. After college, she worked at Harcourt Brace Jovanovich/Holt in educational publishing, developing interactive teaching books that used floppy discs and video. Her husband-to-be Mark Fine, who was then a senior record executive at Polygram, hired her as a producer to build multimedia CDs for Philips Interactive Media. “She was a competent producer, technologically savvy and very impressive,” Mark says. The couple were married on September 7, 1991. When Mark moved to New York to head up special markets for the Polygram Group, Cynthia was hired by Ogilvy & Mather to develop interactive TV. After several years, the couple returned to Los Angeles and bought a house in Pacific Palisades in 1992. She worked for Musictonic, Inc. from 2000 until her passing. A devoted mother, Cynthia found that her greatest joy was raising her boys, Nicholas (12) and Derek (8), both of whom attend Berkeley Hall School. Cynthia was on the school’s board of trustees until her health declined. Married for 15 years, Cynthia created with Mark a quiet and loving home centered on their family. Outside, in nature, Cynthia was fearless and indomitable, excelling at skiing and rollerblading. In addition to her boys and husband, Cynthia is survived by her loving parents, Walter and Shirlee Mizer, and her sister Sheri Miller. Her memorial service was held April 2. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Cynthia’s name to Berkeley Hall School, 16000 Mulholland Dr., Los Angeles, CA 90049.
Mary E. Gall, 94, Global Traveler
Mary Elizabeth Gall, a psychiatric social worker and a 46-year resident of Pacific Palisades, died on March 20. She was 94 years old. Gall was active in the League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women and several study groups in the Palisades. She was born Mary Elizabeth Wagner in 1912 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where her father, Charles Philip Wagner, was a leading Spanish scholar at the University of Michigan. She attended Michigan and obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She practiced in the Detroit area until she moved to Santa Monica with her husband, William N. Gall, a tax partner at Ernst & Ernst. The couple moved to the Palisades in 1960, when Mary resumed her social work practice, this time in Inglewood. William died in 1980. Gall was a fan of classical music and local drama productions. She was an avid global traveler, visiting Paris as a child, Moscow in the 1970s, and Spain where she lived for a year with her husband. In Asia she traveled to Nepal, and at age 85 she traveled to Singapore and Thailand. She was active in the Unitarian Universalist Church in Santa Monica. She is survived by her two sons, Pirie of Bethesda, Maryland, and Peter of Leonia, New Jersey; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Also surviving are two nieces, Susan Wagner of Washington, D.C., and Joan Freeman of Pacific Palisades. In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Unitarian Church in Santa Monica or to the Pacific Palisades Library Association would be appreciated.
Patti Flynn, 89; Watercolorist, Nature Lover
Pacific Palisades resident Ruth Flynn, known for her enchanting watercolor paintings and called “Patti” because she was born on St. Patrick’s Day in 1916, passed away February 7 after a month-long struggle with pneumonia. She was 89. Born in New York City, young Ruth Mau began to draw and paint when she was confined to bed with scarlet fever for a time. She eventually enjoyed a successful career as an illustrator in Manhattan. She married Bernard Flynn, also an artist, in 1947, and they moved with their three daughters to the Palisades in 1965. Patti is survived by her sister, Evelyn Morse of Meadville, Pennsylvania; daughters Karen Campbell of West Los Angeles, Kathe Flynn of Deephaven, Minnesota, and Veronica Flynn of Mar Vista; and granddaughter Julia Campbell of Berkeley. A public memorial will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 15 at Los Liones Gateway Park, at the Los Liones amphitheater. Donations can be made to the Temescal Canyon Association, P.O. Box 1101, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 or to the American Red Cross.
Aune Ester Lehto, 93; Proud Finn-American
Aune Ester Lehto passed away on Tuesday, December 6’Finnish Independence Day’at her home in Pacific Palisades. She was 93. Aune was born in Finland on January 21, 1912, yet she always said that this was the best country. She was proud to be an American and especially loved the Palisades. She was the beloved wife of the late Kauko Johannes Lehto for 51 years. She is survived by her daughters Inari Schultz (husband Edward) of Clyde Hill, Washington, and Helena Fiksdal of Pacific Palisades; grandchildren Eric (wife Bonnie) and Helene Schultz and Alisa, Erika and Krystal Fiksdal. Aune was a lady of tremendous style and elegance. “We have all gained strength, sisu (‘doing something well’) and love from our dear Aiti and Mummu, and will continue to live by her example,” said her grandchildren.
