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Pali Busts Through South Gate

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Quarterback Raymond Elie threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns rushed for 57 yards and another score in Palisades' 33-21 victory over South Gate.
Quarterback Raymond Elie threw for 91 yards and two touchdowns rushed for 57 yards and another score in Palisades’ 33-21 victory over South Gate.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Teammates have begun to call Raymond Elie “Little Vick” in reference to Atlanta Falcons’ star quarterback Michael Vick. The nickname fit last Friday night, when the Palisades High junior signal-caller ducked under and stepped around numerous pass rushers in leading the Dolphins to a resounding 33-21 victory over host South Gate. It was Palisades’ first win in three games this season. “Don’t forget this feeling,” PaliHi head coach Leo Castro implored his players afterwards. “It’s a wonderful feeling to win a football game. It’s a feeling you want to get used to. If you get used to it, you have a winning attitude. You believe you’re going to win.” The victory was the Dolphins’ second in two seasons under Castro, their first on the road, and ended a nine-game losing streak dating back to their fourth game last year against Monroe. Ironically, Palisades takes on Monroe next–at Stadium by the Sea on Friday night. Against South Gate, Elie proved most effective when he ran out of the pocket, gaining 57 yards and scoring what proved to be the game-winning touchdown on an 11-yard scramble midway through the third quarter. When he wasn’t using his legs to frustrate the Rams, Elie was inflicting damage with his arm. He completed only five of 18 passes for 91 yards, but two of his throws went for touchdowns against a confused South Gate secondary. Palisades used a no-huddle offense on its first possession and scored in just three plays. After an incompletion on first down, Elie found Henry Argueta down the right sideline for a 24-yard gain, then connected with Ryan Henry for a 36-yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead. “We worked on that all week in practice,” Henry said of the no-huddle. “We wanted to come out and hit some quick passes right away to get the defense guessing. “When you have a quarterback who can run like Raymond, it forces the other team to commit extra guys to him and their defense had a hard time adjusting.” Henry played a stellar game on both sides of the ball, catching two touchdown passes and intercepting two passes by South Gate senior quarterback Daniel Kozasky. “They were isolating me to one side and I just read the quarterback and broke on the ball,” Henry said of his interceptions. “I’m confident I can beat any wide receiver man-on-man.” Robert Gillett returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Elie for the Dolphins’ final score. In between, he rushed for 50 yards in eight carries. Marquise Coleman and Dajuan Cofield rotated at tailback and also contributed. On defense, senior Christian Clark wreaked havoc in the Rams’ backfield, making eight solo tackles, sacking Kozasky three times and forcing a fumble. Defensive tackles Evan Lambkins, Mitchell Schwartz and Marsden Burton controlled the line of scrimmage. As good as their first victory felt, Henry said the Dolphins won’t be satisfied with one win–they want and expect many more before the season is over: “It’s all about earning respect and getting better every week. We were in this same position [1-2] last year and ended up not winning another game. There’s no way we’re going to let that happen again. All we’re focusing on now is getting even.” Monroe defeated Pali 20-10 last year in North Hills but the Vikings are 0-3 so far this season and have been outscored 122-28 by Fairfax, Canoga Park and Taft. Still, Castro and his staff are not taking Monroe lightly. “They’re going to be hungry for a win, so we have to be prepared for a real determined team,” Castro said. “We have a chance to begin league play with a winning record and that’s what we can do if we win these next two games. These are really big games for us to keep the momentum going.” Even without leading rusher Peter Gonzalez (358 yards and five touchdowns), who had been injured the previous week and was held out for the Palisades game, South Gate (1-2-1) rushed for 176 yards and had 14 first downs to Pali’s 11. But the Dolphins made all the big plays on offense and scored on their first three possessions of the second half. After Henry returned his second interception to the Rams’ 17-yard line late in the fourth quarter, Palisades was penalized and had to settle for a 42-yard field goal attempt by Esteban Moreno, who missed wide left. The Dolphins were penalized 11 times for 105 yards. The Palisades-Monroe frosh/soph game kicks off at 4 p.m. Friday and the varsity follows at 7 p.m.

Young Screenwriters Find Their Muse at the Writer’s Bar

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An aficionado is a person passionately devoted to a certain activity or interest, someone who knows a lot about and appreciates a particular subject. In Michael Zussman’s and Matt Hish’s screenplay of the same name, that subject is life. Well, on the surface, it’s cigars’the hook to steer the story like the use of wine in “Sideways.” But the opening, inspiring monologue promises that the story will deliver more, and it does. These young actors/screenwriters have collected some of what they consider to be the most valuable or pertinent advice’about women, careers, and life, in general’and crafted a coming-of-age story about a recent college graduate who learns that living his life means living his dreams…while puffing a Cuban. They even chose to work in an inspiring venue’the Writer’s Bar of L’Ermitage hotel in Beverly Hills, where on one wall are displayed framed screenplays written there that became Hollywood hits. Among them: “Good Will Hunting,” “Jaws,” “The Godfather” and “The Graduate.” On a recent afternoon, Zussman and Hish plopped down on the familiar, comfy chairs in the quiet lounge area to discuss their script. Inspired by actors who wrote their way into their careers, like Matt Damon (“Good Will Hunting”) and Zach Braff (“Garden State”), Zussman, 23, and Hish, 27, said they set out to write a script that would encourage others but also be a testament to their own faith in pursuing their passion. “We’re acting, we’re writing movies, we’re actually doing what we want to be doing,” said Zussman, who grew up in Pacific Palisades. “That’s proof that we’re living for today.” Of course, they are also paying the bills by waiting tables and bartending. In fact, Zussman and Hish met in July 2004 at La Scala restaurant in Beverly Hills. “We would talk throughout work,” said Zussman, who earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Georgetown University. They wrote a short film together, in part as an exercise to see if and how they could work as a team. The film, called “Pull to Stop,” was a finalist in the Georgetown Independent Film Festival last spring, and is essentially a scene that introduces the two main characters in their screenplay, “Aficionado.” The characters, Jack and Vinn, are “loosely based on us,” according to Zussman and Hish. Many of the other characters and stories told within the screenplay are based on people they know, and things they’ve experienced or heard in real life. For example, Jack’s mentor, Monroe, is based on Zussman’s former Brentwood High School teacher Tom Lysaught, a screenwriter and playwright who has given him feedback on the script. Also, Jack works at Norris Hardware, which Zussman says he named after the Palisades store, though he never worked there. For the record, he worked at Baskin-Robbins and was a delivery boy for Mort’s Deli during his high school years. “This year of my life has been a huge growth period,” Zussman said about his post-college experience, adding that his intention in writing this story was, in part, “to put a voice to people our age, even if it meant writing about something that, according to someone else, we shouldn’t have been writing about, but that we thought was necessary.” For example, the characters do quite a bit of boozing and carousing with the ladies in “Swingers”-esque fashion, but the characters also have some depth to them, apparent in the frank and intimate way in which they discuss their feelings. “There were times when I wrote things that were personal, but I knew the script had to be accurate and real, so people could relate,” Zussman said. They chose the arena of the cigar world as a theme because they feel like it’s something everyone has access to and that it hasn’t really been done before in film. Hish said that cigars also evoke “the classic, masculine success image” though he and Zussman admit that they aren’t particularly passionate about cigars in real life. In preparation to writing the script, they spent three months researching at the library and talking to local cigar shop owners. Zussman also took a six-week Writers Boot Camp basic training course that focused on writing a feature-length screenplay. But perhaps it was at L’Ermitage where they learned the most. There they met some of the industry greats, including Benicio del Toro (“Sin City” and “21 Grams”), Ben Kingsley (“The House of Sand and Fog” and “Gandhi”) and Kimberly Peirce (the writer/director of “Boys Don’t Cry”). Zussman and Hish took the opportunity to ask these pros for artistic advice, and said that Kingsley told them, “no matter what people tell you to change, be true to yourself.” They were also told to continue pursuing their project even after they get a few rejections, since the goal is finding one person who really believes in what they’re doing. Hish said that hearing this from an actor as revered as Kingsley “really gives us a lot of confidence to believe in our own opinions.” So, while Zussman and Hish might have to be patient about seeing their work on the big screen, they’re willing to wait at least a little while. After all, they have to listen to their own words, from the monologue in “Aficionado,” that “it’s easy to overlook the 15 years it takes to become an overnight success.” For those interested in reading a copy of “Aficionado,” contact Zussman at mikezussman@hotmail.com.

Sylvia: A Wow Bow-Wow Performance

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Theater Review

“He who would write and can’t write, can surely review.” James Russell Lowell. “Sylvia,” a comedy by A.R. Gurney, is currently running at the Morgan-Wixson Theater, at 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. A. R. Gurney is probably one of the nation’s most prolific playwrights. Born in 1930, he received his master’s degree in playwriting from Yale. His first major success was in 1982 with “The Dining Room.” Gurney has won several awards and his plays are produced constantly around the country. They are well adapted to Off-Broadway, regional and college theaters because they have few characters and simple settings. When “Sylvia” opened at the Manhattan Theater Club in 1995 with Sarah Jessica Parker as Sylvia, it was an instant success. It played to sold-out audiences and was subsequently moved to the John Houseman Theater off 42nd Street. “Sylvia” is a romantic comedy that involves a married couple Greg and Kate, “empty-nesters” who after 22 years of raising children in the suburbs have moved to Manhattan. Greg’s career as a financial planner is starting to wear on him, while Kate’s career seems on the rise. As a public school English teacher, she has well-received ideas of bringing Shakespeare to inner-city school students. Sylvia, the dog, played by Wendy Douglas, “adopts” Greg one day while he’s in the park musing about life. He brings Sylvia home and can’t understand Kate’s resistance to her. Kate finally agrees to a trial period, but if it doesn’t work, the dog has to go. Rather than realizing Greg is in the middle of a midlife crisis and trying to sort things out, Kate just wants things to be as they’ve always been. Their conflict pushes Greg to confide and share his musing with Sylvia rather than his wife. A battle for Greg’s affection between Sylvia and Kate ensues. The New York Times had this to say about Gurney’s play: “Dramatic literature is stuffed with memorable love scenes, but none is as immediately delicious and dizzy as the one that begins the redeeming affair in A.R. Gurney’s new comedy, ‘Sylvia”” The New York Daily News wrote: “I can only call it one of the most involving, beautiful, funny, touching and profound plays I have ever seen'” The play is clever and funny at times, but I’m not sure it warrants the raves these New York critics gave it. There are problems with some of the scenes. Kate’s occasional Shakespearean quotes seem forced. The midlife crisis issue gets lost at times with unwarranted “dog” issues like spaying. At one point Sylvia spies a cat, and the foul words being emitted are jarring. The entire play lies on the shoulders of the actress playing Sylvia, and Douglas is superb, sublime and a treat to watch! From the toss of her head as she finds out she’s part French poodle to the time she seductively strolls out to meet other dogs, it’s impossible to take your eyes off of her’the audience wonders what Sylvia might do next. The role is physically demanding, as Douglas jumps from sofa to floor to eagerly “dancing” at the door waiting for Greg to come home. She’s been a dancer for over 20 years, which probably contributes to her graceful and nuanced movement. In the role of Greg, a low-key David Burr is easy to watch. He understands the role, and makes Greg a sympathetic character. The audience believes this is a man going through a crisis. His wife Kate, Georgan George, is one-dimensional. In all fairness to the actress, the role is not written sympathetically, which makes George’s work twice as a hard. Playing three roles’a macho male, a society matron, and a sexually ambiguous therapist’Gregory Blair pulls off two of the three brilliantly. The funniest scene in the play is when society matron Phyllis commiserates with Kate before meeting Sylvia. In costuming a “dog,” Sherry Coon made excellent choices. Although she’s currently directing “All My Sons” at the Theatre Palisades, in the program she explains she wouldn’t normally try to costume one show while directing another, but the once-in-a-lifetime chance to put a cocktail dress on a dog was too much to pass up. In his bio, director Douglas Green talks of the love for his dog. He gets what Gurney is saying about how a dog is a man’s best friend. The cream of the play is brought out in his able hands. Part of the joy of this production is how easy it is to forget Wendy is an actress playing a dog. The play runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., and there is one Saturday matinee September 24 at 2 p.m. The play runs through October 1. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. Contact: 828-7519.

The Palisadian Gypsy

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A gembock stands in the middle of the red sand dunes in Sossusvlei, Namibia in Namib Naukluft Park. The dunes are among the tallest in the world. Photo: Brian Lallement Below: Brian Lallement, at Will Rogers State beach, demonstrates a jacket with a patch from every country he has visited. Photo: Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
A gembock stands in the middle of the red sand dunes in Sossusvlei, Namibia in Namib Naukluft Park. The dunes are among the tallest in the world. Photo: Brian Lallement Below: Brian Lallement, at Will Rogers State beach, demonstrates a jacket with a patch from every country he has visited. Photo: Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer

When I attended a recent Chamber of Commerce breakfast for new members, Brian Lallement announced that he had just started a new business in town as a mobile notary and bilingual loan-signing agent. Making polite small talk afterwards, I asked him where he had learned to speak Spanish, and his answer began to reveal a fascinating life history. In his straightforward manner, the 51-year-old Lallement said he had picked up Spanish when the boats he was working on were docked in Latin American ports during his 23-year career in the oil exploration business. He had visited or worked in 40 countries, on every continent and ocean around the globe’and he had photographs to prove it. Growing up in Pacific Palisades, Lallement attended Marquez, Paul Revere and Palisades High before graduating from UCLA in 1977 with a major in geography and ecosystems. He looked for a job in the environmental area, but since it was a relatively new field (he was in only the third class to graduate with that major from UCLA), he was unsuccessful. Through a friend he landed a job with Western Geophysical, an oil-exploration company. Although his college training was in direct contrast to his job description, he was a pragmatist about making a living. Lallement flew from the Palisades to Houston to catch a plane for Egypt, where he spent the next eight months searching for oil in the desert. From there, the company transferred him to a ship where he was a junior observer. They laid “recording tapes” cables behind the boats and set off small explosions in order to get a geological picture of the sea floor. The sound, which echoes off the floor differently depending on the terrain, was recorded and geophysicists then interpreted the data. When looking for natural resources at sea, navigation is extremely important. “If you find oil, you have to be able to pinpoint where it is in the ocean,” Lallement explained. “There aren’t roads, labeled with signs like there on Sunset, helping you to find the location again.” Before global positioning systems, navigators and explorers used different methods to help ships pinpoint their location on the ocean. At one time they put three different radio points on land, using a triangulation to help find the exact spot on the water. From the boat, Lallement spent a month in a pup tent next to a 10-foot radio tower on an isolated and desolate area on the Venezuela coast. The company left him with enough food and water for several weeks. Alone with nothing but a radio for company, he also faced other hazards, such as being stranded. A fellow co-worker was left on a deserted island off of Nicaragua. Due to weather, the boat couldn’t retrieve him for months. He existed on coconuts until he was finally pulled off the island. In 1978, he worked off Yucatan. He was on the boat 10 days and then off for four. “I couldn’t talk to anybody when I went ashore,” he said, “so I started to learn Spanish.” Lallement is now fluent in Spanish, speaks French and Portuguese and can swear in Arabic. He smiled “In any foreign language,” he said, “you learn to say please, thank you, yes, no, count to 10 and curse.” Most of his stays on boats were eight weeks or shorter. “You can’t function in a floating industrial environment longer than that,” he said. “You can’t maintain a level of concentration and safety.” The first time he was aboard a boat, he was seasick. “I fed the fish for three days. After that, I only got sick the day after ‘indulging’ with friends the night before.” Then he reached the point that no matter how nasty the sea, he was never sick. There’s dangers living on the water: waterspouts, hurricanes, reefs and fires. “Fire’s the scary one,” Lallement said. “You don’t have anywhere to go.” Even though there are warnings for hurricanes, sea storms can come up with phenomenal rapidity, especially in the North Sea. “You spend four hours laying cable, then you have to pick it up in an hour. You ‘run’ for land and hide near islands.” In close quarters, the crew have to get along. “If you fight on board,” Lallement said, “you’re fired. It’s too isolated and too intense.” Brazil hired the Western Geophysical exploration department to do scientific research off Antarctica, measuring fissures on the sea floor. “That was the trip of a lifetime,” Lallement said. “Antarctica is where the Atlantic and Pacific ocean run into each other’and they’re not friends. It was nasty. There are 40-foot waves in the summer.” And the winter? “Nobody goes out then.” The waves are so strong that they come together and corkscrew. They’re so tall that a boat can’t ride the wave down the back; instead, it slams down into the trough with a big slap, and the steel hull of the ship vibrates. Lallement met his wife, Floralc Chacin, in Venezuela, but their marriage lasted only five years. He said it was hard for her to have a husband who was home just four months out of the year. They have a son, Robert, who is now 17, and plans to attend college in the United States next year. Six years ago, Lallement was aboard an Italian boat, with a Filipino crew, off the coast of Mozambique. They were surrounded by a Spanish fishing fleet. Since he spoke Portuguese, he was the only one able to communicate with the dock workers. It was then Lallement learned he was laid off again, for the fourth time. He decided to retire from that line of work and return to the Palisades. There’s no room on a boat to stockpile possessions. After all those years on the sea and his travels, Lallement has only photos and memories. Along with shots of beautiful sunsets, dolphins, and co-workers, his work shows the poor in nation after nation. It took him nearly three years to acclimate to the U.S. again. “Living in this country, we have so much,” he said. “We overuse so many resources. We don’t recycle anything, we trash it.” He showed me a picture of a bus that had been turned into a communication center in South Africa. “What would we do with a bus like that here?” he asked. “Scrap it, put it in the junk yard.” In the U.S. “use, throw away.” Rhetorically, he asked, “How many of these houses that we tear down here, could we recycle and give to the poor?” “We don’t use solar power here, because there are not enough people to get behind the politicians and put pressure on them.” Brian Lallement is in a position to comment; he’s spent years exploring for oil.

CLASSIFIED ADS FROM THE SEPTEMBER 15, 2005 ISSUE OF THE PALISADIAN-POST

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HOMES FOR SALE 1

www. swarthmorehouse.com. ROMANTIC HIDEAWAY. 3 BEDROOMS+2 baths. Library, office, private gardens, professional recording studio in garage, large lot. Jewel box! Walk to the bluffs. $1,795,000. Call (310) 459-3738 BEAUTIFUL TUSCAN HOME in Ridgeview Gated Community. 6,900 sq ft living on 43,000 sq ft lot. Lush gardens, ocean and canyon views from most rooms. Hwd floors. Pool, spa, private retreat. 6 bedrooms, 7 baths, 8 fireplaces Huge potential. Must see to appreciate. $6,700,000. Call Ness Krief, agent, (310) 430-0667 OCEAN & MOUNTAIN views. Charming MOBILE HOME in Tahitian Terrace. 2 bed+2 baths. Remodeled kitchen, fireplace, 2-car parking. Over 55 community. Pets OK. Offered at $459K. SC Realty, Inc. Franklin, Agent. Call (818) 346-6601 PALISADES SPACIOUS, light & peaceful. 5 bd+3 baths with beautiful hardwood floors. Master suite has steam room and view of magical lush gardens. OPEN HOUSE: Sat.-Sun., 8/24-8/25, 2-5 p.m. 16541 Las Casas Pl. pp. Brenda, (310) 774-7741

UNFURNISHED HOMES 2a

VIEW OF QUEEN’S NECKLACE. 4 bedroom, 2 bath, family room. Remodeled kitchen, new carpet. 1 year lease. $5,750/mo. Call Dave, (310) 497-2403 NEW PALISADES 3 BEDROOMS+3 baths plus den built in 2004. Granite kitchen, stainless appliances, hardwood floors, 2 fireplaces. Limestone master bath with spa tub. Walk to village, wheelchair accessible. Available in Nov. $7,500/mo. Cynthia, agent, (310) 472-5396 CHARMING PALISADES HOME with fabulous ocean & mountain views. 3 bedrooms, plus separate office & 3 full baths. This home has a rock entrance with lush gardens, a large back patio with hot tub, hardwood & carpeted floors. Brand new stove-top, W/D and refrigerator. Please call Katie McCabe at (310) 339-9112 or Email katie@katiemccabe.com with any questions or to set up showings. Open Tues., Sept. 6th from 11 A.M. to 2 P.M. Offered at $4,850/mo. 3 BEDROOM+2 BATH PALISADES home. 2-car garage. F & B yard. Walk to village, beach & schools from this alphabet street location at 14750 Bestor. $5,400/mo., incl gardener. Call John Butler, owner, (310) 454-5800 SPANISH CONDO, 2 BED+2 BATH. Unfurnished. Gorgeous courtyard bldg. Heart of the village. Fireplace, balcony, garage, storage. Large bright kitchen. One year lease. No pets. $3,950/mo. Call Tom, (310) 948-9898 PALISADES 2 BED+1.5 BATHS. Fireplace, hardwood floors, appliances, yard. Near Via bluffs and village. No pets. N/S. Principals only. Avail now. $2,995/mo. Broker, (310) 454-0054 PALISADES MARQUEZ KNOLLS. $4,350/mo. New carpet. 4 bedroom+3.5 baths. Dining room, den (opens to 100 ft. perimeter pool), fireplace, kitchen built-ins, breakfast bar. Office/hobby room, 2-car garage. 26′ by 24′ basketball court-yard. Gardener+poolman service incl. Call (310) 454-0067

UNFURNISHED APARTMENTS 2c

CARMEL in THE PALISADES. 2 bedroom, beautiful lot. Walk to village. $3,495/mo. Agent. Call Nancy, (310) 230-7305 SUNSET in THE VILLAGE. Spacious 2 bed+2 bath. Newly renovated, walk-in closets, gated parking, security bldg, laundry. $2,100-$2,600/mo. 1 year lease. (310) 454-7743 STUDIO NEAR VILLAGE. Private patio, garage, W/D, utilities included. Walk to village. $950/mo. (310) 454-9894 INVITING PACIFIC PAL. 2 bed+2 baths with gorgeous canyon views, hardwood & slate flrs. Large bedrooms w/ spacious closets. Located at the base of a fantastic trailhead. Heated community pool w/ BBQ area. Great for an active lifestyle! $3,500/mo. Call Susan Monus, Coldwell Banker, (310) 589-2477 PALISADES OCEAN VIEW, 2 bed+2 baths. Fireplace, remodeled throughout. Balcony, secured building, gated parking, pool & laundry on site. 1 year lease. $3,500 plus sec. deposit. 17337 Tramonto Drive. Call Lisa, (562) 924-4868 PALISADES STUDIO. $785/mo. Private. Partial utilities. Steps to beach. No pets, no smoking. Call (310) 454-4754

ROOMS FOR RENT 3

LARGE ROOMS in SPACIOUS Palisades ocean view home from $1,400/mo. Club privileges, pool, tennis, etc. Call (800) 638-4354.

WANTED TO RENT 3b

GARAGE STORAGE SPACE wanted in the Palisades for a car. The owner lives on Chautauqua & drives it twice per month. Please call (818) 557-0135

OFFICE/STORE RENTALS 3c

BRENTWOOD law firm has a small ATTORNEY OFFICE and secretarial bay for lease. Receptionist, copier, fax available. Terms negot. For lawyers interested in doing contract work. Please call (310) 472-5763

VACATION RENTALS 3e

PRIVATE FURN APARTMENT IN PARIS. Services available. 24-hour hotline. Starting at $75 a night for 2 persons (studios to 4 bedrooms). Privacy, economy, convenience as you live like a Parisian. 5 day minimum. Established in 1985. PSR 90, Ave Champs-Elysees. PSR, Inc. (312) 587-7707. Fax (800) 582-7274. Web address: www.psrparis.com. Email: Reservations@psrparis.com

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES 5

UPSCALE BRENTWOOD HAIR salon for sale. 9 operators, 11 chairs. 60K. Evenings, (310) 459-3537, and cell, (310) 600-9582

BOOKKEEPING/ACCOUNTING 7b

BOOKKEEPER BY THE DAY. Need help with getting your books in order? Help is near! Call Joannie, (310) 486-1055

COMPUTER SERVICES 7c

COMPUTER SUPPORT – Home – Business – Desktop & Network Support – Low Rates – One Or One Hundred PCs, We Can Help. WWW.FRANKELCONSULTING.COM. Providing Solutions for 18 Years – (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 – Furniture – Antiques – Collectibles – Junque – Reliable professionals Local References

ORGANIZING SERVICES 7h

Never seem to be enough time or enough you? Call I NEED ANOTHER ME! We offer temporary project coordinating & assistance, both business & personal, relocation management, jobs big & small, too numerous to say here. When asked, “What all do you do?” I say, “What is it you need done?” Call for a free consultation: (310) 459-0418 ERRAND GIRL & PERSONAL SHOPPER. Available Monday through Friday, 9 A.M.-5 P.M. After hours by appointment. Call Ms. Dennis, (310) 339-1749 DO YOU NEED an able, versatile p/t office person? Paperwork, accounts, computer expertise, eBay sales, internet, research, organizing, other. Business/personal. Call (310) 218-6653 or (310) 459-2066

MISCELLANEOUS 7j

MESSENGER SERVICE/AIR COURIERS. Santa Monica Express, Inc. Since 1984. Guaranteed On-Time! Trucking & Freight Forwarding. Air Courier Door-to-Door Anywhere in the USA. Direct, Non-Stop Service Anywhere in CA. Same-Day Court Filings. Fully Licensed, Bonded & Insured. 24 hours/day, 7 days per week. (310) 458-6000. www.SMEXPRESS.com. PALISADIAN OWNED & MANAGED

NANNIES/BABYSITTERS 8a

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 TOTALLY KID’S ENRICHMENT Center now offers all-day care for children, 2 through 5 years old. Limited space. Call (310) 573-7073 F/T BABYSITTER or HOUSEKEEPER avail. Own transportation. Over 5 years experience. Call Maria, (213) 892-8973 EUROPEAN live-in AU PAIRS. US government approved and regulated. Cultural exchange. English speaking. Call Mrs. Fox, (310) 230-2646 OUR WONDERFUL NANNY is looking for a job. Call Angelica, (310) 721- 9799 BABYSITTER and/or CLEANING lady AVAILABLE full-time. I have my own car. Call Norma, (323) 295-5440 or (323) 559-9851 F/T BABYSITTER OR CLEANER available. I can also drive. Call Armida, (323) 217-9686

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 HOUSECLEANING SERVICE. 15 years experience, local refs. Paola Reyes, Juan Flores. Please call (310) 419-0479 LIVE-OUT HOUSEKEEPER available Mon., Thurs., Fri. and Sat. Has own transportation and local references. Light English. Please call Oralia, (323) 228-7788 DO YOU need a HOUSEKEEPER? I am a responsible, honest person with over 5 years experience of cleaning houses & apts. I also have references. Call Elvia, (310) 430-1540, or home, (310) 559-6426, to make apt. EXPERIENCED HOUSEKEEPER AVAIL full-time. Mon-Fri. I have good references, own transportation & speak English. Call Blanca anytime, (323) 299-1491 or cell (213) 215-7035 HOUSEKEEPER and/or BABYSITTER AVAIL. Monday through Saturday. I speak English, have references and experience. Please call Sophia, (310) 909-3084 or (310) 477-2958 P/T HOUSEKEEPER. Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun. I have car, can drive, have Palisades references. Call Carol, (323) 299-1797

ELDER CARE/COMPANIONS 10a

HOUSEKEEPING/CHILD & Elderly CARE. Experienced, CPR & first aid certified with medical backgrounds. Live-in or live-out. Fluent English. References avail. Call (888) 897-5888

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

BRUSHCLEARING 11a

Just Paid a Lot for Brush Clearance? Time to bring in “great grazing goats!” (310) 573-0124

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

MASSAGE THERAPY 12b

NATALIE AWARD-WINNING MASSAGE by Natalie. www.massagebynatalie.faithweb.com. Ask about free massage offer. Call (310) 993-8899

WINDOW WASHING 13h

NO STREAK WINDOW cleaning service. Fast and friendly. Quality service you can count on. Free estimates. Lic. #122194-49. Please call (323) 632-7207

MISCELLANEOUS 13i

REFRIDG-A-CARE. Pull out vacuum dust from behind & under refrigerator. Runs more efficiently, cooler, less energy consumption. Less wear & tear on your refrigeration cooling system. Owen Cruickshank, (310) 459-5485 PRESSURE WASHING. Driveways, patios, walk-ways, garages, dirt, oil, rust, paint and moss removal. Concrete, brick, natural stone. Clear and colored-stain sealer. Craig, (310) 459-9000

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. RESPONSIBLE & Dependable DOG WALKER needed immediately. Two very well-behaved, loving dogs in Huntington Palisades. 1 small male Yorkie and 1 medium female Aussie. Mon.-Fri., 4 to 5 p.m., or 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Time is NOT negotiable. $50/hr. All ages welcome to apply. (310) 573-6288

MISCELLANEOUS 14j

FRESH HOMEMADE MEALS. Personal chef and personal assistant. Reliable & available now. “A lady you can trust.” Call Renee, (310) 500-9809

FITNESS INSTRUCTION 15a

NORDIC WALKING. Nordic Walking burns up to 46% more calories than regular walking and is excellent for weight loss. Perfect for all ages. Makes a great gift and get the 1st instructional DVD in the U.S. for only $29.50! Personal Training walking classes and Nordic walking poles avail. Check at www.nordicwalkingonline.com or call (310) 573-9000

SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTION 15d

CHILD’S PIANO TREASURE House in Santa Monica. Since 1980! Piano, harpsichord lessons. Beginners or advanced. Call (310) 453-1064. Children, adults. Your home or my studio. SAXOPHONE LESSONS. IMPROVISATION, MUSIC THEORY by professional. Please call (310) 230-0559

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 CLEARLY MATH TUTORING. Specializing in Math! Elementary thru college level. Test Prep, Algebra, Trig, Geom, Calculus. Fun, caring, creative, individualized tutoring. Math anxiety. Call Jamie, (310) 459-4722 THE WRITING COACH: Summertime Application Prep Intensives for next year’s graduating high school/middle school students. Private school application essays. College application essays. SAT/ISEE ESSAYS. 5 individual sessions (flexible scheduling/ your home). Extensive experience, success stories, acceptances. MA, Johns Hopkins; former LA private school teacher and Hopkins CTY instructor; writer/ consultant. Outstanding Palisades/Malibu references. (310) 528-6437 SCIENCE & MATH-Get A Head Start! B.S. Biochemistry, SUNY Stony Brook, M.A. Columbia University, Teacher’s College. Certified New York (Westchester) public school teacher, now teaching in LA! Prefer students 7th grade to college. I live in Brentwood, but prefer to tutor at your home. Practice tests available! SAT II subject test coaching! Academic progress monitoring & notebook organization! Alex Van Name, (310) 442-1093 (hm) or (914) 837-0569 (cell) 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 assessing the student’s needs, developing an individualized education program and implementation of that program. Palisades resident. Call Brandi, (310) 230-9890 STANFORD-EDUCATED TUTOR. Physics and Calculus (incl. AP), Precalc, Geometry, Algebra, SAT (all sections). Engineering degree. Experience making abstract concepts tangible. Young (-ish) and personable. In-home convenience. References. Chris, (323) 309-6687 SPANISH TEACHER CERTIFIED. 15 years experience. Conversational & writing skills, all levels. Local refs. Pali. resident. Affordable rates. Call Marietta, (310) 459-8180 SPANISH TUTOR AVAILABLE. Please call (310) 617-1115 or (310) 828-5087 PHYSICS & MATH. Experienced UCLA Teaching Fellow, MIT degree, tutors all levels of physics and math as well as AP, SAT I & II and GRE. If interested, contact Dimov, (310) 980-8173 TUTOR TO YOU. Improve your skills in English! Former Pali High English teacher specializing in reading, writing, study skills 10 years in the classroom (elementary through high-school). M.S., Ed B.A., English. California credentials in regular & special education speech and language services for children with hearing loss. I drive to you! Call Shea Thompson, (310) 446-6190

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

CONCRETE, MASONRY 16c

MASONRY & CONCRETE CONTRACTOR. 36 YEARS IN PACIFIC PALISADES. Custom masonry & concrete, stamped, driveways, pool, decks, patios, foundations, fireplace, drainage control, custom stone, block & brick, tile. Excellent local references. Lic. #309844. Bonded/insured/ workmen’s comp. Family owned & operated. MIKE HORUSICKY CONSTRUCTION, INC. (310) 454-4385 – www.horusicky.com DAN’S MASONRY & REPAIR. Brick, block, stone and concrete. In area for 30 yrs. Big or small-We do it all. (Not lic.). Call Danny, (310) 261-0536 EMR – MASONRY & CONCRETE – (310) 456-0534 – Specializing in Fine Masonry work – Custom Stone, Concrete & Brickwork – Hand-built Fireplaces/tilework – Local References/20 years Experience – CA. State Lic.#451844/Bonded & Insured – Call Eric, cell: (310) 486-1103

CONSTRUCTION 16d

PARADISE CONSTRUCTION Building Contractor – All Trades – Lic. #808600. Call (310) 383-1659 CASTLE CONSTRUCTION. New homes, remodeling, additions, fine finish carpentry. Serving the Westside for 20 yrs. Lic. #649995. Call James, (310) 450-6237 PALISADES CONSTRUCTION SERVICES. KEVIN B. NUNNELEY. (310) 454-5029. Local References Avail. Lic. #375858 HOWESWORKS, General Contractor. Improve – Build – Install – Repair. Professional Reliable Service. Happiness Guaranteed. Lic. #858904. Daniel Howe, (310) 877-5577

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. All Phases and General Repairs. 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 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 WILSON HARDWOOD FLOORS. Complete installation, refinish and re-coat. Fully insured. License #380380. Ask for Kevin Wilson, (310) 478-7988

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 PETERPAN – Quality Home Repair -Serving Entire Westside. (Not lic.) Ask for Peter, (310) 663-3633 THE HANDY GUY. Any job, big or small. Over 15 years experience. Lic. #B-858574. Call (310) 216-9034

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 – 51 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 MASTERPIECE PAINTING & DECOR – Stenciling/Faux/Plaster effects – License #543487 MFA ’84 – Bill Lundby, (310) 459-7362 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

PLUMBING 16s

ROBERT RAMOS, Plumbing Contractor – Copper repipes – Remodels – New Construction – Service & Repair – Water Heaters – Licensed – Bonded – Insured – St. lic. #605556 – Cell, (310) 704-5353 BOTHAM PLUMBING AND HEATING. Lic. #839118. (310) 827-4040

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

MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDED for Santa Monica solo family practice. All front and back office duties for full-time position. Fax resume and salary requirements to (310) 593-4316 P/T OFFICE ADMIN SRVS. Work from home with flexible hours. Professional firm seeks organized, conscientious and technology proficient individual to process mail (scan & upload to the Internet), file mail, organize electronic faxes and send out about 150 pieces of mail, organize electronic faxes and send out about 150 pieces of mail per month. Must have sufficient space to accommodate small filing cabinet. Ideal for mom with kids in school. Call Peter, (310) 230-1486 BRENTWOOD Law Firm has an immed. opening for TWO P/T RECEPTIONISTS, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or 1-5:30 p.m. Great opportunity for students! Studying is OK when phones are quiet! $10/hr. Please fax resume to (310) 471-1043 or Email to DBResumes@aol.com ADMIN/PR. Really great position in Pacific Palisades. Will train, develop and reward. Excellent typing skills a plus. Call (310) 454-0317 P/T FRONT OFFICE in local dermatology office. Excellent people skills. Experience helpful, but we will train qualified person. Trustworthy & dependable. Excellent local references. Fax resume to (310) 454-5027 PART-TIME NANNY wanted. Mon-Fri., 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., to take care of a 2.5 year-old boy in Santa Monica. Light housekeeping. Mandarin or English speaking. Must drive. Call Rachel, (310) 383-5988 PERSONAL ASSIST./CHILDCARE for single Brentwood mom. Seeking enthusiastic, reliable person to help with organization, errands & kids. 2-3 days/wk. $16/hour. Must have own car. Patty, (310) 440-9295 RESPONSIBLE & dependable DOG WALKER needed immediately. Two very well-behaved, loving dogs in Huntington Palisades. 1 small male Yorkie and 1 medium female Aussie. Mon.-Fri., 4 to 5 p.m., or 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Time is NOT negotiable. $50/hr. All ages welcome to apply. (310) 573-6288 P/T WOMEN’S RETAIL SALES in Santa Monica. Weathervane, an upscale women’s specialty store, is looking for an energetic, motivated, professional sales associate to work 3-4 days/wk. E-mail resume to weathervaneii@aol.com or fax (310) 393-2077 PART-TIME BACK office help in Palisades. Administrative duties, including data entry. Call Tasha, (310) 774-7177 ORGANIZED & EFFICIENT ASSISTANT needed for growing Pacific Palisades company. Phones, fax, internet. $28K+benefits. Call (310) 230-1295

AUTOS 18b

CASH FOR YOUR CARS. Foreign or domestic. Running or not. We come to you. We handle all paperwork. Friendly, professional buyer. Please call (310) 995-5898 1997 LINCOLN CONTINENTAL. 100K miles. New brakes, new tires, new battery. $5,000 obo. Call (310) 457-3393 2004 VOLVO, S40. 26K miles, loaded Black and gray. $16,000. Firm. (310) 459-4569 1997 TOYOTA 4-RUNNER. Excellent condition, auto transmission, 2-wheel drive, 4 cylinder engine. 97K miles. $9,000. Call (310) 251-9055

GARAGE, ESTATE SALES 18d

GREAT HIGH-END Garage Sale. SAT. 8/24, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 1000 & 1001 Embury. Great vintage & non-vintage Great stuff for dealers! Furniture, quilts, pottery, clothes, books, gifts, etc. NEB ESTATE SALE. Fine furniture, designer men’s & women’s clothes. Books, more, good prices! SAT. 8/24, 8 A.M. to 1 P.M. NO early birds. 540 Erskine Drive (near Pali High). PALISADES GARAGE SALE. SAT. 9/24, 9 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Furniture, clothes, books, records, odds and ends. 1111 Kagawa (north of Sunset) NEB. ESTATE/MOVING SALE. SAT./SUN., 9/24-25, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hrs firm. 16960 Livorno. Fine furniture: Queen canopy bed, double 4-poster bed, dressers, lamps, din table w/ 2 leaves & 8 chairs, kitchen table & 4 chairs, etc. MOVING SALE: Fri.-Sat., 9/23 & 9/24, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Furniture, accessories, books, china, crystal, washer/dryer, refrigerator, kitchen items, plants, etc. 525 Muskingum Ave. SUPER SUNDAY YARD Sale. Clothes (kids/adults), appliances, household & computer stuff, books, toys. Come and take a look! SUN. 9/25, 9 A.M. to 2 P.M. No early birds. 572 Radcliffe Ave. PALISADES GARAGE sale. SUN. 9/25, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. 706 Radcliffe Ave. Furniture, baby stuff, dresser, toys, etc. SUNDAY ONLY.

WANTED TO BUY 19

WANTED: Old tube guitar amplifiers, ’50s, ’60s, etc. Tommy, (310) 306-7746 – profeti2001@yahoo.com LOOKING for BMW 325i (mid-1990’s) with low mileage. Call (310) 428-9339

Pali Principal Martinez Faces Tough New Year

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Palisades Charter High School principal Gloria Martinez oversees a student body of 2,746 teenagers this fall.
Palisades Charter High School principal Gloria Martinez oversees a student body of 2,746 teenagers this fall.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

When Palisades Charter High School principal Gloria Martinez began her second year this fall, she rejoiced that she wouldn’t be preoccupied with charter renewal, following approval by the L.A. school board in June. But the job of a high school principal leaves little time for basking. This month, Martinez welcomed a record 2,746 students, 100 more than last year, and just 16 shy of the school’s capacity. She also added financial decisions to her duties as she assumed the job of executive director while the board seeks a replacement for Jack Sutton, who resigned last June. As an independent charter school, PaliHi has control and responsibility for the facilities, budget, personnel and curriculum. Simply put, the executive director is responsible for the external business of the school, while the principal concerns herself with the internal workings. So far, the search committee has received a dozen or so applications and will close the process September 30. Martinez said that she hopes to find an office on campus for the executive director, who will report directly to the board of directors, as will she. Meanwhile, Martinez must focus on the increased student body, which affects every aspect of campus life: curriculum, student achievement and safety. “Classes are fuller, the average size is 40,” says Martinez, who admits that more classrooms are needed. Some teachers are handling six classes a day, and students are not always assured the classes they want. “But, if you increase your classroom space, you increase your capacity, so this is a more complex problem than it appears to be.” A large student population also strains the school’s personnel and infrastructure. This year, the areas that are off-limits to students have been demarcated with bright yellow lines. “We like to keep the students in the same area,” Martinez says. “They are not allowed on the second floor during lunch because of the limited supervision, and there are no trash cans upstairs.” Seven faculty members, three campus aides, a security coordinator and a fulltime campus policeman keep their eye on the quad during breaks. Martinez is most vigilant about the students’ social and academic progress. She is especially committed to monitoring students who may have learning issues, social problems or language difficulties. Teachers and administrators have adopted a number of programs designed to help students achieve the goals set out for the year. Known by different acronyms, these plans teach study skills, vocabulary, note-taking and tutoring. There are study teams that assist struggling students. The school has also allotted money for special education students, who make up 5 percent of the student body. “Last year, 500 seniors graduated and 90 percent of them went on to a two- or four-year college,” Martinez says. “AVID (Advance Via Individual Determination) classes strive to make that 100 percent.” In order to ease the journey for incoming freshmen, PaliHi introduced 100 incoming 9th graders (out of a class of 850) to a bridge program this past summer, a kind of summer camp that helped kids socialize and meet the teachers. Martinez herself participated in the second session of the camp, which included hikes, community service, and a sleepover on campus. A native of Whittier, Martinez joined the Pali staff with 17 years in education. She began teaching Spanish at St. Bernard High School, a racially diverse co-ed school in Playa del Rey, where she remained while pursuing her master’s degree and Ph.D. After taking over the vice principal’s position at Malibu High in1996 she made sure that she always taught at least one class’a practice she would like to resume at PaliHi. As principal, Martinez has many constituencies to please’students, teachers, administrators, board members and parents. “My strength is communication, but I would like to develop that more with parents,” says Martinez, whose manner is inviting, her eye contact direct. “Some people maybe would like me to be more forceful, but my style is to be more reasonable. I like to see what their concerns are, listen and look for a win-win solution.” Now that the charter school is fiscally independent, Martinez points to some obvious advantages. For example, teachers have a say in budget requests based on what they might need in the classroom, and they benefit from professional development seminars and workshops. This year they will also enjoy a 4-percent salary increase. There are ambitious plans for facilities, too, according to Martinez. She hopes that her attempts to have an elevator installed will pay off, while parent groups have already formed to begin fundraising for a new theater building, a swimming pool, an all-weather track and artificial turf for the football field.

Safety Concerns at Palisades Bowl

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Most of the residents who were evacuated from 12 units in the Palisades Bowl mobile home park in January after heavy rains caused the hillside behind the park to move and the streets to buckle, have returned to their homes. However, some of them are concerned about safety and health issues at the park as a result of the still un-remediated damage. In February, the Palisadian-Post reported that more than 10 inches of rain triggered a crack at the top of the Asilomar bluffs, which in turn severely damaged the foundations of at least seven mobile homes in the park, located just north of Temescal Canyon Rd., off PCH. Retired engineer Abul Rashid, who lives near the corner of Terrace Drive and Shore Drive, was one of the tenants evacuated by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Rashid re-occupied his unit in July, though he said he did not receive an official note from the Bowl management stating whether or not he could return. “I am here but still don’t have any gas,” Rashid told the Post Tuesday. Rashid’s home, however, suffered less damage than some of the units on Terrace, just north of Shore, where the hillside slid farther down to the homes. A visit to the site on Monday found “Road Closed” and “No Trespassing” signs along that street, which is higher than the level of the units and has been covered with gravel. Electrical wires surrounding the homes are tied to trees. A walkway to one home was disconnected from its main unit and another, tilted home had a significant crack in the center, where the earth below is visible. Most of the homes in the Bowl, which contains 178 mobile homes, are held up by dozens of 4-foot-high pylons’some metal and others concrete. Rashid, who bought his unit about eight years ago, said he is a little worried about the foundation of his house, but his real concern is the dirty-looking water that drains from the hill and collects along the front of his unit. “It’s not very healthy,” he said. “I’m really worried about the accumulation of mosquitos.” Rashid said he mentioned the water to the management more than a week ago but nothing has been done about it. Yet he is more optimistic than some of the other tenants affected by the rain damage who are living there without gas and are unsure whether the work being done on the hillside is to their benefit or not. Construction workers in skip loaders are active on the hillside, which is scattered with pipes. “They’re digging holes and putting a well there to [remove] the water from the hill,” Rashid said. “They’re also putting in more drainage pipes and trying to clean up the hill.” Diane Scott, park manager, declined to comment on the work but said that, in terms of securing the hillside, “the recommendation that is on the table from an expert geologist is on hold right now, thanks to the [California] Coastal Commission.” Scott confirmed that residents have moved back in but said, “We were never officially red-tagged, and it was the Fire Department that came in and enforced the evacuation.” Scott added that she is not in a position to prohibit tenants from returning to their homes: “Those who have moved back in have done so at their own will.” Meanwhile, Captain Bill Ernst of Fire Station 23 visited the site this week and told the (Continued on Page 3) Post, “I didn’t see any signs of life or cars. The only car was in the corner unit. I’m sure [the homes] are still condemned.” He added that if people are living there, they’re “probably living there without utilities.” The mobile home park was sold September 1 to a new owner, Eddie Biggs, who told the Post that he hasn’t been there since he closed escrow but that he is aware of the damage done to the Terrace Drive area. “I understand that they’re a little unhappy,” he said, referring to the tenants who have moved back in. “We’re supposed to get together to meet with them.” Biggs confirmed that he is in the process of getting a permit from the Coastal Commission to repair the hillside. He also said the former owner, Fred Keeler, “started repairing the hillside because he had a permit from HCD [the California Department of Housing and Community Development].” The HCD is one of 16 departments within the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. L.A. Department of Building and Safety official Luke Zamparini informed the Post Tuesday that the state, not the City, has jurisdiction over mobile home parks. “The City’s involvement with mobile home parks is pretty much limited to inspecting electrical meters they hook up to,” Zamparini said. The state’s mobile home ombudsman, who is only available between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, could not be reached before our Wednesday deadline.

Honorary Mayor Steve Guttenberg Aids Hurricane Victims in Houston

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(Editor’s note: Actor Steve Guttenberg, who serves as the honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, flew to Houston on September 6 to help for five days with hurricane relief efforts at the Astrodome. This is the first of two reports that he filed to the Palisadian-Post about his experiences. We will have more space available for next week’s story.) By STEVE GUTTENBERG Honorary Mayor I was in New York with my family when I began watching the Katrina stories on television. Like everyone else, we all were shocked and saddened. I was honored to be King of Bacchus at Mardi Gras in 1991 and my whole family and many friends spent a week of glorious partying in New Orleans. Since then, I have loved that city, as I know anyone who ever visits it does. Watching the aftermath of the storm, my Mom and I thought the same thing: flying to the region and helping. After several days went by, I felt that going to Houston would help, so I bought some gloves and heavy duty shoes and flew down to volunteer. After checking into a hotel, I caught a cab to the Astrodome, where the entrance was bustling, like a little city that had sprung up overnight. I went up the escalator to the Relief Center, where I found the volunteer table and was given an orange wrist band, then sent off to orientation. There I meet 30 new inductees, and we were instructed about various safety issues. They stressed wearing gloves, using the hand sanitizer, and being helpful to everyone. Lots of people were depending on us to take our jobs seriously. My first job was to go around the Dome and find all the cots that were not being used, then bring them to an area where other volunteers in masks and rubber gloves would clean and sanitize them for new “guests,” as the Red Cross person described them. They were not “refugees,” he emphasized. This was their home, and we should treat them that way. When I went down to the old stadium floor at the Dome, it momentarily reminded me of the days when the Oilers played football here. But this was not a sports event, this was real life after a natural disaster’tough and heartbreaking. I was once in a film called “The Day After,” which was about a nuclear holocaust. There was a scene where the victims of this nuclear war were housed in a great gymnasium in Lawrence, Kansas. And as I walked into the Astrodome, it was identical to the movie. Life imitating art.

Library’s Teen Advisory Group Holds First Meeting Sept. 29

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By DIVYA SUBRAHMANYAM Palisadian-Post Intern The Teen Advisory Group (TAG) at the Palisades Branch Library will begin meeting again next Thursday, September 29 at 5 p.m., after a summer hiatus.’The TAG, its existence unknown to most people, was created in the spring of 2004 by Brad Allen, the teen librarian. The board meets once a month on Thursday afternoon, and more frequently in the weeks leading up to a special program. “I’m looking forward to getting it up and running again,” Allen says, “and I hope to see some new faces.” The town’s teenagers are invited to participate. Allen, who began working at the library in September 2003, says his goal in starting the group (which has equivalents at many other Los Angeles branches) was to “try to meet teens in the Palisades branch who are interested in doing something for the library or getting involved in activities.”‘ Last year’s group set up events such as teen movie nights (featuring “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Princess Bride”), and workshops that taught salsa dancing, cartooning, filmmaking, and more.’ Programs are funded partly by Young Adult Services of the L.A. Central Library, and through generous support from our local Friends of the Library. Unfortunately, says Allen, “teen turnout hasn’t been that high.” Some activities, instead of attracting the target teen audience, draw much younger children. TAG member Stephi Magur, a senior at Palisades High, offers an explanation: “We don’t have enough people to think of and plan these activities properly.”‘Publicity is one problem, she says, and “we want more diversity in our opinion” to ensure the events really do appeal to teens. The ideal TAG, says Allen, “would have a core of people to help set up programs and raise attendance” by bringing in their friends and their friends’ friends, and so on.’This year, Stephi wants to “try to bring more of the teens to the library instead of going to the Third Street Promenade or Westwood.” Allen agrees, saying “we need to be providing services that people actually want.”

Edna Hogan, Former Resident

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Edna Minard Hogan, a former longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died on August 25 in Rancho Mirage. For over 25 years she and her family lived at 387 Arno Way, before she and her husband retired to La Quinta about eight years ago. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Edna married William Joseph Hogan on June 26, 1965 in San Gabriel. She was an educator in the Glendale School District after graduating from Marquette University. She taught in Glendale and La Crescenta for approximately 10 years, and then at Corpus Christi School in the Palisades for eight years, specializing in remedial reading. She also tutored children with special education needs for many years. Edna was a member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church and its women’s auxiliary in La Quinta, St. Ann’s Guild in Los Angeles and Mabel Mosler Auxiliary in West Los Angeles. In addition to William, her husband of 40 years, she is survived by her daughter, Laura Hogan of Altadena; her son, Peter Hogan of Pacific Palisades; and her sister, Elizabeth Kauth of Seattle. A Mass will be celebrated at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 1 at Corpus Christi Church. The family suggest that donations be made to the Susan Komen Foundation.

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