Harpists Return to Aldersgate
Susan Allen’s summer harp course is once again setting up strings at Aldersgate, 925 Haverford, for another two-week session July 24-August 6. ” In addition to the daily schedule of classes and summer fun, the students will participate in master classes taught by professionals who specialize in different harp styles. ”Ranging in age from 9 to 39, the students come from United States and around the world, and play at a variety of levels, attend classes in the morning and afternoon in the cozy living room at Aldersgate.” ”The public is invited to listen to the master classes, which will feature solo work from the harpists as well as a student concert with solo and ensemble works. ”This year there will be three free concerts open to the public next door at the Woman’s Club: ”” ”Michael Rado will perform a classical repertoire on Sunday, July 31, at 7:30 p.m., and Stella Castellucci will perform jazz standards on Tuesday, August 2, at 7:30 p.m. Both of these concerts are made possible by the Music Performance Fund of the Recording Industries. The final concert will be on Friday, August 5, at 4 p.m. ”Allen, associate dean of the school of music at CalArts in Valencia, started her summer camp as an opportunity for harpists to come together as a community and learn from one another. ” A native of Santa Barbara, she taught for many years in the east, before relocating to the West Coast in 1984. Since then, she has been a member of the faculty at CalArts and teaches improvisation, harp, chamber music, theory, music literature and the performer/composer forum. ” ”Rado began his harp studies in 1979 at the age of 25, after having studied, excelled and won competitions as pianist for 20 years. He is now principal harpist with the San Francisco Opera Center and Western Opera orchestras, and is currently on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. ” Castellucci reached the pinnacle of her profession as a jazz harpist and composer through multiple avenues, beginning in radio as a staff musician for American Broadcasting Company in Hollywood when she was 19. After two years at ABC, Castellucci entered an eight-year association with famed singer Peggy Lee, playing harp in the jazz sextets and quintets that backed Miss Lee on her tours throughout the U.S. ”Since 1974, Castellucci’s deep interest in conducting workshops in jazz harp has added a new dimension to her career. For her arrangements of standard and contemporary songs and ballads, she has gained the applause of harpists throughout the music world. She maintains a schedule of teaching, coaching jazz harp, recording and motion picture and television scoring sessions. ”For more information, contact: www.summerharpcourse.com
Beech Street Cafe and Pizzeria to Open on Swarthmore July 12
Beech Street Cafe, 863 Swarthmore Avenue, opens on Tuesday, July 12. After more than a year of delays, the totally refurbished Italian cafe and pizzeria is finally ready for customers. ‘This past April, the City demanded that the electrical wiring in the back of the building be updated. It cost over $30,000 for the new electrical box. At that time, restaurant owners Bobby Mackston and Kevin O’Connell thought they’d be ready to open in a month. Inspectors demanded other minor changes such as lowering the mirrors in the bathroom, adding a different lip at the bottom of the tiles in the bathroom, and adding thermometers to the inside of new state-of-the-art appliances that already have thermometers built into the door. Careful attention has been given to the interior design; the warm tones, exposed wood beams provide a comfortable setting for families. The intimate 1,136 sq. ft. located in the former Il Sogno site has a counter that seats six and overlooks the open kitchen. Beech Street Cafe is a great place for not only families, but the cozy design makes it a fine place to go if you’re dining solo. The outdoor patio, which seats 20, with padded cushions on the chair seats, umbrellas and tables that reflect a careful choice to make the outdoor eating experience as leisurely and pleasant as possible. A few lucky Palisadians got a sneak preview of the New York-style pizza on July 4. The verdict? Incredible! On almost any corner in New York, a hungry customer can get a great slice of pizza. Mackston, with careful attention to detail, did research and realized that the water used in the Big Apple, could make the difference. The tap water in New York City is some of the best water in the country, he says. The Beech Street Cafe brought in a water filtering system that now gives its pizza the same great taste that New Yorkers take for granted. In addition, the same great filtered water is used in the cafe’s cappucinos and espressos. As well as pizza by the slice, customers can buy whole pies. In addition to the standard pizzas like cheese and pepperoni, there are a few more interesting choices like the bianca pizza with cream sauce, fresh ricotta, sauteed spinach, and bufala mozzarella. The West Side Pizza has grilled eggplant, smoked mozzarella, and fresh oregano. True “New Yorkers” will appreciate that Beech Street also sells calzones. For those parents who are tired of pizza and want adult fare, Beech Street provides starters such as baked goat cheese with homemade breadsticks, bruschetta and stacked eggplant caprese. Salads include the arugula-artichoke salad as well as the standby Caesar salad. Reading the sandwich menu reveals several mouth-watering options like the grilled herb chicken on cibatta bread, which includes arugula, pecorino cheese, and sundried tomato tapenade and the roasted zucchini and eggplant sandwich with caramelized onions, herb goat cheese, and balsamic and dijon spread. There are 10 different pasta entrees. Beech Street Cafe also has a wine and beer license. Beech Street Cafe & Pizzeria will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. eventually the owners plan to extend their services, so Palisadians can enjoy a great cup of coffee on the patio in the morning, too.
Rosendahl Sworn In as City Councilman
Last Saturday’s inauguration of District 11 City Councilman Bill Rosendahl had a Pacific Palisades flavor in a Venice Beach setting. Highlands resident and Superior Court Judge Kathy Mader officiated at Rosendahl’s swearing-in ceremony, at which point her husband, Norman Kulla, assumed his official role as District 11 director and senior counsel. Kulla, an attorney who served as chairman of the Palisades Community Council this past year, will also advise Rosendahl on fiscal issues. earlier, newly elected Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was on hand to praise Rosendahl as a man “who is unabashedly a progressive [applause], and that’s a good thing. He’s also a problem solver and a consensus builder. Let’s applaud that, too.” The mayor noted that Rosendahl “is a man focused on improving transportation on a regional basis” and is “committed to building the expo [light-rail] line from downtown to Santa Monica, working with County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and with me.” ‘ “I wanted to be here today to acknowledge our friendship over the last 10 years,” Villaraigosa said to Rosendahl, who was standing at the back of the audience in the outdoor Venice Pavilion. “I’m looking forward to working with you on local issues and regional issues, and I’m looking forward to a great partnerships with a great leader and a great friend.” Former Mayor Richard Riordan and his wife, Nancy Daly, offered further accolades, with Daly recalling that she and Rosendahl attended the same high school in New Jersey (though they attended at different times) and had become friends once they met each other here as adults in Los Angeles. Riordan described the councilman as “a very spiritual guy who has remained grounded. We feel it whenever we’re with him’that great smile and that great karma that I know he’ll bring to City Hall.” After the introductory speeches, as Rosendahl shook hands and hugged his way through the crowd up to the podium, Riordan reminded everyone that “Bill started out in politics on Robert Kennedy’s 1968 campaign,” and thus the similarities in political style. Wearing a short-sleeve blue shirt and khaki pants, Rosendahl began his remarks with typical gusto. “First I want to say: great! great! great, great! everything is great, especially today.” He reiterated a core theme of his campaign'”We’re all joined at the hip”‘as he called for public hearings with Santa Monica officials to deal with jet airplane exhaust polluting Santa Monica Airport neighborhoods, and urged cooperative efforts with Veterans Administration officials and the future of the VA property between Westwood and Brentwood. “I spend a part of my day in prayer and meditation,” Rosendahl said. “It centers me, and when we’re centered, I believe we do the right thing. everything needs to be balanced and fair. We have to leave ourselves open to whatever the truth might be. We’re all in this together.” Rosendahl, who lives in Mar Vista, is perhaps the only Los Angeles politician with chickens in his backyard. As has become his custom, he held up a sack of freshly-laid eggs (“13 of them, symbolizing the current 13 members of City Council”) and presented them as a gift’on this occasion, “to Mayor Villaraigosa and his family, so they are nourished.”
Enjoying His Ride in the Parade
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
My Fourth of July began as it always has the past 13 years, with the sound of someone singing the National Anthem coming through our second-story bedroom window in the Alphabet streets. I looked at my clock and, as usual, it was about 8:15 a.m., just moments before the Will Rogers 5K/10 K runs began at the Recreation Center. Fortunately, given our staffing responsibilities at the Palisadian-Post, I could stay in bed and not worry about rushing down to the park to cover this popular community event; sports editor Steve Galluzzo is somehow always there, along with our staff photographer, Rich Schmitt. I spent a leisurely morning before setting out for work at noon, armed with only a pen and my trusty Professional Reporter’s Notebook. I had walked less than a block, to the corner of Fiske and Albright, when I took my first notes. Our friend Harrison Sommer was out in front of his house, fresh from running the 5K with his wife Pam’and all six of their children, plus one son-in-law. “This is the day that defines the Palisades and our community,” Sommer noted, as he talked about walking to the afternoon parade and then later walking to the fireworks show at Palisades High. After walking down Swarthmore to Sunset, past the bustling lunch crowd at Terri’s and Mort’s, I met longtime resident Eileen Cassidy, whose red-nose pit bull, Dawn, had walked in the parade with dozens of other Patriotic Pups since 1997. “This is the first time I’ve dressed her up,” said Cassidy, who had obtained a black tank top with red, white and blue sequins and a patriotic rhinestone collar from Nevicella, the town’s new canine outfitter. When I reached the pre-parade VIP luncheon in the Methodist Church patio, a short walk from the parade’s starting point at Bowdoin, I was a prepared for a relaxed hour of socializing and note-taking. But instead, the place was buzzing, following the unexpected arrival of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who really knows how to work a picnic. As Bill Prachar, the parade’s one and only clown, honked his Clarabell horn in the background, Villaraigosa explained how he squeezed the parade into his busy schedule. “I attended the Sunland/Tujunga parade this morning’the first mayor to do so in 40 years’and when I saw that your parade wasn’t on my schedule, I told my people I wanted to come by and say hello. Next year I hope to be here in the parade.” Listening nearby, newly-inaugurated City Councilman Bill Rosendahl said, “I’ll make sure he’s here.” Normally, after covering the VIP picnic, I go outside to watch the skydivers descend at about 2 p.m. and then begin walking the parade route. This year, I had a free ride in a 1966 Bonneville Cadillac convertible, thanks to winning a Community Service Award from the Community Council last December. I was joined by my friend Carol Hurley, a co-founder of the Palisades AARP chapter 10 years ago and a quietly dedicated provider for numerous ill and housebound seniors throughout the community. Our driver was Joseph Nohejl of Duarte, who said he hires out for about 30 parades a year, including the Lompoc Flower Festival, the Big Bear Old Miners Day, the Los Angeles Chinese Golden Dragon Parade, and the Pasadena Black History Parade. When I reached the car, I saw Ed Lowe, the Post’s Graphics Director, cutting away at our Community Service Award sign. He had noticed that the sign read Bill BURNS, so he was rearranging the letters to keep Two Cents callers from chortling at the misspelling. We took off in the car at 2:35 p.m., sandwiched between the Bellflower High School Band and the Colegio de Bachilleres band. The breeze was at our back, the sun was shining, and the crowd was in a festive mood as we worked our way down Via de la Paz, waving to friends and strangers with our tiny American flags. When we turned the corner at Sunset, we had a stunning view of the parade ahead of us and both sides of the street lined with spectators all the way to Drummond. “There’s Walt, my cardiologist,” Carol explained at one point. “There’s Joe, my barber,” I responded moments later when I saw Joe Almarez waving from his parade chair. “What a kick,” Carol said.
College Graduates
COURTNEY ANNE QUINN, UCLA Courtney Anne Quinn, daughter of Colleen and John Quinn, graduated June 18 from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in history. Courtney was one of 20 graduates, out of 500 history degree candidates, to receive honors for her thesis “Understanding Ho Chi Minh.” She was also a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. Courtney is a graduate of St. Matthew’s (1997) and Harvard Westlake School (2001), where she was a first team All CIF water polo player for three years; she played on the polo team at UCLA but retired after knee surgery. In September, Courtney will move to Dallas where she has been accepted to the management training program of Neiman Marcus. FEDERICO BIANCHI and NICOLE DIACO, Boston University Federico L. Bianchi and Nicole E. Diaco graduated from Boston University in May. Federico earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and management, and Nicole earned a bachelor’s degree in communication. FARRAH MEISEL, Wheaton College Farrah Meisel, daughter of Helen Meisel of Pacific Palisades and Stephen B. Meisel, M.D., of Santa Monica, graduated magna cum laude from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts, with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She served as president of Wheaton’s photography club and co-produced the school’s recent art exhibit. Farrah studied Japanese at Brown University for two years, then spent her junior year at Kanda Gaigo University in Chiba, Japan. In July, Farrah will move to Shizuoka, Japan, to teach English through the Japanese Exchange Teaching Program (JET). She is a graduate of Santa Monica High School. SARITA DOROTHY JACKSON, Brown University Sarita Dorothy Jackson, who graduated from Palisades High School in 1996 and USC in 2000, earned a Ph.D. in political science from Brown University. Sarita completed a thesis titled “Apparel Industry Mobilization and U.S. Foreign Trade Policy: Comparative Analysis of Mexico and Central America.”
Aldersgate History Uncovers Stalwart Sunday School Teacher
By SANDRA BECKWITH Special to the Palisadian-Post This fall, a new concert/storytelling series will be launched in the Chautauqua tradition at the first church in the Palisades’Community United Methodist Church’and outdoors at Aldersgate Retreat Center on Haverford. Honoring the roots of its founding, the Palisades will once again be experiencing a variety of cultural and educational programs for all ages starting September 29. Aldersgate, the jewel nestled on Haverford next to the Woman’s Club, has a history that runs parallel to the founding of the Palisades. Even so, many Palisadians are unaware of this charming, Mission Revival-style house. Both Aldersgate and the adjacent Buerge Chapel speak of a bygone era of summer picnics and Sunday family dinners under a spreading tree. This lovely house wasn’t always called Aldersgate. Fifty years ago, a sign on its roof read “We Boys and J.O.C. Lodge,” a name that harks back to the legacy of two Sunday school classes with a lifelong relationship. These devoted members created a meeting place for summer reunions, weekend retreats, religious meetings and special events. Their bond stemmed from a common devotion to their Sunday school teacher and mentor, Eva Todd Burch. Beginning in 1893, with a class of six boys, Burch mentored kids with an uncanny understanding of the challenges of growing up. Her students referred to themselves as “We Boys,” although Eva lovingly called them “My Boys.” Over 2,000 boys attended her classes during the 18 years she taught. “Graduates” formed the “We Boys Society” in 1895, reputed to be the first organized Sunday school class with elected officials, a constitution and by-laws. The society expanded their fellowship to include social activities, debates and musical events. And the men retained their heartfelt regard for Eva, crediting her with molding their lives and giving them a deep sense of belonging. The female counterpart was a Sunday school class called J.O.C. (Jesus Our Companion). The two classes socialized together and a number of marriages came out of these relationships. Annual banquets were held, and Fourth of July picnics, watermelon cuts and reunions continued for years. By 1927, a fervent desire developed for a permanent center to meet, and a committee began to look for sites in the Palisades. They incorporated to prepare for purchase. In November 1927, members Jack and Ruth Elrath went to a downtown auction intending to buy a grandfather clock, but instead bid and won a large house built in 1892 on Harvard Street near Western in Los Angeles. The Elraths then suggested that the “We Boys-J.O.C.s” buy it from them and move it to newly purchased land in the Palisades. Undaunted by the monumental task of moving a building, the “We Boys-J.O.C’s” purchased for $3,000 and paid $5,000 to have it moved. In January, 1928, the house was split in two in preparation for the move, which succeeded after three arduous nights. Many members came forward to remodel and decorate. Donations of furniture (some of which remain) and household items came pouring in and the building was transformed into a home. Through the years, many dinners, monthly parties, weekend retreats, family gatherings and fundraising events were enjoyed at the lodge. In 1943, a goal was set to pay the mortgage by the annual Fourth of July picnic, and on that day, amid cheers for full ownership, the mortgage was burned. By 1958, an aging membership unanimously decided against sale and instead decided to donate the property to a nonprofit, and in 1960 the Lodge passed to the Southern California-Arizona Conference of the Methodist Church, becoming Aldersgate Retreat House. Adjacent to the house is the Buerge Chapel, another property that grew out of goodwill and community effort. Bill Buerge, whose parents moved to Haverford in 1938, designed the chapel. The restoration of Aldersgate and the building of the chapel spanned a seven-year period, with Buerge contributing on almost every level. The 50-seat chapel, completed in 1992, has stained-glass windows and landscaping based on plants referred to in the Bible. Buerge found the antique pews in Pasadena and they were recrafted to fit the chapel. Noted Palisadians Chuck Norris and Art Tarnutzer worked tirelessly to craft this local jewel and restore the main facility. The fireplace was built with creek rocks from Topanga and a piece of rose quartz that weighs a ton. What began with community fellowship will continue in the fall, when the “Planting Seeds to Build Community” concert series commences on September 29. Other programs will be held on October 6, 13, 19 and 27 and November 3. For more information or to get involved in this Chautauqua outreach project, call Sandra at 410-1861.
Runners Look to Break Records
2005 PALISADES WILL-ROGERS RACE PREVIEW
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
The countdown is underway for the 28th annual Palisades-Will Rogers 5K/10K Run, which will once again serve as the opening act of Sunday’s Fourth of July festivities in Pacific Palisades. Followed by the parade in the afternoon and fireworks in the evening, the event is a proud local tradition and one of the most popular races in California, attracting between 2,500 and 3,000 runners every year. The list of celebrities and athletes who have participated in or assisted with the race since it began in 1978 is long and distinguished, including late actor Walter Matthau, singers Toni Tennille and John Raitt, ex-Los Angeles Kings goalie Rogie Vachon, ex-Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Davey Lopes, ex-NBA star Steve Kerr, Olympic gold medal swimmer Mark Spitz, Los Angeles Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak and Congressman Mel Levine. Three of the four winners last year hailed from the Palisades: men’s 5K winner Peter Gilmore, men’s 10K winner Brad Becken and women’s 10K winner Kara Barnara. Gilmore, a former Palisades High and UC Berkeley standout, has won seven out of the last eight men’s 5K races and set the course record of 14:10 two years ago. Although he is known around these parts as the 5K king, Gilmore has been making headlines on the national stage lately’especially after finishing 10th overall in this year’s Boston Marathon. Becken, a Huntington Palisades resident, was so inspired by winning the Will Rogers 10K for the first time last year that he decided to enter the Los Angeles Marathon in March. All he did there was finish 70th overall in a field of over 25,000 runners. Meanwhile, Kara Barnard won her third 10K last year, blazing the Will Rogers State Historic Park switchbacks to finish in a personal-best 35.24, the fourth fastest time in race history. A former PaliHi and UCLA track/cross country runner, Barnard has also won the 5K five times, including four in a row from 1997-2000. Another race is building a proud traditon in the Palisades. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Kids’ Fun Run, a half-mile race for children 12-and-under. The course begins on Alma Real and continues onto Ocampo, then south and east on Drummond, then north on Toyopa, back to the Rec Center. Those still wishing to participate in one of the community’s proudest traditions can still register on Monday at the Rec Center entrance from 6:30 to 8 a.m. at a cost of $35. Cost for the Kids’ Fun Run is $15. Race Central will post times on its Web site after the race. For complete results, log onto the official Will Rogers Race site (www.pwr10k.com) one week after race day.
Tom McGarvin, 88; USC Athlete, Santa Monica Coach, Athletic Director
Tom McGarvin, a former 51-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away peacefully with his family at his side on June 18 at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage owing to complications related to heart failure. He was 88. Born in 1917 in Newman, California, and raised in Altadena, McGarvin graduated from John Muir High School in 1935 after serving as student body president his senior year. He lettered in swimming, baseball and basketball. He was captain of the basketball team and an All-Foothill League selection. Teammates on his baseball team at Muir High included Jackie Robinson and Mickey Anderson. McGarvin attended the University of Southern California from 1936-1941, where he lettered three years in basketball and one year in football. He earned several basketball honors, including first team All-Pacific Coast Conference his senior year. During the 1939-1940 basketball season USC beat Long Island University in Madison Square Garden before 18,000 fans, breaking LIU’s 41- game winning streak. That season USC advanced to the NCAA semifinals, now called the Final Four, where they lost by one point to Kansas, coached by Phog Allen. After graduating from USC, McGarvin entered the Army. During World War II he fought in Europe with the decorated 3rd Armored Division of the 1st Army, attaining the rank of major. He fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, and the Silver Star. In the fall of 1946, McGarvin became the head basketball coach and assistant football coach at Santa Monica High School. His basketball teams won numerous Bay League championships, and the football teams, coached by Jim Sutherland, were always feared. He also served as the golf coach. In 1954 he became the school’s athletic director and held that position until 1964, when he became basketball coach at Santa Monica City College. He coached until 1968, then served as athletic director at the college until his retirement in 1979. McGarvin and his wife, Angie, moved to the Palisades in 1949 and lived there until the fall of 2000. His three children graduated from Palisades High School. Angie passed away in 2000. Tom is survived by his two sons, Tom McGarvin of Tucson and Bruce McGarvin (wife Liz and her sons Eric and David Micotto and daughter Nadine Magray) of La Quinta; daughter Marci Neail of Indian Wells; and grandsons Kyle, Eric and Christian Neail. A memorial service will be held at Gates, Kingsley in Santa Monica at 2 p.m. on July 7. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to USC athletic scholarships in memory of Tom McGarvin, c/o Ron Orr, Heritage Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0602.
Hey, Let’s Play Two!
Grace Kuhlenschmidt, going into the 5th Grade at St. Matthews, recently accomplished an impressive feat. She enrolled in the long established girls’ softball league Santa Monica Bobby-Sox, only to find out the inaugural Palisades Girl’s Softball League was forming. Like any first-time enthusiast with no practice or game conflicts scheduled on the horizon, Grace decided to enroll in both. Playing third base for the Red Sox in the Palisades and the Ice Ice Baby for Bobby-Sox, she helped both teams come away with the league championship.
