Angels in Your Neighborhood
By Brenda Himelfarb Palisadian-Post Contributor It’s one thing to volunteer to work in an emergency room. It’s another, however, to work in an emergency room and, on occasion, assist your child, who is an emergency room physician. Yet, that’s exactly what Palisadian Silgia Grassl has done as an Angel of the ER at Saint John Hospital’s Emergency Department. Grassl had been in the Angel program for two years, when her daughter, Sabrina Grassl-Diaz, who grew up in the Palisades, began working at St. John’s, after interning in the emergency room at County/USC. ‘Needless to say, it’s very special. I just try not be in the way,’ admits Grassl, with a smile. More than 30 adult volunteers, 13 of them Palisadians, are part of the Angels of the ER, a program that was created by Carla Hummer, an RN who worked at Saint John’s for 25 years. From wrapping a patient in a blanket or merely holding a hand, Angels are there to comfort and calm all those who enter St. John’s emergency room. ‘I give patients verbal first aid,’ Hummer once said. ‘I tell them, ‘You’re in the right place. We’re only here to make you feel better.’ Most important, the Angels are a vital link in the communications chain between the patient and their families and the ER staff. The Angels also allow the ER physicians and nurses to spend more time doing what is most needed’providing patents with the best possible medical care available.’ The idea for the Angels came about because Hummer was disturbed that patients had to sit and wait so long in the emergency room. She voiced her concerns to Russ Kino, director of the hospital’s emergency department, who approached the hospital’s Irene Dunne Guild, which raises funds and organizes volunteers for the hospital. Soon Hummer was organizing the Angels in the ER. ‘The Angels assistance has greatly improved patients’ relationships with the medical staff, because they are there to listen and answer questions, allowing physicians and nurses to focus on treating patients as quickly as possible,’ Kino says. Ranging in age from 19 to 65, the Angels undergo extensive training that includes an eight-hour orientation, followed by 25 hours in the emergency room. After completing their training the volunteers spend the first six months on the job with an experienced partner, under the supervision of an ER physician, an RN and a physician’s assistant. For the duration of their volunteer work, they also attend monthly meetings at the hospital. ‘It’s very rigorous training and we have been extremely selective with our recruitment of Angels because it takes a very special person to handle the enormous responsibilities involved,’ says Ann Harter, who currently runs the program. ‘The ER is extremely busy and can be very stressful for someone who isn’t prepared to cope with crisis situations.’ Palisadians Hummer and Harter were the first Angels. But soon the word spread, and the group continues to grow. ‘ Recently the Palisadian-Post invited other Angels who live in the community to share their feelings about the work they do in the St. John’s emergency room. ‘I have been an Angel for about four years,’ says Teddi Tindall, who has recruited some Angels through her job at the Nest Egg on Sunset. ‘I feel, other than caring for my husband, that it is the most important thing I do in my week. It embarrasses me when the patients express their appreciation, because the work is so personally gratifying and gives me so much spirituality. I should be thanking them.’ On one frantic day, a mental patient was experiencing extreme emotional highs and lows. ‘One minute he was crying, the next he was all smiles,’ Tindall recalls. ‘When he was put in a public area he became agitated and disruptive to the people around him. In talking with him, I discovered he loved to dance. I asked him to dance and we spent a lovely few minutes waltzing, which soothed him and created a bond between us.’ Lou Andrews, a retired Marine, has been an Angel for a year. ‘My job as an Angel encompasses two functions: one oriented toward the patients and the other toward the ER staff,’ he says. ‘In a phrase, for the patients I make ‘nice.’ The patient is typically anxious, discomfited and depressed. It is simply heartwarming to see the effect of walking to a gurney, placing a hand on an arm, smiling and asking, ‘Are you warm enough?’ The ER staff is dreadfully overworked and I do whatever I can to help. I make beds, empty urinals, clean, run errands, deliver and retrieve food trays, transport patients in wheelchairs and most importantly, am of good cheer. I feel that I am truly part of the ER staff team’a team in the finest sense of that word. I can think of nothing I have done in recent years that has given me a greater feeling of worth.’ ‘ Mary Ann Weiss became interested in becoming a volunteer because of the compassion and medical skills of the staff during her stay as a patient. ‘I wanted to show my gratitude in some way. Each time I help in the ER, I have such a good feeling, as I know that I have helped some people through a difficult time.’ Melinda Casey has been volunteering for over two years. ‘The interaction with the staff and people who come in for help is a life experience,’ she says. ‘Each shift is a new experience. People come in afraid and confused. But before long we make them comfortable and at ease and let them know that everything is being done for their proper care’whether it’s giving blankets, getting juice, being a liaison between the nurse and patient or simple letting family members know what is going on. ‘One time a chef, who had cut off his finger and had saved it in a bag of ice so it could be sewn back on, came in to the ER. Although he had done the right thing, it was hard to believe. We cared for him and he is back to work in the kitchen.’ Helen Cranmer, a Palisades piano teacher, says that as she enters the ER for her shift, she leaves her own life behind and totally devotes herself to trying to comfort and ease away concern of both the patient and the family. ‘The magically medicinal affect of a smile and reassuring words disarm the fear of a patient. I love to give away smiles, hope and optimism. Humor works well, also.’ Mary Martin, who has four sons, has been an Angel for over two years. ‘Having been a stay-at-home mom, I found that I had a skill that I didn’t know I had’that of being a cool, calm caregiver when the boys got hurt. Needless to say, we made several trips to the ER over the years. ‘The thing I find myself wondering is how the story comes out for everyone. How did the heart operation come out? But we are only involved for an hour or two in the process. People come in and the Angels get to know them a little. It’s not like television where you find out the ending. This job brings reality to my life and reminds me that every day is a gift.’ Grassl says that many elderly people come in, often alone. ‘It’s nice to be able to make a phone call for them or to even just hold hands. For me, these simple things are very rewarding.’ Ann Harter felt the helpfulness of the Angels first-hand when her son was admitted with a serious lung problem. ‘It was an Angel who gave me a hug and provided comfort and assurance, which allowed the ER staff to care for our son. It was an Angel who inquired as to our needs and brought a comfortable chair to our son’s bedside. For an anxious mother, these acts of kindness were very much appreciated. The ER team cared for us in a time of crisis and our Angel was a part of that team.’ With all the chaos in our world, it’s good to be reminded that there are a lot of good people doing good things’many of them your neighbors. And they make a difference every day in the lives of people who, in most cases, they have never met before and probably will never see again.
Memorial Set this Saturday for Harold And Edith Waterhouse
A memorial tribute will be held for Harold and Edith Waterhouse this Saturday, June 11, at 2 p.m. in Mort’s Oak Room, 1035 Swarthmore. The public is invited. Harold Waterhouse, a former Citizen of the Year in Pacific Palisades, passed away last December 27 at the age of 94. Edith, his wife of more than 52 years, died on April 5 at the age of 90. The couple had lived on Wildomar St. since 1947.
Daniel R. Cleeves, 50; Palisades High Alum
Daniel R. Cleeves, a Palisades High School alumnus, passed away on April 26 in Santa Rosa owing to complications from lupus. He was 50. Dan was born in Leadville, Colorado, and grew up in Fallbrook, California. He lived in Pacific Palisades from 1967 to 1973, attended Paul Revere Middle School and graduated from Palisades High in 1972. He was active in sports at Pali, especially in basketball and as a wide receiver on the varsity football team. After graduating from San Diego State University, Dan moved to Rohnert Park, California, and worked in Novato for Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company as Western regional director for national accounts. He also spent much of his time helping with sports at the local park. He is survived by his wife Jo Anne of Rohnert Park; daughter Ashley and son Sean, both of Rohnert Park; mother Anne Cleeves of Fallbrook; brother John of Columbia, South Carolina; two sisters, Rosemary of Henderson, Nevada, and Carolyn of Sequim, Washington; and many other loving relatives and friends. He will be missed very deeply by all. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be given to the charity of one’s choosing or to Rancho Cotate Cougar Boosters, Inc., P.O. Box 1806, Rohnert Park, CA, 94927.
Armina Hastings, 53-Year Resident
Armina Hastings, a Pacific Palisades resident since 1952, passed away on May 24 in Santa Monica. She was 84. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Armina loved to go to dances in Manhattan as a young woman, and later would fondly recall how she led the conga line at the Essex House. She met Norry Hagopian while on vacation in the Catskill Mountains. The couple married during World War II and ended up in California where Norry, an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard, was stationed in San Diego. After the war they moved to Baldwin Park. Norry, a chemical engineer, began his career in the plastics industry and legally changed his last name to Hastings when he went into business. They had two children, Michael and Norene. In 1952, the family moved to the Palisades and became active in St. Matthew’s Church. Armina loved the community, knew many of the local merchants and enjoyed walking from her house into the village or down to the bluffs overlooking the Pacific ocean. In the 1960s, Armina served on the board of the Armenian Allied Arts Association and in the 1970s, she worked for five years at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute. During that time she also earned a certificate in management from Mt. St. Mary’s College. Armina was highly intelligent and had little patience for the routine and prosaic parts of life, as she had a great zest for fun, adventure and learning. She was a gregarious person who continually took classes, joined organizations and traveled. She loved literature and music, and enjoyed going to concerts and the theater. An excellent cook, she loved to experiment with new recipes. Armina was also quite athletic and enjoyed playing tennis with her friends in the Palisades until she was into her 70’s. When traveling, she loved to explore new cities and countries and went on a number of trips to China, Europe, Canada and Mexico. She also enjoyed cruises to the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Scandinavia and the Panama Canal. A creative person, Armina loved to laugh, entertain and tell stories. She knitted, was an excellent writer and speechmaker, and discovered an affinity for acting later in life, performing in a number of Santa Monica Emeritus College stage productions. After acting, her next venture was learning to play bridge. She took classes and enjoyed playing in her weekly games. In 1992, Armina was diagnosed with breast cancer, which she battled with her typical courage and strength. After treatment, she was cancer-free until 1998, when she was diagnosed with metastatic cancer in her bones. At the end of 2003, Armina was diagnosed with normal pressure hydrocephalous (fluid on the brain). Treatment was unsuccessful and the last seven months of her life were spent at Brentwood Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Santa Monica. It was there that she passed away peacefully with her daughter at her side. Armina was preceded in death by her husband Norry and son Michael, and is survived by her daughter Norene of Pacific Palisades and sister Alice Mouradian of Fowler. Donations in Armina’s memory may be made to the Memorial Fund of the Parish of Saint Matthew, 1031 Bienveneda, Pacific Palisades, CA, 90272, or the Ararat Home of Los Angeles, Inc.
At Home with the Rabbi and Didi
The Steven and Didi Carr Reuben home is not only a visual delight, but a respite for the soul as well. With a personality larger than life, the effervescent Didi ushered me into their condominium which is just a short walk from the village. The rooms are alive with color, vibrancy and interesting angles. Didi simply says, ‘This whole house is my husband and me.’ One level into the living room, the deep green ceiling circled with small black-and-white tiles, the lavender walls, the blue fading to a white stucco around the fireplace, the printed red sofa delight your eyes. The room is full of curios from their world travels. ‘It’s really a visual travel journal of the last 20 years,’ Didi remarks. ‘The gifts of travel are that our eyes are opened to the world,’ says Steven, the rabbi at Kehillat Israel. ‘There’s a certain humility to it. It’s easy to think of our community as the center of the world. The humility comes from the recognition that we are all one’interconnected.’ He points out that they had traveled to the part of India that was hit last December by the tsunami. When he and Didi heard about it, there was a visceral sense of connection to place and the people. The Carr Reubens feel lucky to be in Pacific Palisades. When Steve joined K.I. 19 years ago, the synagogue leaders decided that they wanted their rabbi to live in the community. They loaned a down payment that the Carr Reubens used to buy a condo on Via de la Paz. They settled into the community, and Didi started a Jazz Night at Mort’s Oak Room the first Monday of every month. The informal setting gives her a chance to showcase her sultry voice and her expansive, fun personality. Her husband, who was principal percussionist with the Sacramento Symphony Orchestra for three years, plays in the band. Ten years ago, they moved to their current residence on Haverford. Didi worked with the architect and contractor to reshape the space. Originally it had a loft that was part of a ‘master suite.’ They closed off the loft to make a third-floor bedroom that includes a small office for Didi. The lower level of the ‘master suite’ became an expanded bathroom with a large walk-in closet and small exercise room. The bedroom is a deep salmon color, although as Steve jokingly points out, ‘Didi doesn’t even like fish.’ Didi explains, ‘That’s why I call the color a deep coral.’ The fireplace in the bedroom is tiled and inset with ‘coral’ grout. The sofa is purple, but the wood floor is a shade of green that surprisingly ties the whole scheme together. The floor also has a tint which gives it the feel of a clean smooth surface that blends into the surroundings. Didi confesses that when they were in the middle of the construction process, ‘The contractor, the architect and the painter didn’t like any of my choices. I had absolutely no support for the colors.’ Undaunted, she went ahead anyway. ‘I like to be controversial.’ Above the master bed, four small square spaces are constructed in the wall.When Didi asked the architect what was supposed to go in the spaces, the architect said, ‘You’ll figure out what goes up there.’ During the couple’s travels, they looked for various objects that might work, like masks or carvings, but neither of them could agree. Then, on a trip in New Zealand off the beaten path, they discovered an art gallery called ‘Bits of David’. They went inside and instantly both knew that it was bits of David (blue mini-sculptures of a noise, an ear, a mouth, and an eye) that had to go in the spaces. Asked how he feels about the color scheme, Steven replies sweetly, ‘I love it, because I love her.’ Didi adds, ‘I knew he loved me, but if I didn’t know before decorating, I knew it then.’ The rabbi’s job is a 24-hour-a-day job, seven days a week. His office is open from 9 to 5, and in the evenings he has meetings, teaches, counsels, and is on call for his congregants. He comments, ‘The synagogue is full of wonderful people. They are so good to us. It’s a privilege to be part of their lives.’ The Carr Reubens go away a month every year on a mini-sabbatical. ‘The congregation recognizes that when I’m here, I give myself 100 percent and that I need time off to think and recharge my batteries,’ Steve says. He and Didi travel extensively during that time and agree that one of their best choices was the William Ricketts sanctuary in Pmara Kutata, outside Melbourne, Australia. A white artist’s tribute to the plight of the aborigines, ‘it’s one of the most powerfully spiritual places in the world,’ says Didi. ‘The sculptures emerge out of the trees.’ Steven adds, ‘The sanctuary is so in touch with the essence of life. It reminds us that more unites us than divides us. As we’ve traveled, we realize kids’ smiles are the same everywhere, laughter is the same. Adults’ desire for their kids to be safe is the same everywhere in the world.’ When they’re in town, the Carr Reubens meet every night around 11 in their ‘chill room’ for a date. It’s a room with no telephone, no windows, a sofa and two chairs. Neutral with color accents, it’s an intimate and cozy place where both can unwind at the end of a day. Rabbi Reuben has written several books, including ‘Children of Character,’ and is currently completing ‘How to Answer Your Children’s Most Difficult Questions.’ Didi, in addition to her duties as the rabbi’s wife, has several other concurrent projects. She has put together ‘Didi’s Sleepaway Camp for the Terminally Vain,’ a 15-day trip to Costa Rica which can include plastic surgery or dentistry. Last year she recorded a CD entitled ‘My Romance,’ featuring her favorite love songs. Her husband adds, ‘I wanted to hear her voice when she wasn’t with me.’ Their daughter Gable is currently filming a movie ‘National Lampoon Presents Dorm Daze 2: Semester at Sea.’ Twenty-one years ago, the children from the preschool where Steven was a rabbi decorated the canopy under which the Carr Reubens were married with designs and the children’s names. A fabric artist filled in some of the cloth, making it three-dimensional. The canopy hangs in their hallway. In the center of the frame are the vows they recited that day: ‘This ring symbolizes the love of our home, the home of our love and the spiritual sanctuary they create together.’ Regretting that my time in Didi and Steven’s ‘spiritual sanctuary’ was ending, I kept up our conversation as we parted in the driveway. As a mother, I steered our conversation to children and spirituality. Didi urged her husband to tell me the story of a child in his Sunday School class. Steve asked the little girl what she was doing. She replied, ‘I’m drawing a picture of God.’ Steve told her, ‘No one knows what he looks like.’ The girl replied, ‘Of course not, because I haven’t finished my picture yet.’
Actor Eddie Albert Dies Here at 99
Actor Eddie Albert, an engaged resident of Pacific Palisades who served as the town’s 22nd honorary mayor from 1996 to 1998, passed away on May 27 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 99. Albert, who had an entertainment career that spanned radio, stage, movies and television, was an icon of the Palisades, having lived for over 60 years in a home on Amalfi Drive that he purchased from silent film star Billie Dove. He is perhaps best known for his starring role in television’s ‘Green Acres’ and for his Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in ‘Roman Holiday’ and ‘The Heartbreak Kid.’ Eddie Albert was born Eddie Albert Heimberger in Rock Island, Illinois on April 22, 1906. His father was involved in real estate business, causing the family to move to Minneapolis. Albert attended the University of Minnesota until his junior year, when he decided to get a full-time job managing movie theaters, in which he performed magic tricks before each show. He continued to work in entertainment, forming a singing trio that found success performing on the radio. The group played at stations in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago and New York, until finally breaking up. After the breakup, Albert moved to New York and sang in clubs around New York City for $3 a night, while living above a speakeasy on 48th St. He and Grace Bradt then formed a singing duet and went on NBC Radio for a year as ‘The Honeymooners’Grace and Eddie.’ Acting scouts discovered Albert soon after, and signed him for a Broadway show, ‘Room Service,’ and the movie version of ‘Brother Rat,’ and then the Rodgers and Hart musical ‘The Boys of Syracuse.’ When World War II broke out, Albert joined the U.S. Navy as a lieutenant, junior grade, and fought in the Pacific at Tarawa and other islands. In 1994 he was awarded the Navy’s Distinguished Public Service Award for dedication and heroic efforts on board the U.S.S. Sheridan during the battle of Tarawa in 1943. Albert married Margo ne’ Maria Margarita Guadelupe Teresa Estella Bolado Castilla y O’Donnell in St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in 1945. They had two children. His son Edward Albert, born in 1951, became an actor, married and has a daughter, Thais. His daughter Maria, born in 1954, is also married and has a daughter, Mia. Margo passed away in 1985. Eddie Albert served in a number of noble endeavors in his lifetime. In 1972, he was invited to act as a consultant to Maurice Strong, the Secretary General of the U.S. Conference on Environment, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden. He also met with national and local officials in an effort to reduce pollution to the environment, and went on NBC Television speaking out against the pesticide DDT. Although he was attacked for his stance on DDT, he stood firm, and was recognized as being correct when scientific studies confirmed that DDT was in fact highly dangerous to the environment. In the 1970’s, Albert spoke at more than 50 universities, businesses, industrial groups and citizen gatherings in which he raised awareness about the pollution of the world’s ecology and steps that could be taken to reduce it. On Earth Day in 1970, he was one of the keynote speakers at a major environmental rally at Stanford University. Albert was also very involved in organic farming and gardening, as evidenced by the crops that could be found at his Amalfi home in the front and back yards. Depending on the season, he grew tomatoes, radishes, beets, carrots, chives, rosemary, and even tall rows of corn. Albert took his farming skills to the inner-city in the 1970’s, establishing City Children’s Farms in New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and many other cities. Eddie Albert once said of growing older that ‘The problem with the men is you have to defrost them from believing that at age 65 you’re finished.’ Indeed, Albert kept going in his later years, working in his garden, and serving the town that had been his home for so long. Whether through his films and television shows, his garden and environmental work, or his years of service, the Palisades will always remember Eddie Albert as one of the pillars of the town, and as a friend to the community. ‘I’m absolutely in love with the Palisades,’ he said in 1999 at a birthday party for all residents 90 years and older. ‘It’s so pleasant here’the flowers, the people. I’ve been in a lot of places in the world and I’ve never been in one where the people are so warm and so comfortable with themselves. It’s wonderful that you can come together like this, and I’m honored to be part of it.’ Albert, who was 93 at the time, added: ‘I’m still trying to do my part to help people. So use the telephone, if you have time, and come and have a sandwich.’
Palisadians Power Loyola Volleyball
Led by Palisadian starters C.J. Schellenberg, Jake Rosetti, Jason Holdych and James Scillacci, Loyola High won its third consecutive CIF Division I Southern Section boys volleyball championship last Saturday night at Cypress College. The second-seeded Cubs upset top-seeded Mira Costa, 15-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22, to win their ninth CIF title, and the four locals all played together at Corpus Christi School. Schellenberg, a 6-8 senior hitter headed for USC, had 17 kills and 10 digs for the Cubs (29-5), who avenged a nonleague loss to the Mustangs in April. Other Palisadians contributing to Loyola’s victory were Brian Scilacci, Michael Lennon, Bryan Stennett and Chris Kayes.
Hickok Runs 4th in Mile
Sophomore Kristabel Doebel-Hickok has been the anchor of the Palisades High girls’ track team all season. By far the Dolphins’ most consistent performer, she had won every race she ran in Western League competition and qualified third at the City Section preliminaries. All signs pointed to a top three finish and a possible trip to the state meet. But in the City Section track and field finals last Thursday at Birmingham High, Doebel-Hickok learned that experience and strategy can be as important as speed and endurance in big races. Against a strong field, Doebel-Hickok ran a strong race and finished fourth in 5:23.42. ‘Kristabel ran a very good, smart race and I’m proud of her,’ Palisades High coach Ron Brumel said. ‘She was just up against older and more seasoned runners. This is the first time she didn’t run her final lap as fast or faster than her first one.’ Defending champion Emmaline Hartel of Birmingham took the lead early in the 1,600-meter race and held off several game challengers on the final lap to repeat as champion in 5:10.62. Hartel also won the two-mile (3,200 meters) event. Doebel-Hickok ran in the middle of the first half of the race, then stepped up her pace in the third lap to move within striking distance of the leaders. She was unable to make a serious threat at Hartel, but finished fourth by a comfortable margin. ‘This was a great learning experience for Kristabel,’ Brumel said. ‘She’ll have an even better shot at winning next year.’ In the field events, sophomore Angela Liberatore cleared 8-0 to finish fifth overall in the pole vault. She cleared the same height to finish first at the Western League finals two weeks ago.
Palisades Duo In City Finals
Two weeks after winning the City team championship, the Palisades High boys’ varsity tennis team will have a chance to add to this season’s hardware this afternoon at Balboa Sports Center. The Dolphins’ No. 2 team of junior Stephen Surjue and sophomore Sepehr Safii advanced to the All-City individual doubles finals with a dominating 6-1, 6-2 victory over Josh Dver and Chris Oh of Chatsworth. There, the Dolphins’ duo will face Granada Hills seniors Jared Novak and Jeremy Choo, who upset top-seeded Darya Bakhtiar and Seth Mandelkern, Pali’s No. 1 pair, 6-3, 7-5, in the semifinals. Bakhtiar and Mandelkern will meet Dver and Oh in the third place match. The doubles final is a rematch of last year’s third-place match, when Surjue and Safii beat the Highlanders’ tandem. In singles, the Dolphins’ No. 1 player, Adam Deloge, advanced to the quarterfinals before losing by injury default to the top seed and defending champion Bobby Tam of Belmont. Deloge retired after three games. In the third round, Deloge defeated Taft’s Adam Sagal, 6-2, 6-4. ‘STEVE GALLUZZO