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.”

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.

Sarah Beamish, the daughter of longtime Palisadians Doug and Betsey Beamish, married Tod Puckett on October 23 in an outdoor ceremony at the Bel-Air Bay Club. The bride’s father is the former principal of Palisades High School, and her mother is a retired medical library consultant. Sarah and Tod first met in the Sierra Nevada at the Lair of the Bear UC Berkeley alumni family camp, where Sarah was the nature director and Tod was the music director. The ceremony was conducted by Jack Knebel, a longtime friend of the Puckett family. The maids of honor were Laura and Charlotte Neff, daughters of Sarah’s late half-sister Sally Beamish Neff. The bridesmaids were Emily Stern, Maile Clark Kaiser, Gail Clevenger, Alex Galbraith Frumovitz, Drucilla Lawrence and Regan Phillips. Tod’s brother Glenn Puckett was the best man. Groomsmen were Steve Hobson, Colin Carpenter, Sean Buran, Paul Baldwin, Marc Roth and Chris Boehme. Sarah attended St. Matthew’s School, received her high school diploma from Marlborough School, a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics and policy and geography from UC Berkeley and a master’s degree in environmental management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. She works as a restoration ecologist for the Natural Heritage Institute in San Francisco. Tod, who received a bachelor’s degree in political economy of industrial societies from UC Berkeley, is an executive producer at Goodby, Silverstein & Partners. He is the son of Allen Puckett of Seattle, Washington, and Joan Adrienne Roth of Guilford, Connecticut. Following a honeymoon in Kenya the couple will live in San Francisco.

Theatre Palisades is hosting The Page to Stage summer theater workshop for high school students, taking place at Pierson Playhouse for two weeks, with a final show, produced by Diane Grant, planned for Sunday, July 10. Nine students, many of whom live in the Palisades, will participate in the workshop. The course, taught by Amy Friedman and Jim Pentecost, is designed to teach students how to write and revise a personal essay and learn the techniques required to deliver it most powerfully and provocatively on stage. Premiering this summer, the course begins on June 28 and runs on the following dates: June 28, 29 and 30 July 5, 6 and 7, 7 to 10 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse. The Final Performance will be July 10, at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd. at 8 p.m. Amy Friedman, writing coach, teaches Personal Essay and Creative Nonfiction at UCLA Extension and has performed in several spoken word venues, including Sit, Spin and Melt in Your Mouth. She has taught writing for 25 years (in NYC, Ontario, Canada and Los Angeles) and is currently a writer-in-residence for the online personal essay magazine, Fresh Yarn (www.freshyarn.com), where her advice to writers is featured on blog’s Fresh Daily. For eight years Amy wrote a weekly newspaper column “personal essays” and she has published several books, among them the memoir “Kick the Dog and Shoot the Cat” and two books for children based on her internationally syndicated newspaper column, Tell Me A Story (Universal Press Syndicate). She works as editor and coach with many of the writers and performers working in this genre in L.A., including Hillary Carlip, Alan Olifson, and Lauren Tom. Her husband Dennis Danzinger teaches English at Palisades Charter High School. Jim Pentecost, performance coach, made his motion picture debut with the Disney animated feature “Pocahontas,” and co-produced the live-action “Homeward Bound II.” He was the Executive Producer for the Stephen Schwartz musical “Geppetto” on the Wonderful World of Disney. As a producer at Disney for over 10 years, Jim developed and created stories for live action, animation and TV. Most recently he was associate artistic director at the Manhattan Theatre Club and Vice President for Clear Channel Theatrical. Jim’s involvement in films follows a distinguished career as a producer, director and stage manager for theater. His credits include the smash Broadway productions “Crimes of the Heart,” “La Cage Aux Folles,” “Romance, Romance,” “Gypsy” with Tyne Daly, and the musical “Nick & Nora.” Jim also teaches theater courses and has taught at UCSD. In addition, he has produced and directed summer programs for high school and college students. Those interested are encouraged to go out and see some of these performances, and to contact Amy Friedman at kellsmom@adelphia.net. Please provide your contact info. The course is limited to 10 students.

Compiled by ALYSON SENA, Staff Writer MARTIN SHEINBEIN, son of Robert Sheinbein and Connie Colvin, has been selected to attend LeadAmerica’s 2005 Congressional Student Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., from July 1 to July 10. Martin, who attended Village School, just finished his freshman year at Beverly Hills High School. The CSLC is a college-accredited invitational leadership program for high school students who have a record of academic achievement and extracurricular or community involvement. Students choose from several academic areas, including government and politics, engineering, science and robotics, global business and entrepreneurship, intelligence, diplomacy and national security, junior war college, crime scene investigation, law and trial advocacy, and medicine and health care. Through briefings and discussions with national and international leaders in the fields of study, and through realistic, hands-on simulations, they have the opportunity to experience leadership in action and to learn firsthand about the complexities of decision-making in a chosen field or profession. By engaging in special interactive workshops and activities, students will learn and develop leadership skills, including effective communication, conflict resolution, team building and time management. “Leadership is not just for those in our government and businesses,” says Chris M. Salamone, Esq., founder and executive director of the CSLC. Leadership begins with our young people’in their homes, their schools, and their communities’as they seek knowledge and understanding and work to improve the world around them.” o o o Navy Reserve Seaman Apprentice DAVID MOSES III, a 2001 graduate of Palisades Charter High School, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training and was meritoriously promoted to his current rank at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Moses completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. “Battle Stations” is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Its distinctly “Navy” flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor in today’s U.S. Navy. o o o CATHERINE M. GOLDBERG was named to the dean’s list, high honors, at Connecticut College for the 2005 spring semester. Dean’s high honors recognize students who have achieved a grade point average of 3.7 to 4.0. o o o MELISSA HUNTER, daughter of Craig and Martha Hunter, will be performing in “True Genius,” an original piece written by a recent Northwestern graduate, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer. Melissa, a senior at Northwestern University, will travel to Scotland on July 25 with 10 other Northwestern students to perform 25 shows between August 4 and August 29. Melissa will also be appearing in the upcoming Dreamworks film “Eyeball Eddie.”