Veronique Green, who has been singing gospel music in her church choir since the age of 5, was named the newest Pali Idol at Palisades High School’s third annual singing contest on February 25. The contest is patterned after the popular Fox television show ‘American Idol.’ Beginning with 85 initial contestants through the course of several rounds, 11 finalists were chosen. The winner was chosen by a panel of judges as well as the Mercer Hall audience of 300. Veronique wowed the audience and the judges with her perfectly pitched rendition of ‘Fallin” by Alicia Keys. Then in the final round, with her low-key stage presence, she made what one of the judges called ‘a courageous choice’ by singing Whitney Houston’s ‘Greatest Love of All.’ The judges were also impressed with Green’s powerful voice. A sophomore, Veronique sings in the choir of St. Matthew’s Baptist Church in Los Angeles, where her late grandfather was the pastor and her father is currently pastor. ‘Gospel is truly in me, and I also love R&B,’ she told the Palisadian-Post. Wearing a pink striped shirt and jeans skirt, Veronique came back for a final bow, singing John Legend’s ‘Ordinary People.’ Her grandmother and two cousins were in the audience to support her. Veronique will also get to compete in L.A. Idol, which is now in the works, with the other winners from various high schools. ‘I couldn’t believe it,’ she said of being named the winner. She picked the songs she did to show her range, and ended up with the title and a $200 prize. She is shy about performing, something she is still working on, she said. ‘I was nervous, but it helped that they had the lights off, so I didn’t have to see the crowd.’ Veronique, who also loves basketball and cooking, is now confident enough from her win to try out for ‘American Idol’ next year. Veronique had some tough competition. Her fellow finalists were two second-time contestants, junior Charles Hinham, who received a standing ovation with his first round a cappella medley of ‘Georgia on my Mind,’ ‘God Bless the Child’ and ‘Summertime.’ ‘You’ve redefined personal expression,’ said judge Dr. John Curtis. His second-round performance was ‘Gift from a Virgo,’ by Beyonc’. Also making it to the finals was Kiera Wells in her second year of competition, who combined a cool stage presence with a sharp performance of Lauryn Hill’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off Of You.’ In the second round she shifted gears with a soulful a capella performance of ‘California Dreamin” Eight other contestants made it to the finals: Ari Coco, Ralai Lee, Jasmine English, Denise Kotlarenko, Gavin Jones, Ernestine Collins and Jasmine Daghighian. The PaliHi Leadership Class and their leadership and history teacher Chris Lee organized the event, and Lee and last year’s winner Annie Tippe were the hosts, even performing ‘Proud Mary’ together. The judges were principal Dr. Gloria Martinez; Dr. John Curtis, a PaliHi parent who edits onlinecolumnist.com; and three members of the KIIS-FM team, DJ Drew, Gina Da Latina and DJ Mike Vasquez. Unlike the TV show, all the members of the judging panel had positive feedback for the singers. The judges’ opinions counted for 20 percent and the audience response was 80 percent. In the final round the audience alone chose the winner. Previous rounds had winnowed the candidates to the top 11. ‘It was polished,’ said Chris Lee. ‘There was a nice camaraderie among the contestants, the audience got into it. Everyone was really supportive of each other.’
Krisiloff vs. Rosendahl in City Council Runoff
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Tuesday’s election turned out to be the preliminary event, not only in the race for mayor of Los Angeles but also for the Council District 11 seat. The final tally from Tuesday’s race forced a runoff campaign between grassroots activist Flora Gil Krisiloff and former public affairs television host Bill Rosendahl to replace termed out Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. Out of 37, 472 votes cast, Rosendahl garnered 44.7 percent, Krisiloff collected 41.4 percent, and lawyer/entrepreneur Angela Reddock received 13.8 percent. But despite the three-point spread, the runoff candidates took the final vote as an encouraging sign, heading toward the May 17 election. ‘I will continue to visit every community, meet with the leadership in each community and with groups to talk about issues,’ Rosendahl told the Palisadian-Post Wednesday morning. Krisiloff told the Post that she was pleased to have another two months to ‘meet the people so they can learn what I’ve done,’ especially in parts of the district such as Westchester where she is not as well known. ‘I feel now, after a year, I’ve built a broad-based coalition of supporters who are ready to take it much further for me. I’ve gotten phone calls from all over the district from people who want to be more active.’ While on the campaign trail, both candidates learned that quality-of-life issues dominate debate in the Palisades. ‘The Palisades is very focused and does provide more leadership in terms of commitment to keep their quality of life positive,’ Rosendahl said. When talking about specifics, he mentioned his desire to keep the Commuter Express line 430 to downtown in service. ‘The community wants to save the line, but the Department of Transportation says it’s not cost-effective. If we keep saying that it’s not cost-effective, nothing will go to the Palisades. These are hardworking people, they pay taxes, they deserve services.’ Rosendahl added that part of the problem is the government bureaucracy. ‘The bureaucracy needs to be energized. With DOT, we have to motivate them, they need to be part of the solution.’ Krisiloff reiterated that quality of life”the city services one expects”remains the leading issue in the Palisades. Talking specifically about the increased traffic on Sunset, from 26th Street to the 405, she recommended looking into the possibility of a reversible lane, a remedy that was used during the 1984 Olympics. She also stressed the need to coordinate with Caltrans to change the meter time on the entrance to the San Diego Freeway. While the issues for all three candidates in the primary were largely identical, the challenge was traversing the large district to get their name known and stand out to the voters. Reddock, who garnered 5,172 votes, told the Post that her campaign was focused and targeted, but was stymied by limited finances. ‘Unfortunately, what happens when your campaign is not well-financed, it is difficult to reach people.’ Contributions for Rosendahl and Krisiloff were robust, each taking in more than $250,000, most of which was used to pepper the district with campaign mailers that boasted endorsements, outlined plans, and in some cases, lambasted the other candidate. Rosendahl accused Krisiloff of negative campaigning, adding that he would not participate in a debate unless the ‘discourse is uplifting. ‘I’m certainly not going to tolerate her negativity, half-statements, lies, low-road stuff,’ he said. Krisiloff defended her mailers, calling Rosendahl ‘disingenuous for acting as if he wasn’t involved in negative campaigning.’ While agreeing that ‘the presentation [in the mailers] needs to be discussed,’ she claimed that ‘what my campaign sent out were facts. The facts are really important for voters to understand who their choices are. I’ve been transparent in putting out my 20-year track record. Bill did not reveal his track record, and I feel he has really concealed his role in the cable industry, and given a lot of misinformation. I believe if he can’t be transparent and make it an open book, then it is my campaign’s job to do so.’ Both candidates look forward to a spirited campaign. ‘Letting the people become well informed about their choice, that’s what we need to do,’ Krisiloff said. Rosendahl says, ‘I will continue to stay on the high road, be positive and talk about the issues.’
Swimmers Lap Santa Monica
The Palisades High boys and girls swim teams opened the season in fine form on February 28, easily outdistancing host Santa Monica in an intersectional meet. The Dolphins’ frosh/soph girls blanked SaMo 100-0, winning every place in every event, while the frosh/soph boys also posted a shut out, 96-0. PaliHi head coach Maggie Nance was equally pleased with the performance of her varsity teams. The Dolphin girls won 142-23 while the defending City champion boys looked the part, stroking to a 145-28 victory over the Vikings. Standout performances on varsity were turned in by freshman Kristen Fufii, who was first in the 50 Freestyle and Amanda Mohagen, who was second in the 100 Butterfly. Rachel Kent was runner-up in the 200 Freestyle while Cayley Cline won the 100 Butterfly in 1:08.41. Andrew Le won the junior varsity 50 Backstroke and Igor Bivol was second in the 100 Butterfly. Brian Johnson won the boys’ varsity 200 Individual Medley and 100 Backstroke, Gavin Jones swam third in the 100 Freestyle and second in the 100 Backstroke. Paris Hays was second in the 100 Freestyle while David Nonberg won the 50 Freestyle in 23.52 and also won the 100 Freestyle. For the girls, Chelsea Davidoff won the 200 Individual Medley and finished second in the 500 Freestyle. Patrice Dodd was first in the 100 Freestyle and Julie Wynn was second in both the 50 and 100 Freestyle events.
Baseball Routs Channel Islands in Opener
If its first game is any indcation, the Palisades High varsity baseball team will go far this season. The Dolphins needed only six innings to mercy Channel Islands, 11-1, Saturday at George Robert Field for the first of what they hope will be many victories this season. ‘I’m happy with the way we played, I’m just a little disappointed that Channel Islands didn’t give us a better game,’ Pali co-coach Tom Seyler said. ‘Usually they field much stronger teams.’ Matt Skolnik had two hits, including a triple, and scored two runs while Dylan Cohen and Austin Jones each had two hits and two runs batted in. David Bromberg pitched the first three innings, Turhan Folse pitched two more (striking out five) and Seri Kattan-Wright struck out the side in the sixth inning. Jeff Dauber hit the game-ending double and Tim Sunderland was solid behind the plate in his first varsity start for Pali. Palisades was supposed to have opened the season last Friday at Oxnard, but the game was rained. In a rematch of last season’s City playoff game, San Fernando shut out the Dolphins, 3-0, on Monday behind the pitching of Matt Navarez, who allowed one hit with eight strikeouts in five innings and worked out of two bases-loaded jams. Bromberg was equally impressive for Palisades (1-1), pitching a six-hitter with six strikeouts, but Palisades committed four errors, three of which led to runs.
Becken Finishes 70th in First LA Marathon
Although Brad Becken loves to run, he had never tested himself at a distance longer than 10 kilometers. But after being the 70th male finisher in a field of over 25,000 participants in Sunday’s 20th running of the Los Angeles Marathon, the 24-year-old Palisadian will never have to wonder if he could hold up in a grueling distance event. Becken ran the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 57 minutes and 49 seconds. The men’s winner, Mark Saina of Kenya, clocked a 2:09:35. ‘My goal was to break three hours, so I’m happy with my time,’ Becken said. ‘I hit the wall at around the 30k mark and sort of limped home from there. I realized with two miles left that I was going to meet my goal, so at that point my main concern was just to finish in one piece.’ Becken runs daily through his Huntington Palisades neighborhood, down to the Via bluffs and across Sunset, but 20.5 miles was the farthest he had ever run at one time prior to Sunday’s marathon. He runs five or six 10ks a year, which he proclaims is his ideal distance. He won the Palisades-Will Rogers 10k in July, finishing in a personal-best 32:51 to hold off 2003 co-winners Nate Bowen and Tyson Sacco. ‘I’m planning on coming back and running Will Rogers again July 4 and hopefully make it two in a row,’ Becken said. ‘But I also want to run the marathon again. I had fun and it was a great experience. I’m a little sore right now, but it’s worth it.’ Becken is interning as a financial analyst at Fine Arts Entertainment in Beverly Hills. He was on the cross country and track teams at Davidson College in North Carolina, where he graduated with a degree in economics two years ago.
Defending Champs Prove Too Much for Pali Soccer
When the season began, 54 high school teams had dreams of playing in the City Section girls’ soccer championships. Palisades was one of two teams that lived its dream this year, although the final chapter did not quite produce the fairytale ending the Dolphins envisioned. Palisades’ remarkable playoff run, which included upset victories over seventh-seeded Fairfax and sixth-seeded Granada Hills, ended with a 4-0 loss to defending champion El Camino Real Saturday night at East Los Angeles College. The top-seeded Conquistadores (20-3-1) took command from the opening kickoff, scoring the only goal they would need in the fifth minute on a give-and-go from leading scorer Katie Oakes to freshman Megan Quinn, who one-timed a pass over Palisades’ freshman goalie Allison Kappeyne. Oakes scored on a header in the 28th minute and Niki Connolly added a goal on a turnaround shot to increase El Camino Real’s lead to 3-0 just before halftime. The 10th-seeded Dolphins (12-8-1), making their first appearance in a City final, generated little offense in the first 40 minutes. Inspired by coach Kim Smith’s halftime speech, in which she told her players they had nothing to lose, Palisades picked up the pace in the second half and played on even terms with a team on its way to its record-tying fifth consecutive City title. Despite several early scoring chances, the Dolphins found themselves further behind when Connolly snuck behind a defender and headed a cross from Quinn into the net in the 47th minute. Palisades’ best chance to score came on an indirect free kick nine from nine yards out, but co-captain Alex Michael’s shot was blocked by a wall of ECR defenders. Co-captain Kirsten Schluter, who scored the winning goal against Granada Hills in the semifinals, provided constant pressure on the wing while Michael, fellow captain Tia Lebherz and leading scorer Lucy Miller paced Pali’s second-half attack. Diana Grubb and Madison Glantz anchored the Dolphins’ defense. Kappeyne made eight saves for Palisades.
Baseball Back at Field of Dreams
COUNTDOWN TO PPBA OPENING DAY
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
All anyone needed to know about who was having fun was etched on the faces of the players as they hustled to and from the dugout in between innings. The season does not officially begin for another nine days, but coaches and players in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association are ready to play ball right now. ‘They are nice and give you lots of tips that help you. They cheer you on because they want you to do good.’ That is how an 11-year-old Bronco player described his coaches during the Palisades Pony Baseball Association’s spring training practice games last week. In spite of the recent rains that have kept practices to a minimum and fields closed, spring training for Pony Baseball has finally arrived at the ‘Field of Dreams’ complex at the Palisades Recreation Center. Try-outs were held in January. Each perspective player fielded grounders and fly balls, threw to first base to demonstrate his throwing arm, and took cuts at the plate. As always, more players tried out than the fields are able to accommodate. The PPBA is broken down into three divisions. Pinto, consisting mostly of 8-year-olds, with a few outstanding 7-year-olds and some nine-year-olds who help provide experience for their younger teammates. For many 7- and 8-year-olds, this is their first experience with a pitching machine. Pinto games are on Tuesday or Thursday and every Saturday. The Mustang consists of 9- and 10-year-olds, and players do their own pitching. Games are Wednesdays and Saturdays. Broncos are 11- and 12-year-olds, who play Tuesdays or Thursdays and Saturdays. Palisades also has a Pony division (13- and 14-year-olds) team, which hosts games against other Westside teams every Friday night at the Rec Center. The start of spring training and practice games signify that the pancake breakfast, PPBA’s annual fundraiser, is drawing near to usher in a new PPBA season. This year’s PPBA Opening Day festivities will be March 19. Fifty-one years of celebrating the spring with the ever popular menu of delicious pancakes, mouthwatering sausages, orange juice, and coffee, all for a price lower than some lattes, $3.00. Seek out your local neighborhood baseball player to purchase tickets. Baseball Commissioner Bob Benton is tight-lipped about who will throw out the first pitch to start the 2005 season. He promises to divulge who it will be next week, a mere two days before Opening Day. For more information about PPBA, including schedules, rules and standings, log onto the new web-site: http://PPBA.net.
Robert Tilandy, Longtime Resident
Robert Tilandy, a resident of Pacific Palisades for over 50 years, died in his home on February 22. He was 95. Bob was a fiercely independent person who lived alone and fended for himself, even to the extent of changing the oil in his 1978 Honda Civic. He resisted any suggestion that he move to an assisted-living arrangement. Bob was born and raised in Pasadena. His father, a German-speaking Hungarian, was a tailor whose clientele consisted of wealthy Easterners who rode the trains to winter in Pasadena. When times changed, his father opened up a garage to build cars, where Bob acquired his early knowledge of motors. He attended Woodbury College, where he earned a degree in economics, but the Depression forced him to take odd jobs, including one at E.F. Hutton, where he posted stock losses and gains on the display board. Thereafter, Bob became a marine engine mechanic in the Santa Monica harbor, and later operated a water taxi from the pier out to the gambling ships that were then moored outside the three-mile limit. During World War II, Bob served in the U.S. Army on the East Coast, where he served as the officer in charge of a motor pool. His knowledge of German led the Army to assign to him all the German prisoners of war there. He ran the motor pool efficiently, using the German P.O.W’s, who performed well in their jobs since they feared being returned to Europe. Following military service, Bob returned to work on the Santa Monica Pier, where he worked for Tedford and Sons repairing diesel and gasoline engines. He married and bought his home in the Palisades with the help of the G.I. Bill. Bob often complained that he felt he had been overcharged for the $15,000 he paid for his house with a 3-percent mortgage. He worked on boats until his retirement. Never far from the water, Bob made friends on the pier, where he spent many happy hours even after retirement. On Monday nights for years, Bob and his pier friends met every Monday evening for drinks and dinner. Having lived through the tremendous technological changes of the last century, Bob kept up with world affairs by subscribing to and reading numerous magazines and journals. His marriage was brief and did not result in any children. In the most recent past, several neighbors helped Bob with the more arduous tasks of maintaining his house and yard, and keeping his 26-year-old automobile running. He was proud that he still had a valid driver’s license, a prized possession. He is survived by his sister, Adrienne Fissel of Arroyo Grande.
Anna Lindgren, 84; Lived in Palisades Since 1954
Anna Lindgren, who had lived in Pacific Palisades with her husband Howard since 1954, died on January 22 after having a stroke. She was 84. Anna was born in Naples, Italy, in 1920. Howard was a U.S. Army medic stationed in Naples during World War II, and Anna lived a block away from the hospital where he worked. Anna, who was studying English, met Howard through a friend and the couple fell in love. Howard returned as a civilian eight months after the war and they were married there. The couple spent eight years in Chicago before moving out to California and the Palisades. Anna was active in real estate, successfully buying and selling properties. She was also active with the Patrons of Italian Culture Club for many years. In addition to her husband of 58 years, Anna is survived by her daughter, Linda Hann (husband Terry), grandson Andrew Hann (wife Sherry) and four great-grandchildren, Sarah, Sydney, Sophia and Seth, all of Las Vegas, Nevada. A memorial service was held at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City on January 28.
Irving Louis Uttal, 82; Active in B’nai B’rith
Irving Louis Uttal, a Pacific Palisades resident since 1949, passed away peacefully on February 22 in Santa Monica. He was 82. Uttal was born on December 13, 1922 in Albany, New York, to Fannie and Harry Uttal. He distinguished himself early in his youth as a local checkers champion in the Albany area. During World War II, he served as a co-pilot in U.S. Air Force 390th Bombardier Group, flying 35 missions over Europe. After the war, he remained active in the reserves and retired as a lieutenant colonel. Uttal graduated from Boston University with a B.A. in business administration, and in 1946 moved to Los Angeles. Within a year he founded Heirloom Carpets in partnership with his brother Joseph and Leo Ricard. In 1959, Uttal sold the business and joined Olivetti-Underwood as a business machine salesman. He spent the remaining 20 years of his career as a lead computer salesperson for MAI Basic Four. Upon retirement, Uttal founded ROI Computrux, a value-added reseller focused on accounting systems for trucking companies. Uttal married Lois Horwitz in August 1949 and they settled in Pacific Palisades, where they raised four children. An artist, writer, humorist and successful computer salesman, Irving was considered by his friends and family a Renaissance man. Fond of a good joke, Irv often brightened the room with his irrepressible wit and frequent puns. During the wartime years he contributed humorous stories to the Saturday Evening Post. After his retirement, he continued writing, focusing on U.S. military policies during World War II. Irving was active in the 390th Bombardier Group and the B’nai B’rith, where he and his wife, Lois, were honored with the Akiba Award in 2001. Irving enjoyed the outdoors; on weekends he liked sailing, bicycling, and hiking, or visiting the cliffs overlooking the ocean. He and Lois were familiar faces in the community, and were often seen on their frequent walks to the village. In addition to his wife of 55 years, he is survived by his children, Debra Uttal Leifer of Pacific Palisades; Judith Uttal of Irvine; Nancy Dolin of Van Nuys; David Uttal of Pacific Palisades; and grandchildren Janel, Karin, Joshua and Joseph. Memorial services were held at the Hillside Memorial Park and Mortuary in Los Angeles. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the 390th Memorial Museum Foundation in Tucson, Arizona, or the Marina Ketubah chapter of the B’nai B’rith.
