The Music Guild of St. Matthew’s Parish will begin a yearlong 20th anniversary celebration with a concert by the St. Matthew’s Chamber Orchestra on Friday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. in the chuch sanctuary, 1031 Bienveneda Ave. Thomas Neenan, who has served as the orchestra’s conductor since its inception in 1985, will conduct the 35-member fully professional ensemble. Neenan, who is professor of music history and music theory at Caltech, notes that an important mission of the Music Guild has always been its cultivation of new music, especially by American composers and composers of sacred music. With that in mind, the Music Guild has commissioned new works from six composers for the 2004-2005 anniversary season. ‘In October, we will premiere a new fanfare by Los Angeles composer Marc Falcone as well as the first movement of a four-movement suite, ‘Encores,’ by Joseph Curiale, who is best known for his work in the motion picture industry and with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra,’ Neenan says. ‘Joe is writing arrangements of four torch songs to be used as concert encores at four of our orchestra concerts. Each encore will feature a long-term member of the orchestra as soloist. We have a number of players who have been with the orchestra for more than 15 years.’ ”Also on the October 15 program are Mozart’s arias from ‘The Abduction from the Seraglio’ and ‘Magic Flute,’ featuring Palisadian basso Louis Lebherz, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2. Other commissions include ‘The Night Train,’ a concerto for flute, cello, harp, percussion and strings (again with longtime members of the orchestra in mind) commissioned from UCLA composer Roger Bourland; a setting of the ‘Magnificat’ for three female vocal soloists and orchestra by Paul Chihara (winner of awards from the Copland and Koussevitzky foundations); an anthem for choir, brass and organ by New York composer David Hurd; and a major work for choir and orchestra, ‘The Spacious Firmament on High’ by Gerald Near, one of today’s busiest and most highly respected composers of sacred music. ‘David Hurd is writing specifically with the church’s Fisk Pardee Memorial tracker organ in mind,’ Neenan said. Gerald Near’s anthem will be premiered in Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, along with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, in June 2005. Contact: 573-7787, ext. 2.
Juveniles Find Direction With Community Partners
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
A brick wall separates the juveniles at Camp David Gonzales from the serene Santa Monica Mountains surrounding the youth detention camp. Yet for many of the male teenage residents, Camp Gonzales is a refuge from their normal lives, offering an unusual number of opportunities for a better life post-detention. ”Oscar joined the camp’s newspaper, Behind the Wall, which he says is ‘good for learning writing skills and self-expression.’ Now the managing editor, Oscar, who just turned 18, says, ‘I can get the group in order. I’m a leader.’ ”Glenn, 18, participated in a sound production class that helped him ‘release stress’ by writing raps and creating beats. ‘I wrote about my life,’ says the high school graduate who hopes to get a job or go to college when he leaves Camp Gonzales. ”These enrichment classes are supported by Community Partners, an after-school educational program intended to ‘redirect and relocate’ youth offenders, says Palisadian Paul Cummins, educator and founder of Crossroads School and New Roads School. ”’When we first went out there [to Camp Gonzales], we weren’t particularly welcomed,’ says Cummins, who created Community Partners through the New Visions Foundation, a nonprofit organization focused on improving educational opportunities for underserved children. ‘We were an inconvenience to probation officers, and there was resentment because we were the ‘do-gooders.” ”Located in Calabasas, Camp Gonzales is one of 18 youth detention camps run by Los Angeles County’s Probation Department. Cummins was introduced to the camp through Carol Biondi, a children’s health advocate who asked him to visit the camp and offer solutions for improvements. ”’Once I saw what wasn’t being done, I couldn’t help but get involved,’ Cummins says. ”He noticed that the boys, ages 14 to 18, weren’t being assessed carefully (there were no statistics or information on their interests), nor were they being encouraged or given the opportunity to expand their interests. Many of them were leaving the camp and going straight back into the same communities, neighborhoods and gangs because they weren’t being placed in better situations. ”With the federal government’s statistic on recidivism at about 80 percent, Cummins had reason to be concerned. L.A. County’s recidivism rate is unknown, as records are difficult to obtain. ”The main objective of Community Partners is ‘to give [the boys] a sense of self-respect and a vision for a better life, through adults who can teach and place them,’ says Cummins, who talked with some of the minors about their interests during his initial visit. The camp’s population is about 60 percent Latino and 40 percent African American. ”Sitting in a circle with the boys, Cummins told the group that his hobbies were basketball and writing poetry, and as he was leaving, one boy put a book of his own poetry in Cummins’ pocket and said, ‘I write poetry, too.’ ”’We’ve made some startling discoveries about these kids,’ Cummins says, referring to their interests and talents. ”He hired Joe P’rez to run the program as full-time director. P’rez is ‘savvy, cool and tough,’ Cummins says of the Harvard graduate who earned his bachelor’s degree in government in 1997. ‘He’s got a sixth sense of how to negotiate the minefields.’ ” A native of Hawaii, P’rez taught at a private American high school in Puerto Rico for five years before continuing his education in Los Angeles, where he is currently finishing his doctorate in the Educational Leadership Program at UCLA. ”’California has the highest rate of incarceration for youth of any highly populated state,’ says P’rez, explaining that youth detention camps are ‘the second most secure setting [after the California Youth Authority [CYA].’ ”Most of the minors at Camp Gonzales are sent there for the less violent felony crimes, such as burglary or assault. Many of them are habitual low-level offenders who serve three, six or nine months. ”Daniel, 14, was involved in a robbery and had to return to the camp for a second stay. Now he writes stories about ‘how camp changed from the last time I was here’ for the opinion section of Behind the Wall. Other sections include sports, arts and entertainment, camp news and world news (each with its own editor), though Daniel says his focus is mainly on camp-related issues since ‘I don’t know what goes on in the world because I’m behind walls.’ ”Minors also write book reviews and poetry, conduct interviews with camp staff, and write summaries of news they read in magazines and newspapers brought in for their class each week. ”Carol Biondi started the publication about 2-1/2 years ago by bringing Los Angeles Daily Journal editor Katrina Dewey onto the scene. Dewey, who works with the boys every Saturday, says, ‘The core group is pretty dedicated about why they’re [on the newspaper staff].’ ”Talking to the boys on a recent Saturday, she explains that the goal of the newspaper program is to ‘talk about your feelings in a constructive way, learn to write together and create a better possibility for you guys in the world.’ ”When Community Partners got involved two years ago, a $30,000 Soros grant from the Youth Initiatives Program of the Open Society Institute helped provide the newspaper staff with equipment such as computers, printers, television sets and two white marker boards, as well as more supervision and organization. ”With the program’s support, the newspaper experience is ‘increasing their communication skills,’ says Deputy Probation Officer Stephanie Saunders, who helps run the newspaper class. More importantly, ‘they actually accomplish something and it’s here in black and white,’ she says, holding up the latest issue of Behind the Wall. ”Chief Probation Officer Richard Shumsky agrees with Saunders. While the majority of the boys read at the fourth-grade level, the newspaper class is ‘good for self-image and self-esteem,’ says Shumsky, a former Palisadian who visits the camp once a week. One artist who worked on the paper was ‘a virtual non-reader’ and another helped distribute the monthly publication, which the Daily Journal lays out and then sends to a printing shop. ”Through Community Partners, the young men can also take film production, drama (with The Unusual Suspects Theatre Company), a garden project class, indoor soccer, yoga, an employment skills class and a mysteries/human development class that runs like a discussion group based on Native American traditions. The sound production class is subcontracted with Sound Art. ”’Our goal is to turn on the kids in the classroom,’ says P’rez, who teaches indoor soccer. ‘We sneak in writing and literacy skills.’ ”The classes run in six-week cycles and most meet twice a week, Monday through Saturday. Times are organized with other camp activities, classes and programs, since the minors also attend regular academic classes while at Camp Gonzales. ”P’rez feels that the Community Partners program, run by New Roads, was needed because ‘sometimes it’s a conflict of interest for probation officers who are reporting violations but also trying to help the kids. It’s good [for the officers] to be partnered with a community-based program that is solely focused on helping the kids.’ ”In addition to six teachers who have higher degrees, Community Partners has two full-time placement coordinators who help relocate the juveniles post-detention to places such as the California Conservation Corps, Job Corps, private/public magnet schools and community colleges. ”While it’s still too early to talk about success rates and statistics, anecdotal evidence shows that the program has succeeded in increasing the number of camp minors placed in community colleges. ”About half of the college-age boys in the program go to college, says P’rez, who explains that Community Partners serves a third of the camp’s population, which totals about 40 to 50 boys per session, with 8 to 12 people per class. However, Community Partners has opened the program to more participants than the county is funding, in attempt to help a larger number of minors. ”State funding comes from the Juvenile Justice Crime Prevention Act (JJCPA), a grant program administered by the Board of Corrections. Community Partners receives $360,000 a year, at $3,000 per capita. ”’So far, we’ve escaped the budget cuts,’ says Cummins, who’s helped place a couple of the boys at New Roads. P’rez adds that in the category of Intensive Training Service programs, Community Partners was the only one still intact after recent budget cuts. ”The program placed one minor, who had been ‘deeply entrenched in gangs at age 15′ at a high school in Colorado. This boy was shot almost immediately after leaving Camp Gonzales, but survived, and Community Partners was able to get probation terminated so that he could leave the state. ”’He’s had struggles, but the struggles that you have in a new school environment,’ P’rez says of the minor, who’s been at the Colorado school for six months. ”Another minor, who developed a knack for writing screenplays through the film production class, is now studying at the Idyllwild Arts Academy, located in the San Jacinto Mountains. ” ”For many of them, ‘this is their first positive [youth detention] camp experience,’ says P’rez. ‘It’s the first time someone gave them the benefit of the doubt, the first time they’ve been seen as someone with potential.’ ”Community Partners selects minors for the program based on their age and length of stay at camp. The program targets older boys who are turning 18 because there’s a greater opportunity of placing them at a community college when they leave, as well as those who are at camp for at least six months, since that’s a sufficient amount of time for ‘an intensive transition,’ P’rez explains. ”However, in making initial assessments of minors interested in the program, P’rez also looks for boys who would do well in enrichment classes for shorter periods of time, since the classes ‘plant seeds.’ He organizes ongoing meetings to check their progress and also oversees all of the case management. ”’We’re building a culture of trust [at Camp Gonzales],’ Cummins says. ‘Our program is valuable. And when a kid succeeds, we all look good.’
Scott Corwin’s Political Passion Merits Leading Fundraiser Role
Palisadian Scott Corwin insists he’s not a stargazer, but then there’s that constellation of Democratic luminaries he’s posing with in photos on his office credenza’Bill Clinton, Hillary, John Kerry, John Edwards and Teresa Heinz Kerry. ‘People say, ‘How great,’ when they see these photos. I say ‘Great, come to the fundraiser.’ These Democrats energize me.’ Although Corwin is now a trustee of the Democratic National Committee, named to the body for his prodigious fundraising’about $285,000 this year’he is most excited about the neighborhood party he is co-hosting on October 10 with 14 other Palisadian couples. Although entry is only $150 a head, the evening will be modeled on a major political fundraiser, with dinner, music and a meet-and-greet, Corwin says. Special guests will be Phil Angelides, California State Treasurer and California co-chairman of the Kerry Edwards Campaign; Antonio Villaraigosa, L.A. City Council member and national co-chairman of the campaign; and State Assemblymember Fran Pavley. A self-proclaimed passionate person, Corwin says that this party is ‘a way for the community to express themselves.’ At the end of August, Corwin equipped himself with 30 Kerry/ Edwards signs and went around to his neighbors on Grenola asking if they would like to post a lawn sign. ‘I wanted to share my enthusiasm and I think it’s important that people are involved. One of my neighbors asked me for a sign and said, ‘This has given us permission to express ourselves.” Corwin, 41, grew up in the Palisades, attended local public schools and UCLA and then law school at USC. ‘I always wanted to be involved in a grassroots way with politics, but didn’t. I was never involved in a campaign except later with consumer issues as part of my membership in the Consumer Attorneys of L.A. and the state consumer group (CAOC). ‘We as a family have been involved in various different causes. My wife, Susan, is on the board at University Synagogue, and she has involved our son Joshua with the Grammercy Shelter for women and children. ‘But on a larger level, I thought everything was fine when Clinton was president. Things were good and then I became a little more aware after Bush took office. I did a lot of reading ideas from people like [political gadfly] Gore Vidal, Noam Chomsky (‘Hegemony or Survival’) and Chalmers Johnson (‘The Sorrows of Empire’). I watched what has been happening over the last couple of years and have a lot of disagreement with what is going on. I think of what our country will look like when my son, who is only 11, becomes a man’in terms of welfare, health care and the environment.’ Then last fall Corwin got a call from a friend who wondered if he could help with Dick Gebhart’s campaign. He agreed’he had always liked the Missouri Congressman’and got three or four friends to attend an event. ‘I enjoyed it, enjoyed getting a chance to feel involved,’ Corwin says. In January he called the Kerry campaign and said he would like to help. That began what Corwin describes as his day job. ‘I come here to the office and work on the campaign all day, go home to spend time with my wife and son and then in the night I do my legal work.’ As a consumer rights lawyer, Corwin says that the last four years of the Bush administration have directly affected his clients. ‘A quarter of my clients don’t have health insurance. Many of them are minimum wagers, so if they are involved in an accident, my job is often to get them medical compensation.’ Corwin has taken up the presidential campaign in a serious, focused manner. And despite his newfound connections and being one of only about 200 DNC trustees, he is unpretentious, confessing that he has no political ambitions. ‘I have no agenda, nothing to gain personally.’ ‘There is only so much I can do as a person, so that’s why I am concentrating on the presidential race. Only this race for the president of the United States affects us all. It does matter, we’ve seen how much it really mattered in the last four years, and we’ll see more in four years.’
Canyon Gas Station Sale Pending
After being on the market for a year, the historic Canyon Service Station on Entrada Drive has an accepted offer. Also included in the sale is a 100-year-old house, one of the last remaining homes of the Marquez family, the original owners of the Rancho Boca de Santa Monica land grant. ‘I don’t know yet when escrow will close,’ said Monica Queen, a daughter of Angelina Marquez Olivera, who lives in the two-bedroom house. The sale appears related to settling Olivera’s estate following her death in 2002. While Queen would not say who offered to buy the two structures on the 17,000-sq.-ft. lot or how much they offered to pay, it is believed to be close to the $2.3 million asking price. While the property is zoned R-1, there has been a conditional use permit since 1925 for the gas station, which is leased out at $3,000 a month, to operate in this residential neighborhood. Brian Clark, who operates the station, is not happy about the pending sale. ‘I feel betrayed,’ said Clark, who had been in negotiation with the family, along with local realtor Frank Langen, to purchase the property on behalf of the community, a proposal the two men began working on when the property came on the market last fall. ‘We made them a full price offer,’ Clark said. ‘I thought we had a deal. They seemed really happy about the idea of preserving the gas station and maybe turning the house into a museum. Then two days later there are workers here taking soil samples to see if the gas tanks are leaking. That’s how I found out they had sold the property to someone else.’ Clark, who has had a lease on the distinctive orange-and-white station since 1996, said that when he found out about the pending sale last Saturday he was disappointed to hear that ‘whoever is buying the lot plans to develop it and either tear down or relocate the gas station. But where is it going to go? It’s not like you can just plant it somewhere.’ The news of the pending sale came at a glum time for Clark, who had lovingly restored the station, the oldest full-service station in Los Angeles. After battling the city and some neighbors for five years over the renewal of his conditional use permit, Clark was informed by L.A.’ s Department of Building and Safety on Monday that he would no longer be permitted to detail cars. While acknowledging that there are still zoning and variance issues to be resolved, Clark is sure a community buy-out of the property would have been the best way to go. ‘We could have made it work. But it appears we were too late,’ said Clark, who is now preparing to shut down the station in the next few weeks.
Renaissance Students Cope With Campus Instability
Students at Renaissance Academy Charter High School continued to study at off-campus locations this week while a Community Council sub-committee publicly addressed community concerns about the school. During the council’s RA sub-committee meeting Monday night, RA student Grace Willen presented some elements of the ‘Code of Community Conduct’ written by the school’s ‘ad hoc’ student council. Willen, a junior, is editor-in-chief of the Renaissance Report, the school’s newspaper. The sub-committee, initially formed during the Palisades Community Council meeting September 23, agreed Monday to have Willen as a permanent student representative, according to Kurt Toppel, the council’s vice chairman who heads the sub-committee. Among the eight rules listed in the ‘Code of Community Conduct’ are ‘We will not use basketballs and skateboards around the Alma Real building’ and ‘We will not drive to the Alma Real campus.’ RA’s main campus is located in the 881 Alma Real commercial/professional building. According to the school’s ‘two strikes’ transportation policy, no students are allowed to drive to school; if caught driving, a student receives a warning, and a second offense means automatic expulsion. Scott Adler, RA board member, parent and contractor, said that there are ‘probably a handful of people’ driving to school, and if students are caught, he’s confident the policy will be enacted. Meanwhile, the school has hired a consultant to make a traffic evaluation, with data due to be presented at the next RA sub-committee meeting October 11, according to Toppel. Another sub-committee member, RA assistant principal Jon Palarz, said he will be monitoring the day-to-day management of the school. On Monday, freshman classes were held in the Alma Real building, while sophomores and juniors traveled to the Marina del Rey Hotel and Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. The school’s Web site (www.rahigh.org) suggested that some class locations for that day would include the Palisades library as well as the YMCA conference room, but Palarz said no classes were held at the library this week. ‘Our students will be utilizing the library for research with the supervision of a teacher during library hours.’ He added that while the school had scheduled use of the YMCA conference room, ‘we haven’t had to use it.’ RA’s principal Paul McGlothlin used the school’s Web site to inform students and families about the reasons for continuing to hold the majority of classes off-campus. ‘Our Fire/Life Safety upgrade at Alma Real was completed last week and we are having a follow-up inspection tomorrow, Monday, October 4,’ McGlothlin wrote. ‘During this inspection, our occupancy will be limited.’ The school applied Monday for ‘E’ occupancy (allowing for educational use), a change of use from office to charter school, which would allow seven classrooms on the ground level, and increase classrooms from four to eight on the terrace level, for a total of 332 students. ‘In order for the school to exist in the building at all, we have to achieve ‘E’ occupancy,’ Adler told the Post Tuesday. RA board president and parent Bill Bryan said, ‘We’re at a standstill. We have met all of the standards [for ‘E’ occupancy], but the landlord [Greg Schem] has communicated that he opposes the change of use.’ Acknowledging that L.A.’s Department of Building and Safety is dealing with ‘a very difficult situation,’ Bryan said, ‘In our situation, not doing anything is highly detrimental.’ Tuesday, RA’s documentary and dramatic film production class met at ‘The Apple Store’ in Santa Monica, while other students attended classes at the Alma Real campus and neighboring facilities within walking distance. Wednesday was the first day this week that all of the students remained in the Palisades area for classes, held mainly at Alma Real, as well as the Methodist Church and Mort’s Oak Room. ‘Most of our students are remarkably resilient,’ Palarz said. Yet, he acknowledged that ‘some students feel their best in a situation that’s predictable,’ so the varying temporary classroom locations have ‘made them feel a little ill at ease.’ In her first letter to readers last week, Renaissance Report editor Willen wrote, ‘Here at RA, city politics with LAUSD and the Palisades community have been directing the course of our education.’ Palarz agreed that the students ‘are learning outside the classroom about traits of overcoming some adversity and sticking together. It’s a lesson in community politics.’ Code of Community Conduct By Renaissance Academy Ad Hoc Student Council, September 30, 2004 1. We will stop loitering along sidewalks and other walkways. 2. We will not go into the park playground at all. 3. We will cease using profanity. 4. We will not use basketballs and skateboards around the Alma Real building. 5. We accept the school’s zero tolerance policy toward all cigarette smoking and any other illegal substance use. 6. We commit ourselves to regular park clean-up and community service to assist in preserving and improving the beauty of the neighborhood. 7. We will not drive to the Alma Real campus. 8. We will accept discipline for infractions on these items. Future Expectations 1. We hope that Palisadians will get to know the students of Renaissance Academy. 2. We are planning to start a ‘Big Buddy’ program between our student body and some of the younger children at neighboring schools. 3. We would like to invite Palisadians into our school open houses and other events to improve the community’s perception of our school. Questions for the Community 1. Will the Council work to eliminate the harassment of students by community members? 2. Will the Council work with community leaders to allow reasonable access to the village at lunch? A much larger group of Palisades High School students have access to the village at lunch, so why shouldn’t we?
Canyon Jammin’
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
An enthusiastic crowd savored the music of David Crosby, Terence Blanchard, Venice and more at ‘Jammin’ in the Canyon,’ a fundraiser for Canyon Charter School last Sunday afternoon. Over 1,000 tickets were sold for the outdoor concert, which raised money to support enrichment programs at the Santa Monica Canyon school such as music, art, science, computer lab and the P.E. coach. Crosby, a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, was a special guest of local band Venice. In addition to jazz great Blanchard, other performers were blues harpist Paul Oscher, funky cool ska band The Untouchables, gospel group Fred Martin and the Levite Camp, folk duo Lowen & Navarro, R&B songstress Tasha Taylor, and popular rock group Seven and the Sun. Actors Don Cheadle and Tom Wright co-hosted the event, with a special guest appearance by Noah Wyle. L.A. school board member Marlene Canter spoke to the crowd about public education. Canyon Booster Club vice-presidents Bridgid Coulter and Lori Ekstrom headed the committee that brought Jammin’ back for the first time since 1999. They were supported by principal Carol Henderson. Sponsors included T-Mobile, Americorp Funding and inthecanyon.com.
William Woodford, Longtime Resident, Talented Artist
William Mansfield Woodford passed away peacefully on October 3. He was 80. A graduate of Cornell University, he had a career in sales on the East Coast, in the South and on the West Coast. He had a lifelong love of the visual arts and was a talented artist himself. His son Peter predeceased him, and he is survived by his wife Joyce and son William Tipton (wife Tammy), and grandsons Tyler and Trenton. A celebration of Woodford’s life is being planned. Contributions in memory of Bill Woodford may be sent to the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, 200 Medical Plaza, Suite 502, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
Robert Kalaba, 78; Renowned Mathematician and Researcher
Robert Kalaba, a professor of biomedical engineering, electrical engineering and economics at USC, passed away September 29, surrounded by his loving family. The longtime resident of Pacific Palisades was 78. Dr. Kalaba was born on September 21, 1926 in Mount Vernon, New York. He earned his B.A. in mathematics from New York University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He served in the U. S. Navy during World War II. Kalaba then received his doctorate from the Coronet Institute of Mathematical Sciences at NYU. He joined The Rand Corporation in 1951 and then went to USC in 1968 as a full professor. Kalaba was well known for his numerous, seminal and outstanding contributions to various fields of applied mathematics and engineering. They include dynamic programming, quasilinearization, conversion of two-point boundary value problems to initial value problems, adaptive system identification, radiative heat transfer, communication, control and network theory, modeling and analysis of biological systems and the development of new equations of motion for constrained mechanical systems. He published over 700 pages in refereed journals and authored, or co-authored, 12 books ranging from the approximate determination of Laplace transforms, to control theory, to mechanics. Kalaba founded the Journal of Applied Mathematics and Computation and was on the editorial board of six other journals. He was the recipient of both the Outstanding Teaching Award and the Outstanding Senior Research Award from the Viterbi School of Engineering at USC. Kalaba was an avid sports fan, particularly of USC football. He was dedicated to research and teaching and deeply devoted to his wife of 53 years, Wilma, as well as their children. A 48-year resident of the Palisades, Kalaba is survived by his wife; children Bob, Darlene, Kathy and Rick; grandchildren Kristin, Joe (wife Danielle), Sarah and Lindsey; sister-in-law Deana and husband Doug Petty of Leawood, Kansas, as well as many nieces and nephews. The lives of those who knew him are enriched. He loved his work and his students, and continued teaching right up until his passing. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends, colleagues and students for his sterling qualities: honesty, sincerity, and a sense of grace and dignity. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 9 at 2 p.m. in Corpus Christi Church, 15100 Sunset.
Renaissance Students Study Off Campus This Week as Alma Real Work Continues
Renaissance Academy Charter High School students commuted to The Art Institute of California in Santa Monica for classes this week, which marks the third week of instruction held largely at alternate or temporary classroom locations. As of Wednesday morning, total attendance at Renaissance was 337 students, including 63 residents of the 90272 zip code. The school is located in the 881 Alma Real building. According to the school’s charter, presented by founding director and principal Paul McGlothlin, ‘The Renaissance Academy (RA) will enroll 400 students over three years.’ However, because the school was initially scheduled to open last year with 200 to 230 ninth and tenth graders, McGlothlin decided to start with 300 students when the school actually opened early this month. ‘The publicly stated target enrollment for this year was 300,’ said Palisadian Bill Bryan, RA board member, parent and facilities coordinator. ‘Because students are able to ‘double book’ by enrolling at multiple public schools with no financial or other penalty for failing to show up, Renaissance accepted 330 applications, anticipating approximately 30 ‘no-shows.” However, when more than 350 students arrived for the first day of classes September 13, RA prepared to tell about 20 students that they could not attend and ‘we began to search for additional classroom space and part-time teachers to accommodate any permanent enrollment in excess of 300,’ Bryan told the Palisadian-Post. ‘By then, however, we were blocked from using most of our leased space, due to the well-publicized actions of the landlord.’ As a result, some students dropped out. For this week, Bryan says the school made a ‘100 percent voluntary move to The Art Institute’ because holding classes at this temporary location with established classroom space is ‘a more efficient way to conduct school.’ The Art Institute, located at 2900 31st Street in the business park that runs along the south side of Ocean Park Blvd., is a post-secondary educational institution for career preparation in the visual and culinary arts. In a letter posted Sunday on RA’s Web site (www.rahigh.org), principal McGlothlin wrote, ‘We have arranged for the space at The Art Institute in order to best support our cross-grade level programs in Mathematics, Foreign Language, and the Arts.’ Students and parents have been advised to check this Web site for information on class locations and transportation routes. RA has offered special bus service this week from the Palisades to The Art Institute and back for any students who want it. Others have been allowed to travel directly, on their own, to the temporary classroom location. Students did, however, attend some classes in the Palisades, including yoga, dance and surfing’at JIVA Yoga Studio on Sunset, Fancy Feet Dance Studio in the Alma Real building, and at Will Rogers State Beach. McGlothlin added that while the students were away this week, contractors were ‘finishing various life-safety projects and improvements’ at the school’s main campus. Some of these projects include installation of additional fire caulking; relocation of one exit door; additional low-voltage wiring; removal, cleaning and remounting of fire sprinklers; and paint touch-up. The largest project is the conversion of the television studio into one large classroom that could be divided into two classrooms by a portable divider, and also function as a TV studio. These projects were ‘partially complete’ by Wednesday morning, and scheduled to be finished by the end of this week, according to Bryan. Last week, students met at the private homes of parents in the Palisades, under trees at the park, at the United Methodist Church on Via de la Paz, and at Mort’s Oak Room. ‘We knew that the unsettled circumstances would cause some students to drop out, and that has indeed happened,’ Bryan said. ‘Since our survival (at least in our current form) is contingent upon receiving the ADA funding for 300 students, we were afraid to reduce enrollment until we see how long the facilities battle lasts, and how many kids we lose because of it.’ State funding will amount to about $6,000 per student. McGlothlin wrote in his letter, ‘We still retain our lease at Alma Real, and there has been no further limitation to our use there. We have full confidence that we will return to Alma Real within a few days.’
Pharmaca Chain Buys Bay Pharmacy
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Owner Wehiba Kalifa confirmed to the Palisadian-Post Friday that she has sold her business to Pharmaca, which will bring a holistic approach to the venerable pharmacy which has served the Palisades since 1949. The transfer of ownership took place on Monday. ‘I think it is a good match for the community,’ Kalifa said, ‘because Pharmaca is really commitment to customer care.’ The chain, which calls itself an ‘integrated pharmacy,’ is expected to continue dispensing prescription drugs as well as offering dietary supplements, herbal medicine and homeopathic remedies. The store also plans to offer medical screenings, diagnostics, demonstrations, book signings and lectures, all related to health. Pharmaca, which is seeking naturopaths, herbalists, nutritionists and estheticians, has already posted a hiring sign on the pharmacy’s front door. ‘Background in Natural Health a Bonus,’ it reads in part. The prime Sunset location, at the corner of La Cruz, will be Pharmaca’s first store in Southern California and 11th store in five Western states. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, the five-year-old chain has four of its European-style stores in the San Francisco area. ‘It was our success there that led us to want to open up in L.A.,’ Pharmaca president and CEO Barry Perzow told the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday. ‘Our demographics depend on high affluence and high education. The research we did indicates that the Palisades is both.’ Kalifa, who purchased the pharmacy four years ago from longtime owner Al Green (who still works as a pharmacist in the store several days a week), said that she was approached by the chain 18 months ago, even before she started extensive renovations to the store in July 2003. After spending some $300,000 to improve the almost 10,000-sq.-ft. space, which included making the pharmacy three times larger by moving it from the back to the front of the store, Kalifa achieved a distinctly modern look. She said she finally made the decision to sell to Pharmaca after realizing ‘how badly they wanted this location, even though the renovation is still not complete.’ Perzow said his company plans to invest $500,000 to give the building, both inside and out, a distinct new look by the end of November. The exterior will be ‘Mediterranean-style’ with large picture windows, while the raised area inside, which currently sells jewelry and clothing, will be an enclosed cosmetic boutique, offering services from ‘make-overs to dermatological consultations.’ Perzow confirmed that the store, the largest in the chain, will continue to offer home delivery, in-house charge accounts and over-the-counter medications, and will carry medical supplies such as wheelchairs and crutches. Plans call for an organic food and beverage section as well as a flower shop in the back of the store, facing ‘the car wash.’ While more than half of Bay Pharmacy’s business currently comes from selling prescription drugs (more than 300 prescriptions a day), Pharmaca plans to expand prescription services by ‘compounding, which is essentially customizing medications for allergy sufferers who may have special needs, for example,’ Perzow said. He added that Bay’s 24 employees will all continue to work for Pharmaca ‘during the transition period. Typically what happens after that is some of them may feel they don’t quite fit into our new model, which will be completely different from what is being offered at the pharmacy now. So they either leave or we retrain them. All of our staff at the Palisades Pharmaca will be very highly trained.’ According to one longtime Bay Pharmacy employee, who asked not to be identified by the Post, all of the workers at the store, both full and part-time, ‘have been invited to fill out applications with Pharmaca, but none of us, as far as we know, is guaranteed a job. Technically, all of us are on probation at this point.’ Kalifa, 32, said she plans to return to her native Ethiopia to live. She said she came to the U.S. when she was 17 to go to school. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a major in business. Her family’s medical supply store in West L.A., which is managed by her brother, is not included in the sale to Pharmaca.
