For the first time all season, the Palisades High girls’ varsity tennis team was tested and the Dolphins passed with flying colors to earn a berth in Friday’s City Section finals at Balboa Sports Complex in Encino. Second-seeded Palisades (13-2) barely lost a set on its way to a 10-0 league record and blanked seventh-seeded Marshall, 7-0, in the quarterfinals last Wednesday. But third-seeded Carson put up a fight in Monday’s semifinal match and it took a total team effort for the Dolphins to emerge victorious and set up a rematch of last year’s final against defending City champion Granada Hills. It appeared Palisades was on its way to another easy victory when No. 1 player Krista Slocum won, 6-2, 6-1, and the top doubles duo of Yasmir Navas and Brittany O’Neil won, 6-1, 6-1, to give the Dolphins a quick 2-0 lead. Then, freshman Kathryn Cullen lost the first set but recovered to win, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, at No. 3 singles. But then the momentum of the match turned. Lotte Kiepe and Mary Logan lost 6-4, 7-5 at No. 2 doubles and Palisades lost the first set in the three remaining matches, creating an atmosphere of high drama on both sides of the fences. Sarah Jurick and Lisa Mesrop were serving at 5-4 in the first set but lost it in a tiebreaker and eventually fell, 7-6 (2), 6-4 while Sara Yankelevitz lost, 7-5, 7-5, at No. 4 singles to even the match at 3-3. Sophomore Lauren Pugatch lost the first set at No. 2 singles and was tied 3-3 in the second set tiebreaker before winning four straight points to take the set. She went on to win the third set, 6-3, and earn the clinching point for the Dolphins. When the final point was over, Pugatch was mobbed by her teammates and got a hug from relieved head coach Bud Kling. ‘Kathryn [Cullen] really came up huge for us and Lauren [Pugatch] had to dig deep because we were four points away from being eliminated,’ Kling said. ‘We haven’t been challenged like this all season and I was anxious to see how we’d handle pressure. Some of the girls really stepped up today.’ Top-seeded Granada Hills beat West Valley league rival El Camino Real, 4-3, in another nailbiter to win the other semifinal and Kling sees Friday’s final as too close to call. ‘It could come down to one or two points,’ he said. ‘A lot may depend on how their coach chooses his lineup. Last year, they were clearly better than us. This time, I think it’ll be a lot more competitive.’ The City final begins at 1 p.m. tomorrow at Balboa Sports Complex.
AYSO Region 69 Roundup
U-10 Boys The Cabbage Pack emerged 2-0 victors in a hardfought defensive struggle with the Eagles on Saturday. Michael Aronson, Nicholas Perr and Thomas Ryan provided strong midfield and defensive play for the Eagles for the first three quarters, but in the fourth quarter a barrage of shots by the Cabbage Pack culminated in goals by Andrew Ruselyn and Chad Kanoff. U-10 Boys Eric Alperin scored three goals for the Tigers in a 5-1 win over the Bruins at Barrington Park. Danny Rappaport’s unassisted goal gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the first quarter but the Tigers answered just before halftime on Alperin’s first tally, assisted by Jack Jordan. Alperin scored twice early in the third quarter off of assists by Tommy Collins and Nick Ravich. Forward Jacob Shmuely made it 4-1 off of a pass from Jonah Joffe and Hagen Smith closed out the scoring with a left-footed shot from 12 yards out, assisted by John Iacopino. Goalie Alex Mack made key saves for the Tigers, who improved to 7-1-1. U-8 Girls The Golden Stars beat the Golden butterflies, 2-1, at Brentwood Magnet School. Courtney Corrin scored the Stars’ first goal, assisted by Devon Shalom. Libby Sondheimer followed with a goal off of an assist by Jessica Friedman. Defenders Kelsey Allen-Niesen and goalie Lizzie Howard made several key saves to keep the Butterflies at bay. The Stars maintained their lead in the second half as Marianne Verrone and Brittney Ghadoushi kept up the offensive pressure. Defender Erica Jaffe and goalie Violet Somers held the Butterflies to only one goal. U-14 Girls Meg Norton converted a penalty kick with no time remaining to earn the O’Snaps a 3-3 tie with New Dimension of South Central L.A. last Saturday at Palisades High. Chelsea Lewis scored the Snaps’ first goal, then Christine Lubieniecki scored off of a corner kick by Norton. Dimension attacks were turned away by Snaps’ sweepers Drake Williams and Becky Kelly, defenders Evelyn Ramirez, Jackie Rosen, Maggie Randolph, Gaby Leslie and goalies India Hughes and Brittany Edelman. Yolanda Macirs scored two goals and Lesley Melar added one for New Dimension. Club The Revolution, a local boys’ under-16 club team, captured the Silver-West Division Crown after edging the Fram Knights, 1-0, on a goal by David Lowe, assisted by Alberto Amarante and Brock Auerbach-Lynn. Defenders John Howe, Thomas McAndrews, Emi Reyes, Auerbach-Lynn, Halim Daniel, Travis Park and Joel Glanz played well in front of goalie Kevin Klasila.
‘Inspecting Carol’ Worth Just That
Theater Review
By JOLENE HULL Palisadian-Post Intern ‘Tis the season for merry machinations and Christ- mas chaos in the satirical holiday comedy ‘Inspecting Carol,’ presented by Theatre Palisades. The actors of the Soapbox Playhouse Theater Company are busy preparing for their annual performance of ‘A Christmas Carol.’ After being informed by the theater’s financial director that the theater is bankrupt, the play’s exuberant Lithuanian director, Zorah Bloch (played by Susan Lucci lookalike Pamela Murphy) is panic-stricken. The advisor also informs her that an inspector from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is expected to arrive at any moment to adjudicate whether funding should be continued or cut. Then, without warning, an overly enthusiastic actor named Wayne Wellacre (Stephen King) shows up to audition for a part in the production. Zorah assumes this is the NEA inspector in disguise, so she more than willingly gives him a part in the play, as well as incorporating his fatuous ideas and catering to his every need. After numerous shenanigans, including a steamy stage seduction, the real NEA inspector shows, only to bear witness to the most outrageous and appalling dress rehearsal of ‘A Christmas Carol’ this side of the North Pole. My favorite character was by far Sidney Carlton (George Hoth). After cast mate Walter E. Parsons (Arden Haywood), fails to utter any one of this Ghost of Christmas Past lines in the play, Sidney reassures him it was okay since ‘a lot of people forget their lines …just not the whole play.’ Although slow-going for a while, ‘Inspecting Carol’ is a solid play, fueled by its witty and unforgiving script. In addition, the acting and set decoration were both lively and convincing. Other highlights include a giant Tiny Tim, a run-of-the-mill turkey and a politically charged Ebenezer Scrooge. The play also features Benjamin Ackerman (Luther Beatty), John Clement (Phil Hewlitt), Manfred E. Hofer (Larry Vauxhall), Paul Huebl (Bart Frances), Martha Hunter (Betty Andrews), Paula K. Long (M. J. McMann), Cynthia Rothschild (Dorothy Tree-Hapgood), Jack Winnick (Kevin Emery) and Evan Smith (Luther Beatty understudy). The play is written by Daniel Sullivan and the Seattle Repertory Company, directed by Sherman Wayne and produced by Shirley Churgin and Lee Minderhout, ‘Inspecting Carol’ continues Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through December 5 at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Road, Tickets: 454-1970.
Local Foley Artist Is Emmy Winner
His Live Performance Creates the Sounds for Film
Palisadian Michael Lyle won a 2004 Emmy award for stomping his feet in sync to film, and slapping boxing gloves against the floor. A Foley artist, Lyle won the Emmy for ‘Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special’ for HBO’s ‘And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself.’ ”The Emmy Awards ceremony brought rare recognition to this behind-the-scenes Hollywood craft. After the film is shot, the Foley artists begin their work. Since the sound recordists on the set are mostly focused on capturing dialogue, Foley artists come in and add the ambient sounds that give the film or TV show a ‘real, authentic’ feeling. ”On a recent Thursday afternoon at Universal Studios, Lyle was starting the evening shift of Foley work with his partner Paul Stevenson and Foley mixer Matt Mondrick. ”Mondrick sits at a large mixing table in a glass booth, while Lyle and Stevenson work on the stage. The film is projected without sound on a large monitor and two portable super-sensitive microphones pick up every move of the two Foley artists. The work requires replicating sounds from the intricate movement of people and objects. ”While working on an episode of the television series, ‘LAX,’ the two men first rub cloth together for the scene. This cloth track will add the subtle background noise of people’s clothing moving. Next, they work on footsteps, one of the Foley artist’s specialties. ”Lyle says he has over 50 pairs of shoes, ‘from combat boots to 6-inch stilettos,’ each chosen to make a specific sound. ‘It’s funny seeing us at the thrift store with a bunch of women’s shoes walking around with them to see what sound they make,’ says Stevenson. ”Looking like a crazy tap dance duo from an old silent movie, the men focus intensely on the screen while moving in rhythm to create the walk of the character they’re playing. There are a variety of walking surfaces to choose from in the studio: coffee grounds on a concrete surface for a sidewalk, dirt with grass and wood chips, gravel, rugs, and other squares of different material throughout the stage floor. ”The soundproofed studio is filled with props’glasses, kitchenware, food, shoes, magazines, telephones, guns, rifles, metal pipes, a tub and various buckets of water, and a well-worn car hood. ‘If we don’t have it, we make you think we have it,’ Lyle says. ”’When we see something new [on the screen], our brain goes into high gear, we run around for a minute and get an idea [of how to make that sound], we usually figure it out quickly.’ ”In another run through the scenes, the two sit at separate microphones, using props to make yet another layer of sound. Someone is spit at and Lyle slaps a wet chamois cloth against his hand to replicate the sound. For a fight scene, pairs of jeans slapped on the floor are used to represent the sound of a body hitting the floor. ”The work is intensely physical. ‘I’ve got to stay in really good shape for this,’ says Lyle, who works with a trainer to keep in top condition for the job. ‘There are about 50 people who make a living at it in town,’ he says. About two-thirds of them are women, many who started as dancers. ”There are tricks of the trade that are passed down, such as using coconuts for horse hooves and paper clips taped to a glove for dog and cat paw steps. ”Lyle credits being a lifelong drummer to his ability to be a ‘sync-monkey,’ synchronizing his movements exactly with what’s happening on the screen. ‘It’s very rhythmic,’ says Lyle, who also enjoys the overall creativity of the job. Foley artists have to be able to quickly replicate any sound on a first viewing. If an actor knocks something with a weird rhythm, Lyle can hear it back once and replicate it automatically, a talent that comes from his percussion background. ” ”In his musical career, he leads the eight-member jazz band The BlueCat Express, which also includes his wife, Heather, a vocalist (the group’s CD ‘Spirit of New Orleans’ is available at Village Books). The couple have lived in Marquez Knolls since 1993. ”Lyle was training to be a sound effects supervisor seven years ago when he got thrown into a Foley stage. ‘An editor put me in a studio cold and said, ‘Get this film done,” recalls Lyle, who learned he had a knack for it. ”Lyle, 44, also loves the autonomy of the job, ‘Foley artists are among the few people in the film business who are allowed to do their own thing. When directors or producers hire us, they know we’re going to get the job done. It’s up to us to do what the film or TV show needs. It’s nice to go to work with your team.’ ”The process starts when an editor, while watching the film, notes on a chart the exact moment when a specific sound effect is needed. The Foley mixer can record up to nine separate tracks of different Foley sounds for one scene in a TV show, and 24 tracks for a film. ”The Foley mixer cues up the scene to the correct spot, and makes sure the sounds and movement are in perfect sync. He may occasionally have to ask the Foley artists to redo a scene if, for example, one of their stomachs grumble, since the microphones are so sensitive they will pick up the sound.” ”Finally the mixer will mix the Foley tracks with dialogue, sound effects and music to create the final product. ”’When you really get the groove of moving in sync with the picture, it’s the same feeling as playing with a band when it’s going well,’ Lyle says.
VIP: AYSO Program Empowers New Players
By MARIE-CLAUDE HAMEL, Palisadian-Post Contributor From afar, nothing seems unusual. It’s 9:30 on Saturday morning and the sports field at Calvary Christian school is swarming with young soccer players in blue and red jerseys. Coach Don Randolph, wearing a yellow T-shirt, runs with the players, giving them last-minute advice for the play. ”But as one gets closer to the field, something special differentiates this game from the average one: young soccer players, not donning any of the teams’ colors, run up and down the field, assisting the team members with their moves. Those young aides, ‘buddies,’ are the key to the success of the American Youth Soccer Organization’s VIP program for children with special needs. ”’Each player is assigned a buddy from the moment he or she walks on the field to the time of walking off the field,’ Randolph said. The buddies are mostly friends and family members of the VIP players, volunteers from the local AYSO teams or from the local Boy Scout troop. ‘If I have to give credit to anyone for the success of the program, it’s to the buddies. These are young soccer players who have never experienced anything like this before,’ he said. ”Although Randolph is an attorney with a full load of complex cases, he has already spent 10 years volunteering as a coach for AYSO. When he was asked to organize and coach the Pacific Palisades’ VIP soccer program, which stands for Very Important Players, he said that both he and his wife Suzanne knew this was something they had wanted to do, it was just a matter of when. It now seems as though the fall of 2004 was just the right time for Don and Suzanne. ”Since the Randolphs’ daughters, Christina, 16, and Maggie, 12, were already playing in AYSO teams, Don said they waited for their 10-year-old son Charlie to be ready to be involved in a sport before starting the Palisades’ branch of the VIP program. Now Charlie, who is autistic, is able to participate in a team sport for the first time in his life, while being coached by his father. ‘Charlie is staying a little longer every week. Perhaps he’ll stay for a whole game by the end of the season,’ Don said. ”Charlie is part of the 10-year-old and under co-ed group, which now has about 12 registered players, while the over-10 group has about six players. The younger group takes to the field from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, while the older group plays between 10 and 11:30 a.m. on the same days. ”But the VIP program is still a work in progress. Having officially started only in late September, Don said he felt the program could grow rapidly. ‘We now have about 18 to 20 players registered and we’re very pleased, but I would be very happy if we could grow the program to about 50 players.’ In addition to Don, Chris Jones helps coach the team and also has a son, Dylan, who plays in the older group. Volunteer Nancy Weintraub also helps with coaching, and her son Ted is one of the buddies. ”According to Debbie Held, the commissioner for AYSO Region 69, which encompasses Brentwood, the Palisades and adjacent neighborhoods, the VIP program was greatly needed in the Palisades and she was pleased when Don accepted her offer to start the project. ‘It takes a lot of energy to get the ball rolling, and Don has been a great organizer and a great coach,’ she said. ‘There is a need for this program in this community and I think it’s great time that we have a VIP project in place. It’s now just a matter of getting the word out to the community and letting them know that this is available to their children.’ ”The VIP project has its arms open to many children who would otherwise be unable to participate in a team sport. ‘Anyone with any disability that doesn’t make a child too fragile to play is welcome,’ said Suzanne Randolph. Although the program is open to any child with physical or mental impairment, Suzanne said that the majority of the Palisades’ VIP members have autism. According to AYSO, these children can often feel isolated in schools and in special programs, but the integration of the non-disabled players to the VIP program allows for a healthier growth and exchange for the children with special needs. ”Mike Roux, a 16-year-old who, on the Saturday we visited, was sporting a blue jersey and scored the first goal for his team, has found in VIP the outlet he needed in order to satisfy his desire to play sports. His father Chris, who also fills in as a temporary coach, explained that since socialization is the main difficulty for autistic children, the idea of a team sport helps lift some of the barriers. ‘Kids like Mike think about themselves all the time, so the concept of a team broadens his world,’ Chris said. ‘He really does enjoy it. He played for three years in the Westchester VIP program, but this is closer to home.’ ”But some of the children are newer to the scene. One of Mike’s friends, 15-year-old David Coles, is one of them. Having gone for the first time to a VIP soccer game two weeks before, he sat on the sidelines until halftime, when he finally decided to join in and, according to Don, quickly became the star of the show. ‘He’s a natural,’ Don said. ”But David’s mother Laurie said she thinks that his agility may come from someplace else. ‘He plays computer games constantly. We think that’s why he’s so quick to learn,’ she said. Laurie said that David loves to write and has a great imagination. ‘I think he lives his life through the stories that he writes and I think that’s him trying to have friends: the ones who live in his stories. That’s why I think [VIP] is very important. It’s part of their socialization.’ ”David, who, like Mike, wore a blue jersey, scored at least two goals during Saturday’s game, making him once more very popular with his team and with the group of parents who sit on the sidelines and encourage all players. ”At the end of each game, the players give each other cheers and run through a tunnel made by their family members and the volunteers. It is difficult not to notice the joy on the children’s faces as they pass under their loved ones’ arms. ”Although this volunteer, parent-run national group has for its obvious goal to benefit children with special needs, Don said he feels that the buddies also go home with a great gift. His daughter Christina has been a buddy for the whole season and she said that, in many ways, the experience has touched her life. ‘I’ve worked in my little brother Charlie’s classroom before. I was a volunteer and there was a lot of one-on-one work. But school is tough for everybody. With soccer, the kids are having more fun and their faces light up. It’s wonderful to see that.’ There are some difficulties for the buddies as well. Christina said that she often works with the more disabled children since she has that experience with her brother Charlie at home. But for the most part, she said that all that is required is that one knows the basic rules of soccer and has some coordination. ‘It’s not heavy duty. For anybody who likes kids, it’s great and it’s really fun,’ she said. ‘And it’s not hard to come up once a week and brighten up your whole day in the process.’ ”Don also said he believes in the advantages that youngsters get from being involved in the program. ‘It gives the buddies a greater appreciation of the world, of the life and of the spirit of these kids. Anytime a child with special needs gets to participate in a program like this, everybody benefits.’ ”(Editor’s note: The VIP season ends November 20. A spring VIP season is being organized. If you are interested in registering your child in the VIP program, contact Kathy Slattery at 459-2552. If you are interested in volunteering for VIP, contact Suzanne Randolph at 459-3170.)
Margaret Michel, a 50-Year Resident
”Margaret (‘Dugi’) Michel died at home in Pacific Palisades with family and loved ones by her side November 5. She was 90 years old. ”The only child of John and Margaret Duguld, Dugi was born in Los Angeles on May 21, 1914 and spent her youth in Whittier. She graduated from Whittier High School in 1931 and UCLA in 1935, where she was a member of Phi Mu Fraternity. In 1934, she was selected as a delegate to the first American-Japanese Student Conference held in Tokyo. A year later she became UCLA’s student body president, the first woman to hold the position at a Southern California co-educational university. ”After college, she taught elementary school in the El Monte School District. ”She married Walter James Michel of Santa Monica in 1937 and was a resident of the Palisades for 50 years. Dugi and Walter were married for 59 years. ”Dugi was a member of the Santa Monica Charity League, National Charity League of Los Angeles, Gold Shield, Angels Attic, The Committee of Twenty Five in Palm Springs, and the First Century Families of Los Angeles. She was vice-president of the UCLA Alumni Association and UCLA scholarship chairman for four years. She was also involved with Good Shepard Guild and the Guilds at Corpus Christi Church. A Girl Scout leader and den mother, Dugi never missed an activity for her children or grandchildren. ”She is survived by her six children: Barbara (Rex Edward) Fountain, Jr. and daughters Michel (Dean) Bennett, Melinda (James) Gormley and Melanie (Joseph) Davis; Trudy (James) Kern and children Christopher, Kati and Courtney; Peggy Michel; Christine (Harrison) Spencer and sons Trey and Peter; John Michel (Tina Watson) and sons Riley and MacAllister and Susan (Kent) Santos and son Michael. Her three great-grandchildren Megan Gormley, MacKenzie Davis and Bradley Bennett also survive her. ”Her final resting place will be at Holy Cross Cemetery next to her husband and her parents. ”In lieu of flowers, donations in Dugi’s memory can be sent to the UCLA Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center c/o Jill Shapiro, 710 Westwood Plaza, Room 1-151, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1769, or UCLA Foundation for the Margaret Duguld Michel Scholarship Fund, UCLA Office of Gift Planning, 10920 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1400, Los Angeles, CA 90024-6516.
John Allen, 87; Aircraft Engineer
John Lee Allen, an avid outdoorsman who worked as an engineer at Douglas Aircraft his entire career, passed away at his home in Pacific Palisades on November 11. He was 87. ”Allen was born September 21, 1917, in Eagle Rock, the third son of Reginald Pearce Allen and Sarah Gertrude Kinder. His early Kinder ancestors were in America before the American Revolution. The Allen ancestors came from Cornwall, England. ” Allen graduated from Eagle Rock High School in 1935. As a young man, he worked at the California Hardware Company before becoming a mail carrier and later a teller at Citizens Bank. ”He attended UCLA and participated in ROTC before transferring to USC to continue his study of mechanical engineering. In 1941, Allen graduated from USC and began working for Douglas Aircraft in Santa Monica, where he worked on the heating and cooling of the DC-3. ”In 1955, Douglas Aircraft transferred Allen and 30 other families to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to work on the C-132. While there, he attended the First Presbyterian Church and met Jean Anderson, a museum curator and schoolteacher. They were married on September 5, 1958, and traveled to Colorado for their honeymoon. Their first son, Keith Edward, was born at St. John’s Hospital in Tulsa on September 18, 1959 and their second son, Roger Stewart, was born on December 6, 1960. ”In 1963, Douglas moved many families back to California. The Allens acquired a home in Pacific Palisades and joined the Palisades Presbyterian Church. Allen continued to work for Douglas in Santa Monica and Huntington Beach on projects like the Skylab, until he retired in 1973. ”Allen loved the outdoors and hiking in the Sierra Nevada. He began going to the mountains with his father and brothers, Virgil and Paul. Later, he belonged to the Sierra Club and climbed Mt. Whitney three times. He helped his sons become Eagle Scouts and taught them about the outdoors and the environment. He also took his whole family to the top of Mt. Whitney. ”A kind and peaceful family man, Allen preferred classical music by Bach, Beethoven and Mozart, and loved listening to Wagnerian operas. In addition to traveling to the Swiss Alps and to Cornwall, England, he also enjoyed gardening and spent many hours growing orchid cactus, epidendrums, avocados and oranges. ”Allen developed macular degeneration, which gradually caused legal blindness. In 2002, his kidneys began to fail and he began kidney dialysis at UCLA in January 2003. ”He is survived by his loving wife, Jean, son Keith Allen of Ventura, and grandson Colin Allen; son Roger Allen (wife Cathy Larson) of Santa Monica; sister-in-law Evelyn Allen, and nephews, Dean, Brent, Terry and their children. ”Services will be held at Palisades Presbyterian Church on Sunday November 21 at 2 p.m. ”Memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org, 800-227-2345, or the National Kidney Foundation, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 395, Los Angeles, CA 90045, or the Midnight Mission, 396 S. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, CA’ 90013.
New Senior Librarian Builds the Collection
Hidden behind a stack of books in her office at the Palisades Branch Library on Alma Real, Diana Lisignoli-Cochran goes about her job quietly and efficiently. And although she prefers not to draw attention to herself, she has already made a profound difference in her newly appointed position as senior librarian. ”’This community has the right to a great library and that’s what we want to give them,’ says Lisignoli-Cochran, who took over September 20 when predecessor Cheryl Collins transferred to a new library in Westwood. One of her top priorities since then has been to expand the library’s volume of books. ”’I’m really anxious to build up the collection. Right now we have about 45,000 books, which is about average for a library this size,’ she says. ‘Regional branches would have at least twice that. We’d probably be limited to about 80,000, so we still have a long way to go before we reach our limit. I noticed we’re especially lacking in biographies’particularly those of the sports, music and historical varieties.’ ”In addition to building a larger collection of books, Lisignoli-Cochran oversees the safety and maintenance of the building, works with Friends of the Library, assigns free library cards, and supervises a staff consisting of four librarians, two full-time clerks, three part-time clerks and four messenger clerks (primarily responsible for shelving books). ”Fresh starts are nothing new for Lisignoli-Cochran. She has worked at a number of Los Angeles area libraries, including her previous position in Playa Vista, where she had served since January. Before that, she worked at a branch in Woodland Hills for three years. She and her husband of 14 years, David, recently moved to Brentwood and enjoy living on the Westside. ”The Palisades branch (located at 861 Alma Real Dr.) was one of 33 libraries remodeled or rebuilt under Proposition DD, which passed in 1998. Asked about her new venue, Lisignoli-Cochran says it compares favorably to other libraries she’s worked in. ”’The layout here is very good. There are separate rooms for young adults and adults, the setting is beautiful with a nice view and the sunlight through the windows in the daytime. We have guided Internet access for all eight children’s computers, which are equipped with Kids’ Path (a child-friendly computer program). We also just updated to Windows 2000.’ ” ”Like many in her field, Lisignoli-Cochran loves to read and if one were to catch her with her nose in a book, it would probably be fiction or romance. ‘I’m a romantic at heart,’ she confesses, citing Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown and Sue Grafton as three of her favorite authors. ”Lisignoli-Cochran grew up in Santa Rosa and earned her B.A. in history from Sonoma State University. She wanted to be a P.E. teacher but didn’t have the science background. So she enrolled in graduate school at USC with the intention of working in hospitals as a medical librarian, but ultimately earned her master’s degree in library science instead. ”Computers have transformed the nature of the job since Lisignoli-Cochran started her career 20 years ago. With access to information so much more immediate nowadays, she notes how important it is for libraries to stay on the cutting edge of technology. ”’Things are quite a bit different than they used to be,’ she says. ‘Back then, if a patron wanted a book they might have to wait for our copy to be returned, whereas now we get books very quickly for people. Computers also make inventory a lot easier. We can punch a button and locate exactly where a book is. That takes a lot of the detective work out of the equation.’ ”Web sites and passwords also make checking out books, videos and DVDs easier for patrons. ‘We used to order books based on what’s being checked out more frequently, which we don’t have to do now because we can borrow from all over the system. Another thing that’s different is that patrons can renew or put holds on books from home.’ ”To reserve a book online, go to www.lapl.org. For the library call 459-2754.
Master Plan Sought for Coveted VA Property
Forever green and forever desirable. The Veterans Administration property, 400 acres of coveted open space between Westwood and Brentwood, straddles two city council districts, but remains an island unto itself under the jurisdiction of the U.S. government. While the south side of the campus, which is bisected by Wilshire Boulevard, houses the country’s largest veterans hospital, the north side is scattered with 150 World War II-era buildings, a few upgraded for dormitories and service operations for vets, but most in need of structural upgrades. ”Over the years, a piecemeal planning approach has resulted in dozens of ideas to develop the property, including the most recent plan to create a commerical development the size of two Century Cities. But, this September, the Department of Veteran Affairs announced it would establish a new advisory committee to work on developing a 25-year, long-range master plan. ”The VA history began in the 1880s when 700 acres were donated for an old soldiers home for Civil War veterans. The self-sustained community contained not only a hospital and housing, but also a chapel, theater and recreational facilities, including a golf course and vegetable garden. ” ”As the number of veterans diminished over the last 50 years, portions of the property were leased to outside operations, including Brentwood School and UCLA’s Jackie Robinson Stadium and Wadsworth Theatre, but much of the property remains underutilized. ”For the past 25 years, the VA property has been eyed by real estate developers and promoters, with rumored uses including an NFL stadium, biomedical research facility, commercial development and an expansion of the UCLA campus. ”But the integrity of the land has remained protected by the federal government’s Veterans Affairs department, whose main purpose remains focused on serving the medical needs of war veterans. ”’This facility is the largest in the 168-facility system,’ said Ken Clark, regional director for the VA hospitals in Southern California and Nevada, who participated in an Urban Forum panel discussion last month in Westwood on the fate of the property. ”’We serve 1.2 million ambulatory care patients annually and provide 900 beds in the hospital,’ Clark said. ‘In addition to direct service, the VA also trains medical interns and residents jointly with UCLA and conducts research. The facility also provided the first dialysis unit on the West Coast.’ In 1998, Congress instructed the West L. A. VA to develop a long-term master plan, and in 2001 a committee unveiled a plan that elicited clamorous opposition from the Brentwood community, City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and Rep. Henry Waxman. ”Representation on that committee was limited to VA administrators, facilities consultants three Brentwood residents and Lisa Pinto, district director for Congressman Waxman. ‘Neither the county, city or Westwood residents was represented,’ said Flora Krisiloff, chairman of the Brentwood Community Council who served on the committee. ”The problem with the plan, which would have created Century City-type development, was that it was based on the highest and best use of the property if commercially developed, said Krisiloff. ‘It didn’t take into consideration environmental impacts, or that it was donated land or most importantly the needs of the veterans.’ ”Krisiloff, who is a candidate to replace Miscikowski on the City Council, was instrumental in expressing local demands that the Federal Government develop a new master plan and was recently selected to serve on the new planning committee. ”Recognizing that ‘the VA is not in land-use management, but in the health-care business, Clark said that the Secretary of Veterans Advisory Affairs, Anthony J. Principi, announced in September that a Federal Advisory Committee would be established to provide advice in the development of the new master plan. ” The major difference this time around, according to Pinto, from Congressman Waxman’s office, is that the advisory committee will seek input from all stakeholders, including political, residential and property interests. ”’The first of the year, a contractor will be selected who will develop and evaluate options for the most appropriate plan,’ Clark said. While the plan is scheduled to be completed by December 2005, both Clark and Pinto are doubtful. ‘This is the largest VA in the nation, surrounded by densely populated residential communities and heavy traffic,’ Pinto said. ‘This will require a delicate balance among all the stakeholders.’ Another consideration in developing a master plan is the historic nature of the site. The National Preservation Act stipulates that remedies be used to avoid doing harm to historic resources. Thirty-nine of the mostly Spanish Revival buildings are eligible for historic status, while the historic chapel and the red trolley station already have National Historic status, as does the national cemetery, according to Ken Bernstein, director of preservation for the L.A. Conservancy, who also participated on the panel. While recognizing that the first priority is the needs of the vets, Bernstein said that he did not think that that aim was inconsistent with adaptive reuse of historic buildings. ”Although panel members, which also included Yaroslavsky’s deputy Laura Shell, would not speculate on the planning outcome, they were consistent in their support for the change in course.” ”’I have no idea where this [planning process] will go,’ Clark said. ‘This is a clean slate, if you will.’ ”Congressional District Director Pinto is hopeful the Federal Advisory Committee will be meaningful. ‘There will be open meetings, note-taking, and the Congressman will be monitoring every step of this process, including who will serve on the committee,’ she said.
Sotheby’s Acquires Local DBL Realtors
In a surprise move, Sotheby’s International Realty acquired the nine Dalton, Brown & Long Realtors offices last Thursday. The Palisades DBL office, located in the business building at 15308 Sunset, will now operate as Sotheby’s International Realty. Alan Long, formerly president of DBL Realtors and one of its founders, has been named president of the Southern California region. ‘The opportunity to become part of the Sotheby’s organization will provide our sales associates with tremendous potential to grow their businesses,’ said Long, who also told the Palisadian-Post that the Palisades office and its 45 agents would continue to serve the community ‘exactly as it does now. We are very pleased to have access to Sotheby’s client base.’ Last year, DBL Realtors was the fourth-largest real estate brokerage firm in L.A. County, posting $3.3 billion in sales. The acquisition nearly triples Sotheby’s presence in Southern California, adding more than 600 sales associates working out of DBL’s offices located in the Palisades, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Los Feliz, the Sunset Strip, Pasadena, Palm Desert and Palm Springs. Now, more than 750 agents will be affiliated with Sotheby’s. ‘Under Alan Long’s leadership, DBL Realtors has established an outstanding reputation for professionalism and enjoyed great success, as evidenced by the company’s sizable growth in this market,’ said Stuart Siegel, president of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. ‘We were attracted to this company because it shares many key attributes’savvy marketing, community involvement, and first-class service to their sales associates and clients.’ Asked how the acquisition came about, Long told the Post that he ‘received a call four or five weeks ago from Stuart [Siegel] suggesting we have dinner. It was that simple.’ Long said that given the continuing trend towards consolidation in the real estate industry, he had recently received several offers to buy his firm but turned them all down because ‘they all wanted me out. Sotheby’s offer provided the best opportunity for me and my associates to expand. It’s a big market out there.’ Thrilled by the news is local agent Betty-Jo Tilley, who joined DBL a year ago. ‘Sotheby’s has always had a cachet, an image of sophistication, so I think it’s an ideal match for us.’ Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 primarily to service clients of Sotheby’s auction house, which has been in operation for over 250 years and is known worldwide. In addition to Southern California, the company operates brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets, including Manhattan, the Hamptons, Connecticut, Palm Beach, San Francisco, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The DBL acquisition by Sotheby’s is its first since the company was itself acquired in February by NRT Inc., the largest residential real estate brokerage firm in the United States. NRT also owns several other real estate franchises and brokerages, including Coldwell Banker, which has three offices in the Palisades (Sunset West, Sunset East and the Highlands). ‘We will continue to be what we have always been’friendly competitors,’ Long said. ‘While we are all now owned by the same company, we are operating under different names, different brands.’ Asked how clients will be able to differentiate one company from the other, Long said: ‘It will come down to the individual service they receive from our agents, as it always has.’ NRT is a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation, which provides consumer services worldwide. Besides real estate, its companies (including Cheap Tickets, Ramada Inn International, Travelodge, Avis and Budget Rent-a-Car) provide various travel services. Now, the only two remaining independent real estate firms in the Palisades are A.M. Realty and Palisades Realty. Prudential California Realty, located at 881 Alma Real, is owned by the country’s second-largest real estate company: Home Services of America Inc, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate.
