Where were the coffee and cookies? Last Thursday’s Community Council meeting, held in the community room at the Palisades Branch Library, was one of the longest in recent history, running from 7 p.m. until just past 11 p.m. Besides dealing with complicated agenda items such as the proposed preferential parking district in the Palisades, efforts to deal with the ‘mystery pond’ at the mouth of Santa Monica Canyon, and a controversial L.A. City Council proposal on inclusionary zoning and how it might affect the Palisades (see story, page 4), considerable time was taken up by comments from the floor on equally contentious issues: Playa Vista and the Renaissance Academy, which opened Monday in the 881 Alma Real building (see adjacent story). PREFERENTIAL PARKING DISTRICT In a surprise move, council advisor Jack Allen, who was initially opposed to preferential parking district (‘Preferential Parking Is Not the Solution,’ Palisadian-Post, July 15) is now supporting the proposal. ‘While I’m opposed in principle I think the city has worked out a reasonable compromise,’ Allen said. ‘This won’t have the domino effect that I worried about, residents are going to be able to park in front of their houses, and the two-hour limits will remain as they are now.’ Allen did wonder why the proposed district was so large (a six-block area around the Palisades Recreation Center and the business district) and why some residents want to restrict night parking on Carthage. He was also concerned that the city will ‘sweep the real problem’the lack of adequate parking’under the rug.’ Discussion then focused on how residents can get their street included (the petition requires signatures from two-thirds of the residents on the block). Concerns were also expressed about parking limitations around the Recreation Center, which one resident said has impacted him ‘for 32 years.’ On the recommendation of chairman Norman Kulla, the council voted in favor of not taking a position on the matter, deferring the matter to the mandated L.A. Department of Transportation public hearing to be held in Mort’s Oak Room on Monday, September 27, starting at 7 p.m. A color-coded map showing all the impacted streets is now on display in the library. PLAYA VISTA During the public comment period, Paul Herzog, who works with Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, invited Palisadians to a town hall meeting on Phase (Continued on Page 6) . Renaissance Academy So heated was residents confrontation with RA principal Paul McGlothlin that the meeting was never formally adjourned by council chairman Norman Kulla. The debate on the new charter high school (250 students in four grades, 14 full-time teachers) continued in the library parking lot. Residents’ concerns brought up during the public comment portion of the meeting focused not on the kind of school it is (individualized, college-prep curriculum) but its location: 881 Alma Real, where RA has a five-year lease for 13,000-sq.-ft., spread out over two floors in the commercial/retail building. ‘Is there anything we can do to stop it [the school from locating there]?’ asked one resident. ‘This board does not have that authority,’ relied Kulla. ‘But we can modify what is being planned.’ ‘I don’t care about the traffic or the parking problems,’ said a Corpus Christi parent. ‘I care about the safety of our children, given the proximity of this high school. I want to know what LAUSD will do if there are behavioral problems. Where’s their gym? They need a place to hang out but not next door to four elementary schools.’ ‘When I was in high school I wasn’t free to roam in a business district,’ said resident Joe Collins. ‘What’s appalling to me is I don’t see that an effort has been made by Renaissance to communicate their intentions to this community,’ said another resident. ‘I’m sorry you don’t think we have,’ replied McGlothlin. While plans for the alternative school have been in the works for over a year it was only after the school secured the Alma Real location in July (Palisadian-Post, July 29) that some residents expressed fears over traffic, parking and safety in an already congested area in the village business district. Their fears were compounded at the raucous August 26 Community Council meeting in which McGlothlin was unable to answer specific questions about the school’s operational plans’from how many students will occupy the Alma Real building at any one time, to where the students will be dropped off. McGlothlin was also accused by several people of giving ‘misinformation’ at the August meeting. ‘You certainly led us to believe that you had an agreement with the library to hold classes in this room,’ said Monique Ford, field deputy to Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski. ‘Do you have a written agreement with the library?’ McGlothlin admitted that he did not, eventually apologized for not keeping the community properly informed and said that he would make every effort in the week ahead to answer residents concerns. It was agreed that he attend the September 23 meeting to bring residents and council members up to date.
Kurt “Pa” Meier, 79; Porsche Aficionado
Longtime Palisadian Kurt Meier (aka ‘Pa’) died peacefully at home on July 15 after a six-month battle with cancer. He was 79. Born in Bavaria, Germany, on May 26, 1925, Kurt’s engineering studies at Messerschmid were interrupted when he was drafted by the German Army in World War II. When his service ended, he relocated to America by propeller plane in 1949, at a time when there were very few passenger flights to America. Shortly before Kurt’s 26th birthday, during the Korean War, he was drafted by the United States Army. After training in Maryland, he was stationed in his native Germany. After returning back home to America, Kurt held the position of liaison officer for Porsche of America for nearly 40 years. During this time, living in Pacific Palisades, he traveled frequently between Southern California, Reno and Stuttgart, Germany. An avid collector of coins and Porsche memorabilia, Kurt also liked to race cars, cook for his family and toil in his workshop. He took pride in his impressive array of tools and could fix just about anything, from ice makers to furnaces. Known for his creative woodworking, Kurt became increasingly well-known in the community for his custom-made backgammon and game tables. In addition to his wife, Greta Hunt Meier, Kurt is survived by three daughters, Donna Pekar of Pacific Palisades, Stephanie Meier of Orange County and Rebecca Meister of Austria. He also has four grandchildren, including Chase and Spencer Pekar who attend Corpus Christi School; a sister, Rosie Klein of Michigan, and a brother, Russell, who lives in Virginia. The funeral service was held at Corpus Christi Church, followed by a reception at the Riviera Country Club, Kurt’s favorite place to dine with his family on Sunday evenings.
PaliHi Begins with 2,600 Students and No Cokes
Things have a way of falling into place just in the nick of time, as they did at Palisades High School when it reopened last week after a summer that brought a new leadership team, instructional ideas and expanded Internet communication. A month before the September 9 opening, new Principal Gloria Martinez was unsure of the precise number of students who would be attending this semester, while still trying to fill out the faculty roster. But by Monday this week, she had filled teacher vacancies except for one social studies instructor. According to the ‘No Child Left Behind’ mandate, all teachers must now have a California credential, and those with an emergency credential must complete their course work before January 2005. The school’s student population has stabilized at 2,600 which, according to Martinez, eliminates the necessity of adding temporary portable classrooms, although the average number of students per classroom remains about 35. Martinez, who started her career as a Spanish teacher and was assistant principal at Malibu High school for the past six years, is a student-centered administrator. She visited every classroom this week and ’employed’ her first student aide, who signed up for a TA credit class. ‘This was an exciting day,’ she said Tuesday. ‘My office aide typed all my letters, including one to businesses in the community asking for support for our positive incentive program.’ Students are given ‘Dolphin’ tickets for being helpful around campus, which in turn are redeemable for gift certificates. ‘One teacher told me that first she thought this would be something hokey, but the students really seem to be enjoying it.’ Academic improvement is the focus not only on the national level, but also the mandate for the charter school. This week teacher groups began to work on establishing 10 essential standards for their subject area. An example for 10th grade English might be that students studying Shakespeare’s ‘Julius Caesar’ would be able to identify the character traits of the main characters based upon what they say about themselves. At the end of the unit, students would analyze character based on dialogue, monologue and soliloquy. Everything will be spelled out and clear as to expectations, Martinez said. ‘There will be an assessment on how well the teachers are teaching to these standards and assessing student performance.’ She admits that ‘at the beginning this is a lot of work, but it will save time in the end because everybody will be teaching to the same depth with clear expectations.’ Martinez is also expanding communication with teachers by writing a weekly letter that includes up-to-the-minute information on what’s going on. ‘In this week’s letter I was able to alleviate many teachers’ fears of overcrowding by telling them the exact number of students.’ Surplus money from Pali’s first year of fiscal independence has also been used to move ahead with information technology. Information for parents will be extended by establishing an Internet Service Provider (ISP) site, and expanding e-mail communication with parents and students. Attendance and grades will be recorded electronically. Quality of student life is also an issue for Martinez, who will follow LAUSD’s efforts to the focus on more healthful food choices. ‘By Thursday, we want to have phased out all carbonated drinks, and in addition the Associated Student Body will try to determine what healthy foods students are actually buying. We want to offer healthier food choices in the cafeteria, student story and the vending machines.’
Wright Designs Lucky Bracelets
By BRENDA HIMELFARB Palisadian-Post Contributor After giving birth to her third son, Justin, Palisadian Annette Wright was vacationing with her family in Mexico, when she noticed that the locals would go out of their way to touch her baby’s red hair. ‘People would make a beeline to touch his hair,’ says Wright, mother of sons, Thad, Patrick, Justin and Jordan. ‘As they touched his hair, they would say ‘ojo, ojo’ and I soon found out they believed that just by touching his hair, they could ward off evil.’ Wright was just fascinated by all of this, and after doing some research learned that many cultures revere the ‘ojo.’ She learned that the ‘evil eye’ comes from a person who can harm you, your children, your livestock, or your fruit trees just by looking with envy and praising them. The earliest written references to the evil eye occur on Sumerian clay tablets dating to the third millennium BC. The French call it ‘Mauvais Oeil.’ The Germans, ‘B’se Blick.’ The English, the ‘Evil Eye Protector.’ ”Soon Wright began wearing a bracelet, a gift that featured an eye. ”’The bracelet was small and kept breaking. Yet, when I was wearing it, I felt very protected,’ Wright explains. ‘And everytime it broke, something bad would happen. So I was determined that I was going to make something that was going to be durable. Something unisex that people could wear anywhere on their body’the wrist, the ankle, the hair. Something they could wear at all times to protect them from evil.’ And so began Wright’s company, Divine Invention. For five years, it was trial and error. The beads, as well as the special elastic on which they would be strung had to be not only strong but a specific thickness as well. A particular bond that would fuse the ends together before they were crimped also had to be perfected. ‘All of this was intensely laborious,’ Wright says. ‘It was a labor of love.’ ”Eventually, using fine Italian Moretti glass, Wright introduced a bracelet she dubbed the LOOK”her unique version of the ‘eye’ concept. Each eye bead is designed by Wright and crafted by artisans. No two beads are the same. And Wright has incorporated such things as gold, silver, diamonds and various other stones into the designs. It wasn’t long before celebrities that include Steven Tyler, who before each concert had an ‘eye’ painted on each shoulder, discovered the ‘LOOK’ bracelet. Madonna, who practices Kabalah, a facet of Judaism that is loosely described as ‘a focus on Jewish mysticism,’ recently ordered the bracelet in gold. ”Also seen wearing the ‘LOOK’ are Brooke Shields, Christina Aguilera, Jackie Chan, Pamela Anderson and the entire Osbourne family, to name a few. ”Wright has also designed bracelets for specific charities, including the Golden Needle Award, which benefits the John Wayne Cancer Center and the American Cancer Society. A bracelet for a City of Hope event to benefit ovarian cancer research is currently being assembled. But it is the bracelet for the Expedition Inspiration Fund for Breast Cancer Research that is very meaningful to Wright, whose family has been struck many times by the disease. ”’My aunt died of breast cancer at 39,’ says Wright. ‘My mother had breast cancer, but died of ovarian cancer. My sister, Lynda is a 22-year breast cancer survivor and my niece, Tammi Jacob, who is 33, just completed treatment for the disease.’ The pink ‘Inspiration Bracelet,’ that Wright has designed for Expedition Inspiration benefits the fund’s Los Angeles Take-A-Hike, to be held on Saturday, October 2, at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. Proceeds will support research at the Revlon/UCLA and USC’s Norris Lee Breast Centers. The three-level hike event will be chaired by actress T’a Leoni, along with co-hosts Cindy Crawford, Debra Messing, Kim Raver, Kathy Smith and Richard Roundtree. ‘I’m doing everything I can to raise money to find a cure for this horrible disease,’ Wright says. ‘You can wear a beautiful talisman on your wrist. It’s pretty, has a wonderful meaning and pushes away all the bad stuff! This is just very special to me. It’s my way of reaching out. ”’In every language there’s a name for this. It’s a common denominator that almost every culture shares. How different are we all, anyway? We all worry. Cancer is all over the world. Just about every culture in the world believes in the protective cover of the eye and its help in warding off evil. ”’In this country, it’s more worn as a fashion piece. But many are beginning to understand the beautiful meaning behind this piece.’ ”To order the ‘Inspiration Bracelet or to register for Expedition Inspiration’s Take-A-Hike: www.eitakeahike.org. To order the ‘LOOK’ bracelet: www.divineinvention.com
Words Sing and Dance in Alice’s Art Books
For book artist Alice Simpson, telling a story integrates her lifelong passion for dance with her background in graphic design. ”Born and raised in New York City, Simpson attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York where she studied fashion illustration. For more than 30 years, she worked as a graphic designer and fashion illustrator for various high-end cosmetic companies, such as Revlon and Estee Lauder. Her creative work appeared in national beauty magazines, including ‘Cosmopolitan,’ ‘Glamour’ and ‘Vogue.’ ”In the1980s, Simpson made the cross-country move to California to work at Redken Laboratories in the Los Angeles area. While there, she worked on advertising campaigns, packaging displays and promotional materials for beauty moguls Max Factor and Vidal Sassoon. ”In 1992, after Simpson moved back to New York, a friend invited her to the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts in Maine. ‘That experience really changed my life,’ Simpson says. Since then, she has been accepted to the prestigious school every year. ”It was at Haystack where Simpson first began creating artist, or handmade, books. ‘It was the first time in a long time that I had finally done my own creative work,’ she says. ‘It was exciting to discover what I was capable of doing when it wasn’t for a client.’ ”After discovering her love and knack for creating artist books, Simpson opted to remain in New York and make the transition from graphic artist to artist book creator. ‘With graphics, everything has to be very pristine and perfect,’ she says. ‘Artist books can be imperfect. They’re also sculptural, as well as being books, so they have more of a dimension than graphics.’ ”Simpson’s artists books combine both creative illustrations with words (stories, poems or quotes). ‘As I became more comfortable with making the books, I began discovering that I could write.’ ”At one point, Simpson went through ‘a peach phase,’ where all her artist books were based on the fuzzy fruit. The vast majority of Simpson’s books, however, incorporate the theme of dance. She attributes her love of dance to her father, who was a vaudeville dancer. ‘There was always music and dancing in my house.’ ”Simpson, who targets her books for adults, writes about various types of dances, including tango, rumba and waltz. She has even created a book based on the hit movie, ‘Dirty Dancing.’ ‘I just love the way couples configure themselves in different contemporary dances,’ she says. ”Simpson says her favorite book is usually the one she’s just finished. She compares her work to her favorite author, Charles Dickens, since many of her books are caricatures like his books were. ”Artist books, Simpson explains, are very delicate. The problem is they can’t really be handled since the oils in people’s hands can soak into the handmade papers. ‘As a result, they have to be shown under glass or must be [handled] with cotton gloves,’ she says. ‘They must also be protected from light so they won’t fade.’ ”Many of Simpson’s books fall under a ‘unique’ or ‘one-of-a-kind’ category. These books are hand-painted and likely feature calligraphy-style writing. Her other category of books are ‘limited editions,’ printed on a letter press or a computer. ”To create her 12-page, handmade books’which can take anywhere from one day to several months’Simpson uses countless tools and supplies, including handmade paper, water color, ink, acrylic and paints. In an era where many designs and artwork are computer-produced, Simpson says she only turns to the computer to generate type or to print. ”One of Simpson’s most successful books is entitled ‘Tango Bar,’ which took nearly two years to produce. The tunnel, or accordion-style, book features a man and a woman in various tango dance positions and utilizes a vibrant array of colors on each page. In addition to designing, coloring and printing each book, Simpson created a handmade box for each one (which themselves have become collector’s items). ”To date, Simpson has crafted almost 40 handmade books, which range in price from $45 to $4,000, depending on the collection. She says her business background has played a vital role in helping her market her books. ‘I do see my work as a business.”’ ”Simpson’s artist book collections are featured in the renowned collections of the Lincoln Center Library for the Performing Arts in New York City, Yale’s Art of the Book Collection, the Victoria and Albert National Art Library in London and many other private and public rare book collections. ”Talent seems to run in the family. Simpson’s son, Mike, of Pasadena, is a record producer for Dust Brothers. A three-time Grammy winner, he has worked with A-list musicians such as the Beastie Boys, Carlos Santana, The Rolling Stones and Beck. He also worked on the music for the movie, ‘The Fight Club.’ ”Currently, Simpson is visiting Pacific Palisades and will teach a two-day creative writing and book arts workshop on September 17-18. The workshop is for members of Journey Beyond Business, an organization comprised of highly successful business people. Participants will create one-of-a-kind artist books based on a photograph of someone special to them. ”Over the past two years, Simpson has explored her interest in working with clay. She’s even created a hip-hop series from clay and has just finished a hip-hop book. Her upcoming exhibition in New York, called ‘Urban Motion,’ will feature works from her hip-hop series. ”Simpson says she’s thankful to have such a special gift and be able to share it with others. ‘I feel very fortunate. It’s very special to do what you love.’ (Editor’s Note: Jolene Hull, a native of Iowa, is finishing her journalism degree at Iowa State University by performing a 12-week internship at the Palisadian-Post).
PaliHi Days: The Class of 64
By Bonnie Graveline Worley (Editor’s Note: Bonnie Graveline Worley graduated from Palisades High School in the summer of 1964. Raised in Pacific Palisade, she attended Palisades Elementary and Paul Revere before entering Palisades High School as a 10th grader in 1961. Her class was the first graduating class to go all the way through Palisades High. Their 40th Reunion will be held at The Beach Club in Santa Monica on October 9. After high school, Bonnie married Carl Worley and was a stay-at-home mom while raising their two daughters. She and her husband live in San Juan Capistrano and are enjoying their four grandchildren.) Our graduating class of S’64 from Palisades High School started elementary school in the fall of 1951. Our classmates attended either Palisades, Marquez, Canyon, Kenter Canyon, Brentwood, or UCLA (UES) elementary schools. During the 6th grade many of us remember reading in the ‘Weekly Reader’ (a newspaper our schools received each week), that the Russians had launched Sputnik’the first satellite ever! We were all very afraid of the Russians and people were building bomb shelters. These shelters cost a few thousand dollars and were dug into the ground and packed with food and supplies so if necessary, you could survive for months. The top of the bomb shelters looked like manhole covers. There was a bomb shelter around the corner from my house on Chapala; I wonder if it’s still there after 45 years? ”” ”Back then, La Cruz between Swarthmore and Sunset was still a dirt road. The street ran past the side of Bay Pharmacy, past Ebsen Dance Studio (owned by Buddy Ebsen and his sister Velma), and no one could figure out why it was NEVER paved. You could drive to the back of Woodbury’s 5 & 10 Cent Store on Sunset and Dilly’s had the best ice cream ever. The Hot Dog Show on Sunset had a miniature train track up near the ceiling running around the room, and the Bay Theater (our one and only movie theater) was another hang-out for us kids. We had celebrities in our neighborhood: Groucho Marx’s daughter, James Arness’ kids, Betty Hutton’s daughter, Grace Kelly was renting a home on Alma Real, and Vivian Vance (Ethel on ‘I Love Lucy’) lived on Ocampo. Not to mention the future U.S. President (Ronald Reagan) was living on Amalfi. Also on Amalfi was Jerry Lewis. ”When we entered Paul Revere we met many new classmates from all the local elementary schools I mentioned earlier. We became a very close class in Paul Revere and remained close all the way through Pali High’520 students graduated from Revere in June 1961 and were basically the same students who made up the 487 seniors who graduated from Pali in June 1964. When we were in the 8th grade one of the most memorable mornings at Paul Revere was when John Glenn was launched into space. ”As 9th graders we knew our ‘brand new’ high school was nearing completion and we all voted on the school name, the school colors and the school mascot. We chose Palisades High for the name, royal blue, columbia blue and white for the colors and Dolphins for the mascot. Everyone was thrilled to be going to a school right in our hometown. If the new high school had not been built we would have gone to University, about a 20-minute drive from the Palisades. Palisades High School was built on the site originally called ‘All Hallows Farm,’ the first home of Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Reunion committee member Wendy Price Anderson recalls: ‘Before the high school was built, Temescal Canyon Road didn’t go through to PCH. At the end of the canyon there was a pier with a restaurant where people ordered clam chowder in china bowls and when they were finished eating they just threw the bowls out into the ocean. A man I met on a hike one day told me that people go diving for them today.’ ”On September 11, 1961, Pali opened with only 10th and 11th graders. The boys gym was complete, but not the girls gym. For one semester the girls all had P.E. in the multipurpose room (now Mercer Hall) where the P.E. teachers turned up the hi-fi and we all learned the ‘new’ dances, like the twist! ”We all loved the beautiful new school, it was modern, fresh and clean’and earthquake proof. We had more school spirit than anyone could imagine. We lost every football game the first year (we had no senior football players), but our ‘spirit’ was the envy of all the schools we played. We sophomores were not old enough to drive, so we all went on buses to the away football games. When our buses showed up at the other schools our rivals could hear us coming from a mile away. We were singing and cheering so loud! When Bob Sawyer finally scored our first touchdown (in the fifth game of the season at home against Fairfax) we cheered for at least 10 minutes! What a thrill!!! ”Our principal was Dr. Herbert Aigner, who was very fair and respected by most everyone. We had many excellent teachers who have stayed in contact with some of our classmates over the years. Our 40th reunion is coming up and thanks to the efforts of classmate Janie Redmond Mueller, nine of the original faculty members will be attending: Richard Farnham, Rose Gilbert, Ralph Hedges, Annette Herbst, Fred Johnson, Paul Jordan, Ray Normandin, Arthur Thomas and Thomas Weese. ”We had some very tragic times too. Our class lived through the Brentwood and Malibu fires, where many of our friends lost their homes. Many students had their homes burn to the ground, leaving them with nothing but the clothes on their back. The most tragic, but most memorable day was in the 11th grade when an announcement came over the P.A. system during 1st period that ‘President Kennedy has been shot.’ Later that day the sad news came over the P.A. system that our beloved President John F. Kennedy was dead. Teachers cried, students cried and the school was closed for three or four days. ”Our class produced many doctors, lawyers, and professionals. Among them is Dr. Barry Sears, the creator and author of ‘The Zone Diet,’ psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison, author of ‘An Unquiet Mind,’ and Joseph Gold, a world-famous violinist who has performed with the great Jascha Heifetz. We also had the late Rusty Hamer who played ‘Rusty’ on ‘The Danny Thomas Show.’ Sadly, we have lost 26 classmates out of a class of 487. The Vietnam War began and we sadly lost young men from our school, including two classmates, Todd Swanson and Pete Drusdeau. ”The favorite music groups of our high school days were Dick Dale and The Deltones, Johnny Mathis, Ricky Nelson, Elvis, the Beach Boys and the Beatles. We had a dress code that girls today would not believe. Girls always had to wear dresses or skirts to school and socks or nylons at all times…never slacks, jeans, or bermuda shorts. Your skirt had to be knee length and we all took pride in ourselves. The way students dress today is quite different. Y-Teen Club jackets were forbidden at PaliHi. Therefore, the two girls’ Y-Teen Clubs in our class, The Polynesians and The Shardanees, could only wear their club jackets off campus. Girls had beehive hairdos and used lots of hairspray. Girls would wear large plastic rollers to bed, to get that perfect bubble hairdo the next day. We did not have curling irons and blow dryers unless we went to a beauty salon. ”People felt we were the ‘Cream of the Crop’ and envied our school. The parking lot was full of new shiny cars and he would say ‘those kids’ cars are better than ours!’ It was true’this was a wealthy school. Our classmates’ parents were doctors, dentists, psychiatrists, business owners, and film industry people. The school was almost entirely Caucasian, we had one black student and two Asian students. There was no such thing as busing in those days. ”When we were in the 11th grade, we voted on our graduating classes’ name (the Spartans) and colors (brown and beige). We had our senior prom in the school’s multipurpose room and our Spartan Class Grad Night was held at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Ironically, that was the same hotel President Kennedy’s brother Robert, would be assassinated in exactly four years later in June 1968. ”Attending school from 1951-1964 and living in Pacific Palisades all those years was definitely living the ‘Happy Days.’ ”For reunion information, go to www.pali64.com or contact reunion committee members: Wendy Price Anderson, 459-8334, e-mail: Pricelesseaview@netzero.net; Janie Harris Hansen, 818-990-1630, e-mail: JanieHansen@juno.com; Bonnie Graveline Worley, 949-661-7661, e-mail: BWorley@cox.net; Ileen Cohen Eatherton, 714-960-4105, e-mail: Oileen@socal.rr.com.
Dolphins Ready to Reclaim Throne
PALISADES HIGH GIRLS TENNIS PREVIEW
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Losing in the City Section finals last season might have been the best thing that could’ve happened to the Palisades High girls varsity tennis team. Although the Dolphins breezed through the season undefeated and earned the top seed in the playoffs, returning players are still upset they lost the match that counted most. So this year’s team won’t be satisfied just making the finals. It wants to win Palisades’ first championship since 1998 and restore pride to a program that has produced 17 City titles since the sport was sanctioned in 1975. The Dolphins will try to accomplish their goal without a single senior on their roster, but what they might lack in experience they make up for in talent and depth. ‘We’re definitely stronger this year than last while [defending champion] Granada Hills has lost a lot of players,’ said head coach Bud Kling, who has led Pali to City titles in his 20 seasons. ‘A lot will depend on how much our younger players improve and how much production we get from our No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.’ Knowing he would miss part of the summer to attend the Olympic Games in Greece, Kling appointed juniors Krista Slocum and Brittany O’Neil as team captains and they gladly accepted the challenge of running preseason workouts. ‘Even though the tennis season is only one semester, we look at it as a year-round sport,’ said O’Neil, who will likely play No. 1 or No. 2 doubles. ‘Every player was required to play nine events over the summer and we’ve all been working hard on our fundamentals and conditioning.’ Slocum, who will return as the Dolphins’ No. 2 singles player, said she takes her role as captain seriously: ‘It’s a big responsibility because everyone looks to you for answers but I like it because you get respect too.’ Slocum said she prefers high school to junior tennis because of the team concept. ‘It’s easier to stay serious and focused when you have a team that’s counting on you,’ she said. Sophomore Olivia Colman returns to play No. 1 singles, having enjoyed a successful summer on the junior circuit. She took first place in the 18s at the Northridge Open in August and won the Women’s Division of the Santa Monica Women’s Open on Labor Day. Making the Dolphins’ singles lineup even more formidable is the addition of Contessa Brown, a transfer who was voted most valuable player at Culver City High as a freshman last season. Sophomore Lauren Pugatch returns to play No. 4 singles. ‘Olivia is one of the top players in the City, Krista and Contessa are interchangeable at No. 2 and No. 3 singles and Lauren has a year’s worth of experience now,’ Kling said. ‘Getting Contessa was huge because not only does it strengthen our singles, it also adds a very good player to doubles.’ Though he has yet to pick his doubles pairs, Kling has a bevy of quality players to choose from. Juniors Yasmir Navas, Sarah Jurick, Dina Quick, Cassie Boyd, Mary Logan and Lotte Kiepe will challenge for roster spots along with sophomores Masha Elakovic, Elieka Salamipour, Sophie Yoo, Alex Kling and freshmen Lisa Mesrop and Sarah Yankelevitz. ‘ I definitely think we’ll be better this season than last and I’m looking forward to it,’ Navas said while breaking in her new Babolat racket. ‘I played singles last year but I’m looking forward to playing doubles this year. It’s comforting to play with someone else because you can talk and you’re not all alone out there.’ C.W. Brown, Contessa’s father, will coach the junior varsity, which primarily consists of a promising crop of ninth graders like Kathryn Cullen, Yasamin Ghiasi, Chloe Haddad, Erika Lee and Genna Rochlin. ‘It’ll be great for the program to have a qualified assistant coach like him [Brown] because our practices will be much more efficient,’ Kling said. ‘The younger kids will get more instruction and that frees up time for me to drill the varsity players.’ Kling said the lack of quality competition last year ultimately hurt Pali when it met Granada Hills in the finals because the Dolphins had not been tested. So Kling dropped small private schools Crossroads and Marymount and added perennial Southern Section powers Malibu and Mira Costa to the Dolphins’ schedule. ‘We don’t play in the strongest league so I’ve tried to balance that with more difficult nonleague opponents,’ Kling said. ‘Even if we lose, I’d rather have the experience of playing close, competitive sets because it will help sharpen us up for the playoffs.’ With such a young team, Kling knows the future of his program is bright. And he hopes this is the year the Dolphins break through and reclaim their place as the elite program in the City. ‘It’s been awhile since we’ve won, so I’m hoping this will be the year,’ Kling said. ‘I think we have a good chance.’
Retooling for a Repeat
PALISADES HIGH GIRLS VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW
Faced with the difficult challenge of defending the City championship it won in November, the Palisades High girls varsity volleyball team begins the season with a new coach and seven new players. How quickly those new players develop could determine whether or not the Dolphins pin a 23rd championship banner to the wall of their gymnasium. ‘It’s harder to stay at the top than it is to get there,’ Pali’s senior setter Diana Grubb said. ‘We know every team we play is going to be up for us. There are really only a few of us who know what it feels like to win a City title so our success will depend on how well the younger players handle the pressure.’ The Dolphins’ new coach is Cheri Stuart, who also teaches biology and physiology classes at Pali and serves as the school’s athletic trainer. ‘I see a lot of promise but I don’t necessarily think a City championship is the goal this year,’ said Stuart, who was a scholarship player at Northern Illinois, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. ‘I have a lot more talent to work with than I thought I would coming in. I’m not going to say we can’t win City’maybe we will. But the proof is in the pudding.’ Grubb has had to play for a different coach each of her four years at Pali and admitted it has made for a difficult situation. ‘It’s not even weird anymore, it’s more like extreme frustration,’ she said. ‘But you have to keep an open mind and play within whatever system the coach wants. For example, we’re still running a 5-1 (a formation that uses only one setter) but our method of defense and offense will be different this year.’ A key factor in Pali’s pursuit of a repeat will be how well senior Natasha Vokhshoori adjusts to the middle blocker position after having played outside hitter last season. Stuart described her top offensive weapon as ‘a fiery player who isn’t satisfied with anything less than the kill.’ Alongside Vokhshoori in the middle will be freshman Alex Lunder, a tall and mobile player who adds another dimension to Pali’s attack. ‘Alex is not only a volleyball player, she’s an athlete,’ Stuart observed. ‘She is very coordinated and when she she’s connecting she’s an awesome hitter.’ Two fearless freshman, Jenna McCallister and Teal Johnson, will likely start as outside hitters. Juniors Megan Chanin and Corey Koffman and freshman Rachael Erlich will be the all-important defensive specialists and junior Kaylie McCallister, Jenna’s sister, will play opposite hitter and back up Grubb at setter. ‘Kaylie has good court awareness, she’s very versatile and she leads by example,’ Stuart said. Rounding out the varsity squad will be Margarita Juarez at outside hitter and Alina Kheyfets at middle blocker. ‘All of our freshmen are very disciplined in practice, they want to learn and they are pushing the seniors, which is good. I expect my players to give their best and I know if I hold them to high standards they won’t play scared.’ Because she is still learning her team, Stuart said she is curious to see who steps in to fill various roles as the season unfolds. ‘No matter what level you play at, every team needs a leader and a cheerleader, a motivator. Every team develops its own unique personality.’ Coaching the junior varsity team will be former Dolphin player and 2001 Palisadian-Post Cup award winner Ian Wolterstorff, who assisted coach Cari Klein at Marymount High last season. ‘It’s fun to be back at Pali,’ Wolterstorff said. ‘I actually like this more because I’m able to do a lot more teaching. A lot of these girls are just learning how to play.’
Pali Football Drops Opener
Maybe it was the long bus ride. Maybe it was first-game jitters. Whatever the reason, Palisades High’s varsity football team looked out of sync and was unable to overcome costly mistakes in a 25-10 season-opening loss Friday night at Sylmar. In the debut of new head coach London Woodfin, the Spartans took advantage of Pali’s poor kick coverage to start drives deep in Dolphin territory. ‘Our offensive line needs to do a better job protecting the quarterback and our special teams just weren’t up to par,’ said Pali’s first-year head coach Leo Castro, who did not enjoy his debut nearly as much as his counterpart. ‘We have five running backs that could start on any team in the City. So we can move the ball fine. But when we get in the red zone we have to score.’ Pali’s only touchdown came midway through the fourth quarter on a 99-yard interception return by junior Andre Harris, but it was too little too late. A bright spot for Palisades was the kicking of Dylan Cohen. He booted a 42-yard field goal in the second quarter and had four punts of 45 yards or more. But the Dolphins’ senior quarterback was pressured all game, completing two of seven passes for 12 yards. Anthony Anaebere led Pali’s rushing attack with 12 carries for 63 yards and Robert Gillette added four carries for 40 yards. ‘Our offense was out there 70 percent of the time, we just committed stupid penalties and basically hurt ourselves,’ said Henry Argueta, Pali’s junior linebacker and tight end. ‘They burned us on two long passes but mostly we gave them great field position. It seemed like they began every possession at our 20.’ After a scoreless first quarter, C.J. Gable returned a Palisades punt 61 yards to set up a 33-yard touchdown pass from John Austin to D’Andre Goodwin. Later, Gable returned a kickoff 80 yards to set up a nine-yard scoring run by Marc Alanis that gave Sylmar a 12-3 halftime lead. Gable gained 121 yards in 10 carries, including a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. ‘Coach [Castro] told us after the game that one loss doesn’t make the whole season,’ Pali senior linebacker David Villalobos said. ‘So we can’t hang our heads. We just have to execute better from here on out. If we give Dylan time to throw, he’ll make plays for us.’ In the preceding frosh/soph game, sophomore receiver Jevon Crowder caught touchdown passes of 30 and 50 yards from quarterback Michael Latt as the Dolphins tied host Sylmar 12-12.
Marymount Volleyball Loses Season Opener
In a showdown between two of the top prep girls programs in California, Marymount High’s varsity volleyball team opened its season with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-21 loss to visiting Manhattan Beach Mira Costa Monday night. Marymount coach and Palisadian Cari Klein hopes her team will respond as it did last year when the Sailors dropped their season opener to Mater Dei before reeling off 36 consecutive victories on the way to their fourth consecutive CIF Division IV state championship. ‘We were right there, we were in every game, we just couldn’t finish them,’ Klein said of Monday’s loss, the Sailors’ 19th in her seven seasons at the school. ‘They were tall’it was like playing a college team’but we did a pretty good job blocking. We’re young and I was moving the girls around a bit. I’m still learning this team whereas last year I knew what my players could do in every situation. I’m hoping we will take this loss to heart and play better if we meet them again in a tournament.’ Mira Costa is ranked No. 1 in California by PrepVolleyball.com while the Sailors are No. 13. Marymount’s roster includes five Palisadians: senior Christina Woodward and sophomores Kelly Irvin, Audrey Eichler, Ali Hoffman and Madison Wojciechowski.
