Living and working in 18 cities the past 28 years may sound a bit extreme, but for interim pastor Charles Svendsen, it’s the lifestyle he loves. Now serving as the interim pastor of Palisades Presbyterian Church’his 16th such posting’there’s no questioning the scope of his frequent preaching miles. On Sunday, September 5, Svendsen took over the pulpit of pastor John Todd (who had retired after 18 years of service to the church), and preached his first service. He will hold the interim position for one to two years until a permanent pastor is hired. Growing up in La Canada, Svendsen wanted to become a commercial artist, but at age 19, when he lost a college friend to a hitchiking accident, he envisioned becoming a pastor. His family was also instrumental in his call to ministry’both his father and brother are pastors. In 1984, after 10 years of settled ministry in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, Svendsen opted to make the transition to serving only as an interim pastor. ‘I like to problem-solve and I enjoy traveling,’ he says. ‘I also can get bored easily in one place, so I like change.’ Svendsen, whose congregation sizes have ranged from under 250 to more than 1,000, has served as an interim pastor in Connecticut, Maine, New York, Washington, Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. Since his first marriage four years ago to his wife, Catherine, his last four interim positions have been in California. He and Catherine, who has four children ages 16 to 26, have a home in Altadena and a newly rented guesthouse in the Palisades. After arriving at a new church, Svendsen goes through a process he calls ‘affirmative inquiry,’ where he visits with various groups and receives feedback about what they like or dislike about the church. In addition to performing duties that settled pastors perform (‘preaching, teaching, marrying and burying,’ as Svendsen puts it), interim pastors have specific tasks designed to ease and facilitate the congregation during the transitional period. Many jobs are perfomed during an interim period that aren’t performed during a settled ministry. These include taking inventories, researching demographics and setting new goals. ‘We build on the old goals and the old directions, because that’s who we are,’ Svendsen says. ‘But we look at where we are going and where we want to be in the next 10 to 20 years.’ Svendsen, who also assists in the training of interim pastors, says his ultimate objective is to prepare a church for the new pastor. He feels his success is directly tied to the success of the new pastor. ‘Proof of my work cannot be measured in real time. If we’ve completed all the necessary groundwork during my time and the pastor does well, then I’ve done a good job.’ Svendsen says a congregation losing their pastor is comparable to the Kubler-Ross stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance), which describes the varying emotions one likely feels following the death of a loved one. ‘[Losing a pastor] is just like losing a family member or a close friend,’ he says. He adds that it’s much easier to follow a beloved pastor than one who was disliked. ‘You would think it would be easier to follow a disaster because anything you did would be good. But there are so many systematic problems in a congregation when a pastor hasn’t functioned well.’ Pastor Todd, says Svendsen, was highly revered by the congregation. ‘This church reflects John’s wonderful personality and theology.’ Recently, during a staff retreat, many wondered how Svendsen’s arrival would affect their positions. He assured them the changes he makes, if any, are implemented ‘very slowly.’ The Palisades congregation will soon organize a pastor nominating committee (usually comprising nine people), and advertise the position. Committee members will then go out and listen to each candidate preach. Once the best candidate is selected, the committee will present him or her to the congregation, who will vote up or down after hearing the candidate preach. If they vote down (which Svendsen says is a rarity), then the committee will have to bring in a new candidate. If they vote up, the pastor is offered the position. Svendsen predicts the church will receive at least 100 applications. The only drawback to being an interim pastor, Svendsen says, is ‘losing so many friends every couple of years.’ Nevertheless, at age 53, Svendsen says he hopes to fulfill five or six more interim positions before he retires. ‘I love interim ministry.’
Renaissance vs. 881 Alma Real
How did Greg Schem, managing partner of the 881 Alma Real building, go in three short months from telling the Palisadian-Post how ‘pleased’ he was about working out a lease with the new Renaissance Academy to saying he wished he had never heard of the school? Schem, who has been threatened with legal action by the high school, met with RA officials on Tuesday night, after which he told the Post that ‘the termination of the lease still stands.’ (See story above). ‘The bottom line is, there is too much of a gap between what the school wants to do and what we believe is feasible in the building. We disagree on the use of the space and the number of students. Now the goal is to work together to see this year through.’ Schem’s investment group, which includes Palisadian Bill Simon, purchased the 89,671-sq.-ft. building in October 2000 for approximately $14 million. Clearly, the over $400,000 in revenue his Village Real Estate, LLC partnership would garner from the initial one-year lease on 13,600-sq.-ft. with the school (with a five-year option to renew) would greatly reduce his vacancy rate, which was ‘much higher than any landlord would want it to be in a building of that size,’ said local commercial broker Gregg Pawlik. ‘You’d also want to be careful about that kind of mix [school and commercial] and how it might or might not be a good fit.’ Schem said that by bringing in the school he did not anticipate any problems with existing tenants, the largest being the real estate firm Prudential John Aaroe on the ground floor, or with the two dozen other tenants in the building who provide a range of medical, legal and financial services. However, ‘the tenants did complain,’ Schem said, particularly about the noise of about 250 students entering and leaving the building. Nor did he anticipate the uproar in the community over leasing the space to the school. Local residents vented their rage at two raucous Community Council meetings (August 26 and September 9), and have continued to express their displeasure in telephone calls and letters to LAUSD and city officials. The lease agreement with Renaissance Academy, signed in late June, provided that the new public school would occupy 6,000-sq.-ft. on the ground floor. It was understood that no classrooms were to be built on this level’only ‘counseling rooms’ and administrative offices for the school’s 23 employees (including 20 fulltime and part-time teachers). The classrooms would be on the lower terrace level, which seemed a perfect fit on the same floor as Fancy Feet Dance Studio and Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Studio. As envisioned, Renaissance would take over the 7,500-sq.-ft. space formerly occupied by Bouquet Multimedia, a post-production company. The advantage of this lower terrace site was that it had a built-in recording studio and its own entrance at the rear of the building as well. This would help segregate the students from the other tenants, which was important to Schem, who said he was assured by founding director and principal Paul McGlothlin that ‘no more’ than 50 students would occupy the building at any one time. ‘I think having a school in here is a great idea,’ Schem said when he was interviewed by the Post in July. ‘The fact is, in the last few years this area has gradually transformed itself into a school-friendly neighborhood,’ referring to Seven Arrows Elementary School around the corner on La Cruz, the Village School annex currently under construction at the corner of La Cruz and Alma Real, and Corpus Christi Elementary School on nearby Carey. ‘I am very excited about the building,’ McGlothlin confirmed to the Post at the time. ‘I always thought it had a campus feel to it. And being so close to the village, the library and the park, it is actually perfect for us. As a community school many of our classes will be held off-campus anyway, ranging from the Palisades library to Theatre Palisades to Santa Monica College.’ McGlothlin assured the Post that even though the school expected an initial enrollment of up to 300 students, most of them from the Palisades area, ‘not all of them will occupy the Alma Real building at the same time’ and that traffic problems in an already congested neighborhood would be minimized ‘as the students will either be bused in or will walk to the building.’ When asked how many students would occupy the Alma Real building at any one time, McGlothlin said he ‘could not say, exactly.’ In early August, as soon as building permits were issued by L.A.’s Department of Building and Safety, renovations to accommodate Renaissance Academy began. On the terrace level, existing sound editing suites were converted into eight meeting rooms, four of which were permitted for classroom use, and two new restrooms were built. While a quarter of the space on the ground level was turned into offices, the rest was divided into seven ‘counseling’ rooms, each of which could clearly accommodate up to 24 students at a time.
Clearwater Mural Wraps Dock in Crystalline Nostalgia
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
It’s always a clear day in the illusory world of the Clearwater Mural, whose idyllic pastel panorama of the Palisades headlands wraps Sav-on’s north and west sides. The recently added section behind the loading dock, created by local artist Terri Bromberg, completes a stunning sweep of coast from east to west, taking in the Channel Islands in the distance down to the accurately rendered flora and fauna of the coastal environment. Bromberg, who created the mural in Los Liones Gateway Park depicting animal and plant life in a coastal canyon, has accurately recreated this landscape as it must have looked in the 19th century. She has not only included details such as the spider that scurries up the Sav-on dumpster, but also placed the Ysidro Reyes Adobe in the scene that today marks the intersection of Sunset and Chautauqua. For the past two months, Bromberg, along with design artist Merry Ealy, has been cleaning and touching up the original mural that Bromberg completed in 1999. The estimated cost of the entire project, $16,000, was underwritten by the Pacific Palisades Junior Women’s Club and an anonymous donor. However, according to concept producer Stuart Muller, the maintenance fund is drained, and he is seeking contributions to ‘ensure the healthy future of this magnificent community asset.’ Contributions may be sent to Palisades PRIDE (with the notation Clearwater Mural Maintenance Fund), 15330 Antioch, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
Renaissance Fights Eviction Action
Renaissance Academy Charter High School had a tumultuous first week following its September 13 opening in Pacific Palisades. Last Thursday, the managing partner of the 881 Alma Real building, where the main campus of the school is located, gave Renaissance notice of termination of the lease effective June 2005. After a two-hour meeting Tuesday night at the school, both sides agreed that nothing has officially changed, though school officials remain hopeful that they will be able to reach a resolution. ‘The purpose of the meeting was to air our differences and search for constructive solutions that will allow Renaissance to continue its mission of educating local students, while addressing the valid concerns of the building owners,’ said RA board member Bill Bryan, who is also the school’s facilities coordinator and an RA parent. Paul McGlothlin, the school’s founding director and principal, as well as board member Scott Adler (an RA parent and the school’s contractor) also attended the meeting with managing partner Greg Schem and Jay Hartman, one of the building’s owners. Each side was represented by counsel. Both Bryan and McGlothlin told the Palisadian-Post Wednesday morning that they felt that the meeting was positive and productive. ‘I think we got a start on solving problems,’ said McGlothlin, who believes the next step is ‘to continue our successful efforts at building and strengthening community relationships.’ McGlothlin also said his biggest concern is ‘for the well-being of the kids’ since ‘this is a critical time in their life, and a small handful of people are forgetting that these are children and need to be treated with respect.’ By ‘a small handful,’ McGlothlin was echoing a letter he wrote to RA students and parents last Friday, within 24 hours of being notified about the lease termination. In the letter, also posted on the school’s Web site (www.rahigh.org), McGlothlin wrote that ‘…a small group of very vocal people object to our presence in the Alma Real building and the surrounding area, and are doing various things to make life hard for us. They have temporarily succeeded in convincing the city that we should only be allowed to use about half of the space we’re paying for, even though we received all of the necessary permits before we opened.’ This week, the school has been holding some of its classes in four rooms on the terrace (lowest) level of the building, which have been designated as classroom space by L.A.’s Department of Building and Safety at this time (a total of seven rooms and a recording studio exist). RA’s other leased space includes Suite 114 on the ground level, where the administrative offices plus resource and conference rooms are located. According to Schem, who notified other tenants in the building of the RA lease termination, the school was ‘using the ground floor as classrooms when it’s not leased for that.’ Schem also said he understood that the number of students occupying the leased space was to be between 30 to 50, though no specific number is documented in the lease. Last Wednesday, the Los Angeles Fire Department dictated that the maximum number of students allowed on the terrace level is 90. Yesterday, Inspector John Dallas, who inspected the building a week ago, told the Post: ‘In the terrace level, we determined that the square footage of the four permitted classrooms plus the library [an additional room] allowed a total occupancy of no more than 90 students.’ His inspection followed a call from a Department of Building and Safety official, who Dallas said ‘had received complaints that there were 200 to 300 students roaming the building. We walked the premises, and we were told that the rooms on the ground floor were being used for counseling but we ascertained that they were being used for more than just counseling. We gave [the school] written notice that these rooms were to be used exclusively for counseling, and specifically for no more than three students [per room].’ Dallas’s supervisor, Captain Scott Miller, told the Post that ’40 to 50 students were observed by the Inspector upon arrival so there was no violation of the temporary Certificate of Occupancy.’ ”The initial TCO, which expired at 5 p.m. last Friday, stated that 98 students were allowed on the terrace level, while the current TCO granted by Building and Safety on Tuesday states that 89 students are allowed on the terrace level. Now, a tiny discrepancy exists between the Fire Department’s order (90) and the current TCO (89). ‘In a show of good faith we’re working with the lower number,’ Bryan said. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Renaissance called Building and Safety, and the school was granted a continued, 30-day TCO that expires October 15. Bryan also said that while Renaissance had intended for students to use some of the ground-floor rooms since that area is nearly half the school’s leased space, they are complying with Building and Safety. The school is also complying with the Fire Department, who ‘issued a notice [last Wednesday] to get a fire alarm system installed within 30 days,’ according to Captain Miller. The building already has sprinklers and the school is in the process of installing a sophisticated fire/life safety system with a strobe unit. ‘We’d like to have the option of remaining here [beyond one year],’ said Bryan, referring to the one-year lease with the option to renew for five years at the end of the first year. ‘We have a substantial dispute and as part of the resolution we hope we can reopen the issue of how long we can stay in this facility.’ Asked about the reason for the lease termination, Bryan blamed the ‘general level of acrimony and mistrust’ as precipitating Schem’s action. He said he was shocked that Schem chose to terminate the lease on ‘the third day of instruction of a new school,’ since ‘it’s not only cavalier but, from a legal standpoint, it’s not smart’we were not dealt with in good faith, or even given a fair and reasonable chance to make good use of the school.’ Bryan and Adler estimated that Renaissance has spent close to $500,000 to convert the leased space into a school, including construction and equipment costs. Since last Friday, RA students have been reporting to various temporary locations for their core classes, which include English, history and science. Some of these locations have included a rented room at the United Methodist Church, Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Studio, and three private homes of parents who live within walking distance of the Alma Real building. Other classes have been held at the Palisades Recreation Center’s upper and lower picnic areas. ‘We’ve committed to holding classes at the temporary locations for this week and this week alone,’ Bryan said Monday. ‘We will not operate next week the same as this week.’ Yesterday, freshmen took a field trip to Long Beach Aquarium and today, sophomores are scheduled for a field trip to the Getty Museum. On Friday, students in grades 10-12 will return to Santa Monica College’s Stewart Street campus for classes while ninth graders will report to classes in the Alma Real building and at off-campus sites. During lunch period, from noon to 1 p.m., most RA students have been buying their lunch from local vendors, which has caused numerous complaints from the community regarding an overpopulation of students in the Village each day. While about 25 students were observed eating or socializing in the park early this week, larger groups congregated in the Village Green area, across from Coffee Bean and Robek’s Juice. The school’s current enrollment is at 300 students, with 20 teachers (full and part-time) and a three-person administrative staff.
‘Absurd Person Singular’ Is Coupled with Laughter
BY ALYSON SENA Palisadian-Post Staff Writer Christmas has arrived early this year, with the Santa Monica Theatre Guild’s production of Alan Ayckbourne’s British comedy ‘Absurd Person Singular.’ This entertaining and quirky kitchen farce, produced by Greg and Polly Petersen, may prematurely remind you of the tensions that accompany the holiday season, but it will keep you laughing from start to finish. The show runs through Saturday, October 9 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. ”Directed by Nikki Hevesy, the strong cast of six people share the comedic spotlight. Set in a northern suburb of London on three consecutive Christmas Eves in the late 1970s, the play unites three couples, unlikely friends, who reluctantly take turns hosting the traditional holiday party at their homes. ”All of the action the audience sees plays out in the kitchens, where characters congregate for drink, food and mainly refuge from awkward social situations, only to face more humiliating conversations and absurd mishaps. Three impressive sets designed by Barbara Kallir reflect the couples’ class distinctions and unique personalities. ”The flashy red and yellow kitchen of the Hopcrofts reveals their middle-class status and frenzied happiness, as Jane (Kat Harris) and Sidney (Sean Vincent Biggins) prepare for the arrival of their guests. A compulsive housewife, Jane would rather clean than socialize, but she repeatedly fails to satisfy both her husband’s domestic and social demands even though she trudges out in a rainstorm to buy tonic water for the gin-and-tonics. ”Once Sidney realizes his wife has gone out and returned in her most unflattering galoshes, slicker and hat, he conveniently locks her out in the rain for the night to salvage his own image in front of the upper-class bank manager, architect neighbor and their wives. Harris’ humorous portrayal of naive Jane, who squeals and sobs through her mistakes in true ‘I Love Lucy’ fashion (though she lacks Lucy’s cunning), is memorable. ”Act II, set in the Jacksons’ untidy flat, is easily the most entertaining while singularly disturbing act of the play. In the midst of telling his depressed wife that he is leaving her for another woman, Geoffrey Jackson (Jonathan Strait), an egocentric architect, remembers they are supposed to be hosting the annual party. ”When guests arrive moments later, the Jacksons’ rabid dog, George, restricts everyone to the kitchen, where the Hopcrofts set to cleaning and fixing appliances used by Eva Jackson (Susan Foley) in failed suicide attempts. The bank manager, Ronald Brewster-Wright (T.W. Omen), is electrocuted when he tries to be handy, and his alcoholic wife, Marion Brewster-Wright (Terra Shelman), revels in covering him with the Jacksons’ dirty laundry. ”While disheveled-looking Eva does not verbally say anything throughout the act, her bulging eyes, elaborate facial expressions and gestures speak volumes about her desperation and shocking inability to kill herself without its being fumbled by someone’s blind undoing. Foley gives a superb, believable performance as Eva, which culminates in her character leading a side-splitting chorus of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas.’ ”The last act initially lacks the comic steam of the first two, though the Brewster-Wrights are clearly incapable of throwing a party in their fashionable home given that Marion’s alcoholism has restricted her to the bedroom. When Marion emerges in her robe, she joins her stiff husband as well as the still unhappily married Jacksons in hiding from the Hopcrofts, who find their way in through an open back door. ”Of course, the annoyingly jolly and childish couple breathes life into the party with their introduction of a musical freeze-dancing game, in which the first person to move after the music stops is challenged with having to dance with a tea cozy on her head or an orange between his knees. ”The ridiculous image of a lonely and confused Ronald dancing with an apple under his chin and a spoon in his mouth reminds us that the tragic and the comic often go hand-in-hand. ‘Some people seem to have the hang of it, and some of us just aren’t so lucky,’ Ronald says about relationships. ”And it is when the lives of these vulnerable characters turn most absurd, as in this final dancing scene, that they are able to connect with each other, evoking multiple emotions at once from the audience. ” ”The stylish British 1970’s costumes by Anne Gesling are smashing, and the hair and makeup design by Krys Fehervari is complementary. In order to accomplish elaborate set changes, for the which production staff deserves loud applause, the show includes two intermissions. Sound design is by Stephan Jonas. ”’Absurd Person Singular’ runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m., and one Saturday matinee September 25 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. Contact: 828-7519.
Improvisation Course and Shows Feature Original Theater Games
Gary Schwartz, a disciple of the founder of American improvisation, Viola Spolin, will teach a theater games master class at Pierson Playhouse, 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., October 8 to10. In addition, the Spolin Players, including Schwartz, Palisadian Gail Matthius Wirth and other Hollywood professionals and special guests, will perform two improvisational shows, Friday, October 8 and Saturday, October 9 at 8 p.m. ”Spolin originated the first improv company in the country, the Second City players in Chicago. ‘She taught us to ‘follow the follower,” says Matthius, explaining that when two people improvise together, they each follow one another, with no one trying to be the leader. ‘It’s the discovery along the way of what the two minds are finding.’ ”The television show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ has popularized improvisation, but may have given people the impression that to improvise they have to be witty and clever. ‘It’s not about how quick a mind you have,’ says Schwartz, who is coming from his home in Washington to teach the class. ‘It’s about accessing your intuitive ability. In Spolin’s improvisation, students respond instantly when they’re totally involved, when they forget about judging themselves and stay in the moment.’ ”Schwartz met Spolin in 1977 when he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his acting career and became her apprentice. ‘I had never heard of Viola Spolin and I dumbly found my way into the class of the woman who invented the whole thing.’ ”In the 1930s, Spolin used games to teach immigrant children English. ‘She learned that games are the best way to teach a skill, without the teacher having to demonstrate or teach by rote,’ Schwartz says. ‘She began to teach theater using those games.’ She went on to work with actors including Mike Nichols and Elaine May. ”Schwartz starts his teaching with traditional games such as tag. ‘We talk about why games are fun, what psychologically happens when you have fun. The players keep this spirit of fun in their theater games, responding intuitively. We have games in which we reflect each other’s emotions and speech, observational games and gibberish games’where you try to communicate without using English.’ ”The games help actors become spontaneous in their work. ‘They are about being present in the moment in a non-intellectual way, and not analyzing every move. Intuition is already there and knows what to do,’ Schwartz says. The games benefit non-actors too. ‘They lose their fear of being in front of groups, replacing anxiety with a willingness to try everything.’ ”Matthius has been doing improv since her days studying theater at Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota. She continued performing with improvisation groups as well as performing stand-up comedy when she moved to L.A. in 1979. She was a member of the first cast on ‘Saturday Night Live’ after the original players had left in 1980-1981. ‘A lot of the sketches were created during improvisation,’ Matthius says of SNL. ‘The writers would watch us do improv.’ ”She met up with the Spolin Players in 1986 and began to study with Viola Spolin. The players performed in Hollywood and at the Upfront in Santa Monica, went on a hiatus in the early ’90s and reunited in 2003 when member Dan Castallaneta (the voice of Homer Simpson) won a lifetime achievement award from Second City. ”’Improvisation you flexible, spontaneous and open to any and all variables that can happen on a TV and movie set,’ Matthius says. The group, playing together for 15 years, performs once a month at The Second City Studio Theater next to the Improv on Melrose. ”Matthius describes one of their games called ‘Who Am I?’ One person is sent out of the room and the audience suggests the name of a famous person. When the player comes back, the others interact with him until he is aware of who he is. ”The upcoming Palisades workshop is open to veteran improvisers who want to learn to expand creatively or those new to improvisation who want a solid foundation for the work. The cost is $250 and is limited to 20 players. It will take place Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Send $100 non-refundable deposit to: Intuitive Learning Systems, P.O. Box 1123, North Bend, WA 98045 or register online at www.spolin.com/workshops.html. ”Tickets to the evening shows are $15/$10 students. Contact the box office at 454-1970 for reservations.
David Crosby Headlines “Jammin’ in the Canyon”
Canyon Charter School will be jammin’ on Sunday, October 3, with a revival of the beloved community musical fest ‘Jammin’ In The Canyon.’ The concert begins at noon, so find a comfy spot on the grass and enjoy an afternoon of nearly a dozen eclectic artists, headlined by famed L.A. rocker David Crosby, as well as New Orleans jazz great Terence Blanchard. ”The benefit concert will help fund special programs at this public school. The money raised will enrich Canyon’s curriculum with bi-monthly art lessons, an instrumental music program, teaching assistants, a physical education coach and a state-of-the-art computer lab equipped with an instructor. ”The baseball diamond will be transformed into a gigantic stage. Actors Don Cheadle, Noah Wyle and Tom Wright will emcee the show. ”David Crosby, the two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, wrote the seminal 1960’s tune ‘For What It’s Worth,’ played in the Byrds and is legendary for his work with Stephen Stills, Graham Nash and Neil Young. Terence Blanchard was once described by Miles Davis as one of the most promising trumpet players of his generation. He has since emerged as a highly talented Grammy-nominated jazz musician and an award-winning film composer. ”Local favorites Venice recently played their folk surf rock jams at the Santa Monica Pier to a sold-out crowd. The group is made up of two sets of Lennon brothers, including the younger brothers of the Lennon Sisters. Lead vocalist Kipp Lennon’s son Roman is a first grader at Canyon. ”Paul Oscher’s harmonica work has accompanied blues legend Muddy Waters, and his set will take you back to a 1940’s juke joint. Groove to the beats of LA’s own ska rockers, The Untouchables. Fred Martin and The Levite Camp, a gospel choir, will add a spiritual element with their beautiful harmonies. Lowen & Navarro are slated to perform the many hits they have written for artists like Pat Benatar, The Four Tops and The Bangles. Tasha Taylor is a vibrant soul singer who belts out her funky compositions with a powerful voice. New Jersey-bred Seven and the Sun, recently signed to Atlantic, will play their infectious dance pop. ”Co-chair Lori Ekstrom fondly remembers Jammin’ back when her daughter Morgan was a kindergartner in 1999. ‘It was such a magical afternoon and a unique event,’ she says. The event disappeared, and now that Morgan is a fifth grader, Ekstrom wanted to breathe new life into it, ‘Principal Carol Henderson was also instrumental in bringing this event back.’ Fellow parent Bridgid Coulter and Ekstrom, both Booster Club vice presidents, devoted their busy summer to concert promoting and searching for corporate sponsors. T-Mobile, Americorp Funding, Inc. and www.inthecanyon.com have generously offered financial support. ”Picnic box lunches from Whole Foods can be ordered in advance and Domino’s pizza, fresh fruit and beverages will be available for purchase. Souvenir concert T- shirts will be on sale too. Tickets are tax deductible and the cost is $25 in advance, or $30 at the door for adults. Children 5-12 are $5, and children under 4 are free. The concert is expected to rock from noon to 4:30 p.m and Canyon Charter School is located at 421 Entrada Dr., just blocks from the beach. Contact: 285-8196 or go online to www.jammininthecanyon.org.
Dog Days of Paris
By Brook Dougherty My husband had an opportunity to teach in Paris this summer. Naturally, our daughter and I went along for a month. The apartment in the Marais was the size of a fitting room at Elyse Walker, but we got used to it. As gorgeous as it all was in Paris, what really excited me were the dogs. Since I couldn’t think of anything more boring than bringing home pictures of Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre’I think we all have a vague idea of what these landmarks look like, we decided to aim our camera down, and get to work on ‘Louie Schmooie: The Dogs of Paris.’ I tried to learn how to say, ‘Excuse me, may I please take a picture of your dog?’ As it turns out, I do not speak fluent French, but am freakishly good at not-afraid-to-make-fool-of-myself, which worked almost as well. After 12 rolls of film, we concluded that French dogs are very, very different from American dogs. ”For one thing, Paris dogs have better table manners than most of the kids at Jacopo’s. They sit quietly on their person’s lap, gently resting their muzzles near a plate of chicken, never expecting that they will be offered any. Now if that had been our dog Blackie, she would have been on the table inhaling the chicken and anything else near her muzzle. ”Paris dogs are excellent shoppers. On our field trip to Chanel, we saw the most gorgeous women with the most gorgeous dogs. They were small and fluffy and not on leashes, and able to navigate around racks of clothes without peeing on the carpet. Paris dogs know how to wait outside a store, and they also know how to go to work. They sit on stalls at the markets, nestle in bags at department stores and work behind the counter at cheese shops without eating all the cheese. Paris dogs behave even if they are not on a leash. They walk behind their person through crowded sidewalks and do not gnash their teeth at other dogs. They do not leap nose first at strangers’ crotches, causing them to double over and pretend they suddenly have to lean down and examine their shoes. ”The only down side of Paris dogs, which isn’t really their fault, is the dog poop on the sidewalk and in the gutter. But they do have nice people who come around and take care of that. ” ”Paris breeds are different, also. At first, we thought there were a lot of mutts in Paris, but it turns out that there are a lot of Euro-breeds that aren’t common here. Lots of Jack Russells and funky variations on dachshunds. Boxers with non-clipped ears, and vineyard dogs that sleep in barrels. ”And then there was Marcel. He was the dog at a gift store near our apartment. A black and white French bulldog with bedroom eyes like Jack Nicholson’s, he peered up at me sleepily and I nearly lost my mind. I dropped to my knees and began to pet him. I felt a rush of guilt go through me, as if Blackie could see me, but I didn’t care. I was cheating on my dog, and it felt good. I came back day after day, one day buying soap, the next day buying candles. It didn’t matter what I spent, I just wanted to feel Marcel’s smooth coat and peer into his deep brown eyes. Finally, my daughter said, ‘Mom, the owner hates you. You keep taking pictures of his dog, and squeezing him.’ So I bought a rather expensive straw bag with leather handles. I thought that would buy me time. ”The night before we left Paris, I stopped by and said goodbye to Marcel. Of all the places we had been to, this was the saddest to leave. Marcel was there, and this time, he leapt into my arms, and for the first time, we kissed. On the lips. It was a moment. My daughter walked me the rest of the way home, holding me by the arm. Like all French affairs, this one had left me heartbroken. The next morning, I woke up early and walked down Rue St. Paul one final time. I glanced into the window of the gift shop, and there he was. My boy. I couldn’t bear to go in and say goodbye one more time, but it did my heart good to know that there he was lying on his chair, sleeping, and I could imagine him like that when I got back home. I walked the final block to our apartment, and for the first time in a month, stepped in a big pile of dog poop. It snapped me out of my Paris-is-the-best-place-on-earth mood. ”So we returned to L.A. with about 300 dog pictures, eager to see our Blackie again. Trouble was, when we arrived home, she didn’t recognize us, and was glued to our housesitter’s leg. After about a minute, she remembered and immediately peed on the floor. What a dog. What a great American dog.
Palisades Pacesetters
Matt Willig is back wearing number 71 for the Carolina Panthers, hoping to lead the team back to the Super Bowl. The 6-8, 315-pound tackle, a 13-year NFL veteran, has played in both of Carolina’s games this season, one win and one loss. Jon Leicester, a 1997 Palisadian-Post Cup winner at Palisades High, is establishing himself as a reliable middle reliever for the Chicago Cubs in their pursuit of the National League wildcard. As of Tuesday, Leicester had a 5-0 record with a 3.79 earned run average and 29 strikeouts in 38 innings since being called up from Triple A Iowa. Spencer Pekar, a fifth-grader at Corpus Christi School, was runner-up in the Boys’ 10-and-under division at the Oxnard Junior Open tournament two weeks ago, qualifying him to compete in the K-Swiss Central Coast Masters next month. On his way to the finals in Oxnard, Pekar defeated Jaime Barajas of Los Angeles, 6-3, 6-1 and Alexander Solonin of Tarzana, 6-4, 6-2. Andrew Jacobi teamed with Salih Unsal to take first place in ‘B’ doubles with a 9-8 (3) victory in the finals of the Middlebury Invitational. Jacobi is a senior for the Middlebury College (Vermont) men’s tennis team. Ari Rosenthal was voted University Athletic Association Athlete of the Week honors at Washington University in St. Louis. Rosenthal, a junior on the Bears’ men’s tennis team, captured the singles championship at the Washington University Invitational last weekend, upending James Chadley of McKendree, 6-4, 6-4, in the finals. Molly Soboroff led the Harvard-Westlake High girls’ varsity volleyball team with seven kills in the Wolverines’ 24-26, 25-23, 25-22, 25-10 nonleague victory over Royal last Tuesday. Soboroff is team captain for Harvard-Westlake.
Bruin Football Squads Sweep Season Openers
All five Westside Bruin youth tackle football teams won their season openers last Saturday at Beverly Hills High. It marked the first time in five seasons that all divisions of the program won on the same weekend. Senior Clinic (7 & 8 year-olds) Head coach Tim Parker kept his team’s spirits up despite a 6-0 fourth-quarter deficit against the Chatsworth Chiefs. But fullback Justin Silvers, following a block by offensive tackle Eddie Johnstone, broke through the Chatsworth defense for an 80-yard touchdown to tie the score with three minutes remaining. Quarterback Chris Keach plowed up the middle for the go-ahead extra point and the Bruins held on to win 7-6. Gremlin (9 & 10-year-olds) Smart play calling and clock management by head coach Perry Klein paid off in the fourth quarter as the Bruins held off Chatsworth 21-18. Klein, a former Palisades High and NFL quarterback, charged up his defense, which made a critical stop late in the game to preserve the win. Tiny Mite (10 & 11-year-olds) A new Bruin star emerged as 11-year-old D’Anthony Thomas scored five touchdowns in a lopsided 39-6 victory over the Los Angeles Sheriffs. Thomas caught three touchdown passes, ran for a touchdown and returned an interception for another score. Lawrence Villasenor also scored on a 65-yard run. Julian Harrison and Jalani McCoy shut down the Sheriffs’ offense. Head coach Ted Baker has a talented team as both Thomas and Jared Baker are among the top 100 meter sprinters in the United States in their age group. Pee Wee (12 & 13-year-olds) Last season’s league champions and conference runner-ups started where they left off with a dominating 26-6 win over the Sheriffs. Bruin quarterback J.P. O’Fallon had a successful day both passing and running. Jordan Benton got the Bruins off to a fast start by returning the opening kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. Starting tailbacks Zack Davis and Vince Lawrence combined for 100 yards rushing. Midget (13 & 14-year-olds) Head coach Jio Lucci’s conference champions increased their unbeaten streak to 23 games with a 44-0 shutout of Chatsworth. Quarterback Dex Lucci threw several touchdown passes for the Bruins, whose streak spans three seasons.
