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‘The Crucible’ Resonates Today

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Theater Review

‘Are you gathering souls for the Devil?’ ‘When did you compact with the Devil?’ ‘You would be a good Christian woman, would you not?’ ‘When the Devil comes to you does he ever come’with another person? Perhaps another person in the village? Someone you know?’ These questions carve out the chilling landscape of Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible,’ set in Salem, Massachusetts during the witch hunts of the late 17th century. Yet just as Miller’s 1953 play conjures McCarthyism and the Communist hysteria of the early 1950s, it still reverberates with contemporary relevance. After all, the suspicion, fear, interrogation and accusation of 1692 Salem might also characterize the disturbing scenarios we read about taking place in prisons in Guant’namo Bay, Cuba, and Abu Ghraib, Iraq, or even in U.S. airports post-9/11. The Santa Monica Theatre Guild’s poignant production of ‘The Crucible’ asks viewers to examine the paranoia and intolerance that can break down a society. What must one man sacrifice in order to stand up for his beliefs and against injustice? Directed by William Wilday and produced by Thomas DeBacker, the show runs through November 20 at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica. The strict Puritan values of order, discipline, unity and conformity are embodied in Salem’s ministers and judges, who rule the small community under a tight moral and religious code. ‘There is either obedience or the church will burn,’ says Reverend Samuel Parris (Donald Heath), who discovers his niece Abigail Williams (Bevin Hamilton) and daughter Betty (Moriya Shachar) dancing wildly in the forest with black servant Tituba (Valeri Braun). When Betty falls ill from the shock of seeing her father jump from the bushes, suspicions of the girls’ actions and fear of ‘unnatural causes’ cause the leaders to tighten their grip. An intense period of questioning follows, under which Tituba and the girls buckle from fear of punishment and feed off of one another’s accusations of witchcraft. Abigail becomes the leader of the pack, driven by ulterior motives to continue an affair with farmer John Proctor (Thomas DeBacker) and take revenge on his wife, Elizabeth (Candice Balen), for discharging her as the family’s servant. In the role of Abigail, Hamilton is moving and convincing as she feigns being possessed by the devil, demands the other girls’ loyalty and compliance, and flirts with Proctor. DeBacker gives a commanding performance as Proctor, who represents the Puritan belief in hard work but rejects the culture’s rigid laws, which leave no room for human error. ”Failing to name all 10 Commandments when asked is a sin in this society. But when Proctor’s wife reminds him of the one he left out’adultery’we understand that Proctor’s real struggle is with his conscience and what he calls ‘the single error of my life.’ ”Proctor is a characteristic Arthur Miller character in his tragic struggle. He earns the respect of his wife and neighbors when he ultimately refuses to sign a false confession that he compacted with the Devil. ‘I have given you my soul; leave me my name!’ he exclaims at the production’s climax. The sexual repression of the people of Salem is manifest in Abigail’s seemingly uncontrolled groping of the air and her body, and in her accusation of Tituba: ‘Sometimes I wake and find myself standing in the open doorway and not a stitch on my body! I always hear her laughing in my sleep. I hear her singing her Barbados songs and tempting me with” In this society’s extremist mentality, even a woman reading a book becomes anathema, as Giles Corey (Dan Adams) learns when his own curiosity about his wife’s book reading results in her arrest. Corey is one of the few who stand their ground against the wrath of Deputy-Governor Danforth (Christian Morgan), the fierce judge who arrives to purge the Puritan society of evil. With ease, Morgan delivers his lines and plays the terrifying character who abuses his power in order to protect his pride. Pity and compassion in the rigid society are scarce, but do exist in the Reverend John Hale (Mark Aaron), who is called upon to lead the girls back to God’s grace. In devoted attempts to help the people, Hale reveals his own inner conflict between society’s moral and religious code and an individual’s right to justice. Aaron is well cast in this emotionally demanding role that bares open his character’s struggle to maintain some degree of faith in the eye of injustice. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. The Morgan-Wixson Theatre is located at 2627 Pico Blvd. in Santa Monica. Contact: 828-7519.

Rustic Canyon Crafts Show Set for Sunday, November 14

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The annual Rustic Canyon fine arts and crafts show and sale will be held on Sunday, November 14, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the park, 601 Latimer Rd. Featuring work by instructors and students, the exhibition will include painting, ceramics, sculpture, enamels and jewelry. Refreshments will be served and there will be jazz by Thomas Tedesco. Included in this year’s exhibition is the sculpture of Richard Heller, who works in bronze, steel, terracotta and stone. A blacksmith by trade, Heller maintains a studio at his home and participates in sculpture classes at the park. ‘I enjoy the peaceful, tranquil surroundings at Rustic Park,’ Heller says. ‘I also go for the social time with other sculptors and their feedback on my work.’ He will be exhibiting a number of his pieces.

Doris Patterson, Former Teacher

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Doris Joan Butcher Patterson, beloved wife of Dr. Andrew B. Patterson, passed away peacefully on Thursday, November 4, at the home of her daughter, Julie Patterson Kovsky, in Fallbrook. She was 73. ”The Pattersons were 36-year residents of Pacific Palisades, where Doris taught school and raised her four adopted children. She was a woman of many gifts, and seemingly limitless love and compassion for the people in her life. ”Born in Illinois on November 17, 1930, Doris earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1953 from the National College of Education in Evanston, Illinois before beginning her 22-year career as a teacher. ”She married Andrew in 1954, and taught grade school in Manhattan Beach until 1961, when she became a full-time mother. She returned to teaching in 1981, joining the staff of the Palisades Presbyterian Church Nursery School. Doris retired from the school in 1997, and moved with Andy to their summer cottage on the shores of Lake Michigan. ”In August, the Pattersons celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary at the cottage, the place where they had been married. Doris’ happiest times were spent golfing and camping with Andrew. She also enjoyed painting, gardening, playing piano and composing songs for her students, and writing storybooks for her grandchildren. ”In addition to her husband, Doris is survived by her four children, Julie (husband Steve) of Fallbrook, Jeff of Glenn, Michigan, Steve of Auburn, California, and Kate of Playa del Rey; her three grandchildren, Nicholas, Aaron and Jenna Kovsky; her brothers, Dan and Bob Butcher; and her sister, Phyllis Butcher Hartzler. ”A service to celebrate her life will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, November 13, at the Palisades Presbyterian Church, 15821 Sunset, where she was an active member for 35 years. ”In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (5677 Oberlin Dr., Suite 110, San Diego, CA 92121, or 1-800-533-CURE), or the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (2440 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 115, Los Angeles, CA 90064, or 1-800-FIGHT-MS).

Lester Frame, 84; Business, Family Man

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Lester Leroy Frame passed away peacefully in his sleep on October 29. He was 84. ”Born in Lyons, Nebraska, Frame moved to California with his family and grew up in Los Angeles. He graduated from L.A. High School and UCLA, where he was president of his Sigma Nu fraternity. He later sat on the Sigma Nu Alumni Association board and was involved at the national level. ”After serving in the U.S. Army, Frame joined the Fuller Brush Company, where his father was a district manager. During this period of time, he married and had three daughters. After completing 24 years with the company, he went into business for himself in the sale and management of mobile home parks. This enterprise proved to be an exciting and viable business, one which afforded him an outlet for his many creative and management skills. ”Frame lived for 30 years in the Huntington Palisades with his wife, Cynthia, where he endeared himself to all who knew him. ”In addition to his wife, he is survived by his daughters Diane Colee of Seattle, Donna Frame Tuttle of Los Angeles and Debbie Covey of Seattle; six grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. ”In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Los Angeles YMCA, 401 S. Hope St., Los Angeles, CA 90071 or Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, 1328 22nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90404.

Corpus Christi Mass for Margaret Michel Saturday

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Margaret (‘Dugi’) Michel died at home in Pacific Palisades with family and loved ones by her side on November 5. She was 90. ”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 in 1931 from Whittier Union 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 1st American-Japanese Student Conference held in Tokyo, Japan, In 1935 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. In 1937, she married Walter Michel, and in 1955 the couple moved to the Riviera Palisades. They were married for 59 years until Walter’s death in 1996. ”A rosary will be said on November 12 at 7 p.m. at Gates, Kingsley, 1925 Arizona in Santa Monica. A memorial Mass will be held Saturday, November 13 at 11 a.m. in Corpus Christi Church, 887 Toyopa. Her final resting place will be at Holy Cross Cemetery next to her husband Walter and her parents. ”(A longer obituary and photo will appear in next week’s Palisadian-Post.)

Quinn Makes Her Mark at Amherst

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By KEVIN GRABER Special to the Palisadian-Post Kristin Quinn is no stranger to volleyball fame. She’s trained with Olympic-level coaches whose names have an almost mythical ring in volleyball circles and after a stellar start to her career at Amherst College in Massachusetts, the name ‘Quinn’ has a ring of its own. ”The Palisadian’s name is appearing on countless lists, often at the top. As a freshman last year she earned both New England Women’s Volleyball Association (NEWVA) and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Rookie of the Year honors and was a NEWVA Second-Team All-New England selection. She also claimed All-Tournament honors at both the Western New England College and Wesleyan University Invitationals and finished 10th in the nation in hitting percentage (.420) and 13th in blocks per game (1.52)’stats that landed her in first and second in the NESCAC, respectively. ”This season, while the Jeffs have jumped out to a 21-5 start, Quinnis among the conference and national leaders in a bevy of statistical categories, including hitting percentage (.428), kills (3.71/gm) and blocks (1.51 gm). She also earned NESCAC Volleyball Player of the Week honors with a combined 42 kills and 11 blocks in a trio of conference wins over Bowdoin, Bates and Colby Colleges. ”Quinn hails from a family of swimmers and took to the water early on, twice earning NISCA (National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association) All-America honors, and she fully intended to swim at the collegiate level. Starting in seventh grade, though, volleyball became her sport of choice. She played club volleyball while attending Harvard-Westlake School in North Hollywood and was coached by two very prominent figures in the sport’Pepperdine men’s volleyball coach Marv Dunphy and beach volleyball legend Gene Selznick. ”At Amherst Quinn’s teammates quickly became her best friends, helping ease the transition to college life. It wasn’t an unfamiliar environment, either; teammates Nikki Davidson and Annie Hoeksma, now seniors, were fellow graduates of Harvard-Westlake and close friends of Quinn’s older sister. ”Although she’s only a sophomore, Quinn is a well-recognized threat to anyone on the other side of the net. ‘She’s the player other teams key on, but Kristin handles the pressure tremendously,’ Hoeksma says. ‘I know that if I set Kristin, the ball will more than likely hit the floor.’

Viewpoint

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Changing the Curse of History

By ALYSON SENA Palisadian-Post Staff Writer ‘Well, you picked a helluva year to become a Red Sox fan,’ a friend called to tell me late in the evening on October 27, after the Red Sox completed a sweep of the Cardinals with a 3-0 victory in the fourth game of the World Series. Having made history just a week earlier by becoming the first team in major league baseball to overcome a three-game deficit in the American League championship series, the Sox had finally broken a long World Series drought. They were on their way home to Boston and I was right there with them’3,000 miles away in Los Angeles. As a native Angeleno, I really have no reason (or should I say excuse?) for becoming a Red Sox fan. I don’t follow baseball regularly, and attended only about four Dodgers games this season. But I do have quite a few Boston people in my life, and during a trip this past summer to visit my college girlfriends, I finally made it to Fenway Park. Somehow I had managed to spend four years at Brown University in Providence without once going to see the Green Monster. The excitement was worth the wait, as I packed into one of the T cars with dozens of Sox fans dressed in red and blue hats and shirts. Couples and families squeezed together as the train scooted towards the stadium, where we filed off the T, now a pack of hundreds. The intimacy of Fenway appealed to my love for small communities, town fairs and block parties. The difference between Fenway Park and Dodger Stadium felt like the contrast between the Palisades and Santa Monica. Sitting behind third base, watching the Green Monster mascot run the field, hearing the crack of the bat to the ball and cheering as David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez hit, I felt like I was watching my first baseball game. Granted, the Sox lost that game to the Twins, but that’s not important now, is it? Before I knew it, I was part of the West Coast Red Sox Nation, checking the official Web site for news and scores, and rallying with friends to watch the games. I fell in love with Johnny Damon’s intense batter’s stare and Ortiz’s modest heroism. Long-haired, greasy-looking men who can play baseball became more appealing than ‘going out’ on Friday night. Even while participating in a recent breast cancer three-day walk, I sat hunched over a radio with the kitchen staff at our campsite, listening to the crowd cheer as Ortiz hit a 10th-inning, two-run homer in the third game of the American League division series to beat the Angels, 8-6. Still, while most loyal Red Sox fans may have harbored a secret faith that their team would go all the way this year, many of them also expressed hesitation about winning a World Series. After all, old curses die hard. Plus, the Sox faced the rival New York Yankees in the ALCS. And even most non-baseball fans are familiar with that story. ‘Ask your Boston friend about the Curse of the Bambino,’ the Palisadian-Post’s Sports Editor, Steve Galluzzo, told me with a mischievous grin on his face. Being from New York, Steve is a dedicated Yankees fan and enjoys a bit of competitive camaraderie. My friend’s face dropped when I asked him about the details of the curse and he cleared his throat to get it out. It had been 86 years since the Sox were the champions of baseball, when they beat the Cubs in 1918. That was before vitamin C, penicillin and the polio vaccine were discovered. Before women had the right to vote and before baseball games were broadcast on the radio. Of course, whether or not my friends believed in the curse (imposed by Sox owner Harry Frazee when he sold Babe Ruth to the Yankees), many of them swore by their various Red Sox good luck charms. One friend had a candle she burned each time the Sox were playing, and during the Yankee-Red Sox playoffs, she woke up one morning to find it mysteriously in the trash. Could it have been her boyfriend, a Yankees fan, who put it there? Another friend wore his Red Sox cap during the first three games of the ALCS, decided it was bad luck when they lost all three, and switched to his UCLA cap, which he believed led to the Red Sox comeback. Others had shirts or phone calls to certain people that helped the Sox shed their losing streak. But this year, maybe the Red Sox winning was written in the stars. That’s how it appeared, at least, after a lunar eclipse turned the moon red during the final game of the World Series. And just as people all over the country were able to see that moon, so did the Sox victory momentarily unite so many of us during a time when the nation was terribly divisive. Both Kerry and Bush cheered for the team. Newspapers nationwide ran the good news on their front pages. And the Sox were red all over. Editor’s Note: Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo, still smarting from his team’s unprecedented meltdown, is quick to remind the author that since the Bambino trade, the Yanks have won 26 championships. So keep the faith, Boston fans… only 25 to go ’til you catch ’em.

‘Cats Run Wild Over Pali

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Uni’s 52-14 Rout Dashes Dolphins’ Playoff Hopes

Marquise Coleman tries to break free from the grasp of University defender Ryan Ford in the first quarter of Friday's varsity football game.
Marquise Coleman tries to break free from the grasp of University defender Ryan Ford in the first quarter of Friday’s varsity football game.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

All season long, Palisades High varsity football coaches and players have maintained a positive approach regardless of the team’s performance on the field. But even head coach Leo Castro, the most optimistic figure involved in the program, struggled to think of good things to say about the Dolphins’ 52-14 Western League loss Friday night at the hands of University. ‘When you break it down, football is about blocking and tackling and we did neither of them well,’ Castro said. ‘All of the mistakes that have plagued us all year resurfaced on one game. We turned the ball over, we didn’t score in the red zone, we blew coverages on defense, we had dumb penalties. We were our own worst enemy.’ Though the Wildcats brought neither tricks nor treats with them to Stadium by the Sea, their white and blue jerseys must have been the scariest costumes Palisades players saw all weekend, for University tailbacks amassed 436 yards’most of them on basic runs up the middle. Wildcats coach E.C. Robinson was as surprised at the final score as anyone. ‘I was honestly expecting a much closer game,’ he said. ‘They just couldn’t stop our running game, plain and simple. We got some breaks and Jason [Robinson], our quarterback, put some passes right on the money.’ The Dolphins’ fifth consecutive loss put them in the precarious position of having to win their last two games to have a chance of qualifying for the City Invitational playoffs. What bothered Castro more, however, was that Pali’s most lopsided loss of the season came against one of its weakest opponents. ‘We made them look pretty good out there,’ Castro said. ‘You have to give them credit. They made some big plays and our inexperience at key positions was exposed.’ Though the holiday was still two days away, Palisades players appeared to have eaten too much Halloween candy, as Uni (4-4, 2-1) capitalized on an early fumble to take a 12-0 lead before the home crowd had settled in. A bad start turned worse on Pali’s second offensive series when Pali’s starting quarterback and kicker Dylan Cohen absorbed a blindside hit and had to leave the game for good with a deeply bruised hip. The hip pointer kept Cohen out of practice this week and he is not expected to play Friday at Hamilton. ‘I was sacked from behind and I usually jump back up right away but this time I just couldn’t,’ Cohen said. ‘I was able to stay in and punt but when I got to the sideline it started tightening up to the point where I couldn’t even walk. I’m going to ice it and heat it this week and hopefully be ready for the homecoming game [against Fairfax].’ Senior wide receiver Stephen Collins replaced Cohen and his first pass was a 25-yard touchdown to Brandon Bryant. It was the lone bright spot in the first half for the Dolphins (1-7, 0-3) who trudged to the locker room trailing 24-6. Enous O’Neal led the Wildcats’ attack with 200 yards and three touchdowns in 18 carries while Terrell Patterson added 175 yards and three touchdowns in 13 carries, Greg Walker caught three passes for 117 yards and intercepted Collins once. Anthony Anaebere restored some of the Dolphins’ dignity in the fourth quarter, weaving his way for a 98-yard touchdown on a kickoff return, but by that time Palisades was too far behind to catch up. ‘It was frustrating because they kept running plays away from my side,’ said Bryant, a senior wide receiver and cornerback who made his fifth interception of the season in the third quarter. ‘I didn’t have too many chances to make plays.’ The Dolphins’ best chance at a victory could be Friday afternoon’s game at winless Hamilton, although Pali will have to accomplish that feat with a new quarterback. Sophomore Robert Gillette, the Dolphins’ starting quarterback on frosh/soph last season, will likely take most of the snaps, although Castro said Collins and Bryant are also available. ‘I was surprised when coach told me but I’m excited,’ said Gillette, who has lined up at free safety, strong safety, linebacker, defensive end and wide receiver this season. ‘I can throw, but I have the mindset that if I see a lane, I’ll take off and run. I’m not really nervous, I’m just going to go out there and try to get us a win.’ Friday’s game begins at 2:15 p.m. and Castro is anxious to see how the Dolphins handle playing a day game for the first time. ‘They are used to playing at that time, we’re not,’ he said. ‘It shouldn’t really matter but you never know. What I do know is that team is hungry for a win just like us so it’s not going to be easy.’ Despite the team’s struggles, sophomore tackle Mitchell Schwartz said no one is giving up on the season. ‘I’d say morale is pretty good. I mean, we all want to win. Especially the seniors’these are their last games in high school so they want to make them ones they’ll remember.’ The frosh/soph game is today at 2:15 p.m. at Hamilton High.

Palisades Elementary Gains New Principal

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When Palisades Charter Elementary School’s new principal Tami Weiser entered her office for the first time on Monday morning, she was greeted with a special surprise: a large card made out of blue construction paper with the phrase ‘Welcome To Our School’ was sitting on her desk. The card was signed on the inside by students of Miss Wong’s kindergarten class. ”’It’s adorable,’ Weiser told the Palisadian-Post, admiring the card. ‘Everyone at the school has been very welcoming.’ ”Weiser, 41, joins Pali Elementary from Hamlin Elementary in Canoga Park, an LAUSD school where she had been assistant principal for two years. She previously was a teacher for a decade, an Annenberg Grant Coordinator for two years and served as a magnet coordinator at San Jose Elementary Highly Gifted Magnet. ”Weiser said her desire to become a principal was something that happened over time. ‘When I was a teacher, people always said to me, ‘Oh, you’d be a great principal,’ and I said, ‘No, never.’ But as you grow and evolve, your interests and talents grow and evolve as well.’ ”’Thrilled’ and ‘elated’ are the words Weiser used to describe her feelings after receiving the phone call that she had been hired for the job. ”’I really wanted to work for a high-performing school and be part of a small village community,’ said Weiser. ‘This school is really a perfect match for my interests and talents.’ ”Jackie Sidman, a teacher at Pali Elementary, chaired the search committee, which comprised Pali Elementary parents, teachers and administrative staff. ”’We felt that Tami would be an excellent fit with the school,’ said Sidman. ‘Everyone on the committee felt that she was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and very experienced.’ ”Weiser’s duties will include being an instructional leader, overseeing operational projects and maintaining the school’s budget and community relations. ”’The most important thing to me is making sure each individual student’s needs are being met,’ said Weiser, who describes herself as a ‘visionary thinker, who is skilled in human relations.’ ”This week, Weiser has been observing each class and joining the students at recess and lunch. She also hopes ‘to call each teacher individually into my office and visit with them for 10 to 15 minutes to get to know them on a personal level, find out their interests and see what support they need from me as an administrator.’ ”Born in Seattle and raised in Denver, Weiser moved to Los Angeles in 1981 to attend UCLA, where she earned a B.A. in educational psychology and an M.A. in elementary education. She also received a master’s in elementary administration from Cal State Northridge and attended a one-year leadership program that teaches educational policy at the local, state and federal levels. ”Weiser and her husband Robert live in Oak Park with their 14-year-old daughter, Michelle, and 12-year-old son, Jordan.

Developer Backs Away from 64-Condo Project on Sunset

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Just days after appearing at a Community Council meeting and revealing his plans for a 64 condominium/townhome project on Sunset, the developer cancelled escrow on Monday. ”Palisadian David Hibbert, the project’s architect, told the Palisadian-Post that Bob Bisno, chairman and CEO of TransAction Companies Ltd., decided ‘it was too small a project for the risk involved.’ Hibbert said the Council’s concerns regarding the proposed height of the project was another concern. ”Subsequently, Bisno told the Post Wednesday that although he had cancelled escrow, he had amended and re-submitted his original proposal, requesting a reduction in the $9 million asking price. ‘I should receive word if the sellers will accept our proposal between today and Monday,’ Bisno said. ”Bisno and Hibbert came to the Community Council last Thursday evening to seek input and feedback on their plan to develop the two-acre site located at 17311-17315 Sunset and Los Liones Drive, which has been on the market since last June. The site is currently home to The Outdoor Room and Color Design Art. ”Council members were inquistive, had suggestions and raised some concerns about the project, but were hardly combative. It was clear that while the Council preferred Bisno’s concept of developing the property into residential as opposed to professional/retail, the project would require a height variance, since Pacific Palisades has a height limit of 35 feet, and the proposal called for building heights of 48 and 61 feet. ”’This community has been very strongly opposed to anything over the height limit,’ said Council member Harry Sondheim. Council Chairman Norm Kulla agreed, saying, ‘The height limit is one of the issues that people feel extremely strongly about.’ ”Council member Ted Mackie also questioned the feasibility of allotting only 175 parking spaces for the 64 units. ”’Since there is no street parking anywhere near this project, I suspect that two-and-a-half parking spaces per unit simply would not be adequate due to the affluence in this town,’ Mackie said. ”Bisno insisted the project would not cause a ‘traffic explosion. The development would generate 36 cars per hour at peak traffic times in the morning and a total of about 440 cars per day, which is plus or minus a car or two in peak time [compared to] the traffic that’s there today.’ ”The property, located just two blocks from the ocean and described as ‘a beautiful flat parcel in front with a rear slope,’ is already zoned to allow the development of 62,000 square feet of commercial and/or office space, Bisno said, acknowledging that the primary considerations of development anywhere in the Palisades are landslides, traffic and view corridors. ‘However, we think there are a lot of reasons commercial is not the way to go.’ ”’I definitely think you are heading in the right direction by going away from the commercial development,’ replied Council member David Williams, who also serves as president of the Palisades Chamber of Commerce. Council member Kurt Toppel told Bisno and Hibbert that they could become ‘instant heroes’ if they built a movie theater on the site, while Council member Gilbert Dembo drew a big laugh from the crowd when he suggested a nursery be built on the site. Bisno, who had been working on the development for six months, called for the installation of a stoplight at the intersection of Sunset and Los Liones’an idea agreed upon by an overwhelming majority of Council and audience members. ‘We spoke to the group forming the [New West] school across the street and they’re in favor of a stoplight. I suspect that the majority of the community would be in favor of the stoplight also,’ Bisno said, adding that he planned to include a now-absent sidewalk in his development. Castellammare resident and former Community Council chair Shirley Haggstrom expressed several concerns regarding the proposed development and called for wider setbacks. ‘I’m really encouraging you to be generous with your setbacks and landscaping because traffic routinely gets backed up from the signal at Sunset and PCH, beyond the Castellammare light,’ Haggstrom said. ‘We have to be able to see those vehicles as we go into that blind corner.’ Meanwhile, the property owner is looking at several back-up offers, including interest from an unknown school. Renaissance Academy board president Bill Bryan confirmed to the Post that RA has not approached landowners regarding the purchase of the property. David Eagle, chairman of New West School, which plans to convert the former Santa Ynez Inn buildings into a campus directly across Sunset, confirmed that New West has also shown no interest in buying the land. Stan Gerlach, senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis, would not reveal the name of the school interested in the property; however, he too confirmed that neither RA or New West are currently involved. ‘We’re still marketing the property and have met with at least two other developers and a school,’ said Gerlach, a Palisades resident. ‘We’re continuing to field calls. If Bob [Bisno] doesn’t want to move forward, someone else will. It’s a great piece of property.’ Color Design Art, an interior design and merchandising firm for homes, has occupied part of the site since 1984. Don Anderson, president of CDA, told the Post the business has found a larger space in Culver City to accommodate its growing business and will relocate there between February 1 and March 1. The business will retain its other location in Thousand Oaks. The Outdoor Room, the Palisades’ only full-service nursery, suffered a major blow when owner Sandy Kennedy died last May. An award-winning landscape contractor, she purchased Sawyer Nurseries in 1997 and transformed it into The Outdoor Room. The nursery’s lease runs through July 2007, but could be bought out by a new owner. However, Olivia Arredondo, a senior employee at the nursery, told the Post that the nursery ‘would not want to close,’ even if the property is purchased. Calls to Linda Lack, The Outdoor Room’s owner, were not returned.

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