Brooke Bartholomew, daughter of Kitty and Buzzy Bartholomew, and Bryan Crane, son of Dick and Janie Crane, became engaged on Christmas Eve 2003. Bartholomew graduated from St. Matthew’s and Marymount High School. She attended Indiana University and now works for Dr. Richard Jacobson in the Palisades. Crane attended Corpus Christi and Harvard-Westlake. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and and MBA from UCLA. He is currently working for Lehman Brothers in real estate finance. The Palisades natives will be married in Palos Verdes on October 23, 2004.

When longtime journalist and writer Penelope Grenoble O’Malley wished to escape the hectic pace, noise and congestion of Los Angeles, she moved to Malibu in 1986 for what she imagined would be a more peaceful life. ‘I had contradictory impulses,’ O’Malley says. ‘I wanted to be alone and enjoy quiet anonymity. On the other hand, I wanted to feel part of a community.’ A community connection happened instantly as O’Malley took a reporter’s position at the Malibu Times, a high-profile job that brought her face to face with the growing pains and ensuing debates of a small community and with her own prejudices and bias. ‘I came smack up against my own values,’ she says. ‘As a journalist, you are in the privileged position of being forced to see all sides. It gives you the opportunity to really think things out.’ Her search for solitude was fraught with difficulties as she encountered devastating fires and floods and became embroiled in myriad local issues and politics: the rights of Native Americans vs. those of property owners, the struggle between an antidevelopment coalition and civic planners and the endless studies of septic systems and water quality. All of this is chronicled in her book, a work of literary journalism, entitled ‘Malibu Diairy: Notes from an Urban Refugee’ (University of Nevada Press, 2004). O’Malley will speak at Village Books at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 24. Part personal memoir, part environmental and social history, the book takes a sharp look at the complicated relationship human beings have with the landscape and how moving to a beautiful locale next to nature to ‘get away from it all’ comes with unexpected responsibilities. ‘It’s a lot easier to say what you don’t want than what you do want,’ says O’Malley, who became frustrated by civic leaders who were prone to brand all commercial development undesirable and whose rigid thinking continually blocked constructive action. O’Malley, who still writes for the Malibu Times, now lives in Agoura. A devoted environmentalist, she is committed to educating herself about the entire region that’s affected by the Santa Monica Mountains and how to protect it. ‘I need to be in touch with people with different views,’ she says. ‘I need to get out of my own Malibu mindset.’

A 1930s musical set on a ship could be a large feat for a small, community theater. Theatre Palisades’ production of Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’ (book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse) meets the challenge with clever set design (Gene Smith) that allows for an entertaining night of song and dance. Directed by Lewis Hauser and produced by Cindy Dellinger and Andrew Frew, the show runs through July 31 at Pierson Playhouse. As the passengers board the S.S. American in New York, we meet well-known entertainer Reno Sweeney (Rene’ Travelli) and her four Angels, Chastity (Amy Coles), Charity (Sarah D’Agostino), Purity (Erin Holt) and Virture (understudy Victoria Miller). ‘If I’m not in the chapel, I’ll be in the bar,’ says Sweeney, whose seductive and engaging persona makes her queen of the ship. Billy Crocker (Ryan McCormick), assistant to businessman Elisha Whitney (Len Magnus), originally comes to see off both his employer and Reno but is struck by the sight of Hope Harcourt (Kimberly Peterson), a love interest with whom he spent one long night in the city. Hope, too, remembers Billy, though she admits she was engaged then and still is’to be married to Englishman Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Michael German); they will marry when the ship docks in England. Hope’s stuffy mother, Mrs. Harcourt (Marjorie Throne), is the only real advocate of the marriage. The drama begins when Billy acquires a ticket and passport from gangster Moonface Martin (George Lissandrello), whose partner in crime, ‘Snake Eyes’ Johnson (‘Public Enemy Number One’), has not shown up for the trip. Bonnie (Christina Putrelo) is Moonface’s moll. Mistaken identities, clandestine romance and the wild goose chase for ‘Snake Eyes’/Billy are part of what makes ‘Anything Goes’ so amusing. But will Billy lose Hope’s love over his continuous and addictive need to assume various disguises? Will Sir Evelyn ‘find his sea legs’ with someone other than Hope? Actor McCormick is best when acting as an impostor, portraying an elderly lady he introduces as ‘Mrs. George Bernard Shaw’ and a Frenchman with a Spanish accent. Lissandrello plays the perfect sarcastic New York gangster, or ‘Public Enemy Number Thirteen,’ ready to pull another fast one or turn himself in. His comedic solo performance of ‘Be Like the Bluebird’ gets several laughs. Together, these actors’ dramatic pauses and glances towards the audience create the production’s sly and comic overtone. Some of the most dazzling performances come from Travelli, whose beautiful voice carries many of the musical numbers, including ‘You’re the Top,’ ‘Let’s Misbehave’ and her solo, ‘I Get a Kick Out of You.’ Peterson’s strong and sweet operatic voice is a pleasure to hear in songs like ‘All Through the Night,’ and the cheerful ‘It’s Delovely.’ The women team of Angels impress with their superb dancing. In sparkling sailor costumes, 1930’s-style hats and evening gowns (costume design by Joyce Gayle Smith), these actresses light up the set’s precisely painted ship exterior. The show is well-choreographed from start to finish by Victoria Miller, with the ‘Anything Goes’ tap dancing number earning loud applause. Music direction by Anoush NeVart, who plays piano, with James Bounds on bass and Jason Carmi on drums, really keeps the production in tune. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 454-1970 or visit the box office at 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., Wednesday through Saturday, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

By SARAH J. DANIEL Special to the Palisadian-Post At first glance, Winner Circle Farm looks like any other orchard, with its symmetrical lines of fruit bearing trees, save for the countless chickens brazenly strutting around the circular driveway, seemingly uninhibited by anyone or anything. In fact, about 100 chickens roam so freely around Doug and Leslie Miller’s 5-acre spread of land in Palmdale that their friendly visits to surrounding neighbors have become routine. For the Miller family, vendors at the Palisades Farmers Market since its inception, organic farming isn’t just about using naturally derived pest management or draping tinsel-like mylar tape on trees to deter birds from eating the fruit. It’s a way of life that rests on the pillar that nature shouldn’t be manipulated, but rather observed and its rewards reaped. Boasting a modest crop that includes Fuji apples, cherries, Asian pears, greengage plums, nectarines, grapes, garlic, pumpkins and 19 different varieties of peaches, the Millers also sell eggs laid by the aforementioned truly free-range chickens. ‘They’ll never go in a stew pot,’ Leslie Miller says of the free-feathered birds. ‘They’ll die here, they’re my friends.’ It’s this natural approach to farming that resonates with consumers who, in the face of corporate greed and mistrust, are turning to local farmers markets more often, where vendors feel like family and offer an alternative to monolithic grocery chains. Doug and Leslie, both 48, say farming has always been in their blood. Both grew up in the San Fernando Valley with big, backyard gardens: Leslie’s grandparents had orange groves next door and Doug’s grandparents had come from a farm. While dating, they used to hold contests of who could grow the best vegetables. ‘It was competitive gardening,’ jokes Leslie. Then when they had children, they wanted to grow the freshest vegetables for them. Ten years ago, they bought an orchard. ‘It was a hobby that got out of hand,’ Leslie says of the expanding farm. They have now maxed out their property and are looking into purchasing more land. ‘I’m like their family farmer,’ Leslie says of the throngs of young families, Ugg-booted teens, cyclists, celebrities, joggers and long-time residents who have made the Sunday morning trip to the Palisades market a weekend ritual. But as the health revolution continues to plow across North America with no signs of slowing, the demand for organic foods has gone mainstream, with sales of organic products growing in more than 20 percent over the last decade, according to the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Web site. This has forced many long time organic farmers to become certified or face losing profits to their competitors who display the coveted United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic seal. Jennifer McColm, manager of the California Certified Organic Markets Inc. says that of the eight markets she oversees (including the Palisades market), approximately 40 percent of vendors are certified and an equal number are pesticide-free farmers like the Millers. ‘People are becoming a lot more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies,’ says McColm, who admits she is no longer accepting vendor applicants who aren’t certified, and encourages her current group of non-certified vendors to start the process. Doug and Leslie began the certification process more than a year and a half ago. According to Leslie, it involves a lot of ‘jumping through hoops,’ endless paperwork, time and having tests performed on their land, and will take a total of three years to complete. For small farms like Winner Circle, becoming certified organic also means higher expenses; the cost of using organic fertilizers is significantly higher than the conventional variety. The difference’$50 per acre for the latter versus $600 per acre for organic herbicides’ Miller says would be taxing on farmers who didn’t have an additional income like their family does (Leslie teaches special needs children and her husband is a cabinetmaker). The Miller children, Casey, 25 and Miranda, 23, also help on the farm and at the markets. Organic standards and certification were pioneered by the CCOF in the mid-1970s. As the market for organic products grew, so did the number of organic certification agencies. Subsequently Congress passed the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) in 1990 to establish consistency and this spawned the USDA to later create the National Organic Standards (NOS). Under these guidelines, uncertified farms like Winner Circle can sell goods at farmers markets and to retailers, advertising their items as ‘organic’ or ‘organically grown,’ and are not required to become certified unless their gross agricultural income from organic sales is more than $5,000 annually. Although they currently have no definite plans to sell to retail outlets, with certification the Millers would also be able to sell their produce for use as organic ingredients. Despite these perks, competition and profit weren’t the motivation behind Doug and Leslie’s decision to become certified. Leslie says they’re doing it for their customers, because they wanted to make them ‘feel more comfortable.’ Even though, she adds, ‘there are some people who will only buy organic, who buy from me because they know me and trust me.’ Leslie chats with her regular customers and seems to effortlessly remember he names of their children and spouses. She even recalled that a customer’s 4-year-old son was born the year the Palisades market opened. ‘I get Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards, even school pictures of their children ‘I’ve established some real friendships,’ she says. And with familiarity comes perks; Leslie gave jars of her homemade jams and jellies as holiday gifts this year and sells bird-pecked fruit at reduced prices to regulars like Palisadian Pete Donohue who uses his windfall to make homemade pies. Before growing peaches, Leslie got to the point that she didn’t even care for them in stores, because they didn’t have any taste. ‘I had no idea there were so many really awesome varieties of peaches,’ says Leslie, who has through trial and error now grown peaches sold at six farmers markets that her neighbor, the avocado farmer, calls ‘the real thing.’