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Calvary Dedicates New Playing Field

Jim Wadsworth, who led the effort to build a new athletic field at Calvary Christian School, overlooks the $2.5 million product.
Jim Wadsworth, who led the effort to build a new athletic field at Calvary Christian School, overlooks the $2.5 million product.

Six and a half years ago, Palisadian Jim Wadsworth said he felt called by God to spearhead a movement to install an athletic playing field at Calvary Christian School. Since then, his faith was tested numerous times, yet he never stopped believing. Last Thursday morning his prayers were answered. Calvary Christian held a dedication ceremony to inaugurate its $2.5 million synthetic turf field (located at 701 Palisades Drive at the foot of the Highlands), which will serve not only the parish school but the entire Palisades community. “I’m so excited to reach this milestone,” Wadsworth, who owns a real estate development and asset management firm in Santa Monica, said in a speech before the school’s students and faculty. “This has been a collective effort of so many people and we wouldn’t be here today without their contributions.” After opening remarks by Head of School Teresa Roberson, Wadsworth thanked Community Council member Kurt Toppel, AYSO Region 69 Commissioner Debbie Held, local attorney Marty Trupiano and Amgen construction engineer Dave Callahan, among others, for their contributions to his effort. “Kurt saw the merits of the field early on and staunchly supported us at council meetings, Debbie wrote letters of support and attended hearings downtown, Marty volunteered countless hours reviewing and redrafting legal documents required for city and state approvals, and Dave offered excellent advice throughout the design and construction process.” Wadsworth, a 25-year parishioner at Calvary Church, also thanked land-use attorney Mark Allen, Coastal Commission member Susan McCabe, civil engineers Lloyd Poindexter and Pat Montelana and construction management team members Frank Gamwell (principal), Gavin Miller (vice president), Ed Lloyd (senior project manager), Marc Dublin (business development) and superintendents Peter Gregory and Will Foraker. On hand to celebrate with Wadsworth were his wife Kay, assistant head at Calvary School, and two of their three kids, Jill, 29, and Jordan, 23. Then the school mascot, Casey Cougar, led a cheer and a flock of white doves was released. Letters from U.S. Representative Henry Waxman, Senator Barbara Boxer and City Councilman Antonio Villaraigosa were presented in recognition of Wadsworth’s commitment to the project. “There was a point when the field proposal seemed destined to be defeated,” Wadsworth continued. “It was then that two people stepped forward from the city attorney’s office, having the foresight to see the mutual benefits this field would have. These two women, Cecilia Estolano and Cynthia McClain Hill, worked tirelessly with me to arrive at a compromise solution for public usage.” Finally, Wadsworth thanked City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski and her staff, chief deputy Lisa Gritzner, district director Debbie Dyner-Harris, field deputy Monique Ford and former deputy Kristen Montet. Public usage of the new field will consist of 18 Saturdays a year as well as six discretionary days to be determined by Palisades Recreation Center Director Cheryl Gray, who was also present. Mondays through Thursdays, the field will be used for Calvary’s after-school sports programs-flag football and cross country in the fall, soccer in the winter and track in the spring. “There’s such a need for the field and it’s such a beautiful facility, we want others to use it too,” said Marti Willens, Calvary’s middle school director. “It’ll be used every day for recess and P.E. The 7th- and 8th-graders play flag football and soccer in the Delphic League and the 5th- and 6th-graders play in the Coastal Canyon League. We’ll also play intramurals up here at lunch. There are so many great uses for the field.” Miscikowski attended the ceremony along with Jenny Toder (representing Assemblymember Fran Pavley), Viet Tran (representing Mayor James Hahn) and Ben Saltsman (representing Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky). She stepped to the podium after Wadsworth and praised him for his perseverance: “I can’t say enough about this man. In 1972, when I started to work on this canyon and this land, we had a big battle and we ultimately settled on a land-use plan for Santa Ynez Canyon. We agreed that we would carve out an Institutional Site for a church and school (we didn’t know who would own it) and we carved out an open space behind the school. “Then in 1997, Jim came up with his concept. He said ‘I think of playing fields as open space too, and we should make it for the students and children of the Palisades, too.’ He made that promise-and kept it. He had a shared vision for all the children-it really was his vision to push the envelope and build something for the children of the future.” PCM, the management firm that served as general contractor for the project, began work April 12, just over two months after the California Coastal Commission issued the long-sought permit. The project consisted of excavating 10,000 yards of dirt at the north end of the site, building retaining walls along the back against the hillside and installing synthetic turf measuring 90 yards long by 40 yards wide and covering 32,400 square feet. White and yellow lines are marked into the turf, which is called SmartGrass, and the school’s Cougar logo is painted at midfield. “This is truly a celebration day for Jim Wadsworth,” Roberson said. “When he began this process in July 1997, some of our students were not even born yet. Over six years, he sacrificed literally thousands of hours of personal time. Jim knew the children at Calvary and in the Palisades needed more athletic space and we thank him for his commitment.” One of the beneficiaries of the field will be Held and her local AYSO program. “It’s awesome,” she told Wadsworth afterwards. “You had a vision. I’m so glad you hung in there and I know the hoops you had to go through.” Held said AYSO will lease the field for $12 an hour, and its younger age groups will play games there 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays from August to November. The YMCA will also have practices and games there starting in April. “I was elected in July 1997,” Miscikowski said in her speech. “In August I had my first meeting with Jim. He already had a plan in mind. That shows his commitment. He set a goal, engaged other allies like Community Council and AYSO, and the result here is that everybody’s a winner.” Highlands resident and Calvary student Lauren Kohli was as excited as the adults: “I play intramural soccer at lunch. We play two 10-minute halves, seven or eight girls on a team. It’s exciting to be on the new field. It’s real cushioning, it definitely feels like real grass.” The California Coastal Commission approved Wadsworth’s proposal by a 7-1 vote in December 2001 but findings of fact procedures and general backlog delayed the issuing of the permit for 14 months. “I’ve seen it through all the different phases, from the time it was dirt,” said Dallas Price-VanBreda, whose Price Family Foundation earlier donated $250,000 to the new gym campaign at the Palisades Recreation Center. “We were one of the initial donors and it’s very exciting to see the project come to fruition. We got involved financially because five of my grandkids went through the school. If we had given in to the ‘nos,’ this would have never happened so our thanks to Jim for hanging in there. He knew it was the right thing to do.”

Dr. Samuel Kaplan, Pioneer In Congenital Heart Disease

Dr. Samuel Kaplan, a pioneer in congenital heart disease research and emeritus professor of pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, died of cancer on January 21 at UCLA Medical Center. The Palisades Highlands resident was 81. Kaplan graduated from the University of Witswatersrand School of Medicine in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1944 and completed his residency training before continuing his postgraduate training in cardiology at Hammersmith Hospital in London in 1949. He moved to the United States in 1950 to join the cardiology department at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, where he began his pioneering studies in congenital heart disease. As chief of the division of pediatric cardiology, he was among the first in the world to establish the specialty and is considered among the founders of this discipline. Under his direction, the hospital became a national and international referral center for infants and children born with heart defects. In addition to his clinical expertise, Kaplan made many experimental contributions to the field; his laboratory studies were instrumental in developing the membrane oxygenator that is still an essential part of the surgical procedure for open-heart surgery on both children and adults. Kaplan directed a superb clinical and laboratory training program in which each cardiology fellow was encouraged, nurtured and mentored to enter a career as an academician. Generations of his trainees are currently leaders of pediatric cardiology and occupy important positions in medical centers throughout the U.S. and other countries. When he retired from his position in Cincinnati in 1987, Kaplan was widely recognized as among the top five most constructive and productive academic cardiology leaders in America. At the invitation of the U.S. State Department, he lectured in several countries to share his expertise in pediatric cardiology. Joining UCLA in 1987, one of Kaplan’s most impressive contributions was his success in strengthening the postdoctoral training program. The respect and gratitude of several dozen fellows attest to his success. At UCLA, he also became the leader of a multi-institutional research program funded by a $9-million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the effects on the heart and lungs of HIV transmitted from mother to infant. This work alone has contributed more than 30 scientific reports, has identified important heart and lung complications associated with HIV, and has identified appropriate treatment and follow-up for these infants and children. Kaplan, revered in both pediatrics and pediatric cardiology, was the recipient of numerous honors and awards throughout his career. He is survived by his wife, Molly; his brother, Solomon; his sister-in-law, Marie; and his nephew and wife, Tony and Louise McKenzie. The David Geffen School of Medicine is planning a memorial service and UCLA’s department of pediatrics will issue notices of memorial services. The family has requested that donations be sent to the UC Regents/UCLA Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Sciences Development, 10945 Le Conte Ave., Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Timothy Ling, 46; Unocal President and Family Man

Timothy H. Ling, president and chief operating officer of Unocal Corp., died suddenly of apparent natural causes on January 28 after an ice hockey workout in El Segundo. He was 46. “Tim Ling was a brilliant executive with boundless energy and enthusiasm,” said Charles R. Williamson, Unocal’s chairman and chief executive officer. “He lived every moment with gusto. Although his life was tragically short, it was remarkably full. The entire Unocal family is shocked and saddened by Tim’s sudden passing. We will miss him terribly.” Williamson indicated that he would assume Ling’s responsibilities as president and chief operating officer on an interim basis, effective immediately. Ling was also a member of the company’s management committee and had served as a member of Unocal’s board of directors since 2000. Previously, he was executive vice president, North American Operations. He joined Unocal in 1997 as chief financial officer. “Tim invested every ounce of his extraordinary energy in making Unocal successful,” Williamson said. “His leadership and commitment were unwavering. He embraced change and challenge like no one else I have ever worked with.” Williamson noted that, with the help of Ling’s leadership, Unocal has made a lot of difficult changes over the past few years, strengthening its profitability and future growth potential. Ling was instrumental in developing and leading many of Unocal’s key business initiatives. He also helped to assemble a multitalented, highly experienced management team. “Thanks in good part to Tim’s vision and commitment, Unocal is traveling a clear and well- marked path to future success,” Williamson added. “We owe him a legacy of continued achievement and improved performance.” Born in Philadelphia, Ling earned a degree in geology from Cornell University in 1982 and an MBA at Stanford in 1989. Prior to joining Unocal, he was a partner at McKinsey & Company in Los Angeles. He also worked as a research geologist for the United States Geological Survey at Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where his focus was on the assessment of deepwater energy and mineral resources. In 1987, Ling married Kimberly De Mello. He was a devoted family man and actively involved in his young children’s lives, including coaching his eldest son’s ice hockey team. He was also an accomplished vocalist and musician who played both the cello and the piano. Ling was a director of the American Petroleum Institute, the Domestic Petroleum Council and Maxis Communications, a cellular telephone provider in Malaysia. He also served on an advisory board for the Department of Energy and was on the management board for the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Meanwhile, he served as an officer and board member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, where he helped raise funds to complete Walt Disney Concert Hall. In addition to his wife, Ling is survived by their three children, Hudson, 7, Tommy, 4, and Peter, 2; his parents, Gilbert and Shirley Ling of Marion, PA; his sister and her husband, Eva and Neil Monahan of Wynnewood, PA, and their children, Stephanie and Casey; and his brother and his wife, Dr. Mark and Jenny Ling of Atlanta, GA, and their children, Sydney and Graham. Funeral arrangements are pending. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to either the Tim Ling Memorial Fund at St. Matthew’s Parish Church in Pacific Palisades or to the Tim Ling Scholarship Fund, in care of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association.

Trudy Barker, Former Anita Jean Employee

Trudy Louise Barker, former employee of Anita Jean and Gages Children’s Wear in Pacific Palisades, passed away on January 26. She was 60. Barker was born on November 27, 1943 in Los Angeles to Jim and Anita Jean Barker and graduated from University High School. She worked in the family business until the store closed in February 1985. Preceded in death by her father, she is survived by her mother and her stepfather, Ross Oakley; sisters Ginny Bass, Linda Oakley and Judi Barker; brother Jim Barker, Jr.; many nieces, nephews and loving friends and “furry friends” Snoopy and Big Toe. Funeral services will be held this morning at 10:30 a.m. at Gates, Kingsley & Gates Moeller Murphy Mortuary Chapel, 1925 Arizona in Santa Monica, with burial following at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barker’s memory to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Los Angeles Chapter, 2440 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 115, Los Angeles, CA 90064.

Barbara Carr, 49; Former U.S. Bank Manager Here

Barbara Carr, former manager of the Palisades branches of Santa Monica Bank and U.S. Bank, passed away at West Hills Hospital on December 10, following a lengthy illness. She was 49. Born in Toledo, Ohio, Carr moved to Southern California in 1987. Her career included 29 years in banking. She was an active member of the Palisades Lions Club for seven years and participated in community events as a member of the Palisades Chamber of Commerce and in the American Cancer Society. From 1998-2002, she reviewed and made suggestions for Compsych Systems Publications in Pacific Palisades. Carr will be remembered by her many friends as a caring person with a generous heart. She is survived by her brother Jim Carr and family of Maumee, Ohio, and her sister Judy Vienhage and family of Cape Coral, Florida. A memorial service was held in Westlake Village on December 15. Donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or one’s favorite charity.

Vincent F. Cleeves, Sr., 86; A Woodworker and Hiker

Vincent F. Cleeves, a 54-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on Wednesday, January 21 at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica. He was 86. Cleeves was born in La Crescenta on July 4, 1917. As a young boy, he delivered the local newspaper on horseback and as a teenager made a surfboard and learned to surf Southern California beaches. He graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in mechanical engineering. While working in New York, he met his future wife, Nancy, in 1946. They married shortly thereafter and moved to the Palisades from Santa Monica in 1950. Employed for 35 years at McDonnell Douglas in Ocean Park, Cleeves commuted daily to Long Beach. After retiring, he continued to consult for McDonnell Douglas for three years before settling down to hobbies and his passion of cabinetmaking. An accomplished woodworker, Vince built many beautiful furniture pieces and cabinets for his family. He loved to hike in the Santa Monica Mountains, backpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains with his sons and nephews, and spend time at the beach bodysurfing. Many family vacations were spent skiing at Mammoth Mountain. He also enjoyed travels to Alaska, Hawaii, Europe and the Panama Canal. Cleeves is survived by his wife of 57 years, Nancy; sons Vincent Jr., of Boulder, Colorado, Monty of Redwood City, and Chuck of San Diego; daughter Virginia of Boulder; a sister, Marion of Berkeley; seven grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews. A funeral Mass was held at Corpus Christi Church in Pacific Palisades on January 24. Contributions may be made in Cleeves’s name to the charity of one’s choice.

Leslie R. Skidmore, Jr.; WWII Naval Officer

Leslie Randolph Skidmore, Jr., who had raised his family in Pacific Palisades, died peacefully January 15 in Napa, California. He was 85. Born in Portland, Oregon, Skidmore grew up in Salt Lake City, where he attended the University of Utah before transferring to the U. S. Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1942. Following graduation, he became a gunnery officer aboard the U.S.S. Pensacola. His ship distinguished itself in Pacific Theater battles that included Coral Sea, Midway, Guadacanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Tarawa. The ship survived a torpedo attack in 1942 and returned to action through Armistice Day. Skidmore married Joyce Christensen on June 5, 1945. After the war he received a master’s degree in engineering from the Naval Academy in 1947 and a second master’s degree in physics from UCLA a year later. He worked at Pearl Harbor and the family lived in Kailua, Oahu, between 1951 and 1955. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1956 with a rank of Lieutenant Commander. He is remembered fondly and with deepest respect by his shipmates with whom he communicated regularly throughout his life. After the Navy, Skidmore spent his career as an electronics engineer at Deco Electronics, then Hughes Aircraft Company in Culver City. He assisted in developing early satellite transmission facilities in Perth, Australia, in the 1960s and managed classified defense programs including missile guidance and aircraft navigation systems ranging from early radar, sonar and laser research to guidance systems for the F-18 fighter jet. The Skidmores lived from 1958 to 1982 in Pacific Palisades, where Joyce was a well-known real estate agent. After Les retired from Hughes in 1981, the couple retired in Monterey, California, where they and their best friends, Martha and Bill Edlun, both built retirement homes. In 1999, Les and Joy moved to Napa. Skidmore will be fondly remembered for his generous spirit, humor and commitment to and love of his family and his country. He was a meticulous and skilled engineer who relaxed by applying the same attention to detail as a chef, gardener and woodworker. He lived his life in furtherance of American ethics-honor and loyalty to country, family and friends. In addition to his wife, Les is survived by his son, Randy of Napa; his daughter, Terri Skidmore Lantz (husband Stephen) of Pacific Palisades; and his grandchildren, Peter Skidmore, Patrick Skidmore Lantz, Geoffrey Skidmore and Katie Lantz. He was interred at Tulocay cemetery in Napa.

Elliott Starts Third Season as Texas Volleyball Coach

Winning seems to follow Palisadian Jerritt Elliott wherever he goes. The Palisades High grad and former USC interim head coach is now beginning his third year as head coach of the University of Texas women’s volleyball team and already he has brought the program back to national prominence. Under Elliott’s leadership, the Longhorns reached the NCAA tournament for the second straight year and finished fourth in the Big 12 Conference. Elliott was selected Pac-10 Coach of the Year in both of his seasons at USC, where he led the Women of Troy to a No. 4 national ranking and a 29-3 record in 2000. Elliott graduated from Cal State Northridge with a Kinesiology degree in 1991. He was appointed head coach of the USA Junior National team for the summer of 2001 but gave up the position to take the Texas job.

Palisadian Matt Willig Heads for Super Bowl

While watching the Super Bowl this Sunday, keep an eye out for #71 of the Carolina Panthers. It’s 6-8, 315-pound offensive right tackle Matt Willig, who moved to the Palisades bluffs a year ago with his wife, Chris, and their baby. Willig, a 12-year NFL veteran, is a native of Santa Fe Springs and was a standout player at USC. He entered the league as a defensive end but switched to tackle as a rookie with the New York Jets, where he spent the first three seasons of his pro career. He started a career-high 13 games at right tackle for the Atlanta Falcons in 1997, then had a short stint with the Green Bay Packers before earning a Super Bowl ring with the St. Louis Rams in 1999. Willig was traded to San Francisco prior to the 2000 season, where he played three seasons. He signed with Carolina as a free agent in August and has backed-up first-round draft choice Jordan Gross this season. Willig has started 34 of the 133 games he has played in the NFL.

AYSO Soccer Roundup

Eight Southern California regions, including Region 69 (Palisades/Brentwood/Topanga) participated in a two-week Area P tournament last weekend at Culver City High and John Adams Middle School in Santa Monica. The top team from every region played a round robin tournament two weeks ago to determine seeding. Last weekend, each team played again in a single-elimination tournament. Following are results from last weekend involving Palisades teams: U-10 Girls The Pali Storm thundered through the Area P playoffs last weekend in Culver City, winning all four of their games. In Saturday’s opener, Pali defeated Los Angeles Central, 1-0, on a goal off of an indirect free kick by Jenna Davis, assised by Clara Clymer. Pali edged host Culver City, 3-2, in stoppage time Saturday afternoon on a goal by Cami Chapus from 16 yards out. Davis’s throw-in to Eve Babcock set up winning goal. Arden Shore converted a penalty kick in the second when Babcock was taken down in the box. Babcock scored in the third quarter while Izzy DeSantis’ goaltending and the defense of Caroline Frost contributed to the victory. Sunday’s game between Pali and Beverly Hills pitted two undefeated teams. In the second quarter, Deborah Abber scored from the top of the penalty area. A few minutes later, Chapus scored off of an assist from Bella Hicks to give the Storm a 2-0 win. Pali shut out Hollywood-Wilshire 6-0 in its final game Sunday. Madeline Kaplan, Davis, Chapus, Abber, Clymer, and Babcock scored for the Storm. Pali, coached by Chuck Davis and Nancy Babcock, will advance to the quarterfinals against LA Central Saturday at Culver City High. U-12 Girls In a two-day soccer fest held this weekend in Burbank, the Palisades Thunder rolled to a second place finish at the Burbank Blast Tournament. The Pali Thunder (aka the Pali Tsunami) won all three of their games in pool play by 2-1, 1-0, and 3-1 scores, to finish first in their bracket. The team went on to take second place overall after a narrow penalty-kick shootout loss in the finals. Assistants Lupe Rodriguez and Terry Friedman and head coach Eric Waxman were proud of the team’s performance both offensively and defensively. Sweeper Robyn Rapaport and fellow defenders Alondra Barbosa, Erin Landau, Kate Friedman and Olivia Clifford harried the opposition at every turn, allowing only two goals the entire tournament. Barbosa and Landau showed versatility shifting to the forward position and combining to score three goals. Dylan Blakely, Lauren Rodriguez and Ashley Grossman dominated the midfield. Emma Castillo and Carlye Gordon played well at forward with multiple scores. Goalies Katie Takakjian and Alice Phillips made numerous saves.