Scouts Help Improve YMCA Parcel

Palisadian Chuck Caldwell looked up to the sky, saying ‘I know Corwin is here today,’ as he stood on a patio that he helped his son build to honor the late Corwin Davis, a longtime supporter of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA.   Caldwell and a group of about 40 community members gathered at the Y’s Simon Meadow on Sunday, November 8, to celebrate the completion of the patio, which will be used for Y events, and to remember Davis, who served on the Y board for 10 years and as president for two years.   Davis, who died of cancer in 2004 at age 54, was instrumental in helping the Y purchase Simon Meadow from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said Caldwell, who was on the Y board with Davis. The Y had been trying to purchase the four-acre parcel at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road for more than 30 years and was finally able to do so in fall 2007.   ’Corwin kept saying ‘I refuse to quit,” Caldwell said. ‘He did refuse to quit and that’s why we’re standing here now.’   Caldwell’s son, Tyler, led the effort to build the patio to earn the rank of Eagle Scout. Tyler, a member of Boy Scout Troop 223, said it took him seven weekends from April to June to complete the 12-ft. by 30-ft. pavilion.   ’It was backbreaking work,’ said Tyler, who received help from his family, fellow Boy Scouts, local landscape architect David Card and local architect Rich Wilken.   Along with his helpers, Tyler, a sophomore at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, leveled the ground and built a wooden frame. They shoveled tons of gravel and sand into the frame and hand-set the stones.   ’I was proud of myself,’ the 15-year-old said, noting he learned how to be a leader. ‘It taught me perseverance.’   Local families provided the funding for the materials to construct the patio. The lead donors were Tyler’s parents, Chuck and Sue, and Corwin’s widow, Janet Davis.   Janet, who attended the November 8 celebration with her three children, told the Palisadian-Post that ‘Corwin would have been so excited [about the patio]; he was a huge cheerleader for the YMCA.’   In addition to serving on the Y board, Corwin led the organization’s Princesses and Guide Program for two years. He was also involved in Boy Scouts, serving as an assistant scoutmaster for Troop 223 when his son, Michael, was a member.   Michael, 23, is now employed at Brown & Riding Insurance in downtown Los Angeles. His sister Christine, 30, works as a budget analyst for USC and sister Elizabeth, 29, as a supervisor at Advanced Medical Reviews in West Los Angeles.   During the celebration, Y Executive Director Carol Pfannkuche also acknowledged five other Boy Scouts who helped to improve Simon Meadow with their Eagle Scout projects.   Carter Grasmick, with Troop 117 in Brentwood, worked closely with Card to spruce up the front of the property along Sunset Boulevard, which is also the entrance to Temescal Gateway Park.   ’David Card was a big help,’ said Grasmick, a senior at Palisades Charter High School. ‘He stood by me; he gave me ideas of where to get the mulch and the fencing; he donated his equipment.’   Along with his 37 family members, friends and fellow scouts, Grasmick pulled weeds, laid mulch and built a fence from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July 25. The materials were paid for with donations from family, friends and the YMCA.   Grasmick said he learned that a project like this requires a lot of planning and coordinating.   ’Organizing events is tough,’ he said, adding that it was also a challenge to keep people on task. In the end, Grasmick said he is glad he could help the Y.   ’This fence is a nice added touch,’ he said.   To help the Y with its summer day camp, Troop 23 Scout Jake Doran built three planter boxes for a learning garden. The garden is named the Ford Family Garden after Doran’s great-grandfather, Leland Ford, Jr., who died in August 1999. Ford, who was the son of Congressman Leland M. Ford, was a longtime Pacific Palisades resident and Y supporter.   Fellow scout Mason Burdick constructed tables and chairs for a garden workstation. Scouts Charlie Stigler built tables and benches, and Joey Casalenuovo constructed benches and refurbished existing benches.   ’These wonderful projects are just the beginning of Corwin’s dream,’ said Pfannkuche, noting that more beautification efforts at Simon Meadow will follow in 2010.