Palisadian Lowell Crist will be the featured photographer in an exhibition at the Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Real, running from August 2 through August 27. A reception for the artist will be held on Saturday, August 7 from 1 to 5 p.m. Crist became interested in photography as a young kid. He helped his dad take movies on their vacation trips, although his interest was more a fascination with the technology than producing lasting works of art. After training as a classical musician in college, he received a second-hand 35 mm SLR upon graduation, and has been taking still photos ever since. ‘I enjoyed the process of capturing interesting locales, but basically I hadn’t progressed beyond the snapshot stage.’ Now, over 40 years later, all that has changed. After retiring in 2001 from a working life analyzing, designing and implementing computer software systems, Crist began hiking and backpacking with his life partner Suzanne, and found the scenery so spectacular that he wanted to somehow bring back that experience and share it with others. Photography was the way to do this. ‘But I needed to improve my skills, so I studied the images of famous photographers, read many books, and took some classes at Santa Monica College, which has an outstanding photography department. This helped me progress from snapshots to taking more interesting photos, and finally to fine art photography. Much to my surprise, I discovered that making a fine print can be just as difficult as capturing a good image.’ Crist’s initial sojourns were to the Eastern Sierras. He had been traveling to Mammoth every winter since 1970 to ski, but had never realized the richness and variety of the scenery just a few miles away from the main highway. ‘My first trip to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (just an hour from Big Pine) made a real impression on me’I had never seen trees like these before. They have the distinction of being the oldest living things on our planet, and their shapes are the most varied of any tree anywhere. I’ve returned there many times to record my favorite trees in different seasons and lighting conditions. There is something quite humbling about these trees, some of which have been around for nearly 5,000 years. No matter what other photographic subjects I find appealing, these trees will always remain special for me.’ Crist has visited many other interesting areas in the Eastern Sierras which offered him limitless photographic possibilities. ‘The Alabama Hills border the highway around Lone Pine. This area has been used in hundreds of Westerns, yet I had never stopped to enjoy it.’ And of course, he’s climbed Mount Whitney, explored Convict Lake, Mono Lake, and the town of Bodie. ‘I’m always looking for the unusual: interesting light, composition or texture to draw the viewer into the scene. Since there are thousands of wonderful pictures of Yosemite by well known photographers, I’ve tried to avoid the ‘famous’ standard shots which everyone immediately recognizes. There are millions of other opportunities and places, if one is constantly aware and looking for them.’
Ice Hockey Perspectives
Guest Column
By GEORGE KALMAR Special to the Palisadian-Post Whenever I score my arms shoot up in the air, I let out a primal scream and I almost jump out of my skin. It’s a moment of pure triumph I wish I could experience more often. See, when it comes to ice hockey, the fastest and meanest team sport of all, you play for the love of the game. I’m not lying when I say everyone in the Melnick League loves the game. We’re all different ages’some 18, some 25, some 35, some 45 and even some 55. We’re short and tall, fat and thin, single and married, with kids and without. We’re Thursday night gladiators fighting for survival on an ice rink out in Panorama City. We don’t have much in common except a passion for flying like the wind on a cold glossy surface, the need to maintain balance and a desire to connect with our fellow men’head on at 30 miles an hour. Unless you’re talking about Timo on the first-place Suomi team. ‘Suomi’ is the Finnish word for Finland, though not all of the players on the squad are from that Scandinavian country. Timo, a 6-6, 280-pound defenseman, is partly the reason why my stats were dropping below the interest rate. He was a menace! But wait, there were more of them. The left defenseman was a little bulldog named Elke with arms like tree trunks and a mean look of a Nordic ogre. Then there was their forward Anti, weaving through traffic with the arrogance of an immortal. Anti was another reason why our team, the Young Wolves, usually wound up looking like the ‘Old Dogs’ when we played Suomi. Their goalie sat on the ice like a stuffed dumpling, protecting the net as if it were the Holy Grail. It used to give me pleasure just to shoot at him, never mind that the puck never went in. To me and my teammates on the Young Wolves, there was no doubt Suomi, aside from being a bunch of stuck up Eurocentric giants, were slimy, cheating vermin trying to keep us away from our rightful glory. For four years I struggled to get my stats up in the Melnick league. For four years I battled to reach my dream of earning one of those cheap plastic trophies with a faceless guy taking a slap shot on the marble base. But Suomi hung like an albatross around my neck. Then one Thursday night Lord Stanley played a trick on me. Big Dan Melnick himself burst into the dressing room one and declared in his marshal tone: ‘I’m gonna switch some guys around. George, you’re going to the Suomi.’ His words hit me like a slap shot on the mask. ‘I can’t play for Suomi!’ I blurted out. My fellow Wolves stared up in surprise. It was a look of goodbye, pity, envy and hatred all in one. But I had no choice. A hockey league is like an army’you can’t disobey orders. I was now officially one of ‘them.’ One of those guys I had learned to hate. Big Dan threw a Suomi jersey in my lap, I put it on and made my way in shameful silence to the bench. The whistle blew and I was about to face off against my old team. To my right was Anti. Behind me was Timo. It wasn’t until the puck dropped that I realized I was on the best team in the league. What inspired me most was the skill of my new teammates. Timo was amazing and watching him made me want to visit Finland. Elke the bulldog threw me a friendly smile after my impossible pass landed square in the middle of his blade. I was struck by the speed and agility of this gentle little man, a beam of light showing the way. Stevie resembled an amorphous gatekeeper drifting from one side of his celestial domain to the other. With him behind you there was no need to fear defeat. Then there was Anti the ice god. He absorbed a nasty hit from one of the Young Wolves, got up still controlling the puck and passed to me. I passed back to him in the slot, he outskated two defenders and deked the fumbling goalie to score. Sheer Suomi genius. We haven’t lost a championship in years. As I look at the five gilded plastic trophies in my bedroom, I imagine one of those immortal skating heroes is me’Suomi’s left wing. Occasionally my days on the Young Wolves flash through my mind. We still play the poor suckers every once in awhile. Guess by now they’ve thought up some nasty prejudiced name for me too. Losers! Editor’s note: George Kalmar has been a Palisadian for 14 years. His passions (besides hockey) are sculpting and writing. He lives in the upper Bienvenida area with his wife Julie, daughter Gabrielle and son Jonah.
Merz Sisters Shine
Caroline Merz of the Los Angeles International Fencing Center competed in the USA Fencing National Championships earlier this month in Charlotte, North Carolina. In a field of over 800 youth and adult fencers across the country, Merz took first place in the Southern California division and 32nd place overall in the Youth 14 Women’s Sabre competition, earning her ranking points in her first year of fencing. Fellow Palisadian fencers included Teddy Levitt, who took first place in the Division II men’s sabre and Mike Groth, who was 73rd in the same division. Noelle Amos placed 57th in the Division II women’s epee and her sister Madeline placed first in the Southern California Youth 12 women’s epee and sixth overall. Two years ago, Merz was second overall at the National Level 9 Rhythmic Gymnastics event in Kentfield, California. Competing in a field of 33 top gymnasts from six national regions, she finished with 76.85 points, behind only Bree McDonough of International Rhythmic Gymnastics in Florida (82.85). Merz placed second in the club routine and third in the ball and ribbon routines. At the 2004 Grand Prix Janet Evans Invitational swim meet in Long Beach last month, Alexa Merz, representing the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, swam the 50 meter freestyle in 26.79 seconds and finished 31st out of 161 competitors. She also swam the 100 meter freestyle event in 58.89 seconds, finishing 52nd out of 185 swimmers. Teammate Cara Davidoff also swam both events, finishing the 50 freestyle in 27.36 seconds and the 100 freestyle in 1:01.33. The meet was held in the USA Olympic Team Trials long course meter pool brought over from Italy, which is similar to the pool that will be used for the Olympics in Athens. Last year, Merz and PALY head coach Adam Blakis were honored at the USA Swimming National Top 16 Awards Banquet at the Disneyland Hotel in Santa Ana. When she was 14, Merz qualified seventh in the nation in the 50 Freestyle with her time in the CIF Finals for Harvard-Westlake.
Floor Removal Underway
Workers Replace Damaged Floor in the New Gym at Rec Center
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
A project to replace the wood floor in the new gymnasium at the Palisades Recreation Center began July 19 and is scheduled to be completed October 19. ‘If all goes according to plan, we’ll be able to start running practices and playing games in there by the third week of our fall basketball leagues,’ said Rec Center Senior Director David Gadelha, who transferred from Barrington Park Recreation Center in June. The floor’s wood surface was warped beyond repair in January when a basketball struck and ruptured a pressure gauge located four feet beyond one of the sidelines at the east end of the basketball court, causing water to gush out and flood the gym within minutes. In the spring, the City Council, at Cindy Miscikowski’s request, voted to allocate $45,000 to the Department of Recreation and Parks to replace the floor. The City hired a private contractor, Hur Hardwood Flooring, to complete the 90-day project. Wasting no time once the project was underway, workers pulled up almost half of the water-soaked floor by last Saturday, and two-thirds of the old floor had been removed by Tuesday afternoon. ‘It’s usually a crew of one to three guys,’ Gadelha said. ‘They arrive here around eight or nine in the morning and work until three or four in the afternoon. All week they’ve been cutting the floor into 6 x 6 sections and carting it out.’ Once the entire floor has been removed, the gym will be cleaned, vacuumed and aired out for two weeks before work can begin to lay the new wood and nail it in place. Gadelha insisted the facility will not be reopened until some sort of guard or security grate is installed around the pressure gauge to prevent the possibility of flooding in the future. ‘The last thing we want is a repeat of what happened in January,’ Gadelha said. ‘I also want to put some padding around both the gauge itself and the surrounding pipes so we can eliminate any safety concerns.’ Despite not having access to the gym, Gadelha and his staff have made due without it so far this summer. While he remained hopeful the gym will be ready on schedule, Gadelha insisted the fall boys, girls and co-ed basketball leagues will be played in the old gym and outdoors on the blacktop courts until the new gym is available. ‘The season starts the first week of October and runs through the middle of December,’ Gadelha said. ‘When the new gym is ready we will start moving practices and games for the older kids in there. Until then, those teams will be playing on the outdoor courts.’ While reopening the new gym has been his top priority since he took over, Gadelha also plans to get more local schools involved in programs at the park and increase numbers in the T-ball, five-pitch baseball and minor/major junior basketball leagues. The Rec Center will be hosting a youth basketball skills challenge the next two Sundays (see page 9). Palisadian Kurt Toppel earned Citizen of the Year honors for spearheading a three-year effort to build the new gym, which opened in July 2000. Initially, there were a few small kinks, like bubbles in the floor caused by heat after the air conditioning malfunctioned. Despite the minor problems, the gym had remained open seven days a week.
Ruth Jean Doerner, 91
Ruth Jean Doerner, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on Monday, June 28. She was 91. Born in Oklahoma City, Doerner was survided by her companion Lindsay Beal; children Michael, James, Thomas and Susan; 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Josephine Gutierrez, a Vital Volunteer and Mother of 10
On the Fourth of July in 1952, Josephine E. Gutierrez settled into her new home in Pacific Palisades with her husband, Tito, and their four young children. Fifty-two years later, to the day, this loving mother and founding parishioner of Corpus Christi Church passed away at her home following a long illness. She was 80 years old. Josephine was born in Los Angeles on March 19, 1924. She grew up loving literature, music and art, all of which nurtured her deep faith in God, love of family, and joyful wonder at all living things. Raised in L.A., she graduated from Bishop Conaty High School in 1942. Soon thereafter, Josephine met and fell in love with her future husband, Tito A. Gutierrez, also from Los Angeles. After returning from Europe, where he was a fighter pilot in World War II, Tito married Josephine on July 21, 1945. The young family resided in Santa Monica before moving into their final home in the Huntington Palisades, where together they raised their 10 children. Throughout her life Josephine’s strength stemmed from her unyielding faith in God and her deep love of family. Following the untimely death of her husband, her tremendous faith inspired her to seek understanding of God’s role in her life. For the next 35 years her commitment and capacity for forgiveness and unconditional love enabled her to lead a quiet life that exemplified compassion, patience and tolerance. Committed to building community through her 10 children, Josephine nurtured independence in each of them and in herself; she was a strong believer in lifelong learning. An avid reader and film enthusiast, Josephine was a mental traveler who enjoyed learning about different cultures and customs in places around the world. Her love of history deepened her understanding of all humanity, its challenges and potential. Always hopeful, Josephine developed a perseverance characterized by kindness and openness to others. As a bilingual mother in the Corpus Christi community, she interpreted for Spanish-speaking childcare providers during the 1950s and ’60s. In the 1980s, as part of the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Capacity Adjustment Program, Josephine worked as an instructional aide at Palisades Elementary School helping Spanish-speaking students. She also helped students learn English in special summer school classes at Dayton Heights Elementary School in Hollywood. In the late 1980s and early ’90s, she furthered her commitment to education through volunteer work teaching literacy skills to the elderly through the Center for Healthy Aging in Santa Monica. Besides her involvement in education, Josephine held brief employment at local businesses. At the Palisadian-Post in the 1960s, she was an administrative clerk assisting in the publication of the local paper. Then, in the 1970s, at a Palisades answering service, her convivial spirit and love for conversation helped her succeed as a telephone operator for members throughout the community. Always enthusiastic about spreading kindness through her smile, laughter and sense of humor, Josephine thrived on togetherness with family and friends. She lived her life with grace and dignity, respecting diversity and uniqueness in others. Surrounded by her loving family, Josephine passed peacefully into eternal independence and will be missed by all who knew her. Predeceased by her husband in 1969, Josephine is survived by her children, Barbara Gutierrez of Pacific Palisades, Thomas Gutierrez of Redondo Beach, Michael Gutierrez of Los Angeles, Monica McClelland (husband William) of Pacific Palisades, John Gutierrez (wife Maureen) of Arroyo Grande, Christine Gutierrez (husband Randy) of Santa Monica, Helena ‘Leni’ Moore (husband Michael) of Mill Valley, Mary Gutierrez Mitchell of Golden, Colorado, James Gutierrez (wife Deborah) of Boise, Idaho, and Teresa Cahalan (husband John) of Los Gatos. Josephine is also survived by her 12 grandchildren: Chad, Shaun, John Paul, Brent, Timothy, Matthew, Kelly, Caitlin, Brianna, Kate, Christopher and Kevin; and her brother Gus Ramirez of Glendale and sister Marguerite Ramirez of Los Angeles. The Rosary was held on July 8, and the Funeral Mass on July 9 at Corpus Christi Church. Josephine was interned alongside her beloved husband on July 10 in a private ceremony at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. Donations can be made in her memory memory to the Center for Healthy Aging, 2125 Arizona Ave., Santa Monica, CA 90404 (Attn. Don Cohen).
Corwin W. Davis, 54; Youth Volunteer and Businessman
Corwin Davis, a man known for his energy and enthusiasm for life, passed away on Tuesday, July 20, with his family at his side at his Pacific Palisades home, after a yearlong struggle with transitional cell cancer. He was 54. Davis, the son of the late Dr. Carl Davis and Mrs. Margaret (Peggy) Davis, was born and raised in Santa Monica, attending Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica City College, and Art Center College of Design, where he met his future wife, Janet. As boys, he and his younger brother Dan were active in Boy Scout Troop 2 and the Indian Guides program of the YMCA, activities that he returned to as an adult with his own children. Following graduation from Art Center, Davis worked in advertising and marketing before starting his own company, Jaguar Printing, in downtown Los Angeles in 1991. Over the past six months, his children have gradually taken over operation of the business, which is now headed by his daughter, Elisabeth, a graduate of Palisades High School and Whitman College. Corwin and Janet moved to the Palisades in 1983 with their two daughters, Christine and Elisabeth. Over the years they remodeled and expanded their home to make room for their growing family, including son Michael, who was born in 1986, and who recently graduated from Oaks Christian High School, where he excelled as a varsity football player. Like Elisabeth, daughter Christine also graduated from Palisades High School. A graduate of UC Davis, she is now employed by the USC Film School. Davis was extremely proud of his children’s scholastic and athletic achievements. He also encouraged them to participate in community service organizations, and he served alongside them. His daughters were Indian Princesses and his son later joined the Y Guides organization, as members of the Tioga Tribe. Davis twice served as Nation Chief of the Y Guides and Princesses (as the program is now known). He then went on to serve on the Board of the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, serving as chairman from 1996-98. Since that time he worked tirelessly to secure title of the Temescal Canyon property for the YMCA, a task that remains to be completed. A lifelong fitness devotee and advocate, in recent years Davis could be found at Gold’s Gym in Venice at 5:30 each morning before going to work. He continued this schedule even after surgery last year to remove a cancerous kidney. His dedication to community fitness was further evidenced by his dedication to coaching youth soccer teams from 1986-1994. The family home is lined with photos of Corwin and his kids sporting the multicolored jerseys of such teams as the Bumblebees, the Green Machine and the Pink Panthers. Davis continued to be active in the Boy Scouts over the past decade, serving as an Assistant Scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 223. He enjoyed organizing and leading camping trips for the troop, and was especially proud to see his son, Michael, earn his Eagle Scout award. A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 31 at Community United Methodist Church on Via de la Paz. Donations may be made in lieu of flowers to the Palisades-Malibu YMCA, 821 Via de la Paz, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
Summer Business Roundup in the Village
The storefront at 15276 Antioch will soon go from selling diamonds to selling dial tones. Pierre Onassis, owner of Onassis Jewelry, has subleased his 1,000-sq.-ft. space between Noah’s Bagels and The Coffee Bean to USA Wireless, which is currently renovating the premises for a September opening. According to managing partner Vince Nguyen, USA Wireless will sell a variety of cell phones and services, including Verizon, Nextel, Cingular, Sprint and T-Mobile. If the store is a success ‘we will open others,’ he said. Asked about the fate of his jewelry store, Onassis told the Palisadian-Post, ‘I am not going out of business. I am simply moving my operations back downtown.’ Prior to opening his store here in December 2002, Onassis had operated a jewelry business in the Los Angeles Diamond District for more than 20 years. He and his family moved to the Palisades in 2000. He said he will continue to work with his wife, Sabah, and they will sell jewelry wholesale. They can now be reached at (213) 244-1100. o o o Mid-summer finds plenty of other business activity going on in the Palisades Village, with one business closing down (Contentment), another changing hands (Littlebits), and several other storefronts under construction’slowed only by the City of L.A.’s permit and inspection process. New businesses planning a late summer, early fall opening include: ”Chefmakers, the new cooking academy at 872 Via de la Paz, formerly Sheila May Permanent Makeup Studio. Owner Rick Klein, a Palisadian, said that while several celebrity chefs have been lined up for the fall ‘it would be premature to say who they are as we have yet to finalize the schedule.’ Klein did say, however, that within two weeks people could start signing up for cooking classes online (www.chefmakers.com.) ”Renovations are progressing at 1022 Swarthmore, former site of Video 2010 which closed down last October. The 2,500-sq.-ft. space, located between Baskin-Robbins and Ivy Greene for Kids, will be the new home of BOCA Woman clothing boutique. ‘We’re looking forward to having 30-40 percent more space than we do now,’ said Michael Mangimelli, who has secured a five-year lease and will be paying approximately $3 a square foot. There is still no word on what will become of the current BOCA Woman site located at 15260 Antioch. Mangimelli and his wife, Denise, also own BOCA Man at the corner of Swarthmore and Antioch. ”The owners of the new Italian cafe at 863 Swarthmore, formerly Il Sogno, are awaiting approval from the Department of Alcohol Beverage Control for a beer and wine license. Palisadian Robert Mackston and his partner Kevin O’Connell plan to offer family-style dining in both the indoor and outdoor areas. The prospective menu includes pastas, salads, pizza and sandwiches. The owners have already completely gutted the interior, leaving only the familiar brick fireplace, and propose to call the new eatery Beech Street Pizzeria. ”Work continues at the former Anna Marie’s Boutique at 857 Via de la Paz, which closed in May. Anna Marie Tomasello, who opened her women’s boutique in 1995, sold her lease to a Palisades couple who are making improvements on the 500-sq.-ft. space and will reopen as a women’s clothing store. ”The ownership of Littlebits, at the corner of Swarthmore and Antioch, is expected to change hands in August. The children’s clothing shop is being purchased by Pam and Paul Hayer, who own Tattle Tails, a children’s clothing shop in Claremont. The couple have not yet decided whether they will retain the Littlebits name. ”Philips French Cleaners at 15224 Sunset, which has been in business in the Palisades since 1988, has completed renovations next door, in the space formerly occupied by Palace Fireplace. Meera Cho, owner of Philips with her husband Jeff, said they have invested in some new equipment to provide more ‘environmentally-correct dry cleaning services.’ ”In June, Palace Fireplace moved two blocks up the street to 15335 Sunset, adjacent to Emerson LeMay Cleaners. Besides selling fireplace screens and accessories, Palace also sells ‘mailboxes and barbecue grills,’ said owner Armond Vartanian. ”Quizno’s Sandwich Shop, located beside Starbucks in the Business Block building, opened in June in the former Haagen-Dazs space. The national franchise is known for its submarine sandwiches made with toasted specialty breads. ”Contentment, which occupies one of the largest retail spaces on the main floor of the business complex at 970 Monument, will officially close down July 31 when its three-year sublease with Kinko’s ends. According to Taryn Rudon, property manager for Equity Pacific which owns the complex, negotiations are under way to open at least one, ‘and possibly two’ new restaurants in that space. Admitting there is a lot of speculation as to the kind of restaurant, or restaurants, that will open there, ‘from Italian to Greek to Indian to Asian to Mexican to Japanese,’ she said she was unable to confirm anything ‘until we work out all the details,’ which is expected to take several more weeks. ”Early this month, Mogan’s Cafe, which is owned by Palisades Chamber of Commerce president David Williams, added a dinner menu, offering American comfort food. In May, Williams sold his Cafe Misto, three doors down from Mogan’s, to Lucia’s, an Italian eatery which only serves dinner. Both restaurants are located in the lower Highlands Plaza, off Palisades Drive. o o o ”The only advertised storefront currently available for lease in the Village is the former Emerson-LeMay site (1,600-sq.-ft.) at 1045 Swarthmore, which has been vacant since March 2003.
Movies in the Park Continues Saturday Night with “Grease”
As its second offering, the Movies in the Park series will feature ‘Grease’ this Saturday, July 31, on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center, 861 Alma Real. Admission is free. Over 400 people of all ages came to see ‘E.T.’ at the park last Saturday, spreading out blankets on the outfield grass at the south end of the playing fields. ‘It was a big hit, exceeding everyone’s expectations,’ said Arnie Wishnick, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce, one of the sponsoring groups. ‘We’re hearing rave reviews; one person even suggested that Norman Rockwell had visited the Palisades.’ Before there was ‘Hairspray’ there was ‘Grease,’ starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing, Eve Arden, Edd ‘Kookie’ Brynes, Sid Caesar, Dinah Manoff and Frankie Avalon as The Teen Angel. You’ll hear the songs: ‘Grease Is The Word,’ ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You,’ ‘Look At Me, I’m Sandra Dee,’ ‘Sandy,’ ‘Greased Lightening,’ ‘Summer Nights,’ ‘Beauty School Dropout’ and ‘We Go Together.’ Future films in the series include ‘Indiana Jones and The Raiders of the Lost Ark’ on August 7 and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on August 14. Movies on the 15-by-20 foot screen start at dusk, with seating on the grass beginning at 7 p.m. Bring your own picnic and blankets, but please no chairs with stick legs. And, no alcohol. Snacks and drinks will be sold by the Boy Scouts. ‘Wear warm clothing,’ Wishnick said. ‘We learned Saturday that it can get chilly in the evening at the park.’ This week, two speakers will be added (making a total of six speakers) to spread the surround sound throughout the audience and reduce the volume for the neighbors. ‘Outdoor cinema is a phenomenon that is spreading throughout the country,’ Wishnick said. ‘Other communities also want to get out and be with the family and be with nature.’ The major sponsor of Movies in the Park is Wachovia Securities. Other sponsors are Friends of Film, American Legion Post 283 and the Palisades Junior Women’s Club. Helping to make the evening safe is Palisades Patrol, while Chrysalis cleans the park afterwards. Movies in the Park committee members include David Williams, Sandy Derby, Roberta Donohue, Sandy Eddy, Andy Frew, Brad Lusk, Roy Robbins, Bob Sharka, John Wirth and Bob and Marika Tur. Visit www.palisadeschamber.com or contact 459-7963 for more information.
Renaissance and Business on Alma Real
Photo by Linda Renaud
Greg Schem, a Highlands resident and managing partner of the 881 Alma Real building, said Thursday that he’s pleased about working out a five-year lease with the new Renaissance Academy Charter High School. The Palisades-headquartered school has leased 13,000 sq.ft. in the three-story commercial/professional building. Administrative offices will be located on the ground floor, with classrooms (grades 9 through 12) on the lower terrace, the same level as Fancy Feet Dance Studio, Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Studio, and Curves Fitness and Weight-Loss Center. ‘I think having a school in here is a great idea,’ Schem said. ‘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 and the Village School annex currently under construction at the corner of La Cruz and Alma Real. Schem’s investment group purchased the 58,370-sq.-ft. building in foreclosure in October 2000. He said that he did not have to vacate any tenants to accommodate Renaissance and doesn’t anticipate any problems with existing tenants, the largest being the real estate firm Prudential John Aaroe on the ground floor. Two dozen other tenants in the building provide a range of medical, legal and financial services. ‘The only problem I can see us having is perhaps with security,’ said Dr. Phil Kamins, who has had his dental practice on the top floor of the building for over 10 years. The new public school, which will have its own entrance at the rear of the building, will take over the space formerly occupied by Bouquet Multimedia, a post-production company. Renovations, which include converting existing editing suites into classrooms, as well as the addition of two restrooms, will begin as soon as permits are issued by the L.A. Department of Building and Safety. ‘I am very excited about the building,’ said Paul McLaughlin, the founding director of Renaissance. ‘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 Santa Monica College.’ Even though the school expects an initial enrollment of 300 students, most of them from the Palisades area, ‘not all of them will occupy the Alma Real building at the same time,’ McLaughlin said. Traffic problems in the already congested neighborhood will also be minimized ‘as the students will either be bused in or will walk to the building.’ While there will be parking for faculty, students ‘will not be allowed’ to park in the building’s underground lot. Still to be decided is whether students will be allowed off-campus at lunchtime. ‘Our primary concern is for their safety,’ McLaughlin said. According to the LAUSD, all that is required to open a public school in a commercial building, such as Alma Real, is that ‘it meet city health and safety standards,’ said Andrew Glazier, director of legislative affairs. ‘Given the lack of available classroom space in LAUSD, we have seen schools in recent years locate in church basements and in many different kinds of commercial settings that have been successfully converted for classroom use.’ Glazier added, ‘As long as the school meets the State of California education requirements, public hearings are not necessary in such situations.’ McLaughlin began exploring the Alma Real building as a potential campus through the suggestion of Palisadian David Eagle, founder of the New West Middle School. Eagle had approached Schem several years ago about locating his school in the building. Schem wasn’t interested at the time ‘but the more I thought about it,’ Schem said, ‘the more I came to see that it could be a good fit.’ New West opened last fall in a former furniture warehouse in West L.A., and plans to open a second campus on the former site of the Santa Ynez Inn on Sunset in the fall of 2005. Renaissance Academy will give the community three high schools, joining Palisades High, which has 2,650 students, and Temescal Canyon, which has about 80 students. Asked what he thought the impact the student population will have on the Alma Real building, Tom Price, who has owned Palisades Village Pharmacy on the ground floor since 2000, said: ‘I don’t know. It might get a little hectic around here but I’m willing to give it a chance.’
