It’s hard to believe that Emil Wroblicky, who could be called Mr. American Legion for his outstanding commitment to the local Post, joined the organization through sheer expedience. But 25 years ago, he and his wife Alice were simply looking for a hall to hold their son?s wedding reception. “We found out that the hall [on La Cruz] is free for Legionnaires,” recalls the ex-Marine. “All you had to pay was $35 for the clean-up man.” Wroblicky officially joined the group in 1978 but jumped in enthusiastically about eight years ago when his Legion buddy, the late Bill Warwachek, lamented that the group’s dinner-dances at the Legion hall weren’t drawing enough guests. Emil immediately thought: Bring in good music and they will come. “I was always interested in jazz and Dixieland from listening to the radio as a kid and I later used to drive all over to hear those people who played with the best – Count Basie and Duke Ellington,” Emil says. Over time, he got to know a few of them, guys like Abe Most (leading clarinetist for Benny Goodman) and Ernie Bernardi, who besides being a L. A. City Councilman for many years, played alto saxophone for Les Brown. So Emil invited them to play, and charged members $12.50 for the evening, eight years ago. “Where can you get a good dinner and a good band for that?” says Emil, adding that the price has since jumped to $20, but still boasts of terrific food, music and linen table dressings! Wroblicky moved up at the Legion, serving as commander one year and building the membership while continuing to arrange for bigger and better bands.”Most posts have to raise money through fundraisers of one kind or another, but thanks to our revenue from the U.S. Post Office building and the Sav-On building, we can give more money to support the veterans and pay a little more for the bands.” Emil has carried the banner for good music beyond the Legion Hall and onto the streets by wooing top military bands to march in the Palisades Fourth of July parade. Last year, the 1st Marine Division Band from Camp Pendleton lent some real spit and polish to the parade lineup. PAPA, the parade organizing committee, will honor the Wroblickys this July 4 by having the couple ride as parade marshals, right behind reviewing officer General Carl Jensen, commanding officer at Miramar Marine Air Station. His Miramar band will be close behind. Wroblicky says that occasionally he is accused of favoring the Marine Corps, but again, he knows how to get things done. “I am supporting all the veterans regardless what branch,” Emil says, adding “But, once a Marine, always a Marine. It makes it easier.” In 2001, Wroblicky invited Marine Commandant (“That’s like the president of the Marine Corps”) Michael Hagee to be the parade?s reviewing officer. “Here was this 3-star general at the time, riding along the parade route, when all of a sudden he jumped out of the car and posed with our grandchildren,” Emil recalls. “The reviewing officers help put the Palisades parade on the map,” Alice says. “These guys have a good time and they’re well taken care of by the Legion.” Emil and Alice, who have been married for 54 years and have lived in the Palisades since 1957, haven’t missed a parade yet. “The parade used to get started on Earlham, so it would always pass by our house on Swarthmore,” Alice says. Over the years their three sons joined them and then over time, one of more of their nine grandchildren. Both Midwesterners, the Wroblickys met at a church dance in 1947 in Blue Island, south of Chicago. After earning his B.A. degree on the GI Bill at Drake University and a master’s degree at Notre Dame, Emil got a job as head football coach at St. Monica’s. The young couple packed up the car and drove Route 66 out to California so Emil could start his new job after Labor Day 1951. Two years at St. Monica’s and 33 years at Cal State Los Angeles, where he coached and taught physical education, proved to be a satisfying and full career for Emil. Alice involved herself with the children and now grandchildren?s activities, and supported Emil. “I get involved because he?s involved,” she says. “I always end up being secretary and official greeter at the Legion functions.” These days, Emil travels the country to participate in American Legion conventions and meetings. The highlight of his and Alice’s involvement was the five days they spent in Washington, D. C. last week for the World War II Memorial festivities. The day before the official dedication, the Wroblickys were invited to the Marine Barracks (the oldest U.S. Marine Post in the United States) to view the biggest parade of all, viewing the Drum and Bugle Corps, Silent Drill Platoon (that responds without verbal commands) and the President’s own U.S. Marine Band. “A thunderstorm came up while we were waiting,” says Alice. “I asked one of the Marines if he thought the parade would be canceled. He said, “The Marines would never cancel for the rain.”

Ronald and Nancy Reagan resided in the Pacific Palisades for 29 years (1953-1982) before moving to Washington, D.C., after he was elected to the presidency. The Reagans bought their first house in the Riviera on upper Amalfi Drive, shortly after their marriage. In her autobiography Nancy wrote, ‘A lot of our friends felt we were foolish to move so far from the heart of Hollywood, but we wanted to be farther out of town and have never regretted it.’ At the time, Reagan had just completed a 5-year stint as president of the Screen Actors Guild and had appeared in a series of box office flops, including ‘Bedtime For Bonzo’ and ‘Tropic Zone.’ In 1954, Reagan began hosting ‘General Electric Theater,’ and in January 1957, he and Nancy moved to the innovative G.E. showcase house at 1669 San Onofre Dr., designed by architect William R. Stephenson. The nearly 5,000-sq.-ft. ranch-style home featured 3-bedrooms, 3-baths, a film projection room, servants quarters, an octagonal pool and a panoramic view of Santa Monica Bay. The property also featured all-GE electrical installations, inside and out, to control temperature, heat, light and the intercom system. For the Reagans, the Palisades was a retreat where the family could live relatively undisturbed until he was elected California governor in 1966. After that, the family spent most of the next eight years in Sacramento. While trips to the Palisades were rare, the couple caused a stir whenever they showed up to vote at their neighborhood polling station. In early 1981, the Reagans put their home on the market for $1.9 million, and it was finally purchased a year later by Morris and Belle Halpern. They sold to Norman and Irma Switzer in 1988. Before the Reagans left for Washington, there was a farewell party for them at the Riviera Country Club, where they were feted by 500 invited guests from the community. Shortly afterwards, the couple ended their formal association with the Palisades when they chose to locate the Western White House at their Santa Barbara ranch.

More than 20 of the town’s favorite elders’a hearty group of residents who are 90 years and older’had their annual birthday party together last Saturday, courtesy of the Palisades Junior Women’s Club. ”With Joe Napolitano, 104, and Rose Rhodes, 99, holding court as the oldest man and woman in the room, the special guests enjoyed a luncheon served by Junior Women members and a half-dozen of their daughters in the Woman’s Club (which was donated for the occasion). ”Napolitano, who still lives independently at his home in the Alphabet streets, is now enjoying his third century, having been born to Italian parents on a freighter off Gibraltar in 1899. He said he’s looking forward to turning 105 on August 19. ”Rhodes, who lives with her nephew and niece on Lachman Lane, will join the century club on November 1. ”The second oldest partygoer was Emery Stoops, 101, a former college educator who is still an active financial adviser. He said he also enjoys working every day in his vegetable garden and fruit orchard in the Riviera. ”Other attendees included Katherine Abbott, 98; Nancy and Victor Boesen, age 91 and 95 respectively; Wilma and George Tauxe, both 90; Maria Reichenbach, 95; Helen Mariol, 94; Joe Kingsley, 94; Harold Waterhouse, 93; Max Gerchik, 93; Mary Elizabeth Gall, 92; Valera Mueting, 91; Jeri McKee, 91; Dr. Leonard Montage, 91; Bob Willet, 91; Dorothy Miller, 91; Louis Shack, 90; Mary Hanzelin, 90; and Carl Christol, 90, a USC professor emeritus who said he swims at the YMCA pool ‘every day’rain or shine, cold or hot.’ ”Junior Women president Jenifer Byington thanked Helen Levin and Lynn Burlin for organizing the event, and introduced three young girls’Grace Levin and Camille and Madeline Oswald’who sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and ‘The Grand Old Flag.’

The latest Potrero Canyon hearing began with a bombshell last Thursday evening when Jane Adrian told Community Council members that within a month she would no longer be in charge of the massive infill project. In fact, the entire building and construction department within Recreation and Parks’which has been responsible for Potrero since work began in 1986’will be folded into the city’s Bureau of Engineering. ”Given this unexpected leadership void, the Community Council moved forward and unanimously passed a motion reiterating its intention to play a vital and public role in the planning and financing of Phase III in Potrero. This final phase is the currently unfocused and unfunded completion of Potrero Park, from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. ”The council’s motion, which was unanimously passed and forwarded to City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, reads as follows: ”’Opposes the sale of 33 residential lots as presented in the draft motion received by the Board on May 27, under signature of Councilperson Miscikowski; Supports the sale of a sufficient number, but no more, of the City-owned developed (improved) parcels in Potrero Canyon to fund the completion of Phase II, but not Phase III; Supports the sale of such additional City-owned parcels in Potrero Canyon, incrementally and sequentially (taking into account the environmental impact upon the surrounding neighborhood), as is necessary to fund Phase III only after further input from the community is sought by the City regarding the design and plan of Phase III, the Community Council approves such design and plan, and such design and plan includes, but is not limited to, the following particulars: ”’Entrance(s) to the park, permanent funding for park maintenance, restoration of riparian habitat, parking and bathrooms, recreational pads, construction of a walk bridge from the mouth of Potrero Canyon over PCH to beach parking, environmental clearance of project upon abutting neighborhoods, landscaping and permissible uses. ”’All funds raised by such sales of parcels shall be deposited into the proposed escrow account/trust fund and all such deposits shall be used exclusively for the Potrero Canyon Project until completion of all phases.’

Only 26 of a possible 514 members of the Palisades Drive Recreation Association showed up at Tuesday night’s special meeting to recall the board of directors. Even though there was not a quorum, or enough proxy ballots to hold an official meeting, that did not prevent the mudslinging, which went on for some 40 minutes before it was abruptly brought to a halt by board member Angie Cloke. ”Cloke, an attorney and Highlands resident, suggested ‘a new date be set for the recall with new proxy ballots.’ ”The campaign to oust the 5-member board began in February when a small group of dissidents, unhappy with the management of Highlands Park, a recently completed three-acre site off Palisades Drive, sent a letter to homeowners in the area accusing the board of ‘fiscal irresponsibility, violation of the bylaws, and non-responsiveness to the members, allowing for a small minority to obtain control of the association.’ ”The letter was signed by Mitch Chupack, Peter Culhane, Alan Rubin, Art Zussman and former PDRA president Peter Bos, who started the verbal sniping after his group was chastised by Melanie Bingham, legal counsel to the board. ”Bingham declared that while the proxy ballots sent by the board were proper, those prepared by the dissidents were ‘defective’ since they only offered residents the option of removing the board and not retaining it, as required by Section 7514 of the Civil Code. Also, the ballot only provided for two write-in candidates, instead of up to the allowable five. ”Bos retorted that ‘the intent’ of residents to recall the board ‘was clear’ and sufficient in his view to validate the ballot. Bingham disagreed and, after sparring with Bos over some of the wording, declared: ‘You can never be too clear when it comes to meeting the requirements of the code.’ ”Acknowledging that the proxy ballot needed improvement, Zussman suggested a revised version which he suggested could be used next time, a suggestion that was rejected by some residents. ”’I object to sending out a proxy that is negotiated [with the opposition],’ said former PDRA president Greg Schem. ‘I’m a homeowner. This is our board, which we have elected. Let the board prepare the proxy. And I object to the continued inference by a select few that this volunteer board, which has given so much of its time, is incompetent. It’s not in the spirit of what a neighborhood should be.’ ”Attorney Sheri Price, whose home is adjacent to the park, agreed. ‘Shenanigans is what it is, and it has been going on for years,’ said Price, referring to the recall and the battle over control of the park, which is owned by PDRA. ”’This is why residents don’t want to get involved,’ offered another participant, alluding to the low turnout at the meeting, which was held at the Palisades Hills Club House on Monte Hermoso. ”Bos said that the recall was necessary because of what he viewed as the board’s ‘cumulation of blunders,’ and its ‘one failure after another.’ He pointed to the expenditure of legal fees and recent purchase of playground equipment for the park which he said was done ‘without proper consultation. We all love the park, we love the kids, we love the dogs. That is not the problem. It is this board that is the problem.’ ”At which point new board member Andy Caster asked Bos how he, Caster, could be a problem when he was only elected last month. ”’This is my first board meeting. I just got elected. Angie just got elected. Steve [Abraham] just got reelected. Are you talking about us? And if residents are so concerned, as you suggest, how did we get voted in? ‘ ”Bos suggested it was through ‘chaos’ and a series of ‘errors’ that Caster ‘somehow got on the board,’ which led to more sparring, and to Cloke finally suggesting an end to the meeting. ”New proxy ballots will be prepared by the board and sent to residents and a new recall will be held within 30 days. For information on the recall and how Highlands residents can join PDRA in order to gain access to the gated park contact Helmut Martinek (457-1330). (Editor’s note: In our front page story last week (‘Power Struggle Over Highlands Park’) the reference in the ‘Urgent’Save Your Park’ letter should have read that ‘a small MINORITY of Highlands homeowners strongly oppose the park’, as opposed to: ‘A small majority…’. Also, three Highland residents who do not live in the originally designated areas’which includes Palisades Hills, Vista del Mar, Vista Catalina, and the Summit’have now joined PDRA. Besides Angie Cloke and Tracy Landau, Ann Triplett Chappel is now a member.)

Paul Revere art students won second place in a recent citywide traffic safety mural contest. The students’sixth, seventh and eighth graders’painted a mural about pedestrian safety with the theme of ‘Be Smart, Don’t Dart.’.” ”’A boy at our school got hit by a car and died; we did this for him,’ said sixth grader Angelica Huggins, referring to the death in September of sixth grader Carlos Macario. He was killed while crossing Sunset at Allenford when he ran across the busy street, against the light, to catch a bus home. ”The students designed and painted the mural themselves as part of an afterschool class led by art teacher Pennie Dobkin. As part of their prize, the school received a check for $500 to benefit the art program, and each student received a certificate and a bag of goodies from the sponsors. ”The contest was sponsored by the LAPD, Auto Club, the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association), SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association), and the Otis School of Art and Design, which judged the entries. Paint was donated by Dunn-Edwards and Norris Hardware. ”The mural, painted in the west driveway of the school, off of Allenford, features a girl chasing a soccer girl into the street, with cars stopped at a crosswalk. The front of the mural features a teacher (who the students say was modeled after music teacher Lara Jacques) holding out her arms to stop the students from crossing. A fellow off to the side of the rectangle points into the mural. ”’Each of us drew a picture of what we wanted it to be, then we drew on the wall with pencil,’ said eighth grader Amanda Mohagen. ‘Then we filled it in.’ ”’I made new friends,’ said eighth grader Steven Garcia. ‘We got a chance to stay after school and it was nice working with the other people.’ Garcia enjoyed the painting part of the mural process, standing on scaffolding and ladders. ”The students worked after school every Wednesday and also put in some time on the weekends. The biennial contest, which started in 1998, switches between high schools and middle schools. ”Other schools’ murals focused on seatbelt usage, gridlock, parking safety and other issues, but pedestrian safety is the focus of the Revere mural. ”’It’s a good way to get the message out,’ says LAPD West Traffic Officer Bill Williamson. ‘The students take pride in creating something with a positive message for all students.’ ”’It’s also recognition for school art departments. It’s a big endeavor for art teachers and dedicated students.’ ”The new captain of the West Traffic Division, Captain Baca, was also on hand to give the students their awards. ”Principal Art Copper says that Revere is one of the few schools that still has art in the curriculum. There are five art classes on the schedule as well as an afterschool class. ”’They loved doing it,’ Dobkin says of her students. ‘They had a great time.’