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Pharmaca Emphasizes Wellness over Illness

With a strong customer base already established from the old Bay Pharmacy, Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy introduced its first store in Southern California last week with 300 visitors attending the grand opening. Pharmaca hopes to build on this customer base in developing an alternative and natural remedies clientele. Continuing to provide prescription services, Pharmaca also offers a variety of supplements and natural care items, as well as regular over-the-counter medicines. The chain, launched in 2000 in Boulder, Colorado, has focused its strategy on taking over independent pharmacies in locations with highly educated populations, but where wellness practices are accepted, such as in Boulder, Mill Valley and Santa Fe. To date, the company has 11 pharmacies in Colorado, California, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington. In trying to establish a new niche, Pharmaca’s challenge will be to encourage pharmacy customers with an illness mindset to learn about complementary and integrative medicine with a wellness mindset. Company founder and CEO Barry Perzow, who was on hand at last week’s grand opening, described the ideal customer. ‘My hope is that when you come in here and speak to one of our practitioners, you would learn something you didn’t know about how to take care of yourself, something that would influence your lifestyle.’ Along with medications, Pharmaca staff also dispense plenty of information to customers. For example, when a customer buys a regular prescription drug, he or she will also learn about natural products that counteract the medicine’s side effects. In addition, over-the-counter products are displayed alongside their homeopathic counterparts. For example, in the eye care section, the Bausch & Lomb eye care products are displayed with the all-natural Optique. On the cold remedy shelf, throat lozenges are displayed with the echinacea throat spray. Pharmaca does not advocate one approach over another but offers consumers appropriate professional advice employing pharmacists, herbalists, a homeopath, naturopath and esthetician. ‘Part of what we do is offer free consulting on topics such as diet, nutrition, herbal remedies, drug interaction and nutrient depletion,’ Perzow said. Pharmaca has created a space for health screenings and a Practitioner’s Kiosk equipped with computers and reference materials. Nina Yannoukos is the Palisades store’s homeopath. With a four-year degree and three years of pre-med training in her native South Africa, she will be available four days a week to consult with customers. ‘As a homeopathic doctor, I will try to delve deeper into a patient’s history,’ she said. ‘I will make a good evaluation of all their symptoms, including physical, environmental and spiritual to try to find one cause.’ In addition to Yannoukos, naturopathic doctor Lisa Fillis will be in the store four days a week. A naturopathic doctor is a certified primary care physician in California, who looks at a broad spectrum of therapies, including medical prescriptions, supplements, herbs, vitamins and homeopathy. An acupuncturist is also on staff, and store manager Mindy Taylor is an herbalist. Breaking away from Pharmaca’s model of a small (3,500-4,000 sq. ft.) store, emphasizing an intimate, personalized philosophy, the Palisades store is 9,600 sq. ft., which presented a challenge to founding partner Russell Precious, the store’s design consultant. Precious said that several things made the remodel tricky, including keeping the store open throughout the three-month construction. ‘The other challenge was the fact that the store has two entrances, which presented a sort of feng shui confusion.’ Customers who enter from the back, near Palisades Car Wash, will encounter Palisades Flowers, which is moving from its current location on Sunset. Customers entering from Sunset are greeted with a newspaper rack and magazine display, which includes a number of foreign magazines. The overall space is bright and open. Halogen track lights are positioned above the aisles and alcoves to keep merchandise displays well lighted. ‘We light the product, not the people,’ Precious said. The design team also created alcoves to define product categories, such as supplements, natural skin care, candles and aromatherapy. Consistent with the store’s philosophy of using natural and eco-friendly products, the store’s low-pile carpet is made from recycled materials, the special water-based latex paint is low in volatile organic compounds. Light-colored paint and shelving contribute to the sense of openness. Renovations also added a 1,000- sq.- ft. event and community room, along with a cosmetic and beauty boutique. Jo Ann Issenman, Pharmaca partner and category manager, edited down the bodycare lines to eight’all biodynamic and organic’in various price points. The facial treatment room will feature the Australia-based skin care product line from Jurlique. Right now, Pharmaca is the first and only place holder in this new healthcare niche in Los Angeles. The store is betting on aging baby boomers to provide a substantial customer base and is planning another store soon in Brentwood.

Momma Reiner’s Fudge Factory: Open for Business

Guests at Momma Reiner’s ‘fudge factory’ are enticed through the entryway of her Palisades home and towards the sweet, chocolaty smell coming from her sunlit kitchen. There, the aproned Kimberly Reiner stands over an island counter dipping a long spoon into a large pot of hot fudge and dropping spoonfuls onto sheets of wax paper. Row by row, column after column, the meringue-shaped treats accumulate on the counter, each made with the artful swirl of Reiner’s hand. ‘I like the dipping part,’ Reiner says, smiling as she methodically finishes spooning out the batch of about 130 pieces of fudge. Reiner has been making the chocolate delicacy for family and friends during the winter holiday season since she was about 5 years old, first with her mother, then as an adult with her own family. Now, at the suggestion of friend and Palisadian business owner Patti Black, she’s selling her homemade fudge exclusively at Black Ink (873 Swarthmore) through Christmas. ‘Patti inspired me [to sell],’ says Reiner, who admits that while ‘multiple stores’ have expressed interest in carrying her fudge, she wanted ‘to do things right’ by introducing it at her friend’s shop in town. Reiner and Black were neighbors for years in the Las Casas/Grenola neighborhood, where Reiner still lives with her husband, Steve, and sons, Alex, 5-1/2, and Emmett, 21 months. Alex attends Calvary Christian School. ‘Kimberly’s been giving [the fudge] to me every Christmas and I’ve been telling her we should sell it,’ says Black, who’s been in the customized stationery business since 1998. ‘It’s selling great. People come in every day for samples [available at the counter].’ Reiner says that her business background helped her turn this new adventure into a viable venture. A graduate of Pepperdine Law School, she worked for five years as an immigration attorney in Los Angeles and Houston, Texas, where she and her husband moved after marrying in 1997. Originally from Beverly Hills, Reiner put her law career on hold when Alex was born. Her Texas friends gave her the name ‘Momma Reiner’ because she was the first among them to have a baby. When her husband’s job brought them them back to L.A. in late 1999, the same friends presented her with a white apron with the nickname embroidered on it. Even when Reiner was working as an attorney, she says she always made fudge for the holidays. ‘It’s innate; I can’t control it. I think it brings back [childhood] memories.’ She believes that the family fudge-making tradition began with her maternal grandmother, who used to make it with her daughter (Reiner’s mother, Terri Aidikoff). Each generation, however, has its own method, or touch. ‘[My mom] wings it more than I do,’ says Reiner, who keeps suggesting that they have a ‘fudge-off’ to see how their fudge tastes different. ‘I have to lay everything out perfectly; it’s like a rhythm.’ Part of what Reiner loves about the process is that it’s ‘relaxing and methodical,’ something she can do ‘in between carpool, after-school play dates and soccer.’ Her kids are the taste-testers once a batch has been made, which takes about an hour, not including the approximately four hours she allows for the fudge to sit. ‘I always knew I wanted to start a business,’ Reiner says. ‘It was either start a fudge business or go back to law, and that’s still on the back burner.’ The natural evolution of what she refers to as her ‘cottage industry’ is part of what she believes makes her fudge so special. ‘I think my label says it all: ‘Homemade in a little kitchen on a little street in a little village by the sea.” While she won’t reveal the ‘secret recipe,’ Reiner does say that the fudge has to boil at a high temperature and has to be the proper consistency before it’s shaped into pieces and set out to dry. At the present time, Reiner is only selling semisweet chocolate fudge ‘to keep it simple,’ but she’s already experimenting with a butterscotch recipe and plans to have three different chocolate combinations: nuts, coconut and Grand Marnier or Kahlua. The sweet treats are available for immediate purchase, in either a pint-sized box with between 11 and 15 pieces ($15) or a smaller box with three to four pieces ($5), and can be ordered for larger events. ‘It’s heartwarming and evokes the holiday spirit,’ Reiner says, explaining that each year, she and her son, Alex, drive around and drop fudge off at the homes of family and friends, with Alex acting as the elf. ‘I hope I don’t get too busy, so I can still continue the holiday tradition with my son.’ If the business grows too big for her kitchen, Reiner says she will move it to a commercial kitchen. ‘Ultimately, I’d like to have a store,’ she says. ‘As it gets bigger, it will become more structured, but now I’m just having fun.’ Contact: 454-2704 or ks.reiner@verizon.net.

Upcoming Musical Events

SM Symphony and Crossroads Chamber in Concert Sunday ”The Santa Monica Symphony will be joined by the Crossroads School Chamber Orchestra and baritone Jubilant Sykes in a free concert on Sunday, December 12, at 7:30 p.m., to celebrate the symphony’s 60th Anniversary. The concert is at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, 1855 Main Street. ”Under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Allen Robert Gross, the Santa Monica Symphony will open the program with the exciting new piece ‘Momentum’ by Chen Yi, which depicts the thunderous power of a volcano and captures the sweeping dynamism of Chinese calligraphy with themes from traditional Chinese music. ”The Santa Monica Crossroads School Chamber Orchestra, under director Alexander Treger, will play Tchaikovsky’s melodic ‘Souvenir of Florence.’ ”Sykes will sing a selection of traditional American songs and spirituals. ”The program also includes Dvorak’s Eighth Symphony. ”Continuing a 60-year tradition, admission is free to the concerts of the Santa Monica Symphony. Parking in the city’s Civic Auditorium lot is $8. ”A pre-concert talk by Raymond Knapp will take place in the Meeting Room at 6:45 p.m. o o o Mansfield Chamber Singers to Present December Concerts ”The Mansfield Chamber Singers, directed by Kenneth Wells, will begin their 25th anniversary season with two concerts on the theme ‘Singer, Awake and Arise.’ ”The first performance will take place at 4 p.m., Sunday, December 12 at St. Augustine By-the-Sea Episcopal Church, 1227 Fourth St. The second will be at 2 p.m. Saturday, December 18 at Grace Lutheran Church, 4427 Overland in Culver City. ”The music ranges from 17th to the 21st centuries. From the Baroque era are ‘Sing Ye Muses’ by John Blow (Purcell’s teacher) and the ‘Magnificat’ by Pachelbel. The Romantics are represented by Mendelssohn’s ‘Verleih uns Frieden’ and the finale to Beethoven’s ‘Choral Fantasy.’ ”Works by contemporary composers Daniel E. Gawthrop, David Mooney, Robert Applebaum, Howard Helvey, Kenneth Wells and other complete the program. ”Voluntary donations are requested. Contact: 234-0215. o o o Musical Tribute to Highlight Early Broadway ”Operetta Archives presents a musical and theatrical tribute to early Broadway musicals on Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19 at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall. ”This staged tribute features songs and medley drawn from their shows from the first quarter of the century by four theatrical giants’Victor Herbert, Rudolf Frimi, Jerome Kern and Sigmund Romberg. Familiar works include Mlle. Modiste, the Firefly, The Girl from Utah, and Maytime, and rare gems from shows like ‘The Lady of The Slipper, ‘high Jinks, ‘She’s a Good Fellow, ‘ and ‘Robinson Crusoe, Jr.’ that have fallen into theatrical oblivion. ”The music director/pianist for the concerts will be Victoria Kirsch, one of Southern California’s most respected accompanists, and stage direction by Steven A. Daigle, head of Eastman Opera Theater at the Eastman School of Music. ”Operetta Archives is a private research library in Culver City that houses the country’s largest collection of operetta-related material such as recordings, scores, books, sheet music and posters. ”For tickets ($25), contact 825-2101. o o o Mount St. Mary’s to Present Christmas Choral Concert ”Mount St. Mary’s College Department of Music present a Christmas Choral Concert on Friday, December 10 at Mary Chapel, 12001 Chalon Rd. in Brentwood. ”The Mount Chorus, Mount Singers, MSMC Alumnae and St. Monica High School Women’s Chorus will present traditional and holiday favorites featuring the music of Michael Hayden, Randall Thompson, Gustov Holst, John Rutter, Camille Saint Saens and many others. ”A $10 donation ($5 for students) is requested. o o o Westwood Chamber and Choir Presents Messiah Sing-Along ”The Westwood Chamber Orchestra celebrates the holiday season with a special ‘Messiah’ sing-along concert on Friday, December 10 at 8 p.m. at Westwood Presbyterian Church, 10822 Wilshire Blvd. ”Audience members are invited to bring their musical scores and join in as the chorus. Suggested donations at the door are $10 and there are no advance reservations. Vocal scores will also be available for purchase. ”Dr. John-Kevin Hilbert, music director, will conduct the orchestra and Westwood Presbyterian Chancel choir in performing all of Part I of Handel’s seasonal masterpiece plus additional pieces from the work. Guest soloists include Rhonda Dillon, soprano; Gale Oliver Mezzo-soprano; Miguel Vargas, tenor; Conrad Immel and Jason Heck, baritone.

Fools Parade Around at Pali with Abandon

Theater Review

What a difference 20 years makes in the world of comedy. Look at Steve Martin and Ellen DeGeneres, who abandoned the stand-up stage for the written page and talk shows. Neil Simon, whose more recent obsession with his own mortality is a disappointment to his earlier fans, once upon a time in 1981 wrote a clever farce called ‘Fools,’ which has been reprised at Palisades High School’s Mercer Hall for two weekends. Directed by the new drama department head Monica Iannessa, ‘Fools’ spins a traditional Russian folk tale about a village of idiots, who, imbued with Simon’s elastic wordplay and stage tomfoolery, provide an outrageous evening of fun. The comic fable takes place in the remote Ukrainian village of Kulyenshikov, which is charmingly recreated by set designer India Lawrence, complete with ‘Sound of Music’ sheep painted in the idyllic landscape. For 200 years, the village has been cursed with chronic stupidity, which the unfortunate innocents try to break by hiring the ecstatic school teacher Leon Tolchinsky in hopes he’ll pull them out of ignorance. The plot quickens when Leon discovers that if he fails in his efforts, he, too, will become stupid. And he has just 24 hours to put an end to the curse. With the silliness in place, the actors, mostly from Pali’s play production class, fall into their roles with an unbridled joy and energy consistent with being teens. Director Iannessa has sprung open the proscenium, allowing the actors (and musicians) to spill out into the audience and even invite us to take part in the action. This play rests on the shoulders of Leon (Adam McCrory), who is as lovable and winning as the Music Man. Skipping out onto the thrust ramp, he wins over the audience, who are batting for him all the way. Simon’s brilliant dialogue is a perfect nonsense rhyme, sprinkled with the absurd illogic of the townspeople who have no brains, but a lot of heart. When first we meet the local shepherd ‘something, something Snetsky’ (Whitney Curtis), she cannot fully introduce herself due to having forgotten her own name. And Leon’s love interest, Sophia Zubritsky (Taylor Fisher), more than proves her charming empty-headedness when she chooses yellow as her favorite color ‘because it doesn’t stick to your fingers.’ Her parents, Dr. Zubritsky (Jeremy Ungar) and Lenya (Annie Tippe), are a delight. When they can’t remember who Leon Tolchinsky is ‘He’s the best young, young, young ‘.in all of Russia,’ the gag goes on to a faretheewell. I can’t help myself for falling for a running gag, and Yenchna (Gilli Messer), the fishmonger who convinces us that her basketful of flowers is really fish, is killing. Simon, being Simon, leaves us with a valuable lesson, too. You can’t be cursed unless you permit yourself to be. ‘Fools’ is Pali’s first foray into presenting the annual fall play over two weekends. It’s a good idea, for all the excellent effort that has gone into the production. The actors have the advantage and opportunity to build upon their roles, and the musicians’a ragtag group of horn players, who parade around during the intervals with wonderful abandon’complete the theatrical experience. Performances continue December 9, 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. The preshow’full of music and fun’starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 at the door.

An Eye for Innovation

Palisadian cinematographer Don Burgess on the set of “13 Going on 30.”

Cinematographer Don Burgess received an early Christmas gift this week. Two of his movies, both with Christmas themes and both starring fellow Palisadians, were number two and three in box office grosses last weekend. ”This past spring, Burgess, ASC, was director of photography for ‘Christmas with the Kranks,’ currently the number two film, where his challenge was to make Downey look like snowy, wintry Chicago. A lifelong Palisadian who has worked steadily on films for 28 years, he shot ‘The Polar Express,’ the number three film, with longtime collaborator Robert Zemeckis in March 2003. The movie took an unusually long time to come to the theaters because of the complex computer animation process involved. ”’The Polar Express’ is the first feature-length film to be made entirely with motion capture technology in which the actors’ performances are digitally captured by computerized cameras and become human blueprints for creating virtual characters. The film, based on the children’s book by Chris Van Allsburg, tells of a doubting boy’s dreamlike train ride to the North Pole to find out if there really is a Santa Claus. ”In ‘The Polar Express,’ the actors were filmed going through the motions on a soundstage. Set up around the room were 65 infrared cameras focused on the actors, who had reflective markers all over their bodies. There were 151 separate tracking markers on the faces of each actor, so that the computer could use that information to render detailed and realistic facial expressions. ”In addition, 12 video cameras recorded the actors’ performances, which took the technology a step further. ‘The animators could watch this live version right next to the animated version they were working on. It took more of the performance out of the animators’ hands, and gave it to the actors,’ says Burgess. ”Unlike with most of his films where lighting is a huge part of his job, Burgess wasn’t involved in the lighting, which was done completely by digital artists. His challenge was to come up with problem-solving techniques for filming in this way while learning a new technology. For example, if an actor sat down on a bed, the bed would have to be made of wire mesh, so cameras could see through it and capture all of the actor’s movements three-dimensionally. ”In addition, because adult actors played child characters (including Hanks, who played multiple characters including the young ‘hero boy’), there were issues of scale to deal with. ”Burgess previously worked with his fellow Palisadian Hanks on several films including ‘Forrest Gump’ (for which Burgess was nominated for an Academy Award) and ‘Cast Away.’ ”’Tom’s a great person, number one,’ Burgess says. ‘He’s very professional, he really cares about the project, he has a wonderful work ethic and he’s a unique individual in the field.’ ”Burgess calls Zemeckis, whom he’s worked with since ‘Back to the Future, Part II,’ ‘one of the great directors working today. It’s very challenging as a cinematographer to work with him. On each film, he is always finding new ways to do a shot.’ ”One aspect of the film Burgess was not involved with was the Imax 3D version of ‘The Polar Express’ [at the Bridge]. ‘I highly recommend it,’ says Burgess, who adds that the effect of snow falling all around the viewer and the amusement park-like movement of the train ride is fun. ”For ‘Christmas with the Kranks,’ Burgess teamed with Palisadian Jamie Lee Curtis in the film directed by Joe Roth and based on a John Grisham story about a couple’s attempt to skip their normal Christmas traditions once their daughter leaves home. ‘Curtis is great, a lot of fun,’ Burgess says. ‘She’s great with the crew, wonderful to watch and a positive person.’ ”The crew built 19 houses and created their own neighborhood streets in Downey. Although this was done by the production designers, Burgess also had a part in laying out the streets so that the light would hit the houses in the right way. ‘The trick was making it look like winter. I brought in a huge crane to hold up a 100×100-ft. silk tarp over the set to make [the light] feel more wintry.’ ”In this film, lighting is a key element and Burgess is always keenly aware of where the sun is and how it will affect shooting. Weather issues, such as fogginess along the coast, are also something he has to constantly assess in order to get the light he needs. ”Burgess has a film crew of 25 to 50 people, but also enjoys the collaboration with all the other departments. ‘I work a lot with wardrobe to test fabrics, we test hair color, test paint colors, we work with all the departments to come up with the look of the film. ”’What I enjoy about the job is the variety,’ says Burgess, who has filmed all over the world. This week, he flew to Canada to scout locations for ‘Antarctica,’ an adventure film for director Frank Marshall (‘Arachnophobia’). When his three kids were younger, he and his wife Bonnie, also a lifelong Palisadian, would take the kids and live in different locations, including Chicago, South Carolina and Israel, while he was filming. ”Now that his children are older, he tries to find a balance between shooting closer to home and on location. His oldest daughter, Lindsy, a nurse, is married to Michael Junger, and the Palisades couple are expecting their first child in January. Son Michael, 21, is a student at Santa Barbara City College who will enter USC Film School in the fall, and daughter Brittany, 17, is a junior at Marymount. ”Don and Bonnie met at the age of 10 when her father was his Pop Warner football coach, and began dating in their 20s. They both attended local schools, including Paul Revere and Palisades High School. ”Burgess, who studied photography throughout high school, attended Art Center College of Design to study film. He mixed his visual and athletic skills to find his niche in the industry’skiing backwards or scuba diving with a camera for TV sports, Olympic coverage and documentaries. ‘I enjoyed going on adventures, carrying a camera, shooting film and getting paid for it,’ he says of his early days in the industry. ‘I had no idea I’d end up being a feature film director of photography.’ ”His current athletic passion is cycling, and for the past 10 years, he’s been a member of the Palisades Literary Society cycling club. The 20 men and women meet Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5:15 a.m. at the library and cycle for an hour and a half on one of several routes. They also have traveled together, such as last summer’s trip to the Tour de France. Ten club members rode on the Tour de France route in the morning, then watched the race in the afternoon. ”Burgess will return to his adventuring days while working on ‘Antarctica’ in which Smithers, British Columbia (750 miles north of Vancouver) will be standing in for the South Pole. He’s also developing a film based on John Grisham’s book, ‘Bleachers,’ which will be his first foray into directing. ”But no matter where he ventures, Burgess always enjoys coming back to his hometown, where his parents moved in the ’50s and together ran Don Burgess Pools. He will return from Canada to spend Christmas in the Palisades with his family. It’s also fun for him to work with so many Palisadians, and have so many of his fellow PaliHi graduates as colleagues in the film industry. ”’When I was nominated for ‘Forrest Gump’ in 1995, so was Rick Carter, the production designer on ‘Forrest Gump,’ composer Thomas Newman, who was nominated for ‘Little Women’ and ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and writer Roger Avary for the film ‘Pulp Fiction.’ All of us went to PaliHi.’

Girls Hoops Host Tourney

Sophomore Elane Roepke passes to a teammate during the Palisades girls' varsity basketball team's victory over St. Bernard last week.
Sophomore Elane Roepke passes to a teammate during the Palisades girls’ varsity basketball team’s victory over St. Bernard last week.
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer

Before he learned he wouldn’t be back this season, former Palisades High girls basketball coach Kevin Hall filed the necessary paperwork through the Los Angeles Unified School District for Pali to host a pre-league tournament. The first annual ‘Palisades Beach Invitational’ was a successful debut for new head coach Ronda Crowley and her team, which wound up 2-2 against stiff competition from the Southern Section. Palisades won its first two pool play games, beating St. Bernard, 52-39, and holding off New Roads in overtime, 44-43. In its third game, Palisades lost to Inglewood and in its last game, for third place, it lost to Santa Monica. Leuzinger finished undefeated to win the tournament. Megan Coulter, Elane Roepke, Zedra Slaton and Jasmine English led the Dolphins, who hosted Washington on Tuesday and travel to Taft for a nonleague game today. Boys Basketball After an easy victory over Narbonne in the first round, the Dolphins were matched against Long Beach Jordan. Palisades led at halftime, 31-27, but Jordan opened the third quarter with a 22-0 run to take control of the game. The Dolphins went scoreless for the first 6:04 of the second half and never got closer than four points in the 65-58 loss. Senior point guard Corey Counts took a hard fall while driving to the basket in the first quarter but finished the game. After falling to Price, 60-47, in the third round, Palisades beat Bishop Montgomery, 54-39, to finish in seventh place. Carl Robertson led the way with 16 points for the Dolphins (2-2), who played at Washington yesterday. Girls Tennis Several Palisades doubles teams are still alive in the All-City Individuals Tournament at Balboa Sports Complex in Encino. Leading the way is the Dolphins’ top tandem of Krista Slocum and Lauren Pugatch, which advanced to the third round with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over a team from Van Nuys. Seeded second, Slocum and Pugatch have yet to lose a set. Also advancing to the third round was Pali’s No. 3 tandem of Lotte Kiepe and Mary Logan, who defeated a Carson duo, 6-4, 6-1, in the second round. The Dolphins’ No. 2 tandem of Brittany O’Neil and Yasmir Navas, seeded fourth, won its first round match but lost in three sets to Kiri Inouye and Jenna Yoshikana of Venice in the second round. Pali’s No. 4 team of Lisa Mesrop and Sarah Jurick fell was eliminated in the first round by a team from Sylmar.. Palisades’ lone singles entrant, Sara Yankelevitz, lost to Monroe’s Sarah de la Cruz in the first round. Play resumes tomorrow. Girls Soccer Palisades lost its season opener, 4-1, at Marymount last Thursday. The Sailors’ roster includes several local players, including Jane Alt, Kelsey Bjelejac, Lauren Hardgrove, Molly McRoskey and sisters Ali and Liza Pisano. The Dolphins traveled to Chatsworth for a nonleague game on Tuesday.

Pali Coach Authors New Baseball Book

Steeped in World Series frenzy, few are focusing on baseball’s greater lessons such as its metaphors of life: ‘step up to the plate’ and ‘three strikes, you’re out..’ But Palisades High junior varsity baseball coach David Kloser, author of ‘Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers,’ is a man who emphasizes lessons the game teaches and those lessons can be applied to life ooff of the baseball diamond. ‘I’m sure I’m no different from any other coach who feels that sports are a great character builder for kids,’ Kloser says. ‘I played at UC Berkeley, so I have somewhat of an understanding of the pressures of the game. Because I’ve always wondered how Big Leaguers overcome adversity, heckling, dealing with the different personalities of their teammates and so on, I decided to write a book about it. I wanted it to be something that adults, parents and kids can share to learn about the intrinsic values of baseball.’ Starting in Spring Training of 2003 and into part of the 2004 season, Kloser, who interviewed more than 300 current and former Major League players from all 30 Major League teams (and some Hall of Famers), created his book, ‘Stepping Up to the Plate: Inspiring Interviews with Major Leaguers.’ Without the expertise of having a background in writing or journalism, it took vision, passion, and persistence to make his dream a reality. Among the players Kloser interviewed are Alex Rodriguez, Curt Schilling, Albert Pujols and Jeff Bagwell. He also has quotes and stories from other notables including Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr.and Hideo Nomo, as well as such former players as Fernando Valenzuela and recent Hall of Fame inductee Paul Molitor. ‘These Major League ballplayers have probably been playing baseball since Little League, which, in my opinion, makes them experts in their field,’ Kloser says. ‘I wanted to make their wisdom available to anyone.’ This quote, from Yankee outfielder Bernie Williams, opens the book and encapsulates its overall theme, ‘I believe every individual is born with a talent. The secret in life is to find out what it is, and once you find it, give it 100 percent.’ To learn more about Kloser or purchase the book, visit www.SteppingUpToThePlate.com.

Kehrer Swings for Top

With competition fierce to even gain entry to national level tournaments, winning a gold medal at a United States Tennis Association (USTA) National Open Championship’held four times yearly in cities across the United States’is one of the toughest challenges in junior tennis. Winning back-to-back USTA National Open gold medals is even harder. Winning three straight is a rare accomplishment. Yet that’s exactly what 14-year-old Palisadian Walker Kehrer just did. He and doubles partner Michael Lin of San Diego claimed their third successive victory in a National Open doubles final, winning gold last Wednesday in the Boys’ 14 Division at the USTA National Open in Newport Beach. The pair of eighth-graders also took gold in their age division at USTA National Open tournaments in May and July to begin their perfect 12-0 run. If the first event of the year had not been rained out, the duo might have completed the ‘grand slam”winning all four National Open events in the same calendar year. Though he is not yet old enough to play high school tennis, Kehrer looks forward to playing next year at Brentwood School. And while much of his success has come in doubles, Kehrer is also an accomplished singles player. In singles, he reached the finals at Newport Beach and also netted back-to-back silver medals in the Boys’14s division, raising his USTA singles ranking into the Top 25 for the first time in his blossoming career. And with nearly a year left in his age group, Kehrer has his sights set on moving even higher. As one of America’s top junior players, Kehrer maintains a tournament schedule that rivals that of many professional players. In one six-week stretch last summer, he played five national events in four states, taking two first-place, two second-place and a third-place in singles, doubles and team competition. Along the way, he compiled a 34-9 record (singles and doubles) over 42 days against the best players in the nation. Kehrer credits the doubles ‘live-ball’ program at Palisades Tennis Center, which he has played since he was 7, with helping him develop quick hands and a feel for the doubles game. Kehrer and Lin have played doubles together since age 11 on the national stage. Although they live 120 miles apart and rarely meet outside of tournaments, they’ve joined forces at National Open and National Championship events coast to coast. They were also quarterfinalists at the summer National Hard Court Championships in San Antonio, Texas and semifinalists in the Southern California Doubles Championships in November. With a full slate of National Championship tournaments ahead of them in the 14-and-under age division next year, Kehrer and Lin team will try to become the No. 1-ranked doubles team in the country.

Pali Drama Teacher Debuts with ‘Fools’

When Victoria Francis retired as the Palisades High School drama teacher last spring, she made sure the well-regarded program she had developed for 27 years was in good hands. She hand-picked as her successor Monica Iannessa to continue the beloved program. Iannessa has been leading the school’s drama program this school year to both a first-place victory in the fall drama festival and to the debut tonight of ‘Fools,’ a Neil Simon comedy that will be the drama students’ first performance under her direction. ”Iannessa most recently started and developed the drama program at Chaparral High School in Temecula, where she was honored with the Temecula Valley High School District’s Teacher of the Year in 2003. Prior to that, she taught at Escondido High School and Saint John Bosco High School in her 16-year career. ”Francis and Iannessa worked together through the Drama Teachers Association of Southern California, where they both were involved in the Fall Festival and Spring Shakespeare Festival. Iannessa also brought her Chaparral students on Francis’ Broadway Melody Tours of New York. ”’I was honored for her to consider me,’ Iannessa says of Francis. ‘She’d been here for 27 years; it was like handing over a child.’ ”But when Francis first asked her two years ago, Iannessa was hesitant, having just bought a house in Temecula and running a program she had started with a state-of-the-art 300-seat theater. ”Last year, Francis approached her again. At that time, Iannessa decided to make the move to Pali, sold her house and bought a condo in West Hollywood, and is thrilled to be in L.A. at a high-performing high school. ”Drama has been a lifelong passion for Iannessa, ever since she played a wind-up doll in her kindergarten pageant, and continuing all through her school years in Cerritos. She was a theater major at Cal State Long Beach. ”Iannessa was a member of the improv troupe the Cadre, and has done radio voiceovers, but her primary career since college has been teaching. ”Although she’d like to get back to community theater someday, she is devoted full-time to the Palisades High School theater department, where her day stretches from 6:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. ‘It never drags on, it’s never the same day,’ says Iannessa, who is passionate about teaching drama. ‘You get to know the students really well over all four years. You’re a combination of educator, camp counselor and mentor.’ ”Sixty students in her A.M. theater program meet at 7 a.m. daily for a class in improvisation and comedy sports. Later in the day, she teaches three ninth grade drama classes, part of a cross-curricular program with English and social studies. She also teaches a junior drama class and the play production class, where students work on sets, publicity, costumes and acting. There are 130 students in the Thespian Club. ”After school, it’s time to rehearse ‘Fools,’ which opens tonight. ‘It’s about a schoolteacher in a remote village in Russia, who is hired to tutor the doctor’s daughter in a town that is cursed with stupidity,’ she says. ‘He vows to break the curse by educating the daughter. ”’There’s a little bit of social commentary in it that I enjoy,’ Iannessa says. Her favorite play to stage is the 1930’s comedy ‘You Can’t Take It with You’ by George Kaufman and Moss Hart. ”The comedies are a change of pace, since Francis focused on dramas over the last several years. Iannessa hopes to give equal importance to all three productions’the fall play, winter one-acts and spring musical. Her goal is to have more people in the community attend the fall show. She has created a new look in the staging by extending the stage out into the audience, and having the cast members at times use the aisles. She also rearranged the audience seating to make it a more intimate setting with 200 seats and increased the run to two weeks. ‘It’s more fun to do it several nights.’ ”As for long-term goals, Iannessa would like to make some changes in the performance venue or, ideally, a brand-new theater. ‘I would like it to reflect the community, which supports theater and has a lot of people in the business.’ ”Her philosophy of teaching is to create an ensemble. ‘Everybody is working together, acting together. Nobody’s treated as a star’every part is important, everyone has something to contribute, and they rely on one another to perform.’ ”She likes to take time for the students to reflect on each performance: ‘What we’ve done, what we can do to get better next time.’ ”Iannessa also believes that theater teaches life skills. ‘You learn how to handle disappointment, accept responsibility, overcome conflict, solve problems, organize your time’these all come into play in real life.’ ”’I am thankful to Victoria Francis,’ says Iannessa. ‘I feel grateful to her that she felt confident to hand her excellent program over to me. I respect her and I want her to know she left it in good hands.’ ”’Fools’ premieres tonight at Mercer Hall at 7:30 and continues Friday and Saturday, and next Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tickets are $8.

Emmy-Winning Dean Grinsfelder Hits High Notes in the Highlands

For Emmy award-winning music composer Dean Grinsfelder, the sound of success comes by combining his background in business with his lifelong passion for music. ”Grinsfelder holds an M.B.A. from UCLA and has worked as a musician from the studio in his Palisades Highlands home since 2000. His client list includes Disney, Fox/Marvel Films, Miramax Films, Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures. ”Perhaps Grinsfelder’s most recognizable work is the movie lead-in music he wrote for AMC Theaters. His music supplements a film reel-shaped cartoon character named Flick who jumps around on-screen and introduces the movie. ”In 2002, Grinsfelder scored the music for actor (and his Highlands’ neighbor) Steve Guttenberg, who made his directorial debut with ‘P.S. Your Cat is Dead.’ ‘That was a great experience, working with Steve,’ Grinsfelder says. In September, Grinsfelder, along with eight other team members, was awarded an Emmy for Outstanding Sound Editing For Nonfiction Programming (Single or Multi-Camera) for the Discovery Channel’s ‘Dinosaur Planet.’ The program, produced by Palisades-based Evergreen Films, was a four-part computer-animated docudrama that followed the lives of several groups of dinosaurs in their struggle to survive a harsh environment. ”As a result of a ‘very tight timetable’ to write the music, Grinsfelder enlisted the assistance of various other composers. ‘It took a lot of coordinating on my part and a lot of shepherding to make sure that the score served the picture,’ he says. ”Born and raised in Ross, just north of San Francisco, Grinsfelder began improvising on the piano at the age of 5. ‘I resisted taking piano lessons because I always wanted to play what I heard rather than what someone else wanted to hear,’ he says. ”Growing up, Grinsfelder admired the music of Chicago, Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Peter Gabriel. Following junior high’where he discovered his passion for jazz after hearing Henry Mancini’s ‘Pink Panther’ theme’he played piano in the high school band.” ”He then attended UC Berkeley, where he participated in various jazz, rock, and R&B ensembles. ”In 1982, after earning a degree in music composition with a business minor, Grinsfelder played music professionally while simultaneously working for his father in real estate. When his passion for music temporarily subsided, he decided to attend business school. ‘I realized I did not enjoy music the industry, even though I loved music the art,’ he says. ”After earning an M.B.A. from UCLA, Grinsfelder went on to work in real estate investment banking in New York and Los Angeles for eight years until he turned 34 and had a change of heart. ”’I was looking ahead at my career and asking myself if I wanted to be a managing director of real estate investment banking when I grew up or if I would be happier doing something else,’ he recalls. ”Soon after, he enrolled in various seminars, workshops and film scoring programs at UCLA Extension and subsequently realized that film and TV music was the combination he’d been searching for. ‘It combined my music skills with my business skills. It allowed me to have clients, responsibilities and deadlines, but at the same time, it gave me an area that I could compete in and express myself creatively.’ ”In 1995, Grinsfelder set his professional sights on the film and television industry and created Highland Music Productions (HMC). As president, Grinsfelder has two assistants and several partners with whom he collaborates on what he refers to as ‘short-form’ projects (commercials, film trailers, interactive media and promos). On ‘long-form’ projects (films, TV shows and documentaries), he works alone. ”Most of Grinsfelder’s work occurs right in his studio, a spacious space with smashing views of the Santa Monica mountains. ”Grinsfelder says he especially appreciates having an ability to help a story unfold. ‘The most enjoyment I get out of the music I write is partly related to the quality of the music when it’s finished, but mostly related to the overall impact that the music with the picture has on the viewer,’ he says. ‘If the story can be told musically, then I’ve done my job.’ ”His current projects include the orchestration and music production of the ‘Star Trek: Enterprise’ series for UPN; ‘Lost Fleets of the Pacific’ for the Discovery Channel; ‘The Machinist’ film trailer for Paramount Classics, and a USC Alumni Tribute promo to be televised during USC’s athletic coverage. Soon he’ll be at work on ‘Alien Planet’ and ‘The Science of Star Wars,’ both multi-part specials for the Discovery Channel. ”When Grinsfelder isn’t scoring music, he enjoys playing tennis (he’s a USTA Level 5.0 player) and trail running in the Highlands, where he’s lived since 1989 with his wife Victoria and their two sons, David, 7, and Matthew, 4-1/2. Both boys attend Calvary Christian School.