By STEPHEN MOTIKA Special to the Palisadian-Post Each Californian pays just three cents a year to fund the arts. The budget of the California Arts Council has been reduced by 97 percent in the last three years, from $31 million in 2000 to $1 million last year. Due to this drastic reduction, the reach of the agency that provides grants to school-based arts programs, individual art projects, symphonies, and dance and theater companies has been decimated. This tragedy was the topic of discussion at a lunch last fall between journalist Donna Wares and book publisher Paddy Calistro. They agreed that something had to be done and the result is ‘My California: Journey’s by Great Writers,’ just published by Calistro’s Santa Monica-based Angel City Press, with all proceeds going to the Council. The anthology includes essays on the Golden State by 27 California writers. The pieces, ranging from personal reflection to sheer adventure, illuminate different areas of the state, from metropolitan Los Angeles to the rural Central Coast and the places in between. Each author donated his work, as did the book’s editor, publisher, designer, publicist, proofreader and printer. Even the cover, David Hockney’s ‘Pearblossom Hwy. 11-18th April 1989 (Second Version)’ was given by the artist and the Getty Museum, which owns the photographic collage. Now that the book is out, the many contributors are participating in readings at book fairs and bookstores across the state. Palisadian Carolyn See, who contributed to the volume, will be reading from and signing copies of the book on Thursday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore. See is thrilled with the book, praising its diversity and the fact that many of the pieces ‘are not exactly what you’d expect.’ Orange-county crime novelist T. Jefferson Parker has contributed a piece about fly fishing in the Owens River, but as the book’s editor, Donna Wares said recently, ‘It’s about a lot more than fly fishing.’ It marks a real journey up Highway 395, skirting the Sierra Nevada, the very backbone of the state. Wares, who has lived in California since 1986, was attracted to ‘Best American Travel Writing,’ an annual publication that reprints the best narrative travel essays to have appeared in magazines and newspapers the preceding year. ‘I always liked the sense of place in these collections and wanted to do a California version,’ said Wares, who approached Calistro about it, and they conceived of a narrative travel book to help raise funds for the endangered Council. With such a short turn-around time, Wares had little hope that many of the writers would be able to contribute to the volume. ‘These are enormously busy people and I was ready for a laundry list of excuses as to why they couldn’t contribute. Instead, most said immediately that they wanted to do it.’ One writer Wares had hoped to involve was Pico Iyer, whose travel writing she greatly admires. She sent a letter care of his publisher but did not hear back. Just as they were putting the finishing touches on the manuscript, he contacted her to see if he could still be involved (he had been in Japan and had only just received the letter). She agreed and when his piece came in, she realized that it would make the perfect introduction to the book. Wares said: ‘Iyer unintentionally touched on so many of the points that other writers had touched on. His piece made a natural introduction.’ Iyer’s cosmopolitanism and international scope represent the diversity of the authors in ‘My Californi.’ Wares is delighted with the ‘mix of newcomers and immigrants as well as the lifelong Californians.’ She notes the ‘range of the authors, from poet devorah major to novelist Michael Chabon, from nonfiction writer Mark Arax to journalists Patt Morrison and H’ctor Tobar.’ In the close of his introduction, Iyer invokes the state in celestial terms: ‘The gift of California, for those who have not just dreamed of it, but dared to stake everything on those dreams, is to look far beyond the everyday, and in the general direction of the stars.’ Indeed many of the pieces seem to wrestle with the dreams and the quotidian of the Golden State, of its promises and failures. For See, the very paradox of California, as a paradise and spoiled paradise, is ‘what makes it such a terrific place to write about.’ Her own contribution to the anthology, ‘Waters of Tranquility,’ dates from a few years back, when her life partner John Espey was dying and she took walks around Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine to release the stress and pain of caring for him and dealing with his relatives. The first time around the lake she would be cursing with rage, but after three or four times she was able to notice the beauty of the world around her. In short, the very secular Carolyn See was having a spiritual moment. ‘My California’ may seem like divine intervention to the California Arts Council, but it shows the amazing will and commitment of the state’s literary community. The Council is thrilled about the book and will apply all proceeds from it to fund student writing programs around the state. Now, as See says, ‘People need to go out and buy this book.’ ‘My California: Journeys by Great Writers,’ $16.95 For more information about its participants and upcoming events, visit http://www.mycaliforniaproject.org
Golden Couples
1954: RAY and MARGARET KIRBY

Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Margaret Larabee was 3 when her parents, Oscar and Beryl, moved to Pacific Palisades in 1930. After earning degrees at Pomona College and the University of Colorado, she became a laboratory technician in plant biochemistry at the UC Riverside Citrus Experiment Station. This led to a fateful June day in 1952, when Margaret was helping to decorate a USO dance at the YWCA and she met Ray Kirby, who was stationed at nearby March Air Force Base. ‘There was a big ladder on stage that needed moving,’ Margaret recalled this week, ‘and there were several servicemen standing off to the side, so I asked them to help. Ray stepped forward and hauled it away, and pretty soon we were dancing.’ ‘And we’re still dancing,’ she said, her eyes lighting up. Ray, who was separated from his first wife, began taking Margaret to ballroom dances and square dancing three or four times a week. ‘He was a nice man, and very good looking,’ she recalled. Their romance survived two long separations (he spent seven months at a mechanics school in Texas and then three months in England) before they were married on June 19, 1954 in the Community Methodist Church on Via de la Paz. Rev. Leonidas Brock officiated, and Ina Biding sang two wedding favorites at the time: ‘Always’ and ‘Because.’ A week before the wedding, C.D. Clearwater, editor and publisher of The Palisadian, wrote in his June 11 column: ‘Next week, there are three important weddings coming up. All weddings are important so far as we are concerned. Our hope is always that each wedding may be the last that the two principals may take part in; and in Pacific Palisades a surprisingly large percentage of them work out that way. Much greater than the general average.’ Clearwater would be happy to know that Ray and Margaret Kirby, one of the couples he cited, celebrated their 50th anniversary in June with a gathering of family and friends at the Methodist church. Back in 1954, the Kirbys drove up Highway 1 to Little River and Mendocino for their honeymoon, then returned to Riverside. When Ray got out of the Air Force in 1956, they moved to Santa Monica and Margaret joined UCLA’s neurology department as a laboratory technician. She soon went to work at Douglas Aircraft, only to be laid off four months later because she was pregnant. Meanwhile, Ray attended Art Center School of Design and was hired by Rocketdyne as an industrial artist in 1958. He worked for various aerospace companies until he retired from Northrop in 1994. The Kirbys moved to a home on Swarthmore in August 1956 and lived there 23 years until 1979 when they moved with Margaret’s mother to their current home on Erskine. Their daughter Ruth was born on November 6, 1956, and a son Ray Edward was born in 1959. ‘Ruth arrived on election day, but I was able to get an absentee ballot at the hospital in time to vote,’ Margaret recalled. The couple have been actively involved at the Methodist church. Ray ushered for several years with Ray, Jr., and now sings in the choir, along with managing the sound system. Margaret has chaired several church committees and once served as membership secretary for 15 years. They also work hard on the three homeless dinners hosted by the church every year. ‘I’m in charge of the kitchen,’ said Margaret, ‘and Ray cuts the meat and runs the dishwasher.’ Ray was Scoutmaster of Troop 23 and has been active in American Legion Post 283 (serving as commander in 1978-79) and Riviera Masonic Lodge 780, while Margaret has been president of the P.E.O. chapter five times and served on the Community Council for several years. She also reads textbooks to blind students and reads at nursing homes. The Kirbys’ daughter, Ruth, and her two children (John Dean, 12, and Jennifer Dean, a third-generation student at Palisades Elementary) now live with them, while Ray, Jr., lives in Palm Springs. The two boys from Ray’s early marriage have given him 11 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. ‘ ‘We’ve had a very happy life together,’ Margaret said, ‘and we hope to continue our love affair for many more years.’ What has been the secret to their long marriage? ‘We learned to trust each other,’ said Ray. ‘We had friends and we did things separately, but they were just friends; they didn’t come between us. Another thing: never sleep on your anger’settle your differences before you go to sleep. ‘That’s for sure,’ said Margaret, who added: ‘We’re always there for each other and we don’t have any real arguments. The last one was in 1992, when I was exhausted, and before that it was over 20 years. When Ray gets mad, I just keep my mouth shut. If we get mad at each other, we never stay mad for very long.’ After all, there’s always a Big Band dance coming up at the American Legion hall.
Golden Couples
1953: KIT and JERRY FESTA

Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
When 9th grader Jerry Festa gave Kit Morgan a ride home on his bike the night she graduated from 8th grade in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, this was the beginning of their love story. Being too young to date, they would meet at the local movies in a group, until Kit was a junior and Jerry a senior in high school. After graduating, Jerry played semi-pro baseball and entered Seton Hall University, where he majored in education, planning to become a teacher and coach. This was during the Korean War and he had to join the Marine Corps reserves in order to remain in school and graduate. Meanwhile, Kit went to work and remained at home to help care for her three younger brothers (including twins born to her parents three days before Kit graduated from high school). Kit and Jerry finally married on February 1, 1953 in North Plainfield, New Jersey, the day after he finished college. Three months later he entered the Marine boot camp in Quantico, Virginia, before transferring to Camp Pendleton. Kit worked in the office of the post exchange and attended college until Jerry completed his service in 1955. When the couple returned to New Jersey, it was September and too late to sign a contract for teaching, so Jerry found a job with the Metropolitan Life Insurance company in Newark. Meanwhile, Kit was busy raising three boys’Robert, John and Richard’and a daughter, Joy. In 1961, after an especially rough winter, the Festas decided to return to balmy California, where Jerry was promised a job with MetLife in Santa Monica. His parents soon moved to Mar Vista, followed six months later by Jerry’s brother and family who moved to the Palisades. The whole family used to meet every Sunday at either of the brothers’ homes for the usual Sunday pasta dinner cooked by Momma Festa and then Poppa Festa after her death. ‘We all have happy memories of the large family gatherings,’ Kit says. ‘There were seven cousins and always a few friends to share in the good food and the good times.’ Jerry was an assistant manager for MetLife when he found their first house in Pacific Palisades in 1962. Always an athlete, he played volleyball at the Santa Monica YMCA with a State Farm manager, who suggested Jerry try his hand at being a casualty agent for State Farm. That’s how he acquired his agency in Pacific Palisades, which he has owned for almost 40 years. Kit worked in the office until she retired in 1996. The Festas have always been active in volunteer work in the community. Jerry was a member of the Optimist Club for many years, helped found the Pop Warner football program here and was instrumental in taking over the Palisades Fourth of July Parade from the American Legion, along with Ray Haddad and Jim Whitman. Kit was PTA president at Palisades Elementary, a member of St. John’s Hospital Guild, Las Doradas and the Palisades Junior Women’s Club, and a Girl Scout leader. She is also involved in Project Linus, making blankets for babies and children in hospitals, shelters and the children of servicemen sent overseas. After becoming a leader of disaster preparedness efforts in Pacific Palisades, Kit was named a Golden Sparkplug and, in 1989, Citizen of the Year (with Flo Elfant). Most recently, she has started a local fun-loving Red Hat group, which follows the advice of the poem ‘Warning’ by Jenny Joseph: ‘When I am old woman, I shall wear purple, with a red hat.’ Jerry, a tennis player and golfer, still enjoys both sports, practicing his golf daily. This past year he shot his age (73) on the tough Riviera course and he rarely misses his every-other-day workout at the Spectrum Club. The Festas, who have a second home in La Quinta, also enjoy buying and remodeling houses; they have lived in most Palisades neighborhoods. Their extended family includes Terri Festa, owner of Terri’s Restaurant on Swarthmore. Meanwhile, their eldest son, Robert, a master’s graduate of Pepperdine, is a senior colorist at Riot post-production in Santa Monica and married to Karen and has two daughters’Michelle, a recent honors graduate of Loyola Marymount, and Marissa, who just graduated from Chaminade High School. John is an insurance broker here in the Palisades and shares offices with his daughter Danielle, a Berkeley graduate who works for Farmers and is a successful agent for scriptwriters. Joy, a graduate of the Fashion Institute and married to Lee Schroeder, works in Jerry’s office. They have one daughter, Courtney, a senior at Oak Park High School who modeled clothes at her mother’s former store, I’N Joy Kids on Antioch. Rich, a Pepperdine graduate, is a State Farm agent and is married to the former Jeanne Elfant. Their daughter Daniela, a budding tennis player, and son Tony, a sailing enthusiast, are both Corpus Christi students. To celebrate Jerry and Kit’s 50th anniversary, their children and spouses held a party at the family home. Joy baked the family’s favorite carrot cake, Bob read a tribute from the adult children, and the invited guests shared stories. ‘It was a really fun evening and something we will remember always,’ said Kit. For reasons why their marriage has succeeded, Kit said: ‘Tenacity, patience, love’you gotta love the guy’and faith. Faith plays a large part in my life.’ Jerry added, ‘Just hang in there no matter what happens. There are good days and bad days, and you learn to be flexible.’
Jean Wall, Former Resident
Jean Wall, a former longtime resident of Pacific Palisades and former director of the St. Matthew’s Preschool, passed away on July 11. She was 77. Born in Omaha, Nebraska, to John and Helen Metzger, Jean moved with her family to Santa Monica in 1936. She attended Santa Monica High and the University of Southern California, where she joined the Epsilon chapter of Alpha Chi Omega. Wall joined St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in 1948. She began teaching in the preschool in 1958, started the mother-toddler program and later served as director until 1980, when she relocated to Connecticut. There she continued in early childhood education, starting a preschool at Trinity Episcopal Parish in Westport. Upon retiring, Wall joined St. Paul’s on the Green in Norwalk, where she served as president of the choir guild and headmistress of the altar guild. She was also active on the women’s board of Norwalk Hospital. Wall is survived by a sister, Roxanna Miller of Ventura; daughters Robin Snyder of Norwalk, Connecticut, and Heide Hart Parry of Weston, Connecticut; and four grandchildren. A memorial service was held July 17 at St. Paul’s. Funeral services will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, August 1, at St. Matthew’s. Donations in Jean’s name may be sent to St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1031 Bienveneda Ave., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
Virgene Bollens, 85; Was A Community Contributor

Virgene Bollens, 85, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1959, died on July 6 at her home. A memorial service will be held at the United Methodist Church on Via de la Paz on Sunday, August 1 at 1 p.m., with a reception following at her house. Throughout her life, and especially in her 45 years as an active member of the Palisades community, Virgene was known and loved for her keen intelligence, her cheerful spirit, her energy, and her kindness. She loved the outdoors and nature, enjoyed birding on a regular basis, loved physical activities such as biking and swimming, which she did until the last couple of years, enjoyed the company of friends and family, and lived in line with her beliefs, in service to her family and community. Born in Hammond, Indiana, Virgene married John (Jack) Bollens in 1945. They moved to California in the early 1950s when Jack joined the political science department at UCLA. They had two sons, Ross and Scott, and settled in the Palisades. Virgene was an energetic woman who remained active and busy in her family life, in the community, and professionally. While raising her sons, she completed her master’s degree from UC Berkeley. She then taught both 5th grade and in the gifted program at Kenter Canyon Elementary. Virgene was recognized as a superb teacher, and there are many who still remember participating in the mock Senate in her American government classes. In the early ’70s, Virgene left teaching to launch, with her husband, Palisades Publishers, a local publisher of university textbooks in the fields of political science and government. After Jack died in 1983, Virgene continued running the company for the rest of the decade. As a mother of growing sons, Virgene was a Cub Scout den mother, a Boy Scout mom, and an energetic member of the PTA at Palisades Elementary School, Paul Revere Middle School, and Palisades High, serving as PTSA president at PaliHi for a number of years. She supported her sons in their various sporting events, and is remembered as the mom who kept score for the little league teams at the Palisades Recreation Center while handing out candy. An active member of the Palisades Methodist Church, Virgne taught Sunday School, participated on the Parish Council, and served as church treasurer. She was a strong contributor to the success of the annual autumn church bazaar, providing, among other items, the cookies and apple pies that her friends always looked forward to. Virgene was an enthusiastic member of the Palisades community, where she was recognized as an asset on every committee in which she participated. She was a member of the Palisades Historical Society, serving as treasurer for a number of years. As a member of the Friends of the Library Association, she worked hard to raise money for the new branch library. After retiring, she was a Meals-on-Wheels volunteer for several years. In addition, Virgene was an active member of the UCLA Faculty Women’s Club, where she was treasurer for a number of years. Virgene is survived by her two sons, Ross of Pacific Palisades (and wife Gene) and Scott of Irvine (wife Claudia), and four grandchildren, Eric, 15, and Katherine, 12, of Pacific Palisades, and Damon, 10, and Denali, 7, of Irvine. Those who knew Virgene’both friends and family’are grateful to have known intimately such a generous and selfless spirit. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Virgene’s honor to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NDRC) or to the TreePeople.
Carmen Viray Wilcox, 78

Palisadian Carmen Viray Wilcox died of natural causes on July 2 in Boulder, Colorado, where she and her husband, Ralph, owned a second home. She was 78. Carmen was born to Domingo and Apolonia San Pedro Viray on February 19, 1926, in Manila, Philippines. She was one of 13 children. Three years after earning a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Philippines, Carmen moved to the United States to study and complete a master’s degree in chemistry at Carnegie Tech in Pittsburgh. She continued her graduate studies in chemistry at University of Colorado at Boulder. Through a common group of friends she met Ralph Wilcox, whom she married on May 22, 1959. Carmen, a very caring person, supported Ralph as he earned his Ph.D. in physics and when their son Lee was born in 1960, she became a full-time mom. A second son, Ben, was born in 1963. In 1969, the Wilcox family relocated to Southern California and moved to Pacific Palisades. Carmen later returned to work as a medical laboratory technologist at various local hospitals, a profession she enjoyed for many years. The warm weather of Southern California was perfect for Carmen’s favorite pastime, gardening. It gave her great pride and joy to see her plant clippings mature into fruitbearing plants. Meanwhile, she and Ralph attended lectures together, and enjoyed traveling to visit grandchildren, family and friends. In addition to her husband, Carmen is survived by her sons, Lee (wife Jackie) of Vancouver, Washington, and Ben of Pacific Palisades; three grandchildren, Tuck, Makena and Sean of Vancouver; sisters Emiliana Morf, Dolores Brill, Rosario Viray, Estela Kallinen, Mother Katherine Pilar Viray, Teresa Viray and Virginia Mantano; and brothers Cesar, Antonio and Alejandro. She was preceded in death by two brothers, Victor and Manuel. The funeral was held July 11 at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Boulder. Contributions may be made in Carmen’s name to the American Diabetes Association.
Third Anniversary Party at Sunrise
Sunrise Assisted Living celebrated its third anniversary in Pacific Palisades with an open house, musical entertainment, cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a free dinner Saturday night. Longtime Palisades resident and Broadway legend John Raitt (‘Carousel,’ ‘The Pajama Game’), sang some of his favorite songs and talked about his long and colorful career. Guests also toured the three-story facility and met with the new executive director, Judy Uy-Villaruz. Uy-Villaruz was introduced into the Sunrise community June 21. She previously served as executive director at Gardena Retirement, a 108-bed assisted living facility in Gardena, for 1-1/2 years. However, her assisted living experience began in 1991, when she was 24, and her parents asked her to start a new family business’a six-bed assisted living facility. ‘I did all the startup for them’recruiting, licensing and training,’ says Uy-Villaruz, who earned her degree in accounting from Cal State Dominguez Hills around the same time. The facility she helped establish, called Menlo House, is now one of three her family has founded. ‘My dad’s side of the family is all CPAs or self-employed, and my mom’s side is nurses and doctors,’ says Uy-Villaruz, who emigrated with her parents from the Phillipines to the United States when she was 4 years old. She currently resides in Carson with her husband and two small children (ages 2 and 6 months), and is planning to pursue a master’s degree in heath administration in spring 2005. Uy-Villaruz told the Post that there are currently three rooms available on the second assisted living floor. Sunrise is located at 15441 Sunset. Contact: 573-9545.
Park Series Debuts Saturday with “E.T.”
‘E.T.’ will be the feature this Saturday night, July 24, when the Movies in the Park series debuts on the Field of Dreams at the Palisades Recreation Center, 861 Alma Real. The free series, presented by the Palisades Chamber of Commerce, will continue with ‘Grease’ on July 31, ‘Indiana Jones’ on August 7 and ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on August 14. Movies on the 15-by-20 foot screen will 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. A 4-speaker sound system will allow the sound to be evenly distributed. ‘By conducting several preliminary sound tests we are trying to be very sensitive to the desire of neighbors that they not be disturbed,’ says David Williams, Chamber president. The major sponsor 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 will be Palisades Patrol. Keeping the park clean will be Chrysalis. 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 conatc 459-7963 for more information.
Warning Signs: West Nile Virus Requires Precautions in Palisades

Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Karen Weber, who lives next to the Palisades Recreation Center, walks her 11-month-old daughter, Tamar, in the park every day. A week ago she was surprised to find the following sign posted by the picnic tables: ‘Disease Warning: West Nile Virus Has Been Confirmed In or Near This Area.’ Monday evening, Palisadians Pepper Edmiston and Megan Williams were walking along the bluffs on Via de las Olas. Shortly after seeing the identical sign posted there, Williams was bitten on her finger by a mosquito. Naturally, she worried she might have become infected with the disease. ‘Probably not,’ Robert Savikas, executive director of Los Angeles County West Vector Control District, told the Palisadian-Post. ‘While the disease has been found within five miles of your area, which is why we posted the signs, we estimate it will be another few weeks before a case is found there. We do know it’s moving westward at a pretty steady rate.’ As of yesterday there were 28 known human cases of West Nile virus in California, seven of those in L.A. County. No deaths have been reported. The disease is transmitted to humans and animals by mosquitoes that have become infected when they feed on infected birds. West Nile has been identified in more than 100 species of birds found dead in the United States. There is no evidence that a person can get the virus from handling live or dead infected birds, or from another person. ‘Even in areas where the disease is circulating, very few mosquitoes are infected with the virus,’ said Savikas, who told the Post that cases have been found in nearby Inglewood and Playa del Rey. ‘The chances of becoming severely ill from any one mosquito bite is extremely small.’ He recommends that if you or your family members develop symptoms such as high fever, confusion, muscle weakness and severe headaches, you should see your doctor immediately. While there is no specific treatment for West Nile, in more severe cases intensive care is needed and can involve hospitalization, intravenous fluids and respiratory support (ventilator) to prevent secondary infections, including pneumonia. Common in Asia and Africa, the first case of West Nile in the United States was found in New York in the fall of 1999, and the disease has since spread to 46 states. Control measures nationwide have been able to slow but not stop the spread of the virus, which is expected to reach all of the continental U.S. by year’s end. The L.A. County West Vector Control District is working to decrease the mosquito population and is monitoring all bird, chicken and horse populations. Approximately 85 percent of the people who are infected with West Nile will not show symptoms of the disease. Up to 15 percent who become infected will display mild symptoms similar to the flu, including fever, headache and body aches. Symptoms typically last a few days. Less than one percent will develop severe illness, marked by bad headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, tremors, convulsions, muscle weakness, paralysis, coma and, only rarely, death (mostly among the elderly). In 2003, there were 264 total deaths from the West Nile virus in the United States. By comparison, there are 20,000 to 36,000 deaths annually in the U.S. from the common influenza virus. While no vaccine is yet available against West Nile, there are ways to reduce your risk of becoming infected in areas where there are mosquitoes. It is recommended that you take precautions outdoors ‘at dawn and dusk,’ said Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for the L.A. County Department of Health Services. ‘You should wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and make sure there are no sources of standing water,’ such as exist in the saucers of potted plants, bird baths and hot tubs. The county’s West Vector Control District also recommends spraying clothing with repellents containing permethrin or DEET, since mosquitoes may bite through thin clothing, and applying insect repellent sparingly to exposed skin. An effective repellent will contain 35 percent DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). DEET in high concentrations (greater than 35 percent) provides no additional protection. Repellents, which some people consider too risky to use, may irritate the eyes and mouth, so avoid applying repellent to the hands of children. Whenever you use an insecticide or insect repellent, be sure to read and follow the manufacturer’s directions for use, as printed on the product. Install or repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors. Vitamin B and ‘ultrasonic’ devices are not effective in preventing mosquito bites. (Editor’s note: For continuous updates on West Nile virus go to: www.lawestvector.org. If you have a mosquito problem, call 915-7370. A technician will arrange a visit to investigate the mosquito breeding source. If you find a dead bird, particularly a crow or other corvid (e.g., jay, magpie, raven, etc.), call 877-WNV-BIRD. The bird must be dead no more than 24 hours to enable testing for West Nile virus. Do not touch the bird. Department of Health Services will arrange for pickup and laboratory testing for the disease. While most horses infected with West Nile virus recover, the disease has caused 11 deaths in the Inland Empire. A vaccine for horses was recently approved, but its effectiveness is unknown.)
PaliHi Leadership Triumvirate Set to Go
Following last week’s announcement of Gloria Martinez as new principal at Palisades High School, the board of governors finalized the school’s leadership team this week, hiring two educators with longstanding connections to the Palisades. Jack Sutton, who has been acting as executive director pro bono, had been hired for the post, taking on the policy and legal roles the independent charter school has assumed since separating from LAUSD a year ago. Merle Price, former PaliHi principal and head of the charter office for LAUSD, will assist the school in its charter renewal next spring and advise Martinez, who came from the Santa Monica/Malibu district, on the workings of LAUSD. Both men are Palisades residents and will work on a part-time basis, according to board chairman Jonathan Fielding, who confirmed the positions. ‘Jack will be expected to be the single point of accountability to the board,’ Fielding said. ‘He will make sure that the policies are implemented, the education reforms are proceeding at an accelerated rate, and he will be the key person in interactions with LAUSD.’ The district still owns the buildings and property and will play a role in the school’s obligation in determining the balance between the traveling students and local kids. Since PaliHi became an independent charter school, the nonprofit governing board has inherited a number of business decisions that used to be handled by the district. ‘Somehow this nonprofit has to handle the major parts of the job,’ said Sutton, who will split his time between PaliHi and his work as interim executive director of Computer-Using Educators, Inc., in Alameda, California. Both Sutton and Price are career educators, an asset in the eyes of the board. ‘The board didn’t want to bring in a business person who didn’t know education,’ Sutton said. Having recently resigned as executive officer for UCLA education outreach’a program instituted after the Regents eliminated affirmative action as a means for admission’Sutton’s career has really centered on instruction in elementary, middle and high schools. Price, who recently retired from LAUSD as deputy superintendent, served as principal at PaliHi from 1992 to 1999. With 32 years working in the schools or at the local district, Price understands how teachers and administrators can become frustrated with central officials and will act as a consultant to both Sutton and Martinez. ‘We will be a presence on campus without getting in the way of Gloria,’ Sutton said. ‘We are trying to maintain separation between the school and the nonprofit that has replaced the district.’ In a marathon meeting that lasted until midnight Monday night, the board also decided to invest in new programs in both math and English. A new position will be added in 7th period to teach math to low performing students.The school will also set up English classes throughout the regular schedule to help those students who are two grade levels below. Responding to requests from these two departments, the board is focusing on fulfilling its mission to reduce the achievement gap. ‘We will continue working with the faculty to empower them’ Fielding said.’A number of these investments are going to help, including reducing class sizes.’ The board also agreed to send a letter to parents that will explain the expectation that parents be involved. ‘We want to clarify expectations and to reach parent groups throughout the area, particularly those of traveling students,’ Fielding said. ‘We also made the decision to move ahead with our information technology. In the fall, attendance and grades will be processed electronically, and there will be e-mail communication between parents and teachers.’ With all these plans going forward and with an expected record number of students matriculating for the fall, Fielding praised the work of the board of governors, the majority of whom are non-financially interested individuals, including parents, community members and a student member. Martinez will have a non-voting seat on the board. ‘I’ve been impressed with the unstinting time our board has given to work on these issues’their level of enthusiasm, thoughtfulness of debate and resolve in terms of making progress,’ Fielding said.