Barbara Savory Gates, 77, passed away on June 3 in Monterey, California, as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. She was a 55-year resident of Pacific Palisades. After her husband, Russell C. Gates, died in 2002, she moved to Monterey to be near her family. Barbara was a graduate of UCLA and a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. After her marriage to Russ, she participated in many volunteer activities. Barbara was a charter guide at the Los Angeles Zoo. Along with her husband, she was a founder of the Palisades Tennis Club with Kay Drake and Nancy and Dick deVerrenes in the 1960s. Barbara also was active with St. Matthew’s Church, Junior League, and in her later years, volunteered at St. John’s Hospital. In addition, Barbara was an administrative assistant in the Physical Education Department of Pepperdine University. While living in an Alzheimer’s facility during the last two years of her life, Barbara was given an official volunteer badge because of her daily assistance to staff and other residents. In this capacity, she taught everyone with whom she came in contact the most precious of life’s lessons: unconditional love. During her leadership in Girl Scouts, Barbara became interested in horseback riding and pursued her passion at Cal Lutheran and Pepperdine. She was an ardent gardener, birdwatcher and world traveler. However, her most enjoyable moments were spent walking the beach with her husband and greeting the sunset each evening at the Bel-Air Bay Club. Barbara is survived by her daughter, Linda Ballard of Santa Barbara; her son, Bill (wife Cindy) of Pacific Grove; and two grandchildren, Christopher and Sophie. Private services will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the donor’s favorite charity or the Alzheimer’s Association at 182 El Dorado, Monterey, CA 93940.
Gloria Jones, a resident of Pacific Palisades for over 50 years, passed away quietly on June 8 at St. John’s Hospital. She was 77. A native Californian, Gloria grew up in San Francisco and graduated from the University of Oregon. She then worked in Santa Barbara before moving to Chicago where she worked for American Airlines. She moved back to California and to the Palisades in the early 1950s. Gloria met her husband, Art, in the Palisades, where they both lived on opposite corners of Charm Acres Place and married in 1967. Devoted to family and community, Gloria raised her four children (three of whom graduated from Palisades High), volunteered at the St. Matthew’s Thrift Shop in Venice for over 40 years and loved playing bridge with her close friends. In addition to her husband, she is survived by her children, Doreen Thigpen (husband Greg) of Big Fork, Montana, Greg Jones of West L.A., Alex Lorraine White (husband Paul Loumena) of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, and Si White (wife Cathy) of Los Altos; daughter-in-law Jill Jones of Pacific Palisades; eight grandchildren, Heather Schidler, Brian Jones, Gavin Jones, Austin Jones, Mathew White, Stephanie White, Cristina White and Danielle Loumena; and great-grandson Ben Schidler. A great-granddaughter is on the way. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Childrens Hospital A Foundation, Dept. 7924, Los Angeles, CA 90084. Services were held at St. Matthew’s Church on June 16.
Brooke Bartholomew, daughter of Kitty and Buzzy Bartholomew, and Bryan Crane, son of Dick and Janie Crane, became engaged on Christmas Eve 2003. Bartholomew graduated from St. Matthew’s and Marymount High School. She attended Indiana University and now works for Dr. Richard Jacobson in the Palisades. Crane attended Corpus Christi and Harvard-Westlake. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and and MBA from UCLA. He is currently working for Lehman Brothers in real estate finance. The Palisades natives will be married in Palos Verdes on October 23, 2004.
When longtime journalist and writer Penelope Grenoble O’Malley wished to escape the hectic pace, noise and congestion of Los Angeles, she moved to Malibu in 1986 for what she imagined would be a more peaceful life. ‘I had contradictory impulses,’ O’Malley says. ‘I wanted to be alone and enjoy quiet anonymity. On the other hand, I wanted to feel part of a community.’ A community connection happened instantly as O’Malley took a reporter’s position at the Malibu Times, a high-profile job that brought her face to face with the growing pains and ensuing debates of a small community and with her own prejudices and bias. ‘I came smack up against my own values,’ she says. ‘As a journalist, you are in the privileged position of being forced to see all sides. It gives you the opportunity to really think things out.’ Her search for solitude was fraught with difficulties as she encountered devastating fires and floods and became embroiled in myriad local issues and politics: the rights of Native Americans vs. those of property owners, the struggle between an antidevelopment coalition and civic planners and the endless studies of septic systems and water quality. All of this is chronicled in her book, a work of literary journalism, entitled ‘Malibu Diairy: Notes from an Urban Refugee’ (University of Nevada Press, 2004). O’Malley will speak at Village Books at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 24. Part personal memoir, part environmental and social history, the book takes a sharp look at the complicated relationship human beings have with the landscape and how moving to a beautiful locale next to nature to ‘get away from it all’ comes with unexpected responsibilities. ‘It’s a lot easier to say what you don’t want than what you do want,’ says O’Malley, who became frustrated by civic leaders who were prone to brand all commercial development undesirable and whose rigid thinking continually blocked constructive action. O’Malley, who still writes for the Malibu Times, now lives in Agoura. A devoted environmentalist, she is committed to educating herself about the entire region that’s affected by the Santa Monica Mountains and how to protect it. ‘I need to be in touch with people with different views,’ she says. ‘I need to get out of my own Malibu mindset.’
A 1930s musical set on a ship could be a large feat for a small, community theater. Theatre Palisades’ production of Cole Porter’s ‘Anything Goes’ (book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay and Russell Crouse) meets the challenge with clever set design (Gene Smith) that allows for an entertaining night of song and dance. Directed by Lewis Hauser and produced by Cindy Dellinger and Andrew Frew, the show runs through July 31 at Pierson Playhouse. As the passengers board the S.S. American in New York, we meet well-known entertainer Reno Sweeney (Rene’ Travelli) and her four Angels, Chastity (Amy Coles), Charity (Sarah D’Agostino), Purity (Erin Holt) and Virture (understudy Victoria Miller). ‘If I’m not in the chapel, I’ll be in the bar,’ says Sweeney, whose seductive and engaging persona makes her queen of the ship. Billy Crocker (Ryan McCormick), assistant to businessman Elisha Whitney (Len Magnus), originally comes to see off both his employer and Reno but is struck by the sight of Hope Harcourt (Kimberly Peterson), a love interest with whom he spent one long night in the city. Hope, too, remembers Billy, though she admits she was engaged then and still is’to be married to Englishman Sir Evelyn Oakleigh (Michael German); they will marry when the ship docks in England. Hope’s stuffy mother, Mrs. Harcourt (Marjorie Throne), is the only real advocate of the marriage. The drama begins when Billy acquires a ticket and passport from gangster Moonface Martin (George Lissandrello), whose partner in crime, ‘Snake Eyes’ Johnson (‘Public Enemy Number One’), has not shown up for the trip. Bonnie (Christina Putrelo) is Moonface’s moll. Mistaken identities, clandestine romance and the wild goose chase for ‘Snake Eyes’/Billy are part of what makes ‘Anything Goes’ so amusing. But will Billy lose Hope’s love over his continuous and addictive need to assume various disguises? Will Sir Evelyn ‘find his sea legs’ with someone other than Hope? Actor McCormick is best when acting as an impostor, portraying an elderly lady he introduces as ‘Mrs. George Bernard Shaw’ and a Frenchman with a Spanish accent. Lissandrello plays the perfect sarcastic New York gangster, or ‘Public Enemy Number Thirteen,’ ready to pull another fast one or turn himself in. His comedic solo performance of ‘Be Like the Bluebird’ gets several laughs. Together, these actors’ dramatic pauses and glances towards the audience create the production’s sly and comic overtone. Some of the most dazzling performances come from Travelli, whose beautiful voice carries many of the musical numbers, including ‘You’re the Top,’ ‘Let’s Misbehave’ and her solo, ‘I Get a Kick Out of You.’ Peterson’s strong and sweet operatic voice is a pleasure to hear in songs like ‘All Through the Night,’ and the cheerful ‘It’s Delovely.’ The women team of Angels impress with their superb dancing. In sparkling sailor costumes, 1930’s-style hats and evening gowns (costume design by Joyce Gayle Smith), these actresses light up the set’s precisely painted ship exterior. The show is well-choreographed from start to finish by Victoria Miller, with the ‘Anything Goes’ tap dancing number earning loud applause. Music direction by Anoush NeVart, who plays piano, with James Bounds on bass and Jason Carmi on drums, really keeps the production in tune. Performances run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For tickets, call 454-1970 or visit the box office at 941 Temescal Canyon Rd., Wednesday through Saturday, 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Casey and Leslie Miller of Winner Circle Farms in Palmdale sell their bounty of yellow and white peaches and cherries at the Palisades Farmers Market on Swarthmore last Sunday. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
By SARAH J. DANIEL Special to the Palisadian-Post At first glance, Winner Circle Farm looks like any other orchard, with its symmetrical lines of fruit bearing trees, save for the countless chickens brazenly strutting around the circular driveway, seemingly uninhibited by anyone or anything. In fact, about 100 chickens roam so freely around Doug and Leslie Miller’s 5-acre spread of land in Palmdale that their friendly visits to surrounding neighbors have become routine. For the Miller family, vendors at the Palisades Farmers Market since its inception, organic farming isn’t just about using naturally derived pest management or draping tinsel-like mylar tape on trees to deter birds from eating the fruit. It’s a way of life that rests on the pillar that nature shouldn’t be manipulated, but rather observed and its rewards reaped. Boasting a modest crop that includes Fuji apples, cherries, Asian pears, greengage plums, nectarines, grapes, garlic, pumpkins and 19 different varieties of peaches, the Millers also sell eggs laid by the aforementioned truly free-range chickens. ‘They’ll never go in a stew pot,’ Leslie Miller says of the free-feathered birds. ‘They’ll die here, they’re my friends.’ It’s this natural approach to farming that resonates with consumers who, in the face of corporate greed and mistrust, are turning to local farmers markets more often, where vendors feel like family and offer an alternative to monolithic grocery chains. Doug and Leslie, both 48, say farming has always been in their blood. Both grew up in the San Fernando Valley with big, backyard gardens: Leslie’s grandparents had orange groves next door and Doug’s grandparents had come from a farm. While dating, they used to hold contests of who could grow the best vegetables. ‘It was competitive gardening,’ jokes Leslie. Then when they had children, they wanted to grow the freshest vegetables for them. Ten years ago, they bought an orchard. ‘It was a hobby that got out of hand,’ Leslie says of the expanding farm. They have now maxed out their property and are looking into purchasing more land. ‘I’m like their family farmer,’ Leslie says of the throngs of young families, Ugg-booted teens, cyclists, celebrities, joggers and long-time residents who have made the Sunday morning trip to the Palisades market a weekend ritual. But as the health revolution continues to plow across North America with no signs of slowing, the demand for organic foods has gone mainstream, with sales of organic products growing in more than 20 percent over the last decade, according to the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF) Web site. This has forced many long time organic farmers to become certified or face losing profits to their competitors who display the coveted United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) certified organic seal. Jennifer McColm, manager of the California Certified Organic Markets Inc. says that of the eight markets she oversees (including the Palisades market), approximately 40 percent of vendors are certified and an equal number are pesticide-free farmers like the Millers. ‘People are becoming a lot more aware of what they’re putting in their bodies,’ says McColm, who admits she is no longer accepting vendor applicants who aren’t certified, and encourages her current group of non-certified vendors to start the process. Doug and Leslie began the certification process more than a year and a half ago. According to Leslie, it involves a lot of ‘jumping through hoops,’ endless paperwork, time and having tests performed on their land, and will take a total of three years to complete. For small farms like Winner Circle, becoming certified organic also means higher expenses; the cost of using organic fertilizers is significantly higher than the conventional variety. The difference’$50 per acre for the latter versus $600 per acre for organic herbicides’ Miller says would be taxing on farmers who didn’t have an additional income like their family does (Leslie teaches special needs children and her husband is a cabinetmaker). The Miller children, Casey, 25 and Miranda, 23, also help on the farm and at the markets. Organic standards and certification were pioneered by the CCOF in the mid-1970s. As the market for organic products grew, so did the number of organic certification agencies. Subsequently Congress passed the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) in 1990 to establish consistency and this spawned the USDA to later create the National Organic Standards (NOS). Under these guidelines, uncertified farms like Winner Circle can sell goods at farmers markets and to retailers, advertising their items as ‘organic’ or ‘organically grown,’ and are not required to become certified unless their gross agricultural income from organic sales is more than $5,000 annually. Although they currently have no definite plans to sell to retail outlets, with certification the Millers would also be able to sell their produce for use as organic ingredients. Despite these perks, competition and profit weren’t the motivation behind Doug and Leslie’s decision to become certified. Leslie says they’re doing it for their customers, because they wanted to make them ‘feel more comfortable.’ Even though, she adds, ‘there are some people who will only buy organic, who buy from me because they know me and trust me.’ Leslie chats with her regular customers and seems to effortlessly remember he names of their children and spouses. She even recalled that a customer’s 4-year-old son was born the year the Palisades market opened. ‘I get Christmas cards, Hanukkah cards, even school pictures of their children ‘I’ve established some real friendships,’ she says. And with familiarity comes perks; Leslie gave jars of her homemade jams and jellies as holiday gifts this year and sells bird-pecked fruit at reduced prices to regulars like Palisadian Pete Donohue who uses his windfall to make homemade pies. Before growing peaches, Leslie got to the point that she didn’t even care for them in stores, because they didn’t have any taste. ‘I had no idea there were so many really awesome varieties of peaches,’ says Leslie, who has through trial and error now grown peaches sold at six farmers markets that her neighbor, the avocado farmer, calls ‘the real thing.’
State Assembly candidate Heather Peters flanked by her husband, Jeff Bonhach (left) and Pacific Palisades Republican Club president Curt Baer (right) at a fundraiser held last week in the Huntington Palisades. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
More than 100 local Republicans paid $99 each to attend a fundraiser held last Thursday evening for State Assembly candidate Heather Peters, who is hoping to replace Democrat incumbent Fran Pavley in November’s election. Peters, a professional mediator who lives in Santa Monica with her husband Jeff Bonhach, first came to public attention when she ran for governor in the recall election. ‘A Terminator and a Mediator will make a great team to get California back on the right track!’ reads her campaign flyer, which also takes a jibe at Pavley. ‘The incumbent sat on the budget committee that created our fiscal crisis and wants you to pay a county income tax to bail us out!’ Neighbors who came to meet Peters include Stephanie and Brad Ebner (‘We wanted to hear what she had to say’), and local real estate developer Greg Schem, who helped raise funds for Bill Simon’s gubernatorial campaign (‘I came to see how I might help out’). ‘People ask, ‘Why are you running? ” Peters, a self-described ‘Schwarzenegger Republican,’ told the crowd. ‘I tell them because now is the time, now is a new day in California. I just want to put up my hand and say, ‘Stop!’ Stop spending more money than we have, stop passing laws we don’t need and stop believing that government needs to be our parents.’ Peters then criticized her opponent’s record, saying Pavley ‘voted to triple the car tax,’ ‘voted to give illegal immigrants driver’s licenses without background checks,’ and ‘she wants health care for everyone,’ which Peters said she doesn’t think the government can afford. Asked how much she has raised for her campaign thus far, Peters said ‘almost $10,000 just tonight,’ referring to the cocktail party held at the Huntington Palisades home of Kenneth Jonsson in the Huntington Palisades, hosted by the Palisades Republican Club. ‘Heather will need much more than that to get elected,’ offered Bill Simon, the former gubernatorial candidate who is currently running for state treasurer. He has thrown his support behind Peters, whom he described as ‘intelligent,’ ‘hard-working,’ and ‘successful, just the kind of new leadership we need in Sacramento. I told her the hardest part of the campaign is right now, at the beginning. It was for me,’ Simon said. ‘I remember my wife Cindy saying she wasn’t sure I’d carry the neighborhood,’ a comment eliciting many laughs. ‘But as I look around here tonight I know Heather will carry our neighborhood. And if we can raise enough money we can win.’
The computerized rendering shows the proposed renovation project for the lower Bel-Air Bay Club along PCH. Courtesy: Douglas Burdge Architects
Can you see the beach from Pacific Coast Highway, and can you easily walk in front of it beachside? The answer was yes, which satisfied the Coastal Commission last Thursday in San Pedro as it proceeded to approve the Bel-Air Bay Club’s plans to renovate its beach facility, bringing an end to the five-year effort to secure necessary government approvals. In a unanimous decision, the commissioners’including the three recent appointees by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’accepted the club’s amended coastal permit application, which addressed scenic views, public access and height issues brought by appellants Martin Murphy, Harold Tuchyner and the Pacific Palisades Residents Association. The historic club, located on PCH between Potrero Canyon and Sunset, proposes to demolish approximately 30,700 sq.ft. of the existing 51,120-sq.-ft. lower club to be replaced by 40,700 sq. ft. of new facilities and enclosed walkways. The estimated cost was $8 million in 2002, but a new budget is now being drawn up. In addition, the club will reconfigure and relocate the entrance and exit driveway, add 1,000 feet on the PCH shoulder to improve bicycle and pedestrian access, enhance scenic views of the ocean along PCH and improve public access along the beach in front of the seawall. The final approval was conditioned to reflect the Coastal Commission staff’s recommendation to contain all the new development behind the existing seawall. ‘We acknowledge that we had to do a certain amount of redesign,’ said project manager Bill McGregor of The McGregor Company, who guided the commissioners and audience attendees (including over 50 club supporters) through a slide presentation illustrating the changes and additions to the original plans. Highlights include reducing the height of the hedges that shield the club on the highway side down to 3 feet from their current 15- to 20-foot height, providing the permanent fencing be made of translucent material to allow view corridors on both sides of PCH; realigning the parking lot entrance to align with the upper club’s entrance across the highway, and raising the beach parking lot to improve the visibility for exiting drivers to see oncoming traffic. Additionally, the groin on the western (Malibu side) tip of the property will be redesigned to improve lateral beach access. The overall height of the new structures, which consist of beach caba’as on the west and eating facilities and common areas in the central part of the building, will range from 14 feet to 28 feet, exclusive of the tower. The tower, which sits above the restaurant and was described as a purely visual element that breaks up the linear nature of the Mediterranean architectural style, rises to 37 feet. The tower’s height remained a sticking point for opponents, who insisted on limiting any new development to existing heights. Harold Tuchyner, who lives on Aderno Way overlooking the club, supported a number of the club’s proposed improvements while rejecting a second-story approach. ‘We support safety at the PCH interface, and improving the seawall, renovating the facilities and the bike path easement,’ Tuchyner said. ‘But a multi-story phase is not necessary to achieve all of the above. New development overshadowiing the beach would reduce the public’s enjoyment of the beach.’ He also complained that the new facilities would ‘draw more people to use the facility and aggravate an existing problem.’ Appellant Michael Murphy, who also lives on Aderno Way, questioned the legality of the plan. ‘Why confer this benefit to the club, which does extreme harm to the public interest? It is against state law to obscure scenic views.’ Marcia Hanscum of the Sierra Club urged the commission to deny the club or ask the applicant to withdraw it, arguing that the club was guilty of ‘a massive number of coastal violations.’ The alleged actions included illegal shade structures, volleyball courts and boat storage areas. In responding to the alleged violations, Deborah Lee, California Coastal Commission South Coast Deputy Director, said ‘these outstanding violations are not integral to the request today and we’re deferring them.’ At the conclusion of the two-hour hearing, Maida Hastings, president of the Bel-Air Bay Club board of directors, was exuberant. ‘It’s unbelievable. It was a better result and a unanimous roll call. We’ve worked very hard and covered people’s areas of concern and are glad to move forward.’ The Club will seek the approval of its 750 members at the end of June and must break ground by April of next year, when the existing city permit expires.
By BILL BRUNS and LAURA WITSENHAUSEN The Park Advisory Board will hold a special meeting Tuesday evening, June 22, to hear a proposal by the Chamber of Commerce to screen free Saturday night movies this summer on the grass ballfields at the Palisades Recreation Center. The public meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Rec Center, 851 Alma Real. The Movies Under the Stars series, which the Chamber hopes to debut July 17, will feature family-friendly films rated G to PG-13 and selected by a committee chaired by Chamber President David Williams. ‘We want to offer old-fashioned family fun to local residents,’ he said. ‘It’s a novelty to be outside watching a film,’ added committee member John Wirth. Another member, Bill Branch of the American Legion, who recalls watching movies that were screened on the side of the jail in his hometown of Bedford, Kentucky, said: ‘It’s fellowship and something unique.’ However, a Recreation Center neighbor who opposes the event (based on based on fears of Saturday night noise and crowds) brought her objections to the Community Council meeting last Thursday. After a discussion, the Council voted to send a letter to the Chamber, the Park Advisory Board and Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski’s office requesting that the movie committee first brief the Council prior to any final decision about the film series. Meanwhile, Kevin Regan, area superintendent of Recreation and Parks, informed Council Chairman George Wolfberg that he has asked the new park director, David Gadelha, ‘to conduct a complete community process prior to granting approval of this event,’ and he has requested that ‘a special meeting of the Park Advisory Board be held to gain community input and formulate a final recommendation to Department staff regarding ‘Movies in the Park.” If the film series is approved, residents will be invited to bring blankets and picnics. Food and drinks will be available from 6-9 p.m., with the movie beginning at dusk. The organizers are in the process of aligning themselves with a film distribution company and hope to show films like ‘The Princess Bride,’ ‘E.T.,’ and ‘Shrek’ as well as some black-and-white classics. They also would like to run old newsreels and cartoons before the night’s feature. ‘We want to foster a feeling of community,’ said Wirth, a TV writer/producer. ‘It’s an activity families can do together with their neighbors outside during the summer.’ On May 21, the Chamber sent out a letter to 70 park neighbors in the Huntington Palisades to inform them of the movie series and their plans for a test run that neighbors were welcome to attend. At this June 3 ‘test run,’ Friends of Film’s Bob Sharka and Andy Frew projected a portion of ‘Toy Story’ for half an hour, for neighbors to attend or to listen from home. Ultimately, four residents complained about the noise and four were positive. The organizers have proposed having more speakers to spread the sound around the audience and keep the volume down. Palisades Patrol has been hired to provide security and Chrysalis’ StreetWorks will clean up afterwards.
Rafer Johnson spoke at Olympics Days at Palisades Elementary on Tuesday. Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
It’s hard for Rafer Johnson to believe 44 years have passed since he stood on the victory platform in Rome and, with the national anthem playing, had a gold medal placed around his neck. Johnson had just won an epic decathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics and he remembers that moment like it was yesterday. ‘It’s one of those things you never forget, especially because I had to work so hard for so long to achieve that goal,’ said Johnson, who has been chosen as grand marshal for this year’s Fourth of July parade in Pacific Palisades. ‘Actually, finishing second in 1956 [in Melbourne] made me realize that no matter how hard you work, there are no guarantees. I learned more from winning the silver than I did from winning the gold four years later.’ Arnie Wishnick, executive director of the Palisades Chamber of Commerce, knows a personal friend of Johnson’s and suggested he ask the former decathlete to consider being grand marshal. Johnson was quick to accept the invitation. ‘I’m really looking forward to that,’ said Johnson, who lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife, Betsy. ‘I rode in the Rose Parade four or five years ago and I enjoyed that experience. I’m a parade veteran, but I’m going to have my 2-1/2-year-old granddaughter, Jaylen, with me and it’ll be her first parade.’ Johnson was at Palisades Elementary Tuesday morning to participate in the school’s annual Olympics Day. ‘My daughter [beach volleyball player Jenny Johnson-Jordan] wanted to be here but she is busy trying to qualify for the Athens Olympics, so she asked me if I would come in her place,’ Johnson said, addressing the students and faculty. ‘As a father, I can honestly say the most difficult thing in the world is watching my daughter compete because there’s nothing you can do. You can only sit and watch.’ Johnson-Jordan is vying for her second Olympics, havingompeted at the 2000 Sydney Games. Rafer’s son, Josh, was a javelin thrower at UCLA. Prior to Tuesday, Johnson’s last public appearance in the Palisades was in December 1998, when he gave a talk at Village Books to promote his autobiography ‘The Best That I Can Be.’ The book’s title has been the underlying theme of his speeches and the message he tries to convey to kids through the 20 charity organizations he is involved in. ‘More important than winning a medal’whether it be gold, a silver or a bronze’is representing your country when the opportunity presents itself and being the best you can be,’ he said. Though winning Olympic gold was the highlight of his athletic career, Johnson considers lighting the torch at the opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles the defining moment of his life. ‘This year marks the 20th anniversary of those Games,’ Johnson said. ‘That was special because it was right here in our own backyard. What made that Olympiad so successful was the volunteers’over 10,000 in two weeks. And of course being the final torchbearer was the single biggest thrill of my life. It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever done.’ Becoming a decathlete was Johnson’s goal since he was 15. As a high school junior and senior in Kingsburg, near Fresno, he won back-to-back state decathlon titles and earned a scholarship to UCLA. One of the most grueling competitions in sports, the decathlon consists of 10 track and field events over two days to determine the best all-around athlete. Competitors try to accumulate as many points as possible in the 100 meter dash, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 meters, 110 meter hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1,500 meter race. After winning in Rome, Johnson was named Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated. He used that victory as a springboard to launch the California Special Olympics in 1969, holding a competition at the L.A. Coliseum for 900 people with mental retardation. Johnson became chairman of the organization’s Board of Governors in 1992. ‘Of all the charities I support, Special Olympics will always be the closest to my heart because I helped found it and it’s so important that everyone feels loved and appreciated,’ said Johnson, who annually leads fundraisers for the March of Dimes and PAH (People Assisting the Homeless). ‘We all need to do what we can to help other people.’ Johnson cited the influx of steroids and increased security as the two biggest differences between athletes of his day and the present. ‘When I was competing, drugs were not an issue at all and we traveled pretty freely to the different venues. We didn’t even need to wear our I.D. badge to go in and out of the Village. That is obviously not the case anymore. I know safety is a big concern in Athens.’ As for the people he met through competition and travel, Johnson said boxing champion Muhammad Ali is one of his favorites. Like Johnson, Ali won a gold medal in Rome (in the light-heavyweight division), he lit the Olympic torch (at Atlanta in 1996) and is heavily involved in numerous charities. ‘He was Cassius Clay back then, before he changed his name,’ Johnson recalled Tuesday. ‘We were teammates on the U.S. team and both of us signed up with the same speakers bureau. We traveled all over the country after the Olympics and became very good friends. He was much more outspoken than me but I admired that because he said a lot of things I wanted to say. He wasn’t afraid to speak his mind.’
By continuing to use our site, you understand that we use cookies to improve your experience and collect analytics data. To find out more, read our privacy policy here.
