A takeover robbery occurred on Monday at 11:10 a.m. at Citibank on Sunset, adjacent to the post office. Three suspects, described as black males in their late teens to early 20s, entered the bank through the side door (off the courtyard), and two of them jumped the teller counter, according to FBI spokesperson Cheryl Mimura. They yelled “Everybody get down, this is not a joke!” and then took cash from a teller’s drawer. No weapons were seen. A fourth suspect may have stood guard outside the bank, according to several witnesses. The suspects were seen leaving in a burgundy GM Safari van from the alley behind the building. The stolen van was recovered within 20 minutes by LAPD about three blocks away at the corner of Embury and Albright. The suspects were wearing black beanies, black hooded sweatshirts and black gloves, with two of them also wearing black sunglasses, Mimura said. LAPD Detective J. Licata said the robbery appears to be linked to other bank robberies. “There have been several takeover robberies in the city and county over the last couple of months that look similar,” said Licata. “In a couple of other robberies, a stolen vehicle was used and abandoned in a nearby location.” A reward is available for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for the robbery. Contact: the LAPD Robbery/ Homicide division at (213) 485-0780. Longtime Palisadian Anne Froehlich was inside the bank talking to Citibank employee Henry Longres when the robbery occurred. “After I heard, ‘Get down,’ I hid under a desk,” she said. Another customer who was standing near the teller was pushed down by a suspect, but not injured. After the suspects fled, the bank was locked. Two witnesses who had seen the car parked in the alley (between Swarthmore and Monument) came and provided an identification of the car to police. Bank employees and witnesses in the bank were questioned by the police and the FBI for about 90 minutes as part of the investigation. According to Longres, this was the first robbery to occur at the Citibank (previously California Federal) branch in at least five years.
Cody Michaels: Town’s 50th ‘First Baby’
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Cody Robert Michaels, born at 1:50 a.m. on January 1 at St. John’s Medical Center in Santa Monica, has won the Palisadian-Post’s First Baby of the Year contest. He is the 50th baby to earn the honor. Cody’s mother, Pam Michaels, learned about the contest when she came into the Post’s offices last month to renew her subscription. Business Manager Cheryel Kanan asked when she was due, and reminded her to watch out for the First Baby contest and call the Post when she had her baby. So Pam called in on Friday, the day after giving birth, and Cody was eventually declared the winner. He and his parents will enjoy gifts and services from 60 Palisades merchants. “Little Cody is doing very well,” Pam said. “My pregnancy was great. I really enjoyed it and had no problems.” Cody’s dad, Robert, came up with his first name. “I was reading the baby names book and it just caught my attention,” said Robert. “He seems to have a strong-willed personality. He’s not shy about letting you know how he feels about things. When he gets wrapped in a certain way, he starts swinging his arms in boxing mode.” Cody’s 6-year-old brother, Brandon, a Corpus Christi first grader, is adjusting well to his new little brother and is helping out. “He was very excited and he couldn’t wait,” Pam said. Dad is proud of his older son’s transition to being a big brother: “He’s old enough to understand what it means; he cares for his brother and looks after him. He’s been very sweet to him.” The runners-up are Annie and Kendall Mars, twin daughters of Traci and Brian Mars, born at 6:55 and 6:56 a.m. on January 1 at Cedars-Sinai. Older sister Molly is in the same class as Brandon, at Corpus Christi. “It’s very special for us to have two sets of children the same age,” said Pam. “I was lying in bed that night, and called Traci to say, ‘I had my baby and you’re next.’ Brian answered and said ‘We did, too!'” Born at 7 lbs. 14 oz. and 20-3/4″ long, Cody has lots of brown hair and light eyebrows. His mom expects his hair to become blonde like his older brother’s, as he is his “spitting image.” “He’s thriving,” she said of Cody. “He hasn’t lost weight as newborns usually do; in fact, he gained a little bit of weight a few days after his birth. I just welcome a great eater. He’s quite a little feisty guy. “We didn’t know if he was going to be a 2003 baby or a 2004 baby,” Pam said. “We were hoping it was going to be January 1, the start of a new year. We didn’t even notice it was New Year’s, and before you know it, you’ve given birth. After he was born we realized it was New Year’s, so we celebrated. It was a lot of fun.” Cody was also the year’s first birth at St. John’s and was given a silver spoon that reads “First Baby of 2004” by the hospital staff. His mother recalls it was a busy night at the hospital. “My water broke on the 31st and when we came in at 4 p.m. there was no labor room available. There were three women there before me, and three women after me.” She had to wait about an hour until a room was available. Pam Michaels, who is originally from Durban, South Africa, was happy that her sister and brother-in-law had flown in from South Africa on December 30. “Brandon was thrilled he could spend the night at home with his aunt and uncle.” Robert Michaels, a native of Boston, is the president and CEO of Odesus, Inc., a technology consulting company. They have lived in the Palisades Highlands since 1997. “We’re pleased for the big announcement; it’s something special for Cody to carry through his life,” Robert said.
Nita Hughes’ First Novel Travels Between Gothic France and Now
For her first novel, Nita Hughes challenged herself by traveling between two time frames, 13th-century France and the present day in the same location. Hughes will be reading from “Past Recall” on Thursday, January 15, 7:30 p.m. at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore. The story begins during the Inquisition, which is a threat to Clotilde de Mirepoix and her husband Jean, who possess the Cathar treasure, a set of manuscripts whose power they describe as so important as to change the world. Clotilde and Jean vow to return in the new millennium to unveil the treasure when the earth’s destiny looks darkest. The power of the Cathar treasure threatens the world once again in modern times when photojournalist Dana Palmer’s quest to find the treasure leads to her own peril. Hughes, a former international banker who lived in Australia, the Philippines and France, retired in 1994 to live in Maui and write. “I always was a closet writer and so after I retired I learned the craft. I read everything I could get my hands on, took a class and read novelists whose work I admire, such as Isabel Allende and Amy Tan.” Enjoying her new life in Maui, Hughes takes walks on the beach and a daily swim, but sticks to a disciplined schedule, writing from 10 till 1 and returning after a break at 3:30. A former Malibu resident, Hughes and her husband Douglas have three children who live on the mainland. She is already working on her second book, “Safe Haven,” which is loosely based on her time in Manila, when the Marcos’ government was overturned in 1992.
The Visual Treasure of the Santa Monicas
Photos and Text By JIM KENNEY I have been photographing in the Santa Monica Mountains since 1974. My initial interest began with wildflowers, which led to an all-consuming interest in fire ecology and its effect on the flowers and chaparral plant communities. The last few years I’ve been more involved with landscape photography. Success in this field involves some skill and a lot of luck. For example, the Temescal Ridge photograph on a clear day is appealing, but without the two hikers the result is ordinary. (See photo, page 1.) I did not plan to photograph the bright orange sycamores in Malibu Canyon, but I took advantage of the opportunity when I saw it. Of course, some of the photographs here WERE planned. I knew the Santa Ynez Waterfall would be there and set out with my tripod to capture the image. Same with the Giant Coreopsis-the previous week I scouted the area, then waited for a sunny day. (Not for the flowers, but for the ocean.) What I’ve found to be most important is to plan for the unexpected, and be ready to take advantage of it. Advances in film and digital photography are wonderful, but the same principles of managing light, contrast and composition apply now just as they did many years ago. Countless hiking excursions are not successful in terms of photography, but the marvelous exercise and visual excitement make it all worthwhile.
Landes Back on Court After Injury
Senior guard Ali Landes had 13 points, three assists and two steals in leading the Windward High girls basketball team to a 69-15 nonleague victory over Crossroads last Saturday. Landes, the Wildcats’ leading scorer last year and one of the Palisadian-Post’s athletes of the year, missed the team’s first 12 games this season with a back injury.
Koral Signs Letter of Intent with UCLA
Former Palisades High quarterback David Koral signed a national letter of intent to attend UCLA, Bruins head coach Karl Dorrell announced last week. He is one of six junior college transfers who have committed to the school in the last two weeks. Koral, a 6-2, 210-pounder from Santa Monica College, enjoyed a successful sophomore season for the Corsairs, completing 155 of 281 passes (55.2%) for 2,202 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. He is expected to enroll at UCLA for Winter Quarter and will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. As a senior at Palisades, Koral earned prep All-America honors from PrepStar magazine in 2000 and was rated the No. 6 quarterback in the West. In two seasons at Pali he passed for almost 9,000 yards. His junior year, he threw for 4,902 yards and 57 touchdowns and as a senior he accounted for 4,057 yards and 44 touchdowns, including a national high school record 764 yards against Van Nuys Grant. He signed with Vanderbilt out of high school.
Schwartz Chooses Oregon
Geoff Schwartz, a 6-7, 308-pound senior offensive tackle at Palisades High, has committed to play football at the University of Oregon next season. Schwartz was also considering UCLA (both of his parents are Bruin alumni) and Arizona, which just hired new head coach Mike Stoops, formerly the defensive coordinator for brother Bob Stoops at Oklahoma. Mike Bellotti electing to stay as head coach at Oregon was a key factor in Schwartz’s decision. “Theyv’e been there a long time,” Schwartz said of the Ducks’ coaching staff. “They’re an established program and they always win. I like the coaches and the environment up there.” Schwartz was selected to play in last Friday’s CaliFlorida bowl, matching the top prep players from California against the best from Florida. Schwartz also plays center for the PaliHi basketball team and pitches on the baseball team
TIMEOUT With… Jessica Kronstadt
Yale Volleyball Senior Overachieves On the Court and in the Classroom
Whether it’s a final exam or the finals of a big tournament, Jessica Kronstadt is as competitive as they come. A senior libero on the Yale University volleyball team, she registered 366 digs this season and had over 700 in her four-year career. She played all but one game this season for the Bulldogs and posted 20 digs in a match six times, including a season-high 31 against Dartmouth. She earned the Coach’s Award for her consistent play and leadership, made the All-Ivy League academic team in the fall and is involved in numerous campus activities-all of that while maintaining a 3.71 grade point average. A standout prep player at Harvard-Westlake, Kronstadt led the Wolverines to a CIF championship her junior year and played on Gene’s Team, one of the Southland’s most successful club volleyball teams, coached by beach volleyball legend Gene Selznick. Home in Huntington Palisades for winter break to spend time with her parents, brother Erik (a sophomore pre-med at Cornell) and sister Nicola (a sixth-grader at St. Matthew’s), Kronstadt visited with Palisadian-Post Sports Editor Steve Galluzzo this week to share her thoughts on volleyball, college life and her future… Post: Why did you decide to go to Yale, a university that does not give athletic scholarships? JK: I visited a number of schools my junior year of high school and I really fell in love with Yale and Dartmouth. The prospect of going to an Ivy League school always interested me, so when the Yale coach called me I saw it as a great opportunity. I went on a recruiting trip in September and I couldn’t imagine myself anywhere else. I liked the fact that there was no mediocrity. Nothing about Yale is mediocre. To be in this intensely competitive academic environment where students still have a great time and love the university was enough to sell me. Post: Being a student-athlete, how are you able to make time for your other interests? JK: What I wanted from college was not to have my life dominated by volleyball. I wanted to be able to pursue music and learn a language fluently. Of course, volleyball takes up a lot of my time, but I’m also in the Elizabethan Club, which is a literary society for professors and students who share a love of music and literature. I’m also a tutor and I’m involved in student mentor programs and those are things I might not have been able to pursue if I went to a big-time volleyball school. Post: After graduation next semester, what are your career goals? JK: I’m waiting to hear from law schools right now. I want to get a joint degree in business and law, which is a four-year program. If I get into Yale law school, I’m going to do that. If I don’t, I’ll probably work for a year in consulting or banking to have some experience and then go for my JDMBA. Yale law school is the best in the country, but I have as good a chance as anyone else. If I do get a law degree, I’d probably like to work in the DA’s office as a prosecutor doing the hands-on trial work. Advertising also appeals to me. It’s a very exciting field. Post: If you had to pick a favorite volleyball highlight at Yale, what would that be? JK: Just playing for four years at the Division I collegiate level is an achievement in itself. But if I had to pick one thing I’d say my proudest moment was beating Princeton this year. We hadn’t beaten them since 1997, it was at home and it was the last time I was ever going to get to play them. Everyone played great and the athletic director came into our postgame meeting and was so elated. It was just a huge win for our program. We beat Harvard on their senior night, too, which was pretty cool. On a personal note, winning the Coach’s Award was very rewarding. Post: To what do you attribute your team’s success this year? JK: Our new coach, Erin Appleman. She put the smiles back on our faces. She connected with us personally and athletically. She has really turned the program around. We had an incredible season. We had our best start in 11 years and we beat teams we didn’t beat last year. We won tournaments that we wouldn’t have won last year. We opened the year at the West Point Tournament and beat a very good Army team. She knew how hard to push each one of us and got the maximum talent out of each player, which is a special skill that I think very few coaches have. I’m glad I got to play with her, but I’m sad it was only for one season. Post: How come you chose to attend Harvard-Westlake High [in North Hollywood] rather than, say, Brentwood or Palisades? JK: Harvard-Westlake was just a better fit for me. It was a bigger school than Brentwood and Marlborough, one of the strongest academically in the country and it was more diverse in terms of the student body. I didn’t love it. If I had to do it over again, I definitely would’ve gone to Pali. But it did prepare me extremely well for college because it’s real sink or swim. You’re surrounded by lots of really talented people who are just as smart as you are. My junior year of high school was as hard academically as anything I’ve experienced at Yale and that’s saying something. Post: Do you still keep in touch with anyone from high school? JK: Not from my high school team. Just my friends from Gene’s Team. I played club with them for four years and we’ve all kept playing in college. Jenna [Grigsby] is at Cal, Jenny [Badran-Grycan], is at Villanova and Lauren [Carter] is at Penn. I see Anna (Carter’s nickname) most because our schools play each other, but I see everyone else when we’re back here on vacations. We had so much fun together. Post: How much did it help learning your trade from Gene Selznick? JK: He was as instrumental a teacher and as big an influence in my life as any of my teachers in high school or any of my professors in college. Not only is he a phenomenal volleyball coach who can teach anyone how to play, but I’d say he shaped a lot of my character. A lot of the person I am is because of the way he coached me in volleyball. I think if you asked any of the four of us, we’d all say the same thing. He’s still the best coach we know. I love having Gene on my side. In terms of my volleyball skill, Gene gets all the credit. Post: Do you prefer rally scoring or would you like to revert back to sideouts? JK: Unfortunately I never got to play rally scoring in high school, but I like it. The games go quicker and I think that makes it more exciting to watch. It definitely gives the weaker team more of a chance. It forces you to concentrate on every point as opposed to just the serving point, so I think it’s a good change. You have to be a lot more disciplined. I’m a little biased because I’m a defensive specialist, but it’s true-defense wins games. Post: How have you liked playing libero the last two seasons? JK: I love it. It’s basically the same as being a DS except that instead of going in for the same person every rotation, a libero can substitute in for anybody at any time in the back row. You just can’t serve. I like it because I consider myself a good defensive player and I like being out there as much as I can. I know I’m biased because I’m a defensive specialist, but to me that and the setter are the most important parts of the team because without passing and defense you don’t get to hit the ball. Post: Have the lessons you’ve learned through volleyball helped in other aspects of life? JK: I wrote my personal statement for law school about this! I love the camaraderie of a team sport. I’ve learned more about teamwork and more about leadership playing volleyball than I have in any other part of my life. It’s also forced me to manage my time and learn to prioritize. Best of all, though, it’s been a great friend base for me. Going into college as a freshman is scary enough as it is, but when you play a sport you have to get there earlier than the other students, so it gives you a chance to get acclimated better, learn the campus, and meet new people before classes even start. Post: When did you first begin playing volleyball and what sparked your interest? JK: I would say that 8th grade is when I really started playing volleyball seriously and when I learned a lot of my skills. People thought I was good at it and I thought it was fun. I was on Jeff Porter’s last Club West team and it was phenomenal. There was me, Jenna, Michelle Davis, Cassie Bryan… a lot of good players. We took eighth place at the Davis Tournament that year. Post: What advice would you give to high school girls interested in playing college volleyball? JK: In the end, it’s just a sport. I’m as competitive as they come. You will not find a woman who is more competitive than I am. I hate losing. I hate it. But I can think of nothing worse than choosing a school or choosing what you do in life based solely on volleyball. I would recommend that you choose a school you’re happy with and the volleyball will fall into place. Volleyball is a great sport, but keep it in perspective at the same time. Your academics are always more important.
Back in the Saddle
Palisadian Stephanie Danhakl Survived Frightful Fall to Finish Equestrian Show
It was Week 2 of the Indio Desert Circuit Equestrian Championships in February and 16-year-old Stephanie Danhakl was well on her way to another victory when suddenly she met a cruel twist of fate. “I was riding and my horse tripped during competition,” she recalled. “I was thrown off and landed pretty hard. I got right up and thought I was fine. I tried to finish, but the pain became so unbearable that I just couldn’t continue.” Danhakl had broken her collar bone in two places and was told it would take two months to heal. But rather than give up on her favorite California show, the confident Palisadian persevered and was back in the saddle by the fifth stage of the six-week competition. Ignoring the pain and her doctor’s admonitions to be careful, she scored enough points to capture the Small Junior Hunter championship on a horse named Henley and the Large Junior Hunter title on Bellingham Bay. “I was really determined to get back in the competition because I had trained really hard for it,” she said. “I was at a disadvantage because I missed two weeks, but I did well enough in the weeks I did show to win.” That was just the start of a magical year for Danhakl in which she won at least one division at almost every show she entered. At the Monarch International Junior Hunter finals in Del Mar, Danhakl and her favorite horse, Lifetime, won the Large Junior Hunter championship.Then, at the Menlo Circus Club in Atherton, she was chosen Best Child Rider and won the Small Junior Hunter Championship with Henley. “I’ve only been riding for about three years, but I’ve loved horses for as long as I can remember. I’m fortunate to have a really good trainer who has matched me with the right horses.” For each show, divisions are divided up by age (hers is Junior, for 17-and-unders). Small or large indicates the size of the horse and the “hunter” classification is a method of judging that focuses on a horse’s form and technique on jumps. Barriers at her level are three feet, six inches in height. When choosing a mount, Danhakl has several musts: “They have to be quiet, they have to be well balanced and they have to respond the right way when you pull on the reins or let go of them.” Danhakl trains six days a week under the tutelage of Archie Cox at her barn in Lakewood Terrace. The little time she has away from the stable is divided amongst her friends, classes at Harvard-Westlake High (her favorite subject is science) and, of course, homework. “I go right from school to practice, so it does take a lot of time. But I love the competition,” said Danhakl, who lives in the Highlands and attended Calvary Christian School prior to Harvard-Westlake. “There is always room for improvement. I’m not really looking to go to the Olympics or anything, I’d just like to keep improving and try to keep winning.” As well as she performed at state competitions, Danhakl saved her best for the national shows. She won the Small Junior Hunter championship on her second small horse, Traditions, and rode Bellingham Bay to a second-place finish in the Large Junior Hunter category at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Maryland. At the Metropolitan Show in New York City, she was runner up on Bellingham Bay and at the National Horse Show in West Plam Beach, Florida, she and Traditions were Small Junior Hunter Champions. Danhakl ended the year by riding Lifetime to the USA Equestrian Federation’s Large Junior Hunter national championship. The more medals she wins, the more determined she becomes. “This sport is a big time commitment. But if you enjoy it, like I do, all the hard work you put in is worth it.” Her immediate goal is winning again at the Desert Circuit Championships, which begin at the end of the month. Last year’s success and the adversity she had to overcome to win there have her feeling good about her chances.
Patricia McCrone, 69; Active Volunteer, Traveler
Patricia Lee McCrone passed away after a long illness on December 29. She was 69. McCrone was born on January 24, 1934 in Buffalo, New York to Chester and Celia Stevens, one of four children. After graduating from high school, she attended the University of Buffalo and majored in business at which she excelled. She was later voted “Kelly Girl” of Pittsburgh. While in college, she met her husband Jack. They began life together in Kenmore, New York and moved upstate to Elmira, then to Pittsburgh before finally settling in Pacific Palisades, where they lived for 22 years. McCrone loved to travel, which prompted her to work in the travel business. Her husband’s work allowed them to travel all over the world and they continued to do so after retirement. Active in several groups, McCrone was on the board of the Palisades Newcomers Club for several years. She was affiliated with the Venice Family Clinic and helped raise funds, in particular for the annual Venice Art Walk and Children’s Christmas benefit-a challenge she truly loved. More recently, she was active in Las Doradas, a local women’s association which supports a children’s center in Venice. As expressed by dear friends, Pat was a “beacon of light, love and laughter to all who came in contact with her. She enlightened all our lives with her sincere interest in others and her total focus on their care, often brushing aside inquiries about herself.” In addition to her husband Jack, she is survived by her son James. A Mass was said by Msgr. Torgerson at St. Monica’s Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, a contribution to any cancer organization would be gratefully received.
