Plato’s famous credo ‘The life which is unexamined is not worth living’ speaks directly to Dr. James Birren’s passion over the past 30 years. Birren, a longtime Palisadian, is in the business of guiding other people to write their life stories. He brings to the task a lifetime of distinguished teaching and writing as the former associate director of the UCLA Center on Aging and founding dean of the USC Andrus Center of Gerontology. ‘It’s addictive; there’s such power in hearing people’s life stories,’ says Birren, who has co-authored two books on the subject. He points out that the benefits of autobiography are broader and more far-reaching than simply recording one’s life for family and posterity. ‘Lots of good things come out of it,’ he says. The process often rekindles old interests and sparks optimism about the future, which makes thinking about goals and aspirations a natural conclusion to the experience. And the autobiographical journey is not an isolated affair, with sharing in a group being a basic tenet of the program. ‘Working with others helps to stimulate recall of events, feelings and details of settings that might be overlooked or forgotten by an individual writing alone,’ notes Birren, who has taught his popular course all over the world. Closer to home, Birren will teach two courses this month at UCLA Extension. For the mental health professional, ‘Use of Autobiography in Clinical Practice,’ a new one-day conference, will be offered on Saturday, May 15. The other class, designed for a general audience, is called ‘Guided Autobiography: Organizing Your Life Story’ and meets on six Saturdays beginning May 22. During the sessions, major themes of life’family, money, health, spirituality and values’ are explored through writing assignments and group discussion. ‘We don’t evaluate or give interpretations of another’s life,’ Birren says. ‘We want an individual to come to his or her own conclusions.’ Ultimately, the course comes around to mining the history of one’s hopes and dreams, concluding with the question: What do you want to do right now? The intimacy of the group follows a predictable pattern. ‘There’s an implicit cadence,’ says Birren. ‘People recoil if you share too much too soon. By the third session, though, things are quite open.’ Birren, who is a vital 86, has taught 20- and 90-year-olds in the same group. ‘The energy of the young and experience of the old do very well together,’ he says. Strong bonds often form among class members, with many groups continuing to meet for years. ‘Just as having coffee with a friend can be therapeutic, so can sharing one’s life story,’ says Birren. ‘We’re living in an impersonal age. I think that’s why there’s such a growing interest in this.’ Birren and his wife, Betty, moved to the Palisades in 1965. Internationally recognized for his work in gerontology, Birren has published extensively in the area of aging. To learn more about the UCLA course offerings, call 825-2301 or go online to www.uclaextension.edu.
Dolphins Sink Pirates’ Ship
Boys Volleyball Sweeps San Pedro in Playoff Opener; Uni Next
Photo by Rich Schmitt, Staff Photographer
Two months and a day after playing the same team in its season opener, the Palisades High boys volleyball team found itself matched against San Pedro in the first round of the City playoffs. Fortunately for the Dolphins, the rematch yielded a similar result. Playing with the same confidence and execution it used to overpower the Pirates in three straight games back on March 3, Palisades dominated in all aspects of the game en route to a 25-10, 25-22, 25-19 victory Tuesday night. The win earned the seventh-seeded Dolphins (9-5) a third crack at Western League champion and No. 2 seed University, a 25-19, 25-11, 25-16 winner over 15th-seeded Huntington Park Tuesday. The Wildcats, who beat the Dolphins in both league meetings this season, host Palisades in the quarterfinals tonight at 7 p.m. It took Palisades less than 80 minutes to dispatch 10th-seeded San Pedro (9-5), the two-time defending Marine League champion. ‘Our passing was pretty good and our hitting was really good,’ said PaliHi setter Rusty Barneson, who had 33 assists. ‘Especially Zach [Rosenblatt]. He was really ripping it.’ Senior hitter Jason Schall led the Pali attack with 10 kills, three blocks and two jump serve aces, Rosenblatt had five kills and three blocks and Brett Vegas had 11 digs. Middle blocker Nash Petrovic, who had 12 kills and six blocks in the prior meeting between the schools, pitched in Tuesday with two blocks and five kills, one of which ended the second game. ‘I remember from the last time we played them that their blocking wasn’t too good,’ said Schall, one of the Dolphins’ emotional leaders. ‘I knew if I hit it hard they wouldn’t be able to control their blocks. That’s how we got a lot of points.’ With San Pedro out of the way, the Dolphins’ focus now shifts to league rival University, which beat Palisades in four games on March 24 and in five games on April 21. Schall provided a blueprint of what the Dolphins must do to turn the tables on Uni: ‘They have weaknesses. Their big strength is in the middle. We need to shut down their big middle blocker’he was powerful. We also need to play real sound defense. We can’t let easy balls drop like we did tonight. And we need to serve well. Last time, I got a lot of aces on my jump serve.’ Though University is seeded higher, PaliHi head coach Dave Smith said he prefers playing the Wildcats over Venice, which also beat the Dolphins twice in league matches. Venice, seeded fourth out of 16 teams, beat Kennedy 25-23, 25-13, 25-23 in the first round and would not meet Pali until the finals May 14 at Pierce College in Woodland Hills. ‘Uni is a good team but for some reason I think we match up better with them than we do against Venice. We almost beat them (Uni) on their home court the last time we played them, so if we do a few things differently I’m confident we can win. I like our chances.’
Oliveau Headed for Athens
Palisadian and local sports marketing attorney Maidie E. Oliveau has been named one of 12 attorneys worldwide’and one of two Americans’to serve on the Ad Hoc Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to settle disputes that arise during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, covering such areas as drug testing results, athlete eligibility and judging issues. This marks the third time that Oliveau has been honored to serve on the Ad Hoc Division of CAS, having previously done so in Sydney and Salt Lake City. Out of nine attorneys who served in a similar position for the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games, she is one of four invited back to join the Tribunal for the Athens Olympics, and she is the only female on the Ad Hoc Division of CAS, which was established by the International Council of Arbitration for Sport as the final arbiter of all Olympic Games-related disputes. At the games in Salt Lake City, the Ad Hoc Division heard the case of the highly visible controversy involving the Russian/Canadian pairs skating. After the CAS issued an injunction regarding the judges and their records, the IOC gave the Canadian pair a second set of gold medals. Oliveau has represented sponsors, event organizers, television broadcasters, sports associations and other rights holders for more than 20 years. Oliveau established her firm in 1990 and has since negotiated and/or administered nearly 200 deals totaling over $500 million, including such high profile transactions as the sponsorship and negotiations for the L.A. 2002 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and Pacific Bell’s sponsorship of the San Francisco Giants and naming rights to their ballpark, Pacific Bell Park. Oliveau began her career in sports in 1979 at ProServ, Inc., where she represented professional athletes Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Tracy Austin, Mitch Kupchak and Tai Babilonia. She also produced a weekly, half-hour TV show, Sports Probe, that aired on USA Network.
Pali Lacrosse Team Routs Manual Arts
Palisades’ junior varsity lacrosse club team improved to 7-2-1 in its inaugural season in the Pacific Coast Lacrosse Association with a 20-1 victory over Manual Arts last Wednesday. Ten of Palisades’ 18 players scored, led by Nick Sherman’s seven goals and four assists, giving him a league-best 62 points through 10 games. Joe Luckett added four goals, giving him 12 this season, and Eugene Karachun also scored four. Palisades got first-strike contributions from freshman Colin Vining with a pretty assist and freshman attacker Max Gross, who added a goal and an assist. Andre Harris, Sudsy Dyke, and Travis De Zarn led the squad in ground ball picks with five each. Goalie Nico Roe made eight saves to keep his goals against average among the league’s lowest (.889). The PCLA consists of 15 junior varsity teams. Palisades has three road games left’at West Hills Chaminade, San Gabriel and Brentwood. Managed by Andrea Dyke and Lori Mendez-Packer and coached by Jeff Hirshberg and Scott Hylen, Palisades upset previously undefeated Malibu, 12-8, in its previous game at Stadium by the Sea. One of the fastest growing sports across the nation, lacrosse is becoming a popular sport among youth in Southern California. Though not yet an interscholastic sport, lacrosse has been played in the Palisades for some time by local kids attending Los Angeles-area private schools. This spring, however, the game arrived at Palisades High and could be here to stay. Rounding out the Pali squad are Ramsay Potts, Nick Kappeyne, Peter Foster, Max Rosenzweig, Yoni Shoshani, Josh Sharp, Simon Lewis, Nick Savas, Paul Rago and Rob Seaward. Pali hopes to field both a varsity and a junior varsity team in 2005. High school boys interested in playing on the club should contact Andrea Dyke at 230-3298 or Lori Mendez-Packer at 454-0361. For more information, visit the PCLA Web site: www.pacificcoastlacrosse.com.
Baseball Win is Team Effort
When you are several games ahead in the standings, you can afford to take more chances. And when you are playing as well as the Palisades High baseball team has been, everything you try seems to work. That was the case when the Dolphins traveled to Fairfax for Monday’s Western League game. Co-coaches Tom Seyler and Kelly Loftus gambled by lifting starter Geoff Schwartz after just two innings with the Dolphins clinging to a 1-0 lead. Their thinking was to save their ace for Friday’s Easter Tournament game against Sun Valley Poly’a game that could impact potential playoff seedings. Pali’s coaches need not have worried. Matt Skolnik, who normally plays second base, proved more than adequate on the mound, allowing just two hits in five innings of relief as the Dolphins remained unbeaten in league with a 7-2 victory. The one area of concern for Loftus was the Dolphins’ uncharacteristic six errors’the last of which led to the Lions’ two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. ‘We played a sloppy game and we’ll have to clean that up as we come down the stretch,’ Loftus said. ‘Other than that, it’s hard to be disappointed. We keep finding ways to win.’ The key hit Monday was a lead-off double by first baseman David Bromberg in the top of the fifth inning which began a six-run rally. Bromberg, a left-handed batter, ripped the first pitch inside the left field line then scored after back-to-back singles by Skolnik and Kevin Seto. Another single by All-City short stop Dylan Cohen scored Skolnik and a throwing error scored Seto. Adam Franks singled to score Cohen, Alex Thompson reached on an error and Manny Perez doubled to give Palisades (16-3 overall, 11-0 in league) a commanding 7-0 lead. ‘It was outside and I went with it,’ Bromberg said of the double that seemed to awaken the slumbering Pali bats. ‘From here on in, we need to focus on being more ready to play and not making errors. Still, a win is a win and we’ll take it.’ Bromberg is used to winning. As a 12-year-old, he played on the North Venice Dodgers travel squad with Pali teammates Cohen and [center fielder] Turhan Folse that finished 27-0. That team was coached by Bromberg’s dad, Mike, presently one of the Dolphins’ coaches. Bromberg struck out batters in five innings in Pali’s 6-2 victory over University last Thursday. Folse said going undefeated is not something he or his teammates are concerned about. ‘We knew we had the ability to win it [league] before the season started. We knew we had the talent. Usually you don’t think about winning every game but of course it would great if we can do it. We all have winning attitudes.’ After Skolnik struck out the side in the fifth inning, Seyler emptied his bench in the top of the sixth, giving Monte Hickok, Bryan Leishman, Nick Mansdorf, Hunter Franks and Sam Skolnik chances to hit. Even Schwartz got a rare opportunity to bat and he beat out an infield single to the delight of his teammates. ‘We could’ve tried to mercy them, but I’d rather get as many kids into the game as I can,’ Seyler said. ‘These kids have worked hard and they deserve a shot. When we have an opportunity to play everyone, I’m going to do it. I’ll be happy just winning our league, I don’t care if we go undefeated.’
Ann Blumberg, 77; A 50-Year Palisadian
Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Ann Blumberg passed away at her home April 10 after a series of illnesses, including heart disease. She was 77. Born June 25, 1926 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Blumberg moved to L.A. with her parents, Louis and Goldie Berman, in her late teens. She received a B.A. in education from UCLA. She met her husband Meyer on a blind date, and in the early 1950s they moved to the Palisades, where they raised their two sons, Mark and Robert. The family belonged to Kehillat Israel, then known as The Jewish Community of Pacific Palisades, where both boys made their bar mitzvah. During the years her sons attended Marquez Elementary, Paul Revere and Palisades High, Blumberg worked for LAUSD as a substitute teacher and gave piano lessons in her home. She was an avid tennis player and a docent at LACMA. Her husband, who died in 1990, owned Palisades Yardage on Via de la Paz, as well as an electronics retail store in Culver City. Blumberg is survived by her two sons. Mark graduated from Cal State Long Beach in 1971 and is a writer who lives in Scotts Valley, California, with his wife Masako. Robert received a master’s degree in engineering from UCLA and is a consultant in the computer industry. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife Vanessa and their 16-year-old son, Asher. Funeral services were held on April 14 at Hillside Cemetery, where Blumberg is interred.
Bianca Gola, 83; Active Resident
Bianca Angela Gola, a longtime resident of Pacific Palisades, died peacefully in her sleep on April 20. She was 83. Bianca, whose family was originally from Milan, Italy, was born in Shan-hai-quan (Shanhaiguan) in northeast China on March 31, 1921. The family moved to Tientsin (Tianjin) when her father became the Italian consul for that province. Bianca attended the British School, where she made many lifelong friends. She met her husband, Aristide (Silvio) Gola, at the Italian Club in Tientsin when he was visiting from Peking (Beijing), where he was an Italian naval officer assigned to the consulate. During World War II, when the Japanese occupied China, Bianca, Silvio and her family were detained and unable to leave the country. After the war was over, Bianca and Silvio were married in Tientsin. They moved to the United States with their baby son, Adrian, in 1949. The Golas moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles in 1960. Silvio went to work for Systems Development Corporation, a branch of The Rand Corporation, while Bianca began a long career as an administrative assistant at UCLA in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences and Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. She retired from UCLA after more than 30 years of service. Bianca (known to friends and family as ‘B’) was active in the Palisades community as a member of the Corpus Christi Christian Service Committee for many years and as an usher at the church until weeks before her death. She was a member of the CROP Hunger Walk Committee for over 20 years. In addition to her husband of 54 years, Bianca is survived by her son, Adrian of Los Angeles; sister Yolanda Martinella; several cousins and an aunt in Milan, Italy. A funeral mass was held on April 26 at Corpus Christi Church. There will be a private interment at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City. Donations can be made in Bianca Gola’s name to benefit the Palisades Hunger Walk at: Church World Service, 2235 N. Lake Ave., Suite 211, Altadena, Ca, 91001.
Services May 1 for Frank Atha III, 77
Frank Perry Atha III, a resident of Pacific Palisades since 1951, died on April 21 in Santa Monica. He was 77. Born in 1926 in Kansas City, Missouri, Frank attended Missouri Military Academy. He earned a degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University in 1948; a few days after graduation, he moved to Southern California, where he went to work at McDonnell-Douglas as a design engineer in aerospace. For several years, Frank was chief engineer at Transco. He worked at MicroMetals until he retired in 1982 at age 55. A member of the Santa Monica Yacht Club, Frank enjoyed sailing, and his favorite yachting experience was the long cruise he made from Florida through the Panama Canal to Los Angeles. He was also a member of the Los Angeles Computer Society. Frank is survived by his wife, Roberta Atha; sons Thomas and Randall; brothers Warren and David; grandchildren Steven, Frank and Jessica; nephew Keith Auck and nieces Lianne Auck and Susan Balazhi. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 1 at 2 p.m. in The Little Chapel of the Dawn at Gates, Kingsley, Gates in Santa Monica. Interment will be private.
Rose Huff, 89; Ran Palisades Drug Store with Her Husband
Rose Estelle Huff, who with her husband ran Pacific Palisades Drug Store in the heart of the Village from the late 1940s into the early 1970s, died on April 19 at Santa Monica-UCLA Hospital. She was 89. Born on December 19, 1914, in Buffalo, New York, Rose moved to California with her family in 1925. They came ‘overland’ in a touring car and settled in what is now West Hollywood. Growing up in Hollywood’s ‘Golden Years,’ Rose remembered working at Bell & Howell when Lucy and Desi would come in ranting and dramatically carrying on. Or the time Ronald Reagan gently educated her on the logistics of the switchboard when she was an operator and had disconnected a few of his calls. As a student at Belmont High, Rose knew she would live in the Palisades someday. She said she had a premonition in the 1920s when she had a photo taken at the beach with her boyfriend, showing the upper Bel-Air Bay Club in the background. Twenty years later, she and her husband Bob Huff (whom she married in 1936), built a home above the club on Arno Way, where she lived for 60 years. At their popular drug store (where Starbucks and Littlebits are now located), the Huffs maintained a family-oriented business that drew merchants and residents alike for gifts, cosmetic or pharmacy items, or merely to have lunch at the counter. Rose instigated the store’s ‘Fondue Day,’ when customers shopping on Friday were offered free fondue and wine. Active in the Assistance League of Southern California for 40 years, Rose was also a member of the Riviera Country Club since the 1950s. Known for her ‘joie de vivre,’ Rose wore a charm around her neck that read, ‘Live, Love and Laugh.’ She was always available for those who needed her, and her funny stories and antics will be remembered by the many who entered her large circle of friends and acquaintances, either to stay at her home when they needed a place to stay or to simply ‘hang out’ and party with her. Rose’s focus was her family and friends, many of whom called her ‘Gramma Rose’ or just ‘G-Rose.’ The grandaughter of her best friend, Ernie McKimson, used to refer to Rose and Ernie as Ethel and Lucy, the crazy, laughing pair. She had recently told her daughter, Georgeann, ‘Please don’t be sad or carry on when I’m gone. I’ve had a wonderful life, dear. I wouldn’t have changed a thing!’ Rose was predeceased by her husband in 1991. She is survived by her daughter, Georgeann Erskine of Topanga; granddaughter Nami Gabbard (husband Josh) of Topanga; great-grandson Ozzie Maddox Gabbard; sister Betty Abendschein (husband Irving) of Palm Desert; and nieces Janice Boe Perry and Ann Edwards. Services will be held today at 10:30 a.m. at the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Sunset, followed by an informal gathering at Mrs. Huff’s home in the Palisades.
Bernice Park, 95; a Generous Palisades Cultural Arts Patron
Bernice Park, a longtime Palisadian, philanthropist and cultural arts guardian angel, died peacefully in her sleep on April 24. She was 95. ‘Throughout her long and fruitful life, Bernice gave graciously and with love without request for recognition and most often without restrictions on use,’ said Eva Holberg, her close friend and neighbor. Park was born on May 24, 1908 in Heppner, Oregon. Very early in life she showed a talent and love for piano performance, and eventually received a bachelor’s degree in music and a master’s degree in fine arts from the University of Oregon, which she called ‘a family school.’ Her parents both taught there. While she never became a professional pianist, she shared her talents with many organizations to which she belonged. In 1928, she married Donald K. Park, who later was the coach of the swim team at UCLA. Their son, Donald K. Park II, is a retired university professor who lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. In 1958, Park’s married life came to an abrupt end when she was widowed at the age of 50. A strong advocate of education, Park served as associate director of continuing education in engineering and mathematics at UCLA for 26 years. She was also past president of the Westwood Women’s Bruin Club and one of the founders and past president of the Plato Society at UCLA. After retiring from UCLA in the mid-1970s, Park turned to Pacific Palisades community affairs. She became a member of the Historical Society, where she served as president for two years, including the year when the society published ‘Pacific Palisades: From the Mountains to the Sea,’ written by her longtime friends Betty Lou Young and Randy Young. With her generous contributions she supported the ambitious mural on Temescal Canyon Road, the Palisades Library Fund and the Swarthmore Walk of Pride with a tree donation. Her great love of cats led her to contribute to groups supporting their well being and rescue. She also believed in supporting less fortunate people in need of funds for education, to establish a business or other urgent needs. One beneficiary of her largesse was the brother of an employee at Emerson-LaMay Cleaners who couldn’t afford the fees at UCLA. Bernice paid for his education, and after he graduated he found a good job in finance, and never forgot her kindness, taking her to lunch whenever he was in town. He said that when he ‘gets ahead,’ he will set up a scholarship in her name. One of Park’s most significant contributions to the community was her generosity to the establishing of Theatre Palisades. She was a member of the early fundraising planning committee and was successful in cajoling major contributions from local organizations. In addition to raising money to help build Pierson Playhouse, she also had the foresight to help establish an endowment fund for theatre operations. She was honored by Theatre Palisades in 1997 with the Lelah T. Pierson Award. In 1999, Park was honored by the Palisades Chamber of Commerce for her long and meritorious service to the community. A year later, she received the Community Service Award from the Palisades Community Council, given to individuals who demonstrate long-term and continuing service in one of more areas of the community. Park’s first love was and continued to be music. She played the piano as long as she was physically able. She supported the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Metropolitan Opera in New York and the Palisades Symphony until the end of her life, and was very interested in the local symphony’s programs and Young Artist Award competitions. Palisades Symphony will dedicate the performance of Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis on Sunday, May 2 to her memory. A familiar figure in the Village with her snow-white hair and perky walk until just a few months ago, Park said in a 1992 interview with the Palisadian-Post that she felt grateful for what life had given her. ‘I have never been hungry or cold, I have had superior opportunities and I can be active in all the things I enjoy. I hope others will follow my lead in supporting our local performing arts.’ Contributions in Bernice Park’s memory may be sent to Palisades Symphony, P.O. Box 214, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272. A memorial celebration of her life will be held at the Woman’s Club, 901 Haverford, on Friday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m.
