Trudy Louise Barker, former employee of Anita Jean and Gages Children’s Wear in Pacific Palisades, passed away on January 26. She was 60. Barker was born on November 27, 1943 in Los Angeles to Jim and Anita Jean Barker and graduated from University High School. She worked in the family business until the store closed in February 1985. Preceded in death by her father, she is survived by her mother and her stepfather, Ross Oakley; sisters Ginny Bass, Linda Oakley and Judi Barker; brother Jim Barker, Jr.; many nieces, nephews and loving friends and “furry friends” Snoopy and Big Toe. Funeral services will be held this morning at 10:30 a.m. at Gates, Kingsley & Gates Moeller Murphy Mortuary Chapel, 1925 Arizona in Santa Monica, with burial following at Eternal Valley Memorial Park in Newhall. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Barker’s memory to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Los Angeles Chapter, 2440 S. Sepulveda Blvd., Suite 115, Los Angeles, CA 90064.
Reibel Ready To Row at Yale
Lifelong Palisadian Catherine Reibel, one of the most highly-recruited high school rowers in the nation, has accepted admission to Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Reibel, a senior honors student at Marlborough High, turned down offers from Notre Dame, UCLA, Cal, Pennsylvania, Cornell and Virginia, among others. Reibel was a standout basketball player in the Palisades Recreation Center league before winning an Amateur Athletic Union bronze medal and being selected a Youth Basketball of America National Championship All-Tournament selection. She led Marlborough to the CIF Southern Section Division IV championship and was an Academic-Athlete Award winner as both a freshman and a sophomore before a series of knee injuries ended her promising career prematurely. Reibel then switched her focus to rowing and, after less than a full year of competition, earned a seat on the U.S. Junior National Rowing team, which placed fourth out of 36 teams at the famed Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in the summer. Reibel trains with fellow Palisadians Nicole Eisenberg and Ariadne Reynolds under the tutelage of club coach Zohar Abramovitz at Marina Aquatic Club in Marina Del Rey. While part of the same team, the girls row on different boats. The size of a crew depends largely on the size, physique, strength and endurance of the individual rowers. Reibel sits in the fourth seat of her boat, smack dab in the middle, because of her long, powerful strokes. Reibel’s boat placed fifth at a regatta in Lake Natoma in Sacramento last fall. Reibel competes in regattas year round.
Dreaming of India
When Palisadian Anjini Desai married and moved to Los Angeles from Bombay in 1996, she vowed to keep the language, customs and traditions of her native land alive, a pledge made all the more meaningful when she became a mother. Desai is exuberantly fulfilling her mission as an ambassador of Indian culture, both with her own children and many other kids in the Palisades. In December, Desai introduced students at Seven Arrows Elementary to Diwali, India’s spectacular festival of lights. Celebrated in India in the fall in accordance with the lunar calendar, Diwali commemorates the arrival of the Hindu Lord Rama, who is said to have returned from exile to reclaim his kingdom. “It’s the biggest festival in India,” says Neil Desai, Anjini’s husband, who is vice president of a biotechnology firm in Santa Monica.”Even though it’s based in religion and represents the Hindu New Year, it’s more of a cultural thing that everyone celebrates.” During the five-day festival, Indians light thousands of earthen “diya,” small oil lamps to illuminate the path of Lord Rama and to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity, into their homes. Fireworks explode in the sky many nights in a row, and amid this joyous atmosphere families gather, dressed in new clothes, to exchange gifts and enjoy sweets. As Diwali signifies the renewal of life and heralds the beginning of a new season, the festival also calls for a freshly cleaned and vibrantly decorated home. “It’s really an excuse to have fun,” Anjini told the Palisadian-Post from her parents’ home in Bombay, where she and daughters Ayeshna, 5, and Ayaana, 3, are now on holiday. “India is alive with so many different festivals. It’s a coming together and closeness of people that’s an integral part of who we are.” Children at Seven Arrows got a real taste of this communal spirit when Desai recruited the entire student body to help her fashion the school’s own version of Diwali. They assisted her in making “diya,” created traditional “rangoli” designs composed of colored sand and fresh flowers to adorn the floors and constructed garlands of marigolds and carnations to grace the walls. This set the stage for an event that featured storytelling, traditional Indian music and an elaborate folk dance performance. Both children and adults donned authentic Indian clothing supplied by Desai, some coming from her own wardrobe, other pieces purchased and brought back from India. “Its a different body awareness if you wear costumes,” Desai explains. “I teach little children. They can feel the movement and better understand the culture with the right clothing and costumes.” An unabashed use of bold color was among the most striking elements of the festival. “Color is part and parcel of everyday life in India,” explains Anjini. “It’s part of the vibrancy of the whole culture.” The students not only became active celebrants of Dewali, but also gave thought to the holiday’s underlying purpose as a time of purification, forgiveness and strengthening of friends and family ties. Anjini, who has a degree in business management from Oxford and is a black belt in Goju Karate, regularly teaches traditional and classical Indian dance to children ages 4 to 10. Her “Ghungroo” dance classes are offered through Seven Arrows’ Roots and Wings program in Temescal Gateway Park. The children chant “Dha-ge-na-ki, na-ka-dhin-na,” while “ghungroos,” bands of bells tied to their ankles, rattle and chime to their movements. The dance classes are also infused with stories and poems about the children of India, along with small art projects based on the meaning of a song or instrument. “My daughter is having such a good time, and the dancing is so contagious that I end up dancing with her in class every time,” says Lorena Kiralla, whose daughter Grace, 6, attends Desai’s Ghungroo class. “It is so much fun, the moms have been begging for an adult class of their own.” This is precisely what Desai is planning next, with an adult Ghungroo class scheduled to begin in February. In the meantime, Desai and her husband, who has played the sitar since a child in India, continue to share their cultural heritage around town, including at Little Dolphins, the preschool where both their daughters are enrolled.
Girl Scouts Design Service Projects
By LONNIE RESSER Special to the Palisadian-Post Seven senior Girl Scouts in the Palisades have been approved by Angeles Girl Scout Council to proceed with their Gold Award projects. The Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can achieve and is the equivalent of the Eagle Award in the Boy Scouts. It is earned by completing a self-designed community service project that must be subsequently approved by the Gold Committee at the Angeles Girl Scout Council. Many of the projects involve donations of supplies, as the girls are not permitted to seek donations of money. The Gold Award project can be submitted for consideration only after the girls have completed four other extensive requirements as senior scouts, involving at least 75 hours of effort, including Leadership and Career Exploration programs. Six girls from Troop 477 in the Palisades are currently working on their projects. Olivia Mell, a junior at Wildwood, is planning charity dance performances with Emily Kay of Fancy Feet Dance Studio. The performances will be held at children’s hospitals and a senior home. She is also collecting toys and items for the sick children at the hospital where the performance will take place. Toys, such as Barbie dolls or video games (but no used stuffed animals, please), may be dropped off at Fancy Feet Dance Studio, 881 Alma Real Dr., Ste T-27.Lonnie Resser, a junior at Palisades Charter High School, is conducting a book drive to collect books for Coeur d’Alene Elementary School in Venice. Three new teachers need classroom libraries. She will also organize the books in a way that will make them easily accessible by the students. These teachers teach kindergarten, second and fourth grade. Books for this project may be e-mailed to Lonnie at Lresser@yahoo.com. Jackie Kallberg, a junior at PaliHi, is quilting blankets for children at Mattel Children’s Hospital. Lydia Farzin-Nia, a PaliHi junior, is developing a garden educational center at Coeur d’Alene Elementary School in Venice and teaching the students about gardening, a good classroom resource. She will also be doing arts and crafts projects with the students. Her project requires donations of seeds, flowers, soil, fertilizer, wood, watering cans, garden tools, pine cones, peanut butter and bird seeds. Alex Michael, a PaliHi junior, is collecting arts and crafts supplies for children at the Mattel Children’s Hospital. She will be making baskets with these supplies that will allow the children to pass their time spent in the hospital in a constructive and creative way that will also allow them to express themselves. Kelley Costello, a junior at The Archer School for Girls, has completed construction of indoor and outdoor library facilities for the Palisades Presbyterian nursery school, including bookcases, a table, and two benches. She will also be refinishing its outdoor covered reading pavilion. Alice Hernandez from Troop 729 is a junior at PaliHi, where she has started the “Hope Club” for cancer patients. Alice is collecting CDs, DVDs, tapes and video games for cancer patients. She will be painting a mural on canvas for the patients as well. If you would like to donate items, please contact her at 454-6255. The girls would welcome support from the community for these projects with the in-kind donations indicated. Donations can be submitted at Palisades Presbyterian Church’s Janes Hall, or e-mail Lonnie at Lresser@yahoo.com for pickup.
Authors Provide First Aid for Broken Hearts
After going through breakups with their boyfriends, both Marni Kamins and Janice MacLeod felt a mixture of feelings, from devastation to emptiness. They filled the void in a variety of creative ways, which led to their writing “The Breakup Repair Kit.” The first-time authors will speak about their book, published by Conari Press, at Village Books, 1049 Swarthmore, on Thursday, January 29 at 7:30 p.m. Kamins, a Palisades native, and MacLeod, a Canadian, both live in Santa Monica. They met two and a half years ago at a reading of “Transformation Soup” by the author SARK. They felt an instant connection, and later bonded over their shared grieving. Weaving together their personal stories and research about loss, they have written a fun, light-hearted book they call “first aid for the heart.” The small-sized paperback, laid out like a first aid manual and printed in pink ink with whimsical illustrations, is divided into three parts, each made up of short paragraphs and tips: “The Mourning After,” “Rebuild Your Life,” and “Back in the Saddle.” “People going through breakups have a short attention span,” says MacLeod, who initially came up with the book idea in a yoga class. “I had an idea of a girl sitting in a nest.” In the book, this translates into a nurture nest-creating a space to feel one’s feelings, sort of a grown-up version of the childhood blanket fort. The authors also debunk fears, delusional thinking and black-and-white thoughts such as “I have no one left in the whole wide world who loves me.” “It’s ‘Healing 101.’ For a lot of people in their 20s, it’s their first big loss,” says MacLeod. They would get together a few times a week at one another’s homes or at coffee shops, writing down and drawing all their ideas. They later submitted these illustrated pages to publishers. They originally envisioned a kit which, along with the book, would contain candles, facial masks and tea. Kamins, 27, who has a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from University of Santa Monica, is a freelance writer and tutor. She attended Marquez, graduated from Santa Monica High School, and is active at Kehillat Israel. Even though Kamins initiated the breakup with her boyfriend, she still had feelings of loss. MacLeod, 29, a freelance advertising copywriter, had met her boyfriend in Toronto and moved with him to Los Angeles. “The breakup was mutual, but I knew he wanted out-it was very painful,” she says. Encouraging women to be as supportive of themselves as possible, the authors also suggest women focus on something greater than themselves to help them through the pain. The book discusses everything from post-breakup sex to reconnecting with one’s spirituality. In fact, MacLeod cites meditation as the most helpful for her after her breakup. Kamins says for her, it was prayer: “Talking to God out loud or writing a Dear God letter.” Her prayers ranged from “I believe you have a plan for me” to “What are you doing this for?” “Prayer made me feel maybe I really am taken care of, that maybe someone does have a plan,” Kamins says. Offering comfort and understanding, the authors say, “Try not to beat yourself up about feeling bad.” They offer lots of ideas about how to help yourself feel better, everything from “take yourself out to dinner,” to advice on what to do with the “couple” stuff you’re not quite ready to get rid of (photos, letters, mementos). The authors also advocate ceasing all communication with the ex at some point, to focus on yourself and your own healing. MacLeod eventually did that with her ex, and today the two have a friendship. “Guys have been buying the book,” says MacLeod. “Men are inherent problem solvers. They give it as a gift to a female friend.” Readers are encouraged to fill the void in healthy ways. “I felt I had no idea what to do with my time,” said Kamins, whose motive was not to fill the void with food. “It’s about filling the void with creative stuff,” says MacLeod. The book also talks about sadness versus depression, and when a support group or therapist might be helpful. “I’ve gone through a breakup where it feels like you can’t get through the day,” Kamins says. “That’s when you may want to see a professional.” The authors found each other’s company provided a nice support group, which they want to share with other newly unattached women. The last part of the book gives advice about when you’re ready for a new relationship and steps to continue taking care of yourself. Both women are now in new relationships, both having learned from their breakups and subsequent healing. “What I learned from writing the book is that men will take care of themselves first,” Kamins says. “I need to learn to take care of myself first. I’ve gotten better at it.” For more information or for breakup counseling, go to www.breakuprepairkit.com.
Genevieve Brown; Wife of Former Post Publisher
Genevieve E. Brown, the wife of former Palisadian-Post publisher Charles B. Brown, passed away quietly December 28 in the company of her family in her home at Freedom Village in Lake Forest. She was 81. In attendance at the funeral service from Pacific Palisades were Roberta Donohue, Palisadian-Post publisher; Grace Hiney, restaurant editor; and Ed Lowe of the production department. Mrs. Brown, daughter of the late Eda and Joseph Adamic, was born April 17, 1922 in Gilbert, Minnesota, after which the family returned to make their permanent home in Chisholm on the famous Mesabi Iron Range. She was valedictorian of the class of 1940, largest in the history of the Chisholm schools with an enrollment of 220. At a time when plastics were unheard of, her valedictory address, which had to be approved by the superintendent of schools, spoke to “The Future of Plastics.” She achieved the highest rank of Golden Eaglet in the Girl Scouts of America and served as a summer counselor at Camp Joseph Austin on Long Lake. She mastered the violin and held the position of first violin in the high school orchestra as well as performing with the Chisholm city orchestra. She was married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Chisholm on June 26, 1944 while her husband was on furlough from the Army. She left her position as office manager of the El Queeno Distributing Company, largest on the iron ranges of northern Minnesota, to serve in headquarters at Freeman Field in Seymour, Indiana, and Maxwell Air Force Base at Montgomery, Alabama, where her husband was stationed. She returned to Chisholm for the birth of their first child in August 1945. The family moved to California in January 1954 after selling the family newspaper in Chisholm and purchasing the Pacific Palisades Post. In 1960, they bought The Palisadian, and merged the two papers into the Palisadian-Post. The Browns were Palisades residents and lived next door to current publisher Roberta Donohue when she was a young girl. “Growing up next door to Gen and Charley Brown was always such fun,” said Donohue. “When I was 3 (I had two brothers), going next door meant four more kids to play with. As I grew up, so did their family, and three more children came along. Our families did everything together. We shared birthdays and holidays as one big family. Gen was a second mom, and I felt right at home. She was a wonderful and loving mother and wife, and will continue to be in my heart forever.” The Browns sold the Palisadian-Post to the Small Newspaper Group in August 1981. In addition to her husband, Genevieve Brown is survived by her daughter, Charlene Allen of Irvine; three sons, Bruce, Richard and Robert, all residing in the San Diego area; five grandchildren and one great grandson. She was preceded in death by three children: Duane, Bonnie and Teresa, all of whom succumbed as young adults. The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated January 5 at St. Nicholas Catholic Church in Laguna Hills, with close friend Monsignor John Urell, vicar general to the bishop of the Diocese of Orange and pastor of St. Norbert’s Church in Orange, officiating. Burial was in the family plot at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City with the Reverend Eamon O’Gorman, pastor of St. Catherine’s Catholic Church in Laguna Beach, officiating.
Donations Save Village Clean-Up
The Palisades business district has sparkled for a whole year now, thanks to the sidewalk and street cleaning program launched last February by the Palisades Chamber of Commerce. In recent years, the Village area has become a lively hub, attracting shoppers and diners morning till evening. But the byproduct of all this activity has been a need for more diligent street sweeping, trash and graffiti removal, and steam cleaning of sidewalks-an effort that cannot be met exclusively by the city’s financially-strapped Bureau of Sanitation. In order to finally address the problem, after many failed volunteer efforts, the Chamber a year ago contracted with Chrysalis Street Works cleaning service, the professional cleaning business operated by the nonprofit to help homeless men get work. Each Monday, two workers fan out into the Village with brooms, graffiti remover, gum scrapers and trash receptacles. For many of these workers, this job not only garners $7 to $7.25 an hour, but is also the first step back towards employment. With seed money of $5,000, the Chamber negotiated for a twice-weekly cleanup at $13,000 a year, and in June followed up with a letter to all 450 business members explaining the program and requesting support. “While we received about $2,500 from this effort, some with $300 donations, some $50, we soon realized that we were running out of money and decided that we’d go to the residents with our request,” said Arnie Wishnick, the Chamber’s executive director. In the meantime, Michael Edlen, a Coldwell Banker realtor and longtime Palisades resident, discovered that the program was in trouble and wrote a personal check for $6,500. “It started with my being very surprised that the street maintenance program was not being supported very substantially and the whole program was at risk after 2003,” Edlen said. “We’re in the middle of the village (Coldwell Banker has two offices on Sunset) and we’re one of the main beneficiaries of having clean streets and sidewalks. I proposed to Scott Gibson [president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage for Greater Los Angeles County] that he contribute with me, through Coldwell Banker. So with this $13,000 and the donations from other merchants and residents, we’re covered for 2004.” Gibson, who is also a Palisades resident, hopes that his company’s $6,500 contribution will set an example for other businesses. “Most store managers [for the chains] have funds they can contribute for a project like this,” he said. “We want our donation to be a goad for other merchants to step forward and contribute to the fund for 2005.” Last October, the Chamber sent a letter to all 10,000 households in 90272, requesting support for the program, and the good luck kept coming. “The very first day we received 95 responses for about $2,600,” Wishnick said, “and we’re now up to $30,000,” minus about $3,000 for the mailing. “This should carry us for a year and allow us to steam clean the sidewalks twice a month,” Wishnick said. “We are also looking to expand the program to Marquez and the area around the branch library on Alma Real.” It’s a win-win situation for everyone. For the Chrysalis workers who are going through a transition in their lives, Street Works gives them a break. “Our goal is to get these men work so they have something to put on their resume,” said Michael White, director for business development for both Street Works and Chrysalis’ Labor Connection, a full-service staffing company. For the time being, the Chamber will continue the one-a-week cleaning and twice-monthly steam cleaning, Wishnick said. “We will need more funds, so this will be an annual request to both merchants and residents. We are thankful to everyone’s generosity. Over 900 residents have contributed and the money keeps coming.”
New Senior Lead Officer Scallon Joins Ragsdale in Crime Prevention
After the rash of community complaints in the past month, and a perception of rising crime in the area, Pacific Palisades suddenly finds itself assigned a second senior lead officer, Barb Scallon, who brings to her role a broad range of experience. “I’ve dealt with everything from leaf blowers to murder suspects,” says Scallon, a 15-year department veteran. She is working daytime hours, complementing Senior Lead Officer Chris Ragsdale, who works in the evenings, thus providing “double the coverage” in town. Ragsdale will formally introduce Scallon tonight at the Palisades Community Council meeting in the library. Currently, one car with two officers patrols the Palisades 24 hours a day. That car is connected to police radio, and can be called away when crimes occur in other areas. Ragsdale and Scallon are not attached to the radio, and therefore are called out of the area only in an emergency. Their priority is to respond to local community problems and issues, such as nuisance and suspicious activities at the Asilomar bluffs and in the business district, while also responding to calls in the Palisades. The addition of Scallon is separate from the “dedicated” car that Captain Mike Chambers of the West L.A. Division pledged to try to get for the community at the January 8 Community Council meeting. Scallon has worked in Hollywood, Rampart, Southeast (Watts) and, for the last 18 months, in the West L.A. division. She has been a senior lead officer for 2-1/2 years and recently spent about 9 months working with detectives. Scallon, 36, has known she wanted to be a police officer since age 10. Seeing police officers on TV intrigued her. “It looked exciting, glamorous and fun.” Now, she says, “It’s a feeling that I can contribute to helping people live peacefully. I can do that and, at the same time, put the bad guys in jail.” While Scallon says that statistically, crime isn’t as high here as the rest of the division, the community is isolated, with a lack of visible police presence. Now, in addition to the patrol car, there will be a senior lead officer covering the Palisades from 9 a.m. to midnight four days a week. The extended coverage will be available to deal with crime, quality of life, traffic and other issues. “The visibility of police presence usually acts as a deterrent,” Scallon says. Ultimately, problems in a community dictate the schedule of senior lead officers. These officers can also bring in other department resources to help in specific areas, such as traffic enforcement, juvenile car, school police and bike patrol. Scallon will focus on the Village area, schools, traffic problems, the bluffs and neighborhood issues such as noise and transients. This area’s low crime rate allows for a different way of policing than Scallon experienced in some of the high-crime areas where she has worked. “You can build a great community partnership in an area that allows you to maintain a peaceful environment,” she says. Scallon lives in Orange County and is married to an LAPD SWAT officer. They have an 8-year-old daughter. “You feel a personal obligation to make everyone feel safe,” Scallon says. “Crime prevention and self-protection applies everywhere. Self-protection is awareness. Don’t help yourself become a victim. Don’t leave your car unlocked, don’t leave valuables in the vehicle. Don’t be oblivious to what is going on. Don’t be a good victim for a criminal.” Scallon played softball at Cal State Fullerton, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in police science. She was an all-state left fielder and now plays slow-pitch softball on an interdepartmental team. She worked as a Fullerton dispatcher before joining the LAPD 15 years ago. Women currently make up 19 percent of the LAPD’s sworn personnel. Scallon, who began her new position last Thursday, is available to help community members with law enforcement concerns. Contact her on her cell phone: 622-3315.
Paly Swimmers Third at Regionals
Boys Show Signs of Becoming Power; Girls Once Again Shine at YMCA Meet
The 15-and-over Palisades-Malibu YMCA swimmers set the tone for the rest of the team with multiple firsts at the 2004 YMCA Regional Championships January 9-10. Over 700 swimmers competed at the 10-lane competition pool at Commerce Aquatorium. Paly head Coach Adam Blakis was pleased. “The senior team swam exceptionally well,” he said. “We just came off of three weeks of intensive winter training and most of the swimmers improved on their times.” Brian Johnson swam a personal best in the 200 Freestyle. Gavin Jones swam his lifetime best in the 100 Backstroke. Overall, in the 15-and-over group, the girls took first place in the 400 Freestyle Relay (3:55.47) with Alexa Merz, Alison Piazza, Kathryn Smith, and Cara Davidoff. Merz, Smith, Davidoff, and Cara’s sister Chelsea Davidoff also took first in the 200 Medley Relay (1:58.43). The boys’ 200 Medley Relay took third in 1:53.06, thanks to Brian Johnson, Randy Lee, Gavin Jones, and Paris Hays. Jones, Peter Fishler, Lee, and Hays also swam third in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Alexa Merz dominated her division with seven first-place finishes, in 200 Freestyle (1:56.40), 100 Backstroke (1:01.42), 100 Freestyle (52.54), 50 Freestyle (23.99), 200 Individual Medley (2:10.90), 100 Breastroke (1:09.24) and 50 Butterfly (28.14). She also took second in the 100 Butterfly in 1:02.70. Teammate Cara Davidoff won the Open Division of the 100 Backstroke (1:10.53), swam second in the 500 Freestyle (5:20.37), third in the 200 Freestyle (2:05.91) and fifth in the 100 Butterfly (1:04.71). Chelsea Davidoff won the 50 Breaststroke (38.09), and placed fifth in the 100 Backstroke (1:12.02), the 50 Freestyle (27.64), and 100 Breaststroke (1:17.92). Kathryn Smith swam the 100 Backstroke in 1:03.04 to place second in her division. She added a second place medal in the 200 Backstroke (2:17.50). Hannah Haberfield made it to the finals in both the 100 and 200 Butterfly. Ashley Jacobs swam to the finals in the 50 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley and the 100 Breaststroke. Teammate Alison Piazza also joined that elite group of swimmers by making it into the final in the 100 and 200 Backstroke events. Ali Barall improved her time by three seconds in the 100 Freestyle. In previous years, the Paly team lacked strength in its senior boy division. But Blakis’ recruiting efforts are bearing fruit this season, as the team is now becoming a force to be reckoned with because of Fishler, Dan Fox, Hays, Johnson, Jones, Lee, and David Nonberg. Fishler made the finals in seven events and took fifth in the 100 Freestyle (54.01) and 50 Freestyle (24.77). Fox made the finals in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke. Hays made finals in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke, placing sixth (1:01.99) in that event. Johnson swam second in the 200 Backstroke (2:08.98) and fourth in both the 200 Freestyle (1:54.47) and 100 Backstroke (1:00.32). Jones made the finals in five events, with a sixth-place finish in the 100 Freestyle (55.08), and seventh-places in the 50 Freestyle, 200 Individual Medley, 100 Backstroke, and 100 Breaststroke. Lee made the finals of the 200 Freestyle, 100 Freestyle and 50 Freestyle, and took fourth in the 100 Breaststroke (1:10.93). Nonberg reached the finals in the 200 Freestyle, 100 Butterfly and 200 Butterfly events. A swimmer scores points by placing in the finals of an event. First place is awarded 20 points and 16th place, (the last place allowed to swim in finals) earns one point. Relay teams are scored from 40 points for a first-place finish to 18 points for ninth-place. For example, in the 13- and 14-year-old age division, Samantha Brill made finals in six events, meaning she scored 45 points for Paly. She also had the satisfaction of finishing second in the 100 Backstroke (1:09.81) and third in the 100 Breaststroke (1:18.25) in the finals. The 200 Medley Relay team of Brill, Cathryn Quinn, Kathryn Cullen and Jacqueline Devereaux was third, scoring an additional 32 points towards the Paly girls’ team total. Quinn also made the finals in six events, taking fifth in the 200 Individual Medley (2:30.32), fourth in the 50 Freestyle (27.34), 100 Freestyle (59.44) and 100 Breaststroke (1:18.77). She placed third in the 100 Backstroke (1:09.15). Cullen’s times were fast enough to make finals in the 100 Butterfly and 100 Backstroke events. Lizze Ebert improved on all of her times, dropping as much as five seconds. For the boys, Alex Fujinaka made the finals in the 100 Freestyle while Nicholas Kaufman continues to look strong. In the 11- and 12-year-old division, Allison Merz made five finals, dropping five seconds in the 100 Backstroke. Alexandra Edel made finals in all three events she entered and dropped nine seconds off of her best 200 Breaststroke time. Shelby Pascoe reached the finals of two events, dropping six seconds off of her 200 Individual Medley time. Jessica Schem took sixth in the 100 Backstroke (1:17.19). Anthony Stephen, Jared Brown, Xavier Whatley, Slau Yanou, and John Cullen all dropped time from previous meets. Mindy Dinah, Jack Porter, and Ben Lewenstein had respectable times for their first Regional meet. Danny Fujinaka went to the finals in six events, dropping nine seconds off of his old 100 Backstroke time. Matthew Thorson made the finals in two events, dropping almost 20 seconds in his 200 Individual Medley. Coach Blakis is thrilled at the prospect and potential his younger swimmers represent: “With our younger swimmers, we emphasize stroke refinement. As their strokes improve, their times get faster, ensuring that they will be the swimmers dominating meets in the coming years.” The 10-and-under division was led by MacKenzie Leake, who won three events: the 50 Backstroke (35.16), 100 Individual Medley (1:15.99) and the 50 Breaststroke (39.80). She took second in the 50 Butterfly (33.97) and third in both the 100 Freestyle (1:07.10) and 50 Freestyle (31.02). Catherine Wang took fifth in the 100 Individual Medley (1:22.86), sixth in the 50 Freestyle and seventh in the 50 Breaststroke (44.29). Also making finals for Paly in the 10-and-under category were Sabrina Giglio and Nicholas Edel in the 50 Breaststroke, Rachel Jaffee in the 50 Freestyle and 50 Breaststroke, and Olivia Kirkpatrick in the 50 Breaststroke. Improving on their times were Anthony Blake, Mathew Piazza, Zoe Dutton, Leland Frankel, Tristan Hochuli, Lila Lewenstein, Gabriel Kaufman, Josephine Kremer (taking off 10 seconds in the 100 Freestyle), Sarah Thorson, Alistair Whatley and Jordon Wilimovsky. Noah Martin stayed steady. Assistant Coach Chappie DeHaven said: “The kids swam phenomonally well, especially when you consider our junior swimmers are in the middle of their training cycle and were racing tired. I can’t wait to see what we do at Y Champs the last weekend in February.”
Y Gets Help from Abroad
Palisades-Malibu YMCA swim coach Adam Blakis doesn’t know how he found Valeri Bagri-or rather, how Bagri found him-but he’s glad it happened nonetheless. At a time when the Y program expects to field one of its strongest teams in years, it now adds a world class swimmer to serve as mentor and guide to kids who are already showing promise. If anyone can teach the Paly team about competition-and winning-it figures to be Bagri, a former professional breaststroker who reached the finals of the World Cup in Paris. He later served as a swimmer and head coach for Monaco’s national team. A native of Lvov, Ukraine (near the Poland border), Bagri moved to Van Nuys nine months ago with his wife, Victoria, a modern dancer who recently completed her business degree from the University of Las Vegas. The newlyweds met on a beach in Monaco while Bagri was still training six hours a day for international meets. “When we first moved to the States I worked as swim coach for Pinecrest School, but when I saw an ad for the Palisades opening, I applied and had an interview with Adam,” Bagri said with a distinctly European accent. “I am very happy to be here. The other coaches are very professional and I can already tell the kids really want to learn and improve.” Blakis found it hard to express his enthusiasm for the latest addition to his staff. “He keeps us all on our toes as coaches and, of course, when you tell kids that Val’s one of the fastest swimmers in the world in his event, they’re more inclined to listen to him. You don’t expect to ever find someone with his qualifications, but somehow it happened.” One area of concern initially was the language barrier. Blakis was afraid Bagri might not be able to communicate with the younger swimmers. The 29-year-old Bagri speaks Ukrainian, Russian, French and even a little Italian, but more importantly, his English is improving day by day. One of the girls Bagri coaches, Catherine Wang, was a standout performer at the Y regionals two weeks ago. “She’s really clever, a very fast learner. Whatever I ask her to do, she does,” Bagri said of his prize pupil. “What I tell her is the same with all the swimmers. Results don’t matter at the beginning [of the season]. You never want to swim too much right before a competition. You want to stay strong. And, as a coach, you have to keep things fun.” Without any training at all, Bagri recently competed in a three-mile ocean swim in San Diego and finished third. “I think if I train, I could win,” Bagri laughed. “But that was freestyle and that isn’t even my event.” In addition to teaching form and technique, vital elements that enable swimmers to shave precious seconds and fractions of seconds off of their times, Bagri recommends several out-of-pool exercises-including running and weight training to increase flexibility. “There’s so much we can all learn from his experiences,” Blakis said. “We’re lucky to have him.” Bagri is mainly training the 11-and-under age group, teaching them basic fundamentals and catching any flaws in technique that sometimes make the difference between first and second place. “At the Olympics, every half-second counts. Everything you do from the moment you hit the water affects your performance positively or negatively. Concentration is part of it, but its also preparation before the race.”
