The “Nutcracker” Returns to the Westside over Two Weekends

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

This was a scene from Westside Ballet’s  2021 production of the Nutcracker.
Photo: Todd Lechtick

The longest running “Nutcracker” production in Southern California is returning to the Broad Stage in Santa Monica beginning Thanksgiving weekend for eight public performances.

This is the complete, traditional ballet, from the Victorian-style party scene to the dazzling Sugar Plum Fairy, based on the romanticist E.T.A. Hoffmann’s “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” and the Marius Petipa classic.

Palisadian Evie Tontonoz, 11, who will be mouse/angel in these performances remembers “When I was four, I bought my first nutcracker at the intermission of a Westside performance. I loved seeing all of the dancers in their beautiful costumes.”

The Westside production features more than 85 dancers, 225 costumes, and four lavishly designed scenes that have been updated over the years, but still include a tree that grows, a firing cannon, and falling snow over a stunning corps de ballet.

“The lavish performances, featuring both world-class professional dancers and pre-professional and student performers, are an ideal way to expose children to classical music and dance,” said Judith Meister, producer and Westside Board President.  “The holiday spirit truly leaps to life as audiences are invited to follow Clara and her Nutcracker Prince on a snow-dusted, sugary journey that only Tchaikovsky could have composed.”

Ava Bakhshandehpour      Photo: Daniel Cheswick

Palisadian Ava Bakhshandehpour, 15, who this year will have a solo as candy cane, and also dance as a snowflake, Chinese and a Mirliton, said “One of the most fun parts about this show is that every year I can bring something new and special to the ballet, as my technique and artistry improves.”

Palisades Elementary Student Laurel O’Donnell is participating in her second Nutcracker and will be a Red Solider this year. “Learning to dance with a prop (toy gun) has been a fun new challenge this year,” O’Donnell said.

This has been holiday tradition for all ages since 1973. Westside Ballet’s version of the classic preserves the spirit of choreographer George Balanchine as carried on by Westside’s co-founder Yvonne Mounsey, who pioneered the role of Center Spanish while a New York City Ballet principal dancer.

Students share the stage with professional guest artists and this year there will be three guest principals.

Matt Szentes partners Jasmine Harrison as they rehearse for the Nutcracker.
Photo: Daniel Chiswick

Professional dancer Maté Szentes will perform the principal role of the Sugar Plum Fairy’s Cavalier. Szentes began training at age 6 and attended the Hungarian Dance Academy and North Carolina Dance. After graduating, he joined the Hungarian National Ballet and danced corps de ballet and soloist parts for three years. In 2012, he went to California and joined the Sacramento Ballet. He’s a permanent guest lead dancer with American Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Project OC, and Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet.

Westside Ballet’s resident guest artist of 10 years, Evan Swenson, will reprise the principal role of the Snow Queen’s Cavalier, as well as the Arabian pas de deux. A native of central California, Mr. Swenson was accepted to the Houston Ballet Academy on full scholarship at age 17. In 2004, he joined Atlanta Ballet where he performed many soloist and principal roles until moving to New York City in 2007.

A third guest principal, Jack Virga Hall, will alternate with Swenson in the Arabian pas de deux. Mr. Hallis is co-director of Ohana Dance and an ABT-certified teacher based out of Los Angeles. He currently tours internationally with Lula Washington Dance Theatre’s modern company, Pony Box Dance Theatre’s contemporary company, and Ballet D’ Hommes, a classical ballet all male pointe company.

Performances are Saturday and Sunday, November 26 and 27, and December 3 and 4, at 1 and 5 p.m. at Broad Stage, 1310 11th Street, Santa Monica. Tickets are $50. Visit: westsideballet.com/NutTix or email [email protected].

Palisadian residents and student dancers prepare for Westside Ballet’s upcoming Nutcracker. 
(Back row, left to right):  Zoya Abyzov, Ava Bakhshandehpour and Evie Tontonoz;                      (Soldiers, left to right) Laurel O’Donnell, Isabel Heidt, and Valentina Finci; and
(Front) Elise DuFour (left) and Addison Russell.                                                                                       Photo: Daniel Chiswick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dolphins Win Division III Water Polo Championship

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Palisades High School water polo team captured the championship.

Tied at the end of regulation play, the Palisades High School boys water polo team, fought through two overtime periods to take the Division III Championship 10-9 over Rancho Bernado (San Diego) on November 19.

After winning its 10th City Championship, Palisades High School boys water polo team was seeded first in the Division III Championship and coasted through its earlier tournament games, beating Muir 22-15 and Birmingham 15-13.

Seeded second, Rancho Bernardo had an equally easy time to reach the championship, beating San Pedro 16-4 and San Dimas 15-8.

The teams were equally matched and the final at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center was tense and exciting. At half, the score was tied 4-4. At the end of the third, it was 5-5.

At 5:37 in the 4th the Bronco’s took a penalty shot because of an infraction by Dolphin goalie, John Possman. PaliHi players waved and defended the goal, and the Bronco shot went wide.

Less than a minute later, the Broncos scored, and Pali was behind 6-5.

With a minute left in the match, Pali drew another penalty and were a player down. The Bronco player missed a shot with 56 seconds left.

At 54 seconds left in the game, Pali scored to tie the game 6-6.

Possom made an incredible save with 10 seconds left in the game, which sent the championship into overtime.

In the first three-minute overtime period, Pali scored three, the Bronco’s two and it was 9-8 going into the second overtime period.

The Bronco’s scored a penalty shot, and the score was tied 9-9.

Pali scored 30 seconds later and managed to hold the Broncos off to win the title, 10-9.

Going into the championship, “We knew were evenly matched,” said coach Kirk Lazaruk. Part of the strategy was to get the Bronco’s best player in foul trouble, which the Dolphins did.

“Our biggest adjustment was keeping our composure,” Lazaruk said. “The kids showed great grit.”

He said that two of his players had been out sick and “We had to go with younger players.”

The team, which was young, had a lot of talent. “We had a lot of plays we could adapt,” he said.

During the season, players adopted Kobe Bryant’s attitude. Following Game 2 in the 2009 NBA finals, Bryant was asked if he was happy with the team’s back-to-back wins. His response: “What’s there to be happy about? Job’s not finished.”

“Job done,” Lazaruk said, “Kid’s did it tonight and I’m proud of them.”

Overall, for the season the Dolphins were 27-4 and 8-0 in the Western/Marine league and ranked 81 in California. The Broncos were 25-9 overall and 5-0 in league and ranked 74 in California.

Lazaruk, said that he and coach Adam Blakis stressed to players during the season that if “you’re up, show humility. If you’re down, show confidence.”

He said that coaches are “trying to teach more than water polo. What players learn [from challenges] will help in life.”

Pali players celebrate after stopping a shot on goal, which sent the game into over time.

Water polo coaches Kirk Lazaruk (left) and Adam Blakis at the Maggie Gilbert Aquatics Center.

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June Capp, 108, Crowned Queen of the 90th Birthday Party

Posted on November 20, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

June Capp turned 108 in May and was honored at the Woman’s Club annual 90th Birthday Party that celebrates the town’s elders.

Resident June Capp, who turned 108 on May 17, was crowned queen of the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club 90th Birthday Party. The oldest Palisades male honored was 103, but wished to remain anonymous.

The tradition of honoring the town’s nonagerians (and older) started in 1996 in Dr. Margaret Jones-Kanaar’s backyard on Via de la Paz.

Long-time resident and former editor of the local paper, Bill Bruns said, “She was celebrating her 92nd birthday and wanted to have a big party. So, we ran a story in the Post, inviting all the town’s 90-year-olds, and about 30 showed up. Honorary Mayor Eddie Albert was the guest speaker.”

Jones-Kanaar hosted the lunch for two more years before the Junior Women’s Club took over and eventually the Woman’s Club.

Although there was a break in 2020 because of Covid, the tradition continued again last year with deliveries of lunch and a cupcake.

This year members of the Woman’s Club honored 83 participants, three of which are current Club members.

They delivered birthday cards, tea sandwiches, mini scones, petite fruit, a tea bag and a night light to all of those who had contacted the club with a request to be included in the 90th celebration.

Club member Robin Weitz said, “Our birthday wish is to have a real party at the clubhouse in 2023.” She added, “We missed those we lost this year, including Nancy Johnson, Madame Wu and Dr. Martini.”

Afterwards, Capp’s daughter Dixie wrote “Thank you so much and the Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club for thinking of my mother, June. She loved the wonderful, delicate lunch, a real treat for her.

“And thank you all for coming to the house with the goodies and best wishes. All you do is so much appreciated,” she said. “It’s very happy 90’s Celebration here!

The Woman’s Club thanked the American legion Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283 for their support.

The birthday card was designed by Jennifer Jones-Church, PPWC’s President. It included trivia from 1932:

  • Herbert Clark Hoover is President. Charles Curtis is Vice President
  • Aviator Amelia Earhart is the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic
  • A jar of Vaseline costs 13 cents
  • Radio City Music Hall opens
  • Family Circle Magazine begins publication
  • The Zippo lighter and Campbell’s Tomato Soup are introduced
  • Kate Smith greets 16 million radio fans every week with “Hello Everybody”
  • Buck Rogers airs on CBS radio, Laurel & Hardy star in “The Music Box.”
  • Shirley Temple, 3, makes her film debut in “Red-Haired Alibi”
  • Sonja Henie wins two gold medals at the Olympics in Lake Placid
Posted in Community | 1 Comment

Seven Arrows Kindergarten Students Lead Food Drive

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Each grade donated items for the food drive.

Seven Arrow kindergarten students challenged all grades, in this K-6 private school, to make food donations.

The school collected 17,637 items, which is nearly 115 items of food per student. On Friday, November 18, the items were loaded and taken to the Westside Food Bank, located at 1710 22nd Street, Santa Monica.

School Admission’s director Victoria Lerner said, “It is the season of giving and nothing shows our community’s philanthropic nature more than our Kindergarten Food Drive.

“Our Kinders have huge hearts and high expectations, so this is no ordinary ‘clean out your pantry’ food drive,” Lerner said.

Several years ago, the youngest students in this school (located on La Cruz and on Haverford) came up with the idea to help supply food for those who were in need: they didn’t want to see people go without food on Thanksgiving.

Then, kindergarten students, with help from the staff, went one step further: they challenged the school’s older students to a week-long “food challenge.”

Each day of the week was designated for certain food items that the Westside Food Bank had requested as essential items, from canned pasta sauce and pasta, to juice, cereal and stuffing.

This year the sixth-grade class donated the most food and were declared the winner. “We would like to them for their particularly remarkable generosity,” Lerner said.

Last year, Brenda Cowdry, director of operations at Aldersgate told Circling the News, “It’s what we should do to take care of our neighbors. It fills you with happiness when you give.”

“Thank you thank you to everyone who contributed,” Lerner said. “The Westside Food Bank is not only grateful for our donations, but also for the quality of our donations. Many of the people served at the food bank are families with small children.

“They are so grateful for the brand-new, name-brand products we consistently donate,” Lerner said. “A good portion of our food has already been distributed to needy individuals and families.”

Visit: wsfb.org

Food was loaded up on Friday and taken to the Westside Food Bank.

 

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Election Update: Mayor, CD 11 and County Supervisor

Posted on November 18, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Despite, the rain, Many people voted in person in Pacific Palisades.

 

According to the L.A. County Registrar as of November 17: The estimated number of outstanding ballots to be processed is 332,550. The registrar continues its counts with the final tally expected in December.

  • Vote by Mail ballots (VBM): 325,000
  • Conditional Voter Registration ballots: 7,500
  • Provisional ballots:50

It is unclear how many of those ballots are specific to L.A. City.

 

L.A. City Mayor’s Race – BASS VS. CARUSO

Although developer Rick Caruso was leading Karen Bass after election day, with each update from the registrar’s office, Bass tightened the race and then surpassed him. On November 16, Bass led Caruso by more than 46,500 votes.

That night, on Twitter, Bass wrote, “This evening I received a gracious call from Rick Caruso, who is someone I hope continues his civic participation in the the city that we both love. I have great respect for his commitment to service the people of Los Angeles.

“The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: it is time for change and it is time for urgency. . .I am honored and humbled that the people have chosen me to be the next Mayor of Los Angles.”

She said that her message to residents is:

  1.  We are going to solve homelessness and, 2. We are going to prevent and respond urgently to crime.

Bass added, “ .  . . know this – that work has already begun.”

Caruso in his concession statement said, “I’m proud of the work we did to engage long-neglected communities, giving a voice to the unheard, and to the light we shined on the biggest challenges facing our great city.

“There will be more to come from the movement we built, but for now, as a city we need to unite around Mayor-elect Bass and give her the support she needs to tackle the many issues we face,” Caruso said. “Congratulations, Karen, and God-speed.”

 

Traci Park

L.A. City Council District 11 – DARLING VS. PARK

In a statement November 17, Candidate for L.A. City Council District 11, Erin Darling said, “While the margin’s been tightening, my team and I no longer see a path to victory.” He congratulated Traci Park and wrote “In the wake of rancor and divisiveness of the last two years and the shocking, damaging attitudes on the leaked tapes on the Westside and LA in general, are in deep need of healing and unity that transcends race and economic status. I wish Councilmember-elect Park the very best in that crucial work.”

Park in her statement congratulated Darling, “Throughout the campaign, he was passionate about the issues and our community. I applaud all the candidates who stepped up to work towards making our City better.

“I am hopeful and excited about the prospect of making real change here on the Westside. My commitment from the outset was to be a responsive representative who works for everyone,” Park said. “Regardless of who you voted for, I look forward to working with you.

“The remarkable energy throughout the campaign is exactly what we need to make real change – it’s going to take all of us working together . . .thank you to the voters of CD 11for placing your trust in me. It is the honor of a lifetime to be given the opportunity to serve my community on the Los Angeles City Council,” Park said.

 

Lindsey Horveth

County Supervisor District 3 – HERTZBERG VS. HORVATH

Senator Bob Hertzberg conceded defeat in the Los Angeles County Supervisor Race on November 17 and congratulated Supervisor-Elect Horvath.

“With the most recent ballot update, it is clear to me that Lindsey Horvath will be our next County Supervisor,” Hertzberg said. “I want to offer my most sincere and humble congratulations to Supervisor-Elect Horvath. The challenges that we face as a County are extraordinary and it will take someone with Lindsey’s work ethic to be successful.”

The latest vote totals released Thursday showed Horvath with a 19,542- vote lead over Hertzberg, up from roughly 14,950 on Wednesday.

The District 3 seat, currently held by Sheila Kuehl who did not seek reelection, covers a majority of the San Fernando Valley, stretching from Westlake Village and Malibu to Calabasas, West Hills, Porter Ranch, San Fernando, Panorama City and Northridge, while also stretching to West Hollywood, Beverly Hills and parts of Venice.

“I am humbled and honored that the voters have chosen me to serve as their next Supervisor. Their confidence and support fueled our people-powered campaign across the finish line, and I could not be more grateful for the opportunity to represent the people of District 3,” Horvath said.

“Voters chose a new path forward – a path where we humanely and effectively solve our homelessness crisis, a path where we invest in meaningful public safety solutions, a path where we fight unequivocally for full reproductive freedom, and a path where we urgently protect our environment and create a sustainable future for generations to come,” said Horvath, who had listed homelessness as a top priority of her campaign. “As supervisor, I will get the bureaucracy out of the way, create accountability, and expand partnerships with experts who know how to help people off the streets and into supportive housing.”

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Palisades Recreation Center: Bocce Water Fountain and Trees

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Members of the Forestry Committee, Cindy Kirven (yellow), Bruce Schwartz (white shirt) and Randy Young (by the plant) watch as two Recreation and Parks workers dig a hole for the new tree near the entrance to the Palisades Recreation Center.

WATER FOUNTAINS:

Circling the News posted a story about “Nearby Park Neighbors Under Attack: Resident Being Scapegoated,” on November 16.

A resident responded by writing, “Hmmm, perhaps this is the reason the once wonderful water fountain and water bottle filler is inoperable.”

CTN was unclear what the resident meant and sent a follow up email. The resident explained “Right next to the Bocce Courts is a water fountain that has a water filler next to it-put in at the same time as the courts. It hasn’t worked in weeks.”

CTN spoke to a person in the Palisades Rec Center this morning, November 17 and asked about the fountain.

The worker said that there was a problem with the water line that went to the fountain. He said a work order had been put in, but the repair has not been done, yet.

The sewer/water system at the park is ancient and needs to be replaced. It was built in the 1950s and there have been some attempts to upgrade the structure especially since the “old gym” has been flooded with sewage–several times. In August 2019, CTN reported on the mess.

There has also been a fence erected that stops people from going the loop around the Field of Dreams. CTN asked why and was told that the water fountain by the baseball diamond was going to be repaired. That fence has been up for several weeks, too.

 

NEW AND NEEDED TREES:

David Card (left ) and Randy Young are working to help replace trees in the park. The Torrey Pine, which was planted next to the playground should help provide shade.

Today, six trees were planted at the Palisades Recreation Center. Two were planted in the lawn south of the library and the third will “guard” the entrance to the park at the corner of Toyopa and Alma Real.

The trees are Queensland Kauri (Agathus robusta). David Card, who heads the Pacific Palisades Community Council Forestry Committee describes it as “tall, narrow and a spectacular tree for the entrance.”  Resident Randy Young donated $910 to purchase the three trees.

The Pacific Palisades Community Council pledged money to purchase three trees to be planted by the playground. The trees planted today are Torrey Pines (pinus torreyana), and Card said they are native to small areas of the SoCal coast and will provide shade.

The playground, which is not ADA-handicapped and doesn’t have a shade structure, lost its sole tree, when it blew over in November 2021.

Young who was at the planting said “there’s nothing more satisfying than planting a tree.”

Many of the trees originally planted in this park have died or had found to be diseased and need to be replaced. In a July 22 story CTN reported:

Additionally, along the border between the park, tennis courts and residences, “property-line trees,” which are Pittosporium undulatum, are dying. The lifespan for this tree/bush is about 40 years, so they are at the end of the plant’s lifeline.

Possible replacements could include Melaleuca quinquenervia (Paperbark) and Lophostemon conferrtus (Brisbane Box).

The melaleucca is a fast-growing tree, that is suitable for large gardens or parks. It is a medium sized to tall tree, growing up to 40 feet..

The Brisbane Box is a moderate to fast growing tree, that can become as tall as 50 feet. As it matures it develops a stately, dense, round-to-pyramidal-shaped crown, which provides shade and cover for birds.

Card guesses that as many as 30 trees could be planted in the vacancies and in place of the Pittosporum trees along the boundary of the park from Frontera to Alma Real, subject to further consultation with RAP Urban Forestry.

“It will provide a growing screen of trees,” Card said, noting that once trees are planted and grow, they should help shield residents from light pollution from the park.

The playground’s sole shade, a tree fell over in November 2021, kids had fun crawling in the branches.

 

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Palisades Water Polo Wins Semifinal Match Advances to Championship

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Coaches Adam Blakis (left) and Kirk Lazaruk speak to their team before the match against Muir.

Palisades High School water polo team beat their nemesis Birmingham 15-13 in the Division III Regional Semifinals at the Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center tonight, November 17.

It was close match, with the Dolphins up 3-2 after the first period. At half, the score was 6-5, the third period ended 11-8. Afterwards assistant coach Kirk Lazaruk said, “It was a little too close for me, too.”

Palisades High School had easily swept by the Patriots 16-10 on November 10 at Valley College to clinch a City Championship.  This was the team’s 10th Championship under head coach Adam Blakis.

Since 2012 in the City Championships, the Dolphins have faced Birmingham five times, Cleveland twice, Granada Hills, twice and El Camino Real once.

Lazaruk said the team was missing two starters, who were ill. “Everyone had to step up,” he said and praised his team. “They kept their composure while they were playing tonight.”

Senior and goalie John Possman made several key saves in the game.

To make it to the semi-finals, the top-seeded Dolphins beat the eighth seed Muir 22-15 on November 15.

Rancho Bernardo Broncos, from San Diego, defeated San Dimas 15-8 tonight and will face the Dolphins on Saturday, November 19. The championship will be played at the Maggie Gilbert Aquatics center. The game is scheduled for 5 p.m., but may be moved to 4 p.m.

Overall, for the season Pali is 26-7 and Rancho Bernardo is 28-8.

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Election Problems: Small and Large: Voter Turnout Under 40%

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Despite, the rain, many people voted in person in Pacific Palisades.

 

California sent vote by mail (VBM) to all registered to vote. In May, the state proposed $5.8 million in one‑time General Fund and $5.9 million ongoing General Fund to reimburse counties for the cost of providing prepaid postage on VBM ballots in qualifying elections, which the Commission on State Mandates (commission) found to be a state‑reimbursable mandate.

Has voting by mail increased participation? Are all ballots counted?

The Los Angeles County Registrar released its sixth-post election ballot count update on November 16.

The total election results count is now 1,997,887 which is 35.50% of registered voters. Election results can be viewed on LAVOTE.GOV.

The estimated number of outstanding ballots to be processed is 463,050. See estimates below:

  • Vote by Mail ballots (VBM): 453,000
  • Conditional Voter Registration ballots: 10,000
  • Provisional ballots:50

The estimated number of outstanding Vote by Mail ballots includes those postmarked by Election Day and received by November 15.

The estimate also includes ballots that are pending signature cures from voters whose signature on the Return Envelope was missing or did not match their registration record. These voters have been notified with instructions on how to cure their ballot to be counted.

Yesterday in Circling the News musings, a reader suggested that residents check with the County to make sure their ballot was counted.

After seeing that comment, a Huntington Palisades resident, who had put his ballot in the voting box on November 8 (because it was raining and he didn’t want to wait in line at the library), went online to see if his ballot had counted.

It had not. When he called, he learned it had been rejected because the signature didn’t match.

“That’s pretty frightening,” he said and asked who is matching the signatures. Are they experts or just citizens who are taking a look and saying, yes or no? Signatures can change over time as people age. “What if I had a broken finger?” the resident asked and added, “We need to go back to in-person voting.”

Check to see if your vote counted: https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/ballot-status/wheres-my-ballot

(Editor’s note: According to the L.A. Times, in Southern California in the 1982 election 41.57% of the voters had gone to the polls and in 1986 those participating were 34.6 %.

In a 2014 Fair Vote piece (“What’s the Matter with California Turnout?”), the author’s write:  “In 1943, author William Faulkner tartly described California as the state where ‘the sun shines and nothing happens.’

“His observation aptly describes California’s June 2014 primary election. Despite clear skies and warm sunshine, more than three-quarters of registered voters did not vote. Turnout of registered voters, at 24.6% , was a record low . Yet this statistic conceals the extent of low turnout. In May 2014, California had 24,192,752 eligible voters, of whom 17,722,006 had registered to vote. Based on California’s much larger number of eligible voters, turnout was even lower: a meager 18%.

“The turnout in 2014 may have been a historic low, but it reflects long-term trends in California democratic participation. While turnout rates remain higher than those of many states, they are down precipitously from the mid-20th Century, when the Golden State led the nation with some of the highest turnout rates in primary elections.

“Between 1950 and 1966, for example, an average of 63% of registered voters participated in primary elections. In the past decade, however, California primary turnout has been far lower.

“Turnout in state primaries was 34.6% in 2002, 33.6% in 2006, 28.2% in 2008, 33.3% in 2010, and 33.1% in 2012. The introduction of the Top Two primary in 2012 and the presence of presidential contests in 2008 and 2012 failed to salvage turnout. This year’s 24.6% turnout marked the lowest turnout yet.”)

 

Posted in News | 1 Comment

Palisades Wins 42-14, Next Faces Narbonne

Posted on November 17, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Savyour Riley had three touchdowns for PaliHi against Dymally.

Palisades High School football improved to 9-3 on the season with a 42-14 win over Dymally on November 10 at Stadium by the Sea.

With that win, the Dolphins now are in the semifinals of the CIF L.A. City Section Division I Championships and will face Narbonne at home on November 18 at 7:30. Residents are invited to come down and cheer for the team.

The coaches were asked at the Thursday practice, what it would take to beat Narbonne.

“Heart — and focus,” they said.

To make it to the semis, PaliHi’s quarterback Roman LaScala scored the first touchdown with nine minutes left in the first quarter. Kicker Kellan Ford would make the first of six PATs, giving the Dolphins an early lead.

The first quarter ended 7-0, when neither team was able to move the ball.

Dymally scored five minutes in the second quarter, and it looked like it might be a tight game.

But on the kickoff to PaliHi, it only took five plays to score, with Christopher Washington carrying it in from the Dymally 15-yard line. At the end of the first half Pali was up 14-7.

At the start of the third quarter, when Dymally was unable to make downs, the team punted and Marcus Brown, Jr. returned it to the Challenger’s four-yard-line. The Dolphins next play was a touchdown for Brown. For the game Brown is credited with 75 punt return yards

Dymally would score its second touchdown about six minutes in the third quarter. Then Palisades defense stepped up big time, crushing any attempt by the Challengers to move the ball.

The defense had a season-high eight sacks, three by Evan Nehrenberg, two by Eric Daniels, solos by Cash Allen and Immanuel Robinson and one combined by Jake Treibatch and Jesse Ettus.

Ettus, a sophomore, is credited with seven tackles and seven assists and Nehrenberg, a junior had four unassisted tackles. Allen, a sophomore, had three solo tackles and seven assists and another sophomore Treibatch had three solo and four assists. Seniors Marcus Brown had three solo tackles and five assists and Savyour Riley had seven tackles (two solo and five assists).

Pali blew the game wide open when Riley scored three times with one receiving and two rushing touchdowns.

The sixth seeded Narbonne beat the second seed Carson at Carson 34-32. The Gauchos went ahead 20-7 in the first quarter and Carson spent the game playing catch up. Fifth-seeded Cleveland beat the thirteen seed Fairfax, 7-6 and now face the top seed Granada Hills Charter.

In the Open Division, there were two upsets. Eighth seed Eagle Rock defeated the number one seed San Pedro 38-31 in overtime. Birmingham, seeded seventh, faced Venice, which was seeded two.

At the end of regulation play, the game was tied 21-21. Birmingham, who has won the Open Division title the past two years, scored first in overtime and made the PAT. The score was 28-21. Venice scored with a touchdown, went for two and didn’t make it, ending with a dramatic 28-27 loss.

Quarterback Roman La Scala ran the ball in for a touchdown.

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Winds with Gusts up to 60 mph Expected: No Grilling

Posted on November 16, 2022 by Sue Pascoe

Bocce players opened the grill and had open flames going near residences and an eucalyptus tree with a predicted Santa Ana wind event.

The weather forecast was for gusty Santa Ana winds to move into this area on Tuesday, November 15. The strongest gusts were predicted in the early a.m. on Wednesday.

Santa Ana winds are dry and there is low humidity, which creates severe fire weather conditions. Pacific Palisades is located in a very high fire hazard severity zone, surrounded by parkland and brush..

Given that wind forecast, several bocce players decided Tuesday was the perfect day to grill with an open flame. Even though there are six grills in the bocce area, those players selected the grill closest to a large eucalyptus tree and several residences.

The ashes from the grill were dumped to the side. near residences that abut the park.

When Station 69 Firefighters responded to smoke in the park on Tuesday afternoon around 1 p.m., the bocce grillers were asked to put out the fire. The ashes were dumped next to the grill. There are no receptacles for ashes. There are no fire extinguishers near the grills.

One woman wrote CTN that she was playing bocce, but not grilling, but “there was NO wind, and you could barely tell the grill was on . . .I am astonished by this overkill.”

Firefighters, who came to the park, do this for a living. They knew Pacific Palisades was under a fire watch, and that red-flag warnings were possible.

Additionally, weather is a not an exact science, the winds were predicted to move in late Tuesday afternoon, but if they had moved in sooner and an ember had blown to a nearby eucalyptus, there would have been real problems for the Huntington Palisades.

There are several stately eucalyptus trees surrounding the bocce area and the tennis courts in the Palisades Recreation Center. The trees are considered extremely flammable.

According to one expert: “These hardy plants have delightfully scented, volatile oil in all parts of the plant. The tree sheds bark and dead leaves, which make a perfect pile of tinder under the tree too. When the oils in the tree heat up, the plant releases flammable gas, which ignites into a fireball. This accelerates the eucalyptus fire hazards in a region and discourages firefighting efforts.”

The Los Angeles Daily News warned in November 16 story (“Gusty Winds up to 70 mph in Forecast this Week”) that “residents are cautioned to have an evacuation plan in case of wildfire and watch for downed trees and power lines.”

Another round of Santa Ana winds is expected on Friday and Saturday. Rec and Parks users need to heed LAFD’s advice to keep its residents safe. That would include no grilling with open flames near homes or large eucalyptus trees.

Posted in Accidents/Fires, Parks | 1 Comment