PALMDALE BLVD

Volume I No: 6 “Where every story is a positive story.” March 2018

MEET MARIE PIZANO

’The inspiring first person story of a
woman driven to prove to the world
that she can’ -- Morgan Freeman
Story Page 3

Photo by Stephanie Norwood, Studio Norwood Photography

www.StudioNorwood.com

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2 PALMDALE BLVD
PALMDALE BLVD
“Where every story is a positive story.”
Hobalong@adelphia.net
661.618.3301
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief
Larry Hobson
661.618.3301
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Office Manager
Ashleigh Hobson
Managing Editor & Copy Editor
Thomas Fitzgerald
S t a f f Wr i t e r
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PALMDALE FIN & FEATHER CLUB
ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS
FOR NEW SEASON
The Palmdale Fin and Feather Club’s opening day
is Saturday, February 3 and we are accepting new
members.
We are stocking loads of Trout from two different
Trout farms this year, Mt. Lassen in Northern Califor-
nia and West Haven Trout Ranch in Utah.
The Palmdale Fin and Feather Club is a non-profit,
member’s only fishing and hunting club. We are locat-
ed off the 14 freeway in sunny Palmdale.
With 48 fishing docks surrounding our lake, the Fin
and Feather is the perfect place to get away and relax.
The Fin and Feather Club stocks healthy Rainbow
Trout during the colder months of our fishing season.
This year we are set to stock 70,000 pounds.
After the weather starts to warm, the Catfish, Bass,
Bluegill, Crappie and Perch start to bite, which ensures
productive fishing all season long.
The membership pricing for the Fin and Feather Club
is based on the city you live in. See our website for
more details: www.palmdalefinandfeatherclub.com.
Golden Years Property Tax Relief
AN OPEN INVITATION TO
OUR PALMDALE SCHOOL
DISTRICT PARENTS By LARRY HOBSON
Publisher
NANCY SMITH
Contributing Writer
What, exactly, are the, “Golden Years” for seniors?
Is it all the aches and pains, or is it something that
We would love to have our PSD parents visit our is like gold, called money?
NEW Palmdale School District’s Center for Parent When you become a senior – at least in your 70s –
Partnership. a person shouldn’t have to pay property tax.
This facility is designed to help our parents with By the time a person reaches 70, I believe they
access to a computer lab, meeting spaces, child care have paid enough and it’s time for young homeown-
facility, classes in English and classes to learn many ers to pay!
techniques to help their students be successful in their A State law is needed eliminating property tax for
educational experience. seniors living in their home for at least ten years and
The PSD Parent Center is located at 38136 35th Street are at least 70 years old.
East in Palmdale, and is open during the day and for
some classes offered in the evening.
There is staff on site to help with questions and to
take your recommendations on additional programs or
classes that parents feel would help them become an
integral part of our education community.
There are computers available in the center for parent
and family use. The computers are available for class-
es to train parents and families on how to use comput-
ers and specific software programs.
Parents can also explore programs, both computer
and other classes that their children are using during
the school day.
The Center for Parent Partnership will have its
GRAND OPENING ON MARCH 7 FROM 4-6pm.
There will be food and music, tours of the facility and
a ribbon cutting ceremony.
Our goal is to provide a facility where our parents can
learn new skills, form relationships with other parents
and our PSD family and feel comfortable and valued
by our school community.
‘Curiosity Kills Cats’
to get hurt.”
By MARILYN DALRYMPLE
We now know that curiosity is a sign of intelligence
Contributing Writer
I’m to photograph 75 cats who wait for homes at a pet
and leads to the world’s exploration. In the case of a
cat’s curiosity, it can lead to prolonging its life, rather
sanctuary. I feel like a ringmaster in a three-ring circus
as the cats satisfy their curiosity about the photography
than ending it.
In Curiosity Killed the Cat: Curiosity and Advertising
equipment that surrounds them.
“Better be careful,” I warn the felines. “Curiosity kills
by Richard F. Taflinger, Ph.D., Taflinger says, “In order
to survive, animals above the primitive level must un-
cats.” derstand the niche in which they live. In addition, they
The saying, “Curiosity kills a cat,” evolved from the must discover any changes in the niche to be able to
original 16th century saying, “Care kills a cat.” respond to those changes.”
“Care,” meaning worry, which as long ago as the 16th The most effective way to discover changes is to go
century, was known to be bad for health. looking for them. Thus, a noise in the bushes draws
Meanings for the saying evolved. In John Clarke’s the cat’s attention followed by a slow, stealthy stalk.
1693 volume, “Paremiology” – (a collection of prov- It might be prey, it might be a predator or it might be
erbs), a proverb reads, “He that pryeth into every cloud automatic lawn sprinklers coming on.
may be struck with a thunderbolt.” This curiosity can lead to a meal, a timely escape, or
The Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs an inadvertent bath.”
and Sayings (1996, Gregory Titelman) transcribes the Camera in hand, I’m hoping the curious cats that sur-
warning, thusly: “An overly inquisitive person is likely round me will soon be satisfied and go take cat naps.
Palmdale Blvd Supports
The National Rifle Association
and the Second Amendment

You Got Sticks, I Got a Match; Together We Can Make Fire
Meet Marie Pizano
‘Driven to Prove to the World that She Can’
– Morgan Freeman
By THOMAS FITZGERALD
Staff Writer
In life, if you want success you’ve got to make it happen
because nobody is going to just give it to you - Blue-
Bloods excepted.
This mindset is the fundamental thesis supporting a cul-
tural experiment as a social meritocracy we call, “Amer-
ica.”
Emblematic of this ethic is Marie Pizano, a Midwest girl
gone south to strike entertainment gold down in Dixie.
Pizano is an author and Founder/CEO of Memphis,
Tennessee-based, MVP3 Entertainment Group. She is an
award-winning movie producer whose films have won
awards at the Monaco Film Festival, Bel Air Film Festi-
val and Hollywood Reel Film Fest.
In 2013, Pizano published her first book. It is a story of
perseverance written as a memoir titled, From Barefoot
to Stilettos: it’s not for sissies.
“I came into this world barefoot, and the journey I’ve
been on until now, being in the stilettos, is a metaphor for
being empowered,” said Pizano. “As I take these leaps
and hurdles in my stilettos while walking in faith, it’s not
for sissies. But I am finding my ‘yes’.”
Releasing later this year, Pizano’s sequential book, From
Barefoot to Stilettos: Finding My Yes, continues chroni-
cling her life’s journey, picking up where the first book
left off.
Pizano cites Academy Award winning actor Morgan
Freeman – a Memphis, Tennessee native – as inspiration
for her literary ventures and film making.
Shortly after relocating from Chicago to Memphis in
1999, Pizano suffered culture shock that lead to despair
and a sense her, “whole world was crashing down.”
Pizano said she didn’t receive a traditional, warm,
Southern hospitality reception and instead was treated
like an “outsider.”
“No disrespect to anyone, but literally, when you take a
Chicago girl…and I come here to Memphis, Tennessee,
it was like Kevin Bacon’s character in Footloose,” said
Pizano. “There’s nowhere to dance and it seemed like the
whole town was against me.”
The Northern big city dance Pizano brought to Memphis
– a Southern town located along the bank of the great
Mississippi River (“The Big Muddy” serving as State-
line with Arkansas to the west, and only a dozen miles
from “Deep South” Mississippi to the south) – was her
desire to build an, “entertainment powerhouse” in a gen-
teel, Southern city.
The tradition-rich but culturally conservative Southern
town was not desirous of becoming Hollywood along the
banks of the “Mighty Mississippi.”
This presented a seemingly unusual paradox for Piza-
no considering Memphis, Tennessee, spawned Ameri-
can music legends Jerry Lee Lewis, Otis Redding, Elvis
Presley, B.B. King and Roy Orbison, and is home to Sun
Records – the independent record label founded by Sam
Phillips in 1952 and the first company to record Elvis
Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash.
“I saw the potential here, but I got the daggers. At that
time, I got all this, ‘Who are you? We’ve been doing this
MARCH 2018 3
for 20 years and you’re the newcomer,’ kind of thing,” the wonderful things and all that. It was all about family
explained Pizano. “I saw all this hurt. I saw all this in- and I really got sold into Memphis. But when I got here
security. I saw all this, I’m nothing but – and if I could to stay? Wow!”
speak frankly – a ‘Damn Yankee.’” Separated from her family in Chicago and leaving a
According to US Census Bureau data from 2010, Mem- good job in the financial industry working at a commod-
phis is 63 percent Black and 29 percent White. It has upon ity house, combined with culture shock caused Pizano
it the infamous stain of being the city where American anxiety, which led to her experiencing panic attacks.
hero and Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “Here I am, a Chicago girl, and I’m living in a golf
was assassinated in 1968. Today, it is home to the Nation- course community,” said Pizano. “They’re wearing golf
al Civil Rights Museum. clothes and I’m coming in here looking like Marisa To-
Raised in a predominantly African-American communi- mei in My Cousin Vinny.”
ty by a single mother in Chicago, Pizano said she under- Pizano said her husband encountered work-related stress
stood the underlying racial tensions she witnessed after and, “brought it home” with him, transferring that stress
arriving in Memphis though she found it difficult to deal upon the marriage.
with considering how far contemporary culture had pro- Pizano said her life began to unravel. “I had to deal with
gressed from the dark days of segregation – at least what my issues and I had to deal with a marriage to an angry
she was accustomed to up North. person,” said Pizano. “He was stressed. That was his an-
ger. And from his generation – he was nine years older –
Here I am, a Chicago girl, and in his generation the woman just sits there and shuts up. It
I’m living in a golf course com- was like I was supposed to stay home barefoot and preg-
munity. They’re wearing golf nant and just look and act like all the other trophy wives.”
Memphis has a proud history of a charitable spirit and is
clothes and I’m coming in here home to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, founded
looking like Marisa Tomei in in 1962 by nightclub comedian, singer, actor and produc-
“My Cousin Vinny.” er Danny Thomas. In 2017, Memphis earned the top rank
Continued on Page 4
“Part of me is not completely understanding [racial ten-
sion in Memphis] because we’re in 2018 and we should
be progressing,” said Pizano. “And why are we not pro-
gressing? It’s because of fear. Fear is separating every-
body.”
Pizano said she appreciates Memphis being a city, “rich
with history and music,” but added her belief if people
come together properly in the entertainment business we
would progress in the music and film scene much more.
Just recently married, returning to Chicago was not an
option as relocating to Memphis was due to her husband’s
job, which included a recruitment process not unlike that
depicted in the Blockbuster movie, The Firm, starring
Tom Cruise and Gene Hackman, according to Pizano.
The law firm in the movie The Firm was also based in
Memphis, Tennessee.
Pizano described her then-husband’s generous job of-
fer as, “an offer you couldn’t refuse.” The recruitment
process, “was like The Firm. I met with the owner. We
came here, they took me to the Peabody, showed me all
4 PALMDALE BLVD
‘Driven to Prove to the World that She Can’
Continued From Page 3
as, “most generous metropolitan area” in the US, surpass-
ing Salt Lake City, Utah.
According to the Chronicle of Philanthropy, an author-
itative magazine covering the nonprofit industry, Mem-
phis moved up from the second spot by donating nearly
$6 of every $100 in earned income to philanthropy.
Guided by the principle, “Instead of beat them, join
them,” Pizano decided to become the, “trophy wife” with
her forte’ being heavily involved with supporting wom-
en’s and children’s charities.
“I figured, how am I going to learn about community
unless I embrace it, and I’m either going to take the road
of being angry and bitter that I’m here, or, let
me figure out how to live here,” said Pizano,
on her decision to engage neighbors and the
community as a path to happiness.
Pizano parlayed the opportunity to bring
awareness and give back from each of her
film projects to several charitable causes.
Her effort at first did not reap the fruit she
intended as Pizano found herself constantly
confronted by her peers inquiring about a few
select aspects of her life.
“I tried and I got a lot of, ‘What church do
you go to? What does your husband do? What
high school did you go to?’ I didn’t fit in their
box, and it always seemed I had to ask them
permission just to be me”, said Pizano.
While working with St. Jude’s fund raising
events, Pizano focused on the entertainment
and began establishing contacts in Nashville.
This led to meeting Pam Lewis, owner of a
PR firm and the person who first discovered
and then managed Garth Brooks for several
years early in his career.
By 2005, Pizano began managing music
acts on her own, to her husband’s dismay.
“He didn’t like this,” said Pizano. “He was
pacifying me and letting me do what I needed
to do. But he didn’t like the fact that I was managing and
going to Nashville. He just really wanted me to be a stay-
at-home wife.
As she found happiness, contentment and self-worth
through her music endeavors, Pizano realized the pan-
ic attacks and anxiety were caused by her not living her
truth by playing the role of the, “executive wife” tasked
with hosting fantastic parties at home.
“I had the best of everything,” said Pizano, who was
living the upper class lifestyle that included travel by
private jet. “I was throwing massive parties for my kids,
doing the whole trophy wife thing. I was Martha-freak-
ing-Stewart. That wasn’t really me. I wasn’t doing what I
was supposed to do, which is to be creative. I was bored.
I have a purpose. Why am I a woman stuck in the South
that has to just listen to what the man says or what a town
thinks I should be?”
Though the marriage ultimately failed in 2008, the end-
ing of that chapter of her life presented a new beginning
for Pizano who would rely on words of wisdom spoken
to her by her mother long ago, “You can take one of two
roads: play victim, or, do something about it.”
Divorced and being a single mom in the South was not
easy for Pizano. She said she was, “lied about” and was
on the receiving end of vicious rumors because many in-
vestors she worked with in business were men.
“In a small town if you talk to a man, what are you
doing? You’re sleeping with him,” said Pizano. “So the
lies started that I’m supposedly sleeping with people and
swinging from chandeliers.”
Pizano described Nashville as a, “music business town”
and Hollywood as a, “movie business town.” According
to Pizano, “respectfully to Memphis, and in truth, Mem-
phis had not yet found a way to truly come together and
build a viable business structure in the entertainment sec-
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tor, so it was just a music and film scene.”
Pizano’s vision was to combine the two – movie busi-
ness and music business – and do her part to help make
Memphis the epicenter by building that viable business
infrastructure through MVP3 Entertainment Group.
MVP3 is designed to be an, “entertainment powerhouse
of film production, music publishing and talent manage-
ment all under one umbrella,” said Pizano.
Her ventures resulted in one failure followed by the
next because of a “few unethical attorneys, and financial
people who tried to take advantage of my company and
contacts.”
But, by “a twist of fate,” through mutual friends of Mor-
gan Freeman, Pizano managed to find herself playing a
game of golf and having dinner with those
mutual friends and Freeman. The day includ-
ed Freeman watching one of Pizano’s films.
While golfing as a group, several in the party
began sharing with Freeman their, “war sto-
ries” as writers and artists trying to “make it.”
Pizano said Freeman told her, “Marie, ev-
erything happens for a reason,” to which she
replied, “Morgan, what is the reason? What is
God thinking, or the universe? Why is all this
happening and why am I here in Memphis,
Tennessee?”
Pizano said she then looked down at a
T-shaped scar on her leg, the result of hun-
dreds of stitches required after a motorcycle
accident when she was 18 and still living in
Chicago, and asked Freeman if she should in-
terpret her scar as “T for Tennessee.”
Pizano said Freeman replied, “No, Marie.
That’s, ‘T for tough.’”
“The minute he said that – and I knew that
already about myself, I am tough, I was
raised by a bad ass mother,” said Pizano.
“All of sudden, those words though were like
a permission. It’s like Rocky Balboa beaten
down. And then all of a sudden he says these
words, ‘T for tough,’ and I was like (begins humming
iconic Rocky theme music) rising up. Inspired. Yes I am!
Those words right there just changed my life.”
The next day while driving on the highway, Pizano said
she saw a billboard advertisement for Duncan Williams
– a Memphis-based investment banking firm. She took
down the number and first chance she got, she called.
“I saw the name and I said, ‘The hell with it. I’m go-
ing for it. There has got to be honest people here.’” said
Pizano, who added she didn’t just call the company for
information, she managed to get the phone number for
the company president – Duncan F. Williams – and called
him direct.
Getting his voicemail, Pizano seized the day and the let
it rip, leaving Duncan Williams himself a detailed mes-
sage about MVP3 Entertainment Group, her experiences
and her need for someone who understands Security and
Exchange Commission (SEC), regulations.
Soon after, Pizano received a phone call from Williams
inviting her to the office to talk, with the goal being to
help her or find someone that can – the latter offer not
needed since Duncan Williams and his team were able to
help Pizano put together her business plan.
Pizano reached out next to a professional mentor, who
was recognized in Time Magazine as one of the most in-
Continued on Page 7

‘Talented Enough to ‘Book a Leper with a Hair Lip!’ – Phyllis Diller
By THOMAS FITZGERALD
Staff Writer
This story is being continued from the
February Palmdale Blvd.
Bruce Merrin was born into the perilous
position where no matter his ambition, ap-
titude and effort, his father, Dan, and his
mother, Lee, were parents whose resume’
and accomplishments he’d have a tough
time matching, never mind exceeding.
So what to do? Simple. The next best
thing: Being the best he can be at whatev-
er endeavor he pursued.
It just so happened Bruce chose to fol-
low in his mother and father’s footsteps
by fostering a career working with celeb-
rity clients in the entertainment world by
founding Bruce Merrin’s Celebrity Speak-
ers Bureau.
Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the enter-
tainment capital of the world, Merrin’s
enterprise is a top ten grossing firm with
offices in Los Angeles, California.
Merrin’s personal contacts are unparal-
leled. Consider famous comedian Phyllis
Diller’s comment: “Bruce could book a
leper with a hair lip!”
Bruce, his dad, Dan, and mom, Lee, met
with Palmdale Blvd in Las Vegas for an
interview. This month’s story covers our
conversation with Bruce. Read about Dan
Merrin in the February Palmdale Blvd on-
line at: www.Scribd.com/PalmdaleBlvd-
Newspaper.com.
How did Bruce gain access and get his
professional start in the business? Pedi-
gree played a role.
Considering Bruce’s extensive journal-
ism background – junior high school, high
school, UCLA, in Vietnam while serving
in the U.S. Army – his mom offered him
a position with her public relations (PR)
firm.
Back in 1970, there were only two wom-
an-owned PR firms in Hollywood, Lee
Merrin & Associates, his mom’s, being
one of them.
But just because mom was the boss didn’t
mean Bruce had it easy. He still needed to
be the best he could be.
“Literally, for three full years, because
I didn’t know public relations at all, for
three years my mom taught me the PR
business,” said Bruce Merrin.
A UCLA film student graduate, Merrin
knew a little something about film histo-
ry. The very first week he worked for his
mom, Bruce walked into her office and
seated at his mother’s desk was Oscar
winner, Joan Crawford.
Bruce described his reaction as, “star
struck,” adding he had no idea at the time
Crawford was one of his mom’s clients.
“Joan Crawford stands up and gives me
this huge hug and she says, ‘Bruce, your
MARCH 2018
mom is the best PR person that has rep-
resented me,’” said Merrin. “This is an
Oscar winning actress. Then later that day
they went shopping. That was my entree.”
Lee’s office was part of a general service
studio located next door to George Burns,
the iconic 20th century comedian known
for his black rimmed, circular framed
glasses and never being without his trade-
mark, smoking cigar.
“Burns would come in all the time.
With that scratchy voice, he’d put his
arm around me and say, ‘Hey, kid. How
are you doing?’ recollected Merrin.
Early in Bruce’s PR apprenticeship
learning the ropes, Lee managed to land
as a client book publisher Simon &
Schuster.
Since every famous author having work
published by Simon & Schuster would
now be represented by Lee’s PR firm,
this presented a great opportunity for
Bruce.
Each month the firm worked with a dif-
ferent Simon & Schuster author and each
writer’s book promotion required the cre-
ation of unique press releases and market-
ing campaigns.
On many nationally broadcast, network
TV talk shows back then, an author would
often be booked as a guest and appear just
before the end of the show – a wise prac-
tice frequently employed by Jon Stewart
when host of The Daily Show.
“That was so helpful to me,” said Mer-
rin. “Back then there was Johnny Carson,
Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Phil Dona-
hue. All those national shows, we were
dealing with them every month, because
the biggest name Simon & Schuster au-
thor, we were representing.”
Beside hard work, dedication and having a
great teacher, Bruce admitted he was also
the recipient of a little good luck.
“So all of a sudden I was showing up
at the Johnny Carson Show almost every
month with a different author,” said Mer-
rin. “That’s how I got to be such good
friends with Carson.”
Opportunity knocked once again in 1973
when Bruce booked on the Tonight Show
his PR client, actor Michael Landon.
Bruce credited Carson as the inspira-
tion behind the idea to launch a celebrity
speakers’ bureau because after the show at
NBC in Burbank, Carson invited he and
Landon to his Malibu home for dinner.
When Carson suggested he create Bruce
Merrin’s Celebrity Speakers Bureau, Car-
son offered to be Bruce’s first client and
Landon agreed to become his second.
5
The next day, Bruce received a call from
Ed McMahon expressing his interest in
being represented by his speakers’ bureau
as well.
This was followed by Freddie deCordo-
va, Carson’s world-famous executive pro-
ducer, becoming client number four.
“In my very first week I have Johnny
Carson and Michael Landon and Ed Mc-
Mahon and the producer of the Tonight
Show,” said Merrin. “So that’s how I start-
ed my Celebrity Speakers Bureau.”
The day Landon found out he had can-
cer, one of the first people he called was
Bruce Merrin to ask Bruce to book him
on the Carson show because he wanted to
tell his fans before the media got wind of
the news.
“I went with him to the Johnny Carson
show,” said Merrin. “Probably the saddest
thing I’ve ever done in my life. He made
the announcement and three months from
the day he called me, he died.”
Bruce acknowledged there are two types
of celebrities: those who are genuinely
decent, caring, affable human beings off-
screen, behind the scene, and in life itself
– “the Michael Landon’s of the world,”
according to Merrin – and those who are
phony nice when the lights and cameras
are on, or when walking the red carpet be-
fore throngs of adoring fans spewing forth
unbridled adulation, but are actually nasty,
vile, irascible individuals behind the scene
while in their dressing room, for instance,
and who possess a false sense of superi-
ority and entitlement – lacking humanity.
“As you know,” began Bruce Merrin,
“there are some celebrities that are very
stuck up and he [Landon] was not like that
at all. He was so kind and warm…he was
a total blessing in life.”
PUBLISHER’S NOTE: During the
interview, a prominent, world renown,
award winning female recording artist
whose name is most assuredly instantly
recognizable to nearly all reading this
story was named by Bruce Merrin as fall-
ing into the latter category by virtue of his
experiencing firsthand her snubbing high
level staff of a major corporate sponsor
from taking more than one photograph
with her in her dressing room after a per-
formance. This performance artist’s name
has been omitted from Merrin’s quotes.
“I’m not out to say negative things,” con-
tinued Bruce Merrin. “But [female vocal-
ist and long ago Grammy award winning
‘Best New Artist’] is an example. I booked
her a year ago. Probably one of the biggest
[expletive synonymous with female dog]
I’ve ever worked with in my life. She was
Continued on Page 6
GLENN’S LAWN CARE
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6 PALMDALE BLVD
Meet Dan Merrin
Continued From Page 5
horrendous. Let’s not do this just because it’s not nice,
but it’s true. I booked [her] and it was a lot of money. It
was right here in Vegas. It was for [major financial ser-
vice industry company] and the contract called for, at the
end of her show, after she did her show – and she did a
wonderful job – she was to go into her dressing room,
and several of the key [major financial service industry
company] people were going to come in for a photo be-
cause these people paid her a ton of money. So the show
is done and we go into [Grammy award winning female
vocalist’s] dressing room – and I’m here with about five
or six of the [major financial service industry company]
people, and I say, ‘[name of the award winning female
vocalist], as you know, we’re going to do the photos.’ She
looked at me with the most nasty face, she points her fin-
ger at me and she says, ‘I will do one photo, it’s going to
be right now and I’m outta’ here.’ And my face is getting
red. These people just paid her a ton of money. So they
hurriedly got into this photo and they took the photo, and
she dashed off.”
Merrin continued, “So that’s why the Michael Landon’s
of the world I so appreciate, because there are those on
the other side.”
Another celebrity Merrin placed in the Landon category
is William Shatner, a person whom Merrin said he was
able to contact and work with without going through the
actor’s agent.
“I called one of my friends who had Shatner’s phone
number,” explained Merrin. “But if I have to work with
an agent, for example, with Mariah Carey I had to go to
the agency that she works with, but if I’m able to work
with them directly…then I don’t have to split the com-
mission.”
Merrin said Shatner required he net $100,000 to speak
before an insurance industry association meeting in Or-
lando, Florida.
Typically, Merrin said he made a 30 percent commis-
sion, which was undoable with Shatner’s minimum.
So with Shatner’s permission, Merrin charged the orga-
nization wanting to hear Shatner an additional $10,000,
raising the fee to $110,000.
This arrangement allowed Shatner to earn his full cut
and left Merrin ten grand.
“Shatner gave a nice talk about his career, and he was
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very nice, not like [female vocalist and one-time Grammy
award winning ‘Best New Artist’],” said Merrin. “Shat-
ner agreed to a meet-and-greet, which is really popular.
He posed for photos. He did autographs.”
Marie Osmond is another celebrity who is a pleasure to
work with and one Merrin described as an, “angel.”
“Osmond is an example of a celebrity who just could not
be nicer,” said Merrin. “She goes out of her way with peo-
ple. She’s warm. She’s considerate. She’s genuine. She’s
not an egomaniac.”
Soon after Landon’s death, Bruce found himself pre-
sented with an opportunity to land corporate powerhouse
IBM as a client.
It was by working with IBM that Bruce coined the
phrase, “Tired of Hearing The Sound of One Hand Clap-
ping.”
This phrase was Bruce’s verbal response while speaking
with a meeting planner at IBM who told him that IBM
meetings and conferences were so boring the executives
were “falling asleep.”
The executives remark prompted Bruce to rhetorically
inquire, “Are you tired of hearing the sound of one hand
clapping at your sales meetings, management meetings,
conferences and corporate parties?”
The IBM meeting planner replied in one word: “Yes!”
– and that’s how Merrin began booking speakers and en-
tertainers for IBM 34 years ago.
As part of his celebrity speakers’ bureau, Bruce Merrin’s
credits include booking the now late-President Gerald
Ford and every president since up to and including Bush
the younger – Carter, Reagan, Bush 41 and Clinton.
“It’s a wonderful experience to be able to work with
dignitaries. President Ford was a class act,” said Merrin.
“Whether it’s sports stars like Michael Jordan or John-
ny Unitas, and of course Jackie Robinson and Muham-
mad Ali, they were the first two sports people that I ever
booked, I feel very, very blessed that I’ve been able to
work with so many people in different walks of life.”
Learn more about Bruce Merrin at
BruceMerrinsCelebritySpeakers.com
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Real Archaeology
Contract Archaeology
By DR. BRUCE LOVE
Real Archaeology
Contributing Writer
In the world of real archaeology, most practicing ar-
chaeologists make their living doing contract archaeolo-
gy, also known as cultural resource management (CRM).
People don’t often think of archaeology as being local,
right here in our own backyards, but really, that’s where
most archaeology occurs.
What is CRM? When a developer decides to put in a
new housing tract (or a solar farm or a golf course), ac-
cording to laws in most jurisdictions he has to hire profes-
sional archaeologists to check out the property for Indian
artifacts or historic features.
If you find something, does that kill the project? No,
finding “something” almost never kills a project, but
we’re getting ahead of our story.
Students getting their degrees in Anthropology or Ar-
chaeology have a very tough time finding a teaching po-
sition in a college or university, so many graduates find
employment in CRM.
In my own case, I was a graduate student at UCLA fo-
cusing on Mesoamerican studies, studying the Maya cul-
ture of the Yucatan Peninsula, when I first started to work
part time for CRM companies here in the Antelope Val-
ley. This was back in 1985.
In Tehachapi, a developer was trying to get a permit
from Kern County to subdivide land known today as Stal-
lion Springs and Horsethief Flat, and they hired a CRM
company out of Bakersfield, which in turn hired me and
two others to do the survey, what’s known as a Phase I
archaeological survey.
A Phase I survey is a walk-over. Ninety percent of CRM
archaeological studies are done without digging of any
kind, which seems counter intuitive since the heart and
soul of archaeology is excavation, right?
Not really. In CRM the walk-over survey comes first
and often is the only archaeology that gets done on a par-
ticular property.
Our job in Tehachapi was to cover the property in a sys-
tematic walking grid pattern looking for any evidence of
Native American or early pioneer activities.
You walk back and forth from one side of the property
to the other, spaced about 20 feet apart, walking parallel
lines, performing a basic search pattern, eyes scanning
the ground surface from side to side as you walk.
This is where training and on-the-job experience be-
come essential. Like a good CSI technician working a
crime scene, a good archaeologist will see traces of an-
cient activities that the average person walks right over
without a glance.
Small chips of obsidian or other flaked stone fragments,
fire-affected rock from an ancient hearth, smooth areas on
boulders where natives ground seeds and nuts, a piece of
pottery that looks like a thin piece of rock.
In the next installment, we’ll talk about what the archae-
ologists do when they find these items. Stay tuned.

Meet Marie Pizano
Continued From Page 4
fluential people in finance, and was a per-
son she relied upon when working in the
financial sector long ago in Chicago.
He provided guidance – informal train-
ing – along with advice, though sparingly,
on how to be a CEO, and within a relative-
ly short time, armed with newly-gained
knowledge and skills, a few more doors
opened for Pizano.
Pizano said without the help of some
honest and good men it would have been
doubtful she’d have gained access to the
right audience.
“I wasn’t getting doors opened because
I’m a woman and because I had this rumor
thing hanging over me – all lies – about
all I do is ‘sleep around’,” explained Piza-
no. “I wasn’t being taken seriously. I have
about a 100 ‘#METOO’ stories and have
been wrongly treated by women who don’t
support other women. But I kept going.”
Pizano continued, “Fred Smith, the
founder of Fed Ex, I got in front of his
investment team thanks to one of my ad-
visers who thought, ‘Wow, Marie’s got
something here.’ I needed a man to help
open the door to another man. I got great
advice from Mr. Smith.”
As MVP3 progressed, Pizano decided
the time had come to reflect inward, for
catharsis, so she wrote her first book to be-
gin the healing process.
When she asked Morgan Freeman for his
endorsement, he agreed, and then went
one step further by providing a quote for
the cover – “The inspiring first person
story of a woman driven to prove to the
world that she can.”
“My message to people is, when they tell
you that you can’t, when they tell you that
you are not, when they tell you that it’s
impossible, that it’s never been done this
way, you can’t be this, you can’t be that,
I didn’t let that define me,” said Pizano.
“If I can do it, so can everybody else. Put
your dreams into action and don’t ever
give up.”
From Barefoot to Stilettos: Finding My
Yes is being released later this year in
audio-book format. It was produced by
Grammy Award winning music produc-
er (Record of the Year “Uptown Funk”)
Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell at the legend-
ary Royal Studios in Memphis.
The audio-book format has already made
history by being the first audio book ever
to be recorded at the legendary Royal Stu-
dios. Several movies that Pizano produced
have now been released and available on
DVD and Digital.
The documentary she produced, Shan-
non Street: Echoes Under A Blood Red
Moon is making its way to select theaters
across the country.
Learn more at: MVP3media.com /
MariePizano.com / FromBarefootToSti-
lettos.com / Vimeo.com/user35000981.
MARCH 2018 7
Lancaster School District :We Have Preschool! Fore Play
Fun, Foundational & Free! Who WE Are! PAUL MATTSON
Contributing Writer
By LANCASTER SCHOOL DISTRICT
Contributed When in Palm Springs, see Angel: one
of the great golf instructors there
The Lancaster School District Early Childhood Education program is a large Cali- We worked together in producing a
fornia State Preschool Program that offers a quality early childhood education oppor- swing for a lady who not only misun-
tunity to children ages 3 and 4, our district’s littlest learners. derstood the concept of advancing the
We have 14 classrooms throughout the district that offer developmentally appro- ball toward the target, but had knee in-
priate experiences in a child centered project based approach. Our classrooms are juries and shoulder issues.
staffed with highly qualified and dedicated educators who hold a teaching permit What she had was a perfect love for
issued by the state of California. nature and people, so we spent plen-
We provide ongoing and relevant professional development to ensure that our ed- ty of time drinking water in the shade
ucation teams are prepared to provide an engaging play based opportunity in the in- and talking to her, and then working on
door and outdoor classroom that builds on the essential foundational skills necessary finding the mechanics that work best
for school success. for her.
Children in our program experience play based activities in a center oriented envi- The spiritual sense begins nearby in
ronment such as science, dramatic play, technology, blocks, art, outdoor classroom, Joshua Tree, a location of ancient or-
literacy, math, gross motor play and music and movement. igin, and we’re surrounded by rocky
Quality Start Los Angeles Participant mountains.
We participate in the Quality Rating Improvement System Block Grant, part of the The open desert sits above a vast stor-
Governor’s initiative to offer High Quality preschool to children in California. Our age of underground water that will
involvement in this grant allows us to partner with community resources like Child supply the region well beyond the 21st
Care Resource Center, Child Care Alliance, and UCLA, to provide an exceptional Century - the Santa Rosa Mountains to
preschool experience to our families. the West reach 8,200 feet and overlook
The partnership provides us opportunities for family engagement, professional de- our quiet conclave near the club.
velopment for staff, and developmentally appropriate play based indoor and outdoor So many of the rich and famous have
classrooms. played golf here. From Bing Crosby to
Free High Quality Preschool Bob Hope.
Lancaster School District Early Childhood Education program is an income eligi- February is the time to be here with
ble preschool program free of charge to those who qualify. Open enrollment begins temperatures ranging from 85 to 87 de-
April 24 for the 2018-2019 school year. grees during daylight hours.
Enrollment for the current year is ongoing. We enroll income eligible 4 and 3 year President Eisenhower – “Ike” – loved
old children until space is full. Any child not placed in a class will remain on the to play golf here while President of the
waitlist until a spot is available. United States.
Please see our website for information and enrollment requirements. www.lancast- The Desert Classic was played at In-
erpreschool.org or call our office at 661.723.0351 #201 dian Wells for many years.
Family Engagement Opportunities Since our friend was many lessons
We believe that preschool is a family experience. Parents can volunteer in the class- away from consistent play and the oc-
room. We offer a six week Parent University workshop series focusing on nutrition casional moment of glory, we simply
and parenting. shared some interesting tales and a
Our Partners in Print series invites parents and their children to engage in litera- few jokes.
cy based activities. Throughout the year we offer parent events like Literacy Night, What better place for bonding than
STEAM Night and our annual Kindergarten Transition event which features many out on a golf course?
community partners with the goal of helping you prepare your little learner for Kin- Enjoy the people you’re with when
dergarten. playing golf, and also the beauty of
Ready for Kindergarten Nature!
Our students leave us with strong phonemic awareness and pre reading skills that Keep Swing Easy!
support reading. They master social emotional skills that support collaborative learn-
ing, critical thinking, and creativity.
In math our children learn fundamental skills such as one-to-one correspondence,
estimation, along with the basics for adding and subtracting. We believe that our
program exposes children to the essential skills needed for future academic success
in our District.
Together the ECE program and the Lancaster School district support college and
career readiness that begins with our Littlest Learners and supports them through
8th grade.
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8 PALMDALE BLVD

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Remembering Service Stations

THIS SPONSOR
BOX AVAILABLE
By LARRY HOBSON
Publisher

Remember the trips to the service station with Dad when the ice-cold pop sat in front
of the station and the pop was always floating in big chunks of ice? And no worry about
the ice melting and the pop warming because the iceman would come around and fill
all the ice boxes with ice.
In Bartlesville Oklahoma, our pop came from Love’s pop company and my favorite
pop was strawberry. Then came the nickel Coca Cola machines dispensing the small,
little bottles. Personally, I liked the ice machines much better because the pop was much
colder.
Back then, they even checked your oil, your tires, your water, while you enjoyed that
bottle of cold pop. “Fill-‘er up,” was the word of the day back then; the days when you
knew the guy’s name who pumped the gas. And he knew your name. And probably
even where you worked.
No credit cards back then. All you said was, “Put it on my account, Max.” The days
when trust meant something, and weren’t just words on the one dollar bill.
The service station had a garage, and it was for fixing cars, not for selling bread and
milk. That was left to the milkman. And he came to your door.
Do you remember the old, “hot patches” for those inner tubes? Just rough up the spot
around the hole, take the rubber patch out the can, remove the paper from the back of
it and stick it over the hole. Then, take the clamp and put it on the rubber patch. Now
you’re ready for the match. Light the match and then light the stuff on the back of the
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patch. The room fills with smoke and the rubber patch melts into the tube, and, presto,
the patch is made and you are just about on your way.
The days when air and water were free and the air was right there at the pump and
not over in the corner of the lot where you now pay for it. I used to hear the old saying,
“The only thing in life that is free is the air you breathe,” which is not true for air for
tires any more.
Remember the steel water tank that set outside the station in some and in the garage in
others for checking that tube for the leak? Over against the wall in the garage was that
big steel tank with those different compartments that held the oil for your car. The steel
pouring can pumped the oil into, and then lowered the pouring spout into, the hole in
your engine where the oil goes.
I remember some of those very old stations still having those old gas pumps. The ones
with the glass tops where you pumped the amount of gas up into the glass top and then
let it free fall down into your gas tank.
The days when the man in the gas station wore white pants and shirt and the white hat.
Some of the service stations even vacuumed your car while they pumped the gas.
Those were the days my friend. Too bad they had to end.