By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Chamber Music Palisades will host a free, one-hour matinee concert at Brentwood Presbyterian Church on Saturday, May 17, beginning at 3:30 p.m. with Cantilena Duo performers Kenton Youngstrom on guitar and CMP Co-Founder/Artistic Director Susan Greenberg on flute and piccolo.

The concert—sponsored by the city of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs—will feature works for solo guitar and flute, as well as guitar by French, Spanish, Brazilian and Argentinian composers. The program includes Jacques Ibert’s “Entr’acte,” Gabriel Fauré’s “Sicilienne, Op. 78” (arranged by Youngstrom), Isaac Albéniz’ “Asturias” and more.

A member of LA Chamber Orchestra for 36 years, Greenberg is a “frequent soloist” on flute and piccolo. She is the principal flutist for Santa Monica Symphony and Vicente Chamber Orchestra, as well as the flute professor at Pepperdine University.

An award-winning guitarist, composer, arranger and educator, Youngstrom has performed and recorded classical, jazz and rock music worldwide. Recent recordings include “Voices of the Collection, Vols. 1&2” as well as “Jazz Roads Suite.”

Brentwood Presbyterian Church—a different venue from previous CMP evening and afternoon concerts—is located at 12000 San Vicente Boulevard. Reservations are not needed. The concert is free to attend but donations will be accepted in person as well as online.

“We are very grateful for these contributions as they enable us to continue providing these wonderful family-friendly concerts,” CMP said.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Pacific Palisades Historical Society will host its annual general membership meeting on Sunday, May 18, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center.

Remembered as “the clubhouse of the Uplifters,” PPHS noted that the meeting location falls outside of the evacuation zone, so attendees will not be required to pass through security checkpoints or present a pass.

“We have a lot to talk about, and not only—though importantly—sharing our personal wildfire journeys to recovery,” PPHS wrote of the meeting agenda. “The program will feature a presentation on the fire’s impact on beloved locations imbued with historical importance, and the challenge not only of salvage and restoration, but also ensuring that this precious heritage informs the rebuilding of our cherished community.”

The event will include a slideshow presentation by historian Randy Young, highlighting the history of Rustic Canyon—home to California’s first experimental forestry station—as well as an “important announcement” regarding long out-of-print books on Palisades history.

Current members will also be invited to vote on the board officers for the upcoming year.

The event is free to attend but reservations are requested. “Light refreshments” will be served.

Those who cannot make the event are invited to become a member or renew their dues online. Individual memberships are $35.

“It’s not too late to enjoy the camaraderie of Palisadians at heart who share an appreciation for our community’s legacy,” PPHS wrote. “It’s important for us to gather in person as Pacific Palisades gets back on its feet.”

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The application period for a Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation wildfire recovery grant is open now through June 6 at 5 p.m. for small businesses and nonprofit organizations.

“The Small Business Disaster Recovery Fund grant program is designed to support qualified small businesses impacted by the catastrophic Los Angeles County wildfires beginning January 7 throughout the Eaton and Palisades Wildfire Disaster Impact and Evacuation Area,” according to information available on the website.

To qualify for the program, the authorized signer (owner or officer) submitting the application must be at least 18 years old. The business or nonprofit must have had $10 million or less in annual revenue for 2023. Eligible zip codes in the Palisades fire area include 90049, 90263, 90265, 90272 and 90290.

The entity must also be “currently open and operating within the Eaton and Palisades Wildfire Disaster Impact and Evacuation Area” or plan “to reopen and resume operations within the Eaton and Palisades Wildfire Disaster Impact and Evacuation Area.” They must also meet both of the following criteria: “is/was physically located within the Eaton and Palisades Wildfire Disaster Impact and Evacuation Area” and “50% or more of its business clientele base is/was located within the Eaton and Palisades Wildfire Disaster Impact and Evacuation Areas.”

A complete list of eligibility requirements is available here. The application period, which opened May 7 at 9 a.m., is subject to change.

“Through our Small Business Recovery Fund and other efforts, we’re empowering entrepreneurs to restart and reimagine,” the LA Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation wrote. “We’re rallying residents to support their neighborhoods, and reminding the world that when Los Angeles comes together, there’s no limit to what we can rebuild.”

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Ted McGinley and Gigi Rice have been named the next co-honorary mayors of Pacific Palisades—a tradition in the community that dates back more than seven decades.

Rice and McGinley are taking over the position from Eugene Levy, who served as honorary mayor from 2021 to 2024.

The couple, which has been displaced since the Palisades fire began on January 7, has lived in the Huntington for more than 30 years. They are splitting their time between friends and family—including one of their sons—while remediation work is underway on their home, which is still standing.

“These are very difficult times,” McGinley said to the Palisadian-Post. “You can’t put a happy-go-lucky message on it—we’re just there like everybody else, and we understand what we’re all going through.”

The two have volunteered and given back in various ways: McGinley as a Pacific Palisades Baseball Association coach in 2010 and 2011, as well as Teen Talent Contest Judge in 2019 and 2020. He also coached basketball and flag football. Rice has been an AYSO soccer coach and does cleanup efforts at the beach. They both volunteered at St. Matthew’s Parish School while their sons, Beau and Quinn, were attending, as well as at the PPBA Pancake Breakfast and snack bar.

The co-honorary mayors join a list of previous leaders that began in 1951 with Virginia Bruce and includes Adam West, Vivian Vance, Martin Short, Anthony Hopkins, Jake Steinfeld, Steve Guttenberg and more. This is the second time the position has been led by co-honorary mayors, with Billy and Janice Crystal serving from 2018 to 2020. McGinley and Rice were nominated by a group of previous honorary mayors.

“It truly is an honor,” McGinley said. “We’re thrilled to be part of it.”

McGinley is an actor, with roles in shows like “Shrinking,” “Married… with Children,” “Happy Days,” “The Love Boat” and more. An actress, Rice has had roles in “The John Larroquette Show,” “Delta,” “Do Over,” “Frasier” and others. She previously played the on-screen wife of Levy in “The Man.”

McGinley said the idea of mayorship has “come around before—years and years ago” when he was coaching baseball, but at the time, he said they just wanted to be people who lived in the community.

“But now, Gigi and I, we’ve been wanting to help the Palisades,” McGinley said of taking on the role as the community recovers from the fire. “Gigi said, ‘If not now, when?’ That’s sort of what we’ve hung our hat on, and that’s what we both really feel like—if we don’t do it now, when are we going to do it? This is the time, and we feel like we want to get involved.”

Rice described wanting to be “of service in any way” that they can, that they “believe in this community” and “want it to come back—come back beautiful and strong.”

“We want to be cheerleaders,” Rice continued. “There’s a lot of sadness, loss, grief. With friends, we know hundreds of people who have lost everything.”

In past years, the honorary mayors have attended various community events, including the Pali Bee, the grand opening of Palisades Village in 2018, and Christmas tree and menorah lightings. Rice and McGinley acknowledged that their time will look different, but they plan to be at as many reopenings and events as possible—including Fourth of July—noting the comfort neighbors and friends have had when seeing each other while the community is largely “scattered.”

“We’ve lived there for 30 years, so we have a very clear understanding of what the Palisades was and what it meant to our family,” McGinley said, “and what it meant to people who’ve lived there for a long time, and even people who lived there for a short time, who moved in because of what it was.”

McGinley described spending “more hours in that park than you could imagine” of Palisades Recreation Center, with Rice adding the family was a part of things like Gerry Blanck’s Martial Arts Studio and tutoring programs, recalling former spaces like Greg’s Grill and Mort’s Deli.

“We’ve seen it change and grow,” Rice described, “but the thing that stayed the same was everybody who goes there and raises their family, we all want the same thing, and that’s this love and community and protection. We just want everybody to be healthy, happy and thriving.”

McGinley said that he and Rice believe their kids “benefited greatly from being a part of the Palisades community.”

“We’re there because we want to help,” McGinley said. “We’re there because we believe in Pacific Palisades and the community and the people, and we want to try to help. I know this may seem like a trite, simple way to do so, but we’re hoping that in some way, we can make an impact … ”

“And bring some joy and some support … and attention,” Rice added.