By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Multiple state, county and local agencies, as well as volunteers from the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness, gathered at Will Rogers State Beach near Lifeguard Headquarters on Wednesday morning, October 22, at 7 a.m. to assist in the annual Pacific Palisades Hillside Task Force.

The task force, which has taken place since 2019, was organized by Sharon Kilbride. The day includes groups splitting up to traverse hillside areas across the Palisades to monitor for people experiencing homelessness and clear out abandoned camps, to help mitigate potential fire hazards.

Kilbride described putting out a call for volunteers for this year’s task force and, despite many of them losing their homes in the Palisades fire, hearing mostly yesses within minutes.

“That’s the part that warms my heart,” Kilbride said.

Participating agencies included PPTFH, LAPD, The People Concern, park rangers, and representatives from the offices of CD 11 and the mayor.

“The task force is a very important part of our ongoing community engagement and enforcement in the [Very] High Fire Severity Zones of the Pacific Palisades,” Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin said ahead of the day.

Kilbride reported results of the findings: In Area 1 (Corona Del Mar Bluffs), one abandoned camp was cleaned up. Area 2 (Temescal Canyon Road) five abandoned camps were cleaned up.

One “old abandoned camp” was cleaned up in Area 4, which is along Palisades Drive.

Ahead of splitting up, PPTFH Co-President Cindi Young was presented with a replacement for her 2024 Citizen of the Year award, which was lost in the Palisades fire, by Councilmember Traci Park.

“We are going to keep doing the work,” Park said of the community coming together for things like the task force, describing them as the “glue that keeps us all together.”

Several members of LAPD spoke before the groups dispersed, including Commander Jonathan Tom (who, before changing roles within LAPD, helped assemble the task force), Deputy Chief Gerald Woodyard and Captain Richard Gabaldon.

“Thank you for the work,” Gabaldon said to volunteers for their service.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Nonprofit Saved By A Story—founded by Palisadian Kathy Katims—will host a fundraising event on Saturday, November 1, at BLANKSPACES in Venice.

“After losing my Pacific Palisades home in the 2025 wildfires, I created an ongoing group for other survivors to process and heal,” Katims said. “To sustain this and other work, we’re hosting our annual fundraising event, the Storytelling Salon, on November 1.”

Storytellers from the Palisades, Altadena and greater Los Angeles area will share stories and songs during the event on the theme “Still Here,” which “honors the resilient Palisades and Altadena communities.”

Writers and storytellers slated to present are Tamara Rawitt, Karen Leigh Hopkins, Jason Katims, Shermaine Barlaan, Megan Chan Meinero, Chris Douridas, David Israel, Jessica Goldberg and Al Madrigal. Musicians include Priscilla Ahn, mehro and Lucy Schwartz.

“I lost more than my home in the wildfire,” Katims said. “For me the diaspora of community was a profound grief. I also was so overwhelmed with all the things that needed to be done that I wanted to create a space apart from the doing. I wanted to come together in community and give voice to all the things we lost and all that we were finding. Monthly meetups of the Wildfire Survivor Writing Workshop at the Wende Museum helped knit our community together and give voice to our pain and our hope.”

Founded a decade ago, Saved By A Story hosts “free community writing workshops for under-resourced and under-served populations” to “empower voices and build connection.” More than 500 storytellers have participated in programming.

The November 1 event will take place from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at 606 Venice Boulevard.

“100% of ticket sales go toward free community writing workshops for under-resourced, underrepresented people, including senior citizens, wildfire survivors, intergenerational participants and former foster youth,” read the description.

Tickets start at $150, with a sliding scale available for those who reach out to Katims.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Santa Monica Mosaic will present “When Landmarks Fall: Honoring the Past to Inspire the Future” on Sunday, November 2 from 5 to 6:15 p.m.

“This is the final livestream event of the 2025 Mosaic season, dedicated to Pacific Palisades following its devastation in the January wildfire,” read information about the event, which is hosted by Santa Monica Conservancy. “The first two events, ‘The Way We Were’ and ‘A Cultural Landscape,’ explored ‘what was’ with a reflection on the Palisades’ origins and growth as a community.”

The November 2 event will discuss “what’s next,” with three “civic leaders” who will speak on “historic resources that were impacted during the fire and various approaches toward recovery.”

Speakers include Ken Bernstein (City of Los Angeles principal city planner), Barbara Tejada (California State Parks cultural resources supervisor) and Randy Young (Pacific Palisades Historical Society curator).

“Ever since wildfires ripped through Pacific Palisades and Altadena back in January, we’ve mourned the loss of cherished landmarks like Will Rogers’ meticulously preserved ranch house, or the Palisades’ iconic Business Block, which anchored the village for more than a century,” read information about the event. “Beyond these heartbreaking tragedies, many other historically significant places were impacted by the fires—from vintage homes with prized collections to beloved businesses that served generations of customers.”

The program is set to explore questions like “how do we appropriately honor the memories of these lost treasures, especially given limited resources of uncertain times?” and “do we find a way to build them back as they once were, thus restoring the heritage, spirit and promise of a stricken community?”

RSVP to receive a link to the livestream.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Calvary Palisades will present “Rise Together”—a live concert performance by Hillsong’s Aodhán King—on November 15 beginning at 5 p.m.

“You’re invited to an unforgettable night of worship, connection and celebration with Hillsong’s Aodhán King, live at Calvary Palisades,” read an event description. “In the wake of the Palisades fire earlier this year, our community has shown incredible strength. Now, it’s time to come together—to lift our voices, our spirits and one another as we continue to rise, rebuild and move forward in hope.”

The event will begin with a live DJ and Amigos Tacos in the courtyard at 5 p.m., followed by King performing at 6 p.m.

Born in Sydney, Australia, and now based in Los Angeles, King is a founding member of Young & Free. He has made “significant contributions” to songs such as “Sinking Deep,” “Highs and Lows,” and “This Is Living.”

“This night isn’t just a concert—it’s a moment to unite as a community, celebrate what we share, and be reminded of the joy and power we find in faith, music and each other,” the description continued. “Whether you’re part of the Calvary family, the school community or simply looking for a meaningful night out—you’re invited.”

The event will take place at Calvary Church, located at 701 Palisades Drive. Tickets are available for $25 at aodhan.eventbrite.com.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

After losing her Swarthmore store in the Palisades fire, Erica Simpson is gearing up to welcome customers—and employees—back “home” to Paliskates at 212 26th Street in Santa Monica next to Brentwood Country Mart.

“The shop has become more than a retail space—it’s a second home for generations of skaters and surfers,” Simpson said. “What began as a hub for local kids has grown into a multi-generational community, with parents now bringing their own children to share in the vibe and values they grew up with.”

Owned and operated by Simpson, the skateshop and team has roots in Pacific Palisades dating back more than 25 years. Since Paliskates first opened in 1999, Simpson has served as a mentor, trainer, confidant and second family to dozens of her employees—often guiding them to their future career accomplishments.

“There are no words for what happened,” Simpson said of the fire when speaking to the Palisadian-Post on Wednesday, October 22, at the store. “Three of my kids that were currently working for me lost their homes and 90% of people I know lost their homes … it’s a literal tragedy.”

After the fire, she said she stayed in constant contact with her employees. She remembered telling them, “I feel like I should go over there and do something, and they’re like, ‘Erica, your store burned down. You can stay home right now.’”

What helped raise her spirits were the people who reached out to help from the Palisades and Los Angeles at large. She said it “made all the difference in seeing hope, seeing that there would be another way forward.”

Paliskates has remained active since January, including being featured at the Grammys, hosting several pop-ups, launching a collaboration with pop-punk artist Avril Lavigne and selling merchandise online.

Of returning to the Palisades in the future, Simpson said that she has every intention of going back. For now, she is focused on the brand and helping the kids who frequent and work at her store.

Simpson said they got “really lucky” with the store: “It’s a great space and a good location,” near Paul Revere Charter Middle School, Archer School for Girls, Brentwood School and Palisades Charter Elementary School’s temporary shared campus at Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet.

“We wanted this to be more of a hangout space again and more of a homey, re-grounding place for people—and specifically for the kids and our customers,” Simpson described.

At the time of the fire, Simpson said she had six employees working at the store in addition to their skate teams. Employees tend to stay on for several years, working part-time through high school or college and beyond.

“Some of them never left,” Simpson said of her employees after losing the store. In particular, her manager stayed “the whole time,” helping launch a website.

“It was a connection for them,” Simpson said. “It made them feel good to still be involved.”

Following the fire, Simpson described a period of “disappearing”: “I didn’t leave the house for weeks.” She said that for many years, the Swarthmore store was where she did everything (besides sleep) but her home is on the eastside of Los Angeles, where she had moved while construction was underway at Palisades Village and the store was closed for three years.

Simpson described feeling a level of “survivor’s guilt” because her home was not located in the Palisades, which motivated her further to continue putting on events and fostering community where she could.

At the store, similar to the Swarthmore space, Simpson will host events, as well as collaborations with different brands and artists.

“I feel like my job right now is to stay positive,” Simpson said, “to keep moving forward and to bring some connection and joy back into people’s lives.”

There will be a soft opening at Paliskates on Wednesday, October 29, while the store is being set up, with plans for a grand opening in November. Paliskates’ hours will be Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Follow instagram.com/paliskates for more information. The Post will also update this story with the grand opening date when it is available.