Friedman Wins Slogan Contest for July Parade

The Palisades Americanism Parade Association (PAPA) has chosen Janelle Friedman’s slogan ‘Pacific Palisades: Small Town, Big Heart’ as the theme for this year’s Fourth of July parade.   As a prize, Friedman and her family will have the opportunity to ride in the parade on a Fire Station 69 engine. PAPA received 24 entries for this year’s contest.   ’I tried to think of a slogan that wasn’t necessarily patriotic, but felt right for the Palisades as a whole,’ said Friedman, who lives in Castellammare Mesa with her husband, Mark, an entertainment business manager, and two children: Ross, an eighth grader at Brentwood School, and Kara, a sixth grader at Village School.   Friedman explained that the Palisades has a small-town feel and a number of philanthropic residents, so the phrase seemed like the perfect fit.   She decided to enter the contest because ‘I think we live in a great place, and I think it’s fun to be involved in it.’   Friedman works as a realtor at Sotheby’s International Realty on Sunset Boulevard and is a member of Palisades P.R.I.D.E., a nonprofit organization established in 1992 to enhance the visual appeal of the Palisades.   For the past eight summers, Friedman has organized a socializing event in her neighborhood every Monday night at the drinking fountain, located at the intersection of Sabbiodoro Way, Bellino Drive and Tranquillo Drive. After dinner, parents gather to chat, while their children ride bikes or play games such as hide-and-seek and dodge ball.   Since moving to the Palisades 12 years ago, Friedman has enjoyed attending the Fourth of July parade.   ’I love that all the families in the neighborhood come out,’ Friedman said, adding that she hopes when her children look back on their childhood they remember the parade fondly. She especially looks forward to this year’s parade: ‘It will be fun to watch the parade from a whole new perspective.’