Pacific Palisades: The Community That Shaped Me

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

There have been many challenging stories to write in 2025, and this letter is among them. After 97 years, this is the final edition of the Palisadian-Post.

Over the course of this year, I have cried with you, celebrated victories with you, laughed with you and gathered with you. But most of all, I have been in deep admiration of the community, which has faced unimaginable challenges and losses.

I have learned so much in this position—especially in 2025, but prior to that too. All of the feedback I have received, positive and negative, has shaped the journalist and person I am today. The interviews I have conducted, the meetings I have attended and the people I have met have left a lasting impression and informed who I am.

I am not going to use this space to say goodbye, because I will see you again. I look forward to continuing to bring my family to the Palisades I know and love. Instead, I will express the gratitude I have for this community and the people that are part of it.

After almost 10 years with the Post, space would not allow me to thank all of the people I need to, but I am so grateful to our team and what we were able to accomplish this year: Thank you, Steve, Michael, Carolyn, Marie, Lily, Gina and Alan.

Thank you to every single person I have worked with over the years—each of our reporters, our interns, our junior reporters, our contributing writers—your voices lifted the publication and I am grateful for you allowing us to print your work.

Thank you to our subscribers, some of whom have been reading the Post for multiple decades, and our advertisers for your support of the publication.

Thank you to everyone who worked at the Post before me. I have learned from interacting and speaking with you throughout my time with the paper.

Thank you for letting me be an honorary member of the community for all these years. I love you, Pacific Palisades, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for you. I’ll be here, cheering you on.

Please stay in touch. I am active on social media, especially Instagram, and would love to connect: instagram.com/sarah_shmerling.