By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Five “dedicated Palisadians” and one “special Palisades organization” will soon be honored by Pacific Palisades Community Council during its annual Holiday Dinner & Awards Gala on December 6 at The Draycott.
Each year, a committee selects Citizen of the Year and Golden Sparkplug awardees for their volunteer efforts in the Palisades after receiving nominations from members of the community. Some years, PPCC also selects a Pride of the Palisades award.
This year, Cindy Kirven, co-president of the Village Green, has been named Citizen of the Year for her efforts to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park’s founding, as well as a succession plan for the organization, which had “a board that was aging out and retiring.” Kirven is also vice chair of the Palisades Forestry Committee, and a volunteer with Palisades Bocce Club and Rustic Canyon Forestry Station.
“Cindy is an ideal nominee who has given our community not just her time and effort, but visible results,” PPCC wrote in a statement. “The beautification of our town adds to the legacy of Pacific Palisades—and Cindy plays a big role in that.”
Four Golden Sparkplugs have been selected this year: Laura Schneider, John Dwight, Sara Marti and Steve Cron.
Dwight, a retired Paul Revere Charter Middle School teacher, is a longtime resident of a Sunset Boulevard apartment complex, where, for years, he has “taken it upon himself to clean and beautify the bus stop” at Sunset and Bienveneda.
Social media lead for Resilient Palisades, Marti has been creating “engaging content” for the organization’s social media accounts, including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter and Nextdoor, since April 2021, and sparking “meaningful conversations and interactions.”
As president of Pacific Palisades Library Association, Schneider has been recognized for “reviving Palisades Branch Library so beautifully” following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown, including through art shows, the youth writing contest and WAM (Writers, Artists, Musicians series), which has included talks by Eugene Levy and Martin Short.
Cron, a resident of the Highlands and “community leader,” has been honored for his “tireless work over the course of seven years,” which PPCC described as “above and beyond his duties as Area 2 representative.” Cron stayed “on top of the city, state, county and ultimately the California Coastal Commission” to ensure “deplorable” conditions at the restroom at Temescal Ridge Trailhead were addressed.
“I am so pleased to accept this award,” Cron said in a statement. “It is an honor to be recognized by the community and the community council board, which does so much good across the community. I look forward to celebrating among friends.”
This year’s Pride of the Palisades award has been given to Palisades P.R.I.D.E.—which stands for protect and renew our identity and environment.
“PRIDE does a great deal of work in the community and its hardworking members have filled great shoes on the commercial front—making sure the Palisades has TLC in its common places, and being a huge support to the community and PPCC,” according to the statement.
The dinner and awards gala, “Shine Bright All Night,” will take place at The Draycott from 6 to 8 p.m. More information and tickets ($125 per person, $240 per couple) are available at pacpalicc.org.
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