House Museum Presents on Project Chimney and Its Palisades Fire Memorial Concept
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Pacific Palisades Community Council hosted a series of presentations at its Thursday, May 8, board meeting, including from Palisades Charter High School students and the head of House Museum.
Pali High Ambassador Katelyn Chang and PPCC Youth Advisor Ella Nozar joined the May 8 meeting to offer insight into high school students’ perspectives following the Palisades fire.
Chang spoke first, sharing with attendees that she had lost her home in the fire and faced uncertainty about the road ahead.
“Everything felt ambiguous to me,” Chang said. “From being a high school student and losing all my school materials, everything just felt very complicated. However, I do think as a community, we handled this … amazingly.”
Chang said she felt consistent support from both the community and her teachers. She praised her teachers for offering help on weekends and after school hours.
Chang admitted that the transition to a virtual format after the Pali High campus sustained damage in the Palisades fire was difficult, but commended the school for the speed in which it transitioned students from its virtual format to a new campus.
The school was “forced to return to online learning as a result of the Palisades fire,” but Pali High announced on Thursday, March 13, that it had secured a “temporary space to return to in-person learning” in April at the “rejuvenated” Sears site in Santa Monica.
“The transition from in-person school to Zoom was definitely hard to adapt to,” Chang said. “It was difficult being at home all the time. It felt like it was [the COVID-19 pandemic] again, and I felt like I was always confined to my room, and didn’t have that barrier between school and my studies. I know for me, as well as my peers, it definitely took a toll on our mental health and academic performances.”
Nozar followed Chang’s comments and added that the initial transition to the Sears site was “definitely very difficult.” But now–after weeks of in-person instruction at the site—Nozar said students are “so grateful” to be back together again. Nozar said her experience at the Sears site has been “very positive.”
“I don’t know what the future will hold, and we don’t know if we are staying here or going back to our Pali campus, or when, but I know I’m going to stay Pali strong,” Nozar said.
Following Nozar and Chang, House Museum Director Evan Hall joined the meeting to discuss an initiative to preserve the chimneys of historic Palisades homes.
Hall explained that, although he is not a Palisadian, he enjoyed spending time in the Palisades.
“As soon as the fires broke out, me and my team began thinking … ‘How do we help?’” Hall said during the May 8 meeting. “How do we use our expertise as artists and architects to create something that can produce hope and something that can inspire, not just Palisadians, but also others that have gone through similar disasters or crises.”
As a result, Project Chimney emerged as an initiative to “catalogue, relocate and memorialize a selection of historically significant chimneys in the Pacific Palisades burn zone,” according to a statement. Over 55 historically significant chimneys have been identified, dating back to Palisades’ founding in 1922.
“Designed by master architects Frank Lloyd Wright Jr., Paul R. Williams and Richard Neutra, surviving chimneys capture a glimpse of the architectural DNA of Los Angeles,” the statement continued.
House Museum is working with community members to salvage and preserve select chimneys, a project that will culminate in a permanent installation known as the Palisades Fire Memorial, situated ideally “somewhere in the Santa Monica Mountains.”
“The proposed memorial will consist of free-standing fireplaces and chimneys, and be located on public land in the Pacific Palisades,” according to the statement. “Like elders in the community, the monolithic structures will gather people together and tell the tales of bygone residences.”
According to Hall, the preservation-centered memorial is “crucial for resisting cultural erasure.” He said the team’s goal is to salvage these sets of structures before May 31. They are actively fundraising and building partnerships to execute the project efficiently.
PPCC will address a motion by the Executive Committee during its next meeting—scheduled for Thursday, May 22—to discuss the board’s support of Project Chimney.
Jennie Fahn to Host Two Fundraising Performances of “Under the Jello Mold” to Benefit Theatre Palisades
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
After the loss of Pierson Playhouse in the Palisades fire, Theatre Palisades is hosting a two-weekend run of “Jest a Second” and will benefit from area fundraising performances.
Jennie Fahn will perform “Under the Jello Mold” on Saturday, June 7, and Sunday, June 8, to fundraise to help Theatre Palisades rebuild.
Fahn last performed “Under the Jello Mold” at Pierson Playhouse in October 2024. She was scheduled to perform an encore in February, before the venue was lost to the Palisades fire.
“The audience’s response to the show [at Theatre Palisades] was amazing,” Fahn said. “We really looked forward to doing it again. I’m not a builder and I can’t figure out how to fix the problems that the fires caused, but I can make people laugh, so I hope people come to the show and enjoy themselves. That’s what I can give.”
The show is described as a one-woman comedy, written by and starring Fahn, as she chronicles the end of her mother’s life.
“The title refers to the specific spot Jennie’s mom hid her end-of-life instructions; it turned out, she was also hiding a secret,” according to a statement. “In 80 minutes, Jennie’s one-woman tour-de-force entertains, enlightens and thrills—sharing the relatable details of the last chapter of Jennie’s not-that-typical mom.”
There will be two performances of the “Under the Jello Mold,” both at The Blue Door in Culver City—located at 9617 Venice Boulevard—on Saturday, June 7, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, June 8, at 4 p.m. General admission tickets are $35.
Before the fire, Theatre Palisades had planned to open its first show of the 2025 season on Friday, January 10: “Jest a Second,” a follow-up to “Beau Jest,” which was performed in 2024.
The play will now be staged at Westchester Playhouse, home to the Kentwood Players, with nine performances scheduled over two weekends.
“In this follow-up to ‘Beau Jest,’ Sarah and Bob are now married and expecting their first child,” read a synopsis. “However, Sarah’s brother, Joel, is now the one having trouble admitting something to their parents—and Bob once again steps in to ‘help.’ Hilarity once again ensues as the family deals with its latest drama.”
“Jest a Second” performances will take place Thursday, June 12, at 8 p.m.; Friday, June 13, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, June 14, at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, June 15, at 2 p.m.; Thursday, June 19, at 8 p.m.; Friday, June 20, at 8 p.m.; and Saturday, June 21, at 2 and 8 p.m.
Theatre Palisades Youth and Harvard-Westlake Upper School recently partnered to present “Things We Found in The Fire,” a cabaret show to benefit Theatre Palisades Youth, on Sunday, May 18.
“This heartwarming collaboration came about thanks to TPY’s music director, gaba … who connected with their performing arts director,” according to Theatre Palisades Youth. “Driven by a desire to support those in the arts affected by the recent fires, Harvard-Westlake performing arts students, including some from our very own Palisades, enthusiastically offered to host and help produce this TPY cabaret.”
Harvard-Westlake students collaborated with and mentored TPY performers as they prepared for the show, which took place in the Harvard-Westlake School Rugby Auditorium.
The community had the opportunity to gather at Paul Revere Charter Middle School on the afternoon of Saturday, May 17, for a Fire Defense Fair & Pali High Flea Market.
The event, which took place in the PE grass field, was hosted by the Palisades High School Booster Club as an “expanded effort to raise vital funds for rebuilding and restoring our local community after the devastating fires.”
The spring market saw more than 60 vendors who were invited to raise funds for a “team, club or personal venture.” Vendors paid a fee to be present at the event, with funds from reservations going to support the Booster Club. Some vendors also donated a portion of sales to the club. In total, about $6,000 was raised.
Palisades High School Booster Club is a nonprofit organization with a mission to raise funds “to support and enhance the learning environment” for all students at Pali High through the support of academics, art, athletics, drama, music and technology.
Some of the vendors who were present included Sandy Days Kids Camp, Palisades Gift Shop, Malibu Road, Spark Robotics, Palisades Patrol, Coast & Canyon Shop, Clever Creations, and more.
Third-graders from Seven Arrows Elementary School were selling handmade bracelets and books to benefit rebuilding efforts at Palisades Branch Library.
The afternoon also featured an array of food vendors (including Sunset Smash, McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, Flour Pizzeria & Café, and Like a Boss), live music from Autoflow, a kid zone sponsored by Upper Mandeville Canyon Association with inflatables and more.\
“We’re recreating the energy and togetherness of our beloved Palisades Village—bringing back the sense of community we all cherish, one booth at a time,” the Booster Club said before the event.
There were also representatives from area officials, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Councilmember Traci Park’s office.
It marked the second fundraising Flea Market, with the first taking place in October 2024 on the Pali High campus, but the inaugural Fire Defense Fair, with 15 entities on hand with information to share.
Event Co-Chair Brian Gantwerker—a resident of Mandeville Canyon—described returning to his home after evacuation orders were lifted and seeing the fire burn scar from his backyard. He recalled seeing his home on TV while the Palisades fire was active near his property.
“We were just praying, feeling completely and totally helpless,” he said.
He explained that part of the reason the event included fire defense was to relay information about creating “more defensible” spaces while rebuilding and retrofitting still-standing homes to be more fire-resistant, including actions he can take at his own home.
Several of those who attended to relay information about fire defense and rebuilding efforts included Johnson Tree Company, Treepublic Solar, Brushfire Battle Systems, CMC Solutions, TreePeople and more. Gantwerker shared hopes of making the event a semi-annual occurrence.
“It’s an inaugural event, and we’re pleased with the outcome of it,” Gantwerker said of the fire defense fair. “It was a great event for information.”
Getty Villa is set to reopen on June 27 on a “limited schedule” of Fridays to Mondays following its closure due to the Palisades fire.
“The Villa closed on the morning of January 7 when the site was threatened by the Palisades fire,” museum officials said. “Since then, Getty has worked closely with its own staff and partnering agencies to test the grounds to ensure that the site and buildings are safe for the public to return.”
Online reservations will be required to visit the museum, which is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, and will be limited to 500 visitors daily. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It is with the utmost gratitude and appreciation for Getty staff, first responders and other agencies that we can announce the reopening of the Villa to the public,” President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust Katherine Fleming said. “Without their tireless efforts, we would not be in the position we are in today, where we can welcome back visitors and the surrounding community to enjoy the Villa grounds and collection.”
When the Palisades fire started, 17 Getty facilities, grounds and security team members “volunteered to stay on site to protect the museum,” according to a statement from the museum. Staff sealed the galleries and put out small fires in the days that followed.
“Getty’s facilities and grounds teams have coordinated an extensive cleanup, including deep cleaning indoor and outdoor spaces, flushing the water system, replacing all air and water filters, and removing more than 1,300 fire-damaged trees,” the statement continued. “The site may look different to visitors, with less vegetation and some burn damage to the outer grounds.”
For more information, including a link to make reservations, visit getty.edu.
Palisades Charter High School Theater will present “Showstoppers!”—a benefit for Pali performing arts—on Thursday, May 22, beginning at 7 p.m.
“Come join our current Pali artists as well as many of our cherished alumni—so many talented faces from the past years of Pali—to celebrate the resilience of our young artists and raise funds to meet our program needs,” Cheri Smith said.
The night of musical theater performances will take place at Paul Revere Charter Middle School, located at 1450 Allenford Avenue.
“Our alumni performers list is growing by the day, and our current students are excited to share their show tunes with you, with music from ‘Wicked,’ ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ ‘Hadestown,’ ‘Little Shop of Horrors,’ ‘Kiss Me Kate,’ ‘Legally Blonde’ and more,” Smith said.
Tickets are available at gofan.co. VIP tickets are $22, general admission is $16.75 and student tickets are $11.
—SARAH SHMERLING
The Village | Memorial Day
American Legion Ronald Reagan – Palisades Post 283 will host a flag raising and lunch on Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Remembering our brave heroes,” read an event flyer. “Gone, but not forgotten.”
The event will take place at 15247 La Cruz Drive. Those who would like to attend are asked to RSVP at bit.ly/memorial-day-2025.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Palisades Village | Angelini Ristorante & Bar Now Delivering
Menu items from Palisades Village eatery Angelini Ristorante & Bar is now available for delivery west of the 405, according to Caruso.
“While our beloved Angelini Ristorante & Bar in Palisades Village remains temporarily closed, they are excited to offer delivery,” Caruso stated. “Enjoy the Angelini dishes you love, delivered right to your door.”
Delivery is available daily between 4 and 8 p.m. through DoorDash. Pickup is also available through Westside Eats.
Pacific Palisades Historical Society hosted its annual general membership meeting at Rustic Canyon Recreation Center on Sunday, May 18—marking the first time the organization has gathered in person since the Palisades fire.
Donna Vaccarino has been elected PPHS president, with Randy Young to serve as vice-president, Harris Smith to continue as treasurer and Patrick Healy to continue as secretary.
Young presented a “lively slideshow presentation on the history of Rustic Canyon,” which is where he was raised. He also announced that planning is underway to republish “some of the popular Palisades books” that were produced by him and his late mother, Betty Lou, including “Pacific Palisades: Where the Mountains Meet the Sea,” “Street Names of Pacific Palisades & Other Tales” and “Santa Monica Canyon: A Walk Through History,” which have been out of print for “many years.” Additional details, including about the timing, will be available in the future.
The Palisadian-Post presents an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says,” with a column by Palisadian Jimmy Dunne—on life in the “greatest town in America.”
Tsunamis & the Sunny Side of the Street
We got hit by a tsunami.
Took us absolutely by surprise. Never saw it coming.
Even as we saw it coming, we never imagined that it would actually get to most of us.
But it sure did.
For all of us, in varying degrees, it has impacted us in three ways.
Financially. Emotionally. And physically, forcing us all out of our homes and out of our town. Under each of these words, a bucket of stuff.
For the past months, many of us have been living in a liminal place, weighing our options for our next steps.
And it’s knocked over lots of our apple carts. The apple cart of our friends and neighbors. The watering holes in our lives.
——-
It’s taken me four months to learn something.
When you think about it, most folks, in their arc and journey of life, usually get hit with a handful of tsunamis. Some bigger than others.
The luckier we are, the fewer tsunamis we’ve had.
For some, it could have been the death of a parent, or a dearest friend, or sibling, or a child. Or a divorce. Maybe an injury or a physical trauma. Or a business crash, or losing a job that crushed you emotionally and financially.
All tsunamis, all different degrees of transforming our lives.
Just as successes define us, when you think about it, how we’ve dealt with and bounced back from “tsunamis” has shaped the trajectory of everything.
And we need to buckle in. As far as tsunamis go—it’s probably not the last.
That’s life.
But I think the trick is remembering the absolute bounty of moments, the every days—on the amazing ride called life.
Maybe what makes the tsunamis hurt so much is because of how beautiful and rich and full it was—before they ever came.
——-
One of my favorite old songs, “On the Sunny Side of the Street.”
For stores, there’s actually truth to it. Stores pay more rent to be on the “sunny side of a street.”
Because folks buy more. They’re happier. They talk more. They sing more. They’ve got a snap in their step.
Maybe the trick is, wherever we are, to find that “sunny side of the street.”
I’m going there. I hope to see your smiling face
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man;a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
The number of tickets the police are handing out in town is crazy. When I drive through town sometimes I see 3 cars pulled over at a time. I always come to a complete stop at the flashing lights and count to 3.
Flea Market
I appreciate the effort to bring a flea market and fire defense fair to Paul Revere. Always nice to see the community gathering during these times.
Polan
Another reopening! Glad to see Dr Polan has returned.
Resilience
I love that at every community meeting or event, a sense of resilience always shines through. It is inspiring that a community can remain hopeful and strong after such a catastrophe.
PPCC
It is no doubt that PPCC is a valuable resource to our community but I just want to commend the team for their work and for keeping the community informed. Through different guests and events and announcements, it is really appreciated.
Got something to say? Call 310-454-1321 or email 2cents@palipost.com and get those kudos or concerns off your chest. Names will not be used.
The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Lisa Kaas Boyle and SoCal Stop Artificial Turf Task Force.
Revisiting the ashes and rubble of my home of 35 years in our beloved town of Pacific Palisades, I noticed something alarming in the debris: the burned remains of my neighbor’s plastic grass, now heaped on my property.
The sight made me sad because as an environmental attorney, I know a lot about the toxins in that plastic grass and how these toxins, especially melted, impact our environment, soil and nearby ocean.
I’m sure my neighbor installed the plastic grass with good intentions, but we now know that artificial turf has not brought expected benefits such as water savings. Cooling and cleaning plastic grass can require more water than would be used for the maintenance of natural, drought-tolerant grasses.
Most significantly, plastic grass has created many unintended consequences. Plastic grass is manufactured with petrochemicals, and the manufacturing process uses harmful per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) substances and other hazardous chemicals. PFAS, “forever chemicals,” are associated with cancer and linked to growth, learning and behavioral problems in infants and children; fertility and pregnancy problems; thyroid disease; asthma; and more.
Toxic runoff from plastic grass contaminates drinking water, rivers, lakes and oceans with microplastics as well as PFAS. The EPA has recently reported that there is no safe amount of PFOA or PFOS (types of PFAS) in drinking water, and both have consistently been found in plastic grass.
Plastic grass has been shown to reach temperatures much higher than natural grass, readily reaching 160 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit or more, creating heat-island effects, and causing heat-related injuries and illnesses such as skin burns and heat stress.
Ornamental artificial turf should be replaced with native plant species that are the most cost-effective measure to battle the warming effect while supporting butterflies, local songbirds and other wildlife.
Finally, because it is made of mixed plastic materials, artificial grass will never be economically viable for recycling. At the end of its lifecycle it is sent to a landfill, illegally dumped or sent out of state to be incinerated. My neighbor’s burned plastic grass is simply toxic waste.
Artificial turf is a danger to the health and safety of our community and our environment, and it fails to produce promised water savings. So when we rebuild, let’s rebuild better with health and safety in mind. Rebuild with native plants and not plastic grass. Resilient Palisades is here to provide guidance to the community as we rebuild even better.
For further information visit ncsa.la/artificial_turf and resilientpalisades.org.
While recovery work is ongoing, Palisadians continue to find ways to gather together, including this summer through camps and programs. Here is a selection of some of this year’s offerings.
Photo courtesy of Violet Dominguez
Camp Cloud
Following the loss of her Palisades studio on Sunset Boulevard in the fire, Violet Dominguez has launched New Vibe Gymnastics 2.0—which is presenting Camp Cloud this summer for participants ages 4 to 13.
“I started New Vibe Gymnastics out of my house, and put my heart and soul into building it from the ground up,” Dominguez wrote of the Palisades space. “The goal of New Vibe Gymnastics was—and always will be—to provide a safe space for children.”
Camp runs Mondays to Fridays from June 9 to August 22. There are full days available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and half days from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Dominguez is also offering a Memorial Day Camp on Monday, May 26, with full and half-days available as well.
Enrollment is open for the studio’s pod classes, which will begin in September. There are classes available for Novas (3 to 4 years old), Supernovas (5 to 6), Stars (7 to 8), Shooting Stars (8 to 10) and Comets (10 and up). There are also Parent and Me, Astros Boys, Nova Independent (newly age 3), and Flips for Dance pods available.
The studio is located at 1815 S Centinela Avenue, Suite B, in Santa Monica.
Sunshine Westside Beach Camp is making a “sun-soaked move” for summer 2025, Associate Club Director Kyle Weindel said.
Due to the recent Palisades fire and closures of Will Rogers State Beach, the camp team announced that Sunshine Westside Beach Camp will be relocating to Venice Beach Galleon South Side location for the 2025 season, with camp running daily from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. June 9 to August 15.
“While we’re all sad to temporarily part ways with Will Rogers, safety comes first,” Weindel said. “With ongoing closures and cleanup in the Palisades, Venice Beach offers the perfect alternative: wide open beaches; gorgeous coastline views; and plenty of space for all our beach volleyball drills, games and training sessions. We’re bringing all the energy and excellence you expect from Sunshine, now on the iconic sands of Venice Beach.”
This summer’s beach volleyball camp will feature: technical skill development (serving, passing, setting, hitting); game play strategies and teamwork drills; small-group coaching with experienced Sunshine staff; competitive scrimmages and tournament-style play; fitness, agility and sand-specific conditioning; mentorship from “top-level” players and coaches; a “supportive, fun and motivating” environment for athletes of all levels.
“Whether your athlete is new to beach volleyball or sharpening elite-level skills, this summer will be packed with growth, excitement and lots of sand between the toes,” Weindel said.
The camp will be set up at the Venice Beach Galleon South Side, located at the end of Washington Boulevard. Directions are to enter the parking lot at the end of Washington Boulevard, follow the road in and make a left to reach the designated drop-off area.
For parent drop-off and pick-up, Weindel said they are “actively coordinating” with the Parking Services Unit to secure parent drop-off and pick-up passes, “ensuring smooth and safe transitions for all families:” “Stay tuned—we will provide clear instructions and passes before camp starts,” he said.
“We know this change might feel big, but we’re confident this season will be just as incredible,” he said. “Our team is already planning creative ways to make the most of the new location, and we can’t wait to see all our players out on the sand. Stay tuned for more updates, packing lists and session details coming soon. And remember: Same Sunshine spirit, brand-new Venice vibes.”
Questions can be directed to the Sunshine Westside team anytime: “We’re here to help and can’t wait to kick off the best beach volleyball season ever,” Weindel said.
Marney Sobel with Diana Vera and Renie Simone Photo courtesy of Marney Sobel
MARNEY’S
When the Palisades fire temporarily displaced MARNEY’S, founder and educator Marney Sobel began driving across the county to continue to work with families who enrolled in her educational programming and academic support.
Recently securing a space in Santa Monica at 1221 2nd Street in Suite 150, Sobel is offering an “exciting lineup of programs to meet the needs of families and kids of all ages.”
Morning camp will be available for youngest participants, offering a “chance to explore, play, and learn” in a “safe and structured environment.” The timing is being finalized but hours are approximately 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
MARNEY’S is also debuting an After Camp Cool Down program in the afternoons into the early evenings (also being finalized, but around 4:30 to 7 p.m.).
“This relaxed, post-camp experience includes calming activities like arts and crafts, beading, yoga, and more,” according to Sobel. “What’s more, campers enjoy nourishing dinners from beloved local restaurants such as California Pizza Kitchen and Nick the Greek.”
In August, MARNEY’S will host its Educational Review and Next Grade Readiness Camps, designed to keep “students sharp and confident before the school year starts.” Sobel will partner with Mary Anne from Montreal for an “engaging and effective math review camp.”
“Of course, no summer at MARNEY’S would be complete without the legendary book clubs that have earned a loyal following across the Palisades community,” Sobel said. “Parents are encouraged to form a group and enroll their children for a magical reading journey designed to spark imagination and nurture a lifelong love of books.”
There is “easy drop-off access” for all programming, with 90 minutes of free parking available at the space.
Groza Learning Center found a home on Moraga Drive in Bel Air, which is where Founder and Director Tatyana Yukhtman is offering summer camp, in addition to services that are provided throughout the academic year.
“We lost our physical space, but not our purpose,” Yukhtman said. “What rose from the ashes is stronger—more focused, more mission-driven and more dedicated to helping children thrive.”
The Groza Summer Camp program is open to students ages 5 to 13, designed to “ignite curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking in a joyful, screen-free environment.”
There will be weekly themes, including Detective Week, Mad Science, Entrepreneur week and more, allowing campers to “explore real-life skills while being immersed in imaginative, educator-designed activities.”
“With intentionlly small group sizes, every child is seen supported and celebrated for who they are,” according to Groza. “Whether your child is a budding scientist, a creative storyteller or a future CEO, Groza’s camp experience is crafted to nurture their unique spark. And with only a few spots left for this summer, now is the time to secure your child’s place.”
Registration for Camp Gan Izzy—which has secured a location for the summer at 1537 Franklin Street in Santa Monica—is now open.
The camp is run by Chabad Jewish Community Center of Pacific Palisades, which has been displaced after the Palisades fire destroyed part of its Sunset Boulevard campus.
“Camp days include sports, arts, STEAM, cooking, trips, beach days, water activities, themed shows and more,” read a previous description. “We pride ourselves on our loving and enthusiastic staff who look forward to giving our campers a fun and safe Jewish camp experience.”
There are four weeks of camp open for registration: June 30 to July 3; July 7 to 11; July 14 to 18; and July 21 to 25. There is also an option for the full summer, June 30 to July 25.
The Santa Monica campus will host a Palisades Children’s Business Fair on Wednesday, May 28, from 5 to 7 p.m., which will give potential campers and families a chance to see the space.
“This exciting event is a special opportunity for the young entrepreneurs of our community to showcase their creativity, talent and hard work as they present and sell the products they’ve proudly created,” read information about the fair.
The marketplace will feature booths like Minnie’s Magical Bath Bombs, Jewels by Javdan, Juicy World, Pink Pony Shop, and more.
“Let’s show our support for these amazing young vendors and for our growing community—and get a first look at the magic happening at our beautiful new location while we rebuild our beloved Palisades campus,” the statement continued.
The event on May 28 will also serve as an Open House & Community BBQ for Palisades Jewish Early Childhood Center, which will convene at the campus for the 2025-26 school year. Jewish Federation Los Angeles is providing 50% off tuition to attend PJECC for fire-impacted families through its HUG Fund.
Marquez Teacher Akiko Arevalo Advocates for Sense of ‘Normalcy’ After the Palisades Fire Through Science Fair, Robotics Team
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
A teacher is often a champion for their students—and such is the case for Marquez Charter Elementary School science and robotics teacher Akiko Arevalo.
After the Palisades fire, which began on January 7, Arevalo has pulled together school traditions to uphold a sense of normalcy for the school’s students.
Marquez faced severe fire damage across its campus. Arevalo recalled the day the school had to evacuate, seeing flames ablaze on the hilltops.
“We were there, we had to evacuate … It was like a war zone,” Arevalo shared with the Palisadian-Post.
As an educator, Arevalo said she remained calm and strong for the students that day. She worked with the school to ensure every student was sent home with their guardian, or into a bus and evacuated.
“It is a huge trauma for everyone,” Arevalo explained to the Post. “But what was important for us was to not dwell in that trauma, but to push ahead.”
After the fires and a relocation to the Nora Sterry Elementary School campus in Los Angeles, Arevalo said that she wasn’t sure if the school would be able to continue its traditional events, like the annual Science Fair.
“The Science Fair has, for as long as I have worked at Marquez, been a celebration of our fourth-grade scientists and inventors, along with guest scientists from other grades,” Arevalo said. “The fourth-grade teachers and I agreed that putting on the Science Fair would help with regaining some sense of normalcy for these children and families who have lost so much. With that in mind, I set my mind on trying to organize the most amazing Science Fair ever for our families.”
The team selected May 4 as the date for the school’s Science Fair—embracing the “May the Fourth” date with a “Science of Star Wars” theme.
In the spirit of the event, Arevalo—a “Star Wars” fan—dressed as Princess Leia from “Episode Four: A New Hope.”
“Our Marquez scientists displayed their amazing science knowledge in the hallways of our building,” Arevalo said. “Project topics varied based on the interests of the scientist. One project explained black holes, another investigated which pets had the most bacteria on their paws … Another explored the best products for cleaning fire-damaged items—very relevant, indeed.”
Arevalo said that STAR Education led “Star Wars”-themed science activities in classrooms across the campus—ranging from slime to robotics. Guest scientists from Palisades Charter High School also volunteered their time to share their knowledge with Marquez’ young scientists.
When asked of any moments or student achievements that stood out during this time, Arevalo responded: “Just the fact that [the students] showed up.”
“With everything going on, with families having to move … families didn’t have permanent homes,” Arevalo said. “They might not have had scissors or pencils. The school came together and we supplied everything that they needed … We were able to provide a presentation board, glue sticks, scissors, rulers. We tried to supply all the basics … and they just really came through. It was really impressive.”
Arevalo and Co-Coach Clare Gardner also worked with families and students to reboot the school’s Robotics Team after the Palisades fire.
“We didn’t want to, in the face of all of this, email parents saying, ‘Hey, you want to do robotics?’ when they’re dealing with so much,” Arevalo said to the Post. “The last thing we wanted to do was put more on their plate … But a robotics parents reached out and mentioned the kids were talking [in] a team chat about how sad they were that their robot was burned down.”
Arevalo said there are four robotics competitions in Los Angeles Unified School District: Three are qualifiers and the fourth is a championship. After the third qualifier, Marquez’ fourth- and fifth-grade teams were in first and second place.
“Then the fire happened, the robots burned down and they were devastated,” she said. “They were devastated because they were on their way to [the state competition.]”
But the students rebuilt their robots in a week and a half. Arevalo said the students kept a notebook in which they documented their designs, with changes and pictures and all.
“They attended the championships and they won,” Arevalo said. “They almost swept the awards. It’s amazing.”
Both fourth- and fifth-grade teams attended the U.S. Open Tournament in Iowa, where they competed with teams from across the world.
The school’s fourth-grade team then went on to attend the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas, which began May 12.
“Our team was one of only two LAUSD elementary school teams to earn a spot at the World Championship,” Arevalo said. “Over 420 elementary schools from all over the world—including China, Columbia, Nigeria, the Philippines and Ireland—traveled long distances to compete on the world stage. The children had the experience of a lifetime, making friends from other nations and competing with the best of the best. They did not earn any awards, but even having earned a spot at [the World Championship] makes them all winners.”
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