By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Community Council will host a special meeting on Monday, May 20, at 5 p.m. via Zoom to discuss the Tramonto Slide in Castellammare.

“PPCC will hold a special meeting … to discuss the Tramonto Slide underlying the hillside slope slippage that has caused the PCH lane closure, as well as the planned construction of three large homes at the bulkhead of the slide area,” read an email ahead of the meeting.

PPCC reported that it has asked representatives from the city of Los Angeles, as well as the developer, to attend the meeting to “inform the community of their development plans as well as provisions for safety.”

“Caltrans has made clear they will not clean up the slide or restore the lane unless and until the Tramonto Slide is stabilized by the City,” PPCC reported. “They will stripe this portion of PCH in order to allow two lanes of traffic to flow in both directions, but this will encroach on the shoulder to one side. The hillside slippage that has cascaded to block one lane of PCH is not a matter of debris, but an unstable slope that overhangs this portion of PCH.”

The special meeting comes on the heels of PPCC’s recent regular board meeting on Thursday, May 9, where Area 1 Representative Murray Levy gave a report and presentation on the slide, as well as its “historically unstable soil.”

“He walked the board though this visual presentation and informed us that in 2010, the city of LA commissioned a report to learn how best to stabilize the slope, which was the sight of an earlier landslide,” PPCC continued. “The report issued findings rooted in soil stabilization estimated at $25 million. Nothing has been done since.”

Residents of Castellammare will have a chance to present their comments and concerns during the special meeting, PPCC added.

More information, including a link to the Zoom meeting, is available at the PPCC website.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Getty Villa will host the multi-cultural Villa Family Festival on Sunday, May 19, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“Cultures from opposite sides of the world come together at this daylong family festival inspired by the exhibition ‘Picture Worlds: Greek, Maya, Moche Pottery,’” read a statement from Getty. “Move to traditional Greek folk music, enjoy the dances and sounds of diverse Peruvian cultures, create your own melodies with pre-Columbian instruments, explore the Maya calendar, and witness a ballgame that has roots going back 3,500 years.”

Several drop-in activities will take place throughout the duration of the event, including exploring the music and instruments of Mesoamerican with Martin Espino at West Belvedere. In the Outer Peristyle, attendees are invited to create Maya glyphs with Stephanie Lozano, learn about “pottery of the past” and decorate a paper craft with Desi Sanchez, and color the Maya Calendar with Mundo Maya Foundation.

There will be a Talking Stick Workshop with Mundo Maya Foundation from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m. in the Education Studio.

“Learn about the importance and power of the sacred talking stick and then make your own at this special one-hour workshop,” read a preview of the event. “Each workshop will end with a talking circle.”

Performances are set to include a Ceremonial Maya Procession and Invocation by Casa de la Cultura Maya—led by spiritual guide and healer Nana Batz and timekeeper and spiritual guide Tata Marco Pacheco—at 10:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. The Dimitris Mahlis Ensemble will perform traditional Greek music in the Inner Peristyle Garden from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., 1 to 2 p.m., and 3 to 4 p.m.

In the Education Courtyard, Casa de la Cultura Maya will host Maya ballgames, known as pok-ta-pok, from 11:15 to 11:45 a.m. and 3:15 to 3:45 p.m.

INCA, the Peruvian Ensemble, will perform in the Auditorium from 12 to 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 to 3:45 p.m. The Ancient Maya Dance Traditions of the Deer (Past and Present) with Casa de la Cultura Maya will also take place in the Auditorium from 1:15 to 2 p.m. and 4 to 4:30 p.m.

“The Deer Dance is an ancient Maya tradition that has been preserved by the Maya people to this day,” read a description. “It is a ritual performed to bring rain and good harvests. Similar rituals have been a common practice among various ethnic groups since pre-Hispanic times.”

Getty Villa is located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades. All events are free to attend, but advanced tickets to Getty Villa are required to visit.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Chamber Music Palisades will host a free concert for the community on Sunday, May 19, beginning at 3 p.m.

“Our team of talented performers will present chamber music featuring a kaleidoscope of colors from the highest to the lowest members of the flute, clarinet and bassoon families, showcasing the virtuosity and musicianship of each of the musicians,” read an event description from CMP.

“An Afternoon Concert: Virtuoso Solos, Duos and Trios” will feature Pierre Long-Tao Tang (piano), Sergio Coehlo (clarinet, bass clarinet and Eb clarinet), Alexander Burns-Chay (bassoon and contra bassoon) and Chamber Music Palisades Artistic Director Susan Greenberg (flute, alto flute, bass flute and piccolo)—“ all top-notch professional musicians who have performed with world-renowned orchestras such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Santa Monica Symphony and the Long Beach Symphony.”

Works will include solos, duos and trios by composers, including Felix Mendelssohn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Gabriel Fauré, Ned Rorem, Scott Joplin and others.

The concert is sponsored in part by City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. No reservations are needed to attend.

Though no admission will be charged, donations to Chamber Music Palisades can be made in advanced at cmpalisades.org or at the door.

“We are very grateful for these contributions as they enable us to continue providing these wonderful family-friendly concerts,” CMP wrote ahead of the concert.

The concert will take place at Pacific Palisades United Methodist Church, located at 801 Via De La Paz.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Caruso is hosting a fundraising drive for Para Los Niños—matching contributions up to $100,000.

“For over 30 years, Caruso and Para Los Niños have worked tirelessly to support and develop educational programs that shape Los Angeles’ leaders of tomorrow,” read information shared during the campaign. “This year, we need your help to make our 2024 goal—of providing support and resources to more individuals than ever before—a reality.”

Caruso Family Foundation was founded in 1991 to help improve the lives of at-risk children and their families throughout Southern California. It supports organizations “with a proven track record” of providing “exceptional services and programs.”

Para Los Niños works to provide education and support to 10,000 children, youth and families in LA who need assistance. The nonprofit was founded on Skid Row in 1980, to foster “pathways to success by combining excellence in education and family support with comprehensive social-emotional and community services.”

A donation of $10 to the organization can provide afternoon snacks for students that spend up to 10 hours per day at the organization’s campus. For $25, a student without housing can receive a clean uniform for class. The cost of case management for a student for one month can be covered with a donation of $100.

“Starting now, Caruso will match up to $100,000 in donations committed through our website,” the statement continued. “Please join us in uplifting this impactful and hopeful cause.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit Caruso’s website.