Ella Edwards of Palisades’ Girls
Minor Division All-Star team. Photos by Steve Galluzzo
Two All-Star basketball teams from the Palisades Recreation Center had their own “March Madness” by winning the West Region to make the Citywide Tournament.
The Co-Rec Minors squad, coached by Vijay Srinivasan and Brian Hansen, lost 28-27 to Pacific Region champion Rosecrans in the semifinals last week in Baldwin Hills. The roster consisted of Jace Hansen, Ben Ahdoot, Milo Irwin, Sina Naiem, Arjun Srinivasan, Justin Eghbal, Dylan Kroeger, Jackson Moore, Remy Moore and Levi Westgren.
Ben Ahdoot of Palisades’ Co-Rec Minor Division All-Star team.
The Girls Minors, piloted by Shelia Martin and Sean Cudzil, also fell in the semifinals, 10-3, to Metro Region winner Pan Pacific. The roster featured Nyla Smith, Emily Cudzil, Noe Snyder, Ella Edwards, Maggie Walsh, Coco Partovi, Olive Hyland, Charley Chou, Catie Sterparn and Piper Green.
Outside hitter Enzo Torres hammers a kill in the Dolphins’ sweep of Western League rival Venice last Wednesday. Photo: Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Prior to last weekend, Palisades High’s boys volleyball team had the inside track to the top seed in the LA City Section’s Open Division playoffs. That changed last weekend at the Chatsworth Invitational, where the host Chancellors avenged a three-set defeat to Palisades one month earlier in the semifinals of the Venice Tournament.
On Friday, Palisades did not drop a set in pool play, beating St. Monica, JW North and Eastvale Roosevelt.
The Dolphins had a more difficult time in the second round of pool play Saturday morning, surviving a scare against Birmingham (which had beaten Palisades at the Venice Tournament) before prevailing 25-18, 15-25, 16-14 and being pushed all the way in a 25-23, 26-24 victory over Golden Valley. The rematch between Palisades and Chatsworth was not as dramatic as the first encounter when the Dolphins rallied for an 11-25, 25-18, 17-15 triumph.
On Saturday, the host school won 25-16, 25-19 to secure first place in the pool and the Chancellors eventually reached the Gold bracket finals, losing 19-17 in the third set to champion Burroughs of Burbank.
Palisades, meanwhile, also qualified for the Gold bracket but was ousted by Simi Valley Royal in the first round, 27-25, 25-16. Royal then outlasted Eagle Rock, another City team vying for the No. 1 spot, before being swept by Chatsworth in the semifinals. On the other side of the draw, Burroughs took on Windward in the semifinals and survived 16-14 in the third set. Windward beat Palisades in three spirited sets in the championship match of the Venice Tournament. Marshall nearly beat Burroughs in the Gold bracket quarterfinals Saturday and strengthened its case for an Open Division berth come May.
Venice edged City foe Taft 26-24 on its way to capturing the Silver Division, downing Golden Valley 25-15 in the final. Shaking up the City rankings even more, VAAS shocked Birmingham 25-15 on its
march to the semifinals. Van Nuys Grant won the Bronze Division.
Despite losing twice at the Chatsworth Tournament, the Dolphins did clear a major hurdle on their quest for the Western League title with a 27-25, 25-18, 25-21 sweep of Venice on April 3. The Gondos had taken the first two sets before Palisades rallied to win the last three in the teams’ first league meeting.
Chatsworth and Palisades could face off a third time in the playoffs. The teams clashed in the City finals each of the last two seasons, with the Dolphins prevailing three sets to one in 2022 and the Chancellors sweeping 25-18, 25-22, 25-18 last spring at Cal State Northridge.
harlee Sanders and Olivia Stanley shake hands with Fairfax players after the Dolphins’ 15-0 league victory. Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Despite dropping eight of its first 10 contests the Palisades High softball team is in contention for the Western League title. The Dolphins host defending champion Venice on Monday with a share of first place on the line. The Gondos prevailed 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel March 14 and the Dolphins are seeking revenge.
Coach Manny Flores entered his team in the TNT Tournament last month and although Palisades was only able to salvage one tie in five games (a 0-0 deadlock with Mira Costa), the Dolphins improved and since then have won three straight—outscoring league rivals University, Fairfax and Westchester by a combined 48-4. Today, Palisades hosts LACES, a team the Dolphins beat 24-3 for their first win on March 11.
In Monday’s 23-0 five-inning rout at Westchester, Celia Elisha had four hits and five RBIs, Olivia Stanley and Kharlee Sanders each had four hits and four RBIs and Rikka Richardson added three hits and four RBIs. Pitcher Brian Vasquez struck out 12 of the 18 batters she faced.
Courtesy of the Office of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
The office of Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin—who represents AD 42, which includes Pacific Palisades—will host a Wildfire & Disaster Insurance Online Town Hall on Thursday, April 4, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Palisadians who are interested in attending can register at bit.ly/04042024.
The town hall is being cohosted by Irwin, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Las Virgenes-Malibu Council of Governments.
“Wildfire does not respect jurisdictional boundaries,” read a flyer for the town hall. “Hear from a panel of experts from across the region on state and local wildfire response efforts.”
Special guests slated to take part in the town hall include Calabasas Mayor Alicia Weintraub, Agoura Hills Mayor Pro Tem Penny Sylvester, California Department of Insurance and United Policy Holders.
“We will notify customers impacted by this decision in advance of their policy expiration to provide information on other coverage options,” State Farm wrote.
Irwin’s website includes resources and tips for residents who have received non-renewal notices from homeowner insurance companies.
For more information ahead of the town hall, visit insurance.ca.gov, call 800-927-4357 or email crob@insurance.ca.gov. Questions to be addressed during the town hall can be sent to the email address.
Palisades-Malibu YMCA has rescheduled its Spring Festival and Egg Hunt for Saturday, April 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Simon Meadow, located at the corner of Temescal Canyon Road and Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades.
“Come join the YMCA Spring Festival and Egg Hunt, a fun event for the whole family,” read an email about the event. “There will be photo opportunities with the Easter Bunny, games, crafts, prizes, snacks and more.”
The event, which was originally slated to take place on Saturday, March 31, was postponed due to forecasted rain.
There will be three egg hunts: 10 a.m. for ages 3 and 4; 10:45 a.m. for ages 5 and 6; and 11:30 a.m. for ages 7 to 12. Attendees are asked to bring their own basket to collect eggs.
Interested in catching a glimpse of the upcoming solar eclipse from Pacific Palisades?
Palisades Branch Library will host an eclipse viewing on Monday, April 8, beginning at 10:45 a.m. in the parking lot, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.
“The maximum eclipse will occur at about 11:12 a.m. here in Los Angeles,” read a synopsis of the event from the library. “Unfortunately, we will only be able to see about 58% of the eclipse, but it is still amazing to behold, and we will show the NASA feed from the areas where it is at 100%.”
The “total solar eclipse” will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the U.S. and Canada, according to NASA. Places that will see a 100% eclipse include Texas and Maine.
“A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the sun and earth, completely blocking the face of the sun,” NASA reported. “The sky will darken as if it were dawn or dusk.”
A “very limited” number of glasses to help view the eclipse will be available, as well as snacks, “generously donated” by Friends of the Palisades Library.
“Safety is the number one priority when viewing a total solar eclipse,” according to NASA. “Be sure you’re familiar with when you need to wear specialized eye protection designed for solar viewing.”
Those who have received glasses from previous eclipses at the library are encouraged to bring them.
“Since this eclipse is on a weekday morning, you can come to the library before April 8 to pick up free eclipse viewing glasses (while supplies last),” the synopsis continued, “so you can safely view at home, school or work (maximum one per person).”
For more information, or information about additional events at the library, visit lapl.org.
Chamber Music Palisades will present a free community concert, “Matinee: Trios and Quartets,” on Sunday, April 7, at Pacific Palisades United Methodist Church beginning at 3 p.m.
“Join us for another free community concert,” read the CMP website. “The program features a variety of music for trios and quartets for flute, oboe, clarinet and piano.”
The program will feature “top-notch Los Angeles players,” including artists who have performed with Los Angeles Philharmonic, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Santa Monica Symphony and the Los Angeles Opera. These musicians include Chamber Music Palisades Artistic Director Susan Greenberg (flute and piccolo), Zachary Borowiec (oboe and English Horn) and Pierre Long-Tao Tang (piano).
Concertgoers can expect to hear “William Tell Overture” by Gioachino Rossini, “Carmen Rhapsody” by Georges Bizet, “Trio” by Madeleine Dring, “Mutt and Steff” by Adrienne Albert, “Miniatures” by William Grant Still, “Hungarian Dance” by Johannes Brahms and more.
Though admission to the concert is free—supported, in part, by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs—donations will be accepted in person and online.
“Your support of Chamber Music Palisades helps us fulfill our mission to promote new music in our community,” the website read.
Pacific Palisades United Methodist Church is located at 801 Via De La Paz.
As part of Westside Food Bank’s 28th annual Phantom Dinner, donations made through Tuesday, April 30, will receive a dollar-for-dollar match.
“For over two decades, our community of supporters, volunteers and friends have gathered in spirit rather than in person to support our vital hunger relief work,” read the WSFB website. “Our Phantom Dinner tradition allows us to apply the cost of holding a gala dinner to our mission to provide nutritious food for our neighbors in need.”
A “ticket menu” included items like a Table Sponsor for $600 (for the “table your colleagues won’t have to sit at”) or $300 for a dress or suit “that you won’t have to buy.”
Founded in 1981, Westside Food Bank was created to serve as a more efficient food security network. It is now the primary bulk wholesale food supplier for over 60 nonprofit service agencies in West Los Angeles County.
WSFB announced this year, a pool of anonymous donors pledged to match every dollar donated through the end of April, up to $100,000. According to the WSFB website, $25 provides 100 meals in LA County.
“The extra assistance programs that helped vulnerable households get through the pandemic have ended, and now Los Angeles County is facing the worst hunger crisis of our lifetime with 30% of residents experiencing food insecurity,” Westside Food Bank President and CEO Genevieve Riutort said in a statement.
Westside Food Bank reported food insecurity rates are up another 13% “since the height of the pandemic in 2021.”
“People are turning to emergency food sources like Westside Food Bank’s network of partner food pantries to survive,” Ruitort concluded.
For more information or to donate to Westside Food Bank’s Phantom Dinner, visit wsfb.org/pd2024.
The “Picture Worlds: Greek, Maya, and Moche Pottery” exhibition will be on display at Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades from April 10 to July 29.
The exhibition “brings together three major world ceramic traditions,” according to a press release: “that of the Greeks in the Mediterranean, the Maya in Central America and the Moche of northern Peru.”
It was described as the “first major exhibition” that juxtaposes painted pottery of these societies, the statement continued, “devoting special attention to the narrative art and social settings in which these dynamic objects were seen and handled.”
“Picture Worlds” will feature more than 40 “ancient painted vessels,” which will be displayed side by side, organized thematically.
“Among the many ancient cultures that decorated ceramics, the Greeks (Archaic and Classical Periods, 700-323 BCE), the Maya (Late Classic Period, 550-850 CE) and the Moche (Early Intermediate period and Middle Horizon, 200-850 CE) stand out for their painted vessels adorned with depictions of heroic adventures, divine encounters, ritual actions and legendary events,” according to the statement. “These pots—made for drinking and feasting, gift-giving or trade, and as offerings—are fundamentally social objects, and the narratives painted upon their surfaces prompted and perpetuated the sharing of cultures, stories and ideals.”
The first gallery—“Makers and Users”—will focus on the people who handled the pieces, beginning with the potters and painters, leading to the individuals who used and gifted them. “Stories and Images” will then present a series of stories, including the Trojan War, episodes involving Maya deities and a Moche divinity known as “Wrinkle Face.”
The exhibition will conclude in the final section, “Handling Narrative,” which shows the ways that handling or rotating the vessels animates the narrative. It will include “specially commissioned replicas” of three of the vessels to allow visitors to “better appreciate the dynamic and immersive potential.”
“Each vessel in this exhibition is a ‘picture world,’ full of expressive possibility,” said David Saunders, associate curator of antiquities. “Seeing them together sharpens our understanding of the three ancient cultures, and—we hope—will invite new perspectives on topics such as image-making and storytelling, that continue to resonate today.”
For more information or to reserve a ticket to visit Getty Villa, located at 17985 Pacific Coast Highway, visit getty.edu.
Veronica Beard—which operates a brick-and-mortar location in Palisades Village—has announced its latest Veronica Beard Gives Back partnership, which began on April 1 and runs through the end of June.
#VBGivesBack has partnered with Penny’s Flight Foundation, which is where a portion of all Veronica Beard online sales will be donated during the campaign.
During the month of April, $50 from the sale of each Veronica Beard Penny Loafer will benefit the foundation. Eligible styles are the Penny Suede Loafer, Penny Woven Suede Loafer, Penny Woven Metallic Loafer, Penny Woven Leather Loafer and Penny Raffia Loafer.
Penny’s Flight Foundation is a “nonprofit dedicated to funding research and raising awareness for neurofibromatosis, one of the most common genetic diseases in the U.S.”
Over the course of the partnership, Veronica Beard will host events in some of its retail locations—including the Palisades Village store—donating 10% of event sales to Penny’s Flight Foundation. Additional details about the Palisades event will be available at a later date.
“The Veronica Beard Gives Back program was launched in 2015 to support women and organizations that are making a difference in the world,” read a statement about the partnership.
Kate and Chad Doerge founded Penny’s Flight Foundation in 2022 in memory of their daughter, Penny, who died from a brain tumor caused by NF at the age of 16 in November 2022.
“Despite being one of the most common genetic disorders in the U.S., NF is chronically underfunded,” the statement read. “After Penny’s passing, Kate channeled her grief into action, and started the foundation to celebrate her daughter’s life and to fund much-needed advances in NF research.”
Veronica Beard, founded by sisters-in-law Veronica Miele Beard and Veronica Swanson Beard in 2010, has operated a storefront in Pacific Palisades on Swarthmore Avenue since April 2018.
By continuing to use our site, you understand that we use cookies to improve your experience and collect analytics data. To find out more, read our privacy policy here.
