Gelson’s is hosting its annual toy drive, benefitting children across the region, with a red bin at all 28 of its locations in Southern California, which will be placed for donations through December 17.
Toys collected at the Pacific Palisades Gelson’s, located at 15424 Sunset Boulevard, will go to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which will also be supported by stores in Calabasas, Century City, West Los Angeles and more. Other recipients of toys will be Promises2Kids, Toys for Tots and Miracle for Kids.
“To prevent infection, we can only accept new and unwrapped gifts for infants, children and adolescents,” according to a statement from Gelson’s.
Toy suggestions for infants to age 5 include rattles, interactive crib toys/musicals, soft baby dolls, buildings blocks and balls. For ages 6 to 13, Gelson’s suggested Play-Doh, crafts, art supplies, coloring books, toys, Hello Kitty items and Barbies.
Board games, makeup, nail polish, LA sports team swag, CDs, sports balls and video games were some of the suggested items for ages 13 to 18. For all ages, Gelson’s recommended socks, slippers, hats, beanies, PJs, gifts cards and movies.
“Stuffed toys or toys with small pellets or beans,” would not be accepted: “Toys should be sturdy and free of any parts which may pinch. Please avoid toys that can break easily and leave sharp edges (i.e. made of glass or brittle plastic). Toys that are designed to promote aggressive behaviors (e.g. toy weapons of any kind or violent video games or movies). No food.”
For a complete list of suggestions and further details, visit gelsons.com/toydrive.
The Gray Dragon—a newly opened children’s clothing and toy store in Marquez Knolls—will have a grand opening ribbon-cutting on Saturday, December 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
“Join the Malibu-Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce in celebrating the official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony of The Gray Dragon,” read an email from the chamber. “They carry a curated selection of some of the most popular brand names, ensuring your little ones are dressed for many upcoming holiday functions.”
Festivities will include hot cocoa and “yummy treats” for the kids, as well as a raffle with “fantastic prizes” for the first 50 guests.
“See you there for a day of fun, community and celebration,” the email concluded.
Owned by Adele Heydenrich, The Gray Dragon opened at the start of November: “Please stop by if you’re in the neighborhood,” read a post on social media following its opening. “New inventory going on the shelves daily. And thank you to everyone who has come in since our opening—we appreciate you.”
The boutique is located at 16620 Marquez Avenue, and is open Monday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday by appointment only.
For more information, visit thegraydragon.com or call 310-729-0560. For more information about the event, visit palibu.org.
Photo courtesy of Theatre Palisades Actors' Troupe
By LILY TINOCO | AssistantEditor
The Theatre Palisades Actors’ Troupe and Theater Palisades Membership Entertainment will host its 10th annual Christmas Radio Show on Wednesday, December 13, at Pierson Playhouse.
This year, actors will present Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a reenactment of a 1940’s radio show. Festivities will begin at 7 p.m. with “Christmas Cheer” refreshments, followed by the show at 7:30 p.m.
Dubbed “fun for the whole family,” the show is free to attend—the Actors’ Troupe requested that attendees bring a canned good to donate to Westside Food Bank.
The Theatre Palisades Actors’ Troupe was created in March 2013 by a group of active Theatre Palisades members and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
“The troupe meets twice a month to do scene work, improvisation, devised works and acting exercises,” according to the Theatre Palisades website. “It also invites guest teachers to lead workshops. TPAT performs three times a year for TP Membership Entertainment Nights and provides the entertainment for the TP Annual Meetings every summer. Many members have performed in TP Mainstage productions as well as in TP’s Annual Playwrights’ Festivals every spring.”
The troupe also offers theatre outreach, education and entertainment to the community.
Pacific Palisades residents and students perform in Westside Ballet’s sold-out 50th “Nutcracker” season. Pictured, from left, top row: Olivia Yu, Addison Russell, Elise Dufour, Zoya Abyzov, Lyla Brugger and Mila Bakhshandehpour; middle row: Laurel O'Donnell, Kaia Sappington, Clara Ditter, Valentina Finci, Izzy Heidt and Inès Macpherson; bottom row: Zoe Nakamura, Carlin McCaffrey and Imogen Marble Photo by Sarah Madison Photography
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
When Westside Ballet of Santa Monica’s 50th anniversary “Nutcracker” eight-performance run sold out ahead of its opening at The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage, the studio wanted to offer a way to reach a wider net of supporters from over the years.
So, for “a limited time during the 2023 holiday season,” “The Nutcracker” producers shared a free Vimeo and YouTube link for the community to stream the ballet on their home entertainment systems.
“As we celebrate Westside Ballet’s remarkable 50th anniversary production, we honor our legacy through the exceptional artistry of our star alumni,” Producer and Westside Ballet President Judith Meister said in a statement.
Three Westside Ballet alumni—Tiler Peck, and Palisadians Lucia Connolly and Lyrica Woodruff—each took center stage as the Sugar Plum Fairy during the ballet’s November 25 to December 3 run.
Westside Ballet’s late co-founder Yvonne Mounsey first brought “The Nutcracker” to Los Angeles in 1973, adding her own choreography. Today the company’s rendition is reported to be Southern California’s longest-running production.
Set to the score of Tchaikovsky led by the Santa Monica College Symphony Orchestra, this year’s production featured more than 107 dancers, 225 customs and four “lavishly designed” scenes.
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 Alicia Albek, founder of Vamos Vegan and member of Resilient Palisades Vegan Solutions Team.
The December holidays are here. Isn’t it interesting that what these holidays have in common is the light they bring?
During Hanukkah, we light a candle each night for eight nights, commemorating a miracle of survival for our people and rededication of the ancient temple with light. During Christmas we decorate our homes with lights to commemorate the birth of Jesus, and during Kwanza, seven candles are lit for seven principles celebrating African American and Pan African traditions.
In times of darkness, even one single candle can light up a room. We can each be a light in this world with every act of kindness, generosity, compassion, understanding, tolerance, sympathy, support and enlightenment.
Our world is in peril because of animal agriculture. We are polluting our skies and water ways, and disrespecting earth and its inhabitants, creating an imbalance that must be corrected now. We can move the needle toward saving nature and the planet by choosing more plant-based options at every meal.
Here are vegan recipes you can try this holiday season—no matter which holiday you celebrate. They are all easy and delicious to share with your family and friends. You can even mix it up and include a recipe from another culture that might just become your new tradition as well.
Together we can make this world the paradise that it can be for every single being. And it just simply starts in our plate.
Pali High basketball coach LeBre Merritt instructs Cassian Aguet and Eli Levi after a timeout. Photos by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Thrust into a role he did not anticipate but one he has embraced fully, Palisades Charter High School interim boys basketball coach LeBre Merritt said he was encouraged by what he witnessed during the December 4 Western League opener against Westchester.
Despite losing 59-50 on their home floor, the Dolphins led after the first quarter, battled to the wire and narrowed a nine-point deficit to four with three minutes left before ultimately falling short when the Comets made their free throws down the stretch.
Junior Eli Levi led the way with 10 points for the Dolphins, who dropped to 0-5 overall. Jack Levey and Aten Hassan each scored eight points, Muhammed Butler had seven, and Donovan Knighten and Cassian Aguet each added six.
“It’s been rewarding to coach this team as a former player myself, and I take pride in that,” Merritt said. “I’ve come full circle here, and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”
Kevin Lemle scored 13 for Westchester (2-2), which led 26-23 at halftime and 45-36 through three quarters. The Comets have won 54 of 55 league meetings against Palisades dating back to 1997. The Dolphins’ lone victory over that span was a 38-32 road triumph January 6, 2022, under previous coach Donzell Hayes, who was asked to step away from the program November 12 after eight seasons at the helm. Athletic Director Rocky Montz served as acting coach for Palisades’ opener at Notre Dame the following day.
“The biggest challenge is holding these guys accountable,” said Merritt, who captained Palisades’ varsity team in 2008-09. “That and teaching them that communication is key, both on the court and off it. It’s about positive reinforcement, proving constructive criticism and being a good role model.”
Merritt, who was named interim coach for the rest of the season by Montz prior to the Dolphins’ Tip-Off Classic game against Harvard-Westlake on November 16, opted to pull his team out of last week’s Maranatha Tournament and had to forfeit a contest with Muir, but he said he believes it was worth it. Getting his players in the gym was vitally important for chemistry and morale.
Mike Stewart dribbles through Westchester defenders David Conerly and Patrick Ramos.
“It was the first week we had five straight days of practice, and I saw a ton of improvement since our last game [a 62-49 loss at Culver City on November 18],” Merritt said. “We’ll make more adjustments as we go. We need to work on our transition game and the spacing in our half-court sets. I want the guys to read and react. Don’t be robots.”
While Merritt said he was disappointed the Dolphins did not claim their first victory, he said he knows that will come in due time and Monday’s effort was a step in the right direction.
“We gave Westchester too many second-chance opportunities tonight, which is unfortunate because our rotations were better,” said Merritt, who is working with Montz to add nonleague games in mid-December. “We played really tight defense for most of the [shot] clock, we just had a breakdown at the end or gave up an offensive rebound, so we just have to learn how to complete the possession.”
Merritt started the year as an assistant coach for the Pali High girls team, and he continues to help in that capacity as well: “I’m still doing my part with them. I talked to them before they got on the bus today and they got back in time to watch the end of our game. We’re creating a culture wherein both teams support each other. I’m on campus everyday so I’ll be involved in both programs for sure.”
Ninety minutes before the boys game tipped off, the girls played on the road at Westchester, and although they lost to the defending City Open Division champions 64-56, Coach Adam Levine said he was pleased with the Dolphins’ fight and likes his team’s chances when the teams face off in the second round of league January 19, 2024, at Palisades.
“It was a great game and I think it shows we can be a contender in City,” Levine said. “Last year we got blown out the first game against them and only lost by four the second time.”
Guards Alyssa Ramirez (15 points) and Elly Tierney (13 points) were the scoring leaders for the Dolphins, who finished 2-1 in last week’s Westside Classic, defeating Simi Valley 65-28, then beating Crenshaw 55-48 in a rematch of last year’s Open Division quarterfinals in which the Cougars prevailed by 17 points. In their final game of the tournament November 30, Palisades fell to powerhouse Ventura, 62-49.
The boys and girls resumed league action Wednesday, December 6, versus University and take on Venice on Friday, December 8. The girls host the Gondoliers at 4:30 p.m. while the boys travel for a 6 p.m. tip-off.
Jaxon Bell (middle) won six races in his rookie season in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series. Photo courtesy of Townsend Bell
By Steve Galluzzo | Sports Editor
What a rookie season auto racing phenom Jaxon Bell had in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series.
The 2021 Palisades Charter High School graduate and oldest son of Palisades residents Townsend and Heather Bell was able to record six wins and 11 podiums in 16 races, including two victories and three fastest laps in his last four races on the circuit.
In April, Jaxon made his dad (a three-time Top-10 finisher at the Indy 500) very proud with a pair of first-place finishes in his debut April 3 to 5 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Three weeks later Jaxon swept both races at NOLA Motorsports Park in Louisiana.
In the third event at Virginia International Raceway he was fourth in the first race and 12th out of 16 drivers in the second. At Road America in Wisconsin August 11 to 13, Jaxon was third in both races.
Several weeks after that, the Series shifted to Lime Rock Park where he finished 14th in Race 1 but rebounded to take second place in Race 2.
The former Palisades Charter Elementary and Calvary Christian school student, who grew up playing PPBA baseball and flag football at Palisades Recreation Center, as well as football at Pali High, took seventh in the first race and 13th in the second race October 10 to 11 at Sebring International Raceway in Florida.
After qualifying third in the West Coast stop at Weathertech Raceway Laguna Seca near Salinas in early November, Jaxon won Race 1 and took second in Race 2. The final Series stop was November 22 to 24 at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, and Jaxon was second in Race 1 and first in Race 2.
Overall, Jaxon finished third in the final standings with 437 points behind winner Sebastian Wheldon (456 points) and runner-up Joshua Alianell (440).
As a feather in his cap, Jaxon placed third in Race 2 of the Music City GP in October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway—his first GRCup trophy finish.
Senior striker Erica Hamilton is off to a fast start with four goals in the Dolphins’ first four games. Photo by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
The Palisades Charter High School boys and girls soccer teams opened the season in similar fashion after each ended last season with a defeat to El Camino Real in the semifinals of the City Division I playoffs.
The boys, coached by Pali High alum Marvin Lemus, posted an 8-0-3 record in Western League competition last fall to finish in first place. They earned the seventh seed in the 16-team Division I bracket, and beat No. 10 Granada Hills and No. 2 Chavez by 1-0 scores before losing to ECR on penalty kicks following a 0-0 draw in regulation. They advanced to the SoCal Regional Division III tournament and upset No. 2 Los Alamitos 1-0 before falling to No. 3 El Dorado in the semifinals.
On November 27, senior Jayce Jones scored three times and Jesse Altaminaro added a goal in the Dolphins’ season-opening 4-0 shutout of LA Wilson. Two days later, Palisades hosted Venice in its Western League opener, and the teams played to a 0-0 draw.
On December 1, the Dolphins traveled to Fairfax and again tied 0-0. On Monday, December 4, the Dolphins suffered a 3-0 intersectional loss at Oak Park.
They resumed league action Wednesday, December 6, at Hamilton and host Westchester this Friday, December 8, at 3 p.m.
They travel to Hawkins High for the South East Winter Classic December 28 to 30 when they will take on Animo Robinson, Bravo Medical and tournament host Hawkins in pool play.
Also on the slate are nonleague home games versus Taft (December 20 at 4 p.m.); Chavez (January 4, 2024, at 4 p.m.); Locke (January 8, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.) and Animo Leadership (January 17, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.).
Key returners are Jones (who scored a team-high 11 goals last winter), Altaminaro (seven goals, four assists a year ago). Palisades lost 14 players to graduation, including All-City midfielders Not Badener and Josh McCowan. Birmingham is the reigning Division I champion.
On the girls side, head coach Christian Chambers is happy to have two All-City players back in senior goalkeeper Jacinda Hevesy-Rodriguez (10 shutouts and 13 wins in 16 games) and senior midfielder Alex Digenarro (six goals, seven assists last season). Nine players graduated, among them scoring leader Alaina Porter (20 goals, seven assists last winter) but also returning is Erica Hamilton, who tallied 18 goals and five assists last year.
Palisades opened the season with a 2-2 tie versus Marymount on November 27 (Hamilton scored both goals), then drew with Venice 0-0 on the road in its Western League opener. Eleven different girls scored in a 12-0 rout of Fairfax on December 1, and on Monday, December 4, the Dolphins edged host Cleveland 2-1 in nonleague play thanks to a goal by Hamilton and two assists by midfielder Caroline Quigley.
The Dolphins played league rival Hamilton on Wednesday, December 6, host Wiseburn-DaVinci of El Segundo in intersectional action at 5 p.m. Thursday, December 7, and return to league competition Friday, December 8, at Stadium by the Sea at 4:30 p.m. against Westchester.
The schedule also features nonleague home contests against Windward (January 3, 2024, at 5 p.m.); San Pedro (January 5, 2024, at 5 p.m.); defending City Division I champion ECR (January 6, 2024, at 6 p.m.); Birmingham (January 20, 2024, at 6 p.m); Brentwood (January 30, 2024, at 4:30 p.m.); and New West Charter (February 1, 2024, at 4 p.m.).
Palisades’ girls have never won the City upper division championship. The boys won it once, in 2015-16, under previous coach Dave Suarez.
Outside hitter Ava Pearce (left) and middle blocker Hazel Irving made the All-City First Team. Photos by Steve Galluzzo
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
After leading their team to the Open Division semifinals and 35 total victories, four Palisades Charter High School players were named to the 2023 All-City girls volleyball team.
Making the Open Division first team were junior middle blocker Hazel Irving and senior outside hitter Ava Pearce. Neither one of them played in Palisades’ CIF SoCal Regional Division III match against Pacific Ridge on November 27, a major reason the Dolphins lost in three sets.
Earning second team honors were senior opposite/outside hitter Carly Bloom and senior libero Gabi Kawasaki.
Alyssa Lee of Open Division champion El Camino Real was voted Coach of the Year while Royals senior outside hitter Claire Grasteit shared Player of the Year accolades with senior middle blocker Claire Mussell of runner-up Taft.
Rounding out the first team were libero Anika Bernardo, setter Addison Choi and middle blocker Niki Ghasemi of ECR; setter Francine Baltazar-Shine and opposite hitter Aleiah Carr of Taft; outside hitter Samantha Lortie and libero Tinoa Woodward-Hart of Venice; outside hitter Valeria Bellodas-Lazo of Granada Hills; setter Lauren Pun of Chatsworth; outside hitter Makana Pineda from Cleveland; and outside hitter Daisy Kabukuru of Birmingham.
Marshall’s Joseph Manahan earned Division I Coach of the Year recognition while Barristers setter Sascha Carmichael was selected Player of the Year. Andrew Paschen from Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies is the Division II Coach of the Year and Unicorns outside hitter Kalyani Olive is the Player of the Year. Division III MVP honors went to outside hitter Veronica Lanuza of City champion Rancho Dominguez and the Division IV Player of the Year was Viviana Cuellar of Lakeview Charter.
The last Palisades girl to be chosen City Player of the Year was junior setter Kaia Kanan in 2020.
Everychild Foundation announced its $1 million grant recipient: Vision To Learn, which will launch a pilot program to bring specialized vision care to each student in Compton Unified School District.
Founded in 2012 by Palisadians Austin (former LAUSD superintendent) and Virginia Beutner, the program provides prescription eyeglasses at no cost to students via a mobile vision clinic at schools and community organizations.
“Everychild’s 2023 grant will fund a ground-breaking two-year pilot program with VTL and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, utilizing three new mobile vision clinics and next-generation telehealth technologies to provide a multi-tiered ‘pyramid of care’ to an estimated 19,000 K to 12 students in the Compton Unified School District,” according to a statement. “Approximately 5,000 students will be prescribed and provided with new eyeglasses, and the estimated 10 to 20% of students examined by VTL optometrists identified as needing a higher level of eye care will now have access to CHLA ophthalmologists in real time.”
Approximately one in four students needs glasses on average, the foundation reported, but in low-income communities up to 95% of students miss “regular and adequate” eye care.
“This effort in Compton will be the first in the nation to provide every school child in a low-income community with comprehensive eye care, at scale,” Austin Beutner said in a statement. “When kids come to school hungry, we feed them. We make sure students have the books and school materials they need, and that every classroom has a great teacher. Why not eye care to make sure they can get the most out their education?”
Everychild Foundation, founded and led by Palisadian Jacqueline Caster, returned to its model of awarding a $1 million grant to launch or expand a project designed to ease “suffering of Los Angeles-area children.”
“The women of the Everychild Foundation are thrilled to have this opportunity to partner with Vision To Learn,” Caster said in a statement. “When children lack good eyesight, they invariably fall behind in school, which sets them up for a less successful life on so many levels. This new program has the ability to catch many serious visual problems that would otherwise go undetected and set children up for preventable lifelong disabilities.”
For the previous three years, Everychild pivoted to respond to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, distributing “relief grants” to multiple area nonprofits. The foundation is made up of 200 women who donate $6,000 each year to fund granting.
“This is the 24th year of grant-making, and Everychild has given more than $22 million to help Los Angeles area children and their families,” the statement continued. “This year, Everychild was also able to make a $100,000 Special Recognition Award to grant finalist College Match.”
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