The ribbon was cut on a new butterfly garden at Winding Way in Simon Meadow during a ceremony on the morning of Friday, April 5.
The butterfly garden marks the most recent addition to the area, joining several upcycled treasures, including a collection of colorful birdhouses. The garden was made possible with a donation by Colleen Morrissey, who was celebrated during the ceremony.
“Last December 2023, Colleen attended the ribbon cutting for the YMCA’s new quarter-mile walking path: Pali Path,” Cindy Simon, who has helped steward the land over the years, said. “She engaged [Palisades-Malibu YMCA] Executive Director Jim Kirtley in a tour and along the way said, ‘Jim, I’d like to contribute to the beauty of this place.’”
A few years ago, Simon explained, the area where Winding Way now stands had a “huge eucalyptus tree” which “one day toppled over.” That is when she installed the birdhouses (brought in a suitcase from Cape Cod: “But that’s another story,” Simon joked). The birdhouses were recently moved to a different part of Winding Way to make space for the butterfly garden.
“Colleen has always been an admirer of beauty,” Simon said. “Her front lawn is pretty much the Arboretum of the Huntington … with roses, fruit trees and tall sycamores. When you pass by her house, you feel like you are in a Jo Malone commercial … this butterfly garden is yet another ‘special kiss’ of Colleen Morrissey to our community. Thank you, Queen Colleen.”
Tracey Price, who grew up in the Palisades, married her high school sweetheart, David, and built their landscape company, American Growers.
“Without Tracey’s expertise as a landscape designer and the incredible work of her landscaping team, Simon Meadow would look nothing like it does today,” Simon said. “Tracey basically took four acres of ‘misha-masha’ and created this oasis of natural beauty.”
Simon Meadow, which is located at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Temescal Canyon Road, is operated by Palisades-Malibu YMCA. It is home to the annual pumpkin patch and Christmas tree lot, as well as used throughout the year by schools and camps. It has hosted several communitywide events, including the 50th anniversary jubilee of Pacific Palisades Community Council and the centennial celebration of the Palisades.
Price brainstormed ideas for the butterfly garden design, Simon said, finding boulders and a plumber (for the fountain), as well as plantings. The next question was how to keep kids from “over-loving” the space.
“As if the good Lord above was listening to us, days later, another tree fell over and Tracey had the brilliant idea to use its branches to form a protective fence around the garden,” Simon explained.
Simon thanked Kirtley, for saying “Let’s go for it” to her and Price’s ideas, and Dorothy Miyake, who hand-crafted the origami butterflies that are now placed in the garden.
“Thank you Colleen for this gift, Tracey for your artistic vision and thoughtful implementation,” Simon said, “Dorothy for the decor, and Jim for your ‘Let’s do it’ attitude.”
Attendees then sang “Happy Birthday” to Colleen’s husband John, before the ribbon was cut. The ceremony concluded with people walking around to check out the newly opened space, which was also available to visit the next day during the Palisades-Malibu YMCA Spring Festival & Egg Hunt.
Friends of Marquez hosted its annual fundraiser at the Jonathan Club in Santa Monica on Saturday evening, March 16, raising more than $70,000 for Marquez Charter Elementary School.
“The auction is Marquez’s ‘not-to-miss’ fundraising gala of the year, and it is our second biggest fundraiser,” according to Friends of Marquez. “A large team of parent volunteers work together to organize the entire event, from all aspects of event planning to soliciting auction item donations.”
Friends of Marquez is a nonprofit organization run by parent volunteers who fundraise and work with the Marquez Governing Board and school leaders.
The Caruso Foundation was this year’s lead sponsor of the event, alongside The Law Office of Alexander T. Gruft and The Rehabilitation Center of Beverly Hills.
This year’s theme was Marquez Music Festival. The event included silent and live auctions, dinner, and dancing with live music by Marquez parent Dan Stein and his band, Shambala.
Adam Wolfson and Shoshana Himmel served as live auctioneers. This year’s catalog featured a stay at the Four Seasons in Maui, as well as experiences like learning how to brew beer and creating a custom brew.
The most anticipated live auction items included the chance to choose the school’s logo on the lower yard basketball courts and a reserved spot in the Marquez parking lot.
The event was led by Himmel and Marquez alumni Haley Greenberg, with co-chairs Tiffany Ashrafi, Michelle Oles, Sarah Goldsmith and Jamie Wolin.
“Some of my fondest childhood memories are from my time at Marquez,” Greenberg said. “Many of the staff and teachers that were at the school when I attended in the ’90s are still there today, which speaks to their unwavering commitment to these kids. It has been such a privilege to be able to send my daughter to this magical school, and watch her enjoy the same incredible community and teachers I was able to enjoy as a kid.”
Matt Plume—on behalf of the American Legion-Ronald Reagan Palisades Post 283—presented a $10,000 donation check.
In total, the event garnered more than $70,000 to support the school. Funds raised will go toward lowering class sizes, paying for additional teachers and any other school needs.
“Immersing myself in the community now as a parent and working with a superstar group of moms to throw together this year’s auction was a joy,” Greenberg said after the event. “We are so fortunate that everything went off without a hitch, and that we were able to raise money to support our incredible kids, teachers and staff that keep this school special.”
Performances of Theatre Palisades’ latest show, “A View from the Bridge,” are now underway—and it is leaving audiences captivated from start to finish.
“Eddie Carbone, a Brooklyn longshoreman, makes room in his home for two of his wife’s cousins that have been smuggled into the country,” read a synopsis of the play, which was written by Arthur Miller. “When one of the men falls in love with Catherine, Eddie’s teenage niece he raised as his own, a jealousy takes hold in Eddie that can only lead to tragedy.”
The two-act play is set in and around Carbone’s apartment in Red Hook, which is “on the Bay seaward from Brooklyn Bridge.” It is set in December 1955.
The show is directed by Cate Caplin, and produced by Martha Hunter and Sherman Wayne.
“A bridge represents an in-between space—space that does not fully belong to either of the shores it connects,” Caplin wrote in a director’s note. “Each character in ‘A View from the Bridge’ offers a perspective from his or her own personal bridge straddling two different worlds: Italy and the United States, childhood and adulthood, [and] old world cultural traditions and ‘new world’ opportunities … ”
Each of the cast members approaches the performance with the same level of commitment and intensity—the best way to describe it is that seeing them come together on the stage felt like watching a movie. At some points of the show, I felt myself gripping them armrest, wondering what would come next.
The play is narrated by a lawyer, Alfieri, played by Jason Culp, who looks like he was plucked from a television show courtroom—his casting could not have been better. With ample foreshadowing, the audience knew things would go wrong, but how wrong would they get? (No spoilers here, but pretty wrong).
The three main members in the family unit—Eddie (Peter Gregory), Catherine (Isabella DiBernardino) and Beatrice (Maria O’Connor)—are convincingly believable in their respective roles. Eddie and Beatrice as husband and wife, aunt and uncle to Catherine, who was born and raised by the couple after losing her parents.
The three of them also deliver equally impressive performances: As the play comes to an end, Gregory acts and looks like a different person than he was at the start, letting the audience see his character fully unravel.
I cannot imagine the role of Catherine was easy to undertake—as the character is in several uncomfortable situations—but DiBernardino nails it, taking a role that is meant to be dramatic, but not making it over the top, a balance that can be hard to strike.
O’Connor is no stranger to the Theatre Palisades stage, as a producer (“Bell, Book & Candle”) and an actor (“Towards Zero,” “A Comedy of Tenors”), and while her undertaking of Beatrice is excellent as a standalone performance, it also is fun for a person who attends multiple shows to see her full depth as an actor through her varying roles.
Darren M.B. (Marco) and Monty Renfrow (Rodolpho) are cast as Beatrice’s cousins, two characters who have opposite approaches to their arrival and role in America, giving a glimpse into two very different experiences. (Bonus: Renfrow can really sing!)
The cast is rounded out by Eric Shaffer (Tony, Immigration Officer), Christopher Landis (Mike), Joshua Farrell (Immigration Officer), David T. Downs (Immigration Officer) and Andrew Chase (Louis).
The heart that the cast and crew put into this show to make it entertaining from start to finish is quite apparent from a seat in the audience.
Performances of “A View from the Bridge” will run through April 28 at Pierson Playhouse, located at 941 Temescal Canyon Road. Shows are Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m., as well as Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $22 for general admission, $20 for seniors and students.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit theatrepalisades.org or call 310-454-1970.
Your Favorite Disney Characters Return to SoCal: “Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party” Brings the Magic to Fans Through Innovative Technology and Transformative Performances This Spring to Ontario and Long Beach from April 18 to 28
“Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party” is bringing the magic to guests through dynamic moments that take place on the ice and in the air. This adventure delivers compelling storytelling through multi-leveled production numbers so be prepared to join this magical search and help unlock an epic journey when “Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party” delivers an unforgettable experience with performances at Toyota Arena in Ontario from April 18 to 21 followed by Long Beach Arena from April 25 to 28.
Embark on a quest with Mickey Mouse and pals as they follow Captain Hook’s treasure map for clues to find Tinker Bell after he attempts to capture her magic. Journey across the Marigold Bridge with Miguel from Disney●Pixar’s “Coco” into the magnificent and mystical Land of the Dead and discover a vibrantly colorful performance with skeletons atop sway poles dancing over the audience in a beautiful cultural celebration of family.
Travel to the wintry world of Arendelle and sing along with Elsa as video projection creates a kaleidoscope of crystals to help build her ice palace. Witness Belle lift into the sky as the enchanted chandelier comes to life high over the ice.
Demonstrate the power of teamwork when Buzz Lightyear, Woody and Jessie recruit the Green Army Men for a daring rescue in Andy’s room. Laugh hysterically as the hilarious pirates flip, tumble and twist on tumble tracks, stilts and more in an effort to showcase their talents for Captain Hook.
Sail away with Moana on her daring voyage across the ocean and bravely encounter the fiery wrath of Te Ka. And make memories with your whole family during “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid” as the search party becomes an all-out magical celebration.
Ontario
When: Thursday, April 18 7 p.m.
Friday, April 19 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 20 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 21 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Where: Toyota Arena: 4000 Ontario Center Pkwy, Ontario, CA 91764
Tickets: Family friendly ticket pricing available—tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or in-person at the venue box office.
Long Beach
When: Thursday, April 25 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 26 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 27 11 a.m., 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Sunday, April 28 12:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.
Where: Long Beach Arena: 300 E Ocean Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90802
Tickets: Family friendly ticket pricing available—tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or in-person at the venue box office.
Bruce Lurie Gallery will host Alphabet Streets resident Lisa McCord as she presents her recently published book, “Rotan Switch,” as well as an exhibition of her work, April 16 to 18.
Her work will be on display April 16 to 18 from 12 to 6 p.m. A viewing of the exhibition and book signing event will take place Thursday, April 18 from 6 to 8 p.m.
McCord is a fine art and documentary photographer who lives and works out of Los Angeles and Arkansas. “Rotan Switch” is McCord’s first monograph, documenting life on her grandparents’ cotton farm in the Arkansas Delta community of Rotan.
“I was 21 years old when I began photographing Rotan Switch,” McCord said to the Palisadian-Post. “This project spans 45 years—from 1978 to present day—following five generations of a community.”
McCord said though she has lived in many places, home for her remains “firmly rooted” in the Arkansas land and people.
“I developed close relationships with the people who worked on the farm,” McCord explained. “They welcomed me into their homes, we’d share fried chicken and black-eyed peas, meet at the cafe where they relaxed at the end of a hard work week, and at church on Sundays, we’d sing ‘Sweet Jesus, Carry Me Home.’”
She described the photographs she captured as “complicated,” and her ability to observe and document them reflects “a position of privilege.”
“These photographs … exist in the context of the socioeconomic structures of the rural South,” she said. “The images are coupled with my own memories, as well as reflections by the people in the photographs. These images are a record of my story of Rotan and the Arkansas Delta, a story that is specific to my and my family’s role in a place where inequities exist to this day. I have done my best to acknowledge this complicated history.”
Printed and bound in Germany, “Rotan Switch” is 204 pages of McCord’s analog photographs, family snapshots and monochrome photographs, color polaroids and recipes. It is available for purchase for $64 on McCord’s website.
She invited the community to her exhibition and book signing at Bruce Lurie Gallery—located at 873 Via De La Paz.
For more information or to purchase “Rotan Switch,” visit lisamccordphotography.com/rotanswitchbook.
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 Bonnie Zucker.
Come to the Resilient Palisades Earth Day 2024 event, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Pacific Palisades. The event will occur on April 14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Village Green, next to Pacific Palisades Farmers Market.
Resilient Palisades is a local organization dedicated to addressing the climate crisis. Last year’s Earth Day was a huge success, and this year is shaping up to be a great community celebration for all ages.
We will have vendors selling crepes and tamales throughout the event, and we will provide reusable cutlery and cups. We will also have musical entertainment, thanks to Palisades Charter High School senior Shawna Ashley (10:30 a.m.), The Shambles (11 a.m.) and the Harvard Yardbirds (12:30 p.m.).
Guest speaker Palisadian Ed Begley, Jr. will share words of hope and encouragement around 10:10 a.m., followed by a representative from Councilmember Traci Parks’ office.
There will be activities for kids, compliments of Camp Wildcraft and Pali High students. You can also learn what the various Resilient Palisades teams have been up to. Stop by the Zero Waste table for a complimentary reusable produce bag and kitchen compost pail.
We are also fortunate to have several organizations and businesses that will be at the event: Palisades Rotary Club, Forestry Committee, Temescal Canyon Association, Athens Services, LA Parks Foundation, LA Waterkeeper, Ridwell, Heal the Bay, Sierra Club, Santa Monica Mountains Fund, Prana by Lana, TruEarth, Cabbage Hill Fertilizer and Pacific Palisades Community Council.
700 El Medio Ave, between March 20 at 12 p.m. and March 21 at 11:50 a.m. Vehicle taken from street or driveway.
Burglary/Theft From Vehicle
700 Radcliffe Ave, between March 20 at 9:40 p.m. and March 21 at 5:30 a.m. Suspect gained entry into victim’s secured vehicle. Suspect took victim’s property and fled location.
300 Amalfi Drive, March 21 at 6 a.m. Suspect broke rear passenger window of vehicle, took victim’s golf clubs and fled location.
16000 Junaluska Way, between March 23 at 6 p.m. and March 24 at 9 a.m. Suspect removed victim’s property from unsecured vehicle and fled location.
Theft
1000 Swarthmore Ave, March 23 at 6:35 p.m. Suspects entered store and removed victim’s property without paying for merchandise.
Provided by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin. In case of emergency, call 911. To report a non-emergency, call 877-275-5273.
Being parents of a 2022 college graduate now living in NYC’s East Village, we so appreciate David G’s candor. For all students and parents thinking about those east coast dreams, we encourage you to read his articles. David’s words are spot on and we look forward to his first book!
‘An Angel Among Us’
On the evening of March 19th, I tripped and fell near the corner of Swarthmore Ave. and Antioch while walking with my husband. I did not know it at the time but my pelvis was fractured. I was in considerable pain and braced myself on a low post while my husband ran 4 blocks to retrieve our car. As soon as he left, a woman seemed to appear out of nowhere. She offered to stay with me until my husband arrived. While we waited, she drove her car next to the curb and helped me into her front seat to rest. When my husband arrived, the two of them moved me into his car. I would like to thank her for stopping to help and comfort me, a stranger in distress. There are indeed angels among us.
Potrero
The wildflowers in full bloom at Potrero Canyon are stunning!
Coffee I
A quaint coffee shop in Marquez Knolls would be just delightful.
Coffee II
Marquez Knolls could really use a coffee shop!! It would do so well in our community.
Earth Day
I have seen posts for two Earth Day events so far in the Palisades. I love that we are celebrating this day with productive solutions, like a beach cleanup.
Weather
I thought we were through with the rain when I saw that it’s meant to reach the high 70s this week but alas we may see more of it this weekend.
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.
MĀVVEN Mercantile Joins Antioch Street With ‘Wellness Essentials,’ ‘Curated Homewares,’ Yoga, Soundbaths and More
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Selling homewares and wellness essentials during the day, leading a series of workshops and classes in the mornings and evenings.
An added bonus? Showing their daughters the “importance of pursuing your passion and giving back to the community.
“Gathering and creative space” MĀVVEN Mercantile—which opened on Antioch Street in early March—is led by longtime Palisadian best friends Lisa Waters and Michelle Villemaire. The store, which offers “wellness essentials and curated homewares,” operates with a mission to “foster joy, growth and healing through connection to yourself and community.”
Waters, MĀVVEN owner and co-founder, has had a career in the health and wellness space that spans more than 25 years.
“I’ve done marketing and public relations for pharmaceuticals for big agencies and big brands, like very large pharmaceutical companies and biotech companies,” the Sunset Mesa resident explained to the Palisadian-Post. “I did that for a really long time … I turned 50 this year and decided I really wanted to try my own business. I’ve spent my life building businesses for other people, and I really decided I would like to build one for myself.”
She said she thought through all the things that she could do and got together with MĀVVEN Co-Founder and COO Villemaire, an interior designer, DIY expert, television personality and activist, who Waters has known since the age of 13.
Waters and Villemaire met in seventh grade in Florida, then went to college together in Boston. Waters moved to Los Angeles, then Villemaire moved out here as well. Both ended up settling on the Westside.
Villemaire’s work has previously been seen in the heart of town, when she “yarn bombed” the Village Green to celebrate Women’s History Month. She said over the years, she enjoyed doing it so much, “the idea of creating a brick and mortar space where people could come and find community really appealed” to her.
“In the olden days, a town mercantile was the place where you’d get your flour and stamps,” Villemaire said, “but you’d also run into all of your neighbors and maybe some local gossip. I wanted MĀVVEN to be like an old-fashioned mercantile, a place to pick up essentials, gather with friends and feed our souls.”
The two combined their experience to create MĀVVEN: Waters explained that design is Villemaire’s passion, while health and wellness is hers.
“It’s been kind of a lifelong journey to end up raising daughters in the same town, which is odd in and of itself—and lovely,” Water shared. “We’re chosen family.”
In fact, MĀVVEN is a combination of Waters and Villemaire’s daughter’s names—Mabel and Vivian. Waters said her daughter “literally walks over to the store after school in the afternoon,” while Villemaire’s daughter, Pearl, is working there part-time: “It’s very much a family business.”
“I want to cultivate that real small town feel where you come in, and you feel known and you feel seen, and you feel appreciated for who you are,” Waters said. “That people take time to listen to you.”
The name also “speaks to the definition of ‘maven,’” which is “one who understands.”
“Mavens are considered experts in a field,” read the website. “Yet one does not become a maven overnight—MĀVVENs are born from an accumulation of knowledge, experience and inspiration.”
Waters said she got into healthcare because she is a “do-gooder by nature.”
“I just really, truly thought that I was doing really good things my whole career,” Waters explained. “And I think in a lot of ways I was and decided I really wanted to do something more in the community, like give back to my own community.”
Waters described her and Villemaire’s style—as well as the space—as “very California,” “very laid-back” and “West Coast-y.”
When it comes to homewares and wellness essentials, MĀVVEN carries several local artists, including works by ceramic artist Stephanie Morton-Millstein, a resident of Santa Monica Canyon.
“That’s actually something that I’m very passionate about,” Waters said.
In addition, most of the homewares available are handmade. Waters said she “hand-selected” things that she would like and buy. Other items available include journals and baskets.
Waters also works with ceramicists around the country—including an artist named Gale Ray, who is based out of Charleston, South Carolina—and that she has sourced from travels.
The store was “founded on the belief that clarity comes from activity and engagement,” which is why it includes a “beautiful space to experience events in self expression and personal development, movement, breath, and sound.”
“MĀVVEN was created to function as a home where all who enter feel a sense of belonging,” read a post on social media. “Events to feed the soul and heal the heart are here in our safe space.”
MĀVVEN offers a full slate of events, all led by fellow Palisadian instructors: Nora Plesent will host “Longing for Belonging” on Friday, April 12, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. “Breath, Sound and Movement” will take place on Friday, April 19, from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., led by Nish Fox.
“We’re going to have a set schedule of wellness activities and community activities,” Waters explained, “and then we will rotate in different experts, depending on what the community responds to.”
MĀVVEN will be home to a “gentle flow yoga class” every Wednesday at 9 a.m. with instructor Kim Harrington. There will also be a mid-level/advanced yoga flow class every Saturday and Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. with Matty Whitmore, which will begin on April 27.
The community is invited to “join wellness and sound practitioners Lexi and Tim Hade for a soundbath meditative concert” on Sunday, April 21, from 6 to 7:15 p.m. The “Sunday Evening Soundbath,” which will take place once per month, will be “a combination of sound healing instruments” that will be “used to create a relaxing, healing experience,” designed to leave participants “feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.”
“The whole space is purpose-built, so all the furniture easily gets put away,” Waters described, “and then the mats come out or the meditation chairs come out.”
A month after the opening of the space, Waters said the reception from practitioners she has worked with so far has been “overwhelmingly positive,” that “they love this space” and “how it feels in the store.”
“We created MĀVVEN for the community,” Waters concluded. “We’re offering what we’re offering because we’re hoping that community reception will be positive—and it has been.”
MĀVVEN is located at 15326 Antioch Street, between Juice Crafters and Katie O’Neill’s Fine Art Studio. For more information, including a complete list of upcoming workshops, visit mavvenmercantile.com.
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.”
Greet Your Kids Like You’re a Dog
Photo courtesy Jimmy Dunne/Shutterstock
As a young dad, I was forever hunting for that magic manual with all the answers on “how to raise a kid.”
Never found that book.
My parents never found it either.
As a dad, sometimes you look back at things you wish you could take another swing at.
Here’s one on my list.
I learned it from watching all the fabulous dogs we’ve been so lucky to have in our lives.
……………
You know how when you walk in the door, and your dogs run up and jump all over you? Just go absolutely looney tunes? Their tails spin around like helicopters?
And they try so hard to say something like, “Aaaaarrrrhhhrr. Ouuurrrrhhhhrrr.” Trying their best to say, “I just love you and missed you so, so, so very much that I can’t see straight.”
I think they’re on to something.
Moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, here’s an idea.
When you see your kids or your grandkids …
Do that.
Every time.
Whether they’re 2 months—or 32.
Give it to ’em with everything you’ve got.
Every noise, every hug, every everything that tells ’em they’re the bee’s knees.
That they bring you so much crazy joy.
That whatever wonderful is, that’s what they are.
And, in return, I think we all get a door prize.
A little glimpse of that kid in all of us again.
Gotta go.
I think my grandkid just walked in our front door.
“Auurrrrrrhhh. Ouwwwoooohhh!”
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.
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