Palisades Symphony will present its next concert, “Voices and Symphonies,” on Sunday, October 26, at 7 p.m. at Mount Olive Lutheran Church, located at 1343 Ocean Park Boulevard in Santa Monica.
“We launch the season with excerpts from [Ludwig van] Beethoven’s buoyant ‘Symphony No. 8’ and [Johannes] Brahms’ dramatic ‘Fourth Symphony,’ alongside thrilling excerpts from [Giuseppe] Verdi’s operas, ‘Rigoletto’ and ‘Un ballo in maschera,’” according to a show synopsis. “A special highlight is [Edvard] Grieg’s ‘Holberg Suite,’ which will feature and strengthen our string section with its elegant, virtuosic writing. We’ll also explore a rarely heard gem, [Nikolla] Zoraqi’s ‘Kaba for Orchestra,’ which vividly evokes a traditional folk genre of Albania. This program celebrates the orchestra’s versatility—from classical sparkle to romantic intensity.”
The concert will include Emma Berggren (soprano) and Matthew Peterson (baritone), with Conductor Maxim Kuzin and Guest Conductor Andrew Karatay. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. For more information, visit palisadessymphony.org.
Pacific Coast Highway, October 9 at 10:30 p.m. Suspects entered apartment through front door and ransacked interior. Unknown what type of property taken.
Aggravated Assault
Sunset Boulevard & Swarthmore Avenue, October 4 at 9:20 p.m. (Stranger Dispute) Victim (juvenile) and his friends were shooting each other with paint ball guns while they were in the park. Suspect approached them and yelled at them to stop shooting off fireworks. Victims walked back to their vehicles when the suspect ran toward them and swung an unknown metal object in their direction. Victims entered their vehicles and drove off.
The following update was sent from Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin on Wednesday, October 15.
For the last couple weeks, our crime picture has been staying relatively low. I would like to highlight a couple of arrests made by our officers and detective unit.
An arrest was made from the assistance of a police department up north from a vehicle that was stolen from the PCH and Temescal area. With the help of our detective unit, the vehicle was located up north with the suspect still in it. The suspect was arrested for the stolen vehicle and possession of narcotics and a firearm.
Another incident I would like to highlight is from our partnership with our residents, security companies and our beach detail. In a nutshell, a trio of vehicle burglars (allegedly) were tampering with a vehicle and took some items out of it. A resident saw the suspicious activity and called their contracted security company who called the police.
Our Beach Detail, Officer Adam Margin, was headed to the area where he was able to find the vehicle still in the area. Margin called in for additional units, and the suspects were taken into custody and arrested. There were numerous items in the vehicle indicating they might have been involved in other vehicle crimes.
Kudos to Margin, Palisades Patrol and our resident for making the teamwork.
License plate reader cameras were used to track and locate both arrests. The theft from vehicle suspects along Palisades Drive was used by Margin to narrow down the area/neighborhood where the suspects and vehicle were ultimately located.
The stolen vehicle was located through LPR by sheriffs in Santa Maria who were notified the stolen vehicle was in their area when it passed by a LPR camera.
I wanted to bring this to your attention, as having cameras does indeed help law enforcement in trying to locate vehicles we are looking for.
Provided by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin. In case of emergency, call 911. To report a non-emergency, call 877-275-5273.
Please support the local businesses that have reopened. I went to Ruby’s Nails today and they were so happy to see me.
Kudos
5,000 trees to plant, wow, wonderful goal, Seven Arrows Elementary School! AND way to go Dolphins football team on the win streak. Always love reading about how Gladstones Restaurant feeds the team their delicious food before games along with team life experience coach, Joe Spector. AND good seeing former UCLA player, Jordan Myrow, at the helm of Dolphins baseball and GO DODGERS, helping our city come together with our excitement on how they play.
The Longest Table
I appreciate the community coming together for The Longest Table event. While so many remain displaced, gathering at every opportunity we can is crucial.
Dolphins
Really amazing to follow the Dolphins’ football season. Great work, team!
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 Resilient Palisades Social Media Lead Sara G. Marti.
Immediately after the fire—like literally the next day—I found myself scrambling to reconnect with the people who meant the most to me: my Resilient Palisades family and the board of the Palisades Village Green. It was all too clear that everything physical I’d known to be true was gone.
I already knew many of my fellow community leaders had lost their homes, because, like everyone else, I was glued to the news, recognizing each street, each address, each heartbreak. I reopened the Village Green email thread, and soon Resilient Palisades was back on Zoom.
One by one, we confirmed what we already feared, but also something far more important: That even in the worst moments, we still had each other. And that meant we still had home.
We didn’t fall apart. We regrouped, re-imagined and rebuilt.
The Village Green, miraculously, had sustained only minor damage and by early spring, the trees were blooming again. Our board president, Cindy Kirven, through her own loss, made sure repairs happened.
Resilient Palisades reorganized too, creating new priorities for a changed world.
But what I really want to share this week isn’t a green piece of advice. It’s a feeling. Because what sustained me then, and still does now, are the moments when our community comes together in small but powerful ways.
That feeling resurfaced this month at our annual vegan potluck, a beloved Resilient Palisades tradition that, like so many of us, found a temporary home this year. Still, the warmth was the same. Neighbors and friends sharing food, stories, laughter and a sense of continuity that can’t be lost to any fire.
Resilience, I’ve learned, often begins with simple acts: showing up, sharing a meal, keeping the conversation going. And we’ll keep doing just that.
Our next event is a Wildfire Rebuilding & Resource Expo on Saturday, October 25, from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s in the Snapchat building, located at 3250 Ocean Park Boulevard, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council and the Department of Angels.
We know you’re tired. We are too. We will feed you.
Come connect, learn and be part of the movement toward a more connected Palisades.
Emmett Whitaker Releases Final Season of ‘Survivor Palisades’ in September, Featuring Footage Recorded in June 2024
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
For Emmett Whitaker, the final season of “Survivor Palisades” marks the end of an almost-decade-long era—but the show took on an even deeper meaning following the Palisades fire.
The locations he used for filming were damaged or destroyed in the Palisades fire, offering viewers video footage of the town from June 2024.
“This season is incredibly sentimental, as it was filmed before the fires and shows an untouched, majestic Pacific Palisades,” Whitaker, who lost his home in the Alphabet Streets, told the Palisadian-Post. “There’s so many shots of the beautiful, beautiful Palisades. As much as it is gone, at least for me, it feels like it’s still here because there’s so much footage of it, and I think that’s really special.”
The show, created, produced and edited by Whitaker, is a “fan-made version” of the CBS reality competition series “Survivor,” where contestants compete at various locations for prizes.
Whitaker said “Survivor Palisades” was sentimental to everyone, even before the fire, describing it as the “culmination” of many of the crew and cast members’ childhoods—several of who have been participating since Whitaker began the project in 2017, with the first episodes releasing in 2019.
“They first played when they were 12 or 13, and now they’re coming back and playing when they’re 19 or 20—some even 23,” Whitaker said. “But I think for everyone now it meant even so much more because everywhere that we filmed is gone and seeing that was really impactful.”
Filming the fifth season took place over one “long” day, Whitaker said, which started with some crew members arriving as early as 5:30 a.m. and ending at 9:30 p.m.
“It was one day, non-stop,” Whitaker said. “It’s pretty hard getting the amount of people that we have to give up more than one day.”
The cast included 12 members, with a 45-person crew on site for filming and a 60-person crew to bring the season to fruition. Whitaker said this was a “really big production compared to what we’ve done in the past.”
The fifth season featured “all-stars,” which Whitaker described as the “best of the best” from the first four seasons. “A good amount” of the cast were from the Palisades, but the casting was open to participants from across Los Angeles County.
“They’ve played before, all of them have made it pretty far in the game and are pretty strategic and entertaining,” Whitaker said. “Some winners are back.”
Whitaker was 11 years old when he decided to make a backyard version of the show he loved, featuring members of the community. In the beginning, to raise funds for production, he earned money babysitting, hosting neighborhood lemonade stands and doing extra chores.
The fourth season of “Survivor Palisades” was released in 2024, with the fifth and final season, “Survivor Palisades: All-Stars,” available for streaming via YouTube since September.
Whitaker hosted a premiere watch party event for the fifth season, attended by 150 people, at the Illusion Magic Lounge Theater in Santa Monica.
“It went so great,” Whitaker said of the premiere event. “It was truly amazing to bring so many people together … most of them had lost their homes, so it was really impactful to let everyone see [the Palisades] again.”
One of the locations that was key to the show for the past eight years was the Cudzil family home in the Huntington, which was lost in the fire.
“I really couldn’t thank anybody more than the Cudzil family who, year after year, have lent me their house to be the set of ‘Survivor Palisades,’” Whitaker said. “Without Jerry, Lorie, Sean, Abigail and Emily Cudzil, I’m unsure if this series would even exist.”
Sean and Whitaker’s friendship dates back to first grade, Lorie explained to the Post. The families lived two blocks apart in the Alphabet Streets before the Cudzils moved to Alma Real in 2015.
When he was starting the first season, Lorie said Whitaker asked if he could use their home to film. The family said yes, with no hesitation.
“The thing that I loved about our house was I loved having it full all the time,” Lorie said, which included hosting friends and family over for holidays like Halloween and Christmas. “I love being the house where people wanted to gather.”
Lorie said over the years, filming the show at the house had been “really fun,” that they had “a great time.”
“What’s been great about the fifth season is that Emmett gave us all such a gift … the footage of what we used to have there is really special,” Lorie said. “Of course, Emmett didn’t know at the time that he was really preserving such a beautiful memory for all of us.”
She described how remarkable it is that the past seasons exist and are available for viewing.
“To be able to not just have the memory in your head, because that’s the part that’s tough,” she said. “A lot of this stuff, you just have to remember in your head, but by doing ‘Survivor’ and videoing it, we can actually see what used to be there and actually see the fun and see how special it was to be together there in the Palisades.”
Lorie added that the viewing in August was “really emotional to just be all together” and “really enjoy the way things used to be.”
In addition to seeing the Palisades before January 7, for those who watch the fifth season, Whitaker said viewers can expect some surprising moves, including “idol plays” and “blindsides.”
“There were a few challenges that were really cool,” Whitaker said. “There’s a plank challenge that went on for five minutes. They were doing a one-arm and one-leg plank for five minutes, pushing their bodies to failure.”
Whitaker began the project in 2017 with the first episodes released in 2019.
Whitaker graduated Palisades Charter High School with the Class of 2024. He is currently a student at Boston University, double majoring in international relations and film & television production.
For Whitaker, reaching the end of “Survivor Palisades” has been “super surreal.” He said filming days, especially for the fifth season, as “adrenaline rushing” and “indescribable.”
“These 12 players come, they’ve been prepping for this for months, the cameras are out there, it’s a big deal,” Whitaker said. “They want to keep their reputations. They want to get redemption … the energy in the air is just so palpable those first few hours and the whole day. You never know what’s going to happen.”
Looking back on the show, Whitaker said it’s been “such a fun time” and that he hopes it has provided a “good and safe community” for everyone involved—a sentiment that Lori echoed.
“I will always be able to look back on this,” Whitaker said. “It’s such a monumental part of my identity and my adolescence, so being able to have it as a sort of footprint that will always be there is really special and really cool.”
Community members assisting in the initiative. Photos courtesy of Jimmy Dunne
By JIMMY DUNNE | Contributing Writer
Last night I couldn’t sleep. Got up at the crack of dawn—and drove into the Palisades to knock a few things off my “to-do” list.
One on this list was promising I’d help hang a few signs on some trees in town. It’s a new initiative about saving trees in the parkways—those areas on the other side of the sidewalks in front of houses. I’ll explain later …
I parked on Bestor, walked up to a couple of pretty big sycamore trees in parkways in front of cleared lots.
I figured I’d stick my signs there.
The sun was barely sneaking through, and I wrapped a ribbon and this little sign that said: “Save the Trees” around a couple of ’em.
————
It was so quiet. Nobody up and at ’em yet. Still a little dark. The best time of the day. Birds still snoozin‘.
Put a ribbon ’round a big one. With my arm already around the thing, kinda gave it a hug.
I read somewhere it makes you feel good to do that.
Maybe I hugged it a little longer than you’re probably supposed to.
It didn’t matter. Nobody was looking. I had nothin‘ else to do.
————
While I was hugging it, I started thinking about the bugs and ants probably crawling up on me. But it did feel good, so I just kept huggin‘ it anyways.
I had my ear sorta against the tree. I don’t know how to say this—so I’m just gonna say it.
————
I heard something.
It was really quiet. But I definitely heard something. Like it was in there.
Startled me. I stepped back from the tree. Lookin‘ around.
Nobody anywhere.
I hugged it again. Stuck my ear against the tree like it was before. Nothin‘.
Stepped away. Thought about how I was probably just going nuts. I am gettin‘ to that age.
I gave it one more hug.
Cindy Kirven with one of the trees.
Then I heard it. That same, real quiet … voice.
“I’m still here.”
Now I definitely jumped away. Looking around for some guy in the bushes from “Candid Camera” or something.
Put my ear against the tree again, giving it a hug.
It said, “Feels nice. I needed that.”
“You what? Is there somebody in there? Who is this?”
“It’s me. The tree.”
————
It was like a this young mom’s voice. A little Icelandy. Calming.
“What do you mean, ‘It’s you, the tree?’” I backed off.
“I can’t hear you when you walk away,” she sweetly said.
“Stay.”
I came back. Got real close.
“Maybe nobody ever asked us anything,” the tree said. “There aren’t many people walking around early in the morning giving us a hug.”
“You tell ’em, Liv,” mumbled the next tree over in this Canadian guy, lumberjack-ish voice.
I looked over to the other tree like it was supposed to nod at me or something.
“So, you’re not the only tree that can do this?”
“No,” kind of laughing. “Lots of us can do it. We just don’t do it very often.”
“Maybe I just wanted to thank you,” the tree said. “For saving us. You don’t know what it means.”
Embarrassed, I said, “Well, there are so many people doing miles more than me with this initiative. I’m just a dad hanging a few signs.”
With a smile in her voice, “Then please give ’em a hug for me.”
The tree paused. I could tell something was wrong.
“What’s the matter?” I asked.
“Ahh,” the tree was thinking. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Try me.”
After a moment, “It’s that the fire, it hurt us, too,” the tree admitted.
“Many trees that are gone—were here before there was a town,” she said. “We knew the first settlers—knew every new family over all the years. And, in one night, so many trees are just gone.”
“But the ones that are here are really worried,” said the tree. “And a lot are burnt … badly. And many of us so dry, so dry—and wondering if we’re gonna make it.”
I promised, “The town is here for you now.”
“The trees, we were here that night,” she said. “We saw it, we felt it all happening, all around us. I can’t think about it.”
And then she said, “And it’s not just us,” she said. “There are a lot of friends who live in our trees. We were its home. It’s home.”
She took a breath before continuing.
“You know who used to live up in my arms? A pair of wonderful owls. They’d hoot to each other when the moon was bright, soft and low, like old lovers whispering secrets.”
“And in that hollow there, the squirrels would stash their acorns,” she fondly remembered.
“Every spring, every spring the mockingbirds came back to the same branch, same one,” she said. “Loud little show-offs, singing every song they ever heard.
“Bluejays, wrens, woodpeckers—we had the whole orchestra.”
“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “Because of your leaves, you seem okay.”
She said, “I understand. So many trees, like so many Palisadians, they look fine—but they’re struggling.”
She sighed, “The quiet after the fire isn’t peace—it’s lonely.”
There was silence for a long moment, just the wind rustling through her leaves.
And the tree said, “When people in town water us, it’s more than water.”
“It’s a kind of promise. Every drop says you still believe in us. That maybe the birds will come back, and the bees will hum again, and the laughter will swing from my branches once more.”
I never thought of it that way.
“And the families in the neighborhoods … ?” she said. “We were a part of their lives.”
“They made us feel proud. And valuable. We just want to blanket them again with our leaves. Give them oxygen to breathe,” she tried to say.
The tree broke down. Just tore me apart.
“I used to have a swing on one of my arms,” she said. “Do you know how many kids have been on my swing? How many smiles I’ve seen? How many parents I’ve watched—having that moment?
“Do you know how beautiful that is to me? How their joy—is my joy?
“I don’t have that now.
“I don’t have my family of trees around me now.”
————
I softly said, “I promise the town’s coming back. And your friends will make their home again in your tree.”
I leaned up against her in the silence.
I asked the tree, “You’ve known families in this neighborhood for a hundred years. Deep, deep down, what do you think is going to happen? Will it ever be the same?”
“That’s easy,” said the tree, with the dearest voice.
Screenshot
“No.”
“Our trees, our animal friends in our trees, all the families in the homes …Will never be the same.”
The tree said, “The most beautiful thing of all … is who we get to become.”
“To become,” said the tree. “What a wondrous thing that is.”
I gave the tree a tight hug.
Said goodbye.
Looked around. Looked up.
Saw everything around me in a way I haven’t seen it in a long, long time.
And wondered who we will become.
‘Save Our Trees’ Palisades Initiative
This homegrown town initiative is about the trees in the parkways (the areas between the sidewalks and the streets). They’re owned by the homeowners, but the city controls them. With all the homeowners gone, no one is caring for these many hundreds of trees.
This is one of those initiatives that makes the Palisades the Palisades.
It’s founded by Palisadians, funded by Palisadians, and the companies owning the water trucks are all Palisadians.
Five days a week, Tracey Price’s and Valeria Serna’s water trucks are now watering from Marquez to Chautauqua. This initiative will be felt for generations.
Cheers to the heart and talents of the “Save Our Trees” team—including the Palisades Forestry Committee, Cindy Kirven, David Card, Price, Serna, Sue Kohl, Cindy Simon, Bruce Schwartz—along with Arus Grigoryan and Traci Park.
And the initiative’s generous and passionate donors—CD11 Foundation and PPCC.
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.
Rosh Hashana at KI in 2024 Photo by Robin Aronson/courtesy of Daniel Sher
Kehillat Israel Associate Rabbi Daniel Sher On Loss, Resilience and Rebuilding After the Palisades Fire
By MICHAEL MATLOF | Intern
Racing home to Pacific Palisades from a conference in Palm Springs on January 7, Kehillat Israel Associate Rabbi Daniel Sher called his wife and three small children while they fled the growing flames enveloping their community.
Thankful his family was safe, Sher arrived to discover the devastation taking over the Palisades. Not only did many members of Sher’s own community lose their homes, Sher had as well.
“I shared a video on social media within about 20 minutes of knowing we lost our house because I needed to know who was sitting with me in grief,” Sher said.
When congregants informed the rabbi that they had lost their homes, he noted they always asked about his health as well.
“Everyone was thinking about each other,” Sher described.
For the rabbi, the stages of grief were undeniable: He said he found himself struggling to remember what items he still owned, wondering whether a suitcase had been burned or simply misplaced.
“I like to compare the physical items that you lost to tools to engage with the people that you love in this world,” Sher said.
Losing those items, Sher said, can feel gut wrenching. Yet, Judaism’s teaching of “life above anything else” provided him a compass for himself—and a message to send to his community: “Even when something is terrible, at least you get the chance to still be alive, right? That’s important.”
KI Associate Rabbi Daniel Sher Photo courtesy of Daniel Sher
The rabbi said he would trade 100 of his homes for the safety of his children, even if there are many things he still misses about his house.
Since the fires, Sher’s focus on valuing life has been a major guide for himself and his congregation.
“Our congregation is just connected to a much larger history of people surviving tragedy and figuring things out and finding those bright moments,” he explained.
Despite the events, Sher said the KI community has been able to carry on. As an example, just five days after the fires, a KI bar mitzvah took place at Sinai Temple in Westwood.
“We still lifted him up on a chair,” Sher said. “Tragedy will not define us, it will shape us.”
To spread his messages, Sher has often turned to social media and Instagram as an amplifier. Sher’s congregation spread geographically post-fire, becoming a diaspora rather than a grounded community. To reach them, Sher began sharing more of his reflections online.
“Nothing beats being together, but I can reach people in the palm of their hand,” he concluded.
One major moment of hope for the congregation came through the fact that KI’s temple, located on Sunset Boulevard, withstood the fire.
KI on January 14 Photo by Sarah Shmerling
“The minute I found out that it did survive, I didn’t ask why,” Sher explained. “I was flooded with the inspiration and the knowledge of what we would be able to do with it.”
While still under renovations and fire remediation, Sher said he believes the building provides a symbol of what is possible when rebuilding the Palisades community. According to Sher, faith isn’t why the building survived and the others surrounding it did not: “Faith is how we weather what happened,” he said. “Judaism teaches that we don’t waste tragedy. We don’t ask for it, but when it comes, we use it to grow.”
He said he thinks the Palisades community must ask the difficult questions of what comes next and how to build back with intention.
“If everyone woke up the next day and said, ‘We have our health, what can we accomplish next?’” Sher posed. “If we slowed down and thought about it and were intentional, that’s the next step, right? What does the Palisades look like with intentional redesigning?”
He said he hopes religious institutions in the Palisades can be part of rebuilding the Palisades in a logical way. According to Sher, the devastation of the fire also represents a rare opportunity.
“I’m going to sit one day on my porch, and it won’t just be the place where I raised my kids,” he said. “It will be the place they saw us rebuild something special. We can’t waste this chance. Intentionality is another word for love.”
An “energetic crowd” of 250-plus people attended the second event hosted by Pali ❤️ Beats, which took place on Friday, September 19, at Gladstones.
Pali ❤️ Beats was founded by Highlands residents Andrew Hires and Nima Mashkouri to host fundraising events at still-standing venues in Pacific Palisades, providing music and a place for people to gather, while supporting local businesses and fundraising for workers affected by the fire.
DJ Nimazzo (Nima), DJ Ace (his son, Aria Mashkouri) and DJ Godwin (Hires), as well as special guest DJ Micha Smith, performed during the event, which was attended mostly by “fellow Palisadians.”
“The event was a ton of fun and I’m so glad that I’m able to do this for our community,” Aria said to the Palisadian-Post. “The energy of the event is the best part.”
Nima and Hires said they “love this venue,” when speaking of Gladstones. Kids and teenagers played on the sand, while adults “relaxed with food, drinks and great company.”
“We wanted to create something fun and inclusive for our community, a space where people of all ages could enjoy music, the beach and each other’s company,” Nima said. “Seeing families dancing together at sunset was honestly the best part.”
The first Pali ❤️ Beats event took place at Spruzzo. Nima and Hires said, since the inaugural event, they have received “many messages” from people asking when the next show would be.
“We’re incredibly grateful to Gladstones General Manager Jim Harris for his support and for welcoming us to such a spacious and beautiful location,” they said. “The event was a huge success. Everyone was dancing, connecting and simply enjoying the music and beachside vibe.”
The next Pali ❤️ Beats event will take place at Gladstones on Friday, October 24, from 6 to 10 p.m. It will feature special guest DJ DeepMe.
“We’re also proud to share that proceeds from this next event will benefit beloved Palisadian tennis coach Ron Booth, who has taught generations of local players,” the organizers said. “Ron, along with his wife Michelle and daughter Sofia, joined us at the last event, and it meant so much to have them there.”
Proceeds from the September 19 and upcoming October 24 event will be combined and given to Booth, Nima explained.
“Having the Pali ❤️ Beats group at Gladstones was such a highlight for us and the community,” Harris said. “Families dining and interacting, kids running wild on the beach without a care. Something for everyone. Can’t wait to have them back again.”
Hires, a professor of neuroscience at USC, has lived in the Palisades since 2014, first in Marquez Knolls before moving to the Highlands. His wife grew up in the Palisades, attending Marquez Charter Elementary, Paul Revere Charter Middle and Palisades Charter High schools.
Nima, who practices dentistry in Santa Monica, has lived with his wife and two children in the Highlands for 12 years.
Proceeds from the sold-out inaugural evening at Spruzzo went to support Palisades workers who were impacted by the fires, with one recipient in particular.
“We were thrilled to partner with Spruzzo for our first event,” the organizers said. “There were over 100 attendees, whose contributions allowed us to directly give over $2,500 to our first recipient, Coach Tara [Shriner].”
Over the course of 30 years, Coach Tara has taught “thousands of Palisades children” in the Palisades Hills Recreation Center pool, hosting up to 37 open group lessons per week at the time of the fire, they said.
St. Matthew’s Music Guild will continue its 41st season with a concert on Friday, November 7, beginning at 8 p.m.
“When mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis steps onto the stage at St. Augustine by-the-sea Church … audiences will be treated to a rare blend of operatic brilliance, American artistry and soulful tradition,” Music Guild said about the program, which also includes the Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s. “The evening … promises what Music Director Dwayne S. Milburn calls ‘an experience that ignites both the imagination and the heart.’”
Bryce-Davis has performed on the stages of the Metropolitan, Houston Grand, Santa Fe and Dutch National operas. She has “quickly become one of the most sought-after singers of her generation,” Music Guild wrote.
The program will open with selections from Georges Bizet’s “Carmen,” including “Habanera” and “Séguedille.” Following will be Hector Berlioz’ “D’amour l’ardente flamme” from “La Damnation de Faust,” then “O don fatale” from Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlo.”
“American composer Amy Beach’s ‘Summer Dreams’ offers a radiant orchestral interlude, while … Milburn’s own ‘Scherzo and Cortege’ adds a personal and contemporary voice,” Music Guild continued. “The evening concludes with Milburn’s stirring arrangements of African American spirituals, including ‘O De Angels Done Bowed Down,’ ‘Stand the Storm,’ ‘Round About the Mountain’ and ‘Ride On, King Jesus.’”
St. Augustine by-the-sea Church is located at 1227 Fourth Street. Tickets are $45 for general admission or $10 at the door for students with ID. They are also available as part of a season subscription.
“Raehann has one of the most compelling voices of her generation,” Milburn said of the November 7 concert. “This program is designed to ignite the imagination and stir the heart … It’s an evening that no music lover will want to miss.”
A “casual pre-concert feature,”“Liner Notes” will begin at 7:10 p.m. and is free to all ticket holders. It will offer a conversation with Bryce-Davis, as well as insights into the music and composers.
Music Guild anticipated a return to St. Matthew’s Church in Pacific Palisades for its December 5 concert. Updates will be available online.
For more information or to purchase tickets, visit musicguildonline.org or call 310-573-0722.
Carolyn “Carrie” McGuire Gross passed into eternity on September 9 in Mission Viejo, California, at the age of 73.
Carrie was born in Glendale, California, the daughter of Adeline and Ronald McGuire. Growing up in various communities in Orange County, Carrie graduated from John F. Kennedy High School.
During those high school years she was chosen female Speaker of the Year and was a ballerina in a semi-professional company. She was the first college graduate in her family, graduating from UCLA in 1974. Following her graduation, Carrie applied her flare for convincing speech and creative art working in interior design and sales.
In the late 1970s this career took her to Philadelphia where she continued to work, married and began raising her family before returning to her beloved southern California a decade later where she resided in Pacific Palisades for 28 years.
Carrie was a devoted mother, sister, aunt and friend whose love for life was as boundless as her heart. Online, she was known as “Carriedaway”—a fitting reflection of how she lived every day: fully, passionately, and often joyfully carried away by the things and people she loved most.
She cared deeply for everyone who was lucky enough to meet her, and brought laughter, light and excitement into every chapter of her life. Those who knew her will remember her generous spirit, infectious energy and ability to make any moment brighter
Carrie was the quintessential classroom mom, team mom and playhouse mom for her children’s great variety of Palisades activities. Her home became the gathering place for her children and their friends, especially if they knew her incredible Philly cheesesteaks or classic tacos were on the menu.
Carrie is survived by her three children, Alexander, Lindsay (Joe) and Matthew, her granddaughter Charlotte, her brothers Scott and Steve McGuire, husband Allen Gross and numerous cousins. She was preceded in death by her brother Ronny and her parents.
Carrie will be deeply missed.
A funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. on November 21 at Eternal Valley Memorial Park, 23287 Sierra Highway, Newhall, CA 91321. Please visit Carrie’s page on the McCormick & Sons website (mccormickandson.com) to share a favorite memory or, if you wish, to make a contribution to one of her favorite charities.
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