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SkinLocal Pacific Palisades Reopens on Sunset Boulevard

By
Sarah Shmerling
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Photo courtesy of Leana Loh-Mejia

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

SkinLocal Pacific Palisades—an “aesthetic clinic for skin care and wellness”—has reopened, serving clients at 15235 Sunset Boulevard.

Owner Leana Loh-Mejia grew up in the South Bay, she explained to the Palisadian-Post. She works for SkinLocal corporate, serving as the CFO of the brand, including its two main med spas in Miami, where she had lived for the past 20-plus years.

About two years ago, Loh-Mejia expanded the brand to the Palisades, after she “stumbled across what was previously Fahi’s.” She took over the business in February 2024, remodeling and rebranding the space to SkinLocal Pacific Palisades.

With her husband and 5-year-old, she traveled back and forth from Miami to the Palisades every three or four weeks throughout 2024, hosting a grand opening for the location in September 2024.

“We were getting it going,” Loh-Mejia described. “It was really starting to amp up.”

The family decided to move to the West Coast full time, along with Loh-Mejia’s parents—signing a contract to sell their house a day or two before the Palisades fire began on January 7. They officially moved to Los Angeles, residing near LMU, on April 4.

“It’s been a very, very uncertain time,” Loh-Mejia said of reopening. “We’ve invested a very, very large amount of time and money into that particular location because I’ve always loved the Palisades … I’ve always just loved the community, the people, the vibe. It was exactly where I wanted the spa to be.”

Loh-Mejia was in Miami when the Palisades fire started.

“You’re seeing it, but you’re like, ‘No way,’” she said of the destruction that occurred. “‘This did not actually happen.’”

 On navigating being open since mid-June, Loh-Mejia described being confused: “Like many other business owners that are still standing, we’re confused. We don’t know what is going to happen. We don’t know what to do.”

She said she has been meeting with other business owners in the area, including Elizabeth Lamont and Denise Mangimelli from BOCA. Loh-Mejia said she does not want to leave the area because she wants to be part of the rebuilding.

Photo by Jude De Pastino

“We’re all in this tricky predicament,” she said. “Unless you’re a restaurant and/or an absolute necessity … but none of us are going to give up. I’m not going anywhere unless I literally get pushed out financially.”

She said the clients she has been able to see since reopening have been “so sweet” and that they are “grateful.”

“We’ve seen about six people right since we’ve opened,” Loh-Mejia said. “It was six people a day. Now it’s six people in the last two and a half months, but that’s OK. It’s better than zero. And they just seem to be grateful that we’re there and open.”

While rebuilding efforts are underway across the community, with clients at various stages of reconstruction or moving back, Loh-Mejia emphasized the role that self-care plays.

“It’s so important,” Loh-Mejia said, “and it’s making me think outside the box.”

Some of the offerings that Loh-Mejia is considering bringing to the space include events to bring people together, including sound baths—things that are designed to “help people feel better about what happened.”

“It’s very easy to be like, ‘Oh, my gosh, we have to rebuild again,’” Loh-Mejia said. “But the actual trauma of what happened, it’s in everybody … then there’s the kids, they just dealt with COVID. I mean, it literally brings tears to my eyes because I have a 5-year-old. There’s people that have just been so damaged by these events that are totally ripping them apart. I just feel terrible for the community in many, many ways.”

Some of the treatments currently available on the skin menu include facials, hydrafacials, nano-channeling, micro-needling and more. There is also a brow bar menu, with shaping, tinting and lamination. Face and body waxing services are also available.

“Our focus is on subtle, natural-looking enhancements, utilizing only the safest, scientifically proven products and treatments in the field,” read SkinLocal’s website.

Loh-Mejia had SkinLocal converted into a med spa in December 2024, but plans to add those treatments to the menu, including “injectables and lasers and a bunch of stuff like that,” are currently on hold.

SkinLocal is open by appointment, though Loh-Mejia is at the space on Wednesdays: “I like to be there in case anybody shows up.”

“Yesterday we were there and we saw a group of people walking around, and I just wanted to say, ‘Hi,’” Loh-Mejia said. “It’s weird because I’m not trying to be like, ‘Come here and give me business,’ I just miss humans.”

For more information, including a link to book an appointment, visit skinlocalpacificpalisades.com.

Teen View: The Hidden History Behind Sears and Schools

By
the Palisadian-Post
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Photos courtesy of Misha Paz Keyvanfar

By MISHA PAZ KEYVANFAR | Junior Reporter | Pali High Senior

It’s a strange thing to find yourself going to high school in an abandoned Sears building that once sold washing machines and shoes.

I would not have known the connection between Sears, segregation and social activism had it not been for Palisades Charter High School relocating to the Santa Monica Sears building after the Palisades fire. The history is awe inspiring.

I had seen the Sears building many times before. We had often gone there to get Covid tested during Covid days. My parents say they got our vacuum cleaner there. My mom’s coworker told us that some “Brady Bunch” episodes were filmed at the Santa Monica Sears Building.

Most importantly, my sister told me that she saw an amazing documentary about a very inspiring man who built the Sears company and thousands of schools in the South. I was intrigued and decided to investigate this “inspiring man.” And indeed, I think my life changed when I learned about Julius Rosenwald.

Julius Rosenwald was the American born child of Jewish immigrants from Europe who had fled discrimination and antisemitism. In the 1800s, Jewish families in Europe were barred from universities, land ownership, restricted to certain jobs and forced to pay special taxes, and forced to live in ghettos.

Julius was born during the American Civil War and grew up in a modest, hard working immigrant family, strongly shaped by the concept of giving back and “Tikun Olam”—healing the world. Without a college degree, based on apprenticeships and excelling at his first jobs, Julius Rosenwald’s work ethic eventually led him to become the head of Sears Roebuck & Co. in 1908.

He transformed the company into an empire, and Sears became one of the most successful companies in America in the early 20th century. It was the Amazon of their time.

He was full of ideas that he put into action. For example, he revolutionized the Sears mail-order catalog and helped bring affordable goods to millions of rural Americans.

His warehouses were filled with innovation, such as having the workers wear roller skates so that they could fill orders faster. His business genius soon made him a millionaire.

I was inspired to learn that despite his wealth, Rosenwald was very humble and divided his earnings into thirds: 1/3 to spend, 1/3 for savings and 1/3 for charity. This sets the background for when the story rises from being a rags to riches story to a story that inspires and changes lives.

Around 1911, Booker T. Washington, the prominent African American educator, author and leader, approached Rosenwald. He told him that the government had failed to provide proper schools for Black children in the South. At this time, the law of the land was based on the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), where the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of “separate but equal” laws, allowing segregation as long as the separate facilities were equal. They were not equal, Booker T. Washington assured Rosenwald. He took Rosenwald to visit the Black communities in the South to see this for himself.

Booker T. Washington showed him that while on paper his community was given the right to education, in reality, they were denied this right. The children didn’t have teachers, school buildings or school materials. They did not have blackboards, paper or pens.

Rosenwald was moved into action: He partnered with Booker T. Washington and the Tuskegee Institute to launch an innovative program. They developed the matching grant model, which required shared investment from several sources. Rosenwald would fund approximately 1/3 of the cost of a school. However, the funds would only be released only when the other partners also contributed. The most vital was the community contribution, whereby local African American families raised money, donated, and provided labor and materials to contribute in building their own school. Lastly, the local white public school boards were required to provide some part of the funding. This model encouraged cooperation and empowered communities to lead their own progress.

Between 1912 and 1937, Rosenwald funds contributed to the building of over 5,000 schools and teacher homes in 15 Southern states. As a result, over hundreds of thousands of Black children were educated.

Rosenwald Schools helped launch the education of future civil rights leaders, teachers, writers, artists and other professionals, including poet Maya Angelou, U.S. Congressman John Lewis and opera singer Leontyne Price. Many people who rose to prominence in the civil rights movement, literature, music and politics either attended Rosenwald Schools, or were part of families and communities deeply influenced by them. The schools didn’t just educate, they empowered generations. In fact, Rosenwald Schools are considered one of the most important grassroots education movements in U.S. history.

I was very moved to learn this powerful story behind Sears. I am forever changed from learning about Julius Rosenwald, and how a modest, hardworking immigrant with strong values rooted in faith, education and community service was able to collaborate with another marginalized community.

When I’m sitting in that echoey classroom, with shower curtains as doors in the Sears building, I remember that having a place to learn, even one that used to sell washing machines, is a privilege. We Pali students are thankful to our administrators, faculty, community and Pali students who infused this abandoned building with life and learning. We get to learn.

We are showing up to learn, and who knows which one of our Pali peers will be the next Julius Rosenwald.

Providence Primary Care, Pediatric Clinics Relocate to Santa Monica

By
Sarah Shmerling
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Pictured, from left: From left to right: Dr. Mihaela Balica, Dr. Gary Green, Dr. Igor Sapozhnikov and Dr. Michael Fuchs
Photo courtesy of Providence

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Providence Saint John’s Physician Partners and The Doctors of Saint John’s Palisades primary care and pediatric clinics have relocated and reopened in two new locations in Santa Monica.

The primary care clinic is now located at 1301 20th Street, Suite 470, with physicians Brian Madden, MD, Michael Fuchs, MD, Gary Green, MD, Mihaela Balica, MD, and Igor Sapozhnikov, MD.

The pediatrics clinic is located at 2021 Santa Monica Boulevard, Suite 245E, with pediatricians Alisa Bromberg, MD, Caroline Shim, MD, and Catherine Jin, MD.

“These new state-of-the-art facilities underscore Providence’s ongoing commitment to addressing the healthcare needs of both the Palisades and Santa Monica communities,” read a statement from Providence. “Each clinic is designed to provide comprehensive and compassionate care with a focus on enhancing patient well-being. Our team of dedicated physicians and caregivers are ready to welcome both new and returning patients, ensuring they receive the high-quality care that our community expects and deserves.”

The clinics were previously based in Pacific Palisades at 881 Alma Real Drive, which was destroyed in the Palisades fire.

“We are deeply proud of our physicians, operations teams and caregivers for their dedication and hard work in making these clinic relocations a reality,” said Ruth Sorotzkin, MD, president and family medicine physician. “It is an honor to serve the Palisades and Santa Monica communities, and we look forward to supporting their health and wellness for many years to come.”

Both locations are now open, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for Thursday, August 28, at 5:30 p.m. at the primary care clinic.

“Saint John’s Physician Partners delivers world-class care close to home,” read the statement. “Our skilled primary care physicians and specialists use the latest evidence-based treatments to provide personalized, compassionate care. SJPP offers an extensive network of highly respected providers known for their expertise and dedication. Together, we serve the Westside community with innovation and a collaborative approach, ensuring patients receive the best care in a comfortable, neighborhood setting.”

To reach the primary care clinic, call 310-829-8923; to reach the pediatrics clinic, call 310-454-2296.

Understanding Pacific Palisades Real Estate Statistics: Why Numbers Vary and What They Really Mean

By
the Palisadian-Post
-

By MICHAEL EDLEN | Special to the Palisadian-Post

Seven months after devastating fires destroyed more than 60% of Pacific Palisades properties, the real estate market continues to evolve in unexpected ways. While some experts initially predicted 500 to 1,000 lots would hit the market by now, fewer than 400 have actually been listed for sale.

Adding to the complexity, various people are reporting conflicting statistics about market performance, creating confusion for buyers, sellers and observers trying to understand market trends and property values.

Why Real Estate Statistics Differ

The methodology used to gather and analyze data significantly impacts results—and how those results should be interpreted. Here are the main sources of statistical variation.

Geographic Boundaries

Different analysts define “Pacific Palisades” differently:

  • Broad approach: Some include all residential properties in public records—homes, condominiums and lots
  • MLS-based: Others use only properties technically classified as Pacific Palisades in the Multiple Listing Service, though many of these are actually in Santa Monica Canyon or Sunset Mesa
  • Selective approach: Some exclude Canyon or Sunset Mesa sales entirely

Each method produces different numbers, making direct comparisons misleading.

Off-Market Sales Create Data Complications

Approximately 15% of sales occur “off-market” and aren’t initially entered into the MLS. When these sales are eventually added (within a month of county recording), they create statistical anomalies:

  • Off-market sales appear in MLS data as single-family homes, regardless of whether they’re actually homes or vacant lots.
  • Without proper classification, a burned-out lot selling for $1.5 million could be left out of lot sales statistics if it was listed under single-family home sales.

Anomalies of Lot Sales Statistics

There will always be some listings in the MLS that can skew the data in significant ways, unless they are removed from the analysis. Examples include a several-acre lot that has been for sale for more than a year and never had a house on it, a former townhome listing that has listed the entire acreage of the development, substandard-size parcels on non-existent streets, etc.

Common Misinterpretations to Avoid

Average price per square foot isn’t predictive of individual property values. Land sales have ranged from under $100 to over $700 per square foot, depending on location, views and usable space.

“Buyers market” doesn’t mean no competition. Despite current conditions, 35% of Palisades lots sold through MLS still received multiple offers.

Current Market Reality

The data reveals a market in transition:

  • Price reductions are common: Over 30% of land listings have reduced prices, indicating sellers initially tested the market too aggressively.
  • Negotiation is expected: Average sales prices are running 10% below original list prices.
  • Competition still exists: More than one-third of lots still attract multiple bidders.

The Importance of Consistent Methodology

While different statistical approaches will always yield different results, the most valuable insights come from consistent data collection and analysis over time. Whether an analyst includes Canyon properties or excludes off-market sales matters less than maintaining the same methodology month after month, allowing readers to track genuine market movements rather than statistical artifacts.

Making Informed Decisions

Understanding these statistical nuances is crucial for anyone buying or selling in the current market. Property owners considering a sale would do well to work with agents who:

  • Have proven track records in the local market
  • Understand current market dynamics beyond simple statistics
  • Can interpret what the numbers mean for specific properties
  • Have experience navigating weakening market conditions

In a rapidly changing market shaped by unprecedented circumstances, expertise and local knowledge matter more than ever.

Michael Edlen and his team have handled more than 18 vacant lots since January and evaluated more than 100 properties for clients. Contact team@edlenteam.com or 310-600-7422.

Frank Edward Baxter

By
the Palisadian-Post
-

Frank Edward Baxter, a 33-year resident of Pacific Palisades, passed away on July 15 of ALS.

Frank was born in Auburn, California, November 20, 1936, to Erwin and Alice Byrne Baxter. He attended grades one to eight in Grass Valley, California.

After graduating from Corning High School in 1954, he enlisted and spent four years in the Air Force, “flying a typewriter in Guam.” Of the many valuable lessons he said he learned was how bureaucracies work.

Once back in the United States, he attended Sacramento State University, before transferring to UC Berkeley. Frank graduated in 1961 with honors with a bachelor’s degree in economics.

While at Berkeley he met Kathrine Stacey, a student at Mills College in Oakland. They were married in 1962 in Manhattan, Kansas.

Frank started his professional career at the Bank of California in San Francisco, before going to work for JS Strauss, a pioneer in over-the-counter stock trading.

He was transferred to New York, with Kathy and a newborn daughter. The family lived in Boonton, New Jersey, which meant Frank took a train and a ferry to get to work in Manhattan.

While on the East Coast, the couple welcomed two more children. In 1969, the family returned to California, first to Corte Madera and then Lafayette.

In 1974, Frank began working for Jefferies and Company, which was based in New York, with offices in London and Los Angeles. In 1986, he took over as the chairman and CEO and started the Investment Technology Group.

The Baxters moved to Palisades in 1992. He retired from Jefferies in 2001.

The people of Los Angeles have benefited in many ways by Frank’s work. The couple joined another couple in “adopting” a class of 60 sixth-graders for the “I Have a Dream Foundation.” The aim was to motivate and empower children from low-income groups to reach their education and career goals. The couple worked with children from 1987 to 1992.

He was also the chairman of the board of Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools and After-School All Stars, a group that has given thousands of students a better future than they might have had otherwise.

He was chairman of the board of the Los Angeles Opera and was a life trustee. Frank was chairman of the executive committee of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and worked hard on planning the expansion that is currently underway. He was on the Board of Overseers of the Hoover Institution. Frank was also a trustee of the UC Berkeley Foundation.

He worked hard for the schools of the Diocese, particular St Monica Preparatory. Frank worked tirelessly on these and other projects—always working with groups that had programming for children.

From 2006 to 2009 Frank was the United States Ambassador to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, appointed by President George W. Bush. His smile and generosity of spirit made him a favorite in that country. He loved Uruguay and they loved him. It was one of the high points in life for the couple.

Everywhere he went, and in everything he did, Frank was kind, generous and inventive. His big smile led the way.

He mentored many people and drew others into wanting to help others. Although ideating and putting ideas into reality were his favorite pursuits, he also loved to ski and to run.

Frank ran his first marathon when he was 50 and would go on to run about 40 more. He was 83 when he ran the last one, which he ran with Students Run LA.

He taught all six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren to ski. Frank climbed Mt. Rainier and Mt. Kilimanjaro. He walked the Inca Trail. Frank was 72 when he swam in the Antarctic Ocean with Uruguayan scientists.

Frank loved and cared for his family and was dearly loved by them. He always introduced Kathy as “The Love of My Life.” He also cared for his five younger siblings and for Kathy’s five younger siblings, as well as both sets of parents.

He is survived by his wife, Kathrine, his children: Stacey Bell, Matthew Baxter and Keath Silva; his grandchildren: Vanessa Bell, Nicholas Bell, Joseph Baxter V, Sid Baxter, Theresa Baxter-McGraw and Matoska Silva. He is also survived by his great-grandchildren: Isabella Hernandez, and Rose and Alex Rodriguez, two sisters, Genevieve Dunn and Mary Baxter-Simmons (Rod Simmons), and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and brothers- and sisters-in-law.

Frank’s service took place on Saturday, August 9, at Saint Monica’s Catholic Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alliance for College Ready Public Schools or to ALS Research (at the ALS Association).

Gridiron Gusto

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Quarterback Jack Thomas was the Western League MVP last season.

Pali High Football Players Have Sights Set on First City Section Championship in Program History   

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

When Dylen Smith took over the Palisades High football program in 2023 one of his stated goals was to lead the Dolphins to their first City Section championship. He got his team to the Open Division playoffs his first season and fell one win short of a title last fall, piloting his squad to the Division I final. He hopes his third crack at history ends  in storybook fashion, but there is plenty of work to be done if the boys in blue want to lift a trophy at the end of November.

Dylen Smith coached the Dolphins to the City Division I final in 2024.
Photos: Steve Galluzzo

“This is the youngest line we’ve had since I’ve been here, but skill-wise it’s my best group for sure,” Smith said. “We’ve got a talented bunch of receivers. Malachi Ross is someone to watch. He was MVP on JV last year, he makes amazing plays and knows the playbook well.”

Ross is joined by varsity returners King Demethris and Harrison Carter and newcomer Demare Dezeurn, a junior transfer from Alemany who placed third in the 100-meter dash at the CIF state meet in May. Carter made the All-City Offensive First Team after scoring a team-best 18 touchdowns (10 rushing, six receiving and two on kickoff returns) and amassing 2,218 all-purpose yards.

Last fall, Palisades racked up 582 points in 14 contests (an average of 41.5 per game), notched 11 victories, finished second in the Western League and reached a City final for only the fourth time since the school opened in 1961. A primary reason was quarterback Jack Thomas, who  threw for 3,369 yards and 46 touchdowns and ran for 12 more scores as a junior. The reigning City Division I Offensive MVP looked sharp in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday at Santa Monica College, tossing three touchdowns passes to Harris and a pair of 80-yard scoring strikes to Dezeurn.

Tailback Harrison Carter paced the team with 18 touchdowns last year.

“We’ll be better than we were last year,” predicted Demethris, who had 31 catches for 714 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior last year. “We’ve had more time to work on team. Jack [Thomas] knows me like the back of his hand and vice versa. Our goal is to go to Open and win it. Everybody felt that loss [in the finals] last year. We’ve had that taste in our mouth ever since and we want to get rid of it.”

The Palisades Fire in January severely damaged the Pali High campus and as a result the Dolphins do not get to play or practice at Stadium by the Sea this season. They will host their annual Charter Bowl game versus Granada Hills and their homecoming game against University at Santa Monica College. A home site is still being worked out for their regular season finale against Fairfax on Senior Night. All of the rest of their games will be on the road. Dymally had to cancel next Friday’s season opener due to a lack of players, leaving Smith scrambling for a replacement opponent.

“If we can’t find a game for Zero Week we’ll try for the bye week   [Sept. 19],” Smith said. “You don’t want to have to play so many weeks in a row with no breaks in between, but if we have to we will. We want to play 10 games.”

Quarterback Jack Thomas was the Western League MVP last season.

       

The Dolphins’ youth up front is the chief concern for offensive line coach Syr Riley, a 2018 Palisades alum who has returned to his alma mater to offer his expertise after having played five years at the Division I college level. “Right now I’ve got Liam [Hudson] at left tackle, Tom [Passman] at left guard, Walter [Perez-Webster] at center, Grayson [Brooks] at right guard and Hunter [Kizee] at right tackle, but  Grayson and Walter will switch off. Tom and Grayson didn’t play varsity last year so this way they’ll always have an experienced guy next to them.”    

Anchoring the defense will be All-City linebacker Nico Townsley (93 tackles last year), end Jackson Kaufman (41 tackles), tackle Mike Tobin and linebacker Enzo Allen, who was JV Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore last fall.

“We’re coming into the season strong,” Allen said. “Every year you have guys that leave but you have other guys who get better. I have super high hopes. We’re gonna  be fast and strong on defense. We know our offense is the best we’re going to see all season and going up against them everyday only makes us better. Some days we don’t do as good but iron sharpens iron. We’re going to be underdogs.”

Jett Teegardin will play linebacker after pitching on the baseball team.

Smith said some players will go both ways (offense and defense) and one of them is Augie Evans, who will line up at tight end on offense and split time between end and linebacker on defense.

“Our defense is about 11 hats to the ball and being one unit—if one guy misses a tackle the next guy makes it,” said Evans, who had 14 receptions for 168 yards and three touchdowns last year and is also on the varsity basketball team. “The offense is more centered around the quarterback but on defense I can make a play every down. Defensive end is more natural to me but I can play the gap… wherever coaches need me. Just don’t take me off the field. I want to be in there on every snap.”

Palisades will practice at UCLA next week through September 12, then switch to John Adams Middle School. The Dolphins travel to Reseda today to scrimmage Cleveland and Van Nuys.

“I haven’t been able to do a lot of football things I’d normally do because of the field situation,” Smith said. “So we’re behind in certain areas but the scrimmage will help us to see where we are.”         

   

Live Like Braun

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Braun Levi was a four-time Mission League doubles champion.
Photos: Steve Galluzzo

Tennis Event Celebrates Palisadian’s Life on His Birthday

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

There was nothing Braun Levi enjoyed more than playing tennis, so on August 9—what would have been his 19th birthday—more than 300 people showed up at the Peninsula Racquet Center in Palos Verdes for the inaugural Live Like Braun Tennis Tournament, a fitting tribute to an inspiring young man whose life was taken too soon.

Levi was a senior about to graduate from Loyola High School when he was killed May 4 by an alleged drunk driver in Manhattan Beach. The captain of the Cubs’ tennis team, he was set to attend the University of Virginia. He and his family were living in the South Bay after having lost their Bienveneda home in the Palisades Fire.

“We created the Live Like Braun Foundation to keep this incredible legacy alive by inspiring others to live like he did,” his mom Jennifer said before over 140 players took the courts for five hours of Live Ball doubles competition. “We’re committed to lifting up all you young people and helping you pursue your academic dreams, just like Braun would’ve wanted. So today as we serve, slice and maybe whiff a few balls we’re doing it with purpose, we’re doing it with love and we’re doing it in the spirit of someone who made this world a better place, one match at a time.”      

Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver was there and encouraged everyone to “keep playing tennis and keep honoring Braun.” Among those participating were Braun’s dad Dan, Loyola tennis coach Brian Held and several of his teammates, including his doubles partner and fellow Palisadian Cooper Schwartz.

“I’m seeing people I hadn’t seen since I was 8… it’s a beautiful mix of everyone who knew Braun,” said Schwartz, who paired up with Nick Rogers, his previous doubles partner at Loyola. “Braun and I were closer off the court than on. I lived with his family for a week after the fires. He was in the room across from me and every night I slept in his room.”

Several Palisades High tennis alums were in the draw, Among them was Jex Frankel, who paired up with his dad Shepherd.   

“Braun was one of my good friends growing up… we were on the Pali Waves at the PTC when we were 10 years old,” said Frankel, now a junior on the men’s team at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. “I was at school when my parents called me the morning he died. It was devastating news.”

Ben Tom graduated from Pali High in 2006 and became an instructor at the Palisades Tennis Center five years later. He remembers a certain 5-year-old kid with blond hair who was not always eager to play.

“I started coaching Braun when he was a little tike,” Tom recalled. “He had an awesome attitude and he’d listen up. Sometimes if he wasn’t in the mood me and Jen would have to tag team and promise him Scooby Snacks or M&Ms so he wouldn’t run off.”    

Lucas Bellamy, who played at Pali High and then UCLA, considered Braun his younger brother: “I knew him for 10 years. Jen and Dan are like second parents and they’ve done a great job. Every year August 9 is on my calendar.”    

Former Pali High player Alex Giannini and his partner reached the final round, but ultimately prevailing 10-6 in a tiebreaker were 17-year-old Andrew Sweeney, a teammate of Braun’s at Loyola, and pro tour player Miles Jones. “It was fun,” Sweeney said. “This is the best format they could’ve chosen.”   

To learn more about the foundation or to make a donation visit livelikebraunfoundation.org or on Instagram at @livelikebraunfoundation.

—- Click on any photo below to view slide show —-

Miller Moss Hosts Camp for Fire Relief

By
Steve Galluzzo
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College quarterback Miller Moss celebrates a touchdown during his youth football camp July 26 at Beverly Hills High.
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

He has thrown thousands of passes in his life, in stadiums packed with people, but none have been as meaningful to Miller Moss as the ones he threw on July 26 at Beverly Hills High. Like so many other local residents, the college football quarterback was directly impacted by the Palisades Fire, but he was happy to host a Fire Relief Youth Camp with Flexworks Sports and it was hard to tell who was having more fun—Moss or the 50 kids ages 6-16 who signed up.

“It was awesome and we had a great turnout,” sais Moss, a redshirt senior who transferred to Louisville in December after spending four years at USC. “I want to thank the campers, parents, coaches and staff for making our camp such a success. It was an honor to give back to the community that’s given me so much. Campers were grouped according to age and activities included lectures, fundamental skill stations, contests and awards. The session ended with a scrimmage in which Moss switched sides after each possession. He stayed afterwards taking pictures and signing campers’ hats and t-shirts.

“It’s a little nostalgic because I used to be a kid going to camps in this area,” Moss said. “I’m optimistic how much we raised.”    

The house Moss and his sister grew up in on De Pauw burned down, as did his grandmother’s house on Northfield.   

“I was getting ready to leave in a few days,” Moss said, remembering where he was January 7. “I was at home eating lunch when a buddy texted me. By that night we were out.”       

Foreshadowing what was to come, Moss won the boys’ 8-9 division of the NFL’s Punt, Pass and Kick qualifying competition at Palisades High in 2010, used his accurate arm to lead the Rancho Dominguez Lobos to the AAU California 14U Super Bowl as an eighth-grader at St. Matthew’s, went on to become the first freshman quarterback to start for Loyola’s varsity team and spent the last three years of high school at Alemany in Mission Hills.   

He made his first start for USC in the 2024 Holiday Bowl and was named offensive MVP after throwing a record six touchdown passes.  Ironically, that came against Louisville—the school he looks forward to playing at in head coach Jeff Brohm’s pro-style offense.     

“At the end of the day it’s a great opportunity,” Moss said. “As a quarterback walking into a new program the most important thing is to establish a strong work ethic.”     

Super Season for PPBA All-Stars

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Maddox Martin
Photo: Steve Galluzzo

A winter of tragedy turned into a summer of triumph for a resilient group of young players from the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association.

Under the tutelage of head coach Matt Underwood and assistants Chad Martin and Jeremy Elbaum, the league’s Mustang 10U All-Stars advanced to the Super Regionals of the PONY sanctioned playoffs.

The roster included right fielders Nate Underwood and Milo Rotter; left fielders Brady Elbaum and Bowie Thorne; center fielder Dax Skinner; first baseman Tristan Kawasaki; second baseman Maddox Martin; third basemen Ben Underwood and Will Fiel; shortstop Carter Bergman; and catcher Jack Hetherington.

“We were 19-4 in All-Star tournaments and we were 12-2 in sanctions,” Coach Elbaum said. “Six of 11 kids lost their houses in the Palisades Fire. We practiced in Santa Monica. We won the Open (maybe the first Pali team to ever do it) and we won our region. We were two wins away from Zone.  We’re coming back next year to win the World Series.”

Riley Returns to Angel City FC

By
Steve Galluzzo
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Ali Riley
Courtesy of Angel City FC

On July 29, Angel City Football Club announced that veteran defender and Palisadian Ali Riley was being taken off the National Women’s Soccer  League season-ending injury list. She haf been placed on the list midway through the 2024 NWSL season due to a leg injury.   

In a statement posted on the team’s website, Riley said: “This could easily have been a career-ending injury and nobody could tell me for sure that it wasn’t, so I’m overwhelmed with joy at reaching this milestone…

“While I’m really proud of myself for not giving up, I’m even more grateful for all of the medical professionals who never gave up on me and my teammates for supporting me when I didn’t know if I’d ever kick a ball again.

“I was out for a long time, so I’m going to have to work really hard to wear the jersey again, but I’m going to give it everything I’ve got and with these players by my side I have to believe anything’s possible.”

Riley’s childhood home in the Alphabet Streets burned down in the Palisades Fire.

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