Palisades Branch Library site on January 8 Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
One of the longtime institutions lost to the Palisades fire was Palisades Branch Library, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.
“Those of us from Pacific Palisades are still attempting to fathom the tremendous destruction that’s occurred in our beloved hometown,” President of Friends of the Palisades Library Laura Schneider wrote to community members on Wednesday, January 15. “The loss of so many homes, businesses and community institutions, such as our beautiful branch library, is nearly beyond our ability to comprehend. But as we deal with the shock of losing so much, we will move forward with the confidence that we will rebuild our lives and our community for the better.”
The board of the Friends of Palisades Library—also known as Pacific Palisades Library Association—met on January 14.
“The board of the all-volunteer Pacific Palisades Library Association—half of whom have lost their own homes in the fires—met yesterday and agreed that given the enormity of the loss our patrons have suffered, now is not the time to be asking you to contribute to our Pacific Palisades Library Association,” Schneider wrote. “However, since so many of you have asked, please know that the best way to keep your resources in our community is to visit our website. But please know that while your support is appreciated, right now our highest priority is your safety and well-being.”
Schneider reported that longtime Senior Librarian Mary Hopf is currently working from the West Los Angeles Regional Branch and can be reached at mhopf@lapl.org, as she is “ready to continue to serve as a trusted and kind informational resource for Palisadians.”
“We will rebuild our beloved library and we will work with every organization that we can—the Los Angeles Public Library, the Library Foundation and our local community stakeholders—to help restore the heart of our community,” Schneider continued.
The history of the Palisades library dates back to 1929, when Los Angeles Public Library established limited library services in the Palisades, with a deposit station on Antioch Street, before establishing a public branch library in 1952.
“The community embraced this extraordinary addition, but the popularity of the library created a need for an even larger facility,” LAPL wrote in a post shared across social media. “In the 1990s, the Pacific Palisades community launched a fundraising campaign in addition to supporting a citywide library bond … which led to the expansion of the Palisades Branch Library.”
In 1963, Palisades Branch Library opened its Alma Real Drive doors. LAPL established a larger, and new library building in the Palisades in 2003—a home to several books, media and special collections sprawled across 11,500 square feet.
Palisades Branch Library often hosts community events and workshops, inviting Palisadians to book discussions, movie screenings, meditation practices and more.
“The Palisades Library is at the very heart of our community,” according to the Friends, “and the Friends of the Library has been the primary means of support for the programs that have added so much to the civic life of Pacific Palisades.”
For more information and to stay up to date with the library, visit friendsofpalilibrary.org/Join-Friends.htm. Donations are being accepted for the future of the library and can be made online at friendsofpalilibrary.org/library-Gifts.htm. Checks can be mailed to West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library, 11360 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025, c/o Mary Hopf or Laura Schneider. After sending, email mhopf@lapl.org to confirm receipt.
Pacific Palisades Community Council will host a special meeting on Thursday, January 23, beginning at 6 p.m. on Zoom.
“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the status of the devastating fire and to obtain information from our key elected officials,” PPCC wrote. “The meeting is public and open to all. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and comment.”
Officials confirmed to join the meeting at press time included Councilmember Traci Park, Mayor Karen Bass, Congressmember Brad Sherman, Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Palisades Charter High School Principal Pam Magee and LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin and District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
“Following the officials’ remarks, we will then take written questions for the guest speakers posed in the meeting chat by attendees,” PPCC wrote. “Questions may be directed to a specific official or to all speakers for answers. The chat will be monitored and the questions will be read aloud to the officials. In the interest of time, duplicative questions will be combined into one question. Questions may also be submitted via email to info@pacpalicc.org no later than 12 p.m., January 23. We ask that the questions be respectful and focused on current needs and what we can expect from our government agencies as we move forward in attempting to rebuild our beautiful community.
“PPCC is an all-volunteer advisory organization, with the mission of providing a forum for consideration of community issues, advocating to government officials when there is community consensus, and protecting the quality of life in the Palisades. Our board members are grief-stricken and frustrated; we, along with other community members, hope and trust that ongoing investigations will eventually provide answers as to how and why this unprecedented catastrophic event occurred. That said, this meeting will not be a forum for blame, accusations or speculation about causes of the fire, but will instead be centered constructively on obtaining information about what lies ahead for us all.”
For more information, including a link to join the Zoom, visit pacpalicc.org.
When it comes to bank locations in Pacific Palisades, Wells Fargo, City National Bank, U.S. Bank and Citibank appear to be unharmed following the Palisades fire, while Bank of America, Chase and First Citizens Bank have sustained major damage.
Several readers have inquired about the status of security deposit boxes at the banks that sustained damage.
“Our thoughts are with the local Palisades community and all those impacted by these devastating wildfires,” Liz Shapiro with First Citizens Bank Corporate Communications said. “Our Pacific Palisades branch sustained major damage. Due to current conditions, we have not been able to assess the full extent of damage, and cannot speak to the conditions inside the branch vault or the safe deposit boxes at this time. Security is stationed adjacent to the site, and as soon as we are able, in accordance with law enforcement instruction, we will determine how to best access the vault and reach out to clients to provide an update.”
Clients were encouraged to direct any questions to the Palisades branch team, which has been temporarily relocated to its Santa Monica location at 401 Wilshire Street, with a phone number of 310-459-2372.
On behalf of Chase, Peter Kelley confirmed that the Palisades location also had security deposit boxes: “We’re still working to assess the damage with local authorities and actively communicating with customers.”
Bank of America did not respond to a request for comment by press time on Tuesday. Additional updates from all banks will be available online as they are received.
Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica—owned and operated by Palisadian Zibby Owens—is giving away books to anyone who has lost their home in the Palisades fire or has been directly impacted.
“While we’re giving away our own inventory, we are also working with publishers and other companies to give away new books in other ways,” Owens explained. “Scholastic will be donating 1,000 new books to our shop, and Reese’s Book Club will be sending hundreds of their book club picks to give away.”
The shop is also launching a pop-up “store” through February 2 for those who lost their home and need clothes, with new merchandise available at no charge from 30 brands, including Citizens of Humanity, Lingua Franca and Draper James.
“We hope our store can be a place of solace in this disaster, and that the comfort of a new clothing item or the pages of a book can bring temporary joy in a time that feels only bleak,” Owens wrote. “We will also be there for the community in other ways as the days, weeks, months and years go on, and will be part of our community in the Palisades as it rebuilds.”
For more information or to sign up for a slot to receive clothes—which is required—visit zibbymedia.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.”
Dearest Palisadian family,
Two weeks have passed …
We’ve been finding each other scattered around the Westside of LA in hotel lobbies, in apartment rental offices, in the temporary post office line—places like that.
Sharing stories of our homes. Of our families. Of our friends. Of our town.
This is mine.
Unable to get a car in, I rode a bike into our town after the fire.
I first drove through the Huntington.
It looked completely different than the pictures we’ve all been seeing.
It was so grey. Maybe it’s just that I never knew what a fire looked like, but I didn’t expect this. Homes were down to the ground. I mean the ground. I couldn’t figure out where the homes went.
Brick chimneys defiantly remained.
Home. After home. After home. After home. Both sides of the street. Our comforting town trees, only days before graciously draping like blankets over neighbor’s homes—now black and gnarled, twisted and scorched.
Things still smoldering pricked at the fact it wasn’t over—it was still sparking, crackling in these deathbeds. Random flames flickered and danced, stubbornly clinging to life, burning with a vengeful fury.
Wires lying everywhere. Charcoaled, charred, fried cars with the skeletons of their tire rims all looked exactly the same.
Got off my bike. Stood there. I was just numb.
This was our town. Our town.
I drove slowly. I was no longer seeing the missing homes.
I was seeing the missing families.
The McRoskey house on Ocampo. Nothing there. Where I sat so many times on his backyard patio, slurping a snappy cocktail with so many Palisades buds.
Drove past scorched, dried swimming pools. Imagined the moms and dads, and grammies and grampies—puttering around with little squirts in “swimmies.”
Went by where Becky and Jai Winding’s house was on Alma Real. Thought about the wonder that would dance out of Jai’s prized grand piano.
Stopping for a second in front of Corpus, I pictured the one-two knock-out punch of Sr. Patricia and Father Kidney—giving a seventh-grade kid so much more of an education than any book you could ever, ever read.
I passed what was left of many of the very building blocks of our town—our schools, churches and synagogues. Marquez. Calvary. Village. Corpus Christi. Presbyterian Church. Palisades Elementary. Methodist Church and preschool, home of our founding fathers.
Thought of the humongous beating heart of Omid Heidari at Calvary who raises the world’s bar in the art of “playing.”
Drove my bike across Sunset into the Alphabet Streets—and down Iliff.
Now a ghost town.
I imagined the treasure chest of the absolute greatest, happiest, full of life, full of families that all just loved each other—and that would do anything, I mean anything in the world for their neighbors.
We sure lost a lot more than books or walls at our town library.
We lost an enchanted place for Palisadians to get lost. To get lost in the wonder of anything, anything you dared to open—once you wandered inside these mystical doors.
Biked into our town park. To Veterans Gardens.
I don’t care what trees were missing, or what plants and bushes were burnt to the ground, or the benches that were scorched—when I looked at those bocce courts—they shined to me.
They shined.
And all in a moment, I saw all the faces, the thousand faces of the happiest, most beautiful, most loving, most caring, most giving Palisadian friends I’ve had the honor of sharing the most joyful days.
I pictured them all hugging on those courts. Loving each other. Loving the privilege of being here. In this moment. No fire could ever, ever, ever take that away.
What once was our Starbucks in that historic building—now kind of looked like our Roman Coliseum.
All I know is I sure wish I could just have one more 5:30-in-the-morning with the fantastic Jake Steinfeld holding court to a full table of the greatest Palisadians, wetting their pants at some story—knowing half of what Jake was saying was a bunch of you-know-what.
Hard to tell where Joe Almaraz’s Palisades Barbershop used to be. Not one clue in the rubble.
Joe walked from his house on Sunset to cut the heads of his loyal customers for almost 50 years. You’d sit in that chair, and everyone would wave to Joe from the street as he’d just snip away. He’d tell you some story about how wonderful the guy was. Or about how wonderful his old man was.
I never thought a restaurant could ever, ever top Greg’s Grill.
Cafe Vida did. Their waiters and waitresses were the sweetest peas.
I drove by Gelson’s.
Still smoldering. Smelled like metal.
Thought about sweet Susie in the bakery. Always throwing in an extra cookie I shouldn’t have with love on her face.
All the “baggers” were so happy to see my football-sized Louis—even though he’d snap at ’em with his horrifying breath every single time I’d go through the line.
Driving down Storybook Lane, behind Palisades Village, I know a bunch of those fantastic families.
I pictured the family dinners with young parents looking across the table into the eyes of the most precious gifts of their lives—imagining where promise will one day live.
As I drove west down Sunset, I imagined the terror of the moms with their kids in car seats behind them stuck in traffic on Palisades Drive—watching the angry fires roaring towards them on both sides of the one way out of the Highlands.
I biked over to where we raised our kids in Lower Marquez. Broke my heart seeing Vittorios—just having their 40th anniversary.
Pictured tasting the love of Vanessa, Sabrina and mom Mercedes; and Chefs Mario, Lazaro, Eliseo and Julian—in every one-of-a-kind thousand-calorie a-bite garlic balls.
Rode by our old house where we lived for 37 years on Bollinger Drive. Stephen Wright, the new owner (a great, great dad), had texted me that the only thing that survived the fire was my two daughters’ handprints in the driveway.
Stephen texted he’s building another house on that spot, and saving those handprints—to keep a memory of the story of Bollinger alive for the new families on the block.
When I saw the hands, I got down on my knees and cried.
I saw an Instagram post of a lovely Palisadian woman. I didn’t know her.
It was a picture of the Palisades. Of our gorgeous coastline and ocean.
And the caption said, “I miss the Palisades already.”
Truth is, it’s not the beach. It’s not the view. It’s not the buildings.
It’s the people, my friends. That’s what’s special around here. That’s what I think we’re missing.
It’s the trust and belonging we genuinely shared—that you just can’t buy—with so many people in our churches, and synagogues, and schools. It’s the friendly “hellos” with all the pals we’d bump into at our “Farmers Market.”
It’s cheering together in the stands for baseball teams at our town park.
Walking into the dry cleaners or familiar restaurant and getting the most endearing smile.
It’s taking off at the starting line with 3,000 other Palisadians at the crack of dawn in the 4th of July Race with a sea of strollers, and kids, and moms and dads, and grandparents.
It’s hooting it up for kids and parents we know on floats in the Palisades Parade.
It’s walking down your street with your dog at sunset and bumping into one of life’s treasures—caring neighbors.
That’s what we’re all missing.
On the front lawn of one of the homes that burnt to the ground, I saw something remarkable.
Out of the burnt-black covered soil, small, stunning green blades of grass were breaking through.
You just knew how magnificent, and how strong, these blades were determined to be.
Maybe nature’s way of saying, “We’re coming back.”
My friends, we are.
We’re coming back.
Better than ever.
We’re going to come marching back, full of heart. Full of hugs. Banging our pots and pans.
And we will never, ever forget how precious and fragile every moment is.
As our town song says:
“How beautiful life is around me
With family and friends that surround me
The mountains and the big blue sea
There’s no place that I’d rather be
I’m so happy I can say
We live in the greatest town …
Pacific Palisades”
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.
Aaron Jung leads choreography in Theatre Palisades Youth's temporary rehearsal space. Photos courtesy of Theatre Palisades Youth
Palisadian Lara Ganz Leads Theatre Palisades Youth, Paul Revere Programs Into the Future, Despite Palisades Fire
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
In the face of uncertainty, Director Lara Ganz is working behind the scenes to ensure the show goes on for Theatre Palisades Youth and Paul Revere Charter Middle School students—with rehearsals continuing for upcoming shows slated to be performed in the coming months.
Palisades fire first began on Tuesday, January 7. Pierson Playhouse, which Theatre Palisades and Theatre Palisades Youth/Teen use as a performance space, was one of the first structures widely shown on the news to have been lost to the flames.
Just four days later, on Saturday, January 11, Ganz, despite losing her own home in the fire, had worked with her team—including choreographer Rebecca Brancato Barragan, who Ganz described as “literally a beam of light”—to secure a rehearsal space at St. Monica, where Barragan volunteers.
TPY is able to use the space for rehearsals through January, until the auditorium begins a remodel. Ganz said she is working on planning February and has received a few offers from spaces.
“Everyone is coming together to lift us all up—this massive outpouring of love, empathy, compassion, generosity,” Ganz said. “An entire community has been physically leveled, physically demolished and yet all of our surrounding communities are pulling together to literally lift us up out of the ashes … the phoenix from the flame … we will rise and we will return.”
Paul Revere students will be performing “Beetlejuice,” while TPY is working on “Crazy for You.” Though they were picked months before the Palisades fire, Ganz had unknowingly selected shows with strong ties to grief, loss—and the importance of music.
Theatre Palisades Youth performs “Les Misérables” in 2024
“‘Crazy for You’ is a top show,” Ganz described. “It’s all these old jazz standards—the song we were rehearsing—‘I got rhythm, I got music … who could ask for anything more?’—it’s the biggest number in the show and it’s so perfect.”
What’s more—“Crazy for You” is a “classic tale of a boy, a girl and a theater in need of salvation,” a synopsis described.
Bobby Child is working as a banker, but spends his free time practicing dancing and sneaking into auditions for shows. Sent to a small town for work to investigate a customer who has defaulted on their mortgage, Bobby falls for Polly Baker, whose father owns the “beautiful but decaying” Gaiety Theater, which Bobby was sent to seize.
“Now lovestruck, Bobby comes up with a plan: call in his friends, the Follies Girls, all the way from New York City, cast the locals—a bunch of rundown cowboys with latent musical talent—and put on a show to save the old building,” the synopsis continued.
Ganz said she was originally feeling connected to “Beetlejuice” on a personal level when she picked the show in October, but since then, the connection has deepened for the performers through a song called “Home.” It includes the lyrics: “Standing/Stuck on this impossible road/No idea which way to go/Whichever path I choose/I lose, you know/And I don’t know which way’s home.”
“All the kids, going through this hard time—they literally lost their homes,” Ganz said. “And the main song is ‘Home’ … it’s literally our song.”
She said there are also many touching and tender moments throughout the show, including a father connecting with his daughter, helping her get on her feet and grounded after losing her mom.
“The show is all about recovering from loss,” Ganz said. “So, even though it’s hilarious, it couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Grease” ran in June of last summer.
Another throughline of the show, Ganz described, is the couple who moves into the main home and is attached to their belongings. The couple dies and the show features them in the afterlife.
“They’re attached to their belongings,” Ganz said. “All these Palisadians are going through this moment of losing all our belongings and whatever that means to you.”
At press time, it was unclear when Paul Revere students would return to its regular campus, having been temporarily relocated to University High School Charter. Ganz is following the news closely to see if TPY and Paul Revere will be able to perform their shows at the campus, or if securing an alternate space will be necessary.
Ganz explained that parents across the Palisades were clear that it was important to not let kids fall into “deep isolation” as they did during COVID.
“We are determined to unite them in passion and purpose and compassion for one another,” Ganz described. “Everyone is so scared of losing the community of love and performing arts that we all built together. We have so many ‘what ifs?’ flooding our minds, and we have to see ‘what if … we do everything possible to ensure that the show will go on?’”
Some of the members of the theater programs will have a chance to perform alongside actress and singer Kerry Butler, who originated the role of Barbara Maitland in the Broadway musical “Beetlejuice.” Butler is also known for roles in “Hairspray,” “Xanadu,” “Les Misérables” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
TPY performers and Paul Revere students have been invited to join Butler on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts the weekend of January 23 to 25 to perform songs. Ganz was also seeing if it would be possible to bring students from the Palisades Charter High School theater program.
Zoë tells the cast about the opportunity to perform alongside Kerry Butler.
The connection was made when the sister of TPY member Zoë reached out to Butler to see if she could offer words of encouragement after the family lost their home, as Zoë is playing the role of Barbara. Butler took it even further than a FaceTime encouragement call, inviting cast members down to perform and also volunteering to spend an afternoon coaching the young performers.
Bringing the performers together and highlighting what she described as “Kerry Butler Week” is personal for Ganz, who wants to shed light on the importance of community across the Palisades.
“I think we can handle losing the stuff, but we can’t handle losing community,” Ganz said. “We have to keep encouraging—there’s reasons to stay, there’s reasons to push through. I hope everyone feels the same way.”
Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin sent the following update on Monday, January 20, at 6:30 p.m.
I have been receiving a lot of questions regarding the repopulation of the Palisades. Here is a quick synopsis.
Can my contractor or insurance adjuster go to my property to do an assessment or make repairs?
Once an area is open to repopulate, it is for residents only with proof of residency for the first 24 hours. After the 24-hour mark, the area is open to anyone as would be a normal day.
Can friends or family go with me to my property?
For the first 24 hours it is only for residents. Friends or family can go with you in the same vehicle, multiple vehicles are not allowed. Only one vehicle per proof of residency.
I need to check on my pets and or water my plants on my property.
To water your plants or maintain property you will have to wait until your area has been cleared for repopulation. To check on pets you will need to contact LA Animal Control Services to request an animal check and/or collect the animals: 213-270-8155.
Can I get an escort into my home to secure personal property (valuables) or safes?
We have been given explicit directions from the Unified Command Post to restrict escorts into the evacuation area as there are still emergency/utility personnel actively working. If you have contracted with a security company in the Palisades, I recommend reaching out to them to check and or secure whatever valuable property possibly still remaining or need to be secured.
I have seen neighbors posting pictures or messaging that they are back into their homes or neighborhood that is in the mandatory evacuation zones.
I know there have been people getting into the area using many channels (press, private security, hitching a ride with utility company). There are so many different entry points into the Palisades it is difficult to manage or catch every single person sneaking in. We are doing our best to monitor the area.
Is the area safe to move back into or sift through the rubble?
Once an area has been repopulated that means it was inspected by utilities and deemed safe to enter. There are still potential hazards throughout the Palisades, so you need to be very mindful of your surroundings. This includes wearing a mask for possible particulates in the area.
I am hearing that some people are getting conflicting information of when they are allowed to repopulate into the area. Please only check the CAL FIRE Genasys Protect website (protect.genasys.com) for the exact zones and visible map of the area.
Provided by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin. In case of emergency, call 911. To report a non-emergency, call 877-275-5273.
We took my parents to the Disaster Recovery Center at the Westside Pavilion where over 75 agencies are available to assist. It was incredibly helpful. The center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. I highly recommend it to anyone affected by the Palisades fire or dealing with wildfire recovery.
Fire Map
I am currently in high school. I would like to extend my thanks for your publishing of the interactive fire map. I have a grandmother who lives in the Palisades and her house has burned down. We heard the news and first saw a picture of confirmation on the interactive map on your website. This was very depressing as you can imagine but I think it is at least better than having to wait to find out. I am devastated to hear of the destruction as the Palisades is like a second home to me. I visit several times a year. Anyway, thank you for your support of the community, and I wish you luck rebuilding.
Palisades Strong
I love you Pacific Palisades.
Warning
A friend of mine who was parking in Santa Monica to get a parking permit for his temporary housing had his car broken into and they stole the little items he had left from losing everything in the fire. I’m not sure who at the city of Santa Monica can be contacted, but please tell people to be very careful with stuff in their car. Sadly this is how many of the Palisadian evacuees are living. His work computer was stolen as well as $2,000 of new electronics equipment given to him to replace what was burned in the fire.
Charlie Speiser on “Fox & Friends” Photo courtesy of Charlie Speiser
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
No one enjoys being a Dolphin more than Palisades Charter High School Associated Student Body President Charlie Speiser.
After his home adjacent to campus burned to the ground, the senior appeared on “Fox & Friends” last week to talk about the aftermath of the Palisades fire.
“We started our high school experience during COVID, but that was online and didn’t work well for anyone—students or teachers—so we’re trying to get back under one roof and back to in-person learning,” Speiser said. “We’re looking for a temporary location somewhere in LA. We have a large student body of 3,000 students from over 100 different zip codes.”
Speiser told show host Lawrence Jones that the disaster has brought the school and the community together.
“I’ve never seen our community more bonded together, even though we’re so spread apart,” he continued. “All of my personal friends and peers lost their houses, but everyone’s texting everyday, running errands for each other. It’s amazing to see everybody’s selflessness.”
Speiser attended the boys basketball team’s league game at LACES last Thursday night, January 16, and recounted his own experience the day the fire broke out.
“I live on Erskine—my house shares a fence with the football field—and when we first saw the smoke, my mom and I walked up the street to check it out,” Speiser stated. “We saw the fire right as it started near what looked like Skull Rock, and within about 10 minutes, it jumped to the canyon. That’s when we realized that it was growing much faster than we expected.”
Speiser, captain of the Dolphins’ water polo team that captured three City championships before being dethroned in the fall, did not believe the threat was serious at first.
“We went home, and called my dad and brothers, who were all at work,” he added. “They came back and we started packing things, but we never thought it would jump Sunset and reach our house, so we didn’t take much. Instead, we set up hoses on the roof, thinking that keeping it wet might help, since most of our house was brick. We stayed for a little while, but when ash started falling into our yard, we knew it was time to leave.”
Like so many fellow students, Speiser is displaced but life—and school—must go on.
“For the first week after the fire I stayed at a different house each night, but I’m currently in Hermosa,” he said. “I actually got back into the neighborhood on the second day of the fire with my brother—that’s how we found out our house was gone. Looking back, we definitely shouldn’t have gone in, as the fire was still very active and there were downed power lines everywhere. We didn’t stay for long but that moment put everything into perspective.”
He said that while losing their home has been “incredibly tough,” he is “beyond grateful” his family is safe.
“As ASB president, my biggest message to everyone is that even in the hardest times, we’re not alone,” Speiser continued. “The support from our school and the community has been overwhelming. I want to encourage everyone to check in on each other. Even the smallest gestures—offering a place to stay, a meal or just listening—can make a huge difference.”
Speiser said he also wanted to recognize someone who he feels “truly embodies selflessness:” Rodolfo “Rudy” Barrientos, owner of taco food truck Gracias Señor.
“He’s been working tirelessly at the command post at Will Rogers State Beach from around 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. every night, feeding thousands of firefighters, police officers and National Guard members, all with a smile on his face,” Speiser described. “Rudy’s always been a staple of the Palisades community, but what he’s doing now is just incredible. His generosity and kindness deserve recognition.”
Speiser was encouraged reading a letter emailed to students from Principal Pam Magee, expressing the faculty’s goal to have graduation on campus in the spring.
Palisades Gift Shop has launched preorders for Palisades Forever Totes, with a portion of profit going toward people affected by the Palisades fire.
“In our hearts you’ll stay, won’t forget you come what may,” Palisades Gift Shop Founder Chanel Malin wrote in an email. “Pali, we love you.”
Malin confirmed that the shop, along with its merchandise, was lost in the fire.
There is also a Palisades Strong Varsity Crew available for preorder. Shipping on the preordered items is set to begin in February.
Photos courtesy of Palisades Gift Shop
Cox Paint provided clothing, shoes, essentials and supplies from the Hoskin family to people impacted and displaced by the Los Angeles fires on Saturday, January 18, and Sunday, January 19, at its Santa Monica location.
Photos courtesy of Enna Burt
Las Madrinas honored 26 young women and their families on December 21, 2024, for their service to the Southern California community and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles during the Las Madrinas Ball at Beverly Hilton Hotel. Palisadian members, pictured, from left, top row: Asher Rose Harris Rawlins, Sarah Elizabeth Rocchio, Ruby Wilhemina Elliott, Cecily Rasmussen, Katherine Shea Dietrick, Reilly Kathryn Robinson, Hailey Nan Webber and Talia Bahar Zafari; bottom row: Elizabeth Adair, Grace O’Malley, Gable Catherine Gering, Channing Van Petten Pauley, Eliza Jane Sandifer, Annie Shea High and Kathleen Duffy Keller
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