Diners Are Invited to Visit Through December 31, Sunset Trattoria and Westlake Locations to Remain Open
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Casa Nostra Ristorante is set to close its Highlands location at 1515 Palisades Drive, effective December 31.
“This wonderful hidden restaurant in the hills has been a cherished place for countless memories for us all,” read an emailed statement from Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, which reported the news of the restaurant’s closing. “Birthdays, school fundraisers, anniversary celebrations and too many too mention.”
Described by Owner Giovanni Zappone as “my first baby,” the restaurant has offered a selection of “classic Italian cuisine” since 2009, served in “a cozy, relaxed atmosphere,” according to its website. The menu includes a selection of antipasti options, like Prosciutto e Burrata and Calamari Fritti, to Paste e Risotti, including Spaghetti alla Bolognese and Papardelle al Cinghiale. There are also Pizze options, including Pepperoni, Prosciutto Parma, and Burrata and Pesto.
“We love bringing our passion for the tastes of Italy to your table in every dish, using high-quality, imported Italian products and the freshest locally grown produce,” the website continued. “Our knowledgeable staff prides itself in providing a simple, flavorful dining experience and making your visit to Casa Nostra both delicious and special.”
The space has also been host for area events, including Chamber Mixers and the upcoming Pacific Palisades Community Council Holiday Dinner & Awards Gala the evening of Thursday, December 12.
The restaurant faced an almost-two-year closure from April 22, 2021, to its reopening on April 15, 2023, following a fire that broke out on the first story of the two-story shopping center. Zappone said at the time of its reopening the damages to the restaurant were “not very bad,” but getting clearance from the city during the COVID-19 pandemic “was taking forever.”
He expressed gratitude to the community for its support of the Sunset location during the Highlands closure and after its reopening.
“Fear not,” the statement from the Chamber continued. “Giovanni and his incredible staff are not leaving the Palisades. Their Sunset location will continue to serve up their many signature dishes, and always warm and friendly hospitality.”
Zappone owns and operates the Sunset location, Casa Nostra Trattoria, as well as a location in Westlake Village.
“Please enjoy meals at Highlands this month,” the Chamber’s statement concluded. “And keep the Sunset location in mind for your future dining options.”
The menorah lighting in 2023 Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Chabad of Pacific Palisades and Palisades Village are partnering together to “spread the light” with a pre-Hanukkah celebration on Thursday, December 19, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
“Join Chabad [and] Caruso as we celebrate the upcoming holiday of Chanukah as we light up the Palisades,” according to an event flyer. “This will be an evening of light and Jewish pride.”
Festivities will take place outside Bay Theater on Swarthmore Avenue beginning at 5 p.m. The menorah lighting ceremony will begin at 6 p.m.
Throughout the event there will be live music, holiday crafts, treats and more. It is free to attend and open to the entire community.
Those who plan to attend are invited to RSVP to receive a Hanukkah beanie at the event, while supplies last.
Chabad explained that Hanukkah candles are lit in the evenings preceding each of the eight days of Hanukkah, beginning this year Wednesday night, December 25, through January 2, 2025.
Chabad Palisades Jewish Enrichment Club will also be hosting a pre-Hanukkah party for the young ones—inviting JEC members and friends, ages 5 to 12 years old, to celebrate on Tuesday, December 17, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Children are invited to engage in different activities that “embody the spirit of Chanukah,” according to the website.
“They’ll experience dynamic twists on traditional festivities,” the website read. “One of the highlights of the event will be our special #ShareTheLight activity, where children will craft glowing LED sculptures.”
Chabad Palisades said this year is focused on lighting up the neighborhood “with pride, resilience and unity.”
“This party is all about spreading the light of Chanukah in a bold, fun and unforgettable way,” according to the website.
The Boy Scouts of America, Pacific Palisades Troop 223, celebrated an Eagle Court of Honor on Tuesday, November 26, which marked a “significant milestone” of the 1,000th scout to earn the rank of Eagle in the troop, the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program.
“This is a rare, if not the first ever, milestone for a Scouts troop to achieve,” according to a statement. “The milestone reflects the ongoing progress of the Scouts BSA in fostering leadership skills and character development across diverse communities. The Eagle Scout rank represents years of hard work, dedication, leadership and community service.”
The Eagle Scout rank is an accomplishment earned by only a small percentage of Scouts, according to the statement. Approximately 6% of those who enter the program achieve the ranking.
The event—which took place at Skirball Cultural Center’s Guerin Pavilion—brought together scouts, families, friends and supporters to celebrate the individuals and their service to the community.
“Newly minted Eagle Scouts … received their pins from their families and special scout neckerchiefs with the new Troop logo,” according to the statement. “They are the first Eagle Scouts to receive such scarves.”
The event featured a presentation of Eagle Scout awards to recipients, slideshows of the ranking scouts of their time throughout scouting, and influential community leaders and special guests were invited to share words of encouragement and celebrate the achievement.
“Commendations from some of our nation’s most prominent figures are presented and read to the Eagles,” the statement continued. “In past years, members of congress and senate—even past presidents—have sent in their congratulations.”
Longtime Scoutmaster and Palisadian Mike Lanning gave a tribute to the ranking scouts. He has been with the troop for one of the longest tenures in Boy Scouts history.
Lanning was gifted a plaque during the ceremony to commemorate and celebrate having 1,000 scouts to earn the rank of Eagle.
Troop 223, founded in 1952, has had over 2,000 young men and women go through the program. The scoutmasters for the boy’s troop and the girl’s troop are among the longest serving scoutmasters in America.
“Scouts BSA is a youth program of the Boy Scouts of America that provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership skills, build confidence and perform service projects that benefit their communities,” the statement concluded.
Marquez Knolls Artist Richard Harrington to Host Show at MĀVVEN Mercantile
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
It’s the best of both worlds for Palisadian artist and designer Richard Harrington, who balances his corporate work with personal endeavors to fully tap into his creativity.
Now the Marquez Knolls artist will host a show at MĀVVEN Mercantile on Antioch Street, which opens on Thursday, December 12, with an event from 5 to 8 p.m.
Harrington is a British artist and designer with more than two decades of experience “building a global portfolio” who resides in Marquez Knolls. He studied and began his career as a graphic designer in London—and has since worked with brands like Adidas, The Academy of Motion Pictures, Meta and IKEA.
“His work has significantly influenced the business success of some of the world’s most iconic brands through its conceptual rigor, visual excellence and effective activation,” his website read. “Richard leads with empathy for others and a humility that results from a deep curiosity to learn. He firmly believes that the combined impact of well-designed experiences, storytelling and digital innovation has the potential to captivate and engage audiences on an emotional level, sparking an intangible sense of curiosity and connection.”
In London, he worked with Universal Music MCA Records as a designer making visuals for musicians, like sleeves and tour materials: “Identities, essentially, for musicians and their music,” Harrington described. For example, a musician would hand Harrington a demo, tell him to listen to it and come up with a visual expression that he felt matched it.
“It taught me how to feel something towards the subject matter I was creating for,” he explained. “Working in the music industry gave me that fortuitous approach to how I still make my work.”
Harrington expanded from there, working in the worlds of fashion, entertainment and other brands. From London, he moved to Bali for a year with his then-girlfriend, now-wife, which is where he started to paint. While living there, he was reconfiguring his path, finding a way to blend his design work with personal pursuits.
Photos courtesy of Richard Harrington
“Yes I love my design work,” he said, “but truly inside me, I’ve always been sort of an artist as well. It gave me the mindset and the strength to go and pursue that part of my passion.”
The next stop for Harrington was Amsterdam, where he continued to design and also became familiar with the “Dutch sort of painting aesthetic.” During his 10 years there, he said there was a “really lively, healthy” design and art scene, so he “really loved working in Amsterdam.”
Then Harrington came to Los Angeles to set up a design department for 180 ad agency, which worked with brands like Adidas. He described it as a “wonderful opportunity.”
“I came and had this blank slate to create a world-class design agency for this incredible ad agency,” he said. “Traditionally they don’t live together, those two. Usually … an ad agency uses a graphic design service … but the challenge for me was to create a full-service branding design shop within this ad agency.”
After returning to Amsterdam and living in Sweden, Harrington came back to LA, eventually being hired by Facebook to help rebrand the company into Meta. Throughout all of these endeavors, Harrington explained, he continued to work on his art projects.
“I always maintain that the success of my design is very reliant on the other projects I have going on around me at the same time,” Harrington described, “which sort of act more like pure creative islands for me to go and hang out on … I always paint, always have multiple projects going on.”
These other projects range from charity work for nonprofits to individual art commissions—but for Harrington, they fuel a different side of his creativity.
“My real happy place, when I’m painting and making purely for myself,” Harrington said, “I feel like I really connect with who I am on a deeper sense … I think being able to let yourself go to that and listen to it is a gift.”
After years of individual art commissions, Harrington hosted his first solo show, titled “Around You,” in May at gallery169 in Canyon Square on West Channel Road. In the exhibition, he showcased his “passion of Californian aesthetics,” which drew “inspiration from color palettes, light and simplistic geometric forms.”
“By observing and capturing the unique color experiences that surround us in our environment, he believes there is hidden, colorful beauty in everyday life if we choose to look closer and embrace it,” read information about the show. “Richard’s paintings serve as visual portraits of light and color. Born from a fascination with the relationship between human and machine, his application technique explores tension, movement and a physical presence that can be felt in his works.”
His upcoming show at MĀVVEN Mercantile will showcase “his mesmerizing abstract art” with a “special edition … collection.” The opening evening reception will feature “drinks, nibbles, and the latest and greatest” from the store’s “fabulous vendors.”
The store, located at 15236 Antioch Street, was founded by Palisadian Lisa Waters to serve as a “home to a beautiful community of creators,” with a range of offerings spanning from yoga classes to sound baths, reiki ceremonies, special events and more. The space also has a selection of “curated homewares and wellness essentials.”
“The pieces I have worked on recently have been inspired by the early morning sea mist and the experience of color as the sun burns off during the day,” Harrington described. “It’s these really powerful visual moments that I’ve certainly experienced living here in the Palisades.”
Harrington detailed the visual changes the Palisades sees throughout the year, like the misty mornings with thick fog. He said there’s an “eeriness to the Palisades” when it’s like that, comparing the experience to Scotland.
“When you can’t see the houses beyond the hills, it takes on a lovely, different character,” Harrington said. “Then the sun starts to burn through that, and you get these wonderful hues of color rings of energy that appear, depending on the thickness of the cloud and the color of the sky and the time of day.”
He said that he is drawn to that as a visual, with his pieces trying to represent the feeling of light and color and energy trying to break through the mottled layer.
“When I see that and I’m getting into the Palisades, I always stop and just have a moment and enjoy it,” Harrington said. “Hopefully my paintings give people a sense of peace as well … even if that’s all they get from those paintings, I think there’s a value to that if someone can just connect with themselves for a moment.”
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 Lisa Kaas Boyle, an environmental attorney, co-founder of Plastic Pollution Coalition and member of the Resilient Palisades Zero Waste team.
Since Resilient Palisades was founded five years ago to help sustain our vibrant village between the mountains and the sea, our teams of local volunteers have organized and acted to bring many gifts to the community.
In the spirit of the holidays, this seasonal recap lists some of 2024’s gifts that keep giving.
1. Zero Waste Team’s Choose to Reuse Campaign provided reusable foodware—cups and cutlery—to locals who borrowed them for parties and other events through our website. We gave out hundreds of reusable organic cotton produce bags at Pacific Palisades Farmers Market. We held our first Community Clothing Swap. We provided expert testimony at local public hearings about the advantages of natural ground cover instead of plastic turf in dog parks and children’s playing fields; and our Commit to Compost campaign initiated several strategies for composting our food scraps as individuals and as a community.
2. Clean Air and Water Team helped purchase 50 electric leaf blowers for gardeners who agreed to replace their gas-powered blowers.
3. Clean Energy Team helped over 50 Palisadian homes get rooftop solar and storage, reducing users’ energy costs and costs to the environment. To participate, email solar@resilientpalisades.org.
4. Plant Based Solutions Team held three Veg Fests this year in the village, introducing the community to a wide variety of vegan foods. Watch for news of the next Veg Fest on January 26, 2025.
5. Water Sages Team hosted a spring webinar about, followed by an in-person tour of, the Westwood Greenway native plant restoration; co-hosted a fall native plant sale at the Village Green with California Native Plant Society; and hosted a three-part fall webinar on California native plants by expert Antonio Sanchez.
6. This was the inaugural year for the Environmental Advocate Awards. Congratulations to our awardees: Shawna Ashley, Clementine Causse and Sarah Soroosh Moghadam, Palisades Charter High School seniors who each received $1,000 to continue their environmental work.
7. Resilient Palisades took field trips to Hyperion Waste Water Treatment Plant, the largest sewage treatment facility in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and one of the largest plants in the world, and to Westwood Greenway, a project that cleans water while providing an island of native habitat for birds, butterflies and other animals.
8. Resilient Palisades partnered with the Palisadian-Post to share twice-monthly Green Tips, simple ways to foster a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
Photos courtesy of Resilient Palisades
9. Even with rain, which is always needed, we held our annual Earth Day festivities on the Village Green with music, education and food.
10. And for the partridge in the pear tree: RP brought you a prize-winning 4th of July “Happy Days” float showcasing The Fonz with a giant electric leaf blower to celebrate our electric leaf blower program.
Resilient Palisades gave all these gifts to our village, but the biggest gift of all has been the community we’ve fostered, built around caring for each other and our environment. If you would like to join one of our action teams and/or further our work with a donation, contact us on our website: resilientpalisades.org.
We have great local stores for holiday shopping. PRANA BY LANA on Marquez near Vittorio’s and NATURELLA on Sunset near Prima Cantina have gifts for men, women, and children. At Prana you’ll find beautiful candles, pottery, jewelry, etc. NATURELLA has all kinds of fragrance, bags, hair care items, holiday toys, etc. And VIVIAN’S BOUTIQUE by NICOLE on Via de la Paz has lovely, moderately priced clothing, lingerie, jewelry and accessories. I think all three gift wrap as well. Let’s support our local merchants.
Left Lane
Have you had enough of left lane cheaters at Chautauqua and PCH trying to cut into the right lane to turn south? It slows down traffic. It sets off my road rage instincts and violates my sense of decorum. We need cameras and fines and signs. We need the law!
PPCC Awards
Congratulations to the PPCC Award Winners. Thank you all for the things you do for the community.
Dolphins
I loved watching the Dolphins football team have a wonderful and historic season. Well done!
Stop Signs Response
I agree with the 2 Cents comment about stopping at stop signs. It makes me nervous when I see people go right through them, especially with so many kids driving on the road too.
2025
There are exciting things on the horizon for Pacific Palisades! Can’t wait to see what 2025 brings us.
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.
When I got home after working late in a studio, I peeked in our bedroom. My wife Catherine (and Louis, our dog) were long gone asleep.
I was turning off the lights and heading to bed. With a scent like nothing else in the world, I knew Catherine must have gotten a Christmas tree earlier in the day.
There it was—in our living room.
And I imagined how that tree would be blanketed with lights and ornaments …
How the girls would be stopping by over the next few nights, as they always do, to help us decorate the tree.
——–
Every year, it’s the same drill.
With Christmas music playing, Catherine and I wrap the tree with lights, and then we all dig into a box of all our favorite ornaments from way back.
They’re every color, shape and size; some the girls made, some Catherine and I made as kids, some with little pictures, with drawings, of places, you name it.
When we find a gem tucked away in the box, we kind of “shine it up” a bit before we give it a special branch on the tree.
Kind of our way of saying, “We’re glad to see it again.”
And, in that little moment of hanging ’em up there, each one of us is pulled back to the memories of that ornament.
It’s a story of our friends. Of our places. Of our passions. Of what we share together.
It’s kind of a biography of a family—right there on the tree.
——–
It’s a funny word when you think about it. Ornament.
Makes ’em sound kind of unimportant. Who wants to be an ornament?
Doors. Maybe that’s what they should be called. I like that better.
——–
And then I did what I’ve always done each night of a Christmas season.
Before heading to bed, I put a branch of the tree between my palms—and rub the scent on my hands.
And in my hand is everything beautiful that I’ve ever, ever known.
In that moment, in that quiet moment—I give thanks.
To the privilege of family. To the gift of dearest friends.
And to being right where I am.
May you find in your tree …
That door …
To the wonder, the amazing wonder of it all.
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.
Franklin fire as seen from the Palisades Photo by Chuck Larsen Photography
The Franklin fire—which started in Malibu Canyon on Monday night, December 9—prompted evacuations and road closures over night and into December 10.
Mandatory evacuations were in effect from Tuna Canyon at the east end to Puerco Canyon to the west, according to a statement from city of Malibu, with an evacuation warning from Corral Canyon to Trancas.
“Fortunately, there are no reported injuries or fatalities currently,” read the statement. “However, we know homes have been damaged or destroyed, but we do not have details on numbers yet.”
When the Palisadian-Post went to print Tuesday evening, the fire reached 2,851 acres with 0% containment. All lanes of Pacific Coast Highway were closed from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Kanan Road, with Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Malibu Canyon Road closed, according to the city of Malibu. Palisades Recreation Center was being used as an evacuation site for people and small pets, according to the statement.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Christmas Radio Show | Via Mesa
Theatre Palisades will host its annual Christmas Radio Show on Wednesday, December 18, beginning at 7 p.m. at Pierson Playhouse.
This year, the group is performing “It’s A Wonderful Life.” There will be “holiday cheer refreshments” in the lobby at 7 p.m., followed by the one-hour show at 7:30 p.m. Festivities also include a visit from Mrs. Claus and her elves, and a raffle.
There is a suggested donation of $10. The show is free for Theatre Palisades members. Attendees are also encouraged to bring a canned good to donate to Westside Food Bank.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Book Sale | Palisades Branch Library
The Friends of the Palisades Library will host its next book sale in the Palisades Branch Library Community Room on Saturday, December 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
“Books are in excellent condition, priced to sell and include a variety of genres, including contemporary fiction, nonfiction, art books, cookbooks, special interest, children’s and young adult books,” according to the nonprofit organization, which is also known as Pacific Palisades Library Association. “Cash and credit cards accepted.”
All books have been donated by members of the community. Those received that cannot be sold are donated to various organizations, including senior centers, other libraries and beyond.
For the first time, PPLA will host a presale of fiction and nonfiction books for members only on Friday, December 13, from 3 to 5 p.m.
For more information, including a link to join the organization, visit friendsofpalilibrary.org.
—SARAH SHMERLING
Christmas Eve at Lake Shrine | Lower Las Casas
There will be a Universal Candlelight Service at Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine on Christmas Eve, December 24, at 7 p.m.
“All are welcome to attend this very special evening that includes an inspirational service, an intimate candle lighting segment and Christmas cookies,” according to information about the event. “Cookies and fellowship follow the service.”
Lake Shrine is located at 17190 Sunset Boulevard. For more information, visit lakeshrine.org/cmaseve.
The Pacific Palisades Ministerial Association hosted its annual Interfaith Thanksgiving Service on Monday evening, November 25, at Corpus Christi Church, with leaders from multiple congregations across the community gathering together to lead the processions.
The event, occurring annually for almost 30 years, focused on a message of unity and coexistence. It was open to all residents, regardless of membership status.
Monsignor Liam Kidney of Corpus Christi opened the service with “Give Thanks and Let Go” cards, which congregants used to write down what they were most thankful for in the past year. People were encouraged to write down what they were “genuinely thankful for,” as well as express thanks to those sitting around them.
Kidney stressed the importance of the concepts of unity and oneness as the message of this year’s service.
“We sit around the table and break bread no matter what our differences are,” Kidney said in his opening message, focusing on how members from multiple different religious sects meet for the service every year.
According to Kidney, the service meant “to recognize the importance of each other,” especially, as he said, we are quick to forget what we are thankful for.
Bishop Trevor Brazier of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke on the importance of the holiday during his reflection.
“Our society’s best production is moral outrage,” Brazier said. He noted Thanksgiving gives the opportunity to shed that tendency and focus on being positive “builders” in our daily lives.
Other speakers at the event included Rabbi Amy Bernsteinand Rabbi Emeritus Steven Reuben of Kehillat Israel, Brother Satyananda of Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, Reverend Bruce Freeman of The Parish of St. Matthew, and Reverends Grace Park and Matt Hardin of Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church.
Satyananda guided attendants in a quiet meditation focusing on unity and thanks for the holiday. Reuben led congregants in singing “This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie, a song which also focuses on the theme of oneness.
The event also raised Thanksgiving donations for Westside Food Bank, which provides meals to food-insecure individuals in Los Angeles. According to the food bank, three in 10 people in LA County experience food insecurity every year.
Ending the service with a hymn of “America the Beautiful” on the organ, attendees turned to conversation while enjoying Thanksgiving-themed complimentary drinks and refreshments at the entrance of the church.
ThePacific Palisades Ministerial Association consists of religious leaders from Community United Methodist Church of Pacific Palisades, Corpus Christi Church, Kehillat Israel, Palisades Lutheran Church, Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church, The Parish of St. Matthew, Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The leaders of the congregations meet monthly, while the Interfaith Thanksgiving Service occurs every year on the Monday before Thanksgiving.
Marshall died peacefully in his sleep on Thanksgiving Eve.
Born and raised in Pacific Palisades where, as the youngest of four children of Bill and Ann Krase, he immersed himself in Scouting at a young age, ultimately becoming an Eagle Scout. He also discovered surfing, which became a life-long passion.
He left the sunny beaches of SoCal for the wet-suited breaks of Santa Cruz to attend the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he graduated with honors and spent the rest of his life waiting tables so he could surf, always hewing faithfully to his own course.
Marshall was an avid and adventurous motorcyclist with cross-country and border-to-border rides with two wheels down. He relished backpacking in the Sierra, transitioning from the framed pack days to the ultralight equipment later in vogue which may have accommodated a bottled beer as an alpine treat.
An old soul, Marshall was an insightful and voracious reader whose tastes welcomed many genres. His favorite book was Melville’s “Moby-Dick” (he wore out several copies). The library of Louis L’Amour was another favorite and encouraged his love of western American history.
Marshall was decidedly analog. He much preferred handwriting letters, often with a fountain pen or sealed with monogrammed sealing wax. Marshall rode and collected longboards, and surfed in longboard style.
Quietly observant of others and ever composed, Marshall had a unique ability to slip a hilarious and often subtle comment into a conversation that delighted and often surprised. His sense of humor was as deft and gentle as the rest of his persona. “Retreat gracefully” were the words on Marshall’s calling card.
Marshall is survived by his sister Elizabeth Greene of Alameda, his brothers Tom of San Rafael and Dick of Sanders, Idaho, and a treasure trove of friends who loved him well.
In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made in Marshall’s memory to the Surfrider Foundation at surfrider.org.
A gathering of friends will be called at a later date.
By continuing to use our site, you understand that we use cookies to improve your experience and collect analytics data. To find out more, read our privacy policy here.
