Julia Wolinsky is Creating Pieces Featuring Palisades Past and Present After Losing Her Childhood Home in the Fire

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

After her childhood home was destroyed in the Palisades fire, Julia Wolinsky has turned to art to help her process the grief—while raising funds to support the community.

“It’s really emotional,” Wolinsky said of losing the home. “I think I took it for granted. I felt like this was a house that would always be and exist. I think the hardest part for me is to process and grapple with the fact that it’s truly gone. It’s not that it was sold to someone else or there’s another family living there … The hardest part is that it is truly to the ground—and there’s nothing left.”

The last time Wolinsky was in the neighborhood before the Palisades fire started was January 4—just three days before. She returned at the start of April to draw what the debris removal process looked like at the home.

“If I knew it was finite,” Wolinsky said, “I would have made more of an effort to be there and spend more time there.”

Wolinsky, now a freelance illustrator that specializes in food and botanical illustrations, grew up in the Via Bluffs on Beirut Avenue, which she described as “a really beautiful” and “lovely” place to grow up. She said that part of her hoped—“maybe like a fairy tale”—that she would move back to the home and raise kids there.

She said she thinks about “how hard” her parents worked to remodel the home to be “their dream home,” with the “little personalized touches they had in it.” It has also been hard to learn about her friends’ parents, many of which have also lost their homes, Wolinsky said.

“Some families have been in their homes more than 30 years,” Wolinsky said. “I would go on social media and learn about home after home that burned.”

These were the places Wolinsky said she went to birthday parties and playdates at.

“It still doesn’t really feel real,” Wolinsky said. “Even though I’ve gone and I’ve seen it—even though I was standing in front of it—you go to bed at night, you wake up, you almost forget that this really happened.”

Wolinsky attended Palisades Charter Elementary School—when she was old enough, she would walk to school—followed by Paul Revere Charter Middle School, eventually graduating from Palisades Charter High School. After graduating, she went to UCLA, which is when she moved out of the Palisades home.

“I’ve been living all over the place,” Wolinsky described. “I moved around a lot.”

Wolinsky lived in New Orleans, where she was a middle school teacher for reading and art. She moved to Boston to get a master’s degree in education before returning to New Orleans to teach. She moved to Chicago for an administrative role in the education realm.

“At that point, it was 2013 or 2014, I felt like I wanted to make a career change,” Wolinsky said, adding that she wanted to create art. “I’m a more creative person. I missed making art.”

She moved to San Francisco for six years to pursue a career in UX design.

“Then the pandemic hit,” Wolinsky said, “and I was, again, sort of like: ‘Well, where should I live?’”

Without needing to be in San Francisco for her work anymore, Wolinsky traveled to Los Angeles often to visit and work remotely. It was there where she met her then-future husband Gerald, who is from Altadena.

“We connected and I was like, ‘OK, I’m ready to move back down and prioritize my personal life,’” Wolinsky said.

She is currently living in the Mid-City area, which had afforded her the opportunity to visit the Palisades and her childhood neighborhood. Her parents—who still own the Palisades home and were renting it out to tenants who lost everything—relocated a few years ago to Dallas for work.

Following the fire, what has helped Wolinsky to process her grief and wrap her head around the devastation, has been creating Palisades-centric art.

“It’s been hard to believe it’s true,” Wolinsky said of the destruction caused by the fire. “I think when I put it on paper and make an image of it, it’s like saying, ‘Yes this is what happened.’”

For her, she said, it has helped her accept the reality and “mourn the loss.”

The pieces she has been creating include documenting what happened, as well as images that reflect “happier memories” of the Palisades, like the Business Building Block in the Village area when it was painted pink and Palisades Village Green, which is still standing.

“When the fires hit I immediately thought about all the small businesses and food restaurants I frequented that are now gone,” Wolinsky said.

She said another purpose is to commemorate the lost restaurants, including Cholada and Reel Inn, both of which she would eat at while attending Pali High.

“I found that it helps to do the sad reality, to acknowledge it, but then also think about the things that we loved about it and drawing those,” Wolinsky said. “It’s all, for me, a process of accepting what happened and grieving, because the only way I know how to express myself really very strongly is through art. For me, that’s been very helpful to come to terms with what has happened.”

As rebuilding efforts are underway in the community, Wolinsky shared hopes of continuing to create, including additional pieces of businesses that she used to frequent with her family that are no longer standing to help people “remember what the Palisades was like and what they loved about it,” describing the “unique charm” of the community with “a mom-and-pop feel.”

Further down the line, Wolinsky said she hopes to put a show together, but for now, she has reached out to her alma mater, Pali High. She will be selling prints of her drawing of a lifeguard tower with “100% of the proceeds” going toward the school’s rebuilding efforts.

“I see this as the beginning, I’m just starting these works,” Wolinsky said. “I hope to keep doing them and figure out a way to help connect with other folks from the Palisades to share those memories … for now, it’s just me processing as we go and trying to make sense of what happened.”

For more of Wolinsky’s work, visit instagram.com/juliawolinsky.art or juliawolinsky.com, which is where prints will be available for sale.

More Than 1,500 Community Members Attend 1Pali Event at Clover Park

By KAMRAN YASHOUAFAR | Contributing Writer

More than 1,500 community members gathered at Clover Park in Santa Monica to attend Rooted in Resilience on Saturday, April 19—hosted by 1Pali to serve as a day of “reflection, support and unity for displaced and fire-impacted residents.”

1Pali was founded by locals Ben Perlman, Anthony Marguleas and Andrew Grant to reconnect the community following the Palisades fire, which began on January 7. The organization’s mission is to unite the Palisades community through in-person gatherings and storytelling, “fostering hope and celebrating shared resilience.” It has also hosted a series of Zoom webinars with guest speakers, including Rick Caruso of Steadfast LA.

Perlman has described 1Pali as a “living testament to the unbreakable spirit of the Palisades.”

“After the fire took so much from us, I saw neighbors rise not just to rebuild homes, but to support one another and rekindle hope in our community,” he said. “To me, 1Pali is about harnessing that collective resilience, giving every resident a voice shaping the future of the Palisades. It’s a reminder that in our deepest challenges lies the power to create something extraordinary together.”

Rooted in Resilience—the organization’s first communitywide event—aimed to revive hope, strengthen the displaced community and offer resources.

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who came out to share the experience, reflect and reconnect,” Marguleas said. “It was a day full of positive energy, great music and unforgettable moments we’ll always remember.”

The event started with an introduction by Sam Laganá, announcer for the Los Angeles Rams and a longtime Palisadian.

Throughout the event, various public officials, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel and leaders from houses of worship addressed attendees, recognizing both the hardships endured and the community’s commitment to recovery. Speakers included Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Councilmember Traci Park and Colonel Eric Swenson of USACE.

Park noted that rebuilding efforts would be led by the community with government support.

Swenson gave an update on the debris removal and cleanup efforts. He said that a variety of crews were active in the area and that reopening Pacific Coast Highway to the public is a priority, as Governor Gavin Newsom announced it was on track to do so by the end of May.

Food was served by several local food trucks and vendors, including Gracias Señor, Flour Pizzeria, McConnell’s Fine Ice Cream, John Que’s Smokeout and The Tropic Truck. Robert Flutie, owner of Flour, lost both his home and his Via De La Paz restaurant in the fire, but has since reopened a location in Brentwood and is planning to return to the Palisades after the area is rebuilt.

Local firefighters from the Palisades and Santa Monica were honored on stage for their work during the fires.

The event featured musical performances by the Palisades Charter High School band, 1969 Rock Band—which performs ’60s classic rock and blues covers—led by Robert Resnick and Outer Reef led by Evan Brau.

Shawna McConald of 1969 performed the national anthem to open the event. The Pali High band performed the school’s traditional fight song.

In addition to speeches and performances, Rooted in Resilience offered a variety of activities: There were dozens of informational booths from local organizations and schools, including Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness. There were also activities for children—hosted by St. Matthew’s Day Camp and Sandy Days Kids Camp—and a community mural project.

Wellness activities, with SuperBloom, included yoga, creative storytelling and a live piano meditation.

Jake Steinfeld, former honorary mayor of Pacific Palisades, read the poem “Don’t Quit,” Steinfeld’s mantra that was recently printed on copies of the Palisades flag that were available for sale.

Organizers described the event as an opportunity to reconnect with neighbors and inspire collective optimism for the future. Residents who had been displaced across Southern California came together to celebrate their community’s strength.

1Pali organizers said they are committed to reviving the Palisades community—with hopes of planning more future events to bring the community back together.

“I see ‘Rooted in Resilience’ as a celebration of the Palisades we all call home,” Perlman said to the Palisadian-Post. “It rekindles our community’s magic, uniting us to rebuild this cherished place together, inspiring hope and honoring our unbreakable spirit as we rise stronger than ever.”

Lily Tinoco contributed to this report.

By SOPHIA MASSERAT | Tideline Staff Writer

The Palisades Charter High School Tideline journalism class is coordinating the submission of a series of pieces the Palisadian-Post is publishing from the school’s periodical. A version of this piece originally appeared in Tideline on March 19. Students have since returned to in-person learning at the former Sears site in Santa Monica on April 22.

The culmination of high school marks the cusp of adulthood and the end of childhood; teenagers finally graduate, starting the next chapter of their lives.

Coming-of-age movies like “High School Musical 3” and “Grease” have idealized senior year to be the peak of their adolescence, creating high expectations for many seniors as they begin their last semester of high school.

However, for Palisades Charter High School’s Class of 2025, reality has been far from this cinematic dream.

Due to the temporary unavailability of the Pali campus following the Palisades fire, the Class of 2025 has faced the unexpected transition to online learning, hindering their opportunity to experience a “regular” spring semester. Students who have been eagerly anticipating senior milestone events that have traditionally been held on campus, such as the senior picnic and the graduation ceremony, faced a final semester full of unknowns.

As the senior class president and previous freshman class president, Taylor Beljon-Regen shared the sentiment many seniors are experiencing about missing this semester in person.

“I feel like such a key part of everyone’s high school experience that they dream about is prom and graduation and having that final semester where you’re done with college [applications],” she said. “There’s a lot less stress on you, and you’re having a lot of fun experiences in person with your friends.”

After experiencing nearly half of middle school online, the Class of 2025 entered their freshman year of high school in person after the height of the pandemic. Like Beljon-Regen, this has made seniors feel like these current unprecedented changes to the school year have been especially challenging.

“It’s just been really shocking, and I think obviously no one expected this, but it’s been really hard to adapt,” Beljon-Regen said.

In addition to the lack of a typical senior year, Beljon-Regen said she believes that online learning has intensified the symptoms of senioritis, a colloquial term to describe the decline in motivation toward academic performance, which has affected many senior students, including herself.

“Senioritis is a really real disease, and I have it very badly,” she said. “I think being online only exacerbates it.”

To counteract these challenges, Beljon-Regen and senior advisor Logan Milburn have been working closely with Pali administration to give the senior class a memorable end to their high school experience.

“Something that I don’t think has been spoken enough about is that we’re going to have all of our usual events,” Beljon-Regen said. “[Events] have been impacted by the fire, because of the lack of Pali space, but no events have been canceled.”

According to Beljon-Regen, events that have traditionally been held on campus, such as the senior picnic and the Senior Dating Game, have become more difficult to plan. However, she hopes to find alternative locations for these events to ensure the senior class remains satisfied. Furthermore, Milburn confirmed that all of the long-awaited events, including prom and Grad Nite, would occurring, despite the circumstances.

Additionally, other activities that are not affiliated with Pali, such as the Night in Las Vegas dance, also provide opportunities for students to connect during this fragmented semester.

A positive aspect of the situation has been the introduction of new senior events and the reenvisioning of others. Pali’s annual senior breakfast was held on Saturday, March 8, at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. Associated Student Body and administration also planned a Senior Movie Night at La Cienega Park.

Beljon-Regen explained that a major struggle in the process of planning her class’s senior year has been securing locations that can sufficiently accommodate Pali’s large senior class.

“It’s been impossible to get locations for 750 people,” she said. “I think people [believe] it’s a lot easier than it actually is, like we can just snap our fingers and a venue will appear. But that’s just not what happens.”

Beljon-Regen expressed that organizing events to everyone’s satisfaction has been challenging. While she has received support from Pali parents who have generously donated spaces and services, she has had trouble working with laws and regulations.

“People have definitely been very generous, but with that generosity comes permits and health codes and all these rules we have to follow naturally just by getting these services,” Beljon-Regen said.

One of the most significant concerns of students and parents was the plan for graduation, which has historically been held at Pali’s Stadium by the Sea. It has since been announced that it would take place at Hollywood Bowl on June 4.

“We are excited to share some amazing news with our school community,” Pali High wrote across social media. “After a thorough search and months of planning, we are proud to announce that the Class of 2025 Graduation will be held at the Hollywood Bowl.”

Details like time, tickets and logistics will be announced closer to the date, Pali High wrote.

Even before knowing the location, Beljon-Regen was certain that graduation would be a special and memorable day for everyone.

“We’ve gotten some really amazing Pali alumni who are very famous in the worlds of sports [and] the worlds of film, reaching out and offering to speak at graduation,” she said.

Additionally, Beljon-Regen is working to ensure that students have a voice in graduation plans. She sent out a form to the senior class for requests and said she received ideas to enhance the experience, including having more student speakers during the ceremony and smaller details like confetti or a larger screen.

Even among the uncertainty, Beljon-Regen maintained hope that the class of 2025 will be able to have an enjoyable end to their senior year.

“Even if we’re only back for six weeks in person, I think our class is really great at bonding and we’re all such a tight-knit group, so I’m confident that we will leave [our senior year] with a lot of memories, both good and bad,” she concluded.

By KIM MORERA | Huskies Patrol Leader

On Saturday, March 8th, 2025, from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., my patrol—the Huskies—met up at the Westside Food Bank in Santa Monica for our Good Turn Trip. Our goal was to sort and package food for those in need, including fire survivors. It was part of our commitment to service, and honestly, it turned out to be way more eye-opening and rewarding than we expected.

When we arrived, we were greeted by Sean, the warehouse manager, who got us started on packing cereal and breakfast foods into 10-pound boxes. My mom, Carolina Morera, took charge of assembling the boxes while Marisol and I organized and filled them. We couldn’t stop laughing at how many Apple Jacks we had—probably around 50 boxes! Meanwhile, Kate and Jaylnn became our “scavengers,” searching the warehouse for extra breakfast items and sorting through bins of donated goods from schools and companies. Even Marisol’s grandma, Pamela Busbee, came along and pitched in, which was awesome.

After the cereal round, we moved on to sorting canned food into labeled categories: tomato products, ready-to-eat meals, vegetables, soups, beans, and fruit. One thing we learned quickly was how important it is to check expiration dates—some donations were really old. We even found a can from 2013! People mean well, but it’s easy to forget how long something’s been sitting in the back of the pantry.

We took a quick break to eat strawberries and packaged crepes, chatted a bit, and then got right back to it. By the end of the morning, we’d sorted over 1,000 cans and lots of miscellaneous items. What started out kind of chaotic turned into a smooth system, with all of us moving confidently around the warehouse. It felt great to be so productive as a team.

This was my last Good Turn Trip as Patrol Leader, and I’m really proud of how it went. We didn’t just show up to check a box—we learned how much work goes into getting donated food ready for people who need it. There’s a whole other side to helping that most people never see, and it felt genuinely meaningful to be a part of it. Supporting the Westside Food Bank made us feel like we were doing something real for our community. Food should be a basic human right, and I’m glad we got to support a place that believes that too.

Parents of fifth- or sixth-graders who want to learn more or visit a Troop 223 meeting, contact Greg Frost at frostfamily@frostinvestigations.com (for boys)

or Scoutmaster Larry Kirven at lkirven@gmail.com (for girls).