By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

After losing her Swarthmore store in the Palisades fire, Erica Simpson is gearing up to welcome customers—and employees—back “home” to Paliskates at 212 26th Street in Santa Monica next to Brentwood Country Mart.

“The shop has become more than a retail space—it’s a second home for generations of skaters and surfers,” Simpson said. “What began as a hub for local kids has grown into a multi-generational community, with parents now bringing their own children to share in the vibe and values they grew up with.”

Owned and operated by Simpson, the skateshop and team has roots in Pacific Palisades dating back more than 25 years. Since Paliskates first opened in 1999, Simpson has served as a mentor, trainer, confidant and second family to dozens of her employees—often guiding them to their future career accomplishments.

“There are no words for what happened,” Simpson said of the fire when speaking to the Palisadian-Post on Wednesday, October 22, at the store. “Three of my kids that were currently working for me lost their homes and 90% of people I know lost their homes … it’s a literal tragedy.”

After the fire, she said she stayed in constant contact with her employees. She remembered telling them, “I feel like I should go over there and do something, and they’re like, ‘Erica, your store burned down. You can stay home right now.’”

What helped raise her spirits were the people who reached out to help from the Palisades and Los Angeles at large. She said it “made all the difference in seeing hope, seeing that there would be another way forward.”

Paliskates has remained active since January, including being featured at the Grammys, hosting several pop-ups, launching a collaboration with pop-punk artist Avril Lavigne and selling merchandise online.

Of returning to the Palisades in the future, Simpson said that she has every intention of going back. For now, she is focused on the brand and helping the kids who frequent and work at her store.

Simpson said they got “really lucky” with the store: “It’s a great space and a good location,” near Paul Revere Charter Middle School, Archer School for Girls, Brentwood School and Palisades Charter Elementary School’s temporary shared campus at Brentwood Elementary Science Magnet.

“We wanted this to be more of a hangout space again and more of a homey, re-grounding place for people—and specifically for the kids and our customers,” Simpson described.

At the time of the fire, Simpson said she had six employees working at the store in addition to their skate teams. Employees tend to stay on for several years, working part-time through high school or college and beyond.

“Some of them never left,” Simpson said of her employees after losing the store. In particular, her manager stayed “the whole time,” helping launch a website.

“It was a connection for them,” Simpson said. “It made them feel good to still be involved.”

Following the fire, Simpson described a period of “disappearing”: “I didn’t leave the house for weeks.” She said that for many years, the Swarthmore store was where she did everything (besides sleep) but her home is on the eastside of Los Angeles, where she had moved while construction was underway at Palisades Village and the store was closed for three years.

Simpson described feeling a level of “survivor’s guilt” because her home was not located in the Palisades, which motivated her further to continue putting on events and fostering community where she could.

At the store, similar to the Swarthmore space, Simpson will host events, as well as collaborations with different brands and artists.

“I feel like my job right now is to stay positive,” Simpson said, “to keep moving forward and to bring some connection and joy back into people’s lives.”

There will be a soft opening at Paliskates on Wednesday, October 29, while the store is being set up, with plans for a grand opening in November. Paliskates’ hours will be Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday and Monday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Follow instagram.com/paliskates for more information. The Post will also update this story with the grand opening date when it is available.

Rinderknecht, aka “Jonathan Rinder” and “Jon Rinder,” was originally arrested on Tuesday, October 7, and charged with destruction of property by means of fire on Wednesday, October 8, then indicted for one count of arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and one count of timber set afire on October 15, according to the Department of Justice.

A Special Meeting Will Take Place October 30 With County, Project Representatives

By STEVE GALLUZZO and SARAH SHMERLING

Pacific Palisades Community Council will host a special meeting via Zoom on Thursday, October 30, at 6 p.m. to discuss the Gladstones site redevelopment project, at which representatives of county officials and the concessionaire/developer are slated to present information and answer questions.

“Since the October 8 Coastal Commission decision to approve a Coastal Development Permit for the Gladstones redevelopment project, PPCC has heard from many community members who are concerned about the process and ask how the project could have been approved without prior community input or sufficient advance notice,” PPCC wrote on Friday, October 17. “While PPCC has not taken a position on the project to date, the PPCC Executive Committee shares these concerns and believes that although a CDP has been issued, information about the project should now be shared by project proponents so that residents can assess potential project impacts.”

The October 30 meeting agenda was anticipated to be released on Monday, October 27. The meeting will include county officials (representatives of Beaches & Harbors and Supervisor Lindsey Horvath) and the concessionaire/developer (Tom Tellefsen of PCH Beach Associates).

Speaking to the Palisadian-Post on Tuesday, October 21, Tellefsen confirmed he will be at the October 30 meeting and said he is “excited to present to the community.” He spoke on a “lengthy and detailed process” with the county and Coastal Commission, which included public awareness of the project.

“The County of Los Angeles, in partnership with California State Parks and PCH Beach Associates, whose partners are Wolfgang Puck and Tom Tellefsen, is moving forward with a redevelopment of the Gladstones site at Will Rogers State Beach,” according to a statement on Beaches & Harbors’ website. “The existing building will be removed and replaced with a new two-story restaurant designed by architect Frank Gehry and operated by Chef Puck.”

The project, which has been in the works since 2018, includes a 2,094-square-foot ocean-view deck with 100-plus seats that do not require a purchase to use, a “widened and lengthened segment” of the Coastal Trail, a snack bar and gift shop, and turnaround and drop-off area to accommodate existing bus lines, designed for “improving safety and access without creating a new transit hub.”

At PPCC’s virtual meeting on Thursday, October 9, Horvath acknowledged the “righteous anger” Palisadians feel.

“In 2022, prior to my joining, the Board of Supervisors approved a contract option and concession agreement with the PCH Beach Associates to move the project forward,” Horvath said. “[Field Deputy] Zachary Gaidzik updated the PPCC about the project in August, and at that time, he didn’t hear a request for a formal presentation, though I’m clear that in recent days that’s something people have expressed interest in having, and I take to heart the community’s questions and concerns.”

Horvath said she chose to continue support going ahead with the Coastal Commission hearing “because we risked losing our partners in this effort if we didn’t act now and they’ve been working on this since 2018”: “From our perspective this project hasn’t changed substantially from 2021 when it was formally discussed.”

Horvath addressed implications that the project would trigger Senate Bill 79, which was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 10. The bill, written by Senator Scott Wiener, allows for the construction of multi-family housing near designated transit stops. Palisadians and local officials participated in a statewide rally against the bill in the Village area on August 23.

“Claims about SB 79 triggering because of this project are simply not true,” Horvath said during the PPCC meeting. “The Gladstones project isn’t creating a major transit stop … The proposed bus turnaround and stops don’t meet the bill’s criteria. In fact, no Big Blue Bus stop currently qualifies as bus rapid transit under SB 79.”

Pacific Palisades Residents Association President Jessica Rogers said she was at the Coastal Commission hearing on October 8.

“I was at the meeting yesterday and it was the first we’ve heard from when the project started in 2021 that you had 16 meetings on this project and nobody from PPCC or from the community was aware of it,” Rogers said.

PPCC At-Large Representative Chris Spitz disputed Horvath’s claim that the current version was made available in 2021.

“That’s not true,” Spitz said. “It was a different building that was shown. I was there at that meeting and took minutes. Can you confirm there’s going to be transparency and our voices are going to be heard? We’re furious with what has happened here.”

Tellefsen told the Post on October 21 that changes to the building design were made when it was determined that the building footprint of the original design was no longer feasible with the bus turnaround and changes to parking spaces.

PPCC Secretary Beth Holden-Garland asked how the structure benefits the Palisades community.

“The new structure is designed with all the hardening and sustainability practices that are up to date,” Horvath answered. “We believe it actually helps to enhance the safety of the building and structure. It was impacted in part in the Palisades fire … The parking lot redesign accommodates the bus turnarounds, which keeps them out of the neighborhood and brings them to that site, allowing for proper traffic flow.”

Gladstones partially reopened following the Palisades fire on Friday, July 4. Co-Owner and General Manager of Gladstones Legacy Group Jim Harris confirmed plans for the restaurant’s public deck to remain open while the redevelopment project is in the works.

The main building, which was damaged in the fire, is currently being constructed on.

“We’re here for the community,” Harris said of being open while rebuild efforts across the Palisades are underway.

PPCC’s Executive Committee wrote a memo, dated October 16, to the Palisades community regarding the project.

“The Executive Committee is concerned about an apparent pattern of non-disclosure and/or unexplained failure by government officials and the concessionaire/developer to communicate important facts with PPCC and the Palisades community,” PPCC wrote. “The County Beach Commission held a special meeting in March 2025 to discuss an extension of the Gladstones concession agreement; again, PPCC was not informed of this meeting (or of other Beach Commission meetings related to this project).”

The memo mentioned a motion by Horvath in April with BOS approving updated plans that PPCC was not made aware of. PPCC wrote that is has “long supported” a bus turnaround, “not knowing about any plans to include more structures and other transit-related elements in the parking lot.”

“PPCC never received written notice of the October 8 CDP hearing, only later learning of the hearing agenda, which stated that the plans included ‘transportation stations’ (a ‘misnomer,’ according to Gaidzik),” PPCC wrote.

PPCC wrote that they hoped “sufficient information and answers” would be provided by project proponents at the October 30 special meeting so “the community can assess the project and its potential impacts.”

St. Matthew’s Parish School Details Plans to Return in Fall 2026

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The Parish of Saint Matthew resumed weekly worship at its home location on Bienveneda Avenue beginning Sunday, October 19, while St. Matthew’s Parish School announced plans to return for the start of the fall 2026 academic year.

“This return marks another significant milestone since the Palisades fire for St. Matthew’s, led by its ‘Return to Bienveneda Task Force,’” read a statement from the parish, which is located at 1031 Bienveneda Avenue, about the return of weekly worship.

The decision-making task force was formed by members of the governing bodies of both The Parish of Saint Matthew and St. Matthew’s Parish School so the two entities, which share the Bienveneda campus, could work together to “reopen the campus safely and bring our community together again for the worship, educational instruction, ministry activities, outreach and fellowship that define us.”

Following the Palisades fire, structures that were deemed a total loss included the rectory and associate rectory homes, Frost Administration Building, 200 (kindergarten) Building, and 300 (lower school and library) Building, according to the task force on March 12. Rental properties at 1023 and 1017 Bienveneda Avenue, owned by the school, were also deemed total losses. The 400 Middle School Building was “partially damaged.”

Still-standing structures on the campus include the church, Parish Center, Founder’s Hall, Mill Building, pool structures, 1026 (young adult residency home) and 1027 (head of school home) Bienveneda Avenue, 500 Middle School Science/PIRL Building, 600 Middle School Building and athletic offices, Sprague Gymnasium, and the early childhood center, though the playground was partially damaged.

The parish has congregated at its partner church, St. Augustine by-the-Sea in Santa Monica. The church will continue to offer its space for activities that “cannot yet” be hosted at the Bienveneda campus.

“While the church sanctuary doors will be open wide, all other areas of the campus will continue to be off limits as remediation progresses in thoughtful stages,” the statement continued. “During this transitional phase, all visitors will be required to stay within posted boundaries for safety considerations.”

Additional programming, including St. Matthew’s Music Guild concerts, are anticipated to return to Bienveneda in December.

St. Matthew’s Parish School revealed its plan to return to the Palisades campus in fall 2026 during events hosted at its temporary Santa Monica location by Head of School Alley Michaelson and Campus Development Partner Will McGregor, who both graduated from the school with the Class of 2002.

McGregor, of The McGregor Group, showed “detailed architectural plans,” which included “visuals of their remediated and enhanced structures” and “temporary structure developments” that will be in place for the school’s return in fall 2026.

“Today marks an important milestone in our journey home,” Michaelson said. “Every single child—early childhood through eighth grade—returning to the Bienveneda campus will have a brand-new classroom space. Whether in existing buildings or temporary campus structures, student spaces will be immaculate, reflect our mission and standards, and feature significant upgrades and enhancements.”

Temporary structures have been “thoughtfully designed” in order to “minimize student proximity” to ongoing construction, as well as “preserve the natural beauty and intimate scale that makes St. Matthew’s feel like home.”

The school’s early childhood program—which starts at 2 years old and goes through pre-kindergarten—kindergarten and first grade will occupy a “new village of temporary classrooms” on Sprague Terrace that have “age-appropriate playgrounds” that will be “seamlessly integrated into the rest of campus” until the permanent structures are built. The permanent location of the future early childhood center is “currently under consideration as the long-term campus development plan is established.”

At print time, a representative from the school said grades two to four would “most likely” be occupying the 400 Building for the return to campus.

“This wing of classrooms, along with all other existing classroom spaces on campus, will be completely remediated and renovated with new ceilings, floors, fixtures, doors etc.,” according to the school. “This classroom wing will also include newly added exterior balconies that will serve as an outdoor patio and classroom space, all to be ready by fall 2026.”

The school’s Booth Science Building and Keck Middle School Building are currently in the process of receiving “full remediation and interior upgrades,” which include new flooring, ceiling, cabinetry, paint and furniture.

“Our future will honor our rich history while creating cutting-edge facilities that will serve generations of St. Matthew’s students to come—providing the academic excellence and safe, joyful learning environment they deserve,” Michaelson said. “This is about more than rebuilding a campus; it’s about restoring the heart of our community.”

Over the course of nine months, in partnership with two industrial hygienist firms, the Return to Bienveneda Task Force was responsible for “overseeing the testing and associated remediation of the grounds.”

“Testing protocols included over 75 comprehensive samplings of air, water and soil across exterior grounds and building interiors both before and after remediation, going above and beyond the recommended testing panel,” according to information from the school. “Existing buildings will be refurbished with new flooring, ceiling fixtures, cabinetry and doors to ensure porous surfaces that are susceptible to toxins have been removed. Additionally, safety and filtering equipment and technology, including HEPA vacuum cleaning, MERV 13 air filters, and local air purification systems and monitors, will occupy all interior spaces.”

After the Palisades fire, St. Matthew’s, which has roots in the Palisades dating back to 1949, has operated at two temporary locations in Santa Monica and West Los Angeles that were up and running by the end of January, transforming them into “vibrant, inspiring spaces” with “world-class facilities, where full academic programming continues seamlessly.”

A full set of updates from the Return to Bienveneda Task Force, as well as additional information about worship accommodations, is available at stmatthews.com. Additional information about the school can be found at stmatthewsschool.com.