By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

An Open Forum regarding the Pacific Palisades Pedestrian Trail Project will take place at Palisades Branch Library on Wednesday evening, August 21, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

“Join us to discover the proposed walking path linking George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon and Will Rogers State Beach,” read the event flyer.

The trail is being developed separately from the Potrero Canyon Pedestrian/Bicycle Bridge project, which had its first community meeting on March 14.

As being considered, the trail will connect Potrero Canyon to the beach via a lateral walking path that extends to Temescal Canyon Road.

The meeting, which will take place in the community room, is being hosted by Geosyntec Consultants and the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering. Those who attend will be invited to share their thoughts, according to the flyer.

“The trail is a required element under the Coastal Development Permit for the Potrero Canyon park project, issued by the California Coastal Commission,” read information provided by Pacific Palisades Community Council. “For more information about Potrero Canyon (including ongoing posts with updates on Canyon matters), visit PPCC’s Potrero Canyon page.”

Palisades Branch Library is located at 861 Alma Real Drive.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Nonprofit Sages & Seekers is seeking sages—adults ages 60 and older—and seekers—students between 15 and 24 years old—to participate in its upcoming fall program, including at Palisades Charter High School.

The eight-week intergenerational program, which is offered both online and in-person, is described as an opportunity to build meaningful relationships.

With a mission to combat social isolation and “dissolve age-related segregation,” the program has been implemented across the country, in private and public schools, universities, senior centers, and beyond.

“Sages & Seekers has launched many long-lasting friendships that have transcended age and geographic boundaries,” according to the program. “We provide both students and seniors an alternative to isolation: a sense of purpose and a connection to the larger picture of society and the world.”

Sages & Seekers will be hosting a program at Pali High on Wednesdays from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. beginning September 25. Subsequent meeting dates are October 9, 16, 23 and 30, and November 6, 13 and 20.

The deadline to enroll for Sages & Seekers’ fall program is Wednesday, September 18. An informational Zoom session will take place on Tuesday, August 27, at 10 a.m.

“If you have not participated in one of our programs before, and would like to learn more about our online and in-person programs before enrolling, this is a great opportunity to hear from our staff and ask questions,” according to Sages & Seekers. “This info session is not mandatory for new Sages. It is optional for those who would like to learn more about the program.”

The session will also be recorded for those who cannot attend live.

To sign up for the informational session or to enroll in the program, visit sagesandseekers.org/enroll or contact loriann@sagesandseekers.org.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Wise & Healthy aging will present “Fall Prevention Dos & Don’ts” at Palisades Branch Library on Wednesday, August 21, beginning at 11 a.m.

“Falling is not a natural part of aging,” read an event description. “Learn about the risks for falling and how you can prevent them.”

Each participant will receive a free nightlight at the end of the one-hour program.

Wise & Healthy Aging is a community-based, nonprofit organization that is designed to advance “the dignity and quality of life of older adults through leadership, advocacy and high-quality, innovative services.”

Palisades Branch Library is located at 861 Alma Real Drive.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Art Association is hosting two upcoming events at Palisades Branch Library.

The first event is an Art Show and Tell, which will take place on Monday, August 19, from 5:45 to 7:30 p.m. It is the second Art Show and Tell of the year, following a previous program in May.

“Feel free to bring any of your pieces to share and talk about,” read the PPAA website. “Please try and limit yourself to no more than two pieces. We will try and have enough time for everybody to talk.”

The show and tell is open to “all forms of art.” Those who participated in May are welcome to join again with “new or other art pieces.”

The second event is a Color Pencil Techniques demonstration, led by Caryl Wolff, on Wednesday, August 28, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Supplies will be provided, but limited, according to PPAA. Those who have their own supplies are invited to bring them in.

Both events take place at 861 Alma Real Drive in the Palisades Branch Library Community Room.

“As always, thank you for your continued interest in our Art Association,” wrote PPAA President Annette Alexakis, “and I am looking forward to seeing you all at our next events.”

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Songwriter, screenwriter/producer of television series, entrepreneur and Palisadian Citizen of the Year Jimmy Dunne and actor Ted McGinley will host an author event on Wednesday evening, August 21, beginning at 6 p.m.

The event will focus on Dunne’s latest book, “Jimmy Dunne Says: 47 Short Stories That Are Sure to Make You Laugh, Cry—and Think.” The column—an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says”—has been published in the Palisadian-Post since it launched in August 2021.

“‘Jimmy Dunne Says’ is a collection of author Jimmy Dunne’s best bite-sized stories that Americans everywhere are spreading and sharing,” according to a synopsis. “These stories are heartfelt, smart and thought-provoking, and some will have you absolutely belly-laughing. Some stories about navigating everyday life today, some that take you right back to your childhood days.”

The event will begin with a discussion from 6 to 6:30 p.m., followed by a Q&A from 6:30 to 6:45 p.m. and a signing from 6:45 to 7 p.m. Dunne will be joined in conversation by McGinley, an actor known for roles in series like “Happy Days,” “The Love Boat” and “Married… with Children.”

Zibby’s Bookshop is located at 1113 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. It is owned and operated by Marquez Knolls resident Zibby Owens.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

The Pacific Palisades Democratic Club has announced the opening of a new election headquarters space for 2024, with a soft opening planned for August and grand opening on September 1.

In 2004, PPDC began spearheading efforts to open in-person Westside Democratic Headquarters in Santa Monica, with plans to reopen a WDHQ every presidential election year. This has allowed the organization to partner with multiple area clubs, including the Santa Monica Dem Club, West LA Dems, Heart of LA and more.

“The Pacific Palisades Democratic Club … has come a long way since a group of politically active Palisadians incorporated a local Democratic club in 1953,” according to the club. “We’re proud to have led the founding and running of the Westside Democratic Headquarters, opening brick-and-mortar Santa Monica locations every presidential election year—drawing, training and managing thousands of volunteers to become one of the top-performing in-person campaign centers nationwide from 2004 through 2016.”

PPDC recently announced that the headquarters space has expanded and will open a physical space in Santa Monica again in September.

The headquarters will act as a space to train and equip volunteers, host candidates and ballot proposition forums, host debates, parties and events, and provide a gathering place.

PPDC will host a soft opening on Thursday, August 22, which will also act as a watch-party for Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic National Convention nomination acceptance speech. A grand opening event is slated for Sunday, September 1. Both events will take place at the WDHQ, located at 1241 3rd Street Promenade.

For more information, visit palisadesdemclub.org/aboutus/aboutus.

A Candidates Forum Will Take Place August 8; Electronic Voting is Set to Begin August 16

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades Community Council announced candidates in the 2024 election of area and at-large representatives during its regular board meeting on Thursday, July 25, with voting set to start on August 16.

“We will have the upcoming election for the area and at-large board members who will be serving a two-year term,” PPCC Vice President Quentin Fleming said.

The PPCC board is comprised of a chair/president, vice-chair/vice-president, treasurer, secretary, chair emeritus, area and at-large representatives, representatives of various community organizations, and non-voting advisors/positions.

When it comes to uncontested seats, JoAnna Rodriguez is running to represent Area 1, Steve Cron for Area 2, Karen Ridgley for Area 4, Kimberly Bloom for Area 5, Sharon Kilbride for Area 7, Andrew Wolfberg for Area 8 and Chris Spitz for at-large representative.

Two seats will have a contested election: Joe Layton and Julia Nilsen for Area 3 (including Marquez Knolls, Sunset Boulevard from Palisades Drive to Bienveneda Avenue and Bel-Air Bay Club), and Lorie Cudzil and David Schwarz for Area 6 (including Temescal Canyon Road from the Pacific Ocean to Sunset Boulevard to Chautauqua Boulevard). Linda Friar withdrew as a candidate for Area 3, and Barbara Schelbert withdrew from the Area 6 race.

Each candidate—contested or not—put together a statement that has been posted by PPCC on its website.

For the contested Area 3 seat, as a parent of two boys—and a resident since December 2018—Layton said he is “very interested in the present and future” of the “wonderful community.” He has volunteered as a youth sports coach, adding he would “cherish the opportunity to expand” his involvement to representing Area 3 on PPCC.

Nilsen has been a Palisadian for over two decades—the last nine as a resident of Marquez Knolls. She is an attorney by profession, certified divorce coach and business entrepreneur, who has participated in PTA, active in fundraising, and on the Beverly Hills homeowners association board and board of The Special Needs Resource Center nonprofit.

Running to represent the other contested seat, Area 6, Cudzil has lived in the Palisades for 12 years, nine in the area.

“Throughout my time here, I have been concerned about issues affecting our neighborhood, including the construction of Potrero Canyon, the building of a bridge to the beach and safety on our streets,” Cudzil wrote. “I have attended several PPCC meetings over the years, both in person and online, to become more aware of specific issues and how they are impacting the Palisades.”

Schwarz has resided in Area 6 since October 2021, writing that he has “a longstanding interest in good government and civic participation,” including a “two-term gubernatorial appointee to the Commission on California State Government Organization and Economy, a.k.a. the California ‘Little Hoover’ Commission,” “member [of the] Beverly Hills Pension Reform Task Force,” and “presidential appointee to three U.S. Delegations to the UN Human Rights Commission.”

A two-week voting period will begin on Friday, August 16, at 8 a.m. and end Friday, August 30, at 9 p.m. The electronic ballot will be available on the PPCC website—which is “the only way to vote.” Campaigning is now underway.

Residents of Pacific Palisades may vote for the area representative in which their primary residence is located (a map is available at the PPCC website) and for the at-large candidate. Property owners and business operators may vote for the at-large representative. Voters must be 18 years old as of August 30, 2024.

A Candidates Forum will take place during the PPCC board meeting at Palisades Branch Library on Thursday, August 8, beginning at 6 p.m. The meeting will also be available to attend via Zoom: A link will be posted on the PPCC website.

“During the forum, all candidates will have the opportunity to introduce themselves with brief remarks,” read information shared by PPCC. “Candidates in contested seats will then be posed a series of questions curated by the Election Committee and asked by the Election Committee Chair (one minute for each answer).”

Members of the audience who reside in Areas 3 or 6 will then be invited to ask additional questions to all candidates running in their respective area. At the end of the forum, all candidates will have a chance to make one-minute-or-less closing remarks.

“We hope you will attend our meetings, participate in PPCC and follow our work in the weeks and months ahead,” read a statement from PPCC. “Your voice, perspective and engagement informs our direction, and makes our advocacy stronger.”

For more information, including a link to the ballot starting August 16 and the full candidate statements, visit pacpalicc.org.

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Pacific Palisades received a total of 31.38 inches during its most recent rain year—measured from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024—according to Craig Weston, who has recorded the rain and temperature from The Huntington since 2014.

“The highlight of this ‘rain year’ was the deluge of rain that fell in February, which totaled a stunning 15.6 inches for the month alone,” Weston, a self-described “weather enthusiast,” said. “This figure surpassed the previous record recorded downtown in 1998 of 13.68 inches of rain for February. The Palisades almost broke the all-time record of rain for any month downtown, which occurred in December of 1889 when 15.8 inches fell. 4.52 inches fell on February 4 alone, a huge daily total.”

The month of February began with two storms in Pacific Palisades—which brought more than 10 inches of rain to the area. By Sunday afternoon, February 4, Governor Gavin Newsom had declared a state of emergency in eight Southern California counties, including Los Angeles.

The bigger storm, described as a “slow-moving atmospheric river,” which began Sunday, February 4, brought 7.89 inches of rain to the Palisades by Tuesday evening, February 6, at 5 p.m., Weston reported at the time.

Storms that began Saturday, February 17, brought 2.73 inches of rain as of Tuesday morning, February 20, according to Weston.

In addition to February’s rain, Tropical Storm Hilary brought 3.88 inches of rain measured August 20 through 21, 2023, from The Huntington. Weston called the storm—the first tropical storm to hit Southern California since 1939—a “very rare event.” At its peak, Hilary was reported to be a category 4 hurricane, bringing rain and wind to the Baja California Peninsula before making its way to the Southwestern United States.

The previous rain year—July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023—the Palisades received 31.51 inches. For two years in a row, the total “far surpassed the normal average rainfall,” Weston reported.

“The LA Almanac measures a ‘rain year’ for Los Angeles as the amount of rain that falls between July 1 through June 30 of the following year,” Weston explained. “Usually the rain total you hear reported on the news is coming from a station located in Downtown Los Angeles.”

Rain totals can widely vary, Weston continued, depending on if it’s being measured in Malibu, Inglewood or other parts of the county.

“The Almanac says that Downtown Los Angeles, on average, receives 14.25 inches of rain,” Weston said.

The large rain totals that the Palisades has seen recently are partly the result of an El Niño weather pattern, according to Weston.

“An El Niño pattern is an unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean,” he said. “Currently, there is an 85% chance that a La Niña pattern will emerge this next rain year, possibly bringing drier weather to Los Angeles and Pacific Palisades.”

Prior to the 2022-24 season, the Palisades received 13.34 inches of rain between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022. The season before that, the Palisades received a “paltry 4.47 inches of rain” from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, according to Weston.

When it comes to temperature, the highest reading Weston recorded in the Palisades in 2023 was 90 degrees on October 5. In 2024 so far, the highest temperature as of July 23 was January 28 at 82 degrees.

The lowest temperature recorded by Weston in 2023 was February 16 at 37 degrees, while in 2024 so far, it was 39 degrees on January 9.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

The Los Angeles Police Department West LA Area Crime & Community Intelligence Center released a community alert on Thursday, August 1, regarding a series of residential burglaries in the area.

The department distributed a flyer, providing details of a series of burglaries that have occurred between July 24 and July 31, on Pacific Palisades’ Alcima Avenue, as well as Manning Avenue, Club Drive, Kentfield Avenue and Overland Avenue. The suspects have taken designer purses, jewelry and money, according to the community alert.

The flyer shows a vehicle that has been associated with the string of burglaries. LAPD said the suspects are known to drive a black Chevrolet Suburban LT with dark tinted windows.

“During the commission of each burglary, two suspects—who are described as male Black, wearing dark clothing, masks, gloves, carrying backpacks and a handheld radio—are known to climb over victims’ rear fence and/or wall to gain entry into the rear yard,” LAPD explained in the flyer. “Suspects then smash a glass partition of the rear door and ransack the residence, looking for jewelry, purses and U.S. currency.”

LAPD reported the suspects then flee the area the same way they entered, leaving in the suspected vehicle. On two occasions, the vehicle has been “cold plated,” meaning the suspects used a stolen license plate from a similar looking vehicle.

“Please keep an eye out for suspicious activity,” LAPD Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin wrote. “If you see a crime occurring, call the police immediately. If you see this or a similar vehicle hanging around the street, let your neighbors know to be visible and keep an eye out for each other.”

If you have information regarding the suspects, contact West Los Angeles Burglary Detective Carlos Carrillo at 213-216-5308 or email 39483@lapd.online.