As part of Palisades PRIDE’s ongoing makeover of the commercial block of Marquez Avenue, five mature golden medallion trees were planted in front of the shops last Thursday morning. Landscape contractor William Ranselaar and his crew sunk the 36-inch boxes into 4-foot-square holes cut into the cement. “The basins will soon be covered over by wrought-iron tree grates like those on Swarthmore,” said PRIDE’s project leader Bob Jeffers. “So far we’ve removed three rooftop signs, installed the stop sign at Bollinger, and landscaped the hillside across the street,” Jeffers said. “These trees are part of the final push to complete the job.” In the next few months, PRIDE will be installing five benches, four trash cans, and four antique lampposts, along with landscaping the median triangle where Marquez meets Sunset. A “Marquez Knolls Shops” sign at the corner is also planned. “Our goal is to do for Marquez what PRIDE did for the 1000 block of Swarthmore in 1996 when they repaired the sidewalks and planted new trees,” Jeffers said. He noted that “throughout the project, the merchants have been very patient and supportive, and Ronny Naidoo (owner of Ronny’s Market) has given away a lot of free snacks to me and the crews.” PRIDE anticipates that everything should be completed by mid-January. The total cost of the project is $100,000, with $89,000 coming from City of L.A. discretionary funds through former City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, and $9,000 donated thus far by Marquez homeowners. “We always need money for our projects and maintenance,” Jeffers said. Donations can be sent to PRIDE c/o the Chamber of Commerce, 15330 Antioch St. Founded in 1992 by a small group of concerned Palisadians, PRIDE stands for Protect and Renew our Identity & Environment, and has been actively planning and completing various beautification projects ever since.
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