Photos by Sarah Shmerling
Residents of Pacific Palisades are Invited to Attend the Committee’s Upcoming Annual Member Meeting September 13
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Community members gathered at Palisades Village Green on the morning of Sunday, August 27, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park—referred to several times throughout the program as the “heart” of the Palisades.
The event, emceed by longtime Palisadian Rich Wilken, kicked off with Jimmy Dunne’s “Palisades Song,” followed by scouts from Troop 223G raising the flag, with assistance from Los Angeles Fire Department Station 69. Next up, Mia Ruhman, a student at UCLA, sang the national anthem.
Local historian Randy Young gave a talk about the history of the park, and Palisades Barber Shop owner and resident Joe Almaraz spoke on his time owning and operating the business, which, Wilken said, is the longest standing shop in the area.
“I’m ready to retire, but maybe in another 10 years,” Almaraz joked.
Brentwood, Pacific Palisades and West LA Field Deputy Michael Amster for Council District 11 appeared on behalf of Councilmember Traci Park to bestow accolades to longtime stewards and past presidents of Palisades Village Green: Joan Graves, Roger Wood and Marge Gold.
Palisades Village Green Co-Presidents Cindy Kirven and Betsy Collins spoke near the end of the program, with Collins sharing appreciation for “50 years of volunteerism to keep the park going.”
Collins thanked donors, including the Marguleas, Simon and Baxter families, for their support of the park, as well as local organizations, including Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, which has selected Palisades Village Green as one of its annual grant recipients over the years.
The program concluded with Dunne, who shared the lore of Palisades Village Green through “Annabella and the Dolphins.” Live music, performed first by The Shambles and then Westside Jazz Ensemble, continued through the end of the event.
Winners of the Palisades Village Green photo contest, as selected by professional photographer and Palisades Charter High School teacher Rick Steil, were revealed and displayed during the event.
Nicole Hakimian, Sara Marti, Elliot Kuhn, Robert Westerholm, Amanda Housseiny, Taylor Gair, Kai Padden, Laura Schneider and Audrey Smith all won various categories, like Most Symbolic and Best Long Exposure.
Palisades Village Green is a privately owned park, located at 15280 Sunset Boulevard between Swarthmore and Antioch. It operates with the mission of maintaining “in the heart of the community, an attractive, comfortable space in which people can meet others, have a snack, or simply sit in the shade to relax and read.”
Palisades Village Green’s history dates back to the ’70s, when members of the community rallied to have the space return to a park, as it was when the Palisades was first developed in 1923, after it was converted to a gas station in 1945. After Standard Oil did not renew its lease in 1972, the Village Green Committee was formed, which brought the park to fruition, from fundraising to purchasing the land and certifying the park as a California nonprofit corporation.
“Do you know who owns the Palisades Village Green?” Kirven said during the event. “If you live in Pacific Palisades, you do. You are a member of the nonprofit organization called the Palisades Village Green Committee. The members are defined as both the elected directors and all interested members of the community who show up at a meeting of the membership.”
The Palisades Village Green Committee will host its annual Member Meeting on Wednesday, September 13, at 5 p.m. in The Swarthmore Room at Palisades Village. Those who attend will get to vote in the upcoming Board of Directors election.
“Currently, the Board of Directors is composed of nine people,” Kirven explained, “and thanks go to each of them for all they have done and continue to do for the Village Green. Three will be retiring this year. The committee will need between nine and 15 directors, according to the bylaws. So we are lucky to present for your consideration at the member meeting six returning directors and at least five new candidates for the board.”
Those who are interested in becoming a board member are invited to email info@palisadesvillagegreen.org and cindykirven@aol.com.
“This is a valuable park, not owned by the city,” Kirven concluded. “It is called ‘The Heart of the Community,’ so please come vote for the people who will make up next year’s Board of Directors to make sure it is operated and maintained the way you, the ‘community,’ wants it to be.”
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