‘For Residents, By Residents’

Palisadians Launch Grassroots Organization 1Pali, Host Monday Update Meetings

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Aiming to offer a website and resource for the Palisades community to aid in the rebuilding process, Alphabet Streets resident Anthony Marguleas recently launched 1Pali.

Marguleas—owner of Amalfi Estates—co-founded the grassroots organization with Ben Perlman (who leads strategy for Ocean State Job Lot) and Andrew Grant.

Grant has lived in the Palisades for over 40 years and lost his home in the Alphabet Streets to the fire. He said his involvement with 1Pali is simple: “It’s for the community.”

“That’s what makes the Palisades such a special place,” Grant said to the Post. “Those invisible threads of connection that bind us together and to this magical place that will always feel like home. Those strong ties are indelible despite the tremendous loss we’ve all experienced.”

Perlman 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.”

1Pali’s first meeting took place on Monday, February 3, inviting attendees to an introduction of its plan, goals and mission, which is to connect the community and provide a “trusted, calm and factual place for sharing our collective knowledge that will help us take action to rebuild our community.”

“This is for residents, by residents,” meeting co-host Lou Kamer, a current and past board member of several area organizations, said during the February 3 Zoom.

Kamer explained that 1Pali’s webinars will invite different perspectives.

“Our goal is to be one unified voice, and merge as many of the websites and groups as possible,” Marguleas said.

1Pali expanded on its goals on Monday, February 10, announcing a call for community leadership in the form of block and neighborhood captains, who will engage residents and advocate for their needs.

Over the next two years, 1Pali hopes to foster “a stronger, more connected community,” and ensure “the community’s voice is at the center of important rebuilding decisions.”

The founders said they recognize residents are currently inundated with information, facts and figures, and they don’t want to add to the noise.

“We want to provide clarity,” Perlman said during 1Pali’s February 17 meeting. “We got together and decided that we’re not going to compete in that domain … at least not … traditionally.”

One way 1Pali is doing so is with a tool called AskPali, an AI-powered resource available to help Palisadians navigate the recovery process, launched by Frank Renfro.

Perlman said the 1Pali team is dedicated to “further developing and improving” this tool. AskPali is currently running as a beta program, and Perlman explained that the tool should be integrated into 1Pali’s website in the future.

“This is linked to a database that is constantly being updated,” Perlman explained. “You can ask a simple question like, ‘How do I sign up for ROE?’ And it will give you detailed steps and resources on how you can do that.”

Looking ahead, the 1Pali team wants to bring the community together, outside of the virtual space it has currently been working with. Community members are encouraged to sign up and volunteer, helping shape the future of the Palisades with 1Pali.

“[You can] pick an area that you want to go in,” Kamer explained during the February 17 meeting. “If it’s events … hosted events, anything that you think would be helpful for your neighbor or for the continuation of the tradition of the Palisades. Whatever it is, we’ll get you in, and you can do a little bit. And all together, we’re going to make things happen.”

1Pali’s next meeting is slated for Monday, March 17, at 6 p.m. via Zoom.

“In that upcoming session we’ll be building upon our previous community vision workshop,” Perlman said, “with the intention of turning shared vision into concrete action.”

To register for future meetings, visit palizoom.com. For more information, and to watch previous meetings, visit 1pali.com.