Pacific Coast Highway on Wednesday morning, January 8. Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
To ensure the safe removal, transport and disposal of debris following the Palisades fire, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health issued an order on January 15 that prohibits cleanup or removal of debris at fire damaged and burned properties until a hazardous materials inspection is completed by an approved government agency.
The County Fire Health and Hazardous Materials Certified Unified Program Agency, in conjunction with state and federal partners, will conduct a hazardous materials assessment of all burned properties.
Then, state and federal government will operate a program for the clean-up, removal and disposal of fire debris. Property owners may opt to have their properties cleared of the debris, or hire contractors to clear the property after the assessment—which requires additional approval.
When returning to areas impacted by the fires, Public Health urged individuals to take precautions to protect their health and safety.
“Ash, dust and debris—particularly from burned buildings—may contain toxic and cancer-causing chemicals, including asbestos, arsenic and lead,” LA Sanitation and Environment explained. “Ash, soot, dust and other airborne particles may have been deposited inside and outside of homes and businesses.”
The agency wrote that when it comes to cleaning up, do not use leaf blowers or other actions that will push ash up in the air. Instead, they said to try gently sweeping indoor and outdoor surfaces, followed by wet mopping. A solution of bleach and water can be used to disinfect an area.
It is recommended that individuals wear respiratory protection and protective clothing. Public Health suggested the use of an N95 disposable mask, gloves, safety goggles, long-sleeved shirts and closed-toe shoes. They also recommended showering regularly throughout the day when cleaning areas with ash.
Though areas like the Highlands, Riviera and Castellammare have been reopened for residents, LA County Fire Department reminded that several “critical” steps must be completed to ensure a safe return to areas affected by the fires.
LACoFD explained that fire hot spots must be fully extinguished, Urban Search and Rescue operations need to be completed, roads must be cleared of hazards—such as downed power lines and fallen trees—streets and road infrastructure must be repaired and deemed safe, and utilities—including water, electricity and gas—must be inspected for safety.
“Homes and other structures must be evaluated for fire damage, structural weaknesses and potential collapse,” according to LACoFD. “A red-tagged building means it is unsafe and cannot be entered. A yellow-tagged building means some areas may be safe, but only for limited use or specific purposes.”
For additional information, contact Los Angeles County Department of Public Health at 888-700-9995 or visit bit.ly/Wildfire_Recovery.
Councilmember Park speaks at a January 16 town hall. Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
As the multiple agencies battling the Palisades fire gain more control, local officials present plans and legislation for rebuilding and beyond.
Councilmember Traci Park, who represents Council District 11, including Pacific Palisades, introduced a package of 24 motions at the January 14 LA City Council meeting—its first day back following the Palisades fire—to establish a recovery plan.
“[The package] includes everything, from missing animals, to criminal activity, debris removal and small business assistance, to housing relief, and long-term financing for infrastructure and facilities,” Park explained during the meeting.
At the Palisades Fire Town Hall at Sinai Temple on Thursday, January 16, Park said “we may be looking at many months before we can even begin rebuilding.”
“I am committed to moving this as quickly as possible,” Park continued. “I introduced a package of legislation—more than two dozen motions—that will lay the framework for wildfire recovery here in Los Angeles.”
Among other things, Park said, the package called for an “outside, independent inquiry” and after-action incident review: “I think you all are entitled to transparent, clear answers about what happened with this fire. How did it start? What contributed to the causes? What went right? And what went wrong?”
“We are going to get to the bottom of those issues,” Park said, “and I am going to ensure that you have the answers.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to “clear the way” for residents to rebuild their homes lost in the ongoing fires on Monday, January 13.
The order will coordinate debris removal from all impacted areas, uniting with the California Office of Emergency Services and other city, county, state and federal agencies.
“The debris removal program shall ensure clean-up occurs in compliance with all local, state, and federal hazardous materials and contamination regulations intended to protect human health and protect against groundwater and air contamination,” according to the order.
The order will also allow for a “swift” issuance of permits in all impacted areas, and direct city departments to expedite all building permit review/inspections—bypassing state CEQA discretionary review, waiving city discretionary review processes and allow rebuilding “like for like.”
The January 13 order will also direct the Department of Building and Safety to expedite approvals—known as temporary certificates of occupancy—for 1,400 units of housing across the city.
“This unprecedented natural disaster warrants an unprecedented response that will expedite the rebuilding of homes, businesses and communities,” Bass said in a statement. “This order is the first step in clearing away red tape and bureaucracy to organize around urgency, common sense and compassion. We will do everything we can to get Angelenos back home.”
Steve Soboroff—real estate developer and former police commission president, with decades of ties to Pacific Palisades—has been named by Bass as “chief recovery officer” for the city, which will entail working directly with Bass and various city departments to craft a strategy for rebuilding and allowing the safe return of residents, businesses, workers and other institutions to areas affected by the fires.
My husband Arnold and I—along with over 400 other families—lost our homes in the Malibu fire of 1993. We formed a group that became known as Operation Recovery. Below is some of the wisdom from the OR group—the first steps to take after you lose your home.
Drive carefully and move slowly: Many accidents happened after the fire, as everyone was so busy and distracted.
Carry a notebook and write EVERYTHING down. Write down everyone you speak to regarding rebuilding, insurance, permits, etc. Note all their responses and directions PLUS their contact information.
Keep your cell phone and computer charged. Back up your computer to the cloud. Purchase and carry with you an additional cell/computer battery supply.
Do not make any major decisions for at least a month.
Consider using an Independent Insurance Adjuster to represent you.
You may have to provide detailed substantiation of the contents of your home. Start listing the contents of everything you lost. Room by room, drawer by drawer, cabinet by cabinet (don’t forget the garage and garden, including plantings). You can add values later. Create a spreadsheet. If you haven’t yet mastered Excel, this is the time.
Take photos of all damage to property and cars before and after demolition/clearance.
Initiate replacement of important documents—insurance, passports, birth certificates, important papers.
ORGANIZE: Get together with your fire victim buddies/neighbors at least weekly to assure you have the clout you need for proper representation to group to the city, county, FEMA and to your insurance carriers.
Get help. Accept assistance. Don’t be proud. You need help, take it. Physical help, childcare, animal care and counseling. This is a hugely traumatic time. Expect to be disoriented, angry, frustrated and exhausted. Make a list of what friends CAN do for you when they ask and be prepared to give assignments (childcare, clerical support, errands, shopping …). They REALLY want to be useful and you NEED their help.
Get plenty of rest. Eat healthy. Limit smoking/drinking if possible. Try not to go overboard on comfort foods. You need to be strong, alert and healthy.
Rent a place of your own. Staying with friends and family is good for a short time, but you need your privacy and space even more than they do. Set up a desk and “business” area. You will now have a full-time job recovering. Get organized with all correspondence, insurance papers, notes. Being able to put your hands on important papers/contact info, etc. as you need them is a great stress reliever.
Socialize. Relax. Take in a movie. Walk on the beach. Hang with others who are dealing with fire loss—your mutual support really helps.
You WILL get through this with your physical and mental health intact, although it will take some time and lots of energy.
Karen and Arnold York were longtime publishers of The Malibu Times newspaper and magazine before it was sold in 2021.
Palisades Branch Library site on January 8 Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
One of the longtime institutions lost to the Palisades fire was Palisades Branch Library, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.
“Those of us from Pacific Palisades are still attempting to fathom the tremendous destruction that’s occurred in our beloved hometown,” President of Friends of the Palisades Library Laura Schneider wrote to community members on Wednesday, January 15. “The loss of so many homes, businesses and community institutions, such as our beautiful branch library, is nearly beyond our ability to comprehend. But as we deal with the shock of losing so much, we will move forward with the confidence that we will rebuild our lives and our community for the better.”
The board of the Friends of Palisades Library—also known as Pacific Palisades Library Association—met on January 14.
“The board of the all-volunteer Pacific Palisades Library Association—half of whom have lost their own homes in the fires—met yesterday and agreed that given the enormity of the loss our patrons have suffered, now is not the time to be asking you to contribute to our Pacific Palisades Library Association,” Schneider wrote. “However, since so many of you have asked, please know that the best way to keep your resources in our community is to visit our website. But please know that while your support is appreciated, right now our highest priority is your safety and well-being.”
Schneider reported that longtime Senior Librarian Mary Hopf is currently working from the West Los Angeles Regional Branch and can be reached at mhopf@lapl.org, as she is “ready to continue to serve as a trusted and kind informational resource for Palisadians.”
“We will rebuild our beloved library and we will work with every organization that we can—the Los Angeles Public Library, the Library Foundation and our local community stakeholders—to help restore the heart of our community,” Schneider continued.
The history of the Palisades library dates back to 1929, when Los Angeles Public Library established limited library services in the Palisades, with a deposit station on Antioch Street, before establishing a public branch library in 1952.
“The community embraced this extraordinary addition, but the popularity of the library created a need for an even larger facility,” LAPL wrote in a post shared across social media. “In the 1990s, the Pacific Palisades community launched a fundraising campaign in addition to supporting a citywide library bond … which led to the expansion of the Palisades Branch Library.”
In 1963, Palisades Branch Library opened its Alma Real Drive doors. LAPL established a larger, and new library building in the Palisades in 2003—a home to several books, media and special collections sprawled across 11,500 square feet.
Palisades Branch Library often hosts community events and workshops, inviting Palisadians to book discussions, movie screenings, meditation practices and more.
“The Palisades Library is at the very heart of our community,” according to the Friends, “and the Friends of the Library has been the primary means of support for the programs that have added so much to the civic life of Pacific Palisades.”
For more information and to stay up to date with the library, visit friendsofpalilibrary.org/Join-Friends.htm. Donations are being accepted for the future of the library and can be made online at friendsofpalilibrary.org/library-Gifts.htm. Checks can be mailed to West Los Angeles Regional Branch Library, 11360 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025, c/o Mary Hopf or Laura Schneider. After sending, email mhopf@lapl.org to confirm receipt.
Pacific Palisades Community Council will host a special meeting on Thursday, January 23, beginning at 6 p.m. on Zoom.
“The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the status of the devastating fire and to obtain information from our key elected officials,” PPCC wrote. “The meeting is public and open to all. There will be an opportunity for attendees to ask questions and comment.”
Officials confirmed to join the meeting at press time included Councilmember Traci Park, Mayor Karen Bass, Congressmember Brad Sherman, Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Palisades Charter High School Principal Pam Magee and LAUSD Board Member Nick Melvoin and District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
“Following the officials’ remarks, we will then take written questions for the guest speakers posed in the meeting chat by attendees,” PPCC wrote. “Questions may be directed to a specific official or to all speakers for answers. The chat will be monitored and the questions will be read aloud to the officials. In the interest of time, duplicative questions will be combined into one question. Questions may also be submitted via email to info@pacpalicc.org no later than 12 p.m., January 23. We ask that the questions be respectful and focused on current needs and what we can expect from our government agencies as we move forward in attempting to rebuild our beautiful community.
“PPCC is an all-volunteer advisory organization, with the mission of providing a forum for consideration of community issues, advocating to government officials when there is community consensus, and protecting the quality of life in the Palisades. Our board members are grief-stricken and frustrated; we, along with other community members, hope and trust that ongoing investigations will eventually provide answers as to how and why this unprecedented catastrophic event occurred. That said, this meeting will not be a forum for blame, accusations or speculation about causes of the fire, but will instead be centered constructively on obtaining information about what lies ahead for us all.”
For more information, including a link to join the Zoom, visit pacpalicc.org.
When it comes to bank locations in Pacific Palisades, Wells Fargo, City National Bank, U.S. Bank and Citibank appear to be unharmed following the Palisades fire, while Bank of America, Chase and First Citizens Bank have sustained major damage.
Several readers have inquired about the status of security deposit boxes at the banks that sustained damage.
“Our thoughts are with the local Palisades community and all those impacted by these devastating wildfires,” Liz Shapiro with First Citizens Bank Corporate Communications said. “Our Pacific Palisades branch sustained major damage. Due to current conditions, we have not been able to assess the full extent of damage, and cannot speak to the conditions inside the branch vault or the safe deposit boxes at this time. Security is stationed adjacent to the site, and as soon as we are able, in accordance with law enforcement instruction, we will determine how to best access the vault and reach out to clients to provide an update.”
Clients were encouraged to direct any questions to the Palisades branch team, which has been temporarily relocated to its Santa Monica location at 401 Wilshire Street, with a phone number of 310-459-2372.
On behalf of Chase, Peter Kelley confirmed that the Palisades location also had security deposit boxes: “We’re still working to assess the damage with local authorities and actively communicating with customers.”
Bank of America did not respond to a request for comment by press time on Tuesday. Additional updates from all banks will be available online as they are received.
Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica—owned and operated by Palisadian Zibby Owens—is giving away books to anyone who has lost their home in the Palisades fire or has been directly impacted.
“While we’re giving away our own inventory, we are also working with publishers and other companies to give away new books in other ways,” Owens explained. “Scholastic will be donating 1,000 new books to our shop, and Reese’s Book Club will be sending hundreds of their book club picks to give away.”
The shop is also launching a pop-up “store” through February 2 for those who lost their home and need clothes, with new merchandise available at no charge from 30 brands, including Citizens of Humanity, Lingua Franca and Draper James.
“We hope our store can be a place of solace in this disaster, and that the comfort of a new clothing item or the pages of a book can bring temporary joy in a time that feels only bleak,” Owens wrote. “We will also be there for the community in other ways as the days, weeks, months and years go on, and will be part of our community in the Palisades as it rebuilds.”
For more information or to sign up for a slot to receive clothes—which is required—visit zibbymedia.com.
The Palisadian-Post presents an homage to Will Rogers’ column, “Will Rogers Says,” with a column by Palisadian Jimmy Dunne—on life in the “greatest town in America.”
Dearest Palisadian family,
Two weeks have passed …
We’ve been finding each other scattered around the Westside of LA in hotel lobbies, in apartment rental offices, in the temporary post office line—places like that.
Sharing stories of our homes. Of our families. Of our friends. Of our town.
This is mine.
Unable to get a car in, I rode a bike into our town after the fire.
I first drove through the Huntington.
It looked completely different than the pictures we’ve all been seeing.
It was so grey. Maybe it’s just that I never knew what a fire looked like, but I didn’t expect this. Homes were down to the ground. I mean the ground. I couldn’t figure out where the homes went.
Brick chimneys defiantly remained.
Home. After home. After home. After home. Both sides of the street. Our comforting town trees, only days before graciously draping like blankets over neighbor’s homes—now black and gnarled, twisted and scorched.
Things still smoldering pricked at the fact it wasn’t over—it was still sparking, crackling in these deathbeds. Random flames flickered and danced, stubbornly clinging to life, burning with a vengeful fury.
Wires lying everywhere. Charcoaled, charred, fried cars with the skeletons of their tire rims all looked exactly the same.
Got off my bike. Stood there. I was just numb.
This was our town. Our town.
I drove slowly. I was no longer seeing the missing homes.
I was seeing the missing families.
The McRoskey house on Ocampo. Nothing there. Where I sat so many times on his backyard patio, slurping a snappy cocktail with so many Palisades buds.
Drove past scorched, dried swimming pools. Imagined the moms and dads, and grammies and grampies—puttering around with little squirts in “swimmies.”
Went by where Becky and Jai Winding’s house was on Alma Real. Thought about the wonder that would dance out of Jai’s prized grand piano.
Stopping for a second in front of Corpus, I pictured the one-two knock-out punch of Sr. Patricia and Father Kidney—giving a seventh-grade kid so much more of an education than any book you could ever, ever read.
I passed what was left of many of the very building blocks of our town—our schools, churches and synagogues. Marquez. Calvary. Village. Corpus Christi. Presbyterian Church. Palisades Elementary. Methodist Church and preschool, home of our founding fathers.
Thought of the humongous beating heart of Omid Heidari at Calvary who raises the world’s bar in the art of “playing.”
Drove my bike across Sunset into the Alphabet Streets—and down Iliff.
Now a ghost town.
I imagined the treasure chest of the absolute greatest, happiest, full of life, full of families that all just loved each other—and that would do anything, I mean anything in the world for their neighbors.
We sure lost a lot more than books or walls at our town library.
We lost an enchanted place for Palisadians to get lost. To get lost in the wonder of anything, anything you dared to open—once you wandered inside these mystical doors.
Biked into our town park. To Veterans Gardens.
I don’t care what trees were missing, or what plants and bushes were burnt to the ground, or the benches that were scorched—when I looked at those bocce courts—they shined to me.
They shined.
And all in a moment, I saw all the faces, the thousand faces of the happiest, most beautiful, most loving, most caring, most giving Palisadian friends I’ve had the honor of sharing the most joyful days.
I pictured them all hugging on those courts. Loving each other. Loving the privilege of being here. In this moment. No fire could ever, ever, ever take that away.
What once was our Starbucks in that historic building—now kind of looked like our Roman Coliseum.
All I know is I sure wish I could just have one more 5:30-in-the-morning with the fantastic Jake Steinfeld holding court to a full table of the greatest Palisadians, wetting their pants at some story—knowing half of what Jake was saying was a bunch of you-know-what.
Hard to tell where Joe Almaraz’s Palisades Barbershop used to be. Not one clue in the rubble.
Joe walked from his house on Sunset to cut the heads of his loyal customers for almost 50 years. You’d sit in that chair, and everyone would wave to Joe from the street as he’d just snip away. He’d tell you some story about how wonderful the guy was. Or about how wonderful his old man was.
I never thought a restaurant could ever, ever top Greg’s Grill.
Cafe Vida did. Their waiters and waitresses were the sweetest peas.
I drove by Gelson’s.
Still smoldering. Smelled like metal.
Thought about sweet Susie in the bakery. Always throwing in an extra cookie I shouldn’t have with love on her face.
All the “baggers” were so happy to see my football-sized Louis—even though he’d snap at ’em with his horrifying breath every single time I’d go through the line.
Driving down Storybook Lane, behind Palisades Village, I know a bunch of those fantastic families.
I pictured the family dinners with young parents looking across the table into the eyes of the most precious gifts of their lives—imagining where promise will one day live.
As I drove west down Sunset, I imagined the terror of the moms with their kids in car seats behind them stuck in traffic on Palisades Drive—watching the angry fires roaring towards them on both sides of the one way out of the Highlands.
I biked over to where we raised our kids in Lower Marquez. Broke my heart seeing Vittorios—just having their 40th anniversary.
Pictured tasting the love of Vanessa, Sabrina and mom Mercedes; and Chefs Mario, Lazaro, Eliseo and Julian—in every one-of-a-kind thousand-calorie a-bite garlic balls.
Rode by our old house where we lived for 37 years on Bollinger Drive. Stephen Wright, the new owner (a great, great dad), had texted me that the only thing that survived the fire was my two daughters’ handprints in the driveway.
Stephen texted he’s building another house on that spot, and saving those handprints—to keep a memory of the story of Bollinger alive for the new families on the block.
When I saw the hands, I got down on my knees and cried.
I saw an Instagram post of a lovely Palisadian woman. I didn’t know her.
It was a picture of the Palisades. Of our gorgeous coastline and ocean.
And the caption said, “I miss the Palisades already.”
Truth is, it’s not the beach. It’s not the view. It’s not the buildings.
It’s the people, my friends. That’s what’s special around here. That’s what I think we’re missing.
It’s the trust and belonging we genuinely shared—that you just can’t buy—with so many people in our churches, and synagogues, and schools. It’s the friendly “hellos” with all the pals we’d bump into at our “Farmers Market.”
It’s cheering together in the stands for baseball teams at our town park.
Walking into the dry cleaners or familiar restaurant and getting the most endearing smile.
It’s taking off at the starting line with 3,000 other Palisadians at the crack of dawn in the 4th of July Race with a sea of strollers, and kids, and moms and dads, and grandparents.
It’s hooting it up for kids and parents we know on floats in the Palisades Parade.
It’s walking down your street with your dog at sunset and bumping into one of life’s treasures—caring neighbors.
That’s what we’re all missing.
On the front lawn of one of the homes that burnt to the ground, I saw something remarkable.
Out of the burnt-black covered soil, small, stunning green blades of grass were breaking through.
You just knew how magnificent, and how strong, these blades were determined to be.
Maybe nature’s way of saying, “We’re coming back.”
My friends, we are.
We’re coming back.
Better than ever.
We’re going to come marching back, full of heart. Full of hugs. Banging our pots and pans.
And we will never, ever forget how precious and fragile every moment is.
As our town song says:
“How beautiful life is around me
With family and friends that surround me
The mountains and the big blue sea
There’s no place that I’d rather be
I’m so happy I can say
We live in the greatest town …
Pacific Palisades”
Jimmy Dunne is a modern-day Renaissance Man; a hit songwriter (28 million hit records), screenwriter/producer of hit television series, award-winning author, an entrepreneur—and a Palisadian “Citizen of the Year.” You can reach him at j@jimmydunne.com or jimmydunne.substack.com.
Aaron Jung leads choreography in Theatre Palisades Youth's temporary rehearsal space. Photos courtesy of Theatre Palisades Youth
Palisadian Lara Ganz Leads Theatre Palisades Youth, Paul Revere Programs Into the Future, Despite Palisades Fire
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
In the face of uncertainty, Director Lara Ganz is working behind the scenes to ensure the show goes on for Theatre Palisades Youth and Paul Revere Charter Middle School students—with rehearsals continuing for upcoming shows slated to be performed in the coming months.
Palisades fire first began on Tuesday, January 7. Pierson Playhouse, which Theatre Palisades and Theatre Palisades Youth/Teen use as a performance space, was one of the first structures widely shown on the news to have been lost to the flames.
Just four days later, on Saturday, January 11, Ganz, despite losing her own home in the fire, had worked with her team—including choreographer Rebecca Brancato Barragan, who Ganz described as “literally a beam of light”—to secure a rehearsal space at St. Monica, where Barragan volunteers.
TPY is able to use the space for rehearsals through January, until the auditorium begins a remodel. Ganz said she is working on planning February and has received a few offers from spaces.
“Everyone is coming together to lift us all up—this massive outpouring of love, empathy, compassion, generosity,” Ganz said. “An entire community has been physically leveled, physically demolished and yet all of our surrounding communities are pulling together to literally lift us up out of the ashes … the phoenix from the flame … we will rise and we will return.”
Paul Revere students will be performing “Beetlejuice,” while TPY is working on “Crazy for You.” Though they were picked months before the Palisades fire, Ganz had unknowingly selected shows with strong ties to grief, loss—and the importance of music.
Theatre Palisades Youth performs “Les Misérables” in 2024
“‘Crazy for You’ is a top show,” Ganz described. “It’s all these old jazz standards—the song we were rehearsing—‘I got rhythm, I got music … who could ask for anything more?’—it’s the biggest number in the show and it’s so perfect.”
What’s more—“Crazy for You” is a “classic tale of a boy, a girl and a theater in need of salvation,” a synopsis described.
Bobby Child is working as a banker, but spends his free time practicing dancing and sneaking into auditions for shows. Sent to a small town for work to investigate a customer who has defaulted on their mortgage, Bobby falls for Polly Baker, whose father owns the “beautiful but decaying” Gaiety Theater, which Bobby was sent to seize.
“Now lovestruck, Bobby comes up with a plan: call in his friends, the Follies Girls, all the way from New York City, cast the locals—a bunch of rundown cowboys with latent musical talent—and put on a show to save the old building,” the synopsis continued.
Ganz said she was originally feeling connected to “Beetlejuice” on a personal level when she picked the show in October, but since then, the connection has deepened for the performers through a song called “Home.” It includes the lyrics: “Standing/Stuck on this impossible road/No idea which way to go/Whichever path I choose/I lose, you know/And I don’t know which way’s home.”
“All the kids, going through this hard time—they literally lost their homes,” Ganz said. “And the main song is ‘Home’ … it’s literally our song.”
She said there are also many touching and tender moments throughout the show, including a father connecting with his daughter, helping her get on her feet and grounded after losing her mom.
“The show is all about recovering from loss,” Ganz said. “So, even though it’s hilarious, it couldn’t be more perfect.”
“Grease” ran in June of last summer.
Another throughline of the show, Ganz described, is the couple who moves into the main home and is attached to their belongings. The couple dies and the show features them in the afterlife.
“They’re attached to their belongings,” Ganz said. “All these Palisadians are going through this moment of losing all our belongings and whatever that means to you.”
At press time, it was unclear when Paul Revere students would return to its regular campus, having been temporarily relocated to University High School Charter. Ganz is following the news closely to see if TPY and Paul Revere will be able to perform their shows at the campus, or if securing an alternate space will be necessary.
Ganz explained that parents across the Palisades were clear that it was important to not let kids fall into “deep isolation” as they did during COVID.
“We are determined to unite them in passion and purpose and compassion for one another,” Ganz described. “Everyone is so scared of losing the community of love and performing arts that we all built together. We have so many ‘what ifs?’ flooding our minds, and we have to see ‘what if … we do everything possible to ensure that the show will go on?’”
Some of the members of the theater programs will have a chance to perform alongside actress and singer Kerry Butler, who originated the role of Barbara Maitland in the Broadway musical “Beetlejuice.” Butler is also known for roles in “Hairspray,” “Xanadu,” “Les Misérables” and “Little Shop of Horrors.”
TPY performers and Paul Revere students have been invited to join Butler on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts the weekend of January 23 to 25 to perform songs. Ganz was also seeing if it would be possible to bring students from the Palisades Charter High School theater program.
Zoë tells the cast about the opportunity to perform alongside Kerry Butler.
The connection was made when the sister of TPY member Zoë reached out to Butler to see if she could offer words of encouragement after the family lost their home, as Zoë is playing the role of Barbara. Butler took it even further than a FaceTime encouragement call, inviting cast members down to perform and also volunteering to spend an afternoon coaching the young performers.
Bringing the performers together and highlighting what she described as “Kerry Butler Week” is personal for Ganz, who wants to shed light on the importance of community across the Palisades.
“I think we can handle losing the stuff, but we can’t handle losing community,” Ganz said. “We have to keep encouraging—there’s reasons to stay, there’s reasons to push through. I hope everyone feels the same way.”
Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officer for Pacific Palisades Brian Espin sent the following update on Monday, January 20, at 6:30 p.m.
I have been receiving a lot of questions regarding the repopulation of the Palisades. Here is a quick synopsis.
Can my contractor or insurance adjuster go to my property to do an assessment or make repairs?
Once an area is open to repopulate, it is for residents only with proof of residency for the first 24 hours. After the 24-hour mark, the area is open to anyone as would be a normal day.
Can friends or family go with me to my property?
For the first 24 hours it is only for residents. Friends or family can go with you in the same vehicle, multiple vehicles are not allowed. Only one vehicle per proof of residency.
I need to check on my pets and or water my plants on my property.
To water your plants or maintain property you will have to wait until your area has been cleared for repopulation. To check on pets you will need to contact LA Animal Control Services to request an animal check and/or collect the animals: 213-270-8155.
Can I get an escort into my home to secure personal property (valuables) or safes?
We have been given explicit directions from the Unified Command Post to restrict escorts into the evacuation area as there are still emergency/utility personnel actively working. If you have contracted with a security company in the Palisades, I recommend reaching out to them to check and or secure whatever valuable property possibly still remaining or need to be secured.
I have seen neighbors posting pictures or messaging that they are back into their homes or neighborhood that is in the mandatory evacuation zones.
I know there have been people getting into the area using many channels (press, private security, hitching a ride with utility company). There are so many different entry points into the Palisades it is difficult to manage or catch every single person sneaking in. We are doing our best to monitor the area.
Is the area safe to move back into or sift through the rubble?
Once an area has been repopulated that means it was inspected by utilities and deemed safe to enter. There are still potential hazards throughout the Palisades, so you need to be very mindful of your surroundings. This includes wearing a mask for possible particulates in the area.
I am hearing that some people are getting conflicting information of when they are allowed to repopulate into the area. Please only check the CAL FIRE Genasys Protect website (protect.genasys.com) for the exact zones and visible map of the area.
Provided by LAPD Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin. In case of emergency, call 911. To report a non-emergency, call 877-275-5273.
By continuing to use our site, you understand that we use cookies to improve your experience and collect analytics data. To find out more, read our privacy policy here.
