By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Pacific Palisades Community Council President Sue Kohl was recognized with a Women of Impact award by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Friday, March 14.

“What an honor to be nominated to receive a ‘Women of Impact’ award from [Mayor] Karen Bass,” Kohl shared to social media. “As the president of the PPCC, I’ve found myself in the unique position of representing our community in a time of unprecedented crisis. My commitment to the Palisades, my friends, my neighbors and everyone who calls this place home is steadfast. It’s my privilege to serve my community, and this recognition is very much appreciated.”

Kohl is currently president of PPCC, having previously served as vice president and also years as an area representative. The Alphabet Streets resident has volunteered her time with Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness. She has also supported the Westside Guild of Children’s Hospital, Union Rescue Mission and the Berkshire Hathaway Charitable Foundation.

“PPCC’s hardworking, respected President Sue Kohl was honored by Mayor Bass at City Hall as a Woman of Distinction for 2025,” PPCC wrote in an emailed statement after the ceremony. “We congratulate Sue, who well-deserves this special honor.”

Bass congratulated the city’s Commission on the Status of Women, and offered a “warm” welcome at City Hall to all those taking part in the 35th Anniversary Awards Program, which was launched with a new chapter and new name: The Women of Impact Awards.

“The Women of Impact Awards honors women who have demonstrated their commitment to advancing the well-being of Angelenos,” Bass said in a statement. “For nearly 50 years, the Commission on the Status of Women has dedicated itself to promoting gender equity, and advancing the status of women and girls in our city.

“This year, I am delighted to join the members of the Los Angeles City Council, Commissioners, staff and guests in celebrating our esteemed honorees for the progress they have achieved, and the examples they have set for future leaders, both male and female.”

Bass also took to social media to congratulate the Women of Impact awardees.

“It was an honor to recognize the many incredible women leaders who work every day to invest in the futures of LA’s women and girls,” Bass wrote. “Los Angeles is a better place because of your work.”

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

MySafe:LA presented on “The Safe Community Project” at the Thursday, March 13, Pacific Palisades Community Council board meeting.

David Barrett joined PPCC from MySafe:LA’s Safe Community Project, an organization with multiple divisions across Southern California, with a focus on developing wildfire resilient communities.

Barrett began by acknowledging his own personal connection to the Palisades: He previously lived in the area.

“I lived up there for a while, and the house I lived in is gone,” Barrett said. “I have some friends that live up there, and not just up in the [Alphabet] Streets, in the Highlands, but also in the home estates. And as you know, all of those are gone.”

Barrett said the March 13 presentation was designed to help point PPCC forward, covering fire safety topics that would be helpful in rebuilding.

He explained the concept of defensible space—that it is not designed to stop a wildfire from occurring, but to slow it down. Defensible space is described as the area surrounding a home or property, where vegetation is managed to reduce the risk of fire spread, according to CAL FIRE.

“The key is to slow them down enough so that firefighters can get ahead of the issue, so that they have a chance to set up defensible positions to attack the fire and prevent it from turning into something other than a wildfire,” Barrett said. “We want to make sure when we’re dealing with defensible space, that the objective is to prevent a wildfire from becoming anything other than a wildfire, so reducing the spread, the intensity, the heat, and protecting homes and structures from ignition. As everyone rebuilds, we want to keep that in mind.”

Defensible space methodologies include using hardscape—like gravel, pavers or concrete—instead of bark or mulch; limiting combustible items, fencing and gates; regularly clearing dead or dry vegetation; and trimming trees.

Barrett discussed two of the most flammable things: grass and buildings.

“Grass can move at up to 40 to 50 miles an hour, or more, depending on the wind,” he explained. “Grass turns into embers very quickly. [And] buildings will burn faster and are more likely to ignite than brush or trees.”

When rebuilding, Barrett said it is important to keep these two things in mind, and to consider home hardening.

“Home hardening is the term used to describe vegetation management compliance and building materials used to resist the intrusion of flames or embers projected by a wildland fire,” according to CAL FIRE. “It can be applied to new construction.”

Barrett said a lot of information regarding home hardening can be found on the MySafe:LA website. MySafe:LA also provides free wildfire assessments.

“If you are at a place where there is a structure that needs to be inspected, we can come and do that for you and give you a report, and that’s free,” Barrett said. “There’s no charge for doing that.”

The conversation then led to the development and benefits of developing a Fire Safe Council. Barrett said Fire Safe Councils empower local communities to reduce wildfire risk, will have access to grant funding for wildfire prevention, collaborate with fire departments and emergency agencies, and more.

“Currently in Los Angeles, we’ve got … four Fire Safe Councils that have already been established, and we’re working on another four, and hopefully the Palisades will be the fifth,” Barrett said. “We’ll get you across the finish line, being a Fire Safe Council. Our people will work to make sure that you have the support that you need to become one.”

Barrett expressed hopes in returning to PPCC to provide feedback on Palisades Fire Exposure, offer rebuilding expertise and to respond to community questions.

The next PPCC meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 27, at 6 p.m. via Zoom. The meeting is expected to cover information on the rebuilding of Palisades charter schools by Los Angeles Unified School District, as well as questions on debris removal by representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

For more information on MySafe:LA, visit mysafela.org. For a link to the March 27 PPCC meeting and agenda, visit pacpalicc.org.

LAUSD Updates

The Palisades fire has tested our resilience as a community, but together, we are making a strong recovery. As your Los Angeles Unified School District board member, I want to provide an update on how we are moving forward to ensure that our schools remain safe, open and ready to serve our students and families.

First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude to the educators, school staff, families and first responders who worked tirelessly to keep our students safe and supported during this crisis. Thanks to their dedication, we were able to respond quickly and effectively to minimize disruptions to learning.

When Marquez Charter Elementary and Palisades Charter Elementary schools were irreparably damaged by the fires, we immediately prioritized getting our students back into the classroom. Within a week, both schools were successfully relocated to nearby campuses, ensuring that students could continue their education in a stable environment. We are currently in the process of engaging with families to figure out plans for next year.

All other schools that had been evacuated and temporarily closed due to the fires have now reopened, and we are taking extensive measures to ensure their safety. Preliminary soil and wipe sampling data collected at both Canyon Charter Elementary and Paul Revere Charter Middle schools appear to show no impacts from the fire or are at levels that are above safety thresholds. We have also implemented several new health and safety measures, including extra cleaning, upgraded air filtration, and providing masks and bottled water as needed.

For Palisades Charter High School, the transition has been more complex due to its larger student population and the extent of the damage. While Pali High initially pivoted to remote learning, we worked closely with their leadership team to secure a temporary space at the Sears building in Santa Monica so students can return to in-person instruction in April. We are committed to supporting them throughout this entire process, and expect them to reopen on the Pali High campus once it is safe to do so in the next school year.

Beyond these immediate responses, we are leading with urgency and vision in our long-term recovery efforts. LAUSD has just announced a $725 million rebuilding plan that puts health, safety and sustainability at the forefront of these projects.

This investment is part of a larger, $2.2 billion plan to make all our schools more climate-resilient. As we think about the future, we are dedicated to ensuring that every student has access to a safe and modern learning environment.

We understand that this has been an unimaginable time for many in our community, but our commitment remains steadfast: ensuring the well-being of our students, families and staff. I want to personally thank everyone for their patience, resilience and collaboration as we navigate this recovery together.

We are not just rebuilding schools—we are strengthening our entire community. Together, we will make sure that our schools come back stronger than ever.

You can always find more information on my website at boardmembermelvoin.com and by following @nickmelvoinBD4 on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Nick Melvoin
Los Angeles Unified School District Board Member

Palisades Symphony will present a concert on Sunday, March 30, at 7:30 p.m. at Pilgrim Lutheran Church in Santa Monica with works by “unique women’s voices.”

The program will feature Clara Schumann’s “Piano Concerto,” with soloist Xiao Chen, Maria Newman’s “Our Rights and Nothing Less” and Florence Price’s “Symphony No. 3.”

“Our normal concert venue, the Palisades Lutheran Church, miraculously survived the Palisades fire disaster,” read a statement from Palisades Symphony. “However, it will take some time for the building to be restored to normal use. We thank the Pilgrim Lutheran Church for providing us with an alternative venue.”

Admission to the concert is free and seating is open at the church, which is located at 1730 Wilshire Boulevard. For more information, visit palisadessymphony.org.

The Palisadian-Post is now seeking the first baby born to a Palisadian family in 2025—a tradition of honoring the baby born closest to 12 a.m. on January 1 that began in the paper in 1954 and has been published since.

In past years, entries have been sought in January, with the story published at the end of January or early February. This year’s selection process and story was postponed following the Palisades fire.

In addition to a feature in the Post, the family will receive a basket of prizes from contest sponsors, including a handmade quilt from Pacific Palisades Woman’s Club, a gift certificate to Sanctuary Spa at the Palisades (temporarily closed but still standing with plans to reopen), items and a gift card from The Pump Station & Nurtury in Santa Monica, and products from Busy Benny—which were delivered before Founder Laura Gowing lost her inventory and home in the fire.

Other contest sponsors are Above Bar, The Gray Dragon and tawnya, who lost their business spaces, inventories and homes in the fire. The Post wanted to acknowledge and thank them for their willingness to sponsor the contest.

Families who had a baby in the new year are invited to email mypost@palipost.com with the date and time of the birth to be considered.

Los Angeles Youth Orchestra—which is composed of students from 50 schools in the Los Angeles area—will perform its Spring Concert on Monday, March 31, at 7:30 p.m. at Alex Theatre in Glendale.

The program includes the premiere of “Palisades is Gone,” which was composed by conductor Russell Steinberg, who “lived in the Palisades for many years and performed in Theatre Palisades,” according to information shared by LAYO.

“His ode comes from deep grief—and budding acceptance and hope for the future,” the statement continued.

For more information, including a link to purchase tickets, visit losangelesyouthorchestra.org.