Prizes will be awarded in three categories: Best Decked Out Hall, Best Theme and Greenest Decor, which was launched in 2023 to honor a home with environmentally sustainable decorations.
This year’s sponsors include McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, Alfred, Theatre Palisades, Porta Via Palisades, Palisades Gas & Wash, and Roku Sushi.
Voting is set to begin on December 23 and will continue through January 5, with winners announced in the January 9 print edition of the Post.
Editor’s note: The final date to vote was extended from January 3 to January 5.
Palisades Gift Shop is offering gift wrap services for any product this holiday season, not just items purchased from the shop.
“We love to make gifts look beautiful and special, and we are excited to offer gift wrapping services for the holiday season,” according to Palisades Gift Shop. “Drop your gifts off with us, and pick them up wrapped and ready to go.”
Pricing for gift wrapping services range from $5 to $25 per gift, which is based on number of packages, size of package and style of gift wrap. Turnaround time is typically 24 to 48 hours.
“When you drop off your gifts, you will select gift wrap for each item and be charged at the time of drop off,” Palisades Gift Shop explained.
Bookings can be requested online via the Palisades Gift Shop website.
Palisades Library Film Society two screenings of holiday-time movies on upcoming Saturday afternoons.
The first is a 1970 musical film that was directed by Ronald Neame and starred Albert Finney as its titular character, which will be presented on Saturday, December 21, beginning at 2:30 p.m. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Original Song.
The next screening—a “classic romantic Christmas movie”—will take place on Saturday, December 28, at 2 p.m. The second film stars Hugh Grant and “many other British stars,” according to an event description.
“Take a break from the holidays,” read the description. “Snacks will be served.”
Both shows will take place in-person at the Palisades Branch Library, located at 861 Alma Real Drive.
Photo courtesy of Pacific Palisades Art Association
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Pacific Palisades Art Association will host a holiday celebration at Palisades Branch Library on Saturday, December 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The event will feature artwork by Annette Alexakis, Krishna Thangavelu and Teresa Bernadette.
“Join us for gathering and refreshments,” PPAA wrote. “We hope to see you there.”
The event will take place at the Palisades Branch Library Community Room.
Founded in 1947, Pacific Palisades Art Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to informing and showcasing art in the Palisades.
“Our mission: Creating a safe environment for artists to share and explore their journey through group discussions, critiques, guest speakers and events,” according to its website. “The Pacific Palisades Art Association has invited artists and creative souls to share their art and knowledge … We serve as a community gathering for local artists.”
February landslide on PCH Photo by Chuck Larsen Photography
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Although they were on the agenda for the December 3 Planning and Land Use Management Committee of the Los Angeles City Council hearing, four homes proposed to be built in Castellammare on Tramonto and Revello drives were not discussed due to a loss of quorum.
The meeting—scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.—was delayed more than an hour as the committee waited to have a quorum, which was lost when members left before several items on the agenda were reviewed and discussed, including the proposed homes, which are formally called the Revello Drive and Tramonto Drive Residential Project.
The purpose of the hearing was for the city of Los Angeles to reach a decision on the EIR requirement for the project, according to a letter sent by Castellammare Mesa Home Owners Association, which is collaborating during the hearing process with Pacific Palisades Residents Association. The community groups have engaged with Victor De la Cruz of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips for their legal representation, according to PPRA President Jessica Rogers.
A Housing Element EIR, which addresses “only the lots on the project site” while not assessing the “impact on the surrounding environment and cannot be appealed,” is being considered by city of LA, while multiple entities across Pacific Palisades are requesting a Site-Specific EIR, which “addresses the environment surrounding the project site, is required by CEQA law for a project of this size, scope and in this location,” according to CMHO.
“If a Housing Element EIR is approved this would set a dangerous precedent for all of LA,” the letter continued. “This includes Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, hillsides and landslide areas, including active landslide areas. We are opposing the use of a Housing Element EIR and requesting that a decision to use a Site-Specific EIR be made.”
Residents who made the trip to Downtown LA for the December 3 hearing gave one-minute statements during the public comment portion.
“Because two councilmembers left after 5 p.m., a quorum was lost and no other cases could be heard,” CMHO explained. “[Victor De la Cruz of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips] was never able to speak, and our case was continued. This means our case will be heard at a full City Council meeting. If we are not placed on an agenda this coming week, then our hearing will be delayed until January 2025.”
The proposed development has previously been the subject of several meetings and hearings, including a West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission hearing on November 15, 2023, and special meetings hosted by Pacific Palisades Community Council on May 23 and October 1.
The project area Photo courtesy of Demos Development
The PPCC Board reported in May in a background summary that in April 2023, it learned about the proposed construction of four homes over 12 existing lots along the 17500 blocks of Tramonto and Revello drives at the top of the Tramonto landslide, ranging from 2,619 square feet to 7,695 square feet (each with 2,428 to 6,292 square feet of basement space).
At the time, the PPCC Board was informed of concerns related to the “scale of the project” and the “unstable geology of the underlying slide at the foot of the property to be developed.” The board passed a motion in 2023 calling for the EIR, as well as urging the city to “ensure the preservations of the public’s safety throughout construction and mitigating any construction impact on local roadways.” The PPCC Executive Committee sent a supplemental letter in October 2023.
A landslide that occurred in February of this year blocked the right lane of Pacific Coast Highway at the base of the Tramonto landslide, reported then-PPCC Area 1 Representative Murray Levy, raising “urgent and immediate concerns about the planned construction.”
All of the sites of the proposed development project, Tony Russo of Crest Real Estate—speaking on behalf of the applicant, Springhouse Hamilton Park LLC—explained at the November 2023 hearing, are located within the Tramonto landslide. The city requires the project “must remediate the landslide per code to ensure the safety of the development in the area.”
In the late 1960s, Russo continued, Tramonto was restored to its pre-landslide condition through the construction of a bulkhead, which was later reinforced in 1981. In February 2021, city engineers concluded the bulkhead and tie-back system appear “structurally sound,” according to Russo.
“Ultimately, the project proposes the four residences on piles that will stabilize the landslide and achieve the required factors of safety,” Russo said at the time.
Councilmember Traci Park wrote a letter ahead of the December 3 PLUM hearing “to express concerns regarding” the proposed development. “Key issues raised” by community members include “safety risks due to landslide activity,” “partial slope stabilization concerns,” “inadequate mitigation measures,” “infrastructure capacity” and “unfinished construction.”
“After consulting with community members, different agencies, including our review of the existing record in this matter, our office believes that a fair argument of a potential significant impact from this proposed project exists related to the items we discussed above,” read the letter. “We recommend this project be remanded back to the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission to ensure the proposed project be reviewed with the benefit of a new CEQA clearance. We further recommend that City Planning be instructed to require that a new CEQA clearance be prepared in light of our concerns that complies with CEQA and is supported by substantial evidence and transmit it to the WLA APC for its consideration along with its reconsideration of the project in light of any new CEQA clearance prepared for the project.”
Diners Are Invited to Visit Through December 31, Sunset Trattoria and Westlake Locations to Remain Open
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
Casa Nostra Ristorante is set to close its Highlands location at 1515 Palisades Drive, effective December 31.
“This wonderful hidden restaurant in the hills has been a cherished place for countless memories for us all,” read an emailed statement from Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, which reported the news of the restaurant’s closing. “Birthdays, school fundraisers, anniversary celebrations and too many too mention.”
Described by Owner Giovanni Zappone as “my first baby,” the restaurant has offered a selection of “classic Italian cuisine” since 2009, served in “a cozy, relaxed atmosphere,” according to its website. The menu includes a selection of antipasti options, like Prosciutto e Burrata and Calamari Fritti, to Paste e Risotti, including Spaghetti alla Bolognese and Papardelle al Cinghiale. There are also Pizze options, including Pepperoni, Prosciutto Parma, and Burrata and Pesto.
“We love bringing our passion for the tastes of Italy to your table in every dish, using high-quality, imported Italian products and the freshest locally grown produce,” the website continued. “Our knowledgeable staff prides itself in providing a simple, flavorful dining experience and making your visit to Casa Nostra both delicious and special.”
The space has also been host for area events, including Chamber Mixers and the upcoming Pacific Palisades Community Council Holiday Dinner & Awards Gala the evening of Thursday, December 12.
The restaurant faced an almost-two-year closure from April 22, 2021, to its reopening on April 15, 2023, following a fire that broke out on the first story of the two-story shopping center. Zappone said at the time of its reopening the damages to the restaurant were “not very bad,” but getting clearance from the city during the COVID-19 pandemic “was taking forever.”
He expressed gratitude to the community for its support of the Sunset location during the Highlands closure and after its reopening.
“Fear not,” the statement from the Chamber continued. “Giovanni and his incredible staff are not leaving the Palisades. Their Sunset location will continue to serve up their many signature dishes, and always warm and friendly hospitality.”
Zappone owns and operates the Sunset location, Casa Nostra Trattoria, as well as a location in Westlake Village.
“Please enjoy meals at Highlands this month,” the Chamber’s statement concluded. “And keep the Sunset location in mind for your future dining options.”
The menorah lighting in 2023 Photo by Sarah Shmerling
By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor
Chabad of Pacific Palisades and Palisades Village are partnering together to “spread the light” with a pre-Hanukkah celebration on Thursday, December 19, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
“Join Chabad [and] Caruso as we celebrate the upcoming holiday of Chanukah as we light up the Palisades,” according to an event flyer. “This will be an evening of light and Jewish pride.”
Festivities will take place outside Bay Theater on Swarthmore Avenue beginning at 5 p.m. The menorah lighting ceremony will begin at 6 p.m.
Throughout the event there will be live music, holiday crafts, treats and more. It is free to attend and open to the entire community.
Those who plan to attend are invited to RSVP to receive a Hanukkah beanie at the event, while supplies last.
Chabad explained that Hanukkah candles are lit in the evenings preceding each of the eight days of Hanukkah, beginning this year Wednesday night, December 25, through January 2, 2025.
Chabad Palisades Jewish Enrichment Club will also be hosting a pre-Hanukkah party for the young ones—inviting JEC members and friends, ages 5 to 12 years old, to celebrate on Tuesday, December 17, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Children are invited to engage in different activities that “embody the spirit of Chanukah,” according to the website.
“They’ll experience dynamic twists on traditional festivities,” the website read. “One of the highlights of the event will be our special #ShareTheLight activity, where children will craft glowing LED sculptures.”
Chabad Palisades said this year is focused on lighting up the neighborhood “with pride, resilience and unity.”
“This party is all about spreading the light of Chanukah in a bold, fun and unforgettable way,” according to the website.
The Boy Scouts of America, Pacific Palisades Troop 223, celebrated an Eagle Court of Honor on Tuesday, November 26, which marked a “significant milestone” of the 1,000th scout to earn the rank of Eagle in the troop, the highest rank in the Scouts BSA program.
“This is a rare, if not the first ever, milestone for a Scouts troop to achieve,” according to a statement. “The milestone reflects the ongoing progress of the Scouts BSA in fostering leadership skills and character development across diverse communities. The Eagle Scout rank represents years of hard work, dedication, leadership and community service.”
The Eagle Scout rank is an accomplishment earned by only a small percentage of Scouts, according to the statement. Approximately 6% of those who enter the program achieve the ranking.
The event—which took place at Skirball Cultural Center’s Guerin Pavilion—brought together scouts, families, friends and supporters to celebrate the individuals and their service to the community.
“Newly minted Eagle Scouts … received their pins from their families and special scout neckerchiefs with the new Troop logo,” according to the statement. “They are the first Eagle Scouts to receive such scarves.”
The event featured a presentation of Eagle Scout awards to recipients, slideshows of the ranking scouts of their time throughout scouting, and influential community leaders and special guests were invited to share words of encouragement and celebrate the achievement.
“Commendations from some of our nation’s most prominent figures are presented and read to the Eagles,” the statement continued. “In past years, members of congress and senate—even past presidents—have sent in their congratulations.”
Longtime Scoutmaster and Palisadian Mike Lanning gave a tribute to the ranking scouts. He has been with the troop for one of the longest tenures in Boy Scouts history.
Lanning was gifted a plaque during the ceremony to commemorate and celebrate having 1,000 scouts to earn the rank of Eagle.
Troop 223, founded in 1952, has had over 2,000 young men and women go through the program. The scoutmasters for the boy’s troop and the girl’s troop are among the longest serving scoutmasters in America.
“Scouts BSA is a youth program of the Boy Scouts of America that provides young people with opportunities to develop leadership skills, build confidence and perform service projects that benefit their communities,” the statement concluded.
Marquez Knolls Artist Richard Harrington to Host Show at MĀVVEN Mercantile
By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief
It’s the best of both worlds for Palisadian artist and designer Richard Harrington, who balances his corporate work with personal endeavors to fully tap into his creativity.
Now the Marquez Knolls artist will host a show at MĀVVEN Mercantile on Antioch Street, which opens on Thursday, December 12, with an event from 5 to 8 p.m.
Harrington is a British artist and designer with more than two decades of experience “building a global portfolio” who resides in Marquez Knolls. He studied and began his career as a graphic designer in London—and has since worked with brands like Adidas, The Academy of Motion Pictures, Meta and IKEA.
“His work has significantly influenced the business success of some of the world’s most iconic brands through its conceptual rigor, visual excellence and effective activation,” his website read. “Richard leads with empathy for others and a humility that results from a deep curiosity to learn. He firmly believes that the combined impact of well-designed experiences, storytelling and digital innovation has the potential to captivate and engage audiences on an emotional level, sparking an intangible sense of curiosity and connection.”
In London, he worked with Universal Music MCA Records as a designer making visuals for musicians, like sleeves and tour materials: “Identities, essentially, for musicians and their music,” Harrington described. For example, a musician would hand Harrington a demo, tell him to listen to it and come up with a visual expression that he felt matched it.
“It taught me how to feel something towards the subject matter I was creating for,” he explained. “Working in the music industry gave me that fortuitous approach to how I still make my work.”
Harrington expanded from there, working in the worlds of fashion, entertainment and other brands. From London, he moved to Bali for a year with his then-girlfriend, now-wife, which is where he started to paint. While living there, he was reconfiguring his path, finding a way to blend his design work with personal pursuits.
Photos courtesy of Richard Harrington
“Yes I love my design work,” he said, “but truly inside me, I’ve always been sort of an artist as well. It gave me the mindset and the strength to go and pursue that part of my passion.”
The next stop for Harrington was Amsterdam, where he continued to design and also became familiar with the “Dutch sort of painting aesthetic.” During his 10 years there, he said there was a “really lively, healthy” design and art scene, so he “really loved working in Amsterdam.”
Then Harrington came to Los Angeles to set up a design department for 180 ad agency, which worked with brands like Adidas. He described it as a “wonderful opportunity.”
“I came and had this blank slate to create a world-class design agency for this incredible ad agency,” he said. “Traditionally they don’t live together, those two. Usually … an ad agency uses a graphic design service … but the challenge for me was to create a full-service branding design shop within this ad agency.”
After returning to Amsterdam and living in Sweden, Harrington came back to LA, eventually being hired by Facebook to help rebrand the company into Meta. Throughout all of these endeavors, Harrington explained, he continued to work on his art projects.
“I always maintain that the success of my design is very reliant on the other projects I have going on around me at the same time,” Harrington described, “which sort of act more like pure creative islands for me to go and hang out on … I always paint, always have multiple projects going on.”
These other projects range from charity work for nonprofits to individual art commissions—but for Harrington, they fuel a different side of his creativity.
“My real happy place, when I’m painting and making purely for myself,” Harrington said, “I feel like I really connect with who I am on a deeper sense … I think being able to let yourself go to that and listen to it is a gift.”
After years of individual art commissions, Harrington hosted his first solo show, titled “Around You,” in May at gallery169 in Canyon Square on West Channel Road. In the exhibition, he showcased his “passion of Californian aesthetics,” which drew “inspiration from color palettes, light and simplistic geometric forms.”
“By observing and capturing the unique color experiences that surround us in our environment, he believes there is hidden, colorful beauty in everyday life if we choose to look closer and embrace it,” read information about the show. “Richard’s paintings serve as visual portraits of light and color. Born from a fascination with the relationship between human and machine, his application technique explores tension, movement and a physical presence that can be felt in his works.”
His upcoming show at MĀVVEN Mercantile will showcase “his mesmerizing abstract art” with a “special edition … collection.” The opening evening reception will feature “drinks, nibbles, and the latest and greatest” from the store’s “fabulous vendors.”
The store, located at 15236 Antioch Street, was founded by Palisadian Lisa Waters to serve as a “home to a beautiful community of creators,” with a range of offerings spanning from yoga classes to sound baths, reiki ceremonies, special events and more. The space also has a selection of “curated homewares and wellness essentials.”
“The pieces I have worked on recently have been inspired by the early morning sea mist and the experience of color as the sun burns off during the day,” Harrington described. “It’s these really powerful visual moments that I’ve certainly experienced living here in the Palisades.”
Harrington detailed the visual changes the Palisades sees throughout the year, like the misty mornings with thick fog. He said there’s an “eeriness to the Palisades” when it’s like that, comparing the experience to Scotland.
“When you can’t see the houses beyond the hills, it takes on a lovely, different character,” Harrington said. “Then the sun starts to burn through that, and you get these wonderful hues of color rings of energy that appear, depending on the thickness of the cloud and the color of the sky and the time of day.”
He said that he is drawn to that as a visual, with his pieces trying to represent the feeling of light and color and energy trying to break through the mottled layer.
“When I see that and I’m getting into the Palisades, I always stop and just have a moment and enjoy it,” Harrington said. “Hopefully my paintings give people a sense of peace as well … even if that’s all they get from those paintings, I think there’s a value to that if someone can just connect with themselves for a moment.”
The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental organization Resilient Palisades to deliver a “green tip” to our readers in each newspaper. This edition’s tip was written by Lisa Kaas Boyle, an environmental attorney, co-founder of Plastic Pollution Coalition and member of the Resilient Palisades Zero Waste team.
Since Resilient Palisades was founded five years ago to help sustain our vibrant village between the mountains and the sea, our teams of local volunteers have organized and acted to bring many gifts to the community.
In the spirit of the holidays, this seasonal recap lists some of 2024’s gifts that keep giving.
1. Zero Waste Team’s Choose to Reuse Campaign provided reusable foodware—cups and cutlery—to locals who borrowed them for parties and other events through our website. We gave out hundreds of reusable organic cotton produce bags at Pacific Palisades Farmers Market. We held our first Community Clothing Swap. We provided expert testimony at local public hearings about the advantages of natural ground cover instead of plastic turf in dog parks and children’s playing fields; and our Commit to Compost campaign initiated several strategies for composting our food scraps as individuals and as a community.
2. Clean Air and Water Team helped purchase 50 electric leaf blowers for gardeners who agreed to replace their gas-powered blowers.
3. Clean Energy Team helped over 50 Palisadian homes get rooftop solar and storage, reducing users’ energy costs and costs to the environment. To participate, email solar@resilientpalisades.org.
4. Plant Based Solutions Team held three Veg Fests this year in the village, introducing the community to a wide variety of vegan foods. Watch for news of the next Veg Fest on January 26, 2025.
5. Water Sages Team hosted a spring webinar about, followed by an in-person tour of, the Westwood Greenway native plant restoration; co-hosted a fall native plant sale at the Village Green with California Native Plant Society; and hosted a three-part fall webinar on California native plants by expert Antonio Sanchez.
6. This was the inaugural year for the Environmental Advocate Awards. Congratulations to our awardees: Shawna Ashley, Clementine Causse and Sarah Soroosh Moghadam, Palisades Charter High School seniors who each received $1,000 to continue their environmental work.
7. Resilient Palisades took field trips to Hyperion Waste Water Treatment Plant, the largest sewage treatment facility in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area and one of the largest plants in the world, and to Westwood Greenway, a project that cleans water while providing an island of native habitat for birds, butterflies and other animals.
8. Resilient Palisades partnered with the Palisadian-Post to share twice-monthly Green Tips, simple ways to foster a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
Photos courtesy of Resilient Palisades
9. Even with rain, which is always needed, we held our annual Earth Day festivities on the Village Green with music, education and food.
10. And for the partridge in the pear tree: RP brought you a prize-winning 4th of July “Happy Days” float showcasing The Fonz with a giant electric leaf blower to celebrate our electric leaf blower program.
Resilient Palisades gave all these gifts to our village, but the biggest gift of all has been the community we’ve fostered, built around caring for each other and our environment. If you would like to join one of our action teams and/or further our work with a donation, contact us on our website: resilientpalisades.org.
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