February 12 Palisades Fire Townhall

PHASE 2: OPT IN, OPT OUT

It appears that a homeowner on Embury had opted out of having the Army Corp of Engineers clean his property and hired a construction company to take away the debris. They were already working last Saturday, February 8. Another home on Livorno, had also started loading up the debris this week

But, permits have not been given out, yet. At the Town Hall February 12 meeting held by L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, it was stated that private contractors can only start to apply for permits tomorrow, February 13.

L.A. County Public Works Director Mark Pestrella said “We are looking forward to making a streamlined process, one-step process, well, two-step. First, pull the permit second be inspected and confirm completion of your working compliance with all laws and you’re on your way.”

Earlier in the day, a builder that Circling the News spoke to said that he worried that these contractors, who obviously were not following the rules, would take debris to a landfill to dump, but not tell that site owner that the debris had come from the Palisades Fire.

CTN has asked Horvath about the location of the dumpsite because the further the dumpsite from the area, the more expensive it will be for debris removal for private contractors.

CTN asked if the contractors who had not received a permit and were already hauling if they would be fined. One should contact Department of Public Works (844) 347-3322.

The Army Corps of Engineers trucks will generally have a two by three sticker on the side of the truck with ECC on it.

RIGHT OF ENTRY (ROE):

L.A. County Mark Pestrella said that as of today, 200 Right of Entry forms have been processed. “We want people to know we have accelerated process and should see an additional 600 by Saturday.” He said that the plan was to continue to expedite the process. Before Phase 2 can start, the Army Corp of Engineers need the ROE.

Pestrella said that they might start to let residents know the applications have been received, “we’re not doing it now, but we’ll start doing it tomorrow.”

WHEN WILL PCH REOPEN?

Horvath noted that PCH is a critical path for residents and for tourism, and asked when it will reopen? She was told that PCH is being “eyed as a haul route,” which will make it really dangerous for drivers.

Caltrans’ Katy Macek said, “We understand residents wanting to get back on the road. We are monitoring it as well as we can – especially with the upcoming storms. We can’t give you a specific date or time.”

Nina Choy who is the chair of the geotechnical group for CalTrans said they are working with the Army Corps of Engine on the stability of PCH and surrounding areas for debris/mud flow.

ANAWALT IS OPEN

Anawalt Hardware in Pacific Palisades is open. The manager is Rosie Maravilla and one resident wrote “I was up in the Palisades today, going through the ruins of my house and I stopped at Ralphs’s parking lot to pick up a hazmat suit and Anawalt is open. The employees were standing outside and waving.”

This editor has not been able to confirm hours, but was told the store is open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

PALISADES 76 GAS STATION IS OPEN

This editor was able to fill up her car at the 76 Gas Station on Sunset and Via de la Paz. When she went inside to try and use the bathroom, she was told the “grocery” portion of the store was not open. Even though it was well-stocked with chips and soda, they were not allowed to sell anything.

Why? The County’s Department of Public Health told them since there was no hot water and the water had not been tested, they could not sell items in the store. Don’t you wish the Department of Health felt similarly about the taco vendors grilling and selling hot food on the sidewalk?

Posted in Palisades Fire | 3 Comments

Palisadians Welcomed to a Free Pizza Pie at Flour

Robert Flutie (right) with his general manager Wilson Pinto in the Flour Pizzeria that is opening in Brentwood on Valentine’s Day.

One of Pacific Palisades’ favorite pizza places was Flour on Via de la Paz. It was among the businesses destroyed in the Palisades Fire on January 7.

Owner Robert Flutie had planned to open his second store in Brentwood, but after the fire, he expedited the opening at 11684 San Vicente (just east of Barrington). “We want to connect back to the community,” Flutie said.

For his soft opening, he is offering all Palisadians a free pizza pie on Valentines Day, Friday, February 14. Go to flourpizzacommunity.com to sign up.

And as a bonus to the residents, the staff from Pallisades Flour will be there, it will be their new work location as well. Stop by and say “hi.”

The next day, Saturday, during their soft opening, Flutie is giving a free slice to anyone stopping in. The restaurant will officially open on Sunday, February 16, with the same menu they had in the Palisades.

After the breakfast nook/pizza spot burned, a go-fund me was started for his staff and about $10,000 was raised. Flutie also continued to pay his staff, even though the pizzeria had been closed. “It was important to me to stop the disruption in their lives,” Flutie said.

He also said, “I’d like to get back to the Palisades as quickly as possible.” Flutie’s already looking for a location, so once the town reopens, Flour pizza may be available.

On Via de la Paz, the Swedish pizza oven burnt, but in Brentwood, Flutie has replaced it with an Italian pizza oven, Moretti Forni, considered the top of the line. “The top and bottom are heated simultaneously, which makes the crust crispy and airy at the same time,” he said.

Flour also carries a gluten-free pizza. “My partner is sensitive to gluten, but she can eat this pizza,” Flutie said. The crust is made with flour from Italy and there are no GMOs or pesticides in the wheat: the crust is deglutinated.

This new location will also carry the special Palisadians loved: two slices and a drink for $9.

This editor’s favorite slice has a light red sauce with a hint of parmesan and a nice helping of  Burrata and hot honey.

“I want reestablish the connection with the Pacific Palisades community,” Flutie said.

About the fire, he said that his insurance company was good and paid for the burned equipment and is reimbursing for the construction costs that he incurred building out the space on Via.

His home burned in the fire, too, and he was asked about his plans. “Everyday my answer is different,” said Flutie, who is now in an apartment in Santa Monica. “I’m in no rush.” He worries about the air quality but said he’s already taken the first steps, contacting an architect and a surveyor.

Initially, he opened Flour as a place kids could go after school and get a slice or an affordable gathering place for families.

“When I was growing up in Floral Park Queens, one of my fondest memories was getting $5 from my mom on Fridays and going to Lorenzo’s Pizzeria on Union Turnpike,” Flutie said, noting that was enough money for two slices and a drink. “My friends and I would sit and bond. Pizza parlors in New York City during the 70s and 80s (and today) were places where kids/teens could sit and share stories.”

Flutie also plans to take his concept to different areas of the country that lack high quality pizza, “pizza desserts,” he said.

But now, it’s about healing. He was in India at a spiritual wellness retreat when the fire raged through the Palisades.

He was told that “fires give you an opportunity to start over from a fertile place.”

Flutie said, “On Friday, Valentine’s Day, we would love nothing more than to serve every Palisadian pizza.”

Posted in Restaurants | 3 Comments

LAHSA Wants Fire-Victims’ FEMA Money for City Homeless

Even though the Los Angeles Housing Services Agency is well funded, they want to use FEMA fire money for the homeless that live on the streets.

With Hundreds of Millions in Local Funding, Why Does LAHSA Need FEMA?

The FEMA Fire money was intended for the newly homeless displaced by the fire.

(Editor’s note: This story first appeared in the Westside Current and is reprinted with permission.)

By ANGELA MCGREGOR

On January 21, in the wake of the LA Firestorm which had started two weeks earlier, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority and FEMA held an event at the LAHSA’s Welcome Navigation Center, at 45th and Broadway in South Los Angeles.

The 24,000-square-foot facility opened in July of last year and costs $5.6 million per year to operate.  According to LAHSA’s press release, the two agencies had partnered to “help unhoused wildfire victims,” totaling 45 persons who received FEMA assistance.

But according to LAHSA’s own numbers, in 2024 there were far fewer than 45 unhoused people living in the areas impacted by the fires.  And it’s unclear why the agency, which is set to begin receiving hundreds of millions of dollars in Measure A tax revenue in April, needs FEMA’s assistance in providing basic services what its CEO calls “our eligible people.”

FEMA’s media relations specialist is quoted in the release as saying, “We are proud to partner with LAHSA at this unique opportunity to support LA’s unhoused community.”

During the event, LAHSA and FEMA provided “approximately two hours of assistance per applicant.  Applicants will receive a response from FEMA over the next few weeks.”  LA DOT assisted with “getting participants to the event,” which was 14 miles from both the Palisades and Altadena.

The Current reached out to both FEMA and LAHSA for an explanation of how, exactly, an unhoused person would qualify as a victim of the fires.  LAHSA informed us that “FEMA encouraged LAHSA to help people experiencing homelessness affected by the fires apply for federal aid because all people affected by the fires are eligible to apply.”

LAHSA worked with providers, the American Red Cross and HUD Disaster Technical Assistance and utilized its own outreach teams to contact people experiencing homelessness who were affected by the fires.  Regarding eligibility, LAHSA told us that “FEMA sets its own standards and qualifications for the federal aid it administers.”

FEMA responded that they issued a press release regarding their support for the unhoused community.  That release, posted two days after the event, states that “FEMA Assistance is available to disaster survivors, the unhoused or those residing in non-traditional housing, such as a tent or lean-to type of home before the disaster [sic].”

According to FEMA, this assistance includes medical aid, short-term rentals and help with childcare.

To prove residency in the fire zone, FEMA accepts “various documentation that places the applicant at the address at the time of the disaster,” but if that documentation (such as an ID or DMV registration) is not available, FEMA will accept “a statement from a public official, member of tribal council, homeless outreach advocate, etc.”

One year ago, according to LAHSA’s 2024 homeless count, there were just 16 unsheltered homeless persons residing in the Palisades, and three makeshift shelters.  Sharon Kilbride, a member of the Pacific Palisades Homelessness Task Force, told us that at the time of the fire there were about “15 [homeless persons] that didn’t want housing once we cleared our hillsides.”  The PPHTF has its own outreach workers, who, in conjunction with The People Concern, comb the hillsides and beaches on a twice-weekly basis for encampments, offering temporary shelter to those who accept it.

In the areas of Altadena devastated by the Eaton Fire, the number of encampments counted in 2024 was even fewer than in the Palisades.  Census Tract 43.01 – the area west of Lake Avenue where 17 people lost their lives — reported just one encampment.  The adjacent tract, 4602, also reported just 1 tent, with just two homeless individuals.  In fact, none of the eight census tracts in Altadena contained more than one or two encampments last year.

Another question raised by this event is why LAHSA, with an annual budget of $857 million, needed FEMA’s assistance to offer services to 45 individuals.

As Sharon Kilbride told us, according to her contacts at The People Concern, in the two weeks following the fires, they “were readily getting the vouchers from LAHSA for motels for folks.”

This would appear to indicate that LAHSA had plenty of resources, including temporary housing, for any unhoused person who needed it after the fire.  According to a January 14 LAHSA press release, “On January 13, 15 outreach teams deployed in 30 high-danger areas to engage people experiencing homelessness. The teams contacted people living outdoors and in RVs near fields to provide educational materials on fire safety and meals and offered motel vouchers and beds at LAHSA’s Welcome Navigation Center.”

The release stated that they had distributed 645 motel vouchers all over the city since the fire.   In contrast with FEMA aid, recipients of these rooms and services acquired them immediately, without having to go through a two-hour application process and weeks of waiting to hear back.

Finally, there are the political optics.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency has billions to spend on disaster relief in California, but inaccurate social media posts to the contrary have left disaster victims who lost homes anxious about whether aid can and will be distributed, as have threats from the President to withhold aid to our state unless policy changes go into effect.  In light of the current political climate, it would appear that any evidence of impropriety with FEMA funds could be a threat.

Unlike LAHSA’s 45 chosen beneficiaries, disaster victims who lost homes in the fire have to endure a rigorous application process that includes a site visit and income verification.  Some have discovered during this process that they are victims of identity theft; others, with generous friends who set up GoFundMe sites on their behalf have discovered those donations may jeopardize their ability to qualify for FEMA funds.

In March of last year, County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath stated that the citizens of Los Angeles County should “stop the finger pointing” when it comes to LAHSA because, in her words, “LAHSA is not somebody else, it is us.”   For disaster victims who are not among what LAHSA’s CEO termed “our eligible people” in the press release, FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Center is located at 10850 W. Pico Blvd., and is opened Monday-Sunday, 9 am-8 pm.

Posted in Homelessness, Palisades Fire | Leave a comment

Good News for Paly Y Members

On January 8, Jim Kirtley sits on the “John Yeh” bench in front of what used to be the YMCA.

Palisades Malibu YMCA Executive Director Jim Kirtley said that a get-together is being planned for all Palisades YMCA members, no matter where they are living now, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Collins and Katz YMCA Gym. “Join us, come see your Y friends, give and get hugs and reconnect.” The event will include a raffle and special guests. RSVP click here or contact Kirtley at JimKirtley@ymcala.org.

Kirtley said he often sat at the bench, which was given in memory of John Yeh, in front of the Palisades Y. “I took a brain break, spoke to folks walking on Via, welcomed Y members or took a breather from the food program.

“The Y is with you, the Y is here to support you and our beloved community,” Kirtley said. “We will rebuild with your support. I miss you.”

Victor Dominguez, President & CEO, YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles with Kirtley, released the following statement:

“We are devastated to report that the Palisades-Malibu YMCA facility has been destroyed by Palisades fire. Simon Meadow survived. We will rebuild because the Y is committed to the Palisades community. The spirit of the Y has always been about more than buildings – it’s about community, resilience, and hope. This moment calls for us to demonstrate these values more than ever. While we have lost a facility, our mission to serve continues stronger.”

If your primary residence was destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, you will be asked to verify with official documentation (FEMA, insurance, or local authority verification)

  • A Well-Being Coordinator will be assigned to check in regularly and help coordinate care, track progress, and plan long-term recovery
  • The household will receive free membership with full access to all LA Y centers and programs at no cost for the remainder of 2025
  • Free childcare will be available
  • Children will receive priority placement in youth programs
  • Children can attend both day camp and one week of summer sleep-away camp for free
  • The individual or family will have access to free mental health services, distribution services, support networks, wraparound services, and referral support

If a household suffered significant impact, which means your child’s school was closed or displaced, an adult in your household has lost a job or income, you have experienced evacuation-related disruption, or you are experiencing long-term trauma, the following are available:

  • Subsidized membership, for individuals or families with payment plans if needed, to LA Y centers and programs
  • Case management access to coordinate resources and plan recovery
  • Access to free mental health services
  • Children will have the opportunity for free educational and homework support, including distance learning for teens
  • Infant and toddler childcare and support at the Burbank YMCA

 

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LETTER: So Many Questions to Public Officials: No Answers

Looking down on homes destroyed by the Palisades Fire on Haverford, Radcliffe and Bowdoin from the steps in the alley by the Methodist Church.

Thanks for continuing to look for answers as to how our community was
allowed to burn to the ground.   I don’t think we will get straight answers
from our elected officials.  Ours is a one-party government run entirely by
liberal democrats who are in political damage control mode protecting
themselves and each other.  Even Mr. Soboroff has said not to look for who’s
to blame.

Now we find out he is being paid $500,000 for only three month’s
work and he couldn’t even show up for that meeting with the president.  What
is his job anyway? To soothe rich Hollywood powerbrokers?  A February  LA Times  article  (“Who’s in Charge of Palisades Fire Recovery? The Answer Has Gotten Complicated”) shows that no one knows who is in charge of what.  Soboroff admits he has no power to do anything, so why is he getting so much money?

Like you, I am not one of the super-rich in the Palisades.  We had our house
for 61 years.  All our memories and keepsakes have been destroyed.  Our
house was our biggest asset and now it’s gone.

Our city failed us, plain  and simple.  People need to be held accountable.  The Palisades Fire will go
down as the most expensive disaster in American history.  How could that
happen?

We have had extreme wind events before.  In 2019 we had an evacuation order
when a fire erupted in the Sepulveda Pass.  They scrambled significantly more
air assets on that one and knocked it out fast.  They knew then how bad it
could get if they didn’t hit it fast.

What happened this time?  The winds  were not that strong at 10:30 am.  Was it the airspace closure due to Biden being in town? Was it lack of urgency? Were both the reservoirs empty and the pumps in disrepair? Why was there no staging in known fire zones as is standard practice? If the first 911 call came at 10:15, why was the first engine on site at 11 a.m. with a station just five minutes away?

And now, why are fire fighters treated as heroes getting free tickets to
Disneyland and Mammoth Mountain after completely abandoning the Palisades to
burn.

When we evacuated from the Via Bluff at 5 p.m. we did not see a single
fire truck anywhere. This is the biggest failure of a municipal fire
department since the Lahina fire in Maui. Probably the worst in modern
history. Maybe the free tickets and discounts should go to victims
instead.

So many questions need to be answered truthfully.  To use an apt phrase
regarding all those who were in charge, keep holding their feet to the fire
until we get those answers.

A Palisades resident

Posted in General | 5 Comments

St. Matthews Concert February 14 “Love Songs”

YuEun Gemma Kim, David Kaplan and Liv Redpath will perform at the Valentine’s Day concert.

St. Matthew’s Music Guild will present its Valentine’s Day Concert  “Love Songs,” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, February 14. This concert will take place at St. Augustine’s by-the-Sea in Santa Monica at St. Augustine’s-by-the-Sea Church,  located at 1227 Fourth Street, Santa Monica.

Pianist David Kaplan returns with musical friends to the Music Guild for a concert featuring violinist YuEun Gemma Kim, soprano Liv Redpath, violist Che-Yen Chen, cellist Ben Hong, and bassist Jory Herman. The concert will feature the romantic and intimate vocal and chamber music of Schubert, Brahms, Copland, and Caroline Shaw.

Kaplan has been called “excellent and adventurous” by the New York Times and praised by the Boston Globe for “grace and fire” at the keyboard. As a recitalist, he has performed at the Ravinia Festival, Sarasota Opera House, Washington’s National Gallery and New York’s Carnegie and Merkin Halls

Redpath is a leading soprano who is quickly establishing herself in operatic and symphonic repertoire around the world. She has performed with The Metropolitan Opera, The Atlanta Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, and concert collaborations with the Berliner Philharmonic, The English Concert, The Cleveland Orchestra and more.

Redpath will join Kaplan in Aaron Copland’s Songs of Emily Dickinson and songs of Schubert, Brahms and Shaw.

Violinist Kim studied with renowned violinist Midori Goto at the USC Thornton School of Music. She is Concertmaster of The Chamber Orchestra at St. Matthew’s, a member of the Yu&I Duo, and performs regularly with the chamber ensemble Delirium Musicum based in Los Angeles, of which she is a founding member.

Che-Yen Chen is a member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Professor of Viola Performance and Chamber Music at UCLA. He has been described as a musician who can “find not just the subtle emotion, but the humanity hidden in the music.”

Cellist Hong joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1993, at age 24 and currently serves as Associate Principal Cello.

Herman is “proof that Bassists can be just as nimble and expressive as cellists,” according to The Strad Magazine. He joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2017 and is the Professor of Bass at California State University Northridge (CSUN.)

Tickets are $45 or Music Guild Season pass. Parking is available in the Santa Monica public Parking Structure 1 across the street from the church. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit MusicGuildOnline.org or call (310) 573-7422.

The Music Guild’s regular home, St. Matthew’s Church in Pacific Palisades, was miraculously spared in the Palisades Fire and the Music Guild will return to present concerts there as soon as possible.

Posted in Music | 1 Comment

Blanck’s Student Savoian Places at International Tournament

Eden Savoian placed at an international tournament in Las Vegas.

Gerry  Blanck has been an inspirational teacher in Pacific Palisades for 43 years, but the Palisades Fire burned his martial arts center in the Marquez Business District on January 7.

One of his students was not going to be deterred by the Fire. Even though she didn’t have a place to train, 10-year-old Eden Savoian, won two bronze medals in Traditional Forms and Traditional Weapons (nunchucks) in Las Vegas at the International Martial Arts Competition [IMAC] on February 1.

Savoian has been a green belt Yoshukai practitioner for only a year and a half.  In the fire, Savoian’s home, dojo, and karate accolades, including treasured breaking boards and a coveted karate medal from her first tournament, were lost in the fire.

For the tournament, her dojo outfitted her with a new uniform, belt, and nunchucks, enabling her to embody hope and inspiration for her fellow students — 180 of whom also lost their homes in the recent disaster.

“I’m here to represent my other dojo classmates and friends, many also lost their homes,” Savoian said.

She also had another goal at the tournament. Savoian was there to help coordinate the replacement trophies and medals for other teammates who thought they had lost their awards forever. She brought home ‘surprise’ replacement trophies for her teammates, thanks to Sensei Stan Witz, promoter of IMAC.

Sensei Blanck said, “Her story is an emblem of tenacity, showcasing the enduring human spirit and a call to teach our children the power of resilience and ‘Striving for Excellence,’ is Yoshukai’s motto

“We are immensely proud of her.” Blanck said.

Gerry Blanck is now at a temporary dojo, MuDo Dojo at 1828 Lincoln Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404.

Posted in General | 3 Comments

Pali Fire Meeting Provided New Information

Today, February 10, empty dump trucks were lined up on Temescal Canyon Road from the playground all the way to Bowdoin Street.

Lou Kamer, Anthony Marquleas and Ben Perlman formed 1Pali to combine all the Palisades communities who have started different venues and emails to communicate.

The goal is to meet weekly at 6 p.m. and to provide information and to seek answers that the community needs during this rebuild.

This February 10 meeting, included Brad Sherwood, a fire survivor from the Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa. “I’m part of the survivor’s club,” he said and urged that this community to form a nonprofit. “There are a tremendous number of resources you can get.

“Ther are already nonprofits who want to hear how the money should be spent,” Sherwood said, and urged residents to make those decisions, rather elected officials. ”Donations should go to the community not the county.”

There have been a lot of questions about Phase 2 of the rebuild when the Army Corp of Engineers come in for the debris removal.

Marguleas said that the “ACE does not remove patios, driveways, swimming pools or trees, that will be the homeowner’s responsibility. “The government pays for Phase 1 and for Phase 2. They will ask to be reimbursed by insurance for any money that is not used for driveway or tree removal.

“If there’s anything left after the homeowner/insurance removes those items, then that would go to the ACE.”

Sherwood was asked about his experience with the ACE. “We did Right of Entry (ROE). The fires were in October, our lot was cleared by the end of December.”

He noted that the people who did not grant ROE, generally a longer wait and higher costs. The reasons included high demand and a scarcity of dump trucks to haul stuff out.

Marguleas said, “We have been told there is a three-to-five-day notice that they will give. How were they to work with?”

“I received a call from ACE on December 26,” said Sherwood, who was at a different location over Christmas, but returned home. “They were wonderful to work with. I was there every day, and they followed my specific instructions.” He also mentioned he brought doughnuts and had a taco truck come in to keep workers happy.

Marguleas also gave a quick update about fire information at the beginning of the meeting. He noted that more than $650 million had been raised for fire victims.

He said that L.A. Mayor Karen Bass’ Tsar Steve Soboroff, who was appointed on January 17 to lead the recovery for a 90-day period for $500,000 compensation would now work strictly in the Palisades on the Historic Village area, the library and the recreation center, and would forego the pay.

Phase I is supposed to be completed by the end of February.

He also touched on the real estate market. A property in the Highlands, which had burned, was sold for $1.3 million, but prior to the fire that land had been worth $1.7 million.

Marguleas also said that there is a list of 900 people who are accused of price gouging.

To take the survey of what you as a resident need or what you think the community needs, register at Palizoom.com. These meetings are also recorded so that you can play them back.

Organizers say “1Pali is by residents for residents. We need to come together now, otherwise will be responding to our elected official’s [ideas/plans].”

(Editor’s note: one resident said she has spent hours and hours  in different zoom meetings and generally picked up one little kernel of information after hours of listening. The meeting held tonight was concise, held to an hour and contained loads of information.)

To gain access to Pacific Palisades this morning from Pacific Coast Highway was about two hours. Northbound traffic stretched back to the California Incline.

 

Posted in Palisades Fire | 5 Comments

OBIT: Nancy Cleveland, Long-time Resident, Rotarian, Vet

Nancy Cleveland was born in Santa Monica on June 29, 1945, to Shirley Ann Cleveland and Robert Charles Cleveland.  She passed away on January 28, after three weeks in a coma. After escaping from the Palisades Fire, she suffered either a stress-induced stroke or fell or collapsed from exhaustion. She was found with her three dogs waiting by her side.

Nancy’s parents moved to the Pacific Palisades the same year Nancy was born. When she was younger, she enjoyed riding horses and being in nature. She had a deep love for reading history and western novels.

She graduated from the University of Santa Barbara in 1967 with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science.

Nancy was a Vietnam War Veteran and an intelligence officer in the Air Force. Her military career spanned more than 24 years including both active duty and Air National Guard where she received the Meritorious Service Medal and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.

She was a member of the Palisades Woman’s Club and a member of the Ronald Reagan Post 283 American Legion. Post Commander Joe Ramirez said she was an intelligence officer during the Vietnam Way and that she had told him that  “She intercepted communications from the Russians, but she told me she couldn’t talk about her work.”

Just like her father Robert, Nancy was a proud member of Pacific Palisades Rotary Club for more than  20 years. Nancy served as President and various other positions during her time with Rotary. She was always an extremely active member of the Palisades community

Nancy was the epitome of a strong charismatic independent woman. She was a successful entrepreneur, real estate investor and businesswoman.

Her passions included reading, photography, oil paintings, hiking in Will Rogers Park and above all else animals, especially dogs.

There was rarely a time when she didn’t own three to four dogs at once. They were her true passion, and she always treated them like her children. Nancy dedicated many years of her life to training dogs for use in Search and Rescue situations. She was an active member of the California Rescue Dog Association (CARDA) with various emergency medical certifications.

Nancy always loved the great outdoors. In the early 90s Nancy bought a lakefront log cabin in Montana where she spent her summers hosting close friends and relatives, training her dogs and enjoying lake activities.

She was always a loving and caring sister and daughter. In the final years of her mother’s life Nancy spent countless hours caring for her mom in every way possible.

For those that had the opportunity to truly know Nancy her loss weighs heavy. She will be truly missed and always remembered.

She is survived by two siblings Ticia J Bloomfield and Russell R Cleveland as well as three neph

Nancy Cleveland presenting an award at a Rotary Club meeting.

ews and two nieces.

Posted in Obituaries | 1 Comment

Legion Hall Opens to Assist Residents/Fire Victims

The Palisades Legion Post will open to FEMA and other disaster aid on Thursday.

Past Ronald Reagan American Legion Commander Jim Cragg announced that he had been selected to head a project to open a support center at the Post, at 15247 La Cruz Avenue, below CVS, next to the Post Office.

“Tomorrow, Tuesday February 11, will be a soft opening and Wednesday will be main opening.  Thursday, February 13, FEMA will hold a press conference to announce its opening at the Post.

“I’m calling it Rally Around the Flag,” he said.  “We are going to plant large flags at the ingress points into the town (Sunset and Chatauqua, Sunset and PCH, Sunset and Temescal and Sunset and PCH with signs directing people to look for the flags posted in the town to lead them to the Legion Post and find the Wildfire Community Support Center.”

“I hope it will also inspire people to plant flags at their homes and properties in the spirit of community resilience,” Cragg said.

The Legion building, the Post Office and an adjoining building with three store fronts were untouched by the Palisades Fire.

The Legion will be manned by veterans who want to help affected residents. There will be stations that offer free legal advice, insurance advice, FEMA, the Small Business Association and the Red Cross.  Mental health professionals (L.A. County Department of Mental Health), trauma counselors and clergy will be in attendance.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be available along with food and water as well as shovels and sifters.

“Our intent is to offer our newly cleaned Legion Hall as a community support center for residents returning to view their properties,” Cragg said. “We have a stage area with video capabilities for elected officials to give briefings and spaces for media.

“Veterans have experience deploying into austere environments and thus the community is looking to us for leadership,” Cragg said. “Our team has been in the burn zone since Day 1.”

The Legion Building finished a five-day mitigation process on Saturday, which included environmental testing.

For agencies and groups interested in the space, Cragg said, he would  be happy to give a tour. He is available for a call at (818) 434-3292 cell or email at jimcraggalpost283@gmail.com.

https://www.alpost283.com/fire

https://www.nbcnews.com/video/army-veteran-s-home-spared-by-the-palisades-fire-228963397539

https://www.voanews.com/a/local-veterans-are-determined-to-help-pacific palisadescommunity-to-overcome-disastrous-fires/7938667.html

Jim Cragg (second from right) will help lead veteran efforts to aid fire survivors.

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