(left to right) Anthony and Jack Marguleas, Cindy Kirven, Max Marguleas, Julie Seltzer, Traci Price and her daughter. Teddy the dog is also enjoying the presentation.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT
Keeping alive a 12-year tradition, Anthony, Max and Jack Marguleas presented a check for $5,000 to members of the Village Green Park board on June 20. The tiny private park is located at Sunset/Swarthmore/Antioch.
The check dated January 7 was meant to be handed out at a ceremony at the beginning of the year, possibly January 8 or 10.
As they were trying to schedule a time for a check presentation President of the Green, Cindy Kirven wrote in a January 5 email to Marguleas, “We are all so appreciative of your incredible generosity. Any afternoon will work well except for Thursday, January 16 due to our quarterly Board meeting at 5 p.m.” To which Marguleas wrote, “Wednesday or Friday [of this week] works for me.”
Instead of a check presentation, over the next three days, the fire destroyed nearly 6,000 structures, and damaged countless others. Initially Palisades was closed to everyone, including residents.
When people were allowed to trickle back in to see their properties, the town was filled with ash, smoke and destruction: but the Village Green was an oasis of green grass, flowers and trees.
As VG Board Member Max Marguleas said during the June 20 ceremony, “It’s the focal point of the Palisades. It’s the heart of the town.
“Recovery starts with the Village Green, once it’s back the town comes back” he said, and pointed out that you couldn’t even tell the little pocket park had burned.
Kirven said that because the grass was well watered, the trees were also filled with moisture, and caught embers, preventing more fires. The benches were untouched.
While portions of the town were still burning on January 9, the Village Green was largely intact.
It was possible that the Village Green’s well-watered foliage saved the stores directly across the street on Antioch, including Noah’s Bagels and a little further down – CVS. All stores on the other side of Swarthmore burned, including the Business Block Building.
The sole tree that burned was located next to a woodshed that held tools and electrical equipment that caught fire and was destroyed.
“The pear tree that was lost, died as a result of the damage from the heat of the electric shed burning adjacent to the trunk of the tree,” Kirven said. “The trunk is only burned about four feet from the ground at shed level, but the higher part of the trunk, branches and leaves never caught fire. It may very well be that the trees, shrubs and lawn acted as ember catchers to prevent the spread of the fire.”
The sheds will be replaced with new metal buildings. A new sprinkler and a timer will need to be purchased. The lights in the trees burned, but the trees did not.
To replace that one tree, the electrical equipment and sprinklers (some of the sprinkler heads near the ground burned), the Green had been given an estimate of $31,000. The board would also like to replace the water fountain with a hydration station.
Board member Jack Marguleas said after the fire, the VG board met immediately. “We wanted to keep the park maintained, because it represents a spark of hope that the Palisades will become the beautiful site, it once was.”
Board member Tracey Park added “We felt very strongly about working with our existing team to complete the repairs at Village Green. Keeping it local, utilizing community members familiar with the site, proves most efficient. Our weekly maintenance person has returned, Palisades Electric arrived in 20 minutes to help, and Aqua Blue Lagoons responded quickly to make the fountain repairs.”
Park said, “Empowering our community members to make instant impacts creates meaningful change, because we all have a personal stake in the rebuild of Pacific Palisades. Banding together becomes part of the healing process, weaving us back together, into a tight-knit neighborhood once again.”
Everyone driving through the town sees the green park, established in 1973, on a site that once held a gas station.
In addition to replacing items damaged by fire, annual expenses, which are funded by donations include a gardener, insurance, DWP, property taxes, pest control, trash removal and website fees. There are also maintenance items, such as bench refinishing, electrical work, fountain expenses, sprinkler repair and tree trimming.
“More than ever we need to come together as a community and ensure the beauty and the history of our town remains intact,” Marguleas said. “I see this as the first step to our town’s renewal. Each day, we are getting 1% closer to normal.” (Visit: amalfiestates.com or email: Anthony@amalfiestates.com)
Bruce Schwartz and Cindy Kirven clean up the Village Green in May.
The 2024-2025 Village Green Board of Directors include, Kirven, Bev Lowe (Treasurer), Robin Weitz (secretary), Sari Marti (social media) Istvan and Sheila Benko, Jack and Max Marguleas, Lisa Boyle, Carl Mellinger, Jordan Corral, Tracey Price, Lou Kamer, Julie Paris Seltzer and Rene Kazimiroff. For the history of the park and how to support the park: click here.
These flags were placed on the Village Green by American Legion Auxiliary members for Memorial Day this year.
LUCKY to Have these people in our community !