Anthony and Jack Marguleas presented a check to members of the Village Green Board. (Left to right President Cindy Kirven, Anthony and Jack Marguleas, Vice President Betsy Collins and Secretary Robin Weitz.)
“The Village Green is special to the neighborhood, and a meeting place for all generations,” board member secretary Robin Weitz told realtor and founder of Amalfi Estates, Anthony Marguleas when he donated $5,000 on January 4.
This is the 11th year that Marguleas has donated to the small private park, which many consider the heart and soul of the town. The Village Green Board is so appreciative of his donations, that they dedicated a bench to him. (The bench is the one closest to Antioch).
“I am a big believer in modeling behavior, whether for my kids or the younger agents on my team,” Marguleas said. “I saw my parents, Howard and Ardith, with their charitable involvement (both through donations and boards they were on), which inspired me to do the same.”
When Maguleas first moved to Pacific Palisades, “My earliest memories of the Green were when my wife and I took our first dog, Murphy, a black lab mix, along with our kids, who were babies (we had four kids under four years old) and going to Noah’s and grabbing bagels with cream cheese and smoothies from Jamba juice and sitting on the lawn and enjoying a beautiful sunny day appreciating everything around us.
His sons Max and Jack, who have joined Almalfi Estates team, are now members of the Village Green board.
“The Green holds so much significance for me,” said Jack, who remembered the picnics with his family. “I still come here to think, meditate and relax.”
He said he decided to join the board to “reconnect with his memories and to help othersfeel the same sense of community the Green gave me.”
Brother Jack added “I fondly remember enjoying Noah’s bagels with my family at the Village Green.” He said he hoped to add a younger perspective to the board and “Help out however I can.”
Board President Cindy Kirven said, “Antony’s donation represents about 20% of the annual budget. It is clear that the park could not be maintained as a neighborhood jewel without this continuing support.
“The Village Green is a nonprofit tax-exempt organization that relies upon donations and grants,” Kirven said. “It receives no government funding. There are no administrative personnel costs since the Green is managed and operated by an all-volunteer board that receives no compensation. The annual budget includes monthly gardening, tree maintenance, fountain maintenance, trash disposal, utilities for water and power, insurance and brick, bench and shed repair.”
“The existence of the park, dedicated in 1973, is a tribute to the community that supports it,” Kirven said. “Each donation and grant is greatly needed and appreciated.”
“When I retired 13 years ago from 40 years as a school nurse, I saw folks working on the Green and asked if I could join them,” said past president Betsy Collins. “Since then, I have learned how much the community takes for granted the amount of work and funding it takes to keep the Green viable and welcoming.
“We welcome everyone and anyone to help us keep the Green alive and well, supporting our efforts to maintain this little park,” Collin said.
If you would like to donate to help keep this tiny private park immaculate, visit: http://www.palisadesvillagegreen.org/contact.html.
If you would like to find out more about this tiny park, a quarterly board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 11 at 5 p.m. at the Palisades Library. The community is invited.
A cleanup is scheduled for Saturday, January 20, starting at 9 a.m. Families are welcomed to come help.