Circling The News

Lt. Gen. Steven Gilland will speak at Post 283 after the parade.

_{Make this Fourth of July an unforgettable day of patriotism and celebration.}

_{The events planned at the Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283 are open to Legion Members, veterans and community members. The Post is located at 15247 La Cruz Drive.}

 _{If you have never met an Army General before, there is an opportunity to meet the Superintendent of West Point LTG Steven W. Gilland, after the parade. He will be the reviewing officer for the 2024 Palisades Parade.}

_{8:15 a.m.  The day starts with members of the military, including the General, running in the Will Rogers 5K, which starts at 8:15 at the Palisades Library. To register for the run click here.}

_{9:30 a.m. After the run head over to Post 283, for brunch (refreshments served while supplies last).}

_{2 p.m. The 47th annual parade starts and veterans and member of the American Legion are invited to walk along the parade route in their military gear with the Legion contingent – or just have fun and watch from the curb.}

_{3 to 6 p.m. After the parade, a barbeque will be held at the Post. There will be several speakers and two comedians will also perform.}

_{Speakers will include Gilland, who will speak on leadership. His wife and West Point classmate Betsy, an Army Reserve Military Intelligence Office, may also speak.}

_{Medal of Honor recipient CSM(Ret) Gary Littrell will give a brief speech about values.}

_{Colonel Lane Bomar Garrision Commander of Ft. Irwin Colo, who will attend the parade with his family, and may also be available to address and answer questions at the Post after the parade.}

_{To keep the mood light, Navy Veteran Chris Henriquez, owner of Social Booth, has enlisted two comedians to perform.}

_{The Great Omar, who started performing at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, has gone on to perform at the Improv, The Comedy Store and the Laugh Factory.}

The Great Omar will perform.

 _{As a magician, he incorporates audience participation, using vaudevillian comedy and musical bits. Praise for Omar includes “Omar is extremely entertaining and is an expert at combining magic and comedy,” and “The way he gets his audience involved is truly amazing. His comedy style is entertaining, his magic tricks are superbly done.”}

_{Also appearing will be Edgar Rivera, who has a new prime special comedy show Inbelievable. On July 3, he is performing in North Hollywood and tickets are $30, but you can see him for free at the Ronald Reagan American Legion Post 283.}

_{About Inbelievable, a reviewer writes “the Bronx-raised Puerto Rican comedian, with his exceptional audience interactions and spontaneous humor, will have you laughing as he shares hilarious storis about family, love and the comical aspects of aging.”}

Edgar Rivera will be one of the comics on July 4.

_{For the kids, there will be a photo booth, gaming stations, shaved ice and balloon animals.}

 _{6 p.m. the gates open at Palisades High School for food trucks and fireworks. The event sells out and pre-purchased tickets are required.}

 _{9 p.m. Fireworks Palisades4th.com.}

Sheryl Bourgeois will be the 2024 Race Starter.

Dr. Sheryl Bourgeois is the starter for this year’s 5/10K Will Rogers Race. She is the president and CEO of Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, stepping into Palisadian Robert Klein’s shoes when he retired in May 2023.

Bourgeois said that she has never started a race and wondered about her responsibilities. Klein assured her that after recent news stories had carried gun misfiring incidents, this race would be started with a horn, promptly at 8:15 a.m.

She seemed relieved and then added she planned to walk the 5K through the Huntington Palisades after her duties were completed.

“I used to run,” she said, “but now I focus on strength training, Pilates and weights.” Part of her exercise routine includes regular cardio, such as walking, the elliptical machine or paddle boarding. “I’m very dedicated to a healthy lifestyle,” said Bourgeois, who grew up in the San Fernando Valley.

As a child she played soccer, but transitioned to dance in middle and high school, before attending college at UCLA, where she received a bachelor’s degree in English.

She continued her education at Claremont, receiving her Master of Arts in education. Her doctorate degree was also in education, with an emphasis in higher education and management. She was the recipient of the John Grenzebach Award for Outstanding Research in 2013.

Bourgeois started at Chapman University in 1998, where she ultimately served as the executive vice president and the chief advancement officer. Her career also included positions with Southern California Muscular Dystrophy Association, City of Hope Medical Center and the University of California Irvine.

She has served as the President of the Ronald M. Simon Foundation, which focuses on scholarships for high school students that start at the end of a student’s sophomore year and continues until the completion of college. The Foundation partners with 30 high schools in Orange County, and up to 200 scholars are selected each year.

About the race, Bourgeois said, “I’m so proud that Saint John’s is sponsoring an event that reminds our community of the benefits associated with regular exercise and taking advantage of our incredible weather conditions, which make it easier to stay healthy and active.”

She is also thankful for Klein’s work at Saint John’s. “I am fortunate to follow his 33-year tenure and to benefit from the incredibly supportive community he helped to build.”

“I’m very excited to represent Saint John’s, which is dedicated to being the go-to hospital for Palisadians,” Bourgeois said.