Pitcher Mason Edwards Shines at USC

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Sue Pascoe


Mason Edwards went 8-1 with 103 strikeouts in 55 innings as a senior at Palisades High in 2023.
Photo: STEVE GALLUZZO

By STEVE GALLUZZO

CTN Contributor

The USC baseball team is off to a hot start and so is former Palisades High School pitcher Mason Edwards.

Through March 17, the 6-foot-2 junior left-hander was 4-0 in five starts with a 0.30 earned run average, allowing six hits and only one earned run while recording 52 strikeouts in 30 innings for the 12-time national champion Trojans, winners in 20 of their first 21 games.

Edwards got the start on opening day February 13 against Pepperdine and was credited with the win, allowing one hit and zero runs with three strikeouts and zero walks. In his next outing he did not give up a hit and struck out 11 in six innings against Rice.

He had 11 more strikeouts in a six-inning outing against Illinois on March 6. Seven days later he upped his record to 4-0 at Northwestern, giving up three hits and one run with 10 strikeouts in six innings.

Lack of run support led to a no-decision in USC’s 6-0, 11-inning victory at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on February 27 despite Edwards enjoying his best outing. He threw a no-hitter with 11 strikeouts in seven innings before reliever Sax Matson came on in the eighth in a scoreless game.

Edwards, a two-time pitcher of the year and two-time All-City first-team selection under head coach Mike Voelkel at Palisades, recorded a 1.20 earned run average with 102 strikeouts in 64.1 innings as a junior then posted a 1.15 earned run average with 103 strikeouts in 55 innings as a senior in 2023 when the Dolphins went 26-4 and reached the City Open Division semifinals.

Making 24 appearances on the mound in his Dolphins career, Edwards had a record of 14-5 with 205 strikeouts. On Feb. 1, 2023, he signed his letter of intent during a ceremony in the Pali High gym alongside two of his teammates—outfielder Amari Yolas (CSUN) and shortstop Wesley Wells (Claremont McKenna).

Joining the Trojans in 2024, Edwards appeared in 20 games, including four starts, and struck out 53 batters in 37.2 innings as a freshman. In his sophomore campaign last spring he appeared in 12 games (starting five) with a 3.86 earned run average and 46 strikeouts in 32.2 innings.

Posted in Sports | 1 Comment

Free Renewal Community Celebration Will Be Held Sunday

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

A free community gathering created by neighbors and supported by more than 30 local organizations will be held from 3 p.m. to Sunset on Sunday, March 22, at Palisades High School. This is a free event, and all are invited to come to the renewal celebration.

There will be live music, food trucks, art and family activities, and space to sit and talk. Kids can play. NO pets are allowed on the Palisades High School campus. For more information, click here.

There will be music and performances on two stages that include Luke Tyler Shelton, Andrew Cole and special guests, Pali Beats, Fancy Feet, Gerry Blanck and Palisades Studio.

There will be food for purchase at food trucks which will include Bittiebitez, CHX Sandwiches, Sunset Smash, Cousins Maine Lobster, Green Truck, Gracias Senior Taquria, Afters Ice Cream and Travelin’ Toms Coffee.

Arts and Activities will include face painting, litter tattoos, Tree of Life, Wish Tree, lasso roping, a kids’ zone, photo & video booths, children’s crafts and native seed balls.

The evening will culminate with a special performance by resident Jimmy Dunne, followed by a reflection on the meaning of the Year of the Fire Horse and its symbolism of courage, transformation, and renewal for wildfire survivors.

Neighborhoods will be called one by one to illuminate their lanterns (outfitted with small battery-operated lights and a decorated Year of the Fire Horse ornament) until 400 lanterns glow — a powerful reminder that our community stands together in recovery. We will close with a brief prayer and moment of silence, followed by uplifting music to send us forward in hope and unity.

The event is free, but people are asked to register to attend (max. 5 tickets). If you’d like to support the event with a donation, you can add one during checkout. (If not, click “skip”.) All donations are tax-deductible click here.

Posted in General | 3 Comments

PaliHi Actors Soar in “Rent:” Final Week

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

Rent is the first musical back at PaliHi after the Palisades Fire.

Many Pacific Palisades residents may have seen Rent on Broadway, where it was a smash hit from April 1996 to September 2009. The rock musical, which is loosely based on the 1896 opera La Boheme, chronicled the lives of a group of impoverished artists in Lower Manhattan’s East Village, who were living under the shadow of HIV/AIDS.

This production is terrific and it is largely because of the unbelievable talent that directors Cheri and Monique Smith had to select from. . . .it’s hard to realize this is a high school theater.

As Mimi Marquez, Avery Smith Anderson has a voice that fills the stage with nuance and her dance number (she is an exotic dancer) is simply “wow.” She is well-matched by her love interest Roger Davis (Madenn Garcia) and their duet during Light My Candle was haunting and poignant.

Mark Cohen (Sebastian Florido), a filmmaker who shares the loft with Roger, has a great voice. He can also Tango, and in an interesting scene demonstrates the Tango: Maureen  with his ex-girlfriend’s new lover JoAnne Jefferson (Lily Moss).

There are so many exceptional performances, that it becomes difficult to signal everyone out, but go decide for yourself – even those actors playing the mom’s in cameo roles are great.

The musical is loosely based on creator Jonathan Larson’s life and won Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Book of a Musical and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Book, Musical and Lyrics.

A quick refresher, the show opens on Christmas Eve, circa 1996. Mark and Roger are living in an apartment owned by a former friend, Benny. He shows to tell them they owe rent for last year (and he’s turned off the heat in the apartment) to force a move.

Mark’s ex-girlfriend, Maureen, has planned a protest performance with her girlfriend Joanne, to block Benny from evicting the houseless encampment. Benny says if they can convince Maureen to cancel the protest, he will erase their debts and allow them to live there for free.

Mimi, also lives in the building and begins to flirt with Roger. He lost his girlfriend to HIV and is also HIV positive.

Tom Collins, a friend of Mark and Roger, comes to visit after being expelled from M.I.T., but before he can reach the apartment, he is robbed and found by a street musician named Angel, who is HIV positive. Four of the lead characters in Rent either have HIV or AIDS. By 1990, it was the leading cause of death among people aged 25-44 in New York City.

The second act opens with Seasons of Love, or also known as 525,600 Minutes (the number of minutes in a year). The lyrics ask what the proper way is to quantify the value of a year in human life . . .and concludes  to “measure in love.”

This is the final week for the musical: Thursday, Friday and Saturday, March on 19, 20 and 21 at 7 p.m.  There will be a matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday, 21. General admission is $18 and VIP seating is $25 and tickets are available click here.

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More Illegal Dirt Dumping in Palisades

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

This was a  lot where dirt was dumped on Bienveneda. Now dirt has also been reported to have been dumped on two El Medio lots.

Yesterday, Circling the News reported on illegal dumping of dirt in the Marquez area, noting that contractors, who are either digging basements or grading lots, are dumping dirt on empty lots.

The resident building is paying to have a contractor take the dirt away. Instead, as one resident said, “You’ve paid them a fortune to dump it a few miles away on burned out lots.”

The area affected seemed to be on lower Bienveneda.

Today CTN received news that dumping was also happening on El Medio.

Long-term Palisades Recovery President and resident Jessica Rogers sent a text to CTN “A neighbor’s lot has been filled with dirt that was dumped at El Medio and Bowdoin. It was about 10 heaps of dirt.”

She said the family’s contractor caught one of the guys dumping. The guy said he didn’t understand or speak English and thought the family needed the dirt. The family who owns the lot are trying to find out where the dirt came from.

“This is so awful,” Rogers said. “It will cost the family a lot of money to have it removed.”

Next door to that family’s lot, two heaps of dirt was also dumped yesterday and now the family will also have to pay to have it removed.

If anyone on El Medio has cameras on the street and saw trucks loaded with dirt coming through yesterday, and caught possible license plates, alert Councilmember Traci Parks’ field deputy, Arus Grigoryan( [email protected]) and Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin ( 310) 444-0737 or email [email protected].

Also, if anyone sees dumping wood along Temescal Canyon Road, which is illegal and happening again, please take photos of the license plates and give them to LAPD’s Espin.

Posted in City, Community, Real Estate | 1 Comment

That Was Then . . . . Moving Forward

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

Behavioral scientist Dr. Zelana Montminy

Immediately after the fire, residents sought to hold onto what they had. For many Palisadians it was nothing – except community.

Resident and Amalfi Founder Anthony Marguleas hosted and paid for a gathering in a Santa Monica park a few months later, so people could see familiar faces and share with those who had undergone the same trauma. People could be with those who were in the same space.

The past year, residents have looked for answers. Initially, we sought help for survival. Now we’re in a different stage. We no longer need “hand-me” down clothes or toiletries gathered by volunteers. We’re either committed to rebuilding or to starting over in a new space.

People in Southern California – and the United States acknowledge the Palisades Fire was terrible and feel sorry for us. But their lives have gone on unchanged, and their tone to us is now “time to get on with your life.”

A friend sent this prayer from Dr. Zelana Montminy, a Palisadian, which sums it up brilliantly.

A Prayer for the After

For the spaces that feel hollow, For the weight that hasn’t lifted, For the pieces of life that don’t fit the way they used to-
Hold us here.
We have survived the breaking.
We have stood in the wreckage, sifting through what was, aching for what will never be again.

In the moment, when the world feels unrecognizable,
We stand in the space between what was and what will be.
We name our loss:
For the homes where we grew, For the laughter that filled the walls, For the ordinary moments now swept away—
We grieve.

But now, in this in-between, where the world expects us to move forward, where time insists on pulling us ahead, we are still learning how to be whole inside the loss.
So meet us in this middle place.
Not with answers.
Not with reasons.
But with steadiness.
With breath.
With something solid to stand on when everything still feels unsteady.

For the memories etched in ash, For the roads that feel foreign, For the lives forever changed,
We weep.
And yet, even here, in the wreckage, We reach for something unbroken.
To the unseen, the eternal, the whisper of hope –
Meet us in this silence.

And as the nights stretch long.
When despair threatens to take root, Remind us:
We are still here.
The light within us flickers, but does not fade.
Help us to rise-
not just from the ashes.
But into something new.
Stronger, Closer.
Unbreakable.

Teach us that grief is not a thing to outrun.
That healing is not erasing.
That moving forward does not mean leaving behind.
And when the ache rises unannounced, when the night stretches too long, when the world feels foreign in ways we can’t explain…

Help us find footing on this shifting ground.
Be the breath in lungs that feel too heavy to expand, the steady presence in a sea of uncertainty.
Teach us that what truly matters- love, connection, resilience-
Was never confined to walls or things.
Show us how to carry forward the invisible:
The bonds that no fire can consume.

Remind us:
We are still here.
Not as we were, but as we are becoming.
And that is enough.

– Dr. Zelana

(Editor’s note: Behavioral scientist, Zelana Montminy’s book “Finding Focus” was released in hardcover on September 16, 2025. She holds master’s and doctorate degrees in clinical psychology with a specialization in health and a focus in positive psychology and studied nutrition at Cornell University. She,  her husband and three children will return to a still-standing home, which had to undergo extensive remediation. She is a contributor to Good Morning America, The Today Show, E! Entertainment Television, People, Redbook, Shape, and PopSugar.)

Posted in Viewpoint | 5 Comments

Truth about Palisades Rebuild Permitting Numbers

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

Kambiz Kamdar, co-founder of PaliBuilds, is also on the Pacific Palisades Baseball Association Board. He was setting up sound opening day.   Photo: RICH SCHMITT

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass reported that more than 1,070 permits were issued for about 540 unique addresses in Pacific Palisades and that more than 1,300 rebuilding plans were approved for 650+ addresses after the January 2025 Palisades Fire.

That’s much different than Pali Builds’ numbers. That company has logged 574 permits since the Fire.

Frank Renfro

Pali Builds is privately owned and independently operated by locals, fourth generation builder Kambiz Kamdar and Frank Renfro, a seasoned software developer.

“We leverage a variety of public and private data sources to provide accurate, up-to-date information on building permits, property sales, and construction trends across the Palisades,” Kamdar and Renfro said.

“Our permit numbers are based on new home fire rebuilds,” Kamdar said. “The numbers the Mayor’s office puts out include all permits. It could be anything from demolition, grading, pool plaster, etc. We do a deep dive into the info and pull out only the permits that are for actual single-family home rebuilds.”

Using that criteria, the number of permits issued during January was 98. Pali Builds also lists the names of contractors during that month.

In February, there were 84 applications submitted and 93 permits were issued. “Permits exceeded new applications,” Kamdar said.

Kamdar and Renfro also analyzed the key neighborhood rebuild trends for February.
• The Alphabet neighborhood continues to lead in permit activity, now accounting for more than 31% of all issued permits.
• The top three areas (Alphabet, Via, and El Medio) represent approximately 65% of all permits, reinforcing that activity remains concentrated in core rebuild zones.
• El Medio saw a notable increase in activity compared to prior months.
• Broader distribution across neighborhoods suggests expanding momentum beyond initial hotspots.

For more rebuild analysis click here.

Posted in Real Estate | 3 Comments

City Committee Fine with Homeless Status Quo

Posted on March 17, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

Money intended to help the homeless has doesn’t seem to help.

In a March 10 L.A. County Public Health statement, it noted that instead of seven homeless dying on the street daily, now it’s only six (mostly due to alcohol and drug overdose).click here.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass touted improvement. At a L.A. City Council Committee Meeting, councilmembers tried to make a decision about LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority) and funding. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez had introduced the item two years ago and it had just came up for discussion on March 3.

“No longer can we afford indecision in making decisive actions around how we change this system. We must act. We must act now,” Rodriguez said.   “We still have a broken and dysfunctional system without a singular entity directing our work around homelessness.”

The committee was told there were four choices: 1) Not change anything. 2) Keep city money at LAHSA and have tighter control. 3) Shift funding from LAHSA to City control. 4) Shift city funding from LAHSA to the county homelessness department to administer it.

“There are no dedicated policy staff on homelessness in the city [government],” said John Wickham, a legislative analyst official at the city who presented the staff report of options to the committee.

After 45 minutes of discussion, which started late in the afternoon, L.A. City Homeless Chair, Nithya Raman, said “it’s getting late and we’re not staffed to be able to handle that right now.”

Tim Campbell has been reporting on the lack of real improvement between the amount spent on homelessness in L.A. and a reduction in homeless numbers.

He said, “Ten percent of the City’s budget is spent on homelessness and there are no staff people to advise the Council on homelessness? Each Councilperson has employees appointed to handle homelessness issues in their districts. Can’t they talk to each other?

“The City pays LAHSA $300 million a year, and nobody knows what taxpayers are getting for the money,” Campbell said.

Turns out there was a fifth option: 5) Hold another committee meeting. One is now scheduled for tomorrow, March 18.

Campbell noted that Mayor Bass in a statement encouraged the city council to develop a “thoughtful transition plan” before shifting funds away from LAHSA. “She’s three years into her term and other than spending more than $320 million on Inside Safe, what ‘thoughtful’ action has she taken?  She refuses to testify in the Alliance court case and only talks about homelessness in carefully orchestrated press opportunities.”

Campbell also questions Raman’s leadership on this committee. “She let this issue languish for almost two years before bringing it up in her committee.  What does her inaction say about her as a potential mayor?”

Campbell said, “In my CityWatch columns, I often write LA’s entire homelessness structure needs to be dismantled and rebuilt. This committee meeting is the perfect example why that’s true.”

Posted in Homelessness | 2 Comments

 2026 Oscars Highlights from a Palisades Perspective

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

Oscar nominee Kate Hudson was seated at the Oscars with  Grogu from the Star Wars universe.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC

By BERNICE FOX

Remember when Billy Crystal hosted the Academy Awards and began many Oscars shows by inserting himself in scenes from the year’s films? That was a highlight.

Conan O’Brien opened the Oscars as Amy Madigan’s character Gladys in Weapons.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC

Conan O’Brien, like Crystal a Palisadian, did the same this time, with a twist. He was made up as one of the creepiest characters of any recent film – Gladys from Weapons. (Movie spoiler alert!) And like in Weapons, he was being chased by the children Gladys had traumatized.

This was the second year that Conan O’Brien hosted the Oscars.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC

That chase took him from one scene to another in various nominated films, including hitching a ride with Benicio del Toro’s character in One Battle after Another and playing ping-pong in Marty Supreme.

The chase took him right into the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood for his second outing as Oscars host.

Moments later, the first award of the evening, best supporting actress, went to long-time Malibu resident Amy Madigan for playing Gladys in Weapons. That meant Palisadian Kate Hudson did not take home the Oscar for Song Sung Blue. But she applauded for all and looked as though she was having a good time.

Steven Spielberg seemed to be having a good time at the Oscars.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC

And when One Battle after Another won best picture, that meant Palisades resident Steven Spielberg did not get an Oscar for producing Hamnet. But he, too, was applauding for everyone and looked quite happy in his seat.

The segment many were waiting for was the In Memoriam. Former Pacific Palisades honorary co-mayor, Crystal, took the Oscars stage to pay tribute to his friend, Rob Reiner, and Reiner’s wife, Michele Singer Reiner, who were murdered in their Brentwood home in December.

In a heartfelt speech, Crystal said he and Rob Reiner played best friends in an episode of All in the Family and continued that friendship through the years.

After running through a list of films Reiner directed, including This is Spinal Tap with Palisadian Christopher Guest, When Harry Met Sally (with Crystal), A Few Good Men and many more, stars from his films came out and lined the Oscars stage.

Billy Crystal eulogized his good friend Rob Reiner.
Courtesy: AMPAS/ABC

Brentwood residents Catherine O’Hara and Diane Keaton also received special memorial tributes. Keaton lived in the Palisades for many years before moving to Brentwood.

And Malibu resident Barbra Streisand gave a moving speech about friend and co-star, Robert Redford. She ended it by singing part of the theme from The Way We Were.

Sunday’s show included an Oscar win for Steve Kerr. The coach of the Golden State Warriors grew up in the Palisades and is a producer of the winning documentary short film, All the Empty Rooms.

This film spotlights families whose children were killed in school shootings, showing the bedrooms that are frozen in time, staying that way as families feel the remembered and wished-for presence of their children. Kerr’s father had been murdered in 1984 while president of American University in Beirut and Kerr is active in gun control campaigns.

The full list of Oscar nominees and winners is available here: click here.

Posted in Film/Television | 1 Comment

Empty Lots Are NOT Dumping Grounds

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

This dirt from another site was dumped on this burned-out lot.

Some contractors, who are either digging basements or grading lots, are not legally disposing of dirt. It is being dumped on burned-out lots in the Palisades.

Residents are paying the contractor for disposal thinking it was headed for a proper site. Instead, the money saved by the trucker in gas and hauling goes into their pocket and the dirt stays in town. “You’ve paid them a fortune for them dump it a few miles away on burned out lots,” a resident said.

The most recent dumping occurred either on Friday, March 13 or Saturday March 14. One resident who visited her lot this past weekend wrote: “Right now, no homes survived on the 600 block of Bienveneda, and we were sitting ducks as no one to see the dumping.

“If it is happening on lower Bienveneda, who knows how rampant this practice will become?” she said.

Homeowners are encouraged to put up fences until they start rebuilding or sell to discourage dumping. Additionally, anyone seeing dumping onto an empty lot, are urged to take a photo of the truck with its license plate and share the information with LAPD.

The resident added, “It’s such a shame that there are so many such bad people taking advantage of our community.”

This was a second lot where dirt was dumped on Bienveneda.

Posted in Real Estate | 1 Comment

Scouts Learn about Legal Career

Posted on March 16, 2026 by Sue Pascoe

The Owls Patrol met with lawyer Paul Sumilas for their career trip.

By ALAIA SAKHAI – Owls Patrol Leader

The Owls Patrol had the privilege of learning from lawyer Paul Sumilas for our Career Trip on January 26. It was an exciting and educational experience for everyone involved.

Mr. Sumilas is a Criminal Defense Lawyer, and he discussed his experience as a lawyer. He explained what criminal defense means and how he represents people in court. Before Mr. Sumilas became a lawyer, he grew up around lawyers, and before attending law school, he worked as a paralegal. This gave him early experience in the legal field and helped him understand what the job would be like before fully committing to it.

On a normal day, Mr. Sumilas investigates situations and works to help people in certain cases. The hardest part of his job is his responsibility for the people he works with.

Mr. Sumilas described what it was like to be in court, explaining how important it is to stay focused and confident. He said he doesn’t get too nervous because he would go in well prepared and ready to support his client. He also mentioned that preparation is the key to success in the courtroom.

He said that if he could go back in time and choose a different job, he would still choose to be a lawyer. This shows his dedication to his job and his enjoyment of it.

Overall, the Owls Patrol learned a lot from this Career Trip, and we are thankful that Mr. Sumilas took the time to share his knowledge and experiences with us. We had a great experience learning more about what it is like to be a lawyer.

(Editor’s note: Parents of fifth or sixth graders who want to learn more about Scouts or visit a 223 Troop meeting, please contact Greg Frost [email protected] [boys] or Scoutmaster Larry Kirven [email protected] [girls].)

Posted in Kids/Parenting | Leave a comment