www.palisadesnews.com
December 2024
2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
Meet The New Members of The Palisades Community Council Several New and Returning Members Are Set to Take Their Seats at the October Council Meetings The Pacific Palisades Community Council (PPCC) has announced the winners of its 2024 elections for Area Representatives and an At-large Representative, with several new and returning members set to take their seats at the October council meetings. JoAnna Rodriguez, a resident of Tramonto Drive since 2020, was elected to represent Area One. She brings her background as a former journalist and current Director of Parent and Community Relations at Paul Revere Charter Middle School, focusing on issues of community safety and traffic concerns. Steve Cron, the incumbent representative for Area Two, retained his seat. Cron has served for the past four years, where his efforts have been directed toward fire safety and maintaining the cleanliness of Palisades Drive.
In Area Three, the newly elected representative is Julia Nilsen. Nilsen, a 21-year resident of the Pacific Palisades, is an attorney, entrepreneur, and active community advocate. Her campaign focused on ensuring that local voices are heard on issues such as neighborhood preservation and development. Karen Ridgley, a longtime Palisades resident of over 40 years, was re-elected to represent Area Four. Ridgley has consistently prioritized crime reduction, fire safety, and the preservation of the community, continuing to emphasize these issues during her campaign. Area Five saw the re-election of Kimberly Bloom, who has been focused on ensuring that local government decisions reflect the values of her neighborhood. Bloom, who resides in the Alphabet Streets neighborhood, has worked to maintain the area’s unique character. Lorie Cudzil was elected as the representative for Area Six. Cudzil, a 12year resident, is committed to addressing issues related to the construction of Potrero Canyon and improving local street safety. Sharon Kilbride, a lifelong Palisades resident and former Citizen of the Year, won the election for Area Seven. Kilbride
has a strong background in community service and a deep commitment to preserving local history and heritage. Andrew Wolfberg, a 15-year resident and former Area Eight representative, returns to his role after his election win. Wolfberg’s key focus areas include traffic safety and mitigating the impact of local schools on surrounding neighborhoods. Chris Spitz, a 33-year resident of the Pacific Palisades, was elected as the At-
large representative. Spitz has extensive experience on the PPCC board and is known for her expertise in land use issues, wildfire safety, and police protection. The PPCC thanked all candidates who participated in the election and expressed gratitude to outgoing representatives Murray Levy (Area One), Julie Silliman (Area Seven), Cindy Simon (Area Six), and Haldis Toppel (Area Three) for their contributions to the community.
addition to several NCAA competitions. Riviera is also set to host the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2031 U.S. Open. The Riviera was one of more than a dozen new venue assignments for the 2028 games that were announced by LA28 officials on Friday: The Marine Stadium in Long Beach will host canoesprint and rowing; The Galen Center– USC’s basketball and volleyball arena– will host badminton; the Dignity Health Sports Park will host cycling, hockey, rugby and tennis; The LA Convention Center will host tennis, judo, fencing, wrestling and taekwondo; and The
Peacock Theatre will host weightlifting. Additional venue assignments throughout L.A. and elsewhere are set to be announced in the coming months, according to Patch. The 2028 games will mark the sixth time (the fourth since 1904) that golf is featured among the Olympic sports. LA2028’s Opening Ceremony will be held on July 14 of that summer. As for this year’s games, the Olympic golf competitions are set for Aug. 1-10 at Le Golf National; the annual host of the FedEx Open de France and the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.
Olympic Golf Is Coming to the Pacific Palisades To Host the World’s Finest Is Fitting for the West L.A. Course By Zach Armstrong In the Summer of 2028, while the Olympic Games take place at several venues throughout Los Angeles, Pacific Palisades’ own Riviera Country Club will be the site for the international multi-sport event’s golf competitions. “The Riviera Country Club will offer a prestigious and continuously challenging backdrop for golf’s most elite players, and we look forward to sharing one of the finest courses with our fans around
the world.” Antony Scanlon, executive director of the International Golf Federation, said in a release. To host the world’s finest is fitting for the West L.A. course, as it often ranks high among those in California and the U.S., while holding a storied history of hosting world-class tournaments. Golfweek recently ranked Riviera #4 on its Best list of private courses in California, while placing it at #17 among classic U.S. courses. Since 1969, Riviera has consistently landed in Golf Digest’s 100 Greatest Courses, recently coming in at #18 in the U.S. and #4 in the state. In the last few decades, the Palisadian country club has been the host of the 1995 PGA Championship, 1998 U.S. Senior Open and 2017 U.S. Amateur, in