Presenting a check to the Village Green committee were (left to right) Jack and Anthony Marguleas, Marge Green, Betsy Collins, Cindy Kirven, Sandy Alarcon and Max Marguleas.
Marking what has become an annual tradition, realtor and founder of Amalfi Estates, Anthony Marguleas donated $5,000 to the Village Green board on January 12.
This year is the 50th anniversary of the founding of the small, private park, which has become the heart and soul of the town.
Marguleas donations over the past 10 years have totaled $50,000, for which board members are thankful.
Board Co-President Cindy Kirven said, “The Village Green was founded by a group of community individuals who donated their time and money to improve the quality of life in Pacific Palisades. Anthony’s continued donations show that he is equally dedicated to maintaining the community atmosphere we all love.
“The Village Green, as a non-profit organization, would not be able to maintain the park without his generosity,” Kirven said.
Marguleas, who with his wife Sue have four children, brought two adult sons, Max and Jack, to the ceremony.
“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.
“I rarely sit on the lawn much now that my kids are older, but Sue and I walk by it with our dogs,” he said. “It is the center of the town and I love to see so many people using it, whether to enjoy the fountain, wait for the bus, sit on the bench or enjoy lunch on the lawn.”
Max Marguleas, who graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder before joining his father’s real estate office on Monument, said “The Green has always been the center point of the Village – even after Caruso came in.
“It’s a great spot for Palisades families and friends to come and enjoy,” Max said.
His younger brother, Jack, who is now a student at Boulder said, “The Green is so important.” He remembered the picnics with his family and said, “I still come here to think, meditate and relax.”
Board Co-President Betsy Collins said, “We recently had a budget meeting to plan expenses and fund raising for this year. Anthony’s donation will cover approximately 20 percent of our operating costs.”
The board maintains the little triangular park bounded by Sunset Boulevard, Swarthmore and Antioch, and must pay costs associated with vandalism, as well as tree trimming, path and bench replacement and trash and rodent removal.
“We will be planning a 50th anniversary party for mid-August, so any and all donations are welcome!” Colins said and welcomed new members and hopes that residents will become more aware of the “Village Green and its charm.”
Former board president, and now secretary, Marge Gold said, “We have been so appreciative of Anthony’s generosity that we dedicated a bench to him. (That bench is the one closest to Antioch.)
Gold also said her wish would be for more of the community to realize the small park is privately owned and maintained for the community to enjoy.
Firefighters from Station 69, led by Captain Thomas Kitahata (second from left), join Village Green co-presidents Cindy Kirven and Betsy Collins in hanging holiday lights.
The Village Green is certainly a community treasure – thank you Anthony for your continued support. I’m curious, if his donation covers 20% of the yearly cost of “operating” the park, could VG committee share – maybe on their website – what that all entails? Maybe this infurmation would encourage others to donate, when it’s clear what expenses are incurred.
Thank you for the comment and support, Cindy S.! The Green is definitely a hallmark of our community. One of the current projects that the committee is undertaking this year is an update of our website. We will discuss your good idea to share more about costs that are necessarily to keep the sweet park in good order. There is more maintenance than initially suspected by a casual observer including gardening services, insurance costs, water and power, tree trimming, garden pest control, rodent control, fountain maintenance, trash disposal costs, brickwork cleaning, sprinkler maintenance, bench refinishing, vandalism repair and more. As a non-profit entity that receives no government funding, every donation is greatly appreciated!