Take Time to Nominate ‘Citizen’ and ‘Sparkplug’ Activists for Annual Awards

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Skydivers start the annual 4th of July Parade.
Photo: RICH SCHMITT

Almost every year since 1947, a Pacific Palisades resident has been honored as Citizen of the Year. That person is selected for his or her outstanding volunteer service, underscored by a recent notable accomplishment that resulted in a substantial benefit to the Palisades community. The recipient must be an adult resident of the Palisades (including Santa Monica Canyon).

The event was sponsored annually by the Palisadian-Post until 2013, when the new owner elected to discontinue the tradition.

Fortunately, in 2014, under President Barbara Kohn, the Community Council stepped up to keep the tradition alive. Several local groups including the American Legion, Caruso Affiliated, DLA Piper, Huntington Palisades Property Owners, Keller Williams and the Palisades Highlands Presidents Council helped sponsor the dinner, which saluted attorney Rob Weber for his multi-year leadership of PAPA, the volunteer committee that organizes the Fourth of July parade, concert and fireworks show.

The Community Council is now soliciting nominations for the 2024 Citizen of the Year.

2024 Citizen of the Year

CTN thinks it is time that Matt Rodman is recognized as Citizen of the Year. He stepped up to lead the PAPA (Palisades Americanism Parade Association) in 2018 and has volunteered and headed the organization ever since. He even managed to arrange events during Covid. The volunteer hours he spends every year so that this tradition continues should be recognized.

Matt and Rene Rodman at the Fourth of July parade. Rodman is president of the group of volunteers that organize the parade.
Photo: Craig Weston

GOLDEN SPARKPLUGS:

Golden Sparkplugs are honored for igniting ideas and projects into community action that benefit Palisadians. The project must have been initiated, in progress or completed during the current or previous calendar year. Adults and youth are eligible, and must either own real property in, reside in or operate a business in the Palisades at the time services were rendered.

In the case of both awards, the accomplishment must have been voluntary and not related to the nominee’s business or occupation.

CTN can suggest several deserving Sparkplugs.

Martha Hunter
Photo: RICH SCHMITT/CTN

1. Martha Hunter, who has been volunteering at Theatre Palisades for the past 20 years. In 2013, she started Palisades Actors Troupe, which routinely allows Palisades residents the opportunity to act scenes with others. During Covid she kept PAT alive on Zoom and every December, the group presents a radio play for the community, which is a free event. She is a volunteer, and also helps produce numerous shows during the year—which means she spends time ensuring that the show goes forward – no compensation, other than her satisfaction and that of the communities.

2. Another Sparkplug to consider are the people who started the Palisades Thanksgiving Turkey Trot in 2012. Annually, it provides residents with the opportunity to meet and have a leisurely run through the El Medio bluffs before people settle down to feast on a Thanksgiving Dinner. Proceeds from the race go to a nonprofit. Event founders were David Houston and David O’Connell.

Photo: RICH SCHMIT/CTN

3. Another name to consider posthumously is Michael Terry. For years, he worked as a volunteer for the NEXT garden, a xeriscape garden, on Temescal Canyon Road, weeding, and trying innovative methods to ensure native plants would thrive.

4. Also consider Cindy Simon and John Alle, the local graffiti busters in Pacific Palisades. This editor has seen emails in which they share the best ways to take graffiti off buildings, rocks and walls. This is volunteer work they do consistently, to ensure that if graffiti pops up, it is almost instantly wiped out.

5. Carlos Rodriquez is an unsung hero with the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness. Although he is paid by the Huntington Homeowners Association to help keep the bluffs area clean, the amount of time he volunteers to help haul out trash at other abandoned homeless sites is amazing. This editor has been on numerous cleanups with him and his “muscle” is necessary to carry some of the items out of hidden campsites, to ensure no one comes back. He has helped load up truckloads of junk on his own time to keep this community pristine.

PRIDE OF THE PALISADES:

Okay. Enough already. It is time this group, which ensured that HO!HO!HO! a seven-decade tradition in Pacific Palisades has continued, is honored. When the Chamber of Commerce abruptly dropped the event in 2018, local residents led by Head Elf Lou Kamer, organized to keep the event alive.

The group even managed to hold HO!HO!HO! during Covid, with Santa and Mrs. Claus sitting on chairs, allowing people in cars to drive by and see the “magical” figures.  In 2020, CTN wrote that we hoped “that these residents are recognized for their heroic efforts pulling Ho!Ho!Ho! together:  Lou Kamer, Chase Holiday, Rosalie Huntington, Buddy Chancellor, Rena Repetti, Lisa Glantz, Heather Lyle and Michael Kafka.” Some of the volunteers have been replaced by others, but the core group has already started planning for the 2024 HO!HO!HO! They are all volunteers; they’ve kept a town tradition alive and annually they spend hours planning and executing the event.

For heaven’s sakes, it’s time they were recognized.

Although this editor has suggested a few names, there are certainly other worthy residents this year—it is up to you to get your selection to the PPCC committee. Let’s recognize those who have gone above and beyond.

Nominations should be submitted to info@pacpalicc.org or to president@pacpalicc.org. The deadline is 8 p.m., Saturday, October 26.  Visit: pacpalicc.org and click on the tab for Citizen of the Year and Sparkplug Awards.

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