16 Pages Thursday, May 7, 2020 ◆ Pacific Palisades, California $1.50 Be the Light Display Councilmember Bonin ‘ ’ Telephone Town Hall Honors Pali High Students Addresses Senior Concerns By SARAH SHMERLING Editor-in-Chief By LILY TINOCO having to wait for an available Reporter agent. ith campuses closed to students statewide and The fourth and final panelist Stay at Home orders in place, the end of the panel of guests joined Coun- was Molly Davies, vice president Wacademic year has been completely and totally up- cilmember Mike Bonin for a of the Elder Abuse Prevention and rooted—especially for those who are graduating. ATelephone Town Hall to address Ombudsman Services at WISE & Palisades Charter High School aimed to honor its issues and share resources related Healthy Aging. students with a #BeTheLight display, which included to seniors on Thursday, April 30. “We’re advocates for res- illuminating the stadium, pool and baseball field ar- “We have many folks on the idents who reside in nursing eas on Friday, May 1, at 8:20 p.m. (20:20 in Military line tonight and that’s because we homes, assisted living or care fa- Time). The display went on for 20 minutes and 20 have many, many, many seniors in cilities,” Davies said. “We cover seconds to honor Pali High students for what they’ve the city of Los Angeles in the 11th all of Los Angeles and our re- gone through in 2020 and the Class of 2020. District,” Bonin said. “We have sponsibilities are to identify and To further customize the display, 2020 was put over 33,000 seniors who live … investigate complaints that are on the scoreboard at both the pool and stadium. Ply- on the Westside and we have 1.8 made by or on behalf of folks that wood sheets were also cut into 2s and 0s that were million who live in Los Angeles are living in these long-term care between five and six feet tall, which were placed on County.” facilities.” the baseball field, moved to the pool and finally to Bonin said the COVID-19 Davies said her team is not the stadium—all on the back of a service cart. pandemic has been disproportion- Mike Bonin permitted in facilities currently to “We know the end of this school year has been ately affecting seniors, and they Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer reduce the number of visitors and very different than everybody had envisioned and make up an at-risk population, keep residents safe. They contact imaged and wanted,” Pali High Director of Opera- facing issues like food insecurity Perez also shared information on and check in with the staff to get tions Don Parcell shared with the Palisadian-Post and social isolation. AARP’s Community Connection a sense of how people are doing. following the display. “The distance learning mode Lauren Trejo, general manag- to address the issue of isolation: Davies said information has that we’re in has really curtailed so many—for the er of the City of Los Angeles De- Individuals can sign up and con- been sent to residents in long-term seniors in particular—of their different activities that partment of Aging, kicked off the nect with a volunteer who can care facilities to let them know create long-lasting memories.” 2020 on display at the pool panel discussion. pick up groceries, provide finan- how to contact WISE & Healthy Events that have been canceled include prom, an Trejo said the last few weeks cial assistance or lend emotional Aging during this time. in-person graduation, senior picnic, senior pool par- events at Pali High that culminate the school year, have presented challenges as the support. The panelists then took ques- ty and more. Parcell explained that there are many particularly for seniors. department has had to transform Maribel Marin of 211 Los tions from residents on the call, “We feel bad about that, we feel bad for them,” its services. They have transi- Angeles County said services are re-addressing the resources avail- Parcell explained. “Obviously we’re trying to contin- tioned their congregate dining being continued and hotlines are able. ue the academic aspect stuff the best we can through services to home-delivered meals, still operating with their agents “You are not alone, there are the distance learning program, but this just was a lit- ramping up the amount of meals working from home. resources and people out there to tle gesture on our part to make sure that they know that are being produced each day. “Right now, we are able to help you, and our job is to try our that we’re thinking about them and that we actually Trejo added that the Depart- help people sign up for testing and best to connect you,” Bonin said. care about all of that. ment of Aging offers additional also to enroll in the food program “Our goal is to make sure … no- “Just kind of a way to honor them and what resources, including transporta- … and the free meals to seniors body falls through the cracks.” they’re going through, it doesn’t make up for any of tion, care management and well- that are provided through the The Telephone Town Hall those things being lost for them, but it was just some- ness education. county area agency,” Marin said. series has previously addressed thing to say, ‘We’re thinking about you.’” Patricia Perez, head of the “Food is one of the top reasons general public health and renter’s Parcell explained that though an in-person grad- California branch of AARP, said people call us.” issues. Bonin said in the next few uation ceremony is not in the cards for Pali High this that there are many accessible Marin said they are working weeks, they will be discussing is- year, the school is looking at other possibilities, in- resources available for caregiv- to set up more online resources to sues related to small businesses The scoreboard Photos by Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer cluding winter break or late June 2021. ers and seniors on its website. provide a way to sign up without and parents. Brentwood School Returns Anawalt Introduces General Controversial COVID-19 Loan Manager Ahead of Store Opening By SARAH SHMERLING under the CARES Act “involved an eighth grade parochial school serv- Editor-in-Chief in-depth evaluation of the school’s ing the Catholic faith community of By JENNIKA INGRAM financial position in relation to the Pacific Palisades and surrounding Reporter rentwood School, an elite K-12 originally published government areas, has a tuition that ranges from institution attended by Palisa- guidelines,” explaining that a great $10,000 to $14,000, with financial s Anawalt’s Palisades Hard- Bdian families, requested, received deal had changed in the weeks since aid available to contributing parish- ware eyes a late May soft and has since returned federal coro- then. ioners. Aopening, President and CEO Ro- navirus aid money intended to help Over the course of last week, The representative explained lando Robles reveals Rosie Mar- small businesses survive the pan- representatives reported that they that all 240 Catholic schools with- avilla will be a first-time general demic and help keep employees on “carefully considered the added in the Archdiocese’s jurisdiction, manager at the store. their payroll. clarifications,” touching on the fact which typically run on a bit of a “We’re excited to be avail- Representatives from the that not all who qualify will receive deficit, applied for funding and the able for the community because school shared in a statement that PPP funds. Palisades school does not have a everyone has been super excited the decision on April 3 to apply “Given these factors, the Board large endowment. The LA Times and comes over and shares with for the Payroll Protection Program has voted unanimously to decline reported that 39 schools have been us how they desperately need us,” the loan,” the statement said. “We successful in receiving PPP funding Maravilla shared with the Palisa- have returned the funds so they can as of May 1. dian-Post. be distributed to others who are in A question of how much fund- Anawalt is moving into a por- greater need of the assistance.” ing was awarded to the school was tion of the space formerly occu- The statement, released May 4, not answered as the Post went to pied by Norris Hardware, which Rosie Maravilla Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer came four days after the Los Ange- print. has sat empty since the store les Times originally reported Brent- Village School and Calvary closed in July 2018. Robles reported in February create “perfect the mix.” wood School had received the loan, Christian School reported that they For nearly three decades, that the Palisades location would “My goal is to have inventory which is backed by the Small Busi- did not apply for the program. Maravilla worked for Anawalt be similar to Anawalt’s others, where it is at a level where we can ness Administration and forgivable “Due to a tradition of sound True Value Lumber in North but instead of a lumber yard, the support the community with their if certain parameters are met. financial leadership and the gen- Hollywood until she left to join space will be a full-service hard- needs,” she continued. “The president has made clear erosity of the school community, Anawalt Lumber in West Los An- ware store. Offerings will be a Maravilla said that she has al- that he does not believe private Village has been able to retain geles—referred to as the Pico lo- similar mix to Norris, including ways wanted to run her own store.