PACIFIC PALISADES—The Village Green, a small privately owned park of about 6000 square feet located at the center of the town in Pacific Palisades received a $5000 donation from realtor Anthony and Sue Marguleas on January 9.
Owned and operated by a non-profit committee, the park hosts occasional art shows, music events and few high school bands. The donation given by the Marguleas’ family covers a significant portion of the annual budget of $12,000 allocated for the park, which was inaugurated on August 17, 1973.
“The annual budget is about $12000,” said Bob Gold, treasurer of Village Green to Canyon News. “And it pays for tree-trimming, insurance, maintenance of the lights, gardening, benches and fountain, sidewalk repair and it also pays for utilities.”
Gold said to Canyon News that the park receives no money from the state or the city and is solely dependent on donations from individuals and other institutions.
Four years ago, Bill Burns, previous editor of The Palisadian Post, recommended Village Green to Anthony Marguleas, owner of Amalfi Estates on Monument.
“Bill gave Anthony our information,” said Gold to Canyon News. “Anthony found Village Green a good place for donation and since then has been giving $5000 for past 4 years.”
Anthony Marguleas, a UC Riverside graduate, was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, at the age of 26 and was given a 30 percent chance of survival. He was cured after undergoing radiation, chemotherapy and bone-marrow transplant.
“I seemed to always know I was going to be one of the survivors. I have always had a positive attitude,” Marguleas said to Palisades News. “It sounds odd, but I am thankful and grateful for everything—even cancer. Without it I would never have met my wife [Sue was an oncology nurse], appreciate life as much and gotten as close with my family. Most people in their 20s take life for granted, but I was given a lesson in how important life is and to live every day to the fullest, which was a huge blessing.”
All donations are tax deductible and will go towards development of the park.
To donate visit palisadesvillagegreen.org. A PayPal account has been set up by Lou Kamer, representative on the Pacific Palisades Community Council. An alternate method is to send a check to P.O. Box 14, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272.
