The emblematic nautical watch embodies a yachting heritage that stretches back to the 1950s. It doesn’t just tell time. It tells history.
As it begins to heat up and schools happily dismiss for the year we hope this summer will be one to remember for all of our readers. In this issue, we’ve aimed to bring a balance of people, places, activities and yummy things that we believe would be an excellent addition to your summertime experience.
As always, thank you to our community for their continued support and enthusiasm and thank you to our advertisers, without whom this publication would not be possible.
Be safe. Have fun. Happy summer!
Lonna Weber & Joe Bellissimo
Lonna@LongValleyMedia.com
Joe@LongValleyMedia.com
CO- PUBLISHERS
Lonna Weber
Joe Bellissimo
Editor-in-Chief
Joe Bellissimo
Copy Editors
Linda Raznick
Carly Fentress
Layout
Allison Michelle Harrod
Advisory Board
Archie E. Hanson Jr.
Linda Raznick
Lisa Sapiro
Steve Weber
General Legal Counsel
David S. Schnider
Inquiries
Advertising: Lonna@Longvalleymedia.com
Editorial: editorial@Longvalleymedia.com
Hidden Hills Magazine is published four times a year by Long Valley Media. LLC. It is mailed to residents of the city of Hidden Hills, California as well as distributed at commercial and retail locations in the greater Los Angeles and Ventura County areas.
Long Valley Media, LLC 5115 Douglas Fir Rd. Suite C Calabasas, CA 91302
All Rights reserved. No article illustrations photographs or other editorial matter or advertisements herein may be reproduced without permission of the copy write owner (s). Long Valley Media, LLC does not take responsibility for the claims provided herein. Printed in the U.S.A.
Special thanks to super surfing attorney and auto enthusiast David Olan for loaning us his 1968 vintage Ford Bronco for our cover shoot. Someday, we will return it...maybe. OlanLaw.com
13
ORIGINAL RANCH
An original Hidden Hills home is spared the bulldozer and instead, reinvented.
22
FIT 4 BIZ
Hidden Hills native and resident Jill Green has made getting moms back in shape her business.
27
THIS BUCK DOESN’T STOP
From riding the range with Ronald Reagan to cocktails with Fess Parker, long time local Buck Wicall, founder of West Valley Horse center has lots of stories to tell.
35
THE SUNNY TASTES OF SUMMER
These sweet and savory recipes from specialty food shop olive alchemy in calabasas are sure to bring some sunshine to your table!
39
TODO BIEN COCKTAILS
Eclectic concoctions from todo bien restaurant in woodland hills that will make any poolside party pop!
45
START PET RESCUE
Meet the people who go the distance to make sure in-danger pets are safe & happy.
GREAT ESCAPE (ROOMS)
The full emersion puzzle craze that is mystery, adventure... and only takes an hour.
49 58
TAKE A FREE RIDE
Auto expert and roadway lifestyle guru Fireball Tim Lawrence encourages you to take your top off to connect with the world.
78
DESTINATION WELLNESS
As The Ranch Malibu opens a second location, wellnessseekers world wide are coming to get fit and healthy.
85
SPANKY’S PET PICS
Nick Wallace and his menagerie of critters!
Debbie Yanuck began telling family tales about her siblings, at a young age, claiming they were nonfiction, but learned to label them fiction, and thus began her writing career. Since then, she has written 11 nonfiction children’s books (i.e. “The White House, “The Bald Eagle.”) Visit her blog at www.debyanuck.wordpress.com.
Elyse Glickman’s work as a journalist and editor spans the globe and topics including gastronomy, wine and spirits, wellness, business profiles, interior design and fashion. She served as a Senior Editor for business/executive lifestyle magazine C-Suite Quarterly (CSQ) magazine, covering food and travel.
Southern California native, Brielle Fraser is a student at Pepperdine University, working towards a degree in journalism. She is a dance instructor as well as a freelance journalist whose goal is to work in the field of print journalism.
Lawyer and cofounder of The Rutter Group, authors and publishers of California and Federal Practice Guides, Linda remained as editor in chief since the company’s inception in 1979 until “retirement” in December 2016. She is now full-time devoted to her dogs, horses and animal rescue (oh...and her husband Rob too).
Fireball (his legal name) has designed vehicles for over 400 of Hollywood’s biggest action films including BATMAN, KNIGHT RIDER, JURASSIC PARK & MONSTER GARAGE plus over 1K Commercials. But not only a force in the Design of Cars for Hollywood, Fireball is also an Award-Winning Filmmaker, accomplished Children’s Book Author, Cartoonist and Host for Speed, TLC, Discovery and Velocity Channels.
Sierra is a 4th year photography student at Agoura High School. Currently her focus & passion is portraiture, through which she prefers to train her lens on the ‘honest and intriguing’ as opposed to the ‘staged and glamorous.’ Always working to balance the rawness of subject’s outer appearance with the depth behind their eyes, Sierra strives to always prove that ‘the eyes are the window to the soul.’
Wanting to keep true to the spirit of hidden hills, one couple awakened the charm and character of an orignal, single-story mid-century ranch house
The first time I see the house on Long Valley Road in Hidden Hills, I want to stay. Forever. It is that kind of home. As I walk in the front gate, a donkey wanders over and waits until I properly acknowledge him. A goat rubs its head against my jeans. A duck and chickens belly up to be pet, while mini-horses munch on grass and play with a golden retriever. No animal appears to have a sense that they are anything but family. The magical feeling of the home begins on the front grassy knoll with the happy menagerie of animals and only grows as I reach the home.
Windows the size of trucks do not peer onto the street. The house itself does not tower over the numerous leafy trees that dot the property. Concrete does not cover the façade, nor the land. Instead, with timeworn grace the home sprawls, as much as 2,800 square feet can, gently on a small rise, welcoming humans and animals alike. When they bought the home three years ago, the new owners chose to update from within and to leave the original petite footprint of this fairyland type place.
Built in the early 1950’s, it was decorated to fit the time and well-maintained by the owner, Dale McRaven, a television
writer and producer. He wrote a multitude of television series such as The Partridge Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Mork and Mindy, and more, and it is easy to see the creativity he derived from working from this home. After living in the home for over 40 years, he sold to the new owners who are determined to keep the peaceful feeling that permeates the land and the home.
“The first time I see the house on Long Valley Road in Hidden Hills, I want to stay. Forever. It is that kind of home.”
The new owners lived in Hidden Hills for ten years in a large, six bedroom, seven bathroom, 7,000 square foot house but it was not their forever home. They spend a few years looking before they find the home on Long Valley Road. Its bucolic setting calls to them. They do not bulldoze before moving in instead, they paint the interior of the house and then begin to update the exterior. The new barn is built first so all the animals
have a comfortable place to sleep at night. The existing barn was converted by the previous owners into a bedroom. A chicken coop, home to four chickens and a duck, rests near the barn. The chickens and the duck only see the inside of the coop in the evenings. During the day, they romp with the other animals in the front yard. An organic garden is filled with vegetables of every shape, size, and flavor.
ABOVE: IKAT PILLOWS & SIATKA SHEER LINEN DRAPES, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. COFFEE TABLE, LEATHER SLING CHAIR, THROW BLANKET, MUD PILLOWS, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME. POOFS, WOVEN CHAIR, WOODEN VASE, ACRYLIC BARSTOOLS, CHANDELIERS & TULIPS.
LEFT: SIATKA SHEER LINEN DRAPES & SANTA BARBARA NATURAL WOVEN CORDLESS SHADES, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. JILL DINING CHAIRS, VINTAGE BENCHES, TABLEWARE, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME. TABLE AND LYNN FRANKEL FLEETWOOD ELEPHANT PHOTOGRAPHY, CHANDELIERS & TULIPS.
INTERIOR DESIGN & STYLING by WENDY
BELLISSIMO
BELOW: SANTA BARBARA NATURAL WOVEN CORDLESS SHADES, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. SHAWS SINK AND WATERSTONE FAUCET, WAREHOUSE DISCOUNT CENTER. WOODEN FLOOR, PILLAR & SONS. LINEN BREAD BAG, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME.
BELOW-RIGHT: ALL PILLOWS AND SIATKA SHEER LINEN DRAPES, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. TABLE AND CANDLES CHANDELIERS & TULIPS. THROW, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME
LEFT: CUSTOM BLACKOUT DRAPES, PILLOWS & BED SCARF, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. DARCY SWIVEL CHAIR, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME. WOOD/CHROME TABLE, MONGOLIAN HYDE, CHANDELIERS & TULIPS.
ABOVE: MOTORIZED ROMAN SHADE, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE.
RIGHT: CUSTOM BLACKOUT DRAPES, WENDY BELLISSIMO COLLECTION FOR SMITH & NOBLE. BED, NIGHT STANDS, LINENS, CHANDELIERS & TULIPS. BUFFALO ON GLOSS METAL PRINT, A BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME.
BELOW: SHOWER TILE & MARBLE, WEST SIDE TILE & STONE. POLISHED NICKEL FIXTURES, MY HOUSE PLUMBING & HARDWARE.
The owners begin work on the inside of the home, after the animals’ homes are built. The original front doors are carefully stripped and painted. The paneling on the walls and ceiling beams are painted a silky white, along with the fireplace. Wide plank wood floors are added and the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms are updated. The rooms are cozy, not large. I want to grab a book and curl up in a chair in the sun-soaked family room.
After seeing the interior, we walk back outside and sit in Adirondack chairs in the front yard. Hawks screech overhead. A woodpecker works on a nearby tree and I feel like I have been transported back in time. The nearby chickens finish their dust baths, shaking fine silt everywhere, and the dog bounds over to see if we have forgotten about her. The owner tells me about a large white owl that splits his time between her tree and a neighbor’s tree, and about the nest sitting in
the tree directly above us filled with baby hawks.
People call out and wave as they walk by. One woman asks if it’s okay if she feeds the horses. The owner teases her for carrying carrots in her pockets as she walks, but I see that Hidden Hills is that
type of community. One where people know each other by name. One where people carry goodies for the animal occupants, and one where magical places flourish just as they did when they were first built all those years ago.
Shaggy Chic Pet Boutique is the ultimate caring environment for your pet. We offer special grooming-related treatments such as aloe and oatmeal shampoos and no-tear shampoos. We also offer Made in USA Healthy Treats and unique pet products that you won’t find elsewhere. Great carriers for traveling pets are just some of the handy items you’ll find at Shaggy Chic. Bring out the best in your pet, visit Shaggy Chic Pet Boutique today.
In The
Market Center 28877 Agoura Rd Agoura Hills, CA 91301 818-889-9663
shaggychicpetboutique.com
Treat your pet to our full service grooming spa 620 Lindero Canyon Rd. Call today! 818-879-9663
HIDDEN HILLS NATIVE AND RESIDENT JILL GREEN HAS MADE A HAPPY BUSINESS OF HELPING MOMS TO GET BACK IN SHAPE
The moon shone bright, stars twinkled and sleep still beckoned when I first met Hidden Hills resident, Jill Green, at 5:45 a.m. on a recent Thursday morning. It was not an accident. With full consent, I signed up for one of her Body
Back Boost sessions, which is just one part of her FIT4MOM Conejo fitness program for moms.
I wanted to experience the class before I interviewed her. My body is still not speaking to me, but the workout energized me in such a way that within two days, I signed up for the Body
Back Transformation eight-week session block. Yes, the twice a week classes (that I signed up for) also start at yuck-o’clock in the morning, but I’m willing to beat the sun up a few days a week for a mind/body workout like this.
When Jill graduated from Cal Poly college, she had no plans to
enter the exercise/nutrition industry. She married James Green, now her husband of 12 years, and worked selling title insurance. They have three boys; Ray who is now seven, Marcus is four, and Levi is eighteen months old. After Ray was born, Jill stopped working for three years. She joined Fit4Mom in Conejo that at the time was owned by another woman. At the class, she met Natascha Crecion, now her business partner, and together they purchased the business on January 1, 2014.
Jill and Natascha want to “reach all moms,” and help them learn to do something for themselves and to grow with that feeling. In their first year in business together, their clientele multiplied by eight, they went from
three to seven locations and to multiple classes per day. Jill says, “Too many women come into motherhood and feel isolated and alone.” Her classes offer companionship and a way to connect with others in the same situation. The Stroller Strides classes allow mothers to workout with their babies and to meet other women. After classes, there are play groups at the local park where the moms and babies can play and talk together.
On the weekends, dads can join the workouts for free and there are also evening classes during the week. The many class offerings cover most schedules and make it difficult to use timing as an excuse. One of the goals Jill says, “…is to help women get over the mindset that they cannot do
something and to guide them over the hump that fear creates.” During our workout, Jill led us with a gentle but firm voice. She encouraged, offered tips, and made you want to live up to her powerful standards. When 60 seconds of lunges with a 10-pound weight felt like a lifetime, I only had to watch the other women gut through it, to keep myself moving.
Jill acknowledges that some days you are “…a rock star and some days you are a rock…” Not every day is the perfect workout day, “…but everyone is given a lot of grace because of where they are in their day.” At the class I went to, one mom had been on a business trip for a week, was sleep deprived and hadn’t exercised for a week. Another mom had been up for hours the night
“One of the goals is to help women get over the mindset that they cannot do something and to guide them over the hump that fear creates”
JILL GREENPICTURED: JILL AND NATASCHA PURCHASED THE FIT 4 MOM BUSINESS IN JANUARY 2014 AND HAVE BEEN HANDS ON AS TRAINERS EVER SINCE.
before with a sick baby. The circle we worked out in allowed us all to connect, share smiles, pain, and most importantly, encouragement.
The beauty of the classes and the motto is to help give moms “Strength in Motherhood.” It isn’t just about the exercise. The classes create a “…healthy support system,” that Jill and Natascha believe is more important than the physical part of the program. Moms connect and create a unit that cares for each other. Even as a mom whose children are grown, I felt the pull of the group. This speaks to the power of their message because I usually prefer to work out under my own direction, but Jill’s method left me sweaty, fatigued, uplifted, motivated and eager for more. I cannot say I have found that anywhere else in my exercise endeavors.
Jill says that her parents are her role models who created an environment where she felt free to experience the world and where she learned to live as she still does today, “…being in the present moment.” She grew up in Hidden Hills with two older brothers and a stable full of horses. There she learned to ride bareback and did not use a saddle for her first three years of riding. Jill and her friends rode their horses all over Hidden Hills, even camping out in the hills. They had no trainers and explored the area daily following their whims. By middle school, Jill competed in barrel racing, goat tying, and breakaway calf roping. As a junior in high school, she was ranked 8th in the nation in barrel racing, and in college at Cal Poly, she was on the rodeo team. Twelve years later,
Jill still has a horse and a pony in her stables, and her affinity (but not much time) for riding remains.
Hidden Hills today may not allow for camping with your horses in the hills, but Jill loves the community spirit that pervades the town. Just as her parents have never left, Jill and her family have no plans to leave Hidden Hills. She tells me in our late afternoon, second meeting, that earlier she took her flu-ish eighteenmonth-old driving around Hidden Hills in a golf cart to help him feel better and it helped, just as riding her horses through town did all those years ago.
Early on Jill learned that having a close-knit community is a gift and whether it is one created by a town or by proximity, both enhance the people who are a part of it. Jill and Natascha’s FIT4MOM Conejo strives to fulfill and share the bond of community with all moms from all stages of motherhood. Jill says that she and Natascha both act in the role of ‘organizer’ and ‘connector’ so that together they ‘…help moms achieve their ultimate potential, both physically and emotionally.” This mom, of many years, is eager and even willing to rise before dawn to become a part of the ‘mom community,’ created by Jill Green and Natascha Crecion. I may begin the day and class with a grimace, but I know I will leave the class with strength and peace.
AT LEFT: SINCE A YOUNG GIRL, JILL, (ON THE RIGHT - AT AN ANNUAL FIESTA) HAS BEEN A PART OF THE CLOSE-KNIT HIDDEN HILLS COMMUNITY
Whether or not you’re equestrian minded, you no doubt know of Buck Wicall. He and his West Valley Horse Center are Hidden Hills fixtures. Buck’s stories are true local folklore that you can’t get from anyone or anywhere else. He recently took us back over half a century.
We began at Buck’s house in Old Agoura. He immediately steered us to his “shed.” Folks, this is not a “shed”—it’s a museum. In his words, “I’ve got so much stuff!” As we passed
the show saddles on the “shed’s” front porch and stepped through the threshold, there they were . . . thousands of loose photographs, dozens of photograph albums and mounds of letters. He remarked, “I come in here and say where do I start?” Exactly, where do we start?
The memorabilia depicts places and people from what today might be called the “Old West,” including a huge cadre of Buck’s friends. They were and are the great stars of American Westerns, rodeo performers, stuntmen and stuntwomen, trick riders, actors and
actresses, comedians, authors, screenwriters, publishers, artists, politicians, astronauts and professional ballplayers. Many are Hidden Hills locals. Many have come and gone. As Buck repeatedly said, “he” or “she” was “the nicest,” “a heck of a good guy,” “a great friend of mine,” “I really miss them.”
A ton of the “stuff” was given to him by one of his favorites, Faye Blesing, a world champion trick rider elected to the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1978. “She was a tough old gal.” Fearing all of her “stuff” might otherwise be “trashed” when she was gone, she entrusted it to Buck’s safekeeping.
He gets sentimental over much of it. Writer Michael Blake, well-known for his novel Dances with Wolves, saved wild mustangs and used to
trade with Buck. To Buck, he is most fondly remembered for a poem he penned called “Horse Number 1202,” painting a verbal picture of the journey to get this particular horse. The closing stanza still brings tears to Buck’s eyes (“In city traffic, I remember his eyes, so dark and wet, so full of God”). It is inscribed “For Buck. Good luck and God bless.”
The tales of Buck’s time with Ronald Reagan could fill bookshelves. “Reagan liked me.” They were members of the Ranchero Vistadores, a social riding group that met (and still meets) regularly on ranch land in Santa Barbara. Buck’s got one of Reagan’s western saddles, made in 1939 or 1940. After Reagan left the White House, a Secret Service Agent named John, gave Reagan photos of Buck and Reagan on horseback,
asking Reagan to pen something for Buck. Already entering the throes of Alzheimer’s, the President wanted to know “why he had to keep signing all these photos to the same person.” John answered, “It’s a secret.” John wrote Buck a note in 1991 about that; it ends, “Let’s go riding soon.”
Every photo has a story, dating back to the 20’s. There’s Calabasas from a 1926 movie set. And there’s Lake Sherwood from 1936, where the horses were sent out running in teams and tripped into the water— “those people would all be put in jail for that today.” The “hanging tree” in Old Town Calabasas was not a real hanging tree, but Mrs. Kramer, of the family that ran the Old Town grocery store, told Buck how she one day witnessed someone get shot “right there in the middle of the street.” She
also described what life was like in those days. When she was a little girl, her dad would take a team of horses from Calabasas to Los Angeles for supplies. They always stopped in Encino to water the horses, then go on to Los Angeles and stay overnight. The next morning they’d get up early, load the wagon and head back to Calabasas, stopping in Encino again before returning home at night.
Of course, all the “stuff” includes many photos of Buck and his horses. As we stared at a picture of “one of the best horses I ever had,” Buck explained he sold her to Hidden Hills resident Bruce Boxleitner and then he lamented, “I should have kept her.”
From his earliest days, Buck was a cowboy. As a child in Illinois, surrounded by farms, he always
had a pony and a horse. After moving to California in 1946, he attended North Hollywood High for a semester, and the family soon relocated to Woodland Hills. It was then, at ages 16 to 18, Buck worked for Harry Warner, the older of the Warner Brothers. Warner tried earnestly to convince Buck to return to school: “Do me a favor, go to Pierce College for a year.” When Buck insisted he instead wanted to work for a “big hay company,” Warner had this advice: “If you just won’t enroll at Pierce, I want to tell you some things I expect of you. You’re becoming a man; be interested in your fellow man; find out what other people are doing; listen, listen, watch.” Buck never forgot that 45 minute conversation. “We were walking back up to the shop and he put his cheek to mine and said ‘now, one day, remember all these things I’ve told you.’ I
was just a kid in school. I knew nothing. I thought it was awfully wonderful.”
After leaving his job with Warner, Buck got his own truck, hauling hay and “working like a dog.” But he really wanted to learn the feed store business. He did that at a store in Canoga Park and in 1963, he headed up to Calabasas Road to go it on his own, renting “a little hole in the wall” under an interesting arrangement. There was a threebedroom house, an office, even a fuel tank. The widow who owned the property explained to Buck he could come live there and have his store for only $275/month. She promised she would never raise the rent ,“but don’t ever call me and tell me something’s wrong; I don’t care if the house falls down, you put it back up. Don’t bother me about this house, just take
Buck and Luanne (who had been a Hidden Hills resident) married in 1972...Looking at a photo of the two of them from some 40 years ago, Buck simply said “I loved her so much.”
care of it and live in it and raise your kids.” She said, “If you’re smart, you’ll make a million dollars right here.” And that he did. Opened in 1964, Buck’s feed store remained there for 22 years. About 25 years ago, he bought the property that was to become his West Valley Horse Center in Agoura.
Buck and Luanne (who had been a Hidden Hills resident) married in 1972, blending a family of four kids. Looking at a photo of the two of them from some 40 years ago, Buck simply said, “I loved her so much.”
What’s Buck’s connection to Hidden Hills? “We had the feed store in Calabasas and people just started stopping in and buying feed. We had people in there riding horses who couldn’t lead a horse to water! For instance, I always remember the Watsons on Round Meadow. They had a daughter . . . we called her ‘little Jill Watson.’ She had a brown and white pony. Mrs. Watson would phone and say ‘Buck, Jill is leaving here now on her pony and coming to the feed store. If she’s not there in 45 minutes, call me.’ And there she’d come. You couldn’t ride a pony down Calabasas Road today.”
Buck and Hidden Hills resident Bob Eubanks had been team roping together for a couple of years when, in 1967, they opened the Calabasas Saddlery. “A little girl who went to Pierce College came to work for me after school. I’d show her how to close out. She told me she was majoring in something at Pierce and said ‘I talked to my professor and he thinks you don’t know how to run a business.’ Eubanks ordered everything just right. I never kept track of anything.”
work with the feed.” Actress Sue Anne Langdon, who lived in Hidden Hills, chose Buck’s beloved wife Luanne as her stand-in. “Buzz Aldrin was right there on the corner of Spring Valley and Long Valley; his wife could really cook.” Buck beamed eyeing the photo of then-Lupin Hill resident musician Marty Paich recording an album with Sammy Davis Jr. And then Buck chuckled, “Oh my . . . some of those characters in there!”
There was Hidden Hills resident Don Drysdale of the L.A. Dodgers. “Don and I rode together a lot. When his wife came to the store one day, I said, ‘I don’t know why your husband calls and wants to go riding all the time; I don’t follow baseball or sports; I don’t know a damn
thing about it.’ She said ‘that’s why he likes you!’”
Another riding partner at that time was pitcher Roger Craig who lived on Long Valley. “He was a good guy, a real good guy. I loved him.”
During this era, Buck belonged to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Posse. In those days, Sheriff Peter Pitchess “was a big deal in Los Angeles; he liked baseball players and I occasionally brought Drysdale with us. Pitchess couldn’t believe it; he followed Don around, driving Don crazy talking with him. Once, on a big posse outing in Chatsworth, Drysdale was riding his horse ‘Homer’ when his hat blew off. After dismounting to retrieve the hat, Drysdale lied down on the ground and
yelled to me, ‘Is this the way the cowboys do it?’ I said ‘you’d better get up. The Sheriff’s going to see you laying there and think you’re half drunk.’”
“Oh gosh . . . some of those people! The wife of the thenHOA president came to me one day after their cat had kittens asking if I’d take them for the feed store. I told her I didn’t want any cats around here. Yet, there they appeared the next morning. Although she denied it, I knew it was her. She threw them over the fence at night!”
Buck remembers Sinbad when he first moved to Hidden Hills. “He came to the store looking for me. ‘I’m getting two horses and I have two daughters gonna come and stay and ride the horses. What do I need?’ First
you need that wheel barrel—you put 20 pounds in and 40 pounds come out.”
He speaks fondly about the early Hidden Hills Horsemen. “They were an active deal. I’d go over there on a Sunday and ride with them. There would be 40 or 50 horses at Long Valley and Round Meadow.”
Buck also told us about Hoback Glen resident, Maxine Pass, who rode her horse through the front gate and headed down Calabasas Road. “She wore a black hat, black shirt and black trousers. She looked like Zorro at a fast trot. Yeah, they’ve had a lot of characters in there.”
“And there was Long Valley resident Leo Gorcey, one of the ‘Dead End Kids.’ He had a pet snake. Oh my God.”
“Dr. Drapkin on El Dorado Meadow had the llamas. I still
see his daughter Barbara and her Mom. Drapkin and some other doctors bought a hay ranch out in Victorville. They couldn’t figure out why their water bill at the ranch was astronomical because they only had so many acres of alfalfa. Coming to investigate, the water department put some dye in their water to see where it was going; they looked over to find that the next door neighbor’s whole ranch was blue—he was stealing their water!”
As our afternoon drew to a close, Buck’s last story was sparked while we pondered a photo of the 500-acre Spahn Ranch in Chatsworth, once used for filming Westerns and many TV shows but sadly, still most known for its role in the Manson family horrors. “I went up there one day and I’m putting the grain and stuff away and I thought who are these people? Manson’s sitting there with all these girls strung
out on something. So I went to George Spahn in the house; he was blind. I said George, who the hell are these people? He said ‘they’re alright Bucky’; they need a place to stay, they’re helping me.’ And the next time I went up there, he’d sit there that Manson; he wouldn’t move his head; he’d watch with his eyes. And right after that is when they . . . [committed those horrific murders].”
We ended the day with Buck much the same way we had started it, wide eyes marveling at photos. Looking back, we again recall that as Buck’s stories about “all those characters” unfolded, he often commented “they liked me,” “people really like me.” Buck . . . you got that right! They do. And WE DO TOO! Carry on our friend. Happy trails!
THESE SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES
THESE SWEET AND SAVORY RECIPES
FROM SPECIALTY FOOD SHOP OLIVE ALCHEMY IN CALABASAS ARE SURE TO BRING SOME SUNSHINE TO YOUR TABLE!
FROM SPECIALTY FOOD SHOP OLIVE ALCHEMY IN CALABASAS ARE SURE TO BRING SOME SUNSHINE TO YOUR TABLE!
• 8 ears of sweet fresh corn*
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, woody stems discarded
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 bunch chives, finely minced
• 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons ultra fresh, herbaceous, peppery extra virgin oil such as Olive Alchemy Picual or Koroneiki
• 1 cup of heavy whipping cream fresh ground salt and pepper, to taste**
1. Shuck the corn, cut the kernels off each cob, reserving them and any liquid in a large bowl. Cut the cobs in half and reserve. In a 8+ quart pressure cooker or stock pot, saute 2/3 of the sliced shallots for five minutes or until slightly golden in 1/4 cup of olive oil. Add the garlic and thyme, and saute for another minute, making sure that the garlic does not brown.
2. To the pressure cooker or stock pot add the stock, cut corn, and cut cobs. If using a pressure cooker, cook under pressure for 15 minutes. If cooking via stove top, simmer the pot gently over low heat for 45 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, saute the remaining shallot in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until caramelized and fragrant and reserve. At the end of the cooking
process, remove the cobs and bay leaf and add the cream (if using). In a food processor or blender, process the entire contents of the pressure cooker/pot in batches. The liquid will be scalding hot so be very careful!
Strain through a fine mesh strainer discarding strained material, and adjust the seasoning with additional 4. salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately topped with minced chives, caramelized shallots, ground pepper, and a nice drizzle of fresh, peppery Olive Alchemy Picual, Koroneiki or other extra virgin olive oil. Serves 4-6
*Optimally, this recipe is made in pressure cooker. However, excellent results can be achieved on the stove top. It’s ok to substitute frozen corn if seasonal fresh is not available. (Optional)
1. Prepare 4 cups cooked quinoa, set aside and allow to fully cool to room temperature. Prepare the tuna marinade by placing all marinade ingredients into a medium bowl and whisking. Add cut up tuna and toss to coat. Refrigerate tuna while preparing the rest of the recipe or up to 20 minutes.
2. Make the Miso Dressing by adding all dressing ingredients to the bowl of a blender or food processor. Process on high until the mixture is fully blended and creamy. Set aside.
3. Just before serving, in a large bowl toss 6 cups of mixed greens with 4-6 tablespoons of miso dressing. Compose the bowl by adding 1 cup of cooked quinoa to the bottom of each bowl. Add a mound of dressed mixed greens
to the top of the quinoa. Divide the cut up avocado and cucumber to each salad. Place equal portions of the tuna on top of the greens. Place cut up nori strips atop salads and serve immediately.
4. Serves 4 as a light meal or 6 as a small salad.
For serving
4 cups cooked quinoa cooled to room temperature
*Pickled ginger
*4 small squares-roasted dried seaweed (nori) cut up for garnish (*Optional)
SALAD:
•6 cups organic mixed spring greens or salad mix
•1 medium English cucumber, cut into 1’” diced cubes
•1 large avocado
AHI TUNA MARINADE:
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Tamari if possible)
• 1 teaspoon Olive Alchemy Serrano Honey
Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Olive Alchemy Japanese
• Roasted Sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
• 1 pound sushi-grade ahi tuna or sushigrade wild salmon, cut in 1” cubes
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 rounded tablespoon yellow miso
• 2 tablespoons Olive Alchemy Honey
Ginger White Balsamic
• 2 tablespoons Olive Alchemy Baklouti
Green Chili Olive Oil
• 1 tablespoon Olive Alchemy Garlic Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Olive Alchemy Sesame Oil
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 cup fresh whole blueberries, washed
• 1 cup fresh sliced strawberries, washed
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons Olive Alchemy Lemon Olive Oil
• 1 cup whole milk yogurt
• 1/2 cup honey
Place the blueberries and strawberries in a medium sauce pan over medium heat along with 2 tablespoons of water, the lemon zest, and honey. Heat the blueberries until simmering for approximately 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly, and then add the yogurt and olive oil, whisking until blended. When the mixture is at room temperature, portion into 12 popsicles (paletas) molds and freeze.
THESE THREE ECLECTIC CONCOCTIONS FROM TODO BIEN RESTAURANT IN WOODLAND HILLS WILL MAKE ANY POOLSIDE PARTY POP!
THESE THREE ECLECTIC CONCOCTIONS FROM TODO BIEN RESTAURANT IN WOODLAND HILLS WILL MAKE ANY POOLSIDE PARTY POP!
• 2 oz Casamigo’s Blanco Tequila
• 1oz fresh lime juice
• 1/2 oz agave
• A dash of fire water
WITH A KICK OF TAJIN
Take a few Basil leaves, cucumber slices, jalapeños slices and muddle them in a mixing glass. Add all the ingredients over ice in the same glass, shaking vigorously. Pour into a tajin rimmed margarita goblet glass. Garnish with basil leaves and a jalapeño slice on top. (*Lime optional).
• 1 1/2 oz orange vodka
• 3/4 oz lemon fresh
• 1/2 oz cranberry
• 1/2 oz orange juice
Wanting to take a step away from the typical martini and give it that wow factor, this sophisticated cocktail was concocted to be the perfect blend of spicy and sweet.
Take a few pieces of jalapeños and muddle them in a mixing glass. Add all ingredients over ice in the same glass, shaking viciously. Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass. Garnish with a jalapeño slice.
Fresh and colorful as a summer garden, these vibrant cocktails were inspired to refresh and chill.
Fresh and colorful as a summer garden, these vibrant cocktails were inspired to refresh and chill.
• 2 oz Bacardi Superior
• 2 oz Bacardi Superior
• 1 1/2 oz lime fresh
• 1 1/2 oz lime fresh
• A splash of soda on top
• A splash of soda on top
Take a few pieces of fresh mint and raspberries or watermelon (your preference), muddle them in a mixing glass. Add all ingredients over ice in the same glass, shake vigorously. Pour into high ball glass and top off with a splash of soda. Garnish with a mint sprig on top.
Take a few pieces of fresh mint and raspberries or watermelon (your preference), muddle them in a mixing glass. Add all ingredients over ice in the same class, shake vigorously. Pour into high ball glass and top off with a splash of soda. Garnish with a mint sprig on top.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN another day of please adopt-a-pet. If I could, I’d bring them all to our home. I’d be a hoarder of the four-legged kind. If only I could, I would. I was prepared, once again, to open my pocketbook. I was prepared to interrupt through all the pleas (“please help us”) I’d become accustomed to hearing. I had my answer as I’d given so many times before: “But if only I could, I’d bring them all to our house. I would love them unconditionally. I would feed them, I would cuddle them, I’d nurture them, care for them and get them all the medical attention they need. I’d give them a forever home, Rob and I would, all of them, if only we could.” Yet, on that day over lunch, I (uncharacteristically) interrupted no one. I listened. I really listened. And, oh what I learned. And, hours later, I’d lost not my pocketbook, but my heart and so melted into the story of Indy and START.
Give me a few minutes of your time. This is START’s story:
In May 2011, a small group of friends based in Studio City began brainstorming ways to help save more animals from the high-kill California shelter system. Until that point this group had used its own funds and often maxed out credit cards rescuing a few dogs at a time. But they wanted to do more. The question was... how?
Today, it’s May 2017, six years later and the “how” is answered. 8,000 dogs and 500 cats later, Shelter Transport Animal Rescue Team (START) is in the business of saving lives!
That small group of friends, Rene Ruston, Adam Tarshis, Steve Spiro and Suzanna Urszuly, brainstormed START’s way. They knew that Oregon and Washington shelters were not saturated like California’s shelters, and a light bulb went
off. They bought a used truck, retrofitted it with crates and found legitimate rescue groups and humane societies in the Pacific Northwest who needed dogs and could find them homes. START hooked up with the progressive Riverside Animal Shelter, and drove up-to 80 dogs at a time to new beginnings.
There were numerous challenges, not the least of which was funding. START was fortunate enough to find a few donors who believed in START’s mission and helped fund the early transports. The dogs were saved on their last day at the shelter and seeing them find their forever homes made all the heartache and stress worth it!
START first received media attention in July of 2013 when the group rescued INDY, a pit bull who had been burned with fireworks that were strapped to his body. They paid for his hospital care and rehabilitation. INDY received numerous skin grafts via the combined efforts
of wonderful Dr. Richard Grossman (Founder of the Grossman Burn Center) and Veterinarian, Dr. Daniel Slaton. START also posted a reward to apprehend the perpetrator who was later caught and prosecuted. START members are huge pit bull fans and saddened by the unfortunate stigma the breed has been subjected to. START has rescued over 800 “pitties” and many have become service dogs, amazing companions who have even joined the Reading For Rover program where kids read out loud to a dog to help with learning difficulties. The group loves to help the “underdogs” who often get overlooked in the shelter system, pitties, seniors, medical dogs and dogs who are depressed, shut down and, but for START, on their last days. Usually, with love and time, these dogs become the most amazing companions and their before-and-after photos are both priceless and inspiring.
To be a receiving rescue or shelter, prospective partners must pass strict requirements. START currently works with 14 groups in the Pacific Northwest and believes in quality over quantity. Candace, START’s well-organized transport coordinator, is originally from Oregon, so she was already familiar with a lot of the groups START works with.
One of START’s requirements is that the receiving rescues send updates on each dog once the dog has been adopted. In turn, START has a weekly newsletter that is emailed every Sunday to about 3,000 of START’s fans. The entertaining newsletter tells the stories of these lucky dogs and cats and their new “forever homes,” with pictures and letters from their new families.
This is just the tip of the iceberg for START.
START knows that “rescuing” animals is not the answer to overpopulation, which is why it funds spay and neuter surgeries for low-income households in California. Although based in Studio City, START works primarily with the Riverside Shelter for the following reasons: Riverside is the largest county and shelter system in California and, as such, needs help desperately. Unlike Los Angeles City and County, the Riverside shelter director, Robert Miller, has his office located in the actual shelter and is “hands-on” and connected to every aspect of the shelter’s mission. He brings innovative and effective methods to reduce intake and increase adoption and has not ignored the stray animal issue. One example of the shelter’s ingenuity
is its Administrative Citation Program. Unlike other administrative citation programs, this one has teeth. If you ignore the citation to license your pet, the fine goes on your DMV record! Riverside Shelter also provides low-cost spay/ neuter, which START helps fund. START was so impressed with Riverside’s efforts that a partnership was born. To date, START has helped fund over 4,000 spay/ neuter surgeries.
START also has a small fund called the Pitties Helping Kitties Fund, which helps reputable cat rescue groups with medical donations for shelter kitties.
START keeps its overheads low so that all funds go back into saving lives. START has no office space and only one paid employee (who does the job of five!). The board members (who all have day jobs) donate their time to START and put in somewhere between 20-50 hours a week. They were recently awarded Platinum status for their commitment to transparency by GuideStar Charity Navigator.
START has also rescued dogs from the streets of Mexico and works closely with Nami Kim, an incredibly brave lady who made it her life’s mission to close down
THIS
the barbaric dog meat farms in South Korea. START has flown over 25 of these dogs to the U.S. in the last year and found them amazing homes.
One of START’s most amazing recent accomplishments is its purchase of a 38 ft. RV that is able to carry up to 150 dogs in one trip up to Oregon and Washington. Many think this little group of dedicated friends is a lot bigger than it appears, but they receive no government funding and survive on a few annual grants and reoccurring donations from devoted donors. START circulates three pleas a month to raise funds for a dog (or dogs) in need and uses any extra money not used for that dog (or dogs) to help the rest of its programs.
START also recently opened a thrift store in a new effort to raise needed funds--START Rescue Resale Store--located at 4521 Van Nuys Blvd, Sherman Oaks, 91403. All proceeds go to START’s life-saving programs.
If we’re lucky enough in life, we discover a passion, some of us maybe two or three. Our passions drive us to awaken with spark, delight and the excitement of a new day. START’s mission is now my passion. I confess that I cannot adopt them all or even any one of them, but I can give myself to help
bring them to their forever homes. I can give myself to help find, comfort and try to heal all the INDYS. I can spread the message of START’s mission and goals. And this, I shall do with passion. `
START is a small group accomplishing BIG things for homeless animals, with a hope for bigger things to come. If what I’ve learned touches your heart, please visit START’s website (www.STARTrescue.org) or join START on Facebook (https://www. facebook.com/STARTRESCUETEAM). Consider signing up for START’s newsletter (which is PAWsome!) and maybe donate a nickle or two. And stay tuned for details on a “You’ve Got to START Somewhere” event at our house in September. Rob and I would love for you to meet these angels.
You have one hour to complete the game,” the game-master stated as each member went inside. Stepping foot inside a locked room where the only way out is through, can be considered a daunting experience for some. Evaluating the immediate surroundings, questioning if the picture frames enclose a secret message necessary to move forward, or even the matter of placing trust in one’s own instincts to solve a series of riddles is what makes Maze Rooms, and escape rooms alike, a fascinating concept. Maze Rooms taps into each person’s childhood desire to solve secret puzzles, where each clue leads to the next, as team members cooperate to solve the riddles strategically placed in their way, and to ultimately escape in 60 minutes or less.
“Since escape room appeared in Los Angeles in 2014, people love them, the most feedback we get from the clients is that they want a fun outing, or they want to do a communication building exercise,” says Natalie Lapidus, co-owner of Maze Rooms. “Today, people are so involved in their phones, television and computers that they forget about simple communication without those devices.”
THIS PAGE: ONE WAY TICKET (HOLLYWOOD) IS A MYSTERIOUS ADVENTURE ABOARD VINTAGE RAIL CARS.
Lapidus, along with her husband, Ruslan Balashov, decided that LA was in need of a night-out experience that was not the typical, classic dinner and movie combination. There are now over 16 different Maze Rooms locations throughout the Los Angeles and LA county areas, with plans of opening new, thrilling escape rooms in the near future.
“Another thing that attracts people
is that escape rooms is only one hour long, so you don’t have to spend the whole day to enjoy yourself, unlike Disneyland for example,” says Lapidus. “You can go before dinner with family or friends, or even during lunch.”
Maze Rooms is a franchised company, which also has rooms in Austin, Texas including two popular mazes, “Spy Safe-House” and “Pharaoh’s Tomb.”
“Our first room, ‘Castle’, opened in December 2014 and it was a great success, as people really wanted to try something new. We thought that LA was a good place because it’s a large city and we were able to open multiple locations throughout,” explains Lapidus. “Also, when you are in an escape room you feel like you are starring in a movie, and LA is known as the movie capitol of the world.”
There are four levels of difficulty Maze Rooms goers can choose from: easy, medium, hard, and impossible. While some may solve the great mysteries involved in the Maze Rooms quite easily, others need more hints given to them in order to advance to the next phase of the game. Players can inquire about the game via walkie talkies every 10 minutes, however, there is no clock inside the room to indicate when the 10 minute mark has been satisfied.
“I don’t think there is a level distinction in the escape rooms, everything depends on your team members and your ability to work together,” says Lapidus. “Sometimes we have teams who finish the hard room pretty easily, yet can’t escape the easy room with the same ease. I would say if you have never experienced an escape room, choose the theme that you prefer or really want to try, and start there.”
Each room is carefully decorated to support the theme of the game. The “One Way Ticket” maze is fashioned after an old train, where players feel as though they’ve been transported back to the glamour and charm the railways once held. The detail that is added to even the smallest of items,
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“When you are in an escape room you feel like you are starring in a movie, and LA is known as the movie capitol of the world.”
Mouth Breathing & Snoring are common symptoms of a restricted airway
When your child is not receiving the oxygen that they need, an internal mechanism triggers these outward problems as well as things like dark circles under their eyes and arrested growth and development
A child, who is exhausted due to lack of proper oxygen while sleeping, has a hard time coping in this depleted state
This is a very good indication that your child may suffer from Sleep Disordered Breathing
A sleep deprived child shows the same symptoms as a child with ADD/ADHD
18% of children, even into and beyond middle school age, are still wetting the bed at night, a condition that can be linked with sleep quality
With mouth breathing, air that is not filtered and humidified through the nose, leaves the tonsils and adenoids to do a job they were not designed to do
Lack of decent sleep often leads to poor academic performance
HealthyStart™ appliances offer a safe, drug free, pain free approach to naturally correct oral habits for breathing function while guiding the growth of the jaw and teeth with good alignment that, when started early and used consistently, will be permanent.
lends itself to creating a superior mystery game experience for whomever decides to participate.
“We have a great variety of themes, from an old castle to a high tech lunar mission. In addition, we aim to increase our quality with every room we open,” says Lapidus. “We offer rooms for all ages, but 10 years old is the recommended age so they can grasp what is actually going on in the game.”
Whether anyone is in need of an idea for an office team-building,
birthday parties, or even an exciting and surprising spot to pop the question to one’s future Mrs., Maze Rooms offers a uniquely thrilling experience to all aspiring escapees.
“We host a lot of team building experiences for people from office occupations. Escape rooms are good for team building because team members have to share ideas and information with each other, while trying to solve puzzles,” says Lapidus. “Each player must also stay focused
in order to solve the puzzles presented in each room. The one hour time restriction also adds to the stress factor, and makes asking for hints critical in making correct and timely decisions.”
Remember to focus on the task at hand, never dismiss a clue (no matter what form it arrives in), and rely on fellow members to beat the clock. Will you escape?
$12,500,000 | 5811 Round Meadow Road, Hidden Hills | 8BD/10BA Marc & Rory Shevin | 818.251.2456/818.251.2476
$8,750,000 | 25200 Jim Bridger Road, Hidden Hills | 6BD/10BA Marc & Rory Shevin | 818.251.2456/818.251.2476
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$6,300,000 | 23726 Long Valley Road, Hidden Hills | 6BD/8BA Marc & Rory Shevin | 818.251.2456/818.251.2476
$5,500,000 | 24520 Wingfield Road, Hidden Hills | 5BD/7BA C. Goldstein/R. Shevin | 818.421.4141/818.251.2476
$3,675,000 | 5364 Scott Robertson Road, Hidden Hills | 4BD/5BA Joanie Louis | 818.425.8516
Pretty much my whole life and up until a few years ago, I wore glasses to see. I’d always felt that I was looking at the world from inside a glass box, but never managed to do anything about it. I created a separation of sorts that, although allowed me to see clearly, when I took them off, the world became a blur and I never really got the chance to see without some sort of barrier.
Then, a year ago I got Lasik surgery and my world became a vision of beauty. No longer did I have to surf and not see the waves coming. I bought 10 pairs of sunglasses and stared at the sky, trees and Malibu landscape all day with a silly grin on my
face. My world had opened up and my perception had completely changed.
Now, a lot like my glasses, cars are in many ways a glass box where we can hide from the world. We can still see, although our vision is limited and we sometimes forget where we are and drift into the past or future, worrying about our lives and whether things will resolve positively.
With this as my inspiration, I decided to call my friend Greg Gill of the Greg Gill Company. He’s been a private car broker for the last 25 years, handling acquisitions and dispositions and doing great things with the Automobile Driving Museum
Cars are in many ways a glass box where we can hide from the world.
Cars are in many ways a glass box where we can hide from the world.
in El Segundo. I mentioned that I wanted to go for a spin in an amazing convertible and explore ideas behind the psychology of these cars with no barriers. Examine why they’re different emotionally and how they help you emit a different vibe into the world.
Well, he had just the thing and showed up in this gorgeous red 1959 Cadillac DeVille Convertible with our sites set on cruising the coast to Palos Verdes. While I waited for the car to be prepped at the Museum, I snagged some shots of the amazing other convertibles they had in store: Packards, Lincolns, Fords. Truly a sight to behold.
Then, as Greg and I headed to the coast in the Caddy, I was in awe at how present I felt. How aware I was, not only of myself and my friend, but how beautiful the world was from every perspective. We were receiving gifts in the now and in every new moment, not leaving room for problems, worry and anxiety. All of these so-called fears were buried deep or disappeared as we carved the coast through PV and absorbed the wonders before us. We stopped, took photos, ate, conversed, smiled and responded to the many waves from other drivers. We were feeling joy.
This was a very heightened state, compared to being locked inside a car. I had a clearer vision,
could smell the salty sea, flowers and variety of earthly delights.
It was the combination of the crisp cool wind and warm sun that began to fill my soul. A cruising speed that helped me determine my next thoughts and subdue the challenges of my life. I was present and was receiving all good things.
That’s when it hit me. We are all searching for the same thing, yet approaching it from many different angles, like trains from multiple cities into Chicago. And that destination is peace - actual freedom. The bold moment where creativity exists and life becomes a spectacle. We couldn’t hide in our box like the many people that
drove before us, but had to be present and aware, receiving the gifts of our surroundings and the gift of our friendship.
All this, because of a simple convertible and as you know and living in Southern California, what we put out into the world comes back to us ten-fold. So for the next 2 hours of that drive, I felt a love for the world that could barely be described. Thoughts of joy, peace, fun, adventure... and coffee (did I mention good coffee?). All the things I wanted to do were manifesting in my mind. Not as dreams, but as actual visions of my future.
As the day came to an end and I watched the Caddy drive off. I
came to the realization that we search high and low for the answers to our lives each day, not knowing that it simply exits in the choice of living today fully. Finding avenues by which we can experience the best that life has to offer. In this case, a red convertible... But there are infinite ways to improve our lives in the moment and simply sitting in peace and taking in the view is enough to recharge and put you back on track.
You can’t chase happiness, but you can catch it in the moment every time. You just have to decide to... and fill your days with joyful experiences as much as possible.
“I was in awe at how present I felt. How aware I was, not only of myself and my friend, but how beautiful the world was from every perspective.”
Places to Know and Go Within 10 Miles of Any Hidden Hills Gate
Special Advertising Section
It’s fairly common knowledge that dogs are territorial critters. Their surroundings in every respect cue senses that humans don’t even notice and trigger emotions that can sometimes bring them either total elation or complete and utter stress. It’s the latter of these that makes mobile pet spa, The Barkbus, an excellent choice for minimizing the canine angst and uncertaintly that can come with a
trip to the groomer. “When dogs are groomed right at their own home it makes for a much more comfortable experience, for them and for the owner,” says Barkbus founder Patrick Riley. “That territorial comfort helps dogs to feel more secure and happy and the process is much, much quicker than taking them to out to an unfamiliar place.”
Taking the delivery of comfort to
the next level is where The Barkbus shines (much like your pet will). Right into your driveway their stateof-the-art rig will arrive, complete with filtered and heated water, allnatural shampoos and conditioners, and the skill of a groomer that loves your pooch almost as much as you do. With treatment options like organic teatree oil, coconut oil infused scrubs, organic blueberry facials and hypoallergenic oatmeal
baths, dogs of every sensitivity will be happy. And yes...they do flea baths too.
Another specialty at which The Barkbus groomers excel are breed-specific cuts. Whether you have a Saint Bernard who likes to swim and needs a summer shave or a Bichon Frise primping for a show, Barkbus can have them trimmed with precision.
So the next time your pooch needs to refresh, skip the trip, give The Barkbus a try. You and your dog will have your tails wagging.
Not far from Hidden Hills lies the captivating boutique, Jalan Jalan Imports, which carries exceptional indoor and outdoor design elements from Bali, Indonesia, and the World. The collection includes exotic teak root furniture, handchiseled statuary, reclaimed teak benches, petrified wood, handcrafted jewelry, worldclass wood carvings and an exquisite selection of handcrafted treasures. An easy drive along Topanga Canyon Boulevard leads to Jalan Jalan Imports in Topanga. What you’ll find is much more than simply a store, it’s an experience. Owl Falls, a threestory tall spring fed waterfall, flows in the back corner of the property, beckoning visitors to stand quietly at its edge. The Falls served as the drinking source and important gathering place to the Tongva and Chumash Native Americans. If you look closely, you will find
grinding holes in the rocks at the base of the Falls, where the indigenous inhabitants ground acorns for their version of flat bread.
The idea for the store began in 1994 when the store’s owner, Brian Gibson, first went to Bali and saw the mindblowing variety of hand-crafted work from the local artists and craftsman. He was fascinated with the beauty and uniqueness of each item. Twelve years later, he went back to Bali with a friend and bought a variety of pieces to furnish his home and property. What he didn’t keep, he sold from his driveway, in what he called “gorilla garage sales”, which lead to multiple trips to Bali over several years. When
“Brian Gibson first went to Bali and saw the mind-blowing variety of handcrafted work from the local artists and craftsmen.”
the property at Owl Falls came available for sale, he knew that the land would be the perfect place to showcase his handpicked designs, so he purchased the property in 2010 and expanded his “hobby” business into one of the most unique shopping experiences in Los Angeles.
Brian personally selects each item for his store, displaying the pieces throughout the interior and exterior of his shop for people to experience as they
explore the property. His teak root furniture begins in Indonesia where the tree’s enormous root systems are painstakingly dug out of the ground and hauled to a wood working facility to be crafted. There, an artist views the root and envisions what piece of furniture waits to be uncovered by his hands. The hand-chiseled volcanic stone statuary varies in size, design, and intricacy and no one piece is the same. The petrified wood can be used as artwork, functional furniture,
or both. Brian also carries the exclusive jewelry line “Gutesha Collection” by Joyce Gutesha. Each piece is handmade by Joyce or sourced from craftsmen throughout the world. You’ll find necklaces, earrings, bracelets and more. The beauty of her pieces lies in their bold design, colors, and originality.
Beyond such beautiful pieces as the hand carved turtle shell, the teak railroad tie table or the petrified wood bench, is the sense
of serenity that permeates the property. The store is more than a place to shop. It is a place to relax and observe, to listen to the waterfall cascade over the ancient rock formations while you hear the birds and other wildlife calling to each other. Once you’ve seen the grounds, head inside the store where each piece of art begs to be held, examined and experienced. Jalan Jalan Imports is a place to see and feel a collection of items that will take your breath away.
525 S Topanga Canyon Blvd
Topanga, CA 90290
(310) 455-2254
JalanJalanImports.com
#JalanJalanImports
If you’ve ever had the good fortune to experience anything a classically trained chef obsesses over then you probably know how much better that experience always is. Attention to the finest details and the expectation of nothing less than perfection is the difference between food you merely like and something you dream about later. This is the kind of passion “Chef Kevin” of Lovebug Pizza puts into every culinary creation that leaves his kitchen.
Made in the creative and classic California-style, Lovebug’s delicious pizza, appetizers and killer salads are surprisingly better than anything you’re used to having delivered. Using clean, fresh, ingredients, each dish is cooked to order and conveniently zipped to your home piping hot.
Lovebug’s approach to the classics like traditional cheese, pepperoni or margherita is enough to impress even the most refined pizza aficionado, and for the more adventurous, creative combinations like the Mighty Mushroom (which brings together portobello mushrooms, alfredo sauce and white truffle oil) or the Lovebug Special (with smoked bacon, artichokes and alfredo sauce) are definitely worth a try.
Even the details of delivery go above and beyond with Lovebug. From their happily brand-wrapped VW Beetles to the pre-heated delivery bags that keep food oven- hot, there is sure to be an added level of excitement when your order arrives, whether at your home, your
PICTURED: STORE MANAGER KATRINA GARCIA AND CHEF KEVIN SMITH
kids’ school, or local fund raiser, which Lovebug wholeheartedly goes out of its way to support.
So the next time you hear yourself saying “let’s just order pizza tonight,” give Lovebug a call. After that...it’s highly likely that that phrase will become “oh, we are so having Lovebug pizza tonight!”
4902 Topanga Canyon Blvd (at Dumetz) Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 805-9313
LovebugPizza.com | @LovebugPizza Delivery | Catering | On-line
Perhaps the most desirable feature in the luxury home market is a fully equipped high-end home theater. Experiencing an authentic movie theater experience in the comfort of one’s own home is a special treat that your family and friends can enjoy for years to come.
In addition, it is a well-known axiom among real estate brokers that remodeling kitchens and bathrooms are the most sought after home improvements required to maximize value. However, to truly differentiate your house so as to fetch top dollar, nothing is more dazzling or screams out “wow factor” better than a fully decked out home theatre.
Typically the DIY homeowner, interior decorator or real estate broker will utilize one of the big box retailers. However, in many cases buyer’s remorse quickly sets
in because the purchase and installation of the multiple components is often confusing and impersonal at best, or incompetent and unsatisfactory at worst.
Enter Evolution Audio & Video - a family owned high-end home theatre boutique salon located in Agoura Hills. Replete with beautiful showrooms, outstanding brands, and personal service, it stands in stark contrast to the detached and indifferent treatment that customers so typically experience at the aforementioned retail behemoths.
Proprietors Jay and Leon Frank have faithfully served the growing community of home theatre and 2 channel stereo aficionados for over thirty years with the best premiere brands and service in the industry.
More than just a showroom with home media installers, they also provide additional services such as home automation, whole house audio, networking, custom programming, and portable audio. This makes Evolution Audio & Video a unique custom multimedia design firm.
Their technical expertise allows them to build a state of the art home theater for any size room and budget. A passion for movies and music is reflected in the attention to detail paid to every system they install. First and foremost, they place a premium on the absolute satisfaction of their customers.
“A passion for movies and music is reflected in the attention to detail paid to every system they install.”
Quality. Their unique selection of home theatre and audiophile components are the absolute finest according to the opinions of leading equipment reviewers. While some components are from large electronics manufacturers, the majority is from smaller companies who produce best of breed video and audiophile components.
Price. Contrary to popular opinion, a custom integrator such as Evolution Audio & Video can compete on price with any of the big box stores. They belong to a buying club that allows them to match the price any mass-market electronics store.
Custom Service. Their sales force has a superior knowledge base because they are also movie aficionados and audiophiles. High-end audio and video equipment is not just their job; it’s their passion. In addition, their installers have been with them for years and have vast experience in the field. Your installation will be done right the first time - guaranteed!
Debbie Sutz, a long-time Hidden Hills resident, animal advocate, dog rescuer, lawyer and real estate broker, has brought her skills and passion for fairness and advocacy to helping seniors. The result is Lotus Senior Services (LSS), a company that offers a suite of services designed to help seniors navigate complex issues around choices of where and how to live when it is time to make a change. From the time of her earliest memories, Debbie says she possessed a strong sense of
fairness and justice and she became a lawyer to support those passions. While that career path morphed into becoming a real estate broker over twenty years ago, her sense of empathy and drive to do her part to better the world has not wavered. As a broker, she saw a population that needed more care and guidance, something she incorporated into her real estate practice years ago without naming it. This past year, Debbie formalized that practice with the formation of Lotus Senior Services. The
company is in constant search of how to be of service to the senior community.
Debbie has found that some seniors stay in living situations that no longer are appropriate for them. LSS takes a holistic approach to helping seniors and their families in every capacity from arranging aging in place services, including safety retrofit and reverse mortgages for those who want to stay in their home, to assisting those who may need help relocating parents or
“We treat our clients like members of the family”
grandparents, to preparing a house for sale, including basic clean up, repairs and upgrades, consignment and estate sale services to the actual listing, marketing and sale of a home.
Over the years, Debbie saw many instances of older folks getting taken advantage of, including a near miss with her own nana, and decided to dedicate herself to helping this segment of the population. Seniors do not always know the current value of a home they purchased so many years ago and often end up selling their home for less than it’s actual worth. Some of the properties Debbie walks into have been well lived in for many years and the owners don’t know where to begin to prep it for the market. She guides them, as part of her service, to organize, repair, stage and facilitate upgrades as necessary. LSS also has certified interior designers on staff and will help with design services to ensure the home commands the best price.
LSS facilitates everything under one umbrella. Handymen are scheduled as needed, packing and moving services arranged, calls made to care providers and assistance in finding a new home. The company even acts as a liaison between owner and contractor to decide on and help manage any repairs or upgrades that are needed to maximize the value.
Lotus Senior Services helps satisfy Debbie’s determination to make the world a better place for people in her own way. Her income is generated in the real estate transaction and, if an owner chooses to stay in their home, Debbie charges no fee. Her goal is to enable an aging population make wise and empowered choices by providing all the resources they may need. Debbie has been an advocate her whole life. Providing seniors and their families greater freedom of choice is Debbie’s current mission. Lotus Senior Services is the vehicle for that mission and is designed to be of service.
Feel free to pull over and say hi next time you see Debbie walking her 4 dogs or riding horses with her 12 year old daughter, Maya, on the trails of Hidden Hills.
(310) 823-1823
LotusEstateProperties.com
BY ELYSE GLICKMAN
hen you live in Southern California, you just can’t ignore that wellness programs of every shape and size are literally all over the map. Some are results oriented, concentrating on how you’ll look if you follow their workouts and diet plans to the letter. Others are process oriented, emphasizing that what you learn is an ongoing part of your daily life. Then, there are those promising clients a profound spiritual journey that will shift perceptions about health and wellness.
Alex and Sue Glasscock endeavored to cut through this clutter when they opened The Ranch in Malibu back in 2010. The couple, married over 25 years, was determined to find a different way to help clients adopt better eating habits and more effective workouts with a program balancing the practical and the luxurious.
“The way Sue and I live everyday bridges the austere boot camp mindset and the surroundings of luxury spas,” explains Glasscock when addressing what I could expect from the program. “If you go to a retreat with the intention to detox and lose weight and fat, we can’t forget mind and body are intrinsically connected. Attention to detail is important during the relaxed periods, as well as the active ones. It’s counterintuitive to have a fantastic experience outdoors with trainers amid the natural beauty of Southern California, only to come back to a room with rough towels, dim interiors, lumpy mattresses and gray sheets.”
From Glasscock’s mouth to God’s ears…or more accurately, my scale and those size 28 jeans I wanted to get back into. However, the couple’s vision is
Wone that has paid off in the forms of the original seven-day program, as well as its extension, The Ranch 4.0 at Four Seasons Westlake Village and The Ranch 10.0, a package combining programs and locations. The Glasscocks are now expanding the Ranch’s stable with the planned opening of The Ranch Sonoma in 2018. The retreat also has an impressive retention rate, with 40% of clients returning annually.
I was initially startled by the extent of prep work required for a four-day stay. On the other hand, getting the lengthy homework assignment was reassuring, as the abbreviated program is designed to ensure the most value for the investment. Soon after submitting The Ranch’s health/fitness questionnaire (standard practice for most legit programs), I received an impressive arrival packet detailing a 30-day program of eating, sleeping, stretching and fitness routines that would prep me for four physically intense days. There were also directions to wean myself off alcohol, caffeine and comfort foods—a tall order for somebody who has partially made her living as a food and beverage writer.
Rather than a main course of promised miracles with a side of pampering, my custom plan at The Ranch demanded sacrifice and a touch of exertion to attain results that would last beyond the weekend’s final weigh-in. And no excuses. Glasscock explained I would learn how to wrap my beleaguered ankles to ensure I could complete my hike, and have ice baths to calm them down post-hike. I was also advised by my trainer to warn friends, family and colleagues that I would be off the grid with no phone or internet access. It was a full-on cleanse for my head as well as my body.
There would be rich rewards sprinkled in between hikes, beginning with panoramic views and fresh air. Though I was placed on a 1400-calorie, 100% organic, plant based diet, deprivation would be the last thing from my mind knowing meals were devised by executive chefs Nina Cutis and Meredith Haaz, both at the top of their culinary game when recruited for The Ranch. During the afternoon break, I could choose to luxuriate at the beautifully appointed pool area or crash in my spotless sunlit room. Finally, there was the ultimate daily release—the hour-long massage.
The base camp for this physical and spiritual enlightenment is located at the start of Bony Ridge in the Santa Monica Mountains, where intense workouts are juxtaposed with breathtaking waterfalls and coastal vistas. It is also a conversationstarter as the land is a celebrated part of Hollywood history, rather than a concept built from the ground up. The property was the former home of silent film star William Boyd, who commissioned the construction of the original homestead during the 1930s. Boyd sold the property to Duncan Renaldo (of The Cisco Kid 1950s television series), who later sold it
to a family that converted it to the Lazy J Ranch summer camp, which thrived for 40 seasons.
“The setting surprises guests who have not explored the Santa Monica Mountains in depth,” informs Glasscock, who insisted the weather would be perfect for four-hour hikes, outdoor yoga and waterfront lunches even in the height of summer. “The way the light shines down on the property is so dramatic, as is the way the fog comes up Sycamore Canyon and Yerba Buena Canyon. When the fog line is below us during a hike, it’s almost like being up in heaven.”
MIND OVER MATTER
“Locals don’t realize they have a great fitness amenity so close to home—the Santa Monica Mountains and its trail system,” he said. “We drew inspiration from various properties and
programs we experienced, and researched what made for the best trainers, massage professionals and instructors. We also realized the best thing for the client was to have everything in the program pre-set and choreographed. It releases a lot of anxiety, particularly among guests who have never experienced a program like this and helps us gain the trust of the guests so they can mentally let go and reflect on their lives, what they are grateful for, and be present for everything they do during their stay.”
On the first day, the guest arrives between noon to 1 p.m. at a
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site disclosed when their week is booked, or at the Four Seasons in Westlake Village for the four-day experience. Upon arrival, guests put hiking clothes on, get weighed and measured, get a short orientation, and hit the trails. Following a break, a stretch session, and a yoga class, there’s dinner, where conversation veers towards useful information on nutrition and fitness safety protocols (such as avoiding throwing out one’s back from sudden movements or adjusting shoes to minimize blisters), as the sun sets over the Pacific.
Even with a nurturing vibe and comfy, neutral-colored suites, the staff means business. Wake-up time
is 5:30 a.m., followed by a 6:00 a.m. stretch class, breakfast and a four hour hike in the Santa Monica. However, before one can say “boot camp,” guests are reminded they are working on their personal best rather than competing with the other guests.
“We have guests of all ages (18+), sizes, shapes and physical abilities, so we choreograph our hikes for time, not distance,” details Glasscock.
“An athletic guest may go for about 13 miles, running some of it, while another guest may do about six miles. However, what’s important is that everybody works to their max.
The afternoon classes are focused on straightening the core and upper
“Every guest goes home with a Ranch cookbook to replicate the dishes, as well as a personal fitness plan.”
body to give one a greater connection with his or her body, how to attain a more streamlined appearance, and how various muscles work together to support the skeleton.”
Resort-y activities break up the routine throughout the stay. These include visits to the garden with the property’s master gardener, Friday afternoon cooking demonstrations, and the all-important massage. However, serious conversations with the nutrition expert and coaches ensure a new mindset towards one’s health ends up being the ultimate permanent souvenir.
“One of the biggest client concerns is re-entry into regular daily life after detoxing, losing weight and looking visibly better,” Glasscock assured. “We spend the weekend prepping the guests by discussing food and portion choices, and recommending our favorite food shopping destinations within the cooking demonstrations. Every guest goes home with a Ranch cookbook to replicate the dishes, as well as a personal fitness plan. You will also hear from one of us quarterly to help you stay on track.”
Other wellness resorts tap into a fantasy of Zen-inducing fitness routines, heavenly hikes, and lightbut-exotic food. However, there’s something to be said for a program that’s local, with an open-air gym you can return to whenever you wish, and dishes you can replicate using ingredients available in your neighborhood. The experience gave me hope that this particular “vacation” can be a permanent one on many levels, even if it is no mere walk in the park.
Synergy Academics is a comprehensive learning center serving students at every educational level. Our objective is to build confidence in our students by developing their natural strengths, and turning challenge into triumph.
Our revolutionary approach to educating students is only part of what makes Synergy Academics unique. We distinguish ourselves by allowing students to select from any number of our exceptional tutors to find the perfect combination of personality, knowledge, availability, price, and even location. Yes, you read that correctly: you choose the location!
Like The Ranch’s cuisine, its second location came about organically in 2013. When the Glasscocks began a restoration of the old buildings, The Four Seasons Westlake Village (which had the successful California Health & Longevity Institute in place) graciously offered to be The Ranch’s temporary home. However, prospective guests told the Glasscocks their work and family schedules did not allow for a week away. In response, the “4.0” program was born, and with it, began the implementation of the Four Seasons as a fullfledged second outpost.
Sue, whose design sensibilities grace the original Malibu property, put her touch on the Four Seasons “ranch space” where pre and post fitness activities are staged. Clean and earthy colors, soft textures, beautiful views, lots of natural light, and a bank of rooms facing the Santa Monica Mountains ensure continuity between the two locations.
For more information or to make reservations, visit theranchmalibu.com
OUR ANIMAL EDITOR
AT LARGE, SPANKY THE DONKEY, LOVES GIVING SHOUT-OUTS TO HIS FURRY AND FEATHERED HIDDEN HILLS NEIGHBORS. SO
PLEASE SEND YOUR PICS ON OVER TO: LONNA@ LONGVALLEYMEDIA.COM
Nick Wallace, 13 years old has been a lover of animals since he was born, his first dog slept in his crib with him. Nick has been doing pet rescue since he was little, either trying to find homes for animals, volunteering at a pet rescue or doing things to help pets in need.
He inherited his three light brakel chickens, Big Momma, Haley and Lucy when they came with a house that we bought.
He recently rescued Priscilla the goat (half pygmy and half nubian) and Smokey the mini horse.
He has two rescue dogs as well. (not shown) `
PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIE JACOBSON/ LOVE BUCKET PHOTO
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Dana Olmes dana.olmes@compass.com Jeff Biebuyck jeffb@compass.com 24822 Long Valley Road Dana Olmes dana.olmes@compass.com 747.888.0508 Jeff Biebuyck jeffb@compass.com 747.888.0508 24558 John Colter Road Dana Olmes dana.olmes@compass.com 747.888.0508 Jeff Biebuyck jeffb@compass.com 747.888.0508 25208 Eldorado Meadow Road Dana Olmes dana.olmes@compass.com Jeff Biebuyck jeffb@compass.com 5887 Annie Oakley RoadWe proudly welcome 9 of the area’s top real estate agents to the Compass family, pioneering our latest Southern California expansion.
Lauren Rauschenberg
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Dana Olmes & Jeff Biebuyck