September INSIDER 2024 (1)

Bell Canyon Insider

SEPTEMBER 2024

bell canyon BELL CANYON BOARD OF DIRECTORS

ERIC DERSOM KEVIN KEEGAN MIKE KLEIN YOSSI KVIATKOVSKY BILL NAPIER MELISSA RAFF STEVE RASNICK LISA RICCOMINI BARRY SCHEHR BCCC

NORTON ALDERSON STEVE BELLAMY ADAM JOHANSSON KEVIN KEEGAN SEAN WAGMEISTER CSD

JUDY LANTZ RICHARD LEVY PETER MACHUGA MICHAEL ROBKIN ERIC WOLF

BC EQUESTRIAN CENTER

ARCHITECTURAL COMMITTEE

ASHLEY FORCHELLI JENN HURST ANDRES MARTINEZ LISA RICCOMINI MOLLY URNECLI

ERIC DERSOM RICHARD IBRAHIM SCOTT SAND CONSULTANT

CHIEDU CHIJIANDU ENGINEER

FELIX LEVITAS

GENERAL MANAGER CAROL HENDERSON ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGER AC COORDINATOR CINDY ESCOBAR ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT JENNI MANDELBLATT FRONT OFFICE RECEPTIONIST CHERIE CALABRO ACCESS CONTROL SUPERVISOR ERMAN QUITALIG

ACCESS CONTROL OFFICERS EDGAR BALBERAN MARLIN BURT TYRISHA EDWARDS ERNESTO GARCIA RUTH GARCIA ANTHONY PORTILLO TIFFANY RANGEL ROCHA ALEC SKILLMAN ADOR VENTURANZA ALEC WORTHEN FACILITIES MANAGER COMPLIANCE MANAGER TRAVIS SIMPSON FACILITIES STAFF LUIS GAMBOA RICARDO GARCIA GONZALEZ

Inside 6

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

22

A welcome note from your Editors!

8

IN PURSUIT OF BALANCE

Get ready for our newest sport!

24

MOVIE NIGHT UNDER THE STARS!

30

HORSES OF BELL CANYON

32

CHERIE CALABRO: STAFF HIGHLIGHT

34

PUPS OF BC Get to know your neighbor’s pups!

20

ERIC DERSOM Introducing our newest board member!

CALENDAR July Calendar of BCA meetings and more!

Get to know our lovely staff member!

18

FINANCIAL OVERVIEW June financial summary from your Treasurer!

Meet your Neigh-bors at the BCEC!

16

BCCC ROOF We’re getting bids for our roof!

Join us for this fun community event!

14

LVUSD ELECTIONS Get to know the candidates!

Finding harmony in Bell Canyon

12

PICKLEBALL

36

LOCAL RESOURCES Convenient listings of local hotels and restaurants

Letter from

THE EDITORS The Insider was born with the intention of not just sharing information, but also to bring people together.

Sharing information, even in a well intended manner, ultimately can be seen as political. It has come to our attention that there has been content that may have been hurtful to some residents. For this, we apologize. This community magazine was not born of that intention.

While the Insider is a committee under the HOA, with the objective of communicating its vision, it also has the editorial objective to provide content that uplifts, and aims to lessen community tensions.

That is the goal of this magazine.

Regardless of your political stance, we humbly ask you to consider our well intended message and join us in our pursuit of a more united community.

Presidents’ Letter We hope this letter finds you all in good health, in high spirits, and ready for Fall!

As stated in earlier issues, Insider’s mission is to share information with the community and, importantly, bring people together based on the many things we have in common.

A wise person once said, "The right and left wings are both on the same bird." For some, in our last edition of Insider, our appreciation for the dedicated community volunteers who helped fight the Saddlebow fires was overshadowed by our reference to the potential community liability the BCVWFD represents. Both things are true at the same time. We are both members and have community responsibilities and again thank all the volunteers!

The recent November recall and March election theme centered around fiscal responsibility and community.

Objectively, there was strong member turnout and enough consensus that the community was ready for a different direction. The campaign promised to help members unravel the financial disaster we faced and turn a new page - in many ways, we have. The mission is incomplete, but the cause will not die; the road will continue to be complicated, financially treacherous, and challenging to navigate.

That said, we see it as a privilege to be allowed to serve and believe the first phase, with a few bumps, has been productive; our community has made meaningful progress, our finances are being responsibly managed and needed structures and protocols are being established, actual and pending lawsuits are being resolved, and we are headed toward brighter days.

Last month, we agreed to update our parking and transponder use rules. We received constructive comments from members that directed us to ensure that any changes are fair and balanced and serve the community.

While regulations must be specific and understandable, we tried to apply this sentiment: "We don't want the jungle, and we don't want the zoo," but rather common sense rules that apply to all members equally. Other areas we have been asked to address include attention to community maintenance and abandoned properties. More to come on these.

As the summer ends, we announced a few events we hope you can attend — a Movie Night for the kids on Saturday, September 21st, and budget permitting, a Halloween party at the end of October. These have always been popular events — you can carry the tradition forward by participating. While Bell Canyon is strapped for funds, and CSD is not authorized to fund these events, we intend to reach out to sponsors to help us offset the expense to the community.

While staying fiscally responsible, you may have noticed, and we hope you enjoy the new lighting on the trees in the center median on Bell Canyon Road. Many members have commented that the treatment is welcoming and adds a flair that the community deserves.

We hope you agree.

Also, new flowers were planted and will bloom in the Spring. Further, the bidding process for reroofing the community center is nearing an end so that repairs can begin. Also, pickleball courts have been completed and are ready for your families to enjoy.

Finally, your feedback and critiques are essential as we strive to serve your needs.

We want to hear from you and invite you to email your thoughts on how we are doing, and what changes you want to see. We look forward to hearing from you and working together to make our community a better place.

Mike Klein + Kevin Keegan

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Your feedback and critiques are important to us as we strive to serve the needs of our community to the best of our abilities.

Seriously, whatever it is that get’s you going, we want to hear it.

Neighbor to neighbor. We’re here to listen.

We invite you to email the editors with your thoughts on how the board is doing and what changes you would like to see.

Give us an opportunity to help bridge the gaps.

Prefer in person? Let’s grab a coffee. We mean it!

Feel your opinions have fallen on deaf ears? Try us!

Your input will help us to better understand the needs and desires of our community and make improvements where necessary.

We value your constructive input.

Please email us at insider@bellcanyon.com with your feedback, critiques, and suggestions or to set up a meet up.

We look forward to hearing from you and working together to make our community better for everyone, no matter your politics.

Sincerely, The Editorial Team

BELL CANYON

Movie Night SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21ST BELL CREEK PARK

DON’T MISS A SPECIAL SIT-DOWN INTERVIEW WITH SARAH BERMAN, ONE OF BELL CANYON’S LONGTIME RESIDENTS. IN A CANDID CONVERSATION WITH JAKE ALDERSON, A BRIGHT YOUNG MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY, SARAH SHARES HER REFLECTIONS ON LIFE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ITS TRANSFORMATION OVER THE YEARS.

Sarah Berman STAY TUNED FOR THIS INSIGHTFUL VIDEO FEATURE!

HORSE LOVE. Send us an email with photos of your beautiful horses to: insider@bellcanyon.com

“It’s is my happy place, I go there to find peace, and tranquility. Sully loves it! It is truly my one special getaway for relaxation.

The trainers at Cerulean Farms, Jessica Rabbiner and Lisa Winn are wonderful.

The grooms are amazing and take such good care of the horses. I’m incredibly grateful that many of my friends also ride at Cerulean… It makes it so much fun.

It’s a caring family atmosphere that is warm and welcoming and the barn view is absolutely stunning!”

-Jodie Resnick-Bonn

Cherie’s bright and cheery disposition is a welcome addition to our Administrative Staff.

Cherie retired from UPS after putting 27 years of service. Cherie grew up in Central Valley in a town called Lindsey, CA. She has been married to her husband Christy for 2 years.

She has a 32-year-old daughter that is a Geologist from her late husband and lives in Exeter, CA. Fun Facts about Cherie: Cherie’s favorite food is a toss-up between Mexican and Italian.

Cherie and her husband love to cuddle and spoil their 6 dogs and 2 cats. Cherie loves to travel. She has been to most of the of the United States, but she prefers a sunny beach sitting under an umbrella sipping a cold margarita.

Cherie got married at the Newhall Mansion in Piru, CA which she says was something out of a fairy tale.

Cherie loves listening to live music.

Especially listening to her husband’s cover band.

Send to insider@bellcanyon.com a picture of your pup for a chance to be featured!

INSIDER@BELLCANYON.COM

Hi! We’re Lucky, Lucky Two, and Rocky!

We love taking long walks and helping our mom Micki with building houses!

Eric Dersom You may have met him hiking around the canyon or as a member of the Architectural Committee, but Eric Dersom is a longtime resident and has lived in Bell Canyon since 1989.

He has spent a lot of time volunteering in other capacities including as an advocate for court dependent children and as a jail Chaplin.

With his background in finance and construction engineering, he felt he had a lot to offer the Architectural Committee and has served for about a year on that committee.

He volunteered and was voted in to fill the recently vacated Board member position. He wants what is best for the canyon and feels, with full transparency, he can help develop a path forward, pounding out issues one at a time.

We welcome him and look forward to improvements in the canyon.

Bell Canyon

CSD

GET READY FOR

PICKLEBALL A new sport hits the Bell Canyon Tennis Courts.

Pickleball continues to grow in popularity, and our HOA has responded by updating one of our two tennis courts as a new low-cost amenity to the community. Court #2 has been converted into a combination court, featuring lines for both Tennis and Pickleball.

Court #1 remains dedicated to tennis, while Court #2 can be used for either sport. The reaction of the community to this update is uncertain, as adjustments can be challenging for some, especially in a community as large as Bell Canyon.

New Pickleball lines (for two courts) have been added to Court #2 (the court furthest from Hackamore Lane), with light blue lines complementing the existing white tennis lines. Currently, our HOA's online court booking system does not full accommodate the new combination court setup.

A proposal for updated booking software, including a phone app, will be discussed at the next HOA board meeting. If approved, implementation is expected within 2-3 weeks. In the meantime, please continue to use the existing booking system on the Bell Canyon website.

Book Court #1 for Tennis, or Court #2 for either Tennis or Pickleball. Note that the new Pickleball lines are only on Court #2.

The new mobile Pickleball nets are equipped with wheels and should be returned to the Eastside edge of the court after use if no Pickleball players are waiting.

Additionally, one of the Tennis nets was damaged last week; some teenagers reportedly used it improperly.

Our facilities manager has temporarily repaired the net and has ordered replacement parts. For any feedback on improvements or comments, please contact Travis at facilities@bellcanyon.com.

school board elections MEET THE CANDIDATES

Lesli Kraut representing Lupin Elementary and later Agoura High School. During that time she interacted not only with other parents and faculty, but members of the various City Councils, government representatives, and mayor’s offices. She is well respected by all.

Aside from her involvement with the PFCs, she is the Chief Financial Officer of her family engineering business and has extensive experience in finance. Now that she is working less and her kids are no longer school aged, she decided it was time to run for the board.

She said she always wanted to do this, but it was quite time consuming in that not only does the Board meet twice a month but there is also committee work and event appearances. She feels she can bring her financial knowledge to the Board and help with financial issues.

Lesli’s goals, if elected as a Board member: As you know, we, as Bell Canyon residents, are very fortunate to be included in the Las Virgenes Unified School District. The highly desirable school district includes residents of Bell Canyon, Calabasas, Agoura, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village. In November, we have an opportunity to vote on new school board members.

There are three very qualified candidates running for two positions. Each of them has volunteered and worked for many years in one capacity or another in the LVUSD. They are all endorsed by city mayors and officials, previous Board members and many individuals they’ve worked with or know in the district. The candidates are Lesli Kraut, Alan Lazar and Linda Menges.

The first candidate running for the school board is Lesli Kraut of Calabasas. Lesli has been a volunteer for 15 years as a member of the Parent Faculty Club (PFC)

1. To improve communications between all parties. She feels that communications have been lacking not only between parents and faculty, but also between the cities. The Board needs the support of the cities and vice versa.

She’d like to see the cities and the school district on the same page and that all parties know what’s going on.

2. To develop a policy within the district to deal with smart phones and social media. She believes, for the most part, that cell phones don’t belong in the schools, but there should be exception.

3. To resolve the absenteeism issue and be supportive of efforts to return students back to schools. After the pandemic, apparently many children did not return to the schools.

Lesli was asked, how can Bell Canyon residents benefit from supporting her? She said she wants to be the voice for parents. She promises to be our communication link between the various entities. She wants the parents to be comfortable contacting her with their concerns.

L O O H C S O T K BAC

1

Alan Lazar As an award-winning TV and film composer, Alan would like to support music and arts programs especially at the elementary level where it is not as well developed as it is in the middle and high schools.

He feels music has a strong connection with academic success and believes active participation in music and art programs is good for the emotional health of our children.

The goals Alan would like to accomplish if he is elected are: 1. To grow and maintain education excellence in the district by promoting STEM and financial literacy programs

Alan Lazar is another candidate running for the vacant school board position. Alan and his family moved to Calabasas eight years ago because of the excellent Las Virgenes school district.

He is the only candidate that currently has children attending LVUSD schools (Bay Laurel Elementary and AE Wright Middle School).

Another very active volunteer, Alan has been involved in the school district for seven years as a volunteer member of the Bay Laurel School Site Council (SSC).

This is a more formal body mandated by state law that includes teachers, parents and the principal of the school. As a result, he knows many of the people involved with the school district.

2. To continue to focus on safety such that existing programs are maintained, drills are practiced and the schools have a good working relationship with the sheriff’s office.

3. To ensure there is fiscal responsibility and care taken in the decision making process as our district budget has challenges. He is interested in looking for ways to save money and redirect funds to reduce the student teacher ratio.

How can Bell Canyon residents benefit from supporting Alan’s candidacy?

He said because he currently has children in the schools, he has “skin in the game.” He wants to make sure that we continue to have the best schools. He also promises that our tax dollars will be looked after and used efficiently and effectively.

Linda Menges At the high school level, use of phones should be at the teachers’ discretion. She did say there are a number of educational uses for cell phones and those she supports.

Some of her primary objectives if she is re-elected are: 1. To continue to improve test scores.

While test scores have gone up in math, science, and english at both high schools, there is still room for continued improvement at all grade levels.

2. To promote and grow the Broadway Academy which is one of the newer programs at the high schools. The Broadway Academies teach classes in tv and movie arts such as makeup, costume design, and broadcasting.

The third and final candidate running for the LVUSD Board member is Linda Menges.

Linda is actually running for re-election. She has been a Board member since 2015 and lives in Westlake Village.

She is well-connected to the community and has a thorough understanding of the district, it’s varying issues, and the parties involved. All of her 6 children attended and graduated from LVUSD schools.

One of her goals is to ensure there is a safe environment. In particular, she’d like the Board to focus on counseling for students.

By encouraging counselors to go into the classrooms and talk with the children about their feelings, they can teach them tools to deal with their emotions.

Her position on cell phones is that there should be no phones for kindergarten through the 8th grade.

3. To further develop the Pathways program for spanish-speaking children. Sumac Elementary, Lindero Middle School, and Agoura High School each play a part in this program.

Sumac Elementary has a 50/50 language immersion program, then students progress to Lindero Middle School, culminating at Agoura with an International Baccalaureate program.

When asked how can Bell Canyon residents benefit from supporting her, Linda said that she is a good listener and is open to all ideas.

She believes she has the experience to represent the community and is good at collaborating with others.

A Candidates Forum will be held on September 19th at AC Stelle Middle School at 5:30PM in the All-Purpose Room.

All are encouraged to attend.

ROOF REVAMP! A bright future for the Community Center starts with a brand new roof and we’re getting bids!

How do we get bids?

We used a third-party service called ONETEAM to ensure multiple independent bids.

At no cost to us, ONETEAM notified more than 30 local roofing companies of our project and provides a dashboard for interested builders to secure the plans and specifications and submit their bids.

The dashboard will also help us manage the bids.

Detailed bid documents are crucial!

The completeness and accuracy of these documents are critical in ensuring bids are responsive and competitive.

They demonstrate the bidder's capability, reliability, and commitment to the project. We were fortunate to have a community professional help us create the bid documents.

Summary of Bell Canyon’s June 2024 Operating Results and Financial Position

In the month of June, the Canyon recorded approximately $460 thousand dollars of revenue, including $269 thousand from “regular” monthly assessments.

Additionally, we accrued $174 thousand in revenue from the “Special Assessment” that was due in June. As June is the Canyon’s fiscal year end, additional effort was expended by the office staff to record expenses in the proper fiscal year, which resulted in a loss of approximately $65,000 for the month.

At June 30, the Canyon’s cash balance, which includes refundable construction deposits, approximated $1.5 million reflecting an increase of about $200 thousand from the month of May. This increase was in part due to $108 thousand received in partial payment of the Special Assessment. $220 Special Assessment due in June 2024 The Special Assessment of $220 per lot was due in June 2024 and the BOD would like to thank the majority of the members who have already paid their assessment. However, as of late August, there are still a number of members who have not yet paid their assessment.

In order to encourage payment, the BOD approved a motion at its August meeting to charge a one-time late fee of 10% and 12% interest on unpaid Special Assessments beginning September 15. .

The Office will soon be sending out another reminder to those members who still owe the Special Assessment encouraging them to make their payment prior to September 15 in order to avoid late fee and interest charges.

If you have any questions regarding the payment of your Special Assessment, we encourage you to call or stop by the office to discuss this further.

SEPT 2 LABOR DAY SEPT 10 BCAC 6PM SEPT 16 CSD BOD BUDGET MEETING 7PM SEPT 17 VENTURA COUNTY WATERWORKS CAC 7PM SEPT 18 BCA BOD 6PM SEPT 21 MOVIE NIGHT BELL CREEK PARK 6:30PM SEPT 23 CSD BOD 7PM SEPT 24 BCAC 6PM

calendar

LET’S MAKE SOMETHING SWEET.

Local Resources

The following pages are local listings for your convenience and do not represent in anyway an endorsement or affiliation with the Bell Canyon Home Owner’s Association.

Want to help us expand our resources guide?

Volunteer!

where to stay.

AGOURA HILLS

THOUSAND OAKS

COURTYARD & TOWNPLACE SUITES 29505 AGOURA RD. AGOURA HILLS

BEST WESTERN PLUS 75. W. THOUSAND OAKS BLVD. THOUSAND OAKS 805.497.3701

HAMPTON INN 30255 AGOURA RD. AGOURA HILLS 818.597.0333

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT

HOMEWOOD SUITES

BY HILTON 28901 CANWOOD ST. AGOURA HILLS 818.865.1000 SHERATON 30100 AGOURA RD. AGOURA HILLS 818.707.1220

1710 NEWBURY RD. THOUSAND OAKS 805.499.3900 TOWNEPLACE SUITES 1712 NEWBURY RD. THOUSAND OAKS 805.499.3111 WOODLAND HILLS

CALABASAS

BEST WESTERN 21830 VENTURA BLVD. WOODLAND HILLS 800.568.8520

THE ANZA 23627 CALABASAS RD. CALABASAS 818.707.1220

COURTYARD BY MARRIOTT 21101 VENTURA BLVD. WOODLAND HILLS 844.631.0595

CAMBRIA HOTEL 26400 RONDELL ST. CALABASAS 747.293.6777 GOOD NITE INN 26557 AGOURA RD. CALABASAS 818.880.6000 HILTON GARDEN INN 24150 PARK SORRENTO CALABASAS 818.591.2300

HILTON WOODLAND HILLS 6360 CANOGA AVE. WOODLAND HILLS 855.605.0316 WARNER CENTER MARRIOTT 21850 OXNARD ST. WOODLAND HILLS 844.631.0595

where to eat.

AGOURA HILLS BASTA 28863 AGOURA RD AGOURA HILLS 818.865.2019

KING’S FISH HOUSE 4798 COMMONS WAY CALABASAS 818.225.1979

LAL MIRCH 5146 KANAN RD. AGOURA HILLS 818.532.7532

PORTA VIA 4799 COMMONS WAY CALABASAS 818.746.2400

NOI DUE TRATTORIA 29020 AGOURA RD. AGOURA HILLS 818.852.7090 SUNROSE CALIFORNIA EATERY 5046 CORNELL RD. AGOURA HILLS 818.330.4224

ROSE’S GARDEN BAR 26787 AGOURA RD. CALABASAS 424.955.3312 SHIBUYA 4774 PARK GRANADA STE 8B CALABASAS 818.225.1560

CALABASAS

WOODLAND HILLS

THE MULHOLLAND 23538 CALABASAS RD. CALABASAS 818.573.5667

BLAI 5780 CANOGA AVE. STE B WOODLAND HILLS 747.242.1112

CAFECITO 4774 PARK GRANADA CALABASAS 818.225.2233

CASALENA 22160 VENTURA BLVD WOODLAND HILLS 818.704.1185

CROSSROADS KITCHEN 4776 COMMONS WAY CALABASAS 747.230.4210

DEUX BISTRO 20969 VENTURA BLVD. WOODLAND HILLS 747.230.4034

H.O.M ITALIAN EATERY 21136 VENTURA BLVD. WOODLAND HILLS 747.900.8782 JOEY WOODLAND HILLS 6344 TOPANGA CANYON BLVD. WOODLAND HILLS 818.340.5639 LEO & LILY 22420 VENTURA BLVD WOODLAND HILLS 818.222.6622 LUM KA NAAD 22919 VENTURA BLVD WOODLAND HILLS 818.914.4489 MAS MANANITAS 19725 VENTURA BLVD WOODLAND HILLS 747.746.8166 NORTH ITALIA 6600 TOPANGA CANYON CANOGA PARK 818.710.7246

CONTRIBUTORS FOR THIS ISSUE JAKE ALDERSON NORTON ALDERSON CHERIE CALABRO LINDA ENGLAND CINDY ESCOBAR

ELANA HENDLER ADRIENNE JANIC ADAM JOHANSSON KEVIN KEEGAN JENNI MANDELBLATT BARRY SCHEHR

INSIDER@BELLCANYON.COM

SUPPORT STAFF CAROL HENDERSON JENNI MANDELBLATT ERMAN QUITALIG

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