The Canyon Chronicle - July 10, 2020 (Volume 1, No. 2) - www.thecanyonchronicle.com

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July 10, 2020

Vol. 1 No. 2

Flavia Potenza

The Simple Life. If Only...

Well, we launched the first issue of The Canyon Chronicle, warts and all, i.e., low-resolution photos, hard-to-read font for articles, and a publisher’s nightmare of unintentionally slighting those whom we sincerely wish to support. That happened with the Neighborhood Network article, which we rectified on page 4, where you can meet the dedicated volunteers (who asked not to be named).

Contact them (nn@tecp.org) and create your own neighborhood network with their guidance. Please make the effort. We live in fire country.

Trash has our attention again. The Trash Warriors amuse and inspire us with accounts of their Sunday morning cleanups and Beth Goode’s observations about the canyon. (see page 4). We’re happy to publish them.

On the downside, Waste Management is increasing fees, which brings to mind sustainability.

STAFF BOX Publisher & Editor Flavia Potenza

I admit, I am a child, if not a devotee of convenience and consumption. I do have my own composter. It’s a thrill to open the little door and scoop out rich soil that was once kitchen scraps. It’s one small, almost imperceptible step in the big picture, but it is convenient.

Associate Editor Kait Leonard

The pandemic slowdown has been a revelation. What have you done in the last four months to allay your fears, stay well, and make the most of staying home?

Media Manager Eleanor Zeri

I’ve benefited from meals delivered by Rocco’s Cucina (see page 5). I also got to know my neighbors. Masked and at a distance, we talked to each other, discovered things about each other. No one was going anywhere. A neighbor offered to go shopping for me in the early stages of the quarantine. Another neighbor performed a piano concert that wafted out to the street. Eight of us, suitably spaced, mostly masked, sat on the street-side patio for about 30 minutes. The performance was superb.

Creative Director Eiffel Nazaryan Contributors: Linda Ballou Joel Bellman Annemarie Donkin Kathie Gibboney Paula LaBrot JP Spence Amy Weisberg Layout & Design Eiffel Media Copy Editor: Ellie Carroll Social Media Coordinator: Miranda Anapol

The Canyon Chronicle™ is an independent community newspaper published bi-weekly

by Canyon Media, Inc.© 2020 All rights reserved.

www.TheCanyonChronicle.com

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Every time I throw a plastic bag in the trash, I know it’s going to the landfill.

I know better. I’ve been to the recycling plant, written about them, provided resources through newspaper articles, assigned reporters to drive-alongs in the trash trucks. I know there are places to send plastic bags for recycling, but it’s so inconvenient and recycling them for doggy poop bags is so convenient.

The world is awash in plastic film, plastic everything. It’s impossible to avoid.

Sustainable lifestyles will definitely be in the ongoing lineup for the Canyon Chronicle, discovering solutions we may not have thought of.

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

Ellie Carroll, a trustee of the Topanga Christian Fellowship church, also invited me to ring the bell, something they do every day during the pandemic to keep the light alive. She also invited Barbara Allen and columnist Kathie Gibboney to ring the bell. It was such an inspiring experience, they went back a second time. The church is open for Sunday services and Bible study now.

Twice a day, my dog, Tippy and I also walk the cat, Tom, whenever he was ready to follow us down to Bonnell Park, conversing in meowese along the way. The activity has amused neighbors and visitors alike. Kids come out hoping to see Tom and cars slow down to marvel. Tom is also extraordinarily handsome.

Oh, yes. Then there’s this newspaper that just launched…just trying to keep busy in a slowdown.

I heard there is a rumor circulating that I have dementia. I don’t understand why anyone would do that. Yes, I’m 81, and I have slowed down without the help of a pandemic. But here’s the other global disease: the world is alive with discriminatory fear of the “other.” Ageism, like other “isms,” creates, at the least, a hostile environment. We don’t need that now or ever. If you want to know anything about me and my life, show your face, look me in the eye, and ask. I don’t have dementia.

A friend told me, “Age is a fact. Ageing is an attitude.” 81 is not dead and this old dog is still learning new tricks.

Thank you all who have so generously contributed to the launch of the Canyon Chronicle. Thanks, too, to the advertisers who will ensure its success. For now, until we’re solidly on our feet, we’ll continue the Go Fund Me campaign and continue to be grateful to this extraordinary community.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

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COMMUNITY NEWS Meet The Neighborhood Network Team

Less Traffic, More Trash

The Trash Warriors have picked up more trash than usual on the Boulevard that has less traffic than before the COVID-19 quarantine. In this pre-pandemic photo, they are: Paul Grzymkowski, Beth Goode, Jennie Hinton, Joseph Rosendo, Roger Pugliese, Joe Sloan, Monica Temperly, Lauren Goldman, Mohamed Alsi. Photo by Joanna Gunst Grzmkowski.

By Beth Goode

By Beth Goode

When the bad thing happens, you want your Neighborhood Network.

TCEP’s dynamic Neighborhood Network (NN) Team, consisting of TCEP Board members Linnea and Adam, Crysty on IT, thée and Shira in Communications, Catherine McClenahan, Andrea and David on Coordinator Recruitment, and atlarge members Mariko and TCEP Board member James, is just getting started and working on lots of ideas to help reinvigorate existing networks and organize new ones to prepare for the inevitable emergencies residents face in our beautiful canyon community.

What Is A Neighborhood Network?

A Neighborhood Network is a group of residents in a geographically close area who have agreed to share contact information, special skills, and equipment so everyone can stay informed and help support each other in the event of a disaster, such as a wildfire, earthquake, or flood.

The NN Team is actively working to recruit coordinators, partly by “bootstrapping” coverage from existing networks to areas immediately nearby. Catherine McClenahan, a team member and coordinator for her long-running and robust Mesa NN, is also spearheading an effort to work with Topanga realtors to provide a “Welcome Pack” to all new residents inviting them to join their local NN. Because every neighborhood in the Canyon is unique with individual privacy concerns, residents customize their NN structure to work for them. For instance, members of the team are reaching out to “non-traditional neighborhoods,” i.e., people with social connections rather than geographical proximity, such as the Sages, or “temporal neighborhoods,” such as local schools.

Because people aren’t static and locations change over the course of a day, the goal is to provide overlapping coverage and increased security for all.

Want to join a neighborhood network? We’ll let you know if there’s an active NN in your neighborhood.

Don’t have a neighborhood network? We’ll help you start one.

For more information, contact the Neighborhood Network Team at nn@tcep.org.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

Two Sunday mornings and forty bags later, Topanga’s Trash Warriors are tired and smiling, and the Boulevard looks beautiful again. The early mornings on Sundays are breathtaking not only in their visual brilliance, but the birdsong is a boisterous, raucous, festival of melodies celebrating the new day. We are grateful to be able to witness it all.

As usual on Sundays, by 7 a.m., we were all reunited at the Topanga Post Office to divide and conquer the trash on our main street, Topanga Canyon Boulevard. It is lovely to watch the seasons progress as we traverse the canyon roadway every Sunday morning picking up the remnants of social gatherings. These days, the flowers continue to bloom, different ones opening at different times, and the grasses are drying in the sun but still green in the shade of the trees.

We have been few in numbers (5 and 7) but mighty in strength. There was a lot of mail on the roadside that had been plucked from the mailboxes and strewn about once it was picked through. Joe [Rosendo] gathered one batch and delivered it to a home off Old Canyon. The addressee was quite pleased. We returned what we found to the Post Office.

Right off the bat, I saw a bright pink plastic toy in my designated section of the highway, and as I walked up to it and reached with my grabber, I noticed the snake.

From that moment on, I was vigilant in staying aware of my surroundings, especially at my feet! We are in a huge natural swath of Los Angeles County and, sometimes, I forget about all of the critters with which we share it.

Masks and gloves make up the fastest growing garbage gunk, and we can’t find a grabber long enough to keep us far enough away from them as we collect and bag them. Hard alcohol in glass containers are the most prolific of our plunder from the roadsides. We know things are tough right now. Hang in there. The usual plastic refuse from fast food, junk food, and to-go drinks were picked up and deposited in our bags. Enormous pieces of plastic packaging lying all around the canyon roadsides were snagged as well.

Joseph Rosendo discovered six large plastic bags blocking a culvert. They were filled with brush-clearing debris dumped over the side but out of sight from the Boulevard. The team dragged them up the hill and left them for Caltrans, who had already picked up 15 bags nearby, to cart away.

Each week, I collect no less than 300 cigarette butts from the ground. I stop counting after that. Car parts, construction debris, empty boxes and cans collect on the sides of the road and we grab them up and make this part of heaven on earth pristine again, if only for a little while. Two cottontails and a raven thanked us for our contribution to keeping their home habitable. (Or maybe that was heat stroke.)

Poor Mother Earth. She must be exhausted trying to clean up after all of her messy children.

Come join us any Sunday at 7 a.m. at Topanga Post Office. We have all the gear you need.

Congratulations Topanga Trash Warriors! On April 22, Caltrans presented the group with the Volunteer of the Year award. In June, a blue-ribbon plaque was affixed to their Adopt-A-Highway sign along the Boulevard.

COMMUNITY NEWS Rocco’s Cucina to the Rescue!

lifelong Topangan and a Topanga Community Club member, Kristina and her family coordinated with the Topanga SAGES to identify those in need and prepare and deliver hot, cooked meals three times a week for the seniors.

The program is completely funded by private donations. If you want to help, please donate to the cause by contacting Kristina at Kroccolevy@gmail.com.

“It’s been great, people keep donating now and then. It is not the time to come out,” she said. “People who can stay home should stay home; we will help out in any way.”

Rocco’s Cucina Participates in County’s Meal Giveaway Taking a page from Rocco Levy’s ongoing dinner delivery program to the Topanga SAGES, Third District Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s office, in partnership with the Topanga Community Club (TCC), is starting another program for Topangans.

Those facing any kind of food insecurities in the Canyon will have access to prepared meals at the Topanga Library parking area three times per week, on Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays beginning on July 13 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. The meals will be provided by three restaurants—Rocco’s Cucina, Café 27, and Waterlily Café.

Meals will be brought to the Topanga Library parking lot area for pickup and can be picked up for individuals who are homebound, as long as that person’s name is listed on a roster. All individuals who sign up will be provided a meal. Additional meals will be on hand for those who have yet to sign up, but supplies are limited.

To receive more information or to sign up, visit www.topangacommunitycenter. org.

By Annemarie Donkin After selling their legendary pizza restaurant in 2004, the Rocco’s family business is still going strong as Rocco’s Cucina in the Palisades and…they deliver to Topanga!

When Rocco’s in the Canyon closed, Topanga was left with one less cool place to eat and hang out. Within those cozy wood-paneled walls were decades of birthday parties, takeout pizza, meetings and romantic dinners near the wood-burning stove.

Yet, if you still crave the original recipes such as Rocco’s famous pizzas, their savory homemade sauces and salad dressings or Marlene Rocco’s moist and delicious meatballs, don’t despair.

The original Rocco family, the family that opened Rocco’s in the Canyon in 1980, have been going strong at Rocco’s Cucina on Sunset Blvd. and PCH in the Pacific Palisades since 2000.

Rocco’s Cucina in the Palisades Going in to pick up food at their shop on Sunset Blvd., you see a family in perpetual motion.

There, Marlene is busy making her meatballs and signature Caesar dressing, Frank helps out where he can and their daughter, Kristina Rocco Levy and her husband, Jed Levy, who own and operate the place, put their hearts into the business’ success down to every last detail.

In the back, by the ovens and still cooking pizzas as he has since 1985, is their venerable chef, Vidal Arzate, who was trained in all the original recipes by Frank and Marlene.

Rocco’s Cucina Delivers to Seniors When the “Safer-at-Home” due to COVID-19 order went into place in early March, it was Rocco’s Cucina that stepped up to deliver much needed food to the Topanga SAGES three times a week.

Understanding the desperate need of seniors who can’t get out to shop,

The Rocco’s Family “My mom and dad, Frank and Marlene Rocco, are from the from Bronx—The Grand Concourse: 198th St. and Valentine Avenue—where my dad’s family had a pizzeria” said Kristina. “We came to Topanga in 1978, and my dad was working as a handyman for Joe Gerson, then owner of the Topanga Creek Market. Joe showed my parents the available space that once was the Old Post Office Inn and the dream to open their own Italian restaurant became a reality.

Though the inviting hippie vibes and the charm of horses hitched to the posts outside were more than welcoming and made them immediately feel at home, the Old P.O. was a mess. Frank guided the family, and many volunteering friends, through a complete renovation over the next year and a half.

“We made the space beautiful, and were finally ready to open, then the flood of February 1980 came” said Marlene. “We had 14 inches of mud on the floor instead of customers. So we had to start over and fix up the restaurant again, We finally opened on September 7, 1980. Karen Woodward (Lexi Pearl’s mom) was our first customer.

With our kids waiting tables, Frank and I worked the kitchen; I made the entrées and Frank tossed the pizzas.”

From that moment on, Rocco’s in the Canyon was a hit and quickly became a center of activity in the community for decades to come.

“Topanga was very good to us,” Marlene said. “The community was always supportive, they were right there with us through thick and thin, up until the day we sold Rocco’s.”

“We tried retirement, but Frank got bored and missed the activity of the restaurant, so he offered to help Kristina and Jed at The Cucina,” she continued. “With the school lunch program growing fast, Kristina then asked me to come help out, too.”

Now, even the next generation has stepped in to help at one time or another at Rocco’s with Kristina and Jed’s kids—Chaise, 26, Lorenzo, 23, and Lila, 18.

So, if on Monday, Wednesday or Fridays you have a hankering for the original Rocco’s pizza, pasta, salad or garlic rolls just call or text Kristina at (310) 995-1895 by 4 p.m. and she will deliver your delicious food to Pine Tree Circle and you can enjoy a slice of Topanga’s history!

Rocco’s Cucina, 17332 Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, (310) 573 – 3727, http://www.roccospalisades.com

Laura Welles Adell, Esq. Estate Planning | Probate Trust Administration

Tel. 818 - 883 -9272 www.adell-law.com

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

5

COMMUNITY NEWS Meal Giveaway at Topanga Library to Begin July 13

Office of the Sheriff May Crime Report

By Annemarie Donkin

The figures for serious crimes in the Topanga area are listed below for the month of May 2020.

The Los Angeles County Grant Meal Program, Topanga Cares, is set to begin on Monday, July 13, at the Topanga Library from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

It is highly recommended, however, that the public check at topangacommunitycenter.org on Sunday, July 12, in case anything has changed.

At a later date, the Topanga Cares program will also provide a supply of toiletries to those in need, courtesy of the County of Los Angles, and by a donation from Darrell and Susan Mahler.

Those facing any kind of food insecurities in the Canyon will have access to [prepared] meals at the Topanga Library parking area three times per week beginning on July 13 (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.). The meals will be provided by three restaurants—Rocco’s Cucina, Café 27, and Waterlily Café.

Meals will be brought to the Topanga Library parking lot area for pickup and can be picked up for individuals who are homebound, as long as that person’s name is listed on a roster.

All individuals who sign up will be provided a meal. Supplies are limited but additional meals will be on hand for those who have yet to sign up.

Registration is Easy & Confidential There is a simple Reservation Form to register with the L.A. County Grant Meal Program. This form will be kept confidential: Please complete as much of it as you feel comfortable with. The information will only be used to plan for meal preparation and grant reporting. There are three ways to register: Online—Go to Topangacommunitycenter.org to complete the form online. You may print the form and turn it in at the Waterlily Café or Café 27.

Over the phone—Call the Topanga Community Center at (310) 455-1980 and leave a message. Give your name and which days you would like a meal; if you are not picking up personally, say who will be getting the meals for you. Then come on the first day of meal service to complete the rest of the information.

In person—You do not need to pre-register, but pre-registration will guarantee your meal and/or toiletries. If you would rather register in person, simply come to the Library on the first day of meal service.

For additional information please visit Topangacommunitycenter.org.

TCC provisions/prescription pickup service—If you live in the 90290 zip code and have a need for small provisions or a prescription pickup from a local pharmacy, please complete the form online at: topangacommunitycenter.org.

Free masks—you are a senior or have a condition that makes you especially vulnerable to the virus and need a mask, please call (310) 455-3001 or email topangatowncouncil.org.

Topanga to the Rescue Cecilie Stuart, of Move the World and Tam Taylor of the Canyon Sages, founded the group, known as the Regional Topanga Preparedness—Covid-19 Group, to prepare for the worst.

“We know during this Coronavirus event that some in Topanga may have difficulty shopping for groceries and medications,” Stuart wrote. “So, a wonderful group of volunteers in Topanga (Canyon Sages, the Topanga Community Center and other Topangans) have banded together to help our most vulnerable residents get what they need.”

A $55,000 Block Grant for Topanga from L.A. County With so many unknown factors at this time, several Topanga non-profits are teaming up with L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl’s office to bring some relief to neighbors in need.

Los Angeles County is funding two programs—the Workforce Development Aging and Community Services’ area agency on aging is providing food to older adults who are food insecure. Around 40 people in Topanga are currently getting these meals.

According to Los Angeles County, “the new program will be funded with Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds allocated in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act by the federal government.

CDBG funds are distributed by a U.S. Department of Housing and Development (HUD) formula to cities and counties based on population, poverty, and overcrowded housing. The County of Los Angeles received funds on behalf of unincorporated areas.

The Port-A-Potty Returns “In the Third Supervisorial District, we received just over $55,000 to help the Topanga community address the impact of Covid-19 on residents,” wrote a County spokesperson. “With community input, we have decided to spend a portion of the funds on a Port-a Potty and a hand- washing station (the latter should arrive soon), located on County land at the northwest corner of Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Old Canyon.

“The lead agency on the grant is the Topanga Community Center, which is contracting with several restaurants that will provide the food,” wrote the spokesperson. “Community volunteer organizations and individuals are playing a critical role in making this program work—the Topanga Canyon SAGES, Topanga Town Council, and TCEP, among others.”

VOTE BY MAIL

“Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved sending vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters for the November presidential election.”

6

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

CRIME Homicide Rape Robbery Armed Strong-Am Assault Burglary Residential Business Garage/Out-Building Vehicle (locked) Theft Grand ($950 +) Petty Vehicle (unlocked) Grand Theft Vehicle Arson Domestic Violence Felony Total Part I Crimes Percent Change Domestic Violence Midsemeanor

CURRENT MTH

YTD 2020

YTD 2019

CHANGE

0 0

0 0

0 1

0 –1

0 0 0

0 1 2

0 0 1

0 1 1

1 0 0 2

3 1 1 7

2 0 1 2

1 1 0 5

0 0 1 1 0 0 5

1 5 3 5 0 0 29

3 0 3 1 0 2 16

–2 5 0 4 0 –2 +13 +81.3%

1

5

7

–2

Topanga Traffic Report May CHP Public Information Officer Weston Haver reported that CHP responded to zero collisions on Topanga Canyon Blvd. (SR-27) in May, 2020, from the two-mile bridge south to PCH, compared to one traffic collision in May, 2019, with zero injuries.

Officer Haver also reported one traffic collision on SR-27 in May, 2020 from the two-mile bridge north to the L.A. city limits compared to one traffic collision in May, 2019, with zero injuries. The cause of the collision was determined to be code 22107— unsafe turning movement.

To report unsafe driving, call (818) 888-0980; (800) TELLCHP; or e-mail Officer Weston Haver at Weston.haver@chp.ca.gov.

June California Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Weston Haver reported that CHP responded to eight traffic collisions on Topanga Canyon Blvd. (SR-27) in June, 2020 from the two-mile bridge south to PCH (compared to eight traffic collisions in June, 2019) with zero injuries. The cause of the collisions were determined to be 22350—unsafe speed; 22107—unsafe turning movements; 22100.5—unsafe U-turn at an intersection and 23152—DUI. Officer Haver also reported four traffic collisions on SR-27 in June, 2020 from the two-mile bridge north to the L.A. city limits (compared to five traffic collisions in June, 2019) with zero injuries. The cause of the collisions were determined to be 22107—unsafe turning movements and 23152—DUI. To report unsafe driving, call (818) 888-0980; (800) TELLCHP; or e-mail Officer Weston Haver at Weston.haver@chp.ca.gov.

ENVIRONMENT The Humble Milkweed

Monarch on milkweed. “20190710_DSC7461” by mbkestell is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

By Kait Leonard Milkweed is the most important plant in the world…at least if you’re a Monarch butterfly.

Even people who scream at the sight of a “bug” can get positively ooey-gooey when a butterfly flits around them. Why is that? Very likely it has to do with the symbolism that has been attached to their metamorphosis from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis to winged creature. Throughout history and cultures, the butterfly’s transformation has been connected to the human soul and rebirth. Then, there’s the simple fact that they’re pretty. Let’s face it, flies go through a similar developmental process, and not so many people gush over maggots.

caterpillar’s only food source, milkweed.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD), the monarch population has decreased by 53 percent over the past year. This statistic was described as “heartbreaking” by a senior scientist at the CBD. One reason for the crisis is the use of herbicides which kill milkweed. Poor weather conditions and insecticides also contribute to the decline.

One obvious way to help all pollinators is to stop using chemical pesticides and herbicides. As long as the use of these poisons continues, pollinators will die. But people can take steps to support monarchs. One of these is growing milkweed.

Before digging up the yard, it’s important to understand a few things about this wildflower.

If enough is consumed, milkweed is toxic. But it’s not as bad as it sounds. The United States Department of Agriculture has not included it on the list of noxious plants. Gardeners should take simple precautions: wear gloves, wash hands, teach children not to eat the plant, and keep a casual eye on pets. The good news is that while milkweed is delicious to monarchs, it apparently tastes quite dreadful to everyone else. Most animals won’t even take a nibble. (Interestingly, the toxicity is part of what protects the monarch caterpillar. Evidently, they taste yucky too.)

All milkweeds are not equal. Native milkweeds are perennial, dying off during winter months. The tropical variety (Asclepias curassavica) appeals to many gardeners and suppliers because it grows year-round in mild climates. “The tropical variety is beautiful. It has large leaves and substantial stalks that allow butterflies to land to eat. The butterflies love them,” says Bill Buerge, owner of the Mountain Mermaid Butterfly Habitat, but he advises to plant native varieties.

Ongoing research suggests that winter-breeding butterflies, those who are sustained by the tropical milkweed, are more likely to be infected with Ophryocystis elektroscirrha (OE), a parasite that causes mortality and lowers the monarch’s ability to reproduce. A well-meaning but ill-informed gardener could end up endangering rather than nurturing the beautiful butterfly.

Buerge also advises caution when buying any milkweed. Make sure the plants have not been treated with pesticides. Many garden stores use pesticides to keep their plants pristine until they can be sold.

Before entering the chrysalis phase, a monarch caterpillar can munch through a one-gallon milkweed plant. So, you want to be sure you have enough food to support the life cycle. Always plant a patch of at least six plants. Also consider growing more than one patch to ensure the survival of the plants in unpredictable weather conditions.

Doug Tallamy, Professor of Entomology and author of Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope, explains that we need to act quickly to save our insects, the backbone of our ecosystem.

“About 95 percent of the U.S. has been used by us in one way or another,” said Tallamy at an event hosted by New Canaan Pollinator Pathway. “We’ve logged, tilled, drained, grazed, paved, developed, straightened, dammed, polluted, and introduced non-native species into our natural environment, but we can save ourselves, by changing the way we landscape,” says Tallamy.

By planting native species, we support the insects and other animals who depend on them. This will go a long way to reversing some of the damage we’ve already done.

“Topanga has been evolving for millions of years,” says Buerge. “Man has brought in ornamentals and the butterflies don’t know what to do with them.” By planting patches of native milkweed in the yard to support the monarchs, a step is taken backward, back in the direction of a thriving ecosystem and a sky filled with fluttering wings.

REFERENCES Center for Biological Diversity, https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/pressreleases/eastern-monarch-butterfly-population-plunges-more-half-2020-03-13/ United States Department of Agriculture, https://plants.usda.gov/java/ noxComposite Monarch Joint Venture, https://monarchjointventure.org/ Wheeler, J. (2018). “Tropical milkweed – a No-Grow, retrieved from https://xerces.org/blog/tropical-milkweed-a-no-grow on 7/4/20.

Deer Killed

by Hit and Run Driver

By Canyon Chronicle Staff

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed, “Eating time” by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

With their stained-glass wings of orange and stark black, Monarchs seem to top the list of most loved butterflies, at least for people living along their migratory path from Canada to Mexico. These beauties are hearty enough to fly up to 3000 miles, riding the currents and thermals from as far north as Canada to reach the warmth of Southern California and Mexico for the winter. But they cannot exist without the

On Sunday, June 14, at approximately 7:15 a.m., a Caltrans maintenance supervisor was traveling southbound on Topanga Canyon Blvd, State Route 27 when he saw a dead buck on the northbound side of the boulevard south of Cheney Drive.

“He pulled over and called members of a Caltrans crew to drive to the location in a truck with a “lift gate” to pick up and transport the carcass,” wrote Michael Comeaux, Public Information Officer, Caltrans—District 7. “Then the Caltrans maintenance supervisor continued on his way.”

Later that day, according to Comeaux, the supervisor spoke with the crew members. They told him they went to the location and the carcass was not there.

They felt they were at the right location because they found a pool of blood.

“So Caltrans did not pick up the carcass,” Comeaux said. “I have no information about who picked it up.” The question is, who took the buck’s carcass?

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

7

ENVIRONMENT Springtime was Sick Time for California Sycamores

Adopt A Baby Oak at Trippet Ranch

Anthracnose killed leaves with regrowth on California Sycamore growing along Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Photo by RCDSMM Stream Team

By Rosi Dagit, Senior Conservation Biologist, RCDSMM One of the joys of springtime in the Santa Monica Mountains is the greening of the California sycamore (Platanus racemosa) and other trees that lose their leaves during winter.

Although the late spring rains were mostly a blessing, there was a downside for sycamore trees. Waiting dormant on the branch tips, the anthracnose fungi (Apiognomonia veneta) found perfect growing conditions and sprang into action.

Spores carried by the winds and rains quickly turned newly emerging leaves brown and left them hanging limply on the branch tips. On some trees the new green leaves died within a week, and it will take at least a month for another set of new leaves to emerge. While generally not sufficiently strong to kill the tree, anthracnose fungi can definitely weaken them, as they have to use stored energy reserves to push out another set of replacement leaves.

The good news is that the trees generally recover. If your tree was hard hit, the best way to prevent spread is to rake up and remove all the fallen leaves and twigs during the summer and fall. Light pruning of the most affected twigs and branches can also reduce the retention of the fungal spores in the tree, but it is important to make sure that any pruning tools are carefully disinfected to prevent spread. Make sure that sprinklers are redirected to keep the lower canopy branches dry. Spraying with fungicide is costly and generally not recommended as a preventative measure.

In the Santa Monica Mountains, we see outbreaks like this every time we have a wet spring, but following the seven-year drought, sycamore trees in the wildlands and creeks were especially vulnerable. California sycamores are generally found where they can sink their roots into the water table and, in doing so, provide important habitat along many of our creeks.

The beautiful specimen tree located two miles north from PCH on Topanga Canyon Blvd. is a beacon of home to many residents of Topanga. This sycamore survived the 1980 flood that destroyed most of the road, and holds up the bank, providing shade to the creek below.

However, when anthracnose delays the regrowth of the canopy, the pools below warm up in the sunshine and breeding conditions for native frogs deteriorate.

Unfortunately, anthracnose is not the only threat to our native sycamores, especially as temperatures rise during the summer. As the drought progressed, trees along the creeks became stressed and more susceptible to a relatively new invasive beetle, the tiny Invasive Shot Hole Borer (ISHB: Euwallacea sp.). These invaders from Southeast Asia spend most of their lives inside the tree where they create tunnels throughout the trunk and branches. The entry hole visible on the trunk is about the size of the tip of a ballpoint pen. The females farm pathogenic fungi (Fusarium euwallaceae) on the walls of the galleries to feed their young. Both the tunnels and the pathogen physically disrupt transport of water and nutrients throughout the tree causing dieback and eventual death. Their reproductive cycle from egg to new adultsis about 40 days, with multiple broods possible per year. Only the females can fly, so the few males in the brood mate with their sisters inside the tree, then die.

Because they are weak fliers, spread is often due to moving infested wood from trees that have died.

California sycamores are a preferred reproductive host for ISHB, although this pest has attacked over 300 species of trees. Research is ongoing to determine the distribution of these pests in the mountains, but infestations have been documented in Calabasas, Malibu, Ramirez Canyon, Thousand Oaks, and Topanga. With funding from LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuhl, the RCDSMM has been working to document the extent of the infestation. Thus far, the beetles are taking a toll in hot spots, but are not yet found everywhere.

We need to know more, and you can help. Using iNaturalist, you can join the Ventura and LA County Bad Beetle Watch project and contribute your observations of trees in your neighborhood or along your hiking trail. To learn more, you can find training documents on our website (rcdsmm.org/resources/caring-for-your-oaktrees) and take the full training provided by the University of California Cooperative Extension (campus.extension.org/enrol/index.php?id=1704).

The Los Angeles Agricultural Commissioner is starting an extensive trapping program this summer, but visual surveys such as those done in your own backyard provide the best level of detection. If you think you see a problem, you can report it (acwm.lacounty.gov/entomology-and-plant-pathology-laboratories) For general insect or plant disease problems or to report suspect trees, contact Plant Pathology: (562)622-0433; or Entomology: (562)622-0431.

In-person volunteer training has been postponed until fall due to covid-19 restrictions, but the beetles are already reproducing as the temperatures rise.

Check out the RCDSMM website for updates and other opportunities.

Resources: https://ucanr.edu/sites/pshb/; https://www.rcdsmm.org/resources/caring-for-your-oak-trees/

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

Rachel Kieffer of the Watershed Stewards Project, shows off sign inviting people to “Adopt A Baby Oak.” Photo by RCDSMM Stream Team

By Rachel Kieffer, Watershed Stewards Project Trippet Ranch in Topanga State Park is home to several different ecosystems, from scrubland to chaparral to oak woodlands. Any hiker going through the park would have a hard time missing the vegetation native to each ecosystem.

The large coast live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) are indicative of the oak woodlands in the Santa Monica Mountains and have had a long historical significance to those living and visiting the area. During the last drought though, the oaks were devasted and many were lost.

In order to mitigate the loss at Trippet Ranch, the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains (RCDSMM) and California State Parks have been working together to restore 10 acres within the park. More than 200 coast live oak acorns and seedlings were planted in the spring of this year, adding to 50 planted last year. Monthly large volunteer events have previously been held to water and care for the new oaks, but due to COVID-19 restrictions, the RCDSMM is limited in resources available to care for the oaks.

The new oaks are especially vulnerable in the hot summer months and are in desperate need of water as well as weeding. The RCDSMM is launching its Adopt a Baby Oak program to ask for volunteer help in taking care of the trees easily accessible in the park.

Those interested are encouraged to find a tree or several trees in the park that they would like to care for and check the status of the tree by visiting our website (rcdsmm.org).

In order to prevent trees from receiving too much care while others are still in need, the RCDSMM has created an interactive map that will be frequently updated with the adoption status of each tree.

After finding your tree(s) to take care of and letting the RCD know, care is as simple as watering and weeding your tree whenever you are hiking in the park. The baby oak trees ideally receive five gallons of water a month, but in the dry summer months, any water helps. Bringing an extra liter once a week when you hike would be a tremendous help to the oak.

All the oaks are surrounded by cages to deter deer and other creatures from munching on the trees. Other plant species may also grow within the cages and compete with the oaks for resources. The oaks have the best chance with tall cages and when the surrounding area and cage do not have other plants competing.

CAUTION! Trippet Ranch is home to native poison oak and nettles, so please be mindful whenever weeding the baby oaks.

The RCDSMM will continue to update its tree care data over the summer, so let us know after each watering or care event. The interactive map on our website will be updated with data such as when care is given, the condition of the tree, and pictures of each tree as we receive them. Follow along and watch the success of the trees. Given a good start, these trees can live for more than 100 years and have strong positive impacts on the area.

Even if you cannot make it to the park consistently, you can still help our Tree Care program. A small team of RCDSMM employees and volunteers will be continuing caring for trees in the park but are limited by funding. If you would like to adopt a tree but are not able to regularly visit Trippet Ranch, you can donate to the RCDSMM Oak Fund and we can care for the tree. It costs $25 a month for us to grow the trees but all donations help!

Please also let us know if you are interested in volunteering at our watering events in the future at Trippet Ranch and Lower Topanga Rodeo Grounds. We are hoping to continue the larger volunteer events in the future when it is safe to do so and would love your help.

For more information: Contact Watershed Stewards Project member Rachel Kieffer, (818) 597-8627, rkieffer@rcdsmm.org; or rcdsmm.org/tot for details.

ENVIRONMENT Play Outside

records in its database. If you take a snapshot of a plant leaf, the app will search its vast database for a match.

Smart

Tools—The Smart Tools app offers many utilities for the outdoors

including, a compass, a ruler, a sound meter, a metal detector, and a magnifying glass.

This app does not require a data connection to function.

National Parks— This app offers details on more than 400 locations, including all 60 national parks. Each park comes with a map and information about its history and key features.

Wild Time—A Child friendly app, which encourages their interactions with wildlife and nature. The app explores ways to get kids outside by giving them naturethemed tasks. Example tasks include building a wild den, identifying three birds in your back garden, and finding something natural to match every color of the rainbow.

Nature’s Notebook—Nature’s Notebook lets you record the wildlife and plant life that you see. You can use it to track bird migrations, log plant flowerings, to name a few. The app is operated by the USA National Phenology Network. It uses the data you enter in tandem with records from professional scientists to create one of the largest citizen science projects in the world.

TrailLink—This app provides detailed trail descriptions, reviews, photos, and

Nature Apps To Explore Outside During Quarantine.

maps of the best trails near you.

SkySafari—The SkySafari astronomy app, lets you hold your phone to the sky to identify planets, constellations, stars, and satellites. You can also use the app to see what the sky might have looked like thousands of years ago, or what it will look like in the future.

By Eleanor Zeri

Topanga is inconveniently convenient. Even during a really inconvenient time, it is conveniently cocooned by nature. How convenient? Don’t ask.

SkyView—SkyView Free offers more features in the unpaid version than most of its competitors. You can tap on sky objects to get detailed descriptions and follow the projected path of an object in the sky.

Yonder—A social media platform of sorts, you can follow other users, like and

To lessen the vicissitudes of the times, it is important to remain connected.

Here is to re-appropriating “staying connected.” Since Topanga is that rare

comment on their adventures, and, of course, post your own. Search more than 20,000

place, where there is plenty of opportunity to explore the nature around you, I have

What’s Invasive—This app displays lists of the most invasive species in your

taken a quick look at the Nature apps for smartphones. In the words of Emerson,

area, including photos and short descriptions. If you happen to come across one, select

“Nature always wears the colors of the spirit.” So, go out, and stay connected in nature

the name of the species you spotted, and your GPS location will be sent to experts

with these fun apps.

who can help. This app is great for nature activist who want to maintain “eharmony.”

With so much to explore and actually time to do it!

destinations and save your favorites!

Butterfly Collections—This app has 240 species of butterflies and moths in its database. Learn species names and see which species live near you!

iNaturalist—Need to identify a plant? Take a picture of a it and post it on the app.

The app’s community, which has more than 400,000 scientists and naturalists, will help you identify it! The app also has a group feature which are centered on specific species or locations, with plenty of aficionados.

Golden Eagles or Hawks?

Audubon Birds of North America—Audubon Birds of North America features images, descriptions, sounds, and habitat locations of 808 species. It includes a social network of birdwatchers, sharing sightings, photos, maps, and other information to track down the species you are looking for. The app also features Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology’s eBird database.

MyNature Animal Tracks—This app helps you identify animals’ tracks using a combination of paw print images, information about their droppings, and example sounds. The app’s database, in the context of your location, helps you narrow your search.

PlantNet Plant Identification—The app is a collaborative piece from four French research organizations (CIRAD, INRA, INRIA, and IRD). It features thousands of plant

Bill Krovetz sent us this photo of what he thinks is a pair of golden eagles that he and his wife spied while sitting in their backyard. “They were two rather large birds in the tree about 150-200 feet away,” Krovetz wrote. “We observed them with binoculars and luckily they stayed in place while I grabbed a camera, handheld, and used 600 mm on my lens. It’s not as clear as it could have been. Still, I’m very pleased with the photos.”

The question going around at the Chronicle as well as on Nextdoor Topanga, is whether it is a golden eagle or a redtail hawk.

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

9

LIFESTYLE Skid Row’s Hippie Kitchen Keeps On Feeding

shoot hoops—disregarding Mayor Garcetti’s social distancing guideline. Individuals of all ages mill around, talking, laughing, dancing. Community volunteers and residents of Skid Row, Coach Ron and LaRhonda Hartfield offer smiles, jokes, and blessings to everyone entering.

“I live here,” says Hartfield pointing to the SRO next to the park. “What are we going to do? We have to trust Jesus to take care of us.” But even in this easy-going atmosphere, some things have changed.

More people than usual are sitting side-by-side around park tables and on the ground eating food supplied by the Hospitality Kitchen, known by locals as the Hippie Kitchen, located just across the street. The beans, salad, and bread, once served in everything from paper plates to gallon-sized plastic buckets, are now being handed out in fast-food-style takeout containers. Before the recent crisis, many of these men and women would have eaten their meals in the tranquil garden patio, but that is now closed due to Mayor Garcetti’s directive for eating establishments to move to take-out only.

The Hippie Kitchen, has been serving food in Skid Row for 50 years. Even in 1987, when the Whittier Narrows earthquake destroyed the facility, the kitchen did not stop. The workers simply served sandwiches rather than hot meals, until

Risking their own lives, members of the Los Angeles Catholic Workesr continue Angeles Catholic Workersatcontinue to feed Skid Row during COVID-19 outbreak. to Los serve up love and beans the Hippie Kitchen in residents Skid Row. Photos Kaitconfirmed Leonard.

Thebyfirst case of COVID-19 in Skid Row was reported, on March, 31

By Kait Leonard 2020, compounding fears that COVID-19 will eventually rampage through the area with an estimated 2,800 homeless people crammed together on sidewalks and in single-room occupancy hotels within the 50-block neighborhood. The person infected with the virus, and those known to have been in proximity of him, have been quarantined and the city is racing to open emergency shelters. Unfortunately, the streets are still lined with tents and alive with people socializing as they get on with their day. And these people still need to eat.

On a recent post-COVID Saturday morning, the usual crowd continues to fill downtown’s Gladys Park. A young woman preaches the gospel while several men

There are meals to go for those in need.

Jennifer deSpain, CPA, CFP® Business/Personal Tax & Financial Services Tel. 818.883.4800 www.CanyonOakFinancial .com

Photo by Miriam Geer.

10

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

LIFESTYLE the completion of the new facility. From the opening of the new Hippie Kitchen in 1990 to March of this year, they have dished-up hot meals and welcomed guests to come in from the street. “They have been a steady source of compassion and care for the residents of Skid Row for decades,” says Dr. Susan Partovi, Medical Director of Homeless Health Care, Los Angeles.

On March 16, 2020 for only the second time in its history, the Hippie Kitchen had to change the way it does business.

Like restaurants from McDonald’s to the exclusive Mastro’s Beverly Hills Steakhouse, the Kitchen is now open for take-out only. The gates to the usually inviting garden dining area have been closed. Now, volunteers stand at the front entrance and pass out food. “I’m just glad we are able to keep the kitchen open… and continue to provide food to folks during this time of emergency,” says Sarah Fuller who has been involved with the organization for approximately ten years.

When thinking of a Skid Row “soup kitchen,” the difference between dining in and grabbing food to-go might not be immediately clear. But the Hippie Kitchen has never been simply a spot to get free food. The volunteers have created a space where guests are shown dignity and kindness, where they can sit and eat, socialize, and sometimes take a quick nap, where they can be accepted as they are. It is run by members of the Los Angeles Catholic Worker, a group of people who live communally and dedicate their lives to helping those in need.

The group, one of approximately 240 in the country, takes seriously the Christian scripture that charges the righteous with serving the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, those without clothes, the sick, and those in prison.

“Anyone can serve food. If there’s no love behind what we do, we waste the opportunity to love and serve Christ,” Los Angeles Catholic Worker member, Maria Teresa Kamel, says.

During our current pandemic, the Hippie Kitchen is feeding many more guests than usual, according to Kamel. She speculates that this is due in part to the discontinuation of service by smaller organizations and individuals who handed out food on the streets. So far, the large missions such as the Los Angeles Mission, The Midnight Mission, and the Union Rescue Mission are still operating kitchens.

When the need to maintain social distance arose, members of the Catholic Worker community hoped they could stop using volunteers from outside the group until things improve. But given the growing numbers of people to be served, this proved impossible. In fact, they have been forced to add extra prep days to produce the amount of food now needed.

Workers had to “get creative” to find a way to serve more people with a fraction of the staff, says Fuller. Part of that involves accepting pre-screened volunteers to help with food preparation. They still do not accept outside volunteers on serving days, when more people are present.

What does the future hold for the Hippie Kitchen? Right now, no one knows for sure. “There is a chance of anything happening during this unprecedented time, but we hope to remain open,” says Fuller.

What is clear, the group will continue to serve the poor in Skid Row in whatever way makes sense.

The dining patio at the Hippie Kitchen is empty.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

11

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Masters Masters Masters Masters Masters Masters Masters Masters Masters of of of ofof of ofof this this rarer rarer California California species species have have been been laying laying fascinating mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, mimicry, the the the the the caterpillars the the the the younger younger younger younger younger younger younger younger younger younger caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars caterpillars have have have have have have evoled have have have evoled evoled evoled evoled evoled evoled evoled evoled eggs eggs in in the the Mermaid’s Mermaid’s butterfly butterfly gardens gardens this this to to to to to to to look look look look look look look look like like like like bird-droppings like like like like bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings bird-droppings to to to to to to to tofool to fool fool fool fool fool predators. fool fool fool predators. predators. predators. predators. predators. predators. predators. predators.

Spring Spring onon their their designated designated host host plants, plants, citrus citrus As As Asthey As As As As they they they they they they they get get get get get get get get get older, older, older, older, older, older, older, older, older, the the the the the caterpillar’s the the the caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s caterpillar’s enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged enlarged and and rue. rue. thorax thorax thorax thorax thorax thorax thorax thorax looks looks looks looks looks looks looks looks looks like like like like like like like like like the the the the the the the the head head head head head head head of of of ofsnake, of of ofaof aaaa a asnake, aof asmall small small small small small small small small snake, snake, snake, snake, snake, snake,snake,

and and and and and and and they they they they they they they they will will will will will will will will will rear rear rear rear rear rear rear rear rear up up up up up up up up as as as as as as ifas ifto if to ifififto ifto to to to tostrike to strike strike strike strike strike strike strike strike sending sending sending sending sending sending sending sending sending out out out out out out out a a a a a a a bright bright bright bright bright bright bright bright bright red red red red red red red red red two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged two-pronged appendage appendage appendage appendage appendage appendage appendage appendage appendage Right: Right: AA sprig sprig ofof rue rue with with a mature a mature black black and and from from from from from from from the the the the the the the the top top top top top top top top top of of of of of of of of of their their their their their their their their their head head head head head head head mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing mimicing aaaasnake’s asnake’s asnake’s a snake’s asnake’s snake’s snake’s snake’s snake’s white whitegiant giantswallowtail swallowtailcaterpllar caterpllarstanding standing biforcated biforcated biforcated biforcated biforcated biforcated biforcated biforcated tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue. tongue.

tall. tall.Sergio Sergiorecently recentlycollected collectedsome somegiant giant swallowtail swallowtail eggs eggs and and reared reared a big a big crop crop ofof the the specie’s specie’s fascinating fascinating caterpillars. caterpillars.

Masters Masters ofof mimicry, mimicry, the the younger younger caterpillars caterpillars have have evoled evoled 12 toto July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2 look look like like bird-droppings bird-droppings toto fool fool predators. predators.

AsAs they they get get older, older, the the caterpillar’s caterpillar’s enlarged enlarged thorax thorax looks looks like like the the head head ofof aa small small snake, snake,

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Above: Above: Above: The The The Mermaid Mermaid Mermaid butterfly butterfly butterfly house house house offers offers offers Above: The Mermaid Above: Above: butterfly The The house Mermaid Mermaid offers butterfly butterfly house house offers offers visitors visitors visitors ahouse concentrated aa concentrated concentrated butterfly butterfly experience. experience. experience.

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The predator-proof. latter predator-proof. is a constant The The challatter latter is is a constant a constant chalchallenge. lenge.

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Ants, lizards, Ants, spiders, spiders, birds and frogs, frogs, lizards, lizards, birds and other other other creatures creatures creatures will will will attack attack butterflies butterflies butterflies inbirds in some in some some lenge. lenge. lenge.

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Ants, spiders, frogs, lizards, and birds producing flowers, and that the structure is lenge.

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One One One morning morning morning or ororall all all their their their life life lifepredator-proof. stages stages stages as as as eggs, eggs, eggs, caterpillars, caterpillars, caterpillars, or all of their life as eggs, caterpillars, Ants, spiders, frogs, lizards, birds and orand all of life stages asmorning eggs, chrysalises, and winged chrysalises, chrysalises, adults.

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One One One morning morning morning chrysalises, and winged adults.

One morning other creatures will attack butterflies inon chrysalises, and winged adults.

One morn we were shocked tonight we discover we were were shocked that shocked during tohad to discover the discover that that during night night mice mice mice or or rats or rats rats had had dined dined dined on on asome dozen aaduring dozen dozen or the or so orthe so so we we wewere were were shocked shocked shocked tototodiscover discover discover that that that during during during the the the lenge.

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Above: Anocturnal Ceonothus silk moth is a wonder to behold.

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Moths differ from bs s tterflies basically in that they are cally nocturnal cally in in that that creatures. they they are are nocturnal nocturnal creatures. creatures.

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Above: A Ceonothus silk isupon athey wonder Sergio just k bled Sergio upon Sergio one just just of stuk their stuk ka bled upon one of the their kmoth one of their m coons, rare find.

Notice the tips of large large cm m coons, cm m coons, rare aabled rare find. find.

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Moths differ from bs sof tterflies basim coons, aof rare find.

Notice the tips of large cm mlady coons, a find. rare large find. cm Notice mcm coons, the alook tips rare find.

Notice the tips large the upper wings look like snake’s head to the the upper upper wings wings look like like a snake’s aak snake’s head head toofto large cm cm m cm m coons, m coons, coons, aato arare rare rare find. find.

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Notice the tips of large cm m coons, a rare find.

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Painted Painted Painted ladies ladies ladies are are well-known well-known by by for for for their their their anative native native mallow mallow mallow bush. bush. toby behold.

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Above: Sergio observes a lady butas aare pin tip, on ayear native mallow es are well-known Painted Painted ladies by ladies for are their well-known well-known by by for for their their spectacular spectacular spectacular magration magration magration lastlast last year year from from from the the the they are eewell-known well-known well-known by by by for for for their their their cally infor that are nocturnal creatures. the upper wings look like a snake’s head to Painted ladies are well-known by their erfly lay bright blue-green eggs, as small Painted ladies are well-known magration spectacular spectacular last year magration magration the last last year year the the by for their deserts deserts deserts of of Southern offrom Southern Southern California California California to from to the tofrom the the Pacific Pacific Pacific gration ation ration last last last year year year from from from the the the Sergio just stuk k bled upon one of their scare away predators. spectacular magration last year from the as pin tip, ontotoa native mallow bush. spectacular magration last year from the outhern California deserts deserts of to of Southern the Southern Pacific California California to to thethe Pacific Pacific Northwest.

Northwest.

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In California, In InCalifornia, California, ation last year from the Butterflies are in sharp decline and decline and Butterflies are in sharp ble wordwide.

In bigto California, big trouble trouble wordwide.

In California, Inare California, ,ordwide. ordwide. wordwide.

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In California, 99% from 2099% years ago.20 years ago. from If you IfIfof you you want want want to keep to tokeep keep butterflies butterflies in your in inyour your the numbers monarchs arebutterflies down ant to keep butterflies If you If you want in want your to keep to keep butterflies butterflies in your in your oto keep keep keep butterflies butterflies butterflies in in in your your your life life and and and garden, garden, garden, here here here areare are some some some things things things 99% fromlife 20 years ago.

If you want toIfhere keep butterflies in your you want to keep butterflies in your garden, here are life some life and and garden, things garden, here are are some some things things den, en, n, here here here are are are some some some things things things youyou you can can can do:do: do: life and garden, here are some things life and garden, here are some thingsPhoto by Yaotl Jimenez in sharp decline and do: you can do: do:insectiticides!

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1.can Stop Stop using using using insectiticides! insectiticides!

ButButSergio, Sergio, Sergio, a devoted aadevoted devoted father, father, father, rears rears rears small small small humans humans humans If you want to keep butterflies in do: yourButyou can do: you can sing insectiticides!

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Stop Butusing using insectiticides! insectiticides!

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ButButButSergio, akill devoted father, Sergio, Sergio, rears a devoted small aas devoted humans father, father, rears rears small small humans humans as as as well well well as as butterflies. butterflies. butterflies.

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Stop using insectiticides!

ButSergio, a devoted father, rears small humans Stop using insectiticides!

ButSergio, a devoted father, rears small humans as well as butterflies. as His as well well lovely as as butterflies. wife, butterflies.

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His lovely and two older daughters, and and two Luna two older older and daughters, Coyolli, daughters, Luna Luna and and Coyolli, Coyolli, terflies are insects and they will kill offer offer offer invaluable invaluable invaluable assistance assistance assistance in in many in many many ways ways ways to to to wife, Yaotl, and and and two two two older older olderdaughters, daughters, daughters, Luna Luna Luna and and andCoyolli, Coyolli, Coyolli, 2.them.

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Plant Plant native native native butterfly butterfly butterfly host host host plants. plants. plants.

Above: Above: Tiny Tiny Tiny monarch monarch monarch butterfly butterfly butterfly eggs eggs eggs dotdot dot thethe the ears 1.ago. and two older daughters, Luna and Coyolli, Stop using Butthem.

Sergio, a devoted father, rears small humans and two older daughters, Luna Coyolli, offer invaluable assistance offer offer invaluable in invaluable many ways assistance assistance to in in many many ways ways to toand Above: thethe the buttefly buttefly buttefly operations. operations. operations. offer offer offer invaluable invaluable invaluable assistance assistance assistance in in inmany many manyways ways ways tototo them. butterfly 2. host Plant 2.

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Sergio Sergio Sergio Above: Above: Above: Tiny Tiny Tiny monarch monarch monarch butterfly butterfly butterfly eggs eggs eggs dot dot dot the the the They They They willwill will attract attract attract in egg-laying in inegg-laying egg-laying females females females offer invaluable assistance in many ways to as well as butterflies.

His lovely wife, assistance Yaotl, offer invaluable in many ways to Tiny monarch butterfly eggs dot the the buttefly operations. thethe buttefly buttefly operations. operations. terflies are insects and they will killbuttefly 2.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2 13

ct in egg-laying females od for the resulting cat-

To purchase pesticide-free butterfly

underside of a native milkweed leaf. Sergio carefully cuts off the leaf and will secure it in a pest-free place until the eggs hatch. But-

BUSINESS Looking on the Bright Side

By Tanya Starcevich We are entering an unprecedented time period, perhaps comparable to the Great

of the lower interest rates rather than paying high rents, you may find that your

Depression. While it may or may not be as long lived (1929 through 1933), all indicators

mortgage payment along with the tax advantages and deductions will end up saving

show that a deep recession is imminent and will be difficult to recover from. U.S. gas

you big money in the long run. If you can afford to hold onto your real estate for 10-15

consumption is at its lowest ever; light vehicle sales are at their lowest level since the

years (or more) the prices may rebound by then and you will build equity, whereas

1970s; and the way people are operating their businesses has drastically changed as

renting will never help you realize a profit or nest egg.

many will continue working from home.

Interest rates in 1979 were 18%; today interest rates are below 4%. There is

In just two-and-a-half months, California’s unemployment rates rose to nearly

hesitancy in many buyers today who may not realize that during the financial crisis

25%. Mortgage deferments, along with the eviction moratoriums will eventually

of 2007-2008, cash investors won. I had 30 offers on a short sale and 29 of them were

catch up and add to the increasing debt so many homeowners and landlords face.

cash. If you are expecting to take advantage of an incredible deal on the market,

Investors who were banking on the real estate market as a large part of their portfolio

expect high numbers of investors and cash buyers competing against you.

are now liquidating their assets and holdings.

If you are moving up and purchasing a larger home,

For example, owning two pieces of real estate that are

you will be buying into a market that has dropped by the

investment properties with prime location (location, location)

same amount as what you sell for, in other words, a lateral

and having maxed out potential, homeowners and investors may not see much appreciation in the next five to ten years so they must either be prepared to hold and wait for a sustained period, or sell now.

Conversely, many investors are realizing that a dollar in your hand now could be worth $2 to $3 dollars in the next year or two and they plan to invest heavily as values decrease

The “New Normal” could end up being better than “Business as Usual.”

move. You may be able to take advantage of the higher-end market if you are painstaking and patient. Just realize that you are not taking a discount on the sale of your home if you buy and sell in the same market.

When you buy, you likely can expect a discount so why not also sell with a discount? Remember this calculation is not limited to just real estate, it could involve your business or

and foreclosures and sales rise. The wise investor needs to be

the stock market investments in your portfolio.

willing to take a discount now and sell to take advantage of

Experts are saying there have been five big shifts in

what could be the best decade in home sales in our history. Future appreciation will

the market and this will be the worst we have seen in our time. Don’t let that scare

take years and if they sell now, they likely will be selling high.

you! The “New Norm” could end up being better than “Business as Usual.” Reality is

According to one recent study, if you have something worth a dollar and

that life goes up and down; we all know someone who has been affected during these

let it go for 80 cents or even 70 cents today, you would be wise to hold on to your

times. This is a crisis. Sellers who are being proactive will benefit from their foresight.

money. Projections say that a year from now that 70 cents will be worth up to $2.8.

My next article will discuss “Best Strategies for Mortgage Forebearance and

Conversely, if you are a first-time homebuyer and can afford to take advantage

Deferments” to help homeowners navigate through this and avoid foreclosure.

S E E K I N G S E R E N I T Y A N D S H E LT E R ?

Tr u s t Ta n y a t o n a v i g a t e y o u t h r o u g h t h e s e c h a l l e n g i n g t i m e s.

TE TA S E 00 W E I 95,0 V A 9 SE $1,

LD 00 SO 90,0 ,3 $1

2 3 3 1 8 PALO M A BLAN CA, M ALIBU

1786 DEERHILL TOPANGA

LD 00 SO 25,0 ,2 $1

19980 SISCHO TOPANGA

LD 00 SO 0,0 0 $9

0 E LITTLE LAS FLORES TOPANGA

OW

IN

R SC

E

1173 AZTEC TOPANGA

AT 30 ACRES IN MALIBU ED 00 WITH COASTAL APPROVALS ER 9,0 F OF 1,44 $

TANYA STARCEVICH REALTOR

®

RANKED TOP 3% OF AGENTS KELLER WILLIAMS PALISADES, MALIBU, TOPANGA

T: 310.774.3824 | C: 310.739.4216 tanyastarcevich@gmail.com www.tanyashouses.com Broker #01499010 BRE Lic #01864259

If your home is currently listed with a REALTOR®, please disregard this material. Not intended to solicit currently listed property

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

15

2960 TUNA CANYON

2960 TUNA CANYON

2960 TUNA CANYON

$4,500,000 | Nancy Nelms

$4,500,000 | Nancy Nelms

$4,500,000 | Nancy Nelms

20711 MEDLEY LANE

20711 MEDLEY LANE

20711 MEDLEY LANE

$1,299,000 | Nancy, Drew & Sarah

$1,299,000 | Nancy, Drew & Sarah

$1,299,000 | Nancy, Drew & Sarah

2 2 8 2 5 P O R TA G E C I R C L E

2 2 8 2 5 P O R TA G E C I R C L E

2 2 8 2 5 P O R TA G E C I R C L E

$1,210,000 | Drew & Sarah

$1,210,000 | Drew & Sarah

$1,210,000 | Drew & Sarah

SOLD

SOLD

SOLD

20440 CALLON DRIVE

20440 CALLON DRIVE

20440 CALLON DRIVE

$1,399,000 | Drew & Sarah

$1,399,000

$1,399,000 | Drew & Sarah

| Drew & Sarah

Photos by: Eleanor Zeri

Juneteenth, 2020

By Eleanor Zeri

“Nobody’s Free until Everyone is free” -Fannie Lou Hammer Unnamed ball dance lip-syncing and dancing for crowd for Beyonce.

Juneteenth, June 19, symbolizes the liberation of Black Americans, and is the day for them to reflect on the oppressive systems that still exist. According to Frederick Douglas, June 19th is, “what to the slave is the Fourth of July.”

Painting donated by local artist to NoHo4BLM in support of Juneteenth.

On that day in 1776, the U.S. declared itself an independent and free nation but it did not include freedom for everyone. When the emancipation proclamation came into effect in 1863 (87 years later), it did not instantly free slaves. It took two years for the news of freedom to reach everyone.

A digital creative in the Entertainment business comes out to celebrate Juneteenth with own t-shirt

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to deliver the news that the Civil War was over and slavery was abolished. Juneteenth is the holiday that honors the freedom of 250,000 people across Texas.

Monica Salazer and Friend pose w/ Breonna Taylor poster donated by local artists, @Africansniper and @ernestoyerena for attendees to take.

On June 19, 2020 in NoHo, many people showed up to celebrate. In a park setting, people showed up wearing masks, chairs out, signs up, blankets down, and love in their hearts. Most mingled with people they never knew before. It was a well-organized celebration with dancers, key-note speakers, live music, DJ’d music, free-food, games, arts, selling of black lives matter t-shirts, and more food.

(Continued Page 18) Gatherers join-in, forming a large dance ensemble

LGBTQ key-note speakers and ball dancers

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

17

NEWS FEATURE (Continued from Page 17)

Juneteenth, 2020 Photos by: Eleanor Zeri

(l-r) Shayla, keynote speaker, unnamed NoHo4BLM organizer, Cosbi Siringi NoHo4BLM keynote speaker, attendee & keynote speaker, Valley of Change keynote speaker Reggie Watkins.

By Eleanor Zeri Two organizations put this day together and acquired the funding: The Valley of Change and North Hollywood “4” Black Lives Matter (BLM). One of the NoHo BLM leaders, Cosby Siringi, declared through blaring speakers, “This is not a sprint, this is a marathon…look at all the goodness that has come from this. Choke holds are illegal; racist statues and monuments are being taken dow;, Ella Jones is the first black mayor in Ferguson: Instead of adding to the budget, Mayor Garcetti took 500 million from; one of the three officers who shot Breonna Taylor was charged.But… there is still so much to do.”

An interracial couple, white husband and his black wife, Shayla, separately spoke to the crowd about the future they seek. Shayla declared that love can move us to do a number of things. “Love moves us to be heroic and noble,” she sai. It is what brought us here to today to celebrate and stand together for our fallen soldiers who

stood for freedom.” She said she sees a world where monuments read, “Victory and justice prevail. Her powerful voice asks if the crowd believes in this world too and, if so, “you have to fight for it; you have to vote for it!”

Her husband tells the crowd what it’s like to have a black queen and says, “My purpose in all this is to be a light of love and healing, to guarantee the lives of my children…equal opportunity.” He quotes his wife, “Human life is of the utmost importance; it cannot be debated or argued… let this year be a year of clarity of how institutions marginalize, ostracize, trivialize, and economically paralyze our black communities.”

The end of the celebration was nothing if not the most inspirational of the day. Transgendered women and gay men delivered speeches of their experiences growing up as black men, as gay men, as trans women.

Calypso talked about what it was like to be young a black kid in Hollywood. “I added color to the screen,” as he recounted how agent s were openly discriminating.

A s a tran s gendered woman , Calyps o faced more adversity, yet found community at the “Balls.” In a 1990 documentary, Paris is Burning, filmed by Jennie Levingston, it chronicles the ball culture in New York City and the African-American, Latino, gay, and transgender communities involved in it during the 1980s ( IMDB). At the balls, groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Speeches were followed by dancing: the crowd erupted and rejoiced, people were screaming.

Following Juneteenth Protests Continued in DTLA

By Eleanor Zeri “Keep the momentum going,” is what organizers said the day before, so that’s what L.A. protestors did. Many more protests erupted after Juneteenth throughout L.A., and in each city. The Canyon Chronicle found one of the more sedate protest sites, but the message was strong.

At 3;30 p.m., when the train from the NoHo station to downtown L.A. (DTLA) stopped near City Hall, there were no cars in the street and no people walking along the sidewalk. DTLA was a ghost town. Across the lawn from City Hall there was a sit-in tent city. Sidewalks were spray painted with, “No justice! No peace!” When asked how long they were there for, the residents said, “Two weeks.” When asked for how long, they replied, “As long as it takes.” Signs were strung up; one said, “KKK was the first Police System in the USA. Source: Kappeler. 2014.” Coming up on the encampment, power to the people was inescapably clear: “What Do We Want? Change!”

A stencil of a man lying where he died represented the classic chalk-marked silhouette of a man, all that is left after the body is removed by the coroner. The silhouette had three red dots, signifying bullet holes. Written above his head were the words, “It’s not a trend.”

To know what’s happening and when in real time, follow inthistogether_la on Instagram.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

Photos by: Eleanor Zeri

NEWS FEATURE

Arthur Valentine—1892-1967

By Pablo Capra In Topanga’s past, there is an eerily familiar story of a police attack on an African American man on Memorial Day that happened exactly 100 years before the death of George Floyd. The man was Arthur Valentine, and the attack similarly left a tear in the social fabric that altered the course of race relations.

Arthur Valentine (1892-1967) was born in Des Moines, IA, and lived in downtown LA off Central Ave. According to his granddaughter, Jataun Valentine, a Venice community leader whose face you may know from a mural on Lincoln Blvd. near Rose Ave., Arthur Valentine worked as the chauffeur for a Topanga family.

Jataun and Pablo Capra

On May 30, 1920, when Memorial Day was celebrated, Valentine, his wife Charlotte, children Arthur Jr. and Gwendolyn, and friend, Horace Walker, tried to go swimming at Topanga Beach in front of Cooper’s Camp. They were immediately hassled by proprietor Miller Cooper and Deputy Sheriff Archie Cooper. Five-year-old Gwendolyn was pushed aside, which may have been the breaking point for Valentine.

The Cooper brothers claimed that Valentine had refused to pay the fee to use their property and had defended his right to be below the mean tide line by pulling a gun. Archie disarmed him, fought him one-on-one while the others were held at gunpoint, and arrested him.

Valentine claimed that the fight was racially motivated and they had pistolwhipped him. Years later, the African American newspaper, The California Eagle, wrote that he’d been shot in the leg. Jataun remembers that he did have a bad leg, and that he wore a monocle to correct an injured eye. She had heard his injuries were the result of a fight, but he never talked about his problems. Instead, she thinks he dealt with misfortune by striving harder for success. He went on to grow a side business making Black cosmetics, and then became a real estate agent.

The Cooper brothers were born in a small town called Danby, near Ithaca, NY. Miller Cooper, the older brother, was usually mild-mannered enough to stay out of the news. Besides managing Cooper’s Camp, he developed the land behind it into the Topango Ranch. He lived there with his wife Mary M., daughters Edna, Sarah, and Mary Laurania, and father-in-law Henry Monroe, who ran the Topango Store.

Archie Cooper was hot-headed, reckless, and stubborn. Before moving to Topanga Beach, he’d been a motorcycle cop in South Pasadena. A three-year report showed that, since he’d been hired, there were fewer warnings given and double

the number of fines and arrests. Cooper had been in at least six speeding accidents, miraculously escaping each time with minor injuries.

A second deputy sheriff, Canadian Frank DeWar, also got involved in the beach fight, either because he was living there, too, or just happened to be visiting for the holiday. This tough guy was a veteran of two wars, and would go on to become Los Angeles’s ultimate noir cop, in charge of the city’s anti-gangster squad.

Miller’s father-in-law Henry Monroe held a gun at the beach fight, but his participation was considered insignificant.

Were these men racists? It seems so. In court, their attorney Samuel S. Hahn, who ominously went by “S. S.,” tried to justify their actions by saying that “he would not care to be close to any colored person” either. More race-baiting comments were made by their second attorney, John L. Richardson.

During this time, Los Angeles was experiencing a Ku Klux Klan resurgence. In Topanga, a resort called Kneen’s Kamp advertised with the initials KKK by inserting the word “Komfort” into its name. In Santa Monica Canyon, “the greatest Ku Klux Klan initiation ever held in the West” took place on March 29, 1922. Cars lined the beach for more than a mile, as 300 Klansmen inducted 800 new members, with 200 others in attendance.

Weeks later, an incident called “The Inglewood Raid” led to the outing of many Klansmen who were Los Angeles officials, including Sheriff William Traeger, the boss of Archie and DeWar. Traeger was especially close to DeWar, promoting him to Undersheriff, honoring him with a diamond-studded badge, and treating him as his successor. However, just as Traeger was about to leave office, DeWar died in a plane crash.

Police Chief Louis Oaks was also outed as a Klan s man . Re s ponding to accusations that the KKK was undermining the morale of the police force, his department outrageously stated that, while 50 percent of its officers were indeed KKK members, it saw “no reason why the policemen cannot join the organization if they so wish, provided they perform their duties.”

The Valentine case ended, after nearly three years of strategic delays in Los Angeles Superior Court, when charges against the Cooper brothers and DeWar were dismissed because of “insufficient evidence.”

The California Eagle published its assessment of what the case had meant to the African American community 25 years later. “…[W]hile a satisfactory victory was not won, at least Negroes of this community served notice on that element seeking to establish a JimCrow policy on the ocean beaches, that they would fight to the last ditch to protect and preserve their citizenship rights.”

—“On the Sidewalk,” The California Eagle, January 2, 1947 The embarrassment of these events led to a decrease in the KKK and its eventual outlawing in California.

African Americans decided that they needed their own beach and established their presence at Bay Street Beach in Santa Monica, where they had historically felt safe because it was near a Black church. Bay Street Beach became an important gathering place for decades and is also known for producing the first recorded California surfer of color, Nick Gabaldon.

Bay Street Beach was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2019. *** This is an excerpt from Pablo Capra’s book Topanga Beach: A History, 1820s-1920s, now available from Topanga Homegrown, The Reel Inn, and Capra’s website (brasstackspress.com). Pablo Capra is a board member of the Topanga Historical Society. (topangahistoricalsociety.org)

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

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COMMENTARY Lessons from a Dinosaur and a Great Teacher

By Tina Boivin

The Origin of Power

By Amy Weisberg, M.Ed. The second founding principle of the U.S. Constitution, “All political power emanates from the people,” relates to the concept of the government as a social contract between the people and those in government.

The power of the people is stated in the words “We the people…,” the first three words of the Constitution of the United States. It is the basis for the Declaration of Independence which states, “That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

So how does this concept impact parents and children?

We, as citizens, create social contracts that, in effect, are modeled after the government and institutions we know. These social contracts are between parents and children, teachers and children, coaches, friends and relatives. They imply an understanding between people, as all of our relationships emanate from us, and it is up to us to create the principles and the foundations for these relationship “contracts.”

When things change, or the foundations no longer hold true for us, we can negotiate our social contracts to something that will work. The ability to modify our social contracts depends on communication, the ability to express our needs and knowledge of social expectations.

The ability to communicate with others is one of the most important skills we can teach our children. We teach young children to express themselves and, as parents and teachers, we continue to reinforce this skill as children grow by asking them to use words to describe their feelings. It is inevitable that children will struggle to articulate their feelings and often resort to crying or express physical responses to disagreements.

As adults, we are responsible for teaching children to pause and gather their composure, breathe and think about why they are upset and what they want to say to the person they are upset with. If we teach children to do this, to be with their own thoughts for a minute, before reacting, they will be able to tell the other person why they are upset. This gives the other person a chance to either apologize or explain their perspective. When two people can talk together, they have a better chance of working things out.

Expressing our needs is a skill that requires practice from an early age and continues through adulthood. Too often we are accommodating, putting our own needs on hold, acquiescing to another’s needs. These feelings that are held in and not expressed, build up, making us resent others and, at worst, explode, taking our family or friends by surprise. Expressing our needs when they occur eliminates the element of surprise.

Children can learn to express their needs but might require some prompting and language to learn how. We can say things like, “It seems like you are upset. Are you feeling disappointed?” Those simple sentences give children the words “upset,” and “disappointed.” Then children can begin to use the language to express their own feelings.

My granddaughter has learned to use words like “frustrated” to express an exact feeling she is dealing with. It is more specific than a word like “sad” or “mad.” When she says the word “frustrated” we can ask her further questions such as, “What are you frustrated about?” Or we can simply restate the feeling and emphasize, for example, “You seem really frustrated. Do you need some help talking to your friend?” In that way, we can facilitate a resolution and help to dissolve the conflict.

We begin building our social contracts based on social expectations, and these expectations are dependent on our family values, where we live, and the laws in the areas of where we live. Each family has values based on how we were raised, the religious values we hold, and the desired behavior we wish to instill in our children.

Understanding and forming strong connections to these foundational values enables us to explain and teach them to our children and to model them ourselves.

As we know, children learn what they live, so as parents, we teach our children through our own behavior. For example, if we want to teach our children to help others, we can provide opportunities for participation in charity events that help others in our immediate community, and to recognize acts of kindness.

If we want to teach our children to care about the community we live in, we can get involved in community events such as beach cleanup days or trail restoration, and discuss things that are happening in our community with our children. If we want to teach our children to respect elders in the community, we can participate in delivering meals to seniors, or shopping for seniors who are homebound. Kids can make cards or crafts for seniors for holidays and spend time with grandparents or seniors in their neighborhood listening to stories and reading books.

We can develop rules and we can try to enforce them but, in order to get buy-in from our children, we need to help them understand the rules in a way that makes sense to them. When this happens, we can develop social contracts that are agreeable to both adults and children, modeling a founding principle that uses our power to create a social contract that ensures our safety and happiness.

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July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

I sat parked in my station wagon, patiently waiting along the curb for our first grader to come into view. I watched as a torrent of kids running or walking to meet their parent. Finally, I recognized Kyle’s towhead. The minute he climbed into the car and buckled himself into the car seat, he wriggled around as if his underwear was too tight. “Kyle, what’s wrong?” I asked.

He furrowed his eyebrows and squirmed even more. What could’ve happened at school that made him so anxious? Not wanting to add further stress, I waited quietly for him to respond.

Kyle fiddled with his seatbelt. “You’re going to get mad at me.” He gave a dramatic pause, and then admitted what had happened.

“We were coloring and...and I drew a peepee on my dinosaur. The teacher sent me to the principal’s office.” He heaved a heavy sigh.

A giggle slowly started sneaking from the bottom of my stomach up to my throat. I couldn’t let him know this was funny or, undoubtedly, he would do it again.

Lassoing the giggle, I cleared my throat. “Kyle, that’s inappropriate to draw at school. Let’s not do that again, okay?”

“Okay,” he replied, still sounding upset.

“Kyle, I’m not mad. Sometimes things like that happen. You’ve been working hard on thinking before you do or say things in class and that’s good. But now you know you shouldn’t draw things like that at school.”

His facial muscles relaxed.

Internally, I was out of sorts. Why did his teacher have to overreact? Kids are kids.

I’m sure all he needed was to be told it was not okay to draw things like that at school, not gone so far as to send him to the principal’s office. I wanted to leave a message for his teacher to call me but decided to wait until the following day so I could cool down. However, life kept me busy and I kept forgetting to call. About a week later, Kyle handed me information about an open house scheduled the following week. I decided to wait until then to talk to his teacher in person.

The room was full of parents. Mrs. Bordier, his teacher, stood in the front of the class asking us to look for our child’s folder and then take a seat. I felt uncomfortable trying to sit on the small first-grader chair.

This raven-haired teacher explained in detail what the kids were learning and how we could best help them. She walked around the room talking individually to concerned parents, going over their work, patiently answering questions, always with a genuine smile.

I wanted to broach the peepee incident when there were fewer people around.

When she finally came over to me, she had a huge smile. ‘I’m impressed with how well Kyle is doing in class this year.

He’s matured a lot,” she said. She had been his kindergarten teacher the previous year.

I stood up ready to discuss “the problem,” but she bubbled into the next sentence.

“A couple of weeks ago, I had passed out photocopies of various dinosaurs so the students could color them. In a few minutes, I heard an explosion of laughter and giggles from a circle of kids surrounding Kyle. I took the photocopy from him and was surprised to see that he had added an appendage to his dinosaur.

Embarrassed, I didn’t know what to say, so I sent him to the principal’s office.”

“Yes, Kyle told me,” I replied.

Since I too am a teacher, I was about to inform her how she should have handled the situation, but she continued.

“I shouldn’t have sent him out. I should have told the class maybe that’s why dinosaurs became extinct because they didn’t have a peepee. That was a teaching moment that I let pass because I had overreacted.”

I smiled, remembering how easy it was to not to deal with the problem by sending a student out of the room while trying to teach a lesson.

“Thank you,” I replied. “I know how hard it is to think on the cuff. I make plenty of mistakes in the classroom and have to go back and correct them or apologize.”

Mrs. Bordier was already a fabulous teacher in my family’s eyes. She didn’t expect her young students to sit quietly while they were doing their work and often allowed them to work with others as long as they were working. Kyle, who often had a hard time sitting still and listening, never felt judged because this teacher accepted everyone at their individual level. Admitting her mistake only placed her higher on the rung of perfection.

When I arrived home, I shared with Kyle what his teacher had said. He beamed.

“She already apologized to me in class last week,” he said.

Well, that impressed me even further.

As a high school teacher, many students complain that teachers rarely apologize when they make mistakes. It was obvious that Mrs. Bordier not only loved kids, but truly loved teaching. She taught her students an invaluable life lesson: It’s okay to apologize when you make a mistake.

There are many qualities a great teacher must have to help build a child’s confidence and love for learning. He or she must love kids and accept each child at their own level. They should be funny and make learning interesting, encouraging and motivating them without criticism. They must be kind, patient and teach in multiple ways supporting the different strengths of each child. Most importantly, they need to believe that all students can learn.

The flexibility, dedication, and true caring, that teachers demonstrate every day is awe-inspiring. Beyond providing basic teaching of various subjects, they are demonstrating human values and behavior. Children are receiving important messages about caring about one another, working together, and what it means to be a human being. We owe these heroes our eternal gratitude.

We were honored to have Mrs. Bordier as Kyle’s teacher and feel lucky to have sent both our children to Topanga Elementary.

CULTURE

The land on which the Sydney Opera House stands, was a place of gathering for Aboriginal peoples. Photo by Linda Ballou.

A Bridge Between Two Cultures

By Linda Ballou Since time immemorial Tubowgule, the land on which the Sydney Opera House stands, has been a place of gathering for Aboriginal peoples. The clans would meet on the tidal island to dance, sing, feast, and share their stories. Today, that piece of land that juts out into the Sydney Harbor is called Bennelong Point. On my tour of Australia, I noticed Bennelong’s name popping up everywhere making me curious about the importance of this man.

Woolarawarre Bennelong was a notable leader of the Wangal, a clan of the Eora people that lived in Manly, a long canoe paddle across Sydney Harbor. I took the fast ferry ride there from Sydney Cove to spend the day exploring the popular stop. Manly Cove enjoys calm waters in the protected harbor, but a short walk across the isthmus lined with trendy shops takes you to the open sea. Surfers bob in and out of the remarkably warm rolling surf, and nearby snorkelers ply the deep aquamarine waters where a reef provides shelter for a myriad of fishes. Much of Manly is preserved with hiking trails leading to good viewing spots of the bay. I could see why the Aboriginal people were happy here

We belong to the earth. It does not belong to us. - Aboriginal saying In 1788, Captain Arthur Phillip landed in Sydney Cove with the first fleet of convicts. He brought about 1,300 unfortunate men, 25 wives of these men, and 100 prostitutes to populate the colony. This filthy, hungry, sorry lot would be put to work building the colony. Phillip was given orders from King George III to encourage good relations with the natives. Due to an accident in Brazil, Phillip was missing a front tooth. This started things out well. In the Eora tradition, a male child’s transition from boyhood to manhood is marked by knocking out a front tooth. They believed this bizarre pale spirit must be a brave warrior.

Following in the wake of many of the explorers like Captain James Cook, Phillip’s approach to good relations was to abduct a ruling chief to ensure civil obedience. In 1789 he sent his men to Manly where they captured Bennelong, a vital 25-year-old warrior. They tied and gagged him and took him back to the governor’s home where he was to become civilized.

Bennelong Bennelong dressed in English attire. had a quick mind and was curious Courtesy of .... about the ways of the whites. He allowed them to dress him in their costumes. He could be seen strolling Sydney streets wearing frilly shirts with lace cuffs and a bright red jacket with brass [epaulets] and tight britches. He learned English and became an ambassador of the native peoples sharing his knowledge of their culture with Phillip.

He soon became hated in both worlds. The Aboriginal people saw him as a traitor to their culture. They witnessed the drunken, violent newcomers spreading disease among their numbers, while the white convicts and indentured servants who were building the new city, eating rotting food, and wearing rags, resented the black dandy strolling the streets enjoying the life of a lord. Bennelong, now in residence in the governor’s house, enjoyed society and earned the reputation as a pants man.

Bennelong was allowed to visit his people in Manly and invited Captain Phillip to a feast being held there. Phillip saw this as a perfect opportunity to reconcile with

Bennelong’s people by the fact that he had abducted their leader. As he was talking to Bennelong, a warrior inserted a ritual spear into his back. This was not a deadly strike. It was a common response to an offense committed in the Aboriginal culture to be speared. Phillip took this injury with amazing aplomb and did nothing to retaliate.

Bennelong’s relationship with him improved.

Emboldened, Bennelong requested Phillip build him a house on what became Bennelong’s Point and allow his wife, Barangaroo, to give birth to their child in the governor’s house.

Phillip agreed to both conditions.

In 1792 Phillip’s health failed. He returned to England taking Bennelong with him.

Bennelong was put on display in the court where he held his own, especially with the ladies.

He made the rounds to the usual tourist attractions and enjoyed a gracious lifestyle in England.

Australian Aboriginal leader Woolarawarre Bennelong.

However, in 1795 Courtesy of .... the damp climate had damaged his lungs and he became homesick.

To the consternation of the English ruling the colony when he returned to Australia, Bennelong dropped his English manners. He went back to wearing a thong of kangaroo leather, painted his face, and let his full-blown hair grow. He paddled his canoe to Manly where he reconnected to the land and the ways of his people. He became a respected elder in his tribe. Sadly, he developed a penchant for rum and succumbed to drunken rages. It is reported he was given to beating his wives and anyone else who got in his way. When he died in 1813 his obituary in the Sydney Gazette did not read kindly: Of this veteran champion of the native tribe little favorable can be said. His voyage and benevolent treatment in Britain produced no change whatever in his manner and inclinations, which were naturally barbarous and ferocious.

Race relations have been slow to improve in Australia. In 1957, landscape artist, Albert Namatjira, became the first Aboriginal man to have the right to vote and purchase property. Prior to that, Aboriginal people were considered fauna with no rights. Even today, it is against the law for Aboriginal people to drink alcohol in public in some parts of the country.

Today Aboriginals are viewed in a more charitable light. Bennelong is hailed as a bridge between the two cultures showing good humor and keen intellect. He was saddened by the horrific loss of life from smallpox and venereal disease the whites perpetrated on his people, yet he cooperated with the attempts of the English to “uplift” him. As recently as 2018 Bennelong was given recognition for his role in the integration of the white and black people of Australia.

The State Government spent $3 million to purchase Putney home that contains the gravesite of Bennelong at Kissing Point in Sydney, where the Sydney Gazette published its opinion of the decision: We need to make sure we are protecting our heritage and preserving the past.

Linda Ballou visited Australia earlier this year. This account, however, is reprinted from her Boomer column, www.nabbw.com, Captain Arthur Phillips. following an earlier visit.

July 10 Vol. 1 No. 2

21

ARTS & CULTURE Together Again

By Sari Scheer We’ve stayed at home, cleaned out the closets and rearranged the furniture – and the Topanga Canyon Gallery Artists have made art!

As Topanga peeks out carefully from our weeks of being “safer at home” the Topanga Canyon Gallery is ready to provide an enriching place to start.

The Gallery is pleased to re-open on July Fourth with a new show, Together Again.

The gallery will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 12-5pm. No reception for this show, but plenty to see, so bring a friend, and enjoy some social distancing time at the gallery.

The show will also be online at topangacanyongallery.com, so if you are not venturing out yet, enjoy the show from home Together Again will include all of the Gallery artist members, who are eager to Together Alone, Patrick Ramsey. show their work after months at home. You will see work

Support the Topanga Symphony During Quarantine

in every medium and style, representing what the artists want to share in our changed world.

After Together Again, the Gallery will offer a new format for the rest of this year and into 2021 with a combination of solo artist shows, two-artist and three-artist shows. This an opportunity for them to fully explore their visions and display a greater diversity of the work of these artists from show to show both in the gallery and online with artist interviews and exploration of the ideas presented.

We can’t let art take a back seat while we are getting back on our feet. Stay safe, stay separate, and come enjoy the world of art!

Gallery hours are Saturday and Sunday 12-5, Italian Street Scene, Idelle Okman-Tyzbir. or by appointment. If you see something you like, and would like to make an appointment to view it, email info@topangacanyongallery.com, or call Toby Salkin at (818) 888-3792.

Topanga Canyon Gallery is an artist-owned mutual benefit corporation. It is located at 120 N Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga CA 90290. For more information: info@topangacanyongallery.com; TopangaCanyonGallery.com. July Gallery Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m.

programs, and from generous grants from LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl and the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture Organizational Grant Program.

The Topanga Symphony is truly a shining star of the Topanga community and the surrounding Santa Monica Mountains. As we await the next concert performance, secure your Topanga Symphony lapel pin with the new logo and wear it proudly.

The Topanga Symphony Lapel Pin

By Sari Scheer The Topanga music season always begins with the summer concert but the 38th Season did not begin this year because its performance hall at the Topanga Community Club is closed due to COVID-19.

Until the first concert of the new season is rescheduled, the Board of Directors encourages the Symphony’s fans to take note of the new logo designed by former Topanga resident, award-winning logo designer and graphic artist, Connie Schurr.

Replicating the new logo is a newly minted lapel pin that is now available for purchase at: topangasymphony.com. This is a way to continue supporting this muchloved volunteer organization that has brought quality classical music to the canyon for 37 years.

Wear it proudly and let others know they can still support the Topanga Symphony.

The Board of Directors is also producing additional items: hats, bags, wine glasses, and t-shirts, that will be available for purchase soon.

Meanwhile, you can still support the Topanga Symphony as community members through tax-deductible donations to the “Friends of the Topanga Symphony,” that usually depends upon local businesses that place ads in the concert

To p a n g a Christian C h r i s t i a n Fellowship Fe l l o w s h i p Topanga “The Little Church That Could”

Our concerts are on hold for a whilte but you can still support us. The Topanga Symphony is launching our new logo designed by Connie Schurr. This 11/2 inch metal lapel pin wtih the new logo is available at topangasymphony.com.

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We welcome you to

July 10 Vol. No. 2 Celebrate the 1Resurrection with us

at 10:30 a.m.

www.TheCanyonChronicle.com

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Brokerage sales volume data based off available CLAW MLS data, and any known off market sales data for Topanga single family home transaction sides as of June 29th, 2020, and all of 2019, as well as CLAW MLS active listing volume and any known off market sales as of June 29th, 2020 in Topanga or Malibu. Compass named #1 per La Business Journal. Additional off market sales or listings may exist that are not known nor included. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Sales volume represents a compilation of listings from various brokerage firms and may or may not have been listed or sold by the office/agent presenting the information.