The Canyon Chronicle- April 14, 2023 (Vol. 4, No. 7) -www.thecanyonchronicle.com

The Spirit that Drives Us

It’s not just a Topanga thing, but a human calling to step into the breach when times are hard or something is wrong. We, here, probably have more chances to put that instinct into play, what with the constant threat of fires, more recently floods, falling rocks and trees, oh, and a pandemic. That truly showed the Topangan spirit.

As proud as we at this end of The Canyon Chronicle are of the Topanga community, we are even prouder to share with our readers Nira’s account, “Eyes on Israel,” of that spirit manifesting thousands of miles away in her photo montage and diary of the protests in Israel. She was well out of her comfort zone and yet brought it to life for us. (Pages 8-9).

Something of that manifests in all the articles in this issue. In the News section Annemarie Donkin brought in a press release announcing a Gun Violence Prevention plan by LA County Department of Public Health and community partners. Joel Bellman brings his astute insight into the misguided effort to ban books and gays. There’s even “Poetry in the News”to begin Poetry Month with Kathy Gibboney waxing poetic about the Tennessee 3 debacle. The monthly “Schoolhouse Scoop” keeps us apprised of what’s going on in our public school. Paula LaBrot is in India where she was invited to teach a media literacy class at The Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT). We received her first missive from there... even after losing her computer on the flight over. Our latest contributor, Sarah Spitz is “Out and About” with Arts events we’d never know about or know in depth because of her lifetime of experience covering the arts.

A new writer, Chris Conway, has opened the door to what has become a pet project of mine, a series about cannabis sativa, hemp. I was never interested in getting high, but THC has its place. As does CBD. As does cannabis manufacturing of building products to replace trees to build houses that are more fire resistant when built with hemp products, such as hemp blocks and hemp plywood, than with cement and wood. Hemp farming is also a boon in the fight against climate change where the fast-growing plant puts more nutrients into the ground and takes more CO2 out of the air in its short growing time between planting in May and harvesting in November.

It’s a delight to cover some of the events that have returned as life begins to settle down. Our kids get to perform in plays, learn science and art, love their teachers. Our two places of worship are offering study groups and classes in their philosophies and beliefs. In fact, Rabbi Mendy Piekarski, the son-in-law of Rabbi Dovid Weiss and his wife Dina, writes an ongoing column,

and questions that ask us to think about how we want to live.

The Canyon Chronicle is such a little newspaper but its pages express such an abundance of life and the spirit that drives it, thanks to those who fill its pages. The gratitude never stops.

—Flavia Potenza

Publisher / Editor

Flavia Potenza

Creative Director Nira Lichten

Senior Reporter

Annemarie Donkin

Advertising Manager

Jenise Blanc-Chance

Creative Consultant

Eiffel Nazaryan

Contributors

Linda Ballou

Joel Bellman

Pablo Capra

Kathie Gibboney

Sarah Spitz

Paula LaBrot

Kait Leonard

Amy Weisberg

Kim Zanti

Copy Editor / Distribution

Ellie Carroll

Contact US editor@thecanyonchronicle.com

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P.O. Box 1101 Topanga, CA 90290 New Number: (310) 526-1203

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The Canyon Chronicle is an independent community newspaper published bi-weekly by Canyon Media, Inc.©2020. All rights reserved. thecanyonchronicle.com

Artist

cover again with more than a hint of spring! It has arrived in this painting, mimicking the green hills of Topanga, thanks to the winter rains and the flagrant super abundance of millions of wildflowers, some of which we’ve never met, each one saying, “Look at me! Look at me!” And sure enough, we stare in awe, unable even to blink for fear of missing something, wanting to indelibly engrave in our memory all the beauty of the earth. It makes me want to forgive the raccoon bandits who broke into my bedroom and stole the cat food and terrified the cats. Actually, I can. Thank you, David.

David Anson Russo graces The Canyon Chronicle’s

“Soul & Coffee,” with stories

PHOTO COURTESY OF NIRA LICHTEN

Former Topangan Nira Lichten, who declares herself a graphic designer—not a journalist, writer, photographer, or even aspires to any of those professions—took on the task when we asked her to create a photo montage of the astonishing photos she took of the protests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in her new hometown of Haifa, Israel. Here she is in one of the happier moments with a four-legged protester who for a moment made her forget her sore feet after the miles she walked to join the fight for democracy. All of us who know and miss Nira, recognize and welcome that smile.

Public Health Launches Gun Violence Prevention

A multi-point plan developed with community partners to reduce gun violence in L.A. County including a federal ban on assault weapons.

By By Annemarie Donkin

On April 7, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released a multi-point Gun Violence Prevention Platform to address gun violence impacting communities in Los Angeles County and across the United States. Using a public health approach to gun violence, the partners identified four key priority areas and accompanying strategies that will form the foundation of actions to be taken in 2023:

1. Gun Safety Legislation: Advocate for robust gun safety legislation, locally and nationally, including reinstatement of the federal ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines.

2. Social Connections and Healing Services: Support efforts to promote social connections, healing practices, and a culture of peace.

3. Gun Violence Restraining Orders

Awareness and Enforcement: Improve public awareness and access to gun violence restraining orders. Ensure that services, systems, and messaging are culturally relevant and make it easy for community residents to initiate gun violence restraining orders.

4. School Safety and Services: Increase access to comprehensive, culturally relevant physical and mental health supports and services for all K-12 students. Enhance school safety by implementing pilot

initiatives in at least three school districts.

The platform was developed and will be implemented by a diverse group of County and community partners including community and faith leaders, health care and mental health professionals, social service providers, and public health practitioners.

The platform was informed by data that consistently shows the impact of systemic racism in perpetuating a cycle of violence that leaves young Black and Brown men in L.A. County experiencing the highest rates of death by firearms.

“There have been far too many families and communities in L.A. County impacted by violence that is both predictable and preventable,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. “Stronger gun regulations and innovative solutions that are laid out in the Gun Violence Prevention Platform are necessary steps to address this

crisis and prevent acts of violence—including mass shootings—that take the lives of friends, neighbors, and community members.”

The platform was released on Friday, April 7, during Los Angeles County Public Health Week that recognizes public health contributions and highlights issues that are important to improve community health.

“Gun violence is a public health issue,” said Susan Stone, MD, L.A. Care’s Senior Medical Director of Utilization and Care Management Services. “As the largest public health plan in the country, serving many who have suffered from gun violence, L.A. Care is committed to working with our county partners in taking a stand against gun violence and for gun safety, making people’s lives safer and healthier. And, as an ER doctor, I’ve seen the devastation of gun violence on families and want to help minimize the pain.”

The Department of Public Health is committed to promoting health equity and ensuring optimal health and well -being for all 10 million residents of Los Angeles County.

Through a variety of programs, community partnerships and services, Public Health oversees environmental health, disease control, and community and family health. Nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health comprises of more than 5,000 employees and has an annual budget of $1.3 billion.

To view the entire plan: publichealth.lacounty. gov/ovp/docs/GVPP/2023%20GVP%20 Platform%20Report.pdf. For more information and to get involved, contact the Office of Violence Prevention at: (626) 293-2610; or ovp@ph.lacounty.edu.

Ban, Baby, Ban

By Joel Bellman

Today’s conservatives have done a masterful job creating a fake media narrative casting themselves as stalwart defenders of free speech against the woke mobs of the “RADICAL LEFT DEMOCRATS,” as the criminally charged Former Guy routinely screams from his Truth Social account.

Like all propaganda and disinformation, in its most persuasive iteration there is always a grain of truth at the heart of the claims, which most people are unable or unwilling to disentangle from the web of lies and deceit spun around them.

It is true, and deplorable, that conservative speakers sometimes get shouted down or disinvited altogether from some college campuses. And it is not only disappointing, but flat wrong that politically incorrect individuals and viewpoints are suppressed by book publishers, newspapers, and magazines. And suppressed not as part of editorial judgment, but as a result of ideologically oriented external protest campaigns, or internal pressure from hypersensitive employees who have no business overriding an orderly process.

Here, I’m thinking specifically of:

• Woody Allen, whose memoir “Apropos of Nothing” was abruptly canceled by Hachette Book Group only days before publication in March 2020 (but subsequently published by Skyhorse Publishing) after employee protests because of a longstanding (but unproven and never prosecuted) claim by his adoptive daughter that Allen had once molested her 28 years earlier.

• James Bennet, the New York Times editorial page editor—and brother of Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)—who was fired in June 2020 because the newsroom employees loudly objected to a conservative op-ed piece by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK).

• Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) whose estate in 2021 bowed to an organized outside campaign to end publication of six of his children’s books because they “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong,” e.g. a “Chinaman” with pigtails and peaked hat in the 1938 book “To Think That I Saw it On Mulberry Street,” and an “Eskimo fish” wearing a little parka in “McElligot’s Pool” (1947).

• Blake Bailey, whose monumental biography of author Philip Roth was renounced by his publisher W. W. Norton & Co. soon after its well-reviewed publication in 2022 because a number of women subsequently emerged who alleged sexual misconduct by Bailey years before when he was a teacher. No charges had ever been brought forward, and the claims remain unproven. Bailey’s new book will reportedly recount his bitter experience with cancel culture.

• Roald Dahl, famously misanthropic author of

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “James and the Giant Peach,” and many other darkly humorous children’s and adult books, whose estate recently collaborated with his publisher Penguin/Puffin UK to edit out purportedly offensive language that might threaten today’s young readers. It took the Queen Consort herself, Camilla, to back off the publisher in remarks to supporters of her online book club: “Please remain true to your calling, unimpeded by those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination.”

As in the notorious New Coke/Classic Coke marketing debacle, Puffin quickly announced that it would retain the original versions in print after all, as part of a new “classic” series. In all these examples, the pressure came from the stereotypical snowflakey left, while the criticism came from the right, whose adherents love to preen as fearless free-thinkers. But the truth is that historically, it’s the liberals, progressives, artists and intellectuals who have invariably been the critics and truth-tellers, while the right has been far more censorious than the left, driven by imperatives of dogmatic religiosity and social and political control.

Go back to Anthony Comstock, the 19th century Puritanical (literally) “social reformer” who in 1872 founded the Committee for the Suppression of Vice, bankrolled by New York City’s rich and powerful, and mounted a crusade that confiscated thousands of books, pictures, and other “obscene” material. He succeeded in pushing for a federal law, known informally as the Comstock Act, which broadened the definition of obscene matter to include information on abortion and birth control. After the law was signed, Comstock was appointed a special agent of the U.S. Post Office, where he zealously enforced his ban on mail-order

“smut” until his death 42 years later.

You can trace a straight line of Comstockery through the Motion Picture Production Code that sanitized American movies 1934-1968; the 1934 Communications Act that created the FCC and imposed strict “decency” standards on American broadcast licensees (including comedian George Carlin’s “seven dirty words” that became part of a Supreme Court case); the 1954 Comics Code driven by fears of crime and horror comics spurring juvenile delinquency; then-NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s 1999 threats to defund and evict the Brooklyn Museum over a “blasphemous” painting of the Virgin Mary; and right on up to the present day, where PEN America has identified 2,352 instances of book bans between July 2021 and June 2022, a staggering number that today is almost surely a significant undercount.

When you hear about book bans, the news stories often mockingly focus on such relatively wholesome and inoffensive literary staples as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Of Mice and Men,” “Gone With the Wind,” “The Color Purple,” and “Fahrenheit 451.”

But that’s not the whole story: the American Library Association notes that the vast majority of books subject to complaints or removal from classrooms and libraries in the name of “parental control” focus not coincidentally on people of color and LGBTQ themes. To put it bluntly, they mainly want to ban books that threaten the power and privilege of the straight white patriarchy. A survey published last September by EveryLibrary Institute, a non-profit library advocacy organization, found Democrats three times more likely than Republicans to consider preventing book bans “very important” in their decisions on voting. And while only 3% of those surveyed support book bans on the classics, a whopping 34% would support banning books that focus on sexuality.

It’s also no coincidence that the leading Republican challenger to the indicted Former Guy for the 2024 presidential nomination, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is his party’s leading cultural warrior and book-burner-in-chief. Legislation speeding through Florida’s Republican legislature at his behest would expand the state’s “don’t say gay” education ban from third grade all the way through high school, and among other provisions would allow any resident to demand the instant removal of an “objectionable” book from K-12 schools and keep it off the shelves “until the objection is resolved,” by whatever process and however long that may take.

Anthony Comstock died in 1915, and in 1965 the Supreme Court in Griswold v. Connecticut overturned the last remnant of the law that carried his name—a ban on contraception by married couples. But in 2023, in red-state America, Comstock’s spirit of prudish repression is alive and well and more dangerous than ever.

PHOTO BY JOEL BELLMAN San Francisco Beat Museum, 2021.

Kathie Gibboney starts our celebration of Poetry Month with a tribute to the Tennessee 3. More poetry to come on April 28th.

Fresh Breeze Out Of Tennessee*

In the dark gulch of the great divide do you lose your heart? Feel the tug and downward pull slow the pace of stepping lightly across the Fruited Plain? Carry with you the shadow sorrow of children shot?

Does the spring breeze pass unnoted? The squirrel with his magnificent tail appear as just a pest?

When did the champagne go flat?

There is to be a moon, the Pink Moon, the Spring Moon. Can’t you picture it? Bright and Full? Still shining on our planet, awash with hope and promise.

I rise in the middle of the night to stand Druid-like under the light to renew my spirit, to roll away the stone. But no moon is there, not east or west, nor north or south

Over in the creek a frog croaks. Then I see directly above, one star, one star shining just for me. And feel the soft Southern kiss of a breeze pass across my cheek.

—Kathie Gibboney

*Dedicated to the Tennessee 3: Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Gloria Johnson

Art Show Debuts TECS Students’ Talents

By TECS News Team

Topanga Elementary Charter School (TECS) students proudly showcased their creativity in a chic art show in the heart of the community, with every single student given the opportunity to exhibit their work.

More than 200 unique mixed media pieces were on display at the “Topanga Elementary Student Art Show” in the Topanga Library Community Room. The event opened on Wednesday, March 29 with a special Artist’s Private Viewing, where the youngsters enjoyed a celebratory flute of sparkling apple cider as they tasted the well-deserved praise for their efforts.

TECS art teacher Randy Butler, first grade mom Belle Millar, library staff including Ashley Abrams and Crysty Harding, and a team of parent volunteers came together to produce the event, which was attended by dozens of students and their families, neighbors, and other community members.

“We all worked so hard to get it done, and are really proud of their work,” Butler said. “We decided we wanted to create using different textures and techniques, along with mixed media. Topanga students are naturally talented, and it’s been such a gift to work with little artists who rise to the challenge.

“The importance and impact of art is seen on their faces and in their self-expression, and this art gallery is how we share it with the community. We decided to allow this to be a sensory experience rather than a lesson. They enjoyed the process, and that’s what the real lesson is. I am so proud of what these students did and I am ever grateful that I get to help guide, facilitate and inspire them creatively.”

In an exciting twist, an ABC News team turned up at the library as part of their reporting of how Cesar Chavez Day was being marked around the region, so the children were thrilled to witness the local news cameras capturing their event. And the show went ahead despite the young artists having to navigate the LAUSD strike

action the previous week, meaning many of the final art lessons that had been scheduled to finish their projects—which had been several weeks in the making—were canceled.

“The strike action meant it was a race against the clock to get everything ready for our opening night,” said Millar. “The kids had worked so hard on their pieces that we decided the show must go on. We really had to rally in the final 48 hours as we rushed to finish and hang the art of every single student. We’re all so very proud of what was produced—a vibrant mixed media show and a wonderful celebration of creativity.”

Art teacher Butler is one of the specialist staff funded by Topanga Enrichment Programs (TEP), the school’s parent-led fundraising body which collects donations from generous TECS families to pay for resources and personnel that LAUSD does not cover.

The school community is hugely grateful to the library staff for accommodating the young artists and providing a space where their work could be enjoyed by all Topanga residents and the wider public.

The three-day event also incorporated a presentation led by Harding, the venue’s specialist children’s librarian, who educated the students on the importance of Cesar Chavez Day, taking special care to uplift labor leader and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta who was the co-founder, along with Chavez, of the National Farmworkers Association.

Peace, Love, and Music at the TECS Gala. The annual TECS Gala, one of the highlights of the school’s social calendar, will be held on April 29 at the Topanga Community Center. This year’s event has a Woodstock theme, with local band Kummerspeck playing a setlist of 1970s rock, and DJ Heather Christie spinning tunes that will keep attendees dancing late into the night.

The catering is being provided by CAKE, a non-profit based in South Los Angeles which teaches young people life skills through handson experience in the culinary arts and hospitality industry. Through

the program, youth are empowered with confidence and professional experience to enter the workforce, and become ambassadors for health and wellness in their communities.

For tickets, which are on sale now, go to bit.ly/TECSgala2023, or search Eventbrite for Topanga Gala.

Variety Show Under the Oaks. The “Topanga Elementary Variety Show” takes place on April 16 at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, with dozens of students participating in The Wizard of Oz-themed production, and performing on the magical outdoor stage.

The event will be emceed by Stacie Burrows, a musician and comedian who performed her show Bulletproof Unicorn at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the world’s largest arts and media festival, last year. TECS students, and some special guests, have spent months rehearsing musical performances, aerial silks displays, comedy skits, and much more.

The event is organized by TEP and the school’s Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) committee, led by Stephanie Polansky, and is open to all. Tickets for the Variety Show are available now at bit.ly/41viFI1.

PHOTO BY LARA HOGAN

TK student Dakota Hogan (left) and Isla Cockrell (right) enjoy some bubbly refreshment.

PHOTO BY JENNY ATKINS

Kids enjoy the TECS art show at the Topanga Library.

PHOTO BY MARTINA PARADISO

TK student Mila Paradiso with her painting.

Eyes on Israel

Haifa, population 272,180, Israel’s third largest city. When 60,000 people show up to protest, it is a display of power. Every Saturday there is a major protest with a variety of speakers, who give speeches to a mixed crowd of young and old, men and women, religious and secular, Jews and Arabs, students and laborers. By the end of March, the protests were no longer kept for Saturday nights.

By Nira Lichten

Each week for the past three months, Israelis of different backgrounds and persuasions have taken to the streets to protest against the government’s plan to overhaul the country’s judiciary. It is important to understand that there is an ongoing investigation into alleged bribery, fraud and breach of trust by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The change of the judicial system will result in political control over judicial appointments and limit the Supreme Court’s power to overturn government decisions or declare Knesset laws unconstitutional and for the government to overrule the court’s decisions. Netanyahu is trying to weaken the corruption cases against him. Also, he is not supposed to be involved in judges’ appointments, as it would mean a Conflict of Interest.

The three major ideological goals of the coalition partners are annexations, theocracy, and inequality. Combine that with Netanyahu’s need to legitimize corruption, which requires weakening the judiciary. The coalition wants a more religious and theocratic society and permanent control over the occupied territories and oppose the creation of a Palestinian nation. They do not support citizen equality and want to impose Biblically granted Jewish sovereignty.

The new rules will hurt women, LGBTQ communities, Arabs, and other minorities. You can see a lot of rainbow flags and women wearing red at the demonstrations. It will also have a serious effect on the economy. Already investors are pulling money out of the country.

Many of Israel’s military reserve personal announced that they will not report to duty if the legislation passes. That puts Israel’s security in real danger.

There is a lot of anger toward the orthodox Jews, who do not serve in the army and do not pay taxes. They rely on huge stipends from the government, which comes out of the citizens’ pockets. Now they want to raise their benefits. So when they try to use the reform to inflict rabbinical laws, unrest follows.

I want to mention that some of Netanyahu’s ministers never served in the army, are criminals who sat in jail, or right-wing settlers who incited terror in the annexed territories. I join the protesters in the cry: “SHAME!”

In the face of overwhelming protests and pressure from the Biden Administration, Benjamin Netanyahu’s government announced a delay in its plans to reshape Israel’s judiciary. He was forced to allow Itamar Ben-Gvir, the minister of national security, to have a private force, or private militia, which would be subordinate to Ben-Gvir, rather than to the police. SHAME!

Editor’s Note: When we saw Nira Lichten’s photos of the protest in Israel, we asked her to go beyond her duties as The Canyon Chronicle’s Design Director. She lived in Topanga for 23 years and moved to Haifa last year. “I’m a graphic designer, not a writer, nor am I politically savvy. I recommend you search for more articles by journalist and professionals. I live and protest in Haifa, so all my photos are from my home town.”

JANUARY 23 — About 6,000 protesters showed up. Within weeks, this number will explode exponentially.

JANUARY 28 — Today, Saturday, Jan. 28, more than 13,000 people came to protest and protect democracy in Haifa, Israel, its biggest crowd ever! The protest started with one minute of silence in honor of Jerusalem’s terror attack victims yesterday. It was a powerful minute with such a large crowd being totally silent (I cried).

FEBRUARY 11 — More than 15,000 people showed up to protest. I climbed to the third floor of the shopping center and took this photo through a glass window. It only shows part of the crowd as the walls hid the rest. The stage was right below my camera point of view, so we can see the people facing the speakers, listening attentively.

FEBRUARY 4 — More than 12,000 protesters gathered despite the cold and rain. People were holding a flag with one hand and an umbrella with the other.

FEBRUARY 18 — Protesters have dressed in red capes and wide-brimmed bonnets, inspired by “The Handmaid’s Tale,” to highlight what may be at stake for women if the legislation is approved. 17,000 gathered in Haifa to protest the government attack on democracy. Among the speakers were a lawyer, a renowned poet, a women’s rights representative, a rabbi and members of Knesset. The protests are getting bigger and fiercer. In Tel Aviv there were 135,000 protesters. 250,000 around the country!

Israel

February 26 — More than 25,000 people joined the protest in Haifa. In Tel Aviv, 150,000 protesters showed up. Also many protests all over the country. The Israeli flag became the symbol of the protests. For a while, flags became scarce as demand exceeded supply. People wear them, carry them, hang them on balconies.

MARCH 5 — The tech sector threatened that the Israeli economy would not be the same if this reform is executed. Thursdays, at noon, the protesters gather at the main entrance to the city of Haifa, in the midst of hi-tech office buildings. These protests are getting bigger every week, and disrupt the flow of traffic. Wednesday was declared “Disruption Day.” Schools and businesses were closed, roads were blocked by many protests all over the country. In Tel Aviv, 11 protesters were injured by police and more than 50 were arrested. In Haifa, the main road was blocked. I took this photo under the giant flag.

February 23 — Thursday. We protested at the main intersection on the road to Haifa where, many of us blocked major roads. The police were pushing, spraying water at the protesters, intimidating with five horse-riding policemen. I felt bad for the horses. The noise was formidable! Sixteen people were arrested but were all released later on. A few hours later we went to protest at another location. My feet hurt! There were many other protests all over the country. I also befriended a four-legged protester (above, second frame, right)! She was a bundle of energy… it was good to have a laugh. Some creative protesters (above, second frame, left) decorated a sculpture of the founding heroes with flags and stickers. The round red stickers say “Guardians of Democracy.”

MARCH 27 — When Netanyahu fired the defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Sunday night, protesters realized that Gallant’s dismissal highlighted what they fear most, executive overreach, arbitrary rule, political silencing. The dismissal came a day after Gallant warned that the overhaul plan had compromised Israel’s security. Many reservists announced they will not show up for volunteer service if the legislation passes Within minutes of the firing, spontaneous demonstrations erupted in the streets of cities around the country. In Haifa, tens of thousands gathered around 10 p.m. and marched 3.5 miles, shouting “democratia” and other slogans, waving flags and blowing horns. We didn’t get home till 2 a.m. Haifa is considered a sleepy town, where most eateries and businesses close early in the evening. One of my fellow protesters commented, grinning: “I don’t think Haifa has ever seen so many people up and about in the street at this hour....”

MARCH 12 — Last night there were 50,000 people at the protest in Haifa, 15,000 more than last week. In Tel Aviv, 250,000 showed up, 100,000 more than the week before! Protests are getting intense. This photo shows people arriving at Mercas Horev. 10,000 were marching from the Carmel Center(lower right corner of the photo). This arial photo is from the People’s Protest Haifa Facebook page, taken using a drone.

MARCH 18 — 55,000 protesters joined me in spite of the cold. We all were armed with umbrellas but the promised rain didn’t come.

APRIL 1 — To accommodate the huge crowds, organizers of the protests added screens and amplification away from the main stage, and even a silent language translator.

A note about the police in Haifa: they are very professional and just do their job. They do their best to protect us. One policeman asked me politely, with a smile, to get on the sidewalk. I heard they are much harsher in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

...And the protests continue! A delay is not a victory. Until the “reform” is off the table, we will continue to demonstrate.

All things connected

India is Leaping into the Future

By Paula LaBrot

Dear Neighbors,

I was asked to teach a media literacy class at IIT Mandi in India. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are a group of autonomous, prestigious engineering and technology-oriented institutes of higher education established and declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Parliament of India. The IITs were created to train scientists and engineers with the aim of developing a skilled workforce to support the economic and social development of India after independence in 1947.

So, George and I are here, deep in a very remote Himalayan foothill river valley. Hold onto your hats, my friends. This is not your grandmother’s India. After a hair-raising journey on a road that makes Tuna Canyon look like a boulevard, we looked down at our destination and gasped. This place looks like one of the sleek, futuristic lairs of a James Bond villain. It is beautiful.

IIT Mandi is a science and technology-oriented college working on the cusps of bio- and every other kind of engineering. Lots of post-doctoral work being done here. We eat with engineers, architects, and scientists working on the cutting edge of science and technology. We are surrounded by brilliance.

This trip is so eye-opening. India is exploding into the future. Since George was here 21 years ago, there are new roads and sanitation, fewer beggars, and a tremendous feeling of confidence and energy as India moves into a world leadership position. There are 1.4 billion people here. According to Wikipedia, “Unlike many western nations and China, India is brimming with young people. In the words of Indian Scholar Rejaul Karim Laskar, ‘when greying population will be seen inhibiting economic growth of major countries, India will be brimming with youthful energy.’ Regionally, South Asia is supposed to maintain the youngest demographic profile after Africa and the Middle East, with the window extending up to the 2070s.” Believe me, it’s true.

What I really respond to the most here is the optimism of the youth. The young people I am meeting are proud and confident of their futures. They don’t want the world telling them what to do. They want to be Indians! And women are really moving up fast. I have come across powerful women film producers, university and regional education administrators, army majors, politicians, engineers and more. Yes, there is still terrible poverty here, but it’s 1.4 billion people we are talking about bringing onto the world stage, and it will take time. My goodness, so much has improved already!

India is very crumbly. There is rubble everywhere. I have seen many brick-making kilns in the countryside, smokestacks in wheat fields. Straw is used to help create the bricks. The bricks are not hard because the fires aren’t hot enough for that. I think that is why things crumble so much. Slowly, the rubble will be replaced When you see something like IIT Mandi, you are in awe of what is coming.

We came through Chandigargh, a city impeccably planned by the famous Swiss architect Le Corbusier. It is picturesquely located at the foothills of the Himalayas and known as one of the world’s best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture. It’s beautiful and very modern. The G20 summit was just held there. By a beautiful lake there were posts with all the countries that attended displayed. I could feel how discounted the United States was. That is very palpable here, though many young Indians still dream of coming to the USA to live and work. There is, however, a beginning trickle of young

professionals moving back, lured by the promise of such a bright future here in their motherland.

Prime Minister Modi set out a threefold vision for India: 1) Transform the life of citizens through digital governance, 2) Expand the digital economy, 3) Make India a producer of technology, rather than a consumer.

All around Delhi and Jaipur, the big tech companies—Google, Microsoft, Samsung— display their banners on new, sleek office buildings. FutureSkills Prime, India’s Technology Skilling Hub, is a joint initiative by Nasscom & MeitY and the Government of India to enable digital skilling at scale. It aims to make India the Digital Talent Nation by democratizing learning. With Nasscom Certifications endorsing their technology skills, learners can open doorways to digital career opportunities. This heavily government-supported program is being offered to all socio-economic levels. As a result, the middle class is growing like crazy. A lot of people are still in poverty, but a lot are coming out, with opportunities never offered before across class levels. At this moment, India has a middle class of over 500 million people, far more than the population of the entire United States.

officials to take bribes by instituting a policy of making all transactions online, putting the country on a digital platform that makes all transactions accountable. Entrepreneurship is highly encouraged.

Indians travel and study overseas learning top technologies then bringing this knowledge home. English unites the country because there are over 400 regional languages from Tamil to Bengali to Hindi, etc. God is unabashedly everywhere. People here do not want sex taught to their children; they want science, history, literature, etc. Someone told me, if anyone talked about sex to a child, they would be lynched. Arranged marriages still happen, and I have met many people who have had very successful experiences. Young people marry more for mutual attraction these days. It is common for people to live multi-generationally. Elders have a very respected place in the hearts of the young.

India has a long way to go, but its future looks very promising. It’s so fun being here, surrounded by this energy.

I want this optimism and energy for our children!!!

Vamos a ver!

Can you still see “Old India?” Oh, yes. But it’s nothing like it was 20 years ago. India is going up. It has vast solar farms and is the largest food producer in the world. The projects people are working on here at IIT Mandi are top-tier, cuttingedge science. It’s crazy. I saw lots of people out in the wheat fields, cutting the wheat with scythes, and that night, a theatrical production in Agra with intelligent lights and digital sound boards. (Of course in the middle of the show, the lights blew and for ten minutes we heard a lot of bumping and yelling in the dark, but the system came back on and the show went on! India!)

I want this for our young people! It’s exciting to be alive here in India. During COVID, the government here did not print money. Instead, it provided food and necessities for people, using its digital governance programs. It was hard, as it was in the U.S., but, because the government did not print money, India has rebounded like a rocket launched into the future. The Modi government has made it difficult for government

FYI, Unrelated

Last week, tech leaders including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signed an open letter published by the Future of Life Institute calling for a six-month moratorium on all training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.

TLDR: The letter argues that the race to develop ever-larger, more capable AI models may result in unpredictable, uncontrollable consequences: a flood of online misinformation, the decimation of millions of jobs, and even “the loss of control of our civilization.” For a full breakdown of the letter, including critical reactions (there are many!), check out: Elon Musk, Wozniak, Others Push Labs to ‘Pause’ Training of AI Systems by journalist Michael Kan.

For an insider’s take through the dual lenses of science and the law, read: Last week, tech leaders including Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signed an open letter published by the Future of Life Institute calling for a six-month moratorium on all training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.

I have never been in such a remote place. It is a river valley deep in the foothills of the Himalayas. After a hairraising, the longest 20 minutes ever ride out of Mandi, we arrived at a place that looks like the lair of a James Bond villain. White, sleek, super modern buildings. Where am I? There is so much to write about, so much going on here. India is leaping into the future. While they still have a huge, crumbling past anchoring them to their history, their ambition is evident in the young people.

Has Anything Changed?

By Sarah Spitz

Inever thought that a solo act by one of the most extraordinary theatrical documentarian/performers of our time, Anna Deavere Smith, could be successfully revised into a multiactor production. But Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 that just closed at the Mark Taper Forum surpassed all my expectations.

It is probably not surprising that many of the issues resulting in one of America’s deadliest, costliest and most destructive civil uprisings, following the Rodney King verdicts all across Los Angeles, have not changed much.

I remember how the repetition across all media of the George Holliday video—the first truly viral video ever—capturing the LAPD beating of black driver Rodney King on camera became almost numbing. But seeing it on stage in this production, I was horrified all over again. Brutal doesn’t begin to cover it.

The acquittal of the officers involved in the beating set off the riot that saw an innocent white trucker, Reginald Denny, being pulled from his truck and beaten nearly to a pulp by an angry mob, another video horrifying to witness decades later. Bless the brave souls who rescued and saved his life.

Just as hard to experience, in the same month as the Rodney King beating, was the security camera video of Korean convenience store owner, Soon Ja Du, shooting and killing black teenager Latasha Harlins for attempting to steal an orange juice. Her voluntary manslaughter verdict was suspended, with the judge fining her $500 and community service, outraging the black community and resulting in the mass destruction of Korean-owned businesses during the riot.

What’s not painful is the strength of each actor’s performances in multiple roles in Twilight Los Angeles, 1992. Anna Deavere Smith originally conducted dozens of interviews and shaped their own words into this play. She portrayed—uncannily—every person she spoke with, in their tone of voice and character, including members of the community, leaders, activists, politicians, academics and the officers who beat Rodney King, while attempting to unravel how things turned out that way.

These five actors—Hugo Armstrong, Lovensky Jean-Baptiste, Lisa Renee Pitts, Jeanne Sakata, and Sabina Zúñiga Varela—have achieved something remarkable; a play that is both new and old, as impactful as it was the first time when everything was still raw. They inhabited their characters even as they switched rapidly from one to another.

I have a personal interest in this play: because of it, KCRW, the public radio station where I spent my career, created “Which Way, L.A.?” with Warren Olney, a multiple-award-

winning program that I co-produced in its first five years on air. Has anything really changed in our racially-divided society, locally or nationally? I can’t honestly say it has. Can you?

The New Hammer Museum

The Hammer Museum is now a world-class destination for art goers, with its $90 million expansion and renovation, moving away from the great masters that Armand Hammer collected and toward the wild world of contemporary art. The lobby, now visible from the street on the corner of Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards, has added the former bank building next door, an outdoor space on Wilshire, and a gallery on the third floor to highlight contemporary works from its collection, a move spearheaded by museum director Ann Philbin.

The lobby is literally enmeshed in 800 pounds of a deep red yarn, interwoven throughout the space and up the stairs. Called “Network,” it’s an immersive piece by Chiharu Shiota, and you can choose from any number of interpretations—including a massive nest, the human body’s arterial system, our community and neural connections—subject only to your imagination.

In the building next door, Rita McBride has created a laser display called “Particulates,” using 16 highintensity neon green laser beams to create a high energy field of focus. The space was partially left unfinished, adding to the dust that the laser light bounces off. Just outside is Sanford Biggers’ sculpture, “Oracle,” just look up from the sidewalk, it’s unmissable.

The new gallery of contemporary works is worth a trip all its own.

“Together in Time” features newlyacquired works in diverse mediums by multi-ethnic emerging Los Angeles and international artists.

It’s a revelation. You’ll see pieces by Mark Bradford, Noah Davis, Jimmie Durham, Lee Mullican (from 1951), Eleanor Antin, Nicole Eiseman, Christina Fernandez and dozens of others. Just go. You’ll get it. And it’s free! hammer.ucla.edu

Jean-Michel Basquiat: King Pleasure

A fantastic four-gallery look at the

life and works of the highly gifted but far-too-short-lived artist Jean-Michel Basquiat has been organized by his sisters. It’s a truly eye-popping and contextual exhibition of everything from his childhood drawings to the multi-million-dollar graffitiesque street-art canvases and wood paintings he is renowned for. This is a family’s perspective, not a scholarly treatise and it’s truly refreshing.

There are re-creations of his family home and studio—and even his actual bicycle—with ample video interviews to explain what motivated his work, how he exploded onto the art scene...and left it too young. It’s at the Frank Gehry-designed The Grand LA, directly across from Gehry’s Disney Concert Hall. But try to find

parking somewhere other than at The Grand, which is pricey to the point of absurdity. kingpleasure.basquiat.com

Sarah A. Spitz is an award-winning public radio producer, retired from KCRW, where she also produced arts stories for NPR. She writes features and reviews for various print and online publications.

PHOTO BY SARAH SPITZ.

Jean-Michel Basquiat, “Hollywood Africans in Front of the Chinese Theater with Footprints of Movie Stars,” 1983.

PHOTO BY SARAH SPITZ.

Partial view of “Network” by Chiharu Shiota at The Hammer Museum, through August 27, 2023.

© 2023 CRAIG SCHWARTZ PHOTOGRAPHY

Lovensky Jean-Baptiste (center) and (from left to right) Sabina Zúñiga Varela, Lisa Reneé Pitts, Jeanne Sakata, and Hugo Armstrong in Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 at Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum.

Cannabis Cultivation Culture Evolves

Long before it was sold openly in highly regulated stores, cannabis was used for thousands of years by cultures all over the world and has evolved differently to grow well wherever it’s planted... like in your garden.

By Chris Conway

Cannabis culture in America started with an imported product. In the ’60s and ’70s importers sourced cannabis from all over the world, with different regions producing unique varieties with different characteristics. There was Panama Red, Acapulco Gold, Oaxacan, Afghani, Thai Stick, and many other varieties. There was amazing bud being grown worldwide.

As cannabis rules in America developed, a unique culture evolved along with the plant. The nature of this special plant led to sophisticated cultivation techniques, selective breeding and the development of hundreds of different varieties with a wide range of traits. Shipments of foreign cannabis usually contained seeds which were worthless to the average smoker, but invaluable in the development of American cannabis culture.

As the government cracked down on smugglers importing foreign cannabis, a culture of American growers began to emerge. They learned to grow only female plants and produced prized seedless ‘sinsemilla’ buds. As a dioecious annual herb, cannabis plants take just a few months to reach sexual maturity, and can produce cross-breeds or hybrids several times a year in a controlled environment. The broad gene pool of imported seeds enabled growers to hybridize cannabis to create vigorous plants well suited for domestic cultivation.

Laws against growing cannabis forced American growers to hide their gardens in remote areas, or put them inside. Indoor growing created challenges, but the nature of the plant enabled innovations in growing techniques and advances in garden technology.

Demand for stronger cannabis led to selective breeding projects that focused on heavy resinproducing plants with high concentrations of psychoactive THC.

Indoor growers selected shorter plants to fit inside smaller indoor spaces.

Cannabis is a great teacher plant, and the lengths growers had to go through for indoor cultivation creating new varieties and maximizing yield, has led to major innovations in horticulture. Today at any garden center you can buy ultra-rich soil, grow lights, hydroponic systems, and liquid fertilizers, developed to cater to cannabis growers.

Beginning in the ’90s, medical cannabis rules enabled medical growers to freely cultivate cannabis. California has always been a great place to cultivate cannabis, but the new protections allowed for major expansion of cannabis cultivation. Many indoor growers moved their operations into greenhouses or outdoors, and produced taller, higher yielding plants and lots more cannabis. Production of cannabis protected by medical cannabis rules helped create a global demand for California cannabis.

When California legalized recreational marijuana, the market here was already established and eager to become what it is today. Cannabis breeding had resulted in countless sought-after, ultra-fragrant designer hybrids with terpene profiles made through selective breeding of the imported buds from the ’70s. Over the years demand for California-grown cannabis has exploded and is known to smokers around the world for its quality buds. However,

most recreational cannabis available in Calfornia is mass produced on a large scale and lacks the qualities that a small-scale grower tending plants with love can create.

According to state law, Californians are allowed to grow up to six cannabis plants per household. Selecting which varieties to plant is one of the most important parts of growing cannabis. It’s a fastgrowing hearty plant that likes lots of sun. With good soil, plenty of water and some fertilizer, some plants can grow to over 10 feet tall in a single season while others won’t grow more than a few feet.

Outdoor cannabis season starts in mid-May, and plants are usually finished in October or November, depending on variety. Because it grows like a weed, it’s a very responsive and rewarding plant to grow.

With personal cultivation finally at a place where it’s culturally acceptable, small gardens of

beautiful fragrant flowers will glisten in the sun all across the state and California will continue to produce some of the best home-grown buds in the world. After half a century of selective breeding, some will smell like tropical fruits, flowers, or diesel fuel. Some plants are extremely intoxicating, while others have been selectively bred to produce only CBD and won’t get you high.

Whether it’s your first time planting, or you’ve been growing vegetables all your life, a few cannabis plants would make a beautiful addition to your garden.

Chris Conway is a long-time Hemp advocate from Topanga. He has worked on reform campaigns, consulted farmers, and advised patients on the best ways to grow, process, and utilize hemp, CBD and cannabis. He is excited to see the expansion of the hemp industry to help heal humans and the planet. For information: (805) 680-8185.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Useful Herb is an ongoing series covering the extraordinary benefits of canabis.

Some plants grow to over 10 feet tall in a single season, others grow just a few feet. The outdoor season starts in mid-May and finishes in October or November.

Varieties of home-grown cannabis, with or without the psychotropic element of THC, can add a dramatic element to your garden and add nutrients to the soil. Today, many garden centers cater to cannabis growers.

The Angel from Auschwitz

By Rabbi Mendy Piekarski

Here is a meaningful story that I recently heard about a man who was considered an angel for so many people. His name was Sol Teichman. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who dedicated his life to helping others. He passed away a few years ago, but his legacy lives on.

Sol was once asked, “Why do you help out so many people?” He responded with the following story:

“I was born in Munkacs, Ukraine in 1927, and

I experienced the horrors of the Holocaust first hand. In 1944, I was rounded up by the Nazis and sent to Auschwitz. When I arrived, there was a long line leading up to an S.S. officer, who was deciding who would go to the right and be sent to slave labor or go to the left and be sent to the gas chambers.

“While I was waiting in line, a Jewish stranger approached me and asked, ‘Excuse me, when were you born?’ I replied that I was born in 1927, but the stranger insisted that I was born in 1925. I didn’t understand why the stranger was asking me this question, and I kept telling him that I was born in 1927. The stranger insisted and said, ‘Trust me, I know your family, and I remember when you were born, it was 1925.’ That said, the stranger turned around and disappeared.

“When it was my turn and I came to the front of the line the Nazi soldier asked me ‘When were you born?’ I found myself saying that I was born in 1925. The Nazi soldier pointed to the right, and I was sent to work.

“I ended up surviving Auschwitz, Dachau, and other slave labor camps, and eventually moved to Los Angeles.

“At a later point in time, I found out that anyone who was in that line with me and was born after 1927,

was sent to the left instead of the right. That stranger had been an angel for me and saved my life.”

After finishing the story, Sol answered: “That is the reason why I make sure that no one leaves my house empty-handed. I want to be that angel for others.”

There are so many powerful moments in this story. That G-D ordained that this stranger should help Sol at the exact moment that he needed help, and that Sol took the message and empowerment and went on to create a life that focused on helping others.

So many times in life, G-D sends us blessings. We always have what to be grateful for in life. The

question then becomes what do we do with those blessings? How do we respond with gratitude and use those blessings to help others?

Here are a few questions I would like to invite you to think about:

• What blessings do I have in my life?

• What can I be grateful for today?

• How can I help others, so that they too can be blessed?

Thinking about these questions can help us refocus our energy, to be in a constant state of gratitude and giving. This can really change our outlook, and affect ourselves and those around us in a positive way.

PHOTO BY RABBI MENDY PIEKARSKY Rabbi Mendy Piekarski conducts a pre-Shabbat service for senior care center, some of whom are children of holocaust survivors.

Sunday, April 16, 10:00 a.m. ongoing Bible Study. Every Sunday with Michelle Klein at Topanga Christian Fellowship, 269 Old Topanga Canyon Road. Service with Pastor John Klein follows at 11 a. m.

Artist Matter Gallery presents “The Last Supper” and Topanga themes by ceramist Mervat Elias. An ongoing exhibition through April 30, especially for ceramics lovers! A portion of sales profits will be donated to your favorite school! The gallery is located at 139 Topanga Canyon Blvd. in the Topanga Creek Courtyard (next to Corazon Performing Arts). Hours are: Daily 3-6 p.m. For more information or appointments, call or text (559) 586-1082. Follow on Instagram: #mervatelias.

Tuesday, April 25, 11:15 a.m., “A Reading by Karen Tei Yamashita” (Zoom Event). A presentation by Santa Monica College. Yamashita’s parents were survivors of the Topaz internment camp during World War II. She is professor emerita of literature and creative writing at the University of California, Santa Cruz and author of eight books, including the award-winning novel, “I Hotel.” In 2021, she was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters by the National Book Foundation. Zoom link on April 25 listing at: smc.edu/calendar.

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Saturday & Sunday, April 29-30, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Topanga Canyon Gallery Artists at the Brewery Artwalk. Topanga Canyon Gallery artists have been invited to a Pop-Up show at the Brewery Artwalk, Atrium Bldg., B8. The

Brewery Artwalk is a twice-annual open studio weekend at the world’s largest art complex. With over 100 participating resident artists, this is an opportunity to discover new works, speak with the artists and purchase artwork directly from the artists’ studios. Plan a Day at the Brewery to support L.A.’s finest artists, Topanga’s among them, and dine in at the on-site restaurant. Admission and parking are free. The Brewery is located at 2100 N. Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90031, off the I-5 Freeway at Main St. NOTE: Topanga Canyon Gallery has left its prior location in Topanga and is operating virtually for the time being with the artists showing at various locations and in various formats. For more information about the future of the gallery: topangacanyongallery.com.

Tuesday, May 9, four-week “Jewpernatural” course with Rabbi Mendy Piekarski. Judaism’s most satisfying answers regarding paranormal beliefs from the Jewish Learning Institute that unearths the Jewish perspective on dreams, astrology, spirits, demons, ghosts and other enduring mysteries. Chabad of Topanga is located at 1459 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, CA 90290. For information and times contact Rabbi Mendy Piekarski at (310) 4551597: or RabbiMendyPiekarski@gmail.com

Thursday, May 11, 11:15 a.m., Douglas Macgregor: “The War in Ukraine and the U.S. Response.” A presentation by Santa Monica College. Macgregor is a decorated combat veteran, former Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, author of five books, and a defense and foreign policy consultant. Dr. Macgregor is widely known across Europe, Israel, Russia, China, and Korea for

both his leadership in the Battle of 73 Easting, the U.S. Army’s largest tank battle since World War II, and for his groundbreaking books on military transformation: “Breaking the Phalanx” (Praeger 1997) and “Transformation under Fire” (Praeger 2003). Additional information is available by calling SMC’s Office of Public Programs at (310) 434-4100. The following events will be held at the Topanga Community Center (TCC)

Friday, April 21, 4:30-8:00 p.m., Food Truck Fridays are back! TCC will be providing a Silent DJ so come on out, get ready to dance and embrace the return of FTF. TCC is hosting Tropic Truck, Bollywood, Heritage Kitchen, and Drizzle Truck.

Sunday, April 30, Adult & Pediatric First Aid / CPR / AED-Bl Training. The 2021 Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED blended learning course equips students to recognize and care for a variety of first aid breathing and cardiac emergencies for adults, children and infants. Sign up and pay the fee to receive online course instructions. Finish the online course before coming to the in-person version to receive your certificate. Anyone 10+ is welcome to enroll. Certification lasts for two years. Two sessions: 10 a.m.-12 p.m.;12:30-2:30 p.m.

Friday, May 19, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Blood Drive Sign up now! Topangacommunitycenter.org.

May 27-29, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Topanga Days. Tickets available online only, topangadays.com/tickets.

The TCC is located at 1440 N.Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga CA 90290.

Perfect combo of country living and business opportunity. Topanga’s original gem, this was one of the original homes in this corner of the canyon. Since 2005, it has hosted a successful private facility offering dog training, boarding, and daycare.

Amazing 180 Degree Views Of Topanga Mountains

You can see forever with 180-degree views of the Topanga Mountains, State Park, and Eagle Rock. This warm, contemporary Craftsman features 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms starts at the leaded glass front door. Rich walnut floors, beam ceilings, and a wood-burning stove for cool mountain nights, remodeled kitchen, complete the open floor plan. It is easy to move in and enjoy this home immediately. Every room has a view, including the kitchen with a breakfast bar, dining area, great room, bedrooms, and studio. The wood-cased windows and sliders open onto a stunning tiled deck and Trex stairs leading to 2 more spaces below the main house and into its gardens. The master has an ensuite bathroom with a separate shower enclosure, bathtub, double vanity, a large walk-in closet, and a romantic built-in window seat along a wall of glass. The long driveway ends at the garage, which is designed for work, play, or living. Flex your gardening muscles with an in-ground bed for veggies or flowers, close to a detached storage shed to house your tools or use for overflow storage. Mature fruiting plum, orange, almond, apple, and nectarine trees, plus grapevines, are included in the drought-friendly landscaping, creating a lovely space for sunbathing or relaxing.

Offered at $1,599,000

Chrissa Lightheart (310) 663-3696

DRE# 01093433

Voltaire Drive 6 Bed | 3 Bath $1,970,000

Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

California Dreaming where Palm Springs meets Topanga. An elegant one story midcentury home in the Viewridge Estates with resort-like grounds. Close to shopping and dining and steps from the trails. Amazing views to the south and west.

Gayle Pritchett & Lacey Rose Gorden - (310) 748-1580

Exquisite custom Mediterranean oasis on approx. 11 acres overlooking the majestic boulders of Red Rock Park and offering complete gated and fenced privacy with lush landscaping, fruit trees, vegetable garden, and large outdoor usable spaces.

Valley View Drive 2 Bed | 2 Bath $1,500,000

Kirsten Bohman - (310) 403-4818

This little Fernwood charmer is the perfect place to escape from it all. Currently set up as a single family 2 bed 2 bath, the upstairs and down can easily be separated to create 2 separate units. The possibilities and the views are endless.