The Canyon Chronicle- May 26, 2023 (Vol. 4, No. 10) -www.thecanyonchronicle.com

Tropical Mountainside Retreat!

Tropical View Compound in Topanga! Under a canopy of trees, a luxuriant, jasmine scented landscape comes to life, with fern graced stone paths, tumbling flowers, and lush canyon views. Three storybook homes have their own yards, decks, and views! Create your own world. The options are limited only by your imagination! Veggie and flower gardens and fruit trees grace the property, bordered by stone walls. Hidden above the street, lovely, well kept, dwellings are private hideaways. Hawaii and Costa Rica come to mind. The sun splashed main space has 1 bedroom, soaring ceilings and walls of glass opening to 2 decks with serene views. The kitchen is open to the great room, with views of the fireplace, and a door to the private back patio. A hallway leads to a skylit closet and a bright bath with a clawfoot tub. Below, a cozy 1 bedroom apartment beckons, with a woodburning stove, and a deck opening off the bedroom. Step down to the living room from the cutest dining room, ever! The 2 units share a spacious laundry room, and could be combined to create 1 larger home. Across the garden, a soulful, 2 story guest house, with decks both up and down, a full bath and it’s own laundry, is perfect as a rental, work space, AirBnB, or guest room. The main floor has a room with a loft above. Downstairs, a designer kitchen and dining space complete the guest house. There is off street parking, and paths to wander. Take a dreamy siesta in the hammock along a sun dappled path, as coastal breezes whisper through the trees. Begin your day with morning asanas on one of the decks. Stroll to the nearby shops, cafes, and trails. Coast down to the nearby beach. Your little slice of heaven will be waiting for you.

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The Many Gifts of…

Sometimes production week comes easily and sometimes it doesn’t.

When it doesn’t and the Muse has gone on vacation and nothing springs to mind to fill blank pages with words and pictures, the empty space takes the Muse’s place and creates a vacuum where the unexpected jumps in. The timing is often at the last minute, but always in the nick of time. It keeps us on our toes and, nevertheless, it’s a gift that happened twice to manifest on pages 6 and 7.

“The Many Gifts of Gio” materialized after the church service on Sunday when Lloyd Sax, owner of Artists Matter Gallery in the Topanga Creek Courtyard, told me about eight-year-old Gio who is exhibiting and selling his paintings there through June. I missed his opening on May 5 when Cecilia Noël was performing for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. There! In the “Old Center!” Imagine! Cecilia Noël!

Gio has been painting since he was two. But there’s so much more to his story. It will tug your heartstrings, for sure. (Page 6)

The other unexpected gift was a phone call on Saturday night from Chris Conway. He wasn’t scheduled for another story for his Cannabis series until next time but he called to say he had a spring planting article that he had to get out of his head. With two blank pages looming, sure, problem solved.

(Page 7)

Every single effort that goes into the bi-weekly making of The Canyon Chronicle behind the scenes, the people we don’t see, is a gift, too.

Other things in our Chronicle gift basket include an account of a talk and book signing that our travel writer, Linda Ballou, gave at the Sages room a week or so ago. I rarely get to go to book signings but I admire Linda and her work. The gift here was hearing her tell her personal story behind writing her historical novel, “Embrace of the Wild,” which I love. (Page 4)

Topanga Days is honored with Valerie Walsh’s T-Days cover and Kathie Gibboney’s Corner of the Canyon (Page 11) is a sweet reminiscence of youth in bloom... in Topanga.

With TCC VP Nonie Shore’s help, we put together a logistics guide (Page 5) to help revelers safely navigate during the T-Days weekend. We also have to mention the perks of being a TCC member... like half-price tickets.

We’re grateful to Alisa and Kent Hill for another gift, following up on the success of Butterfly Day. They brought our attention to the polinator plant projects they pursue year-round through schools and communities like Topanga, with beautiful, sustainable native plant installations. It’s another volunteer opportunity where it’s fun to get down and dirty for a good cause. (Pages 8-9)

Columnist Paula LaBrot puts her thinking cap on again and asks, when we’re all so technologically connected, why are we lonely? Good Question. Good discussion. (Page 10)

Finally, we dedicated a full page to upcoming events, half of which is events at Theatricum Botanicum in this, its 50th Anniversary Year. Now that’s a big gift. Not every little town has a worldclass repertory theater in its back yard. (Page 14)

Lesson of the Day: Don’t take anything or anyone for granted.

—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

General inquiries: info@thecanyonchronicle.com

Advertising inquiries: ads@thecanyonchronicle.com

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

After all the changes and challenges the world has gone through recently, yet continues to meet, we should know that if animals can thrive through tough times and still dance and mingle, so can we... PARTY ON! Valerie Walsh has created art for Microsoft, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Justin Vineyards, Geffen Records, Dallas Children’s Hospital and many other projects and private commissions for over 40 years. She was included in the Artists section of “The Topanga Story,” published January 1, 2012.

Flavia Potenza, Birdie, Tom Cat

A pensive Gio surveys his exhibit at the Artists Matter Gallery in Topanga. It’s not his first time, nor is art his only talent.

PHOTO COURTESY OF LLOYD SAX

Helping Hearts of Topanga Goes Public

By The Canyon Chronicle Staff

For the past five years and especially during COVID, Helping Hearts of Topanga has been assisting Canyon residents with food, living assistance and technical help, thanks to local safety communicator Jane Terjung, and Susan Clark, renowned in the community for her 30 years of saving animals through her non-profit, Topanga Animal Rescue.

Facilitators of the group are Clark with Outreach, Terjung for Communications and Bill Naylor with Tech Support.

“Our main focus is helping people overcome struggles of everyday life,” Terjung explained. “There are many great local organizations here whom we often connect with in the spirit of joyful teamwork. Other times we continue with our own work, helped by generous Topangans and a caring community of cooks who create meals when called upon.” Neighbors Jason Brooks and Mark Wlodarkiewicz have been assisting Clark and Terjung well before anyone knew it had a name. Helping Hearts embodies the generous volunteer spirit of Topanga.

Terjung estimates they have helped hundreds of locals with the many challenges of daily living in difficult times. More specifically, they have developed parallel avenues of aid—mainly with

illness, misfortune, or family changes where they are able to provide help with caregiving, childcare, babysitting, food, referrals and help navigating

‘Embrace of the Wild’

“the system.” For more information: janeterjung. org/HelpingHeartsOfTopanga.

Helping Hearts also provides technical guidance, information on emergency preparation, community newsletters and safety alerts unique to Topanga. janeterjung. org/LocalScoop

What Does Helping Hearts Do?

“Now that many of the COVID support systems are ending, we’re helping a handful of neighbors with food and basic grocery needs thanks to a generous benefactor who allows us to help about five people every two weeks,” Terjung explained, We would love to help more but to start with, we need volunteer shoppers every two weeks or so, to buy $25 worth of groceries (we’ll reimburse you) dropped off at Jane and Bill’s house so we can deliver.”

Want To Help More?

Let us know if you have a skill to share, useful stuff to donate, or can recommend local caregivers, housekeepers, nannies, drivers, or cooks, etc.

Sign up at janeterjung@gmail.com. For text alerts, add your phone number. For Tweet Alerts, follow AlertTopanga

For Nextdoor.com Emergency Posts, join the private group: nextdoor.com/g/gw0xemnvn/.

Adozen people showed up in the Canyon Sages Room at the Topanga Community Center on May 10 to hear local adventure travel writer Linda Ballou talk about her historical novel, “Embrace of the Wild,” the inspiring story of Isabella Lucy Bird, who became the most popular travel writer in her day (ca. 1883). The book came about at a time when Ballou was not only laid low by a herniated disc, but by the COVID-19 pandemic, which isolated everyone.

In pain and alone, what was this active, modern-day adventurer to do? Why, write a book, of course, about a woman who crossed the boundaries of what women could or couln’t do in her time. How Ballou came to write the book was an interesting addendum to her personal story of persevering and overcoming her own adversity, inspired by Bird’s life.

“During the time I was writing the book,” Ballou said, “I was Isabella Bird.”

“I have long admired Isabella Lucy Bird, the plucky English woman who rode solo in the Rockies in I873. Her book, “Life of a Lady in the Rockies,” inspired me to explore the places she rode. I used her book, “Six Months in the Sandwich Islands,” to capture details for my first novel, “Wai-nani: A Voice from Old Hawai’i.” I learned that her youth had been filled with chronic pain and that to become the best-loved travel writer of her day she had to overcome both social and physical barriers.

“When I was down for the count with your garden-variety herniated disc, I had to give up the horse world I loved; Isabella’s example helped me press through the pain and become the adventure travel writer I am today. When the pandemic further clipped my travel wings, I determined to write her story in the first person.

“‘Embrace of the Wild’ is the finished product and gained some acclaim in Colorado, where Isabella Bird is a local legend and I was invited to speak and do some book signings. I was honored to be the “Isabella Bird Expert” in the BBC docuseries, Trailblazers, spotlighting Isabella’s journey in Colorado. The film is tentatively scheduled to air in the U.S. later this year.”

Ballou also thanked the Canyon Sages for “letting me share my story in their beautiful space at the Topanga Community Center.”

Flavia Potenza

Right: Travel Writer Linda Ballou entertained a rapt audience during her recent discussion about her acclaimed historical novel.

Below: Isabella Lucy Bird’s books flank Linda Ballou’s novel based on Bird’s life.

Topanga Days Logistics

It’s good to know the perks as well as the rules while negotiating your way around Topanga Days, the largest annual fundraiser for the Topanga Community Center. “We know that the Topanga community is looking forward to the return of the three-day event,” says TCC President Kelly Rockwell.

The highlight of the weekend is the Topanga Days Memorial Day Parade on Monday morning, May 29, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Judging of the floats begins at 8:20. The Topanga Trash Warriors are this year’s Grand Marshals led by cofounders Joseph Rosendo and Roger Pugliese. The parade of floats, cars, kids, firetrucks and more begin at Pine Tree Circle and ends past the entrance to the Topanga Community Center at 1440 Topanga Canyon Blvd.

Monday’s festivities begin on the TCC grounds with Catherine McClenahan singing the National Anthem followed by a flag-raising ceremony honoring members of the military. All members of the armed forces, past and present, with military I.D. receive free entrance to Topanga Days.

Buy A Membership Now

Become a new or renewing member now and get more bang for your buck (Half Price) on tickets.

Single Day Pass: Adults: $25 for TCC members / $50 for nonmembers; Kids (ages 6-12): $15 for TCC members/ $20 for nonmembers; Ages 5 & Under: Free

Three Day Pass: Adults: $60 for TCC members / $135 for non-

members; Kids (ages 6-12): $35 for TCC members / $50 non-members; 5 & Under: Free.

Tickets: Purchase tickets ONLINE ONLY at topangadays.com before they sell out!

Volunteers Wanted: Volunteer for a day with Sarah at volunteer@ topangadays.com and get in for free that day. Volunteer for two shifts and add lunch.

Shuttle Stops

There is no parking available on TCC grounds. Shuttles are scheduled to run every 10-15 minutes along Topanga Canyon Blvd. from 10 a.m. to 7p.m. all three days. Shuttle stops are located on or near Topanga Canyon Blvd. between Old Town Center and Viewridge Estates. Watch for shuttle signs.

• Viewridge Estates by Viewridge Estates Sign

• The Corral (East side of Blvd.) At Santa Maria Road

• Flying Pig Turnout (East side of Blvd.)

• Café on 27 (West side of Blvd.), 1861 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd.

• North of Oakwood Drive (East and West sides)

• Froggy’s Fish Restaurant (West

side of Blvd.)

• Topanga School Road at bridge

• Topanga Creek Market Parking

Lot at Endless Color Pizza

Park Responsibly

When parking on Topanga Canyon Boulevard, please park legally inside the white line or you will be towed. Cars blocking driveways or other access ways will also be towed.

Sidestreet Parking: If you block fire truck access on Cheney Drive, Canyon Trail, Happy Trail and Summit-to-Summit you will be towed. Fire danger is real, and patrols will be keeping roads clear. A temporary tow lot will be positioned at Viewridge at the Top of Topanga on Monday, May 29.

Sponsorship

The TCC has also been very fortunate to secure Topanga Days sponsorships. Nonie Shore, the TCC VP in charge of Events & Fundraising adds, “We are grateful to everyone for helping to sponsor our fundraiser this year, as this event has become very expensive to host. This year, the Anthony & Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, The Wright Way Team with Compass Realty, Molson Coors, and Snyder Sutton Real Estate have led the way in being our Backbone Trail sponsors.”  Every sponsorship makes a difference, and it is not too late to become a sponsor. All sponsorship information can be found online at: Become A Sponsor —Topanga Days Country Fair.

A handful of local businesses have generously stepped up to maintain the tradition of the parade. “Our community is grateful to Adrian Wright and Jordan Wright of the Wright Way Team at Compass, Endless Color, Exposition Studios, Suncoast Mortgage, The Canyon Chronicle, Topanga Living Café, and William Preston Bowling of Pritchett Rapf Realty, for financially supporting this beloved parade,” adds Shore. For information or questions regarding the parade, please visit Parade—topangadays.com/parade.

Have a Safe and Wonderful Topanga Days!

Photo by Miriam Geer.

The Many Gifts of Gio

By Flavia Potenza

Eight-year-old Gio opened his art exhibit at Artists Matter Gallery in the Topanga Creek Courtyard to a Cinco de Mayo celebration featuring the electric “Queen of Salsoul,” Cecilia Noël.

“You can imagine what that was like,” said gallery owner Lloyd Sax. “300 people showed up.”

Artist, musician, composer, songwriter, filmmaker, novelist, Giosué “Gio” Bottini was born in New York City to actress/writer Nicole Arlyn and Italian jazz musician Massimo Bottini from the band Gabin.

Raised in Brooklyn, NY, Gio moved to Los Angeles with his mom when he was three years old. It was easy to see his passion for painting when he was two, and when he was three he started selling his art. At five, he held his first show with the artist Lucien Smith at The Melet Mercantile Art Gallery in Downtown Los Angeles. A month later, he began making his own films, writing, acting, directing and composing scores for them. His first directorial film, Bird in the Wild (2020), has been an official selection in over 20 film festivals. He has acted in many indie films and currently costars as Little Lucas on Hulu’s “Tiny Beautiful Things.” He is also passionate about Mathematics and studies “high maths” at UCLA. Gio is currently at work on two novels, two feature screenplays, and just completed another short film, Looking for Pacino, and is working on a musical album of some original songs.

Now, at eight years old, he has Cecilia Noël opening for him. Imagine that.

The exhibit continues until Sunday, June 11. Hours are 3-6 p.m.

About Artists Matter Gallery

Based in Santa Monica, California, Artists Matter is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization set up to provide resources, services, and creative support to help artists and support the arts. It also aims to provide a platform for people of all abilities to explore their talents and express themselves in a creative capacity.

Lloyd Sax, Founder and CEO of Artists Matter Gallery, has extensive experience in music publishing, merchandising and tours and currently runs his own firm, Lloyd Sax Management that has a roster of entertainment and high-profile clients.

Gio, the musician

Above: Gio posing with his art

Right: Gio with Cecilia Noël on Cinco de Mayo

Giosué “Gio” Bottini

In the Courtyard

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LLOYD SAX

A Time to Plant…

Planting time is here! After a long wet winter, there’s never been a better time to get your garden growing.

By Chris Conway

Planning a garden can be a daunting task if growing your own is new to you. As any determined grower will tell you, homegrown tastes the best and Topanga is an excellent place to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, fruit trees… and cannabis.

With proper planning, you’ll be enjoying the fruits of your labors for years to come. Cannabis is an excellent “teacher plant” and may help you learn to grow some of the best fruits and veggies around. Since it grows like a weed and puts nutrients back into the soil, planting a few cannabis seeds into the ground may help spark your plants and thus your interest in a lifelong hobby of growing plants.

Choosing what to plant in your garden is an important step to ensure its success. Although planting seeds is nature’s preferred way to start a garden, getting young plants from a nursery may help with the task. Most popular fruit tree varieties are the result of grafting a choice cutting onto a vigorous rootstock to produce high-yielding trees with delicious fruit. Similarly, cannabis clones are genetic copies of a motherplant and the most popular for commercial growers. Selectively bred hybrid varieties create

a predictable result by combining a variety of favorable traits from several different parent plants. Heirloom plants grown from seeds of a recognized stabilized genetic variant are also popular for home gardeners.

Cannabis growers have developed some of the most sophisticated growing techniques used today. A healthy root system or rhizome is incredibly important for growth of a healthy plant. Indoor hydroponic systems, which bathe the roots in a nutrient-enriched solution, can facilitate rapid growth by creating an aerated, moisture-rich zone for roots to thrive. A sunny space with rich soil full of organic matter and microbes can be even better. Covering your garden with a thick layer of mulch can help retain moisture to protect the roots and provides a great source of food for a healthy community of beneficial microbes to grow. Unlike hydroponics that use chemical-based fertilizers, organic soil systems take time to develop, so gardeners will see improvements to their growth year after year. Young plants need access to water at the base of their stem, but as their root system expands, they can bring moisture in from farther away.

Cannabis seedlings develop long taproots that break up soils and aid them to access moisture and nutrients deep underground.

A healthy start to life is essential for a productive garden or orchard. Taking advantage of the excessive moisture this year may be the best way to get a forest of food growing at your home.

The creek is still flowing and the soils are saturated so there’s plenty of water for plants to make use of a healthy ecosystem to sustain a healthy garden long into the summer when there will be plenty of sunshine to help your plants grow big and strong.

With such a variation in terrain and weather patterns, planting a diverse group of crops is a great way to ensure a successful harvest. Similar to what we see in nature, inter-planting different crops can increase the success of all plants in your garden. By starting a garden, you can help. Growing your own produce helps reduce our dependence on oil and the fragile system of factory farming and global food production.

As culture evolves and adjusts to our changing world, planting a garden is also great way for you to stay connected with the earth, thereby improving your health, the health of the environment and of the planet.

Whether you have your sights set on growing your own salsa or pickles, turning your cannabis plants into delicious blonde hash, or just eating fresh tomatoes from your garden is a perfect way to enjoy the sunshine and the beauty of Topanga.

This is Part 4 of an ongoing series by Chris Conway, 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.

Clockwise, from top left:

Lemons

These hemp seed sprouts are a legendary classic strain, ‘Original Haze’ heirloom seeds.

Blueberries

The Strawberry Patch

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS CONWAY

Butterfly Day is Every

By Kent Land Hill

Topanga’s Fourth Annual Butterfly Day on May 7th was a family-oriented festival celebrating pollinators and environmental stewardship with live music, butterflies, activities, food, and drink. A centerpiece of the day was a host of local environmental agencies participating in the festival to share information, news, tips, and materials to help you help butterflies. These groups are passionate about pollinators and environmental stewardship, engaging in activities that range from education, community engagement and school outreach, to native habitat establishment, ecosystem management, green landscaping, advocacy against pesticides, and pollinator-themed art.

Agencies directly involved in pollinator habitat conservation and sustainable living locally include Greener Empowerment Foundation, Sassafras Shoppe & Nursery, Mermaid Native Butterfly Nursery, Poison Free Malibu, Malibu Monarch, and Full Circle Compost. These local agencies and Butterfly Day partners worked tirelessly to enhance the capacity of our Topanga and Malibu communities to support butterflies and other pollinators, such as moths, wasps, bees, beetles, bats, and lizards.

These mighty little creatures are essential for propagation of approximately 80% of the world’s flowering plants and more than 75% of crop plants that feed humans. These animals also provide some of the richest and most diverse animal biology known to date, with fascinating behaviors that include not just integral symbioses with plant species but also complex social networks, life cycles, and migration patterns. With complex biology comes complex needs and the needs of pollinators are facing challenges from many sources, such as climate change, pesticide use, and habitat destruction to name a few. These challenges for pollinators present opportunities for us to

Pollinator gardens at Topanga Mountain School

TMS students (l-r) Zane, Ayton, and Kristian planting a new pollinator habitat garden, April 2023

PHOTOS BY KENT HILL

Dayengage in stewardship of some of our planet’s most important and fascinating resources.

Aprimary vision of the Butterfly Day Organizing Committee is to establish Topanga and Malibu as pollinator destination communities. To this end, we support the Topanga Pollinator Stewardship Program, a collaboration between Greener Empowerment Foundation and local environmental activists seeking to establish native pollinator habitats in Topanga and surrounding communities.

We have proposed to the Topanga Town Council, the idea of seeking a “Bee City USA” designation from the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. Bee City USA is an effort to encourage communities to sustain pollinators by increasing native plants, providing nest sites, and reducing the use of pesticides.

The Green partners who showed up at Butterfly Day are wellequipped to provide you with information and resources with which you can help us attain this goal throughout the year.

Resources

Greener Empowerment Foundation is a 501-C3 non-profit organization committed to creating environmental sustainability through green solutions, education & community stewardship.  We are working together to empower communities to create sustainable ways to help stabilize the climate. We provide support through Native Plant cultivation to create a healthy habitat. Topanga has benefitted from more than 1,459 plant specimens from Xerces grant installations throughout the community. Greenerfoundation.org

Photos are courtesy of the Topanga Pollinator Stewardship Program to build pollinator habitats at Topanga community sites and local residences.

Bill Buerge and Sergio Jimenez preparing native pollinator plants at the Mountain Mermaid.

Hannah Wear and Stephen Powers putting in Earth Day plantings at Pebbles and Flower Power, Pine Tree Circle.

Alisa and Kristian Land Hill in front of the Topanga Mountain S chool garden.

All things connected

The Loneliness Epidemic

By Paula LaBrot

Amajor curiosity of our times is the co-existence of the world’s greatest-of-all-times connectivity on one hand and the deep isolation manifesting as the loneliness people are experiencing on the other hand.

Despite being more connected than ever through technology, people are reporting higher levels of loneliness and social isolation. This paradox raises important questions about the nature of human connection and the role of technology in shaping our social interactions.

Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT) writes, “How can we feel lonelier in a world where connection to other human beings now requires only a click of a button? How can we feel isolated when linkage to the outside world is delivered via nonstop handheld stimulus? Connection is everywhere, and yet loneliness persists—and in certain subsets of the population grows worse, leading some observers to call the problem an ‘epidemic.’ They are right to do so: It is an epidemic. The true cost of American loneliness is both hidden and insidious.”

What are the “Costs of Loneliness?”

According to campaigntoendloneliness.com:

• Loneliness is likely to increase

your risk of death by 26 percent.

• Loneliness, living alone and poor social connections are as bad for your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

• Loneliness and social isolation are associated with an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

• Loneliness with severe depression is associated with early mortality, and loneliness is a risk factor for depression in later life.

• Loneliness and social isolation put individuals at greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Types of Loneliness

According to the National Institute on Aging: “Loneliness and social isolation are different but related. Loneliness is the distressing feeling of being alone or separated. Social isolation is the lack of social contacts and having few people to interact with regularly. You can live alone and not feel lonely or socially isolated, and you can feel lonely while being with other people.”

emotional support and intimacy that in-person relationships can provide.

When we communicate through screens, we miss out on important nonverbal cues, such as tone of voice and body language, which are essential for understanding the emotional state of others. Moreover, constant exposure to negative news stories and social media posts can lead to “compassion fatigue,” a state of emotional exhaustion that makes it difficult to feel empathy for others.

Why are People so Lonely

in Such a Connected World?

Human beings are inherently social animals, which means that we have evolved to live in groups and depend on each other for survival. Our ability to communicate, cooperate, and form relationships has been a key factor in our evolutionary success.

From an early age, humans seek out social interactions and form relationships with others. Babies, for example, prefer human faces over other objects and are comforted by human touch. As we grow and develop, we continue to seek out social interactions and form relationships with family members, friends, and romantic partners. In a world suffering from an epidemic of loneliness, we need to identify the sources of disconnection causing the problems, which ironically turn out to be our very sources of connection.

The Role of the Internet and Social Media

While social media connects people across vast distances and provides opportunities for social interaction, it is also associated with an increase in loneliness and feelings of social isolation. Social media connections are often less meaningful and less satisfying than in-person relationships. While we may have hundreds or thousands of “friends” or followers online, these connections may not provide the same level of

“By putting you in contact with the many who matter little, social media diminishes your ability to connect in real time with the few who matter a lot. You begin to perceive them, with all of their time-consuming idiosyncrasies, as requiring too much effort,” according to psychologist Kendra Cherry.

That statement hit home for me when I began to enjoy the COVID isolation too much. After directing over 80 dress rehearsals in my life and teaching large classes, it was just so relaxing to be alone! It was a siren song beckoning me to stay out of the human mix. Luckily, I remembered that one can enjoy solitude, but, like all things, it needs to be balanced.

Make the Effort!

Ways to “vaccinate” yourself against the present loneliness epidemic require a little elbow grease. Tell yourself not to be lazy! Friendship is based on shared experiences, so reach out and make in-person dates with real friends or people you would like to be friends with. Join a group or a class. Pursue a spiritual fellowship. Make a commitment to a community service organization that will bring you new friends and tie you into a community. Throw a party. Bring your family together. Nourish or start a hobby.

Volunteer for Topanga Days!

It’s work, but, hey! It’s spring! Time to sow! Your mental and physical health are worth it!

Vamos a ver!

BROKER Anne-Christine von Wetter

von

April Zanot

Of Topanga

By Kathie Gibboney

There was a magical place, a meadow, lush and otherworldly. I didn’t understand exactly where it was located but it certainly wasn’t the Valley. It was far removed, some wild, natural place, enchanted with flowers, and surrounded by green hills. We simply called it, The Spot.

My then boyfriend, Marty, all of sixteen, with a driver’s license, a car, and the longest hair at Grant High School, would drive a few good friends way out there on weekends. We would luxuriate in that charming field, so far removed from, television, math homework, malls, freeways and Jack-In The-Box. The sun shone on us there and we pretended to be nature’s children, free, filled with grace and kindness, hippies for that afternoon, in love with each other and the world. It was not until many years later that I realized The Spot was in a place called Topanga!

Little did I know that one day I would move to Topanga, with a surfer husband, a six-monthold son, a dog and a cat. On Halloween night over dinner, Michael nonchalantly asked me, “If we ever had to move from Venice where would you might like to live?”

While sipping champagne I pondered. After having lived in Venice for thirteen years, I replied, “Well, I guess Topanga or maybe Santa Barbara.”

The next day the Not As Yet Beleaguered Husband, told me something I never like hearing. “I have some good news and some bad news.”

The bad news was that our landlady had called and informed him that she was going to be taking up residence and we would have to move. The good news was that he had already gone out and found us a rental in Topanga complete with a special alcove just right for Riley’s crib, as if he ever slept in it. So on November 2nd, we drove that winding, twisting road up from PCH that seemed

to go on forever. Time slowed down. The whole canyon seemed to glow and the great trees were gilded gold in Autumnal splendor, giving their last before the fall. I smiled to think of living amongst them, not knowing they were becoming dangerous combustible fuel. “Could we really live here?” I wondered. “It seems so far away. Like Jupiter.”

There wasn’t much of a town center back then, no Pine Tree Circle, no library, just some scattered scruffy shops. Topanga Homegrown was run out of an old boxcar and Hidden Treasures was only a small storefront selling old clothes. But it was wondrously different from already crowded arty, trendy Venice with its new, postmodern architects and its rabid bite of parking tickets. Hence, I started to fall under the Topanga spell. Yes, maybe we could live here.

However, just as we veered onto Old Canyon, we heard yelling, crazy yelling. A man was running down the road screaming, “The Canyon’s on fire! The Canyon’s on fire!” Suddenly, the sound of sirens off in the distance filled the air, coming closer and closer, louder and blaring until we pulled over and they roared past us. We began to smell smoke, to see smoke. “Maybe now’s not the best time to look at the place,” observed my understated husband, turning the car around.

For ten days we watched with despair the coverage of Topanga burning. Courageous firefighters were on the job battling the flames and structures, houses were engulfed and burnt to the ground. Terrified horses were being evacuated, trees ablaze like scenes from hell. Hundreds of homes were destroyed. We didn’t know if the house we had been going to see was still there, or if after the fire we would be brave or foolish enough to take a chance of living there.

Finally, weeks later Topanga allowed nonresidents access, and yes, the house had made it through. Then one Saturday we again drove that seemingly eternal road, passing blackened, trees and chaparral

and partially burnt structures. It was sad to see, yet there still remained a golden glow to the place. Then I began to see signs, hand-painted signs along the road and in front of homes. On them was written, “Thank-you Firefighters!” “We love you Station 69.” “Firefighters Are Our Heroes.” “A fireman saved our dog, Thank-you.” “You are Topanga’s Angels.” “We made it through because of you!”

The signs were decorated with hearts and handprints and pictures of families, pets and peace signs and suddenly I realized this isn’t just a place to live, it’s a COMMUNITY!

We had asked our friend, Joel, whose opinion we and others greatly valued, to meet us at the house on Old Canyon. He had arrived first, saw the house and was standing on the balcony enjoying the view. When we joined him there, he waved his hand over the expanse of beauty and said, “Is there any reason you wouldn’t move here?” We wrote the landlord a check on the spot.

Six months later, we went to our very first Topanga Days Memorial Parade and Celebration. This coming Topanga Days 2023 will be our 29th.

Dear Topanga, Thank-you for sharing your natural ancient beauty, For your mountains, creeks, frogs, bobcats, raccoons, lizards, bats, bunnies and ravens, And, yes, a rattlesnake, scorpion and tarantula or two. Thanks for a legacy of pioneering homesteaders, And an eclectic free-flowing hippy spirit!

Thanks for your gentle soul and wild heart, Thank-you for giving us a wonderful place to raise our children, They are of Topanga.

Modern Rustic Resort Style Compound in the

When is it appropriate to lie?

By Rabbi Mendy Piekarski

“Rabbi,my child goes to school, where there are various influences with beliefs that are different from my religion. When would it be appropriate for my child to “lie” about her beliefs in order to keep her friendships? When should she stand up for her beliefs?”

To address the question, I would like to share the following story:

A few years ago, I was a counselor in an overnight camp in upstate New York, for a group of boys who were about 12 years old. One of the boys in my bunk was from Northern California, and went to public school. Over the few weeks of camp, we talked about how he felt about his Jewish background. He mentioned a few times that he was never too proud about it, as he didn’t want to stand out from the rest of his friends and possibly lose friendships.

Untold

Tale

Iwould like to share a heartwarming and inspiring story that unfolded during the recent coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom. While you may have heard about the grandeur of the ceremony, there is an extraordinary incident that went largely unnoticed in the media.

Towards the end of camp, after having a lot of fun with other Jewish children, he decided he is going to try something different about his Judaism when returning home. As it got closer to the holiday of Chanukah, he asked the teacher one day after class if he could share with his class the story of Chanukah. The teacher responded in the affirmative.

When Chanukah arrived, he decided to wear his Kippah and Tzitzit to school. All his friends were asking him, “Why are you wearing that cap on your head?” He responded, “Just wait and see.”

In the middle of class, the Teacher called him up and introduced him to share the story of Chanukah to the class

“The story of Chanukah is about how a small nation was persecuted because of their different beliefs,” he said. “They weren’t allowed to celebrate their holidays simply

because they were different. Throughout all the years of history, my nation has been persecuted, yet we always stand strong. My family and ancestry never gave in to the persecution and that is why I am here today wearing my Kippah and Tzitzit. I am carrying on the tradition that my family has held onto and been proud of for thousands of years.”

The class gave him a round of applause.

After class, everyone came over to him to wish him well done. He felt supported and respected by his friends that he decided to start wearing his Kippah and Tzitzit to school every day.

So, to answer the question about saying an “untruth” to keep friendships, I think when a child is proud of their heritage, it will create a sense of respect from others. Of course, this will only occur if the child is respectful of their friends’

beliefs, as well.

We thank G-D every day that we live in a country that is supportive of everyone living with their religious beliefs freely and in the open. Here are a few questions that I would like to invite you to think about:

• •What ideas and beliefs do I encounter that are different from my own?

• •How do I usually react when encountered with friends who express those ideas?

• •Do I accept them for their different beliefs? Am I proud to share my beliefs?

Please feel free to express your thoughts and any follow-up questions by emailing: RabbiMendyPiekarski@ gmail.com

The Chabad of Topanga is located at 1459 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, CA 90290; (310) 455-1597.

at The Coronation of King Charles III

On that momentous day, the Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom, Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, was extended a special invitation to attend the coronation. But due to his observance of the Sabbath, Rabbi Mirvis faced a dilemma—he could not drive to Westminster Abbey, the venue for the event. Little did he know that a

remarkable display of respect and accommodation awaited him.

With deep amazement, Rabbi Mirvis received a message from King Charles’ office, informing him that he was invited to spend Friday night at St. James’s Palace, enabling him to fully participate in the coronation ceremony, as he was in walking distance of Westminster Abbey. This gesture alone was incredibly meaningful, but there was more to come. Recognizing the dietary requirements of the Rabbi’s faith, a kosher caterer was brought in to prepare their Friday night dinner.

The actions of King Charles and his team exemplify the importance of embracing diversity and honoring individual beliefs. In a world where conformity often seems necessary to gain respect or recognition, this story reminds us that authenticity,

pride in one’s faith, and unwavering integrity can elicit profound respect from others.

We live in a time when society increasingly values and respects diversity, recognizing that our differences make us stronger. King Charles’ thoughtful accommodation of Rabbi Mirvis, despite potential logistical challenges, is a message to all of us that being true to ourselves and embracing our uniqueness can lead to genuine respect and appreciation.

As we reflect on this story, I would like to invite you to ask yourself:

Where in my life can I express more pride in my faith? Can it be with my family? In my business? With my community?

Wishing you all the best, and Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Meny Piekarski

This lower Fernwood charmer is the perfect place to escape from it all. Original hardwood floors and vintage bath with claw foot tub. Cross canyon views beckon you outside and French doors open to the spacious deck which doubles the size of the living room making indoor/outdoor living effortless.

The YouTube War

superficial lives? What does it mean to experience war virtually and from our own perspective and prejudices?

By Fred Samia

Vietnam

was called the first “Television War.” Americans could sit comfortably in their living rooms and watch reports in grainy black and white of battles that had recently taken place and perhaps feel some of the immediacy that watching a newsreel in a theater some weeks after the event did not convey, as happened in WWII.

The freedom of today’s nearly universally accessible digital social media, as we are learning, has its dark side. From fanatic fantastical conspiratorial scenarios that lead to real world mayhem, to the resurgence of hateful ideologies long thought buried, to the ability of one nation to interfere in the political process of another,or unfettered entré to personal bully pulpits leaves us all on a precarious precipice.

Social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, rely on content to drive them (and their advertisers), and the more unique, sensational or even shocking that content, the better. Up until recently, these sites depended, more or less, on contributors editing and censoring themselves, but in the “anything goes” atmosphere to achieve their Warhol-like five minutes of fame, few have done either. Believers believe likeminded folk and re-tweet, re-post and re-brand what they believe, no matter how thinly researched, if at all, and contradictory proof notwithstanding.

So we are in a time when truth is no longer provable; science is no longer to be trusted—along with whichever political party or structure you don’t support (fill in the blank— and words spoken and images shown can be manipulated and contorted to mean something entirely contrary than intended or as originally shot.

Perhaps the epitome of this

virtual disconnect are the short videos of the war in Ukraine that populate YouTube and other sites nearly every day. The vast majority of them show attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russian troops, positions and equipment. Many of them are accompanied by rock or other stimulating music and all ask you to subscribe and “like” the post you have just watched.

What, exactly are we being asked to add our kudos to? The fact that we have just seen some young Russian conscripts suffer grievous wounds from a drone-delivered grenade? Or a tank become the instant immolation chamber for several others after a missile strike?

I will admit, that as an ex-tanker, I am both obsessed and horrified by the lethality of modern antitank weapons. While in no way condoning Russia’s invasion and its brutality in Ukraine, nevertheless, I can feel pity and empathy for those obliterated crewmen. (The weapons manufacturers, no doubt, are happy, as are the various western militaries supporting Ukraine as they get to see their weapons systems tested under actual battle conditions. That they are done so against the Russians, is an added bonus, though it might be wise for those same parties to keep a close eye on the Chinese.)

Perhaps more disturbing than the videos of actual combat, are the hundreds (probably thousands) of interspersed gamer videos simulating fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces. Given the grainy and blurred quality of many of the “real” videos (often drone footage) some

of the gamer images can be quite deceiving as they replicate much of the equipment and tactics used, adding another layer of unreality, confusion and distance, and blurring the border between life (and death) and fantasy. Additionally, there is no fact-checking of any of this warrelated content and it doesn’t take many viewings to realize that both sides and/or their supporters, are posting blatant propaganda and deliberate disinformation.

Does YouTube do for the war in Ukraine what television did for the Vietnam War—make it real, immediate and palpable? Or, slotted in among the latest celebrity gossip, zombie apocalypse and how-tounclog-a-toilet videos, and arm wrestlers disguised as old men and young guitarists doing their 30-second covers of The Sultans of Swing, is it just more distraction and noise in our already over-revved and

Journalist Sarah Jones says, “That’s why I refer to wars in the digital sphere as iWars. Not just because many access the internet or social media on their phones, but because our access to this information has become so individualized. The way we consume the information, for the most part, is all about us, all about a single post, all about an individual, as opposed to the big picture. In many ways we are embedded in a narrative based on the accounts or voices we choose to look at and/or follow.” ** There is something very wrong when the death and destruction of war is reduced to competing for our “likes” and thumbs-up on platforms of questionable social and moral value.

*Peter Singer, co-author of “Like War: The Weaponization of Social Media,” Why Social Media is the New Weapon in Modern Warfare, https://knowledge. wharton.upenn.edu/article/singerweaponization-social-media/

**Sarah Jones, Social Media’s Impact on War, diplomaticourier.com/posts/ social-medias-impact-warreal-world war. We’re the ones whose clicks decide whose side wins out.”*

Topangan Fred Samia is a free-lance journalist and Marine veteran. He served in Vietnam 1967-68; his eight decorations include the Purple Heart.

“All of us individuals are the targets of these wars— whether it’s a marketing war or a real-world war. We’re the ones whose clicks decide whose side wins out.”*

Ongoing every Sunday, Bible Study with Michelle Klein, 10 a.m. Topanga Christian Fellowship. Service with Pastor John Klein follows at 11 a.m. info@topangachristianfellowship.org. 269 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga CA 90290, (310) 455-1048.

Ongoing. Food Truck Fridays, 4:30-8 p.m Topanga Community Center, 1440 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90290. topangacommunitycenter.org.

Ongoing. Third week of “Jewpernatural” ZOOM course with Rabbi Mendy Piekarski . Judaism’s 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, 1459 Old Topanga Canyon Road, Topanga, CA 90290. For information: Rabbi Mendy Piekarski at (310) 455-1597 or RabbiMendyPiekarski@gmail.com.

Friday, June 2, 7:30-9:30 p.m., TYS Teen Open Mic Night, ages 13-19 . Hosted by River Noble & Adam Roberts. Share your poetry, music, comedy, story, dance or mode of expression suits you.

All ages welcome. Pay $5 cash at door or scan code. Volunteers get in free. Pre-register at tys@ topangayouthservices.org . Topanga Community Center, 1440 Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, CA 90290. Info: topangacommunitycenter.org

Kidiwische Corner Workshops.

Saturday, June 3. Pueblo pottery with Rowan Harrison.

Saturday, June 10. Flintknapping with Chumash flintknapper Steven Saffold. Sunday, June 11. Father’s Day. Round reed baskets. Make Dad a special gift!

To be scheduled: Book signings, storytelling events, Native kids’ games, Dreamcatchers, Acorn cooking and Arts, Everything Elderberry, dogbane and yucca cordage, kelp rattles, using earth pigments, a prickly pear party, and more!

For information: KatCalls@aol.com.

Sunday, June 4, 2 p.m., The Crazy J Ranch presents the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band This bluegrass supergroup features four legendary, award-winning musicians: John Jorgenson on acoustic guitar, mandolin and vocals; Herb Pedersen on banjo, acoustic guitar and vocals; Mark Fain on bass; and Patrick Sauber on acoustic guitar and vocals. Expect impeccable musicianship, great songwriting, tight harmony vocals and seasoned showmanship. Dress for outdoor event. $25 Suggested Donation. For info: (310) 752-6069; crazyjtopanga@gmail.com

Sunday, June 18, 2 p.m., The Crazy J Ranch presents Roberto Cani & Friends, Concertmaster of the LA Opera Orchestra. Principals of the orchestra create a superb string quartet for a concert of classical music at Crazy J. On the program are works by Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Puccini. Dress for outdoor event. $25 Suggested Donation.

For info: (310) 752-6069; crazyjtopanga@gmail.com

Spend the Summer with Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and Celebrate its 50th Anniversary Gala, August 5 Tickets & Sponsorships Available Now

Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum opens its summer repertory season with two plays by Shakespeare in one weekend with two more to follow and set to run through September. Unlike most theaters in the L.A. area that stage continuous runs of a single play, Theatricum will perform all four plays in repertory, making it possible to see them all in one single late summer weekend.

Saturday, June 10, 7:30 p.m., Macbeth’s most infamously lethal couple feed each other’s ambitious passion with the gall to scale above and beyond everything and everyone around them. Unable to be sated until the bones are picked clean, they continue to devour the very food that brings their disastrous end. Directed by Ellen Geer.

Friday, July 21st, 7:30 p.m. “Pay What You Will” ticket pricing is available for the show. Saturday, August 26th, 6:30 p.m. Join the cast for a prologue discussion before the show.

June 24, 7:30 p.m., Queen Margaret’s version of Shakespeare’s War of the Roses, compiled by Ellen Geer from the Bard’s best-known history plays (Henry VI Parts I, II and III and Richard III) Theatricum’s production centers on Queen Margaret and the women and children of Shakespeare’s civil war saga. Friday, August 18, 7:30 p.m., “Pay What You Will” ticket pricing is available for the show. Saturday, August 12, 6:30 p.m, Join the cast for a prologue discussion before the show.

theater entertainment, theater camps and classes for kids and adults. For information: theatricum.com

Off the Grid Comedy Improv Troupe for a hearty weekday laugh. All shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 30, Thursday, July 27, Thursday, Aug. 31, Thursday, Sept. 28.

Under the Oaks September Salon Series All shows at 7:30 p.m. Every Friday in September 8, 15, 22, 29.

Sunday, June 11, 3:30 p.m., A Midsummer Night’s Dream Theatricum’s signature play and Shakespeare’s most beguiling comedy transforms Theatricum’s wooded stage every year when it morphs into the enchanted woods of Athens, where mortal lovers chase and are chased, players prepare, and fairies make magical mischief. Melora Marshall directs. Sunday, July 9, 3:30 p.m. “Pay What You Will” ticket pricing” is available for the show. Friday, July 7, 2:30 p.m. Join the cast for a prologue discussion before the show.

July 9, 7:30 p.m., A Perfect Ganesh by Terrence McNally. Two friends travel to India with heavy baggage, reeling from loss and personal demons. The Hindu god Ganesha, manifests in their fellow travelers and points them toward the revelation that sometimes, the greatest journey is surviving life. Friday, September 1, 7:30 p.m., “Pay What You Will” ticket pricing is available for the show. Sunday, September 10, 6:30 p.m. Join the cast for a prologue discussion before the show.

In addition to its summer plays, there is other

Sunday, October 8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. The Annual Americana Harvest Festival with a special performance of The Woody Guthrie Story.

Saturday, December 9, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Annual Holiday Family Faire featuring an Artisan Holiday Marketplace, Special Performances, Festive Food and Drink, Caroling and Singing Madrigals, Photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, Winter Holiday Stories from a Variety of Traditions… and much more!

Want to be a vendor? Call (310) 455-2322

Macbeth

Dream

“Writing

Old Topanga Canyon Road 3 Bed | 3.5 Bath $3,295,000

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.

Offices

Enchanted Gardens

Tucked away behind antique iron gates is a magical garden cottage. Poetic gardens bursting with heritage roses, varietal fruit trees and niches of peace and tranquillity to read a book or watch the sunset under the canopy of a majestic oak. Fully fenced and parking for 4 cars. The house is two bedrooms plus a den/office and two full baths. Featuring beautiful wood floors and spacious kitchen.

Offered at $1,399,000

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DRE# 01067874

Valley View Drive 3 Bed | 3 Bath $1,575,000

Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

This warm, contemporary Craftsman features 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms starts at the leaded glass front door. You can see forever with 180-degree views of the Topanga Mountains, State Park, and Eagle Rock.

Fontaine Drive 2 Bed | 2 Bath $1,500,000

Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

Into the mountains and through the woods, one finds a secluded cabin nestled among the oaks. Go back in time. Located in the mid-canyon area and minutes from creature comforts of beaches and world class shopping and dining.

Valley View Drive 2 Bed | 2 Bath $1,389,000

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.