The Canyon Chronicle- February 2, 2023 (Vol. 4, No. 2) -www.thecanyonchronicle.com

TOPANGA’S INDEPENDENT VOICE SINCE 1976

February 3 • Vol. 4, No. 2

Cinder went on her first road trip recently for a couple of weeks to visit

accommodations were just like home only moving. But

this. A fella’s gotta take a break after all that driving

January 2023 Has Been a Kick in the Pants

Has anyone else had problems easing into 2023? It better get better than this month was.

Kathie Gibboney lets us know from her Corner of the Canyon that you’re not alone and manages to offer hope in the face of adversity. (Page 13)

All in all, we have a pretty buoyant issue with good news about Topanga Actors Company (Page 5), Carolyn Day’s Growing Hope Gardens (Page 6), and Lola Babalon’s new weekly Plant Walk (Page 7). Over the winter holiday, Topanga El students and their new science teacher captured photos of the abundant wildlife that inhabits their campus (Page 12). The only thing you must read and take seriously is Sr. Reporter Annemarie Donkin’s coverage of the quarterly Topanga Emergency Management Task Force meeting with vital information about being prepared for disaster. (Page 4) With the abundance of challenges in the first month of 2023, you might want to check in with a psychic instead of your psychiatrist. Kait Leonard offers some tips on how to choose a psychic (Page 10).

No, we did not forget Valentine’s Day. Sarah Spitz discovered “Three Queens and a King,” who offer a Valentine’s Day Drag Brunch with entertainment at Sorry Not Sorry restaurant on February 11. So what if it’s a little early? Love is Love. (Pages 8-9)

My Name is Tiko!

Meet Tiko, Karen Moran’s Conure parrot, whose name we got wrong in her feature, “The Nature Boys, the Nature Girl and Me” (The Canyon Chronicle, January 20, 2023, Vol. 4, No. 1). Since she appeared with Karen in her photo, it’s only right that we call her by her given name. Apologies, Tiko.

Frank Kelly, 1929-2023

Frank Kelly, formerly of Kelly Gulch, unexpectedly passed away of congestive heart failure in Camarillo on January 20, 2023. He was 93. Frank was a Topanga resident for 43 years with his wife of 64 years, Michelene (aka “Mike”), who wrote in an email, “I like to think he’s up there having a shot of Irish Whiskey with Mary Colvig Rhodes.” Mike is compiling “some words about the man” along with memories, her own and their children, Michael and Mia, for a tribute to be published in The Canyon Chronicle. “He loved Topanga so much,” Mike said. And Topanga loved him. We welcome memories from those who knew him. Nothing was mentioned by the family of a memorial. Details are forthcoming.

—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

(310) 460-9786

Follow us on Instagram @thecanyonchronicle, & Facebook and twitter @CanyonChronicle

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

Day to All! valeriegallerie.com

The title is “Airmail”. It portrays love letters flying to the recipients. A romantic notion that I love. Butterflies with Envelope wings carrying valentine love letters. This  painting is a love letter to a Topanga dog named Wings who left too soon but will always remain in my heart. Happy Valentines

PHOTO BY KIMMY LILIEDAHL

the relatives. Snuggled into her crate, her

she’s used to running errands with the folks so why not

and Cinder needs some cuddle time with Cris.

TEM Task Force—Always Prepared!

By Annemarie Donkin

Seeking solutions, solving issues and working to protect the Canyon before, during and after disasters, the Topanga Emergency Management Task Force met via Zoom on January 25.

Topanga literally had a wake-up call at 2 a.m. on January 25 when it was rattled by a 4.2 point earthquake. That, along with fire and flood, is one of the major disasters Topangans are encouraged to prepare for.

Topanga has an abundance of County resources, one of which is quarterly meetings of the Topanga Emergency Management Task Force (TEMTF) whose members reported on the recent mudslides and flooding. They also introduced the “Topanga Survival Guide” Glovebox Edition to keep in the car when evacuating, and announced the upcoming Emergency/Safety Week April 24-28 .

Co-chaired by Jeanne O’Donnell, CEO-Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and James Grasso of the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP), the meeting included members of the community; representatives of the L.A. County Board of Supervisors; Los Angeles County Fire; the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department; Department of Public Works; and Southern California Edison.

Topanga’s Mudslides and Road Closures

There was much discussion about the road closures due to mudslides and boulders on Topanga Canyon Blvd. and Old Topanga Canyon Rd. during the January storms. Roger Pugliese, chair of the Topanga Association for a Scenic Community (TASC) and co-founder with Joseph Rosendo of the Topanga Canyon Trash Warriors, checked out storm conditions by walking the muddy roads in real time.

Grasso emphasized the importance of updated communications and protocols for road closures so residents don’t have to check out the roads by themselves in dangerous conditions.

“The challenge is when the roads are closed due to mudslides and rock falls,” Grasso said. “Where can we get accurate and timely information about road closures and when can residents get in and get out. How does that work, how can we improve communications?”

Steve Frasher of the Department of Public Works (DPW) said they update information in real time on social media regarding road closures and at dpw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures

“Folks in Topanga can subscribe and get bulletins reporting road closures and re-openings,” Frasher said.

Edward Francis from Caltrans said they are working on improving real-time coordination between road crews and operations.

“For Caltrans, sometimes what’s happening on the ground happens so fast that the offiicial updates on social media sites are the most accurate because they are managed 24/7,” he said.

For more information on road conditions from Caltrans, go to dot.ca.gov or quickmap.dot.ca.gov.

Grasso advised that the public should never

get their road condition information from citizen apps or from Nextdoor, as it may not be accurate; it depends on who is reporting.

“After thirty years of reporting for TCEP, we must be careful about who reports what,” Grasso said. “Some emergencies are no big deal or they could be a catastrophe.”

Survival Guide Pocket Edition & Safety Week

James Grasso updated the meeting with ongoing efforts to finalize the Topanga “Survival Guide Glovebox Edition” for the upcoming Emergency/ Safety Week starting April 24.

“The original guide has a lot of information,” he

“Mandatory Evacuation,” is “Evacuation Order.

As always, representatives of the Los Angeles Fire Department and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Departments emphasize that “if you see smoke, evacuate.” For more information, go to https://fire. lacounty.gov.

PSPS Update:

Many Topangans are concerned about potentially dangerous weather conditions in fire-prone areas. During a “Red Flag” alert, Southern California Edison (SCE) may need to call a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS).

“During these events, we will proactively turn

said. “During a disaster, this guide will be a go-to compact version with the time-sensitive reports.”

At the Oct. 20, 2022 meeting, O’Donnell said that the “Supervisors (present and past) have provided annual funding to support TEMTF activities. They have more funding left over from COVID-19 funds, and will use that for printing, maps, calendar webinars, and other small projects for 2023. If the funds are not used, they will be lost.”

Firewise Community and Home Hardening

Carrie Carrier, president of the Topanga Town Council, reported that Topanga has been reinstated as a Firewise Community for 2023. She urges everyone to report their fire safety efforts online at onetopanga.com.

Ryan Ulyate of the Topanga Canyon Firesafe Council offered to help residents with efforts on hardening their homes to prevent fire damage. He recommends an informational video on YouTube at youtube.com/watch?v=zgV6t6yWjXk. It’s about an hour long and residents are strongly advised to invest the time to learn how to protect their homes.

The organization provides free home evaluations by trained volunteers to get you started. By taking this step, homeowners contribute to maintaining Topanga as a Firewise community if they report it to onetopanga.com.

Evacuation Terminology

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the official evacuation terminology has changed. What used to be “Voluntary Evacuation” is now “Evacuation Warning” and

off power in high-fire risk areas to reduce the threat of wildfires,” said David Ford, Senior Government Relations Manager at SCE.

“Turning off our customers’ power is not something we take lightly, but PSPS events are one of the ways we can better ensure the safety of the public, our customers, and our employees,” he said.

“Edison is required to notify its customers days ahead of time for a pending PSPS event but since the PSPS activation program started, there have been no events in Topanga. Most will get notifications for the unincorporated L.A. County area,” Ford said.

There are many valuable online resources at sce.com including the role the weather plays in the PSPS decision-making factors.

TEMTF Mission Statement: The mission of the TEMTF, a partnership of designated public agencies, non-governmental organizations, and community organizations, is to ensure the sustainability of emergency management efforts and strategies for the Los Angeles County unincorporated area of Topanga.

The Task Force oversees the coordination and communication among governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and the community to improve preparedness, prevention, response, and recovery. It develops, reviews, and monitors community-based emergency plans, facilitates emergency planning exercises, ensures community involvement and educational outreach, evaluates and updates emergency plans after a disaster.

TAC Expands Theater

As of December, Topanga Actors Company (TAC) has officially contracted with the Los Angeles County Library system to produce four plays within 12 months at Topanga Library, four plays being the agreed upon minimum with an option for more with the library’s permission.

The agreement has opened up performances at other libraries in LA County starting with the Malibu Library, for a showing of Heroes on February 4-5.

“Many thanks go to Topanga Library Manager Ashley Abrams for shepherding us through a months’long process,” says TAC producer Judith Hendra. “The agreement gives us privileges including enhanced publicity covering the entire county library system and the use of the Topanga Library community room without having to post insurance, a wonderful thing for an organization that offers performances free of charge.”

Hendra reminds us that the new agreement “covered the lovely afternoon we spent on December 18 watching Dylan Booth and Jeanette Vigne bring Truman Capote’s words to life in A Christmas Memory. Abrams’ colorful online announcement brought in audiences from outside the Topanga community.

“The announcement for our staged-reading of Heroes is even more colorful, featuring a photograph of the cast with an uncredited character, the Stone Dog, whose role is one of the features of the play, which audiences will have

to see for themselves,” Hendra says. “We’re looking at a season of as many as four plays, including two comedies and two dramas where 2023 will have an international flavor with works (in English) by Irish, Hungarian, British and American playwrights.”

Hendra says that the contract with the LA County Library is unique to TAC. “I’ve been told informally that we are the only theater group that the Topanga Library staff has heard of that is based in any county library.”

“It’s quite an honor,” she says.

About TAC. As a company, one of TAC’s distinguishing features includes the choice of plays with a focus on contemporary or nearcontemporary theater works and an eye to relative unknowns.

“For instance, when we produced Tennessee Williams’ A House Not Meant to Stand (March 2020), we quite deliberately chose a play that literally had a mere handful of productions,” Hendra says. “Our staged readings are unusually fluid and actors are ‘blocked’ to move in a small space around the audience members who say that although they realize our actors are holding scripts they are barely aware of it.”

The core company has been together since 2019 and hung in during the pandemic when the library was closed. TAC moved to Zoom, starting in April 2020 with fifteen-minute original staged readings and moved swiftly to full-length plays. Topanga actors predominate, but not exclusively.

PHOTO BY BILL PIERCE

(L-R) Bill Pierce, Stephen Hoye, Harry Hart-Browne and the Stone Dog will also perform at the Malibu Library on Feb. 4-5.

Carolyn Day’s Growing Hope Gardens Goes from Strength to Strength

By Claire Fordham

When Topanga’s master gardener Carolyn Day founded Growing Hope Gardens in 2019, her aim was to bring the joy of gardening and connecting with the soil to impoverished people. Seeing a need for healthy food options, Day began teaching residents how to grow their own fruits, vegetables and herbs.

Day’s first garden project, SaMoSHel (SAnta MOnica SHELter) in Santa Monica, is now one of 11 resident gardens that Growing Hope Gardens successfully sustains at nine homeless shelters on the south and west sides of LA.

“It’s in underserved communities where we see the highest rates of hunger, diabetes and other negative health outcomes. Growing your own food is empowering for us all,” said Day.

By the end of 2023, Day plans to open 20 more gardens locally and a farm. “We’re excited to be launching our first urban farm in Santa Monica that will become a garden space between two affordable housing resident communities and be the work hub supplying all our gardens,” she said. LA County has funded a shed, nursery tables and chairs for the urban farm.

“We are creating gardens where people can walk out of their front door and harvest kale and thyme to add to their soup for supper. We can all benefit from growing our own fruits and vegetables as climate change disrupts agriculture.”

When Day finds a community that would benefit from Growing Hope Gardens’ support, she walks the property looking for the most cost-efficient way to grow produce.

“The dream is to find ornamental planters then I jump on that excellent infrastructure and propose converting the plants to edible ones. The $500 they spend on ornamental plants can be used to feed residents and their neighbors,” she says. The gardens also provide a beautiful space for residents to gather and socialize—and even to meet with their doctors and social workers. “Social workers told me they couldn’t get clients to come to their offices for appointments but would happily meet in the garden. They said I’m tapping into something they can’t. Gardens are a great equalizer. I remember being hungry and unhoused, how unwelcome I felt everywhere,” says Day.

“My brother was in foster care, my parents were nowhere. I was on the Canadian gymnastics team and a straight A student. I skipped two grades and was in college at 17 when I became homeless. I know it can happen to anyone because it happened to me.

“I was so embarrassed and ashamed. I thought I wasn’t as good as other kids and that prevented me

from asking for help. I sometimes stole food I was so hungry. At college I would finish my friends’ plates after I offered to take them to the trash. Whether you are housed or not, every human has an innate desire to plant a seed and believe in the future.”

Growing Hope Gardens is a 501c3 non-profit that relies on grants and

donations to pay for insurance costs, transportation, and seeds and plants for their new nursery, which they source locally, and to pay some of their helpers. After fundraising and creating a strong volunteer force, their goal is to raise awareness. “Raising awareness of our work will allow us to bring more food gardens to more people.”

Last year, each garden wasn’t just a resource and connection for residents, they gave 42,000 pounds of fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs to their neighbors.

Day, who speaks fluent French and Spanish, wants to add more diversity to Growing Hope’s board of directors. “We’re looking for people of color to join our board. People who are passionate about social justice.”

One of the reasons people return to homelessness is lack of community and no sense of belonging, says Day. “When you create a garden somewhere, you create reasons for people to stay and not slip back into homelessness.”

Day lives in Topanga with her school teacher husband, Donald, and their sons Tristan, 13, and Simon, 11, who are graduates of Topanga Elementary School. She has been a stuntwoman and joined the circus where she performed back handsprings on a galloping horse. That all stopped when Day had children. “I wanted to do something more meaningful and to help others.”

She’s certainly achieved that and continues to help and inspire others to lead healthier and happier lives. For more information and to donate visit growinghopegardens.org

PHOTO COURTESY CAROLYN DAY Carolyn Day in a previous life with the Cheval Theatre.

PHOTO COURTESY CATHERINE BERNIER

Master gardener Carolyn Day founder of Growing Hope Gardens.

Plant Walks with Lola Babalon

Morethan a dozen people showed up at Pine Tree Circle on Jan. 24 for the first session of this new weekly event led by Lola Babalon (right).

“We encountered, sniffed and talked about Pine trees, Lavender, Calendula, Black Sage, Rosemary, Olive leaf, White Sage and California Sagebrush, all of which are easily cultivated in our local climes and have powerful properties,” said Babalon.

Among topics covered were why gathering any plant material on public land is illegal; the importance of mindfulness and plant communication; and how some of these plants can be made into tea, tinctures or liniments.

“There will be absolutely no foraging on public lands,” she says. “Any plant we can find outdoors, native or ‘immigrant’ can be grown in gardens or obtained commercially,” she says. “It’s all about communing with Mother Nature and to simply visit in her springtime finest as we partake of the upcoming super bloom.

“In these walks we are getting to know them, creating resonance and discovering if and how these plants can help us. We’ll visit various areas near the creek, woods, meadows and hilltop habitats. It’s all educational and immersive by sight, smell and taste.”

Every week the group will explore different parts of the canyon within the radius of a 15-minute carpool ride and a fairly brief walk into habitat. The next meeting is Tuesday, Jan uary 31st, at 10 a.m. at Pine Tree Circle and carpool to a woodsy area and walk from there. All ages are welcome and please, no dogs.

“We are here to honor, work with and adore Mother Nature,” Babalon said.

Presentation!

Prepare the property for the market: staging, landscaping, cleaning up, painting… Buyers will pay for perfect!

Ask us about Compass Concierge.

Strategic pricing!

Know the market trends; consult with our team to see how Topanga Market is responding to the economic shift.

Marketing!

Take advantage of our State of the Art marketing package with world-class photography/videography to best showcase all the unique features of your property.

Timing!

We keep an eye on the inventory to select the perfect time to list your home.

Be Creative!

Talk to us about creative financing solutions i.e. 2/1 Buy Down etc.

Three Queens, a King &

PHOTOS BY SARAH SPITZ

Above: Minerva S. Breakdown as Wednesday Addams. Right: Big Kim, MC and hostess in her Act I costume.

Sorry Not Sorry’s Drag Brunch performers from left: Big Kim, Breakdown.

& Valentines Day

By Sarah Spitz

After Chef/restaurateur Kim Vu shuttered her West LA Vietnamese restaurant Khong Ten, a diner called to say it had been her favorite, and why was she closing? Vu responded, because you didn’t dine here enough or bring your friends. She adopted the attitude implicit in the meme, “Sorry, not sorry,” and gave her space a new name and focus.

Sorry Not Sorry is about events and community, with drinking and dining included. There are Thursday live music Happy Hours, Wine Down Sundays, Whiskey Wednesdays, comedy nights, Saturday night DJ dance parties, the Bubblegum Burlesque Clue Interactive Mystery Game Show, and their longest-running attraction, Drag Brunch on the third Saturday of the month.

Saturday, February 18, a few days after the actual holiday, Drag Brunch will feature a Valentine’s Day theme, “Sorry Not Sorry: A Love Story,” which, according to General Manager Brandon Waller may feature songs about love—or maybe its opposite. “Anything can happen,” he said with a laugh. He’s in the process of scripting that show now.

“When Kim decided to switch over to Sorry Not Sorry,” he told me on the back patio where the Drag Brunches take place, “she made a conscious effort to create a demasculinized space that is safe for women and definitely inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community.”

And that’s evident in the mix of performers. Big Kim acts as the hostess and MC, introducing the two other Queens: Minerva S. Breakdown, Queen Q’ream, and Johnny Gentleman, who’s actually a King. More about that later.

January’s theme was “Dragolutions,” featuring lipsynched songs that promise things will change — or maybe not. Audience participation is a huge part of the show, so plan to eat, drink and be…naughty.

In Act 1 Big Kim introduces herself as hostess and MC. She’s dressed in a curve-hugging, cleavageenhancing leopard print dress, with a shoulder-length blond wig, and is just outrageous enough to get the audience warmed up and involved. Then she brings out the Queens, who’ve been in a staging tent behind the patio fence putting final touches on their over-the-top costumes and makeup.

At January’s show, Minerva wore an extremely long platinum wig over a tightly-fitted black dominatrix suit with curvy golden lines, all wrapped up in a black satin skirt that she’d flap open and close like wings over her high-heeled velvet lace-up boots. Resolving never to let another man hurt her, she dances around the room flirting and collecting dollar bills.

Queen Q’ream resolves to stop being a “bitter bitch,” dressed in in her crazy red long-haired wig, and her

seductress tie-dye striped leotard. She’s trying to tone down her bitchiness, but you’d never know it from the snake she wields and the moves she makes, sneering, bending and dipping, then jumping up on the tables to pick up dollar bills flying at her.

And then we meet Johnny Gentleman, smaller and rounder than the Queens. He’s dressed in jeans, white shirt, suspenders and a mocha-colored cardigan…looking for all the world like a rural hayseed, then breaking into wild dance moves, while peeling off various items of clothing to the screaming delight of the guests.

Act 2 included Minerva in a blue wig, big baggy blouse and skirt that she strips off to transform into Wednesday Addams, replete with white collar and long black braids. Queen Q’ream is wearing the most vertigo-inducing shoes of the day, 10-inchtall heels under flame-red, knee-high, buckle-up vinyl boots.

Johnny shifts into Latino cultural mode wearing a black shirt, elaborately decorated with a floral design and a black hat, suggestive of a mariachi’s outfit. Johnny’s onstage, and soon-to-be fully legal, name is Roxy J. ValleOrsi, who identifies as “transmasculine and nonbinary; I had top surgery in April of 2021 and in May I started testosterone treatment. I have experienced both genders in my body so I feel a sense of freedom in not calling myself some sort of ‘correct’ gender.”

His Latino Catholic military family in the Bible Belt were transphobic and judgmental of their own Latino culture. That’s why, says Roxy, “I packed a bag and left. And it’s why I am working to create Drag Camp, where young BIPOC LGBTQ+ people can meet, express themselves, and be mentored in the creative arts of drag makeup, costuming, collaboration and performance in a safe space.

“Kids who consider transitioning often fear losing their family. I want them to know there’s a chosen family, a community that will love and accept them for who they are. Even if it’s one community, or a small location, it saves lives. I want kids to have that because I wish I’d had that when I was younger.”

Roxy is completing paperwork for Drag Camp to become a non-profit while creating pitch packets for meetings, and is hoping to find both funding and collaborative partnerships with community organizations.

Follow Roxy at Dapper Puss Entertainment at dapperpussdk.com. Drag Brunch is on the third Saturday of each month at Sorry Not Sorry; visit the website to reserve a ticket. sorrynotsorryla.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.

Queen Q’ream’s 10-inch red boots.

Johnny Gentleman, Queen Q’ream, Minerva S.

Soothsayers and Charlatans—How to Choose a Psychic

By Kait Leonard

Choosing carefully before booking a session with a psychic could save you a cauldron-full of disappointment, not to mention time and money.

It’s estimated that the psychic services industry has grown steadily for the past decade, bringing in over $2 billion in 2022 in the United States alone. Growth is expected to continue. Unfortunately, with this kind of money on the line, industry corruption is guaranteed. And even within the sea of seers who truly intend to give their clients a genuine experience, not all of them are quite as good as they believe themselves to be. This can make finding the real-deal psychic daunting, but there are some tips to consider when the need to glimpse behind the veil arises.

Know What You Want

First and most importantly, get clear on your goal for the reading. People visit psychics for myriad reasons. Some want to find out if a lover is cheating. Others ask how a court case will resolve. People yearn to know why their rescue puppy shakes in terror around sparrows.

Clarifyingyour goal will help you locate a psychic who specializes in that sort of knowledge. It’s like choosing a doctor. A general practitioner can help, but if your back is out, why not see an orthopedist or a chiropractor?

Narrow Your Search

Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s not hard to find a list of psychics. An internet search of “psychic mediums” currently produces over three million results, many linking to practitioners’ websites. This is not the best way to find a reputable psychic, since most people manage to make themselves look good on their own websites. A more current option is to search social media, but here, too, it takes a savvy consumer to weed out the marketing gimmicks. If you’re new to the woo-woo world, it’s usually best to gamble on experience. Most psychics get their work through referrals, and those who don’t deliver don’t stay in business for long.

Seek an Expert Referral

A good way to get a more reliable list of spiritual practitioners is to visit a local occult shop. Just about every town has at least one,

selling anything from bat ears to faerie wands, and they often have in-house readers. If not, almost all maintain bulletin boards where store-approved practitioners are allowed to advertise. These psychics may not be a right fit for you, but at least they’ve been vetted.

Choose a Psychic who Aligns with your Beliefs

Another consideration before booking is the psychic’s spiritual or philosophical background. Most people have a mini Doubting Thomas sitting on one shoulder, and he will scream loud and long if the psychic you’re working with speaks from within a framework you have difficulty accepting. Do you prefer a Christian? Would it be okay if the reader identified as a witch? After answering such questions, it’s time to visit the websites of the names on your shortlist. Psychics all explain their backgrounds on their social media sites and web pages. Don’t go to someone who doesn’t feel right to you.

Consider the Costs

Depending on where you live and what kind of service you’re seeking, a session can cost anywhere from $20 (lucky you if you find this price!) to well into the triple digits. Add this dollar amount to the emotional cost of putting your deepest questions into someone else’s hands, and you can see why it’s best to do some upfront work before jumping into a session.

The Final Step?

Enter with an open mind and a joyful heart. You’ll either be wowed by wisdom or at least have a good laugh. And remember, if that psychic didn’t work for you, it means exactly and only that. Try to figure out what felt wrong, and seek out a practitioner who might be a better fit.

May the force of the Woo be with you!

References: statista.com/ statistics/1224176/psychic-servicesmarket-size-us/

PEXELS-ANASTASIA-SHURAEVA-6014326

Lisa Saver CalBre Lic.#01203202

ChatGPT

By Paula LaBrot

Brace yourself. I have to catch you up on some rapid changes (are there any other kind these days?).

ChatGPT is important for you to understand. It is a revolutionary, disruptive technology. According to Dante Amodeo, writing for uproxx.com , GPT is “short for generative pre-trained transformer,” and it’s essentially an AI (artificial intelligence) assistant that’s studied everything and will provide answers to any written request you make. The newest version, Chat GPT3, has been trained on billions of text samples before 2021 and, based on what you ask, it can transform that (information) into what it predicts to be useful results in text.”

In other words, this is a program that, given a few prompts, is able to produce an “original” term paper in five seconds. Or a syllabus. Or a business plan. Or a love letter. Or lyrics. Or news copy. Or whatever! And in whatever voice you want— word jazz, olde English, Victorian, inner city, country western, business language, conservative, leftist, atheist, believer—as I said, whatever. And, since it is able to “learn” you, it can produce text in your very own individual voice. (See why all that data collected about you is so valuable?)

Oh, and it can write code, too. Holy Moley! Let’s take a look at this.

A Little History

Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Peter Theil and other Silicon Valley heavyweights pledged one billion dollars in 2015 to create a nonprofit called Open AI, that focused on developing artificial intelligence “in the way that is most likely to benefit humanity as a whole.” Ethics were “baked into” the structure of the company as the founders realized the great risks of this technology in the wrong hands. Open AI was to be an organization that would freely collaborate with other institutions and researchers by making its patents and research open to the public. The goal was to develop artificial intelligence technologies that replicate the cognitive capabilities of humans. These technologies now have a selfaware consciousness and the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future.

According to Bernard Marr writing for Forbes Magazine, “Content is generated using algorithms that are pre-trained, i.e., the technologies are fed all of the data they need to carry out their tasks— about 570gb of text information gathered by crawling the internet (a publicly available data set known as CommonCrawl)—along with other texts selected by OpenAI, including the text of Wikipedia.”

The amount of information processing that goes into the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) requires immense

computational resources. That costs money. Needing a supply of investment capital, Open AI switched from a nonprofit to a capped profit organization, ChatGPT3 (you can only make 100 times your investment).

One week after the debut of ChatGPT3 in November 2022, a million users had signed on. The program is free now, because developers are still refining the technologies, and the users are actually teaching the program as they use it. The program learns independently, so the more it is used, the more it learns and the better it gets at replicating human cognitive abilities.

What Can It Do?

ChatGPT3 has the ability to recognize natural language and generate intelligent responses. You can talk to it. It can seem empathetic. It is revolutionizing the way content is created. It can write essays, research papers, books, screenplays, script analyses, poems, news copy, legal contracts, wills, trusts, blogs, supply chain plans. It can write a letter, create a resume, create jokes, explain complex topics, find legal precedents, write music in any genre, writedebug-explain code, create content in multiple languages, prepare for a job interview, write a job description, suggest party themes, write music in any genre…even just be a companion to carry on a conversation with. It can give you personal advice and recommendations. It can explain how it can replace you. It can explain how it is dangerous to you.

Warnings

AI, while very smart, has no morals or ethics. Elon Musk says, “We need to be super careful with AI as they are potentially more dangerous than nukes.” He does not want humanity to become a biological “bootloader” for digital super intelligence.

David Ha, a researcher at Google Brain, says he is “concerned about” machine learning being used to “mask unethical human activities.”

Francois Chollet of the deep neural network, Keras, says, “Arguably the greatest threat is mass population control via message targeting and propaganda bot armies.”

Many people, especially the leaders in the AI industry, believe it is important to regulate this technology before things go wrong. Before AI overtakes humans.

Ray Kurzweil suggests in “The Age of Spiritual Machines,” that evolution is an accelerating natural process that will soon outstrip biology’s ability to keep up with technology. He envisions a moment of singularity, a hypothetical future point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseeable changes to human civilization.

Right now, schools at all levels are scrambling to figure out how to deal with this disruptive technology

and maintain academic integrity. Lucas Ropek of gizmodo.com writes, “Will it lead to a tsunami of cheating from school slackers who just want a robot to write their history essay for them?”

Be Brave, New World

When electricity was invented, people would talk about how fascinating it was, but they weren’t sure how they would use it in their everyday lives.

Ha! Be ready to dive into this technology, folks. We are not sure where we are going with AGI, but I’m pretty sure we will be heavily using it in the future. (Or will it be using us?) Vamos a ver!

Cameras Capture Thriving Wildlife at TECS

By TECS News Team

With the kids away, it was the wildlife’s turn to play at the Topanga Elementary campus during winter break.

Science teacher Jeffrey Esparza and some of his Topanga Elementary Charter School (TECS) students set up motion-activated camera traps to watch the trails while the students and staff were off-site enjoying the holidays. The experiment was a huge success, resulting in multiple bobcats, three mule deer, and a mountain lion all being captured on the cameras during the three-week period.

“I was teaching my fourth- and fifth-grade classes about camera traps, and then we did our own experiment to see what roams the trails of our school campus,” explained Esparza. “We set the cameras in trees in what we thought would be high-traffic areas, and let them run for the duration of winter break. One of the cameras was right next to the amphitheater, and another was just beyond it. They are motion- and heat-sensing cameras activated to snap any movement in range.

“It was awesome. We captured photos of three mule deer, our native deer in the Santa Monica Mountains. We also caught 14 bobcat images, and after studying those I was able to confirm it was at least six different individual bobcats. We captured one mountain lion image which was the major highlight. It was taken in the dark and the night vision on the camera wasn’t working

too well, but I saw the silhouette of those big shoulders and body, small head, and long tail, and I knew what it was immediately. After we lightened up the image, I was able to confirm it was a mountain lion.”

After they returned to school last month, Esparza told his excited students that the images show what a healthy ecosystem surrounds them in Topanga Canyon.

“We have the largest carnivore in the Santa Monica Mountains—the second largest cat in the Americas behind the jaguar—roaming right behind our school. “That shows how balanced this ecosystem is—if you have healthy, large predators it means that the whole ecosystem is in good shape.”

Esparza, and the cameras used for the experiment, are paid for by Topanga Enrichment Programs (TEP), the school booster club which is funded by contributions from generous parents to pay for resources and initiatives that LAUSD doesn’t cover.

Esparza was a new hire at the beginning of this school year, having previously worked at the Los Angeles Zoo. This latest lesson was inspired by his own academic studies. For his Biology Masters degree he studied the movements of armadillos in Brazil using similar technology. These findings confirmed to him what an exciting place Topanga Elementary is to work and learn in the five acres of oak woodland and nature trails that are part of the school’s unique campus.

“The kids were excited, and I was, too,” he said. “We have put the cameras up again and

will check them in three weeks. We can’t wait to see what we find next.”

Raised Garden Beds Flourishing Again

The Science Committee, a vital subcommittee of TEP, is behind further work underway to enrich the environmental education of children at TECS.

Many parents kindly volunteered their time over the past year to bring the raised garden beds on the school campus back to life using TEP funds. The wooden frames have been sanded and repaired, the soil amended with fresh compost and mulch, the water systems have been fixed and upgraded, and enclosures have been built to protect the edible plants from critters. Help has also come from Franklin’s Hardware in Woodland Hills who donated two thermometers to the project. The youngsters are finally getting their hands dirty in the revitalized beds, with specialist garden lessons offered to TECS students twice a month.

Second-grade mom Kelly Rockwell, who is nearing the end of a graduate program for Outdoor Education and Leadership, is helming the initiative alongside other parent volunteers.

“This is part of a long history of gardening and beautification at Topanga Elementary. I know some of the parents who built the garden beds, and their children are now college graduates, so it is nice to be part of that legacy.”

Parents interested in helping with the gardens, or supporting TEP in any other way, should contact tepboard@topangaelementary.com.

PHOTO BY JEFFREY ESPARZA

Motion-activated cameras placed on the TECS campus over the winter break caught these photos of a mule deer and 14 images of bobcats. The night-vision camera also caught the silhouette of a mountain lion (not pictured). “If you have healthy, large predators it means the whole ecosystem is in good shape,” says Science teacher Jeffrey Esparza.

PHOTOS BYKELLY ROCKWELL

Young students enjoy gardening lessons twice a month and enjoy getting their hands dirty in the newly-revitalized raised beds.

Fixing A Hole

By Kathie Gibboney

It’s not that I expected a lot from the new year. After all, I didn’t even stay up until midnight to usher her in but so far, 2023 has given me a real run for my money and I don’t even have any money.

It is still winter, that solemn part of it when the gaiety of Christmas is packed away—those vibrant decorations, all that bright red vanished from our walls, shelves, and fireplace, as if washed away by the rain. No more does a tree stand triumphantly upright in our bedroom, like a shining jewel box, yet secreting dark magical places. The children gone, I move from room to room in that deep January gloom sort of lost. The ceiling has sprung a leak that drips a staccato rhythm into the pan beneath and I rather feel as if I, too, am leaking a bit. Sometimes I come across an errant piece of festivity, a strand of ribbon, a small elf in the corner, pine needles, a champagne cork on the kitchen floor, and smile as I pick them up thinking, “Aha! Christmas was here!”

But now it’s gone. What’s there to look forward to? Taxes? Evermore mass shootings? A world without leonine David Crosby (even though he’s he first to admit to being a jerk)? In addition to my unusual January blues, I’m saddened for my husband’s older sister, who has chosen to die rather than subject her compromised body to any more invasive procedures. We respect her decision. Yet when visiting her nursing home, I felt helpless in the face of the inevitable. We brought mundane things—nuts, hand lotion, mail, pastries, a small mirror she requested and my constant bedside prattle, as if my cheerful

TECS Teacher Kelly Welch Receives Grant

Kelly Welch, a fourth-grade teacher at Topanga Elementary Charter School (TECS), was recently awarded a grant by Donors Choose to support the social and emotional needs of her students.

“I’m pleased to receive this grant award and apply it to creating a calming area in my classroom,” Welch said. “The calming area will provide a safe space for students to process their feelings without distractions when in a vulnerable state. Regulating high emotions is a learned skill; all my students are gaining tools to identify and handle their feelings better,” said Welch.

chatter could keep death at bay.

I know of several dear Topanga friends who are also facing their own challenges and all I can say is thank God for Susan Clark. My own lion, the ageing cat is experiencing diminishing mobility, although he can still make it to the litter box, which is more than I can say for some people I know. The rain continues, rocks fall down our hillsides, mud washes over our roads, Topanga is closed, the drips fall steadily like tears, as if the sky is crying, my hair looks bad.

My car’s been stuck at Pinetree Circle for days. Something’s gone wrong with it. Although the engine revved a bit, it wouldn’t engage. However, no tow truck driver wanted to brave our Canyon, insisting the roads were closed, even after they reopened. Finally, an intrepid driver took on the job. Although the car started right up, even accelerating a bit as if showing off, it was towed to our friendly, reliable Audi mechanic in the Valley. He’s the kind of a guy who proudly shows you the old broken, greasy, rusty worn-out parts he replaced, talking in carspeak, which I can never follow while trying to look on with admiration as he says, “Just look at this carburetor?” Or “I pulled these old plugs out! And what about these burnt pistons?” I smile while stepping over the oil pooling around my feet.

Over the years of tending to my cool 1995 Audi we trust him. But he really can’t find anything wrong. After some minor repairs and figuring we’re getting off easy I pick up my car, out on Sherman Way in the middle of late afternoon traffic.

When still in my twenties, I remember my dear mother, sagely pronouncing, “I know you will never die in a car crash because by now, you would have already done so.”

Suffice it to say, I have never been at my best behind the wheel. In the old Driver’s Education class in high school after my first turn driving, I so terrified everyone in the vehicle including

the instructor I was relegated to the back seat for the rest of course. I just looked out the window. I went on to a career of calamity, an assigned risk, totaling a classic Karmann Ghia, a new Mustang, and a few years ago a Saturn Vue, when hitting a pothole in the rain on Old Topanga Road, swerving out of control, crashing through a wooden fence and coming to rest in someone’s front yard. Sometimes I dream of driving an out-of-control car.

So now, I’m heading down crowded Sherman Way, after exiting the repair shop and the car stalls. I restart it thinking maybe I just need to pump the gas a bit after it had been sitting in the rain. I make it several blocks when suddenly the vehicle accelerates, going faster and faster. I keep stepping on the brakes to no effect, like a bad dream. I am so afraid I’m going to run a red light, hit someone, or if I suddenly stop, the car behind will hit me and there’s nowhere to pull over. I begin to scream as I’m driving, commanding myself to, “Stop the car! Stop the car! Stop the car!”

Finally, there’s an opening in the parking lane and I swerve over, jam the gear into park and turn off the engine, which makes a rude noise. I sit stunned and shaking, the accelerating runaway car terror may have lasted just minutes, but it seemed hours to me. I thank what divine intervention helped me to pull over and shut off the engine, I certainly didn’t do it myself.

Cold winds blow, the price of propane rises, my ravens are gone. They were a beautiful pair of birds, a couple I named, Beakster and Black Beauty who visited several times a day gracing us with their magnificent, mythic presence, but after the rain they’ve disappeared and I miss their magic.

On a Tuesday morning Sheila Anapol dies. I pull back the blanket and touch her cheek, still warm, “You did it.” I whisper.

As I write this, one young solitary raven lands on our roof.

February Events

creating these paintings.

In the South Gallery artist June Kim presents “Divine Vision of Redthread” a vision of outdoor sitespecific installations using AI art as a future medium to create this collection of 4 seasons happening in real locations on earth. Gallery hours are Fridays 1-7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays 12-6.p.m. at 137 S. Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga. Visit topangacanyongallery.com; @ topangacanyongallery for details.

oak tree, and a cohort of colorful characters save the day. 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Info & Tickets: kamakshihart. com/resilient-AF

West Basin “Water is Life”

n

Saturday, February 4-26, Topanga Canyon Gallery

Topanga Canyon Gallery is pleased to present two new solo exhibitions from artists John Couch and June Kim. Join the artists for an opening reception February 4, 4-8pm. In the North Gallery artist John Couch presents “Mushin ( ).” The kanji characters for Mushin consist of Mu (nothingness) and Shin (hear, mind, spirit). Or “no mind.” This is the state Couch strove for while

Sunday, February 5, 2-4 p.m.-, Palidems Annual Meeting . Meet State Sen. Ben Allen (District 24); Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin; District 3 Supervisor Lindsey Horvath; and Rep. Brad Sherman via ZOOM; and other elected officials via ZOOM or in person at Palisades Charter High School. Info@palisadesdemclub.org ; (310) 230-2084, To register: palidems.org n

Saturday, February 11, 8 p.m. Resilient AF, Whitefire Theatre’s SoloFest 2023 Kamakshi Hart’s songs and stories of shadow and light offer an entertaining step-bystep guide to heal generational trauma. Humor uplifts tragedy and a Super Heroine, a wise old

Student Art Contest. Deadline: Friday, March 17, 5 p.m. The West Basin Municipal Water District invites Students in Grades 3-12 to Create “Water is Life” artwork that inspires water conservation in our communities. Qualified teachers can request a free classroom art supply set (valued at $80) and an in-person or live online art lesson to support their students’ submission efforts. Limited art supply sets and art lessons are available. Reservation form, art supply set request form, and updated contest guidelines in English and Spanish are available at westbasin.org/waterislife . For contest information: westbasin. org/waterislife . Winners will be selected by a panel of judges in April 2023 and will advance to Metropolitan’s regional competition and may be featured in the agency’s 2024 student artwork calendar. Deadline is March 17, 5 p.m.

“Winter Awakerning” by June Kim

“Mushin ( )” by John Crouch

Kamakshi Hart performs her one-woman show, Resilient AF, at the Whitefire Theatre’s SoloFest on Saturday, February 11.

PRICE REDUCED

Exquisite Custom Mediterranean Oasis on Approx. 11 acres

baths in the main house, a spacious detached three car garage with separate office/gym/guest room and half bath below. All bedrooms are en suite with access to outdoor patios, large closet space and stone floors in bathrooms. There is a complete chef’s kitchen with oversized center island, quartz counters, custom cabinetry and Viking appliances. The modern open floor plan incorporates the kitchen, family and dining room with a separate living room great for entertaining. The home includes long plank oak floors, vaulted wood beam ceilings and Loewen windows which maximize your beautiful mountain and rock formation views. The outdoor patios are on opposite sides of the home, each with their own separate serene seating areas overlooking the property and mountain views

Offered at $3,295,000

Gayle Pritchett

(310) 748-1580

DRE# 00585628

Lacey Rose Gorden (310) 383-1848

DRE# 02122031

SOLD

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

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.

Horseshoe Drive 4 Bed | 3 Bath $1,875,000 SOLD

Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

This mountain view home boasts floor to ceiling windows and captures Topanga State Park. Located at the end of the quiet cul-de-sac. The open floor plan has sliding glass doors from the living and dining room to the entertainer size decks to drink in nature.

Alta Drive 3 Bed | 3 Bath $1,830,000 SOLD

Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

Enjoy the 3 bed + 3 bath home with open kitchen, breakfast area, center island & office (or 4th bdrm), vegetable garden, fruit trees, 5 beehives, and chickens. The property is surrounded by lots of walking, cycling and riding trails.