The Canyon Chronicle - September 18, 2020 (Volume 1, No. 7) - www.thecanyonchronicle.com by The Canyon Chronicle

T o p a n g a’ s I n d e p e n d e n t Vo i c e S i n c e 19 7 6 September 18, 2020 • Vol. 1, No. 7

POSTAL CUSTOMER DDM***** *****ECRWSSE Permit #422 Pasadena, CA PAID U.S. Postage ECRWSS PRSRT STD

THE WRIGHT WAY TEAM AND COMPASS KNOW TOPANGA, AND TOPANGA KNOWS US. #1 Brokerage in Topanga since 2019

Topanga is a unique paradise, filled with sweetness, heart, and extraordinary challenges. You deserve a Team and a Company that knows Topanga, and that can navigate the twists and turns of Canyon Real Estate, to ensure your home is sold well, sold high, and sold with the highest attention to detail that a Topanga Home deserves. Choose a Team with an innovative marketing background, and a company that has created industry defining, multi-channel marketing. Choose a Team who has their finger on the pulse of the canyon, and knows the buyers coming to Topanga. Choose a Team who can calmly invite a buyer to learn how a fire is handled in Topanga, as a fire starts in the canyon below in the middle of a home inspection. One who can explain the amazingly organized disaster response and preparedness that Topanga has mastered, as the fire is put out.

Choose a Team that is backed by Compass, which has hired the most talented, highestintegrity professionals in the country, and given them the support to create amazing results that have catapulted Compass to the forefront of real estate in Topanga, Los Angeles, California, and the nation. Choose a Team who has been a part of Topanga for decades. Who has roots here. Who knows the back roads, and the back stories. Choose a Team who stands with Topanga, and for Topanga. The Wright Way Team and Compass.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING HOW COMPASS CAN DELIVER A BESPOKE, WHITE GLOVE, SMOOTH, SAFE, AND SUCCESSFUL TOP DOLLAR SALE OF YOUR HOME? CALL THE WRIGHT WAY TEAM TODAY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO BEING OF SERVICE. @thewrightwayteam 2020 TOP SELLING COMPASS TOPANGA AGENTS. PASSIONATE LOCAL AGENTS. UNPARALLELED MARKETING REACH. INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY. RESULTS DELIVERED. AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER. Adrian Wright

Jordan Wright

818.939.6415 adrian.wright@compass.com DRE 00935559

818.746.6987 jordanwright@compass.com DRE 01952694

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. Brokerage sales volume data based off available CLAW MLS data, and any known off market sales data for Topanga single family home transaction sides as of 09/11/ 2020, and all of 2019, as well as CLAW MLS active listing volume and any known off market sales as of 09/11/2020 in Topanga. Additional off market sales or listings may exist that are not known nor included. Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Sales volume represents a compilation of listings from various brokerage firms and may or may not have been listed or sold by the office/agent presenting the information.

EXQUISITE TOPANGA HOMES, BLISSFUL CANYON LIFE

The Hillside Retreat | Topanga $3,988,000 | 5 Bed | 6 Bath 5,600 Sq Ft | 7 Acres

Fernwood Oasis | Topanga $1,699,000 | 5 Bed | 4 Bath 2,535 Sq Ft | 3/4 Acre

Hillside Retreat. Experience the ultimate, private, escape. Endless soaring canyon vistas soothe the soul. A glimmer of the Pacific Ocean beckons. Nearly 7 acres of beautiful, wild, land, and lush gardens, envelope and protect you. Luxurious country living. Walls of glass open to the covered patio, outdoor kitchen, fire pit, and the deafening silence of Topanga. Live large.

The promise of Topanga living is kept. Gracious compound home, with a 2 bedroom guest unit. Cooling coastal breezes dance across the mostly flat lot. Peaceful gardens. New, airy, white, kitchen. Skylights and views. Dancing hummingbirds. Rugged Sandstone rock outcroppings frame amazing views. Close in. Dream.

Fernwood Heights | Topanga $1,799,000 | 4 Bed | 3 Bath 3,020 Sq Ft | 2.2 Acres Peace and Tranquility in Fernwood Heights. Quiet and privacy above the clouds. Flat gardens, gentle slopes, and dazzling views. Comfort and elegance. Soaring ceilings, views, decks. Vast patios for entertaining, sports, or garden beds. A hot tub beckons. Fragrant fruit trees are ripe for the picking. Minutes to the village, the beach, the city. Exhale.

Jordan Wright

818.939.6415 adrian.wright@compass.com DRE 00935559

818.746.6987 jordanwright@compass.com DRE 01952694

Thinking Out Loud Publisher / Editor Flavia Potenza Creative Director Nira Lichten Associate Editor Kait Leonard Senior Reporter Annemarie Donkin Photo coutesy of LACoFD

Media Director T.E. Zeri Creative Consultant Eiffel Nazaryan Contributors Linda Ballou Joel Bellman Kathie Gibboney Paula LaBrot Amy Weisberg 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

T o p a n g a’ s I n d e p e n d e n t Vo i c e S i n c e 19 7 6 September 18, 2020 • Vol. 1, No. 7

Los Angeles-based illustrator Alec Pereda, a recent graduate of Santa Monica College School of Graphic Design, pays tribute to California’s heroic firefighters. Follow Alec Pereda on instagram @megalodor

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Three fire hawk helicopters simultaneously taking up water from 69 Bravo reservoirs on Tuesday, September 8, to extinguish fires in Topanga. They snorkeled up 43,000 gallons in 75 minutes containing the TCB narrows fire to 10 acres.

How Fragile We Are...

abrielle Lamirand and her husband, Roy, have lost their home in the Berry Creek fire. They were long-time Topangans, great friends to all, and dedicated volunteers. Gabrielle was not just a leader, she was a powerhouse who co-founded a number of essential organizations in the canyon such as the Topanga Town Council, TCEP, and more recently, the Canyon Sages. She and Roy took emergency preparedness seriously, which is why they escaped with their lives. Others were not so lucky. A GoFundMe has been created for them: www.gofundme.com/f/roy-amp-gabrielle-berry-creek-fire-homeloss?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet. How prepared are you? Here at home, on September 8, all it took was a crazed truck driver speeding along Topanga Canyon Blvd. hauling a utility trailer to set Topanga alight in two places, first at Entrado Road and then in the narrows, a mile north of PCH. Helicopters drew water from the ocean and LACoFD helispot 69 Bravo in Topanga to contain the fires in short order. (See Page 8 for safety tips from Fire Chief Drew Smith) We’ve had a number of close calls since the Woolsey fire and if you look at an aerial map, you see Topanga as a green bullseye in the center of burn areas. Topanga’s emergency preparedness plan, “Ready! Set! Go!”, became a model for communities across the nation. It was spearheaded by then supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky after the 1993 fire that started at the summit above Old Canyon. Topanga was in the crosshairs, but winds shifted, swept it through Malibu to the beach, but then turned back to Topanga where it was stopped a mile from where I was living near Topanga State Park. The plan took about 10 years to fully implement and has been improved upon as technology and information changed and includes preparing for other emergencies such as earthquakes and floods. Why wouldn’t every single resident living in Topanga have a detailed emergency plan and maybe some practical training such as first aid and CPR? How many residents know about the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)? It’s a national program that educates volunteers about disaster preparedness and trains them in basic disaster response skills. Topanga CERT offers free Level 1 CERT volunteer training programs in fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations, skills that professional responders may come to rely on during disasters. We rely on our first responders. Why shouldn’t they be able to rely on us? Find CERT on Facebook. The Canyon Chronicle’s senior reporter, Annemarie Donkin, is writing a series of articles about our emergency volunteer organizations in the canyon, that started with TCEP in the September 4 issue. In this issue, check out the Arson Watch team that patrols the mountains looking for signs of smoke and fire, especially on Red Flag days, and reports them before they can become conflagrations (Page 7). It’s time to get your Election 2020 brain in gear. Joel Bellman explains the complexities of Proposition 15 (page 5), and why it’s important “to reverse one of the most unjust features of the original Prop 13: the property tax-reduction initiative passed in 1978.” To get you started, we also included a cursory look at the ballot propositions for November 3 from Ballotpedia.org, where you can learn more. Stand up and be counted. If you haven’t already completed the Census form, or know someone else who hasn’t, do it now. Your friends and neighbors are knocking on doors to ensure that “Everyone Counts.” Don’t turn them away. Also Inside. Opening our eyes to other cultures are two freelance writers. Ali Depsky, who concludes her two-parter, “There’s No Racism in Argentina” (Page 10-11); and Nikhil Misra-Bhambri with his second article, “Pacoima Gurudwara: Feeding the Poor and Needy,” about a Sikh community organization that has stepped up to help its neighbors in need. (Page 9) Eric Fitzgerald, our Backyard Astronomer, holds forth on the Autumnal Equinox (Page 12), and Kait Leonard says “Hello October 2020” (page 13) with the astrological outlook for the month that starts with a full moon and ends with a blue moon. With every intention of returning to the stage in 2021 with its summer repertory season of plays, Theatricum Botanicum’s schedule of fall classes and celebrations (pages 17-18) culminates in a virtual community fundraising event on Saturday, October 10. You have no excuse to be bored or idle with these offerings so close at hand. It is with heavy hearts we report the passing of Frank Rocco, patriarch of the legendary Rocco’s in the Canyon. (Page 18)

—Flavia Potenza

news Type

What’s on Your Ballot? In California 13 statewide ballot propositions are on the ballot for November 3, that includes Los Angeles County, California, Budget Allocation for Alternatives to Incarceration Charter Amendment. The 2020 Registration deadline is October 20. The First general election presidential debate is scheduled for September 29, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Source: Ballotpedia.org) n

Withdrawn The campaigns behind the following ballot initiatives collected enough signatures for their measures to appear on the ballot. However, the initiatives were withdrawn. n

Title

Subject

Description

CISS

Proposition 14

Bonds

CICA

Proposition 15

Taxes

Requires commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on market value and dedicates revenue

LRCA

Proposition 16

Affirmative Action

Repeals Proposition 209 (1996), which says that the state cannot discriminate or grant preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in public employment, education, or contracting

LRCA

Proposition 17

Suffrage

Restores the right to vote to people convicted of felonies who are on parole

LRCA

Proposition 18

Suffrage

Allows 17-year-olds who will be 18 at the time of the next general election to vote in primaries and special elections

LRCA

Proposition 19

Taxes

Changes tax assessment transfers and inheritance rules

CISS

Proposition 20

Law Enforcement

Makes changes to policies related to criminal sentencing charges, prison release, and DNA collection

CISS

Proposition 21

Housing

Expands local governments’ power to use rent control

CISS

Proposition 22

Business

Considers app-based drivers to be independent contractors and enacts several labor policies related to app-based companies

CISS

Proposition 23

Healthcare

Requires physician on-site at dialysis clinics and consent from the state for a clinic to close

CISS

Proposition 24

Business

Expands the provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and creates the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce the CCPA

Proposition 25

Trials

Replaces cash bail with risk assessments for suspects awaiting trial

Type

Title

Issues $5.5 billion in bonds for state stem cell research institute

Subject

Description

CICA

Tax on Commercial and Industrial Properties for Education and Local Government Funding Initiative (Version 17-0055)

Taxes

Require commercial and industrial properties to be taxed based on market value and dedicates revenue (Withdrawn after a second version qualified for the ballot)

CICA

Property Tax Transfers and Exemptions Initiative

Taxes

Change how tax assessments are transferred between properties and when tax assessments are reset to market value

Result

Proposition 15: Time to Split the Roll? by Joel Bellman Proposition 15 on the November ballot is called the “Schools and Communities First” initiative. Apart from its obvious curb appeal, the name does accurately reflect the intent of the measure: to substantially reverse one of the most unjust features of the original Proposition 13, the property tax reduction initiative passed in June 1978. Prop. 13 was originally pitched as relief and protection for beleaguered homeowners who were purportedly in danger of losing their homes in the real estate inflation of the 1970s—seniors on fixed incomes, young families just starting out, family farms, etc. Instead, a huge part of its property-tax cut went to commercial properties, including apartment building owners who simply pocketed their tax savings instead of passing them on to tenants in reduced rent. Over the past 40 years, the inequities and distortions in Prop. 13’s assessment scheme have grown enormously. The system is based on the 1975-76 assessed value, updated by only a modest 2% annual adjustment or a subsequent transfer of ownership, NOT on the traditional system of periodically reassessing properties’ current market value. In some areas of Los Angeles, for instance, depending on when it was purchased, a property can be taxed at between four and ten times (or more) the effective tax rate of another property of similar market value. This, despite the fact that both property owners are receiving exactly the same government services; one just happens to be paying five or ten times as much for them because it

changed hands more recently. Moreover—stop me if you’ve heard this before—the property relief benefits skew heavily toward the wealthy. A 2016 study by the California Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO), “Common Claims About Proposition 13,” found that, “higher–income Californians own more homes and own homes of higher value and, therefore, receive the majority of the total dollars of tax relief provided to homeowners by Proposition 13.” Not coincidentally, Prop. 13 has been especially punitive on younger people and their families. Many communities have replaced their lost property tax revenue with socalled “impact fees” on builders to pay for the costs associated with new development. Unlike other revenue options like parcel taxes, a levy based on square footage, or Mello-Roos assessments on developers to pay for related government infrastructure improvements, impact fees can be imposed without a public vote. Whatever they’re called, these property-tax substitutes are tacked on to the price of new housing construction, which makes all housing more expensive and, as the LAO report found, “homeownership among Californians 45 and younger has fallen by around a third since 1980, despite little change in the state’s overall homeownership rate.” Many thought that Prop. 13’s inherent flaws and inequities might be a violation of the Constitution’s equal-protection clause, but in 1992 the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit by a homeowner paying five times her neighbor’s property tax rate, and upheld the measure in an 8-1 decision. Prop 13’s assessment

scheme was “distasteful and unwise,” Justice Harry Blackmun wrote for the court, “appears to vest benefits in broad, powerful and entrenched segments of society,” and may “frustrate the ‘American dream’ of homeownership for many younger and poorer California families.” But “the will of the people,” said the Court—and so, for good reason, Prop. 13 has long been called the “third rail” of California politics: touch it, as a candidate or officeholder, and you’re instantly dead. Prop. 13 enshrined in the state constitution an unfair and arbitrary tax-assessment system, ruinous to local government and school financing, and destructive to the concept of “home rule”—where local voters, not the Sacramento legislature, make the major decisions that affect local government and local services. Like a perpetual Ponzi scheme, the ultimate financial risks and costs will always be borne by property taxpayers entering the system after those of us lucky enough to get in earlier. Because everyone eventually gets a little taste of Prop. 13’s tax-savings—paid for by somebody else—we all end up with a stake in maintaining the status quo, even if it means our kids may never own a home in California. And that’s why every previous reform effort has failed. Now comes Prop. 15, which wisely concedes that politically, we will probably never be able to address the inequities among homeowners. Prop. 15 returns to the original property-tax reform idea that was too little and too late to turn back the tide of the Prop. 13 “tax revolt”: a split roll, in which residential properties like homes and apartment buildings retain their Prop. 13 relief, but commercial properties would be reassessed on a three-year

cycle to keep their assessed values current and congruent with their actual market value. In this way, at least the disparities can be eliminated on the commercial side of the property tax roll. It would mean a modest tax increase for business, but this is an expense they can easily bear. The LAO report notes that property taxes are only a small part of company profits, citing one study that put the number at 5%, so any increase that a business didn’t absorb could easily be passed along to customers with minimal impact. If the impact on individual businesses is negligible, Prop. 15 would raise significant new revenues statewide, which the Legislative Analyst estimates between $6.5 and $11.5 billion, earmarked 60% for local governments and 40% for K-12 schools and community colleges. Restoring some additional fiscal authority to local government to generate and allocate new revenue would mark a long-overdue restoration of the home-rule principle that Prop. 13 unintentionally overturned. Prop. 15 would phase in the commercial split roll assessments over several years to cushion the impact and includes breaks for small businesses. Because returning to cyclical reappraisal for businesses would entail more work and expense for the state’s 58 county assessors, some of the new revenue would be dedicated to offsetting those costs. After 42 years, are California voters finally ready to enact one of the most consequential governmental reforms of the past several decades? In less than seven weeks, we will have the answer and we’ll find out just how much juice the original Prop. 13 still has left. n

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Letters Stand Up and Be Counted for the 2020 U.S. Census! By Chronicle Staff Officials estimate that only 50 percent of folks in L.A. County have responded to the U.S. Census so far—that includes Topanga, Malibu, and Pacific Palisades. Yet, the Census is safe, anonymous and will increase federal funding in L.A. County’s unincorporated communities. You can fill out the Census forms in the privacy of your home: Online at online at census.lacounty.gov/census/; census.lacounty. gov/census/; or call (844) 330-2020 to complete the Census over the phone. DOOR-TO-DOOR CANVASSERS Canvassers, also called enumerators, many of whom are friends and neighbors, are out registering in person. How do you identify a legitimate U.S. Census Bureau employee? Look for the following: a U.S. Census badge, a U.S. Census branded messenger bag and a U.S. Census branded laptop. If you have questions about Census-related activity in your neighborhood call (800) 9238282 to speak with a local Census Bureau representative. The data collected from the Census is used to make sure everyone is equally represented in our political system and that government resources are allocated fairly.

The Census data determines how many congressional seats a state receives; how much federal funding will be allocated to local communities for public services and infrastructure needs; and provides a picture of the changing demographics of the country. WHY THE CENSUS MATTERS According to the website (census.lacounty. gov/census/) one of the most powerful things you can do for your community is to participate in the 2020 U.S. Census. Held every ten years, an accurate and complete Census count is vital to Los Angeles County, as the data is used to determine how more than $675 billion in federal government resources will be distributed each year for the next decade to states and localities. Then, the Census data is used to determine where schools, roads, hospitals, child care

centers, senior centers and other services should be built. “Key federal programs rely on census data to allocate funding and resources for programs like Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicare Part B, highway planning and construction, Section 8 housing, Title I school grants, Special Education Grants (IDEA), State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and Head Start,” the Census website states. “If people are not counted, L.A. County could risk cuts to building projects and local programs our community relies on—new hospitals, updating roads and bridges, school lunches, health clinics, immunizations for children, early childhood education, and senior nutrition programs.” n For more information or to fill out the Census: census.lacounty.gov/census/

Dear Friends of Yoga Desa... About a month ago I sent out a letter explaining that Yoga Desa’s closure may be permanent due to the COVID crisis. Well, it’s official, Yoga Desa has closed. In this letter, I will share with you details of what’s transpired. Many of you responded with questions, suggestions, and well wishes. It humbles me to know how beloved Yoga Desa is in our community. I received so many emails I literally couldn’t respond to them all. Many brought tears to my eyes. Hopefully, this letter will answer some of your questions. If you are interested, read on. The most common question was, “Why don’t you do a fundraiser or GoFundMe campaign?” I’ll speak to that first. I cannot in good faith accept donations from the community to pay for a situation that is ultimately beyond my control. It would add insult to injury if I accepted financial help only to fail a few months down the road due to a severe decrease in attendance or another shutdown imposed by local or state government. Even under the best-case scenario, I believe it would take many months before attendance is near where it was before. My guess is it will take even longer to replace the evening and weekend workshops and specialty classes. Even before the COVID crisis, Yoga Desa was struggling with the 45% rent increase imposed by the new owners last September. I wasn’t certain Yoga Desa would be profitable in 2020. Those of you who come to Desa know we had several well-attended classes, but most are just a few students. Small classes are what made Yoga Desa intimate and appealing to many of you, but it makes it challenging financially. The rent increase wiped out 70% of our income, so even without COVID, Yoga Desa was in unchartered waters. The next question many of you asked was “Why don’t you renegotiate your lease?” Short answer, I tried. My first offer was “declined immediately,” ownership found it too aggressive. The landlord insisted I renew my option as a condition of any negotiation, which included a personal guarantee and an additional 5% increase in rent. For that,

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

they offered a base rent abatement for July and August (basically a 75% decrease in rent for two months while we would be closed), with the stipulation I pay it back in the event of a default. Many of you probably don’t know my background is in commercial real estate. I owned and operated a real estate company for 15 years, so I know what a good (and bad) deal is. There’s no way I can sign a contract personally guaranteeing nearly $60,000 in rent under these circumstances. I was also not comfortable paying an additional rent increase, I found it highly inappropriate given the current situation. However, after some soul searching, I told them I would accept the terms they wanted except for the personal guarantee and the increase in rent. But no response from the landlord, and after California’s governor re-closed all restaurants and bars, I retracted the offer and told the landlord I intended to move out. As of today, I have still not received a reply. Clearly, there is no legitimate interest from the landlord in keeping Yoga Desa, and frankly, I wasn’t feeling good about being there. I’m hoping that a space will manifest in the coming months where I can rebirth the studio once life in the COVID era resumes some normalcy. Some of the biggest confusion for many of you is “who actually owns Pine Tree Circle?” The gossip and misinformation I’ve heard on the street is all over the place. So here’s a short

summary so you know the facts. The Pine Tree Circle is now owned by the Daneshgar family through one of their many LLC’s. The patriarch of the family, Joseph Daneshgar, is a principal of 3D Investments, LLC, one of the largest private property owners in the region, if not country. Mr. Daneshgar has children and it’s apparent he’s raising and teaching them to take over the family business. Mr. Daneshgar’s organization purchased Pine Tree Circle in September of 2018. The face of the center’s management is Mr. Daneshgar’s son, Nathan, a recent college grad. Presumably, this is one of the properties Nathan is cutting his teeth on as he learns the family business. Nathan’s older brother, Adam, runs Langdon Street Capital (www.langdonstreetcap.com) along with his less old brother Andrew. It’s a significant and growing portfolio including the Grand Central Market complex in downtown Los Angeles. If Nathan behaves, as I’m sure he will, I trust he will control a similar portfolio by the time he’s his oldest brother’s age. Please understand I’m not trying to blame the owners of Pine Tree Circle for the COVID crisis. But it is shining light on a management style that I have been at odds with since the beginning of my relationship with them. Pine Tree Circle is the most important commercial building and community resource in Topanga and houses nearly half of the retail space available. How this building is managed will have a big impact on our community. I have strong opinions about this matter, and I feel it is important to share them. Owning a building in a community like this is not the same as owning a building in a city full of retail options. The tenants here have nowhere else to go. So, for example, when tenants are faced with an astronomical rent increase, it’s putting people in the position of pay up or close your doors. I believe owning a building in a community like Topanga carries with it certain ethical and moral responsibilities. Ownership should be aware of their impact See Yoga Desa, page 15

News Arson Watch Looks Out for Fire! By Annemarie Donkin

In the nearly 30 years that Arson Watch volunteers have been on patrol, only one major fire has been started in the Topanga/Malibu area. It was an Arson Watch volunteer who reported the Old Topanga Canyon/Malibu Fire in November I993. he Santa Monica Mountains just survived a long, hot summer. But the fall months are often more dangerous, with instances of Santa Ana winds and hot, dry conditions. This is why Arson Watch volunteers are so vital—because on Red Flag Days, they are the folks standing on a hilltop with binoculars looking out for smoke and fire. A TEAM EFFORT To help prevent devastating fires, Arson Watch teams patrol the Santa Monica Mountains looking for signs of smoke or fire and report any sighting, warnings and vital information to the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff ’s station, L.A. County Fire, California Highway Patrol, and other local officials. They also provide information to the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP). Arson Watch volunteers are under the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department and work closely with them as well as the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). “MRCA has a greater presence in the Topanga area patrolling

VOLUNTEERING FOR FIRE SAFETY According to the Arson Watch website, today, more than reactive, volunteers of all ages and background continue to patrol the Santa Monica Mountains during periods of extreme fire weather conditions. They cover an area of more than 185 square miles, logging somewhere between 2,500 and 4,000 total volunteer hours. These Arson Watch Volunteers use

Eric Fitzgerald

24/7 and they monitor our radio frequencies during Red Flags,” said a Topanga Arson Watch Lead Volunteer when asked how Arson Watch works in the mountains. “We have also been included in recent trainings presented by the Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD). “We haven’t really had any Red Flags in the Topanga/Malibu area recently in spite of all the major fires elsewhere and smaller fires locally,” the spokesperson continued. “Nonetheless, during the extreme heat warnings, Arson Watch has had volunteers out as available. Currently, the Malibu group is much bigger than the Topanga group, no doubt due to the Woolsey fire sparking interest in more people volunteering there. Unfortunately, Topanga is the bigger threat since there is so much fuel available in the event of a fire. That was the case in Woolsey and now that fuel is significantly reduced having burned. The ongoing heat waves are further drying the fuel as the period of Red Flags approaches so it is worrisome for Topanga this year.”

their own vehicles (identified by magnetic ARSON WATCH signs) and two-way radios. As many as 60 calls per season are passed on to public safety agencies. INCREASED FIRE AWARENESS IN TOPANGA “Fortunately, Topanga has some great resources for firefighting and fire prevention,” the Arson Watch volunteer said. “I think most Topanga residents are pretty fire aware and fire wise; let’s hope that can be the case when the winds arrive in the next few months. Los Angeles County has done an excellent job of keeping residents informed with materials like the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s “ReadySet-Go” booklet and the routine drills.” Download the “Ready-SetGo” booklet at fire.lacounty.gov. Canyon residents should also be aware that the Topanga Fire Safe

Council provides homeowners a no-cost assessment and evaluation of a home to survive a wildfire. (cafiresafecouncil.org/fsc-location/ north-topanga-canyon-fsc/) All that being said, Topanga Canyon is a major traffic route bringing people through the area who are unaware of the high fire danger,” the volunteer related. In fact, Arson Watch volunteers report constantly encountering smokers on Red Flag days in places like Top O’ Topanga Overlook, at Saddle Peak and Stunt Road. Arson Watch is a 501(c) (3) organization and relies on contributions for the purchase of radios and other equipment in order to operate. (arsonwatch.com) “Given the danger of fire to Topanga, Arson Watch can always use more volunteers,” the Volunteer said. “Those interested can email info@ arsonwatch.com.” n

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Photo Courtesy of: Arson Watch

Arson Watch volunteer Scott King stands in front of the Arson Watch sign ready to go on patrol. He is dressed for patrol with shirt, hat, and sheriff ’s volunteer ID badge, and is also equipped with a two-way radio, and fire extinguisher.

NEWS Are You Prepared for Fire? By Annemarie Donkin

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Drew Smith and the Sheriff ’s Department talked fire safety at Topanga Town Council meeting.

opanga had a close call on Tuesday, September 8, when an angry pickup truck driver hauling a utility trailer careened down Topanga Canyon Blvd. from Woodland Hills to Malibu, setting off two fires with the flaming, sparking axle of his trailer—one fire at Entrado Road and another on the southern “S” curves. A male suspect was finally taken into custody after a dramatic standoff in Malibu at Carbon Canyon Road that left Topanga with two roadside fires and tons of anxiety. The incident serves as a severe warning for Topangans during California’s fire season where more than two dozen blazes currently burn out of control throughout the state. The standard wisdom regarding wildfire is a fire that starts at Dirt Mulholland and Santa Maria Road will sweep through Topanga to Malibu in less than two hours. It takes 7-8 hours to evacuate Topanga, with one road in and one road out. Topanga residents need to take emergency preparedness seriously. Everything they need to know is contained in the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s “Ready! Set! Go!”

program. (fire.lacounty.gov). The first instruction is to prepare before the bad thing happens and have a plan. Always have a “Go” bag ready, prepare your house for evacuation, lock your doors, and pay attention to “Evacuation Warnings” and “Evacuation Orders.” If you’re anxious during Red Flag Days, call (310) 456-5783 for regular updates. If there is a fire in the Canyon, prepare to evacuate and look for verified information at the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP) website (tcep.org) or updates on its hotline, (310) 455-3000. At the September 9 Town Council meeting, Los Angeles County Fire Chief and fire behaviorist Drew Smith, while dealing with the Bobcat and El Dorado fires, joined the meeting to talk about fire safety. “The vulnerability is there,” Smith said of the two fires in Topanga. “It was impressive to see three Firehawk helicopters simultaneously pulling water out of 69 Bravo and the super scoopers dipping out of the ocean. 69 Bravo has everything for combating a wildland fire, giving Topanga the advantage of good air coverage. The Los Angeles County Fire Department is investing in that to make it the best it can be.” Chief Smith also commended the fire power of Los Angeles County and tremendous power of the cooperating agencies, including Los Angles City Fire, that regularly

assist with wildfires. “We have augmented type-three water tenders, fly crews, we make everything available to support Malibu, Topanga, and the L.A. City Fire Department mutual prep zone along Highway 27; we make the initial attack with L.A. County and the initial attack response from L.A. City,” he said. “We have darn near 100 to 150 people with seven aircraft ready whenever a brushfire starts in Topanga.” Chief Smith also addressed the issue of evacuations in Topanga, saying there are strict protocols. “We interact with the Sheriff ’s Department,” he said. “We preplan and have our Emergency Operations Center set up. We decide what intersections are going to be closed, which makes it very fluid and challenging, and have uniform and strict procedures that we stick to so we can be efficient and it’s less painful for people to evacuate.” “The new language is Evacuation Warning (for when something is coming and it’s time to activate your Ready! Set! Go! Plan) and Evacuation Orders,” said L.A. County Sheriff ’s Deputy Mark Winn (retired). “One can always evacuate at any time; as soon as the winds come up for Red Flag days, you can leave. An Evacuation Order is a lawful order to leave, so if you sign an evacuation waiver and if it goes to DefCon and your house is completely engulfed

in fire, we are not going to make ourselves victims because folks opted out of leaving.” Winn also advised that if you are evacuating, lock your house! “Batten down the hatches; if the fire department needs to get in, they can take doors off,” he said. “Bad guys like to get in on an opportunity.” During September and October check out the OneTopanga homepage weekly for “Top Tips” and “Fast Facts” about emergency preparedness (onetopanga.com) or call (310) 455-3001). The Town Council Mask Program provides free masks to seniors and vulnerable members of the community. (contact@topangatowncouncil.org; (310) 455-3001). Renew or obtain your 2020 Topanga Access Cards. First-time cardholders can call (310) 455-3001, then press 0 to make an appointment for a photograph. n The Topanga Town Council is looking for volunteers: contact@ topangatowncouncil.org.

Gorgeous 3 Bedroom Topanga Home 1792 CHART TRAIL, TOPANGA, CA 90290 REDUCED

Jon & Lisa Saver CalBre Lic.#00764901 & #01203202

310.455.2540 310.989.0839 TopangaHomesOnline.com

Gorgeous Traditional one story home with beautiful canyon views located at the end of a quiet Topanga street. Light and bright living room with Hickory hardwood floors and a large entertainment deck. Great white brick wood burning fireplace. Romantic master suite is spacious and private, with walls of closets and an en suite bathroom. The large dining room has endless canyon views. Enjoy sunsets from the back deck or step down to a large backyard with plenty of space for gardens and play area. Fully fenced street to street lot with direct access to state park hiking trails. Two car garage with laundry and utility areas. Additional walk in storage area under the house. Also includes parcel numbers #4441-036-001 and 4441-034-025 $1,149,000

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Sotheby’s International Realt y and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. If your property is listed with a real estate broker, please disregard. It is not our intention to solicit the offerings of other real estate brokers. We are happy to work with them and cooperate fully.

PEople

Courtesy of Khalsa Care Foundation

Since April 11, the Khalsa Care Foundation has distributed more than 200,000 hot meals at no cost to low-income people, those with disabilities, and to homeless shelters.

Pacoima Gurudwara: Feeding the Poor and Needy By Nikhil Misra-Bhambri

t the end of August, the U.S. recorded approximately six million COVID-19 cases and more than 180,000 deaths; by midSeptember, that number climbed to 192,000. From this number, sadly, Los Angeles County accounts for almost 240,000 cases and more than 5700 deaths, the most of any county in California. This outbreak has uprooted the lives of many people who were already struggling to make ends meet, but some community organizations have stepped up to meet the challenge and help their neighbors. Pacoima’s Khalsa Care Foundation, a Sikh Gurudwara (the Sikh name for the equivalent of a church or temple), has had a long tradition of practicing its religion’s core teaching of assisting people in need and, in the midst of the COVID-19 upheaval, their food pantry and Hot Meal program has provided food and groceries to some of the neediest families throughout Los Angeles. Gurudwara, which translates as “doorway to the Guru” in Punjabi, is the Sikh house of prayer. Along with worship, Gurudwaras are

places of “Seva” or selfless service. Specifically, this means giving to the community and expecting nothing in return. This can involve volunteering within the Gurudwara or assisting the greater community in times of need. Langar, or community kitchen, is one of the most important forms of “Seva.” As part of this tradition, a free Indian vegetarian meal is served by Gurudwara volunteers to all visitors, regardless of their economic status, religion or ethnicity. During the pandemic, the concepts of Seva and Langar have become the basis of the Sikh community’s support to the needy throughout Los Angeles. According to Jaspreet Sethi, a leading member of the Khalsa Care Foundation, “the fundamental belief of all Sikhs is that we are here to make the world a better place. You have to start with the local community which is Los Angeles. Our thinking is, this is where our kids will grow up. We want to make it a better place, so our kids will grow up in a better environment and community.” Since 2012, the Gurudwara has hosted a Food Pantry every Friday that provides groceries for low-income families in the San

Fernando Valley. Prior to COVID, the Pantry would package 20,000 pounds of food. Since the onset of the pandemic, the need for food has risen by 500%. Amazingly, the Gurudwara has gone from serving 100 to 500 families a week. On April 11, 2020, the Khalsa Care Foundation started its Hot Meal Program. Jaspreet Singh said, “We knew people were losing their jobs, and that unemployment was at its highest. We asked ourselves, what can we do to help our city that

has shut down?” The Gurudwara is the place where the Sikh community congregates to pray, eat and meditate. But when Mayor Eric Garcetti reached out through his Office of Disability to ask for help in feeding disabled people who could not leave their homes even to get groceries, the Pacoima Gurudwara stepped up. Since April 11, the Khalsa Care Foundation has made and distributed more than 200,000 See Pacoima Gurudwara, page 13

SEEKING SERENITY AND SHELTER? Tr u s t Ta n y a t o n a v i g a t e y o u t h r o u g h t h e s e c h a l l e n g i n g t i m e s. SE LD ,000 A O E S 00 L ,3 R $1 F O IL A AV

LD 00 SO 10,0 9 , $1

330 VENICE WAY VENICE

19643 VISION DR, TOPANGA

T DA 0 RE ,00 E F 5 OF 1,82 $

22227 CAMAY COURT CALABASAS

23318 PALOMA BLANCA MALIBU

T 10 ACRES IN DA RE ,000 MALIBU WITH E F 9 F O 99 COASTAL APPROVALS $

TANYA STARCEVICH REALTOR

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

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

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

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

‘There’s no racism Ali Depsky continues her exploration into systemic racism and police brutality in Argentina in relation to its reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement. By Ali Depsky

n Argentina, the word, “Negro,” today doesn’t refer as much to someone’s skin color but more to one’s place in society or class. As Alejandro Mamaní, founder of the anti-racism collective Identidad Marron explains, “When someone in Argentina closes his eyes and thinks of who they are referring to when someone says negro de mierda (a pejorative), the majority of the time they are not talking about a Black person, they are thinking about a person with Indigenous features, but who lives in an urban context, in a villa.” For this reason, the term negras villeras is also a common equivalent to negros de mierda. When people visit the country and are shocked by this usage of the word, “negro,” they are reassured, “not negro as in skin color, but negro inside,” or negro de alma (black of soul) which can be seen as a sort of deeper racism, with the idea of blackness as being something inherently negative. People in younger generations are now calling out the implicit racism in this idea. During the rise of Juan Peron, an iconic populist leader who first came to power in 1944, his supporter base of largely poor (and often darker-skinned) people flocked to the cities in the 1940’s, where they were pejoratively referred to by local elites as cabecitas negras, and later as negro Peronistas. Thus, the word continued to evolve and lost its context and original meaning, becoming a symbol of political identity and social class. Eventually the word “negro” was re-claimed as a term of affection, even by white people, and is now used to proudly identify one’s self as belonging to the popular classes fighting against social inequality. This identification with the poor black worker, emblematic of Peronism, along with their position as tercermundistas [third world], and having been victims of devastating neo-colonization by the United States, led Argentina to develop a culture in which many people tend to see their struggle as a collective one, along with the Black people in the United States and other marginalized people around the world. This tendency to flatten everything into a collective struggle is being challenged by some activists who argue that it is imperative to also interrogate the intersectionality within Argentine culture. Some decolonial-feminist organizations are shining a spotlight on what they perceive of as a lack of race and class consciousness within the feminist movement in Argentina. At a recent women’s march, some activists responded somewhat tongue-in-cheek to the common slogan “We are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn’t burn,” with their own version: “We are the daughters of the maids you wouldn’t let come [to the march].” Housekeepers in Buenos Aires are often women with Indigenous ancestry from the interior of the country or from neighboring countries such as Bolivia and Paraguay. An interesting spotlight was put on the particularities of this intersection of identities in a feud in 2018 between an Argentinean musician

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Fuente: Identidad Marron

and a music venue led by Black trans women in France. The venue, La Mutinerie, decided to cancel the Argentinian artist’s concert because they felt troubled by what they perceived as cultural appropriation in her work, and replaced it with a debate on the subject. The criticisms were aimed at certain specific lines in her song where she says, “I love Black women” in a song/video which features an exoticized and sexualized Afro-Latin woman, her use of the artist’s name, “Chocolate Remix,” and at her assertion of being a pioneer of lesbian reggaeton, which they claimed ignored the Afro-origins of reggaeton. The musician, whose real name is Romina Bernardo, wrote an angry response to her cancellation which then sparked an online debate. Bernardo expressed that it seemed to her an inherent contradiction for anyone from France, “the peak of colonization and imperialism,” to be directing criticisms about cultural appropriation. She writes, “I celebrate that the voices of black people are being heard and I fully support the fight against racism. However, I deeply regret the way in which the voice of Latin migrants, racialized too, are still not being heard, and ending up being silenced behind ignorance of reality and suppressed under a lecture on the hierarchy of oppressions, which doesn’t take into account their transversality. The result: two oppressed groups facing off and devaluing their shared struggle in a white French space.” Her response was criticized as misunderstanding the role that race plays including in countries such as France. Afro-Cuban rap artist Odaymar Pasa Kruda, who participated in the debate, weighed in, “They silenced us by saying we were talking for black Latin people and that queer black women and trans people were more privileged than them because of being French. This is obvious proof that they have no idea what cultural appropriation, racism, colorism, and negrophobia are and how they work. How can a black woman or a trans person be more racially privileged than anyone else in the world?” Mexican journalist and rapper Fabian Villegas also weighed in, writing, “From rock to jazz, from jazz to tango, and from tango to flamenco, all these, just to mention a few examples, have been built on structures and practices of appropriation, theft, dispossession, eviction, and invisibility of racialized groups and from their own production and cultural experience…. Behind you there was an immense line of talented musicians, but the industry and colonialism silences them, makes them invisible or anonymous. Because your whiteness makes that same musical practice fresh and cool, it takes away the dust and the stink.” Recently, a similar dispute broke out on Twitter, sparking with certain Argentinians criticizing the practice of U.S.-born Latinos calling themselves Latinos, since “they don’t know the challenges associated with being born and living in Latin America.” A Black Puerto Rican woman from the United States responded with an incendiary tweet, posting

that Argentines should “stop talking for all of Latin America,” since they are “mostly white and not even mestizos.” The exchange sparked a heated debate that turned the #argentinians and #yankees hashtags into a trending topic. Many users responded that it was racist to call them white, or that calling them white somehow meant they were saying they were not “Latino” (with many maps showing where Argentina is in the world). Others noted that they were imperialistically imposing their U.S.-based ideas of race that they do not apply in Argentina, while others pointed out that Argentina is “whitewashed, not white.” Another Latina woman from the U.S. chimed in: “You have to make an effort to skip the struggles, and stories of black and Indigenous people in Lat Am to get mad at a mixed Black woman in the United States who says you are white. I can’t imagine how maddening it is to constantly hear that racial struggles are ‘gringo things.’” An Argentinian replied, “How many dictatorships have you lived through?” The debate was typical of Twitter, riddled with take-downs and memes, but opened an interesting discussion on the challenges of one-size fits all anti-racist rhetoric as well as on the way that many Argentines with European heritage see their own whiteness. VISITING ARGENTINA WHILE BLACK Black visitors to Buenos Aires recount stories of people trying to touch their hair and of having random people asking to take pictures with them. Whereas people with more Indigenous features are often looked down upon, today Black people often are an object of curiosity, or exotic, depending on the context. Arielle Carin Knight, a Black student from the U.S. who lived in Buenos Aires in 2013 and wrote a thesis about the local Afro-erasure explains, “The notion that Black people are invisible in Argentina is a contradictory assertion. They are invisible to the extent that they are not recognized as parts of the Argentine identity. However at the interpersonal level, Black subjects garner much attention for their “rarity.” I can recall countless experiences of riding the bus in Buenos Aires and being surveyed from head to toe. It was not uncommon to hear someone audibly whisper, “mira la morocha” (“Look at the brown girl”). Afro-Colombian journalist, Lisa Maria Montaño Ortiz describes a similar experience in coming to Argentina for the first time: “They start to question you, why is your hair like that? And why is your mouth like that, are your lips natural? And your nose is like that naturally? They are questions that seem illogical in the 21st century.” In her thesis, Knight also describes an experience attending a party advertised by an online magazine for Black cultural events in Buenos Aires, called “Revista Quilombo.” The event wasn’t quite what she expected, writing, “The crowd was filled with hip young white Argentines, a number of whom I observed to be wearing kente cloth-printed shirts and other African-inspired attire. A group of people

in Argentina’ Part Still from Chocolate Remix’s Music Video / Bernardo “Chocolate Remix” herself.

had formed a small drum circle in one corner and there was an outdoor patio where a film about Afro-Bolivian drum-making was being projected on a large white wall. I also quickly noticed that I was again the only brown person in the room, which at that point was less surprising to me then the barrage of undifferentiated displays of Black culture.” Black people who grew up in Argentina often express feelings of isolation and otherness. The “foreignization” of Afro-Argentines is common. People tend not to assume, or at times even believe they are actually Argentinian. Maria Lamadrid, the founder of AfricaVive, was famously detained at the Ezeiza airport on her way to Panama in 2001, where they wouldn’t let her board the plane with her Argentine passport because they were convinced it was fake, because “There are no Black Argentines.” Afro-argentine activist Louis Yupanqui recently hosted an Instagram Q&A, asking people about their experiences with racism in Argentina. Among the answers she received were, “My teacher made me show her my DNI to prove I was actually from Argentina.” Evelina Vargas from Salta, who has partial Indigenous ancestry common to those from northern regions, moved to Buenos Aires to attend graduate school studying human rights and was surprised to find that many people didn’t believe she was from Argentina. Vargas says that moving to the capital city made her recognize the cultural hegemony that Buenos Aires holds over the rest of the country, best exemplified by the collective tendency to assume all Argentinians fit the profile of a European-looking person from Buenos Aires. This assumption of European immigrant ancestry is expressed in even the most subtle ways. For example, each province in the country has its own coat of arms, and that of Buenos Aires Capital contains an image of two colonial ships. She talks about how her parents in Salta tended to deny their Indigenous roots and called themselves white, thereby rejecting any connection to that culture. Distancing from their roots was not done solely due to shame of association with the common negative stereotypes of “lazy, dirty, slow, Indigenous people,” but also as a way to survive and avoid police violence. To be white was to be safe. She describes how the negative associations with being Indigenous or black would manifest in countless daily occurrences. People would say, “you should change your hair, you look Indigenous” or “you should stay out of the sun or so you don’t get darker.” She recalls, “My mom would get mad when people would call me negra, she would always tell me, ‘but you aren’t black you’re brown.’” Despite the historical erasure and intense pressure for non-White people to whiten, a parallel paradoxical phenomenon has arisen in which Argentines with European ancestry often don’t see themselves as white. Some [pale-skinned] Argentines tell me that it took leaving the country to recognize people’s perception of their whiteness. One friend remarked how it came as a shock to her

to visit Colombia and be referred to as Gringa. A seemingly progressive update to the national identity as a “country of Europeans” has developed, promoting the idea that “we are all a mixture.” This is partially true. One genetic study in 2015 showed that though 80% of Argentina had European ancestry, 10% had some African ancestry, and 30% some Indigenous ancestry (the study seems to leave out other ethnicities such as Arabe or Asian). However, this idea veers into the territory of “I don’t see race,” and tends to ignore and erase the experience and reality faced by racialized people in the country today, along with ignoring the historical conditions that led to high levels of poverty in such communities. ‘ACÁ NO HAY RACISMO’ (‘HERE THERE’S NO RACISM’) The denial of the existence of racism, is a chief characteristic of how racism presents itself in Argentina, something which makes it all the harder to combat. While Argentine President Carlos Menem’s quote about Black people being “Brazil’s problem” is now widely recognized as reprehensible, today some white Argentines often end up echoing a similar sentiment: “We don’t have racism here; that’s the United States’ problem.” Mirta Alzugaray, Afro-descendant activist and academic from Santa Fe explains, “The African presence in the United States was made more visible by showing the world how the Americans segregated the Black population. They created “whites-only spaces.” They put them in ghettos. Conversely in Argentina, the mixing of the races is so common that Black people don’t always have a darker skin tone, so they believe that in this country we aren’t racist. If there is no one to racialize here (I say this ironically), there’s no racism. So, if we don’t visiblize the [Afro] presence, then racism isn’t visibilized. In 2019, to commemorate the ‘’Day of the Afro-Argentine” a popular conservative-leaning

television program, The Intratables, invited a panel of Black guests and aimed to answer the question “Are we racist?” One guest, Haitian immigrant Nicanor F. Laurent who arrived in Argentina in the 90’s to study law, was very outspoken about his experience with what he perceives as a glass ceiling for Black people in Argentina. He remarked to the panel, “Actually, I think it’s very infantile to argue about whether Argentina is racist or not. Obviously, it’s racist. In one of the first times I came on TV here, I said, ‘If Argentina isn’t racist, then Maradona isn’t a football player.’ Obviously, it is. I’ll tell you, I have beside me (Lisa Maria) a young woman who I consider very capable. I think that if Argentina wasn’t racist, for example, this young woman next to me would be working in television, hosting or being a panelist.” A white panelist countered that perhaps his trouble getting job offers has had more to do with his less than perfect Spanish than anything else. Laurent replied, “If I take my time, and if I get rid of the other nine languages that I speak, I speak better than you.” Laurent went on to explain his perspective, “The problem is that, with other countries, they know that the problem is there and the society, the media, the government, the state, act in some way to combat the problem. What bothers me about Argentina is the level of negation of the problem.” This denial of race and racism has insidious effects. If the problem isn’t measured, it’s as though it doesn’t exist, and it can’t be addressed. Racialized people are disproportionally more likely to be killed or brutalized by police with a long list of such cases just since the quarantine has been put in place. A friend recounted a time she worked in Tucumán, in the north of Argentina, with a group of kids who had one white friend whom they called “el polaco.” They always sent him out on errands because they knew he would be safe from being hassled by the police. Even though they were only 13 or 14 at the time, they understood these survival strategies. As a colonial state, many systemic effects remain of the white supremacy on which the country was built, and used to justify colonization, slavery, and genocide. As the country takes steps to recognize its Afro and Indigenous populations and roots, activists continue to fight for recognition: for the real history of Argentina to be taught in schools, and for statistics to be generated to accurately measure the country’s Afro and Indigenous populations and their socioeconomic position, such that legal measures can be taken to address the issues they face. n

Blackface recently aired on a popular (often racist/sexist) TV program. The appearance generated outrage online but did not get much coverage or criticism in mainstream news.

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Astronomy The Autumnal Equinox By Eric Fitzgerald

hat is an equinox? In the simplest terms, an equinox is one of two days a year when every place on Earth receives roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. For people on or near the Equator, that’s no big whoop because that is pretty much every day of the year. For those of us with latitude however, that perfect balance of day and night only happens once in the spring and once in the fall when we are halfway between the solstices, or the high and low points of the sun in the sky during the course of a year. Ever notice how the summer goes along and the length of the day seems pretty much the same, day-by-day, and then, all of a sudden, the days are noticeably getting shorter? There is a reason for that. This isn’t just because you weren’t paying attention. The rate of change is actually increasing at the equinoxes. If you chart the hours of daylight over the course of the year, the result approximates a sine wave. If you are like me and struggled through trig in high school, see

the chart. The steep part of the wave represents the fastest rate of change—and the steepest part of the wave is when the wave passes over the 12-hour mark—or right at the equinoxes. So, you didn’t imagine it, the days are getting shorter faster! As you can see from the chart, the rapid change of daylight gets more pronounced the further north (or south) one goes from the equator. Once across the arctic circle at about 66º, the hours of daylight peak at 24 and you have arrived in the land of the midnight sun. I spent an equinox in the Brooks Range in Alaska well north of the arctic circle and the rate of seasonal change is mind blowing. One day it was warm and sunny with lush green foliage, it snowed the next day, and on the third day fall colors were everywhere. The transition from 24 hours of sun to 24 hours of darkness races along like an avalanche. The whole world up there takes a shuddering gasp in preparation for the long, cold night of winter. It is a profound experience. Here’s a fun website that will chart out your hours of sunlight based on the latitude and the local

The amplitude or height of the wave is determined by the observer’s latitude. Topanga is at about 34º north, so we are between the dark green and blue lines.

topography of the place you pick: solartopo.com/daylength-courseof-the-year.htm. You will sometimes hear September 22 listed as the autumnal equinox, and sometimes the 23rd. This has to do with where you are on Earth, what time zone you are in, and the fact that Earth’s orbital period around the sun is 365.256 days and we have to cook the books with a leap year

every now and then. We have the crazy, cock-eyed tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis to thank for our seasons. If the Earth’s axis was perfectly perpendicular to the plane of our orbit around the Sun, we would all be like the equator is now, 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of dark all year long. But because we race around the Sun at a 23.5º slant, we get our seasons. n

Jennifer deSpain, CPA, CFP®

Business/Personal Tax & Financial Services

Photo by Miriam Geer.

Tel. 818.883.4800

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

CanyonOakFinancial .com

ASTROLOGY Hello October 2020! By Kait Leonard

ctober is a huge month astrologically. There’s so much going on in the sky that I’m not going to go into each sign this month. The planets will hit pretty intensely, so getting a general overview should be more helpful. As always, to understand what area of life will be most impacted, get a birth chart based on date, time, and place of your birth. We start the month with a full moon on the 1st and we end the month with the blue full moon on the 31st. (There are three definitions of blue moon. I’m going with this one.) This blue moon is happening during the period of Halloween, Autumn Equinox, All Saints, All Souls, Dia de los Muertos, and the pagan holiday, Samhain. All of these traditions mark the time of the year when the veil between the material and the spiritual worlds is at its thinnest. This is the best time to honor ancestors, engage in inner healing or shadow work, and work on psychic development.

Photo by Penn State

Atmosphere of Mars taken from low orbit.

Photo by Kevin Gill, flickr.com/photos/53460575@N03/8145809230

Mars Visualization with Satellite Imagery Overlay.

It’s also the best time to contact spirits. Séance anyone? In general, full moons in astrology are periods when projects and stages of life come to fruition. The period around this lunar stage is one of letting go and ending. And remember, we have two in October. That’s a lot of letting go. Since the blue moon is a full moon on steroids, it could help you make that final push to complete a project that’s been in progress for a while. And of course, full moons, especially blue moons, heighten emotions. Buckle up! Mars, the planet of courage, combat, and impulsivity will be retrograde in Aries all month. During this period, the red planet will get closer to the sun than usual.

This means we might feel too close to issues that arise, causing us to act in Marsian ways—arguing, fighting, acting out impulsively. We might be prone to breaking or defending boundaries, and with Mars involved, it’s unlikely we’ll be thinking our decisions through as well as we should. We may also feel out of step with what we consider the norm this month. It’s going to be a tense time for everyone. Make every effort to think before you speak and try to take what others say with a grain of salt. Had enough of Mars retrograde? Mercury will also go retrograde from October 14th to November 3rd. This is going to happen in Scorpio. Mercury is the planet

of the mind, communication, transportation, and technology. When appearing to move backwards, it brings confused thinking, miscommunication of all kinds, and technology and transportation challenges. This retrograde period may also bring extra delays and restrictions because of a hard aspect to Saturn. We may feel confined in some area of life, and it isn’t a good time to propose anything because Saturn likes to say No. To make the best of this period, remember that Mercury retrogrades are great for activities that start with the prefix re, i.e., reconsider, redo, reflect. In other words, consider making adjustments to projects already started. Revisit projects you have put on hold. Making a big decision like marriage, separations, relocation? Take time to reflect. You might come up with important ideas that you’ve been missing. Ready to just chuck it in for October? Wait! There’s some good news. The Sun is in Libra through the 21st of the month, so this will bring in some harmony and balance. Again, find Libra in your chart. This will be a smoother area of life for you during this crazy month. On the 22nd, the Sun goes into Scorpio which will support meaningful interactions and growth in one-to-one relationships. Another positive energy, the new moon, is in Libra on the 16th. New moons are times to set intentions for the month to come. Libra will support plans that have to do with partnership, negotiations, and all kinds of relationship issues. n Get a free birth chart at astro.com.

People Pacoima Gurudwara From page 9 hot meals at no cost to lo- income people, those with disabilities, and to homeless shelters. “While we could not congregate in the Gurudwara, we still made an effort to have the Gurudwara as a center of where initiatives were being launched to remind ourselves of the blessings given by our faith and Waheguru (God),” Sethi stated. “Through the Hot Meal Program, we committed to making the maximum impact with our tradition of Langar, or free community kitchen. Interestingly, while this started as a Sikh community initiative, now 80% of the volunteers are non-Sikh. Singh continued, “We have 50-60 volunteers every day who come to pack meals. People from all walks of life come

together to make a difference.” Local Sikhs have used the Covid quarantine as an opportunity to expand the practice of two of their most important religious teachings, “Seva” and “Langar.” Furthermore, they have engaged the greater. Sethi concluded by saying, “Seva can be done now during the pandemic or when there is no pandemic. That is what we have been taught our whole life. We learned from our own history. Our gurus sacrificed their own lives to help others, whether it was by giving money, food, or their time. Money is not the only way to donate.” In the Pacoima Gurudwara, what started as a Sikh model of sharing and serving is now a model for the larger community. n

Courtesy of Khalsa Care Foundation

Delivery day. Distribution has gone from serving 100 to 500 families a week

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

ALL THINGS CONNECTED Media Literacy and Civility

By Paula LaBrot

n September 11, 2001, I woke up. I groped for the remote to ignite the television. I saw a plane crash into a building and heard lots of screaming. I thought it was some TV show. I groggily started surfing the channels. Same images of mayhem, chaos, screaming, same images on all the channels. I saw someone jump out of a tall building. His tie streamed up over his head. No superhero swooped out of the sky to catch him. I sat up, alert, focused, riveted. Another plane flew into the adjacent building. Explosions. Firestorm. Falling towers. More jumpers, scenes that were later scrubbed from the more sanitized images the networks showed. Getting ready to teach, I never disconnected from the news. I went from a bedroom TV to a kitchen TV to my car radio to my high school classroom. It was an upper level drama class. I said to my beautiful students, I want you to write down every little nuance of your experience this morning. We are storytellers who will be called on in the future to tell this nightmare tale with our instruments: body, face, and voice. You need to recall this day, this morning, accurately. You need to be able to tell a truthful story. I looked down and was surprised to see my

hands were shaking. The truth of that day. There was a tremendous, nationally unified response. At first, not the good kind. It was the kind that looks like the herd coming together in a tight group when a predator is threatening them. Covered wagons circling to make a wall against attackers. Boys wanted to run down to the nearest recruiter and enlist. I couldn’t believe it. Their posture got straight. Their bodies looked inflated. They talked loudly. Their eyes flickered back and forth. They suddenly looked older. They wanted action. The girls were quieter and intense, staring ahead of themselves from steely, determined faces. There was no question that they all understood our country had been attacked. An instant kind of maturity emerged. There was a great togetherness in the country. Young men and women desperately wanted to “do something” to help. I can’t tell you how many of them ran to the Red Cross and stood in long lines to give blood, including my own son and daughter. Strong young people around the nation crowded the internet websites to sign up to help dig New York out. Many did just that. Clothing drives were organized. Donations for families of lost loved ones poured in. First responders from all over the nation went to ground zero to help. Search and rescue and therapy dog teams volunteered to find survivors, and, later, bodies. People of all faiths prayed together for the dead, the wounded, the bereaved, and for our country. On September 11 a friend of mine was doing a section of the Pacific Crest Trail in Oregon. When he came down a few days later, he couldn’t figure out why flags covered every surface he looked at and were flying from cars,

trucks, trains, firetrucks, all over the place. People connected in 2001. The beautiful, generous spirit of the good American people carried us through some very dark days. We have to stop letting the world’s trolls divide, polarize, tribalize, balkanize us. There is so much sophisticated, purposeful misinformation and disinformation and “influencing” coming at us from bad actors every day, deliberately trying to pit us against each other. It’s an infodemic! It is up to us to be media literate. Here are some terms to understand: Disinformation is demonstrably false information that is being presented as fact with the intention to deceive the public. Intent is critical. Make no mistake about it: a main intent of disinformation today is to pit Americans against each other. Misinformation is when you share disinformation. We have all done that because we are all susceptible. We have seen a story that engages us and shared it, only to find out it was false. We let our biases or emotions draw us into reactive posting without checking the credibility of the post, without fact-checking it and/or checking the sources. For example, there was a viral piece of disinformation that people turned into misinformation by unintentionally passing on the story that you could get Covid at a mailbox, mailing in your ballot. This is a voter suppression attempt. This raged over social media sites. Lots of people believe this story even now, though it has been totally de-bunked. That is the illusory truth effect, the more often we see something, the more we think it’s true. Understand, there are a lot of bad

actors trying to break our country apart for gain and power. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid, defriending and insulting people you differ with. People are really tired of the meanness. Don’t say, “I don’t want to be friends with you if you vote….” That is ridiculous. It’s fanatic. It is not becoming to your character. Stop the cancel culture, embrace diversity, especially of ideas. Be substantive. Question what you are seeing…is it news or opinion? Are the sources reliable. Is it real? Be sure of your facts. It takes work. Do fact-check from several sources. Do reverse image searches to make sure photos and videos are real. Check Google on how to do that. Don’t let your social media algorithms put you in a filter bubble; expose yourself to various points of view. If you want to criticize someone, don’t publicly rant or shame them. Send a substantive private message and present your corrections in a respectful way. Engage with empathy and respect. We are in fire season here in Topanga. You think your neighbor will refuse to help you or you will refuse to help them in an emergency because of whom they or you vote for? Good grief! Pick up the clue phone. You can love someone with whom you have differing opinions! We had a fire right in the narrows this week and two people called me to reassure me they would get my horses if things got dicey without any kind of litmus test. Connected! If you want world peace, let it begin with you! Namaste! Shalom! Aloha! Salam! Dona Nobis Pacem! Shanti! Shanti! Vamos a ver! n

LETTERS Yoga Desa From page 6 on the community, and if they are not (or don’t care) they should be educated by the community. Since Nathan took the helm of Pine Tree Circle, he and I have had several hours of conversations and countless email exchanges, all of which have been carefully noted and archived. Back when there were rumors of severe rent increases, Nathan assured me it was all hearsay. I took the time to carefully explain to Nathan the partnership that exists between landlord and tenant, and the delicate balance, especially in such a small and unique area as Topanga. Landlords and tenants rely on each other to be successful, and when a building is not managed thoughtfully and ethically, a bad vibe (for lack of a more professional term) ensues and the environment can become toxic. I believe this is what is happening at Pine Tree Circle now. I remember telling Nathan, time will tell if you are being honest with me. Well, time has told. I have repeatedly called Nathan out

on practices, decisions, and details I have found questionable, and he has told me that in doing so I was jeopardizing our business relationship. For the most part, I have tried to bite my tongue with Nathan for the sake of the studio, but it hasn’t been easy. I won’t get into details in this letter but suffice to say Nathan and I have a big difference of opinion about what constitutes basic business ethics. So, what can you do to help? Knowledge is power. So is voicing your opinion. I think knowing what’s going on at Pine Tree Circle is very important because of its influence on the community. Start with a conversation. Many of the shop owners are your friends. Ask them how they are doing, if they are being treated fairly, how they can be supported. Suggest to the editors of our local newspapers, Topanga New Times and The Canyon Chronicle that this is a story worth writing about. The tenant mix at Pine Tree Circle, good or bad, will have a tremendous impact on our small community.

The owners of Pine Tree Circle should be on record with their plans and intentions. If you have an opinion, share it with Nathan. I don’t feel it’s appropriate to share his contact information in this letter, but it shouldn’t be too hard to find. It’s pretty much “out there” by now if you care to find it. This is a heartbreaking time for me, and a turning point for Pine Tree Circle. Yoga Desa won’t be the only casualty. In the coming months, you will likely see several long-time tenants close their doors. As this happens, I sincerely hope the community makes its opinions known to our new landlord. It’s unfortunate that this landlord is not more proactive in helping its existing tenants weather this storm. It would surely benefit them, and the community, in the long run. But I’m afraid this reasoning is lost on them. Yours truly, Brian Gibson Owner, Yoga Desa

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

MY CORNER OF THE CANYON X Always Marks the Spot By Kathie Gibboney

here are certain areas in our cluttered home I have not the fortitude to face. I eschew the cobwebby bookshelf, the booby-trapped prop and costume closet, the renegade collection of shoes that look as if they had wildly danced all night with various partners: an Ugg boot with a bunny slipper, a high heel waltzing with a Doc Martin, a Converse cavorting with a golden sandal, now exhausted, collapsed tangled together in one big mixed-up pile. I do proudly report, the organizing of the chaotic garage has been attempted, although an argument between the Beleaguered Husband and myself over tossing or keeping an old tin, candy box could have ended in divorce. Can you guess which one of us was for keeping it? I like to think some undiscovered treasure waits in the garage for those intrepid enough to dig deep, to sort through the detritus of ages, to let go the aching anchor of the past. Wouldn’t it be great to find the old letter signed by Honest Abe, or even Ethel Mermen? How about a first edition of Moby Dick? An original Grandma Moses? Riches would be ours! We would sleep on high thread count Egyptian sheets in a brandnew bed and get the carpet cleaned. Oh, what the hell, let’s get new carpet or better yet, smooth Terra Cotta-tiled floors or how about a beautiful burnished wood? The Beleaguered Husband could get a new surfboard and I could get my own theater with great lighting and be Titania and Juliet and finally get Ophelia right. I could rescue cats and never collect unemployment again. However, I fear the best this garage would yield is my long-lost piece of lava. When we honeymooned all those years ago on the Island of Hawaii, I picked up a piece of lava from the beach and held it in my hand under the moonlight. I longed to take it home as a romantic souvenir and to show the children I taught what a piece of lava looks and feels like. I knew better than to remove even a tiny piece of the island without the permission and blessing of the fire Goddess Pele. So, I closed my eyes and asked the Goddess. This is what she answered, “Yes, you may take it, but you must, someday, bring it back yourself.” I promised to do so. Was that really 28 years ago? For some reason I thought the lava was in a sparkling treasure box where I keep gemstones, white shells, and magical keys. When I looked inside the box, it wasn’t there. Over the years I have searched every place in our house for it. Nothing. Whenever there is some setback—a business venture gone south, an opportunity missed, a Christmas tree

that falls over—the family equates it to the bad luck of the lost lava. Maybe Pele spirited it away, because she deemed me negligent, careless, and tardy in keeping my promise, but then she never mentioned a time limit. Sometimes, deep in the garage I feel that the lava is there, packed away from one of the moves we’ve made since that long-ago honeymoon. It waits in some forgotten box and one day when we, courageously, finally tackle the garage, I will let out a scream and yell through tears, “I found the lava, at last I found my lava!” as I grasp it to my heart. I still love the idea of some item right under our noses, turning out to be worth a great deal of money. Our wonderful landlord was here with his charming, chatty, teenage daughter, Katherine. I have a collection of stuffed animals (of course I have) and Katherine noticed Stuffy

Mountain and announced, “Oh look you have Beanie Babies! They’re worth a lot of money!” As in a cartoon, my eyes lit up with dollar signs. I pulled out the Beanies and ran to eBay to begin my research. Beanie Babies were first produced in 1993, by an odd man, named Ty Warner. Soon a cult-like collecting craze developed and some of the $5 plush toys sold for thousands. Although the popularity has cooled there is still some interest. Sure enough, my 1993 Pinchers the Lobster could pull in a few grand provided it met the right criteria. I learned that the value of the Beanie is enhanced not only by its rarity, condition, year, and tags, but also by the errors in the printing on the tags. The difference between one exclamation mark and three, or a comma where there should be a period, or a numeric birth date instead of the spelled out, June, seems to justify an increase in the sale price. One Pinchers was going for enough to pay off our daughter’s college debt, although ironically, the buyer would still have to pay for shipping. And if one possessed the rare, misspelled, ‘Punchers’ rather than Pinchers, they hit the motherload. There is currently a Blackie the Bear being offered at $175,000, while Jake the Duck is only a paltry, $2000. I will have to watch the market to see which items sell for the inflated suggested price before listing my Pinchers. Oh, and of course, I’d have to throw Katherine a few bucks for her inspiring observation.

Topanga Christian Fellowship

“The Little Church That Could”

In addition to the Beanies, I also came across our old annoying friend Furby. Maybe he’s worth something. We replaced the batteries and the Furby came to life or whatever state of being a Furby occupies. I hadn’t heard the sound of the thing’s voice for years, but it all came instantly back, “Me love you, kiss me. Dee dee dumb, me party.” Or did it say potty? My son is of the mind that the Furby is evil, but I have to admit to being charmed by the creature, although I swear the other day it had actually moved by itself from lying down where I’d left it, to standing upright. Nonetheless, in these times of stress I find the Furby soothing and will keep it so we can sing together, “Dee da, dee de dumb ditty dumb!” That leaves our son’s remote-control, robot Emeglio, and there are already many of them on eBay, and the B e at l e C ards. Some of them seem worth a bit, but I’d never sell the Paul that Cindy and I used to fight over. A ticket stub for the 1967 Beatles concert at Dodger Stadium is online for $500. I was there. I kept my stub. Because we Boomers are ageing the market might be narrowing on Beatle memorabilia, now might be the time to sell. Anyone want to make me an offer? Could I really be mercenary enough to sell these precious, cherished relics of the past? Being a precious relic myself, I say no, and certainly not the Furby because you know he would return to haunt us. “I’m Furby and I’m going to kill you.” Of course, the true value of each item is the tangible memory it holds. The treasure is having seen the Beatles with my girlfriends and screaming John’s name, and one honeymoon beneath an enchanted island moon, having seeing the smile on Riley’s face when he found Emiglio under the Christmas tree, loving a little girl with missing teeth, on a summer vacation hugging a small, red stuffed lobster, and the fun of Furby, back when the world was young. So, either we win the lottery or I write something that sells, for if I find the lava, we’re going to need some plane tickets. Second honeymoon, Mike? Addendum: Let it be reported that there was actually treasure found in the garage in the form of foreign currency worth over $230. Although I still didn’t find the original lava, on a random walk with my niece in San Diego, a Hawaiian neighbor, upon hearing about my lost lava, gave me a piece of lava which looks exactly like mine. He assured me it is from the Big Island and Pele will graciously accept when I return it. Mahalo! n

t Really Magi o N It’s Barbara Allen E.A. c! 310-455-2375

riklin@barbaraalleneataxservices.com

Tax Preparation & Audit Representation 310-455-1048

topangachristianfellowship.org 269 Old Topanga Canyon

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

•

Topanga, CA 90290

For Individuals, Small Businesses,

Estates, Trusts and Tax-Exempt Entities www.barbaraalleneataxservices.com

Arts Theatricum Offers Virtual Fall Classes for Adults By Annemarie Donkin

“We are still here and we have not allowed the current situation to stop our creativity, reach to the community and work with kids,” Tinsley said. “We are looking forward to getting people

ver the decades it has been a privilege to sit beneath the oaks each summer season at Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum and enjoy outstanding performances by the first family of theater in Southern California. Shakespeare, classics, modern and original plays performed by their acclaimed repertory group of actors have graced their large wooden stage and thrilled thousands of playgoers. Sadly, with COVID-19, the 2020 Summer Season was cancelled, but was quickly replaced by virtual classes that have proved surprisingly popular. Starting this fall, virtual classes are again available for those who would like to experience theater through mind and body exercises— Shakespeare’s Rhetoric, Modern Monologues, and movement with the Alexander Technique and Tai Chi. “Theatricum has a great reputation,” said Debi Tinsley, Adult Programs Manager. “We have to reinvent and adapt for what we can do digitally; it’s a new adventure for the theater.” Tinsley emphasized that after

Susan Angelo

learning techniques, it can enrich your life and experience while watching theater, TV and film. “If you can do Shakespeare, it transcends all genres,” she said. “We put stuff up there that we would not ordinarily teach and see if it works [as we] dig into a play, learn how to read Cymbeline, how to do deep interpretation, and how to dissect other plays going forward.” Tinsley said that there are also virtual fall classes for children and youth. For more information, contact Youth/Teen Programs Manager Cindy Kania-Guasteferro at youth@ theatricum.com or online at https:// www.theatricum.com.

n Theatricum’s Distance Learning Fall Academy of the Classics for 2020. Master Shakespeare educator and actor Susan Angelo teaches “Shakespeare’s Rhetoric.” Bring a Shakespeare monologue of your own choosing and dig deeper into the rhythms, rhetorical devices and arguments that reveal the character alongside Susan Angelo. Max. students—15. Wednesdays, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., PDT, September 23 to Oct. 21. Online, via Zoom App. Tuition: $250. Enroll at theatricum.com/adultrhetoric/. n Modern Monologues with Cindy Kania-Guastaferro, Oct. 20 – Nov. 17. Whether you want to polish an old monologue or start work on a new one, whether you are prepping for an audition or just looking to build your repertoire, this class will be helpful and inspiring. Seasoned

back into the Canyon again.” n For more information, contact Tinsley at academy@theatricum. com, (310) 455-2322. professional Cindy KaniaGuastaferro shares 40 years of experience on stage, in film and TV to help you explore the text and coach you to performance level. Develop serious and comedic pieces from modern and contemporary plays. Maximum 15 students. Tuesdays, 6 to 8 p.m. PDT, Oct. 20 to Nov. 17. Online, via Zoom App. Tuition: $250. Enroll at theatricum.com/adultmodernmonologues/. n Alexander Technique/Tai

Chi Adult Classes with Misako Tsuchiya, Oct. 21 to Nov. 18. Discover how to free yourself and become an extraordinary being. Be in the moment with Alexander Technique and Tai Chi expert Misako Tsuchiya. Maximum 15 students. Wednesdays 9 to 11 a.m. PDT. Oct. 21 to Nov. 18. Online, via Zoom App. Tuition: $250. Enroll at theatricum.com/adult-alexander/

Carry It On—A Theatricum Community Celebration By Chronicle Staff

As Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum prepares for its 2021 Summer Repertory Season, they welcome Fall with virtual celebrations.

or five decades, Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum has been educating kids and entertaining audiences in Topanga Canyon at their beautiful 299-seat outdoor amphitheater. Like all theaters in Southern California, Theatricum canceled their 2020 summer repertory season

due to COVID-19, leaving them short of revenue to fuel their next season but is making plans to carry on the tradition of outdoor summer repertory theater by returning to the stage in 2021. To keep everyone connected, Theatricum will host virtual events leading up to an online community fundraising celebration on Saturday, Oct. 10. n Storytime with Dragon and Friends, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 10 a.m. PST—Join company member Chris Jones and special guests, including Cooper Barnes and Beau Bridges, for a morning of Storytime, puppets, and fun for all ages. Hosted

by “ Dragon,” this event is designed for children 10 and under. n The Woody Guthrie Story, Saturday, Oct. 3 at 4 p.m. PST— Celebrate songwriter, activist and longtime Theatricum friend Woody Guthrie with members of the Geer family. This unique and engaging musical portrait frames his life story as well as his professional relationship with Will Geer through a variety of songs and selections from Guthrie’s published and unpublished writings. Grab a tambourine or guitar and sing along to this glorious slice of Americana performed from our living room to yours. n Carry It On: A Virtual Gala in

Support of Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, S aturday, Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. PST—Our Theatricum celebration culminates with an evening hosted by Better Things star Pamela Adlon. The show will feature special guests, aerial performances, music, comedy, and an online silent auction. We invite you to join us to support and pay homage to the legacy of Theatricum Botanicum, as well as the importance of theater and arts in education. n All events are free and open to the public. Visit theatricum.com/carryiton for event links information.

Theatricum Offers Youth and Teen Fall Online Programs By Annemarie Donkin

Playwriting, poetry, dance, comedy characters, Shakespeare’s monologues and stage combat! These are some of the classes for young people during Theatricum Botanicum’s fall session.

t is a widely held belief that the main benefits of performing arts for young people include improving life skills and academic performance. While classes are now conducted online via Zoom, Theatricum’s philosophy of arts education

does not change—they seek to encourage collaboration, creativity and critical thinking in a positive, nurturing environment. Theatricum’s youth and teen classes can build confidence, poise and sparks creativity. “My program is divided into ages 8-11, 12-14 and 15-18,” said Cindy Kania-Guastaferro, Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum Youth /Teen Programs Manager. “There is even a young people’s program from ages 4-7 online.” Enroll at: (theatricum.com/youngpeople). Based on the age category, the online classes are about one and a half hours or less. “We all hate the Zoom, but most

Youth Teen class

of the classes are only half hour,” said Kania-Guastaferro. “they are only twice a week, three weeks long and only six classes per session. Kids who come to Theatricum are very special, most of them are aware

of live theatre from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” or they have parents in the business, especially in Los Angeles … there is a proliferation of opportunities for children, with so many actors who teach; it’s a way of keeping their creative juices going.” Kania-Guastaferro also said we need more playwrights and it’s a great way to start kids at a young age. “For some, acting is not for them, so playwriting is a great way to keep kids with a creative voice involved,” she said. “Some kids are really creative, it’s amazing, 12 to 18-years-old. The classes are exciting and creative and add some zest to your child’s day. Plus, friends and relatives living See Online Programs, page 18

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

Arts Online Programs From page 17 in different cities can take classes together.” n Dynamic Dance with Shivani—

ages 7-9 Get out of your seat and onto your feet! Discover dance moves to make you groove. This class will keep you moving while you travel through the world, experiencing dances from all genres. Maximum 10 students. Ages: 7-9 years old Days: Wednesdays and Fridays. Photo courtesy Theatricum Times: 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., PST Online Stage Combat Series—Quarterstaff Dates: Sept. 23 to Oct. 23 Location: Online, via Zoom App Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays Location: Online, via Zoom App Tuition: $100 Times: 4 p.m. to 4:45 pm, PST Tuition: $150 Enroll at: theatricum.com/yp-dance Dates: Oct. 6 to Nov. 5 Enroll at: theatricum.com/teenFor more information about the Location: Online, via Zoom App poetry Young People classes, contact Elisa Tuition: $125 For more information about Teen at youngpeople@theatricum.com or Enroll at: theatricum.com/ytClasses, contact Cindy Kanialeave a message at (310) 455-2322. characters Guastaferro at youth@theatricum. For more information about Youth/ com or leave her a message at (310) Comedy Characters w/ KiDané! Teen Classes, contact Cindy Kania455-2322. —ages 8-11 Guastaferro at youth@theatricum. In this course, students will com or leave her a message at (310) Shakespeare Monologues with explore different ways they can 455-2322. Max Lawrence—Ages 14-18 use their bodies, voices and Bring serious or comedic imagination to create comedic Purpose in Poetry—Intro to monologues up to performance characters. Students will use the Writing Poetry with Candace level. Theatricum’s celebrated tools that they learn to bring to Nicholas-Lippman—Ages 13-18 Actor/Teaching artist Max life two characters (one human Candace Nicholas-Lippman is Lawrence will guide, shape and and one non-human) of their own an actress, spoken word artist nurture your performance of a creation. Maximum 12 students. and arts educator with a passion Shakespeare monologue (choose Ages: 9-11 for using her God-given talents a favorite, or we can provide one Days: Tuesdays and Thursdays to uplift others. Why Poetry? “I for you!). Learn from others while Times: 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., PST love poetry,” Nicholas-Lippman working together in a supportive Dates: Sept. 29 to Oct. 29 wrote. “Just like many other art group of teenage artists, actors and Location: Online, via Zoom App forms, poetry is another form of Shakespeare lovers! Final session Tuition: $100 expression. It allows an artist an will be a sharing of students’ work. Enroll at: theatricum.com/youthoutlet to express their thoughts Maximum 15 students. characters and feelings which is extremely Ages: 14 to 18 For more information about Youth important especially for children Days: Tuesdays Classes, contact Cindy Kaniaand youth who may often times feel Times: 5 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., PST Guastaferro at youth@theatricum. unseen, unheard or as though no Dates: September 29 to October 27 com or leave a message at (310) one understands them. The poetry Location: Online, via Zoom App 455-2322. community is so supportive and Tuition: $150 I find poetry (all art) extremely Enroll at: theatricum.com/ Comedy Characters with therapeutic. Putting your words, your youthteen Christine—Ages 12-14 thoughts, your feelings on paper is so For more information about Teen Using theatre games, improvisation, brave; but then to also share your art Classes, contact Cindy Kaniaphysical exercises and traditional with others, is when healing, self- Guastaferro at youth@theatricum. Commedia, students will learn discovery and self-empowerment com or leave her a message at (310) how an actor uses their body, voice begins.” Maximum 15 students. 455-2322. and imagination to create funny Ages: 13 to 18 characters and have fun doing it! Days: Mondays and Wednesdays Playwriting with Karen Maximum 15 students. Times: 4 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., PST Hardcastle—13-18 years old. Ages: 12-14 Dates: Sept. 21 to Oct. 21 Work with fellow teens in a

supportive ensemble writing and sharing short scenes and monologues. Learn playwriting exercises designed to create more dynamic and unique characters; write scenes that show (not tell) the action; make playwriting fun and accessible. Students will share their work throughout the process in a space where it is safe to take risks and try new things. A chance for all voices to grow stronger and be heard! Final invited reading open to family and friends. Maximum 9 students. Ages: 13-18 Days: Saturdays Times: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., PST Dates: Sept. 26 to Oct. 24 Location: Online, via Zoom App Tuition: $150 Enroll at: theatricum.com/ytplaywriting/#enroll. For more information about our Youth/Teen Classes, contact Cindy Kania-Guastaferro at youth@ theatricum.com or leave her a message at (310) 455-2322. Combat Snippets! Online Stage Combat Series Theatricum teaching artists, choreographers and fighter/ performers Celina Lee Surniak and Mollie Wilson take participants through short, fun, physical stage combat moves using a Broadsword, Lightsaber and Quarterstaff! Each short segment includes a warmup, breakdown of a move, practice, and a cool-down. Each segment builds on the one before it—use one, two, or all 13! Once purchased, students can watch / review / repeat each segment as often as they’d like. All videos are available to watch online or download and keep forever. Purchase at: theatricum.com/ snippets For more information about our Youth/Teen Classes, contact Cindy Kania-Guastaferro at youth@ theatricum.com or leave her a message at (310) 455-2322 n For more information about Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum, go to theatricum.com; Twitter—Twitter. com/theatricum; Facebook— Facebook.com/theatricum

PASSAGES

conic Topangan Frank Rocco recently passed away after a long illness. The family will have a private service but welcomes all to tell your stories about him for a book of his life that they are preparing. Respond to Michelle Johnson (gmsjohnson2002@yahoo.com), or Kristine Sloan (kristinesloan@icloud.com) and we’ll pass them on. Frank and his wife, Marlene, opened Rocco’s in the Canyon that would become Topanga’s culinary institution in the Old Center in 1978, just in time to be washed out in the flood of 1980. They reopened, featuring Frank’s homemade pizza and pasta recipes. Marlene ran the place and daughter Eve waited tables. It

September 18 • Vol. 1 No. 7

was a real family venture. Frank and Marlene retired in 2004, selling out to their long-time chef Lupe Melendez, who continued sharing Frank’s recipes for many more years. In 2000, their daughter Kristina started Rocco’s Cucina in the Palisades. During the pandemic, Kristina has stepped up in the family tradition of service, creating meals for Topanga’s homebound seniors, often paid for by the extended Rocco family. Anyone who ate at the old Rocco’s remembers the cozy atmosphere and pot-bellied stove, that other Frank, Old Blue Eye’s mellow tones piped in, the wonderful garlic balls, the perfect Caesar salad, and an occasional glimpse of Frank as he

Photo by Annemarie Donkin

(l-r) Kristina Rocco-Levy and husband, Jed Levy, who own and operate Rocco’s Cucina in the Palisades; Chef Vidal Arzate, Frank and Marlene Rocco.

sometimes swept in from the kitchen. Thanks, Frank, for all the memories and for being such an important part of our canyon’s history.

Pritchett-Rapf Realtors TOPANGA

Offices in Malibu & Topanga (310) 455-4363

•

PRTopanga.com

Call for more information!

PRICE REDUCED!

3 Bed | 2 Bath Listed at $1,400,000

Medley Lane

Listed by Chryssa Lightheart

(310) 663-3696

Welcome to an inspiring home. Think architectural meets New York loft. Extraordinary views sweeping through walls of glass in front, back and interior. Industrial modern flair creates an exciting living space, that accommodates many furniture styles. The innovative, flexible, open floor plan and abundant sunlight make this home a joy to be in. 2370 SF, 3 bed, 2 full bath plus a 615 SF loft room over garage next to living room. You can create a fourth bedroom, media room or office. Combination of wood, glass, concrete and metal. Floating metal staircase accesses the master suite. Bathroom includes a claw tub and beautiful raindrop shower head, open to the mountain views. 2 car garage plus an office. Adjacent additional space is perfect for your wine cellar. Landscaped for drought tolerance. Furniture in photo is no longer there.

SOLD Bonnell Drive 4 Bed | 2 Bath Christine Kapetan - (310) 804-8336

$1,550,000

Delightful and inviting home with guest studio overlooking private, neighborhood owned Bonnell Park! Located in the heart of the Canyon, two level miles from town Center with easy access to beach and both sides of the Canyon.

Hillside Drive 3 Bed | 2 Bath Chryssa Lightheart - (310) 663-3696

$1,199,000

A magical Topanga setting with stunning views on 1.3 acres. A private knoll top is perfect for picnics or meditations. Large flat garden area, 10 fruit bearing trees, Oaks and others. A 500sf brick patio, perfect for entertaining. Enough flat land for potential addition.

Vacant Land

GATED HORSE PROPERTY WITH PANORAMIC VIEWS Corsham Road $999,000 9.94 acres William Preston Bowling

PANORAMIC OCEAN AND CITY VIEW LOT Vista Del Mar Road $799,000 5.02 acres William Preston Bowling

2-LOT OPPORTUNITY WITH BEAUTIFUL VIEWS Vesey Road $85,000 0.49 acres Christine Kapetan

(310) 428-5085

(310) 804-8336

LOCAL & GLOBAL

Pritchett-Rapf Realtors

CalBRE 00528707

A LEGACY OF REAL ESTATE EXPERTISE

TimelessTopanga.com Completely renovated with impeccable taste, a meticulous eye for detail and an award-winning sense of style and beauty. 4BD/3BA $2,775,000

WoodGlassViews.com The heart wants what it wants. Stunning wood & glass home takes your breath away. 3BD/3BA $1,799,000

1759Artique.com Stunning cross canyon views stretched out over rustic mountains. 2154 sq ft, 2 bonus rooms, 2 car garage and wine room. $1,399,000 3BD/3BA

836Fernwood.com Quintessential Topanga home, rich with history & charm. 1175 sq ft. 2BD/3BA $1,050,000

LoveTopanga.com Your vison and inspiration will find a place here in this lovely, slight fixer-upper. Guest area, 3 car garge. 2BD/1BA $800,000

LoveTopanga.com Topanga’s original gorgeous tree house. 2045 sq ft with a living ancient oak tree growing through it. 3BD/2BA $5,800 Per Month

LoveTopanga.com Lovely two story home surrounded by succulent gardens. 2BD/1BA $4,000 Per Month

Voted: Best of the Best - 2020 America’s Best Real Estate Professionals REALTRENDS TOM FERRY. Catherine Campbell DRE: 01164030 | 310.663.9039 catherine@lovetopanga.com

© Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. All rights reserved. Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity. DRE#: 899496