December 11, 2020 • Vol
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ECRWSS EDDM PRESORTED STD POSTAL CUSTOMER US POSTAGE P A I D GARDENA CA PERMIT NO. 40 December 11, 2020 • Vol. 1, No. 13 No. 1, Vol. • 2020 11, December Topanga’s Independent Voice Since 1976 Since Voice Independent Topanga’s REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT There isn’t anything to do in Topanga. And lots of other cool things too. We get The Topanga Life. OVER HALF A BILLION IN TOPANGA SALES Melissa Oliver | 310.403.4455 & Paul Ferra | 310.455.1717 DRE 00894644 & 01227825 © 2020 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker DRE 00616212 All rights reserved. Coldwell Banker®, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC in the United States and by Coldwell Banker LLC outside the United States. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker are independent contractor sales associates. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All statistical information per CLAW MLS. © OliverFerra 2020 REAL ESTATE SPOTLIGHT We are The New Normal & The Old Normal. The Difference. Home Sellers and Buyers have a choice of many agents and brokerages to represent them. Oliver Ferra produces results and for over 20 years our Team has consistently raised the bar and challenged ourselves to provide the finest Real Estate Representation possible anywhere. Recognized throughout Los Angeles as city-wide top agents, and the dominant real estate force locally, we pull from a deep well of experience in all aspects of the process including cutting edge marketing, expert negotiation skills, and a proven track record unmatched anywhere in the area. OLIVER FERRA.com Real Estate | Lifestyle | Community OVERMelissa HALF Oliver |A 310.403.4455 BILLION & INPaul TOPANGA Ferra | 310.455.1717 SALES Melissa Oliver | 310.403.4455DRE 01227825 & & 00894644 Paul Ferra | 310.455.1717 DRE 00894644 & 01227825 © 2020 Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Coldwell Banker DRE 00616212 All rights reserved. Coldwell Banker®, the Coldwell Banker Logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury® and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury Logo are registered service marks owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC in the United States and by Coldwell Banker LLC outside the United States. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Real estate agents affiliated with Coldwell Banker are independent contractor sales associates. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All statistical information per CLAW MLS. © OliverFerra 2020 Thinking Out Loud Publisher / Editor Flavia Potenza Creative Director Nira Lichten Associate Editor Kait Leonard Senior Reporter Annemarie Donkin Creative Consultant Eiffel Nazaryan Contributors Linda Ballou Joel Bellman Kathie Gibboney Paula LaBrot Amy Weisberg Copy Editor / Distribution Ellie Carroll P hoto B Contact US Y K at H [email protected] igh General inquiries: [email protected] For Landscaper and Hugelkultur afficionado, Leigh Adams, a chain saw is a necessary tool and she knows how Advertising inquiries: to use it. We agreed that no woman should be without one. [email protected] P.O. Box 1101 Joy in the Shadow of the Virus Topanga, CA 90290 ays before Governor Gavin Newsom’s stay-at-home order in response to the dramatic surge (310) 460-9786 Din COVID-19 cases in California, I admit I ventured out of my house over the Thanksgiving Follow us on Instagram @thecanyonchronicle, weekend to a grocery store, to give blood at the Woodland Hills Red Cross Center, and to cover a local & Facebook and twitter @CanyonChronicle story. I’m glad I did those things but I’m also of a mind that it was foolish to make those choices. The grocery shopping provided me with a lovely solo Thanksgiving dinner at home and a FaceTime call with my son and grandkids. Comfort. I had already scheduled the Red Cross visit, which I do on a The Canyon Chronicle is an regular basis because they call me and say my blood type is needed. This time, in ten days, I can check independent community newspaper online to see if I’ve tested positive for antibodies. A noble reason to give and live. (page 17 for Jean published bi-weekly by Canyon Media, Colonomos’ “COVID-19 Diary”) Inc.©2020. All rights reserved. A highlight that weekend was covering Kat High’s Hugelkultur sustainability workshop and a reason to love carbon (page 18). She wisely scaled it down to six invitees to work outside with the two team leaders, nine of us in all. Glorious, purposeful, albeit with cautious socializing, masked and distanced. It was psychologically uplifting while at the same time, the shadowy specter of a deadly virus lurked unseen. The photo of Leigh Adams (above) is here because her joyful enthusiasm is such a balm and the photo made us laugh. The chain saw is a necessity in the landscaping business. In the following pages, we offer some gifts of the season. Chanukah began yesterday and Rabbi Topanga’s Independent Voice Since 1976 Weiss and his wife, Dina, will celebrate by driving around in their Menorah Mobile to bring December 11, 2020 • Vol. 1, No. 13 blessings and a Chanukah kit for congregants to celebrate at home (page 8). Kathie Gibboney muses on “The Spirit of Christmas Present” (page 16), and the pandemically-aware Topanga Christian Fellowship Church is holding Parking Lot services outdoors on the first Sunday of the month (topangachristianfellowship.org; (310) 455-1048). Educator Amy Weisberg documents the “Silver Linings” parents of her kindergarten children have discovered in distance learning under the cloud of uncertainty a virus brings. (page 15) In this time of giving, in the midst of Pandemic 2020-2021, two local non-profits, the Topanga Women’s Circle, and our Topanga Community Center, let us know they are in need of funding (page 5). Please open your wallets and hearts to them and/or your charity of choice. Kait Leonard spotlights Topanga author and poet, Philip Daughtry, (pages 10-11) with a profile of his new book of poems, “Runaway Angels.” Looking for Joys of the Season? Vaccines are coming but call up your common sense for a bit longer and determine to be alive to receive it by taking this pandemic seriously. Make the sacrifice and stay close to home, wear a mask, wash your hands, keep your distance, Zoom and FaceTime with loved ones and friends or whatever it takes to stay connected. Safely. —Flavia Potenza PERMIT NO. 40 NO. PERMIT GARDENA CA GARDENA P A I D I A P US POSTAGE US POSTAL CUSTOMER POSTAL PRESORTED STD PRESORTED ECRWSS EDDM EDDM ECRWSS “Celebrate the Holidays Together.” Even though we are limited in celebrating holidays SEASON’S GREETINGS TO ALL! with family, Valerie Walsh’s message is one of hope and love for our future in her latest Bring every joy and kindness you can, wherever you can, to whomever Paperscape for the cover. All elements are hand-made painted paper. you can, during this season of love and light and throughout the year. 4 December 11 • Vol. 1 No. 13 news Donate to Support Our Topanga Community Center By Nonie Shore, back all of those things, as well as $65,000 While the TCC, a 501(c)3 non- VP Fundraising & Events our beloved Swap Meet and Chili profit volunteer organization, has Cook-off and Fiddle & Griddle. been managing its books carefully, The Topanga Community Center The pandemic, however, has we are now dipping into our rainy (TCC) is seeking donations to brought unforeseen closures and day funds for the basic costs of Raised compensate for a shortfall of $65,000 cancellations of nearly everything, $5000 maintaining the TCC, which means this year due to COVID-19 closures including Topanga Days, the annual we need your support until we and needing to cancel Topanga Days. fundraiser that we depend on to see sunny skies again. Even if you The TCC with its surrounding help run the property for the year to have never stepped foot on TCC 11 acres has served Topanga for come. property yet, we are asking that generations. Pre-pandemic, we had The TCC also served as a Red everyone in the 90290 zip code take regular events like the ever-popular Cross blood drive center and since ownership and chip in to support Food Truck Fridays, Square Dances, August, has hosted monthly drive-in our community center, as we do Disco Nights, and Bingo. Monthly movie nights for members. As well, not receive any regular government Canyon Sage’s dinners and classes the TCC was a polling location in funding or property tax dollars to in our senior classroom, as well as the election, and this summer, with run it. Topanga Youth Services classes and the help of a County Grant, gave out programs, we’ve been reaching out We have a shortfall of nearly musicals were constant activities, mobile meals from local restaurants to with morale-boosting distanced $65,000 for 2020 and a goal of raising along with Tae Kwon Do, Cub Scout those severely impacted by Covid-19. events since April. Do you remember as much as possible before December meetings and activities, dance classes Visit topangacommunitycenter.org to the mobile Easter Bunny coming 31. Please donate what you can to help for kids, soccer on the ballfield, and see what we are up to. to your neighborhood, and the us get there, as together, we can move the fabulous playground.