Susan Clark, Midwife to a Gosling
On May 30, Topanga Animal Rescue founder Susan Clark was midwife for this baby chick. “After many hours of struggling to push out of his eggshell,” said Clark, “he got into trouble so I had to remove him from the egg and revive him somewhat (no mouth to mouth!). It was more a goose version of a C-section and not for the faint hearted! Isn't he just the cutest thing? A ball of fluff!” Here he is sleeping after a very long, hard day! Welc… [Read More...]
9 Lives for $9 Cat Adoptions Throughout the Month of June
LOS ANGELES, CA—Best Friends Animal Society Adoption Center, in collaboration with the No Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) initiative, are encouraging people to adopt a cat or kitten during their “9 Lives for $9” promotion throughout June. Aptly named Cherry is as sweet as pie. The pretty two-year-old, tortoise shell cat loves to play with people through the slots in her tower, hoping the next hand she touches becomes a connection to… [Read More...]
Neighborhood Networks—Prepare for a Hot, Dry, Fire-Prone Summer
The Springs Fire in May that burned more than 24,000 acres in Camarillo, followed by the Powerhouse fire in Santa Clarita, was a big surprise. Rarely do we get wind-driven Santa Ana wildfires in the spring. Closer to home, the structure fire on Sischo in May with the biblical “tower of flame,” was a big wake-up call. Our neighborhood network directory had last been updated in 2006, so we had a difficult time telling the fir… [Read More...]
Topanga Days Parade Hits the Big 4-0!
The morning fog cleared just in time for the start of the glorious 40th Annual Topanga Days Parade, the much beloved annual celebration of all things in the Canyon that can walk, trot, skate, ride or roll down the Boulevard from Pine Tree Circle to the Community House. The parade itself harkens back to its roots during the heady, hippie-trippy days of 1973 with the community proudly showing off a motley crew of trucks, cars, fire trucks, … [Read More...]
Chompsky the Crocodile Sparks Creativity in Topanga Youth
Sometimes, an idea just pops into your head, and you need to share it with someone. That’s what happened to me when James Catterall said, ‘We need a sign above our door!’ We could have used our name – Centers for Research on Creativity (CRoC) – and our green crocodile logo, affectionately called “Chompsky.” This would have worked just fine for the office located in Pine Tree Circle (above Topanga Homegrown). That is, until the idea to… [Read More...]
Topanga Days:Topanga in the '60s—Revived and Revisited
Each Memorial Day weekend for 40 years, the three-day Topanga Days Country Fair and fundraiser for the Community Club that hosts the event, has featured day-long lineups of premier musical talent. Even though it is 2013, the consensus is that the ‘60s vibe and feeling is still as alive as ever. The breezy, warm, sunny days set the stages and tone for a very nice time. Relaxed fairgoers, estimated at 2,000 per day, … [Read More...]
Topanga Days: Walking in Their Father’s Footsteps
As a post-Memorial Day update, The Topanga Messenger received the following account from John R. Caskey, Jr., of his and his sister Janet’s visit to the Belgian battlefield where their father, Second Lieutenant John R. Caskey, died. He was a former Topanga Boy Scout who enlisted in the U.S. Army in the 193rd Glider Infantry Regiment, 17th Airborne Division. He was killed in the Battle of the Bulge in 1945. Topanga Cub Scou… [Read More...]
Topanga Days: Free-Spirited Fun and Games
Sack Races, Bat Spinning and Bucket Fill Relays are not for the faint of heart. Especially at Topanga Days. “Maybe 20 spins was too many,” said emcee Billy Portman as competitors zigzagged off-course and collapsed in the dirt. The racers barely managed to hold the bats to their foreheads for the requisite twenty spins before lunging towards the goal or, in some cases, the ground. Spectators audibly gasped at an echoing thud caused … [Read More...]
Summer Concert Series At Ribbit’s Oak Grove, June 22
TOPANGA, CA–Ribbit Tree and Plant is launching its 2013 Summer Concert Series on Saturday, June 22, with a live music event featuring musical artists Kasi Jones and Lisbeth Scott. Enjoy brunch and lunch baskets served by Topanga Green Feast in the wild and rustic beauty of Topanga's Oak Grove at Ribbit. Topanga is known as a bohemian enclave attracting artists, musicians, and others. Our vision is to create an ongoing music, fo… [Read More...]
Off the Grid Comedy Improv, June 28
An evening with Off the Grid’s comedy improvisation is a falling-off-your-chair, belly-laughing-‘til-it-hurts experience, a great way to wash away the grit of the work week and remember what it means to have fun. Audience participation is required as Ian Flanders directs his wacky troupe of modern-day vaudevillians in a series of improvised comedy skits at Theatricum Botanicum’s S. Mark Taper stage. You’ll never regret it. In fact, you ma… [Read More...]
The Royal Family by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber Opens June 22
Theatricum’s Geer clan stars in an uproarious comedy about a family of actors. TOPANGA, CA—Art imitates life imitates art in The Royal Family, when Theatricum Botanicum artistic director Ellen Geer stars alongside her sister Melora Marshall, daughter Willow Geer and daughter-in-law, Abby Craden, in an uproarious comedy about a family of actors. Originally written as a thinly disguised parody of the Barrymores, Georg… [Read More...]
Interview: Catching Up with Will Bates
Will Bates breaks down the process of composing for the documentary format. When you think of documentaries, truth and subject matter usually come to mind. While those initial impressions are true, music is crucial to setting the tone. The Topanga Messenger’s film reviewer recently had an opportunity to catch up with composer Will Bates to discuss his latest work on We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks. The… [Read More...]
Linden Chiles—1933-2013
Linden Chiles, long-time resident of Old Topanga Canyon, passed away on Wednesday, May 15, following a fall that left him in a coma with severe injuries to his head and neck. He was 80 years old. Linden had an early career in acting, coming to the Southland from Chicago in 1959. He did post graduate work at UCLA’s Theatre Arts Department, starred in several productions and broke into films with a few one-liners. He won an award as … [Read More...]
Harriet Lane-Foster—1948-2013
On May 27, an extraordinary human being crossed to safety and rest. Harriet Lane-Foster was born May 22, 1948, and lived a full life of intense generosity, devoted search for meaning and the kind of love that changed the people she knew. She was a resident of Topanga for 45 very happy years. Harriet is survived by her lifelong partner, Paul Lovas; her brother, Richard Lane, and his wife, Dianna; her sister, Shoshana Leibman and her … [Read More...]
My Corner of the Canyon: Keep On Rockin’ in Topanga
There’s a lightness about Topanga Days. Something in the air is floaty and festive and fun. It’s as if one is buoyed aloft and carried along by the steady sound of beating drums or the gentle fluttering of fairy wings. Even if you are way across the Canyon, during the celebration of Topanga Days, one can sense the underlying beat, the rhythm and homegrown play, alive on those sacred grounds. The vibration from the Community House … [Read More...]
