Topanga Messenger

 On Sunday, February 15, a pre-opening Open House at Anam Cara invited guests to visit and tour the progress of the tiny, six-bed hospice—two at full price (comparable to board and care homes in the area), two at an adjusted rate and two community beds free of charge—that will accommodate terminal patients (up to a two-month prognosis) and their families. “Today,” said CEO, Dr. Mitcheal Metzner, “is about where we have been… [Read More...]

 Expect delicious aromas to emanate from the Topanga Library starting at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 2, as chef and author Farhana Sahibzada demonstrates the techniques of Indian/Pakistani cooking to interested adults at a free event sponsored by the Friends of the Topanga Library. Despite the popularity of Indian cuisine in Los Angeles, many people still consider it too daunting to cook it at home. Sahibzada, who has been teaching … [Read More...]

 After a lush late autumn, our winter has been abnormally dry.  The season total in Fernwood of 8.75 inches of rain stands well below our 12.44 inch average for this date, February 15th.  We’ve even fallen below the average for the Los Angeles civic center for this date — 9.25 inches.  LA has only received 5.77 inches so far this season.… [Read More...]

 Wednesdays at 10:15 a.m.—Toddler Storytime. Join us for stories, rhymes, fingerplays and more! An interactive and fun way to encourage language and literacy skills. Playtime immediately follows storytime. ­­­Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m.—The Magical Metaphor. Author, illustrator, and new Topangan Lisa Desimini shares her publishing experiences as a writer and illustrator with an eclectic approach to bringing stories to life through text, p… [Read More...]

 The public is invited to learn about edible plants by attending the “Wild Foods Plant Walk” on the grounds of King Gillette Ranch, conducted by educator and author Christopher Nyerges, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 28. The free event, sponsored by Western National Parks Association, includes a leisurely walk where visitors can learn about common and traditional uses of native and-non-native plants. A nat… [Read More...]

 The Town Council sponsors a yearly community get-together of Topanga's non-profit organizations and local event coordinators who can meet each other, share ideas, schedule events and collaborate with each other. This meeting is called the HUB of Topanga. This year's event will take place on Wednesday, March 25, 7 to 9 p.m. in the Library Meeting Room. At this meeting, we look forward to hearing the latest and greatest about your organization. We inv… [Read More...]

 The Topanga Peace Alliance March film night will include multiple short documentary videos and presentations highlighting the dangers of nuclear power plants and especially the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant near San Luis Obispo, CA. We will see and hear nationally recognized experts explain how absurd and unsafe these plants are, specifically the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operated by Pacific Gas and Electric. Myla Reson will be our pre… [Read More...]

 Canyon Sages, Topanga's organization for our community's seniors, has moved the date for its paper shredding event at the Community House to Sunday morning, March 8, 9 a.m. to noon. This is a fundraiser for the Sages Building Fund. Everyone who is stuck with a stack of items too sensitive to trash, like old receipts, records, taxes, letters, bills or invoices is invited to bring them to the secure onsite mobile shredder truck which they will be providin… [Read More...]

 Are you a senior in transition? Do you have a parent or friend who is? On Tuesday, March 10, Bobbie Trifon, owner and CEO of Elder Home Finders will explain all the available options at the Topanga Library Meeting Room from noon to 2 p.m. Refreshments will be served. ElderHomeFinders is a free service providing referrals to all of Southern California. As Trifon explains, “Our mission is to provide families with the most suitable choices for your fam… [Read More...]

 Perfect Day Surf Camp is is registering surfers for their Spring and Summer camps with a $50 discount for their Spring Camps (March 30-April 10) if signed up by March 1st, and a $50 discount for their Summer Camps (June 8-August 28) if signed up before May 1st. Perfect Day Surf Camp is sponsored by Quiksilver and Roxy with other locations in Southern California’s beautiful Redondo Beach, Manhattan and Torrance. Robbie Yrigoyen founded Perfect Day Surf… [Read More...]

 Ahmanson Ranch Victory Trailhead will have its first competitive trail run, the Ahmanson 12K Trail Race. The event will be a low-impact trail run that will treat runners to lush hillsides and colorful spring foliage. Runners of all abilities are expected to attend and the race will be user-friendly for those who want to experience their first trail run. The 2,983-acre Ahmanson Ranch was the object of a successful battle to halt a 3,050 home development… [Read More...]

 The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that small, nonfarm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and small businesses in 58 California counties, including Los Angeles County, are now eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans. These loans offset economic losses sustained due to reduced revenues caused by the drought that began on January 1, 2015. Deadline to apply for these federal disaster loans is October 5, 2015. … [Read More...]

 Visitation at America’s national parks broke all-time records in 2014, as the National Park Service prepares to celebrate its centennial in 2016 with a major push to encourage more visitors to experience their national parks. In 2014, there were 292.8 million visits to national parks, breaking the previous record set in 1999 when parks saw just over 287.1 million visits. “As the National Park Service strives to share a more inclusive and well-rounded… [Read More...]

 Late in the evening of Thursday, February 25, Topanga resident Megan Williams reported that a car hit a fire hydrant causing this geyser at the junction of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Entrada Road. Williams said when she discovered she had no water at 11:30 p.m., she called the water company who told her the geyser was "very worrisome and that SCE experts were called in." Resident Liz Dupuy said she was waiting for hour and a hal… [Read More...]

 State officials and Cal Trans held a press conference on February 27 to announce the opening of Pacific Coast Highway (SR-1) between Yerba Buena Road and Las Posas Road that was closed after rain storms, debris slides, and high surf in December and January caused extensive damage along the highway in the Springs Fire Burn Area in Point Mugu State Park. Six-miles of the nine-mile closure between Las Posas Road and Sycamore Cove Day Use Area were opene… [Read More...]