Topanga Spotlight
A word from the TCC president
The other day, while sitting in a long line of traffic coming up the canyon, I found myself worrying about the state of the world. In the middle of that fretting, I remembered an email that had been forwarded to the community from Caltrans. It was an apology for holding traffic longer than expected, along with an explanation that additional materials were needed to complete work that will ultimately make the road safer for all of us.
That small moment of accountability and communication reminded me why this community is so special.
Topanga is a tiny canyon with a purely volunteer-run community center, advocacy groups, and local leadership and yet, it consistently manages to be a force. People show up. They explain what’s happening. They try to make things better. And right now, we could all use more of that in the world and reminders that people are the ones who make change.
Out of that gratitude, the Topanga Spotlight was created.
Each week, the Topanga Community Center will recognize an individual or group who has made a meaningful impact on the lives of people in our canyon. We need some good news these days, and we want to celebrate the people quietly doing the work that keeps this community strong.
If there is someone you think we should honor, please email us at president@topangacommunitycenter.org. No deed is too small to acknowledge and I’d love to see each one of our community members honored here at some point!
Now on to this week’s honorees.
Topanga Spotlight: Jeremy Hutchinson
This week, we want to take a moment to honor someone whose contributions to the Topanga Community Center speak for themselves, quite literally. You won’t hear Jeremy Hutchinson talking about what he’s done. You’ll just show up one day and notice a beautiful retaining wall where there used to be one slowly returning to the earth. A smooth walkway where there was once a trip hazard. The kind of quiet, transformative work that makes you wonder: how did that get done?
Jeremy just shows up. He brings his own supplies, puts in long hours of serious physical labor, and leaves the place better than he found it. No announcement, no ask for recognition, just a deep and consistent commitment to making the TCC somewhere we can all be proud of.
We’ll be honest, we didn’t know volunteers like Jeremy existed. The kind who will take on extreme physical work, time and again, and somehow make you feel like it’s their privilege to do it rather than yours to ask. He has literally given his blood and sweat to the TCC (and Children’s Hospital and Red Cross- but we count those as a part of us).
As you walk around the property this Topanga Days, know that so much of what you see and enjoy would not be possible without him.
Jeremy, the TCC sees you. Even when you’re not looking for it. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts. 🙏
This week, we want to honor Mama Bear, her three adorable cubs, and Martyn Lenoble.
To Mama Bear: thank you for choosing our canyon. You have no idea how much joy and excitement you’ve brought to our community. We’ve all loved catching glimpses of you and your babies as they learn to climb, wander, and occasionally be a little mischievous by getting into our trash cans. Watching the cubs explore the world has been a genuine gift.
And to Martyn Lenoble: thank you for the wonderful signs you created and shared. Seeing those reminders to slow down and watch out for the cubs while driving through the canyon always brings a smile. They’re thoughtful, joyful, and a daily reminder of how lucky we are to share this place with wildlife.
Thank you for brightening our days, every day.
This week’s stars: CalTrans!
After fourteen months of having the canyon down to one lane, CalTrans has given us both lanes back during the day and to say it’s been amazing is an understatement!!
While we were genuinely grateful for that one lane versus previous solutions which had Topanga residents taking Tuna and Las Flores or the 101, having both lanes has been a huge game changer!
Thank you, CalTrans, for working with our community. We see it, and we appreciate it. We know there is still work to be done and I’m sure the residents will make sure to go slow and steady through the areas where you are working, but know that we appreciate it so much!
This week, we want to shine a spotlight on someone who has been making a difference for two-legged and four-legged creatures: Susan Clark.
Susan Clark has been serving the Canyon community for many years. Whenever there is a question about wildlife or an emergency involving animals, she is often the first person many of us call. She consistently shows up to help injured wildlife, assist neighbors in crisis, and support anyone in need.
She has even been credited with saving the life of Barbara Webb’s husband. Susan is truly a gem, and our community is stronger because of her dedication and care.
This week we honor: Brando Farr 🍄
This week we want to give a well-deserved shoutout to Brando Farr!
Over the past several years, our canyon businesses have faced challenge after challenge ranging from COVID to mudslides to fires and road closures all taking a serious toll on local tourism and the livelihoods that depend on it. Brando saw the need and got creative, organizing mushroom hikes that have been bringing fresh faces (and fresh wallets!) into Topanga and through the doors of our local shops.
And yes, we may have a complicated relationship with outsiders in our canyon… but we’ll make an exception for anyone helping keep our community alive. 😄
Thank you, Brando, for your ingenuity, your generosity, and for reminding us that sometimes the best way to support Topanga is to share it.
This week we honor Corry Forshpan, L.Ac.
This week’s honoree is Corry Forshpan, L.Ac. For those of you who don’t know Corry, she is a gifted acupuncturist, gua sha practitioner, and functional medicine provider right here in our neighborhood.
The stress of the Children’s Hospital Blood Drive caught up with me (again, thank you everyone for showing up, it was great!) and I woke up on Friday with a crick in my neck that turned into a full back spasm by Saturday and took me out for most of the weekend. I went to see Corry, who fixed me right up and spared everyone around me from having to hear about how much pain I was in. Believe me, I was not handling it gracefully. Beyond saving my entire week, Corry has helped my children through every injury to the point where they will schedule appointments on their own. She has made wellness a real thing for the members of my family.
It is such a gift to have this kind of care available right in our own neighborhood. Corry, we are so grateful for you!
A lovely suggestion was made to post pictures of our honorees going forward. I love this idea and will try to do so, though sadly I don’t have a photo of Corry just yet.
We took an unexpected break last week, and we appreciate your patience. Some things are worth doing right rather than rushing, and our newsletter is one of them.
This week, we want to shine a spotlight on someone who has quietly been making a difference in our community month after month: Joe Grassi.
Joe is the talented chef behind the Sages Dinners, a beloved monthly tradition held on the first Friday of each month. He shows up, rolls up his sleeves, and prepares a wonderful meal for our Sages, entirely free of charge. No fanfare, just good food and genuine generosity.
But the Sages Dinners are about more than a great meal. They’re a gathering place. A chance for people in our community to sit down together, share stories, laugh, and connect. There’s something powerful about the combination of nourishing food and meaningful conversation, and Joe makes both possible.
We are so grateful for his talent, his time, and his heart. Thank you, Joe, our community is richer for it.
A Tribute to Linda In Honor of Her 15+ Years Leading Children’s Corner
There are people who show up. And then there are people who show up. Year after year, with warmth, with dedication, and with a heart so big it makes room for every single child who walks through the door. Linda is that person.
For over 15 years, Linda has been the heartbeat of Children’s Corner. While the rest of us have come and gone, grown and changed, Linda has been the constant. The steady, loving presence that our youngest members have always been able to count on.
Think about what 15 years really means. It means thousands of mornings. Thousands of little faces. Thousands of moments where a child felt safe, seen, and celebrated — because Linda made sure of it. She didn’t just run a program. She built an experience. She built a place where children belong.
Our community is what it is because of people like Linda. The kind of people who don’t do it for the recognition, who don’t do it for the applause — they do it because they love it, and because they love them. The kids. Our kids.
Linda, on behalf of this entire community — thank you. Thank you for your patience, your creativity, your laughter, and your years of faithful service. Children’s Corner has your fingerprints all over it, and so do the lives of the children whose worlds you made a little brighter.
We are so proud to honor you today. You have more than earned it.
Feel free to share any names, specific memories, or personal touches and I can weave them in!
This week we honor Kat High. Kat is truly a force of nature. To know her is to love her. She is always the first to volunteer—sometimes for things most people would run from, like deep-cleaning the kitchen. If you’re ever wondering where Kat is, chances are she’s volunteering somewhere: with the Sages, at the Farmers Market, or holding it down at the FunZone during Topanga Days. She is constantly looking for ways to get involved, driven by a genuine desire to make things better. Kat is a force for good, a catalyst for positive change, and an absolute delight to have in our community. We are so grateful for her.
This week we honor: Randy Just.
For those of you who don’t know Randy, he is simply a peach of a human being. He has the calmest presence of anyone I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. A man of few words, using exactly as many as he needs and never a single one more.
Randy is the person you want when something needs to get done. Whether it’s lending his BBQ to the TCC for our various events, or stepping in to fix a problem no one else can solve, he shows up — quietly, reliably, every time. For years, he has hung the banners of our generous donors for Topanga Days, a job that comes with no small amount of peril as he scales that 30-foot ladder. We’ve looked for alternatives over the years. Randy has never once complained. He just arrives with his calm, can-do attitude and does what he believes needs to be done.
On a personal level, Randy’s love and adoration for his family is something truly special. I once had to call him from his wife’s phone, and he answered with, “Hello, my beautiful darling.” Quite possibly the purest and sweetest response to an accidental call in recorded history.
Randy makes the world better in all the best ways, and we are so grateful to have him as part of this community.
While I truly believe these two women deserve to be honored separately, because they are each so incredibly amazing in their own right, when I think of one, I think of the other.
On a personal level, these women are magic. They carry with them the most extraordinary calm and compassion, and their focus, truly and completely, is that every single person feels welcomed, cared for, and loved. When challenges arise, they handle them with such grace: first looking inward at what could be done better, then moving swiftly into action. In a world where defensiveness has become the default response, it is genuinely refreshing to witness two humans who meet the world with such openness, love, and a solution-focused heart.
On a professional level, Kate and Freddi have brought Topanga one of the best farmer’s markets I have ever had the pleasure of attending. The vendors are kind, the vibe is nothing short of amazing, and the variety is extraordinary. You can do a serious grocery run and walk away with everything from fresh produce to stunning flowers. Yes, some will note that the prices can run high, but I’d gently push back on that: the quality is simply higher, and honestly, I’ve found the market increasingly competitive with the big grocery chains on many fruits and vegetables. And the flowers? Genuinely cheaper. More importantly, every dollar you spend goes directly to family-owned farms. To people who work incredibly hard to make sure their community is fed and nourished.
And the non-food vendors are an absolute treasure. Artistic gems around every corner: clothing, jewelry, handcrafted cutting boards, and so much more. There is something for everyone.
Fridays in our canyon are something special, and that is because of these two women. And make no mistake. This is so much more than a one-day-a-week commitment. This market is wildly labor intensive, and Kate and Freddi carry it with a grace that makes it all look effortless.
We see you. We appreciate you. And we are so lucky to have you. 🌸
This week we honor: Christine McGrath
Christine is, quite simply, a gem. And the TCC is better for having her.
Her journey with us began the way the best ones often do: she reached out with a concern. The website, she noted, wasn’t exactly user-friendly. In true TCC fashion, she was invited to be part of the solution. Unlike most, Christine said yes.
She rolled up her sleeves and got to work, helping drag us, lovingly, into the 21st century.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Christine, here’s what you can expect: warmth, practicality, and a no-nonsense clarity that makes every room run a little smoother. She’s sharp, thoughtful, and genuinely fun to be around. Problems don’t linger long in her presence.
LA Voyage recently featured Christine in a wonderful profile. Well worth a read: Life & Work with Christine McGrath. (it also helps with providing a picture!)
We are so grateful she took that first step and reached out. Everything she touches gets better. That includes us.
Topanga Spotlight: Nonie Shore
Since we’re in May, you better believe the next few weeks of Topanga Spotlight are going to be Topanga Days-focused and we’re kicking it off with someone who deserves a very long overdue moment in it: Nonie Shore.
For those who don’t know Nonie Shore, let me paint a picture. She is hilarious, thoughtful, kind, and delightfully funny. She’s the person you want next to you at a party and the one you call when you need someone to hear your worst moments and remind you that you’re going to be okay. She has been producing Topanga Days for over a decade — consistently, lovingly, annoyingly, and almost entirely without credit.
Here’s the part that really puts it in perspective: this year we asked ourselves what it would take to support her, to genuinely share the load. What followed was a humbling exercise in “how many people does it take to do what Nonie does?” We’re currently at five, with Nonie still being a central piece. One person was doing the work of five, unpaid, year after year, for the love of this community. So while I would get annoyed at her sense of urgency when asking me to do something, I realize now that it’s because she was juggling too many balls for just one person.
Which brings me to something I need to say publicly: I owe Nonie an apology.
She’ll tell you it isn’t necessary because that is exactly who she is and her focus is always on the team and not individual credit. Her focus really is on the end goal and what steps need to be taken to achieve it, which is incredibly admirable. But for far too long I chose judgment over curiosity, and I got her wrong. What I mistook for micromanagement was actually one deeply committed person holding an enormous thing together, alone, out of sheer devotion to the community center. I should have led with curiosity. I didn’t, and I’m sorry.
The community is very lucky to have someone like Nonie. I didn’t know people like her existed
As we mark one year since the Palisades Fire, we have spent a great deal of time reflecting on both the devastation it caused and the extraordinary strength our community showed in response. At this anniversary, we want to pause to recognize and thank someone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make the first disaster fair possible. As such, we want to celebrate Debra Silbar.
For those who may not know her, Debra Silbar is a longtime Topanga resident who now divides her time between Topanga and elsewhere. Even though she was not physically in Topanga during the fire, she answered our call without hesitation. Debra reached out to every government official she could, contacted anyone she thought might help, organized flyers, and skillfully managed a wide range of personalities during an incredibly stressful time. Without her assistance the Disaster Fair would not have been possible.
She has a rare combination of tact and grace, and an exceptional ability to bring out the best in people while keeping efforts focused and effective. Debra and her husband, Adam, have a long history of volunteering with the Topanga Community Center, with Adam serving as master of ceremonies at Topanga Days for a number of years. Their dedication to the TCC is truly admirable. Without Debra’s leadership and commitment, we simply would not have been able to provide the scope of services we did during that critical period.
We are deeply grateful for everything Debra has done for this community, then and always
This week, we are proud to recognize the Topanga Town Council (because it was their email that reminded there is good in this world):
Carrie Carrier, President
Alisa Land Hill, Vice President
Jaspreet Katrib, Secretary/Treasurer
Stacy Sledge, Member
Roger Pugliese, Member
Lindsay Zook, Member
The TCC has had the pleasure of working alongside this incredible group of volunteers as they collaborate with the County to help secure resources our community needs. If there is ever a question about…well, just about anything…these people usually have the answer. And if they don’t, they know exactly who does.
Each of these individuals exemplifies integrity, passion, kindness, and an unwavering commitment to this community. Their role is often to receive complaints and concerns, then do the hard work of helping turn those into solutions that reflect the community we want to live in.
Working with them over the past few years has been a genuine pleasure. As we continue efforts to fire-harden our canyon and plan for the future, I look forward to even more collaboration.
Thank you, Topanga Town Council, for everything you do. I’m glad my children get to see first hand how getting involved makes a difference!
And if you haven’t already, check out their website: https://www.onetopanga.com/
They have a calendar with up to date events happening around town!
This week we honor: Wild Hawk Moon
There are people who do kind things in public, and others who do kind things in quiet. Wild Hawk Moon is someone who is constantly doing kind things in quiet. Besides having one of the best names around, Wild Hawk Moon shows up at the TCC and will quietly clean around the building. As a volunteer-run organization, having people show up, see what needs to be done, and then step in to do it is something that will always be appreciated. We are so grateful to you, Wild Hawk Moon!
This week, we want to honor the Yoon Family. For those who don’t know, the Yoon family owned and ran the General Store for multiple decades. They were a constant fixture in town. It didn’t matter what time of day you showed up, there was always a Yoon family member present. They were kind, thoughtful, and just all-around lovely people. Many in our community have had opinions about the store’s products, from pricing to selection to expiration dates, but I don’t know a single person who didn’t think the world of the Yoon family.
These past few months, Helen has especially been on my mind. She was one of the most lovely humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of speaking with. She cared deeply for each resident in this community. I remember being behind a fire blockage as she made it absolutely clear that come hell or high water, she was getting back into the canyon. She had only left to gather more supplies for the residents who had stayed behind, and nothing was going to stop her. Though she was little, she was mighty and I wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of that determination.
And yet, her nature was so soft. She remembered key details about everyone and asked after their lives. It didn’t matter if the line stretched out the door. She took her time with each person. When you were with Helen, you felt cared for from the moment you walked in, because you truly were.
I don’t know if there’s an afterlife, and that’s probably well outside the scope of the TCC newsletter, but I do believe we live on through our actions. I will always think of Helen and try to shape my own behaviors and interactions more in line with who she was. The mere thought of her makes my day better. And with that, she’ll always live on.
To the Yoon family — Simon, Helen, and their two kids — thank you for letting this community be a part of your family. We love you. We will always hold a space in our hearts for you. (Also f cancer). Here’s a link to an article written by our local newspaper about this great family: The General Store