digging
DEEP with
THE DIG DEEP issue ISSUE No 6
MICHAEL
MADSEN
founder, editor in chief
senior contributing editors
cece S. woods
jackie robbins yvette gilpin
executive editor
STEVE WOODS managing editor dir. of development+ graphics+production
marcia beverly director of administration
addison altendorf
senior literary editor
john long contributing editors
janet kurbikoff lisa marie elwes geffrey s. yabes automotive editor
shin takei beauty editor
tara owens features photographer
conscious living editor
dana fineman
tracey bregman
director of public relations
birungi ives director of brand development
jim hartman
advertising
jim hartman
entertainment editor
matt diamond fashion editor
Madison Chertow food editors
Franco simplicio jessica white images editor, moving + ROB TAYLOR
still
interiors editor
janette mallory
jim@90265magazine.com
puppyonthego editor
or email:
sustainable living editor
advertising@90265magazine.com
brodie taylor claudia taylor wine editor
carol hoyt contributing photographers published by
rock & revolution media
emily goodman, emilygoodman.com adam guy, adamthaddeus.com jeff herrera contributing writers
cover photo
Daniel Bralver brian tieleman
dana fineman hair and makeup
graphics intern
EMILY RAE
Matt marson
Photo by Adam Guy
We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems. -Arthur O’Shaughnessy, “Ode,� 1874
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letter from the editor DIG DEEP ISSUE 6 The concept of the Dig Deep issue was to unearth our creative roots showcasing the way artists and activists approach their passions. In our cover feature, cult film icon Michael Madsen discusses his connection to Malibu, his manly clan (six boys) and the woman who helped shaped the man he is today. He gives us a glimpse into his relationship with Dennis Hopper who helped foster his career as an award winning poet, and sets the record straight on his recent drama with dynamo filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. Sustainable lifestyle editor Claudia Taylor digs deep into the strategies and visions of local philanthropist and community organizer Kelly Meyer to learn about the remarkable growth and partnership the program ‘Teaching Gardens’ has achieved since it's inception just three short years ago. Kelly’s philosophy plants the seeds that grow the kind of leadership which models our community into broad thinking, effective citizens. Douglas and Laura Howard Gayeton’s project LEXICON OF SUSTAINABILITY seemed like the perfect companion piece. We all want to plant seeds for positive change, and Doug and Laura are doing this on a tangible and artful platform. Their life's work keeps evolving, and is worth emulating. Artist Leigh Mcloskey shares his colorful images and inside stories of the marriage of art and music. And finally, wine editor Caroly Hoyt takes us to Cornell Winery and answers the question, “Yes, there really are Vineyards in Malibu”... and great ones at that! Cece S. Woods Founder / Editor-In-Chief
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90265magazine.com
DIG DEEP.. Issue N.6 2014
GREECE Santorini
Solstice Canyon
unscripted...
deep with MICHAEL
digging
MADSEN
Teaching gardenS with
KELLY MEYER
Andy Jackson...
“90265
Magazine...
DEAD
SEXY” .
Brethren of the coast
Further Down the Yellow Brick ROAD
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2014 Ferrari FF
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seavees.com
bu+who
Jeremiah Redclay artist New works and limited signed editions will be exhibited in the collection “Through My Eyes” Date: Saturday, March 29, 2014, 6-11pm Venue: The Barn at Paramount Ranch Address: 2903 Cornell Road, Agoura Hills, CA jeremiahredclay.com redclaybarnshow@gmail.com
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hot rods vintage Malibu based designer Scott Gillen recently rounded up the locals for an impromptu “proper BBQ” and what he referred to as “a small car show with no notice...(ha ha).”
Vintage cars lined up for the lookers with local fare served up by Malibu Farm. It was a great time for creatives and car buffs alike!
By Cece Woods Photos by Emily Goodman
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Attending were some high profile hot rod builders showcasing their best workincluding: 51 Ranch Wagon 54 Lincoln 32 Ford Roadster(s) 32 Ford Tudor 36 Cabriolet 39 Ford 31 Model A 1948 Duce Roadster 32 Ford Sedan Delivery
Salmon burger By Helene Henderson
Grilled salmon fillets, about 6 oz each Burger buns, Arugula, tomato and red onion garnish Black olive aioli: 1 cup mayonnaise, home made or purchased 1 cup black kalamata olives 1 clove garlic, peeled ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley Blend all black olive ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. To serve: toast bun, add garnishes, top with salmon and black olive tapenade Soy agave grilled salmon.about 6 oz each; Season salmon lightly with salt Marinade: 1/3 cup each agave, soy sauce, olive oil 2 cloves garlic, 3 tablespoons of grated ginger; Combine all marinade ingredients, and add salmon for 20 minutes. Grill the marinated salmon for a few minutes until charred skin side only. Then bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through. Greek quinoa salad: 1 cup cooked quinoa 1 cup feta cheese, cut into large chunks 2 baskets cherry tomatoes, cut into half, lengthwise 1 cucumber, cubed ½ red onion, chopped fine 1 yellow bell pepper, cubed 1 cup black kalamata olives 1 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped Dressing: fresh juice from 2 lemons ¼ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, grated 2 teaspoons, fresh oregano whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over salad, season to taste with salt Black and White Rice: 2 cups cooked white jasmine rice, per package instructions; ½ cup cooked black or wild rice, per package instructions. Rinse rice once cooked, and stir to combine the black and white rice. Season with salt to taste, and stir in ¼ cup olive oil. In a small sauté pan, cook 1 cup chopped yellow onion, until just translucent. Stir cooked onion into rice with ½ cup of chopped parsley. Optional: add sautéed red bell peppers and or cherry tomatoes.
ml+culture
exploring Vineyards Malibu
By Carol Hoyt, Wine Editor, Owner of Hoyt Family Vineyards When I first tell people I have a vineyard in Malibu, it is usually followed by “There are Vineyards in Malibu?�! Then they taste the wine and they are always amazed by how good it is. Ten years ago there were maybe 10 vineyards in Malibu, now there are over 50 and growing. In this next series I want to take you through an exploration of the wines of Malibu, how to find them and where to taste them. Photos by Dana Fineman
The first place I always tell people to start is the Cornell Winery. Tim Skogstrom established Cornell Winery a little over 7 years ago. He started as a restaurant owner in Pasadena, then in Nashville, but wanted to become more involved in the wine industry. He then started in the wine business by working for the top distributer of wines in California. He then moved to become the National Sales Manager of Francis Coppola’s winery in Napa. While there he played an important role in helping them grow, bringing them from 20 thousand to over 1 Million cases. Needless to say he knows the wine industry. His first reason to come to Malibu was to do his own winery. He then discovered that as people began to make wine here, there was no place for them show case it, the rules and regulations of the Coastal commission make it nearly impossible to open a tasting room. This left so many wonderful and acclaimed wines from the Santa Monica Mountains unappreciated and undiscovered thus, The Cornell Winery was born. Nestled in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains in a historical town called Cornell, this is the trailhead of the Malibu wine experience. An old renovated and relocated barn type structure, Cornell Winery has a cool rustic vibe with its tin ceiling and wooden bar. There is even the feeling of a church steeple towards the back, further proving you are in wine heaven. You feel you have left the surf scene of Malibu and stepped into a cowboy country reminiscent of the old west. It is a place “that brings the past to life while offering a glimpse into the future of California Wine culture.” With his motto of “Drink Local Wine”, Tim can tell you all about each of the wines he showcases from the Santa Monica Mountains, soon to become the Malibu Coast AVA (American Viticultural Area). His staff is not only friendly and fun, but also knowledgeable about the area and the wines. There is no attitude here, “The place isn’t a palace”, according to Tim, he feels “true art is in the imperfections not the perfections, that is also true in wine”.
Here, he not only celebrates the fine art of wine making from the southern California but he also celebrates local fine artists. On any given visit to Cornell you can go through a select flight of wine as well as appreciate a featured artist. Once you have selected your wine of choice, be sure to go next door to the Old Place to dine. A bottle purchased from Cornell will only be a $10 corkage fee as opposed to The Old Place’s normal fee of $20. The Old Place was originally owned by Tom Runyon and his wife Barbara, he was famous for his limited menu of red oak fire grilled steak, clams and baked potatoes. Since Tom’s passing, Tim and Tom’s son Morgan have taken over and successfully expanded the menu, they have been recognized by the LA times as one of the top 5 Steakhouses in Southern California. They have also added a selection of craft beers and wines. The Old Place is what I like to call a “brown restaurant” - wooden, rustic, cozy, with comfort food, an old time stand up piano sits in the corner completing the picture. When you go you feel the need to throw on your cowboy boots and hat. Go hungry, go with friends, and be sure to make a reservation. If you are not lucky enough to have a reservation, you may be able to sit at the bar, which is always a good time, you can watch all the tempting dishes go by, take in the ambiance and chat with your neighbor, truly a feast for the senses! One can still get an amazing grilled steak and their classic steamed clams, but now the full menu has the likes of Grilled Vegetables, Pale Ale Chicken, Beef Stew, nightly specials and more. Not to be missed is the wild mushroom skillet appetizer, mouth watering and delicious, it lands on your table oozing and bubbling in its own cast iron pan. Stay tuned for next month as we continue our tour to taste of the Wines of Malibu.
Wine tip of the month: Want to keep your white wines cold but don’t want to dilute them with ice? Put grapes in the freezer and drop them in as needed to chill down your chardonnay!
Why do we make some of the best wines in the world? Estate grown and situated 2,000 feet in elevation with steep volcanic soil results in abundant sun exposure and optimal drainage to each varietal on the estate. Combined with warm days and cool night breezes from the Pacific Ocean, we take advantage of outstanding growing conditions resulting in lovely flavor that can't be replicated and is specific to the Malibu Rocky Oaks Estate. Cornell Winery was our first retail outlet five years ago and we have a continued personal relationship allowing them access to serve a flight of our private library wines that are not available at any other location. ~ Howard Leight, Owner/CEO
For more information regarding our wine club, wines or venue for private events, please visit our website: www.MalibuRockyOaks.com
CRUDO SUNSET SEAFOOD BAR
My passion for fish and seafood of all kinds stems from the fact that I was born and was raised in the area of Italy (Southern Puglia) that is the center of seafood specialties. It's where the concept of "CRUDO" comes from, which in Italian means raw seafood and it's the equivalent of Japanese "Sashimi". When you walk into a fish market in Taranto or Bari (Puglia, Italy), you see something of a seafood show with 10 or more varieties each of clams, mussels, octopus, squid, cuttlefish and all kinds of seabass and sea bream and so on. You get the idea. Also in our part of the world we eat raw, almost anything from the sea, so it has to be fresh. At The Sunset Restaurant, here on one of the most beautiful spots on Earth, I've finally realized my dream to share my love for fresh seafood with my family, friends and customers by launching our SEAFOOD BAR. We get deliveries of fresh seafood everyday of the week and we always stock different types of oysters, clams, prawns, langoustines, lobster, sea bream, snapper, loupe de mere, etc.
Photos by Dana Fineman
In addition to all of these wonderful items, we also feature a great menu of things other then seafood. My long time friend and five star chef, Enrico Glaudo, has brought with him a repertoire of Italian and Mediterranean specialties that we feature on our regular menu and also as daily specials. Enrico Glaudo is considered one of the best Italian Franco Simplicio, Owner chefs in Los Angeles - his last gig was at The Sunset Restaurant Cipriani's restaurant in Beverly Hills.
Photos by Dana Fineman
The Sunset restaurant & Beach bar
6800 Westward Beach Rd., Malibu, CA 90265 310-589-1007 thesunsetrestaurant.com
ml+culture
Brethren of the Coast By Matt Diamond
Brethren Of The Coast is one of the newest musical band-of-brothers to come out of Malibu. With a blend of Southern Souls finest roots and Malibu home grown, the Brethren represent a part of Malibu’s rock’n roll heritage as members have previously performed in such local bands as Backbone and Whitestarr. It is no surprise that the southern soul sound of the band tickles the ear with such warmth and ease as the sound cannot be any closer to the source. Duane Betts who acts as frontman of Brethren Of The Coast’s lineage can be traced back to one of the founding members of The Allman Brothers -arguably one of the greatest and unique Southern Soul bands of all time. Duane Betts, son of Dicky Betts, was practically borne with a Gibson Les Paul in his hand. Now it is the next generations’ turn to make their mark and carry on the legacy. From Florida to the Pacific and back, there seems to be a growing bond, a musical connection to a genre that reminds us of our country’s musical roots. A sound so distinctly innate to a free spirited analog past, as it so effortlessly continues to carry on the sweet melodies and dueling guitar leads that spark timeless memories that can again experience the sublime in the sustained bending of a note. We are “truly” grateful to see and hear these techniques that are sadly scarce in a digital age. Brethren Of The Coast band members: Duane Betts - Guitar, Vocals Pedro Arevelo - Guitar, Vocals Damon Webb - Bass Alex Orbison - Drums Photos by: Matt Diamond & Brendon O’Neal; Photos shot live at The Malibu Inn.
We got a chance to meet with Duane Betts on a Sunday afternoon just before he took off to London for a quick tour with blues man Ian Siegal and drummer Cody Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars MD: So Duane, where are you from originally and where were you raised? Duane: I was raised in Sarasota FL and I moved to Malibu on Point Dume with my mom when I was about 12 years old. MD: Where you named after the late great Duane Allman? Duane: Yes I was MD: Whats your guitar of choice? Duane: Dicky Betts Signature model- Which is basically a Gibson Les Paul. MD: Who have been your biggest influences in music? Duane: Well, I grew up listening to Hendrix, my dad and Duane Allman. I kinda grew up on the road listening to my dad and Warren Haynes play every night. I really couldn’t help but be influenced by them. Of course my mother as well as Chris Williams for life experiences. MD: How where you introduced to the Malibu music scene? Duane: I met Chris Williams and Alex Orbison from Backbone through Eliza Blue- Gregg Allman and Cher’s son at an Allman Brothers Band concert here in Los Angeles at the Wiltern. A few years passed and I was about 18 sitting in with Mark Night at The Malibu Inn and Chris Williams happened to be there and we just connected musically. He kinda took me under his wing and we became great friends and eventually bandmates. He had been working on some new original material for Backbone. Orbi had been living in Vail, CO at the time and he eventually moved back to Malibu and we reformed Backbone, cut an album in Nashville and started gigging regularly around LA. MD: What are your most memorable live music performances you have played to date? Duane: I would have to say sitting in with The Allman Brothers Band at Woodstock in 1999 as well as playing with Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi just recently at The Beacon Theatre. I have so much fun playing with them! MD: So how did Brethren Of The Coast come together? Duane: Well Pedro and I have been touring with my fathers’ band Dicky Betts & Great Southern based out of Florida for about 8 years and we had been discussing working on our own project for some time. I moved back to Malibu about a year ago and Pedro followed soon after. We than got Damon Webb whom I used to play with in Backbone and we started writing and performing around town. MD: What is the band currently working on and what are your goals for the future? Duane: We are currently playing shows as well as recording in the studio and getting ready to do some touring in the Spring. MD: What does Malibu mean to you and why do you call it home? Duane: I would have to say the spiritual connection I have with the surrounding nature, and of course the great memorable times we have had. Definitely the sense of community. It’s really a tribe! I think everyone who lives hear and visits can relate as well. Check out Brethren Of The Coastwww.facebook.com/brethren-of-the-coast
Born and raised in the heart of Malibu, UNIFY THROUGH ART embodies the spirit and individually of our sacred town. With a global perspective, UNIFY THROUGH ART influences positive change and creates mind sets in youth that are conscience, aware, and informed about the impact they are responsible for on earth. UNIFY THROUGH ART
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feature 90265 MICHAEL
MADSEN UNSCRIPTED
By Cece Woods Produced by Tara Owens Photos by Dana Fineman Featuring excerpts from the complete poetic works of Michael Madsen.
With over 170 films to his credit, Michael Madsen has mastered the art of being the preeminent ‘bad guy’ in the American cult film. Thrust into prominence as the psychopath ‘Mr. Blonde’ in the Tarantino masterpiece “Reservoir Dogs,” he is one of Tarantino’s top three tough guys. An accomplished, award winning poet as well, seldom seen on the big screen.
Michael Madsen shows us a side
“I’ve really
tried hard to stay in the sunshine.” - Michael Madsen.
“I’m a complicated ”
book
Madsen is a natural storyteller, who, in a parallel universe has already pulled the trigger on his acting career to focus on his passion for poetry and photography. “I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands in airplanes and motels and various places of entrapment where you have to stay when you’re working on things. I started writing down childhood memories and social observance.”
Madsen credits wife Deanna for encouraging him to get his first book of poetry published after he attempted to use his prose and poems to heat their traditional adobe abode in the dead of New Mexico winter (he stayed in the area after filming Wyatt Earp). “Oh My God, are you crazy? What are you doing? Michael, you shouldn’t be doing this. This is really good stuff and you could get a publisher.” – Deanna Madsen
On his 18 year marriage to wife Deanna
“I
like
to make . Put it that way�.
her
happy
On
Dennis Hopper:
“I met Dennis really early on, socially. He got a hold of a book I wrote. He encouraged me to keep writing and taking photographs.
Dennis was a mentor and really went out of his way for me. I didn’t know about a lot of the wonderful things he did for me until after he passed away. About a month after he died, some of the people he had worked with called me to tell me they were making a documentary called the “Nine Lives of Dennis Hopper” and before he passed he had chosen nine people to tell the story of his nine lives. I was one of the nine.”
On his popularity overseas:
I
“You’d think was one of the Beatles in Russia”
Sons Luke, Max, Hud and Kal (not pictured, Cody and Christian)
On being a
dad
“I’m traveling a lot and there’s a lot of stuff I can’t do. I try to be around when they have their events and things that they do. I am fascinated by their projects. I try to be there for important things as much as I can.”
MALIBU...
“It’s my community, I have a lot of friends here. My kids went to Juan Cabrillo and Malibu High. They go to karate at Joey Escobar, Sherman takes cares of the doggies, my hot sauce is even sold at Kristy’s. (he laughs) I’ve become a part of it over time.”
“I’m
not
really
famous time not
a lot of I’m
conscious of being
and I
don’t really spend
thinking
really
most
about it….
aware
of the time.”
of it
WINNER
Success tools, Attitude, Effort, Pride, Determination, Vision, Ceiling bulb changers, Folding guest beds And Clarity enhancing telephones Perseverance, Risk, Personalized sports bags And A Lucite swivel stand. Live for now baby. A Poem by Michael Madsen
“The Gent” Hell Ride
“Mr. Blonde” Reservoir Dogs
Michael Madsen can most definitely be credited for many a renewed Netflix account having appeared in iconic films such as “Reservoir Dogs,” “Kill Bill” and “Hell Ride.” So when the recent leak of the latest Quentin Tarantino script "The Hateful Eight", threatened the Madsen's DeNiro to Tarantino's Scorsese vibe, many a faithful fan was on edge as to whether they would ever see screen time together again.
"All I want to say is that I didn't do it" Madsen said when I posed the question of the Quentin quandary recently. "We have spoken numerous times since and I am sure we will be working together again"
“Budd” Kill Bill
“There is a road, no simple highway, between the dawn and the dark of night...
...And if you go no one may follow, that path is for your steps alone.� The Grateful Dead
Leigh
Further Down McCloskey Author and Artist
the Yellow Brick ROAD With Brian Tieleman and Yvette Gilpin Written by Brian Tieleman Photos provided by Leigh McCloskey
Once upon a long long time ago...I followed the yellow brick road by cutting my invisible umbilical cord that tied me to my Malibu version of a comfortable Kansas by eating a magic mushroom omelette and heading off in the direction of an imagined Oz. The ‘me’ that I thought I was, I wasn’t anymore and the world of routine and quiet desperation was replaced with rainbow bridges and singing stones. I remembered what I already knew, but had forgotten; that just beyond the range of normal sight, or the illusion that most of us live in, consumed with materiality and false appearances, is another path. A map if you will, that when followed leads to magic and wonderment. It doesn’t need to be yellow brick or magic mushroom, and these tools too can often be in the service of false gods or fruitless gardens, but following the path that brings us back to becoming as children as adults is the long and winding road home to who we really are. Leigh McCloskey’s art studio is a psychedelic treasure map intended to wake us up to seeing beyond seeing. It is a rainbow room where the ceiling, the floor, the couches, chairs and the spines of volumes of books in his library, have all been painted. The room itself is the power of all the colors of all the flowers, but upon closer inspection, the rabbit hole runs much deeper in meaning, leading one to conclude there is something happening here...and while it ain’t exactly clear... something in Leigh’s mischievous Mad Hatter eyes tells me we’re gonna take a trip into the mind of a child, unlock doors of perception and bask in a wonderland of possibilities. We’re only a few blocks from the fashion parade of sun lovers at Zuma Beach, but Leigh’s home has an ancient feel within its walls. A dusty wooden table is littered with Great Horned Owl feathers, dulled brass seafaring devices and massive antiqued browning books, whose writings and design are indecipherable yet seem to hold secrets and answers at the same time.
An old multi-colored cat walks through the room and makes momentary eye contact, and in this setting, it seems entirely plausible for him to shape-shift into a grizzled gray-bearded old man and hand deliver a scroll that is the next piece to the puzzle that Leigh is putting together to get us further along the yellow brick road, but one where in this story Oz isn’t a false fear based puppet master demanding subordination, but a life-sized mirror that reflects a true self that is an artist, a revolutionary, a mystic and a child who needs not ruby-red slippers, heel clicking and “there is no place like home” mantras, ‘cause home is who you are, not a destination separate “somewhere over the rainbow”. The Interview BT (Brian Tieleman): Being in your upstairs psychedelic art studio reminds me of ‘Little Wing’, the lyrics to a Jimi Hendrix song, “...walking through the clouds with a circus mind that running round...butterflies and zebras and moonbeams and fairy tales...” It’s very much of a rainbow colored treasure map, but what caught my eye the moment I walked in was your row of golf-ball sized perfectly round rocks. They seemed to have taken a prominent place in the room as if we should start by giving them voice and asking: what is their significance to you? LM (Leigh McCloskey): The relationship with stones has always been a remarkable mentoring journey for me all my life. Stones have always come to me with a story. The stones are not dead things, but entity. They are the physical embodiment of not one time, but all time. This is a type of connecting with a root source being. The stones do not have mouths, but we do and as we hold it, it awakens our imaginative story telling. It says, “we the ancients who are outside of time as you connect with us you will have your story.” The stones teach us that we are all necessary. BT: You said that “stones don’t have mouths, but we do.” It struck me from the scriptures that when the Christ is coming into the city riding on a donkey, and the people are laying down palm fronds and proclaiming, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest...” the religious leaders of the day tell Jesus, “you need to tell these people to shut up!” And he says, “...well I could, but if I do the stones themselves will begin to speak and cry out!” I thought that was interesting because we in our culture think of stones as inanimate, but he’s calling them animate.
LM: Absolutely, well that’s alchemy, that the Philosophers Stone, the corner stone. The stones have a repoire with us in storytelling; what is Arthur? The sword in the stone. The stone tells us that “you are the living stone.” BT: It’s interesting because when we were kids my folks gave us a stone and referred to it as a ‘worry stone’, something you could put your troubles into and all the kids had one and held it in their pocket everywhere you went. Also, in sweat lodge one of the magic moments is when they roll in the hot stones that are individually shaped and orange hot and everyone in their own way say welcomes them and the good lodge leaders will tell you “these are the grannies and the grandpas and they are here to take the things that are troubling you. That’s what grandmas and grandpas do, they sit you on their lap and they hold you and ask you what’s wrong?” Those relatives are here to absorb your trauma. LM: Yeah, that is the story of connecting. We make sense of things in a different way. The stones are really saying we are a family, we do need to return to the womb...the womb of collective creative humanity saying, how do we rebirth ourselves? BT: sat job the
Yeah, you know I with one of my elders who asked me, “What is it you want me to do for you?”, and I said, ‘your is to help me remember what I already know but have forgotten.” It feels like perhaps that is message of the stones, the ancestors.
LM: Yes, there was a time when we knew, we knew we were connected to source, the womb. ...and then we knew we had to go, to leave and lose ourselves and forget who we are ‘cause only in forgetting can we stumble through every possibility of being human and begin like old trees to not look to the future, but into our depths and say my roots grow out of ancestors,, the Chumash, the Earth of this place. This is the etiquette of energy.
BT: I love your idea of needing to get lost, needing to lose our way...that seems ultimately to be the hero’s journey. LM: Yeah, that is the art form of creation. Beethoven is born not out of feeling connected to source, but abandoned by source. When you lose your way and can’t return, then you’re forcing the creative psyche to pull something out of itself. A seed has to die to itself and then the sprout pushes against the weight and yearns toward something it cannot see and then it breaks the surface and still has to say, “what is this?” The very act of opening the ‘what if’ opens up a field of probability. BT: Speaking of stones, you connected with the Rolling Stones during their ‘Bigger Bang’ tour and did an art book called ‘The Grimoire’, which appears as ancient treasure maps, or Harry Potter Hogwarts spells. How did that connection with The Rolling Stones happen and what were you feeling when you created the pieces for them? LM: A Grimoire is a French word for a ‘book of spells’, and a dear friend Chris Strand, who was a video director for The Rolling Stones got it to Keith Richards, and he selected it to tour with the magical grimoire text, and project it to these massive screens behind our cultural wizard Keith Richard on the stage. This was my first public outing with my art. There was something primordial about seeing The Stones perform inside the grimoire. I was astounded.
pirate captain needs to be with a treasure map or in it.
BT: I love the appearance of the grimoire because again it appears ancient and Keith being the
LM: Yes, the story tales on a connective weave connect the dots, the pirate, the map, the sense of magic, the grimoire, the sense of music. All the elements are connecting and we are a collaborative, an ensemble, a group. Together we have a more interesting story and honor everyone’s participation. BT: That resonates. I like the way the Lakota people speak to that idea. They have a term called ‘mitakuye oyasin’, which means basically, I’m in a relationship to all things and all things are in a relationship with me, or ‘all my relations’ or we are all related. LM: Yes, it is not something we even need to see, but feel. We aren’t isolated from, we are connected with...a sympathy of energy, interrelatedness. BT: Yeah, I remember my mom used to say, “live in the truth.” And I’d say, “what is the truth, mom?” to which she’d reply, “you’re one with, not separate from anyone or anything.” It’s a sadness for me to watch a culture drift away from that truth and become very me, my and I centered. LM: Yes, but in spite of the outward weather condition, so to speak, we still need to say I’m willing to attend. I’m growing something in the art form to bring to the conversation, not focusing on what isn’t there. The world seemingly not caring is forcing me to care more.
BT: You also did the cover artwork for the experimental multi-genre music producer Flying Lotus. What’s behind the piece you did for him and what was it about that piece that resonated for him? LM: He picked images from my books ‘The Codex Series’ which were sketches and paintings where I was exploring music beyond notes, silent music essentially. And he chose, interestingly enough, my piece entitled ‘The Awakening of the Energetics of Perception’. When it went into album form there was no side one or two, just transcending interpretation and nourishing to generations yet to be. It gives people permission to go there, that if you’re going to fall, dive and if you’re going mad, just go completely crazy. BT: Permission to open....like a rosebud, if it doesn’t open it rots on the vine. Let go into the mystery. LM: Yes, it’s stepping into a relationship of not knowing. BT: Reminds me of something Annie Dillard said, “If we wake, ever at all, we wake to mystery.” LM: Yes, the time has come to tell stories that trust this new relationship where were coming out finally from selfishness and into something collective. BT: So are we in the season of the Walrus? LM: I’m curious why you call it the Walrus? BT: John Lennon’s song, which says, “I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together.” LM: Yes, ‘Imagine’, which is John Lennon again. We are developing a different set of assumptions that assimilates where we’ve come from, but it’s no longer just about the instrument, but how we play it. We’re not going to throw the instrument out, we incorporate it into the playing. The bud now opens to the beauty of the sun so that it doesn’t rot on the vine. Home doesn’t become a location, but an artistry, home is a tone. Home isn’t found alone, we do that together, by saying yes, not yikes.
BEACH
90265+beauty
BEAUTY
This month, 90265 Life & Style Beauty Editor Tara Owens gains insight from Veronica Barton-Schwartz, founder of Veronica Skin and Body Center. With more than 35 years experience in skin care, she has been a staple skin care guru in the Malibu community. Her vast passion and knowledge has lead her to create an incredible skin care line. Here, Veronica shares with us some Beach Beauty tips!
“Ocean water helps with acne, and is a natural cleansing agent. So if you have mild to moderate acne, taking a dip in our beautiful oceans could be the best thing you could do for your skin. Seawater has been used for thousands of years for its therapeutic and revitalizing properties. Seaweed, algae and deep-sea micro organisms are highly concentrated with vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants and amino acids that help restore and detoxify the skin. I also recommend after swimming in the ocean (or any water), shower off and moisturize with an essential oil compatible with your skin type before putting your moisturizer on.” - VBS VERONICA’S MALIBU SEAWEED PEPTIDE SERUM A beautiful serum formulated with seaweed and the most recent technology in neurochemistry.
VERONICA’S PH CUCUMBER TONER Is a favorite of top dermatologist for its soothing properties. veronicaskincare.com
Photo by David Hauserman DavidHauserman.com
Malibu’s #1 Anti-Aging Spray Tan Source
22917 Pacific Coast Highway #220 Malibu, CA 90265 (310) 456-7721 www.malibuspraytan.net www.malibuhealthclub.com (Located at the Maliibu Health Club Spa)
the
Cure Concierge
Medicine
program
As a board certified Internal Medicine physician trained in all aspects of a person’s health, I came to Malibu from Ohio in 2000 after completing my training within The Cleveland Clinic Health System and joined Dr. James Allen. He retired in 2003 and I took over the practice and began building a program that would incorporate the best of all modalities of medicine... western, cosmetic, eastern, diet, exercise, spa, etc. With all of the changes in healthcare today it is becoming impossible to care for patients the way an Internal Medicine doctor should. We are being forced to see more patients every day with shorter appointments and longer wait times to get the care needed. This is not OK with me. I needed to develop a practice that allowed me to continue the excellent care that patients deserve. The concierge model of medicine is emerging as a way physicians can go back to the time in medicine where physicians can truly get to know their clients and spend all of the time needed to take care of them inside and out. CURE has developed a center and a program that is based on the concierge model but with many additions that further benefit the patients. CURE's program is a full wellness center that is membership based, requiring clients to pay an annual fee. This fee covers all of the services vital for a person's health but not paid for by insurances. These include: complete access 24/7 to me with the ability to talk to me or see me early mornings, evenings and weekends, coordinated care for clients travel. The clients also receive one treatment monthly of either a facial or massage/body work, plus unlimited use of steam/sauna, access to trainers and nutritionists, and an on-site gym. We offer a full array of noninvasive cosmetic treatments, anti-aging treatments and IV drips for their health. For more information, go to CureMedSpa.com
Dr. Lisa Benya
CURE’s Concierge Wellness Center offers you the most unique health and wellness program available. We address every aspect of your health inside and out. Everything under one roof, conveniently located in the heart of Malibu. We are dedicated to providing you advanced treatments in state of the art facilities. Call today and experience Malibu’s CURE for yourself.
310.456.1458 22741 Pacific Coast Hwy, Suite 200, Malibu, CA 90265
Hydra Blue Naturally Energized Spring Water Boost your energy with water as nature intended! Sourced from a rare quartz crystal aquifer, Hydra Blue is enhanced energetically to restore the natural high-frequency energies your body needs. Available at Sunlife Organics
Photo by Dana Fineman
www.HipanemaUSA.com
a LITTLE EXTRA
Attitude
fashion 90265 Photos by Lucas Passmore
rebelLious
defiant
look get this
A little extra
attitude
Pair punk rock with sexy snakeskin for an interesting twist in Spring 2014.
Channel your rebellious side by adding to some edge to your wardrobe. An artfully destroyed Americana trucker hat coexists naturally among strong studs and snakeskin.
Ralph Lauren Americana trucker hat, Ralphlauren.com
Leather studded biker jacket, Bess NYC, Bess-nyc.com
Leather studded motorcycle boots, Bess NYC, Bess-nyc.com
Snakeskin bikini, Melissa Odabash, melissaodabash.com
Silver Taylor Frends headphones
White Villa
Retreat
Santorini
GREECE Pyrgos Kallistis
By Yvette Gilpin Interview by Welcome Beyond
travel 90265
“I
always
enjoy
relaxing
a vacation with my family and friends in the environment that the villa creates.” Owner and Architect: Yannis Kaklamanis AIA
--What was your inspiration to restore the villa and rent it to holiday guests? Yannis: “Being an architect, I was immediately intrigued by the building’s forms and spaces and in the overall vernacular architecture of the property. The spatial qualities that were there made me want to restore the property and make it into a livable home. The high vaulted ceilings with the thick masonry walls and the exterior spaces with the panoramic vistas of almost the whole island made me want to explore the possibilities of creating a habitation experience in an existing old nonhousing building.” --What would you describe to be the essence of the villa, your philosophy? Yannis: “The villa is unique in its location, architectural restoration and embodies my view on creating spaces that respect the traditional architecture while being simple and honest in terms of their materials. The villa is a complex spatial experience that brings guests together while living in a restored wine factory of the 15th century.” --There are four distinct units available for rental. Please tell us a bit about the facilities and services you are offering. Yannis: “The villa is organized into four housing units on two main levels. Each unit has bathrooms, kitchen, dining area and living area. There is a total of 8 bedrooms, 7 full bathrooms and 2 half bathrooms. In the exterior courtyards and terraces there are two large Jacuzzis, one leisure pool with counter-current swimming and exterior dining areas. By the pool area there is a pool house that has a full kitchen and a large wooden dining table where, when we stay at the villa, we spend most of the time with our family. When requested we can arrange for a cook to prepare local dishes for the guests. Due to its exterior layout the villa is often used for wedding ceremonies and dinners as well. The villa is fully equipped in terms of technology with satellite and internet TV, Blue Ray disk players, iPod docks, Bose sound systems and free Wi-Fi and LAN networks. When we stay at the villa during our holiday we almost never want to leave the premises…” --How would you like your guests to remember their retreat?
90265+travel Yannis: “ It could be a remembered as a warm and pleasant stay, having experienced the beautiful scenery of the island as well as this unique villa in the traditional village of Pyrgos Kallistis”. --To you personally, what is so special about this villa rental? Yannis: “ Besides its architectural qualities that will always intrigue me and the efforts that was put into completing this restoration project, I always enjoy a relaxing vacation with my family and friends in the environment that the villa creates.” --What do you particular like about this part of the island and Santorini in general? Yannis: Santorini is a unique island with its volcanic topography, the caldera and the amazing views that is offers. This topography together with the volcanic soils created its architectural character of the clustered building forms with the winding streets and terraces. Pyrgos Kallistis where the villa is located is a village that is characterized by the historical preservation committee as a traditional settlement and has kept its traditional character. The village is built amphitheatrically on a hill that offers magnificent views of the island in almost all directions. The villa is located beneath the remains of the Venetian castle (Kasteli), which is at the top of the hill. The typical medieval narrow streets, fortified walls and hidden passages as well the unique Cycladic local architecture are maintained throughout the traditional settlement. It is this tranquil environment where no cars are allowed that you can always explore something new on a stroll through the village. --Please tell us a bit about the beaches on the island. Yannis: “ The beaches in the northeast, from Monolithos to Vlychada, are the most organized, those in the north, around Oia are less Crowded. Starting from Akrotiri and the Red Beach, the stings of unique beaches, which fringe the Caldera, become progressively more deserted.
welcomebeyond.com
90265+travel
Vlychada has a wild beauty with its fantastically shaped white boulders, which have been sculpted into works of art by the wind. A small snack bar serves fresh juices and light meals. Ammoundi is a picturesque cove in Oia. Traditional fishing boats remind you of a simpler time. This is a place to come to eat fresh seafood. White Beach is reached by boat from Akrotiri or the Red Beach. Fine black sand, pumice stones and grey-white pebbles in the shadow of the tall white rocks give the beach its name. The most impressive of these gigantic rocks is to be seen from the boat. It is a small beach with crystal clear water and a few sun loungers and umbrellas.� --In your opinion, is there anything you just have to do or see on the island during ones stay. Yannis: “I would definitely have a drink at Oia by the Caldera and watch the sunset. Oia is a traditional settlement in the north of Santorini. Oia was severely damages in the 1956 earthquake and much work has been involved to implement its restoration. The beauty of Oia is unsurpassed. In fact, it is almost impossible to describe in words. Sugar cubed houses tier the hillside, interspersed by splashes of rich okra, deep fuchsia, cobalt blue, oyster pink and earthy reds. Smooth winding paths interconnect, interrupted now and then by a small church, and at the very corner there is something new to discover. Oia is one of the most photographed places in Greece. It has inspired artist, poets and every visitor who visits Santorini.
WelcomeBeyond.com
TIDES REACH RESORT
FIJI TIDESREACHRESORT.COM 888.466.0740
HOME 90265 Design and Build Everything from the ground up. Design & Build, offered by Malibu Design Center is a complete process in designing, building or remodeling your new home. The concept integrates all aspects of the project, from architect to builder to designer, controlled from one source allowing for more organization and accountability. Design & Build streamlines project delivery through a single contract between the owner and the design-build team, keeping your project on schedule and on budget. As direct importers, distributors and manufacturers of the most exclusive materials and design elements available, Malibu Design Center has created a "one stop shop" experience taking you from initial concept to final construction with move in ready design. - CW 310.317.9922
visit our design showroom and outdoor living spaces 25001 pacific coast highway malibu CA 90265 310.317.9922
ModerN meets Malibu
The Yoshi collection by Italian Kitchen connoisseurs Arrital, is rustic, yet refined, striking a balance between nature and contemporary culture. The organic feeling of the wood finishes and the clean lines of the countertops complement the cabinet fixtures which stand out as sculptural elements against a neutral back drop, making this kitchen warm and inviting - yet anything but average. The Yoshi Collection by Arrital is available exclusively at the Malibu Design Center. -CW 310.317.9922
Twist on
Timeless Earthy tones and textures mixed with traditional lines and curves proves to be the perfect choice for this sophisticated space designed by Janette Mallory. -CW
90265+home
A contemporary painting coexists beautifully with a traditional tufted sofa softened by a pastel palette and earthy, organic tones and textures.
Designer Janette Mallory travels the world to find unique pieces for her clients, such as this vintage sign in the kitchen.
Rich wood accents bring a down to earth energy to more refined spaces.
Additional Resources: Monogrammit Paul Ferrante Lee Stanton Antiques Topanga Flea Market Orchids De Oro Between the sheets for more information, JanetteMallory.com
Janette Mallory is the go-to interior designer for traditional meets contemporary eclectic design. Since launching her eponymous interior design firm in 1993, Janette’s effortless aesthetic has made her the best kept secret of the interior design world. “Good design is an intersection of architecture, art, psychology and beauty.” And indeed, Janette pays tribute to those disciplines in her design aesthetic – whether it’s a celebrity residence, a vacation home or a beachfront restaurant. Additionally, deeply influenced by her father’s several decades’ long construction business, Janette’s interior design services typically extend to the exterior space including hardscape, softscape and outdoor construction. After earning her interior design degree from UCLA, Janette traveled Europe extensively immersing herself in the study of architecture and European art. Thus began her love affair with structural wonders and treasured artifacts that vastly enhanced her foundation in design theory – a distinctive trait that separates her from other designers. In fact, it’s this curiosity and fascination that has driven her avid curation of antiques and vintage pieces prompting Janette to be a regularly featured vendor on One Kings Lane. Furthermore, Janette’s versatile sense of style and discerning eye for beauty has manifested into a stylistically diverse portfolio of projects – a testament to her appreciation for different aesthetics and customized approach to each client’s requirements. “My focus is never on the style; I let the client dictate that. Rather, my approach is to ensure my clients receive a space that evokes warmth and comfort through fine craftsmanship and well-curated furnishings and art that complement the space’s architecture.” It’s precisely that type of attitude that keeps clients coming back for more. Throughout her distinguished 19 years in the interior design field, Janette’s work has been featured in Fox 11’s Good Day LA, Lucky magazine, and local magazines such as Calabasas, 805 and Westlake, just to name a few. A California native, Janette resides in Malibu, CA with her son and their Jack Russell, Nash.
Janette Mallory Expert Local Malibu Design 310 457.5777 janettemallory.com
drive 90265
By: Shin Takei Ferrari has and will always be the king of sports cars. It doesn’t matter how much more horsepower, torque, handling characteristics or great looks other manufacturers offer, nothing beats a Ferrari in the social order of sports cars. Since 1949 every Ferrari built has one thing in common: the spirit of the founder Enzo Ferrari. From its beginning, the main goal at Ferrari has been to win races. To uphold this expensive heritage, Ferrari built consumer cars to support their Grand Prix racing effort or comply with GT racing regulations whereas a certain minimum of consumer cars had to
A Technical Tour-de-Force
2014
Ferrari FF
be manufactured in order to be eligible to compete. Each GT car built has been a sports car that set the bar higher and defined what Ferrari was all about: the sexiest sports car on the market. However, Ferrari built some four-seat GT cars and not all were successful as enthusiasts and purists scoffed at a Ferrari with 4 seats, perhaps because it wasn’t seen as sporty enough or worthy of being a true Ferrari. More recently they have released some stunning designs starting with the 456GT produced from 1992 to 2003 and the 612 Scaglietti produced from 2004 to 2010.
According to Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, Chairman and CEO, Ferrari will never build a four-door or a SUV. The FF is a Shooting Brake style which is a two-door station wagon. Ferrari FF means fourseats and four-wheel drive, a first for Ferrari and it’s quite a system they have developed. The front view of the FF is pure Ferrari with the smiling egg-crate grill and headlights that sweep back into the front fenders. The profile is that of a station wagon concept that we see often in many renderings by different designers but never get built. The short greenhouse that leads back into the tailgate disguises the generous room to carry passengers up to 6’-2” in the back. The view from the rear is the most un-Ferrari like because we have never seen this configuration before and not everyone took a liking to it. True to a shooting brake there is a tailgate and when the rear seats are folded, the cargo capacity increase from 16 to 28 cu ft, cavernous for a sports car. For skiers there’s a rear pass through for skis. Inside, the multi adjustable Schedoni seats cradle the occupants in comfort and hold them in place during spirited cornering. An optional matching gorgeous luggage set by Schedoni is available for around $10,000. The overall quality has improved and all the sporting characteristic of a Ferrari as a driver’s car has been retained. The multi-function steering wheel is a direct result of the Grand Prix car where a Formula 1 driver must perform lightning fast adjustments to the car from the tight confines. Many switches like turn signal, wipers and starter button have been integrated into the steering wheel. This takes a bit of getting used to but it becomes secondary in a while. More importantly there is the suspension setting button and the Manettino selector switch. This dial switch allows the driver to choose between comfort, sport, wet, snow and ESC Off (stability control) recommended only for racing circuits. In the center console is the information-entertainment screen that controls the car settings, stereo, telephone etc., but it falls a little short when compared to other units but who cares when you can hear the wonderful V-12 that is a symphony of Enzo Ferrari’s soul. This 6.3 liter F140 EB engine produces 651 hp with 504 lbs of torque and is mated to a F1 DCT 7 Speed automated manual gearbox. Unlike conventional all-wheel drive systems, there is no central transfer case that transmits the power fore and aft with an extra drive shaft. Instead Ferrari built a separate dual ratio front mounted gearbox driving off the crankshaft called PTU or power transfer unit. And this only comes into service when the ECU deems it necessary so it’s mostly in rear wheel drive mode. Called the”4RM” (4 Ruote Motrici) or four driven wheels, torque is directed to each wheel directly through a multi clutch system. It is half the weight of conventional systems and taking advantage of the front midengine layout still places more than 50% of the weight on the rear axle. Because the front and the rear are not connected, enjoyment of the traditional rear wheel drive characteristics is not lost.
To put it simply, it is a highly sophisticated system that manages the handling of the vehicle and together with the magnetorheological suspension system, it provides a stable sure footed approach to control the car in any situation. The FF starts with the familiar Ferrari V-12 rumble that quickly turns to a scream as the revs go up. Leave the gear selector in Auto and set the Manettino to Comfort and the FF drives like a normal sports car. The ride isn’t harsh and the comfort level is quite good. But in Sport mode, the car tightens up and the shifts occur at a rapid pace and working the paddles is delightful. If you are lazy you can let the ECU select the proper gear and do all the shifting and rev matching for you. We only drove the car in dry condition and the handling was phenomenal. Driven fast and pushed hard into the corner, slamming on the brakes and accelerating out is a smooth operation without drama. In fact the car was so stable it felt like it was attached to the road by Velcro©. To see what was going on, we purposely lifted the throttle in the middle of a corner and the ECU worked hard to control the vector and power to all four corners as it hunted for the best solution to keep us on the road. (BTW do not try this at home.) The Ferrari FF is a technical tour-de- force that is at the top of sports cars with unbelievable handling characteristics that no one suspected Ferrari would build. If you like to go skiing and want to get there fast in any condition, the FF is for you. For the rest of us the FF provides a comfortable yet extremely agile sports car that seats four with epic handling and grip. And for 2014 there is an optional Panorama roof available. 90265 Malibu Life and Style Summary: 2014 Ferrari FF Overall: 10, Every Ferrari is a winner! Driving Impression: 10, Sensational feeling and that Ferrari sound Comfort: 9, High levels of comfort for even those tall passengers in the back seat Handling: 10, Quite possibly the best handling Ferrari ever made with tremendous grip Info-tainment System: 7, Not the best in the business but the Ferrari V12 is the entertainment Luggage capacity: 9, The split fold down rear seats makes the already big trunk huge. Malibu Bling Factor, 10: OMG it’s a Ferrari wherever you drive it For more Information, visit: ferrari.com The Auto Gallery Ferrari in Calabasas currently offers The location, just outside of the Malibu Hills, offers access around, allowing prospective buyers to sample the full Ferrari General Sales Manager Chadwick Hopkins on (310) 877 6662 or
sales and lease specials on FF models. to some of the best Ferrari test drive routes experience. For more information, please call visit http://www.theautogalleryferrari.com
LEXICON OF
SUSTAINABILITY By Claudia Taylor
Lexicon of Sustaininability is based on a simple premise: people can’t be expected to live more sustainable lives if they don’t know the most basic terms and principals that define “sustainablity”. Doug Gayeton takes the multi-faceted discussion on food issues and the myriad of food terminology into the visual realm through creating informational artworks.
By turning language into an artform, and teaching kids and adults how to make the art themselves, its a subversive way to create change in the way we understand and think about food. As Douglas says, “If you know what a word means, you’ll be able to express yourself. People want to be educated.” He continues, “They are aware that their food system has become centralized, industrialized, and bureaucratized, and that it’s time to fix the system themselves.” The concepts are diverse and describe words like: Biodiversity, Monoculture, Foodmiles, Mobstocking, Backyard pollinators, Bio Char, Cage Free, Kitchen Incubator, Food Chain, Salmon Counters, Farm to Table, Grass Fed, Healthy Soil, CSA’s, Veggie Libel Law, Perrineal, Pasture Raised, Permaculture, Urban Farmer and more. Douglas welcomes you to add your own words to the growing Lexicon. As Gayeton says, “Your words can change the world.” The process of creating the collage can take up to a week: collecting and compressing 50-200 images, creating and 8’x 8’ collage, sitting with the information, writing, and then etching the words onto the graphic. These artworks become pop-up shows that travel the country, educating and inspiring communities who are searching for information on what they eat and how their food is made. Look for the announcement of a Lexicon for Sustainability Pop-Up show in our own in the near future.
SEE the PBS- KNOW YOUR FOOD series Produced by Laura Gayeton-Howard The Story of An Egg http://www.pbs.org/filmfestival/all-films/story-egg/ LEARN at : www.lexiconofsustainability.com
Malibu community
SLOW Life in a Tuscan Town with an introduction by Alice Waters Published by Welcome Books Book of images from Harper Collins LOCAL: The New Face of Food and Farming in America by Douglas Gayeton
GROW
It Yourself Movement By Molly Antos
Thanks to documentaries, social media and passionate farmers, there is a growing preference for organic products. Everything from soap and cosmetics to food and beverages; people want to know what they are buying and using. One of the best ways to ensure pureness of any item is to make it at home. As this “DIY” movement gains momentum through widespread forums such as the blogging community and Pinterest, one micro-mania sweeping through is at-home gardening. Through various products, inventions and innovations, dwellers in almost any type of abode can grow a plethora of plants to be utilized in a variety of ways. Here are just a few of them, with suggested uses. Basil Basil seeds are very easy to find – check big box, home improvement chains, drug stores and grocery stores. From there, the only other materials required are a small pot and some potting soil. Place a layer of dirt in the bottom of the pot, sprinkle some seeds on top, a bit more dirt on top of that, followed by some seeds, and so on – until you have a triple decker basil seed pot. These plants are extremely low maintenance, requiring only a bit of sunlight and a small drink of water daily. Even when neglected for a few days because of forgetfulness or vacation, this plant is easily revived with a couple days back on its watering schedule. One of the best attributes of this plant is how quickly it re-populates. This is particularly beneficial because when using its leaves to make pesto, for example, almost every leaf will be needed. Fortunately, it will grow back fairly quickly. When the plant is full of green, pluck all the leaves into a bowl. To make pesto, add them to a blender or food processor, along with some sea salt, olive oil and pine nuts (example recipes from Simply Recipes and The Food Network). Other tasty options for this plant include tomato sauce, homemade meatballs or garnish for any number of salads. Lavender While these seeds are slightly less common than basil, they can still usually be found at a home improvement store. They are just as easy to care for, but one caveat with this plant is the soil.
Check every few weeks or so to ensure that the level of soil is still at about 2/3 of the way up the pot. If not, add a little more and keep an eye on it. Dutiful watering is a must, because when neglected, the fruitful parts of this plant turn brown and dry up, rendering it useless. Though it might not seem like the most ingestible plant at first, lavender can add an taste and aroma to a wide variety of beverages. One thing to note: a little bit goes using lavender. With that in mind, crush a small amount of it into lemonade, sangria The adventurous should use this aromatic plant to create homemade deodorant, soap or also play a starring role as an infuser simple syrup.
interesting a long way when or herbal tea. lotion. It can
Cilantro Of all the plants discussed so far, cilantro is by far the most temperamental. Because warmer soil creates a hostile environment for the roots, late afternoon sun in warmer climates can be a problem. Make sure to monitor this for optimal growth. Once it does start to sprout, “harvesting” the spoils quickly will allow the plant to focus on production and lead a more profitable existence. Cilantro has been cited as a detoxifying herb, even though it tastes like bleach to some people. The lucky ones that love its signature spice should use it things like homemade salsa (or any Mexican dish really: quesadillas, burritos, tacos). It can also add a surprising punch to blander foods like shrimp, whitefish and white rice. Wheatgrass The preparation to plant these seeds is slightly more involved. Buy organic seeds from a health food store and try to ensure they haven’t been treated with pesticides or the like to ensure pureness. The seeds must be rinsed, first. Use a colander and cold water, then dry them carefully and place in a bowl. Add cold water to the bowl, about three times more water than beans. Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to soak overnight. Repeat the rinsing process and place the seeds back in the bowl. Fill with water, cover and soak overnight again. Repeat this ordeal once more, for a total of three rinse and soak cycles. Hopefully by this time, the seeds have sprouted and are ready to plant. Line a 16” x 16” pan with paper towels and place the potting soil on top of that. Layer the seeds in evenly, and water them. Cover the pan with moistened newspaper for protection. Mist the seeds daily; a spray bottle will work best. Keep the cover on top for the first four or five days, and make sure the tray is in partial sunlight, but nothing too harsh. Wheatgrass should appear! The most effective use of home-planted wheatgrass is to “juice” it. A juicing machine is optimal, but a blender will also work with a little bit of straining afterward. Taking “shots” of wheatgrass is said to detoxify and boost the immune system. Cheers! Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/10/nasas-guide-to-the-best-p_n_165588.html Source: http://voices.yahoo.com/10-tips-growing-own-cilantro-3103039.html Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Grow-Wheatgrass-at-Home
Malibu was the inspiration for long term Malibu resident Robert Jaye and his family to found Malibu Olive Company whose goals and objectives are to produce and distribute California Organic Super Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Malibu Olive Company currently has three hundred and fifty olive trees under cultivation and is anticipating the planting of five acres of Italian and Spanish varietal olive trees in the Spring of 2015. Malibu Olive Company also sources specific varietal olives from various California Olive Oil Council producers throughout California. For more information, contact: Robert Jaye (310) 456-3052 robert@malibuolivecompany.com
There’s a
Shovel in the Shed by Louis Lenard
When we plunge the bladed tool downward and pierce the earth, we find what lies beneath the surface. Beneath the familiar, well trodden ground of our beliefs and perceptions of ourselves, of the world and of what is possible. When we dig deep, we build trust and confidence in our abilities, we build selfesteem and self-love. We grow, we make our mark with commitment and purpose, and we make an honorable history. Our lives become enriched - we project hope and set an example for others to follow. We inherit a broader perspective. Fear, limiting beliefs, pain, dysfunction and ignorance are the calling cards; willingness to live with awareness, courage and creativity, the tools in response. When I was 20, I had the great idea to become a Rock star. So our band wrote some songs and the next thing I knew, we were plugged in and ready to play our first gig - a local Malibu house party with about 300 of our closest friends. Holy shit. Nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. The drummer is counting us in for the first song… Fear of failure? Never felt it like that before. Here we go, time to dig deep, get in touch and charge it. On my skateboard, I came to find the unfamiliar territory of the space and time between which my board and I were somewhat safely on the ground, moving quickly toward the top of the stair set and the point at which said board and I were to be sliding backwards down the handrail and safely onto the sidewalk below. Firsts are always the scariest, especially for the innovators. How about that first kiss? Holy moly… Sometimes the opportunities to dig are obvious and we’re confronted, seemingly, or not so seemingly, without option. Other times, when we turn off the TV, put down the tabloids and sit in silence with
ourselves long enough to take a closer look, we can find many areas to break new ground. On another level, love from my parents looked like a drug-addicted, non-present mother and a military father who only seemed to speak to me when I’d done something wrong. I was an only child and it was all about me. I figured I wasn’t good enough or lovable as I was and that I needed to (fill in the blank) in order to become so. I’ve suffered far too long from these limiting self-beliefs. In this instance, pain and dysfunction were the catalysts for my willingness and courage to change and commit to a path of self-observation. After a lot of work came a liberating day… I was lying in my bed one morning with a broken back from a surfing accident. I suddenly realized at my core that I didn’t actually have to move a muscle. I could just lie there and be good enough. I knew in that moment that I didn’t have to do, be or have anything more and I was still lovable. No blanks needed to be filled in. What an absolute relief – a spiritual awakening of sorts. There have been many milestones on my spiritual journey thus far, all contributing to a greater sense of ease with myself, with life and with my willingness to try new things, take a chance and have a little more faith in the unknown. Since I have a short memory however, I must work daily to maintain this newfound perspective, lest I forget and regress… which definitely still happens at times. Even as I type these words right now, my heart pounds with some anxiety regarding whether you’ll enjoy or bash this piece. Thoughts still creep in of basing my self-worth on your approval. Regardless, here it is. Life graces us all with opportunities in many ways. When we grab the shovel roll up our sleeves and get after it, to find a hidden treasure or two worth
to dig deep in the shed, we’re sure cherishing.
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Teaching gardenS PLANT CONSCIOUSNESS with
KELLY MEYER By Claudia Taylor
In dawns early light, a
silhouette in the sea, in the cove called Paradise. Who could it be? Paddling as the sun rises, or under the full moon, sometimes solo, sometimes wth pals on her wing...taking it all in with childlike amazement? Good chance it’s Kelly Meyer. Kelly Meyer is known as many things: a mother, with a loving, supportive and dynamic spirit; a parent and pivotal member of the Malibu school community; an impassioned supporter of environmental and health related issues and co-founder of the Women’s Cancer Research Fund; a member of the Blue ribbon task force in support of the MLPA as the organizer of the Peace Paddle in 2011; a trustee for the NRDC, a role she embraces with fervent commitment; a ‘corporate wife,’ who knows how to seamlessly switch gears between her private and high profile public life.
HOPE IS
PLANTED HERE
She’s a natural beauty. Her eyes have an ageless sparkle, and her smile is easy, warm and disarming. Kelly knows how to connect the dots, make connections, and make a difference in this world. As the drum beat sounds louder and louder in our quest for health, and the message to get ourselves, our children and our country on track is coming at us from many angles, Kelly has listened… and acted. Kelly is convinced that real change happens with our children. Teaching Gardens focuses on first through fifth graders, teaching kids how to plant seeds, nurture growing plants, harvest, produce and ultimately understand the value of good eating habits. As usual, Kelly and team are right on point. There is no doubt, food is one of the hottest topics. If you’re outside of the conversation, these are a few of the issues: Food deserts; GMO; factory farming; the new farm bill; climate change; water rights management, and reduction in SNAP (funding that went directly to agri-business federal subsidies.) The Food movement is, as they say, “ON”, kickstarted in 1993 by Alice Waters with her Edible Garden project in Berkeley, a leader whom Kelly calls ‘the guru’.” The film FOOD INC reached millions with a message on factory farming, and disastrous food policy in our nation and the world. The Slow Food Movement, blogs like Nourishlife.org and the PBS series, Know Your Food (see accompanying article on Lexicon Of Sustainability), these are but a few of the messages available to those that want to know more on this issue. The need to spread awareness and make better choices cannot have too many voices: “Everyone can relate to food.” “Everyone wants good clean healthy food.” “Food is a great common ground and a great way to address a lot of issues.”
Kelly conceived of Teaching Gardens three years ago, with the first garden on our home turf at Pt. Dume Elementary School. It started with a one sheet she came up with in the middle of the night after attending the Obama Care presentation at joint session in Washington DC.
“
Food
The “Obesity” stats were alarming: “Childhood Obesity Task Force reported: -One in three children, ages 2-19 have been reported as being overweight. -Childhood obesity causes 112,000 deaths every year. -Childhood obesity costs approximately 3 billion dollars/year in direct medical costs. -Obesity is one of the most expensive health care problems in America. -One third of U.S. children are overweight or obese putting them at higher risk of heart disease and stroke.
is a great
common ground way
great a lot of issues.” and a
address
to
I saw that presentation and realized that our government(congress) was fighting over mop or a bucket instead of working together to turn off the faucet. Those stats and the discord of our lawmakers is what inspired me to go back home and look at how I could make a positive impact childhood obesity and ultimately health Her answer was to conceive of a way to connect kids from all across the economic spectrum to understanding the whole foods source from the garden experience.
“I come from an environmental background… I’d raised a lot of money for disease, and now I wanted to raise money and raise the bar for health, and not disease” One school at a time, ‘paying it forward” from one to the next, the concept was to ignite and inspire children with real life living laboratory experiences. “If kids learn about effort, and results, and delayed gratification, we’ll reach the ultimate goal: giving hands on exploration of life sciences that leads to positive choices that the kids make themselves and share with their families.” As Kelly’s friend Laurie David says, “Every issue crosses the dinner plate.” Teaching Gardens works together with school principals, and teachers, coupled with sports professionals and other role models such as chefs Cat Cora and Jamie Oliver, the food industries. Healthy school lunch meals are prepared with ingredients from provides volunteer opportunities for veterans through the Farmer-Veteran Coalition. maintain the gardens.
entertainment and and other leaders in the gardens. It also They help build and
They come together to create a real life garden laboratory, and to talk about nutrition and fitness in disadvantaged neighborhoods. At one school in Inglewood, Gabrielle Reese and Derek Fisher led the children in a raucous dance that has become an integral part of the Teaching Garden experience. The kids love it. You can see it on their beaming faces. Kelly and Chi Kim, former principal at PDMS have taken the movement partners that are now funding and focusing on their goal to create school across the nation -- Schools where the availability to fresh literally may not understand that fruit doesn’t grow processed in a no “Kale Korner” at the market.
nationwide and are joined by critical gardens in one thousand inner city produce is an anomaly and where kids plastic bag. Cities where there is
Lets admit it -- in Malibu 2014, having a flourishing organic home garden is the new competitive sport (lol) -- the ultimate accessory. But in many of the communities, Teaching Gardens approaches, this is the first time children are exposed to the cycle of life: from seed, to fruit, to fruition.
Teaching Gardens has created a sustainable curriculum using state educational standards incorporating math, science and social studies, translated through the lens of gardening and healthy eating. Gardenthemed lessons teach nutrition, math, science and other subjects all while having fun in the fresh air and putting children’s hands directly into the soil. Kelly states, ”It come down to this: if a child doesn’t understand the idea of gathering calories from the sun, the simple act of putting seed into soil in nutrient dense organic soil, nurturing it and watering it, creating food… how are they going to understand climate change? How are they going to understand crops dying in the middle of the country? How are they going to understand what’s going on?” She continues,” Teaching Gardens is all about nurturing future thought leaders. To grow kids into citizens who will become decision makers who will change the way we plant, grow, harvest produce, process, distribute, consume and dispense of food -- at the market and at home. That’s the big picture.” Kelly’s ability to connect with effective corporate partners to scale the projects is her gift. Partners like California Endowment, AARP, United Health Care, Aetna, and Met Life have invested. They want the opportunities to connect with kids. Most notable is the American Heart Association. The American Heart Association is taking a new approach in the fight against childhood obesity. This collaboration has blossomed and the project is now called the American Heart Association Teaching Gardens. The goal is no less than to dramatically change the way America thinks about and consumes food. The project can best be summed up by a garden sign the kids painted at a school on West Adams: PLANTED HERE”.
“HOPE IS
Go to TeachingGardens.com to see a full list supporting partners. Portrait by Dana Fineman, Photos courtesy of the Teaching Gardens
“Everyone can relate to food.” “Everyone wants good clean healthy food.”
Cornucopia Malibu Farmers Market An interview with Deb Bianco By Jackie Robbins
What is the short history of the Malibu Farmers Market and what is your role there? Remy O’Neill and I co-founded the Cornucopia Foundation in 1998, to promote sustainability. We thought about the best ways we could accomplish that and created a model with five different parts. We founded the Farmers’ Market first because it had so many community, fun, and environmental benefits and it was the way to financially fund the next part, our Environmental Learning Center in the back of Malibu High School. We had no clue just what a monumental undertaking even these two parts would be! My role is President / Co-Founder of Cornucopia and I handle the operations of both the market and the ELC. Remy has been involved in developing the curriculum, mentoring on sustainability and, especially, in the cutting edge green chemistries and designs. Getting the Farmers’ Market to become a reality was a challenge, not once, but twice! At first some of Malibu’s merchants resisted it, but then supported it and we got the necessary permits from the City of Malibu. That market ran from 2000 to 2005, when the City discovered the City Hall property wasn’t zoned for a farmers’ market and closed it. It took five years to get it re-opened, and there were now outside market operators competing for the permit. Fortunately, the community came out to support Cornucopia, overflowing the City Hall hearing itself, and with emails and signatures. We were really happy to receive the market permit again. I run the market with one onsite market assistant and two office staff. To become a vendor at the Malibu Farmers Market a seller brings their product and leaves it at the PURPLE booth (which is the managers booth), with a price list and fills out an application (which they find on our website www. malibusfarmersmarket.net).
We sample everything that comes into the market first, we question prices, amounts, etc. and we try to balance out our market as best as possible. It’s very gratifying because local residents are always thanking us. For instance we have a farmer who grows micro-sprouts. He’s actually more like a nutritionist. There is no one like him in California. We took him from one little tray in a single booth to 2 booths. We grew it together. When a vendor becomes part of the Malibu Farmers Market they become a part of our family. We take a vested interest in them, and that is particularly satisfying for me. It wasn’t easy fighting for and growing our market. What people don’t know is that farmers don’t want to come to a new market. They know it takes a couple of years before they will see the money. It’s the ones who start with you in the beginning that you hold near and dear. Later others start knocking on your door when they know it’s getting busy. I can honestly say that in 2013 we hit a district mark. On one side of the market we have gluten-free products now, on the other side we have the organic farmers…do we wish we had all organic farmers, you bet! Not easy to achieve. The farmers communicate with each other; they know where the best markets are. When our market is the busiest that’s when more organic farmers will jump on board. I used to think that local meant Malibu, but actually, locally grown means grown here in California. Driving distance, not flown in from other areas…and it’s in season. They only sell what’s in season…that’s what “locally grown” means. Are we, the public, ready to accept that if you buy local you only get what is in season? I think that at least 70% of the consumers these days realize this. 15 years ago when we were promoting locally grown and organic food people looked at us like we had 3 eyes, same thing about global warming, but now there has been a big shift. Now farmers and consumers have jumped on the bandwagon to become green. Some companies truly are green, and some become green just to keep up with the times. If that’s what it takes then damn, I’m happy! But the growing interest in clean, healthy food is definitely driving the market now. Shopping at the Cornucopia Malibu Farmers Market has become a valuable vehicle for all of us to make a difference. When someone shops at the market their money is going to the local farmer, the Mom and Pop businesses and whatever profit we make, as the Cornucopia Foundation, goes towards the Environmental Learning Center. We could teach college classes there, at the ELC, even landscaping to local residents. We can inspire people to plant beautiful natives. Plant fruit trees. If you don’t need all the fruit, invite your neighbors to pick it and share. This is a plan that is always giving back. We do teach planting to the youngest children, so that they see what a seed looks like, so that they learn about heirlooms, not only the different tastes, but the importance of bio-diversity in seeds. We want to teach the kids how to grow and how to sell, and to learn how much it costs to grow a certain food, insurance, irrigation…they get their own little checkbooks. They can learn accounting and if they can’t come sell what they grow at the market, maybe they can sell it at school once a week. So the market becomes a vehicle for teaching children about business too. Cornucopia is the Farmers Market and Cornucopia is the Environmental Learning Center, they are just in different locations in Malibu. When we started Cornucopia Foundation we had to find a vehicle to support and sustain it. How do we come up with the money? None of us on the board had deep pockets. A Farmers Market fit our mission. When we started 10 years ago when there were not Farmers Markets all over the place.
Photo of Cornucopia by Jeff Herrera Photos of Farmers Market by Jackie Robbins
What are the challenges of running what could be considered a “small business” in Malibu, and what are your best tactics for survival? We are the smallest City in LA County. Think about how many residents actually live her year round to support a farmers’ market, the Pepperdine students are here, then graduate. I think that because the farmers market has become a community event, it’s drawn people in, enough to keep the market solid during the slow winter season. When we opened the market the second time there were several residents who stepped up to the make the market more popular, like Julie Carmen and Randy Olsen, helping us create events of the public. It’s about creating an atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. We put out about and tables with tablecloths that touch the ground. So we invite you to sit and stay. We take of pride in our food vendors and our food court.
plate to interest for 20 chairs a great deal
Our location is not the most visible, because we are set off the main highway. People have to want to come here. We are like the “Gelson’s” of farmers markets. Sampling and taste is very important. We don’t just “book-out” our market we have a gourmet market. Farmer’s markets and small businesses are like thumbprints of the City; the place dictates what you need to do. The Farmers Market has become a very important part of a community. Years ago, John Sibert coined the phrase that the Cornucopia Farmers Market is the new town center. It was a great plug for us but he was also noticing something that was true. It’s a great place to go every Sunday. The farmers market in Malibu has been reopened for about four years. When we had to compete with a large chain farmers market, they promised to come in and provide all the vendors that Malibu needed. But if the Cornucopia market succeeds we keep our money in this town. So when you shop at the Malibu Farmers Market you not only support your local growers, your Mom and Pop vendors (selling humus, cookies, gluten free pastries), but all the profits we make from that market go to supporting our Cornucopia Environmental Learning Center the “ELC”, and this directly benefits the children of Malibu. What is the ELC doing for our children in Malibu? Right now all the kids at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School have access to Cornucopia on a weekly basis. We also have one 8th grade class that comes from the Middle School. Our additional goal is to have the High School students coming as well. Our ELC is like a watering hole it’s in the center of an elementary school, the junior high, the high school, and there are even pre-school children across the street. Other Malibu schools want to come to the ELC and we want them to. These will be field trips because it’s not within walking distance.
It’s not just a garden, we teach all aspects of sustainability, Bio-dynamics, Bio-diversity, and Permaculture. . We have a special emphasis on the newer science of bio-mimicry – where we learn FROM nature, not just ABOUT nature. That’s the mindset that’s driving the new green designs and industries. It’s what will give our kids a “leg up” for future careers. We actually put together our own curriculum that took many years to create. We teach state standards and last year we found that we could plan our courses to match the grade level of the students. We teach math and journaling in regards to Nature. Our next big step for the ELC is to publish our curriculum. When people are constructing dreams they learn along the way what they need to do. When we first designed the Cornucopia Foundation mission it was a satellite project, so it’s capable of going to other cities and other states. About 5 years ago the Ted Turner organization came to us and wanted to expand us into other places, we were so honored. They were interested in us because we were already out there teaching. They wanted “Cornucopia in a Box”, a formula learning experience. We weren’t ready to give that then, to Ted’s non-profit called “Captain Planet”. But that is a future goal to take the program to inner cities and other schools all over the country. What a beautiful thing-that Malibu could become a ”model City” for environmental learning. When you come to the ELC you will see that every plant we planted is for a reason; pre-meditated, researched and how can we create a lesson plan out of it. When you first walk in you will find the potpourri path. Everything is drought-tolerant an integral part of the ecosystem or surprise in Nature’s Aromatherapy menu. On the slope there are 38 fruit trees, our fruit forest, along with native trees, we teach co-existence and cooperation, two of Nature’s most important principles something for Naturesomething for Us. Our “forest” was put in with twigs. We didn’t have the funding, and when we got that piece of property our market was closed. We went there with our bare hands. Every time we could have a little fundraiser we used the money to hire laborers to help us weed and clear. “Persistence with an Axe”… it took years to clear, but we never used any chemicals! We had to get rid of asphalt; we needed at least 10 big dump trucks to clear all the debris. We found a stream there, that we didn’t even see until it was cleared, and now it’s a living stream once again. Funny enough it flows all year long, except in our current drought cycle. We even pooled some of the water to build a dragonfly garden, and they do come in the appropriate season to live there. We also have a hummingbird garden and butterfly gardens. Right there we have all the schools in concrete and cement, which is beautiful in it’s own way, but when you come into the ELC, you enter Nature. We try to reach the five senses. What is the continuing path for Cornucopia now and in our community’s future? We would really like to do more events at the Farmer’s Market, cooking classes, nutrition classes, the children’s play area, which is already in the early stages, as well as, storytelling time, and the petting farm, gmo-free pop-corn and even some sugar free candy apples! We still have room on our site map. We could possibly show local fine artists. Obviously with any change we would need appropriate permits, but these are just some of our ideas. We would like you to know that if your favorite cookie vendor is no longer here it is because not enough people are buying those cookies! Vendors will leave if they do not make enough money. People in the community have to use the Farmers Market or else it does not thrive. In the summer the majority of Malibu residents converge early in the day, because we have many more visitors and it gets busy! But right now the majority of the community comes out for us because this is the slow season. Our regular residents are very important to us, and we will continue to stretch to meet your needs as well as continue to inform the children of Malibu about the wonders of Nature and how to preserve their world. So please keep coming and tell your friends!
Solstice Tropical Terrace Canyon By Daniel Bralver
Fred Roberts and I had arranged to meet at the gate to Solstice Canyon on a January weekend afternoon. A young boy sitting atop a different gate at that exact spot over fifty years ago had been dreaming away an afternoon when his grandmother hit the remote control for the gate from down the road. The gate lurched open with its new technology and flung Fred onto the pavement on his head. When his grandmother drove up, her grandson was lying in the road unconscious with a concussion. Fred told me that he had barely survived his childhood. He hadn’t been up the canyon in a very long time and said, “this may be an emotional experience;” an understatement if I ever heard one, but the emotion that it produced was unexpected. “It was like being in a different world once you left Pacific Coast Highway and entered the canyon.”
I’ve thought about Solstice Canyon often since I first visited it years ago. There is something there that is archetypal not just to Malibu or to California, but to the experience of being human. The narrow entrance to the canyon broadens out into a small pasture with a great old oak as its sentinel; big sycamores with their boles burnt out by countless fires line the creek, and where the canyon narrows again by the ruins, there grow fragrant laurels. We were there after twelve months of drought and the water was flowing sweet and sure over the waterfall and into the clear pool beside the old entrance to the house called Tropical Terrace. The canyon was once a cool retreat for the Chumasch with its shade and ever flowing sweet water. The first structure in Malibu was built here in 1865 by Matthew Keller, who purchased a vast landholding for ten cents an acre from the descendants of the Tapia’s, who held the Topanga-Sequit land grant, and was used as a hunting lodge. Its stone walls still stand. Everything about this canyon has a rareness that is tangible, a soft romantic touch. The elder Fred Roberts, Fred’s grandpa, came out to Santa Monica from Missouri in the early 1920’s to work in his brother’s small grocery. Though only having a sixth grade education, he had a strong practical intellect and an aesthetic for what works, and through his endeavors the small grocery became a large market and over time a chain of 19 stores throughout Santa Monica, Venice, and Los Angeles. By 1931, Fred and his wife Florence had picnicked in Solstice, recognized its special beauty, and began buying property in the canyon. Eventually, after purchasing over 25 different parcels, the Roberts’ owned over one thousand acres of canyon, chaparral hills, ocean bluffs, and natural sandstone fortresses, one of which was the source for the precious spring up canyon. In 1949, the Roberts’ hired Paul Williams, an architect in the method of Frank Lloyd Wright, who had designed the building where Roberts Markets had their offices, to design a low, modern house with a tropical theme on different terraces beside the creek where the canyon begins to narrow. There were to be pools incorporated into the design, and a masterpiece of site-specific architecture came to life within two years. Young Fred came to live in the house when he was seven years old. Down canyon a quarter mile or so a one-room cabin was built for the Szigetti family who worked on the ranch. They had four children, all of whom lived in the cabin, and Fred and George Szigetti, who were about the same age, became the best of friends; so much so that George moved into the main house with Fred and his grandparents. Having a partner in adventure in a lonely and beautiful place was all they each needed. As they grew older and started surfing together, they would ride their horses down canyon to the highway with their surfboards, then ride south a few hundred yards to the bridge over Corral Canyon Creek, and under the bridge to the beach, following the tide line up to Latigo Point where they hobbled the horses and surfed mostly to themselves.
They would climb up to the pair of sentinel rocks high above the canyon and make the daredevil leap between the rocks and look out over the great Pacific. They would climb the high-tension electric towers to remove a baby hawk from its nest to train it to hunt, and later release it back into the wild. Fred’s eyes grew a little misty as he expressed how blessed his years spent at the ranch truly were. There were friends; there were magical adventures all around and love in the family. Fred said that he grew up with a silver spoon, but I think that the real silver spoon was his freedom to become himself in that idyllic environment. The ranch ran over a hundred head of cattle and owned about a dozen horses. The cattle not only provided meat and income, but also kept the grasses and brush low for fire protection. At over a thousand acres, it was the largest coastal landholding in Malibu. On weekends, Grandpa would bring up some of the African Americans who worked at his stores in the city to do the work of the ranch. He’d pay them each fifty dollars a day, a good wage at the time, and they would each go home with a good bottle of bourbon. They would probably have to draw straws to see who would get to work at the ranch, and they were all hard workers. Fred and George would have horse races up and down the canyon often, and Fred became an excellent horseman. Eventually, the Szigettis moved down to Latigo Point, and as Fred grew into manhood, he moved a trailer down to the pasture and lived there beside the great Oak. Fred’s sister moved into the old Keller house and a large wooden porch was added. Grandma grew weary of the two fair-weather crossings of the creek on the road to the house, and being that she was on her own up there while Grandpa was in town, she threatened to leave unless a road was built with no creek crossings; and so the high road on the west side of the creek was cut and graded and all became serene again. Grandma was a devout Catholic, and across the creek from the house on a footbridge over the pools a number of rock shrines were built in a sort of primitive outdoor cathedral. Fred himself had some early devotional problems, and was removed from Our Lady Of Malibu school, and I thought that might have created some friction between he and his grandma, but Fred insisted that this was not the case. He grew up in a house where he was well loved and cared for, and his grandpa always told him that the ranch would always stay in the family. As the property values kept increasing as Malibu became more and more desirable, so likewise did the taxes on the property TRW had found a site on the south side of the canyon where the astronomical and terrestrial conditions were perfect for monitoring the Gemini space mission. They rented the land and built a facility. This helped with the taxes, but eventually the taxes were to become a significant factor in the future of the land. Our walk up canyon with Fred, stopping and describing the personal and historical significance of each little landmark, culminated in the ruins of the once elegantly beautiful home.
Photos courtresy of Fred Roberts
It could have been anger at having the sacredness of the family ranch become a public spectacle, but Fred did not notice any of this. “Look at the ferns, the banana trees, all the tropical plants. They are all still thriving ”, he said with a profound delight. The pools were silted up, only the stone walls and fireplaces were left, but the plants of the Tropical Terrace were flourishing. In 1983, Fred was a rookie fireman when the fire roared down the canyon taking the house. “I took shelter in the house as the fire enveloped us. I had almost two years on the job and had never seen so much fire. Fortunately I had my brother and a fireman I worked with that had more experience than I for help, but because the main water line was broken we had very little firefighting ability. The sprinkler system that my grandfather had installed on the roof of the house was inoperable.” Everything burned, the house, his trailer and all of his belongings in it. After Fred’s grandfather died, Fred’s grandmother could no longer afford to keep the ranch, but wanting to keep its integrity intact, she sold it to a conservancy to eventually become part of the national park. If you look up on the high ridge from down the canyon, there are a few houses directly beyond the ruins. Fred’s sister Alicia moved into one of these houses some years ago, and on the records there is an old easement that permits foot and horse traffic from that property down through the canyon to the coast. She rides through the canyon often. Fred’s bio: 27 years on fire department general contractor Did 2nd ever Hawaiian Ironman race in 1982 Did the Catalina Classic open ocean paddleboard race 3 times Crossed the Molokai channel on a paddleboard Fred still lives in Malibu. And Fred is still one hell of a good surfer
conscious+living
Last year 160,000 American horses were transported to Canada and Mexico to be
slaughtered
and their
meat shipped to Europe and Japan for human
consumption.
Hope malibu
Ranch
Story and Photos By Tracey Bregman
This article started innocently enough. I was given a book by my friend, Jonathan Bradford, called THE 80 DOLLAR CHAMPION written by Elizabeth Letts. It’s not only a true story, but a very beautiful one. It is about a man who lived in upstate New York who bought a horse for $80 at the auction that was on it’s way to the meat market. The horse became a world champion. After reading the book and having a horse myself that I love so much, I thought how great it would be to write about horse rescue. What came next completely threw me. One person after another started talking to me about horse slaughter, it was almost as if I was being directed to a bigger picture.
I know what you’re thinking, you want to turn the page, and not read about or think of any of it. I totally get it. I’m someone who really cares about animals and what happens to them. When a friend on Facebook posts pictures and stories about the atrocities, I can’t scroll down fast enough and hope the image that I just saw won’t stay too long in my head and torment me. People in horse rescue told me that the public knows what’s going on and are just turning a blind eye. Now, I’m positive a lot of people know what’s going on but I’m embarrassed to tell you, I really had no idea. I have been horrified by what I learned and want to help as much as I can. Last year 160,000 American horses were transported to Canada and Mexico to be slaughtered and their meat shipped to Europe and Japan for human consumption. Horsemeat is considered a delicacy in these places. In Europe, they sell horsemeat for $20 a pound; the average horse weighs between 840-1,300 pounds. That’s a huge return when you think “kill buyers” are going to the auctions and paying between $100-300 per horse. Some of these horses are racehorses, Japan’s favorite, as they are young, usually around two years old. Their meat is considered very tender, think veal. At the auctions you will also find show horses, trail horses and pets. This also includes horses that are too old to show or are injured. This is the fate that is bestowed on them unless someone outbids one of the “kill buyers.” There is an American law that horses cannot be driven over the Mexican border, but there is no law that prohibits them from being walked across. So, that’s exactly what’s happening. In the U.S. the last domestic horse slaughter closed in 2007, a year after congress initially withheld inspection funding. After federal money was restored in 2011, plants in New Mexico, Missouri and Iowa began trying to slaughter again. Horses are skittish by nature, they have a fight or flight response, which makes accurate stunning difficult. When the electric bolt used to kill cows was used on horses, 90% were still alive. As a result, horses often endure
repeated blows and sometimes remain conscious during dismemberment. They stab the horse in the back at least six or seven times to sever the spine. Then hydraulics lift them up where their throats are slit and dismembered while they bleed out. This is rarely a quick, painless death. USDA documented that 92.3% of the horses sent to slaughter were in good condition. There are many people who are doing everything they can to stop this. Here are some of the good guys. Jonathan Bradford, who gave me the book, has rescued several. He has bought them from auctions and adopted them from rescues like the Lange Foundation. He has loved them, trained them and then found great homes for them. One of the horses he bought from the auction was from the racetrack. For every horse that makes it to the racetrack, there are 1,000 that go to the auction. The horse he purchased had raced the week prior but was too slow and was sent straight to auction. Luckily, Jonathan found him. He also rescued a mare that was in very bad condition, he almost lost her. He thought she had colic and bad menstrual pains. Her left side felt unusually hard. She was put on IV’s for four days and passed 100 pounds of sand. 100 pounds! When horses get hungry enough, they will eat sand.
Portrait provided by Lori Morris
Another great rescue is right here in Malibu, Hope Ranch Animal Rescue. Lori Morris, who owns the rescue and takes in all sorts of animals. This includes a variety of residents, from horses, an emu, that had been living in someone’s van, cows, a bull, that was on it’s way to rodeo where it was to be killed, sheep, bunnies, dogs and her newest resident, a pot bellied pig. I went to visit her place and was taken with her love of these animals and her generosity. I was also stunned to hear the stories of people who had left their animals with her and walked away, not even helping to cover the cost of their feed. Lori takes care of these animals from donations but does most of the work herself with the help of her volunteers. The rescue is on 80 acres and the animals have great areas to roam, heal, be free and hopefully find a home. She likes to teach kids about taking care of animals and has opened her rescue to many organizations like Friendship Circle of Los Angeles and Chai Life. She had a classroom on her property but it didn’t have wheelchair access and she likes to open her rescue to kids with special needs and those with serious illnesses. She is looking for donations of goods, services and money to rebuild it. She gives seminars, clinics and tours too. You can reach Lori at 310-457-0213 or hoperanchanimalrescue.com. You can help raise awareness and fight for the dignity of these beautiful, majestic animals. Please write to our legislators by going to the humanesociety.org
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DIGITAL EXTRA The
Candidates Your City-Your Choice Interview and Photos by Jackie Robbins
I am a stepchild of the ‘Bu, and what that means is because I live outside the city limits in Corral Canyon, I’m not allowed to vote in City elections. I love my city so much that I’m always deeply interested in what goes down here and have stood many times in our City Hall to be heard when issues ignite my personal passions. I came up with what I think is a gentle and kind way to approach our City’s 5 candidates for Council, (2 seats up for re-election/election next month), with a fun yet deep question that each could answer in her or his own way, that might give you our readers even more insight into who these dedicated Malibu individuals are before you go to the polls. The idea for this interview started when I saw a post on Facebook that put me into stitches of laughter because it reminded me so much of our great but sometimes dysfunctional City. It was Groucho Marks singing “I’m against it!” http://youtu.be/DtMV44yoXZ0 If you have time for a laugh watch it. The lyrics are as follows…. I don’t know what they have to say, it makes no difference anyway, whatever it is, I’m against it. No matter what it is or who commenced it, I’m against it. Your proposition may be good, But let’s have one thing understood, whatever it is, I’m against it. And even when you’ve changed it or condensed it, I’m against it. I’m opposed to it, on general principle, I’m opposed to it. For months before my son was born, I used to yell from night to morn, Whatever it is, I’m against it. And I’ve kept yelling since I first commenced it, I’m against it! I asked all the candidates to watch the video if they hadn’t already seen it and for each of them to answer the same question in their own unique voice. I think the results are revealing. See what you think…
and don’t forget to
VOTE!
Question Do you ever feel like Malibu is dysfunctional? Tell us why you think it is, or tell us why you don’t think it is. What do you believe you can do, if re-elected/elected to help make the City work like the well-oiled machine we all dream it could be?
Lou La Monte It seems to me that everyone here in Malibu has his or her own version of what paradise is and what it could and should be. We are a very unique city, 27 miles of beautiful coastline and one mile wide. The city is only 23 years old and I’ve often said that I think we spent the first 20 years of cityhood trying so hard to keep our heads above water, we didn’t have time to look where we were going. Now and the the
we have that time, we have become established respected, our opinions are listened to and feeling that we are a bunch of tribes along PCH is not as prevalent anymore.
My job, if re-elected is to continue to make progress in communicating with each other and in returning to the unity that made us a city in the first place. If we do, we can make this city the paradise we all think it is. All the different factions have one crucial thing in common, we all love Malibu. That’s why I believe we have far more things that unite us then divide us, but in order to succeed, we have to do it together.
Laura Rosenthal Many things in life, personal and public, are dysfunctional at some point. But that’s how we learn; we see what’s not working and attempt to fix it. In Malibu, many years were spent learning the ropes about how to run a city. We are now 23 years old and have matured to a place where we function pretty darn well, provide for our residents and work hard to protect our fragile environment. Our city is respected and recognized as a strong, independent, influential voice. Of course, there are still huge challenges ahead that run the gamut from traffic issues, unneeded development and our outdated water infrastructure. That said, one of the best things about our city is that so many people are engaged, involved and really care. This makes me very optimistic about our ability to deal with whatever comes our way. If re-elected, I plan on continuing what I have been doing. It seems to be working! The relationships I have formed all over Malibu and beyond will be invaluable as I continue fighting for a safer PCH, our own school district, and a family friendly town. I will continue to explore better ways to communicate and unite us. We are stronger together than apart and while that might be hard to accomplish in a town that’s 27 miles long, I have absolute confidence in our city. As the saying goes, change is inevitable and I want to make sure all of us have a strong voice as we move forward.
June Louks I agree that so much is possible in Malibu, yet it appears we have a dysfunctional governmental leadership that has lost its compliance with Malibu’s guiding Vision and Mission Statement (VMS) of the General Plan, and is on a downward spiral. It’s been a hornet’s nest here at the city council meetings with residents not feeling heard, the combative dysfunction of name calling, political positioning, vilifying each other and skewering our public servants. No wonder attendances at the meetings are low! Here’s what I think we can do about it: First, if we don’t agree with our public servants’ decisions, let’s come together, and VOTE in fresh talent! Second, let’s look at a list of action items to engage our community: like an online petition and referendum portal that gives the vocal and motivated a positive democratic process: clear mailers that engage and keep us informed; and a monthly farmer’s market booth informing and actively soliciting input from our community. Third, while many of us do not feel the city council’s actions represent the values of our community, if we really want to protect our city, (and be positive role models for our children!) let’s check our anger at the door. Let’s intelligently look at the issues driving the anger, collaborate as a healthy, participatory democracy, and constructively respect our differences of opinion. Energizing council meetings will get more people involved, the talent comes to the party, and the upward spiral begins. Fourth, let’s return to our common ground that is right on the first page of our Malibu General Plan; our MVMS, which can and should guide our council’s decisions in order to preserve our rural character and safeguard our ecological balance and natural beauty, the foundations of my platform. I will actively listen to YOU and represent the voice of our community. Join me in keeping Malibu, uniquely Malibu, by voting for me on April 8!
Andy Lyon Hamish Patterson
Yes, we saw that video too! Dysfunctional? Nah. Upset? Frustrated? Disenfranchised? Minimized? Yes – that’s what we’re hearing – and even seeing. People in Malibu are upset because they don’t feel heard by the current Council. And here’s what we’ve come to know. Malibu is filled with these amazing leaders – some of the most powerful and successful people in the world call Malibu home. And leaders lead. They know how they like things and how things should be and they are accustomed to leading. So when you have a small city overflowing with so many powerful leaders, it can sometimes get chaotic. But this is an amazingly good thing! We are so lucky to have all these leaders, with all these great ideas and varying opinions and experiences, right here in our own backyard. So we say let’s harness it! Let’s make this the very best Malibu it can be, together. We were so moved by Lupita Nyong’o’s Oscar acceptance speech the other night – “dreams are valid” – and we absolutely dream of our City running more harmoniously, because we believe it is totally possible; we wouldn’t be doing this if we believed otherwise. We don’t refer to it as a “well oiled machine” – people aren’t machines. People have feelings and it’s those feelings that allow us to connect with each other, on a real level, and that’s what Malibu needs - a coming together and a remembrance of the idea that we are all Malibu. We’re all here for the same reasons – to enjoy the beauty of this place – whether it’s to walk in the sand, get in the surf, enjoy the sun or hike in the mountains. If we can get back to that feeling of commonality and community, we can sit across the table from each other, and start working for what it is we want for Malibu, instead of what we don’t – and we can all be heard; there’s enough room for all of us to play a role here in Malibu – and that excites us. We can’t wait to get started!
making+of+issue+dig+deep Surveying the scenery after the first winter storm!
We use #Frends headphones the only way to stylishly transcribe interviews!
Tara Owens and Michael Madsen keeping it cool...
Rock lobster! Fresh seafood at Sunset Restaurant on Westward Beach.
What a great way to start the day. Quinoa oatmeal at Malibu Farm.
Seafood carnage! Post photo shoot at Sunset Restaurant in Westward Beach.
The ride home from the office. We live a charmed life.
There's a new mag on the horizon. On our way to Mammoth to do research for our new sister pub MTN - Mountains Life & Style.
We made the move! Getting cozy at our office at the Malibu Design Center.