“Big-Time Party at Pine Tree Circle!”
by Susan Chasen
Photos by Katie Dalsemer
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| Owner Steve Carlson (far right) built Pine Tree Circle with a little help from his friends—many of them Topanga craftsmen seen here. |
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| At the Topanga Canyon Gallery, the joint was jumpin’ all afternoon. |
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| In our photographer’s view, the Jillian Speer Band is one of Topanga’s finest. |
Hundreds of Topangans turned out for the opening celebration
of Pine Tree Circle, October 7, and while many expressed ambivalence over this
permanent change in the look of Topanga, the overwhelming sentiment seemed to
be one of great optimism.
For many, the hope is that the new businesses, along with
several reborn and relocating ones, will become a destination that will bring
the community together and ultimately create more than just new shopping
opportunities.
“I’m very happy,” said Pine Tree Circle owner and builder
Steve Carlson. “My heart is bursting with joy.”
The new center took only seven months of major construction,
but it took Carlson nearly nine years to get to that point. He had jumped
through many regulatory hoops and survived local opposition to reach this day,
and he was well pleased.
“I think it’s perfect, based on reality,” says Carlson. “I
think it’s exactly what it should be... Everything is needed that’s here.”
Instead of having a party at home to celebrate, Steve and Leslie Carlson
decided to have it at Pine Tree Circle and invite the whole community.
Feasting on free food, including 60 tuna Carlson and 10 of
his buddies—many of them Topanga tradesmen who’d worked on Pine Tree
Circle—pulled out of the Pacific for the occasion, the community joined in the
celebration. “It’s fantastic. They ate all the fish. They’re going to drink all
the beer. They’re going to eat all the cake,” said Carlson.
Hot musical groups, including the Jillian Speer Band, Manny
Saenz on the Native American flute and R&B artist Nykol, provided a perfect
backdrop for the festivities.
The Carlsons have more plans for landscaping and
beautification of Pine Tree Circle as well as for opening it up to uses that
could help create the community focal point many Topangans are hoping for. “I
hope to have all the different community organizations come and use the space
for events and fundraising. I’m all for the community. I like community
things,” said Carlson.
With about 15,000 square feet of rental space, the new
center is now home to about 22 businesses and offices, and is full with a
waiting list. The rental rate is $2 per square foot.
It was built using a lot of local labor—long-time tradesmen
who serve the Canyon. Some of those include John Stalen, drywall; Shawn Rhodes,
electrical; Mark Mahoney, plumbing; Eric Andrews, Andrews Bros. Concrete; Chet
Hoover, construction; and Willie Swenson, construction.
Several of the new center’s businesses have relocated from
the “old center” across the street, but most people seemed anxious to see a
solution to the traffic problem that would include a safe crosswalk so the two
“centers” could be joined.
By the time this Messenger
comes out, the community will have voiced its opinions about various options
for slowing traffic through town at the meeting with Caltrans October 12. Many
Topangans at the new center said they were ready to accept a lowered speed
limit and a traffic light, but opinions varied about where it should be.
Carlson said he favors a flashing light at the intersection
of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Old Topanga Canyon Road to slow traffic down
and a traffic light at Abuelita’s.
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| Steve rustles up free grub for the group—tuna he caught himself. |
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| Jocelyn Berry (left) makes herself at home on her Pilates bed. Radiant Yoga Desa partners Brian Gibson and Emily Portman (right) are their own best advertisement. |
If the new center’s businesses can be categorized, many of
them would fall into three general categories—galleries and home furnishings;
health and fitness; and toys and gifts—plus the Water Lily Café. The gallery
owners and artists are seeing the new center as an important opportunity to
raise awareness of Topanga as an arts community and to attract attention from
buyers outside the canyon.
Among the galleries opening in the new center is the
inspired return of the Topanga Canyon Gallery, an artist cooperative with 40
members mostly from Topanga. The new Howell-Green Fine Art Gallery will
showcase individual artists of renown and the Adobe Road Gallery will feature
Native American arts and crafts.
It is hoped that these, combined with Beth Sullivan’s
Elliott Antiques, a custom furnishing shop, and Barry Hornig’s Topanga Rug
Company, just a few steps beyond the new center, will create a new kind of draw
for Topanga. The artists have been here all along, but the gallery owners and
participating artists hope that with sufficient publicity, Topanga could become
a destination for art collectors—like Ojai, but much closer.
“I’ve been here alone so long, and I’m still here,” said Hornig,
whose rug business with its inviting wide porch front has been at its present
ramshackle location for five years, but now sits in the shadow of the new
center. “I’m glad to have it if it brings people,” said Hornig of the new
center. “It will be nice to see people. And you can get something to eat.”
While the galleries hope to bring people into the canyon,
many of the new center’s businesses make the related promise of saving
Topangans trips out of the canyon.
Children’s birthday presents perhaps account for a sizable
portion of single-item-prompted trips to the valley or the westside. Now, with
Lucy Hall’s toy store Hella Bella and the return of Topanga Homegrown for other
gift choices and buying urges, Topangans can conserve on gas without resorting
to gifts of wrapped up stuff from around the house that hasn’t been used
because it has no possible use.
Similarly, the health and fitness services might otherwise
require trips out of the canyon. These are the new yoga studio, Yoga Desa,
which opened last month with an instant following; Jocelyn Berry’s Pilates body
conditioning; Topanga Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage; and the Canyon
Hair Studio.
Perhaps the best consolation for those who are bothered by
the transformation to Topanga wrought by the Pine Tree Circle development, can
be found in a sunny office on the second floor of the new building. The establishment
of this home for the Topanga Historical Society offers perhaps the best
opportunity yet for keeping a sense of place alive in Topanga.
And already, even before the office was unpacked, on opening
day, the room was beginning to realize its purpose with visitors dropping in to
reminisce about Topanga history and to listen in on those who had stories to
tell.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Pearl Sloan, the Historical
Society secretary. “This has been a wonderful day.” According to Sloan, who has
lived in Topanga since 1947, visitors were interested and grateful to have a
historical society in the canyon.
Most Topangans who are unhappy about the new center probably
didn’t show up for the opening celebration. But some did. There were plenty of “Motel
6” references and complaints about the architecture. One couple complained
about high prices and left to buy a pair of sunglasses across the street—“the
only good buy in town.” But generally, the worst sentiments were a mixture of
disappointment and optimism.
“This is what we’ve got. We’ve got to work with what we’ve
got,” said Jane Donaldson, whose good friend has opened Hella Bella. “These
people are our neighbors. Let’s pull together. Let’s make this a vital and
vibrant place, a reason to be here other than spending money.”
At the same time, Donaldson mourned the new center as a “missed
opportunity.” What Topanga needs, said Donaldson, is a village green with
different events scheduled throughout the year. For proof, she needed only the
lively spirit created by Steve Carlson’s party. As it is, the more successful
the new center is, the more Topanga’s center is going to look like a parking
lot.
“I’m ambivalent,” said Charles Sheldon. “I’ve lived here
since I was a baby, so I’m attached to the way it was even though it can’t
possibly stay that way.” At the same time, said Sheldon: “I like what’s here, and
I think they’ve done a good job.”
Leslie Carlson, like Steve, felt that the over-riding
response to the center was positive. “I’m thrilled that everybody came to
celebrate with us...I saw people I hadn’t seen in years,” said Leslie. “Yesterday
felt like it was a community.”
While she too has heard the references to the building
looking like a “Motel 6,” like Steve she suggests that if people knew the
constraints the project was working under, they would understand the results. “We
didn’t have that many choices,” said Leslie. There were many things they wanted
to do that just weren’t allowed, she said. Also, she noted that they are still
planning to do a lot of landscaping and will be bringing in big planters. “We’re
just going to keep making it better.”
As for the name Pine Tree Circle, Leslie said it came out of
The Topanga Story, where the site of
the new center is referred to eight times by that name. At one time, she said,
there were pine trees there, but someone cut them down.
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| Hella Bella toy store owner Lucy Hall (standing) finds Charlotte Portman, Travis Rase and his mom Barbara easy sells. |
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| For the new Topanga Homegrown, Leslie Carlson (left) brought on two partners—daughter Kristen (foreground) and Jane Hoover. |
Here is a sampling of the businesses, new and old, of Pine
Tree Circle.
THE WATER LILY CAFÉ
At the Water Lily Café, Marie Moksness Klok, who will be
familiar to many from her days working at Mimosa, was already busy serving up
sandwiches and coffee.
“It’s the most beautiful name we could think of. And I
thought it fits Topanga,” said Marie. “I got a lot of help and I met all these
wonderful people. I’m really happy.” In particular, she is grateful to Mike
Kinnefic, a private investigator and experienced Topanga carpenter. “He worked
so hard,” said Marie. “We built it together basically. He was so terrific.”
Many other Topangans contributed as well. Penelope Marie
Mendivel and Todd Montgomery created the colorful water lily scene inlaid along
the counters; fine carpenter Fleming Nielson recycled old wood beams for her
counters and tables; and Patrick Rhodes made the wall lamps.
In addition to homemade sandwiches, wraps, pastries and
coffee served in recycled cups, Marie is offering an herb bar, ice-blended
drinks and soon will add fruit smoothies, juices and ice cream. Also, almost
everything is organic and hormone free, says Marie, because that’s the way she
likes to eat. Water Lily is currently open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. weekends, but Marie plans to add evening hours.
PACIFIC CANYON DRY CLEAN
Kayvon Mirafshar has moved his 12-year-old business, Pacific
Canyon Dry Clean, across the street to a bigger space in the new center, and he’s
already noticing new faces among his customers since opening in September.
Kayvon says he plans to resume offering delivery service on
certain days of the week. Pacific Canyon Dry Clean is open 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Monday through Thursday; 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Saturday.
YOGA DESA
Yoga Desa, pronounced “day-sha,” means a meeting place to
promote growth through the practice of yoga. “It’s been phenomenally
successful. There’s been between five and 15 people in just about every class,”
says Emily Portman, who with partner Brian Gibson, opened the yoga studio
September 8 with live music and Kirtan chanting. According to Gibson about 100
turned out for the opening and since then more than 200 people have begun
taking classes.
Currently, Yoga Desa has scheduled about 30 classes per week
at a price of $12 per class or $10 per class for a set of 10 coupons.
Initially, all classes are described as mixed level, but Portman said that is
changing. At this point beginning classes are offered by Michelle Broussard at
4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and by Mary-Beth Gibson at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. on
Tuesday and Thursday. A new schedule that distinguishes different levels will
be printed by January.
“In addition to the regular schedule, Yoga Desa is offering
several special programs including an Introduction to Yoga workshop October 21
and 22 for about two hours each day; Kirtan—call and response chanting—at 8
p.m. on the first Saturday of each month; and a special Sunday community class
that accepts donations for payment, with a suggested donation of $5.
HELLA BELLA
At Hella Bella, Annette Borland, a one-time “Maid of the
Mountain” alongside Will Geer as Grand Marshall, bought yellow elephant
chopsticks for her elephant collection while her daughter Laura and her mother
Joan Stanley planned out their respective receiving and giving roles come
Christmas time.
“Guess what? I’m going to be doing all my Christmas shopping
here,” said Stanley, whose daughter Dawn is married to Shawn Rhodes who did the
electrical work on the new building. Stanley has a blind dog and car problems,
so it’s great that she won’t have to leave the canyon, explained Borland. But,
as a child of Topanga visiting home, Borland’s comment was: “Everything’s
changed so much.”
Meanwhile Hella Bella’s owner Lucy Hall could barely finish
a thought—the store was so busy. “It’s been non-stop. The place has been
mobbed,” said Hall. “It’s been a hurricane.” According to Hall, the adults are
pleased with the educational aspect of the toys and kits in the store. “And the
kids are just playing with everything. They’re happy.”
THE TOPANGA CANYON GALLERY
In the five years since the Topanga Canyon Gallery closed in
the old center, members of the artist cooperative have ruminated on the
question of whether to try again.
At every meeting, said Gallery president and ceramicist
Rebecca Catterall, some members would ask: “When are we going to reopen the
gallery?” But with the risks and effort involved, by the next meeting, everyone
seemed to change places, said Catterall.
Ultimately, it took the Carlsons, who Catterall described as
big art supporters, to make the first move. “So we got serious in our
discussions,” said Catterall, and by January the consensus was: “Yes. We’ve got
to open a gallery. This is what Topanga is all about.”
In addition to exhibitions, Catterall said that the gallery will host workshops, arts activities, lectures and book signings. And the other galleries are seen as a boon.
“We’re thrilled that there are other art galleries around us,” said Catterall. “The reality is the more art galleries up here there are, the more of a draw it is.”
At the opening celebration, the gallery was packed by artists, well-wishers arid anyone willing to tear themselves away from the food and music. While many were satisfied just to look, some were not. Artwork sold included several paintings, several sculptures and mixed-media works as well as jewelry. “What it is, is community support,” said Catterall. Also, it was noted that as a cooperative, these artworks are a good value because they are sold by the artist with no dealer markup. “We can fit every budget,” said Catterall. “We have a number of things under $100.”
One item that sold was a mixed-media piece titled “Quercus Query” by Rabyn Blake. It was an intimate view through a window into a framed box. As a member of the gallery, Blake sees the potential of the new center. “I think it’s going to be a destination stop,” she said, citing the example of The Inn of the Seventh Ray. “People love to come out to the canyon.” On the other hand, she noted that it could look more rustic. “A coat of muted green might paint the building right back into the landscape.”
Watercolorist Julie Paul, who also sold a piece at the opening, sees Topanga becoming a draw. “We see a future for Topanga to become the kind of mecca that Ojai has become for the arts,” said Paul. “We really want to promote that.
HOWELL-GREEN FINE ARTS
Next door to the Topanga Canyon Gallery, the Howell-Green Fine Art Gallery is exhibiting paintings by Peggy Cassen. Howell said her gallery will show work from a wide variety of artists who have had shows nationally and internationally.
“I think it’s really a good time for Topanga to do this,” said Howell of the new center and its galleries. “Topanga has so many people with cultured backgrounds—writers and artists. And Topanga has a great reputation as a point of destination....The idea of coming up here for galleries—it’s a natural.
“We’re thrilled to have the cooperative next door. I think it’s great to see the synergy,” said Howell, who studied art history and worked at the Getty for 10 years.
David Green, who has collected art for 30 years, is equally enthusiastic, but he still enjoys referring to their enterprise as a “folie de deux,” a folly for two. The couple moved to Topanga almost two years ago, and Howell says: “I just feel like I moved home.”
ADOBE ROAD GALLERY
Striking yet another note in the world of art is the Adobe Road Gallery on the other side of the Topanga Canyon Gallery. Kara Brecher, of Encino, has reopened the store she once had in Santa Monica on Colorado Boulevard. It features American Indian sand painting, Navajo etched pottery, jewelry and much more.
She said she was babysitting a lot for a family in Topanga and got the idea just driving by the Pine Tree Circle. “I just love the style, the colors, the jewelry,” said Brecher. “It’s fascinating going to the reservations, getting to know the artists and their different styles, even in the jewelry.”
THE IMAGINATION GROUP
In addition to storefront businesses, Pine Tree Circle has also attracted several Topangans who are moving their offices closer to home.
James Catterall, a professor of education at UCLA, has established a Topanga office for his Imagination Group, which researches the relationship between the arts and human development. Primarily, Catterall says he made the move for reasons that relate to his idea of community and his desire for local interaction.
Catterall, whose office is decorated with musical instruments, is a member of the Topanga Brass band and plays cello in the Topanga Philharmonic. He is also creating a Topanga musicians’ file and plans to have weekly jam sessions in varied musical styles.
Catterall’s work in the area of the arts in education has put him close to the eye of some stormy results-oriented educational debates. Of particular interest for Topangans is the fact that Catterall was a founder of the Galef Institute, which is currently working with Topanga Elementary School on new approaches to the social sciences.
Currently, he is teaming up with world-renowned neuroscientist Edythe D. London to examine neuro-imaging of brain function to see what children learn when they listen to music. He is also involved in a study that will examine in detail the vote in Los Angeles County on the voucher ballot initiative, Proposition 38, and the sociological implications of that vote among different communities and demographic groups.
In addition to Catterall, the new center will be home to an accountant, a public relations business and a design company.
PILATES
The new center is also home to a Pilates body conditioning studio run by Jocelyn Berry. For all those who have wondered what Pilates is, it turns out that Pilates is actually a man’s name. Joseph Pilates, according to Berry, was a German who regained his health and strength after a sickly childhood by applying techniques for strengthening the body’s core by using springs to create resistance.
The idea, explained Berry, is to lengthen and strengthen abdominal, lower back and pelvic floor muscles that are the body’s core of strength. Then the rest of the muscles are balanced around the core, said Berry. “It’s so concentrated. You don’t always break a sweat,” said Berry. “But it’s very effective.”
Berry, who has an MFA in dance from CalArts and applies a dance conditioning, rehabilitation and physical therapy approach to Pilates conditioning, has a Woodland Hills studio and was urged by her clients from Topanga to open another in Topanga.
“I realize when people live here, they don’t want to leave,” said Berry.
TOPANGA CHIROPRACTIC, ACUPUNCTURE AND MASSAGE
For several Topanga businesses, the new center is an opportunity for a fresh start as they relocate to bigger spaces more suited to their purposes. “I think this is going to be exciting,” said Nancy Marcucella, who has moved her Topanga Chiropractic, Acupuncture and Massage from the old center. “I think this is going to be a community center here. It’s bringing the community out and bringing the community together.”
For Marcucella, the decision to move was mostly prompted by the need for a space that could be better arranged for her patients’ comfort and privacy. “This is going to be a much more comfortable and a much more healing environment,” said Marcucella.
Other businesses relocating to the new center include the Coldwell Banker real estate office which is already up and running, and Canyon Hair Studio.
TOPANGA HOMEGROWN
Topanga Homegrown is another Topanga favorite reborn in the new center. “It feels like I should never have left it,” said Leslie Carlson, who ran the original store from 1988 to 1996 with her husband Steve and now has reopened with two partners—her daughter Kristen Carlson, a high school senior, and Jane Hoover.
“Jane’s been a very, very good friend for about five years,” said Leslie. “She’s got the creative end and I’ve got the business end. She’s got an amazing eye. “It was overwhelming yesterday. We were really surprised. There were so many positive comments,” said Leslie.
Originally Topanga Homegrown sold eggs, honey and organic produce from the Carlson’s farm, along with local crafts, said Leslie. Now many local craftspeople are involved, and Topanga Homegrown is also getting items from craft shows.
Topanga Homegrown’s hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday. The store is closed on Mondays, but may have evening hours and Monday hours during the holiday season.
