Annemarie Donkin

Annemarie Donkin is a journalist who wrote for The Signal in Valencia, CA and was the Managing Editor for the Topanga Messenger from 2013 to 2016. She is thrilled to write for the Messenger Mountain News to continue the tradition of excellent community newspapers. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel throughout California, read, watch movies and keep bees.

4

To Bee, or Not to Bee

Here’s the buzz—backyard beekeeping is a thing! Responding to alarming reports of colony collapse and the threat to our food crops and wildlands, city and suburban dwellers are keeping the beekeeping tradition…

3

On the Trail with Don Wallace

After 42 years of advocating for the preservation of the Santa Monica Mountains, outdoor enthusiast Don Wallace had his moment of victory with a trail connector named in his honor. The VIP…

3

A Healing Journey, Bravely Told

We love Kamakshi Hart. A beautiful woman with a pure soul, who, as a spiritual psychologist, gives back to the community of Topanga with her hands and with her heart. Her one-woman…

6

Buz Tarlow Honored for Decades of Service

MOUNTAIN MERMAID HOSTED A CELEBRATION FOR AN EXCEPTIONAL TOPANGAN. MORE THAN 150 FRIENDS SHOWED UP FOR THE EVENT While it was cold and windy outside, it was warm and cozy inside at the…

Arson Watch Prevents Fires and Saves Lives

This is Part 2 in a series about the local volunteer organizations that are part of or affiliated with the Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP). If nobody told you when you…

Together Again—For the First Time

Considering all that Susan Nissman has accomplished since she moved to Topanga in 1978, “Wonder Woman” comes to mind as an apt moniker. For starters, marrying the inimitable, irrepressible and surely, indestructible…

Kristin Brumfield—2017 T-CEP Volunteer of the Year

The annual T-CEP awards gathering at the Mountain Mermaid on Oct. 1 honored long-time volunteer Kristin Brumfield with “The Rock” award for her years of serving the Topanga community “Our community owes…

4

Madeline Lampard Dances with Horses

Madeline Lampard has brought glory to Topanga with a first-place finish as a member of the A Team in equestrian vaulting at the American Vaulting Association’s National Championships in Salt Lake City,…

Laurie Nelson’s Gold Medal Lift Raises the Bar

At age 71, Topangan Laurie Nelson competed in weightlifting in the 2017 World Masters Games in New Zealand and returned a gold-medal winner. When Laurie Nelson lifts a barbell, she drops the…