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Nuestra Señora Reina de los Ángeles 
June 13, 2025 0 39  
Amusement Piers 
Suzanne Guldimann, June 13, 2025 0  
A pier is a folly, a highway to nowhere. Whether lined with fishermen or filled with the cries and clattering of a roller coaster, whether thick with the aromas of hotdogs and fries or freshly gutted fish, they are...
California Mustard: Beauty or Bane 
Suzanne Guldimann, May 30, 2025 0  
A beautiful but unwelcome tide of golden blossom is sweeping over the Santa Monica Mountains this year. The late—and light—rainy season has resulted in few native wildflowers but an abundance of mustard, an opportunistic invasive that thrives even in...
TREES IN BLOOM 
Suzanne Guldimann, April 18, 2025 0  
This isn’t one of those springs when the hills are covered in a vivid profusion of wildflowers. The Santa Monica Mountains have received just a fraction of the average rainfall for the season. Hot weather is already arriving, drying...
SAVING THE COAST 
Suzanne Guldimann, April 4, 2025 0  
The Trump Administration is taking aim at the California Coastal Commission, and according to a recent New York Times article, the President may have an ally in California Governor Gavin Newsom. The Times headline states “Trump and Newsom Find...
24 Jun 2025

Jill Cotu

Jill Cotu holds a bachelor of arts degree from Michigan State University‘s College of Communication Arts and Sciences. A 13 year resident of Topanga, her literary focus is feature journalism and middle grade fiction. When she’s not writing for the paper, you may find her at the library, reading.
Feature

The Power of Love 

Jill Cotu, December 16, 2022 0 6 min read  
This article is a collaboration between Jill Cotu and Peter Walzer. Peter and Jill are neighbors in Topanga. Jill is a massage therapist and energy worker. Peter is a lawyer and a longtime member of the Self-Realization Fellowship. They...
Feature

The Power of Clarity 

Jill Cotu, October 7, 2022 0 5 min read  
There are certain parts of Topanga Creek that run clear; you can stoop down in the shallows and, on occasion, see aquatic life darting about. Similarly, when our thoughts are unmuddied and energy flows unobstructed, we can see our...
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The Power of Service 

Jill Cotu, August 26, 2022 0 6 min read  
Driving down the “S” curves early on a beautiful weekend morning, one might see a woman with an orange vest picking up paper with a trash picker. Other environmental warriors join her. Why are they giving up their weekend...
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The Power of Silence 

Jill Cotu, July 15, 2022 0 4 min read  
Three hours outside Topanga lies the town of Julian, California. There you’ll find something more precious than gold. The drive is just long enough to be a satisfying road trip. An old mine draws visitors eager to take an...
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Creating a Sacred Space 

Jill Cotu, April 9, 2021 0 6 min read  
What is the meaning of sacred? The dictionary tells us sacred means connected with God or pertaining to religion. However, in the parlance of our times, the definition is further reaching. It includes the secular and spiritual, and truly...
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Making Space 

Jill Cotu, February 26, 2021 0 7 min read  
Get Rid of Stuff When the circumstances of life seem out of control—and more specifically, beyond our control—it is human nature to attempt a pendulum swing back to a more measured place. Those who study Buddhist dharma might fall...
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Moving with the Seasons 

Jill Cotu, November 6, 2020 0 6 min read  
We all feel the winds of change blowing—metaphorically certainly, but also literally—as November settles us firmly into the fall season. As we move into autumn, we must remember to keep our immune systems strong. Traditional Chinese medicine can help....