Exclusively serving the residents and neighborhoods South of the Boulevard to Mulholland Drive

FEBRUARY 2016

COVER PHOTO BY JAMIE JOHNSON POHOTOGRAPHY

THEBAKLAYAN-D’AMBRAS FAMILY page 4

PUBLICATION TEAMPublisher: Daniel LewinContent Coordinator: Elyse GlickmanContributing Photographer: Jamie Johnson Photography

ADVERTISINGContact: Daniel LewinEmail: dlewin@bestversionmedia.comPhone: 310-279-6287

FEEDBACK/IDEAS/SUBMISSIONS: Have feedback, ideas or submissions? We are always happy to hear from you! Deadlines for submissions are the 20th of each month. Go to www.bestversionmedia.com and click “Submit Content.” You may also email your thoughts, ideas and photos to: eglickman@bestversionmedia.com.

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DEAR RESIDENTSFebruary is associated with love, and Valentine’s Day in particular. However, there is no reason to confine a celebration of love to just one day. And for that matter, we don’t need to celebrate only one expression of love. And hopefully you like how this edition turned out! :) There are many opportunities to indulge our love for sports, not only with pro games on television, but several live events that we’ve listed on our calendar. Same with the performing arts and local theater, food via the Farmer’s Market and the many restaurants within walking distance of our homes. There’s also America’s continued love affair with cars, and we’ve spoken to one woman who has turned her passion into an enduring career that involves helping others.

Of course, in every issue, we celebrate happy families, and the many reasons why they love living in Studio City. The Baklayan-D’Ambrases were no exception to the rule, and it was a joy speaking with them about the ways they enjoy the many things the community offers as well as their passion for home entertaining and raising their children.

Of course, if we really wanted to be bold, we could say every day could be Valentine’s Day, as we endeavor to put each issue together with love. Every person contributing to

this magazine is sharing their information from the heart.

With love and a smile,

Any content, resident submissions, guest columns, advertisements and advertorials are not necessarily endorsed by or represent the views of Best Version Media (BVM) or any municipality, homeowners associations, businesses or organizations that this publication serves. BVM is not responsible for the reliability, suitability or timeliness of any content submitted. All content submitted is done so at the sole discretion of the submitting party. © 2016 Best Version Media. All rights reserved.

Elyse GlickmanContent Coordinator

2 3FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

Volume 4 • Number 1

Best Version Media does not guarantee the accuracy of the statistical data on this page which is primarily gathered from the MLS. Any real estate agent’s ad appearing and sponsoring this page is separate from the statistical data which is in no way a part of their advertisement.

Whitney Rosenson, Art Consultant Art Dimensions Inc. info@artdimensionsonline.com 310-433-8934

Justin E. Sterling, AttorneyLaw Offices of Justin E. SterlingJustin@sterlingdefense.com747-233-3663

Susanna Nagy, RealtorKeller Williams Reality1agentnagy@gmail.com818-481-1602

Dennis F. Rose, CPA/PFS Dennis F. Rose & AssociatesDFR@dennisfrosecpa.com 818-501-7788

Dr. Cory Rabonza, DentistHealthy Smiles Dental Officehsdo@att.net818-788-3168

Tama Holve, Travel AgentWillett Travel, A FROSCH Companywillett@frosch.com800-994-5538

Nicole Weinstein, Center DirectorMathnasium of Studio City studiocity@mathnasium.com818-985-6284

EXPERT CONTRIBUTORS

To learn more about becoming an expert contributor, contact Daniel Lewin at dlewin@bestversionmedia.com or 310-279-6287.

“I would say our special talent as a family is bringing our friends together for activities, and creating a community wherever we go,” muses Nicholas

D’Ambra, 48. That upbeat family includes his attorney spouse Jim Baklayan (also 48), and children Benjamin (6) and Charlotte (almost 2). The couple had an appropriately wonderful “meet cute” at a West Hollywood Trader Joe’s in 1998. That followed with a civil ceremony in Vermont in 2000, and a renewal of vows on June 17, 2008, the day gay marriage was legalized.

Indeed, Rhode Island native Nicholas knows a thing or two about making people feel welcome, as he was once a partner at a very busy Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf location in Hancock Park. Today, he divides his professional time between plan-ning children’s parties, running his Killer Cocoa Company business (selling wholesale chocolate, vanilla and chai powders to coffee houses and restaurants) and managing several properties in Studio City and greater L.A. Furthermore, the couple is very active at Ben’s school, The Buckley School. Nicholas was named Social Chair by its Parent Association president this year.

“The position was created for me to help foster an even greater sense of community at our school,” says Nicholas. “I love the fact that there are lots of unique families, and almost all of them want to be a part of it. This was a big reason why we moved here before Ben was born. We bought our first Studio City house in part to be able to send him to the Sunnyside pre-school, and because of its reputations as one of the best L.A. neighborhoods to raise a family.”

“Studio City is unique in that there is a diversity of families living here, including families like our own,” Jim adds. “We definitely feel like we really are a part of something. When we visited Sunnyside, we noticed the church it was a part of (St Michael & All Angels Episcopal) had a prominently displayed sign up in response to Prop 8, stating that all families are the same, and the law denying marriage between two people who love each other was wrong. That made a powerful impression on us.”

Home indeed is where the heart is, and to prove it, Nicholas and Jim purchased and moved into their second Studio City home this past November.

“We are very excited about this home, which could be described as architecturally traditional, and yet it is really

By Elyse Glickman/ Photos by Jamie Johnson Photography

modern in many ways,” he says “We collect Craftsman furniture and American Art pottery from the turn of the 20th century, and we want to mix that in with a contemporary sensibility. In our previous home, even though we had added a deck and a pool, we were up by a hillside and were short on room for visiting guests. We looked for a property with a flatter yard so we could bring in larger groups. There would be more room for kids to run around when Ben has his classmates over.”

The family’s go to spot for wide open spaces is Beeman Park, and Nicholas and Ben are huge fans of the Sunday Studio City Farmer’s Market, which Nicholas describes as a, “great place to get out into the community and meet other families and trade information and stories.” They also enjoy following Dodger and Red Sox baseball, and taking advan-tage of the fact that their home is walking distance from Studio City’s many restaurants and shops. While Kiwami Sushi is a family favorite, Jim and Nicholas’ favorite date night places cover many of the most popular restaurants along and near Ventura Boulevard, including Black Market and Barrel & Ashes.

As Nicholas always loves a creative chal-lenge, he also contributes as a writer to the web site/blog Mothering In the Middle, created by Cyma Shapiro (56) for parents of young chil-dren in their 40s and 50s. He relishes the opportu-nity to share the wisdom of his experiences as a father with a broader community as diverse as Studio City, as well as his perspective as a gay dad.

“It’s a great creative outlet for me, and I enjoy getting my thoughts down about parenting,” Nicholas says. “My general advice to anybody considering having children but waiting for that ‘perfect moment,’ is that there is no perfect moment until the child enters your life. At this stage in my experience, I am not sure how much time I will have with them, so if I have any regret, it’s not bringing those kids into my life sooner.”

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cover story THE BAKLAYAN-D’AMBRAS FAMILY

Coffee Talk and Killer Cocoa

4 5FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

6 7FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

Do you know a neighbor who has a story to share? Nominate your neighbor to be featured in one of our upcoming issues! Contact us at eglickman@bestversionmedia.com.

Ben, meanwhile, has embraced family responsibilities very early in his life as the proud big brother of Charlotte. So much so, that he’s asked his dads for a baby brother. “Although we’re sticking with two children, it’s fun to see him take charge and participate,” Nicholas observes. “Benny’s like me in that he loves to be surrounded by many people, whether it is having his friends over or going somewhere with his friends. As Jim and I see it, it really does takes a village, and I like to be sur-rounded by mine.”

Feb 2-21Dirty Dancing: The Musical@The Pantages Theater, 6233 Hollywood Boulevard Have the time of your life with Baby and friends in this fresh stage production of this beloved nostalgic coming of age story, complete with timeless songs and great moves.Time: 8pm Cost: $74 - $473hollywoodpantages.com

Sun. Feb 7Super Bowl 50@KCBS-TV, Channel 2The Golden Anniversary edition of the NFL championship will be staged at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Fransisco 49ers, and go down with the action, half-time show and, of course, the commercials. Post game, Stephen Colbert keeps the party going with a special live edition of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert live from New York City.Time 3:30pm

Feb 19-21Conscious Life Expo@LAX Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles.The Conscious Life Expo with 200+ vendors, speakers, workshops and events, brings together people, ideas, products and possibility over days to feast the mind and body and to deepen one’s connection to spirit. Cost: Gen Admission $20-30; Combination passes $60-$425www.consciouslifeexpo.com

Sat. Feb 13RUNdezvous Fun Couples 5K Run@ Road Runner Sports, 1714 Newbury Rd, Thousand Oaks100% of the Registration Fee for this romantic (literal) jaunt will go to The VHL Alliance von Hippel Lindau, a rare genetic cancer syndrome to fund cancer research and provide patient services.Time: 8am (7am check-in) Cost: $25/person; $40/couple in advanceRUNdezvous2016.com

F eb 20-21Air + Style@ USC Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles It’s fun at its most extreme when Olympian Shaun White’s two-day ski and snowboarding extravaganza comes to L.A. The centerpiece is a massive ski slope that will occupy a field adjacent to the stadium. Snowboarders take to the slope on Saturday with J. Cole and

Calendar of Events

FEBRUARYHAIM headlining the music stages, with the finals on Sunday along with Incubus and Big Grams.Time: Noon Cost: $75, one day/$135 both days air-style.com

Feb 26-282016 LA Cup Rhythmic Gymnastics Invitational@ Los Angeles Mission City College,12890 Harding St, SylmarThe 2016 LA Cup, sponsored by Rhythmic Academy of Los Angeles, is sanctioned as an international gymnastics competition. Countries with participating competitors include Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuanian, Latvia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, China, Mexico, Canada, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Egypt and Israel. Time: 9am Cost: $25 adults; $15 children, seniorslacupinvitational.com/

Sats. thru March 2016The Emperor’s New Clothes@ Theater West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd W, Los AngelesIn assocation with Storybook Theater, this interactive live musical show brings the classic cautionary tale to life. Time: 1pm Cost: $12 adults; $10 children TheaterWest.org

8 9FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

Listening to music when you hit the gym to improve your workout isn’t exactly a new concept. However, understanding how your favorite tunes enhance your exercise is a little less

obvious. Research consistently finds that music distracts athletes from their “bodily awareness” (read “pain”). Furthermore, a recent study found that not just playing, but controlling and creating music in time to one’s pace had an even more profound effect on perceived effort during a workout.

Here are seven very good reasons to rock out during your next gym session.

• Music is the good kind of distraction: While a study conducted by The Guardian in the U.K. suggested there’s more to it than distraction, working out with music did make participants less aware of their exertion. Such a distraction can benefit athletic performance by up to 15 percent. The faster the better, according to WebMD, which suggested upbeat tunes provided more information for our brains to process.

• It ups your effort: A 2011 WebMD study found that cyclists actually worked harder when listening to faster music as compared to music at a slower tempo. But too fast is no good, either. Songs between 120 and 140 beats per minute (bpm) have the maximum effect on moderate exercisers.

• Music puts you “in the zone”: We associate certain songs with memories, often relating to the context in which we originally heard them, such as the first time you watched Rocky. Channeling that memory, or even just the emotion of the singer, boosts the motivational power of the song, and is shown to improve physical performance.

• A good beat can help you keep pace: The rhythm of your workout music stimulates the motor area of the brain as to when to move, thereby aiding self-paced exercises such as running or weight-lifting. Clueing into these time signals helps us use our energy more efficiently.

• Music can elevate your mood: An August 2013 analysis conducted by assistant professor Thomas Fritz, of the University of Zurich’s Department of Biometrics, found that people often listen to music as a way to change their mood and find self-awareness. Study participants said that listening to music allowed them to think about themselves, who they wanted to be and provide an escape from the present. No matter what happened an hour ago, you can use your tunes to help you escape negativity and power you through your workout.

• It makes you want to move: Researchers found that when music possesses “high-groove” qualities, the brain gets excited and induces movement in the listener. Basically, your playlist has the ability to make you move -- no matter how much you’re dreading that workout.

• Listen to music already? Take it to the next level: It isn’t just listening to music that drowns out our pain and exhaustion. The process of creating and controlling music in time to one’s exercise improves the experience even more. Compared to exercisers who had no control over the music, participants with “musical agency” reported feeling like they hadn’t worked as hard.

We can’t always work out on equipment that coordinates our movements with musical sounds, but we can harness the power of creating music when we exercise. The findings may provide, “a previously unacknowledged driving force for the development of music in humans: making music makes strenuous physical activities less exhausting.

Studio City resident and Sherman Oaks entrepreneur Rebekah Fleischaker is one of the most trusted mechanics in the area, with 25 years as a successful repair shop

owner standing as testament to her work ethic. Whether she’s dealing with an ambitious entrepreneur attending one of her UCLA workshops or working with a new customer or a regular at her shop, her advice from the heart is to never be afraid to try something new and ask directly how to do it right to get a better result.

Florida-native Fleischaker joined the Navy reserves after high school to earn money for college, and get on a career track that would lead to foreign language mastery and employment at the United Nations. When her tour ended and her original plans did not pan out, she returned to find her truck totaled by the friend looking after it. It turned out to be a happy accident.

“While I was waiting for the owner of my local shop to survey the damage, his phone rang and I answered,” she recalls. “Soon after that, he hired me as his secretary. I spent the first week cleaning the garage and organizing the office. After that, I got bored, and I spent the garage’s downtime reading auto repair manuals and catalogues I found under the desk. I would ask my boss what a certain word meant, and his response was a terse, ‘You don’t need to know.’ And I responded, ‘If you could teach me a little bit about this, I feel that the garage would make more money because we would be better able to communicate with customers.’”

It was a perfect relationship. Fleischaker and her boss both taught a lot to and learned from each other.

“I never thought I would ever develop a passion for working on cars, as it was not on my original path,” she continues. “He nurtured my curiosity and interest so much because he loved what he did so much. He had a strong grasp on the purpose be-hind why he ran a shop to begin with…to be of service to other people. I also learned a lot of Spanish, as well as different Latin American cultures from my co-workers that have served me well later on.”

Fleischaker notes her customers totally get that being a woman in this trust-based business is actually an asset, especially as you do have to occasionally break bad news to them. In fact, some

traditionally “female” traits make her even more sought after as an auto repair professional. She also observed that while men tend to be focused on one task at a time, women multi-task, no matter what the career field—including Jewish mother, which she also is to her teenage son, Zane.

“Most of my clients know that I will not lie to them, and that I am a good listener,” she explains. “With each customer, howev-er, I have to prove it to them through the quality of the work my shop does from rebuilding an engine or fixing the brakes. The other part of my gift is being able to tell my customer something, and from there be able to find a good response to their concerns. I listen closely to what they have to say back to me—or what they don’t say or ask me. I often look at their facial expressions to figure out how to solve a problem.”

After moving to Los Angeles in the late 1980s and taking a holiday season retail job, she happened onto her first customer, a female friend who needed a master cylinder installed for her clutch. Word of mouth about her way with cars spread so quickly that she found she had to start her mobile auto repair business and quit her existing job because so many new customers were rolling in.

A year later, in 1991, she rented a lift in the loca-tion that later became her permanent auto shop (14254 Oxnard, on the border of Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys) for the last two decades. With an ace mechanic’s hand and a motherly heart, she continues to both fix cars and coach their owners on how to treat them with loving care.

“This is not a quick oil change-in-and-out kind of place, although we perform that service well. Rather, it is somewhere a customer would go for the long haul to properly maintain his or her car in hopes to make it run much longer.” she states. “With that attention to detail and commitment to getting the job right, there are only so many customers you can see in a day, and I want to give them and our staff the care and attention they deserve.”

Though the temptation to expand the business is there, Fleis-chaker points out it makes better sense to keep it the same size to ensure she and her team will never lose sight of the complex, quality precision work that keeps clients loyal.

By Daniel LewinBy Elyse Glickman

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For more information about repairs, services and car maintenance classes, visit http://carchick.com, call 818-780-4369 or visit 14254 Oxnard, on the border of Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys.

10 11FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

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FOOD & NUTRITION YOUR HEALTH

Just when you thought it was safe to start that New Years’ resolution diet, there’s another food-driven celebration on the horizon. And, no, we’re not talking Valentine’s Day. Super

Bowl Sunday is upon us, and all eyes will be glued to televisions nationwide, not only because of the actual game, but also the Half Time Show and all of the commercials. Following this, there will be many other excuses for your friends and family to belly up to the television, with College and Pro Basketball and Hockey and the cinematic horse race everybody knows as The Academy Awards telecast.

The first instincts of many people will be to purchase and put out sodas, pizzas, buckets of fried wings, and a variety of chips and dips. It’s easy to do…but so will be putting on the pounds. And think about it…wouldn’t you rather feed those you care about healthy foods smart athletes are more likely to be eating?

Los Angeles-based PALETA (which delivers to Studio City) has been shifting customers’ paradigms on what constitutes “good taste” since 2005, and now has an expansive range of products beyond meal delivery that includes organic cold-pressed juices kids of all ages love as well as Power Up healthy snacks. Here are a few suggestions on how to cater to your game day gourmets from the PALETA team, direct

from Southern California’s first certified green kitchen!

• Choose items from the athlete-inspired PALETA Performance menu, with items that are packed with protein and vegetables.

• Include items from the PALETA Lifestyle and Fit menus that provide satisfying flavor but will keep excessive snacking at bay in a healthy way.

• Swap out chips and cheese curls for the line’s POWER UP almonds. They are available in a “Must Be Nuts” Variety 10-Pack! Replace cookies with the POWER UP hand-crafted granola bars.

• Be sure to heave healthy Cold-Pressed Juices on hand either to be enjoyed as cocktail mixes or on their own. Some guests will insist on having a cold craft brew during the game, but the if the juices are delicious, it may help keep alcohol consumption minimal, encouraging responsible entertaining. PALETA’s juices’s benefits include a rapid absorption of vitamins, minerals, and plant-based nutrients, liver detoxification, weight loss and better digestion.

• Suggested savories: Grape Tomato & Kalamata Olive Kebabs with Capers, Fresh Basil & Balsamic Reduction; Roasted Turkey & Asparagus Wrap; Jumbo Shrimp & Mango Spring Rolls; Steamed Sugar Snap Peas with Sea Salt, Black Sesame Seeds and Toasted Sesame Oil; a Mezze plate of Stuffed Grape Leaves, Cucumber Sticks and Lemon Rosemary Hummus and Roasted Tahini Edamame Dip

Another savory, infinitely more nutritious alternative to pizza and wings is Vermont Smoke & Cure flavor-packed meat sticks in six lip-smacking flavors that include Ancho Pepper Turkey, Cracked Pepper Beef & Pork, Chipotle Beef & Pork, Pepperoni Turkey and Honey Mustard Turkey. These ready-for-game-day treats are available in 24-stick packs at Whole Foods. Better still, they are vegetarian-fed and raised without antibiotics, sodium nitrate, preservatives or added hormones. The various flavors are also gluten, nut and dairy-free.

For more information on ordering PALETA for yourself or your next party, visit paleta.com.

Coffee can either help you or hurt you depending upon how it’s consumed. Prepared in the right way, coffee super-charges your brain to take on a new day and is one

of the most antioxidant rich foods on earth. To upgrade your morning cup of joe, start by grinding organic beans that are free of mold and pesticides.

Coffee beans are often grown in countries that do not regulate the use of these chemicals. Moreover, most coffee sold in stores is stale, which greatly decreases the beneficial antioxidants. Coffee beans may also be covered in toxic mold, called mycotoxins, linked to serious issues like kidney disease, brain damage and hypertension. Freshly ground, organic and mold-free beans are a must for a healthy cup.

To really upgrade your coffee, add in good fat to protect the antioxidants and help control your blood sugar. Stir in a few spoonfuls of any of the following fats to make your coffee a

super health food: grass-fed, organic heavy cream; grass-fed, organic butter; butter oil; coconut oil or full-fat coconut milk; or MCT oil. If you must use a sweetener, use a pinch of high quality stevia. Remember, you can have too much of a good thing and moderation with coffee is key.

By Elyse Glickman By Yvonne Kohsel

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COMMUNITY HISTORY

While some individuals become Hollywood legends over the course of their film and television careers, actress Beverly Garland’s legacy lives on at a hotel

that bears her name, where Studio City meets North Hollywood. It has undergone several transformations, including a $20 million renovation completed last year that includes the opening of The Front Yard, a fashionably farm-to-table focused restaurant. The Garland embodies the mid-century Hollywood she knew and various incarnations of Hollywood that have followed.

Garland had a career that spanned several decades, beginning in 1950. Some of her higher-profile credits include Playhouse 90, The Lone Ranger, The Wonderful World of Disney, Gunsmoke and The Wild Wild West. She is best known with younger generations for her long runs in My Three Sons and Scarecrow & Mrs. King.

In 1972, when Garland was winding down her run on My Three Sons, her third-generation real estate developer husband, Fillmore Crank, was inspired to transform a Howard Johnson’s motor lodge into an urban retreat. Together, the couple re-imagined the space, integrating early California Mission

architectural elements (stone walls, wide porticos) with clean-lined West Coast modernism. From its opening forward, it was a favorite of Hollywood royalty, architecture buffs and travelers from around the world.

Thanks to the hotel’s landscaping and the unique spaces within the property, the hotel has also been a site for numerous television and film productions, including Guilt Trip (with

By Elyse Glickman

Love & Lore Endures at The Garland Hotel Barbara Streisand and Seth Rogan), NCIS and Parks and Recreation, just to name a few. Beyond location shoots, celebrities have had an enduring love affair with the property itself. Memorable moments include: Actor John Wayne, neighbor and friend of Beverly and Fillmore, throwing trays of champagne off the top floor balcony on opening night yelling, “Champagne is for sissies, and this is no sissy hotel!”; Dolly Parton declining the Grand Celebrity Suite, telling Beverly, “I am just a tiny little thing, I just want a room like anyone else.” Various bands, from The Eagles to Alice in Chains, have embraced it as their home away from home. It is even rumored that Kurt Cobain proposed to Courtney Love on the hotel’s Portola Bridge.

Beverly and Fillmore’s adult children, James and Carrington, are intent on carrying their parents’ legacy into a new generation and century. The improvements to the property they have been involved with are intended to not only bring in guests, but encourage locals to enjoy the property as well. This includes The Front Yard, with Executive Chef Chris Turano and Lead Bartender Will Cutting at the helm, and Beverly Park, a green space that can be rented for events and weddings.

At press time, Valentine’s Day packages and specials were in the works, and you can visit www.thegarland.com to read up on the latest news on these and other events.

The Garland is located at 4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA 91602 818-980-8000.The Garland is located at 4222 Vineland Ave, North Hollywood, CA91602818-980-8000

14 15FEBRUARY 2016 STUDIO CITY NEIGHBORS

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CASIO KEYBOARDLooking for a new hobby in the New Year? Selling a gently used electronic Casio keyboard. Stand, metronome, and pedal included. Purchased three months ago for $350.00. Will sell for $250.00 or best offer. Call C.J. at 209-423-2853.

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Youth Classifieds

Neighborhood Classifieds

By Elyse Glickman

We’re looking for neighborhood families, business owners or individuals who have a

story to share. It might be celebrating a personal milestone, sharing a recent vacation, or introducing yourself or

your business to the neighborhood. As our name, Studio City Neighbors, implies, our goal is to take “local” to the next level so this magazine can both inform and enlighten. Let us know what you hope to see in these monthly pages.

THE PROCESS IS EASY. Go to www.bestversionmedia.com, and click “Submit Content.” Or, e-mail Elyse Glickman, your content coordinator, at eglickman@bestversionmedia.com.

As families serving families, we respect your wish for privacy. Resident features are shared only within your neighborhood magazine.

Make This Magazine Your OwnHappy

Valentine’s Day!

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