Kay Beachy LA Treasure

Kay Beachy was a San Fernando Valley rancher's wife when the San Fernando Valley still had ranches. She was a bit more than that; she was an LA hero. It was because of Kay Beachy that Los Angeles has Cultural Heritage Sites. Kay Beachy's work saved the Leonis Adobe in Calabasas now also known as Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Site Number 1.
The Leonis Adobe dates back to 1844, California wasn't even a state then! Well 1962 a developer in Calabasas wanted to tear the building down to make a parking lot for a nearby restaurant. This didn't seem right to Kay and she set about saving the building and surrounding 5 acres of land. Kay was active in the community but this was not something she had ever done before.  Kay did succeed and not only did she save the Adobe she got the city to start the Cultural Heritage Commission.
The Adobe is now a n interactive museum and farm. The Leonis Adobe is now very popular with elementary schools.
Kay Beachy died in 1974 right after she was finally appointed to a seat on the board of the LA Cultural Heritage Commission.

Thriftshopper's Dream: Picasso

A man walks into a thriftshop... Sounds like the start of a bad joke right? This is a true story and not a joke though. A man walks into a thriftshop in Ohio and roots around looking for mid-century housewares and kitschy art and what does he find; a Picasso linocut worth thousands of dollars. Seven thousand dollars to be exact. This is every thrift shopper's dream. Who doesn't want to find that lost Vermeer or even Noguchi coffee table for pennies on the dollar? This thrift shopper, Zachary Bodish, succeded where so many of us have failed. He hit pay dirt and he hit it big. Mr. Bodish  paid the only in a thriftshop price of $14.14 for the Picasso linocut. He is living the story every participant on "Anitques Roadshow" dreams about. I say to you Zachary Bodish RIGHT ON! Keep on shopping and so shall we, if you can do so can someone else. I know that Vermeer is out there waiting for me or perhaps you but I hope me!