Malibu Surfside News

Rock Revetment Work Now Underway on Broad Beach

2010-02-03T15:47:00.000-08:00

• Homeowners Hope Emergency Project Is First Step to Resolution of Concerns

BY BILL KOENEKER

While huge trucks and cranes assisted by workers brought in 33,000 tons of rock to protect the multi-million dollar homes at Broad Beach this week from the encroaching ocean, the Trancas Property Owners Association issued a press release and its officers talked to the media.
The TPOA has obtained emergency permits from various agencies, including the City of Malibu and the California Coastal Commission, to place a rock revetment along approximately 4100 linear feet of Broad Beach on the ocean side of 77 homes. The emergency work should be completed by April 30 of this year.
The entire project is expected to cost $20 million and is described as the largest privately funded beach restoration project in United States history.
The ultimate long-range goal of the homeowners would be a restored dune system and a much wider dry and sandy beach area for public use.
Zan Marquis, acting co-chair of the TPOA’s beach restoration committee, explained how all of the parts came together to try to meld an emergency project into a long-term solution.
The homeowners got a briefing from their geological consultants based on recent studies that sand replenishment would be feasible on Broad Beach without groins. “The rate of sand loss would be about 60,000 cubic yards per year if about 600,000 cubic yards were deposited on the beach. That loss is considered acceptable. We did not know that until November,” Marquis said.
That information was critical to the homeowners and would become the basis for any long-term solution.
“Everybody hates groins, the public, the homeowners and the Coastal Commission,” he said. “What we are proposing is restoration of the dunes and a wide beach, plus agreement about public access along the replenished beach, except for a privacy buffer directly below the dunes.”
The access solution would be what Marquis called a universal public access, so that the confusing areas of lateral public accesses would be reconfigured.
“We told the coastal agency we want to negotiate a universal public access, instead of the checkerboard system we currently have,” he said.
Marquis said the homeowners group talked to CCC staff and executive director Peter Douglas about their proposal and got a preliminary green light.
The TPOA still needs much more detailed information about where the sand would come from, such as by dredging, and document the costs.
This nourishment would be required about every seven years, according to Marquis, who said the homeowners are also willing to form a Geological Hazard Abatement District. “There is widespread homeowner support, which is important since we would have to vote on that,” he added.
Marquis said the long-term solution offers many advantages. “The sand bags were failing and were causing downstream erosion. The sand replenishment would ultimately provide sand for Zuma Beach since its movement is down coast,” he said.
Even though riprap takes the shock of a wave, “no one wants walls of rock, including the homeowners,” said Marquis.
According to Marquis, several months ago, homeowners realized a long-term plan was gelling that was born out of need to take action on an emergency basis, a revetment was feasible, the sand replenishment would work and a solution was at hand. “We could replenish the sand and put it over the rocks,” he said, restoring the sand dunes and creating a wider, dry sand beach.
Marquis said the Coastal Commission would have to approve the permit along with other agencies.
However, questions remain unanswered about whether the temporary revetment will become a permanent one. Marquis said any long-term solution would require a permanent revetment, not the temporary one currently being placed on the beach.
Another question is whether the beach protection measure is located on private or public land.
“To the best of my knowledge, it is all private,” Marquis said.
However, a letter from the California Coastal Commission staff suggests the state agency may think otherwise.
That determination was the basis for the coastal agency becoming involved in issuing the emergency permit.
Marquis said the TPOA agreed to submit to the CCC for an emergency permit because ultimately the matter could end up in front of the coastal panel.
The city initially issued a permit for the emergency work in December, but the Coastal Commission staff indicated that jurisdictional issues were involved.
The CCC staff wrote about the rock revetment saying it had “determined” some, or all of a new rock revetment proposed by TPOA would “clearly be located seaward of the ambulatory mean high tide line,” and within the commission’s jurisdiction.
“Thus, construction of the temporary rock revetment, as proposed, would require an emergency coastal development permit from the California Coastal Commission,” wrote Steve Hudson, district manager for the coastal agency.

City Finally Gets Tenant for Its Vacant Building at PCH and Webb Way

2010-02-03T15:44:00.000-08:00

• Local Business Takes 10-Year Lease

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Malibu City Council at its regularly scheduled meeting next week is expected to approve a lease agreement with Super Care Drugs, Inc. for a 10-year lease agreement for a 3000-square-foot space in the building located at 23661 Pacific Coast Highway.
Besides providing expanded quarters for a local business, the arrangement promises a steady rental income stream to the city. The new store is expected to open in about six months, or no later than Aug. 8, according to a staff report.
The fixed minimum lease will initially start at $144,000 per year, and by the tenth year the rent will run at $182,416 per year.
The total square footage of the site is 4848 square feet. The staff report indicates the city is continuing to seek a tenant for the remaining 1848 square feet and the staff will bring back to the council another tenant for a final agreement on the package.
The council is scheduled to meet in closed session to consider an application from Malibu Business and Shipping Center for the additional space.
The building has been vacant for a year as city officials considered who might rent the high-profile structure located on the corner of PCH and Webb Way that was first constructed to house Malibu offices for a bank. The current economic climate in Malibu was another factor in the timetable.
At one time, several hardware stores had presented bids, and the city also was considering renting the building out to several other applicants, including the developers of the Malibu Lumberyard, to use the site for a mini-shopping center.

Lone Council Member Raises Questions about Municipal (Over)Borrowing Practices

2010-02-03T15:43:00.000-08:00

• Consideration of Issuing More COPs Now on the Table

BY BILL KOENEKER

Having borrowed money in the form of certificates of participation for Legacy Park, the purchase of the new City Hall, and possibly more for improvements to the new municipal headquarters, the municipality will be required to pay back nearly $62 million over the life of the borrowed funds, the Malibu City Council was told at a special quarterly meeting last week.
The information was revealed when Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich asked the city’s bond consultants what would be the final cost of all the borrowed money when it was paid off in about 30 years.
In what sounded like the same dialogue now going on in Sacramento and Washington, DC, Conley Ulich, who voted not to explore borrowing any more money, said she was worried about the spending policies of the current city council.
The majority of the members countered that there is a revenue stream to pay back the COPs and that no money to meet the indebtedness will come from the general fund or the taxpayers in the form of increased obligations.
The agenda item before the council was the cost of construction for the new city hall, which is currently estimated at $3.7 million. The total price tag was expected to be presented to the council in March. The city currently has $1.1 million in its designated reserve fund for city hall acquisition.
The Administration and Finance council subcommittee comprised of Mayor Sharon Barovsky and Councilmember John Sibert, suggested that money be rolled over to a facilities deferred maintenance fund, and that the city issue $5 million in COPs even though the current project estimate is $3.7 million. They agreed with the reasoning that if other problems arise during the remodeling, the funds would be available; if not, the balance could be used for a capital improvement, as noted in the staff report.
Conley Ulich persistently question the timing and the need for the extra borrowing that would amount to a total of $6.9 million.
Barovsky and Sibert countered that the time is better now because money is cheaper than it might be in the future.
They tried to assuage Conley Ulich’s concerns by stressing that the council was not going to approve the money this week, but was merely starting the process for issuing the COPs.
A majority of the council argued that the current credit rating the city just received would be beneficial to the process of obtaining more money.
The council was told that if the city used money from its undesignated fund reserve, which will be $7.7 million by the end of June 3, 2010, the fund would drop to $4 million. That is about half of the $8 million the fund should contain, according to city policy.
That amount is dangerously low, according to the consultants, who told the council that it could lose its excellent credit rating if something like that should happen.
Most cities comparable to Malibu have a reserve much higher than that—usually about 100 percent of their total budget—to serve as a rainy day fund, rather than the city’s stated goal of $8 million, which is less than 50 percent of the annual budget.
Conley unsuccessfully questioned why the city could not find out what the city hall renovation costs would be before proceeding with obtaining financing.
Barovsky said the city would pay a lot more for funding in the future than now.
Some council members and the staff also talked about how once the city was moved into its new offices, the old city hall would be subleased.
“I don’t feel comfortable issuing more debt. I think we should try to do more with less. I just won’t approve this,” Conley Ulich said.
The council voted 4-1, with Conley Ulich dissenting, to direct staff to prepare the document for the 2010 COPs.

Labor Exchange Pleads ‘Dire Financial Straits’

2010-02-03T15:41:00.000-08:00

• Extra Funding Needed to Replace Executive Director

BY BILL KOENEKER

When the Malibu City Council last week was considering turning over nearly $12,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to the Malibu Community Day Labor Exchange, they were told the program needed money in the form of immediate emergency funding now in order to stay afloat. The CDBG funds are not available until the start of the next fiscal year.
At a special meeting two days later, the council agreed to dig into its coffers and pay out the requested additional $10,000, but agreed it would reduce its general fund grant program by that amount.
The council also learned the DLE’s current executive director Mona Loo is resigning the post.
“We are in financial straits. Part of it is my fault. I am resigning and we need to find someone to share the responsibility,” she said.
Loo said the Labor Exchange is a small operation. She said there is only one paid employee. All others, including Loo, are volunteers. The program needed the emergency funding to get through the beginning of this new year, according to Loo, who said there is a fundraiser planned in March, but money is needed to help organize the fundraiser.
“I will continue to work as a volunteer, but not as executive director. I will be living in Malibu part-time,” Loo explained.
Mayor Sharon Barovsky acknowledged that the exchange has failed to address the day worker issues in a citywide fashion, and its only apparent success is in the Civic Center area.
“I’ve seen the situation at Point Dume and I’ve seen the situation at Trancas. I don’t want to see the [same] situation in mid-Malibu,” said the mayor, who was referring to the daily congregation of day laborers at locations in the west end of the city.
When the agenda item came up at the special meeting, council members did not address the mayor’s concerns about the limited success or apparent failure of the program at the west end.

Santa Monica College Returns to Malibu after 20-Year Hiatus

2010-02-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

• Classes Seen as First Step on Road to a Permanent Facility to Serve District Students

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

After more than 20 years, Santa Monica College has announced a pilot program to once again offer credit classes in Malibu. The program, designed to help the college plan a permanent campus in the Malibu Civic Center, is a requirement from a 2004 bond measure, that included funds for a Malibu satellite campus.
The pilot program will offer six general education classes in art, English, geography, photography and psychology. The classes will be held at Webster Elementary School on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, in the late afternoon and evening.
“We’re very pleased to be returning to Malibu with an offering of credit classes,” SMC President Chui L. Tsang stated in a press release. “This pilot program will help us determine the demand for courses and the best way to serve the Malibu community.”
While this is the first time in 20 years that SMC will offer credit classes in Malibu, the campus has provided dual enrollment classes for students at Malibu High School, and a limited number of noncredit courses through Emeritus College, a program for older adults, which have been described as “disappointing” by some seniors.
Longtime residents still talk about SMC’s community class offerings in the 1970s. The previous program included language, art and history and a one-of-a-kind offering called the Malibu Class, which explored the sociological and natural history of the area.
SMC has been working to reinstitute an educational program in Malibu since 2004, when Santa Monica-Malibu voters approved a $135 million bond measure that included $25 million for an instructional facility in the community.
The college is reportedly working with the City of Malibu and the County of Los Angeles to acquire land for the planned instructional center.
Spring semester classes begin Feb. 16. Information about the Malibu course offerings is now available online at: www.smc.edu.

Family Members of Mitrice Richardson Say Many Questions Remain Unanswered after Recent Meeting with Sheriff Baca

2010-02-03T15:36:00.000-08:00

• Lost Hills Station Undergoes Change of Command: Connection to the Missing Person Case Is Denied

BY ANNE SOBLE

The mother, aunt and college mentor of Mitrice Richardson, as well as a videographer who has been filming rallies and other events related to the case of the 24-year-old Watts woman who now has been missing for 20 weeks, recently met with Sheriff Lee Baca for an update.
Richardson’s mother, Latice Sutton; her aunt, Lauren Sutton; the psychologist who oversaw her college fieldwork, Ronda Hampton; and Los Angeles filmmaker Charles Croft met in Baca’s office three weeks ago for over an hour. All four said they have been grappling with their ongoing concerns before deciding to make them public.
Mitrice Richardson is the Cal State Fullerton honors graduate who medical experts now think was experiencing a mental breakdown when she began acting bizarrely and said she could not pay a Malibu dinner tab on Sept. 16.
Richardson’s family has been unequivocally critical of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s role and holds it responsible for their daughter’s well-being after she was transported to the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
Public criticism has also increased of Lost Hills’ release of the young black woman at 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 17 into the isolated industrial area. Richardson was alone, on foot, inadequately attired for cold weather, and without money or her cell phone, which had been placed in her impounded car, according to deputies, at her request.
Richardson was booked on two misdemeanor counts after being placed under citizen’s arrest the evening of Sept. 16 by personnel at Geoffrey’s restaurant for the one count of not paying her $89.51 dinner check.
Family members have said they were told by Lost Hills that the restaurant’s manager insisted that the woman be taken to Lost Hills for booking.
In addition, Captain Tom Martin of Lost Hills previously told the Malibu Surfside News that restaurant staff also requested that Richardson’s car be towed from their lot.
Richardson’s odd speech and behavior were described by people at the restaurant as “crazy,” but at Lost Hills, LASD personnel said that she was lucid and they had no reason to detain her. The News’ requests to interview those who transported or booked her have all been denied.
The second count was for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana found when deputies searched her vehicle, allegedly with Richardson’s permission, before impounding it,.
The four participants in the Jan. 6 meeting, which was also attended by Martin and other LASD officials, including Steve Whitmore, the spokesperson for the department, brought a detailed list of questions with them, which they say were either answered only in part, or not at all.
UNDISCLOSED TAPES
Of major significance at the meeting, the four learned from what they all described as a “red-faced” Captain Martin that he was not forthright about there not being “any videotapes” of the missing woman at Lost Hills, and his previous assertions that there are only live-feed cameras at Lost Hills were inaccurate.
Martin told Baca that he has tapes “in his desk” of Richardson in the “booking cage” and other video/audio, some of which may be from the restaurant.
Croft said they were told that the tapes could not be made available to them until the tapes have been edited “to protect” other people. He said Martin did not clarify whether this is because of the presence of other inmates (which it is believed there were none at the time), or because of the civilian jailer who processed Richardson. The jailer, Sharon Cummings, declined a request by The News to be interviewed or to provide a photograph.
LOST HILLS CHANGE
It was at this point in the meeting that Baca announced that Captain Tom Martin is being promoted to commander and will be replaced by an aide to Undersheriff Larry Waldie, Lt. Joseph H. Stephen Jr., who is being promoted to captain. LASD spokesperson Whitmore told The News this week that the change is “imminent.”
Stephen will be the first black officer to head the Lost Hills operation. When asked if the change was related in any way to the Mitrice Richardson case, Whitmore said, “This is a rotation of promotions [that has been] in the works for some time.”

UPDATE
Latice Sutton indicated that Sheriff Baca told the family “to face the fact your daughter is not with you,” and added, “She has gone to a better place.” The mother and aunt both said they question the appropriateness of the comments, but Whitmore said the sheriff’s words “were an expression of the sheriff’s compassion for the family.”
All four are adamant that during the meeting, Baca said, “She should never have been released with no means.” Whitmore said his recollections are different from those being expressed, but he said he could not elaborate further because family members have filed a legal claim that is expected to lead to a lawsuit. Whitmore said he can no longer comment specifically on aspects of the case that may be litigated.
The four participants also quote Baca as saying, “When you think about it, it’s the jailer’s fault [Richardson] was let go.” However, Whitmore said that isn’t what he recalls being said.
When asked if the arresting officers are going to be investigated, Baca is quoted by the four as saying “so much time has passed,” and it could be “uncomfortable and embarrassing” for them. The mother is also asking for staff time cards, shift change information and other documentation.
The three women said they perceived the session as marked by “insensitivity,” in that the mother and aunt think department officials were confused about who each of them is. Sutton said it was so obvious that she told them, “I get the impression that you don’t know my name.”
The family members said the meeting with Baca confirmed why it is “so critical to convince U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to initiate a federal investigation,” which is what the family has demanded from the beginning.
UPCOMING
Because Richardson, a beauty contest finalist, was planning to compete in the upcoming Miss Fullerton Pageant, she is going to be honored at that event on Feb. 6.
The Friends Group of Pasadena plans a conference on March 17, what will be the six-month anniversary of Richardson’s disappearance if she is not found, to discuss nighttime custody release policies. Hampton will be on the panel. A representative of the LASD may take part.
For more information, see Latice Sutton’s website at www.findmitrice.info, the father Michael Richardson’s site at www.bring mitricehome.org, or contact Dr. Ronda Hampton at 951-660-8031, or LAPD Homicide Lt. Charles Knolls or Detective Steven Eguchi at 213-486-6900. The LAPD is the lead agency on the missing person case.

Travesty: A Symbol of the American West Is Now under Seige

2010-02-03T15:34:00.000-08:00

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

Time is rapidly running out for America’s last wild horses. The Bureau of Land Management, which is charged with protecting and maintaining the wild horse population in the American West, is engaged in a brutal extermination campaign to eliminate wild horses and burros from public lands. That’s the message of Malibu director and cinematographer James Kleinert’s latest documentary film, “Disappointment Valley: A Modern Day Western,” which is screening on Feb. 8 and 11 at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.
Kleinert, who has spent the last several years dividing his time between Malibu and various parts of the West, told the Malibu Surfside News that he became interested in the plight of the wild horse while filming his award-winning 2006 documentary film “Spirit Riders,” which followed an American Indian peace movement begun by the Lakota Nation as they made their historical horse-back ride to Wounded Knee in South Dakota.
“‘Spirit Riders’ shows how American Indians have reclaimed their sacred way of life through reconnecting with the horse,” Klienert says, adding that the project also provided him with the opportunity to connect with the horses. Together with wild horse activist and actor Viggo Mortensen, Kleinert made two short films about the wild mustangs. The feature-length “Disappointment Valley” was his next step. The film’s release is timely, coming at what many see as the eleventh hour for the wild horse.
Wild horse advocates have blasted federal land managers this week after 26 mustangs died and 50 more suffered serious injuries last week in a government roundup on the range north of Reno. The roundup is part of an immediate plan to remove 2500 of the wild horses, and a long term plan to eliminate 12,000 wild horses and burros this year.
According to Kleinert, many of the wild horses will be transported to Mexico and brutally slaughtered for meat. Others will be euthanized, or kept at federal holding facilities notorious for overcrowding and inhumane treatment.
The film, shot in high definition, provides an opportunity to observe the magnificent horses in the wild, but also provides an expose on the treatment the animals receive at the hands of the BLM’s so called expert horse handlers, and the appalling conditions at the Mexican slaughter houses that, according to Klienert, are the final destination of many of the horses.
The documentary examines the origins and effects of the 2004 “Burns Bill,” which Kleinert says has gutted the Free Roaming Wild Horse and Burro Act of 1971, clearing the way for removal and slaughter of American wild horses.
“Disappointment Valley,” which includes interviews with Jim Baca, former director of the BLM under the Clinton Administration; Congressmember Raul M. Grijalva; wild horse advocates Michael Blake, Sheryl Crow, Viggo Mortensen, and Malibuite Daryl Hannah; as well as a wide range of scientific experts, animal rights activists and environmentalists, also explores the current impacts on western public lands by oil, gas, mining and corporate cattle grazing.
Kleinert points to the proposed $3 billion Ruby Natural Gas Pipeline that, if it is approved this spring, would cut through some of the most remote and pristine areas of Nevada’s wild horse territory, as one of the reasons the BLM is anxious to eliminate the horse population.
“I hope this film will not only educate viewers about the disturbing, massive removal of our horses but inspire change to the future of these precious animals,” Kleinert told the Malibu Surfside News.
Kleinert compares the west to the African Serengeti, and says that mining is a major threat to the area. “An area of publicly owned land equal to 15 Yellowstones has already been leased to oil and gas,” Kleinert says, adding that uranium mining is also a serious concern. “When these industries are finished, they leave a wasteland where nothing can live,” he says, adding that the BLM’s official position that horses are starving to death on the range is a falsehood. “The only horses that have starved in recent years are the ones the BLM rounded up and forgot to remove from the holding pens,” Kleinert says, providing images of the desiccated remains of mares and foals in an abandoned government pen.
“This is a real life “Avatar” story,” Kleinert says, referring to James Cameron’s record-breaking film that deals with a mining company prepared to commit genocide for financial gain. “It’s happening right here, in our country. The public is not being told. 30,000 horses will be killed and that includes healthy animals. The BLM is managing the wild horse to extinction.”
According to Kleinert, the future looks bleak for the last wild horses. “Obama has to issue an executive order to stop the roundups. That’s the only way of stopping this,” he says, although he adds that a Senate Bill, S 1579, called the Roam Act, may hold some hope.
Kleinert encourages interested individuals to contact their congressional representatives and urge them to support the Roam Act, stop the sale of wild horses for slaughter, and call for a congressional investigation of the BLM.
Kleinert can be contacted at jameskleinert@mac .com, Footage from “Disappointment Valley” can be viewed at www.americanwildhorse.com.
Information on the Santa Barbara Film Festival is available at www.sbfilmfestival.org

Council Candidate Statements Reflect Diverse Views

2010-01-27T19:18:00.000-08:00

• Ballot Order Has Been Determined by State’s Random Alphabetical Formula

BY BILL KOENEKER

The Malibu City Clerk last week issued copies of the city council candidates’ official statements and the order their names will appear on the April 13 ballot. There are two council seats up for grabs in what is expected to be a spirited campaign.
Ballot order is determined by the California Secretary of State’s random alphabetical drawing.
The names will appear as follows: Ed Gillespie, Harold Greene, Steve Scheinkman, Michael Sidley, Jan Swift, Matthew Katz, Kofi, Lou La Monte, Laura Rosenthal and John Mazza.
Voters have their first chance to familiarize themselves with the 10 city council hopefuls now that the candidates’ official statements are available.
One of the lesser known candidates arguably might be considered Kofi, who goes by the one name. Kofi lists his profession as a record producer and states that his emphasis is on the environment, improving education and promoting Malibu’s small business community. He contends that for years everyone has expressed concerns regarding the issues facing the city, “but no one in City Hall seems to be listening. I intend to bridge the gap.”
Kofi, who lives on Point Dume, pointed out several specific issues. He proposes to create an atmosphere where individuals respect and listen to each other “as opposed to a city council that assumes that every activist may be wrong.”
He said that public education should be improved. “I know many parents that send their kids to high schools outside of Malibu to receive a better education—this is unacceptable,” he added.
Kofi also noted that public safety, public health and improved disaster response are on the top of his agenda. He promised if elected, “We will create a process for fire victims to rebuild and a system to walk victims through.”
While not a household name in local politics, Matthew Katz, who moved to Malibu in 1955 and has been a permanent resident since 1979, expressed some strong opinions that he says are shared by many other Malibu residents.
In his candidate statement, Katz asserts that Legacy Park should be abandoned. “Put the dirt back,” he added. He said most folks he talks to don’t really want parks. “We don’t need parks,” he added.
He noted it is time to stop development and reduce the pollution. Katz produced a laundry list of issues that need to be addressed: Traffic conditions, sea erosion, school traffic and lighting, new ways to bring in revenue. “We need creative ideas, not Rodeo Drive,” the Malibu Park resident added.
Education and city activist Laura Rosenthal, who may be known to a larger segment of the Malibu community, indicated she is running for a city council because “I believe that what I’ve learned as a volunteer in a wide variety of civic activities through the years is the best experience imaginable for a council member.”
Rosenthal describes herself as a “big picture thinker, who will bring trust, integrity and respect to our council. I am committed to an independent Malibu where citizens and government work together.”
During her 15 years of civic duty, Rosenthal has served on the city’s Public Works Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Malibu Economic Advisory Committee, the PTA, Shark Fund, Malibu Little League, BB Facilities Bond Committee Malibu, and Malibu High Site Governance. “I am known for getting the job done,” she noted.
Rosenthal said she supports responsible planning that balances the needs of the resident and community needs. She said she supports a resident-serving city. “I will continue to promote amenities and approaches that serve everyone, including a modern senior center, adult sports leagues and teen activities,” she added.
Rosenthal indicated Malibu must take the lead on environmental and land use issues and “not wait for outside agencies to dictate to us.”
On school issues: “I will fight to get Malibu its fair share of district bond money to upgrade our schools. I am the only candidate with experience working with our school district,” she noted.
Rosenthal, who lives in Malibu Park, also said she has lobbied for fiscal transparency and a common sense approach to spending tax dollars and, as a public works commissioner, has studied water dispersal, fire safety, environmental cleanup and road repair.
Businessman John Mazza, who serves on the planning commission, indicated that he and his family have lived in Malibu for years not just because it is a coastal paradise. “Malibu is simply much more to me than simply the beauty of its beaches and trails, it is the community that comes together again and again whether to defend itself against the threats of fire and flood or to determine for itself thoughtful future growth following its General Plan,” he noted.
The Point Dume resident explained that he has attended almost every city council and planning commission meeting over the past several years. “For this reason, I have persistently taken leadership roles on issues ranging from sports fields to fire safety, and for this reason that I hope to represent you on the Malibu City Council now.” he wrote.
Mazza, who has run unsuccessfully for a council seat twice before, has been the past president of several civic organizations and now also serves as a director of the Malibu Arts Foundation and as a member of the Malibu Library Task Force.
“I know Malibu residents care deeply about the environment and they want Malibu to do the right thing to clean and protect the beaches and ocean where our friends, neighbors and children play. This must be accomplished in an economically sound manner,” he said.
Ed Gillespie is a yacht broker, who currently serves as the chair of the planning commission. He is a past president of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and served on the Legacy Park Task Force. He ran for city council unsuccessfully in the 2004 election.
Gillespie said he promises to represent only the voter, the citizens of Malibu, and not any special interest group or political faction.
He also promised, if elected, to “fight to make Pacific Coast Highway safer, through a review of current regulations and enforcements. Initiate programs to make Malibu more “fire safe” and prevent overnight camping in Malibu. Assure the City of Malibu makes fiscally responsible decisions with the maximum amount of input from its citizens. Assure that all options are explored to clean up the bay and resolve the state’s prohibition. Fight to maintain the rural charm of our precious Malibu.”
Harold Greene, who is an attorney, emphasizes he is dedicated to following the words of the founding fathers and mothers of the City of Malibu that are contained in the city’s vision and mission statement. “I am bound by those words and pledge to honor them,” he said.
Greene utilized the rest of his candidate’s statement to list his community involvement, including chair of the city’s Native American Cultural Resources Committee. “I helped create and sustain the Chumash Day Powwow. I also guided the redrafting of the cultural resources portion of the zoning ordinance, as well as the drafting and lobbying of the cultural resources portion of our Local Coastal Plan. I continue to be vocal in my opposition to the policies of the Coastal Commission that impact our freedom and safety,” he added.
Greene also served as the president of the Zuma Mesa Property Owners Association and previously on the board of the Point Dume Club Residents Association. The council hopeful was appointed to the View Protection Task Force and was elected its vice-chair.
Jan Swift calls himself a “local boy” raised on Malibu beaches, who has not always been active in the community. “You see, I fell to a low in my life resulting from my own bad behavior. Specifically, I went to prison for a time as a result of mistakes that I made while using alcohol and drugs. I’m not proud of this transgression, rather I am humbled by it. It was one of the best and worst things to ever happen to me. My time behind bars was a time for learning and growth. I learned the true value of time, and that life goes on without you unless you stand up and move with it. Most of all, I realized that the things you want most in life, are those for which you must stand up and fight,” he said.
Swift, who lives on Pacific Coast Highway, in west Malibu, noted that given his new stance, he wants to stand up and fight to keep Malibu pristine. “I want to cultivate the feeling of community. I want to work to keep it safe, maintain its charm and promote its small business growth,” he added. “I have the desire, the drive, the determination and the energy to work for this town. Malibu has given me great gifts over the years, and I’d be honored to have the opportunity to give back.”
Relative newcomer Steve Scheinkman contends that Malibu is at a crossroads, “striving to balance evolving needs of residents while keeping its promise to protect and preserve the natural resources and rural characteristics we all cherish.”
He asserts that the next four years will present challenges to provide solutions to keep the water clean, protect homes from fire, find ways to provide additional recreational and educational opportunities for the children and implement infrastructure improvements to ensure the health safety and welfare of a growing population while protecting the environment. “Our challenges are further exacerbated by the willingness of outside government agencies to impose their will on our community, impinging on our right to self determination,” the Malibu Park resident added.
Scheinkman made several promises to the voters, including expanding educational and recreational opportunities for Malibu children, preserving Malibu’s natural resources and rural character, helping Malibu make sound financial decisions, listening to the voters as a friend and neighbor, and fostering an open exchange of ideas, while promoting respect and rejecting self-interest.
Lou La Monte indicated he wants to be a bridge between the many different factions in Malibu that care about the city. “I’ll work to bring these interests together for a strong, safe Malibu. After all, that is why we became a city in the first place,” he said.
The Big Rock resident, who for years served as the president of his HOA, moved on to city involvement in 2008 when he was appointed to the Public Works Commission partly because of his extensive work with the Big Rock Assessment district. That same year, he was also tapped to serve on the View Protection Task Force. “I fought for a fair ordinance that ensured view protection as well as privacy rights, as outlined in the Malibu General Plan,” he said.
Another fight La Monte said he will wage is against the proliferation of luxury drug rehab centers throughout Malibu. “I am running for city council not only because I feel I am qualified, but also because I would like to serve the community that has given me and my family so much,” he concluded.
Serra Retreat resident Michael Sidley grew up in Malibu, attended Malibu public schools and after college became a lawyer.
He pointed out that he is committed to a viable view protection ordinance. “This is the only way ensure that the beauty, which brought people to this wonderful community, is protected for all citizens,” he explained.
Other issues Sidley stresses include improvements for the public school system, protection of the environment, and a commitment to finding a funding solution for the septic ban mandated by the Regional Water Quality Control Board. Sidley noted that he is also concerned about what he calls “financial giveaways that have plagued this city.”
“I am the candidate who brings both a historical perspective and the skill necessary to lead us through these difficult times. Please support quality leadership and a positive vote for change,” he said.

Council Turns Down HOA Appeal of Trancas Market

2010-01-27T19:16:00.000-08:00

BY BILL KOENEKER

By unanimous vote, the Malibu City Council this week denied an appeal by the Malibu West Homeowners Association for denial of the planning commission approval of the proposed expansion of Trancas Country Market.
The planning commission had approved the plans, including a 25,728-square-foot addition to the existing commercial shopping center, permits for two new restaurants, and a new parking lot across the street for employees.
The planning panel appeared to have been won over when the developer eliminated plans for an 11,000-square-foot shopping center on a vacant parcel at the last minute.
The appellants insisted they were not opposed to the project, but thought it needed more study. They asked that the council, if members did not require an Environmental Impact Report, condition the project on a number of issues involving emergency easements, noise and traffic.
“Our own consultant recommended an EIR is required,” said HOA board member Mark Wetton. “If the city does not require an EIR, then it should require mitigation of sound and safety issues.”
The council complied with one of the conditions—emergency evacuation sought by the HOA and added two of its own conditions: a 24-hour security guard and creating a location to store disaster emergency supplies.
Councilmember Jefferson Wagner said his approval could only be obtained if the council required emergency access. The HOA sought two easements to avoid the chokepoint they said that would exist during a disaster at Trancas Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway.
The council rejected a proposed easement for an escape route on the east side of the development agreeing when the city attorney said that the location of such an emergency road would be problematic given that it is in the middle of an Environmentally Sensitive Habitat Area.
The council accepted the notion that an emergency escape route along the property line of the western parcel would offer an acceptable alternative.
The project applicant Dan Bercu said he would need to get the approval of the lender, and his attorney sought a way in which the project could be approved this week and the proof of the applicant’s compliance could be provided later.
Some f the other conditions sought by the HOA were turned down by the council including a sound wall, which members found fault with, including insisting it could be a wildlife barrier. Another offered an explanation that they don’t work and a sound wall would keep the sound of the ocean away from the residents.
Councilmember Wagner said many of the other HOA concerns were already covered by current city law or would be in forthcoming ordinances.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich blasted he developer for not providing a public amenity. She suggested for long-term planning Bercu could have “provided a lumber site”. She also talked about public transportation, such as a bus or shuttle that could transport people from Cross Creek to Trancas, and vice versa.
Councilmember Andy Stern said he was pleased the proposal was not larger. He also said he did not want to encourage the developer to expand the project so the city could get a public amenity.
Mayor Sharon Barovsky seemed taken aback by an HOA suggestion that all of the picnic tables should be removed from the proposed commons area.
“Tell me about a picnic area with no picnic tables,” said Barovsky. It was explained by Bercu’s attorney that HOA members did not want large families from the 818 area code taking over the commons area.
Barovksy insisted she would require picnic tables. After Bercu quipped it is a Zen thing, the mayor was reassured there would be picnic tables.
Bercu reiterated that the east parcel, which contains the creek and offers potential for a restored lagoon, is for sale and the owners would consider reducing the price from $3.5 million to $2.5 million.
The audience was made up laergely of Bercu associates and supporters, with a smattering of critics. The tenor of the meeting prompyed the mayor to say, “This is the most civilized group.”

School District Chief Says Cutting Can’t Be Avoided

2010-01-27T19:14:00.000-08:00

• New Tax Hike Covers Half of Deficit

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

Tim Cuneo, superintendent of the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District, urged the community to “stay positive” at a recent district budget presentation at Malibu High School, but only the most sanguine could view the state’s $21.5 billion-plus deficit financial forecast with optimism.
According to Cuneo, 71 percent of school funding comes from Sacramento. The district’s $12 million deficit mirrors the state’s $20 billion deficit, meaning that SMMUSD’s state funding has dropped from $5722 per student in 2008-2009 to $5029 in 2009-10.
Cuneo explained the measures that the district has already taken, including cuts of $4.5 million in 2009-10, increasing class size, reorganizing and consolidating Samohi’s house system, cutting contracts and attempting to reduce energy and travel costs.
According to Cuneo, other measures being discussed include furlough days for employees, additional increases in class size and reductions in personnel, including district office staff and services, as well as teachers, counselors, advisors, outreach specialists, library staff, reading specialists, nursing staff, and security officers.
Other budget cuts could include reducing or eliminate programs, including elementary music and summer school programs.
The centerpiece of the district’s budget strategy is a new parcel tax. The board of education has already approved holding a special election for the parcel tax measure on May 25.
Although residents in the district have traditionally supported parcel tax measures in the past, the May 25 mail-in election, which will cost the district $360,000, comes at a time when Santa Monica, where the vast majority of district voters live, faces record high foreclosure rates and significant job loss.
The district sees the risk as necessary for the survival of key programs, and is counting on success, despite what has been described as “tepid”or “lukewarm” response to parcel tax phone polls.
Cuneo, however, has cautioned that the tax, if passed, would cover only about half the district deficit, and additional cuts would still have to be made. He also expressed concern that once cut, programs may be difficult to reestablish.
“The budget crisis is real,” Cuneo stated, indicating that the district, which serves 11,607 students, may be forced to eliminate up to 90 certificated staff—teachers, counselors, nurses, and administrators and 30 classified staff—custodians, maintenance, library staff, security and other classifications. Class size, already increased this year, would rise still higher for all grade levels.
Cuneo asked that the community stay informed about the ballot measure, attend budget workshops, follow state budget news and get involved.
Malibuites who had their minds on the immediate crisis of sandbags, raising water and the thunderstorm overhead and not on the school budget that evening, can read more about the state of the district’s budget online.
The PowerPoint presentation that accompanied Cuneo’s talk is available at www.smmusd.org

Planning Panel Approves LCP Amendment that Allows MHS Temp Athletic Field Lighting

2010-01-27T19:13:00.000-08:00

• City Council Candidates See Issue as ‘Campaignable’

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

The City of Malibu’s Planning Commission, after nearly three hours of public testimony and a lengthy debate, approved a recommendation for Local Coastal Program and Zoning Text amendments to permit temporary athletic field lighting at the Malibu High School campus.
The recommendation will be heard next by the Malibu City Council. The California Coastal Commission, which voted unanimously to deny a previous request for a lighting amendment last year, will have the final say.
Several factions spoke at the meeting: residents who oppose changing the LCP; football team supporters who requested a total of 16 lighted nights during October and November to accommodate eight games and eight practices; and supporters of open-ended lighting to accommodate soccer, lacrosse, baseball, softball, tennis, and fundraising activities.
I speak for many residents,” Malibu Park resident Carol Gable said. “We feel this is the first step [toward permanent lighting]. Wildlife abounds. We enjoy hearing and seeing it year round. You would be better served to be teaching the students to be good stewards.”
One woman brought carefully labeled bags containing owl pellets that she stated had been collected on school property. “There is habitat,” she said. We all know we have raptors.”
“I’ve attended dozens of these meetings,” Hap Henry, the only MHS football player to participate in the discussion, said. He suggested that the amendment be limited to 16 nights of high school football and that language be included to ensure that the lights be shielded and removed promptly at the end of of the season. He also suggested that the amendment should have “deeper protection against increases to an unreasonable number.”
“Anybody opposed is disgusting,” Malibu Park resident Steven Bard said. “It’s unbelievable to me. The best athletes are leaving.” Bard has coached MHS middle school flag football.
“[Lights] would bring in revenue and keep kids here in Malibu,” another speaker said, stating that “the [men] being prosecuted in the Corral Fire” are a “prime example” of what happens to youth without the benefit of organized sports. However, the speaker did not indicate whether he actually knew that the men did not participate in sports.
“The 200-plus lighting plan still exists, it’s waiting on the shelf” Malibu Township Council president Steve Uhring said, pointing out that opponents have so far outnumbered proponents 20 to 1. “That’s why residents say no. 16 nights opens the door to 200-plus nights. It launches an assault on quality of life.”
The meeting attracted the attention of most of the candidates for the April city election. Candidates Ed Gillespie and John Mazza are chair and vice chair of the planning panel. Laura Rosenthal and Mike Sidley are both education activists who are on the school district’s Measure BB committee. Matthew Katz and Steve Scheinkman are Malibu Park residents.
Rosenthal, who has advocated for the lights from the beginning, described the process as “a great example of different groups coming together to compromise.” She added, “When we were looking at permanent lights, at that time I supported them [but] it became quite clear it was going to impact. We’ve gone down from 203 nights to 16 nights. I know there’s a lot of wildlife, beautiful dark skies. The wildlife has not gone away with six years of limited use.”
“I urge you to adopt the one with the most flexibility,” Sidley said. “The board of education in not to be feared. We are talking about providing opportunities. Will people be impacted? Yes. All of us have to compromise. The reason they were talking about 200 was they were trying to provide more opportunity.”
“Why are we spending money on lights? The school district is going to raise our property tax,” said Katz. “People who don’t live in Malibu Park shouldn’t have a say. They aren’t the ones who suffer,” he stated.
“There was a compromise that took place for seven years,” council candidate Steve Scheinkman pointed out. Scheinkman, who has been an advocate for the 16 night plan, cautioned that any amendment would need to incorporate the restrictions in the LCP, not just the municipal code.
“There has got to be protection in the LCP so the school district can’t turn around and say they’re exempt,” Scheinkman said. There are 188 houses within 1000 feet of the school. Four percent of Malibu’s population [will be] impacted.
“You have to understand, what we are trying to do is work out the best solution for the Coastal Commission to look at.” Commission vice chair John Mazza said, addressing his remarks to a pair of young cheerleaders who said earlier that they “really, really wanted the lights.”
“The school board has gone outside of local control,” Mazza explained. “They went directly to Coastal, outside of the city process. They were turned down 12-0. We have to come up with a rational solution that protects the school, protects the neighbors, and language that the City Council and the Coastal Commission can accept.”
“Can’t we have a resolution that includes all of our sports?” asked Commissioner Regan Schaar. She repeatedly called the proposed 16 night limit “restrictive,” and pushed initially for an open-ended amendment that would not restrict the number of nights or types of activities and later for a 25 night plan.
“I’m concerned that we are going to lose football,” Steve Scheinkman said, after plans to include everything from tennis to Pop Warner in the proposal. “I listened to coastal, [they were] specifically concerned about creep. Don’t do anything that’s going to lose football.” He added that “[Coastal] rejected the environmental report.”
“Owls have 365 nights a year,” Schaar snapped.
“I’m not going to dignify that remark with a reply,” chair Ed Gillespie answered.
After lengthy debate, the commission agreed to retain the 16-night limit, but opted not to specify football, leaving the distribution of night sports up to the school. This move was seen as a way to make the lights available for other sports and avoid Title XI complications, but it would also expand the period of time the six 53-foot lights would potentially be on the field from the two months required for football to a total of four months, to accommodate soccer, potentially doubling the cost of the lights, which several speakers pointed out have in the past been funded entirely by the football team.
The extension could also mean the lights would still be in use during the start of breeding season for the hotly contested owl population in late winter.
The final proposal recommends placing the Conditional Use Permit requirement in the LCP, to prevent the school district from circumventing municipal control. The commission also agreed that the amendment should specify high school athletic activities only and set an end-time of 10:30 p.m. and require that the lights be removed promptly at the end of the four-month period.

Council Looks at Camp 8 Issue

2010-01-27T19:11:00.000-08:00

• County Capitulates to Localized Outcry

BY BILL KOENEKER

Some Malibu City Council members had strong words for the residents who protested initial reports that the California Department of Corrections was considering use of Fire Camp 8 to house inmates trained in firefighting.
The facility is currently used by the Los Angeles County Fire Department to assign fly crews. A helicopter is stationed at the camp located high in the hills above Las Flores Canyon.
“That is not going to happen,” said fire department spokesperson, Maria Grycan, Nearby residents had organized opposition to the plan that fire officials said was still in the early assessment stage.
Fire officials now say their initial assessment has ruled out the camp for inmates because of the residential component.
Councilmember John Sibert chastised the protesting neighbors, who he said jumped the gun.
“The concern I have is the Chicken Little approach. We ended up looking foolish,” he said.
Sibert said he began getting e-mails on Thursday, made a few calls, contacted the city manager and by Monday fire officials had already withdrawn the site.
“These are programs that save people’s lives. This instant panic bothers me,” he added.
Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said she thought it ironic that when she attended the community Wildfire planning meetings, there were only three people in attendance.
“I hope the people activated by the Camp 8 [proposal] keep more informed and involved,” she said. “I hope the people who shouted the loudest on Camp 8 don’t stop. They need to be vigilant.”
Ironically, the history of the camp shows it got its start as a place for wards of the court to learn wilderness firefighting techniques.
Current inmate firefighting facilities in Malibu include Camp 13 on Encinal Canyon Road and Camp 16 in Malibu Canyon, according to the LACOFD website.
In 1981, Camp 13 was the first of four fire suppression camps to open jointly with the CDC, combining state manpower and resources within county facilities and county overhead, according to the website.
In a program that predates most residents, Camp 8 was one of seven camps in the 1940s when the county staffed the facilities with wards of the court.

Publisher’s Notebook

2010-01-27T19:09:00.000-08:00

• Some Malibuites Send Misplaced Message •

ANNE SOBLE

As The News went to press last week, a maelstrom of outrage erupted among some of the residents of the upper Rambla Pacifico/Las Flores area in opposition to the possibility that Camp 8 might be used to temporarily house inmates specially selected for firefighting training. The timing of the lobbying campaign didn’t allow other residents in the area, who know the important role these individuals play in fighting wildfires, to present their point of view.
On Martin Luther King Jr. Day no less, this small group of vocal Malibuites provided an example of why the community is often perceived by the outside world as elitist and xenophobic. These same residents would clamor for trained ground crews if their homes were engulfed in flames, but it appears that these crews are only acceptable if they have been bused in from somewhere else. What do these residents think about the inmates who become full-fledged county firefighters? Should they be prohibited from being assigned to Malibu stations? In 2010, this has the unfortunate ring of some of the most unsavory aspects of the nation’s history.
That the residents who rushed to judgment may have been exhibiting fear and ignorance of the role of these crews is not too strong an indictment. They do not speak for those in eastern Malibu, or others throughout the rest of the community, who know the importance of the camps that are located in western Malibu and Malibu Canyon when wildfires rage. Anyone who has ever watched these well-trained men and women do risky, demanding and gritty groundwork gives them the respect they deserve.
In 1993, after a night of watching backfiring by the valiant engine companies ensconced on our property, my family tried to catch some sleep in the smoky haze. We were awakened by the sound of singing. The melodic sounds were accompanied by the clamor of chain saws and axes at work. When I went outside, a crew of Camp 13 inmates were removing smoldering branches and churning up plant roots that might harbor embers. Those of us in the firestorm’s path don’t often get to thank those who make a difference in protecting our homes. We had already thanked the firefighters before their engines headed out, but now we were also able to show appreciation to the inmate crew that was doing the mopping up that is so critical in wildfire’s aftermath.
A public apology to the crews and the firefighters who join the county after their time at a camp ends is in order from those who generated the hysteria. These crews serve the public when they are needed. That a few people can speak so ill of men and women to whom Malibu owes its gratitude dishonors not only the crew members, but also the rest of us.

Mitrice Richardson’s Family Steps Up Efforts to Involve the FBI

2010-01-27T19:07:00.000-08:00

• Congressmember Maxine Waters Cites Missing Woman’s Case in Call for New Legislation

BY ANNE SOBLE

The family of Mitrice Richardson, the 24-year-old woman who has now been missing for 19 weeks, is stepping up its call for federal involvement in her mysterious disappearance.
Michael Richardson and Latice Sutton are the parents of the Cal State Fullerton honors graduate who medical experts now think was experiencing a mental breakdown when she began acting bizarrely and said she could not pay a Malibu dinner tab on Sept. 16.
The mother and father may have different opinions about the direction and timing of legal action over the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s treatment of the young woman, but they are united in their criticism of the agency that they hold responsible for their daughter’s well-being after she was transported to the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
The parents and a growing chorus of voices in government and the media question the Lost Hills release of the slight young woman at 12:30 a.m. on Sept. 17. Mitrice Richardson was alone, on foot, poorly clad for the cold temperature, and without money or her cell phone, in a dark and isolated area.
Both parents have repeatedly stated that they think that deputies at the station know more than has been disclosed and station officials are suppressing information and evidence that would shed light on what happened to their daughter.
Michael Richardson stated this week that he is preparing to go to Washington, DC, to personally request that the FBI investigate the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station.
He said, “For some reason, people think that we are requesting for the FBI only to get involved in the search [now being directed by the Los Angeles Police Department]. That is not true. There is a cover-up throughout the Lost Hills Station, and I want it unfolded. People [who know things] are scared and don’t want to come forward.”
Richardson stressed, “I’m trying to be patient because we are so close to finding out without [Lost Hills’] tapes and cooperation. With the 5300 signatures we have on a petition, I will go to the steps of the FBI offices and ask for the following if the officers involved do not step forward: the entire station should be dismantled, pending a major federal investigation.”
The missing woman’s father added, “Those who know something are just as guilty. I also will be seeking a new law; Law enforcement [officials] of any kind who break the law should receive double the penalty. I will look at law enforcement personnel abuse cases. I will provide stats on rape and assault cases that have happened in Malibu this year alone.”
Richardson said, “I was trying to wait, but I have to go with what I have because so many people have been turned off by the filing of the negligence claim.”
RICHARDSON PUT ON FBI LIST
On another front, noted Los Angeles civic activist Earl Ofari Hutchinson recently announced that the FBI has officially listed Mitrice Richardson in its National Crime Information Center Missing Persons file. Pending analysis of DNA provided by her mother, Mitrice Richardson is eligible to be listed in its Violent Criminal Apprehension Program and its National Missing Person DNA Database.
Hutchinson has appealed to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to become involved in the case.
WATERS CALLS FOR NEW LAW
In other Washington news, Congressmember Maxine Waters, who represents Watts, Mitrice Richardson’s district, has co-sponsored the Help Find the Missing Act (H.R. 3695), which would assist in identifying missing people and solving cases involving those who are missing. The legislation directs the U.S. Attorney General to share information on missing persons and unidentified human remains in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing and Unidentified Person File database with the NamUs database. It also establishes funding for this effort.
In her statement Tuesday at the hearing that the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security held on the bill, Waters said, “Last September, a young woman from my district named Mitrice Richardson went missing under questionable circumstances...I believe the local authorities could have done more, earlier in the process, to assist [her] family...Only after months of television appearances, mass mailings, and petitions organized by [her] family and friends did [agencies] begin to devote the necessary resources to find her...Our constituents believe local law enforcement should have the necessary training and resources to investigate and find their missing relatives.”
Waters added, “The legislation would require the Department of Justice to issue a report to law enforcement agencies, coroners, and medical examiners concerning best practices for collecting and reporting information about missing and unidentified persons. While the FBI does not typically investigate all cases involving missing adults, it can certainly do more to provide our local and state authorities with vital tools and information so that they can be more helpful and effective in their investigations.”
Meanwhile, Michael Richardson said he has asked “my attorney to withdraw my claim filing against the county. I have enough on my plate now...trying to recruit people to help me find my child.”

Multi-Million Dollar Homes on Broad Beach to Get Ocean Protection

2010-01-27T19:06:00.000-08:00

• HOA Gets Emergency Coastal Permit for Rock Revetment to Replace Existing Eyesore Barriers

BY BILL KOENEKER

The constant pounding of waves along Broad Beach against sand dunes and sandbag mounds has caused extensive erosion, leading the property owners association to seek an emergency permit for placement of a rock revetment along the entire stretch of shoreline, according to Malibu city officials and a California Coastal Commission staffer.
The request first went to the Malibu planning department, which issued an emergency permit for the work.
However, once the state coastal agency got wind of the permit request, it indicated to the HOA and the city it would only issue the permit with conditions.
The city and the CCC staff issued permits for the placement of an approximately 4100-linear-foot temporary rock revetment consisting of 33,000 tons of rip rap on the sandy beach seaward of 77 existing multi-million dollar beachfront residences.
A temporary sand berm approximately 10 feet high by 25 feet wide is also proposed for interim protection of structures during the construction of the revetment.
One requirement is that all construction occur during low tidal periods, according to the permit document. Both CCC and Malibu officials indicated that the work could start at any time.
The commission staff noted that the request for the placement of rock on the beach is the reason the agency got involved.
An emergency permit is described as a temporary permit with a definite time limit. A formal application for a coastal permit must be submitted before the CCC in this particular case.
Though the revetment is described as temporary, it is not clear how easily 33,000 tons of rock could or would be removed.
Some observers have expressed concern about how the riprap might impact the down coast shoreline of Zuma Beach especially during storms and high tide events.

Forensics Link Alleged Killer to Malibu Crime

2010-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

It was one of the most brutal murders in Malibu’s history. On Dec. 16, 1977, Georgia Wixted, 27, a registered nurse, was sexually assaulted, beaten with a claw hammer and finally strangled with a nylon stocking. Her naked body was found in her east Malibu apartment. The crime shocked the community.
Print technicians recovered a single partial palm print from the scene, believed to belong to the murderer. More than 30 years later, that print was matched to Rodney Alcala, a former death row inmate now charged with murdering five female victims, all killed using the same MO between 1977 and 1979.
Alcala was arrested in July of 1979 after a witness identified him from a police artist’s sketch made after the murder of a 12-year-old Huntington Beach girl, Robin Samsoe. Eyewitness, including the murdered girl’s friend, identified the wild-haired Alcala, who approached Samsoe with a camera prior to her abduction and asked to photograph her.
Alcala was tried twice and convicted of the murder of Samsoe. He has twice been sentenced to death but both sentences were reversed on appeal. Alcala was awaiting a third trial in 2003, when forensic technology not previously available allegedly linked him to four other murders, including that of Wixted.
Computer technology enabled Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department fin-gerprint technician Dale Falican to match the palm print from the Malibu murder to Alcala. Falican, one of the first to testify in the trial that began on Jan. 11, stated that the palm print conclusively links Alcala to the Malibu crime scene, since no two individuals have ever been found to have identical prints.
DNA testing has also been deployed, linking Alcala to biological material collected at several of the crime scenes and retained as evidence.
The five murders have been consolidated into one case for the trial in Orange County over Alcala’s objections. In a macabre twist, Alcala, who is said to have a near-genius IQ, has dismissed his attorneys and is representing himself in court, which means that victims’ family members who are testifying in the case will be cross-examined by the alleged serial killer.
If Alcala is convicted of the charges, which include five murders with special circumstances—torture, rape, burglary, robbery and kidnapping—he could face multiple death sentences.
At least one victims advocacy group now says emerging evidence could potential link Alcala to other unsolved crimes.

Rain Becomes the Norm as Pacific Storms Soak Malibu

2010-01-20T17:27:00.000-08:00

• Residents on Lookout for Rockslides and Water Spouts

BY ANNE SOBLE

Malibuites had their rain gear at the ready this week for a series of three powerful Pacific storms that the National Weather Service forecast with near perfect accuracy.
The first storm rolled in Sunday afternoon dropping from one to two and a half inches of rain in parts of the Malibu area. The second storm on Tuesday was the lighter of the two but still brought another inch or more of rainfall to the local coast and canyons.
Meteorologists said the storm series was the strongest and wettest to hit this area since the winter of 2005.
Because there were numerous breaks between heavy downpours, ground absorption helped to keep runoff problems to a minimum. However, National Weather Service reports said that might not continue to be the case if the third storm forecast for Wednesday through Thursday brings even greater rainfall.
If that’s not enough wet weather to everyone’s liking, still more rain is possible through the weekend.
Not having experienced wildfire in two years, Malibu should fare better than more recent burn areas that may face flash flooding and debris flows downstream.
Still, it was being recommended that even residents outside the fire zones continue to monitor their property and have emergency preparedness plans in place.
Waterspouts off the coast were considered possible during the storms, but the only reports of sightings were farther south.
Offshore strong winds and ocean swells in double digits did materialize, however, they also took their worst toll farther south.
The intermittent power outages that ricochetted through Malibu on Monday were mostly short-lived.
The same storms that soaked Malibu were more appreciated in the northern part of the state where they produced snow. This will help to replenish California’s water supplies and ease the effects of a three-year drought.

10 Candidates Vie for Two City Council Seats on April 13 Ballot

2010-01-20T17:25:00.000-08:00

• Wide Field of Diverse Hopefuls Starts Off with Discussion on Whether to Hold More Debates

BY BILL KOENEKER

No sooner had the Malibu City Clerk issued an email with a list of the individuals who successfully filed nominating papers for the two city council seats up for grabs in the April 13 election, than council hopeful Mike Sidley issued a challenge to all of the candidates to a series of weekly debates.
The individuals, whose nomination papers signatures were verified as legitimate voters in the City of Malibu, making them qualified as candidates are Ed Gillespie, Harold Greene, Matthew Katz, Kofi, Lou La Monte, John Mazza, Laura Rosenthal, Steve Scheinkman, Mike Sidley, and Jan Swift. Friday, Jan. 15, was the last day that council hopefuls could file nomination packets with the city clerk.
Regan Schaar, Walt Keller and Makan Delrahim took out packets but did not return filing papers. Keller, who said he would not return his packet if he found two candidates to endorse, indicated he had found two such council hopefuls. Schaar said she could not run at this time.
Matthew Katz was the only new individual who returned his nomination packet and was deemed qualified to run. The nine others have been discussed as potential candidates in previous issues.
Katz is a longtime Malibu Park resident who can regale visitors with his activities in the ’60s, when he was involved with the business affairs and management of several counterculture rock bands. His tales of representing himself pro per in successful litigation with those same well-known bands is viewed by some as nearly legendary.
Mike Sidley, who made the call for weekly debates in emails to candidates, as well as a press release, said his “challenge” was issued because he had identified the need of Malibu voters to hear from each of the candidates in their own words on how they plan to deal with the important issues facing the city.
“With a field as crowded and diverse as this one, only through weekly debates can the voters of Malibu get a true picture of each candidate and where they stand on the issues,” said Sidley in his prepared statement. “These debates will give the voters of Malibu a true picture of how these candidates will govern in the future”
Sidley suggested a roster of subjects, which he said should be dealt with in each debate. These include: view protection and the encroachment of the proposed view protection ordinance, septic tank ban, support for public schools and the upcoming parcel tax, transportation, public safety and government waste,
Some of the candidates were quick to respond via email and like Sidley sent copies to the local press.
Lou la Monte wrote back that he looked forward “to having a civil debate on the issues facing Malibu.” The Big Rock resident reminded Sidley there are many organizations that conduct candidates forums and asked if Sidley is contemplating additional debates, who would oversee them and what would be the format.
“As you know there are usually a series of established candidate forums sponsored by community organizations during the campaign, and I intend to participate in all that I can,” wrote La Monte.
In an email sent to Sidley signed by candidates John Mazza and Steve Scheinkman, who are running on a slate, the two suggested there may be other community groups organizing forums and a wait-and-see approach might be best.
“Rather than jumping the gun, we suggest we give these groups, as well as others that might want to hold a forum, the opportunity to plan and schedule their event. After all, it should be the voters not us who decide the venue, the rules and the issues they would like us to address,” they said.
The Mazza/Scheinkman email indicated that some Malibu High School students are trying to put together a forum. An MHS program might give the home court advantage to Scheinkman, who is well known at the high school, as well as Sidley, whose wife Wendy is president of the MHS PTSA and Laura Rosenthal, who maintains contacts at the school because of her activist role in school district issues and push for a separate Malibu school district.
Rosenthal was somewhat more specific in her answer, suggesting the present number of forums is adequate. “I think that is the most appropriate venue to debate the issues. However, I would love to sit down with you anytime, have a cup of coffee and discuss our city, the issues and our thoughts,” she answered.
In contrast to the other candidates, Ed Gillespie said he was ready to participate in every debate that is scheduled. “Count me in. Let me know where and when,” he replied to Sidley.
Some candidates started their print advertising campaigns this week, while Mazza/Scheinkman several weeks earlier posted a video on the Internet.

MRCA to Meet on Lechuza Beach ‘Improvements’

2010-01-20T17:24:00.000-08:00

• Agency and HOA Have Differences

BY BILL KOENEKER

Several highly controversial actions planned for Lechuza Beach by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority are scheduled for a public hearing at an MRCA meeting on Jan. 25 in Calabasas.
At that time, the MRCA board is expected to consider authorizing an amendment to the Malibu Coastal Development application for what is being called the Lechuza Beach public access improvements project.
The proposal calls for an accessible portable restroom facility on the MRCA property on or adjacent to what is called Lot “A.” A removable seasonal accessible ramp between the proposed viewing platform and beach adjacent to East Sea Level Drive and a 24-foot-wide access road on public right-of-way between Broad Beach Road and the terminus of West Sea Level Drive (Lot “A”) are also planned.
The quarter-mile sandy beach is completely surrounded by residential development. The residents are members of the Malibu Encinal Homeowners Association, which has tried to work with the MRCA to come to some sort of mutual agreement on the development of public access for what has been described as a nearly pristine beach.
In Oct. 2000, the State Coastal Conservancy granted $10 million dollars to the MRCA to acquire fee title and easement interests at the beach. In 2001, the landowner donated lots 142-148 to the state agency. In May 2002, the MRCA took title to the property, according to MRCA documents.
In August 2006, the California Coastal Commission, which many observers suggest will have the final say in the matter, sent a letter to the City of Malibu requesting that the municipality take enforcement action to respond to “an ongoing problem in the Lechuza Beach area of Broad Beach regarding public parking and public access.” The city organized a meeting and everyone agreed to put together an interim access management plan for CCC approval.
In 2007, the MRCA released that public access management plan and acknowledged the state agency and HOA “have not reached final agreement on all of the issues related to public access.”
The access plan was designed, according to the MRCA, “to document these areas of agreement and to outline a management plan for Lechuza Beach to permit immediate public access to the beach property owned by MRCA.”
In the interim plan, MRCA acknowledged MEHOA’s interest indicating the common interest subdivision known as Malibu Encinal consists of numerous private residential lots, private roads, private accessways and other private rights created in 1932 by the Marblehead Land Company.
“MEHOA has certain management duties and responsibilities under the CC&Rs for the Malibu Encinal subdivions property. MEHOA owns fee title to East Sea Level Drive and West Sea Level Drive.”
The state agency maintains it owns 4.1 acres along the beach and also holds easements for pedestrian and handicapped access along both East and West Sea Level Drive and easements for ingress and egress for agency, maintenance and service access.
The MRCA document describes from its point of view what issues need to be resolved, including how access through the West Sea level gate will be dependent on determining the ownership of the underlying property.”
In the interim, MEHOA will arrange for access subject to private property rights through the West Sea Level gate. Hours of gate operation should be similar to that of other gates,” the MRCA document states.

SMMUSD Parcel Tax and Other District Issues to Be Aired When Superintendent Speaks in Malibu

2010-01-20T17:21:00.000-08:00

• Committee Urges ‘KISS’ Political Approach to Voters

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

More details about the proposed Santa Monica Malibu Unified School district parcel tax were revealed at the Jan. 14 meeting of the board of education.
According to Neil Carrey, the chair of the parcel tax committee, it is feasible for the district to successfully pass a new tax to help offset the district’s projected $12 million deficit, provided the tax does not exceed $225 per property, and the measure is on a separate mail-in ballot.
Carrey recommended that the tax be placed on a special mail-in ballot on May 25, rather than be part of the state election in June.
The write-in ballot would cost the district $360,000, $200,000 more than placing the item on the June general election ballot. However, the separate ballot would, according to Carrey, greatly increase the odds of achieving the two-thirds majority required to pass the new tax.
Carrey said the committee recommends that the tax last for five years and include a senior exemption. It would also require an annual audit and appropriate oversight.
“This is [a] very difficult time,” Carrey told the board. “This is my fourth parcel tax committee. Of all the issues, the economy is the toughest. It could be feasible at $225, but there is some cost sensitivity. If you go below [$225], there could be a better chance you ensure that it passes.”
The board, however, expressed concern that the lower number would not generate enough money to bail out the district, which is facing a $12 million deficit due to cuts in state funding.
“It’s clearly not going to eliminate the deficit,” Carrey acknowledged, suggesting that staff analyze “what still has to be cut after a parcel tax” and “look at it at different levels.”
According to the committee, surveys conducted as part of the feasibility study found support for a tax to be at “somewhat lower levels” in part due to economy and in part due to existing parcel taxes.
Many voters reportedly “did not understand that the state funds most of the district.” However, those that did revealed an “incredible depth of commitment.”
The survey apparently revealed that district voters have limited capacity to multitask, becoming “overwhelmed and confused” when confronted with multiple options, which was one of the reasons the committee recommended the separate ballot option that would allow voters the opportunity to “concentrate” on the issue.
The board unanimously approved the May 25 write-in ballot option. The amount of the tax and the language of the measure are still under discussion.
MALIBU MEETING
Malibu residents will have an opportunity to learn more about the parcel tax plan and the state of the district’s budget at a public meeting presented by the district superintendent at the Malibu High School library on Jan. 21 at 7 p.m. More information is available at www.smmusd.org

Neighbors Rally Against Possible Changes at Fire Camp 8

2010-01-20T17:15:00.000-08:00

• Voice Concern about Temporary Relocation of 80 Inmate Fire Trainees to Area

BY BILL KOENEKER

Nearby residents have expressed alarm about what they say is the California Department of Corrections apparently taking over Fire Camp 8 above Las Flores Canyon to house inmates in the facility that has been used by the Los Angeles County Fire Department to assign fly crews to the hillside facility.
Much of the concern has been mobilized by residents of the Seaview Estates area. About 100 people reportedly gathered at a residence in the area Monday night to explore their options for oppsing any use of the facility for inmate firefighters.
Among the topics discussed were opposition display banners, picketing, lobbying elected officials and a media campaign.
Concerns expressed at the meeting included safety of residents, especially children, and security of the facility.
There did not appear to be any discussion of the role the inmate fire crews have played in assisting in previous Malibu fires.
Concerned resident Roxanne Davis told neighbors the fire camp will be modified to hold 80 plus inmates for fire suppression. “Fences will be built to restrain inmates, dorms will be refashioned for incarceration and there will be no community access to the camp. The helicopter will remain as well as all current fire personnel,” she wrote,
However, the LACOFD media office would neither confirm nor deny the change. ”We don’t officially know that is going to happen,” said Inspector Fred Stowers, “We have nothing to say about it at this time.” He later indicated more information might be forthcoming, later this week.
Nevertheless, some residents contend the entire matter has been cloaked in secrecy. “This was a deal struck between the CDC and LACOFD, in secret, no community input or disclosure was allowed and even our representatives are not aware that this arrangement was concluded. They will begin a public relations campaign shortly to avert and blunt possible criticism,” wrote Davis.
“We need to immediately get a hold of the Environmental Impact Report. We doubt whether they considered the effect of the septic on the area. We doubt whether they considered the effect the tremendous increased traffic will have on Las Flores and other roads connecting,” she added.
Ironically, the history of the camp shows it got its start as a place for wards of the court to learn wildfire fighting techniques.
The county in the 1960s began training wildland firefighting hand crews using incarcerated individuals. Inmates were assigned to Camp 12 for formal training and then moved to various camps throughout the county after completion of fire fighting training.
Facilities in Malibu include Camp 13 on Encinal Canyon Road and Camp 16 in Malibu Canyon, according to a LACOFD website.
In June of 1970, the fly crew program was started at Camp 9 at Los Pinetos. Within the next two years, fly crews were assigned to Camp 2 in Arroyo Seco and Camp 8 in Malibu.
In 1981, Camp 13 was the first of four fire suppression camps to open jointly with the CDC, combining state manpower and resources within county facilities and county overhead, according to LACOFD website.
In a program that predates most residents, Camp 8 was one of seven camps in the 1940s, when the county staffed the facilities with wards of the court. They ranged in age from 15 to 18 years of age.
Run in conjunction with the county’s probation department, the duties and responsibilities parallel that of the adult inmate crews. They had their own training facility at Camp 1, which was located in fire department headquarters in East Los Angeles.
After training, the inmates were assigned to either of the Malibu camps—the one then called Camp 3 and the current Camp 8.

School District Plan to Fence Off Campus Raises Fire Concerns

2010-01-20T17:12:00.000-08:00

• Residents Cite Some of the Problems that Have Taken Place and Could Become Even Worse

BY SUZANNE GULDIMANN

Some residents of Malibu Park are asking whether they will have to add bolt cutters to their wildfire preparedness kits, if a Measure BB funded plan for new perimeter fencing around the Malibu High School campus moves ahead as planned.
The new fencing would lock down the largely open campus, potentially impacting pedestrian and equestrian access during emergencies and on weekends, when the school’s athletic facilities are a popular destination.
Concerned Malibu Park residents reportedly contacted the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District before the Jan. 14 meeting when the funds were allocated, but staff appeared unresponsive when member Ralph Mechur raised concerns about the emergency access issue.
“When the fires do come through, which they occasionally do, unfortunately, people bring their livestock down to our campus,” Mechur said. “Will they still be able to do that? I don’t know how they did it but I just want to make sure that if people have to bring their horses down to a safe place and that’s the campus, will they continue to be able to do that?”
Project consultant Tom Tomeoni replied, “There will be gates but they’ll be closed.” He clarified that “we do have gates where actually some of our children come through, so we are trying to work with the sites to kind of make an arrangement where those gates as part of the BB program remain and be available, be open.”
Mechur asked, “If there is a fire on a Saturday night and people need to bring their horses onto the campus, to the field, are they going to have to cut locks?”
The district’s chief financial officer Jan Maez replied, “If it happened on a weekend and the fire department didn’t have access, then locks might have to be cut for an emergency such as that.”
Mechur requested that staff take the issue seriously. The BB funds for the fencing project were approved as part of the consent portion of the agenda.
Some local fire safety activists have described the fencing plan as ironic. The campus was included as a community fire safety resource at a recent workshop sponsored by federal, state and local agencies.
“It has been standard operating procedure in Malibu Park for decades that, in the event of a wildfire, residents evacuate their families and animals to the open school grounds on Morning View Drive where there are resources and personnel,” Malibu Park resident and C.E.R.T. member Marshall Thompson wrote in an email to the Malibu Surfside News. “This is mentioned in every single meeting that takes up the issue of public safety, wildfires and evacuation plans.”
Thompson, together with city council candidate Steve Scheinkman and other Malibu Park residents established an organization called the Malibu Park Safety Coalition in 2009 to address fire and traffic issues in the west Malibu community.
“Fences need to be permeable for the wildlife, and there needs to be access from the back and sides in case of wildfire,” wrote Malibu Park resident Judi Hutchinson. “This area has many horses and other domestic animals that need to be taken down to the school in case of fire.”
“The district doesn’t talk to us or listen to us,” said another resident, who asked that her name not be used. “They don’t talk to the city either and they’re exempt from local control. It’s like having an Iron Curtain country for a neighbor. Someone should tell the school board that the Cold War is over.”
According to the staff report, the new plan includes “replacement of existing perimeter or interior fencing, existing gates, [and] erosion control along the west side of the property boundary.”
The fencing project was not part of the campus’s BB plan, according to the staff report. It was added “after discussion with the site administrators and district safety staff...to provide safety for the students and to allow the administrators to adequately control the movement of students within different portions of the campus.”
According to the staff report, the fencing project will also require retaining walls in some areas. “During the planning of this work, significant erosion was noted in several areas on the west property boundary, abutting several residential properties. The erosion has undermined the existing fencing, leaving large gaps under the fabric that a person can easily pass under. These areas will need new retaining walls to stabilize those slopes for the new fencing to maintain its effectiveness as a perimeter barrier and prevent future erosion.”
Concerns raised by residents over whether the proposed fencing would be wildlife permeable were dismissed by the district’s staff, despite the fact that the residents claim the western part of the perimeter that is now scheduled to receive the new retaining walls “to stabilize those slopes for the new fencing to maintain its effectiveness as a perimeter barrier” is documented ESHA.
The City of Malibu’s Land Use Plan specifies that “in or adjacent to ESHA, fencing must be sited and designed to allow wildlife to pass through.” However, a resolution passed by the Board of Education in July of 2009 exempts the district from municipal code.
Reports provided as part of the ongoing effort to obtain athletic field lighting that found no evidence of raptors, such as owls, at the campus have been harshly criticized by the California Coastal Commission, which went on record in October saying that the studies were inaccurate.

Mitrice Richardson’s Father Challenges Attorney’s Negligence Claims Filed against Los Angeles County

2010-01-20T17:10:00.000-08:00

• Charges and Countercharges Could Have Impact on Case of Woman Missing for Over Four Months

BY ANNE SOBLE

What is already acknowledged as a terrible tragedy, in that a young woman was arrested on two otherwise citable misdemeanor counts, transported to the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on Sept. 16, ostensibly released at 12:30 a.m. the next day, and now has been missing for over four months, has taken on a new dimension as her separated parents and the attorney who seemingly represented them pro bono are engaged in a heated public dispute.
Latice Sutton and Michael Richardson are the parents of 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson, the Cal State Fullerton honors graduate who medical experts think may have been experiencing a bout of severe mental illness when she engaged in what was described as totally unusual behavior for her, which included acting bizarrely and not paying an $89.51 dinner tab at Geoffrey’s restaurant in Malibu.
The parents, who never married, have for the most part presented a united front when claiming that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department acted negligently in allowing the young woman to leave the Lost Hills Station alone, on foot (her vehicle was impounded in Malibu), poorly attired for cold weather and without money or her cell phone, which was kept by the LASD for as yet undisclosed reasons.
This front appeared to have broken down when civil rights attorney Leo Terrell, who has repeatedly appeared with both parents at rallies and press conferences, indicated that he filed separate claim papers for the mother and father on Jan. 6, the first step in a possible lawsuit against Los Angeles County for negligence. The form names nine sheriff’s deputies, as well as “all persons” who had contact with Mitrice Richardson during any stage of her arrest, booking or release process. No sum for damages is indicated in the paperwork.
When the filing became public in the media and was described as a family claim, Michael Richardson sent out emails and put a post on his blog saying that this information is incorrect.
Michael Richardson’s post states that he “has not filed a claim” and adds, “Leo Terrell has not been retained by Michael Richardson, does not represent Michael Richardson and never has represented Michael Richardson.”
In a subsequent email to the Malibu Surfside News, Michael Richardson said, “Add that the father is appalled that an attorney would do something like this in this day and age. I can’t believe that people are still doing [Mitrice Richardson] wrong even with her being missing. This was ugly and tacky, and it has turned a lot of people off from wanting to continue with the search and [following up on] what the sheriff’s [deputies] did to her that night.”
The father said filing the claim encourages those people who “believe I am just another black person they can throw some money at to buy some gold and a Cadillac and I will be happy. This time I want justice and to find my daughter at this time. I still need those who believe as I do, that Mitrice Richardson still can be found.”
Leo Terrell on Tuesday responded that if Richardson does not remove these comments from his blog and “if he doesn’t retract his statements, I will take legal action.” Terrell said he served as the father’s attorney until Jan. 14 and is so described on the man’s website, in numerous broadcast interviews, including Terrell’s own radio program, in communications with the county, and countless other contexts. He noted that after that date, Richardson retained separate counsel, Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris and Hoffman, with whom Terrell is in contact and has told, “I will sue him for slander if he continues this.”
Terrell said he filed the paperwork for separate claims for each parent. He said Michael Richardson has been asking him to file for months. “Even now, when I asked Richardson if he wants his claim withdrawn, he said no.”
Terrell said Michael Richardson was largely out of his daughter’s life for about 10 years until she was 13. The father counters that the pair are now close, he is the one who emphasizes that she is alive and he has overseen the effort to get federal involvement in the search for her. The father said he prefers to act on his own rather than work with other family members. which he added may have ruffled feathers.
Terrell stressed that no one should interpret the filing to be an indication that anyone believes that Mitrice Richardson is dead. He said the timing of the filing was necessary to protect family members’ legal rights to seek redress.
Both the LASD and the Los Angeles Police Department—the lead agency in what is still a missing person case—previously stated that peripheral family issues do not impact the agencies’ determination to find the missing woman.
Terrell expressed concern that the public dispute over the claim filing could impact public interest in the missing woman’s case. If any consensus remains, it is that everyone wants Mitrice Richardson to be found soon, so she can take whatever legal action she wants to take on her own behalf.

Trancas Market and HOA Talks Fall Apart

2010-01-20T17:09:00.000-08:00

• Effort to Prevent Malibu West Appeal of Expansion Project Is Unsuccessful

BY BILL KOENEKER

Last minute discussions that would have resulted in a settlement agreement between the Malibu West Homeowners Association halting its appeal of the expansion plans proposed by the developers of the Trancas Country Market abruptly came to an end last Friday. The deadline was described as developer imposed.
In a statement issued to the homeowners, the board indicated it had failed to come to an agreement about which concessions of the developer would persuade the HOA to drop its appeal to the Malibu City Council of the planning commission approval for the makeover of the shopping center located at Trancas Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway.
The appeal hearing is set for next Monday night during a city council meeting.
“Key issues of the negotiations included emergency exit easements and noise abatements,” the board email stated to HOA members.
The Malibu Surfside News obtained a copy of the proposed agreement, signed by Joseph G. Munoz, Vice President of I&G Malibu Inc. The concessions offered by the developer included not granting MTA the right to access the employee parking lot; “reasonable” efforts to have MTA move the bus stop off Trancas Canyon Road; installation of an access gate in the employee parking lot; permission for Malibu West to use the employee parking lot for special occasion parking after 6 p.m.; construction of a de-composed granite sidewalk on the east side of Trancas Canyon Road; no ex-pansion of the designated street-side; off-street park-ing spaces abutting Trancas Canyon Road; and no valet parking or valet services on Trancas Canyon Road.
The developer would have also pay for and install a speed bump on Trancas Canyon Road near Principio Drive, subject to city approvals; and create left and right-hand exit turn lanes at the Trancas Canyon Road entrance.
Additional concessions included not installing or allowing picnic tables in the common green area; seeking the approval of Malibu West’s board prior to any application to the city for any temporary use permit that includes live amplified music; using “reasonable” efforts to keep day laborers from gathering on the property; complying with Local Coastal Plan with respect to the root zone of an existing sycamore grove; con-structing permeable sur-faces with hard surface lanes for shopping carts; constructing final lighting in compliance with all guide-lines of the LCP; supporting a Caltrans suggestion of “period-ization of signal” to allow pedestrians and cars to cross PCH at separate times; incorporating into the final landscape plan for the employee parking lot tall shrubs as suggested by Malibu West.
In exchange, Malibu West would have with-drawn its appeal; not publicly oppose the project or permits; not funded any administrative or legal action by any person or organization against the project; not appeal nor allow any of its board members to appeal to the California Coastal Com-mission; and maintain liability insurance for its use of the employee parking lot.
The planning com-mission approved the remodeling plans, which include 25,728 square feet of additional shopping center space, including a new parking lot across the street; two restaurants; variance and other relief from setback requirements.

Malibu Resident’s Film Takes Top Honors at the Golden Globe Awards

2010-01-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

BY JEREMY WALKER

Hollywood’s got it all worked out: the whole point of the handful of’televised award shows leading up to the Oscars is to spark and frame’debate, providing the competitively-minded with new reasons to visit the cinema and Academy voters a chance to size up how any one nominee might react if he or she were to win the big prize a few weeks from now.
As such, Golden Globe winners have a few seconds to speak directly to those voters. And in those few seconds, an honoree can set the record straight, appear magnanimous by thanking and praising others, appear pious and humble by thanking God, or, with presumably lower stakes on the table, appear scattered and overwhelmed (thank you, Drew Barrymore).
The first award of the night was presented to Mo’Nique for her widely praised performance in “Precious,” the latest and most acclaimed film by envelope-pushing producer and director Lee Daniels.
An actress and performer who over the last decade has built an empire around such overlapping domains as hip-hop, comedy, television and now movies, Mo’Nique lit up the blogs and urban radio very early in the initial release of “Precious” by telling the New York Daily News “I couldn’t eat that Oscar. Everybody needs money, baby. That’s how we survive, right?” which seemed to acknowledge rumors that she’d asked to be compensated for making publicity appearances on behalf of the film.
Mo’Nique used her Globes moment to keep her eyes on the prize with laser-beam focus, pointing out that she didn’t prepare a speech and that “I’m in the midst of my dream,” managing to reconcile art and commerce, humility and self-confidence. She also shared her award with “every person that’s ever been touched. It’s now time to tell, and it’s OK.”
With the help of host Ricky Gervais, Sunday’s ceremony cemented the Globes’ reputation as not just the booziest televised awards show of the season,but also the chummiest.
Gervais was an ideal choice: the same mischievous, deadpan sensibility that created the original version of “The Office” for British TV helped him get away with some candid takedowns of NBC, the network broadcasting the Globes and the same company that pays him a reported $50,000 an episode to broadcast the American version of “The Office.”
Throughout the ceremony, Gervais made a point of stealing sips from a glass of an amber-colored liquid that culminated in his introduction of the movie star who would present the trophy for best director, a star who also happens to be one of Malibu’s more infamous residents. “I like a drink as well as the next man,” Gervais offered. “Unless that man is Mel Gibson.”
In his acceptance speech Globe winner for Best Director, “Avatar’s” James Cameron noted that he and Gibson live next to each other (in Malibu) and suggested, “We should have done this in my neighborhood.” He also rather affably used his Globe moment to acknowledge that his main competitor in the category was his ex-wife, “The Hurt Locker” director Kathryn Bigelow.
The Globes seemed to make an effort to acknowledge the work of showbiz veterans who lack for nothing when it comes to fame, riches and clout but for whom kudos have been elusive. I’m thinking here of Mo’Nique and Sandra Bullock (honored for her work in “The Blind Side”), Jeff Bridges and T Bone Burnett (“Crazy Heart”) and on TV Chloe Sevigny and Drew Barrymore (HBO’s excellent “Big Love” and “Grey Gardens” respectively).
It was also nice to see Peter Rice, a year ago the Fox Searchlight Pictures president who oversaw the “Slumdog Millionaire” juggernaut that ultimately claimed the Oscar for Best Picture, collect kudos as Fox’s new president of television with the crew behind the hit show “Glee”
“Avatar” director James Cameron, accepting the Globe for Best Picture, summed up the evening’s vibe of tempered self-congratulation by saying, “We all have the best job in the world.”
Unless, of course, you happen to work at NBC.