Malibu Surfside News - News Alert

• Are We Where Yet? •

2008-07-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

When MSN editor Anne Soble opened her emails Monday morning, the winner of the prize for email of the day was this photograph taken by local public policy activist Ryan Embree.
Could it be? A major Malibu intersection without any identification? If it wasn’t a case of clever handiwork in Photoshop, the photo clearly indicates that there is no road name sign at one of Malibu’s most important intersections—Pacific Coast Highway and Malibu Canyon Road.
A much bemused Soble began emailing the Caltrans public information office. Puzzlement was expressed. Several emails later, Soble was told that she was the first person to inform that august agency, whose official vehicles must pass the intersection several times a day, that the sign was missing.
According to the Caltrans PIO, “Today is the official recording of the missing sign and we thank you for bringing it to our attention. Caltrans relies on motorists and local observers to help be our eyes and ears in the field since we can't be everywhere at once.” Really.
The Caltrans spokesperson indicated that the agency has no idea what happened to the sign but she said that there may not be a replacement soon. It seems the money has to be requested and then allocated, and that’s not going to happen until the state budget is completed.
As for some kind of temporary signage to keep Malibu Creek State Park visitors from driving to Point Dume and beyond in search of Malibu Canyon Road, the spokesperson said, “Unfortunately, since all signs must conform to state specifications, there is no way to post temporary signage.” Really.
When Caltrans was told about the newspaper’s concerns that the lack of signage could prove critical during a wildfire in the canyon, with out-of-area emergency equipment unable to figure out where Malibu Canyon Road cuts into PCH, there was no official comment.

Hang Glider Mishap Ignites Small Brushfire on Bluffs

2008-07-16T14:39:00.000-07:00

REMAINS-A burned-out engine block, twisted metal frame and singed wooden propeller mark the site where a motorized hang glider crashed and ignited just west of Malibu Bluffs Park Wednesday. The ensuing brushfire was putout quickly by local crews. The pilot was transported to an area medical facility. MSN/Hans Laetz

• Lack of Wind Enables Firefighters to Quickly Bring Blaze under Control •

By Hans Laetz

A gas-powered ultralight’s engine, worn by its pilot like a backpack, may have caught fire in the air moments before it crashed into tinder-dry brush just west of Malibu Bluffs Park on Wednesday, sparking a half-acre fire.
The pilot suffered second-degree burns to his back and legs, and was taken to UCLA Santa Monica Hospital by ground ambulance. Fire paramedics said they do not believe the man’s burns to be life threatening, and have not released his name.
The crash sparked a small fire in two-foot-high brush that has sprouted on the mesa in the months since the Jan. 9, 2007 Malibu Road fire, which damaged or destroyed 11 houses along the beachfront. A lack of wind kept the fire from spreading quickly like the earlier one, which burned through brush from Pacific Coast Highway to the beach in 15 minutes.
More than 40 firefighters and inmate camp crew workers had the small blaze extinguished a short time after the 11:10 a.m. crash, county firefighters said.
The fire scene was small, and water-dropping helicopters appeared to have arrested the fire in its earliest stages. Fire crews had no problems running water lines over a quarter-mile of brush from Pacific Coast Highway.
In the center of the charred brush sat twisted aluminum tubing and the charred, backpack-sized engine, its propeller blackened and flaking apart.
Early reports from TV helicopter crews said power lines had been hit, but county firefighters said the nearest utility lines were below the bluffs on Malibu Road, and there was no indication of any having been snagged.
The aircraft involved was an unlicensed, motorized airfoil similar to a parachute. Several such aircraft, called motorized hang gliders, are frequently seen being launched from the bluffs west of the Michael Landon Recreation Center, and flown along the coast.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board does not investigate unlicensed aircraft crashes, and spokesman Ian Gregor said this crash apparently involved such an unlicensed crash.
Some residents of Malibu Road, below the 2007 fire area, have accused the Mountain Conservation Resources Agency, which owns the land, of endangering people and property by failing to clear weeds and non-native shrubs that cover much of the bluffs.
Wednesday’s fire occurred in dry weeds sprouted since the 2007 blaze, which originated through unknown causes in a grove of dead trees next to PCH at Malibu Canyon Road. Burned charcoal trunks also remain at that site.
The January Malibu Road fire, which occurred in strong Santa Ana winds, was the first of three major brushfires that hit Malibu last year. The October Canyon Fire claimed six homes and two businesses, and November’s Corral Fire destroyed 55 houses.

2008-07-09T15:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Malibu Surfside News - News Alert blog

Check Back Often

Upper Malibu Canyon Fire on the Fourth Is Squelched Quickly

2008-07-05T14:36:00.000-07:00

By Hans Laetz

Water-dumping helicopters worked quickly to save a campground filled with more than 200 people near Malibu Creek State Park on a July Fourth
holiday and avert even worse consequences, as a fast-moving fire broke out and ruined the afternoon for the parkgoers. The fire shut down Las Virgenes Road for hours.
Los Angeles County and federal firefighters had the fire
"essentially out" after it burned for three hours near the historic
King Gillette Ranch, centerpiece of the Santa Monica Mountains
National Recreation Area. It claimed about 25 acres.
The fire broke out at about 3:27 p.m., reportedly as a resident
worked on a mobile home next to a landmark Hindu temple, about a mile
south of Mulholland Highway. The temple was not damaged as the fire
burned north along the eastside of Las Virgenes Road, jumping the
road occasionally..
"The helicopters dropped water along the road to prevent [the
fire] from spreading across the way to the campground," said Kathy
Kirkpatrick, fire chief for the local National Park Service unit.
"Rangers immediately emptied the campground, which was only a
few hundred yards [from the point of] ignition.'' More than 55
campsites and a ground campground were at capacity, she said.
"Most of those people were packed into their cars and driven
out quickly," Kirkpatrick said.
"The fire did catapult across Las Virgenes Road and burned near
the campground entrance," she said.
As the evacuation was ordered, several dozen campers were away from
the main campground, along Malibu Creek near the old "MASH'' set.
Those people were allowed to stay there as the fire was blowing away
from them.
The fire burned a small hill south of the Gillette Ranchhouse,
whoch is destined to be the new headquarters for the three
overlapping parks agencies that operate in the mountains recreation area.
Rangers worked to ensure that a fire department bulldozer that
was cutting a line on the fire's north flank, near the ranchhouse,
did not damage oak tree roots and other fragile flora. The National
Park Service garage and maintenance center were also briefly threatened, but not damaged.
With the fire extinguished at about 6 p.m., state park
officials reopened the campground. Campers returned to the tents and other camping materials left behind during the hurried evacuations.
Most of the fire crews had left by 6:30 p.m., but patrols remained on the scene all night to be certain flare-ups didn't occur, firefighters
said.

2008-07-02T15:41:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Malibu Surfside News - News Alert blog

Check Back Often

Malibu Media Maelstrom Ensues as Paparazzi Dominate News Coverage

2008-06-25T14:48:00.000-07:00

• Mainstream Press Legitimizes Edited Video without Investigating Photographers’ Allegations

BY ANNE SOBLE

During a weekend when record-breaking temperatures dominated the news, two Malibu beach brawls made headlines around the world and have many locals scratching their heads and wondering whether the hot weather may have been affecting the media.
Residents have been voicing concern that an erroneous picture of an event has now been repeated so many times by so many media that it has assumed a life of its own. They say this, while in no way condoning what may be construed to be unseemly behavior by people who live here.
Basically the facts for anyone who has had no electronic contact with the world in the last six days is that rowdy donnybrooks occurred on Point Dume beaches on Saturday and Sunday.
The melees have been dubbed by celebrity websites as clashes between “the paparazzi” and “the surfers.” That these sites might favor the paparazzi could have something to do with their dependence on them for content.
The incidents, the first of which ostensibly erupted as actor Matthew McConaughey was surfing off Little Dume, are alleged to have resulted in one broken nose and camera gear damages estimated at over $10,000.
Videos of the skirmishes have been replayed endlessly on these websites and have either been given or sold to nearly every major media outlet, most of which appear to use them without questioning their authenticity.
The Little Dume video appears edited to slur locals who sought to evict the paparazzi from the dry sand at the beach. There has been little play of some photographers doing the filming reportedly urging their comrades to “keep going” as “this is good stuff.”
Some locals are asking whether the paparazzi, knowing that their aggressive behavior has been in the news lately, decided to take the makings of a tense situation and spin them to their advantage.
Several of the people at the beach, a mix of Point Dume residents and visitors, many of whom would hardly fit the notion of the stereotypical surfer, currently decline attribution because there is concern about litigation against individuals and the property owners association that has the private beach easement where the first brawl took place.
The Riviera II Property Owners Association, one of the groups that oversee the beach key access to Little Dume Beach, held a closed meeting Monday night to address some of the legal issues that might have been raised.
A number of the citizens who were involved in the clashes are in the process of filing police reports of their own. At least one of them, a lifelong Malibuite, has brought local attorney Michael Schwimer on board to begin to address what they say is an imbalance in the outside media’s coverage of the event.
Schwimer said, “The real story is still coming out. The rest of the media have taken the paparazzi’s spoon-fed story and run with it. They have done no investigations of what happened.”
He acknowledges that some of the group called the surfers, who should more accurately be described as a group of beachgoers, “may have been pushed so hard that they pushed back.” But he is adamant that “the video is so heavily edited to mischaracterize the situation and portray the Malibu residents as aggressors, when in fact it was the opposite.”
Schwimer said it is damning that mainstream media would take “obviously edited” video “at face value,” even “picking up the same inaccurate labels of paparazzi and surfers” as used by the celebrity websites. The terms repeatedly appear in print headlines and broadcast references.
The Malibu Surfside News has received undisclosed information that a knife was drawn by a paparazzo. A report that one of the residents at the scene had a wound that required five stitches has been confirmed. And tripods were recorded being used as weapons.
The team of investigators from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station has been trying to obtain copies of the original videotapes but has been unsuccessful.
Schwimer says what was happening at both beach locations is “a public safety issue.” He says the state paparazzi legislation that is on the books should be enforced, adding that an emphasis on “disturbing the peace and public nuisance” is imperative.
The attorney said he is beginning to question whether there was “an element of purposefulness” in the Little Dume fracas, as “facts suggest an effort to capitalize” on the situation by filming it.
Schwimer said there are currently several Web postings about “another round” to take place at the beach on Saturday, June 28. “There appears to be a real intention to promote violence.”
He added that some of the photographers from the incident have reportedly obtained the telephone numbers of some of the beachgoers and have begun to make “threatening phone calls.”
Mainstream media scorn the paparazzi and differentiate them from professional journalists. Their coverage of the Malibu beach brouhahas demonstrate that the line between them is blurring.
As for McConaughey, he continued to surf unaware of what was happening the first day until he learned about it later. He also hit the waves the next day, albeit some distance from the second clash at Paradise Cove.
His publicist Alan Nierob said the incidents will not dissuade the actor from surfing, and “he will continue to enjoy the beautiful Malibu coastline.”

Point Dume Beach Confrontations Have Deputies on Alert

2008-06-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

By Hans Laetz

Sheriff’s deputies are keeping a low profile watch on Little Dume Beach, where photographers shooting images of a surfing Matthew McConaughey say they were attacked by a group of beachgoers and surfers in the first of two brawls that were the weekend’s hot media topic.
The actor’s beach outing on Saturday drew a dozen paparazzi, who were soon in a fracas with some 15 persons who are now known worldwide as the “surfers.”
In addition, Sheriff’s spokesperson Steve Whitmore said the department has a “summer beach team’’ that puts extra deputies on duty from Zuma to Topanga beaches, and those deputies are minutes away if any more problems erupt at Little Dume.
But the nearest road access for deputies is nearly a mile away from the area where the fights occurred, other deputies noted, making it hard to patrol.
Malibu Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said confrontations between photographers and surfers Saturday and Sunday come at a time when Malibu’s 13,000 residents feel endangered by “an increasingly reckless disregard for public safety for themselves and others, being exhibited by the paparazzi.’’
Conley Ulich said she has seen videotapes of the fights, but would not comment on them while sheriff’s deputies investigate assault-and-battery complaints filed by several paparazzi.
Whitmore said investigators want to view unedited video footage of the confrontations to sort out the charges and countercharges. The sheriff’s department hopes to obtain unedited copies this week.
Apparently edited videotapes posted by two celebrity web sites show surfers accosting several photographers as they demand that paparazzi stakeouts cease. “Nobody that lives here wants you here,’’ one surfer yelled Saturday, as others pushed paparazzi and blocked their sightlines to the surfing actor.
A photographer’s nose was reportedly broken in that fight, and a second man was kicked and dragged into the surf by two men in bathing suits. At least two cameras were smashed or drenched in the Saturday incident. Destroyed equipment estimates were over $10,000.
However, several of the surfers allege that the tapes do not show a paparazzo threatening one of the surfers with a knife and other aggressive behavior. They have filed their own sheriff’s reports and are expected to make press statements this week that counter some of the photographers’ charges.
Little Dume Cove is famous for its surf break and traditionally has been guarded by locals as a surf spot. Although ownership of the dry sand at Little Dume is claimed by a property owners association that prohibits trespassing, that claim is challenged by beach access advocates. Sand below the high tide line is public property and open to anyone, according to state law.
On Sunday at about 5 p.m, another brawl broke out on the sand at Paradise Cove. Video of the second set of fights was posted on two celebrity web sites that either had photographers on the beach or bought tape.
The Sunday videos, also apparently edited, show a group of photographers walking past a group of beachgoers and surfers at Paradise Cove Beach. Taunts are exchanged, and an object reported to be a beer bottle is seen being thrown from the group, nearly hitting a paparazzo.
Photographers are heard issuing threats of their own, as they walk in wet sand past the group of lounging young people and their surfboards. Sheriff’s deputies are seen in the video arriving at the Paradise Cove parking lot, and driving off with two photographers who wanted to file police reports.
Whitmore said the paparazzi were on public beach sand, although witnesses at the Little Dume Cove incident dispute this. Persons in public, such as at a beach, generally do not have a legal expectation of privacy, but there are exceptions that are being explored by the detectives in this case.

Malibu Man Found Dead in Las Flores Park

2008-06-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

• Determination of Cause of Death Awaits Results of Toxicology Tests

BY ROBBY MAZZA

Three tarps hang on the white fence that borders Las Flores Park, concealing the body of Malibu resident Christopher Scott Quint that was discovered Tuesday morning.
Quint, 39, attired in a short-sleeved black T-shirt and jeans, was found lying on the ground on his back.
Deputy Eric Hoffman of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station told the Malibu Surfside News that Quint’s body was discovered at 8:30 a.m. on the jogging path just inside the fence, by a person who was walking his dog.
Hoffman said another witness working in a nearby building indicated he had heard “snoring” in the vicinity at about 4 a.m. “[The witness] thought it might be a homeless person,” Hoffman added. “He can’t identify if it was him, but it was most likely him.”
Paramedics on the scene reportedly checked Quint’s pockets and found no identification. The coroner established his identity Wednesday morning.
Determination of the cause of death was not possible at the scene. Hoffman indicated there were no visible signs of trauma, but he noted that homicide was not being formally ruled out.
The deputy reported there were no visible signs of needle use, but added that the county coroner’s office will test for alcohol and drugs, as well as any indication of whether “a medical issue” was involved in Quint’s death.
An autopsy was scheduled to be performed on Wednesday, but any official determination of the cause of death may be being deferred pending the results of a toxicology report, which could take from six to eight weeks.

Secretary of the Interior Inspects Wildfire Reduction Projects in Malibu

2008-06-11T17:48:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday, June 11, Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne will visit Malibu and other locations in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area to review hazardous fuels reduction projects.
The tour of the SMMNRA spotlights work being done by the National Park Service under the National Fire Plan to reduce brush, dead trees and other wildfire fuel in order to help protect communities such as Malibu that are interwoven with federal land holdings from catastrophic wildfire.
Agencies with large public parkland acreage have been criticized by citizen groups and local government officials for not taking a proactive stance on fuel load reduction, thereby imperiling neighboring private property owners and making the job of fighting wildland fires more difficult and more dangerous.
Kempthorne will visit Los Angeles County Fire Department Camp 8 in the Malibu mountains, where he will inspect the recent burn site and meet with members of the Los Angeles County Fire Department and other agencies.

Planning Commission Says No to Ban on Pot Pharmacies

2008-06-04T16:43:00.000-07:00

• Majority of Panelists Recommend Allowing Three Facilities with Tight Restrictions •

BY BILL KOENEKER

New members of the Malibu Planning Commission took their seats Tuesday night, and the panelists quickly got down to business. On a 3-2 vote with Commissioners Ed Gillespie and Regan Schaar dissenting, the commission recommended allowing three medical marijuana dispensaries in Malibu, but with tight restrictions and regulations.
The panel heard from numerous individuals who described their medical problems and how marijuana provided relief.
Newly appointed Commissioner Jeff Jennings said he would support a regulatory approach, but with provisions that there be no on-site consumption of the drug. “I would not support only one dispensary. We do not want to create a monopoly,” he said.
Chair Joan House, who had just been tapped by the panelists for the top position, said she questioned eight doctors in her family about the legitimacy of medical marijuana. “Everyone of them supported it. It is too bad the federal government has not come into line. If I had my preference, you would go to a pharmacy,” said House, who was adamant that no more than three dispensaries be allowed in the city.
Newly installed Commissioner John Mazza said he believes that since the drug is taxed, it should be regulated. “The taxes are important. I am for regulation rather than a ban. We can ban smoking on the premises,” he said. Mazza was referring to earlier testimony that the state Board of Equalization taxes the sale of marijuana since it is not a prescription drug. Panelists were also told patients obtain their quota as determined by a physician.
However, Schaar said she had earlier in the day checked out the operations of one of Malibu’s pot pharmacies where she allegedly witnessed children entering the premises, saw that nearby offices were smoky, and there seemed to be no oversight.
“I took my children to play a new video game. The moms went into another room. It filled up with smoke from the medical marijuana dispensary. This room was filled with children. It made me sick to my stomach. The kids came into the dispensary. There was blatant abuse. One of the tenants said they called the sheriff, but was told there was nothing they could do,” she said. “It has made me feel completely differently than I did this morning.”
Newly appointed Commissioner Ed Gillespie said that while his “heart goes out to people who need this medication,” he does not believe that Malibu is the place for pot dispensaries. “We are way over our heads on this one. It bothers me. No matter how you slice it, it is against federal law,” he said.
Commissioners consulted with a deputy sheriff and an advocate about the status of a drug that was legalized by the voters of the state for medical purposes, but marijuana is still considered a controlled substance by the feds. An attorney representing one of the dispensaries told the panel that the establishment had 1000 customers with a 90265 address.
Mazza initially made a motion to recommend to the city council that it approve a zone text amendment to the city’s zoning codes to conditionally permit medical marijuana dispensaries in specific commercial zones.
Jennings successfully sought a number of amendments to the motion that were accepted by Mazza, who could not get a third vote after House balked when he tried to get the majority to limit the number of dispensaries to five. House said she would only support three. When Mazza’s motion failed on a 2-3 vote, House made her own motion, including the same resolution with the limit of three, that motion was approved on a 3-2 vote.
The new law, if approved by the council, would establish a permit requirement with location restrictions, such as no pot pharmacies within a 500-foot radius of a church, temple, playground, park, day care or school.
Other requirements would address security and lighting, hours of operation, limits on how much cash can be kept on premises, curbs on purchasers under 18, and operators having to undergo a complete criminal background check

City Council to Continue Negotiations on Point Dume Land Purchase

2008-05-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

• Debate Ensues about What to Build on Site, if the 10 acres Are Acquired •

BY BILL KOENEKER

On a 4-0 vote, with Councilmember John Sibert absent, the Malibu City Council this week approved sending City Manager Jim Thorsen back to the negotiating table over possible acquisition of a nearly 10-acre lot in the Point Dume area.
The property is located on the landside of Pacific Coast Highway near Heathercliff Road. Tucked between agricultural acreage and a theatrical production company, the parcel owned by a longtime Malibu family is listed for sale at $4.9 million. The site is currently utilized as a plant nursery.
There was a mixed reaction when the public commented about the proposal at Tuesday’s meeting.
Land use consultants, who represent the owners of La Paz, which is currently seeking a development agreement with the city for a city hall on its shopping center property, said the city’s acquisition of raw land and subsequent buildout would not be cost effective for the municipality.
“I feel like the jilted bride. You have not had a hearing for La Paz, and you are already flirting with a young new property on the westside of Malibu,” quipped Don Schmitz, who represents the landowners.
However, it was Susan Tellem, who recently ran unsuccessfully for city council, who posed the strongest opposition to the west Malibu purchase. “The property is rural, you should not be rezoning it and putting cement there,” she said, who citing traffic safety and other issues.
“Turn it over to the people. It is a fertile piece of property. We could grow our own fruits and vegetables as a cooperative. We could look at all the concrete of a city hall, or [look at] vegetables and fruits,” Tellem said.
However, Daniel Stern, the president of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, urged the city to explore acquiring the land and partnering with his group to provide space for a teen center. He said the group’s current location couldn’t accommodate high-schoolers. “This place is a terrific idea. A teen center has to be some place. This is a wonderful opportunity worth pursuing,” he said.
A Pepperdine University library spokesperson told the council that if the site was chosen for a library, the city could call on the support of the university’s library for programs and assistance. “We could partner with the city for different programs and offer library resources,” said Amy Hunter.
Whether the site would be ideal for a library, a city hall, teen center or ball fields, as another speaker advocated, caused a debate among council members.
“I will not support a main library up at that end,” insisted Councilmember Sharon Barovsky, who said she was not opposed to buying the property, but rather was opposed to “how we are going about it. What is the price? I want to see it all in writing. Let’s stop and think about what we are doing. It could be appropriate for a teen center. There is a logic to that. The schools are up there.”
Councilmember Andy Stern said he was “fundamentally and totally opposed” to the proposal. “It is just wrong, It is not what we decided to do. I don’t think the use belongs there,” he said.
Councilmember Jefferson Wagner said, as the newest member on the council, he was seeking answers rather than expressing opinions. He wanted to know how much space the city needed for a city hall and was told “at least 30,000 square feet,” by the city manager. Wagner asked how much space was being taken up now at City Hall and was given the figure of 17,000 square feet.
The council member also wanted to know how much building area could the Point Dume site provide. Thorsen said he did not know for sure, but it could be 60,000 square feet to possibly 80,000 square feet.
Wagner was also told it might cost anywhere from $400 to $600 per square feet to put up a building. He also asked if what the city plans could it be built, or installed, in phases and was told yes.
Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich said it was good the council was discussing what have been the city’s priorities for years and reminded the council the city currently is paying rent for a city hall and in the next 10 years would spent up to $8.5 million in rent. “We might as well take the money and burn it,” she said as Barovsky interjected, “Or take La Paz’s offer” of a development agreement that includes a donated city hall.
The mayor said the city is currently planning on spending over $5 million for two parks in Las Flores and Trancas Canyon and noted that neither have ball fields for regulation.
“We can walk away and we can do nothing. I would rather see the council explore options. This is a step in the right direction,” she said.
Barovsky replied, “I’ve never heard of buying property and not knowing what the use is for. I agree with Susan Tellem and Don Schmitz. We have to decide what it is for.”
Conley Ulich was asked what she wanted to see built on the property, but the mayor demurred and said she wants to know what the community wants. “I will get more comfortable when I know what the teens want,” she said.
After a brief debate about where the population center of Malibu is, Wagner said the population is moving west, the council agreed with a Barovsky motion to instruct the city manager to meet with the property owners and come back with a price in writing. “We can do that in closed session,” Thorsen said.
Administrative Services Director Reva Feldman suggested the council think in terms of what uses are revenue neutral and which are not, for example, uses like a library or city.
If the city separates from the county library system and purchases the vacant land, municipal officials could build a library using $2 million set aside by the county and then would receive an ongoing stream of revenue from property taxes earmarked for the library.
Similarly, if a city hall was built, there’s a nearly $2 million building fund earmarked for a new city hall and the revenue stream for paying back acquisition and construction costs could come from replacing the rent the city currently pays at about $700,000 per year.

2008-05-21T16:25:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Malibu Surfside News - News Alert blog

Check Back Often

News Alert 15 May 2008

2008-05-14T17:06:00.000-07:00

Two Pollock Paintings Seriously Damaged in Corral Fire

BY ANNE SOBLE

What potentially may be one of the biggest art losses in decades was made public this week when it was announced that two Jackson Pollock paintings owned by Malibu art collector Gene Ewing were seriously damaged in last November’s Corral Canyon wildfire.
According to an announcement by her law firm, Ewing purchased the paintings—“Drips on White” and “Drips on Black”—in 1952 for $800 each when she was an 18-year-old art student with an inheritance. She reportedly spotted the Pollock works at the Betty Parsons Gallery in New York City and “knew she had to have them.”
Ewing is quoted as saying it “took her at least 20 more trips to get up the nerve to make the purchase, since $800 was a lot of money in those days.” She says she still has the original receipt from the transaction. Ewing also had the paintings analyzed and authenticated by an expert several years ago.
The paintings were reportedly never shown in a museum or gallery. They, along with several other valuable artworks and most of Ewing’s possessions, were subjected to the full force of the post-Thanksgiving Day firestorm. The announcement holds out hope that some restoration of the two Pollocks may be possible, indicating that “nearly one-third of each painting was completely destroyed, and the rest of the paintings were damaged by the heat and soot.”
The paintings were not insured because the premiums would reportedly “have been millions of dollars a year.” Ewing says she wants “people to know that there were more than houses lost in the Corral Canyon fire, there were valuable and sentimental works of art that will never be replaced.”
Ewing is one of the property owners who have filed a claim against the State Parks Department (on whose property the fire was started) through attorneys Devitt & Chelberg for $350 million dollars. She is also among those seeking a court order requiring installation of a gate to close off access to the notorious partying spot where illegal bonfires are often built.
Ewing, who formerly headed a clothing empire named after her, recently survived a major battle with cancer. She says she is now ready to return to the front line in the name of wildfire prevention, adding, “They say you can’t beat City Hall, but if I beat cancer, I can sure as hell try.”

2008-05-07T15:41:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Malibu Surfside News - News Alert blog

Check Back Often

PCH Paving Closures for May 4–8 and Beyond

2008-05-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

By Anne Soble

The California Department of Transportation will close one lane of Pacific Coast Highway for approximately one-half mile beginning at Malibu Lagoon Bridge (just south of Cross Creek Road) and going south nightly from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Sunday, May 4 through Thursday, May 8.
The same closure specifics also will be in effect daily, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, May 6 through Thursday, May 8.
The closure is for grinding and paving work on a $7 million, 11.6-mile paving project from Malibu Lagoon Bridge to the McClure Tunnel.
Work consists of removing existing concrete pavement and replacing it with rubberized asphalt concrete, including removing and replacing raised pavement markers, traffic striping and markings; adjusting manhole cover heights; and modifying loop detectors (speed sensors embedded in the roadway).
The project is expected to continue until spring 2009.
After an initial series of daytime closures, all work is expected to take place at night; with rolling closures that will be concluded before the morning commute.
Caltrans officials say motorists should only anticipate minor, if any, inconveniences.
RAC overlay is described as more durable and longer lasting than conventional asphalt and expected to require less maintenance. In addition to being more cost-effective, RAC is anticipated to reduce noise and provide significant environmental benefits in its use of old tires as a component.

Website Is Part of Caltrans Effort to Keep Malibu Informed about PCH Construction Projects

2008-04-30T16:39:00.000-07:00

• Malibuites Can Check Out Road Information at www.PCHPartners.org

BY ANNE SOBLE

Already facing a barage of questions from commuters fearing the worst when several construction projects start on Pacific Coast Highway this year, the state Department of Transportation and the cities of Malibu, Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades have announced the creation of an information website.
The governmental group has set up an entity it calls PCH Partners and designed its website to serve as the primary source of public information about projects planned for PCH. The projects are slated to start this month and complete in 2011. The projects are set for different locations along an 11-mile corridor of Malibu’s main artery between the McClure Tunnel and Cross Creek Road.
Whether the effort will be much more than Caltrans public relations window dressing will depend on the ability of PCHP to prevent major backups from happening. Local commuters have borne the brunt of major traffic delays during most of the recent state projects on PCH and Caltrans personnel hope to prevent this from recurring during this period of intensive road work.
PCH Partners will share information, as well as develop specific traffic management plans and post regular project updates on the website.
“The city of Malibu is very pleased to be part of the PCH Partners,” said City of Malibu Public Works Superintendent Richard Calvin. “We feel that this partnership will enhance the ability to inform the public as to what is happening in a timely manner for projects that may impact Pacific Coast Highway.”
The website is expected to provide and update the public with background information, news, maps and construction schedules. Contact information for each of the distinct projects will be provided to the respective oversight agencies to keep the public and commuters informed about status of work, lane closures and detours.
The group maintains that, “The traffic impacts will be reduced to the extent possible based on the construction site conditions and any unanticipated circumstances such as poor weather.”
PCH Partners will keep local elected officials, homeowner groups and community-based organizations informed of project progress and other construction related issues.
The construction projects, listed by their anticipated start dates, are:
City of Santa Monica Annenberg Community Beach Club (06/07-Spring ’09)
California Department of Transportation/Caltrans PCH Resurfacing (04/08-Fall ’08)
City of Malibu Corral Canyon Signal Project (07/08-09/08)
City of Malibu Carbon Canyon Underground Utilities Project (09/08-Spring ’09)
City of Santa Monica Palisades Bluffs Improvement Project (10/08-Summer ’09)
City of Santa Monica California Incline Rehabilitation Project (07/09-Summer ’10)
City of Los Angeles Low Flow Diversion Upgrades (07/09-Fall ’10)
City of Santa Monica Pier Bridge Rehabilitation (10/09-Fall ’10)
City of Los Angeles DC Electrode Replacement (12/10-Fall ’11)
More information about PCH Partners and the construction projects along Pacific Coast Highway is available at www.PCHPartners. org or 866-755-7679.

Market Vandalism under Investigation

2008-04-23T17:05:00.000-07:00

Vandals who struck HOWS Trancas Market last Wednesday evening at about 10:15 p.m. may get more attention than they expected. It is possible that the store’s surveillance equipment recorded their activities.
“We are looking at it now,” said Lt. John Benedict, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Benedict confirmed that five round concrete patio tables valued at $2000 were destroyed by the vandals.
Benedict said deputies are currently analyzing recorded material from the store’s video cameras to determine whether any of the perpetrators can be identified.

PCH Rollover Accident Site Continues to Draw Visitors

2008-04-16T16:47:00.000-07:00

MEMORIAL—Those who knew the 17-year-old killed in last week’s crash have left flowers, photos and messages at the accident site on Pacific Coast Highway west of Trancas Canyon Road. A paddle-out in honor of Cody Murphy was held at noon on Sunday, April 13, at Zuma Beach

• DUI and 90 mph Speed Deemed Factors in Driver’s Death

BY HANS LAETZ

Small groups of teenagers pull over to the side of the road. Most of them are 16, 17 or 18 years old. They speak readily with anyone who asks why they are there. They lost a friend, most of them say. They don’t always know the specifics of what has happened, but they understand the finality of death.
A 17-year-old motorist was driving 90 miles per hour, under the influence of alcohol and possibly marijuana, when the car he was driving cartwheeled down Pacific Coast Highway above Broad Beach on April 8.
A 17-year-old Camarillo girl who was riding in the back seat with two male passengers, also 17, remained in serious condition this week with head injuries but recent medical updates reported signs of improvement.
A fourth male 17-year-old sitting in the front passenger seat, walked away from the crushed car almost without a scratch. It has not yet been determined whether he, or any of the others, were wearing seat belts.
A large, empty bottle of Jägermeister, a potent German liqueur, and a marijuana bong and container were found in the upside-down wreckage of the 2007 Subaru Impreza that shut down PCH above Broad Beach Road’s western access for over 10 hours. Deputies are still awaiting toxicology results to determine what role the substances played in the crash.
Cody James Murphy, a junior at Newbury Park High School, was behind the wheel of the vehicle as it spun out of control, went up an embankment, flipped end-over-end, and then landed on its roof.
Murphy’s devastated parents arrived at the crash site early Wednesday morning to identify their son’s body.
Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Traffic Sgt. Philip Brooks said the five, all students at Newbury Park High School, went to see a hip-hop concert in Hollywood but missed it.
“They went down to the Santa Monica Pier and drank their Jägermeister there,” Brooks said. A large, empty and intact bottle with its cap on was found in the car after it was flipped over in the morning.
“Also, we found a marijuana smoking device, a large blue glass pipe thing about a foot long, with hooks and curves, as well as an empty marijuana canister from a medicinal marijuana dispensary,” Brooks said. “It had a blue label from a dispensary, but it was empty.”
Murphy was at the wheel driving northwest from Trancas when the car drifted to the right just past the western Broad Beach road intersection at 10:20 p.m., Brooks said.
“I could see where he got a good centrifugal spin, he went up the embankment. The car then flipped head over heels several times, went back on the highway on its roof, and spun around on its roof before coming to a rest” in the left of the two northbound lanes.
The road was closed to northbound traffic until 8:20 a.m., Wednesday. Deputies were using laser beams, laptop computers and a sophisticated accident-reconstruction computer program to measure skid marks, points of impact and local survey points.
Damage to the front and rear ends of the car corroborated that it had flipped over end-to-end several times. Scattered about the roadway after the accident were backpacks, schoolbooks and a nearly new Dodgers cap.
Grief counselors were sent to the Newbury campus to assist students in dealing with the loss of a youth who was involved in school sports and viewed as popular.
The Subaru’s owner, the stepfather of one of the injured boys, told Brooks that the wreckage might become part of a temporary exhibit to educate students on the perils of drunk driving.

New Council Members Take Office Monday

2008-04-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

BY BILL KOENEKER

Newly elected Malibu City Council members Jefferson Wagner and John Sibert and reelected member Pamela Conley Ulich will be made official at a special meeting Monday night at City Hall at 6 p.m.
The session, traditionally called the city council reorganization meeting, involves taking the oath of office, determination of the posts of mayor and mayor pro tem, farewell remarks by outgoing members and comments from incoming members.
Outgoing Mayor Jeff Jennings and Councilmember Ken Kearsley, who are both termed out of office, will be on the dais for the last time when their replacements take their seats.
As soon as the ballots were tallied Tuesday night, rumors started flying about possible changes in policy for the rotation of the largely ceremonial post of mayor.
Although city officials say there is an official written policy on the seating arrangements for the five members of the council, they indicate that there does not appear to be an official policy regarding mayoral rotation.
The current mayor pro tem, Pamela Conley Ulich, who was the top vote-getter in Tuesday’s election, would be next in line for the mayor’s post if a straight rotation system applies. But she will be passed over, if Malibu’s “unofficial” policy that each election cycle is a new beginning prevails. Conley Ulich was not available for comment.
Instead City Hall watchers say the gavel will be passed to one of the sitting council members, Andy Stern. “I assumed I was going to be mayor,” Stern told the Malibu Surfside News. He said he believes the tradition for Malibu is to change the rotation at each election cycle.
Municipal history on this is murky. The mayoral selection process in the first few years of Malibu incorporation was shaky.
In the original cityhood election in April 1991, Walt Keller, the top vote-getter, was selected by the council for the post. Then seven months later, a reorganization proposal was offered by Councilmember Missy Zeitsoff to change the selection process. In September 1991, a three-vote majority on the city council ousted Keller and the gavel was turned over to Mayor Pro Tem Larry Wan.
Upon being elected mayor by the council, Wan said he would serve a seven-month term and turn the gavel over after the April 1992 election, thereby putting the council on an annual timetable for the mayoral post.
However, seven months later, Keller again assumed the post when Wan nominated incumbent Carolyn Van Horn—the top vote-getter and the only incumbent to win reelection—but she declined and nominated Keller. Two newly sworn-in members also supported Keller.
Starting with this latest Keller term, the council agreed to rotate the mayor post on an annual basis as recommended by Wan the previous year.
The option of a separately elected mayor was overruled in favor a system based on a council of five citywide representatives at the start of the incorporation effort.

Tom Petty and Original Mudcrutch to Perform at Local Benefit

2008-04-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

• Midnight Mission’s Third Annual Event Includes Group’s First Performance in 30 Years

BY VANESSA HARRIS

The Midnight Mission Benefit team is calling out the instigators because there’s something in the air—its time to get together sooner than later, because the revolution’s here.
Malibu’s Performing Arts Center will be the setting for the third annual Midnight Mission Benefit on Saturday, April 12.
Dubbed “For Malibu, With Love,” the fundraiser and concert should instead be thought of as “for the people, with love Malibu” based on the organization’s mission and motivation to host the event.
According to the organizers, the Midnight Mission Benefit currently is the largest secular outreach organization that serves the homeless in downtown L.A.
Founder and the president of Midnight Mission Benefit, Norman Harris came up with the idea seven years ago when he started bringing toys on Christmas day to the homeless children concentrated in the Skid Row area.
The nonprofit organization has expanded to offer a variety of services, including counseling, education, training and job placement.
Throughout the human service group’s growth, Harris said he recognized the growing need to assist this population and decided to put his good resources to use.
As owner of Norman’s Rare Guitar, Harris has since begun rounding up some of the “usuals” he works with to perform and raise money for the organization’s mission.
With a track record of Richie Sambora and Los Lobos as performers, the foundation has quickly grown to be one of the most progressive and exciting charity events.
Organizers hope that for the third year, the event will go down in history because one of Harris’ “usual” customers will be the highlight of this event offering what is described as one of the most unique performances to date.
Tom Petty, along with his original band, Mudcrutch, will take center stage at the event and perform tracks off their album that is set to release late April. The benefit will mark of the first Mudcrutch performance in over 30 years.
In addition to what some see as a monumental moment in music history, KNBC meteorologist Fritz Coleman will host the evening, which also includes a cocktail reception and live and silent auctions, whose proceeds will go to the cause.
“With all the foreclosures and stuff that have been happening lately, there is going to be more homeless,” explains Harris.
“Contrary to popular belief, these are not only people who have drug and alcohol problems, but people who are in this situation because of unfortunate circumstances,” he stresses.
“I thought it would be natural to hold the event in Malibu and tap into the Malibu families to rally behind this and provide to the poor that live only 20 miles away,” says Harris.
As a call to “save the humans,” the benefit is not only for Malibuites who participate in the event, but also for the neighboring community that the organization serves.
To be a part of the movement to make a difference, one can purchase a general admission ticket online at www.tix.com. For information about ways to give additional support and/or purchase of Platinum, Gold and Silver Tickets, call 310-456-6722.

2008-03-19T15:19:00.001-07:00

Welcome to the Malibu Surfside News - News Alert blog

Check Back Often

Political Differences Begin to Emerge at Second Candidates Forum

2008-03-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

• Council Hopefuls Start to Take Opposing Stances •

At this week’s Malibu City Council candidates forum, sponsored by the Point Dume Community Association, one of the council hopefuls summed up one of the challenges facing the five candidates vying for three seats in the April 8 election.
“Some say it is hard to tell us apart. Do you know the difference? Three of us are blonde with long hair, and we wear black suits. How can you tell one from the other? I am not sure we did a good job of that,” said Susan Tellem.
However, there were moments during this latest forum when differences between Tellem, incumbent Pamela Conley Ulich, school board member Kathy Wisnicki, planning commissioner John Sibert and self-described surfer and retailer Jefferson Wagner began to emerge.
The candidates were asked the same question then given one minute to respond.
VIEW PROTECTION
They were told that one of the most asked questions submitted by the audience of 40 to 50 voters—the questions were chosen randomly—was whether they would be a strong advocate for homeowner view protection.
Wisnicki said the query was "a loaded question," and indicated since the issue is on the ballot as an advisory measure, she wanted to hear from the community.
Tellem responded that view protection is a big issue, and she said the city definitely needs an ordinance
Sibert said he has dealt with the issue often and said the process needs to be put into the application process when a new house is sited, noting that “I support view protection.”
Wagner said he would support “any kind of” view protection, and added that he wants the city to consider reflecting shed issues for solar panels.
“Not only do I support it, we enacted one for the Malibu Country Estates," said Conley Ulich. “They came to the city and asked if we could implement it.”
The council member said view protection legislation should also be considered a safety measure since it has the effect of removing large trees that become fuel for wildfires.
OVERNIGHT CAMPING
Candidates were asked how they would vote on the volatile issue of banning overnight camping in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Wisnicki said candidates cannot comment on how they would vote. “It is in the hands of the Coastal Commission. I believe the city made the right decision. We have to assert ourselves with the same passion as opposition to LNG,” she said.
Tellem, who later in the evening noted she had lead the charge to the city council chambers, urging they consider the ban, said one of her colleagues voted to pass approval of camping on to the council and another candidate has been silent on the issue. “I fought the fire. I did not hear anything about the fire from Kathy. The Corral Fire made a big difference,” she added.
Sibert said the Local Coastal Program, “which was supported by one up here,” mandated camping. Defending his vote on the planning commission, Sibert indicated panelists said no to camping without a needs assessment and nothing but cold camping would be allowed. “I would not support camping,” he said. Wagner blamed the executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy for the problem. “Joe Edmiston. He seems to be a ruthless ogre. He obtains his funding to acquire property by increasing visitor counts. He has his realm. We have our realm. I opposed from the very beginning overnight camping,” he said.
Conley Ulich said she had voted against overnight camping. She indicated she had met with Edmiston about a library issue. She said, “He told me, if I did not change my vote, he would not support the library [issue]. This is not just about all of us, it is about the environment. We cannot let this go forward.”
CURRENT COUNCIL
The candidates were then asked what they thought of the current council membership.
Sibert said the council has done “some things pretty well.” He added that except for Conley Ulich, “They tended to function as a unit for their own agenda. We need to do things differently.”
Tellem responded that, with the exception of Conley Ulich, the council does not listen to the community. “We had to fill the room to get them to vote [no on overnight camping],” she said.
Wagner said the council has failed in a number of ways, including its actions on water quality issues.
Conley Ulich said she gives the council a B-plus. "Acquiring the Bluffs Park is huge. Legacy Park is a role model to the world, and we took out a lot of development. We have learned from our mistakes,” she said.
Wisnicki said she sits on an elected body and is reluctant to criticize. “I know what a difficult job it is. Some things they have done well,” she said.
DISTRICT SECESSION
The council hopefuls were also asked their views on a separate school district.
Sibert reminded the audience that the city council can only voice an opinon on the matter, but said he favors home rule. “But we need to study it. The demographics are changing. We need to take a hard look at it,” he added.
Wagner insisted Malibu needs a separate school district.
Conley Ulich said she too would support a separate district. “Malibu comes up with the short end of the stick. We see a pattern here. The city council also supported looking at this,” she said.
Wisnicki said she would try to give a “very quick answer to a very complicated issue.” She said as a school board member she is in a precarious position to comment. “We need to look at the feasibility. Can we afford it? Or can we continue to collaborate? We will be able to accomplish this,” she added.
Tellem said she agreed with Conley Ulich. “Malibu is the illegitimate stepchild of the school district. We should be putting tax dollars into our own kids. The money should stay here,” she said.
WATER QUALITY
The five were also asked about water quality issues, especially in light of the lawsuit brought by the Santa Monica Baykeeper and the Natural Resources Defense Council against the City of Malibu and Los Angeles County.
Wagner said the reasons for the lawsuit are longstanding problems that have not been resolved and the city council has not moved fast enough. “We need to address the situation before they become lawsuits,” he said.
Conley Ulich said the city has done much, including acquiring Legacy Park for water quality issues, and the stormwater treatment facility is already on line. “We are doing a lot like working on Marie Canyon and Paradise Cove,” she added.
Wisnicki said the city is dealing with four other agencies, and municipal officials need to work together with the county and collaborate with the other agencies. “The city has made great strides, but needs to work with other agencies,” she said.
Tellem said, “We have done too little too late. The council is sitting on its hands.”
Sibert said the issues have been around for 20 years and just now are experts starting to get the answers. “We still don’t have all the information, especially about upstream,” he noted.
COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT
Candidates were asked their views about commercial development in the Civic Center area.
Wagner said the city should draft a specific plan. The problem, he said, is that developers may begin to sue about what the other developer, who built first, got, if entitlements are not meted out.
Conley Ulich said she also supports drafting a specific plan, but the council instead opted for an ad hoc committee to meet with property owners. “I am tired of developers giving us the crumbs. We need a teen center and senior center,” she stated.
Wisnicki said the city does not have a Civic Center plan and there are projects in the pipeline. She said maybe more land could be taken out of development and the city needs to take care of traffic and groundwater.
Tellem said, “Kathy said the traffic can’t get any worse. It is getting worse.” Tellem indicated that there is the potential for one million square feet of development. “If there is a fire, there is a problem, we have only one route in and out of Malibu,” she said.
Sibert said the city had a specific plan that was not approved. “We can’t do another moratorium. That was already done. We need to sit down with the property owners. The fact is there is about a total of 390,000 square feet [of developable space],” he said.
SMC vs. SHERIFF
Candidates were also asked if they support a college adjunct at the former sheriff’s facility, or would they rather see the sub-station return.
“I am with [Sheriff] Lee Baca on this one and oppose it. There is traffic and lots of problems with the building,” said Tellem. “We have college services at Pepperdine.”
Sibert said it would be great to have Santa Monica College in Malibu because its services are different than Pepperdine's.
Wagner said the former sheriff’s station is an issue itself. “How could Lee Baca find out two weeks ago? The city pays the sheriff,” said Wagner, asking if the city and the agency talk.
“I don’t know where it should go,” said Conley Ulich. “ I would support what the voters want. We could start with a trailer for the substation.”
Wisnicki said that 64 percent of the students take courses in Santa Monica. “The station is already existing. It would be useful for the community. There could be a substation on campus. The county is willing to negotiate with the college,” she noted.
—BY BILL KOENEKER

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY CLOSURE SCHEDULED

2008-02-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

The California Department of Transportation will close the number two lane of northbound (westbound) Pacific Coast Highway between Corral Canyon and Latigo Canyon beginning Monday, Feb. 25, for approximately four weeks (possibly through March 24).
Caltrans has implemented the closure to facilitate emergency rock removal attributable to the landslide that has repeatedly troubled that section of PCH. Slide activity in this area resulted in several near misses with passing vehicles when washing-machine-size boulders crashed down onto the road on Jan 27.
The City of Malibu has requested that work be performed around the clock (24 hours a day) in order to expedite the project. Motorists are advised to exercise caution when driving past the work area, especially late at night.
-Anne Soble

Mel Gibson Appears in Court for Final Session

2008-02-14T10:30:00.000-08:00

• Remains on Probation for DUI for 18 Months •

By Hans Laetz

Malibu resident Mel Gibson has paid nearly all of his debt to society but needs to avoid driving drunk or other slipups for the remaining 18 months of his probation, a judge ruled Wednesday.
“No, thank you,” the Australian-born movie director and actor told a reporter from the Malibu Surfside News when asked if he had anything to say after the hearing.
“You're on your own now with the self-help groups, so this is the most difficult time for you,” Judge Lawrence Mira told Gibson during the 22-minute-long hearing. “Good luck to you as you continue on your rehabilitation.”
“Thank you, your honor,'' said Gibson, who had uttered only one other word during the hearing, when he replied, “Yes,” to a question from the judge.
Prosecutor Gina Satriano said Gibson has paid about $1600 in penalties, attended nightly Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for a month, gone to follow-up sessions, and volunteered to tape an anti drunken-driving television announcement.
Gibson, his attorney and a phalanx of uniformed sheriff’s deputies avoided a gaggle of paparazzi and TV cameras in front of the Malibu courthouse by slipping in through the back security entrance. Judge Mira refused requests from local broadcasters and celebrity Websites to allow photography inside the courtroom.
In a July, 2006 incident that had tabloids and the Web hyperventilating around the world, Gibson was arrested after leaving a local restaurant and weaving down Pacific Coast Highway late on a Friday night.
The incident exploded when someone leaked original arrest reports from Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Deputy James Gee, which documented a verbal tirade from Gibson that included sexist and anti-Semitic remarks. The drunken actor also tried to intimidate deputies by saying he “owned Malibu,” a line that amused some local residents to the point where a sign was posted at the city limits sign that read, “Welcome to Melibu.”
Gibson apologized for his actions and pleaded guilty to the drunken driving charge.
Deputy Mee was relegated to desk duty by the LASD for disciplinary reasons that reportedly had to do with unspecified actions he took after the Gibson arrest, but not related to the arrest itself. Mee is reportedly back on street patrol.
Subsequent investigation into the entire matter found that the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station violated several department policies by giving Gibson favorable treatment, including giving him a lift from the jail in Calabasas back to Malibu to pick up his impounded car.
During Wednesday’s hearing, whether or not to allow photography in the courtroom took up most of the 22-minutes, with his attorney, Blair Berk, prosecutor Satriano and the judge engaged in a sidebar conference beyond the ears of the public.
Afterwards, Mira said he would deny the news media requests because of unnamed persons who have reportedly been stalking Gibson and against whom the actor has obtained restraining orders.
“Unfortunately, Mister Gibson is the subject of what may be alleged criminality,” the judge said. “People who are the subject of the restraining order are being encouraged [in their acts] by the view of the subject.
“An educational event should not necessarily be encouraged when it encourages people within the event to be exposed to criminal activity,” the judge said.
California law gives judges complete discretion whether to allow cameras in the courtroom, but several media experts said a ruling along those exact lines was unusual.

MEASURE R PASSES

2008-02-06T09:11:00.000-08:00

By Anne Soble

According to the latest Los Angeles County
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk tally from the Feb. 5 election, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District parcel tax, Measure R, passed handily by 22,309 to 8446. In percentage terms, it received 72.54 percent to 27.46 percent. The measure needed two-thirds approval of the votes cast to pass.

The number of voters who cast ballots on the measure was 30,755, or 43 percent of the district’s total registration of 70,107. The vote count was completed for the 71 precincts in the district at 3:57 a.m. on Wednesday.