Topanga Canyon Boulevard is closed.
Decker Canyon Road is to be closed today through Friday.
The local schools face budget cuts.
A surprise at the old Beaurivage restaurant.
And it ain’t over at the Santa Monica Airport.
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This is the Tuesday KBUU News.Malibu’s only local daily news.
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Topanga Canyon Boulevard remains closed this morning.
Caltrans crews and contractors continue to remove dirt and rocks on the southern end of the road … between the ocean and Topanga Canyon’s town center.
At the other end of Malibu … road closed signs were to go up this morning on Decker Canyon Road.
That road … also called state Route 23 … needs some major work.
Crews are working under a 2 point 2 million dollar emergency contract.
They are knocking down the loose rocks on the cliff at the switchbacks … where the road goes up a the side of a cliff about a mile north of the PCH.
Pins will be drilled into the cliffside above the road … and steel netting will be attached to the rocks.
Such netting has proved highly successful in preventing rocks from falling onto PCH near Point Mugu.
All traffic is banned in Decker Canyon Road by Caltrans until Friday night .
If there’s a fire or other emergency … crews will get out of the way for emergency vehicles … according to Caltrans.
Work will continue after Friday … only one lane of Decker Canyon Road will be open between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on most days through March.
Flaggers will conduct one-way traffic control seven days a week in early Fedruary.
The detour is posted … Encinal Canyon Road.
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The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District has begun talking about a pending budget deficit of about four percent.
According to coverage in the Santa Moncia Daily Press … the local school district has an 11 million dollar hole in its 1-hundred-11 million dollar annual budget.
Financial officer Jan Maez says the district should aim for a 4 million dollar budget reduction.
Changes in state funding formulas have created the deficit … she told the board … according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
The district is considering cutting $2 million for the coming year.
And they are looking at another $1 million each of the following two years.
Maez says the district should make cuts on a tiered basis now …. but warns that uncertainty at the state and federal level can rapidly change the local budget picture.
The full story is in the Santa Monica Daily Press.
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You are listening to the latest news from Radio Malibu … 97.5 K B U. ((( time ))))
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An unusual application is pending at the City of Malibu planning department.
It’s not until the last line that the surprise is revealed.
The owners of the former Beaurivage restaurant have filed an update with the city … to detail their plans on how to bring the restaurant back to life.
The city had concerns about the restaurant …. now known as the Ranch At Solstice Canyon … when it reopened after a fire closed the Beaurivage.
The city had problems with the restaurants septic capability … parking and outdoor lighting.
The restaurant is closed … apparently for business reasons.
And its owners have been working with the city to comply with all regulations.
The redesign of the parking lot Will allow the restaurant to meet city requirements …. And the septic system engineering is in final approval process at city hall … according to the restaurant representative.
And that’s where the surprise is.
Representing the restaurant is none other than Sarah J Wan … the longtime California coastal commissioner and Malibu resident.
Wan spent decades fighting coastal development projects … but also fighting for coastal access … including restaurants and other visitor accommodations.
In her letter to the city of Malibu … Wan says … and we quote …
“We firmly believe that this plan will provide a moderately priced restaurant and be a real asset
to the community as well as to the surrounding environment … including the balance of the
property that consists of Environmentally Sensitive habitat Area.”
Close quote.
Wan says the restaurant owners are working with the Santa Monica Conservancy to
construct for them the public trail and picnic tables … that will be fully accessible to the general public.
No timeline on when the restaurant at the bottom of Solstice Canyon will be reopened.
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If you think the battle over Santa Monica airport is over … think again.
The Federal Aviation Administration and the city of Santa Monica on Saturday entered into a consent agreement to shorten the runway immediately.
The FAA agreement means that crushed concrete safety buffers will be installed at each end of the runway … which right now is barely long enough for corporate jets to take off and land.
The design and installation of the buffers will take a few months … and will put an end to most corporate jet operations at Santa Monica.
And in 11 years … the city will be allowed to bulldoze the runway.
The deal was signed by F A A Administrator Michael Huerta.
He works for the U-S transportation secretary … and is a political appointee.
Political appointees are getting fired these days in Washington.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says its main goal is unchanged … to keep Santa Monica Airport permanently open and available to all general aviation users.
The National Business Aircraft Association says it will continue to fight for the Santa Monica Airport.
Other airplane owners groups dismiss the Santa Monica effort to close the airport as mere local political maneuvering.
Meanwhile … in Orange County … JetSuite officials told KBU news yesterday they are still evaluating whether to start passenger jet service out of Santa Airport next week … as planned.
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Traffic …
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Weather for the Malibu ….
It will be (((( sunny and 68 )))) degrees today on the beach … (((( 71 )))) inland.
Winds will be gentle.
Downcoast will be ((( 5 to 10 )))) miles per hour this afternoon.
Sunset tonight is at (((( 5:23 )))).
After that … expect it to be ((( clear )))) tonight … a low of (((( 52 )))) on the beach … down to (((( 42 )))) in the canyons.
Tomorrow should be (((( cooler )))).
Right now … it’s (((( 56 )))) at Trancas.
(((( 59 )))) in upper Malibu Canyon.
And it’s (((( 60 ))) at Civic center Los Angeles.
In the ocean … it’s (((( 54 )))) degrees in the water at Zuma Beach.
The lifeguards say the waves today are 3-4’ high.
A modest WNW swell eases thru the day.
Early incoming tide push.
Light AM wind.
Those are (((( fair )))) surfing conditions …. according to the lifeguards.
((((( Tide is coming in to a high at 11 : 02.
Low tide is at 5:48 . ))))
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