Malibu friends reach out in times of trouble. October’s power shutdown and the current fires served as a reminder.
A friend and I were enjoying a yummy meal of sand dabs and an ice-cold wedge salad with blue cheese at V’s the other day. As soon as the delish dish arrived, the lights went out.
Sad to say they stayed out. So the two of us were all in the dark. The doors were locked, not another customer in sight. It seemed to happen day after day.
All the while I had one man in my mind—the legendary Pete McKellar. He purchased a place down the road called Country Liquor Store after the war and made Malibu his home. He helped us through the fires, accidents, power outages and traffic nightmares. He handed out sodas, water and snacks to first responders and a little ice cream to calm down anxious kids.
When Pete passed, Mike Deeb took over and, with help from store manager Cy Houdini and assistant Michele, they kept the place going for locals who otherwise could not get in or out in the past. Together, they kept Pete’s old Malibu tradition going.
A local pizza joint—D’Amores—kept its doors open to feed the locals during the Woolsey Fire. It was something. Even as the ice cream was melting, other grocers kept their doors open for essentials.
As a 23-year resident of Malibu, I value the old-time “Malibu Strong” spirit. This is just one more reason why we are fortunate to have the privilege of making Malibu a way of life.