Conservancy prepared to apply for overnight camping program
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston said in an interview Tuesday that he intends to submit an application on Monday to the city for a Local Coastal Program amendment to allow for enhancements, including overnight camping, at Charmlee, Corral Canyon and Ramirez Canyon parks.
The application will mark the latest chapter in a controversial attempt by the SMMC and its sister organization, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, or the MRCA, to enhance its Malibu parkland. Last fall the SMMC had a similar plan, but it was slammed by city officials and local residents who were angry that the proposal only needed to go through the California Coastal Commission, and avoided city review. Just as it appeared litigation would occur, the SMMC and city officials made a deal in January of this year that the conservancy would apply for an LCP amendment from the city.
However the controversy will not likely be going away soon. Ramirez Canyon property owners have repeatedly stated they are opposed to overnight camping in Ramirez Canyon because of the risks of fires and the fear that emergency vehicles would have a difficult time getting there to control fires. Also, some Malibu residents claim overnight camping is not allowed at Charmlee Park.
Highway of accidents
An accident on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. involving a Land Rover on Pacific Coast Highway near Carbon Canyon held up traffic for nearly 20 minutes to those heading southbound. This is the third accident to occur in the past two weeks on the stretch of Pacific Coast Highway from the pier to Carbon Canyon.
A man was injured in an accident involving a motorcycle and a SUV Friday around 4:30 p.m. on the highway, just south of the Malibu Pier. Sheriff’s officials could not give any other information other than that the accident involved the two vehicles. However, the sheriff’s report stated the accident happened at Webb Way rather than near the pier, but a reporter from The Malibu Times, who witnessed the aftermath of the accident, said the scene of the accident was located south of the pier.
An earlier accident involving two vehicles took place April 5 at approximately 12 p.m. on Pacific Coast Highway near Carbon Canyon. Sheriff’s officials said they did not have any information on that accident.
Drivers frequently travel at speeds in excess of 60 mph on Pacific Coast Highway, which is lined with homes. The posted speed limit is 45 mph.
School district to address budget issues
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education will discuss its financial future at its meeting this Thursday. The district must find a way to deal with its declining revenue, which is partly attributed to a dwindling student population. Most of the district’s revenue comes from the state, which designates money based on average daily attendance.
At a budget session last month, the district learned that by the year 2010, it will be facing a shortfall of more than $7 million. Some preliminary budget-cutting measures have been proposed. This week’s board agenda can be accessed online at www.smmusd.org. The meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m., will take place at Santa Monica City Hall, located at 1685 Main St. in Santa Monica.
Dems party at Streisand’s estate
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi attended a party last Thursday at Barbra Streisand’s Point Dume home for a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee fundraiser that raked in a reported $1.3 million. According to the Associated Press, 120 invited guests attended the gathering at a cost of $50,000 per couple. The attendees included several celebrities and politicians.
Chamber hosting emergency preparedness event
The Malibu Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon at 12 p.m. on April 25 at the Malibu Performing Arts Center to discuss emergency preparedness. The session will include a panel of experts from the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s departments, the city of Malibu and the Chamber of Commerce
A press release issued by the chamber stated, “Each year disasters such as wildfires, car accidents, landslides and storms force thousands of Malibu residents and businesses to struggle with the after effects in the loss of business and/or recovery of financial resources… In the event of a disaster, the tools you’ll learn will help to make your business continue to function, keep your family safe, and support your efforts in a recovery strategy.”
The Arts Center is located at 23825 Stuart Ranch Road. The event costs $20 per person. More information can be obtained by calling 310.456.9025 or online at www.malibu.org
Health officials warn of ticks
As warmer spring temperatures attract Californians to outdoor activities, people must take precautions to prevent tick bites because some ticks carry germs that cause disease, including Lyme disease, State Public Health Officer Dr. Mark Horton said in a statement released this week.
“Californians should take measures to reduce their exposure to ticks when they venture outdoors to work in their yards and participate in recreational activities, including hiking and camping,” Horton said.
Individuals may become infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease when they are bitten by an infected western black-legged tick, the only tick in California that transmits Lyme disease.
The smaller, immature form of the tick known as a “nymph” is most active during the spring and early summer months and has already been detected this spring in Alameda, Santa Clara and Sonoma counties. Nymphs may attach to people as they gather or sit on logs or walk through leaf litter. Because nymphs are so small, people may not notice if one attaches to them.
Early symptoms of Lyme disease often include a spreading rash, which is usually accompanied by flu-like symptoms, such as fever and body aches. Ticks in California can carry other germs that cause diseases in humans, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Horton offered the following steps to reduce exposure to tick bites:
· Avoid areas where ticks live, such as trail margins, brushy and grassy areas and leaf litter in forests with oak and other hardwood trees. Stay on trails and avoid contact with logs, tree trunks and fallen branches or tree limbs in forests.
· When in areas where ticks can be found, wear light-colored clothing so ticks can easily be seen and wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. Tuck pant legs into boots or socks and tuck shirts into pants. Also, use a repellent registered for use against ticks. Repellents with DEET are effective and can be applied to the skin. Inspect yourself frequently for ticks while in tick habitat.
· After outdoor activities in tick-infested areas, conduct a check of your entire body, especially the hairline, armpit, back of knees and groin, each day for up to three days after returning from tick habitat. An additional tick check two or three days after exposure may reveal an engorged tick or a tick bite reaction that may not have been noticeable before. Parents should inspect their children, especially on the scalp and hairline, after activities in tick-infested areas.
Individuals who discover a tick attached to their body should remove it as soon as possible to reduce the possibility of infection. The tick should be removed by grasping it with fine-pointed tweezers and pulling it gently, but firmly, straight out. Individuals who develop a rash, fever or other symptoms within two to four weeks after being bitten by a tick should consult their physician immediately.