On Tuesday, Nov. 3, America went to the polls and Donald Trump was deposed. About 51 percent (plus or minus) of the electorate breathed a sigh of relief and about 49 percent (plus or minus) seemed to be convinced they were robbed and vowed to reverse it all, which started one of the more bizarre battles in American electoral history. Locally, Malibu voted in three new council members: Bruce Silverstein, Steve Uhring and Paul Grisanti, in that order. Whereas Trump vowed not to leave quietly, newly elected council member Bruce Silverstein vowed publicly not to serve quietly, a harbinger of many new local political battles to come.
The school separation issue also heated up when Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati sent a letter to City of Malibu essentially accusing us of selfishness in the breaking off of negotiations to which the normally very reticent and political Malibu board member Craig Foster replied that Drati’s letter was in equal parts “deeply offensive, wildly hypocritical and completely inappropriate” so one might surmise a reconciliation may not be soon in the works.
Malibu marked the two-year anniversary of the Woolsey Fire, which killed three people, destroyed 1,643 structures (half in greater Malibu) and burned 96,949 acres.
After three brush fires in the Malibu area were traced to secluded brush-filled campsites deep in the canyons, local officials and the sheriff’s department conducted a sweep through the canyons, cleaning up the campsites and moving people out to reduce the risks.
Malibu’s longtime (almost 30-year) City Attorney Christi Hogin resigned from the city and retired.
With COVID-19 numbers rising, the county barred restaurants from outside dining and limited their service to takeout or delivery only.