The following Dolphin Award winners for 2006 are being recognized for contributions and their tireless work and devotion to the community of Malibu.
Cindy Linke
During a time of war, Cindy Linke has been a friend to troops overseas. She is the driving force behind “Operation Interdependence,” a direct civilian-to-military system that donates, packs and ships supplies to service men and women.
The Malibu Park resident launched the program in 2004. Twice a year, she gets dozens of locals to put together goodie bags, which contain magazines, CDs, games, grooming aids, candy and a hand written note of appreciation.
The packages go out to troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots around the world. Her efforts do not go unnoticed. USAF TSgt. Christopher Shetterly said he is deeply touched that Linke and other people in the community take the time to “send them a little bit of home” and for “supporting us over here as we continue the fight against terrorism.”
Michael R. Lancaster, who is stationed in Djibouti, Africa echoes Shetterly’s sentiments . Lancaster wrote to Linke, “I received a package a couple of days ago. The packages were greatly appreciated by all that received them. It’s great to know that while we are deployed overseas there are people like you who can brighten our day.”
Linke started the Malibu contingent of “Operation Interdependence” from scratch, said Ann Fulton, who has joined in on “packing parties.”
Fulton describes Linke as “disarmingly down-to-earth, bright, tireless, enterprising, dedicated and accomplished” … and “indefatigable” …. a person “who does the work of a dozen-soliciting the goods and donations, purchasing the supplies, attracting the volunteers, coordinating each event and shipping to the O.I. distribution center.”
Carol Kmiec & Marnie Duke Mitze
Thanks to Carol Kmiec and Marnie Duke Mitze, school children across Los Angeles County as well as here in Malibu have something to sing about. Their hard work on behalf of the “ARTSreach” program at Pepperdine University helps bring live theater performances to more than 10,000 children each year, as well as enabling them to visit the Frederick R. Weisman Museum. The program even picks up the transportation costs for schools that can’t afford it.
For some of the children, a trip to Pepperdine means their first look at the ocean as well as their first taste of live theater, music or dance.
“It is a joy to see them experience live theater,” volunteer Ellen Weitman said. “Marnie has made it her goal to increase the programs that are offered, which will allow more children to share the experience.”
Duke Mitze also serves as the director of the Center for the Arts at Pepperdine and has helped bring big name talent to Malibu. Her line-up of artists who have performed includes Art Garfunkel, The Manhattan Transfer and Bonnie Raitt, to name a few.
“Marnie is creative and always looking to enhance the community’s exposure to the arts,” Weitman said.
Kmiec has served as the director of the “ARTSreach” program since 2003.
The mother of five is married to Pepperdine law professor Douglas Kmiec, who is one of her biggest fans.
“Carol makes an effort to attract children from disadvantaged areas of Los Angeles, disabled children and many others who might otherwise be overlooked,” Kmiec said.
Carol Kmiec’s work begins with raising money to charter buses to bring children to the university, then she works to involve the artists who perform at the Smother’s Theatre and also arranges Pepperdine student mentors to introduce the campus to the young visitors. Kmiec also leads the children on tours of the museum.
“At the end of the day, the children have had an extraordinary field trip, meeting college students, enjoying the fine arts and contemplating their own potential. Of course, they have also met one of the most resourceful, intelligent and truly magnanimous people in our local community.”
Candace Bowen
Candace Bowen’s flair for volunteer work was awakened early on. As a teenager in Philadelphia, where she was born and raised, she worked as a pink uniformed “Candy Striper” at Philadelphia General Hospital.
Bowen was nominated by former Dolphin Award recipient Helene Eisenberg, who said, “It was a long time coming.” Eisenberg couldn’t give just one reason why Bowen deserved recognition.
“Candace has done so much as a volunteer,” she said. “She’s worked as precinct inspector in all the elections for at least 20 years. She’s supervised the Malibu Pie Festival for 15 years. She co-produced the Malibu Dolphin Run for over 10 years and spent five years in the Malibu Chamber of Commerce. What hasn’t she done? But you wouldn’t know it, though, because Candace doesn’t toot her own horn.”
In addition to all her volunteer work, Bowen and her husband, Howard Ferguson, raised her grandson, Aaron, to be “one of the finest young men you’ll ever meet,” Eisenberg said.
Bowen’s philosophy of volunteerism is simple. “When you don’t work with your community, you don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “You don’t know who you are.”
In addition to community efforts, Bowen also sits on the board of the international organization “Women in Film,” which brings together women in the film business, along with young girls seeking guidance and internship in the industry.
She recently executive produced a film, “Cuttin’ Da Mustard,” that chronicles the lives of young urban actors. Her theatrical background has earned her many awards, including “Dramalogue’s” Best Play and the NAACP Theatre Image Award.
“My thing is to bring awareness and revenue to Malibu,” Bowen said. “When people reach out, you need to be there.”
Bob Klein
As president and creative director of Klein & Associates, Bob Klein has made many contributions to the world of radio and television, but in Malibu he gets top billing for his starring role in the Malibu Celebration of Film. For Klein, the celluloid showcase was a longtime labor of love.
“We wanted to do a film festival in Malibu that is meaningful to Malibu,” the local resident of 42 years said.
Klein, and co-founders David Lyons and Dolores Rivellino, came up with the idea of a weeklong festival that would bring the city “the best of the best.” In addition to offering award-winning films from around the world, the festivities included a screening of “A Prairie Home Companion,” the premiere of “Accidental Icon: The Real Gidget Story” and a tribute to the late Robert Altman.
“The festival was successful beyond our wildest dreams,” Klein said. “From the opening night celebration at Calamigos Ranch to that crazy surfer documentary where we all ended up at the bar at the Malibu Inn, the whole thing was wonderful. And the fact that it was Robert Altman’s last public appearance made it just unforgettable.”
Klein also helped kick off the FILMS”COOL” mentoring program. The program provides the festival with its biggest potential pay off and richest reward.
“We are a film community,” he said, “and we know anything worthwhile in this community involves kids. This is our way of helping kids who are interested in film advance and young filmmakers make a mentorship connection.”
Keely Shaye Brosnan
Malibu resident Keely Shaye Brosnan’s passion for protecting the environment was born years ago, when she was a teenager picking up cans on Bolsa Chica Beach in Huntington Beach, where she grew up. Further impressionable years in the paradisiacal climes of Hawaii engraved a commitment to preserving the fragile eco-system of the planet and her efforts have been unflagging since then.
Brosnan’s versatile talents have been tapped in broadcast journalism, authorship (with an up-coming book: “Gourmet Gardener”), philanthropy and zealous environmental activism.
No mere celebrity dilettante, Brosnan worked with the Jane Goodall Institute and with former Gov. Gray Davis to help draft a bill that would adopt environmental education in California classrooms.
Along with her husband (and former Dolphin Award winner), Pierce Brosnan, she is keenly involved with the Natural Resources Defense Council in their fight against sonar testing in the world’s oceans.
In recognition that environmental protection furthers children’s health on a global level, the Brosnans fund a program in Zambia that brings clean water and medical supplies to children suffering from AIDS. They also support studies that track elephants in Africa in an effort to preserve their habitat.
Currently, Brosnan’s most passionate work is with the California Coastal Protection Network to prevent BHP Billiton, the largest mining company in the world, from building a floating, liquefied natural gas facility off the coast of Malibu.
Along with meeting legislators, testifying at feasibility hearings and hosting awareness events in her effort to halt the project, Brosnan organized the Malibu Pier Protest and Paddle Out against the LNG terminal last November.
“Keely has given her heart and soul to make Malibu and the world better,” City Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said.
Chi Kim
Chi Kim, principal of Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School for the past five years, is the unanimous Dolphin Award choice for many parents of children attending the school.
Several parents wrote to The Malibu Times, uniformly extolling Kim’s strong leadership and vision.
“Chi means energy in Chinese,” Malibu resident and father Niel Armstrong said. “And there is not a more apt word to describe this amazing leader of our children.”
Beyond what parents say are her tireless efforts to “inspire our kids to truly learn,” including responding to parents’ questions in 2 a.m. e-mails, Kim has been lauded for fostering an awakening of personal civic responsibility in her charges through special, student-run commissions, such as the Citizenship Commission.
“These commissions empower our children to come up with solutions to problems,” said Regan Schaar, Malibu Planning Commissioner and mother of two at Point Dume.
Schaar, along with several other parents, is most enthusiastic with the environmental awareness that Kim has indoctrinated into the school’s curriculum.
“She got our kids recycling and really understanding energy issues,” Armstrong said. “She gets speakers into the school to explain about energy saving and the next thing you know, your kid is bringing home compact fluorescent light bulbs!”
Kim was born in Seoul, Korea, but moved here when she was still a young child.
“My father studied law in Korea,” Kim said. “But when we moved here, we were just another immigrant family. My parents worked so hard for us and so, my siblings and I have a very strong work ethic.”
That work ethic meant taking on teaching duties two days a week, rather than allowing her classroom sizes to expand, and she has her eye on the future.
“Ideally, I would like to convert our science labs to be totally self-sustaining with solar and wind energy,” Kim said. “It costs money, but it’s the kind of model we need to teach real world experience.”
Bonnie Reiss
Bonnie Reiss has returned home to Malibu after serving as senior advisor to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger since 2003. Reiss helped the actor ease into his role as governor and put together a team for his new administration. She has been a trusted friend and ally for more than 25 years. She played an important role in the transition and had a hand in hiring at various agencies. Reiss, who had been active in democratic politics for many years, was also the administration’s point person when it came down to negotiating a $15 billion deficit bond.
But her largest contribution may be in the area of environmental policy. She helped place Santa Monica Baykeeper Executive Director Terry Tamminen at the California Environmental Protection Agency and played a pivotal role in negotiations over Assembly Bill 32. The landmark greenhouse-gas-emissions measure earned the governor international attention.
Although she continues to be a sounding board for the governor and will “advise from Malibu,” Schwarzenegger is thankful for her many years of service and for making a difference. “Maria and I will miss the daily contributions that she makes to the administration,” the governor said. “And while Bonnie leaves her office in the horseshoe, she will always have a seat at the table.”
Tarek Shraibati
To many families in Malibu, there’s no better way of being prepared than by having Tarek Shraibati on your side. Shraibati is something of a local legend and has been the Scoutmaster of Boy Scouts of America Troop 224 for more than 28 years. Shraibati’s connection to the organization goes back to the time when he was a young scout himself.
Growing up in Malibu he enjoyed his scouting experience so much he went on to become an Eagle Scout and realized a dream when he became Scoutmaster. Over the years, his leadership has been a source of comfort and inspiration.
“Tarek takes a very personal approach to scouting with an emphasis on healthy development and nurturing of each boy,” said Eagle Scout Peter Burrell, who is also the father of two boys. “He has a unique gift of caring deeply about every individual scout.”
Shraibati’s role as a Scoutmaster goes beyond merit badges. He has been a trusted friend to local youngsters who have endured tough times or had to cope with difficulties like a family divorce. His goal has always been to focus on each child, helping them find a sense of purpose, build their confidence and increase self-esteem.
“Tarek’s deep commitment is fueled by exceptional generosity and compassion,” Burrell said.
James P. Carr and his son were a part of Troop 224 several years ago.
Shraibati has devoted “countless hours for all these years while teaching at CSUN, and while he and his wife raise two daughters,” Carr said. “I cannot imagine anyone more deserving of a Dolphin Award.”
Peter and Elizabeth Anthony, & Deborah La Gorce Kramer
Children on Point Dume have a new path to follow thanks to the efforts of Peter and Elizabeth Anthony, and Deborah LaGorce Kramer. After a five-year battle and countless community meetings, the local activists got the Malibu City Council to sign off on their Point Dume Safe Routes to School Walkway Project. Today, children in the neighborhood can walk to Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School in safety with the installation of five-foot-wide pathways made of decomposed granite bordered with wood ties.
The Anthonys and LaGorce Kramer also got one of the state’s largest and most powerful agencies to pitch in. Caltrans, through its Safe Routes to Schools program, awarded the City of Malibu approximately $380,000 to construct walkways on Dume Drive, Grayfox Street and Fernhill Drive, which links up with the path on Wildlife Road.
“It wasn’t a safe place for kids to walk,” LaGorce Kramer explained. “People speed. There are blind curves, cars parked on shoulders.”
Other parents in the PTA at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School joined the initiative, but the Anthonys and LaGorce Kramer helped spearhead their efforts.
“Through their tenacity and hard work, they were able to help raise the safety consciousness of the community and secure federal grant money to help make the safe route a reality,” Councilmember Pamela Conley Ulich said.
The walkways also bring another benefit to the community. More children walking to school means fewer cars on the road and a reduction in traffic congestion.
As Ulich put it, “They have successfully implemented their vision to enable the Point Dume community to be one of the few pedestrian-friendly areas in Malibu.”