County board to consider water conservation measures
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will have a public hearing on June 2 to consider implementation of the Metropolitan Water District’s water conservation plan’s measures.
The plan would impose limits on the amount of water it supplies to customers and impose surcharges on any water used above target levels in its water conservation plan that it implemented in April of this year.
The MWD supplies 100 percent of Los Angeles County Waterworks District 29’s water, which serves Malibu.
The supervisors will decide which measures of the MWD’s plan should be enacted.
The hearing will take place June 2, 9:30 a.m. at the Hearing Room of the Board of Supervisors, Room 381, Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration, 500 West Temple St.
More information can be obtained by calling 626.300.3362
BuFest to bring top music acts to Paramount Ranch
The BuFest Music Festival will take place May 30 and 31 at Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains. BuFest is a live event that will feature two full days of music and entertainment. The event will showcase more than 70 acts on four separate stages, including top musical acts like Reel Big Fish, Eve 6, Unwritten Law, MXPX and Arlene Kole.
The festival is also a “green” event, supporting the ideals of the Green Living Expos held across the country and dedicated to having absolutely zero impact on the environment. BuFest will only use biodegradable and recycled supplies, along with technologically advanced generators and materials designed to ensure the lowest possible carbon output, and has joined forces with PickupPals to encourage ride sharing to the event. BuFest also supports the Cancer Hope Foundation and Camp Keepsake, a free camp retreat giving adult cancer patients and survivors, their families and their friends a place to relax and have fun in an understanding, safe and supportive atmosphere.
BuFest will take place May 30 and Sunday, May 31 at the Paramount Ranch, from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Advance tickets are $60 for a two-day pass or $45 for a one-day pass that is valid on either day. More information can be obtained by calling 888.678.2008 or online at www.bufest.com.
Dialogue on education at Pepperdine
On the heels of the successful collaboration that brought “Three Cups of Tea” author Greg Mortenson to Malibu, the Pepperdine University Libraries and One Book, One City-Malibu program plan to continue a dialogue about education through a panel discussion on Thursday, May 21 at 6 p.m. at Payson Library on the Pepperdine campus.
Hosted by the Pepperdine University Libraries, the panel will feature professors and alumni who conducted research and fieldwork that focused on the impact of education within communities in the Middle East and Nepal. The group will explore issues of education, gender, poverty, altruism, leadership, community engagement, and the influence of these themes within peaceful and terror-ridden countries.
Diana Hiatt-Michael, professor emeritus of education at the Pepperdine Graduate School of Education and Psychology, along with doctors Mirwais Azizi and Jeff Lee will sit on the panel, as they share their experiences working on education initiatives in Nepal, Afghanistan and Oman.
The event is open to the public and is free of charge. More information can be obtained by calling Amy Hunter at 310.506.6785.
American Tortoise Rescue Celebrates World Turtle Day May 23
American Tortoise Rescue, a nonprofit organization established nearly 20 years ago for the protection of all species of tortoise and turtle, is sponsoring World Turtle Day on May 23.
Featured in Chase’s “Book of Annual Events,” the day was created as an annual observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises and their disappearing habitats around the world. Malibu residents Susan Tellem and Marshall Thompson, founders of ATR, advocate humane treatment of all animals, especially reptiles.
“World Turtle Day was launched to increase respect for and knowledge about one of the world’s oldest creatures. These gentle animals have been around for about 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of the live food markets, habitat destruction and the cruel pet trade,” Tellem said. “We are seeing smaller and smaller turtles coming into the rescue, which means that older adults are disappearing from the wild, and the breeding stock is drastically reduced. This is a very sad time for turtles and tortoises throughout the world.”
Tellem and Thompson note that experts predict the complete disappearance of these creatures within the next 50 years. They recommend that adults and children do a few important things that can help to save turtles and tortoises for the next generation: Never buy a turtle or tortoise as it increases demand from the wild; adopt from a rescue; don’t take turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured; if they are crossing a busy street, pick them up and send them in the same direction they were going (if you try to make them go back, they will turn right around again); write letters to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off-road vehicles; report any turtle or tortoise of any kind less than four inches being sold at pet stores or mercados. This practice is illegal everywhere in the U.S.
ATR currently houses about 100 injured, abandoned and lost turtles and tortoises. These are too ill or abused for adoption. Since 1990, ATR has placed more than 3,000 tortoises and turtles in caring homes. The founders no longer do adoption, but the Web site, www.tortoise.com, contains with referrals for people who want to place or adopt turtles.
Seat belt fines go up
The fines and fees for driving or riding in a car without seatbelts buckled have gone from less than $100 to $131 for adult seatbelt violators, and up to $435 for children under 16 for a first time offense.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a statement saying that no warning will be given out and it is aggressively enforcing the state’s seatbelt law.
Properly restrained drivers, passengers and children have a 50 percent better chance of surviving a crash than unbelted occupants.
-Laura Tate