Human skull found in Malibu
A human skull believed to be more than 200 years old was found at a Malibu construction site, which might have been an Indian burial ground, according to a report by CBS news.
The skull was found Monday at a site near Paradise Cove Road, said Deputy Dave Joyce of the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff’s Station, according to CBS. The USDA American Indian Council has been contacted about the skull, but it is not known what will happen to it.
Gov. vetoes bill to strengthen Brown Act
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week vetoed Senate Bill 964, which would have restored the section of the state’s open meeting law for local governments that prohibits public officials from using private communications for determining what actions to take on an issue.
The open meeting law, the Ralph M. Brown Act, prohibits public officials from discussing most issues behind closed doors. According to the California Newspaper Publishers Association, which sponsored SB 964, a loophole in the Brown Act had been created by a Court of Appeal decision made last year, and this bill would have cured that.
Following his veto, Schwarzenegger wrote in a release, “In its attempt to solve the issue, this bill imposes an impractical standard for compliance on local officials and could potentially prohibit communication among officials and agency staff outside of a public meeting.”
Many state colleges, school administrators and the California School Districts Association opposed the bill.
PCH closure
The California Department of Transportation has announced that one eastbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway between Winding Way and Escondido Beach Road will be closed on Friday and Monday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for utility work.
Piano recital to raise money for cancer patient
Whitney Crist, composer and classical pianist, will perform a benefit concert on Sunday for his friend, Chris Sangster, who is battling brain cancer. Sangster is the assistant dean for advancement and alumni relations for Seaver College and George Pepperdine College. The concert will take place at 2:30 p.m. at the Raitt Recital Hall, located on the Pepperdine campus at 24255 Pacific Coast Highway.
Crist will perform works by Scriabin, Mozart, Barber, Bartok, Brahms and Ginastera to raise funds for Sangster’s cancer treatments. “Chris has been such a dear friend to me for more than 30 years, so I am looking forward to honoring him with a benefit concert,” Crist said.
The suggested donation at the door is $25 per person, to Harris myCFO Foundation (memo line: Funding Hope – The Chris Sangster Brain Tumor Fund). The donation, minus the recital fee of $10, is tax-deductible. The fund is designed to support brain cancer research activities.
Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the concert. For advance reservations, e-mail LuNell Gilliland at lunell@earthlink.net or call 818.762.7397. More information on the charity can be obtained online at www.harrismyCFOfoundation.org.
Allied Artists to host annual art show
The Allied Artists of the Santa Monica Mountains & Seashore will host its fifth annual art exhibit at the Malibu Nature Preserve on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The artists’ works, in watercolor, pastel, oil and acrylic, reflects the natural beauty of the Santa Monica mountains, from its canyons and beaches to its creeks and meadows, and much more. Twenty percent of all sales will be donated to the nonprofit Malibu Nature Preserve.
The Malibu Nature Preserve, formerly part of the adjacent Malibu Riding and Tennis Club, is located at 33905 Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Parking is free.
Young artists needed for Malibu show
Many Mansions is seeking young artists, kindergarten through college age, to be creative and showcase their artwork for the Bowls of Hope Project next month.
The theme of the art show is “Holding Onto Hope.” All art media are accepted and will be displayed during the Bowls of Hope Project, at Calamigos Ranch in Malibu on Nov. 11 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Prizes provided by Fire Your Imagination will be given to the top artists who best portray the theme of the art show in their work. Each participant will receive one free ticket to the Bowls of Hope Project. The deadline for artwork submission is Nov. 2 by 4 p.m.
More information about the Bowls Hope Art Show or artwork submission can be obtained by contacting Tracy Miller at 805.496.4948 ext. 234 or by e-mail to tracym@manymansions.org.
-Jonathan Friedman