Mayor Andy Stern pulled papers from City Hall on Friday, which is the first step that must be taken to run for City Council. A person must return a paper with 20 signatures to City Hall by Jan. 13 to become an official candidate for the April election.
Stern said he will probably run for a second term, but might not, depending on his wife’s health. Stern’s wife, Norma Levy, became ill earlier this month and might need open-heart surgery.
On Tuesday, Malibu Chamber of Commerce board member Ed Gillespie pulled papers for a potential council run. Gillespie did not immediately return a call for comment.
Councilmember Sharon Barovksy, the other councilmember whose term expires in April, said she would decide next week whether she would pull papers. Barovsky said she probably would pull them, but has not thought about whether she would actually run because her mind “has been focused on the [city’s goal to purchase] the Chili Cook-Off site.”
If either Stern or Barovsky do not return a paper with 20 signatures to City Hall by the end of the business day on Jan. 13, then the deadline to return the signed paper for the other candidates would be extended to Jan. 18.
Environmental group files suit against historical family
The Coastal Law Enforcement Action Network, or CLEAN, filed a lawsuit earlier this month in Los Angeles Superior Court against the Mariposa Land Co. and the Mariposa Land Corp., which own four lots on Cross Creek Road. The companies are owned by the Adamson family, one of the oldest families in Malibu.
According to the suit, the companies have polluted the Malibu Creek with storm water runoff. CLEAN threatened to file the suit earlier this year and a Mariposa lawyer said that CLEAN was on “a fishing expedition.”
Vicious accusations made against Farmers’ Market operator
A Malibu Farmers’ Market vendor sent a letter to city and county officials this week accusing the Cornucopia Foundation, which runs the market, of inappropriately running the market.
The vendor, Mark Devlin, attached to the letter a request for an organization besides Cornucopia be put in charge of the market. Devlin said the request was signed by 50 Malibu Farmers’ Market vendors.
Devlin wrote, “The Cornucopia Foundation has earned a reputation of [being] the most poorly run market in California.”
He further wrote that Cornucopia did not properly advertise a special market day and canceled the event without notice, and accused Cornucopia President Debra Bianco of sexual harassment and of taking food from vendors.
Bianco said the accusations in the letter were false and libelous. She said she has spoken to an attorney and might take legal action against Devlin.
Memorial service scheduled for former Chamber head
A memorial service will take place on Jan. 7 at the beach in front of the Adamson House for Chris Hasselquist, the former Chamber of Commerce president who died earlier this month. The service will begin at 2 p.m. and the family has invited the public to attend.
The Adamson House is located at 23200 Pacific Coast Highway. More information can be obtained by calling Jeanne Hasselquist at 398.0309 or Gus Hasselquist at 457.7733
Subway closes
The Subway in Malibu Colony Plaza closed this week. The space is being replaced with Tuscany Decor. A sign says a crew is working 24 hours a day on remodeling the space and will continue to do so unless neighbors complain.
Comic legend moves to Point Dume
Comedian Don Rickles and his wife, Barbara, have sold their Malibu Colony home and moved to a $3.6 million house in Point Dume, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Los Angeles Times reported that the Rickles sold their Colony home for just under $11.5 million. The new home, according to the Times is 6,000 square feet and has four bedrooms.
Local actor to star in radio play
Malibu resident Stacy Keach will star in Alison Elliott’s “Ana Christie,” which will air Jan. 7 at 10 p.m. on 89.3 KPCC FM. The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is about a coal barge captain’s daughter and a handsome sailor whose relationship takes a tumultuous turn when secrets from her past are revealed
The Malibu Times closes for New Year’s
The Malibu Times office will be closed on Monday because of the New Year’s holiday. The office will reopen on Tuesday.
-Jonathan Friedman