New planning director appointed
Stacey Rice was appointed as city of Malibu’s planning director Tuesday. Rice has served the city for many years as a city planner and has been the interim planning director since the fall.
City likely to lose grant
The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy staff has recommended its board on Monday rescind a $100,000 grant for the city of Malibu that would have paid for two vans to shuttle visitors to and from various local parks. “It doesn’t seem like the city will be operating a park shuttle service anytime soon,” SMMC Executive Director Joe Edmiston said on Tuesday. “We didn’t want to tie up the money.”
The grant, which was approved by the conservancy board in September, was connected to the SMMC’s parks enhancement plan, which the City Council mostly rejected on Dec. 5.
PCH lane closure
One northbound lane of Pacific Coast Highway at Las Flores Canyon Road will be closed on Jan. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for work by Southern California Edison to repair damaged electrical equipment caused by the recent fires.
Swedish Ferrari driver to be deported
Bo Stefan Eriksson, the Swedish national who gained international attention when he crashed a rare $1.5 million Enzo Ferrari on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu in February 2006, could be leaving the country.
The Swedish newspaper Veckans Affärer quotes Eriksson’s wife saying he was transferred to a federal detention center in preparation to leave the United States. Eriksson was sentenced in November 2006 to three years in prison after pleading no contest to embezzlement and felony possession of a firearm.
Malibu West Homeowners to test gel retardant
The Malibu West Homeowners Association will conduct a demonstration on Monday of two fire retardant gel products. The association is not endorsing either product. It is testing if they could be useful for neighborhood safety.
The demonstration will take place at 7 p.m. at the Malibu West Beach Club, located at 30756 Pacific Coast Highway.
Event to kick off Relay For Life
Relay For Life Agoura Hills is holding its kick-off rally on Jan. 29 in preparation for the national American Cancer Society event, which will take place locally on May 3 in Agoura Hills. Attendees on Jan. 29 will have an opportunity to form teams, sponsor participants and volunteer. The event is taking place at 6:30 p.m. at Willow Elementary School, located at 29026 Laro Drive in Agoura Hills.
For more information, go to www.events.cancer.org/rflagouraca.
-Jonathan Friedman