Malibu on fire alert
Low humidity and high winds have put Malibu in a vulnerable position for fires. Because of this, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has sent out some of its extra assets, including super scoopers and helicopters, to the Malibu area to be ready in case something does happen. In addition, members of Arson Watch are on alert to look for any possible signs of potential fires.
Councilmember Ken Kearsley, who attended a meeting Monday at which this issue was discussed by Malibu Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brad Davis, said the city has also gone over its plans for what to do in case a fire were to occur. He said all of the possible scenarios are planned for. Kearsley said the situation will calm down once the first rains arrive.
Malibu Marathon loses charity partnership
CoachArt, a Los Angeles-based charity, has cut off its association with the Malibu Marathon. The nonprofit, which provides sports programs for terminally ill children, was chosen by Malibu Marathon LLC to co-sponsor the event. According to Malibu Marathon, the charity would have received $15,000. CoachArt Executive Director Leah Bernthal said the City Council’s reluctance last week to support the event was the major factor in the decision.
“With all of the complications with the city and with Caltrans, we thought it was in our best interest to pull out of that agreement,” Bernthal said. “Our intention was to be able to work with the city of Malibu and eventually help the children of Malibu. We still hope to do that.”
Glen Steele, head of Malibu Marathon, needs a permit from Caltrans to close down a portion of Pacific Coast Highway for the event. Caltrans requires he get a nonprofit sponsorship and a City Council resolution of support before it will grant the permit. Steele said he is still pursuing the City Council resolution and possible city sponsorship. He added that the race is about “85 percent ready to go” for the Dec. 5 scheduled event day. Steele said the major item left to do was getting the Caltrans permit.
Santa Monica Chamber endorses local school board candidate
The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce last week endorsed Malibu resident Kathy Wisnicki as one of its three picks for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education race. The chamber also gave its support to incumbents Jose Escarce and Maria Leon Vazquez.
Also, the chamber endorsed Margaret Quiñones, Rob Rader and M. Douglas Willis for the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees race. Quiñones is currently serving as the board president.
On Sept. 29, an SMMUSD Board of Education candidates forum will take place. The Santa Monica League of Women Voters is hosting the forum at SMMUSD Headquarters in Santa Monica. On Oct. 12, a candidates forum will take place at Malibu City Hall.
Former S.F. mayor’s helicopter lands in Malibu
A helicopter transporting former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles International airport made an emergency landing at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School Friday night.
Malibu Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station Capt. Tom Martin said the incident caused no injuries or damages. A warning light flashed, indicating a possible technical problem, which was not identified.
“This is not completely unusual,” Martin said. “If certain warning lights come on, there is an immediate landing to avoid a flight hazard.”
The helicopter landed at about 9:10 p.m. A Juan Cabrillo office clerk said there was nobody at the elementary school at the time.
Treated water released into Malibu Creek
According to the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, hot and dry weather conditions have caused the Malibu Creek water to fall below a level necessary to sustain the habitat of the endangered aquatic species. As a result, the Regional Water Quality Control Board authorized the release of a small flow of highly treated recycled water to augment water in the creek. It is expected that a gentle flow of the new water will gradually progress downstream to replenish pools that support marine life without reaching Malibu Lagoon or the surf zone.
Malibu Surfrider celebrates historic meeting
The Malibu chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will hold a meeting on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m. to commemorate the foundation’s first town hall meeting 20 years ago. The meeting will take place at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School, the same location as the original meeting.
Two of Surfrider Foundation’s founding members, Glenn Hening and Lance Carson, will speak at the meeting. Also, photos and video footage of the first meeting will be shown. Additionally, a raffle will take place to win a Lance Carson Longboard. Admission is free and limited to the first 200 attendees.
Council approves wastewater document
As reported last week in The Malibu Times, the City Council at its meeting last week unanimously approved a document called the Risk Assessment of Decentalized Wastewater Management in High Prioirty Areas in the city of Malibu. The document was based on a study that evaluated the interrelationships between septic systems and groundwater. This included an analysis of the potential for bacteria and nitrogen treated and released from septic systems to travel to the Malibu watershed.
The study, funded by the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and conducted by Stone Environmental of Vermont and Questa Engineering of Santa Barbara, determined that depending on the location of a septic system, there are some areas in the Civic Center that are contributing bacteria and nitrogen to the Malibu watershed. It was determined the substances could take from six months to 50 years to reach the Malibu watershed.
The report will be incorporated into a memorandum of understanding between the city and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board. In that memorandum, the city has agreed, among other things, to complete an inventory of all onsite wastewater treatment systems in Malibu, implementing treatment requirements for wastewater systems affecting the Malibu watershed and a continued monitoring of Civic Center area groundwater data.
L.A. Westside BRUIN Youth Football teams sweep weekend
All five L.A. Westside BRUIN Youth Football teams were victorious in their season opening games at Beverly Hills High School this past weekend. All five teams include players from Malibu.
The L.A. Westside squad containing the most Malibu players is the Senior Clinic, which is made up of 7- and 8-year-olds. They won their game 7-6. The 9-10-year 0ld Gremlin won 21-18, the 10-11-year-old Tiny Mite won 39-6, the 12-13-year-old Pee Wee won 26-6 and the 13-14-year-old Midget won 44-0