Solstice Canyon open
The Solstice Canyon section of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area will opened on Friday. The area had been closed since the Corral Fire last November when nearly all the hillside vegetation burned and a vast amount of soil and rock debris fell.
Once the rock fall stabilized, actions were taken to contain the soil and repair roads and trails damaged by erosion, according to the NPS. Also, the remnants of six historic buildings were fixed and hazardous materials were removed. Trees located near trails weakened by the fire were assessed, and some were removed. Culverts and channels were cleared to protect several bridges from the next high water flow.
Additionally, NPS officials are using a variety of methods to remove invasive, nonnative vegetation that has grown in the area since the fire and to encourage the regeneration of native species destroyed in the blaze.
“With its long history of human disturbance, Solstice Canyon provides an ideal location for invasive plants to grow, smothering native species,” the NPS wrote in a press release. “If left unchecked, the area could lose much of its habitat value for wildlife and not filter or clean water efficiently.”
The Solstice Canyon parking lots are open daily from 8 a.m. to dusk. For further information, call 805.370.2301.
Former Malibu resident appointed to water quality board
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last week appointed former Malibu resident Alex Soteras to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board. He replaces Hamid Nahai, who recently resigned.
Soteras, 47, lives in Calabasas. He owns Soteras Mortgage and serves as director of the United Chambers of Commerce of the San Fernando Valley. He is also a corporate board member of the Southeast Ventura County YMCA and a Pepperdine University board member.
Soteras grew up at West Malibu and attended Juan Cabrillo Elementary School, Malibu Park Junior High and Pepperdine University.
The Los Angeles RWQCB is charged with the protection of ground water and surface water quality in the Los Angeles area. Malibu resident Madelyn Glickfeld is on the nine-member board.
Two Legacy Park workshops planned for next month
City staff and consultants will host two Legacy Park project workshops next month. They will take place at City Hall on July 9 at 6:30 p.m. and July 12 at 10 a.m. The project involves the development of a park on the 20-acre city-owned property located at Pacific Coast Highway and the Civic Center area, and making the park part of the city’s storm water management system.
The draft environmental impact report for the project was released last month. It can be viewed on the city’s Web site at www.ci.malibu.ca.us. CD versions can be obtained by contacting Robert Sanchez at 310.456.2489 ext. 296 or rsanchez@ci.malibu.ca.us. Those wanting copies can order them at the Malibu Business and Shipping Center in Malibu Colony Plaza.
Comments and questions on the DEIR should be submitted to Senior Planner Stephanie Danner at sdanner@ci.malibu.ca.us or by mail at 23815 Stuart Ranch Rd., Malibu, CA 90265.
Western barbecue to benefit Bony Pony Ranch
Bony Pony Ranch Foundation founder Frank Ryan is planning a day of activities, including a Western-style barbecue, on Sunday to benefit the nonprofit organization. The ranch provides an atmosphere for underprivileged and at-risk youth to excel beyond their current situations.
In addition to the barbecue, the event will include a petting zoo, hay rides, pony rides, carnival games, face painting, encounters with rescued wildlife, a Western town, Chumash Tee Pee Village and nature walks. The ranch will also be featuring a Lisa Kline runway show, Fitness Fun by The Sports Club/LA, and “Camp Beauty” Day Spa featuring Anastasia, Neil George Salon and Smashbox Cosmetics. There will be a musical performance by the Deacon Jones Blues Band.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ranch, located at 12555 Yerba Buena Rd. Tickets are $100 for children 12 and older, and $250 for adults. Admission for children under 12 is free. There are also various group plans. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bonyponyranch.com
Pepperdine professor named editor of journal
Gwendolyn Whitfield, a Malibu resident and assistant professor of strategy at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and Management, was recently named editor of the forthcoming practitioner journal Global Supply Chain Review. Formerly GSCLG Update, the publication will soon relaunch under the new name.
“Global Supply Chain Review is a publication aimed at providing up-to-date information relevant to senior supply chain executives and management consultants,” Whitfield said in a press release.
Whitfield specializes in business growth strategies, new-venture strategies, and supplier management and diversity for small and medium sized firms and governmental entities.
-Jonathan Friedman