High achievement at Malibu schools, state says
The California Department of Education’s release of revised 2006 Academic Performance Index scores and state rankings based on those scores shows Malibu schools are on the top of the list statewide.
The schools were ranked on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the best. Juan Cabrillo Elementary received a 9, while Point Dume Marine Science, Webster and Malibu High schools earned 10s. The rankings were based on the schools’ API, which measures the academic performance and growth of schools. Scores range from 200 to 1,000, with the state target being 800. All the Malibu schools had an API far above the 800 threshold. The school district as a whole has an 818 API.
The API numbers were released last August, and revised this week with only slight changes. The API is calculated primarily based on students’ scores on the Standardized Testing and Reporting, or STAR, tests and the California High School Exit Exam.
One applicant for city PR job
Susan Shaw will not have to struggle to keep her job as the city of Malibu’s public relations official and fundraiser. She was the only person to turn in an application for the position by last week’s deadline. City Manager Jim Thorsen will negotiate a contract with Shaw, and the deal is expected to go before the City Council for a vote next month.
Shaw was hired by the city in 2005 to lead its fundraising campaign for the Chili Cook-Off site purchase. Then, last fall, she was given a $5,000-per-month, six-month contract to continue the fundraising efforts for transforming the Chili Cook-Off site into Legacy Park and to serve as the city’s public relations officer.
The hiring of Shaw for an expanded role was controversial, with several City Council opponents crying foul because nobody else was able to apply for the job. Some also looked to a close friendship between Shaw and City Councilmember Sharon Barovsky as the reason for Shaw being selected, an accusation Barovsky called “absurd.” When the council hired Shaw, it agreed to allow the opportunity for others to apply for the job after her contract expired.
A request for proposals, or RFP, document was placed on the city’s Web site earlier this month regarding Shaw’s position. An advertisement was also placed in the Malibu Surfside News, and, according to city officials, two public relations firms were contacted about the position. The position was not advertised in any public relations trade journals or job web sites.
Thorsen said in an interview on Tuesday that he was not surprised there were no applicants other than Shaw because the city was looking specifically for a person who had done fundraising for a capital project in Malibu. The RFP stated “[The] consultant should have experience in raising funds for capital projects in the Malibu area.”
“I think it’s kind of a very tough niche to get into [raising money for capital projects in Malibu],” Thorsen said. “There are not a whole lot of people that regularly do this type of work.”
Women dies in car fall
A Malibu resident died Friday afternoon due to injuries she sustained when her car fell approximately 100 feet down an embankment on Piuma Road. According to a Los Angeles County Fire Department official, 59-year-old Haya Riezenshtat Zilka died at the scene about 40 minutes after the crash occurred.
Coastal Commission sues Navy
The California Coastal Commission last week filed a lawsuit in federal court against the U.S. Navy for rejecting its recommendations on limiting the use of sonar. A separate suit was also filed against the Navy by animal welfare groups.
According to the Coastal Commission, sonar use must be limited because it is harmful to marine life, especially mammals. The Navy uses sonar during its practice drills off the California coast.
Film festival holds art contest
The Malibu Celebration of Film is holding a contest to develop the design for this year’s festival. The winning work will be displayed on all festival material, including programs guides, posters, postcards, T-shirts, invitations, print and TV ads and the Web site. The winner’s biography and photo will appear in the festival program guide, and the person will receive two all-access passes to the event.
Entries must include a high-resolution digital image of the art in PDF, PSD or TIFF format. The design must be able to be easily translated to a variety of print materials. The jury judging the contest will consist of a select group of film, media and design specialists. They will consider the overall impact of the work, the appropriateness of the subject matter and by how well the art can be reproduced as promotional material.
The contest is open to all artists 18 years of age or older. Entries must be submitted by April 30 at 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.mcof.org. The second annual festival will take place in Malibu Sept. 26-30.
Meet a grunion
A workshop will take place on Monday at Pepperdine for those interested in monitoring grunion runs at Malibu beaches beginning next month. Grunions are butter knife-sized fish native to Southern California’s waters. From April to early June, they come ashore to spawn along sandy beaches.
Volunteers must be 18 or older and wiling to spend two hours on specific nights to monitor the grunions.
The workshop will take place in Pepperdine’s Fireside Room from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. To RSVP send an e-mail to grunion@pepperdine.edu or call 877.GRUNION. More information can be found at http://arachnid.pepperdine.edu/grunion/default.htm.
-Jonathan Friedman