Last week at Malibu High there was a gun incident and a bomb scare all in one week. A Town Hall meeting was called at Malibu High School to discuss the incidents. The administration and the Sheriff’s Department laid the blame for the incident on a Friday night party at the beach that allegedly involved drugs and alcohol.
For years in Malibu, we have seen the likes of the no-growth Neanderthal mentality espoused by the likes of Walt Keller and Carolyn Van Horn. Now the chickens have come home to roost.
Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking to a Walnut city councilman named Larry Waldie. He proudly told me that his city built a teen center, a senior citizen center and a community center in their community. What has our City Council done since cityhood came to Malibu? They have let the pier lie idle for approximately three years because of all their infighting on how to develop it. They have thwarted the development of the Civic Center. In the process, they have forced Malibu residents to go to movie theaters in Agoura, Thousand Oaks and Santa Monica. They have likewise forced Malibu residents to shop outside of Malibu.
We need a teen center in Malibu. We need a functioning pier to give our young folks something to do. We need a senior citizens center where our senior citizens can socialize.
There is nothing wrong with having a bowling alley, an ice skating rink, amusement rides on the pier and other activities for our teen-agers to become involved in our community.
I hope everyone in Malibu will think about the incident at Malibu High, and the lack of activities for our young people to engage in, when City Council elections come around next year. For too long our total focus in Malibu has been to thwart growth and to stabilize rents at the mobile home parks in Malibu. We have totally ignored the wishes, the desires and the interests of our young people in Malibu. Let us spend some time on the needs of our young people in our community before we have other incidents.
J. Patrick Maginnis