Surfers plead not guilty in brawl case
The two Malibu residents charged with misdemeanor battery for their alleged involvement in the June brawl between surfers and paparazzi at Little Dume Beach pleaded not guilty on Monday at Malibu Superior Court.
Skylar Peak, 24, and Philip “John” Hildebrand, 30, are accused of attacking Richid Altmbareckouhammou, a photographer who was among a group of paparazzi attempting to photograph actor Matthew McConaughey.
The suspects will return to court on Jan. 14 for a pretrial hearing. They face a maximum sentence of six months in jail and a $2,000 fine if convicted.
Sentencing delayed for man who started Corral Fire
Brian David Franks, the 28-year-old man who last month confessed to his participation in the Corral Fire, was supposed to be sentenced on Monday in Van Nuys Superior Court. But the sentencing was continued to Dec. 11 for an unspecified reason. Prosecutors are expected to ask for five years probation and 300 hours community service.
Franks is the first of the five suspects to admit participation in last year’s fire that destroyed 53 homes. As part of his plea, he has agreed to testify against the other suspects.
Also on Monday, the arraignment hearing for suspects Eric Matthew Ullman, 19, and Dean Allen Lavorante, 20, was continued to Dec. 11.
The other suspects, Brian Alan Anderson, 23, and Thomas Coppock, 24, are scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 5. The duo pleaded not guilty last year.
Corral traffic light to be up and running by April
A traffic light at the intersection of Corral Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway will be operating by April, a city official said this week. The dangerous intersection has been the site of several deadly incidents throughout the years. The California Department of Transportation has delayed the installation of a signal for various reasons.
Malibu Special Projects Engineer Granville “Bow” Bowman said on Tuesday all the issues have been worked out. The city will formally request bid proposals for the project later this month, and the City Council is expected to select a firm in December, with construction beginning before Christmas.
“It will be turned on and ready to go by April Fool’s Day, and that’s no joke,” Bowman said.
Celebrities wanted for Legacy Park fundraiser
Pierce Brosnan, Cindy Crawford and Perry Ferrell of Jane’s Addiction are among the celebrities who have autographed a surfboard to raise construction funds in a holiday online auction for the Malibu Legacy Park project.
“We’d love as many of Malibu’s luminaries as possible to sign the surfboard,” said Susan Shaw Noble, the city’s capital campaign coordinator. “The surfboard is a perfect symbol of one of the many significant benefits of Legacy Park, and that’s to reduce ocean pollution impacts at Surfrider Beach.”
The board is on display at Zuma Jay Surf Shop, owned by City Councilmember Jefferson Wagner. The business is located at 22775 Pacific Coast Highway. The surfboard can be autographed and viewed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Dec. 7. Menswear designer John Varvatos donated the surfboard.
The project involves the development of Legacy Park for the dual purpose of creating a community park and a major element of the city’s storm water management program. City officials say construction should begin early next year, although the project hit a bump in the road in September when the Planning Commission voted to send the environmental impact report back to city staff for a rewrite. City Manager Jim Thorsen said at a meeting last week the new draft would likely be ready for commission review within the next 60 days.
Also at the September hearing, representatives from several environmental groups blasted the project for not doing enough to deal with the city’s watershed pollution issues.
City officials have disputed the environmentalists’ comments. Although the commission sent the DEIR back to city staff, two of the four commissioners attending the hearing supported the project as it is designed.
Trancas Park hearing date changed
City officials late last week moved the Planning Commission hearing for the proposed Trancas Canyon Park to Nov. 17. The hearing was supposed to take place this week.
The proposal for the park on a 13-acre piece of land on the east side of Trancas Canyon Road calls for a two-acre multi sports field with a natural grass surface, a one-acre open space for dogs, a parking lot and other features.
The project has been controversial, with some people, including Mayor Pamela Conley Ulich, wanting the park to be used for league play. But the City Council as a whole in June sided with the vocal neighbors and voted for it to be used only for practice.
Adamson House tours begin next month
Tours of the Adamson House, will take place on Fridays next month. The tours will be on Dec. 5, 12 and 19 at 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. The cost is $12, which includes refreshments and a small gift. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 310.456.8432. For more information, go to www.adamsonhouse.org.
By Jonathan Friedman