Dolphin Award nominations sought
Nominations are being sought for the annual Malibu Times Citizens of the Year Dolphin Awards.
The purpose of the Dolphin Awards program is to recognize outstanding efforts of individual Malibu citizens and, by acknowledging and publicizing their contributions, inspire others.
To submit a nominee, write at least one page describing the nominee’s contribution and why you think they should be considered. Please include enough information (a minimum of several paragraphs) including the nominee’s name, age contact information, etc. for the editorial/publishers board to be able to make an informed decision. Nominations can be submitted by e-mail to agyork@malibutimes.com or mailed to 3864 Las Flores Canyon Road, Malibu, CA 90265 by Jan. 16.
Teacher pleads guilty to sexually molesting students
A Santa Monica middle school teacher charged in May with multiple counts of sexually molesting female students pleaded guilty on Dec. 22, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office announced.
Deputy District Attorney Robin Sax Katzenstein of the Sex Crimes Division said 61-year-old Thomas Arthur Beltran pled guilty to 10 counts involving nine female victims as charged. He also admitted sexually assaulting two victims who were not included in the charges because the molestations took place outside the statute of limitations.
Beltran, who had been with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District for 30 years and who had taught English as a second language at Lincoln Middle School for about 20 years, was sentenced to 14 years in state prison. In addition, he must register as a sex offender upon his release.
Beltran was arrested in May after a 12-year-old female Lincoln Middle School student reported alleged abuse to her parents, who then notified Santa Monica police.
Former Malibu detention center employee charged with sexual molestation
An off-duty county probation officer and former employee of juvenile detention center Camp Kilpatrick in Malibu was charged by the District Attorney’s office Dec. 12 with two counts of sexually molesting a teenage girl during an encounter inside a car near Downtown Los Angeles.
Nkosi Emmet Littleton, age 36, was arrested by police after being observed by vice officers in a car with a 15-year-old girl, authorities said. If convicted, Littleton faces three years and eight months in state prison.
Pet Headquarters agrees to stop selling dogs
Last Chance for Animals, or LCA, and Malibu’s Pet Headquarters announced a deal in which Pet Headquarters will stop selling dogs, according to a press release by LCA. A call to Pet Headquarters confirmed the report.
This deal came at the conclusion of an extensive investigation launched by LCA that determined Pet Headquarters’ was selling puppy mill dogs. LCA sent an investigator to Texas to inspect the breeder who supplied local pet stores after numerous concerned citizens complained after watching “Oprah’s” show on puppy mills. LCA investigators went undercover to research where Pet Headquarters got their dogs from and it was confirmed it was a company called Lambriar, one of the largest brokers to puppy mills. Immediately, animal welfare advocates began protesting.
At the beginning of November, LCA began negotiating a deal to help Pet Headquarters go humane and facilitate pet adoptions. As a result, Pet Headquarters in Malibu has agreed to stop selling dogs and will be welcoming rescue groups to adopt out pets in front of its store.
Teachers association files initiative to implement sales tax
As the ongoing state budget crisis forces billions of dollars in cuts to public education, the California Teachers Association filed an initiative on Dec. 19 that would implement a one-cent sales tax to provide new, ongoing funding for public schools and colleges that cannot be cut, delayed or diverted by the governor or the Legislature.
Already ranking 46th in the nation in per-student funding, California schools and colleges have been cut by more than $3.5 billion in the past year and face another $4 billion in cuts under the budget plan approved Thursday by the Legislature, states the CTA.
With strict accountability measures, the Public School Investment and Accountability Act would ensure that taxpayer money is directed toward student learning and focused in the classroom, the CTA says. The new $5 billion to $6 billion generated annually could be spent to reduce class sizes in all grades; provide adequate and up-to-date textbooks and materials; provide quality teacher training; hire additional counselors, librarians and critical education support staff; restore arts and career technical programs; and recruit and retain highly qualified teachers for every school.
None of the money can be spent on administrative costs and any misuse of funds is punishable by law. CTA filed the initiative in order to qualify for a possible special election in 2009. The State Council of Education, CTA’s top governing body comprised of more than 800 democratically elected educators from across the state, will determine how the initiative moves forward at its meeting in January. More information can be obtained at www.cta.org
Circle K/76 gas station development update
The Circle K convenience store and 76 gas station located just north of Duke’s restaurant is nearly complete, said Harry J. Heady, architect and engineer for the development.
Heady said the project is waiting for the finishing touches of the tertiary system and that it should be open for business “very soon,” but it does not have a scheduled opening date.
The acquisition of septic, structural, architectural, landscaping, site plan, field plan, electrical, interior elevation, street improvement plan, wall plan, fuel system upgrade and plumbing permits are all reasons it has taken so long for the project to reach completion, Heady said.
The Circle K was additionally granted permission to sell alcohol, but is now prohibited from doing so upon the requests of Malibu residents and a final decision made by City Council in September 2007.
-Olivia Damavandi