Truck stolen at gunpoint in Malibu
A truck was stolen at gunpoint in Malibu Saturday night, Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Sgt. Michael Holland confirmed.
The truck was stolen between 10:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on the 27000 block of Pacific Coast Highway, near Geoffrey’s Malibu. The truck was a 10-year-old, modified 4×4 pickup with a custom, multicolored paint job that appeared blue. The victim told detectives he was walking out to his truck when a white male pointed a handgun at him and demanded the vehicle. The victim, a Glendale man, said he then watched the suspect drive westbound on Pacific Coast Highway and out of view.
The truck is still missing and no arrests have been made.
To report any information on this case, call the Sheriff’s station at 310.456.6652, or anonymously at 800.222.TIPS.
Pavley announces re-election
State Sen. Fran Pavley will run for a second term in 2012 to represent the state’s newly formed 27th District, which includes Malibu, her campaign announced last week.
Pavley currently represents Senate District 23, which includes Malibu, Santa Monica, Calabasas, Westlake Village and other surrounding areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The newly drawn Senate District 27 covers Malibu, Calabasas and other similar surrounding cities. District 27, however, does not include Santa Monica, with which Malibu shares a school district. The split of the school district approved last month in the redistricting map raised concerns from local leaders.
Pavley worked as a history teacher at Chapparal Middle School in Moorpark for 25 years before entering politics. She has been representing Malibu for 11 years in the state government. She served as a member of the state Assembly from 2000 to 2006 and was elected to the state Senate in 2008.
Arts Task Force releases online survey
The City of Malibu’s Arts Task Force has released an online survey, available until Oct. 5, according to a release from the city. The task force hopes residents will take part in the survey so it can gather public opinion on a variety of arts-related issues.
The survey is available at http://www.malibucity.org/matf/survey.htm.
All information provided in the survey will be confidential. It will be used to help guide the task force in compiling a comprehensive Cultural Arts Report.
The Arts Task Force will also conduct a public meeting regarding Malibu’s arts culture Oct. 6, at Malibu City Hall, 23825 Stuart Ranch Rd., at 6 p.m.
More information can be obtained by calling 310.456.2489 ext. 276.
Malibu Film Society season opens Sunday
The Malibu Film Society opens its third season with a screening of “Why Be Good?” this Sunday. Women in Film joins the society in a discussion of sexuality and censorship in early cinema. The screening will also feature a panel discussion by award-winning producer and director Elaina B. Archer, whose films have documented Hollywood icons like Rita Hayworth, Mary Pickford and many others.
The screening takes place Sept. 25 at the Malibu Screening Room, 24855 Pacific Coast Highway, in the Malibu Jewish Center complex, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets purchased in advance are $10. More information can be obtained by visiting www.malibufilmsociety.org.
Fatal Ferrari crash on PCH
A Ferrari crashed just before 1:30 a.m. Sunday morning on Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, killing one passenger and leaving the driver in critical condition.
The car flew 30 feet down a cliff and onto the beach, shearing a power pole on its way down, splitting the car in half. The driver, Vladimir Skorstov, 24, of Upland, was transported to the UCLA Medical Center in critical condition. The passenger, Basil Max Price III, 23, of Pomona, was ejected from the car and pronounced dead at the scene. Skorstov has been charged with driving under the influence twice before, once in January and once in 2007, court records show. It is currently unknown if alcohol was involved in the crash.
Authorities estimated the Ferrari was driving around 90 mph when it crashed. The speed limit on that section of the highway is 45 mph.
The crash closed traffic in both directions on the highway between Topanga Canyon Road and Temescal Canyon Road.
The road reopened at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, delaying the start of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon about 10 minutes.
Pepperdine ranks among nation’s top colleges
Pepperdine University placed at number 55 on U.S. News & World Report’s 2012 National University Rankings. Considering the nearly 6,000 institutes of higher education throughout the country, this puts the university in the upper tier.
Pepperdine University was founded in 1937. It has an enrollment of 3,447 students, with a 30.6 percent acceptance rate.
Other nearby institutions to make the cut include the University of Southern California at number 23 (tied with Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh) and the University of California Los Angeles at 25.
The top three spots went to Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University, respectively.
To see the entire list, visit www.usnews.com.
Park Service seeks public input on Circle X Ranch Campground fee increase
The National Park Service is seeking public input regarding proposed online reservation and fee structure changes at Malibu’s Circle X Ranch Campground, a press release from the NPS states.
NPS is hoping to establish a tiered fee structure and online reservation system.
Currently, campers are charged $2 per person per night. The new structure would charge based on group size, like a fee of $35 per night for a group of 10 to 20 people.
“The current fee structure is difficult to implement as campers’ plans change and different numbers of people are added to or subtracted from a group reservation,” the release states.
Additionally, reservations are currently made through an in-house process, which requires campers to call between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to make reservations. Under the new system, campers could check dates and make reservations online.
“This Fee Change proposal enables the visitor to be charged a flat rate use fee and provide a central location at www.recreation.gov to make a reservation,” the release states.
Public comments regarding this proposed fee structure and online reservation change can be submitted to samo_interpretation@nps.gov or mailed to Campground Comments, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, 401 West Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, CA, 91360.
Most expensive mobile home in U.S. sold in Malibu
A mobile home in Paradise Cove sold recently for $2 million, making it the most expensive mobile home sale of the year in the United States.
The 2,330-square-foot home was listed by David Carter of Pritchett-Rapf. It was originally listed in the spring at $2.5 million.
The mobile home has two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a two-car garage and ocean views.
Blood testing now available locally
The Malibu Urgent Care Center is now providing blood testing to patients with an onsite i-STAT blood analyzer, according to a press release. Friends of Malibu Urgent Care Center used donations to purchase the new $15,000 machine.
The machine enables the center to perform lab-quality tests in minutes for a variety of blood gas, chemistry, coagulation and cardiac test makers.
“This instant blood testing system is helpful in diagnosing anemia, electrolyte abnormalities and kidney dysfunction,” Dr. David Frankle of the Malibu Urgent Care Center explained.
City adopts new sustainable energy standards
The California Energy Commission has approved the City of Malibu’s request to adopt a local ordinance with more environmentally friendly Building Energy Efficiency Standards, according to a press release from the city. The local ordinance is intended to reduce overall energy use, curb the use of energy during peak periods and lower greenhouse gas emissions and water use.
With the approval of the commission, the city’s energy efficiency standards are now more restrictive than the minimum standards required by the California Building Code.
New public buildings, like the Malibu Community Library, are being constructed to meet the criteria of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. LEED is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council.
“We are thrilled to see the California Energy Commission recognize the City of Malibu’s significant achievements in protecting and improving the environment,” Malibu Mayor John Sibert said. “This new local ordinance is one of many ways the City is moving aggressively forward to conserve natural resources for future generations.”