Stop or smile for the camera
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority this week began issuing $100 tickets for people who run any of five stop signs on MRCA-controlled land, one of them being at the Top of Topanga overlook. But the noteworthy feature is these people have been caught on videotape.
Like the cameras catching red light runners throughout Southern California, these cameras catch people ignoring stop signs. Some legal experts have questioned legality of the cameras because they do not capture the driver’s face as well as the license plate, while the law states this is a requirement in order to issue tickets. MRCA Executive Director Joe Edmiston told the Los Angeles Times last week he believes the MRCA would win any lawsuit over the cameras.
Program offers safe precaution for children
Parents will have an opportunity on July 28 and 29 at the Malibu Arts Festival to obtain a free standardized, high-quality image of their child to be used as digital safety IDs . The opportunity is part of the m.i.l.k Digital ID Event, sponsored by Mark Ball Insurance.
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both days, parents can obtain the digital photos as well as a free copy of the Home Organizer software program to store the photo. The program, developed by Imagery Concepts LLC, is a virtual filing cabinet for family records and documents. The m.i.l.k , or Managing Information on Lost Kids, ID gives parents a convenient location for storing a photo and identification information on the child. The program was designed to raise awareness of child safety and provide parents with an effective tool to aid law enforcement authorities in search of a missing child.
One in seven missing children is found because of a photograph distributed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, making a standardized, current photograph the single most important tool in finding missing children.
The Malibu Arts Festival is taking place on Civic Center Way. For more information on the m.i.l.k Digital ID Event, call Mark or Genevieve Ball at 310.317.4433.
Coastal Commission holds photo contest
Amateur photographers are encouraged to submit nature photos to the California Coastal Commission for its annual contest. Contestants are encouraged to take photos of the scenic coast, ways people use the coast or coastal wildlife.
Photographs must be taken from a public place. Plants and animals depicted in photos should be native species in their natural setting. Examples of non-native species include ice plant, pampas grass, and tropical fish. Examples of non-natural settings include a fish tank or public aquarium.
Winning photographs will be displayed on the Coastal Commission Web site and may be used in additional printed materials or videos produced by the Coastal Commission for governmental purposes. Photos from previous years were used to create gift cards and a screensaver. Photographer credit will be given for every reproduction that is published by the Coastal Commission.
The grand prize winner will receive a choice of one of the following: four tickets for a yacht cruise, two tickets to Disneyland, free theme park admission and four priority passes to Universal Studios or two show and dinner tickets to “Love, Chaos & Dinner” in San Francisco and a complimentary meal at Il Fornaio Restaurant. The second-, third- and fourth-place selections will select from the remaining prizes.
Entry is free and open to all amateur photographers. An amateur photographer is defined as someone who earns less than 50 percent of one’s income from photography.
The deadline to enter a photo is Aug. 25. For more information about the contest, go to www.coastforyou.org.
-Jonathan Friedman