Local named head of philanthropic organization
Malibu resident Stephen Hilton has been named the new chairman and CEO of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, one of the United State’s largest philanthropic organizations. Hilton succeeds Donald Hubbs, who recently retired after 36 years with the foundation.
Hilton, the grandson of hotel entrepreneur and business leader Conrad N. Hilton, has worked in the field of philanthropy for 22 years and has been the president of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation since 1998.
The foundation was created by Conrad N. Hilton in 1944. Since the organization’s inception, it has awarded $433 million in grants to organizations around the world.
Sharks on the beach
Surfers on Venice Beach were surprised to discover a dead shark floating in the surf just south of the pier. Locals said it wasn’t the only one and reported seeing at least two others.
Lifeguard captains at Venice Beach and Zuma Beach had no reports of sharks washing up dead on the beach but lifeguard Captain Lutton of Venice Beach said that many small leopard sharks are mating in the area. Jose Bacallao, the senior aquarist at the nearby Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, said he had not heard any reports either. “There could be a million reasons why the sharks have washed up,” he said. “They could be sick or have swallowed a fishing hook.”
Beautiful Pepperdine!
Malibu’s Pepperdine University was named as having the “most beautiful campus,” according to a survey by The Princeton Review of more than 100,000 students at 361 top colleges in the United States.
You may now kiss the beagle
According to online reports, Malibu resident Pamela Anderson recently held an extravagant wedding for two of her dogs. Twenty guests reportedly attended the ceremony on the beach, including professional surfer Kelly Slater. Though she was not the bride, Anderson wore a white gown and carried a bouquet of white roses during the wedding.
See you next year
Malibu resident Dick Clark, along with Ryan Seacrest, will co-host the 34th edition of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve live from New York’s Time Square on Dec. 31. Clark, 75, has been recovering at his Malibu home from a Dec. 6 stroke.
$1.2 million for Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area
Congressman Henry Waxman recently secured funding for the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in the recently approved Safe, Affordable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users. The Act includes $1.2 million in funding to SMMNRA for the purchase of pristine natural lands in Solstice Canyon.
Hitting the books
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Superintendent of Schools John E. Deasy recently announced the release of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) Program data for the 2005 testing period. The 2005 data shows significant improvement in English Language Arts and Mathematics scores for most grades, compared with the 2004 data.
Each year, students in grades two through 11 take a California Standards Test (CST) in English and Math. History and Science are tested at some, but not all, grade levels. Students attain one of five levels of performance on the CSTs for each subject tested: advanced, proficient, basic, below basic and far below basic.
More money for SMMNRA
Congressman Brad Sherman secured $800,000 for projects in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in legislation that President Bush has signed. The funds are expected to be used to complete the Backbone Trail and to improve access in Tarzana for San Fernando Valley residents entering the mountain trail network.
Pick it up!
As motorists increase their travel over the next few weeks for vacation before school, the California Department of Transportation reminds them: “Don’t Trash California.”
Caltrans officials say litter is a statewide problem that costs communities millions of dollars each year to clean up-money they say could be otherwise spent on transportation projects, schools, housing and social services. Caltrans spends roughly $40 million each year picking up litter on California’s highways. The department’s workers swept more than 184,000 highway-lane miles last year. In addition, Caltrans employees and Adopt-A-Highway groups collectively picked up 11.6 million pounds of trash in 2004.
Flying solo
According to the Los Angeles Times, owners of hybrid cars in California began applying for $8 decals Thursday that will allow them to drive solo in carpool lanes. But, the Times says some drivers are going to be disappointed as the state says only three hybrids (Honda Civic, Honda Insight and Toyota Prius) will be allowed to use the lanes.
Camp Joan Mier
According to Steve Rosenthal, director of public relations for Ability First, Camp Joan Mier in Malibu will be closing in October after 45 years. The camp was sold to a private developer for $6 million after losing up to $400,000 annually.
Shellfish warning
The California State Health Department warns consumers not to eat sport-harvested species of bivalve (two-shelled) shellfish, sardines and anchovies or commercially sold viscera of sardines, anchovies, lobster and crab harvested from San Luis Obispo County coast because they may be contaminated with domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin that can cause human illness.
-Kevin Connelly and
Vive DeCou