One lane in each direction of Pacific Coast Highway will be closed from Pena Creek to Big Rock Drive from June 13th through June 15th from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for ongoing work on a road protrusion.
One lane in each direction of the highway will be closed from Deer Creek Road to Sycamore Cove Road from 6 p.m. on June 8 to 6 a.m. on June 9. The lane closures are due to pavement work. The ongoing resurfacing project is expected to be completed in September.
Repair work continues above Pacific Coast Highway between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Coastline. All lanes are open, but intermittent lane closures could occur.
There is one lane open for through traffic on Encinal Canyon Road. According to the city, repairs are on hold pending funding from FEMA.
Pacific Coast Highway is down to one lane in each direction between Trancas Canyon Road and Lunita Road.
County to give Malibu 520K for library
The city of Malibu received word earlier this month that the county will annually set aside $520,000 for the replacement and/or renovations of the Malibu Library. The money will begin being set aside in the 2005-06 fiscal year, which starts in July.
A discovery was made last year that the city was paying more for its library services than it was receiving, and the county agreed to hire a consultant to examine how Malibu’s money can be best used for library programs. A committee made up of city officials and residents met Monday to further discuss how the new money should be used.
Meeting to address campaign finance issues
The City Council Elections Ad-Hoc Committee will hold its first meeting on June 15. The committee, which consists of Mayor Pro Tem Ken Kearsley and Councilmember Jeff Jennings, was formed to come up with recommendations for the City Council on amending the city’s campaign finance laws.
Current city law allows a City Council candidate to raise no more than $100 per individual contributor. But a committee not directly associated with a candidate’s campaign can give an unlimited amount of money. The Campaign Watch Commission, which heard complaints and made recommendations on ethical issues during the 2004 council campaign, recommended last year that the individual contribution threshold be raised to $500. According to a report from City Attorney Christi Hogin, the commission members felt the $100 threshold was unrealistically low. Also, they said it created a perception that an uneven playing field was created because independent committees have no limit on spending.
The $100 spending limit led to controversy during the 2004 campaign when property rights advocate Wade Major alleged that Malibu CAN activist Ozzie Silna was an agent of two of the candidates’ campaigns, and therefore was limited to the $100 threshold. Silna said he was not an agent of their campaigns and was therefore not limited in how much he could spend. Major unsuccessfully attempted during the campaign to get a temporary restraining order to limit Silna’s spending to the $100 threshold. Silna went on to spend a significant amount of money in support of the candidacies of John Mazza, Jay Liebig and Walt Keller.
United States senate approves LNG bill
Last week the U.S. senate approved an energy bill that includes a section giving the federal government final say on whether liquefied natural gas facilities can be built off the nation’s coasts. The House of Representatives approved a similar bill last month. The two bills are expected to be combined before going before the president.
Gov. Schwarzenegger has said he supports the state governments being the final authority on this matter. At least two LNG plants are proposed for locations near Malibu.
Brush disposal sites to be opened
Two sites will be opened on June 17 and 18 from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for people to drop off brush disposal. The sites will be located across from the library on Civic Center Road and at HOW’s Trancas Market, located at the intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Trancas Canyon Road. The city of Malibu asks for people not to drop off brush waste before or after the scheduled times.
Meals on Wheels seeks volunteers
Meals on Wheels for the Malibu, Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades areas needs more volunteers. Meals on Wheels delivers two meals a day to ill, elderly and other home bound people who request them.
The nonprofit organization needs volunteers to help with delivering the meals from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Meals on Wheels will provide all the necessary training. For more information, call 394.7558.
Entries being accepted for photo contest
The California Coastal Commission is accepting entries for the 2005 Amateur Photography Contest. Entrants should send photos of the scenic coast, ways people use the coast and coastal wildlife. Plants and animals photographed should be native species in their natural setting. Photographs must be taken from public places and should be in color. Photos of marine mammals must be taken from more than 50 years away.
The grand prize winner will choose one of three prizes-an overnight stay at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel and Spa and free admission to Universal Studios, tickets to a yacht Cruise or dinner for two and an overnight stay at a luxury hotel in Northern California. Second- and third-place winners will select from the remaining prizes. All entries must be postmarked by July 8, 2005. For further details, go to www.coastforyou.org.
Dinner to benefit tutoring for the underprivileged
Urban Compass will hold a fundraising dinner event at Spago’s in Beverly Hills on June 16 at 6:30 p.m. The fundraiser will benefit an after-school tutoring program for children in South Los Angeles.
John Selman of Malibu Village Wines is one of the underwriters for the event, as is Malibu resident Merv Griffin’s Merv Griffin Entertainment.
The event will include cocktails, dinner and a special live performance by composer and performer John Batdorf. For further information, call 323.383.7588.
New Malibu resident
Actor/comedian David Spade recently purchased a residence in Malibu for $9.25 million, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The four-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home was built in the late 1990s. The beachfront home includes a pool, spa, sauna, and art studio.
Tales by the Sea concludes season
Tales by the Sea finishes up its season on Saturday with the improvisational storytelling production of “Don’t Ask-Cooking Up Your Real Self!,” a Jewish comedy. The performance will take place at the Malibu United Methodist Church, located at 30128 Morning View Drive, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. For more information, call 457.2385.
-Xiomara Rios and Jonathan Friedman