Council lashes out at letter to the editor
Several councilmembers said at Monday’s meeting that they were angry with a letter written by community activist John Mazza that appeared in last week’s issue of The Malibu Times. In the letter, Mazza alleged that there was “an inside deal” between the city and Prudential Realty to transfer a piece of land at the corner of Zumirez Drive and Pacific Coast Highway from the city to the company.
“I’m not sure what evidence there is apart from the letter writer’s imagination,” Councilmember Jeff Jennings said.
Mayor Pro Tem Andy Stern said Mazza was irresponsible to write the letter. Councilmember Ken Kearsley added, “It’s a shame that somebody has to print basically an allegation that is so far out there that it besmirches our reputation. I think people who have trouble with the truth are people who really should not be involved in government.”
In a Tuesday telephone interview, Mazza said, “There’s ample records at City Hall to show this deal has been under consideration for more than a year.”
Council to sponsor education event
The Malibu City Council voted to join Santa Monica and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District to sponsor a community presentation in April on the recently released RAND Corp. study on California public schools. The study-titled “California’s K-12 Public Schools-How are they Doing?”-details the decline of California support for education since the passage of Proposition 13 in 1978.
Seymour joins
the club
Actress Jane Seymour became a U.S. citizen along with 9,000 other immigrants during a naturalization ceremony in Los Angeles on Feb. 11. Seymour once lived in a mansion near Bath, England and she is best known for her role in the TV series “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.”
According to the Associated Press, the 53-year-old mother of twins told reporters, “I’ve realized that I’ve been living here longer than in my home country. America has given me unbelievable opportunities. I realized that with the U.S. elections I wanted to vote and couldn’t. I felt the time had come to participate more fully.”
Seymour said she has lived in the United States since 1976.
Arthur Miller honored
L.A. Theatre Works has preserved seven plays on compact disc by recently deceased playwright Arthur Miller. The plays are “The Crucible,” “Broken Glass,” “All My Sons,” “The Price,” “A View From the Bridge,” “Incident at Vichy” and “After the Fall.” They are scheduled to record Miller’s “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan” in May.
In memory of Miller, who died at the age of 89 on Feb.11, public radio stations and XM Satellite Radio aired L.A. Theatre Work’s production of “The Crucible” on the night of Feb. 12. In addition, “The Crucible” and “Broken Glass” are being made available for listening on www.kpcc.org for the remainder of February.
New LAMCC president
Malibu resident Bill Chadwick has been elected president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission for 2005. He succeeds City Councilman and former Chief of Police Bernard Parks.
Award contest for young instrumentalists
Palisades Symphony Inc. is looking for young local instrumentalists who are able to perform a movement of a concerto with orchestra to audition for an award and a chance to play with the Palisades Symphony in concert on June 13. Auditions are open to students residing or attending a school located in Pacific Palisades, Santa Monica, Malibu, Topanga, or Brentwood. Applications must be received on or before March 8. Call 454.8040 for more details.
Music scholarships for young people
The Westside Committee for the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducts an event each year to raise money for scholarships for young music students. Several scholarships are awarded with the amounts varying from $100 to $500. The recipients will be selected by the Board of the Westside Committee. The application deadline is March 8. Call 454.8040 for more details.
Journalist to speak at women’s event
International journalist Charles Wiley of Accuracy in Media will be the featured speaker of Malibu Republican Women, Federated luncheon meeting on Feb. 23. AIM critiques news stories on important issues that it perceives have received slanted coverage. The event will take place at Guido’s Malibu at 11:30 a.m. For more information, call 457.3530.