School starts Aug. 30
The Malibu High School and Malibu Middle School 2011-2012 academic year begins Tuesday. High school students can pick up their official class schedule in the new gym while middle school students can pick up their schedule from tables set up in the middle school quad near the library. High School begins at 7:50 a.m. and Middle School begins at 8 a.m.
County approves changes to beach summer camp selection process
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a proposal to alter the permit renewal process for summer recreation camps and physical fitness training at county beaches, with some amendments.
One of the main changes to the permit process would be to submit applications to a financial bidding process with higher fees, rather than its current renewal system. Numerous local summer camps, such as the Malibu Makos surf camp, which has been at Zuma Beach for 21 years, could be affected.
The Department of Beaches and Harbors says the changes are necessary because the current Beach and Harbor Use Permit Policy, passed in 1984, is outdated. Additionally, the proposal states that the change would allow for a fair selection process of camp operators and bring in increased revenue to be used for beach and marina operation and maintenance.
Opponents say the change would undermine the safety of Malibu’s surf schools and camps, as well as their stability or ability to operate. Additionally, some opponents worry about the increased commercialization of beaches.
According to the Department of Beaches and Harbors’ original proposal, awarding summer licenses for camps will be based on a number of new criteria. First, a bidding process for applicants vying for a desired location would be implemented. Applications would also be considered based on financial capability, or the ability of the applicant to demonstrate the financial responsibility of a multiyear license. The board would also factor in the success of applicants in managing similar operations in the past. The changed policy would also require applicants to submit an emergency response plan and employ staff certified in safety training. Applicants would also be judged on the amount of scholarships or reduced fees given to inner-city or low-income youth participants, and would be required to submit a written proposal addressing the elements of the selection process.
In a letter to the Board of Supervisors, county Beaches and Harbors staff stated that safety standards and previous experience running the camps would be weighed most heavily when considering applications.
The proposal previously went before the Los Angeles County Beach Commission, but the commission did not approve it. Four of the eight commissioners reportedly wanted to adopt the new policy after making a few changes, while four voted against it.
Naked man arrested in Malibu
A Los Angeles man was arrested Sunday evening on suspicion of indecent exposure outside Johnnie’s New York Pizzeria. The pizzeria’s employees reportedly saw the man behaving strangely outside the restaurant around 7 p.m. He soon entered the restaurant and began removing his clothes, at which point the employees called the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. When deputies arrived they arrested the man, whose name has not been released due to mental health concerns.
Local wildlife center rescues squirrel from tar pit
The Malibu-based California Wildlife Center received a juvenile squirrel that had been removed from the La Brea tar pits Friday afternoon. After cleaning, and spending time in an incubator, it is expected to make a full recovery.
The squirrel was entirely covered in heavy tar when she arrived at the center. The hospital team worked for an hour to remove the tar, using numerous buckets of warm water, Dawn soap and other tools.
The California Wildlife Center, originally opened in 1998 in the Santa Monica Mountains, cares for sick, injured and orphaned native animals with the intent of releasing them back into the wild.
Former Malibu/Lost Hills Sgt. named national cmdr. of military order
William R. Hutton, Malibu/Lost Hills deputy from 1982 to 1989, has been elected national commander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, according to a release from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
Hutton served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1965 to 1969, which included a tour of duty in Vietnam. He was wounded three times, and was later awarded the Silver Star, Purple Heart medal with second star and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Hutton returned to the States and served in the Military Police. After being honorably discharged in 1969, he joined the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, where he worked as a sergeant for seven years.
Hutton has been a member of the Military Order of the Purple Heart since 1997. He has held numerous leadership positions, now including national commander. During his time as commander, Hutton hopes to improve services to veterans and their families and as well as better other aspects of the organization.
Khankhanian expected to face trial
A Sept. 8 motion hearing has been set for the man charged with killing 13-year-old Emily Shane last April. Sina Khankhanian, the 27-year-old man charged with murder in Shane’s death, faced a pretrial conference Thursday last week at the Airport Branch Courthouse in Los Angeles. Bradley Brunon, Khankhanian’s attorney, told The Malibu Times he expected a trial date to be set within ten days after the Sept. 8 hearing.
Khankhanian has pled not guilty to the charge of murder in the death of Shane. The pretrial conference has been postponed multiple times while the prosecution and defense reviewed psychological testing performed on Khankhanian. Shane died on April 3 last year, when Khankhanian drove his car off Pacific Coast Highway, hitting her as she walked home from a friend’s house. Superior Court judge Kathryn Solorzano told Khankhanian at a preliminary hearing in January that he exhibited a “wantonness and conscious disregard for life” in the hours leading up to Shane’s death.
On April 3, Khankhanian left a suicide note at his house and drove off in his blue 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer, allegedly with the intent to end his life by crashing the car.
Several witnesses testified to Khankhanian’s reckless driving on a 17-mile stretch that included Topanga Canyon Boulevard, then north on Pacific Coast Highway through Malibu until the accident near the intersection with Heathercliff Road, where, in addition to striking Shane, the car collided with a power pole.