The captain of the “Conception” dive boat that caught fire and sank, killing 34 people, has been sentenced to four years in prison. Jerry Boylan, 70, was sentenced May 2 for his part in the tragedy off the coast of Santa Barbara on Labor Day 2019. The fire is considered the worst maritime disaster in modern California history. Thirty-three passengers and one crew member were trapped below deck when a fire erupted on the ship. Boylan and four other crew members jumped overboard in the predawn disaster. At the sentencing hearing, victims’ families were allowed to make statements. One mother who lost her husband and three daughters spoke of the agony she’s lived through the past five years. Boylan’s attorney read his client’s statement that said, “It was my goal to bring everyone home safely — and I failed.” Under the captain’s watch, a roving night patrol was required as well as fire training for the captain and crew. Evidence presented at the trial showed a series of failures on Boylan’s part, including inattention, gross negligence, and misconduct that led to the deaths. Boylan was reported as the first to abandon ship.
Malibu Middle and High School’s Art Show highlights students’ enormous talents
Community celebrates the first annual art show on the Malibu campus
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
An impressive array of intriguing visual artworks in many media warmly embraced attendees as they entered the Malibu High School PTSA room to enjoy the first annual Malibu Middle and High School Art Show on April 24.
Students, teachers, administrators, parents, and members of the community all mingled amidst the displays of paintings, sketchings, ceramics, sculptures, photography, digital design, poetry, and film.
In a community overflowing with thought leaders and creatives, it’s fun to celebrate the next generation’s many artistic talents.
Oscar Johnson, an eighth-grader, served as the event’s DJ. “I played a lot of stuff from the artist Stick Figure,” Johnson said, noting he wanted to set the best vibe for those viewing the artworks. “I also played cool Hawaiian artists and chill beach music.”
Attendees learned a lot about interesting forms of art that they perhaps have never previously encountered, including a middle school art installation near the venue’s entrance celebrating the intriguing concepts at the intersection of mathematics and art that were illustrated in a non-periodic tiling work.
“A 13-sided shape known as ‘the hat’ has mathematicians tipping their caps. It’s the first true example of an ‘einstein,’ a single shape that forms a special tiling of a plane,” an explanatory poster adjacent to the artwork informed, adding that there were no gaps or overlays in the piece, but only a pattern that never repeats.
“Mathematicians had been searching for such a shape for half a century,” the poster continued, quoting mathematician Marjorie Senechal of Smith College. Another interesting detail, the poster explained, is that, “although the name ‘einstein’ conjures up the iconic physicist, it derives from the German words ‘ein Stein,’ meaning ‘one stone,’ referring to the artwork’s single tile with an aperiodic form, meaning that it can’t form a pattern that repeats.” The poster concluded the discussion by noting, “The hat is special because there is no way it can create a periodic pattern.”
Discussing his contribution to the einstein hat tile, and pointing out his contributions to the artwork, eighth-grade artist Daire O’Herlihy said, “We made this puzzle tile piece from cardboard in Mr. Hacker’s class and I liked doing so a lot because it was very fun and lots of my friends and I made it.”
Daire also commented that his father has always loved art and that when his dad was a young adult, he chose to pursue architecture.
Such comments from a young, inspired artist are what motivates Malibu Middle School and Malibu High School’s dedicated art teachers as well as the parents’ Arts Angels program to foster creativity of all types in Malibu’s young students. This year, it was very special for all involved to have the art show in Malibu instead of having it in Santa Monica as part of the SMMUSD annual art show.
Smiling broadly amidst the crowd, Tom Whaley, SMMUSD’s visual and performing arts coordinator, discussed Malibu High’s hosting its first annual art show.
“I’m a huge fan of Malibu’s visual arts program and seeing all these wonderful artworks makes me inspired,” Whaley said. “Having the art show here in Malibu is just great! For years, we have wanted to have Malibu host its own art show and now we can because the new building is perfect for doing so!”
Whaley also said that he hopes the art show becomes an annual tradition and that he’d like to build on that tradition by having a local civic organization sponsor scholarships for students, as has been an SMMUSD tradition.
“Wouldn’t it be wonderful if a civic organization such as the Rotary or Optimist Club here in Malibu would coordinate with the school to offer four scholarships to students who are selected by local qualified artists who adjudicate their work?” Whaley queried, expressing an invitation to anyone in the community to contact him if they are interested in coordinating that for next year. “Please have them consider exploring that opportunity for the students in Malibu and reach out to me at twhaley@smmusd.org.”
Agreeing with Whaley’s assessment that opportunities such as the art classes and an art show are invaluable to middle and high school students was parent Patrick Murphree who came to admire the artistic creations by his son Wiley, a 10th-grader, as well as works created by other students.
“I think that it is important to provide opportunities such as digital design class because it’s invaluable for kids to be able to express their feelings and thoughts in a piece of art and to not always just communicate in a dialogue.” Patrick Murphree said.
The poetry displayed also educated observers by discussing blackout poetry, also known as erasure or redacted poetry, which are all types of found poetry.
“Specifically, found poetry has a goal of using pre-existing or ‘found’ text to create something new,” an explanatory poster stated. “Portions of the original text are kept, while other parts are drawn over or crossed out. Well-crafted blackout poetry can give new meanings to old texts.”
Everywhere attendees looked, they viewed stunningly beautiful creative works.
A black and white painting with striking angular dimensions caught this reporter’s eye. “That work is by Koa Wellwood from my AP drawing and painting class,” art teacher Thor Evenson said. “And, look at this stunning painting by student Tatiana Punnett — many of the artists in these classes are extremely talented!”
When asked about why she loves to paint, student artist Wellwood responded, “My inspirations are life and beauty. I want to keep making my work here in Malibu where I’m constantly surrounded by them.”
Some of the photography was created by MHS junior Emma Marshall.
“I made this work with pieces of flowers that were compact in a negative carrier and printed in a darkroom,” Marshall said. “Learning traditional film development is a really cool skill to learn, especially because you learn how to use the chemicals in the dark room.”
For somewhat older attendees and art aficionados, it was so nice to see some old-school art in Malibu’s new high school. In a world where artificial intelligence is prolific, the teaching of such originality in art creation remains imperative, said film teacher Rachel Stowell, noting that otherwise, creativity might be thwarted.
Many Malibuans celebrating the successful show highly complimented and sincerely thanked the school’s dedicated art teachers, including Carla Bowman-Smith, Thomas Hacker, Evenson, and Stowell, whose leadership and nurturing of creative freedom empowered the young artists to express themselves and to explore various artistic media.
Discussion on Next Week’s City Council | May 13
Ceremonial/Presentations:
- Presentation of City Tile to Susan Dueñas for Seven Years of Service to the City of Malibu.
New Items:
- Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Integrated Performance Consultants, Inc.
- Professional Services Agreement with Lance, Soll & Lunghard, LLP
- Initiative 21-0042A1 Taxpayer Protection and Government Accountability Act (OPPOSE)
- Investment Report for the Month Ending March 31, 2024
- Professional Services Agreement with Governmental Financial Services
- Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with SDI Presence
Ordinances and Public Hearings:
- Appeal No. 23-004 – Appeal of Planning Commission Resolution No. 23-24 (22959 Pacific Coast Highway; Appellant: Malibu Township Council; Applicant: Burdge and Associates Architects, Inc.; Property Owner: Surfrider Plaza, LLC) (Continued from the March 25, 2024 meeting)
- Amendments to Chapter 12.02 (Wireless Facilities in Public Right-of-Way) and Chapter 17.46 (Wireless Telecommunications Antennas and Facilities) of the Malibu Municipal Code, and Sections 2.2 and 3.16, Chapter 13 and Appendix 1 (Table B Permitted Uses) of the Local Coastal Program Local Implementation Plan to modify regulations, procedures, and application requirements for the installation of wireless communications facilities
Old Business:
- Zuma Foundation Inc. Road Race Agreement.
New Business:
- Malibu Arts Association Art Show Event Series Fee Waiver
Council Items:
- None.
To view the full City Council Agenda, visit malibucity.org/virtualmeetings.
Zuma Foundation cancels the triathlon in Malibu slated for September
Super League Malibu offers to operate a downsized 2024 race event and to negotiate for 2025 event
By Barbara Burke
Special to The Malibu Times
Zuma Foundation, a Malibu-based nonprofit organization, has canceled the Zuma Beach Triathlon slated for Sept. 14.
“With the goal of producing a world-class triathlon event for the City of Malibu, the local community, participants, and all stakeholders involved, the Zuma Foundation has requested that the City of Malibu postpone the Zuma Beach Triathlon until the Fall of 2025.” The foundation’s press release stated. “This decision prioritizes the safety of participants and ensures the delivery of a world-class event for the City of Malibu, local residents and athletes.”
The press release noted, “The health and wellbeing of our race participants is of the utmost importance. The ongoing construction and repair issues on Pacific Coast Highway, including the delayed completion of the Trancas Bridge project, among others, have led us to reschedule the event due to safety concerns for the thousands of athletes who come to Malibu to train on the course leading up to the race.”
On Jan. 8, the Malibu City Council voted to approve permits for the Zuma Foundation, Inc., whose director Michael Epstein has operated the event in the past under various company names, to operate a triathlon in Malibu on the weekend of Sept. 14, 2024. In doing so, the council rejected a contract bid by Super League Malibu Triathlon, formerly Super League, which had operated the event from 2019 to 2023.
The construction delays, as well as complications in Caltrans’ efforts to clear the creek near Zuma Beach have forced the cancellation of the event, according to City Councilmember Paul Grisanti, who served on the two-member race committee that recommended that the council award the permit to Zuma Foundation. Grisanti added that recent rains have complicated efforts to clear the underpass below the Zuma Creek bridge, one of the areas where triathlon participants would have biked this September.
“If Zuma Beach Triathlon fails to take place in 2024, we would like to open the door to the conversation about bringing back Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Super League Triathlon, and Malibu Triathlon to the City of Malibu in 2025,” Brennan Lindner, Super League Malibu Triathlon’s spokesperson stated at the April 24 City Council meeting. Readers can hear his remarks at 1:44:22 in this video:
www.youtube.com/live/LEx0LLQE06M?feature=shared.
Lindner also told the council that Super League Triathlon is open to producing a smaller-scale swim or swim-run event in Fall 2024 that would take place only within LA County jurisdiction — the beach and parking lot at Zuma Beach.”
Lindner told The Malibu Times on May 5 that the smaller-scale event “would have smaller impact and provide the community of Malibu multi-sport athletes the opportunity to participate in an athletic activity and fundraiser for local charities.”
“We produced a similar event at Zuma for five years and it was a blast,” he stated. “I believe our good faith efforts over the past four years have demonstrated that we are open to, and willing to, work together to reduce the traffic impact of the event, as well as to incorporate more fundraising to benefit Malibu charities.”
The Malibu Triathlon was founded in 1987 by Epstein and has been a perennial draw for professional, amateur, corporate, and celebrity triathletes. In recent years, the race spanned two days. In 2017, Eptein sold the race to Motiv Sports and was its executive director until 2020. The Malibu Triathlon was purchased by Super League in 2021. Since 2012, the city’s municipal code has limited permits for marathons, triathlons, and cycling events to two per year. In 2013, the city contracted with Epstein, granting him permits to host the Malibu Triathlon for 10 years. In 2017, he sold that right to Motiv Sports. Super League Holdings PTE LTD purchased the Malibu Triathlon in 2021. The city could have extended that permit pursuant to the parties’ contact, but opted to issue a request for proposals, culminating in a contract award to Zuma Foundation.
Grisanti noted that Lindner made overtures to operate a race event on Zuma Beach and its parking lot. However, he stated that there have been no formal discussions with Super League Malibu Triathlon to do so. The Malibu Times will keep readers informed should any such discussions commence.
Planning Commission addresses the increase in tanker trucks in Malibu after recent fatal incident
The commission asked city staff when the TUP meeting will be rescheduled
During the Planning Commission meeting on Monday night, May 6, Commissioner Kraig Hill mentioned the letter to the editor he submitted last week to The Malibu Times on the increase in trailer trucks on the highway. Hill’s letter is in relation to the fatal incident that occurred on March 29 on Cross Creek Road and Pacific Coast Highway. A tanker truck had been returning from delivering fuel at Pt. Mugu and homicide detectives said a homeless individual ran in front of the truck going down the highway. Dimitri Failla, 32, died from blunt force injuries after being struck by the tanker truck.
“I’m wondering if staff has any update — if we’re handling trucks any different on the highway now, including the ones that park in the center median,” Hill said.
In the past year or two, Hill has noticed non-local trailer trucks on PCH more frequently than in the past.
“I find myself on PCH several times per week, and lately have noticed them several times per month,” Hill said in his letter. “Getting the non-local trucks off of PCH is part of transforming it from a de facto freeway into a neighborhood boulevard.”
Planning Director Richard Mollica said the public safety department has been looking into the issue and is coordinating with the sheriff’s department, and said it will be addressed in the city council level.
Commissioner Dennis Smith agreed with Hill and said the tanker trucks are a problem.
“We shouldn’t have anything like that going through town — it’s bad,” Smith said. “They can go around us, they don’t like it, but they can do that.”
Chair John Mazza asked city staff about the Temporary Use Permit meeting that was rescheduled from Feb. 12. The hearing is to consider an ordinance and the Planning Commission’s recommendations on updating regulations for TUPs, which are permits for events at non-residential properties.
Mollica said the TUP meeting was supposed to take place next week at City Council; however, it has been postponed.
“It’s set now in the first meeting in June,” Mollica said. “I hope it doesn’t move again, but it has been postponed.”
Chair Mazza pulled item 3.B1, an extension of Coastal Development Permit No. 18-005; a request to extend the Planning Commission’s approval for construction of a new single-family residence and associated development, for question.
The commission motioned to approve Coastal Development Permit-Woolsey Fire No. 22-001, an application for a conversion of existing accessory structure (studio) to a second unit, and construction of new swimming pool, spa with associated pool equipment, decking, onsite wastewater treatment system, and other site improvements.
The commission motioned to approve Coastal Development Permit No. 21-038; a follow-up application for an emergency foundation repair of an existing garage.
The next Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for May 20.
FROM THE RIGHT: Seeking a civil path in Palestine protests
By Don Schmitz
The protests at over 33 college campuses all over the country are mislabeled as “Pro Palestine” or “Anti Genocide.” None of us can peer in the hearts of all the protesters, and likely many are deeply sincere in those beliefs, but we can listen to what they are chanting, we can read their banners and literature, which is often an ugly, anti-American, anti-Semitic picture.
Their own words often aren’t pro-peace, they are pro-war and support terrorism against Israel and the U.S. Banners calling for “Intifada” are displayed. The Second Intifada from 2000 to 2005 in Israel included 130 suicide bombings at restaurants and on buses, designed to maximize civilian casualties. At George Washington University protesters chanted, “Smash the Zionist settler state” and “There is only one solution, intifada revolution”! Of course, the favorite is “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free”, which means the complete destruction of all of Israel. Signs were held up next to pro-Israel demonstrators reading “Al-Qassam’s next targets.” Al-Qassam is the armed branch of the Islamic movement. Not subtle. It is naked political manipulation to put a palatable face on this despotic movement by the usual suspects on the radical left.
“Squad” member Ilhan Omar denounced the arrests of “peaceful protesters” at Columbia University who “were only speaking out against genocide.” Nationally 2,100 have been arrested, but most are simply released and face no real consequences. Many of the protesters aren’t students. Thirty-two of the 112 arrested in Columbia aren’t affiliated with the university, and last week in 11 of 12 instances where statistics are available, more outsiders were arrested than students.
Fortunately, mainstream Democrats and Republicans are denouncing their hatred, vandalism, and violence. Democrat New York City mayor Eric Adams lamented “outside agitators” for escalating the protests. Democrat California Assemblyman Rick Zbur wrote the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to investigate civil rights violations of Jewish students at UCLA. California Republican leaders have demanded the firing of UCLA and Cal Poly Humboldt leadership for failing to protect Jewish students. Senator Marco Rubio (R) is calling for students who are not American citizens to be sent back to their countries if they are participating in these widespread demonstrations.
President Biden struck the right tone in a short speech stating; “vandalism, violence, hate speech and other chaos has no part in a peaceful protest. Dissent is essential for democracy, but dissent must never lead to disorder.”
Appropriately, no protesters are being arrested for exercising their free speech, no matter how reprehensible. They are being arrested for creating illegal camps, intimidating other students and not allowing them to get to class, defacing and breaking into buildings, which they barricade. Legitimate peaceful demonstrations are occurring across the country on and off campuses on both sides of the issue, with no interference from law enforcement. However, should a demonstrator be expelled from a university for their illegal actions, Seyed Mahmoud Aghamiri, the dean of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, said his school would “accept students who have been expelled for protesting against the actions of the Zionists. We have considered scholarship for these students and we fully cover the cost of education, dormitory and accommodation.” Telling. Hamas, along with Islamic Jihad and Hezbollah, are proxy armies trained, armed and funded by Iran to attack Israel and the U.S.
Have you noticed that the encampments all have the same tents, are well organized and supplied? According to the New York Post the encampments at Harvard, Yale, UC Berkeley, Ohio State, and Emory in Georgia were organized by branches of Students for Justice in Palestine, which are funded by the radical leftist Soros family. They are not spontaneous. A united America is far too strong to defeat from without, so our enemies from Russia to China and Iran seek to fracture us internally, and separate us from our allies, by sowing discord from within. Our left-wing universities have been fertile ground for their efforts.
Refreshingly, Americans are starting to see through this, recognizing Hamas as a brutal terrorist organization seeking a worldwide caliphate imposing Sharia law by force, starting with Israel. After observing with disgust demonstrators replacing Old Glory with the Palestinian flag at UCLA, we cheered when fratboys at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill surrounded their flagpole to protect our flag from screaming Palestinian groups throwing water bottles at them. Eventually they were overwhelmed, and the Palestinian flag replaced the Stars And Stripes, whereupon Chancellor Lee Roberts personally walked into the crowd and put our flag back up. Sadly, reflective of our national confusion, the flagpole ultimately was left empty with no flag, right here in our land. Our cherished God given First Amendment rights are integral to this amazing country, but respect our laws and America while exercising it. On this Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals, agree.
FROM THE LEFT: Seeking a civil path in Palestine protests
By Lance Simmens
Free speech is a cherished notion that has stood at the gates of liberty for nearly 250 years and made us the shining city on the hill. However, we run the risk of foregoing our commitment to it as a fractured society simply appears to reject the time-tested method for conflict resolution: namely, the ability to air our differences in a civil, meaningful dialogue that seeks to rely upon reason and compromise not based upon partisan gains or losses.
We are a society that has accomplished social advancement through our ability to reach consensus. Our governmental system represents a solid commitment to agreement through words not warfare. President Joe Biden has made very clear that affirming the right to peaceful protest is ultimately preferable to chaos. Our institutions of higher learning are currently the battleground for momentous debate.
As one who has spent the past 70 years watching the Civil Rights Movement change the trajectory of how we deal with segregation and racism, fighting against our involvement in Vietnam, witnessing a president being disgraced and removed from office, living through an era that saw two Kennedys and Dr. King assassinated, and looking upon with horror students gunned down on a college campus, I am today witnessing another generation trying to cope with the atrocities in Gaza.
We have all watched with horror the events of Oct. 7 and the subsequent events triggered by displacement that has cost the lives of over 34,000 mostly women and children in Gaza. Both actions are reprehensible and have no place in a civil society. Efforts to stem this catastrophe by seeking negotiation through a ceasefire accompanied by discussion that seeks peace not persecution must prevail. There has to be a concerted effort to live in a world where peace respects differing ideologies. Antisemitism has no place in an academic or humane society. Hatred and it’s accompanying violence must be avoided. President Biden has offered the following: “this blatant Antisemitism is reprehensible and dangerous and it has absolutely no place on college campuses, or anywhere in our country.”
There is little data to suggest whether outside agitators are playing a critical role in advancing protests on either or both sides of the equation. Hopefully there will be efforts to identify exactly who is behind the efforts to bring to the world’s attention the unrest that is simmering on college campuses. We must make meaningful changes through debate and negotiation and if indeed there is outside intervention there is no room at the bargaining table.
In a recent article published in Vox by Ellen Ioanes and Nicole Narea, they identify what exactly is behind the protests. At Columbia, the protesters belong to CUAD (Columbia University Apartheid Divest), a coalition of student organizations working towards achieving a liberated Palestine and the end of Israeli apartheid by urging Columbia to divest all economic and academic stakes in Israel.
“Their vision is a free Palestine… The coalition’s demands for divestment are of a piece with BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement started by Palestinian civil society groups in 2005,” the authors write. “BDS cites as its inspiration the anti-apartheid activists of the 1980s who targeted South Africa’s apartheid government with boycotts.”
It seems that a core issue surrounding the activities that are currently being voiced on campuses across not only the United States but in London, Paris, and other European cities is the degree to which free speech is tolerated and encouraged in our institutions of higher learning, especially with regard to pressure on divestiture and disclosure of their investments in companies and organizations linked to Israel and its war on Gaza.
A recent news article by Al Jazeera suggests “the protesters at Columbia University, who began building encampments on campus on April 17, are calling for Columbia to divest from corporations that they believe profit from Israel’s war on Gaza,” while the New York University (NYU) Alumni for Palestine website calls on NYU to “terminate all vendor contracts with companies playing active roles in the military occupation in Palestine and ongoing genocide in Gaza, namely Cisco, Lockheed Martin, Caterpillar, and General Electric”.
Students at different U.S. universities are calling for greater transparency about their institutions’ investments. A student who is part of the encampments at Tufts University outside Boston told Al Jazeera that one of the “biggest demands of the students” is for the university to disclose its investments. The only outstanding issue that remains is to qualify and quantify the extent to which the issue is being driven by outside sources, which is an issue that needs extensive oversight.
There is little doubt that this is a potentially dicey issue that will greatly test the resolve of higher education institutions to sustain free speech in light of a highly politicized program aimed at divestiture. Protecting the prerogative of universities to maximize investments while under pressure to also protect free speech is likely to create rough going for school administrators as they wrestle with an active student body. If this is not enough, additional efforts to protect against what appears to be an inevitable slide into the antisemite arena will only further test school administrators’ efforts in a highly political cauldron. Stop the violence!
Calendar for the week of May 9
FRI, MAY 10
MALIBU STATE OF THE CITY
On Friday, May 10, Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring will deliver the State of the City address, reflecting on the city’s highlights, challenges, and achievements from the past year and looking toward the year ahead. This highly anticipated event, hosted by the Malibu-Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, will take place at the new Santa Monica College (SMC) Malibu Campus at 10 a.m. The SMC Malibu Campus is located at 23555 Civic Center Way, adjacent to the Malibu Library. The event is free to attend, but space is limited, and RSVPs are required. The presentations will be followed by a public reception.
FRI, MAY 10
WELLNESS WORKSHOP
Instructors from The Mindry will guide participants through a manifestation and meditation workshop on Friday, May 10, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Malibu Bluffs Park. Pre-registration is required online. For information, visit the Community Programs webpage.
FRI, MAY 10
MALIBU COMEDY NIGHT AT ROSENTHAL WINE BAR AND PATIO
Enjoy sips and giggles under the stars in the heart of Malibu! Comedians from Netflix, HBO, and Comedy Central! With heat lamps! Starts on Friday, May 10, at 8 p.m. at 18741 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. To purchase tickets, visit Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio on Instagram or email tastingroom@rosenthalestatewines.com.
SAT, MAY 11
SPRING JUBILATIONS
Hosted by Ann Buxie. A gathering themed to celebrate joy in a time of whelming possibilities, to give voice to the true nature of vitality modeled on the natural world, and to attend to the power of love and joy. The gathering features Alma Boutin-Martinez and Bill Goldberg, an open mic, and conversation. Complimentary and an RSVP is not required.
MON, MAY 13
MALIBU CITY COUNCIL MEETING
Join the next Malibu City Council meeting on Monday, May 13 at 6:30 p.m., at the Council Chambers. Members of the public may speak during the meeting in-person or through the Zoom application. In order to participate in-person, each speaker must complete and submit to the Recording Secretary a Request to Speak form. In-person participants may also surrender their opportunity to speak on a particular item to defer one minute to another in-person speaker.
TUES., MAY 14
‘1 IN 5’ APPAREL SHOWCASE
Community members can join Third Space Malibu in its “1 in 5 Apparel Showcase” from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 14 and support the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu teens for their meaningful product launch around youth suicide prevention. Light bites and refreshments will be served to those who attend. This is an open invite to the community; no RSVP is required. RSVP at thirdspacemalibu.org/pages/workshops?event-id=27613.
WED, MAY 15
ORGANICS RECYCLING TRAINING AND KITCHEN CADDY GIVEAWAY
The city is offering a free kitchen collection bin (limit one per household) to encourage the community to participate in its mandatory organics recycling program. To receive a kitchen-free caddy, attend this virtual training. The Zoom meeting link is posted at MalibuCity.org/organics.
Each caddy is easy to fill, carry (1.9 gallons), empty, and clean (dishwasher safe). Supplies are limited.
- Find out why this is such an important program and how you can help
- Learn how to source separate organics to avoid contamination
- Discover the difference between organic and yard waste
After the virtual workshop, email Mbuilding@malibucity.org or call (310) 456-2489 ext. 390 to schedule your pickup at City Hall. Then, you will show identification with a Malibu address and proof of attendance (keyword will be provided in the presentation). For more information about the statewide organic waste and food recovery law, visit MalibuCity.org/organics. Download Waste Management’s Food Waste flyer.
SAT, MAY 18
CAFFINATED VERSE
Caffeinated Verse includes a featured reader, followed by an open mic format. Complimentary, No RSVP Required. From 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Malibu Library.
SUN, MAY 19
ART EXHIBIT: ‘ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON’ BY PEP WILLIAMS
Photographer Pep Williams will showcase images of the lowrider culture in Los Angeles. Images will include the world’s most famous lowrider, Gypsy Rose, a 1964 Chevrolet Impala, as well as other well-known lowrider cars as part of the exhibition. Williams is a fine art photographer, video director, and third-generation Dogtown skateboarder from South Central Los Angeles. He has traveled globally, creating materials for his photographic exhibitions, and has photographed spreads for magazines worldwide. The exhibition will be on display from May 20 through June 28 and open Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Opening Reception is Sunday, May 19, at noon. Celebrate the artist, view the artwork, and enjoy complimentary refreshments. An RSVP is not required.
MON, MAY 20
BEGINNERS SALSA CLASS
Dance is a great way to exercise and socialize. During the 75-minute workshops, learn the foundations and techniques of salsa and swing, including lead, follow, rhythm and timing on Monday, May 20, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. The class fee is $25. Singles and couples are welcome. Located at the Michael Landon Center, 24250 Pacific Coast Highway. Pre-registration is suggested at Malibucity.org . For more information, please call instructor, Ms. MC Callaghan.
TUES., MAY 21
‘SIP & SHOP’ AND MEET THE MAKERS AT THIRD SPACE
Community members can come to Third Space Malibu from 5 to 7 p.m. on May 21 to enjoy complimentary champagne and shop for local, handmade, and sustainable products while getting to know local creatives and the story behind their brands. RSVP at thirdspacemalibu.org/pages/workshops?event-id=26634.
THURS, MAY 23
SENIOR LUNCHEON: GARDEN PARTY
Spring has sprung at the Malibu Senior Center. Enjoy a delicious healthy lunch, socialize with friends, and enjoy a variety of entertainment from 12 to 1:30 p.m. When calling to RSVP, please inform staff if a vegetarian meal is requested. Cost is $5 per person. Pre-registration is required. A waitlist will be created after 70 RSVPs. For more information or to RSVP, contact the Malibu Senior Center at (310) 456-2489 ext. 357 or at MalibuSeniorCenter@MalibuCity.org.
SAT, MAY 25
THE RIPPLE EFFECT: A GENERATIVE POETRY WORKSHOP
When things ripple, they emanate from a center and move outwards. Ripples are an unfolding interaction. In terms of poetry, poems “ripple out” from us and join the ripple of existing and yet-to-be-penned poems which creates a dialogue that continuously overlaps. Join us for a generative, poetry writing workshop where we will sit in the “ripple” of each other’s energies, read, and discuss poems to stimulate our imaginations, and write original poems from prompts provided in the workshop. This workshop is for everyone, regardless of ability level. Participants should bring a pen and a notepad! Led by Malibu Poet Laureate Nathan Hassall. Workshop will take place at the Michael Landon Community Center from 2 to 4 p.m.
MON, MAY 27
MEMORIAL DAY CITY HALL CLOSED
Special holiday hours for city parks and facilities will be posted in the News and Announcements section of the website homepage the week prior to the holiday.
ONGOING
FARMERS MARKET
The Malibu Farmers Market returns to the Library Plaza on Sundays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., located at 23555 Civic Center Way, adjacent to the library. For updates, follow up on instagram @malibufarmersmarket.
WEEDING DAY AT POINT DUME NATURE PRESERVE
Get your hands dirty and feel good doing your part! This event held every second Wednesday of the month is to remove invasive plant species by hand-pulling. Bring gardening gloves, water, a hat, and sunscreen! Parking available at Point Dume Entrance (Limited two-hour free parking), Westward Beach County Parking Lot (hourly rate), and Westward Beach Road (free). Link to volunteer: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F0E49A9AD2FAB9-monthly1.
‘JEWELRY-MAKING EXPERIENCE’ AT THIRD SPACE MALIBU
The community is invited to join Third Space Malibu’s Kidd’s Jewelry Heist “Jewelry-Making Experience” every Sunday throughout May from 12 to 5 p.m. Those who attend can create their own necklaces, bracelets, keychains, and earrings during an hour-long session with the help of a mentor. Participants can take home two unique pieces of jewelry each. If interested, please RSVP at thirdspacemalibu.org/pages/workshops.
BRIDGE GROUP
If you have never played bridge, here is your chance to learn! Beginners and experienced players are welcome to play with this relaxed bridge group every Friday at the Malibu Senior Center from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. A friendly and welcoming long-standing group welcomes all levels of players. Led by volunteer Vin Joshi.
KNITTING
Join the City of Malibu’s Community Service Department and Sheila Rosenthal for a knitting workshop that takes place on Mondays and Fridays at 10:30 a.m. This program is a welcoming gathering space for fiber artists that fosters community through open stitch. Make a scarf, hat, blanket, or homemade gift. No experience necessary. Please bring size eight needles and one skein of yarn. This is an ongoing, drop-in program. Instructed by Sheila Rosenthal.
RELAXING THROUGH COLORING
The art of coloring activates different areas of the brain, using logic, forming colors, and creativity. Join this free, unstructured program. Instructed by Judy Merrick. Complimentary program. Visit malibucity.org for dates and times.
STRETCH AND STRENGTH
Participants will focus on increasing flexibility, balance, circulation, and muscle tone while learning to relax through breathing techniques. Bring yoga blocks and a mat. Instructed by Marsha Cooper. $5 per class. Visit malibucity.org for dates and times.
How to protect your home with firescaping
City of Malibu holds workshop to inform residents on best practices
Protecting your biggest investment, your home, against a devasting wildfire was the topic of a Malibu workshop intended to arm residents with knowledge and best practices for use in what’s called “firescaping.”
Cal Poly Pomona professor and expert landscaper Douglas Kent, who’s written extensively on wildfire damage prevention, shared his advice on how best to landscape homes in Malibu, a “flammable community.”
Kent likened your home to your heart.
“If you want to live long and thrive, you’re going to do all you can to create a healthy heart,” he said. “Same thing to defend against fire. Statistics show that if you have a fire hardened home you have a 70 percent chance of survival.”
Fire scientists like Kent have learned over the years that most homes lost to wildfires are ignited by flying embers. Preventing them from entering a structure is key. One of the first places to start is to make sure all home openings are screened with 1/16-inch metal mesh. This includes dryer vents and, of course, chimneys.
Weatherization is key. Of the 1,643 structures lost in the Woolsey Fire, 60 to 70 percent were lost to firebrands according to Kent.
“Forty percent of those burned from the inside out, which means the firebrand penetrated the structure and ignited something inside,” he said.
Peeling paint, decayed weather stripping, and clogged gutters can all be easily ignited by firebrands, so home maintenance is key to keeping a home fire resilient, Kent added.
Make sure your address is clearly visible especially at night so emergency responders can identify your home. This probably means trimming trees, clearing brush and abiding by the 5-foot rule in clearing a path around your home. Create a defensible space. It’s critical to not store combustible materials in a 5-foot perimeter around your home. Recyclables, trash, compost, tools, and furniture cushions need to be stored away from the structure. “
So much of fire protection is basic housekeeping,” said Kent, who added that slopes are also a concern. “I don’t think Malibu has one flat place. What happens on slopes is flame lengths double with every 10-degree growth in slope. If you have a 3-foot flame on flat land, it would be 6 feet on a 10-degree slope, 12 feet on a 20-percent slope, and on a 30-percent slope it would be 24 feet long. The slope causes a convective process that elongates the flame. If you have slopes, you really need to concentrate on your structure more than anything because you’re going to get those elongated flames and firebrands lashing your structure. The solutions are screens.”
Kent suggests clearing eaves and hardening your home’s trim materials often made of soft wood that can twist and buckle when exposed to intense heat, inviting firebrands into newly formed gaps.
“Really watch where any two materials meet,” he said. “It’s going to be a place of vulnerability.” This can be especially true of fences connected to homes.
Play structures, tool sheds and other outbuildings are often overlooked by residents hardening their homes.
Malibu Fire Liaison Gabriel Etcheverry, on hand for the presentation, makes free house calls and assessments for Malibu residents. Etcheverry will give suggestions on how to fire harden your entire property. But as Kent said, “If your neighbors are not on board it could bring a fire onto your property.”
Getting neighbors to comply with fire smart practices and firescaping can sometimes be challenging. Etcheverry encouraged attendees to “work with your neighbors.” Kent even offered using “cookie diplomacy” in order to compromise with neighbors and encourage landscape maintenance.
Landscaping with less flammable plants around your home is ideal. These types of plants are generally broad-leafed, with thick and easy to bend leaves that are moist. These plants should also have a low amount of litter as opposed to a conifer, have sap that looks more like water, have no fragrance, no hair and have silver or gray leaves. Examples include toyon, native verbena, yucca, coast live oak, and ceonothus. But Kent emphasized, “It’s not the plant itself. It’s the maintenance, the pruning, the care, the irrigation. That’s what’s going to create the fire resistance. Maintenance is the fulcrum of fire safety without a doubt.”
Sharks boys volleyball begin playoffs as top seed
The squad began the postseason with a 21-12 record, including a 10-0 record in the Citrus Coast League
The Malibu High boys volleyball team opened the playoffs with a nail-biting victory on its home floor on April 27.
The Sharks, a No. 1 seed, defeated the visiting Cate Rams 3-2 in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division VI Boys Volleyball Championship.
Malibu head coach Derek Sanez said the match was close. The coach noted that sophomores Alex Galan and Taj Menteer had stellar performances.
Galan’s hot serving streak in the second set gave Malibu winning momentum after they lost the second set. Menteer starred on defense late in the game, Saenz noted.
“He shut down their big kid so many times,” the coach recalled.
Axel Jimenez, the team’s lone senior, said Malibu worked hard for the victory.
“The practices leading up to the game were spent watching film of Cate and practicing against the type of team they are,” he said. “It was a hard fought win.”
The victory advanced Malibu to a second-round match against the Eastside Lions on Tuesday. The winner of that game moved on to a quarterfinal matchup on May 2. The semifinals are on May 4, with the championship game scheduled for May 11.
The Sharks entered the playoffs on the heels of a stellar season. The squad began the postseason with a 21-12 record, including a 10-0 record in the Citrus Coast League. Malibu swept all of their league opponents and won many matches by 10 to 15 points. In fact, they never lost a set. Malibu had a five-game winning streak at press time.
Saenz, in his sixth season coaching the Sharks, stated that this year’s group was his most successful team in the regular season.
“Last year, we started the season 0-10,” he remembered. “We finished the regular season with over 20 wins. In the prior 10 seasons before I got hired, they won like 26 matches in 10 years.”
Jimenez, the team MVP and an All-Citrus Coast League performer a season ago, said the Sharks’ roster — dominated by sophomores — is full of talented volleyball players.
“Our key to winning is getting in the proper mindset for the playoffs,” he said. “Being able to handle the pressure of our season being on the line needs to be something we become used to.”
Saenz said MHS has championship aspirations.
“We didn’t set too many performance goals in terms of the skill level we want to be at,” he said. “It’s more of, we just have to grow up. I focus on level and mentality. Yes, we want to win CIF, but we are going to focus on the mentality that will make us a championship team.”
At a practice in February, Saenz showed the team video of college volleyball teams that upset highly rated teams in the regular season but failed to win a title in the postseason.
“You can be good enough to knock off the team that wins the national championship,” Saenz said. “How does one team win that match at the beginning of the year, but doesn’t make the playoffs and other team wins the whole thing? That has a lot to do with culture. We want to have winning culture — develop maturity in how they present themselves, goal-setting. We want the best possible version of each individual.”
Jimenez has been the top Shark on the court this season also. Sophomore Keegan Cross and freshman libero Lucas Galan, both great athletes, have also starred.
Saenz said Malibu has high hopes that rise above the volleyball net.
“We always expect greatness out of each other,” he said. “If we are saying, we want to win a championship. We have to know that we are a team with people that can do great things.”
