Giant statue off Malibu coast, which turned out to be part of a promotional stunt, creates unexpected spectacle 

Anyone is southern Malibu Sunday who caught a glimpse of a giant statue floating slowly up the coastline near the water’s edge must of asked, “What the heck is that?” There hasn’t been such a large spectacle like that in Malibu since the filming of 1968’s “Planet of the Apes” surprise ending featuring a 30-foot high Lady Liberty head half buried on the beach in Point Dume. Sunday’s bizarre statue sighting up and down the Malibu coast was quite a head scratcher for many startled by its presence.

The Malibu Times first noticed the huge statue Sunday morning at 10:30 in the water off Sunset Boulevard. At first glance, it resembled an oversized army man toy or even a variation of the La Salsa taco man with outstretched arms. The statue, placed on a barge pulled by a tugboat, continued north making a stop near Surfrider Beach, then turned around to head south. But by 3 p.m. the mysterious figure was being tugged again northbound for a trip toward the pier and seemed to be anchored there until The Malibu Times lost sight of it by dark. 

Turns out the statue is part of a promotion for the rapper/musical artist Kid Cudi who released a new album Jan. 12 and one of the artists who worked on the piece is a Malibu native son. Sean Clark, born and raised in Malibu, comes from a family of sculptors and artists, including his stepfather, Malibu Arts Commission Chair Fireball Tim Lawrence, who’s also an accomplished artist. “I came from a world of sculpting,” the 36-year-old Clark explained.

The Malibu High School graduate is now a union sculptor for the film industry’s Local 755. When the writers and actors strike hit, Clark said, “It was a really weird year for our entire union.” He and his coworkers pivoted to concert artwork and commercials to stay busy. 

Then just two weeks ago, after New Year’s Day, Clark was hired for a rush job. “It was really crazy,” he said.

He became part of a 10-man team led by Travis Craven to sculpt three separate larger-than-life statues of the rapper in just seven days.

Clark and his team only had one day’s notice. They worked 12- to 18-hour shifts to get the massive job done.

Even though the 30-foot tall statues may seem to be carved from stone or cast in bronze, they are actually made of foam. But don’t let that fool you. The foam used in each statue weighs 1,000 pounds and that weight doesn’t include the leaden skeletal “rock and roll trusses” hidden inside.

The heads were constructed of urethane for more detail, the body from Styrofoam. The statues were coated in material resembling a “truck bed liner.” The art pieces were assembled in Pacoima at DeRouchey Foam, the biggest supplier for the film industry.

The first of the three effigies was completed in three days for a quick shipment to Paris, where it was unveiled Jan. 12. The second was shipped to New York City and also debuted last Friday, and the third emerged Friday in Long Beach Harbor. Cudi spent that afternoon in a nearby record store to sign copies of his new album “INSANO.”

The sculptures have received mixed reaction. “Jaw dropping” for some and for others, critiques ranged from “satanic” to “disturbing,” perhaps due to the gaping mouth and empty eye sockets depicted. In some photographs, the eyes on the statues are glowing from neon lights inside. “We rigged them up for glowing,” according to Clark, who added that the lights can be controlled through a phone and can change colors too. That may not have been visible in Malibu on Sunday during daylight hours.   

Cudi, born Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi, didn’t exactly pose for the artists who sculpted his likeness. “That’s the crazy thing,” Clark explained. “They lidar scanned Kid Cudi.” The process uploads the images into a computer. Giant blocks of foam were cut “so our sizing was right,” according to the sculptor. With proportions correct the team of artists added to the technology with their hand-chiseled artistry to make Cudi appear like a bronze or metallic monument.

As an expert foam sculptor, Clark has worked on many unique pieces for the film and entertainment industry. 

“It’s always fun. I love this job. We do everything in the world and it’s always different and cool. I feel blessed to have grown up where I did. I think that’s what placed me in this situation,” Clark said, laughing.

Out-of-town sheriff’s deputy comes to the rescue 

It’s not often we recognize everyday heroes. A local Malibu resident wanted to spread the word of a local deputy who helped him out of a jam on Pacific Coast Highway. 

Just two days before Christmas, longtime resident Fred Walecki was driving down PCH as he’s done hundreds of thousands of times throughout his many decades living in Malibu.

“I’m breezing down PCH and right past Corral Canyon, I heard my tire blow up,” Walecki said. “Of course, I immediately pulled over at the earliest opportunity, a bit breathless, worried that the car could lose control.” 

When Walecki, a beloved figure in the Los Angeles music scene whose family owned Westwood music for half a century, got out of his car he knew sure enough it was a blowout. He got back in his car and called AAA. Unfortunately for Walecki, who lost his regular speaking voice due to a laryngectomy, the Auto Club phone system is completely automated, making it difficult for him to be heard. However, before he realized it there was a knock on his window. Help had already arrived. 

“I look up and there’s a nice sheriff [sheriff’s deputy] smiling at me,” he said. “I lowered the window and he said, ‘You know, you’re in a kind of dangerous spot. How can I help you?’ I said, ‘Well, I called AAA and I’m on hold. The automated phone does not recognize me.’ He said, ‘Let me help you.’ I’ll talk to the automated system for you.’ So, I said, ‘Thank you.’”

The deputy, whose name is Brian Judge, advised that Walecki exit his car and invited him into his cruiser with lights flashing to warn passing drivers that something was going on. Judge told Walecki that it was a dangerous spot to be waiting on PCH and that the least he could do was help to ensure his safety by parking nearby and flashing his hazard lights so he wasn’t in danger of being rear-ended.

When Judge finally reached AAA, he was told it would be a 30-minute wait and Walecki had already been waiting a full half-hour. So, Judge told Walecki, “Fred, I can change a tire.”

Walecki was astonished at the officer’s kindness. Judge did warn Walecki though that if he was called away that would take priority and the Auto Club would serve as back up. “It was very sweet of him,” the Malibu guitar expert and luthier said. 

Between the two men who had never before seen the unusual jack on the car, they figured it out, the deputy changed the tire, and Walecki was on his way once again.  

Overwhelmed with gratitude, when Walecki later went to the grocery store and saw some sheriff’s deputies he showed Judge’s picture to them. 

“I said, ‘You wouldn’t believe this, check this out’ and they said, ‘Oh we know him. He’s a great guy.’” Walecki recalled. “I told them he did more for community relations in my world than I could ever even think about. It was very nice of him.” Walecki also previously told Judge his name should be “Sheriff Angel.” 

The Malibu Times tracked down the kind Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy. He is Sgt. Brian Judge, who has served 16 years with the department. Judge’s regular jurisdiction assignment is in the Compton/South Central Los Angeles area. He works overtime to help out in Malibu, which has contracted for extra patrols on PCH.

While his shift was wrapping up on Dec. 23, Judge heard what sounded like a blowout and saw a car in trouble. 

“I asked if he needed help and he indeed needed help,” the 38-year-old officer recounted. “He reminded me of my grandpa on my dad’s side. I had no problem in helping him out in an unfortunate situation.”

While he changed the tire, Judge stayed on the phone with AAA “just in case.” 

It’s all in a day’s work for the law enforcement officer who said, “I love working overtime in Malibu. The people there are amazing, considerate, and grateful. It’s nice working there. The community is fantastic. It’s been good to me. I enjoy helping out the community.”

Humphrey was the second head football coach in Malibu High’s history

Around a week after having his tonsils removed in 1993, Jake Ford woke his roommate and best friend Ray Humphrey up in the middle of the night and told him the back of his throat was bleeding profusely and he needed medical attention.

Humphrey, Ford recalls, jumped out of bed and drove him from their West Los Angeles apartment to the nearest emergency room as quickly as possible. 

“He ran red lights,” Ford said. “When the doctor saw me, he told me I was lucky to get to the hospital. He said I could have bled out in my sleep. Hump saved my life, basically.” 

Ford, a counselor and the head football coach at Brentwood School in Los Angeles, cherishes Humphrey, a former Malibu High football coach, for his life-saving drive and their lifelong friendship.

“He means everything to me,” Ford said. “I don’t have any brothers. He is my brother.”

Last week, Ford lost his best friend, whom he had known since middle school, and the Malibu community lost a cherished figure that coached and taught students in football, physical education, and other athletics pursuits for over a decade. 

Humphrey died on Jan. 2 at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance. He was 53.

Humphrey’s cause of death was not known at press time. Ford said his friend had a lingering cough for nearly two months, accompanied by bouts with the flu and strep throat. Humphrey went to the emergency room once. On New Year’s Day, Humphrey visited his and Ford’s other best friend from childhood, Ian McGee. McGee noticed Humphrey’s drastic weight loss and fever and took him to the hospital. Once there, Humphrey’s health declined quickly, said Ford. Doctors discovered Humphrey had pneumonia. The former Malibu coach had trouble breathing.

“Twenty-four hours later, he was having to be revived because there was no oxygen in his blood and he passed out,” Ford said. “They tried to revive him for an hour and they couldn’t. Once he started declining, it went quick. We were not ready for it.” 

Humphrey’s death shocked and saddened people in Malibu and the communities of schools he had coached at. 

To announce Humphrey’s passing, Brentwood School posted a picture of Humphrey, a coach at Brentwood School since 2015, smiling with his hands together in a prayer motion. Next to the picture, the school remembered that Humphrey made a positive difference in the lives of every player he coached. 

“He mentored, motivated, and challenged students to do their very best,” the post reads. “In 2022, Mr. Humphrey took on the additional role of athletic administrative assistant. He was a remarkable member of our community — reliable, good-natured, and always ready to help — and over the years he became a good friend to many Brentwood faculty and staff.”

Former Malibu High student Jonny Palmer wrote under the post that Humphrey was a legend and recalled him as his football coach.

“His memories will live on forever,” he said. “RIP Coach Hump. You will be missed but never forgotten. Fly free my friend.” 

AJ Dorn typed that Humphrey coached him in football and volleyball at Malibu.

“Coach Hump was a great man,” he remembered. “What a sad day. RIP Coach may your spirit last in forever!!!”

Ryan Jancula recalled Humphrey giving Malibu High students rides to school.

“He was a good coach, great sense of humor, but more than anything, he was a great man,” he wrote. “RIP Hump.” 

Ford said Humphrey loved the Malibu community, and the community loved him back.

“I know from the outpouring I have seen since his death, he clearly was loved there,” he said. “He lived in Santa Monica and would drive up to Malibu every day.”

Humphrey was the second head football coach in Malibu High’s history, leading the team from 2005 to 2014. Humphrey still worked at Malibu High and coached the track team for several springs afterward. He was as a youth football coach and coach at Santa Monica High before that. Humphrey spent around 34 years coaching the sport.

Ford said Humphrey was admired by many people. 

“His track runners loved him,” he said. “His basketball players loved him. His football team loved him. He was a tireless worker. He was the first one to school and the last one to leave.” 

Ford and Humphrey met as seventh-graders at Gove Middle School in Denver. Their shared interest in standup comedy began a strong friendship, which also included McGee. The trio all moved to the Los Angeles area in the early 1990s to attend college and were roommates for around a decade. 

“We could just look at each other and know what each other is thinking,” said Ford. 

Ford and Humphrey began their coaching journeys together as Pop Warner football coaches in Brentwood. They also coached together at Santa Monica High before Humphrey coached at Malibu High. When Ford got the head football coaching job at Brentwood in 2014, he urged his friend to join him as a coach. 

Humphrey did so the next year. He was a defensive-minded, detailed-oriented coach.

“He didn’t have a problem getting in a kid’s face if he needed to and didn’t have a problem giving a kid a huge hug if he needed to,” said Ford, who coached with Humphrey for 15 years.

Humphrey has one brother that lives in Southern California and three siblings in the Atlanta area. At press time, a funeral date had not been set. Ford said a remembrance service will be held at Brentwood School at an undetermined date. He expects hundreds of people to attend.

“Coach Hump’s web is wide and strong,” Ford said. “He was someone everyone wanted around.”

LA County has jurisdiction over most roads beyond city limits except Decker Canyon, a state highway

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

With the recent focus on Pacific Coast Highway’s horrifically dangerous perils, some citizens remain highly concerned about the safety of canyon roads around Malibu. 

Speeders throughout area canyons have caused many fatalities and injuries, leading neighborhood organizations such as the Monte Nido Valley Community Association to place signs directing people to report reckless drivers and providing a direct line to the California Highway Patrol. 

The association is part of Operation Safe Canyons, a committee coordinated by the County Supervisor’s Office, CHP, the Sheriff’s Traffic Division and the Department of Public Works. As The Malibu Times reported on April 2, 2022, Corral Canyon, Stunt Road, Topanga, Tuna Canyon, and other neighborhoods are involved in OSC, as are bicycle enthusiasts. The group focuses on unincorporated LA County canyons that since the pandemic have experienced an increase in speeding and accidents. 

After four Pepperdine students tragically died in an accident on Pacific Coast Highway on Oct. 17, upset and outraged residents attended the next Malibu City Council meeting on Oct. 23. 

There, Karen Russell, whose son, Conner Michael Budge, was killed on Sept. 24, 2022, when his car went over the side of Mulholland Highway near Las Virgenes Road, lamented that an officer had told her that her son would not have died if there had been a railing where he lost control of his car. 

“How much could a railing have cost?” Russell asked rhetorically, with the angst-filled look of a grieving parent. 

Luis Fernando Escobar Gonzalez, 25, was another victim of a fatal accident on Oct. 9, 2023. Gonzalez hit a telephone pole and was killed in a one-vehicle collision on Malibu Canyon returning from work late in the evening. 

The Malibu Times delved into details concerning what governmental entities have jurisdiction over canyon roads and what recent efforts have been made to address dangerous, curvy canyon roads.  

“The city boundary on Malibu Canyon Road is near HRL [Hughes Research Laboratories],” Matt Meyerhoff, The City of Malibu’s public information officer stated. “Beyond that is all under LA County Public Works’ jurisdiction. As to the other canyons within the city, the city has already installed metal beam guardrails.”

Readers can use the city’s GIS to see the city’s boundaries, https://malibucity.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bfe7fbdec2034f8fafc0b99627156b4e, which shows where the city’s responsibilities are located. 

Outside of the city’s boundaries, responsibility for Canyon Roads belongs to the county, except that with regard to Decker Canyon Road, formerly known as State Highway 23, the state has jurisdiction.

Meyerhoff elaborated, informing that the city just replaced all the damaged metal beam guardrails that were damaged in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. That process reviewed all the canyon roads in the city and the need to replace and or install metal beam guardrails. 

The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA MUTCD) has specific requirements on when a metal beam guardrail is required. The city and LA County Public Works partnered on repairing all of the guardrails in Latigo Canyon, Corral Canyon, Encinal Canyon, and Kanan Dume Road that were damaged in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. That project was completed in late 2021. The total cost was approximately $2.8 million, according to Meyerhoff, who added that  the cost was covered in part by a FEMA reimbursement, which has not been paid out yet, and in part by the city’s insurer, Joint Powers Insurance Authority.

With regard to other canyon roads near Malibu, one wonders why railings are not installed along dangerous curves. For instance, Decker Road is not for the faint of heart and parts of Piuma Road are windy and steep. Those fall within the jurisdiction of LA County. 

“To be honest, I don’t think railings would do much good on Decker,” said Bruce Schultz, a resident who lives along that road. “If drivers want to adjust their radios and check email while navigating canyon curves, they are likely going over the canyon regardless.”

Schultz added, “Patrolling the canyons for Red Bull-fueled ‘Fast and Furious’ speed demons would be far more effective at curbing accidents.”

The Malibu Times will keep readers informed about developments concerning how the county is addressing the dangerous conditions on canyon roads outside of the City of Malibu and how the state is addressing any issues on Decker Road.

Malibu City Councilmember suggests the city provide more resources to residents affected during a PSPS

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

“We know being without power for an extended period can be a hardship for our customers and we don’t make these decisions lightly, however public safety is paramount,” said Reggie Kumar, spokesperson for Southern California Edison.  “We work closely with local officials whenever we need to turn off power to ensure the safety of our system, which includes making sure our customers have resources available when their power is out.”

Kumar referred to SCE’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS), which temporarily shut off power to neighborhoods or areas during dangerous weather conditions to prevent the company’s electric system from becoming a source of ignition, an action the company characterizes as a “measure of last resort for keeping customers and their communities safe.” 

Kumar chatted with The Malibu Times about the criterion the company uses to determine whether, when and where to implement a PSPS. Kumar said the resources the company provides during such a power outage, details concerning how customers can stay informed during outages and the scientific and meteorological data that SCE uses to inform its decisions to turn off power.

“There are a number of things that go into determining when we need to turn off power for public safety,” he said. “That includes information we get from our weather stations and wildfire cameras and people in the field.” 

PSPS decisions are based on data gathered from fire scientists and meteorologists forecasting dangerous wildfire conditions in addition to real-time information from their crews. The company considers a PSPS when weather and fire experts forecast dangerous conditions, based on internal models and external weather models, as well as National Weather Service forecasts, alerts and warnings. 

Such conditions include strong winds, very dry vegetation and low humidity. Scientific data informs that when those conditions are combined, they create the risk of flying debris or other damage to SCE’s wires and equipment and could cause a fire with the potential to spread rapidly. For each PSPS decision, the company evaluates whether a shutoff is needed and whether it can safely reduce the number of customers who lose power.

An SCE team is led by an incident commander who undergoes continual training and is responsible for all shutoff decisions. If the weather report is inconclusive, SCE waits for additional weather reports. The company evaluates twice-daily weather reports to see if the weather pattern has shifted. The team conducts as many field assessments as feasible before notifying customers and confers with the National Geographic Area Coordination Center about fire danger risk, Kumar said.  If the forecast becomes more precise, the team updates the list of circuits that might be impacted. If the weather pattern has weakened or shifted away from forecasting a high fire risk, the team cancels the contemplated PSPS. 

For many Malibuites, the rationale underlying the PSPS decisions is unclear. The legendary power shutoff that lasted over the Thanksgiving holiday in 2021 comes to mind. In that PSPS, more than 80,000 households and 100 electrical circuits in five counties were shut down the night before Thanksgiving. That decision was made when there were sustained winds of more than 50 mph and gusts of more than 75 mph and Bravo 69’s anemometerreportedly measured winds speeds reaching 80 miles per hour.

Most Malibu residents got their power back on the night of Thanksgiving, but others in Malibu and many Topanga residents were without power until late on Friday afternoon. Many residents were without cell and phone line communications during the power outage.  

When SCE representatives appeared before the Malibu City Council to address the issues, many irate citizens made comments.

SCE representative Jill Anderson, who was in charge of that PSPS said, “We’ve been doing our best to manage through very extreme weather. We recognize we need to do better.” 

She stated that SCE starts coordinating with telecom providers before power is turned off so they can mobilize as they are required to provide backup power, and use mobile generators deployed to the area. 

“If Malibu experienced a telecom outage, telecom didn’t deploy.” Anderson said.

Why some circuits have more PSPS orders

“It’s my understanding that the Serra and Cuthbert circuits are often turned off because those circuits extend up into the mountains and SCE officials are concerned about downed power lines when no one is around to observe them or if they occur in the middle of the forest,” Malibu City Councilmember Bruce Silverstein said. “Given that the power grid is all interconnected, what I don’t understand is why doesn’t SCE bring power down the Pacific Coast Highway through other circuits for the affected areas. I’ve asked that SCE come to talk with the City Council for a couple of months about PSPS, but they haven’t done so.”

A review of SCE maps shows that Cuthbert circuit is from Latigo Cyn Road to Bansall Drive, and from PCH about one mile inland. Serra circuit runs through Malibu Canyon to Seaver Drive inland to Mulholland Highway.  

“The PSPS incident management team does review options for supplying customers with power from different circuits to keep them energized,” Kumar stated, discussing a process known as “load rolling,” that moves the electrical load from a high risk circuit to a less hazard-prone one. 

“SCE often uses Community Resource Centers and Community Crew Vehicles during a PSPS event and we determine where to send them based on the number of customers impacted by an event,” Kumar said. “In extremely high-wind events we favor using our community resource centers, which are indoors, over our community crew vehicles, which are outdoors, to keep our customers and team members safe from the effects of blowing debris.” 

He elaborated that “Our CCVs and CRCs offer resiliency kits containing a solar charger and information on resiliency programs, non-perishable snacks and water. SCE also provides ice vouchers to 7-Eleven stores for one bag of ice up to 20 lbs.”

Kumar pointed out that there is a 7-Eleven with a Malibu zip code located at 18541 Pacific Coast Highway. That’s the 7-Eleven at Pacific Coast Highway at Topanga Canyon Boulevard. Although that may benefit Malibu residents in far East Malibu, it is not of help to all Malibu residents in its 21-mile-long community.

When asked why a community resource center was not opened in Malibu’s latest PSPS this past December, Kumar explained, “Since the Michael Landon Community Center in Malibu was not available from Dec. 8-10, we opened a community resource center in Calabasas.”

The City of Malibu’s role in helping Malibuites affected by a PSPS

“If there is a power shutoff the city coordinates with the Sheriff’s Department and SCE and gets information to residents,” Silverstein said. “The city has some generators to put into place. Although as a general matter I don’t favor the city providing help when only some residents are affected by a situation where homeowners can do something to prepare for an occurrence, this instance does call for helping residents affected by a PSPS because SCE turns off power to protect all the residents from the risk of a wildfire. Therefore, I think the city should provide dry ice to Malibu residents who are affected by shut-offs if SCE doesn’t do so.”

Readers who are interested in the meteorological and scientific data that SCE officials use as part of the analysis concerning when to announce and implement a PSPS, can read the company’s PSPS Technical Paper entitled “Quantitative & Qualitative Factors for PSPS Decision-making” here:

https://download.newsroom.edison.com/create_memory_file/?f_id=609d61cbb3aed37d0f3d5f6a&content_verified=True.

Of course, the proverbial “big elephant in the room” concerns SCE undergrounding electrical poles in high wildfire risk areas so as to avoid any risk of wire or downed poles igniting. 

Although at the City Council meeting concerning the Thanksgiving 2021 PSPS, SCE stated that option was “on the table, to date, there has been no appreciable progress toward taking those steps.”