Families, friends, and community members brought love and laughter to the pier for the first night of Chanukah

The Malibu Jewish community came together to celebrate the first night of Chanukah with music, food, inspirational speeches, and hope. 

Chabad of Malibu held the event at The Malibu Pier to light the first Chanukah with Rabbi Levi Cunin. Featured speakers included Mayor Steve Uhring, musician Brandon Jenner, and Pizza Girl Inc. founder and CEO Caroline D’Amore. 

The festival of lights included a menorah lighting and special prayers. Cunin welcomed the community with a speech and reminded everyone to continue to share kindness, peace, and hope.

“As we welcome in the holiday of Hanukkah, we are reminded of the message of the menorah and the history of the world and how our world has, again and again, faced a force of darkness and the only way we have been able to overcome it is by igniting the light within ourselves and having it shine brighter, blinding those that have been filled with hate,” Cunin said. “Thank you all for coming, our prayers are with our brothers and sisters in our land of Israel. We’re blessed to be in a community where that light and that love is alive.”

Cunin welcomed the first guest of the night, Jenner. 

“I’m excited to introduce to you a member of our community, a light in our community, a light of many ways, Brandon Jenner,” Cunin said. 

Mayor Steve Uhring shared a few words about hope, unity, and resilience.

“I would like to thank Rabbi Cunin for this opportunity, I am honored to be able to join you today to celebrate this festival of lights. Like you, I am devastated by the conflicts that are taking place in the Middle East, attending this ceremony provides me with some hope,” Uhring said. “Today more than ever we need another miracle to give us the wisdom we need to learn how to live together, in peace. These candles are light in hope of their flames will symbolize an enduring spirit of hope, unit, and resilience, and may this event usher in a season of joy, miracles, and joy blessings — wishing you all a very Happy Hanukkah.” 

Cunin thanked D’Amore for speaking out and has been sharing and advocating on social media, speaking out on the harassment and bullying the Jewish community has experienced within the last few months. 

“In time of darkness, I have never witnessed a group of people be so light, be so kind, come together and just show so much love,” D’Amore said. “From the moment I spoke out, on behalf of the Jewish community and against anti-semitism, I was inundated by both love and hate, but from the Jewish community, I have to say I have never felt so much love; just emotion and passion and just heart and I just want to tell you all that I feel, I hear you, I love you all, and I’m just so happy and proud to be a part of such a beautiful community.”

Shira Cunin, daughter of Rabbi Cunin, thanked D’Amore for her support in advocating for the youth in the Jewish community. 

“We are so grateful to have you,” Cunin said. “May you continue to shine your light.”

Rabbi Cunin sent a message to the Malibu community prior to the celebration: 

“Whether you are of the Jewish faith or not, the story of Chanukah is one with profound lessons for all humanity, and has more significance today than ever. Here we will explore just one of those lessons.

Chanukah is observed by kindling candles for eight consecutive nights. When we light the candles we are reminded that we are like candles. The force of life within each of us provides us with our inner flame. The choices we make in life guide how much light our candles illuminate into the world. How do we make our candles shine brightly? 

First we must recognize how our own personal candles manifest. For one person, the candle may shine forth as art, or it may be music, for some it is the ability to accumulate wealth, and for others it is pure knowledge. Whatever G-d-given gift we have can be seen as our personal candle and each of us are called upon to shine forth our unique light.

Just as the candle must make herself available to the flame in order to shine forth, similarly when we use our own personal gift to spread light, true peace, love and joy to others, we embark on the journey of the candle. This candle journey reveals to us that just as one single candle is capable of lighting countless others, when we allow our own candle to shine forth we become a beacon of light for others.

The darkness is palpable. The tyranny has reached new lows. Yet, we cannot fight darkness by force, only when we each commit to our role as a shining candle can we illuminate and transform the darkness in our corner of the world. This year is especially, with the darkness and turmoil of the world, we are called upon, to shine our lights, and kindle the lights around us. May this Chanukah bring the ultimate light of peace to this world as we celebrate all together.”

Chabad of Malibu will be hosting public menorah lightings through Chanukah. The menorahs are on displayed around Malibu, including Trancas Country Market, The Park at Cross Creek, Sterling Farm, and the Malibu Pier. Take a photo, and tag @chabadofmalibu and spread the light of Chanukah.

Chabad of Malibu Malibu will hold a Chanukah Party & Lighting at Point Dume Village Shopping Center on Dec. 14 at 3:30 p.m.

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots has been providing toys for children less fortunate year after year 

Hope is only a gift away. With Christmas around the corner, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and the Malibu Navy League will be bringing joy once again for the 14th annual Toys for Tots. 

Malibu residents, councilmembers, and First Bank Malibu associates overfilled the donation boxes last week for the annual community event.

Guests donated unwrapped gifts, enjoyed refreshments from Rocky Oaks Estate Vineyards, and entered a raffle for an opportunity to win gift cards to multiple restaurants such as Kristy’s Village Café, Marmalade Café Malibu, and Zinqué Malibu. 

The U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program has been collecting and distributing toys to more than 6.3 million less fortunate children each year. As Christmas nears, Marines distribute toys themselves and enlist the aid of local social welfare agencies and churches to distribute toys to needy children on Christmas Day.

Malibu Navy League President John Payne introduced the speakers and the Malibu Navy League committee.

Senior Pastor Pastor Brian La Spada, who serves as the head pastor of Calvary Chapel, started off the event with a story and prayer.

In 1987, La Spada’s father, who had been in the Air Force for 23 years, took him and his two brothers to Honolulu, Hawaii, to see the Hickman Joint Base Pearl Harbor.

“I’ll never forget, as a 16-year-old young man, seeing the bullet holes still in the building of Pearl Harbor, and so that always left an impression in my heart, and I share with my son who’s now 6,” La Spada said. “We never takes these things lightly, we always pause, remember, and remember those who always protected the freedom in our country.”

Malibu Mayor Steve Uhring thanked The Malibu Navy League for hosting the Toys for Tots event in Malibu for 14 years. 

“This has truly become a Christmas tradition here in Malibu, we thank you very much for that,” Uhring said. “Happy Holidays everyone, enjoy yourselves, John [Payne] thank you very much.”

The Navy League is a nonprofit civilian organization founded in 1902 dedicated to educating the American public, particularly elected officials, about the importance of the nation’s sea services — the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and U.S-flag Merchant Marines and supporting the men and women of the sea services and their families. The Navy League has approximately 46,000 members in more than 250 chapters around the world.

Payne said the event was well represented by the community, including the City Council members.

“It’s fantastic to be here in Malibu, the mayor had a few positive words to say, and I think everyone had a great time,” Payne said. “It’s the start of the Christmas season, so we’re thankful that we’re part of it on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day.”

Payne and Uhring complimented the cadets, including the youngest cadet, Henry Steiner, 17.

“The cadets are professionals; they’re young and well-trained, and I think they did fantastic,” Payne said.

Uhring attended the Chanukah event at the Malibu Pier, then joined the Navy League at the First Bank Malibu later in the evening. 

“Malibu’s a great town; look at the holiday celebrations that we’re getting; whether you’re Jewish, whether you’re Christian, there’s always something going on where people are trying to take care of other people, and that’s what Malibu is all about,” Payne said.

The US Marines picked up the toys on Monday morning to distribute to children on Christmas Day. 

First Bank will be accepting more Toys for Tots toys until Dec. 16. New unwrapped toys only. 

Coast Guard says it recently interdicted a vessel with 23 illegal immigrants off Malibu’s coast 

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

​On Dec. 6 at approximately 5:30 am, a Malibu coastal homeowner alerted authorities that a panga boat — a high-bowed vessel of the type that is often used by those smuggling humans or drugs — was visible on El Pescador Beach. Responding officers found a debris field with approximately 15 fuel canisters and some personal items near the overturned boat at the shoreline. Officials towed the panga boat northward, accompanied by coast guard cutters and helicopters, two baywatch boats and a Sheriff’s helicopter. 

​“A panga washed up on El Pescador on Dec. 6,” Sgt. Sean Maloney told The Malibu Times on Dec. 9. “No occupants of that boat were located. U.S. Border Patrol is investigating the incident.”

Captain Marco Rodriguez, public information officer for LA County Lifeguards, provided more details. 

“On Dec. 6, a homeowner contacted us and when we responded there were no signs of anyone near the panga boat at El Pescador and no one was in the water,” he said.

Rodriguez discussed a second incident less than a week before.

“On Dec. 1, at approximately 6 a.m, we responded to a call and found two boats near El Pescador Beach,” he said. “One was capsized in the water and one was on the beach. A debris field was located near the first one and, utilizing our marine technical search team with a sonar, we determined that there were no humans in the water.”

On Dec. 1, nearby concerned homeowners observed police swarming El Pescador Beach’s parking lot and a helicopter hovering overhead. Authorities closed Pacific Coast Highway in both directions for a time.

​“A boat full of people sank or was sunk off Latigo Shores Drive this morning,” Richard Ciotti, a Western Malibu resident, posted on Nextdoor on Dec. 1. “The boat is sitting just off the coast in about 15 feet of water and there is a lot of debris floating around and on the beach, including more than a dozen life jackets, half a dozen 5-gallon water bottles and canned food. A lifeguard was just overheard saying there was a large hole in the starboard hull of the boat. The boat could have been scuttled to hide it.” 

A video obtained by The Malibu Times and other local media shows a panga boat full of suspected illegal immigrants landing on the beach on the morning of Dec. 1. Throwing off their life jackets, the individuals quickly left the beach. ​

“The boat arrived as the tide was going out — about an hour before the lowest tide point — with a high tide coming in (8.1 feet) and peaking at 8:54 a.m., according to the tide charts.” Malibuite Mari Stanley noted. “The panga arrived after 1 a.m. with plenty of time for the incoming tide to toss it around and swamp it. It might not have been scuttled intentionally, but the disregard shown is enough to blame humans for the incident that required multiple agencies to respond. 

​”Those who are responsible for the panga should be facing federal charges for spilling gas and oil intentionally left in a tidal zone where the water is supposed to be pristine,” Stanley said. ​

It is unclear whether the occupants — which some observers posting on social media numbered at approximately 22 people — were involved in human or drug smuggling or were entering the country illegally for other purposes. To date, none have been apprehended.

The panga boats landing near and on El Pescador Beach are not the only recent incidents in Malibu. Officials inform that a third incident involved human smuggling.​

​“We responded to a call at 7:55 a.m. on Nov. 29, and found a sunken panga boat with life vests and water drums,” Maloney said. “LA County Lifeguards also responded.” 

On Nov. 29, residents’ surveillance cameras along the Malibu coast revealed a panga boat full of suspected illegal immigrants landing on a beach. Again, to date, none have been apprehended and authorities are investigating. ​

The Malibu Times reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard concerning such events, only to find out there was yet another incident, which officials stated involved human smuggling. 

“On 29 NOV 23, USCG Sector Los Angeles — Long Beach was notified by local law enforcement agencies of a submerged panga in Malibu. It was assessed to be a maritime human smuggling event involving 24 getaways based on the number of life vests,” A USCG press release issued by Coast Guard District 11 stated.

USCG Public Information Officer Jake David provided Malibu Times with a press release dated Nov. 21, titled “Coast Guard and CBP interdict human smuggling vessel off Malibu Coast” concerning another such event, stating, “Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection’s Air and Marine Operations personnel interdicted a vessel suspected of human smuggling off the coast of Malibu. While on a routine patrol, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin detected a 41-foot pleasure craft operating 16 miles off the coast of Malibu at 4:16 p.m.”

Personnel at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles, Long Beach diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Halibut, launched a small boat, and requested surface and air assets from CBP whose Office of Field Operations Special Enforcement Group started to investigate, according to the statement.

“The law enforcement teams arrived on the scene and detained 23 undocumented non-citizens attempting to enter the country illegally,” said Cmdr. Keith Robinson, Chief of Law Enforcement at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles, Long Beach. “Air and Marine Operations seized and towed the vessel, and transported the vessel and people onboard to shore for further processing by Special Enforcement Group officers. 

“These vessels are inherently dangerous, and our extensive partnerships with CBP and AMO are essential to keeping boaters safe and enforcing the nation’s customs and immigration laws.” 

The Malibu Times will keep readers informed of any further panga boats on or near Malibu and of any interdictions of human smugglers off of Malibu’s coast.

Lauded as the patriarch of the city, attendees at his memorial service celebrated his life and passion for preserving the rural character of Malibu

By Barbara Burke

Special to The Malibu Times

Walt Keller was unrelenting in his tenacious advocacy for preserving Malibu’s unique rural nature and incorporating Malibu despite opposition from LA County.

Throughout his more than six decades living in Malibu, Keller was motivated by his deep respect for this special town that is imbued with the beauty of a treasured ecosystem and is blessed with gorgeous beaches and unparalleled mountains. Those were the central theses of the many honorific testimonials shared at a well-attended memorial celebrating and honoring the lengthy, happy, and successful life of Keller, Malibu’s first mayor, founder of the Malibu Township Council, and champion of all things Malibu. 

Friends, family, community leaders, and adoring fans gathered at the Malibu United Methodist Church on Dec. 9 to celebrate Keller’s life and to honor his tremendous contributions to Malibu. Rev. Sandy Liddell and Rev. Erin Stenberg officiated.

“Our city and community — and Lucille and his family — were Walt’s life,” Graeme Clifford said. “He did more than anyone to keep the city rural — the city’s vision statement was the creed Walt lived by.”

John Mazza noted that when he moved to Malibu 52 years ago, everybody had license plates that said, “Malibu — A way of life.” 

“It was that message that Walt embodied — the fact that we had a special place,” Mazza said. “Walt and Lucille enjoyed nature all the time and they were avid hikers. They kept that essential point of view alive.”

Keller spearheaded many efforts fighting against overdevelopment. Harriet Pollon recounted that the Malibu Township Council was established in the Kellers’ living room, and soon Walt, Lucille, and township council members were perennially battling to keep Malibu’s rural character.

“We had to get traffic studies to make our case concerning why the big rigs shouldn’t travel along PCH,” Polon said. “We had to establish that the large, 4-axle trucks were not compatible with beach traffic.” 

They succeeded, Polon noted, in large part due to Keller’s tenacity. In 1981, a truck ban was enacted prohibiting large trucks from traveling on PCH between McClure Tunnel and County Line, with limited exceptions for deliveries. “That ban remains in effect 42 years later,” Polon noted.

Applauding Keller’s indefatigable efforts to preserve Malibu, Mayor Steve Urhing noted, “History is made by people who have the wisdom and the courage to look a challenge in the eye and do something about it. It is most fitting that Walt Keller’s favorite song was ‘This Land is Your Land,’ because he believed that this land — Malibu — was made for you and me.”

Malibu native Suzanne Guldimann, a local author, journalist, and environmental advocate, shared her memories of Keller.

“I’ve known Walt and Lucille all my life,” Guldimann said. “The good that Walt did will go on as his tireless work to preserve nature is why we are surrounded by a national park.”

Leigh McCloskey, a Malibu native, shared, “With Lucille and Walt, Malibu was viewed with a sense of honor — if you love something, you protect it, and they were guiding stars protecting the spirit of this place — they knew that land and nature have no voice. We are their voice, and the Kellers acted as community elders.”

The service ended with a wonderful slide show depicting images of Keller from birth to youth, to when he married Lucille, to his championing Malibu in many contexts, to his later years. As Joellen McNaughton sang a beautiful rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” images of a smiling Keller, exuberantly waving in a parade celebrating the incorporation of Malibu, traveling abroad, hiking with Lucille, enjoying his children and grandchildren, running on the beach — a smiling Keller living every moment of his long, honorable life, savoring in nature’s beauty and assiduously pioneering efforts to preserve it. 

​Keller was born in New Jersey on July 4, 1930. His was a humble beginning, and it was only at the behest of an uncle who insisted that Yale was the place for Keller to attend that he attended that university, graduating with a degree in engineering. He started working at Douglas Aircraft, but his early career was put on hold while he spent two years in the Army, where he met Lucille.

​Keller retired from Northrop Grumman, where he served for decades as an aerospace engineer. After helping to lead the effort seeking cityhood for Malibu, he

became the city’s first mayor because he was the top vote-getter for the city council incorporation election in June 1990.

​Keller lost a re-election bid for City Council in 1994, but returned to the office in 1996. He was defeated again in 2000, only to emerge victorious in 2004. He helped to found the Malibu Committee for Incorporation, and served as its president, and remained active in the Malibu Township Council until the COVID pandemic. The City of Malibu is in the process of naming Charmlee Nature Center in honor of Walt and Lucille Keller. 

Keller, 93, passed away on Oct. 13 after a long illness at his West Malibu home where he and his wife of 67 years, Lucille, lived for 62 years. He is also survived by his children Tim and Karen, granddaughters Jennifer and Hillary, and great-granddaughter MacKenzie. 

Jeff Jennings, an early Malibu mayor, to be honored at City Council meeting 

The Malibu City Council is scheduled to give a big thank you to one of the city’s first mayors. Jeff Jennings will be honored for his three decades of public service to the community.

It was in 1992 that the now 50-year resident was elected to the council. He served three rotations as mayor until his term limits were up. 

In 2008, Jennings was appointed to the Planning Commission by John Sibert, then asked to continue in the role by Lou La Monte and Karen Farrer. But when Doug Stewart was elected last year, Jennings said he would leave by the end of this year or when he turned 80, whichever came first. In November, Jennings became an octogenarian, so after a 15-year stint, he gave up his seat.

“It’s a stressful job,” Jennings said. “Plus, the fact that it’s time for me to make room for somebody else, for somebody in another generation to step up and make decisions. I felt it was time for me to move over.”

The Planning Commission has been under scrutiny recently by the California Fair Political Practices Commission, which is investigating possible conflicts of interest. While Jennings has not been accused of any conflicts of interest on the commission, he has often been the deciding vote in 3-2 majority decisions favoring development.

Jennings commented on Malibu’s Mission Statement, which in part reads that the city will “plan to preserve resources that contribute to Malibu’s special natural and rural setting” and also that “Malibu will maintain its rural character by establishing programs and policies that avoid suburbanization and commercialization of its natural and cultural resources.”

“The mission statement is in the preamble of the General Plan. Before I got on the City Council I was on the General Plan Taskforce that basically wrote all that,” Jennings said. “The problem comes in that the General Plan including the Mission Statement sets forth generally goals to be followed. It’s the job of the City Council to enact ordinances, legislation that carries out those goals. 

“By the time it gets to the Planning Commission, our job is not to interpret things philosophically. Our job is to say, ‘does this project meet the requirements set forth in the ordinances?’ That’s where a lot of the debate comes from. When you get right down to it, the law is real clear. You apply the ordinances as they have been written, not the general scope or feeling of the way the General Plan was put together.”

He continued, “The law that requires cities to have a general plan also requires that they be updated periodically. You look at the General Plan and it describes, based in some neighborhoods, things that don’t exist anymore. Point Dume is a much different place now than it was when the General Plan was written. It might be time to have a new General Plan committee.”

Jennings expanded his comments in an email about the role of the Planning Commission “being simply to weigh a project against the standards established by the City Council in the zoning ordinances. My primary focus during my years on the PC was to try to make the process of building as predictable and consistent as reasonably possible. Architects should be able to know with a reasonable degree of certainty whether a particular proposal does or does not comply with the city’s standards. Members of the city’s Planning Department should be able to advise applicants based on the rules and on consistent interpretation of those rules. By the time a project reaches the PC, applicant(s) have already spent tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars and had the project examined and approved by every department in the city. That’s not to say there can’t be differences of opinion and city planning staff can make mistakes, but I resisted the idea that planning commissioners were free to bring in new subjective criteria or to change long-standing interpretations.”

Jennings himself is undergoing the long process of rebuilding his home that burned in the Woolsey Fire.

The public servant moved to Malibu in the 1970s so he could keep and ride horses and still be close enough to work in Los Angeles. 

“It was a much different place,” he said. “Up in the hills it was a much more middle class community. There were lots of vacant lots. Over the years the area has become much more valuable economically. That has a lot of consequences. It’s expensive to build a house out here.”

The former litigator, who now practices estate planning law/wills and trusts in Malibu, got started volunteering in the late ’80s with the creation of Malibu High School. He hadn’t been involved in local politics, but married, had kids, and his wife said, “There’s this meeting you need to go to.” This next thing he knew, he was on a committee and lobbied the school board to create MHS. That led to his run for City Council at the urging of other residents.

“It’s really something that’s available to anybody who has the inclination and the time,” Jennings said about public service. “When you think about it, there aren’t that many people involved in city government in terms of the percentage of the population. Just about anybody with the interest can get involved and serve as I did. It’s a rare privilege really. I was happy to do it. I encourage people to participate.”