Coastal Commission approves supervisor’s request for tow-away signs on PCH near Sunset Mesa

The perennial problem is extremely dangerous, Malibu Lost Hills Sheriff’s Capt. Jennifer Seetoo said on Oct. 10, noting that for years, large recreational vehicles have parked for extended times on both the land side and ocean side of the stretch of highway near the Sunset Mesa community in unincorporated Los Angeles County between Coastline Drive and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

“The owners of the RVs are illegally tapping into the Southern California Edison pole to run electricity to their vehicles — this is very dangerous!” Seetoo said, adding that a Caltrans team cleaning up the area found propane tanks and evidence of the RV owners cooking with an open flame outside in a high fire danger zone.

“Caltrans has picked up feces and urine all over the place — the RV residents are using the storm drains as porta potties and the drains go all the way into the ocean!” Seetoo bemoaned.

Walking with the Caltrans team, Seetoo noted the stench of urine as she videoed the many bags of garbage, cigarette butts, and feces the team had removed.

Armed with data she collected from residents, Caltrans, a fire inspector, and a health inspector — all of which demonstrated the RVs problem needed to be addressed urgently — Seeto prevailed upon LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who interceded by filing a motion with the Board of Supervisors “calling for the state’s partnership to address the issue immediately through the new signs while pursuing alignment with the parking regulations in nearby Malibu and Pacific Palisades.” Her motion passed unanimously.

Addressing a fire, health, and roadway hazard — towing signs are coming 

“California Coastal Commission staff have agreed with Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath’s request to update parking restrictions along the unincorporated portion of PCH near the community of Sunset Mesa.” Horvath’s Oct. 10 press release announced. “The new signs strengthen parking regulations, allowing for vehicles to be towed that violate posted signage restricting parking from 12 to 2 a.m. and 2 to 4 a.m.”

With Coastal Commission approval, LA County Public Works will install 26 new signs, Horvath stated, an action thatwill give the Sheriff’s Department and California Highway Patrol an important enforcement tool.

The backstory

“Having the RVs on the highway right under my home has been a problem for several years,” said Clarence Chapman, a Sunset Mesa resident. “My fire insurance company contacted me and said they were canceling my insurance because of the RV residents cooking near the brush, which can serve as fuel for a fire!”

Unfortunately, the insurer’s concerns were realized when some RV residents’ actions set fire to the hillside recently, a distressed Chapman noted, providing images of a slew of firefighters fighting a blaze.

“In 2023, the Los Angeles Fire Department reported eight calls for fires, of which four were confirmed in this area,” Horvath stated in her motion to the Board of Supervisors. 

Everyone in the neighborhood is highly concerned, Chapman stated, adding, “I’ve observed gasoline generators right on the highway with 10-gallon gas containers and propane tanks — that is literally risking having what is tantamount to a bomb going off along the highway! Allowing these conditions to continue is abject negligence — when there is a dangerous condition and the homeless set fire to brush in our bluff this is a demonstrated hazard, not just a possible hazard. I don’t know how else to say it!”

Elaborating, he said, “I’ve also observed prostitution and I have had to call the police about a lot of tires on the bluff — it is absolutely terrible to allow this to happen!”

Chapman notes that he and his neighbors have spoken to Seetoo, Regional Planning, Caltrans, CHP and the homeless coalition, all in an effort to get the problems addressed.

The Coastal Commission’s approving of towing away improperly parked vehicles will be of help, Chapman noted, taking special care to state, “Our whole community sincerely appreciates the efforts of [Sheriff’s Capt.] Seetoo to address these problems.”

Seetoo agrees that adding the towing signs is a great step. However, she stated, “Our clearing out the RVs and the towing signs are not the end of this problem.” 

Chapman noted that when this reporter first interviewed him in 2019 for an article concerning the RVs’ parking problem, “The Supreme Court did not address the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in Martin v. City of Boise, so it was unconstitutional to punish people for sleeping on a sidewalk or other public area when there aren’t enough shelter beds or housing available as an alternative.”

However, he notes that on June 28, the high court effectively reversed the Boise decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson, another homeless encampment case wherein the court held that the Eighth Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment clause does not prohibit municipalities from enforcing generally applicable laws regulating camping on public property. 

Chapman notes that some residents of the RVs maintain that they are not homeless — rather, they state that the RVs are their homes and they intend to stay there indefinitely. Seetoo opines that the RV problem, “isn’t about the homeless — rather, it’s about sanitation, highway safety, and fire hazards.”

No matter how one defines the issue, for now, there will soon be towing signs informing RV residents that their vehicles will be subject to towing. Chapman and his neighbors hope that soon, overnight camping will be prohibited in the area. 

As Horvath’s motion noted, “In 2017, in response to Sunset Mesa resident concerns about parking issues along PCH, the County initiated efforts to enact parking regulations on both the north and south sides of PCH. After two years of working through multiple appeals through the Regional Planning Commission and getting approval from Caltrans, the north side of the road (landward) of PCH was approved for 13 signs indicating no parking from 12 a.m. to 2 a.m. and the south side (seaward) of PCH was approved for 13 signs to be posted indicating no parking 2 a.m. to 4 a.m.” 

Commenting on that decision by the Coastal Commission, Chapman notes, as did Horvath’s motion, in the City of Los Angeles on the landward side of PCH, no parking is allowed at any time. On the seaward side, no parking is allowed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in some areas and no parking is allowed at any time in other sections. 

However, Chapman and his neighbors advocate that the authorities also prohibit overnight camping in the area, as is done in Los Angeles and other parts of the Southern California coastline. In that regard, presumably, that is why the press release states that the placement of towing signs is being done, “while pursuing alignment with the parking regulations in nearby Malibu and Pacific Palisades.” Addressing that request by the community, Chapman said, “We just want the same thing that the City of Malibu has north of Topanga and the City of LA has south of Sunset.”

Local and state leaders hold press conference the day after to highlight actions taken since the fatal incident  

Oct. 17, 2023, changed Malibu forever. Since the tragic deaths of Pepperdine students Niamh Rolston, Peyton Stewart, Asha Weir, and Deslyn Williams, the city and local agencies have made it their top priority to make the Pacific Coast Highway safer for all.

On the night marking one year since the fatal incident, family and friends returned to the Ghost Tire Memorial on Webb Way for a candlelight vigil and a night of remembrance. 

Friends left flowers for the victims and shared a moment of grief.

Pepperdine senior Hannah Allen displayed flowers for her best friend, Deslyn Williams, and she was also there when they displayed the Ghost Tire Memorial last year. 

“I feel like a different person, still in pain, a year later, but I feel like our community has never been stronger and we just do everything to honor them and to make PCH safer because of them,” Allen said. “[Williams] taught me, more than anything, to be present and to live life to the fullest.”

Allen said she was with Williams on the day she passed and was honored she was able to be with her on her last day.

“I’ll be forever grateful that I got to be with her that day, she was so happy and so full of life,” Allen said. “I feel honored and blessed that she was just so happy and herself on her last day.”

Mayor Doug Stewart was at the vigil alongside other councilmembers.

“It’s a sad day because we lost four beautiful women, but at the same time, so much has been changed because of them, and hopefully, more will be done,” Stewart said. 

Pepperdine President Jim Gash was also at the candlelight vigil on Thursday. 

“It’s a tough day for Pepperdine, and it’s important that we spend this day together remembering the four angels that welost,” Gash said. “We miss them very much, but we are walking together in this journey by the God who loves us and tells us that this is not the end.”

The following day, The City of Malibu held a press conference at the same location and highlighted the infrastructure and safety initiatives that have been implemented over the past year by the City of Malibu, state of California, Caltrans, and law enforcement agencies to improve safety on PCH.

The press conference focused on key initiatives such as SB 1297, recently signed into law, which will enable the installation of speed cameras at critical locations on PCH in Malibu. 

The increased enforcement efforts, including the creation of a Malibu CHP Task Force and collaborative operations with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD), has led to a 36 percent reduction in injury collisions on PCH.

A total of $4.1 million in short-term infrastructure improvements funded by a Director’s Order from Caltrans addressed immediate safety concerns on PCH, along with a Strategic Master Plan. This long-term plan will transform PCH from a high-speed highway into a safer, community-focused corridor, providing safe access for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. 

Speakers at the press conference included Senator Ben Allen, Michel Shane, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin, Malibu/Lost Hills Capt. Jennifer Seetoo, representatives from Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, and David Rolston, father of Niamh Rolston, one of the four students tragically lost.

Allen thanked the agencies, community members, and the press for continuing their focus on the situation. Allen also acknowledged Michel Shane for his continued efforts in making PCH safe.

“I remember how tragic that was for our entire student and Malibu community, and it’s an honor to stand here with Michel, who’s such an advocate on this important issue, advocating and highlighting the dangers of this stretch of road,” Allen said.

Allen also mentioned the speed cameras bill that recently passed and thanked those who were involved.

“From my perspective, it’s not about giving tickets, it’s about getting people to slow down,” Allen said. “This bill almost died several times, but having you [Pepperdine students] sit before your legislators tell your stories and hear directly from you, how much this has broken your lives, how much this impacted your community, how much you cared about your friends, how preventable this was, they weren’t able to look you in the eye and see your humanity and turn you down, and that’s how we got this bill across the finish line.”

Seetoo thanked the agencies and Fix PCH team for their dedication. 

“Their memories are etched in our souls,” Seetoo said. “We will make PCH safe, for the sake of our children, for the sake of the community, and for the sake of the millions of visitors we have each year.” 

David Rolston spoke at the press conference and shared a few stories about his daughter Niamh and what he lost that day.

“When I see these tires, I see this interconnectedness, and community, sorrow and the loss that extends throughout the City of Malibu, Pepperdine University and across the country, and across the entire world,” he said. “We are no longer the people we were on Oct. 17, 2023, the people we were on that day, those people died with our child, we are different people now, and it’s truly not something I wish to happen to any person.”

In honor of the students, Streets Are For Everyone, along with the Emily Shane Foundation and members of the FixPCH team, have worked with the California State Parks District Superintendent to design a memorial program honoring these four girls. This space will feature four wooden picnic tables or benches, one for each of the girls, as places where others can come and enjoy Point Dume. A permanent tribute offering breathtaking panoramic views of the bluffs, beaches, and ocean they all loved. Each bench or table will have a small plaque with a QR code linking to a digital memorial of all four girls, Asha’s poem, and reminding people to drive safely, especially along PCH.

According to the GoFundMe website, each bench or picnic table will cost $8,000 to make and install ($32,000 for all four). This includes maintenance or replacement in the event of loss for the next 25 years.

“Every contribution counts. Together, we can honor Niamh, Peyton, Asha, and Deslyn in a way that celebrates the love, joy, and positive change they brought to this world,” the website (www.gofundme.com/f/never-forget-help-fund-memorial-benches-for-the-four-peppe) says. “Any funds raised beyond the memorial’s cost will be donated to the Emily Shane Foundation, and Streets Are For Everyone, under the wishes of their families. Both foundations have been the driving force to make PCH safer.”

Malibu couple assesses damage for FEMA, helps serve meals, and helps the community however they can

Malibu’s Cisco Adler used his musical talents in an Oct. 5 concert, a concert that healed, comforted, and empowered not only the attendees of the concert, but also the victims of Hurricane Helene, which devastated Asheville, North Carolina, where Adler was initially scheduled to perform. 

“Due to the hurricane’s relentless destruction in Asheville, our show there was canceled,” Adler said. “Luckily, The Music Yard in Charlotte was able to throw a popup show to benefit the good folks who need help due to the hurricane — I’m very grateful that we got the chance to lift spirits through music during this tough time for Western North Carolina.”

And, lift spirits Adler and his band did. 

“Cisco’s band was supposed to play in Asheville at the Orange Peel and we were delighted to host them — his band showed so much love throughout the show, they were constantly giving love to Asheville victims on the mike between sets and we had a moment of silence.” Preston Abernathy, lead event coordinator at The Music Yard, said.  “We had a huge turnout — incredibly, the concert sold out with only five days’ notice and we did a donation drive for items the hurricane victims need and we also donated some of the proceeds of Cisco’s show to them. We distributed the donations in Asheville.”

Lending a helping hand by holding Hurricane Helene’s victims’ hands 

For Malibu’s Rachel and Derek Hebert, the decimating effects of hurricanes are all too familiar.  

“Being from Southern Louisiana, we’ve dealt with flooding firsthand — my parents’ house flooded and we had friends, family and neighbors who showed up to help when we were in need.” Rachel Hebert explained. “So, we understand the importance of showing up when someone is in need.”

For the past 19 years, Rachel Hebert has worked with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s insurance program. These days, Derek accompanies her. 

“We go out and assess damage for FEMA and while we are there we also help serve meals and help in the community however we can, often tearing down building materials and drywall,” Rachel said. “We were in Florida for a week and a half to help with Hurricane Helene — we arrived on Sept. 28, two days after Helene hit.”

Rachel Hebert’s first experience in working with FEMA was during Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when she recalls trying to help victims grasp the fact that their homes were deluged by water and oil — that there were no homes to return to — and that they would have to build their lives from scratch.

Hurricane Rita, also part of the record-breaking 2005 Atlantic hurricane season; Superstorm Sandy, which made landfall in Atlantic City in 2012 with tropical-storm-force winds extending 1,000 miles — three times that of a typical hurricane; Hurricane Harvey, the monster that assaulted Texas for four days in 2017; Hurricane Ian, which ravaged Southwest Florida in 2022 — those are a few of the almost countless hurricanes Rachel has helped victims deal with.  

“Some hurricanes are remembered for their wind damage or rainfall. Others for their coastal flooding.” wrote Geographer and Climatologist Cary Mock after Helene struck. “Hurricane Helene was a stew of all of that and more — its near-record-breaking size, storm surge, winds, and rainfall together turned Helene into an almost unimaginable disaster that stretched more than 500 miles inland from the Florida coast.”

When that happens, Rachel Hebert says she feels called to help, simply stating, “When you speak to people who have lost everything, you have to help them and give them hope.”

This time, she and her husband, Derek, were called to help in Hudson, Florida. 

“Hudson’s victims are devastated, with many having 4 to 5 feet of water and mud in their homes.” Rachel Hebert said. “When you go out to speak to people who have lost all they have, it’s important to let them tell you about their terrible experiences and let them get their emotions out as well as to assess the damage, help them to get estimates regarding how much it will cost them to rebuild and help them to get checks.”

Hudson is, Hebert said, “a small town with a marina where many of the homes are on the water with boat docks.” The victims, she noted, “shared that they were hard-working people and that the homes that were destroyed were their dream homes.” It will, she added, “be very hard for them to get their lives back as many are retired on limited incomes.”

With Adler, through his music, and the Herberts, with their financial assessment acumen, Malibuites did their small part to help the grief-stricken victims of Helene find a source of comfort.

“Playing the concert was special and the people were so amazing!” Adler said. “I can’t wait to get back to Asheville and see it thriving again one day.”

As The Malibu Times interviewed the Heberts, they were briefly back in Malibu.

“We’re going back to Florida and the hurricanes,” Rachel Hebert said. Just as Adler is called to do good deeds by playing music, the Heberts are called to be in situ with hurricane victims, lending them a hand by holding them by the hand as they navigate the nuances of obtaining FEMA assistance as they begin to rebuild their lives. 

After a long hiatus, cheerleading team contributes to school spirit and enlivens football games

“The dream of a Malibu Cheer team has been made into reality!” declared Rachel Hebert, mother of Marielle Hebert, a junior who, along with many of her classmates at Malibu High School, wanted to revive the cheerleading program at the school, which had not existed for a few years.

Rachel Hebert, who cheerleaded throughout her entire academic career and once owned All Star Cheerleader gym in Louisiana, took the initiative to revive the cheerleading program, providing what has proven to be a delightful opportunity for Malibu High students. She and her husband, Derek, donated the cheerleading outfits for the team, went through a fairly year-long, arduous administrative process with the school administration to establish an extracurricular club, arranged practice times, recruited students and talked to their parents. 

All that toil led to the MHS cheerleading team cheering at its first football teams this season and it has been a hit, both forthe cheerleaders and the team.

“The cheerleaders are great for the team’s morale,” assistant football coach Daryl Adams said. “They make a bridge for the players to run through and their cheers really bring up the energy of the games.”

As this Malibu Times reporter entered the high school gym, smiling broadly and clearly thoroughly enjoying the experience, several of the girls were practicing their routines for a hip-hop dance sequence they planned to perform for the homecoming game.

“I like to be on a high school cheerleading team because it is really fun to cheer outside of my usual competitive cheering,” said Marielle, a 2022 world champion, a two-time National Cheerleading Association winner, and a member of All Star California Cheerleaders. “It’s awesome to cheer for the crowd and for our team.”

Agreeing wholeheartedly, Bridget Shanahan, a sophomore, shared, “It’s my first experience cheerleading and I’ve always wanted to participate in it because my Mom was a hockey cheerleader and she always talked about loving it — I reallylike how it adds to our school spirit.”

Bridget’s mom, Melissa Shanahan, is almost as excited as her daughter is about the cheerleading opportunity. “I was captain of my hockey cheerleading team in my high school, which was north of Boston,” she explained. “We are a hockey family — my dad, my grandfather and my brother all played, and I thoroughly enjoyed the cheerleading experience.”

Bridget wasn’t the only member of the team that longed to cheerlead. 

“I’ve always wanted for us to have a high school cheer team since the fifth grade when I started my own team!,” Kylie Morra, a junior, said.

“I love everything about cheering!,” Sophomore Mey Marler said. “It’s a big part of my life right now — I love getting the crowd excited.”

Chiming in, freshman Violet Keenan commented, “I love doing cheerleading, and I love how it is incorporated into my high school career.”

As the girls discussed how much they are loving their cheerleading experiences, Rachel Hebert smiled broadly.

“I know how precious this season of life is and I’m forever grateful to all these athletes that took a chance on something brand new at our school and I’m proud of our 22 cheerleaders.” Hebert said, “They are all talented and brave and they believed that something great could happen!”

As one watches the cheerleaders practice, she gains the sense they have camaraderie and dedication to precisely performing their cheers.

“It has always been a dream to see my daughter, Maizee, have the opportunity to cheer for her school,” said Candice Marderosian, a Malibu High School parent. “I’m so happy that Malibu High brought back the cheer team!”

Marderosian added, “I was fortunate enough to cheer from a young age, all the way up to the professional level with the San Francisco 49ers and the friendships made and the lessons learned have lasted to this day.”

Agreeing, Hebert shared, “Watching our cheerleaders on the sidelines tonight brings so much joy and happiness and is the greatest gift! I’m so thankful for each girl and for their commitment and dedication to the team.”

“Im really proud of my daughter, Kylie and the entire cheerleading squad. You’d think they’ve been doing this for years, but it’s only been weeks!” Paul J. Morra, a proud girl dad said. “All the girls are doing great. It’s very impressive!”  

Like other parents, Morra observes a palpable increase in school spirit, saying, “The football team is having another solid season. The entire experience has been elevated!  The cheerleaders and the drumline add so much energy and spirit.  I really hope the Malibu community comes out for Friday’s Homecoming Game so that they can  experience it for themselves. Go Sharks!”

The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard has issued a Red Flag Warning for wind and low relative humidity in Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains. The warning is in effect from 9 a.m. today to 6 p.m. Saturday.

Northeast winds of 15 to 30 MPH with gusts to 45 MPH, and relative humidity of 5-15 percent are expected. If fire ignition occurs, conditions are favorable for rapid fire spread and extreme fire behavior which would threaten lives and properties. For weather forecasts, visit https://www.weather.gov/lox.

For safety, Charmlee Wilderness Park and Trancas Canyon Park will be closed today and tomorrow for hazardous fire weather.

According to a Malibu resident Point Dume Pavilions has lost power and will sell the rest of the hot deli food and close off frozen section to keep cold due to the power outage.

SCE may implement Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) on multiple circuits across much of Malibu starting Fri, Oct. 18, due to hazardous fire weather conditions (gusty Santa Ana wind and low humidity). SCE is notifying all customers in the affected areas directly.

For information on SCE PSPS, including potential and current outages, and power restoration times, visit www.sce.com/psps. See circuit maps in Malibu: https://malibucity.org/973/SCE-Circuit-Maps.

While fire conditions in Malibu will be less severe than surrounding areas, large fires that start and spread from those areas could reach Malibu. Residents should be prepared for potential power outages, fires, evacuations, traffic signal outages, downed trees and hazardous road conditions. Come to a complete stop at any intersection with a malfunctioning traffic signal, under CA law.

Make sure phones, tablets and laptops are charged, plan for refrigerated medications. Make sure you know how to open electric gates and garage doors when the power is out – see tips: https://www.safetyactioncenter.pge.com/articles/25-do-know-manually-open-garage-door-power. See LA County power outage preparedness guide: https://ready.lacounty.gov/power-outage.

Closely monitor weather conditions and emergency information on local news, especially AM / FM radio which will function with handcrank, battery, solar and car radios if the power is out. Make sure you are signed up for emergency alerts from City of Malibu, at www.malibucity.org/alerts, and LA County, at https://ready.lacounty.gov/alerts.

The exhibit included works created by Pearson and young artists Ali Futrell, Armyan Nispel, Jacquelin Nagel, and Kambria Aiko Hart

For more than two decades, Malibu gallerist Tracy Park has passionately supported local artists, both emerging and accomplished, exhibiting their works at her various galleries all over the city.

There is no greater illustration of how Park’s tireless uplifting of local creatives has significantly impacted the creative career trajectory of a young local artist than how she has supported Hunter Blaze Pearson, a Malibu native and Malibu High alumnus. 

“Hunter is amazingly talented!” Park declared at her gallery at the Oct. 5 opening of HOME, Pearson’s first curated show. “I first met Hunter when he was 17 attending Malibu High School and I awarded him the Malibu Masters scholarship in 2018.”

Beaming with pride as she gazed across the vast expanse of riveting and intriguing art works colorfully embracing her gallery — works created by Pearson and young artists Ali Futrell, Armyan Nispel, Jacquelin Nagel, and Kambria Aiko Hart, Park added, “Hunter’s been a successful artist since he was a teenager and he’s brilliant as an artist, a clothing designer, a filmmaker, and now an exhibit curator.”

As attendees enjoyed drinks and great music, it was clear that the show’s thematic energy focusing on home made them feel right at home nestled amidst the artworks on a cool Malibu evening. 

The exhibit included works by Futrell, a Santa Monica-based artist with Northern California roots, whose versatile collection of works focus on identity and place, an oeuvre that includes art pieces ranging from small, intricate canvases to expansive 60-foot murals. As she explores the interplay of color, form, and personal narrative, Futrell’s signature style blends bold contemporary elements with symbolic references to Southern California.  

Los Angeles-based artist Nagel exhibited works that explore the relationship between painting and photography. Her two-part series entitled “Subconscious Exploration,” challenges the viewer to determine what exists in reality and what only exists in the subconscious. “I consider my subconscious an uncontrollable living liquid, leaking out little bits of visual information when I least expect it.” Nagel shared. “My paintings serve as a mirror to my inner self and how I engage with the outer world — I chase intuitive images as they spiral into a strong compulsion to create.”

Hart’s captivating oil works of azul compositions draw one’s eye into their world as they explore the role of light within the works’ spaces. Pearson’s artworks focus on fine art, creating pop art paintings and large-scale multimedia works. He creates in several media, including acrylics, graphite, colored pencil, and resin — he distinguishes himself with his photorealistic pencil work, which he incorporates along with acrylic and resin in his multimedia pieces. With these materials, he explores light and dark aspects of life, how they interact, and how they can be juxtaposed to form a beautiful new creation. 

“We had a great turn out and I got several comments about the show having a great cohesion between the artists’ work which I really appreciate because I personally am very picky with the art I like and the four artists I chose for this show are the best of the best in my opinion,” Pearson said. “I’m so thankful for everyone who came out and supported me and the other exhibiting artists and I’m sure that Tracy and I will work together on another show in the future.” 

Park said, “Witnessing Hunter’s transformation from a young high school student into a remarkable artist has been a wonderful experience for me. It’s been exciting to watch Hunter taking the lead in curating his first exhibition for other emerging artists. Hunter’s skills span across various fields, and I eagerly anticipate what he will accomplish next. Curating more shows, here, is something that I will definitely look forward to!”