From a cultural celebration with religious overtones to secular marketing tool, Halloween has evolved from an ancient tradition and grown to be one of the most profitable holidays for retailers in the U.S.

By Sylvie Belmond/Staff Writer

and Laura Tate/Editor

Devils, witches, skulls, apples, fruits, saints, souls, and martyrs, ahhh yes, it’s Halloween.

The change of seasons is upon us and the time to celebrate an ancient custom from the time of the Celts, almost 2,000 years ago, is here.

Marking the end of summer and the beginning of a dark, cold winter, autumn was also associated with human death in the ancient Celtic culture.

The Celts, who were mostly from Ireland, Great Britain and some parts of France, believed the worlds of the living and the dead became indistinguishable in this seasonal transition. They celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-en), marking the change of seasons and honoring the dead.

During the celebrations, the Celts wore costumes consisting of animal heads and skins and built a huge bonfire where crops and animals were thrown in as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

Families later re-lit their own hearths from this sacred bonfire.

Later the Roman festivals, Feralia and Pomona, eventually blended with Samhain to form one. Feralia commemorated the passing of the dead and Pomona honored the Roman goddess of fruit and trees.

The symbol of Pomona was an apple and the celebration may explain today’s apple bobbing game played on Halloween.

The Christian holiday, All Saints’ Day, celebrated on Nov. 1, a time to honor saints and martyrs, adding further influence to the holiday that is now known as Halloween.

The new celebration was also called All Hallows, derived from the middle-English word Alholowmesse, meaning All Saints’ Day.

The tradition of dressing in costumes on Halloween has both Celtic and European roots-the Celts with their animal skins, and the European superstition of ghosts led people to wearing masks when they left their homes after dark so they would be mistaken as fellow spirits.

The Celts also believed that fairies roamed the earth on the night of Samhain causing mischief, which may be an early evolution of the modern trick-or-treating.

Also, on All Souls’ Day parades in England poor citizens would beg for food and families would give them sweet cakes called “soul cakes” in return for their promise to pray for the family’s dead relatives, which may be another twist to the tradition.

As Halloween became a more secular community-centered holiday, Halloween celebrations were increasingly directed toward the young.

Trick-or-treating became a way for communities to share the Halloween celebration. In theory, families could also prevent tricks from being played on them by providing the trick-or-treater with a small treat.

Today, Americans spend more than $2 billion annually on this holiday, making it the country’s second largest commercial holiday.

The City of Malibu hired a new high-profile lobbyist in an attempt to be heard by the California Coastal Commission on the issue of the Local Coastal Plan for Malibu. The Coastal Commission has drafted a version of a local coastal plan for Malibu, ignoring an existing city draft.

Mike Roos, a former assemblymember, will be paid $10,000 a month to assist the city in collaborating with the Coastal Commission to come up with a plan that is consistent with Malibu’s General Plan.

Roos is a political strategist and was a legislative leader in California for more than 14 years. He served as a member of the California State Assembly from 1977 to 1991. During his second term, he was chosen by his caucus as a majority floor leader. He was later elected as a speaker pro tem of the state Assembly.

Because of citizens’ and political groups’ opposition to the Coastal plan, the City Council on Monday night continued its hearing on the LCP draft created by Coastal Commission staff.

Meanwhile, residents spoke out again on the matter. Additional parking at the Point Dume Headlands Park became an issue for residents.

Harry Salzberg, who spoke on behalf of the Point Dume Homeowners Association, pointed out that the city already made concessions to offer public access to the Point Dume Headlands when it established a bus service. Now the CCC wants to provide public parking along Heathercliff Road, he complained.

“The association believes the settlement agreement, where the shuttle was established, provides adequate access,” he said. “Opening Point Dume to public parking will create more problems.”

Other speakers highlighted that local control is threatened by a non-elected agency staff.

They are also upset about the lack of notification for the upcoming meeting with commission staff at Webster Elementary School, which takes place Oct. 30. Council asked residents to pass the word. The more residents attend, the better.

Another speaker confused the council. Corin Kahn, an attorney representing Taxpayers for Livable Communities (TLC), said if the city presents an LCP that conforms to the Coastal Act, then it should be implemented. Yet, at the same time, the organization is suing the city because of its attempt to influence the Coastal Commission as it drafted the LCP.

Kahn clarified his statements in a phone interview. TLC, a group that represents residents and homeowners associations, wants to ensure fairness in the LCP process, he said. But the LCP the city adopted this year does not conform with the Coastal Act, said Kahn, who also objects to the way it was generated.

There was no public process when the previous LCP, drafted in March of 2000 by citizens and an Ad-Hoc committee, was taken into consideration, he said. “The city changed its position and the council said the old draft was dead on arrival, but there is no such evidence,” said Kahn.

Kahn said his statements do not contradict TLC’s current lawsuit against the city.

In other matters:

• The council turned down an appeal by Cher’s representative, Alan Block, to overturn a Planning Commission decision denying an application for a variance request to increase the wall height on the actor’s property on Pacific Coast Highway. The existing wall is 2-and-a-half feet higher than allowed by current codes.

“We’re not requesting to raise the height of the wall,” said Block, “merely to keep the present height.”

But Councilmembers unanimously disagreed. They did not want to grant special privilege to the applicant.

Since the wall surrounds a tennis court, they suggested alternatives such as fencing or netting to mitigate the danger of tennis balls flying onto the highway.

• Council continued a zoning text amendment matter that would amend slope/density requirements for certain properties zoned in rural residential areas. If changes are approved, it may increase subdivisions within the city.

A land-use subcommittee will hold a workshop on the matter and speakers are invited to comment on changes at that meeting. Councilmember Jeff Jennings hinted that he had an idea, which would solve the slope/density issue, and said he will reveal it at the next subcommittee meeting. A tentative meeting is scheduled for Oct. 30 at 8:30 a.m. at City Hall.

• A Planning Commission approval for an office building in Point Dume at Portshead Road is up for appeal. Frank Basso, Malibu Township Council president, said the Point Dume Homeowners Association is appealing the decision because of impending, cumulative problems concerning traffic and Environmentally Sensitive Area encroachments. Architect Ed Niles designed the building.

“I do not oppose the building per se,” said Basso to the council. “I just want to rectify some of the problems.”

Basso also asked for a brake on the fee, which would be $4,300.

• Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting camping in vehicles on public property. According to the ordinance, no person shall camp, lodge, or sleep overnight in any public park, beach or near a street.

• City joins lawsuit. Last week, the city joined a lawsuit filed by the Marine Forest Society to challenge the way Coastal Commission members are appointed. A brief will be filed with the Court of Appeals in November, stating what the city sees as problematic.

A “time-out” is in order.

The political rhetoric and misleading statements flying about concerning the California Coastal Commission and Malibu’s Local Coastal Program need some perspective, corrections and clarification.

First, we are delighted that a Local Coastal Program (LCP) process is not only underway in Malibu, but far more open to the public than any effort to date. A basic tenet of Proposition 20, the voter-led initiative that created the California Coastal Act and its implementing body, the California Coastal Commission, is that public participation in decision making about our precious coastal treasures is essential.

With this principle in mind, we offer the following responses to several of the more inflammatory and groundless claims:

False claim #1: “The Coastal Commission has taken away local authority.” Actually, an approved LCP will give far more control and authority to the City of Malibu. Once an LCP is approved, residents will not be required to apply to the Coastal Commission for permits for deck re-builds, new home plans or even seawall construction. Unless a local approval is appealed to the commission because the city has violated its LCP, the process of additional Coastal Commission permitting will be unnecessary, saving residents countless trips to commission hearings held as far away as Eureka and Santa Rosa.

AB988 was passed precisely because the California Legislature’s leadership recognized the need to return coastal approval authority to the city where it belongs and, presumably, where individual local influences might be better balanced with other interests in the community.

False claim #2: “The Coastal Commission is ‘rolling over on us’ and will not be ‘susceptible to reason.’ In fact, last fall commission staff and Commissioners Cynthia McClain-Hill and Sara Wan offered to work with the City of Malibu in drafting the plan mandated by the legislature. Malibu officials reneged on their original agreement to collaborate when the commission informed them that the city does not have the ultimate approval authority over the LCP.

Was this really a surprise? There is no city or county on the entire California coast that has approved its own LCP without the final approval of the Coastal Commission. In 1972, the voters established a quasi-judicial body in charge of implementing coastal protection and access-a statutory safeguard that coastal cities usually value. Turning its back on the commission’s offer to collaborate was not a wise choice by the city if it truly wants a hand in drafting the LCP.

False claim #3: “The commission will not listen to the people of Malibu.” Untrue. The Coastal Commission has scheduled a public workshop on Oct. 30 at 6 p.m. at Webster Elementary School, providing an opportunity for Malibu residents to learn about the LCP and voice concerns in their own community. At the November commission hearing, an entire day is planned to hear public testimony on the Malibu LCP. The public will have until January to provide additional input before the commission approves a draft. The draft will then be sent to the city for implementation work to be completed, with the summer of 2002 being targeted for final approval. There is plenty of opportunity for public input.

Our organizations sometimes disagree with decisions of the Coastal Commission, and we are often before this body seeking full compliance with the California Coastal Act. We support the Malibu LCP process and look forward to having our concerns fairly considered by the commission. Malibu is blessed with 27 miles of the California coast-more than any other city in the state and some of the most beautiful on the Pacific Ocean. Malibu, therefore, has both a unique opportunity and a legal responsibility to offer the utmost protection of, and ensure reasonable access to, its coast.

Cherish this place and share it. That’s what the law requires and what ethics dictate.

Robert Roy van de Hoek, co-chair, Sierra Club California Coast & Ocean Committee (Malibu resident)

Susan Jordan, director, California Coastal Protection Network

Joel Reynolds, senior attorney, Natural Resources Defense Council

Marcia Hanscom, executive director, Wetlands Action Network (Malibu resident)

Mark Gold, executive director, Heal the Bay

California State Parks presents plans for campsites, RV parking and restoration of wetlands in Lower Topanga area.

By Carolanne Sudderth/Special to The Malibu Times

A proposal to restore the Topanga wetlands near Pacific Coast Highway may turn the span over Topanga Creek into a bridge over some very troubled waters if plans go through to replace it.

About a month ago, California State Parks acquired 1,600 acres of land at the mouth of Topanga Canyon with plans to restore the wetlands and to have amenities for park visitors. If the wetlands are restored, the bridge over the highway will have to be replaced with a longer span, resulting in traffic backups, which is already a problem with sewer repairs occurring in Santa Monica.

The larger anticipated casualties of the wetlands restoration and park include the small businesses that line Pacific Coast Highway and some 50 residents of the Rodeo Grounds-some of who have made the lower canyon their home for 35 years. Man-made landmarks possibly to fall under the ax include the red roofed Topanga Ranch Motel, Wylie’s Bait and Tackle, the Feed Bin and the Reel Inn.

Topanga residents evinced mistrust and skepticism when they met with representatives of California State Parks about future plans for the site on Saturday.

The State Parks system began eyeing the property in the mid-70s, said David Brown, chair of the Sierra Club’s Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Force. A plan for the area from that time shows 50 tent sites, 25 RV sites, and an interpretive center and 100 parking spaces.

“We had to fight them tooth and nail on Malibu Creek State Park,” warned Brown, a non-Topanga resident. “Personally, I think overnight camping would be an obscenity because it’s so close in. It’s not a good use of a very limited amount of buildable land on this property.”

Resident Scott Dittrick warned, “They’re going to listen to you, and then they’re going to go back to what they want to do, which is put in campsites and RV sites.”

The 50 residents of the Rodeo Grounds have until July 1 to vacate their rented properties. They claim that date is the only information they’ve been given.

The Rodeo Grounds area is invisible from the road. Some call the area a rustic Bohemia, others a West Coast Appalachia. Clapboard houses, circa 1920-1930 range from ramshackle to pristine and are hidden behind tall fences, screens of tall yellow grass or bamboo-like Arundo donax. Getting to them requires heading down a pockmarked dirt road and gingerly maneuvering through a foot-and-a-half of water in an eroded Arizona crossing.

Leases have been month-to-month since 1932, when the Depression put an end to LACCO’s (the parent company of the Los Angeles Athletic Club) plans to build a yacht harbor in the Topanga Lagoon. At that time, the lagoon included 32 acres-16 acres of water and 16 acres of wetland. It was spanned by a 300-foot bridge, beneath which the creek snaked back and forth and chose its channel at will. During the dry season, the sand formed a barrier and the creek backed up, forming a lagoon. When the rains came and the water rose, the creek broke through and ran to the sea.

In 1929, when the Depression killed the harbor plan, LAACO began filling in the land and renting homes, many of which, residents said, housed early-day moviemakers.

Despite the fill, the lagoon ecosystem continued to function until 1938, when Caltrans dealt the killing stroke-shaving the hills at the mouth of the canyon and dumping the detritus in the lagoon. Its area was reduced to 2 acres and raised by some 40 feet. The new bridge they built spanned only 100 feet instead of the former 300 feet and constricted the creek.

At the meeting with State Parks, the more vocal residents were wary, some of them, downright hostile. They wanted to address concerns individually rather being herded into groups to answer pre-fabricated questions about what recreational activities they’d like to see down there.

“I must have misunderstood,” one woman said. “I thought this was more about a public hearing.”

Nevertheless, when the groups were polled, they showed a surprising unity of thought. All were enthusiastic about restoring the lagoon and the floodplain, including replacing the burms and 100-foot bridge with a 300-foot span to allow the creek to snake along its original course.

All thought that recreational activities should be limited to walking through the wetlands, but on elevated boardwalks.

No one wanted camping, particularly RV camping. One group was willing to tolerate an interpretive site, but only on the condition that it is built immediately near the boulevard and well above the wetlands.

All the groups voiced sympathy for the Lower Topanga residents and asked that they be allowed to stay at least until a permanent plan is formulated.

Little ghouls and goblins are getting all dressed up, but where do they go? Here are a few of Malibu’s Halloween happenings.

Sun., Oct. 28

Halloween Haunt

Pumpkin carving contest, haunted house, hay rides, fortunetellers, food, games and, of course, candy.

Malibu Community Center, 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 pm.

All ages. Kids under 12 years old free.

Wed., Oct. 31

Halloween Parade Halloween activities, costumes

Webster Elementary School Boys & Girls Club of Malibu

3601 Winter Canyon Road, 1 p.m 30215 Morning View Drive, 3 p.m.

A new sign went up along Pacific Coast Highway several weeks ago to visually announce the arrival of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society (SSCS) to Malibu.

After two years stationed at the remote San Juan Islands in Washington to save the gray whales from Makah Indian whale hunts, the organization moved its headquarters to Malibu five months ago.

A direct offshoot of Greenpeace, the SSCS is on a quest to save marine life “by any means imaginable.”

Founder Paul Watson was also one of the principal founding members of Greenpeace. However, Watson split with Greenpeace after the board of directors accused him of acting violently when he grabbed a club out of the hands of a sealer before it could be used to take the life of a baby seal. The move, they reasoned, had violated the pacifist principles of the organization.

Watson then developed the more radical Sea Shepherd Society to take over where Greenpeace left off.

His methods have been regarded as extreme by some-allegedly ramming whaling ships from Portugal to Japan, even sinking two Icelandic whaling vessels in 1986, and most recently, in the mid-nineties, he was arrested by Canadian police and charged with three counts of “mischief on the high seas.” He was acquitted of two, according to the Environment News Service, but convicted of aiding and abetting an act of mischief, relating to Watson’s action of placing his ship, the Cleveland Amory, in a position for a crew member to toss a stink bomb onto a Cuban dragger.

And, as reported in the L.A. Times, he even looked into purchasing attack submarines from the English Royal Navy and the Russians.

The L.A. Times also reported that Jim Bohland, a Greenpeace founder, said in a 1987 interview that he considered Watson “absolutely insane … out of his mind … an egomaniac, pure and simple.”

However, Watson’s methods have accomplished a lot of what he set out to do. Since its inception in 1977, SSCS has saved more than a 1,000 baby seals by spraying their white pelts with indelible organic dye, scuttled a number of pirate whaling ships and illegal driftnet vessels forcing them out of business, documented the killing of dolphins by U.S. tuna seiners (net draggers) leading to the creation of the “dolphin-safe” tuna label law and prevented the deaths of hundreds of thousands of marine animals.

The society is a nonprofit non-governmental organization that investigates and documents violations of international laws, regulations and treaties protecting marine wildlife species. Especially where there is no enforcement by national governments.

Watson was one of the first conservationists to put himself between whale harpooners and their quarry, living up to the “by any means imaginable” declaration.

“We were proud traitors to our species with the innocence to believe that somehow, someway we could reach our fellow man with a message to end the whale wars and to silence the harpoon cannons,” Watson recorded in 1975 after his most significant stand against whalers.

After nearly an hour navigating an inflatable zodiac boat between the steel plow of a 160-foot Russian hunter ship and eight whales, the small crew witnessed and filmed the heart-breaking kill.

“The harpoon bomb struck with an explosion of reddish foam into the soft backside of one of the frightened whales,” Watson wrote.

Today the SSCS is fulfilling a 5-year agreement with the Ecuadorian National Park Service and Navy to help patrol a 50,000-acre marine reserve from their vessel, the Serenian. In San Francisco, its other ship, the Ocean Warrior, is preparing to challenge Japanese whalers.

“The Japanese are out there having their way with the oceans against the wishes of the International Whaling Commission, against the wishes of a good percentage of the population of the earth and no one is there to stop them,” said Frank Beaty, former SSCS office manager. “We were hoping to be in the Antarctic at the end of the year, but it appears as if our ship is not going to be up to snuff as far as the technology needed to stop these guys.”

According to Beaty, the Japanese employ the fastest and best equipment that money can buy and are currently able to outrun SSCS ships three times over.

Since the society depends entirely on contributions, the success of the costly campaign against Asian whalers depends entirely on the amount of donations they can generate.

“[After the terrorist assault on Sept. 11], public philanthropy is understandably all going toward relief and welfare resources for the victims of the attack,” said Andrew Christie, information director for SSCS. “It hasn’t caused us to change our policies, we’re continuing to do the job we started doing but we have to carefully watch our funds.”

A major source of funding for the society comes from repeated option payments from movie studios for Watson’s life story.

Besides donations, SSCS is always looking for volunteers either to help spread the word by manning booths at environmental awareness events or distributing literature or on the ships themselves.