There is yet another sign that aging, graying, bulging boomers facing their golden years refuse to sail off into the twilight without a fight. They Rogaine for thinning hair, they Botox to remove unsightly wrinkles, they lift, they nip, they tuck their bodies into gravity defying shapes, and when it comes to metaphysical well-being — they supplement.

St. John’s Wort is used in place of Prozac, Ginko is ingested to ward off “senior moments” — heck, there’s even herbal Viagra.

The latest addition to the list of natural remedies is a new chill pill called Kava Kava, and it’s making the rounds in Malibu.

“It’s one of our biggest-selling herbs,” says Jill McKenzie of the Vitamin Barn. “It’s great stuff. I use it quite frequently myself.”

The Kava root is cultivated on the Pacific Islands of Oceania, which is said to have the happiest and friendliest natives around.

In recent years, it has hit drug and health food stores in the United States. The market has soared from virtually zilch in 1994 to $35 million today. While it is touted as a safe, natural alternative to Valium, Kava Kava has its fair share of skeptics.

The New England Journal of Medicine notes a recent article that herbal supplements (in general) can make some people sick and urged that the loosely regulated herbal industry be held more accountable for its products.

At Super Care Drugs, Jerry Engel points out that prescription medication is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, but many times with supplements you don’t know what you’re getting. “I’m really up in the air about it,” he says. “Some doctors pooh-pooh them and other doctors totally believe in them.”

Engle says anyone using supplements should check with a physician first to see if they might have a reaction with any other medication. But if you’re convinced that herbal supplements are the way to go, do some research — not all products are the same. “It really depends on the manufacturer and the amount of the active ingredient. It varies considerably.”

McKenzie says quality is key. She recommends Kava Kava be taken in its liquid form, preferably by an outfit called Gaia Herbs based in Brevard, N.C. “That’s all they do,” she points out. “It’s like produce. You have to have the highest quality, otherwise you don’t know what you’re getting. Go to a health food store, and make sure you buy from a reputable company.”

Whether it’s anxiety, muscle pain or insomnia, Kava Kava is taking off and seems to be making laid-back Malibu even more mellow.

The Planning Commission Monday got a first peek at the finishing touches proposed for the city’s interim zoning ordinance, in preparation for the code’s conversion to the official Malibu zoning ordinance after more than six years as a provisional law. The changes, proposed by the planning staff, were mainly of a grammatical and organizational nature, but also included two substantive revisions that were rejected after Commissioner Jo Ruggles raised strong objections to them.

In the code section dealing with the permitting requirements for fences and walls, the planning staff proposed also requiring homeowners to obtain a permit before planting a hedge. The staff recommended that densely planted, nonpermeable hedges be no higher than 42 inches.

Ruggles said she did not believe residents would even consider the necessity of obtaining a permit before planting that type of landscaping, and she convinced her fellow commissioners to delete the permitting requirement.

“People are not going to come in to get a permit for a hedge,” she said, adding, “I’m more concerned about people chopping trees down than in putting in a hedge.”

The staff also recommended allowing new lighted sports courts in single-family and rural residential zones. The proposed revision, which would have required homeowners to seek a conditional use permit, was also deleted after Ruggles argued the commission would not grant the necessary permit for the courts because, she said, they are not allowed in single-family and rural residential zones.

None of the remaining commissioners disputed Ruggles’ assertion, so Planning Director Craig Ewing told them that if they expected not to grant any conditional use permits, they should remove lighted courts as a permissible use for the zones.

“Rather than take people through a process when they’re automatically going to be rejected, it would be better to remove it,” said Ewing.

While Ruggles recently finished her tenure as chair of the commission, she continues to drive much of the debate at commission meetings. She dominated the discussion at Monday’s workshop on the zoning code changes proposed to date. She also pressed Ewing to prepare additional amendments to the zoning code, including proposed ordinances regulating exterior home lighting and protecting trees.

But Ewing said he would wait until instruction from the City Council before allocating time to prepare new zoning amendments. He said he is working on a list of priorities assigned by the council and needed its endorsement before he tackled additional assignments.

“The council wants to know its priorities are being followed,” he said. “I want the items on a priority list before I spend precious resources working on it.”

Ruggles countered she did not believe the tree preservation ordinance would take a long time to prepare, but Ewing disagreed. He said the ordinance would be a “hot” issue that would require a lot of staff time because of its proposed requirement that homeowners obtain a permit before trimming or cutting down trees.

“When it’s a policy decision that’s an entirely new initiative, I’m going to be protective of the council’s prerogative,” said Ewing.

When Ewing later asked what he should tell the council about the commission’ s legislative priorities, Ruggles jumped in to repeat her requests for the lighting and tree preservation ordinances, and the rest of the commission deferred to her request.

The planning staff has scheduled additional workshops and hearings on the proposed changes to the zoning ordinance, which is expected to be finalized and passed as the city’s official zoning code next January.

The safety and quality of private septic systems are currently under scrutiny by the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the subject of proposed legislation, recently defeated in the State Senate.

A long-term study completed in June indicates the possibility of pathogens from septic systems contributing to pollution in Malibu Creek and Lagoon is of “minimal concern.” However, sediment samples taken at three major storm drains contained bacteria that may have come from septic overflows to drains.

The septic study performed by environmental research firm Woodward Clyde was limited to investigating one commercial septic system in the Civic Center area, the leach field of which is closest to Malibu Creek.

A very large dose of a nonpathogenic biophage (PRD-1) that mimics an enteric virus was introduced through a toilet. Ground water was sampled immediately below the test leach field and at distances of approximately 10 feet, 80 feet and 150 feet from the edge of the leach field. No PRD-1 was detected in the ground water at any of the sampling locations throughout the testing period.

A similar dose of MS-2 was introduced directly into the groundwater below the test leach field. It was detected a distance of 10 feet away within 24 hours. There was no detection at 80 feet.

The study showed pathogens are effectively removed from effluent as long as a minimum of 1-1/2 feet of unsaturated soil exists below the leach field. Thus bacteria and viruses are not reaching groundwater and therefore not contaminating the creek/lagoon or surf zone as long as groundwater separation is maintained.

However, if groundwater levels rise to reach the bottom of the leach field, then pathogens may be transported in the groundwater over distances that depend upon the hydraulic gradient (ordinarily less than 1 foot of drop in 100 yards in the Civic Center area). Based on the low hydraulic gradient, the groundwater flow rate is estimated at approximately 1 to 4 feet per day. To increase this flow rate to mimic a worst-case condition, the tracer and microbial transport testing was done using a pump that induced a gradient of more than 6 feet of drop in 100 yards. This would be comparable to the rate during a lagoon breaching event.

Since an actual breaching event did not occur during the testing period, experts say further study is necessary to determine just how far pathogens could travel under the worst-case condition and how much groundwater levels rise during extended periods of lagoon closure when the lagoon water level is highest.

Groundwater levels were found to be within 5 to 7 feet below ground surface throughout the study period. This means there was between 1.5 feet and 4 feet of unsaturated soils between the bottom of the leach field and groundwater. The lagoon was open to the ocean throughout the test period.

Nitrate and phosphate levels in groundwater were below 10 mg per liter, suggesting the nutrients are being effectively removed from effluent as it passes through unsaturated soils beneath the septic leach fields.

Conditions at three major storm drain outfalls were another matter. Sediment sampling found levels of bacteria and sterols indicative of impact by fecal matter, probably from both human and animal sources. Highest levels were found at the Cross Creek Road drain outlet into Malibu Creek just north of the PCH bridge. Testing of sediments for linear alkyl benzene compounds (surfactants found in detergents) indicate ongoing contamination from detergents. Surface runoff from parking lot washing, restaurant washing and gray-water systems are the most likely sources and need further investigation, the report states.

As a follow up to this study, the City Council has approved undertaking an extensive water quality monitoring program this summer. Who will do this and how and where it will be done have yet to be decided.

Plans to cease the city’s participation in a Los Angeles County-administered business license program were scrapped last week when the City Council discovered that its gesture of political goodwill toward local business owners was more of a hassle than it was worth.

Since incorporation, Malibu has participated in the county program, which regulates certain kinds of businesses, like pawn shops, masseuses, health clubs and car rental agencies, in an effort to protect the public.

The county collects the business license fees on behalf of local municipalities and turns over most of the revenue generated to them.

To show support for the local business community, the council several months ago rejected a staff proposal for a locally based business program, and it promised that by the end of July it would instruct the county to stop collecting its license fees on the city’s behalf.

At last week’s meeting, the council had planned to cease participating in the county program, but City Manager Harry Peacock pointed out that such an action would conflict with a provision in the General Plan. The plan, which has been amended two times this year, would then have to be amended again. The city is permitted by state law to amend its General Plan four times a year.

Councilman Tom Hasse, who spearheaded the effort to end all business license fees, proposed as a compromise that the city stay with the program, but instruct the county not to impose fees on the local regulated businesses.

“Then future City Councils could raise it,” Hasse said.

But Peacock said the county would still require the businesses to be licensed, and it could send the bill for administering the license to the city.

“The county could well turn around and charge us for processing,” said Peacock.

Interim City Attorney Richard Terzian also said that because of Proposition 218, passed by voters in 1996, the city would probably have to put an increase in the county license fee on the local ballot for approval.

Faced with such a messy scenario, the council, on a 4-1 vote, with Hasse casting the lone no vote, took a pass on the proposed changes, and agreed to continue participating in the county program.