Please correct the record with your readers. Malibu citizens may have been left with an incorrect impression of recent events surrounding the Civic Center open space and Egret Pond area, as a result of stories that ran in both local Malibu newspapers.

While Malibu Bay Co., developers of the proposed Civic Center construction project, and their supporters recently pulled out the stops in attempts to discredit and marginalize the efforts of Wetlands Action Network, we are nonetheless quite pleased with the ultimate decision by the Malibu City Council to hire Huffman & Associates to conduct a wetlands delineation. Dr. Terry Huffman’s nationally recognized credentials will serve the city well as he recommends determination for regulatory jurisdiction by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the California Coastal Commission.

We, along, with Surfrider Foundation, had secured the services of Huffman & Associates only after repeated failed pleadings with the city in early ’98 that the city should conduct a delineation in order to comply with several state and federal laws. We’re happy to now let the city take the lead in this important process.

Yes, there were attempts to paint Wetlands Action Network as “controversial” by development supporters – including distribution of a 56-page “report” by Barbara Cameron that included mostly skewed information and one-sided news clippings supplied by developers at Playa Vista, where DreamWorks SKG has joined Wall Street heavies Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs in proposing to build the largest development in the history of Los Angeles in the remnant Ballona floodplain. Wetlands Action Network supports a scientifically-sound wetlands restoration at Ballona, not one driven by the ill-conceived Playa Vista development.

Incorrect charges leveled by Malibu Bay Co. supporters against Wetlands Action Network at council hearings also appeared to come straight from the Playa Vista developers. So, why are Playa Vista developers seemingly eager to support efforts to construct what could be the largest development in the history of Malibu — also in a wetlands floodplain?

Perhaps there is a public relations plan to make the Malibu Civic Center Development and Playa Vista “sister projects.” Perhaps the residences of S K & G in Malibu is a factor, and Wall Street moguls are trying to make certain their new DreamWorks partners know they are doing all they can to quash the efforts of Wetlands Action Network, whose lawsuits have been successful at stalling construction at the site for nearly three years since DreamWorks first announced their intention to build at Ballona Wetlands.

Imagine our surprise when, on the day of the council decision to hire Dr. Huffman, we learned that Malibu City Councilman Harry Barovsky is a senior vice-president for Morgan Stanley — one of the Playa Vista development parnters. Could this coincidence also be a factor in efforts to discredit Wetlands Action Network? I hope not. However, one important thing I have learned, when attempting to insure equity on behalf of the public when taking on the behemoths of influence and power, it never hurts to shine a little light on the subject matter.

Marcia Hanscom

executive director, Wetlands Action Network

(310) 457-0300

It would be nice if my neighbors would credit fellow citizens with having minimal intelligence and refrain from making statements such as the comment made last week that anti-speed hump people “don’t like humping, period.” As a matter of fact, I rather enjoy humping, but I am one of those who don’t want speed humps, even the elongated variety referred to as “speed tables,” installed on the two main thoroughfares of Point Dume. I submit that there are valid reasons for not installing them, to wit:

(1) There may not even be a need for any passive speed control devices — both speed surveys run (and paid for) recently by the city have produced no evidence either of excessive speeds or that very many cars are speeding.

(2) There are alternatives for passive speed control. The one I think should be looked at seriously, as an alternative to ugly humps painted with reflective stripes and warning signs, are small center islands at intersections. These can be made attractive with landscaping and are proven “traffic calming” devices.

(3) Other communities have found that humps and tables don’t work and are removing them (L.A. Times, 10/8/98). Problems include longer emergency response times and structural damage to fire trucks, lawsuits from property owners who object to the noise of motorists honking in anger and accelerating off the “humps,” and the fact that certain people don’t slow down in spite of the humps.

(4) I think that, in this community, on these roads, the devices will constitute an attractive nuisance. The few idiots among us will see how fast they can go over the things, try to get “air,” etc., with their cars or motorcycles, and someone will really get hurt.

I have noticed that many humping advocates reside where they won’t have to drive over them, or have ambulances or fire trucks laden with water traverse them. Fire departments everywhere are opposed to “humps,” and with good reason. A nonbreathing patient suffers brain damage after five minutes: a structure fire doubles in size and volume every five minutes. Any delay can be disastrous.

Let’s consider alternatives, and not be “pro-humping, period!”

Don Maclay

(Ignorance can be bliss)

I remember the times

When we danced cheek to cheek

When pantyhose lasted

For more than a week

We had no phones

In our cars for chattin’

We didn’t eat pasta

Because it was fatnin’

A tan looked healthy

Tap water was clear

We could eat Steak Tar Tar

No E-coli to fear

Now we know of safe sex

And we’ve had the warning

To stay out of the sun

‘Cause of global warming

We know that our meat

Should be cooked well done

When we weren’t so smart

We had much more fun!

Geraldine Forer Spagnoli

Pianist Alan Feinberg, one of the pre-eminent exponents of 20th century American music, appears in concert with the New West Symphony Nov. 20 and 21 to play Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “Piano Concerto in F.” “It is of course because this is Gershwin’s 100th birthday anniversary,” says Feinberg. “And he will survive even this — the five gazillion performances.”

Feinberg spoke by telephone last week from his home in New York. The three-time Grammy nominee is reluctant to talk in “sound bites” but offers wisdom on Gershwin, musical collaboration and music pedagogy.

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“Gershwin was trying to forge a middle ground between the classic world and the pop world — at a time when both worlds were going in high gear,” says Feinberg. “The jazz world was exploding in the early part of the century, and so was the classical world.

“Rhapsody in Blue starts out more as a kind of jazz piece and has been assimilated into its symphonic condition,” he continues.

“Gershwin himself didn’t score Rhapsody in Blue. There are a lot of different versions of it. In fact, there is no real Rhapsody in Blue. He played the piece in various versions. There must be a dozen different versions. There is no definitive version. It’s a very unusual piece in that sense. There are different orchestrations, people play different notes. The sociology of that piece is very interesting.

“But the music has persisted in its popularity, undimmed. Basically, people really like it. Whatever its weaknesses are, it’s strengths are clearly greater. In some ways, what’s more American than Rhapsody in Blue? There are compositional weaknesses. We’re talking about this piece of music that’s received like it’s a masterpiece, and yet it’s not there – there’s no definitive version of it.

“A lot of that has to do with the changes in the way people have played it over the years. The initial style of it was a much more high-energy, no-nonsense, very rhythmic, not particularly syrupy style. It reminds me of the energy that went into the building of the skyscrapers or the works projects of the ’20s.”

Feinberg terms current interpretations of Rhapsody “very Europeanized.” “They play with much more rubato [changing the duration of notes], they make big statements, they moon. They treat it like Romantic pieces, with an occasionally funny jazz itch.”

Which interpretation will he use for this concert? “It depends,” he says. “It’s a collaboration.”

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Feinberg will collaborate with New West Symphony conductor, Boris Brott. “You have a session together with the conductor,” Feinberg explains. “You talk about the logistics of having to put something together in a fairly short time. It’s everything from what tempo are we going to play at to how do we handle the trouble spots. It’s basically like getting to know somebody. . . . What’s interesting about collaborating, whether you’re playing chamber music or working with an orchestra and a conductor, is that it’s the human dynamic of people trying to do a task together, trying to find the kind of chemistry that will make it work.

“It depends on the two people involved. Assuming that you’re dealing with two reasonable people who want to do a good job, there’s always a lot of middle ground. There are all sorts of issues. The acoustics of the hall. The flexibility of the orchestra — some need more rehearsal to change the way they’re doing things. One could say the same about soloists, too.

“It is all about communication. . . . You can play with the same orchestra four nights in a row, and you get four different audiences, and the temperature, so to speak, in the hall varies. Audiences differ from country to country. The people who take out a Friday subscription are different from the Saturday night subscription. Saturday night may have more people who are dating. Thursday night may have more board members.

“Think of the audience as a barometer. There’s always weather, whether it’s high pressure or low pressure. . . .

“Playing well is hard,” he concludes. “Being a performer is hard. The whole megillah. Traveling. Being jet lagged. Being often in a place you don’t know, playing on a piano you don’t know. They’re all stressful. It’s not a low-pressure job.”

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The New Yorker also serves as associate professor at the Eastman School and visiting professor at the Juilliard School, where he teaches a graduate seminar on interpreting 20th century scores and 20th century practice. “It’s fairly sad that they need a specialist to do this,” he says. His seminar has nine students.

“One of the real fundamental problems right now in the conservatories is that the curriculum for piano students hasn’t changed very much in the last 50 years, but the music has,” he says.

“Ninety percent of the music that is taught and is considered important is music before this century.”

He polled his nine students. Only one or two had played Prokofiev; few had attempted Ravel and Rachmaninoff. “These are grad students,” he repeats.

Whether cause or effect, the number of recitals of “new” music is in decline. Feinberg says the reasons are interconnected. “There are issues in terms of lack of music education. The Zeitgeist changes. There are changes in demographics in cities. There are changes in the recording industry — there is repertoire that is so over-recorded that no one makes any money off it.”

Alan Feinberg plays Gershwin with the New West Symphony Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. at the Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks; Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center. Tel. 805/497-5880 (Thousand Oaks), 805/486-2424 (Oxnard) or Ticketmaster at 805/583-8700.

Tuesday, Nov. 3, was a particularly wonderful day to be an elementary school principal in Malibu. The voters in Santa Monica and Malibu once again overwhelmingly passed a bond issue that will help us serve our students and their families in the manner that they deserve. The four public schools in Malibu will also be able to offer new and improved facilities to the entire community. On behalf of everyone associated with Webster Elementary School, the other schools in Malibu, and the rest of our school district, I thank you.

For the teachers, the classroom aides, the custodians, the office staff and all of the other people who work in our schools, this vote has great significance. We see it as an expression of the community’s belief in the work we do every day. We try to work together with each family in the best interests of each child. We try to be open to suggestions and be flexible while at the same time establishing and enforcing high standards. We try very hard to work with groups and individuals in the community while asking for their support. These are all complex tasks and we understand that we will not always be perceived as positively as we would like. When the public has an opportunity to vote on indebting themselves to benefit our schools, we recognize that this will only happen if most people have confidence in the job we are doing.

At the same time, the vote for Proposition X reminds us of the high expectations our community has for its schools. Only the best is good enough for parents in Malibu. We wouldn’t want it any other way. We are committed to providing our students and our community with a genuine return on their investment in us.

I had the opportunity to make phone calls to a number of you in the weeks before the election and I want to apologize to the people whom we bothered during dinner or even during the World Series. I had many very enjoyable conversations, particularly with retired folks living in the Point Dume Club. It was so gratifying to hear so many people with grown children state unequivocally that the school bond was the most important issue on the ballot. In Malibu, maybe we are one of the few places where people are thoughtful enough to listen to the wisdom of our elders.

Again, to all of you who voted for Proposition X, thank you. We will do everything we can to continue to be worthy of your confidence in us.

Philip Cott

principal, Webster School

We have received a desperate plea for cash donations from the Los Angeles Honduran consulate, Vivian Panting. Truckloads of food and medical supplies sit in Los Angeles storage facilities waiting to be shipped. Chartering a 727 costs upwards of $170,000. Commercial airlines are not going to the area. The Chiquita Banana Company has offered to ship relief goods to Central America from Miami, but how do the goods get to Miami? There is a great deal of confusion and political variables that compound the disaster.

We have been working with the Honduran consulate for the past week. She is overwhelmed with the reality that “my people are dying.” The Hondurans have been the hardest hit country in Central America, where 9000 persons have perished, 13,000 are missing, and 80 percent of the country and farmlands have been destroyed.

Negotiations are taking place between the four Central American countries involved, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and El Salvador to divide the donations on a per need basis. Some of the high profile and highly efficient groups such as “Project USA” as seen on KCET’s “Life and Times” are focusing exclusively on Nicaragua. That is why we want to do what we can for the Honduran relief effort. We are a totally volunteer effort working directly with the Honduran Consulate — 100 percent of the funds we collect will go directly to them to be used to deliver emergency relief to Honduras.

If you can, please act now with a tax-deductible contribution to “Earth Trust Fund” (designate for Honduran Emergency Relief) and mail to: Earth Trust Foundation/Honduras, P.O. Box 6022 Malibu, CA 90264. (Please note 90264 is correct.) Cash or check donations can also be left at the Mail Boxes, Etc. next to the Malibu Hughes Market.

If you have questions or would like to help distribute flyers (or have a friend with a 727), call Valerie at 310-457-5202, Mona at 310-457-1614, or Oscar at his VM – 213-690-1841 now.

Thank you for reading this appeal.

Valerie Sklarevsky

Mona Loo

Oscar Mondragon

I am writing in response to your “Conservancy Counters Ramirez Protests” article of Oct. 22, 1998. As a 20-year Ramirez Canyon resident, some facts and clarification regarding the conservancy’s response are in order.

1) Ms. Soghor states, “The real nuisance is the protesters. . . .” The neighborhood has staged one peaceful protest, no weddings have ever been disrupted and no threats have been made.

2) Ms. Collins states, “The center has not done anything differently since its opening . . . . nothing has changed except the neighbors’ behavior.” The center has done nothing except to continue to not comply with coastal rules and zoning laws. The have increased the use of our road exponentially. They have filled vans full of their catered guests and party equipment, tables, caterers, film crews, lighting, musicians, etc. to the point where legitimate neighbors who wish to take a walk on their road (this is our sidewalk) with their children or dogs cannot do so for the speeding traffic (people and dogs have been hit by speeding conservancy traffic), noise, congestion and continuous smell of diesel fuel. One van driver said he alone had made 35 trips for one event at the Streisand Center and had carried more than 200 people into a wedding; the conservancy denies any misuse by saying only 15 vans are used without telling actual numbers of trips each van takes. We are still waiting to get the real figures, which they have delayed providing us. They advertise our private road on websites for weddings, sales of T-shirts, film shoots, etc. We do not have a moment’s peace for the barrage of conservancy activity and looky-loos.

Our neighborhood is sick and tired of this continual onslaught all day and all night. Fifteen-foot trucks idle in front of our houses after midnight; the sheer size has broken some of our ancient oak trees and one of our bridges, and the constant loud noise late into the evenings of bands playing is incredible. To call them about the noise during an event is to reach an answering machine; they simply disregard the neighborhood altogether.

3) Coastal Commissioner John Hisserich states that with respect to compliance with laws regulating commercial activities, “Any enforcement action is an extremely low priority.” Why is it that if we want to move a fence or add a carport we need coastal approval, but when a fellow state agency, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, changes the entire character of a sensitive habitat into that of a convention center, it is a “low priority”? Wasn’t the Coastal Commission designed to protect our environment? The facts are that the SMMC is breaking the law! They have not done what any resident would be required to do — follow zoning and obey coastal regulations. The fact is that our neighborhood is paying for the SMMC to maintain their offices (into which they moved secretly at night) in a compound that is way beyond their means; they are ruining our environment to do so. This is not a set of buildings used in any environmental way, for study or conservancy purposes — its sole use is to house the offices of the conservancy elite and their attorneys. What happened to the agency that was supposed to preserve the environment? Why does one of the most sensitive beautiful quiet habitats in rural Malibu have to be demolished to support Mr. Edmiston having his, and his affiliates, offices in Barbra Streisand’s home?

Lotte Cherin