I am the chairman of all high school volleyball officials (650 officials serving over 594 high schools) in Southern California. In this role I watch the progress of the local volleyball teams (coaches polls) in the area for playoff games next month in the area. This coaches poll comes out weekly during the girls’ volleyball season and a school’s standing in these polls determines the CIF Southern Section tournament playoff bid. These polls are much wider in scope than local league standings. Please note Malibu High School’s standing in their sectional division.

1998 Girls Volleyball Top 10 Polls 10/5/98 Division IV A

1. Marlbough

2. Malibu

3. Village Christian

4. Alverno

5. Maranatha

6. Brentwood

7. Orange Lutheran

8. Providence

9. St. Bonaventura

10. Whittier Christian

Tom Fakeheny

I read recently that the design for the proposed Malibu shopping center is to be barn-like wood structures with corrugated metal roofs. In a different article I read that it would look like the new center at the corner of Tranas Canyon and PCH. Aestethic tastes vary, but to me, this does not sound all that great.

I would prefer that we stay closer to our own architectural and historical roots. We were never a New England village after all. The original owner of Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit was King Charles III of Spain who, through the governor in Santa Barbara, allowed Don Tapia and his family to work the land as a rancho. Don Tapia received a “use concession” from the Spanish king around the year 1800. Following the Mexican war of independence California became Mexican territory, but Malibu remained in the hands of Don Tapia. Eventually, after changing hands a couple of times, Fredric Hasting Rindge bought the 13,000-acre Malibu Rancho in 1892 for $10 per acre.

The Rindge family, including their daughter and son-in-law Rhoda and Merrit Adamson, are responsible for building the first homes in Malibu, namely The Adamson House, Malibu’s first beach house, now a museum, and the mostly rebuilt Rindge Castle, now known as the Serra Retreat House. Both houses are spectacular examples of Spanish Colonial Revival Architecture and generously decorated with the famous Malibu tiles, which were made right here at the Malibu Pottery, located just west of what is now the Malibu Beach Inn. The mostly rebuilt Serra Retreat remained as faithful to the Spanish Colonial Revival style as dollars would allow, including incorporating Malibu tile into its design.

Other still existing structures in this architectural style include the tower at Alice’s restaurant built in 1928 when the pier was part of the Adamson’s property. The old court house is another example of this style.

Moreover, we already have a new development in the Revival style, namely the Hughes shopping center. I think most people would agree that whatever our thoughts about it may have been when this shopping center first went up, it’s turned out to be an attractive addition to our town.

Apart from the fact that wood barns with corrugated metal roofs don’t sound that attractive to me personally, I am not sure a town as small a Malibu can handle more than one architectural style in its commercial buildings without it starting to look like a hodgepodge of Valley shopping malls. What makes a town attractive, like Carmel for instance, is the uniformity of style; and what gives a town its soul is a sense of its own history incorporated into its public spaces.

Gale Loof

Remember when Malibu Canyon did not go directly through to PCH? The original canyon road wound past Hughes Research and made a sharp left turn at the present-day Pepperdine entrance. It followed Civic Center road down the hill and met PCH at Webb Way. The original frontage road can still be seen parallel to PCH at Webb Way. Only when Pepperdine was built in 1971-72 did the canyon road get cut straight through to PCH.

Maybe that freeway from Cross Creek through the hills to Santa Monica wasn’t such a bad idea, after all?

The new shopping plaza at Trancas, long the site of Trancas Restaurant and other names, was originally a 1940s stop on the way to Oxnard. It went by the initial name of Malibu Trading Post. A big cup of coffee was less than $3.85 and there was no option for caramel.

Check out the Malibu Bay Company proposal for the Civic Center at Ed Niles’ office near Zuma Beach in the plaza that includes Zuma Sushi and Coral Beach Cantina. The buildout of the Civic Center area is inevitable. The primary questions are when will it get built out and what will it look like. It is likely that the longer the city resists the development, the more inconsistent the area will appear, whereas the more accommodating the city, the more cohesive the final result.

I set a goal each year to patronize all 50 or so of Malibu’s restaurants and eateries during the course of the year. Even over two years, I fall short.

Catalina Island is visible only about 75 days a year. Fortunately, almost all of those days will occur in the next six months.

The sheriff’s department is holding free classes on Thursday nights, titled: “Strategic and Legal Darting onto PCH from the Hughes Market to the Left Turn Lane at Webb Way.” A follow-up course, “Malibu Road to Cross Creek Left, Without Slowing,” is planned.

Paradise Cove was once known as Whiskey Gulch. Rumrunners used it as a favorite dropping-off point well before the famous Dume Room was established.

Poor Moonshadows has been in the middle of dozens of road closures over its 25-plus years in business. The longest was in 1979 for about a month. At that time, half the parking lot was declared unusable. Even now, with parking primarily along the PCH, it is still considered one of the most romantic restaurants in all of LA.

The very first coastal road in Malibu did not cross the lagoon where the present bridge is located. Rather, the road passed the pier and turned right into present-day Serra Retreat. The early-century road crossed the creek near where the theater is now, and followed a path that ran straight to the entrance of Malibu Road, crossing through the Colony Plaza site.

Want to go on a terrific seven-mile hike that is almost all downhill and passes a massive landslide? Meet a friend near PCH and Puerco Canyon and leave one car there. Go together to the top of nearby Corral Canyon. At the summit, high in the hills, there is a parking lot that serves as an entry point to the Santa Monica Mountains Backbone Trail. Head east, up the hill, to the left of Corral Canyon. You will see many massive boulders and an arch rock. The views are 360 degrees. Proceed down the mountain across the canyon from the Malibu Bowl collection of hillside homes. Most of the trail is a fire road. You will come to the massive landslide, visible (and once audible) to the homes across the canyon. Detour around it and stay to the right heading down the mountain. You will see stunning Point Dume views before you finish at Puerco Canyon. With stops for rest and photos, it will take about 2-1/2 hours to get down the mountain.

Virtually all of the nursery schools, preschools and daycares in Malibu are full.

This month’s winner of the “Flowers and Landscaping Along the PCH Award” are the Shell station, McDonalds next door and the Colony Plaza. Nothing beautifies the highway as much as flowers, whether it be on residential or commercial property. It is my opinion as a Realtor that every $100 spent on flowers for a home’s landscaping brings back $500 in increased property value. And, you cannot have too many flowers.

I wonder how many cumulative Oscars are owned by the residents on Broad Beach.

Who is Albert Gersh?

The Malibu Museum and Adamson House Tour is a terrific place to learn about some of Malibu’s history. (Some of the gems in this piece were discovered there.) It is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 10-3. Even if you go when it is closed, it is time well spent to walk the beautiful ground between the lagoon and Surfrider Beach.

It takes about a half-hour to drive up Latigo Canyon to where it meets with Kanan. Yes, you can get from PCH to Agoura, using Latigo Canyon Road. You’ll see houses the first 3.5 miles. The last eight miles are pretty darn remote.

A May 1962 special feature in the Los Angeles Times concluded: “Malibu, with 10,000 residents, is as lovely a place to live as you’ll find in the world. When growing pains expressed today through purely local battles are finished and done with, Malibu may have a population of 40,000 or more. And one thing is certain: It will still be a lovely place to live.” (Within the entire postal area, we are only up to about 18,000 in 1998.)

For many of us, living in Malibu is not only a personal choice, it is a personal accomplishment. Malibu residency for thousands of people symbolizes personal success, achievement and dreams come true.

Democracy is not easy, but it is by far the best form of government we have.

Participation in democracy means more than voting, though voting is absolutely vital.

Freedom to discuss, argue, read, listen, write letters, editorials, join groups is also a key element in democracy.

Freedom of speech and freedom of the press we must honor.

Civility is absolutely necessary also, but often neglected, forgotten or lost along the way of trying to “win.” But I value the freedom of expression very highly and thus have personally endured eight years of various anonymous hate mail, phone calls threatening my person and home, and even experienced the sheriff coming to my home to check on my safety due to their receiving calls regarding my safety.

This is a sad commentary on local politics. But let’s remember democracy is the best form of government available; freedom of speech is vital; freedom of advocacy, freedom of voting and responsibility of each one of us is vital to a healthy democracy. And perhaps civility will be learned and honored along the way.

Carolyn Van Horn,

city councilmember

I am writing this letter in response to your injured deer story [The Malibu Times, Oct. 8].

My husband was also at the scene with Ms. Sprafka. He called the Malibu Canyon Wildlife Center for help and their response was, “We don’t respond to deer calls anymore.” This answer prompted me to find another agency who did respond to deer calls. I called the Sepulveda Animal Hosital for help and they referred me to the Wildlife Emergency Way Station (phone 818-899-5201). They were incredible. They were extremely concerned for the animal, they wanted to know if the animal was comfortable and to please have someone stay with the animal until they showed up. They immediately dispatched a vet. The Way Station supervisor called me back to say they were on the way and if anything was to happen to the deer or if another agency showed up to please call them back. Wel1 that’s exactly what happened. Animal Control showed up and euthanized the animal.

I gotta say I love the way the Malibu Wildlife Center director and president are quoted in this story when in truth their agency never bothered to come out, send someone out or even express concern. My husband had the same feelings as Ms. Sprafka of frustration and disgust over the lack of sympathy or action from the various agencies in Malibu. If this does happen to someone else (and we all hope it doesn’t) please call the number above. We found out the hard way.

Ms. Stein

What is wrong with the city of Malibu can be fixed by what is right with the city of Malibu. Problem! I can’t find anything right with the city of Malibu.

Tom Fakehany