Local restaurant takes pride in helping veterans and supporting the Malibu community 

Duke’s Malibu, one of the city’s most popular restaurants, took part in a meaningful initiative during the week of Sept. 11 to support veterans by raising funds for the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). This fundraising campaign, which spanned across five California restaurants in the Duke’s group, not only raised significant awareness but also provided much-needed funds for veterans requiring special care and rehabilitation.

“This is an initiative we’re doing throughout our five California restaurants this week in honor of the anniversary of 9/11,” said Jimmy Chavez, the manager of Duke’s Malibu. From Sept. 9-15, the restaurant chain encouraged guests to donate to the Wounded Warrior Project online. As part of the promotion, Duke’s offered to deduct any guest’s online donation amount, up to $50, from their dining bill. Guests simply had to show their servers proof of the online donation, and the bill was adjusted accordingly.

The promotion was primarily communicated through Duke’s email blasts and social media platforms, reaching regular customers. “Other customers heard through word of mouth and our own fan base,” Chavez mentioned. The campaign saw early success, with several thousand dollars raised in the first three days alone. Friday, Sept. 13, proved particularlyfruitful, with over $2,000 in contributions. This is typically one of Duke’s busiest days, attracting both visitors and locals to its scenic oceanside location.

One of the key moments of the week occurred on that Friday when two representatives from the Wounded Warrior Project visited Duke’s to make a presentation to the employees. Chavez described the event as “inspirational,” noting that one of the presenters was a former Marine who had served three tours in Iraq and sustained injuries in combat. “It was cool to see the history of the foundation, how the funds are distributed, and hear stories from a veteran. It was very moving for the crew,” he added.

Duke’s Malibu aimed to raise $10,000 by the end of the weekend. Chavez was optimistic that by Saturday and Sunday,the restaurant would hit its goal, citing strong community support.

This marks the second consecutive year that Duke’s has partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project. The restaurant chain considered various organizations to support, and after a vote across all California locations, WWP was chosen. Founded in 2003, the Wounded Warrior Project initially provided care and comfort items to injured service members returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Over the years, the nonprofit has expanded to offer mental health counseling, long-term rehabilitative care, and advocacy for veterans. Chavez noted, “The cause resonated with all the different employees and everyone in all the California restaurants, and that’s why we chose Wounded Warriors.” Along with Duke’s Malibu, locations in La Jolla and Huntington Beach also participated in the campaign.

Employing 130 people, Duke’s Malibu is one of the largest employers in the city. Chavez emphasized the importance of hiring local workers. “Local kids have always been ideal because the commute is one of the biggest challenges to get anyone to work in Malibu,” he said, noting that many of the staff include Pepperdine University students as well asindividuals who grew up in Malibu.

Duke’s Malibu is well-known for its community involvement and charitable efforts. The restaurant just participated in the 2024 Malibu Boys & Girls Club’s annual Chili Cook-Off, raising $5,000 for the organization through the sale of its award-winning chili. Duke’s won second place in the vegan category this year with a history of success in the event, winning first place in that category in 2023 and taking first prize in the meat chili contest in 2022. “They’re one of our favorites,” Chavez said of the Malibu Boys & Girls Club.

Alongside its young staff members, Duke’s also boasts an iconic figure in the surfing world and in pop culture: Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman, known as the original “Gidget.” Zuckerman, who has served as Duke’s Ambassador of Aloha for two decades, attended the WWP presentation and praised the restaurant’s commitment to helping others. “Duke’s is always there for any situation to help out. It’s a real sense of community that wishes to help,” she commented.

By Michel Shane

Malibu, a California beach town with just 10,000 residents, ranks among the top 25 cities in the United States for per capita road fatalities. This fact is not just shocking but outrageous. 

The tolerance of such carnage on its roads by a town with such resources in a nation as wealthy as America is a scandal that demands immediate action. The people of Malibu have every right to be enraged. Yet, for too long, the community has expected others to effect the necessary change. However, change will only come when the people of Malibu take ownership of demanding and creating that change. The dangerous conditions on our roads are not someone else’s problem. They are our problem. We must demand and make the change we want to see and do it now. 

The other glaring fact is that Malibu needs to control its destination. The city must answer to so many government bodies that it is notable that anything gets done. This lack of control over its destiny is a scandal, hindering the city’s ability to implement necessary safety measures and improvements.

How can a society that prides itself on its values of life and safety allow such a tragedy to continue? The roads of Malibu are a ticking time bomb. While Caltrans is developing a master plan, the question remains: How many lives will be lost before these improvements are implemented? Tourist traffic creates congestion, and the roads become even more treacherous at night due to speeding and reckless driving. Speed cameras are a positive step, but how many lives will be lost before they are installed and operational?

The consequences of inaction are devastating. In recent years, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers have been killed in crashes along PCH. The outrage in Malibu is not just about the past but also the present and future. It concerns the fundamental failure of the government to protect its most basic obligation: the safety of its citizens. This sentiment highlights the sense of urgency required to address this crisis. It emphasizes the need for immediate, tangible action to prevent further loss of life. 

The Biden Administration’s National Roadway Safety Strategy, spearheaded by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, backed by $800 million in funding, offers a chance for redemption. If implemented effectively, this strategy could significantly improve road safety in cities like Malibu by providing the necessary funding and support for crucial safety programs and infrastructure improvements. For this initiative to establish credibility, it must begin by acknowledging the scandal of road fatalities in cities like Malibu and prioritizing their transformation. This involves funding and providing technical assistance and support to help smaller towns like Malibu implement effective safety programs. 

Solutions exist to make Malibu’s roads safer. Increased enforcement and public awareness campaigns can combat reckless driving. Educating our young to create change is the key. These data-driven approaches can identify hotspots and guide interventions. The community of Malibu must demand that these solutions be implemented with the utmost urgency, and all need to participate. 

However, more than policies and funding, what is needed is a fundamental shift in how road safety is approached. It requires recognizing that every life lost is a preventable tragedy, a tragedy that we, as a community, can and must prevent. It requires outrage at the status quo and a commitment to change. It requires making the safety of roads like those in Malibu a non-negotiable priority. It requires the community to organize, advocate, and demand action from its leaders. All the people of Malibu must demand action. It is time for the government at all levels to heed their call and take immediate responsibility for the safety of its citizens. It is time for the community to realize that change will only come when they demand it.

Buttigieg’s strategy and the funding behind it offer a chance to create the safe and just transportation system that every community deserves. But for this effort to have any meaning, it must start by addressing the specific scandals of road safety in Malibu, such as the high per capita road fatalities and the delayed implementation of safety measures. The lives lost on Malibu’s roads are a tragic reminder of the stakes. It is time to turn outrage into action. When will the people of Malibu turn the complaints into action and finally demand the change they deserve? The time for action is now. 

With that in mind, I realize that by writing this column every other week, I am no different than those who complain or write on social media. That must change how I create and do not. 

Last week, I decided to take action. I complained we were all siloed working individuals, and this, to me, was my calling. Not that anyone has asked me, but I have always seen an issue and dived in. I am going to organize all the different silos so that we have one voice; there is strength in the passion that everyone displays, and not being a government organization, we can move in between the spaces to create a public/private nonprofit. Using our nonprofit, The Emily Shane Foundation, as the private and aligning with a public nonprofit whether it be the city or a school wethen open a whole source of funding where we can look at issues and see what, accelerate our educational mission and bring on people that have the same passion and make the changes. 

 Stay tuned for concrete ideas.  The lives of all of us who travel PCH depend on it. Each one of us has a role to play in this collective effort.  If we work together, we can make the change. Our actions, no matter how small, can significantly improve road safety in Malibu.

You can reach me at 21milesinmalibu.com

Residents spend a day learning safety tips and how to prepare for natural disasters

The City of Malibu hosted the annual Safety and Preparedness Fair at the City Hall parking lot Sunday, Sept. 15. 

The free event was organized by Malibu’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and featured safety training, an earthquake simulator, a fire extinguisher course, and other safety tips from first responders and volunteer groups.

CERT Leader Richard Garvey said it’s important to host these fairs for Malibu residents because the city is isolated compared to Los Angeles.

“Disasters happen and if it’s a localized disaster, we’re cut off from much of the rest of LA,” Garvey said. “We have to be able to maintain our own resources to some degree and take care of ourselves because help is not necessarily going to be there as quickly as if you’re in the middle of West LA or something like that.” 

In addition to CERT and the City of Malibu; LA County Fire Department, LA County Sheriff’s Department, Arson Watch, Volunteers on Patrol, California Highway Patrol, LA County Fire Forestry, Malibu Search & Rescue, SoCal Edison, Community Brigades, American Red Cross and many more set up tents and booths to provide residents with life-saving tips in the events of disasters. 

“The first time you want to learn those things and learn who those people are, is not when you’re in the middle of a disaster,” Garvey said. “You want to get an idea of what the resources are, who can help you, what’s going to happen.” 

 Safe-T-Proof brought their earthquake simulator machine that people could sit in and it would shake, preparing residents for the intensity of a quake. 

“It’s to show and get people ready to see what an earthquake feels like of that magnitude,” Seismic Specialist Robert Risick said. “But it’s not going to feel exactly like the earthquake when it happens, but it’s as close as we can get without one in the real world.” 

At the back of the parking lot, CERT were training kids and adults on what to do if there’s a fire. A simulated fire was lit and people were taught how to aim and squeeze a fire extinguisher.   

The children participated by learning how to ride a bike safely on streets and how to read a stoplight, sitting on the LASD and CHP motorcycles, looking around the cabin of the fire trucks, learning how to operate a tow truck andscaling a rock climbing wall. 

Lia Calica traveled from Camarillo to attend because she wanted more information about earthquake preparedness. 

Calica said she loved that every vendor spent time with her explaining what to do in different types of disasters and loved that there was stuff for the kids as well.  

Guests enjoyed double-doubles, chips and soda from In-N-Out’s truck and dessert from Tikiz Shaved Ice truck. 

Garvey said this year’s fair had the highest attendance numbers in years and hopes that event-goers learned tips on how to prepare for any and all emergencies. 

“We hope that everybody comes away from here knowing a little bit more about how to defend themselves or take care of themselves or protect themselves or keep themselves and their families safe during a disaster,” Garvey said. 

Malibu residents who are interested in further preparedness training from CERT can sign up for classes at https://www.malibucity.org/226/CERT. 

Ceremonial/Presentations: 

1. None.

Previously Discussed Items:

1. None.

New Items: 

1. Receive and File Notice of Intention to Amend the Conflict of Interest Code
2. Resolution Extending the Declaration of the Existence of a Local Emergency Regarding
3. Conditions on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)
4. Malibu Arts Association Art Show Fee Waiver
5. Award Bluffs Park Roof Replacement Project
6. Agreement for Annual Routine Street Maintenance Services
7. Agreement for Citywide Tree Maintenance Services
8. Agreement for Annual Street Sweeping Services
9. Professional Services Agreement for PCH Median Improvements – Paradise Cove and
10. Zuma Beach
11. Los Angeles County Measure R Transportation Funding Agreement Amendment
12. Amendment to Professional Services Agreement with Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc

Ordinances and Public Hearings:

1. Adoption of Housing Element and Code Amendments

Old Business:

1. None.

New Business: 

1. None.

Council Items:

1. None.

To view the full City Council Agenda, visit malibucity.org/virtualmeetings.

Heal the Bay mobilizes thousands of volunteers for its 35th annual Coastal Cleanup Day at more than 60 sites throughout Los Angeles County. Since 1985, 1.6 million volunteers have removed 26 million pounds of trash from California’s beaches and inland waterways. Among the unusual items found by Heal the Bay volunteers in past years: a white wedding dress, a pumpkin full of hardboiled eggs, a $100 bill torn in half and a World War II-era gas mask. 

Cleanups will be held at a variety of locations, including beach, inland (river/lake), restoration, kayak, paddle-boarding and SCUBA dive sites. Participants can visit the site map to find a convenient location and to see the different types of cleanups.  

Cleanups are a last line of defense to prevent trash from causing harm to our oceans, wildlife communities and even beach-goers. Plastic pollution continues to proliferate, with scientists estimating there may be more plastic in the sea than fish by mass in 2050. Volunteers can’t stop all the trash from entering the ocean and inland waterways, but every piece counts.

Participants will learn about the harms of plastic pollution and get tips on how to take preventative community action throughout the year. Volunteers leave with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction in taking direct action to protect what they love.

People from all backgrounds volunteer for Coastal Cleanup Day — families, schools, faith-based organizations, businesses, sports teams, clubs, and just everyday ocean lovers. There is no need for any advance training or equipment. Heal the Bay captains provide instructions, safety talks, and supplies. Volunteers under 18 must have a waiver signed by a legal guardian. Children 13 and younger must be supervised by an adult at the event. 

Volunteers can sign up at Heal the Bay’s registration page. Participants must also sign a waiver and keep their email confirmation to facilitate day-of check-in.

Negotiators for Santa Monica and Malibu have finally agreed on a schools separation agreement that will ultimately bring a stand-alone Malibu Unified School District to fruition. After summer negotiations broke down, the City of Malibu and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District agreed to hammer out a final proposal that will be up for public review next month. 

The two sides announced Sept. 12 that their respective subcommittees agreed to terms on three key elements: a revenue sharing agreement, an operational transfer agreement, and a joint powers agreement. The City of Malibu and the SMMUSD Board of Education are expected to approve the latest package, which will then move on to the Los Angeles County Office of Education County Committee on School District Organization for a public hearing. 

Any shortfalls in educational costs to Santa Monica District students would be made up by property tax revenue from Malibu. According to financial modeling, revenue sharing could be finished by 2041 or even earlier if Santa Monicarevenue growth exceeds target numbers. 

In a statement Sept. 12, Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart said, “This marks a crucial step forward for Malibu as we move closer to creating an independent school district that reflects the unique needs and values of our community. The separation package is a result of a collaborative effort aimed at ensuring both Malibu and Santa Monica students receive an exceptional education. I want to extend my gratitude to the members of the subcommittee, whose hard work and dedication have been essential to reaching this point.”