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Homicide Detectives investigate death of Malibu Actress Cindyana Santangelo

News

Judy Abel

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March 29, 2025

Homicide Detectives investigate death of Malibu Actress Cindyana Santangelo

Homicide detectives have confirmed an ongoing investigation into the death of mother and actress Cindyana Santangelo. The 58-year-old was found unresponsive on March 24, and transported to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Authorities say it is standard procedure to open an investigation when the cause of death is unknown. Autopsy results are pending, and while unconfirmed reports suggest Santangelo may have recently undergone cosmetic procedures, no official cause has been established.

Santangelo was best known for her role as Sierra Madre in the 1980s sitcom Married… with Children and appeared in multiple music videos. Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell once described her as the “Latin Marilyn Monroe.” Beyond entertainment, Santangelo was dedicated to philanthropy, running an all-women’s sober living facility andsupporting various charitable causes.

Authorities have not released further details as the investigation continues.

Clermont and Thomes named WCC Pair of the Week, Waves go 3-1 in Asics Classic

McKenzie Jackson

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March 29, 2025

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Clermont and Thomes named WCC Pair of the Week, Waves go 3-1 in Asics Classic

Beach volleyball squad chasing a conference championship and NCAA tournament berth

Pepperdine beach volleyball players Kate Clermont and McKenna Thomas won the first set of their matchup against the South Florida Bulls’ Samantha Crosby and Aleksandra Stadnik by 10 points on March 23 at Pepperdine’s beach volleyball courts. The Waves duo then lost the second set 21-19.

The third and final set was a back-and-forth contest knotted at 10-10 when the Bulls took a two-point lead. A smack of the volleyball by Thomas, a 5-foot-10 senior, brought the Waves within a point moments before a Bull slightly tapped the ball over the net and into the sand to take a 14-12 advantage.

Thomas then struck the ball so hard and it rocketed in the direction of Bulls player, who put her hands up quickly in a defensive position. The ball bounced off her forearms and into the sand. However, South Florida was awarded the winning point to close the duel with a 15-13 set win when the Waves served the ball into the net.
The loss gave Thomas and Clermont, the Waves No. 1 position duo, a 2-2 record at the end of the two-day Asics Classic, hosted by Pepperdine. With the two victories, the pair continued their ascent into the top 10 on the Waves individual career list with 75 wins. Pepperdine went 3-1 in the Classic and improved its record to 8-7 heading into the two-day West Coast Conference Midseason Challenge in Santa Cruz.

Clermont, a 6-foot-2 senior, and Thomas were named the WCC Pair of the Week on March 17 due to their 3-0 record in the March 14-15 Malibu Invite.

Clermont said she and Thomas are both composed on the court and have good rhythm heading into this weekend’s conference matches.

“We communicate so well,” she said. “It’s good to get the award and have our hard work pay off but we have a lot more work to do.”

Thomas said she and Clermont know how to support each other through highs and lows during competition.
“Whether that is cheering or talking on the side, we do a good job of balancing each other out and supporting one another,” she said. “Our experience together has helped us stay together when things get tense.”

Clermont said the duo’s chemistry really showed during the Feb. 28 to March 1 Battle 4 L.A. tournament, in which they recorded a tough three-set victory over a Concordia duo before also beating a pair from CSUN in three sets.
“We’ve been challenged with a lot of third sets this season, but we have capitalized on that,” Clermont explained. “We push to the end now. We root for each other.”

Pepperdine head coach Maricio Sicoli said Clermont and Thomas, who are in their third season as a duo, have a great connection.

“That chemistry on the court is important,” he said. “They standout because of that chemistry and all their years of training. They are tops in the country.”

Clermont and Thomas began the Asics on March 22 with a two-set victory over South Florida’s Stadnik and Crosby and a loss to a duo from Concordia. Thomas and Clermont defeated a twosome from Vanguard hours before they fell to South Florida.

Pepperdine defeated South Florida 3-2 and lost to Concordia 4-1 the first day of the Classic. The Waves downed Vanguard 5-0 before beating South Florida 3-2 again the next day.

Waves duo Emi Erickson, a junior, and Deanie Woodruff, a redshirt freshman, lost their first set against Alyx Zapatka and Cornelia Crudu in Pepperdine’s match against South Florida on the last day of the Classic. They then won the second set and the third set. Erickson and Woodruff’s 20-22, 21-14, 15-10 win was the Waves’ first win.

Senior Madison Oriskovich and junior Gabriella Perez also lost their first set but eventually beat Isabella Almeida and Audrey Gauthier (USF) 16-21, 21-19, 15-7 to give the Waves a 2-0 lead.

Freshman Emma Eden and graduate student Ella Foti clinched the duel for Pepperdine with their 21-19, 21-12 defeat of Mia Scheepens and Morgan Anderson.
Waves Emma Bubelis, a redshirt junior, and graduate student Marley Johnson were beaten 12-21, 21-18, 19-17 by Ryann Genest and Sasha Pasloski before Clermont and Thomas were also downed.

Sicoli described the Waves’ play as a roller coaster in clutch moments.

“We saw kids rising up to the occasion and kids showing up, but then a couple hours later it would be the opposite,” he said. “So it was a great learning experience. I want them to believe in each other and be locked in and playing for each other. Hopefully after this weekend, they understand connection with their partner is the most important thing in the game of beach volleyball.”
Pepperdine’s offense, Sicoli said, improved throughout the four games.

“I’m seeing the wheels turning on how to deal with and fix problems on offense,” he explained. “That is what we worked on this week in practice.”

Sicoli, a native of Brazil, coached Canadian beach volleyball players Brandie Wilkerson and Melissa Humana-Paredes to a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The coach noted that last July’s Summer Games seem like a long time ago but he has shared his Olympic experiences with the Waves.

“The players I have been coaching in the Olympics, they started like this,” said Sicoli, who coached Americans Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor to a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics and a bronze medal four years later and noted the Olympic tales can be inspiring. “They were able to do it, these girls can do it. They just have to put in the time.”

The Waves compete in the April 4-5 Big 12 Invitational in Tucson, Arizona, after the WCC Midseason Challenge. The team will host the April 11-12 Waves Tourney and the April 18-19 Pepperdine Dual before the WCC Championships, April 24-25.

Thomas said the Waves are chasing a WCC championship and a NCAA tournament berth.
“We want to compete with the best effort we can,” she said. “Since Kate and I are seniors we are trying to enjoy the moment and compete for one another.”

Pepperdine senior Madison Oriskovich goes for the ball agaisnt South Florida. teammate Gabriella Perez is also pictured. Photo by McKenzie Jackson

Pepperdine junior Gabriella Perez goes for a dig against South Florida. Photo by McKenzie Jackson

Pepperdines Madison Oriskovich goes above the net against South Florida. Photo by McKenzie Jackson

Waves redshirt freshman Deanie Woodruff makes a play against South Florida. Photo by McKenzie Jackson

Waves junior Gabriella Perez smacks the ball for a point againt South Florida. Photo by McKenzie Jackson.

Emma Bubelis left and Marley Johnson went 1 1 on March 22 against Vanguard and South Florida. Photo by McKenzie Jackson

Chaos reigns over debris removal process

Judy Abel

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March 29, 2025

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Chaos reigns over debris removal process

As deadline quickly approaches on debris removal opt-in/opt-out, rules change

With the March 31 deadline fast approaching for homeowners deciding whether to opt in or opt out of the County’s debris removal program through the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), important changes were quietly made to the program that will have major impacts for fire victims. These changes only affect those burned out properties that elected to opt-out and were deferred by EPA in Phase 1.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works officials announced earlier in March that EPA deferred properties could opt out of the USACE debris removal process and immediately commence Phase 1 hazardous household waste (HHW) removal with licensed private contractors authorized to remove such materials. In a major reversal, the county is now mandating that homeowners and their contractors who have opted out must wait for the USACE to remove HHW. This rule change comes after private contractors have already removed HHW from some EPA deferred properties and hascaught homeowners, contractors and even some county officials unaware.

As of this writing, county representatives could not give an estimate as to when Phase 1 debris removal would be complete. They said there appears to be a self-imposed March 31 deadline for property “assessments” by USACE but it was unclear whether those assessments would include HHW removal. Permits for ash debris removal cannot be obtained until USACE clears a property under Phase 1. Property owners who have opted out and signed contracts for private debris removal in hopes of getting debris removed quickly on their own timeline could now be at square one, waiting for the USACE to reach their property. Calls to the USACE debris removal hotline on Monday, March 24, went unanswered, the USACE later confirming that their phone lines were inoperable on this date.

A County Department of Public Works employee who refused to provide his name asserted that while prior guidance was provided, there were “never concrete rules,” and it was “a fluid procedure.” He described the unannounced change to the debris process as “unavoidable” and blamed the problem on area landfills. The unnamed employee stated that overwhelmed waste sites were unable to verify that debris being dumped at their landfills was truly free of hazardous waste, despite licensed contractors with the appropriate certifications so attesting. The DPW employee stated that truckloads of debris were being turned away by private waste management landfills. In an email, a separate unnamed county employee wrote, “Unfortunately, due to the concerns over potentially hazardous loads from fire debris, the landfills have expressed the loads need to be verified as hazard-free from the USACE or EPA. For certainty that the debris from your property will be accepted by these landfills, it is best to wait [sic] for the USACE is [sic] list the property as clear from household waste.”

The only local county-owned landfill, the Calabasas landfill, reportedly gets overloaded with debris and is forced to close by noon daily. County officials who instituted the new debris removal requirements argued that as a result their hands were tied — this after some homeowners opted out and signed expensive contracts with private debris removal contractors, contracts that can easily reach six figures.

The original debris removal permit process rolled out on the EPICLA website stated that debris removal permits could only be obtained after clearance from the EPA, an impossibility if one’s burned property was deferred by the EPA. Then the opt-out forms required the name and signature of a licensed contractor, forcing fire victims electing to opt out intosigning agreements with private contractors before the government-imposed deadline of March 31.

One local hazmat-certified contractor called the surprise change “a county Phase 1 fiasco”: Fire victims are forced by the government to make irrevocable decisions in the face of changing edicts issued by unnamed individuals without public comment, contractor input, or advance notice.

Malibu Rebuild Center opens to ease process

Judy Abel

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March 29, 2025

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Malibu Rebuild Center opens to ease process

Dedicated facility provides support and consolidation of services for residents and business owners facing rebuilding

The daunting process of rebuilding a home or business after Malibu’s recent fires should get easier now that the city has opened the Malibu Rebuild Center that’s sole purpose is to provide valuable resources in one dedicated center.

After opening to the public, an official open house was held March 19 to invite those rebuilding to take advantage of the city’s endeavor to streamline the often confusing and lengthy process of a rebuild.

Before being elected to office, Mayor Pro Tem Marianne Riggins spent 17 years with the building and planning departments. She explained how helpful the dedicated center will be. “Based on lessons learned from Woolsey, staff has incorporated things that worked and built upon those.” As many as 20 people a day have been using the facility just south of City Hall for planning verifications and building plan checklists. Riggins emphasized the Rebuild Center is specifically dedicated to the fire rebuilds, “so you’re going to get specific service to your needs. It’s the focus of the entire team here. So, whether you need planning, public works, talk to one of the geologists or the coastal engineer, ifyou have a beachfront property, they’re all housed in here and have a representative. Even Los Angeles County fireDepartment and Water District 29 will be staffing part-time, so there will be days available for you to meet with county representatives.” Walk-ins are welcome, but Riggins recommends making an appointment if one needs to meet a county representative or if an architectural team is coming in for more “efficient service.”

Fire victim Cheryl Torrey found the center helpful saying, “I found out I can start the process immediately and I don’thave to wait for debris removal to start submitting plans.”

Although City Councilmember Haylynn Conrad did not lose her home, she wanted to learn about the rebuild process and accompanied two women to the center earlier in the week to help ease their concerns.

2025 Malibu Rebuild Open House City of Malibu 20

2025 Malibu Rebuild Open House City of Malibu 8

“They were overwhelmed with the process, but the staff here was amazing,” Conrad said. “They explained the process. I think at a time of technology where we all feel very isolated and disconnected this space is really going to be an integral part to feeling human, right? When you come into the center, I’ve experienced warmth and welcoming. And after that type of event that you went through, it’s really nice because it’s personable.”

“It’s designed to be a one stop center,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. “And one of the things that people realize very quickly, hopefully, is that things are happening concurrently as opposed to sequentially. We’re doing in one visit what might take several visits or several months to get done. Everybody in the center is dedicated to doing just rebuilds. This is not for other development in the city. It’s our resource to help people get back into their homes”

“I would recommend everybody come in: Property owners, come in, talk to staff yourself, find out the process, find out the information,” said Riggins. “Come back multiple times. It is a process that takes people several times of askingquestions. So, don’t be afraid to have repeat turns here so that you find out all your information. And stay involved in the process. Make sure that you’re getting copied and that you are part of the team. This is your house and you need to be part of the team to have the best return and get you back in your home as quickly as possible. We’re set up so we canhelp you, so please come and talk with the staff.”

Having human interaction after the complexity of online forms to fill out was important to Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart who questioned staff about the attitude of people leaving the Rebuild Center. “They said, people walked out with ‘hope and a smile on their face and with a very positive attitude.’ So, hopefully we can replicate that for everybody coming through, but the intention is to try and make people see that there’s a future about rebuilding.”

The Malibu Rebuild Center is located at 23805 Stuart Ranch Road, Suite 240. Center hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Appointments encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome.

To make an appointment email MalibuRecovers@MalibuCity.org or call (310) 456-2489, ext. 400

For more information, visit MalibuRebuilds.org

2025 Malibu Rebuild Open House City of Malibu 42 — Photos courtesy of City of Malibu

2025 Malibu Rebuild Open House City of Malibu 29 — Photos courtesy of City of Malibu

Malibu Leaders Urge Public to Support Local Businesses After Wildfires: Press Conference Friday at the Malibu Pier at 4 p.m.

The Malibu Times

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March 28, 2025

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Malibu Leaders Urge Public to Support Local Businesses After Wildfires: Press Conference Friday at the Malibu Pier at 4 p.m.

In a united effort to revitalize the local economy, Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks), Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart, and the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce are inviting the public to visit Malibu and support its businesses. The event will take place at Malibu Pier Friday, March 28, at 4:00 p.m.

Malibu has faced devastating wildfires in recent years, including the Woolsey Fire in 2018, the Franklin Fire in late 2024, and the catastrophic Palisades Fire in January 2025, which resulted in the most significant structure loss in the city’s history. Road closures, including Pacific Coast Highway, have further strained local businesses, prompting leaders to reassure the public that Malibu is “Open for Business.”

“As your representative at the State level, I am committed to providing whatever support my office can offer,” said Assemblymember Irwin. “The business community has stood beside area residents through countless tragedies, and now it is time for all of us to stand up and support them.”

Joining Irwin and Mayor Stewart at the event will be Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce CEO Barbara Bruderlin and local business owners. Residents and visitors are encouraged to attend and show their support for Malibu’s resilient business community.

Agoura Animal Shelter Pet of the Week, Meet Trudy: Thursday, March 27

Pet of the Week

The Malibu Times

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March 27, 2025

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Agoura Animal Shelter Pet of the Week, Meet Trudy: Thursday, March 27

Trudy A5638063 is a two year old social and affectionate dog who greets people with soft body language and enjoys gentle play. She interacts well with other dogs, exchanging friendly greetings and engaging in dainty play. She also seeks affection and enjoys exploring her surroundings. Trudy is recommended for a home without other dogs.

Care Center Hours:
Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm
Closed* on Sunday and holidays

29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301
agoura@animalcare.lacounty.gov

Waves triumph at UTR Sports Collegiate Championships

Sports

McKenzie Jackson

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March 23, 2025

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Waves triumph at UTR Sports Collegiate Championships

Pepperdine men’s tennis defeats Princeton 4-2 in final match

The Pepperdine men’s tennis team finished the three-day UTR Sports Collegiate Championships with a victory on March 16.

The Waves, ranked 28th nationally, beat the 26th-ranked Princeton Tigers 4-2 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden in Indian Wells.

Sophomore Edward Winter and freshmen Lasse Poertner and David Fix swung their rackets to singles wins for Pepperdine, and Aleska Pisaric, also a freshman, secured the victory for his team.

Princeton secured the doubles point thanks to Filippos Astreinidis and Paul Inchausp’s 7-6 (3) win over Edward Winter and Hugh Winter and Top Nidunjianzan and Ellis Short’s 6-3 victory over Linus Carlsson Halldin and Maxi Homberg.

The freshmen led the way for the Waves in singles play, though, as four won their first sets.

Winter, ranked 69th in singles, gained a lead over Inchauspe at the top line and won the first set 6-1. Winter had a 4-1 lead in the second set when Inchauspe retired because of an injury. That tied the match at 1-1.

The Tigers’ Nidunjianzan beat Homberg 6-0, 6-0 to put Princeton up 2-1.

Poertner then beat Ellis Short. The Wave won the first set 6-0. Poertner trailed 2-1 in the third game of the second set before he broke back in the fourth game to put the match back on serve. He then won four straight games before breaking for the 6-2 win.

Fix won the first set but lost the second set to Aleksandar Mitric. In the third set, the Pepperdine player had a double-break lead before breaking Mitric to garner a 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 win.

Pisaric lost the first set to Evan Wen but stormed back with powerful serves and athletic play to win the second set. The Waves player fell behind in the third set but fought off a break point to bring up deciding point.

Pisaric made his first serve and charged to the net to hit a backhand slice, hit the brakes, then backpedaled for an overhead winner. Pisaric won the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

The Waves lost to Baylor 3-4 on the first day of the championships.

Pepperdine has a 10-6 record heading into their home match against Columbia on Thursday at 7 p.m. The Waves play at Santa Clara on March 30.

Pepperdine began their season with a loss to UC Irvine on Jan. 18. The squad downed UT Arlington a few days later before a loss to Mississippi State. The Waves then recorded wins over LSU, LMU, Texas A&M, and Arizona State. Pepperdine lost to Arizona and USC prior to beating UCLA and losing to TCU. Pepperdine beat Rice, Vanderbilt, and Middle Tennessee ahead of playing in Indian Wells.

Future Shock Part One: Kevin Keegan on applying AI to Malibu city government

People

Benjamin Marcus

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March 23, 2025

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Future Shock Part One: Kevin Keegan on applying AI to Malibu city government

If Malibu had a Tech Czar — and maybe it should, and it’s kinda weird that it doesn’t — Kevin Keegan’s experience would make him a good choice.

Keegan has about two decades of experience as a management and technology consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton, Oracle, and other organizations and universities. In Malibu, Keegan was recently appointed to the Public Works Commission, serves as president of the Malibu PTSA, leads the Malibu Schools Safety and AI Study committees, and was co-chair of the “Yes on Measure MM” campaign.

It is strange that a small, prosperous, 21st Century California town that is home — or second home — to some of the brightest tech minds in the world should be cursed with obfuscation and constipation in many of the civic chores — planning and permitting being topmost in everyone’s minds after the Three Firestorms of 2024/2025. It made me wonder if AI or other emerging technologies might help Malibu and its residents save time and money during the Malibu Rebuilds process?

Keegan’s experience inspired thoughts on all of this. Here is Part One of Two and maybe Three parts.

I asked Chat GPT: “When did Deep Blue make Kasparov say ‘uh oh’ in a chess match?”

Chat GPT responded, without bias: “Garry Kasparov reportedly said ‘Uh oh’ during Game 1 of his 1997 rematch against IBM’s Deep Blue on May 3, 1997.”

The moment happened when Deep Blue played a bishop retreat that surprised Kasparov. He expected a more human-like, aggressive move but was startled by the machine’s positional understanding. This marked a turning point, showing that Deep Blue was capable of playing in a way that even top grandmasters found unsettling.

I’ve written like 30-plus books and the only way I could have done that is using search engines like Google and encyclopedia pages like Wikipedia. And now Chat GPT, which sometimes makes me say “uh oh!” because there is a personality with a sense of humor in all that code.

But it also makes me say “Doh!” sometimes and not trust it. Like the time I asked Chat GPT who Riley Hawk’smother was, and I got a HAL 9000 answer: Stacy Peralta. Wrong!

Stanley Kubrick’s imagination and his fictional character HAL do not seem abstract today. With your reference to an AI personality as a starting point, it is important for Malibu residents to understand examples of the types of AI. You are referring to one tool (ChatGPT) which is one type of AI called Generative AI. GenAI has different capabilities thanMultimodal AI, Agentic AI, or Sensory AI, as a few examples, and each type of AI has different tools.

In 1964, Bob Dylan sang “The Times They Are a-Changin’” and his song’s lyrics resonate even more deeply today. AI is impacting every industry: entertainment, real estate, health care, travel, finance, retail, construction … you name it, AI is influencing or transforming the industry.

With that in mind, when I agreed to take over as president of the Malibu Parent-Teacher-Student Association (Malibu PTSA), I made two issues my leadership priorities: safety and technology. The reason is many parents “feel” like we’re“living in the wild, wild west” as it relates to school safety and technology use in schools. I decided to address them head on.

How do you mean, “the wild wild west?” That smartphones are distracting and the internet and AI take away the need for people to think?

I mean, parents have “felt” too little has been invested to address serious safety risks on campuses and that the negativeeffects of smartphone overuse and addiction were not addressed early or robustly enough.

For technology, the biggest school challenges have been (1) cellphones and (2) AI in education. In November, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) approved a TK-to-eighth-grade cellphone policy and that was partly due to a lot of behind-the-scenes work by the Malibu PTSA and a dedicated group of Malibu teachers and parents. The previous “Electronics Use” policy was outdated, unrealistic due to the saturation of smartphone ownership, and put the enforcement onus on teachers without clear guidelines and rules.

In my opinion, more work needs to be done to deliver a high school policy and to help administrators and teachers enforce the new policy effectively. The SMMUSD Board of Education’s affirmative vote in November was a majortechnology milestone for Malibu schools.

As for AI in education, I began working on this in Malibu in the summer of 2023: listening, observing, and asking questions. At the time, ChatGPT was getting a lot of buzz and there were concerns about plagiarism.

Guilty, I just know how to cover my tracks.

In 2023, I spoke with our principals, teachers, superintendent, Board of Education, PTA Council, and the CA State PTA and asked: “What are Malibu Schools doing regarding AI?” By the end of 2023, the general answer was, “Nothing yet,” followed by, “Do whatever you can.”

I adopted my management-and-technology consulting mindset to find a solution. We blazed a path that (a) allowed Malibu to focus on AI in our schools and (b) provide leadership in partnership with our school district and the CA State PTA. From that came the Malibu Schools AI Study Committee. We then got to work.

In one year, our AI Study Committee has accomplished: (1) delivery of a survey report, (2) delivery of AI lesson plans to MHS and MMS teachers, (3) partnership with the SMMUSD AI Task Force, and (4) submission of an “AI in Education Resolution” to the CA State PTA.

Since 2024, I have been lobbying the City of Malibu and PaliBu Chamber of Commerce to launch a Malibu AI Task Force that mirrors the committee’s work — bringing a group of committed professionals together, focusing on AI as it relates to Malibu’s vision and mission, and developing programs or solutions to help move our local government and businesses forward.

That’s the context which inspired this question at the March 10 City Council regular meeting, which caught my attention: “Is the City of Malibu beginning to adopt government-appropriate AI tools?” A recent example is Open AI released ChatGPT Gov for government agencies. According to Open AI, it has “internal safety protocols.” Whether that is a useful AI tool for the City of Malibu is to be determined. The point is simply, it should be under consideration.

Robots are here. Driverless cars are here. Flying taxis are being tested out. If you do not believe those statements, spend a couple of hours in Santa Monica. You are likely to walk past a Coco delivery box that will remind you of a less-fashionable R2D2 smoothly traveling the sidewalks and crosswalks. Also, you’ll notice WayMo cars decorated with cameras and sensors and empty driver’s seats navigating the roads successfully.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a WayMo or any driverless car in Malibu. Wonder why.

Malibu’s next city manager must bring a technology mindset and be willing to lead on these challenging issues. Technology solutions can support Malibu’s vision and mission statements. If Malibu does not become more strategic in its use and application of technology solutions, it will decrease the quality of life for residents, have a negative impact on the city’s infrastructure, hurt businesses and the local economy, and, at some point, make Malibu a less attractive destination for visitors and tourists and for residents and the community.

Haylynn Conrad said there is a $22 million library fund just sitting there. How about a tech library: No books, just the latest computers and tech to give everyone an equal chance to grasp the future. Those libraries exist in other places: Omaha, San Antonio, Austin. Have you ever seen a tech library and would it work here? I think people would come to Malibu just to use the New Hotness.

The Malibu Technology Library is a great idea. It could educate residents, enlighten the community, attract visitors, and engage students. My recommendation is that it be designed on a small scale to start. For example, use an empty retail space next to Kith…

Put it in Cross Creek Ranch? They have space and it would be a draw. Good idea. I think.

…invite private companies to partner, give each of them each one month to display and teach about their chosen technologies, which could include augmented reality, drones, robots, etc. The first year could focus on housing and highway technologies. Our library could manage a rotating collection of technology-focused books in that space. Malibu Village Books could be a sponsor. Our local universities and (hopefully) schools could partner, too, offering regular lessons or workshops along with a monthly lecture for residents by invited experts and authors to inform Malibu residents about emerging technologies, answer questions, and provide demonstrations.

People will come.

The absence of a technology mindset creates risks. For example, imagine the new Malibu High School Building opens and then we do not have reliable high-speed internet connectivity on the campus, including when the power goes out, or imagine we rebuild a neighborhood and then we do not have guaranteed communication capabilities in the event of an emergency. Those solutions are technology-related, can likely be enhanced by incorporating AI tools, and would support (not hinder) Malibu’s vision and mission statements.

The Kasparov chess example is an interesting Man vs. AI example, but better examples today are Human + AI examples like a teenager with cerebral palsy using a smart assistant device with AI-enabled voice-control capabilities who can now “talk” and play music or an AI “companion” device for senior citizens that can give them reminders to take medication and drink water, host calls with family and friends, answer their questions, and more.

Stay tuned for Future Shock Part Two in which Kevin Keegan describes the practicalities of a Malibu App and use cases we can apply to our Malibu Rebuilds effort.

Burt’s Eye View: The Big C

Burt's Eye View

Burt Ross

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March 23, 2025

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I have the Big C. Unfortunately, I do not belong to some exclusive club, to say the least. It seems like about half the people I know currently have or have survived the Big C.

My urologist diagnosed me with prostate cancer back in December. He said I have a small malignancy in a very enlarged prostate. I guess that’s considerably preferable to having an enlarged malignancy in a small prostate.

My doctor told me that I was going to live. The way he said it was one sentence too long, “You will not die from prostate cancer. You will die from something else.” He could have just stopped with, “You will not die from prostate cancer,” but for some reason had to add the gratuitous sentence, “You will die from something else.” I could have figured that part out all on my own.

The medical establishment is treating me with a combination of radiation and hormonal therapy. As I understand it, I will become radiant, and finally get in touch with my feminine side after all these years as exclusively male. I might even get hot flashes, which naturally reminds me of when my Mom was going through her “change of life.”

Dad would be driving our Dodge with Mom in the passenger seat and me in the back of the car. Back in the 1950s, cars did not have push button windows. You manually rolled the windows down or up. The conversation went something like this, “Dave, it’s hot. Please roll down your window so we can get some air in here.” About two minutes later, “Dave, it’s getting pretty cold in here. Please shut the window.” Mom alternated the requests every few minutes ultimately deleting the word “please.”

Dad was accommodating at first and then grew increasingly impatient. “Rose, I keep doing what you want. Make up your mind. I don’t understand what’s going on.” Well, if I actually do get hot flashes, I will be able to understand what my Dad never did.

The question one might ask is whether there is anything positive about my getting the Big C. You bet there is. I not only intend to play the cancer card, but if you were to see my hand, you would notice I have five cancer cards, which should beat a straight flush every time.

I can only imagine that were I to get stopped by a police officer, invited to a function I don’t wish to attend, asked by my bride to take out the garbage, my response would always be the same, “I have cancer.” I realize that avoiding my responsibility has nothing to do with my having cancer, but a man can always try.

Waves dominate Malibu invite, go undefeated on home sand

Sports

McKenzie Jackson

-

March 22, 2025

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Waves dominate Malibu invite, go undefeated on home sand

The Pepperdine beach volleyball team swept the competition at the two-day Malibu Invite

The Pepperdine beach volleyball team went undefeated in the two-day Malibu Invite last weekend on the beach volleyball court on Pepperdine’s campus.

The Waves downed Morehead State 5-0 and Sacramento State 3-2 on March 14 before defeating UTEP 5-0 the next day.

The Waves tandem of junior Gabriella Perez and senior Madison Oriskovich defeated Morehead State’s M.E. Hargan and Avery Ray 21-12, 21-15 to give Pepperdine a 1-0 lead. Waves Emi Erickson, a junior and redshirt freshman Deanie Woodruff, lost their first set 21-18 but then rallied to win the next two matches 22-20, 15-12.

Seniors McKenna Thomas and Kate Clermont gave Pepperdine a 3-0 lead by beating Irene Wogenstahl and Bella Marita 21-14, 21-14. Waves freshman Emma Eden and graduate student Ella Foti defeated Sarah Heath and Peighton Isley 21-15, 21-9, and then sophomore Bella Avelar and redshirt junior Emma Bubelis downed Hollan Everett and Courtney Fitzgerald 21-17, 19-21, 15-12 to claim the win for Pepperdine.

Erickson and Woodruff beat Victoria Marthaler and Mia Guevara 21-18, 21-18 to put the Waves up 1-0 over Sacramento State. Oriskovich and Perez beat Ashlynn Archer and Ellie Tisko 21-17 in the first set, but then Archer and Tisko won the next two sets 21-19, 15-12 to tie the scorer 1-1. Pepperdine’s Foti and Eden defeated Karlie Spohn and Greta Davis 21-12, 21-15 to give Pepperdine a 2-1 lead. Avelar and Buelis then fell to Sacramento State’s Savannah Risley and Kate Doorn 21-16, 21-15.

Clermont and Thomas, playing in the No. 1 slot, split the first two sets with Caitlin Volkmann and Bridgette Smith 21-17, 21-18. Thomas and Clermont snagged a 3-1 lead in the last set and never trailed. The Waves twosome won the match 15-10 to give Pepperdine another win on the first day of the Invite.

Perez and Oriskovich won their opening set over UTEP’s Madison Hill and Ema Uskovic 21-11. The Pepperdine duo were down 16-15 in the second set but then went on a 6-0 run to grab a 21-16 win and give the Waves a 1-0 lead.

Bubelis and graduate student Marley Johnson won their first set over Averie Threet and Kennedy Llewllyn 21-15. The Waves lost the second set 21-14 before winning the third set 15-12. Erickson and Woodruff gave Pepperdine a 3-0 lead with wins of 21-19, 21-13 over Emma Schubert and Lauren Perry.

Eden and Foti defeated Marian Ovalle and Mila Popovic 21-12, 21-12 to give Pepperdine a 4-0 lead. Clermont and Thomas lost their first set 21-12 against Krista Paegle and Paulina Acuna; the Waves won the tough second set 22-20 and then the third set 15-12. The victory cemented the win for Pepperdine and was the 75th career individual win for Thomas and Clermont.

The Waves have a 5-6 record heading into their matchup against South Florida on Friday at 9 a.m. on the opening day of the Asics Classic at Pepperdine. The Waves play Concordia at 1 p.m. Pepperdine plays Vanguard at 9 a.m. on Saturday and plays South Florida again at 1 p.m.

Pepperdine opened their season with a 5-0 win over Vanguard on Feb. 21. The Waves lost six straight matches before beating CSUN 3-2 on March 1.