Malibu Rebuild Task Force offers roadmap and hope for fire survivors
At a community-led session, experts share practical strategies, insights, and support
It’s a daunting task to rebuild your home after a wildfire, but, fortunately, there are many experts in Malibu to guide you in the right direction. The Malibu Rebuild Task Force (MRTF) held a community-led information session where experts presented an initial roadmap for those in Malibu facing the overwhelming challenge of how to begin.
Moderated by Malibu’s Abe Roy, an experienced contractor now serving as Malibu’s newly appointed rebuild ambassador, the session was presented after thoughtful brainstorming from stakeholders on a mission to rebuild the community safely and as quickly as possible.
Leading the discussion was local architect Luis Tena who presented a comprehensive 70page slide-show road map to the rebuild process. Tena mentioned an allowance for rebuilds that comes up frequently — like for like plus 10%. Yes, rebuilds are allowed 10% more square footage;
Malibu
West
brings back beloved brush clearing goats for its 4th annual ‘Goat Festival’
Young boy killed when massive tree limb snaps at King Gillette
Ranch
Nearly 400 goats grazed 16 acres to reduce wildfire risk and unite the community Park closed indefinitely as investigation ensues
For the fourth year in a row, Malibu West, a close-knit community of 238 residences, has hired a herd of goats to graze through brush and foliage that otherwise would provide fuel for dangerous wildfires. Malibu West
Inside the costly and complex process of smoke remediation after wildfires
One family’s struggle to save their smoke-damaged
By JUDY
On a quiet, well-manicured street in Altadena stands the home of Dave and Kelsey Szamet. Their Spanish Mediterranean house stands stately amidst surrounding verdant vegetation. But the inside of the architectural structure belies a serious health threat. While the interior of the
tore west from here. It’s miraculous that our home
homeowners are understandably incredibly concerned about brush clearance, structure protection, and possible loss of, or damage to, the habitat, and the animals, fish, and plants that live side-by-side with the neighborhood. So, led by the Malibu West Fire Safe Council, which residents formed in 2022 to do all they can to prevent wildfires, the community hires goats annually to graze throughout the neighborhood.
“We hosted almost 400 goats this year! They grazed through more than 16 acres and they were grazing at Malibu West for a little more
than two weeks,” Tim Biglow, president of the Malibu West Swimming Club Homeowners Association and Fire Safe Council member, said proudly. “Everybody loves the goats!” Mikke Pierson, who also serves on the council, noted that having the goats grazing every year “is a very big deal in the neighborhood and hosting them has been an annual tradition.”
For the most part, the goats cheerfully transition from one area of Malibu West to another, Pierson commented, noting that
New director leads Malibu’s rebuild effort
Yolanda Bundy oversees city’s new Rebuild Center, offering permit help and tech-driven support
BY BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
As many homeowners and some businesses rebuild after the Palisades Fire, Yolanda Bundy, the director of the newly established Community Development Department, oversees the Malibu Rebuild Center, which offers in-person and online support for those apply-
ing for building permits, including assisting with such matters as arranging geotechnical, biological and other assessments, dealing with foundations and seawalls and installing septic systems, solar panels and energy storage systems, and many other matters that have to be addressed to rebuild.
The fire destroyed 720 structures in Malibu, and many others were damaged. Clearly, the task of rebuilding is enormous, and the city of Malibu is doing all it can to help those rebuilding, Bundy assures.
This is not Bundy’s first rodeo. She brings nearly 20
An 8-year-old boy is dead and four others injured after a massive oak tree branch unexpectedly snapped and fell on a group of children and adults at a summer camp held at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.
The tragedy occurred on July 9 around 2:45 p.m. at Camp Wildcraft, which had temporarily relocated to the 500-acre park this summer due to damage from the Palisades Fire. The large branch, estimated to be 25 to 30 feet long, broke off from a towering oak tree and came crashing down on picnic tables where campers had gathered right before parent pick-ups. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that five individuals were injured in the incident. In addition to the young boy, who later died at a hospital, an 11-year-old girl suffered a broken leg and was airlifted from the scene. A 5-year-old boy sustained head lacerations, while two men
MALIBU’S AWARD WINNING NEWSPAPER SINCE 1946
Goats grazing at Malibu West sometimes will go up the trees to eliminate foliage that serves as fuel for a potential fire.
Photo by Mikke Pierson
The home of Dave and Kelsey Szamet in Altadena looks fine on the outside, but inside is a serious health threat — still damaged from smoke from the Eaton Fire, and the Szamets believe their insurers are indifferent to it all. Photos by Judy Abel/TMT
Malibu Community Development Director Yolanda Bundy (second from left) meets with (from left) Contract City Planner Aakash Shah, Senior Plan Check Engineer Andre Ketchedjian, and Luca Iacovoni, Design Principal at Made in Malibu, at the Malibu Rebuild Center. Photos courtesy of the City of Malibu
ABEL Special To The Malibu Times
By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
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Annual 4th of July tradition raises funds for emergency radio system to help residents during disasters
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Postcard party in Altadena marks six-month anniversary of devasting fires Fire survivors network sends strong message to Sacramento on behalf of all those affected
Gladstones reopens after Palisades Fire
After six-month closure, iconic restaurant is offering a big discount to area residents and first responders
Veteran coaches join Waves basketball, baseball programs for upcoming season
Kamran Sufi joins women’s basketball staff, while Ryan Fecteau comes in as the new baseball pitching coach
OPINION Letters to the Editor
*Letters to the Editor may not reflect the view, opinion and/or ethics of The Malibu Times. They are however, letters from the people of Malibu. We support your right to express your opinion. Submit your letter to editorial@ malibutimes.com or visit malibutimes.com.
MRCA Does it Again
Dear Editor,
Joe Edmiston allows a group of wonderful kids to play around giant, unsafe oak trees on a property his organization manages, rather than cutting the trees down for safety. And look what happens. Why doesn’t that surprise me.... Sound familiar? Joe should not be managing resources where people’s lives are at stake. He and the MRCA are unsafe for our community. I hope he gets sued to high heaven for this unspeakable, preventable tragedy.
Tom Chambers, Malibu
Malibu is at risk
Dear Editor,
Open Letter to the Malibu City Council,
We all know Malibu is at risk, not just from the fires themselves, but from the danger of becoming uninsurable and/or having fire insurance so expensive that few of us can afford the premiums. This means more folks “self-insuring” - i.e., no insurance — property values plummeting and few smaller homes remaining. Seven hundred thirty-seven of our neighbors must now endure the torturous rebuilding process in addition to the emotional loss fire brings to our community. Added to burn outs from Franklin and Woolsey the staff at our tiny building department has almost 1,000 homes on their plate.
While the Malibu Fire Rebuild Task Force, just approved by the City Council, is working with staff to speed the process and reduce costs, even with Gov. Newsom’s waiver of both CEQA and the Coastal Commission, what lies before us is unprecedented and on a scale hardly imaginable. And many of those who did survive are underinsured, though even those with adequate insurance now face an epic battle with insurance companies.
In the aftermath of the 2018 Woolsey Fire, Malibu’s Public Safety Director, Susan Duenas, hired our first fire liaison, Jerry Vandermeulen, now joined by Gabe Etcheverry and Brad Yokum.
These retired firefighters inspect homes and offer advice to stop homes from igniting and to create defensible space. But were their efforts successful?
Of a total of 194 homes in the fire area that were inspected: 52% of homes were undamaged.
38% of homes were a total loss. 8% had partial damage.
This is pretty good, but it doesn’t tell the entire story, since only 80% of the homes inspected followed most or all recommendations.
If we account for only the homes that were mostly compliant with the advice offered,
it reduces the total of inspected and compliant homes from 194 to 155. Thus: 65% of compliant homes were undamaged 10% of compliant homes were partially damaged.
In six months, the Santa Ana winds will again funnel down our canyons, onto our coastal plains, and over our beaches. Unless we are willing to accept devastation from wildland fires on a regular basis, it is time to stop homes from burning and require every home in Malibu to have a home hardening inspection. The City Council must act. Your primary function is public safety. If a house burns, the super-heated embers racing downwind will ignite other homes so non-compliance endangers your neighbor’s house as well as your own. None of us know what we will face next November. It depends on when the rains come, fuel moisture in our hillsides, how strong are the Santa Anas, will a cooking fire at an encampment get out of control, or will an Edison transmission line or tower on the other side of the 101 tumble from high winds.
While plans for fuel reduction are taking place, we now have local proof that we can prevent 50-75 percent of homes from burning when the next fire hits. All it takes is a 45-minute inspection and following the advice of our experts. Most fixes are simple and inexpensive. But it is clear the Council must require such inspections, since as of Jan. 6, less than 10 percent of homes in Malibu had been inspected. While such a requirement is on its face intrusive, the fire department already REQUIRES property owners to clear their property of brush. We cannot accept the status quo unless we are willing to see more Malibu neighborhoods vanish before us.
One might think that people would be so frightened by the specter of their home burning and having to fight insurance companies, as well as face the daunting task of rebuilding, that they would welcome whatever advice our fire liaisons could offer. However, for whatever reason, that is not the case. The City Council must act.
Scott Dittrich, Malibu
Thank you
Dear Editor,
I fell off the curb and onto the street last week while walking to Spruzzo’s. I had a stroke last November, and my PT had been encouraging me to walk more, but I was careless.
Three rescuers stopped and helped me up. A couple from Pt. Dume, whose names I have forgotten, and another man responded, helping me out of the street. Please accept my gratitude.
Bob Helper, Malibu
TFrom the publisher HAYLEY MATTSON
What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and its grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible.
his month, our Malibu Business Round Table met for our monthly meeting — rescheduled to last Friday due to the Fourth of July. While our group was smaller than usual, the conversation was anything but. It was one of those mornings filled with meaningful dialogue — an opportunity to connect, brainstorm, and “talk shop” about the challenges and opportunities facing Malibu’s business community.
I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who continues to attend, month after month, with their time, insights, and commitment to our community. If you’d like to join us, we meet on the first Friday of each month. Contact us at office@malibutimes. com to be added to the email list.
As we wrapped up this week’s paper, I came across Senate Bill 549 — legislation that could significantly shape the future of Malibu and other communities across Los Angeles County.
On July 10, the California Senate passed SB 549, which would authorize the creation of a Los Angeles County “Resilient Rebuilding Authority” (RRA). This new entity would be empowered to use public funds to purchase fire-damaged properties for land banking, the creation of open space, and the development of low-income housing and transit infrastructure.
This bill hits close to home. It directly affects Malibu, the Palisades, and other communities devastated by the January wildfires. We’ve just passed the six-month mark since those fires tore through our canyons and neighborhoods — destroying homes, displacing families, and altering lives. Many of these properties have been in families for generations, long before Malibu became the community it is today. These lots aren’t just pieces of land — they hold memories, history, and identity. Now, those same lots could be acquired by government agencies — not for rebuilding what was lost, but for repurposing into multifamily, low-income housing. Governor Gavin Newsom has already allocated $101 million in public funds
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for such developments in fire-affected areas, including the Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes fires. Under SB 549, at least 40% of RRA funds must be dedicated specifically to low-income housing.
Also known as the Second Neighborhood Infill Finance and Transit Improvements Act, SB 549 aims to provide an expedited response to wildfire recovery. But it also gives the RRA the power to purchase fire-damaged properties — potentially sidelining homeowners who are still in the process of rebuilding. These are residents who have spent the last six months battling insurance delays, permitting challenges, and rising construction costs, all in the hope of returning home. This legislation could take those hopes off the table, permanently.
SB 549 outlines funding sources, including federal and state grants, tax-increment financing, and philanthropic support. It also includes provisions for rebuilding rental housing, senior housing, and “affordable” units lost in the fires. While these goals are important, applying a one-size-fits-all solution to coastal communities like Malibu — where open space, historic properties, and property rights are core values — risks doing more harm than good.
It’s worth noting that Governor Newsom had previously assured the public that government-driven land acquisition for housing wouldn’t happen. Yet this bill appears to open the door for exactly that. SB 549 is scheduled for a hearing in the California State Assembly on Wednesday, July 16.
This isn’t just about legislation — it’s about defining what recovery truly means, and who gets to decide the future of Malibu and other wildfire-impacted communities. By the time you read this, SB 549 may already have passed. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
How do you feel about this bill, and what it means for our community? Email me at hayley@ malibutimes.com.
Hayley Mattson
Hayley Mattson
Cami Martin
Michael Chaldu
Jen Rodman, Anthony Atkins, Ebers Garcia
Judy Abel, Barbara Burke, McKenzie Jackson, Burt Ross, Benjamin Marcus, Michel Shane
Anthony McDemas
Karen Kagan “I
Malibu lags behind Los Angeles in building permits
post-Palisades Fire
Six months after the Palisades Fire, rebuilding is moving forward for a small percentage of fire victims. Although city, county and state officials have pledged to streamline permitting for home rebuilds, a scant few permits have been issued in Los Angeles while zero building permits have been issued in Malibu. The City of Los Angeles, which includes Malibu neighborhood Sunset Mesa received 650 plan check applications to its Department of Building and Safety. More than 220 have been approved. More than 165 permits have been issued. In unincorporated Los Angeles County, 352 applications were submitted with 53 permits issued. There are a handful of construction projects underway in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena area combined.
According to the City of Malibu’s Malibu Rebuilds web page, 51 rebuild projects are currently under Planning Review. The Planning Department has approved 30 applications. Six projects have made it to a Building Plan Check and are under review, but no project has been green-lighted with an approved building permit.
Proposal aims to change policy for public insurance adjusters
A battle is brewing in Sacramento over Assembly Bill AB597. The bill, backed by Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, would change the way independent insurance adjusters can do business.
The Pacific Coast Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (PCAPA) is opposed to the bill, saying it will harm consumers who need help navigating the complicated insurance recovery process currently affecting thousands after the Palisades and Eaton fires.
After hundreds of complaints of claim mismanagement by insurance companies after the
wildfires, many affected have turned to public adjusters — licensed professionals hired by policyholders to interpret policies and negotiate settlements. Public adjusters typically take 10% to 20% of a total settlement.
AB 597 would restrict fees to public adjusters with a 15% cap. The bill bans retroactive fees that were collected on policies, prohibits public adjusters from soliciting clients during emergencies or between the hours of 6 p.m. to 8 a.m., and extends cancellation rights to five days without penalty. If passed, a contract could also be rescinded later if it’s tied to a state of emergency.
Building professionals invited to biweekly Virtual Rebuild Meeting
Building professionals involved in the ongoing recovery and reconstruction of Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Topanga Canyon are invited to attend the next biweekly Virtual Rebuild Professionals Committee Meeting on Thursday, July 17, from 3 to 4 p.m.
Hosted by the Malibu–Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce, the meeting brings together architects, contractors, engineers, designers, and other industry professionals to discuss the latest developments, share insights, and collaborate on rebuilding efforts in these fire- and storm-affected communities.
The meeting is co-hosted by Barbara Bruderlin, CEO of the Malibu–Pacific Palisades Chamber, and Judy Kruger, president and CEO of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce. Each session features a guest speaker addressing topics relevant to regional construction, permitting, environmental regulations, and community resilience.
This ongoing series is a valuable forum for professionals to connect, exchange knowledge, and stay updated on evolving policies and challenges related to the rebuilding process.
Participants can register in advance via Zoom at the following link: malibuca.chambermaster. com/eventregistration/register/18464
All building professionals engaged in local recovery efforts are encouraged to attend.
Malibu city updates: Security patrols, rebuilding progress, and new support measures for fire survivors
Malibu continues to press forward with recovery and rebuilding efforts following the devastating Broad, Franklin, and Palisades fires, now six months behind us. As of July 10, the city has implemented a series of updates aimed at improving public safety, supporting homeowners,
NEWS BRIEFS
and aiding local businesses as they recover.
Security patrols extended in burn areas
To support ongoing safety in fire-affected neighborhoods, the Malibu City Council has extended its contract with Covered 6 for 24/7 armed patrol services through Sept. 19. These patrols supplement efforts by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, responding to incidents and assisting residents in areas hit by the Franklin and Palisades fires.
Residents are reminded to remain vigilant by securing their properties with chains across driveways and security cameras. For safety tips or assistance, contact Malibu’s Public Safety Department at (310) 456-2489 or email PublicSafety@MalibuCity.org.
From June 30 to July 3, Covered 6 reported:
• 10 calls for service
• 1 trespassing incident
10 suspicious incidents
1,026 property checks
26 resident/construction con-
tacts
• 2 drone detections
Gov. Newsom advances recovery with new executive order
On July 7, Malibu Mayor Marianne Riggins joined Gov. Gavin Newsom and other leaders in commemorating the sixmonth anniversary of the fires. At the event, Newsom signed a new executive order aimed at accelerating the rebuilding process. The order builds on previous actions by postponing non-safety-related building code changes, waiving rooftop solar requirements for rebuilds (while keeping structures “solar ready”), and expediting public school reconstruction.
The cleanup effort, hailed as the fastest in U.S. disaster history, has already removed 2.5 million tons of debris. Of the 12,048 structures destroyed countywide, 9,195 properties have been cleared, with 9,873 participating in the public debris removal program.
City of Malibu seeks community input on PCH Speed Safety Program
The City of Malibu is inviting residents and stakeholders to review and comment on the Draft Use Policy and Impact Report for its new Speed Safety Program — an initiative aimed at curbing dangerous driving and enhancing safety on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). Public input will be accepted through July 18.
The proposed program would allow for the installation of up to five automated speed enforcement cameras and speed feedback signs along PCH, a notoriously hazardous stretch of road. The goal: reduce speeding and save lives.
“The success of the Speed Safety Program depends on
our community’s support,” said Mayor Marianne Riggins. “This is about creating a culture of safety on PCH that protects pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists. We’re sending a strong signal that speeding and reckless driving will not be tolerated in Malibu.”
The initiative was made possible through legislation authored by State Senator Ben Allen and signed into law in September 2024, one year after the devastating loss of four Pepperdine University students to a speeding driver on PCH. Since then, the city has taken a multipronged approach to improve safety, working in coordination with LASD, CHP, and community partners.
Studies have shown that speed safety cameras in other cities have successfully reduced speeding, collisions, and fatalities.
Once the Draft Policy is reviewed and approved by the Malibu City Council, the city will move forward with purchasing and installing the camera system.
To read the Draft Use Policy and Impact Report and submit your comments, visit the city’s PCH Safety webpage or email publicsafety@malibucity. org.
Debris removal enforcement and progress
With debris removal deadlines now passed, the City of Malibu is coordinating with LA County and the city attorney to enforce cleanup on noncompliant properties. Abatement warrants may be issued, allowing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to remove debris at the property owner’s expense.
USACE has removed over 1,130,572 tons of debris to date, with 15 active teams clearing approximately eight sites daily. All FEMA-assigned properties along Pacific Coast Highway are now 100% cleared. In Malibu, 94% of opt-in properties are cleared, and 88% have received final sign-off from LA County.
The city encourages residents impacted by the fires to participate in the Malibu Rebuild Center Survey, open through Friday, Aug. 15. Input gathered will guide improvements to rebuild-related services and support systems.
For more information or to access the survey, visit MalibuCity.org.
LA County offers free temporary artwork storage for fire-affected artists
In response to the devastating 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture has launched a new initiative to support artists and community-based organizations who have lost access to spaces used for storing artwork.
“PROVIDING PEACE OF MIND
The department is now offering free temporary storage for artworks to those impacted by the fires. This support is available to individuals and groups who have lost access to home storage, studios, commercial facilities, or other artwork-housing spaces due to fire damage or related displacement.
The storage service is available from July 2025 through July 2026, operating on a first-come, first-served basis. Priority will be given to applicants located within or near the immediate fire-affected areas.
“Our creative communities are a vital part of Los Angeles’ cultural identity,” a department spokesperson said. “This initiative is one way we’re working to protect and preserve their work during a time of crisis.”
Artists and organizations in need of storage space are encouraged to visit the LA County Department of Arts and Culture website for full details and to complete the application process.
The deadline to apply is Friday, July 20, at 5 p.m. PT. Early applications are strongly encouraged due to limited availability.
Horvath introduces motion to accelerate wildfire recovery and rebuilding
In the wake of the devastating wildfires that swept through Los Angeles County in January 2025, Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath introduced a motion aimed at accelerating recovery and rebuilding efforts with equity, speed, and resilience at the forefront.
The motion is based on recommendations outlined in the final report released June 18 by the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery, in partnership with UCLA. The report calls for the creation of a regional rebuilding authority equipped with the tools and powers necessary to lead an affordable, sustainable, and equitable reconstruction of communities affected by the Palisades, Eaton, and Franklin fires.
“Los Angeles County led the fastest mass disaster cleanup in U.S. history — now, we must bring that same urgency to our rebuilding effort,” said Horvath. “A Rebuilding Authority can coordinate recovery efficiently, equitably, and at scale, just as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers partnered with us on debris removal. Slowing down isn’t an option, nor is leaving anyone behind.”
Horvath’s motion directs county counsel to report back within seven days on the legal feasibility of the county serving as the lead entity in a regional rebuilding authority in coordination with affected cities. The authority would have the ability to streamline recovery by administering funding, acquiring and banking land, partnering with builders for bulk construction, and investing in workforce training and housing stability measures.
Key goals of the proposed authority include:
• Administering public and private recovery funds
Coordinating reconstruction logistics to minimize delays Supporting affordable housing through ADUs and rental stock restoration
• Prioritizing returning residents through land banking programs
• Strengthening insurability and climate resilience for rebuilt communities Centering community voices in all planning and rebuilding efforts
The Blue Ribbon Commission emphasized that this approach is essential for reducing rebuilding costs and timelines, while ensuring equitable recovery for vulnerable families. “This moment calls for big systems thinking,” said Commission leaders Matt Petersen, Cecilia Estolano, and Russell Gold in a joint statement. “A regional rebuilding authority can complement the existing role of local and state governments to help our communities move forward.”
Highlights from the California Coastal Commission’s June meeting
The California Coastal Commission convened for its monthly meeting June 11–13 in San Diego, where commissioners reviewed and approved a range of projects and policy updates affecting the state’s 1,100-mile coastline. Executive Director Kate Huckelbridge and staff provided updates on recent agency efforts, while the Commission took action on issues related to housing, environmental justice, enforcement, and public access.
Huckelbridge highlighted staff participation in a May workshop on coastal planning in Mendocino County, and joint efforts with California State Parks and the Department of Fish and Wildlife on oil spill communication preparedness for boating facilities. The Environmental Justice Program also co-hosted a webinar with Outdoor Outreach to emphasize the importance of public participation in shaping the Coastal Act.
The commission reported that applications closed June 13 for its Peter Douglas Internship program and noted pending reviews. Staff also addressed the potential impacts of the governor’s May budget revision on agency operations and provided an overview of relevant legislative proposals.
Additionally, the commission awarded a $1.1 million grant to the City of Los Angeles to support sea-level rise adaptation planning in Venice.
Enforcement actions In a significant enforcement development, the commission announced the long-awaited removal of an illegal seawall at Victoria Beach in Laguna Beach. The structure, tied to a series of Coastal Act violations, had been under a cease-and-desist order since 2018.
Submission deadline is Monday at noon. Please email submissions to: The Malibu Times
c/o Calendar Editor, to editorial@malibutimes.com
Only events with a connection to Malibu will be considered. Calendar events are scheduled in advance and subject to change.
THU JUL 17
REBUILD WORKSHOP AND EXPO COMMITTEE
On Thursday, July 17, from 3 to 4 p.m., architects, builders, designers, planners, engineers, contractors, and all professionals involved in rebuilding the communities of Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and Topanga Canyon are invited to join the Rebuild Workshop and EXPO Committee meeting via Zoom. This virtual gathering offers a valuable opportunity to connect with local rebuild professionals, discuss the latest developments, share experiences, and hear from a featured guest speaker.
Co-hosted by Barbara Bruderlin of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber and Judy Kruger of the Santa Monica Chamber, the committee includes prominent voices from the build and design industries, planning departments, and county and state agencies. Home and commercial rebuilders are especially
encouraged to attend and network with local contacts. For more information, contact Barbara Bruderlin at (310) 456-9025.
SAT JUL 19
AVIATOR NATION
DREAMLAND FEATURES
ALICE HOWE & FREEBO
Mark your calendars for an unforgettable night of music and energy on Saturday, July 19, as Dreamland presents Riptide featuring Johnny “Guitar” Watkin & Friends!
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the show kicking off at 7:00 p.m. This 21+ event promises a lively evening filled with soulful guitar riffs and vibrant performances on the iconic Dreamland stage.
SAT JUL 26
CINEMALIBU: MOVIES IN THE PARK
Malibu Community Services Department presents CineMalibu: Movies in the Park, a beloved summer tradition featuring family-friendly films under the stars at Bluffs Park, located at 24250 Pacific Coast Highway. The event includes food trucks, raffles, and special guests, with activities beginning before the movie starts at sunset.
Upcoming screenings
CALENDAR
include “Shrek” on Saturday, July 26, and “Scooby Doo” on Saturday, Aug. 23. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early to enjoy the pre-movie festivities and secure a good spot. For more information, visit malibucity.org/cinemalibu.
SHEA WELSH BLUES
EXPERIENCE AT MALIBU MUSIC
On Saturday, July 26 at 6:00 p.m., the Shea Welsh Blues Experience is coming to the beach in Malibu for a free and all-ages concert event. Renowned for his work with top industry producers like Tricky Stewart and Daniel Lanois, Shea Welsh brings his signature blues sound and electric energy to this unforgettable summer evening. Mark your calendars for a night of live music by the sea!
Don’t miss this chance to enjoy world-class music with ocean views — bring your friends, your family, and your beach chairs for a night to remember!
malibucity.org/cinemalibu. SUN AUG 3
PDC ART WALK
Enjoy a creative afternoon at the PDC Art Walk, hosted by the Point Dume Club Residents Association.
On Sunday, Aug. 3, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., stroll through the neighborhood at 29500 Heathercliff Road in Malibu and explore a vibrant showcase of local talent. Discover unique
works of art, including painting, pottery, textiles, gifts, and more — all created by local artists.
Check in at the entry gate upon arrival to receive your guest pass and event map. For more information, contact Monica at Moulin123@ gmail.com. Don’t miss this celebration of community and creativity!
TUE AUG 12
MALIBU LIBRARY SPEAKER SERIES: BRIAN MUIRHEAD
The Malibu Library Speaker Series continues with a fascinating evening featuring Brian Muirhead on Tuesday, August 12 at 7 p.m. at Malibu City Hall. Muirhead is a pioneering leader in deep space exploration and currently serves as Chief Architect for the Mars Sample Return campaign at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is known for his awardwinning leadership and played a key role in the historic Mars Pathfinder mission, which successfully landed on the red planet on July 4, 1997. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand from one of the visionaries behind NASA’s most ambitious missions. Learn more at MalibuCity. org/Speakers.
ONGOING
MALIBU FARMERS MARKET
The Malibu Farmers Market takes place every Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., offering a wide range of fresh, local produce and artisanal goods. Currently located at Legacy Park, the market provides a great opportunity to support local farmers and vendors while enjoying the scenic beauty of Malibu. For updates and more information on the market, visit malibufarmersmarket.net. Make sure to stop by for a vibrant shopping experience this Sunday!
TOPANGA FARMERS MARKET
The Topanga Farmers Market is a Certified Farmers Market held every Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Topanga Community Center. With 45 exceptional vendors, the market offers a diverse selection of fresh, locally grown produce and handcrafted artisanal goods. It’s a wonderful way to support local farmers and makers while soaking in
the natural beauty of Topanga Canyon. Whether you’re shopping for seasonal fruits and vegetables or one-ofa-kind crafts, the Topanga Farmers Market has something for everyone!
MONDAY COMPOSERS
BREAKFAST
The Monday Composers Breakfast takes place weekly at Dreamland Malibu, located at 22969 Pacific Coast Highway, in Malibu, every Monday from 9 to 11 a.m., with a simultaneous Zoom option for those unable to attend in person. Guests are encouraged to check in or join the mailing list for the latest updates on upcoming meetings, CBC events, member performances, and more.
VOLUNTEER WEEDING DAY AT POINT DUME NATURE PRESERVE
Join every second Wednesday of the month from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. for a hands-on volunteer event at the stunning Point Dume Nature Preserve. Help protect Malibu’s natural beauty by hand-pulling invasive plant species and restoring native habitat.
This is a great opportunity to give back to the environment, enjoy the outdoors, and connect with fellow nature lovers. Be sure to bring gardening gloves, a hat, sunscreen, and water. Free two-hour parking is available at the Point Dume entrance (space is limited), with additional parking at the Westward Beach County lot (hourly rate) and along Westward Beach Road (free). Sign-ups are encouraged. Get your hands dirty and feel great doing your part for local conservation!
ADULT PICKLEBALL
The City of Malibu will offer free Adult Drop-In Pickleball and an Adult Pickleball class at the Malibu High School Tennis Courts (30215 Morning View Drive) starting in spring 2025. Open Court Pickleball is available for registered participants ages 18 and over on Saturday afternoons, providing a fun and social way to play. Additionally, an Adult Pickleball class will be held on Saturdays for those looking to improve their skills.
TOTAL BODY WORKOUT
A comprehensive low-impact strengthening class targeting all the major muscles of the upper and lower body with special attention to form, stabilization, core
strength, and balance. Please bring your own hand weights and yoga mats. Instructed by Jackline Daneshrad. The classes are Tuesdays from 12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Cost is $5 per class. Pre-registration is recommended. At the Michael Landon Center at Malibu Bluffs Park.
KNITTING
Join Malibu’s Community Services Department and Sheila Rosenthal for a knitting workshop that takes place on Mondays and Fridays from 9 to 10:30 a.m. This program is a welcoming gathering space for fiber artists that fosters community through open stitch. Make a scarf, hat, blanket, or homemade gift. No experience necessary. Please bring size 8 needles and one skein of yarn. This is an ongoing, drop-in program. Instructed by Sheila Rosenthal. Visit malibucity.org for location.
RELAXING THROUGH COLORING
The art of coloring activates different areas of the brain, using logic, forming colors, and creativity. Join this free, unstructured program. Instructed by Judy Merrick. Complimentary program. Visit malibucity. org for dates and times.
STRETCH AND STRENGTH
Participants will focus on increasing flexibility, balance, circulation, and muscle tone while learning to relax through breathing techniques. Bring yoga blocks and a mat. Instructed by Marsha Cooper. Cost is $5 per class. Visit malibucity.org for dates and times.
SENIOR CHOIR
Learn the fundamentals of singing and performing different styles of music. Every Tuesday, from 10 to 11 a.m. at Malibu City Hall Senior Center. This is a great opportunity for socialization, self-expression, and learning through music. All levels are welcome. Instructed by Laura DeMieri Fercano.
SENIOR TECH HELP
Receive one-on-one tech help with your laptop, tablet, or cellphone. Seniors can receive assistance using social media, Google Drive, Skype, Microsoft Word, email, and more. RSVP required. Instructed by Community Services Department staff. Tuesdays from 9 to 10 a.m. at the Malibu Senior Center.
LOCAL NEWS
Malibu Association of REALTORS Hosts Wildly Fun Safari-Themed BBQ
Nearly 200 guests gathered for the MAR Summer BBQ, complete with bluegrass tunes, local brews, exotic animals, and a safari-themed celebration that roared with community spirit
By SUSAN MANNERS Special to The Malibu Times
The Malibu Association of REALTORS® (MAR) hosted its annual Summer BBQ, bringing together almost two hundred members, families, and friends for an unforgettable afternoon of food, music, wildlife, and community connection — all wrapped in a festive “Safari” theme that had guests dressed to impress (and roar)!From inflatable zebras and alligators on jungle-themed tables and a toe-tapping bluegrass band, the
afternoon was packed with entertainment. This year, the REALTORS and their guests were especially excited to welcome Malibu Brewing Co., who joined in the fun with tastings of their locally crafted brews — a refreshing treat on a sunny summer day. Guests also enjoyed a hands-on interactive wildlife show by Saving Wildlife International, where exotic animals sparked smiles and curiosity in kids and adults alike. The spirit of adventure was alive at every turn, and captured beautifully by professional Malibu photographer Emily Sher. Emily shoots both real estate and lifestyle events, and her images from the BBQ are not to be missed.
From Malibu Cold Brew Coffee to live country music, an ice cream cart, a special art table for kids projects by a team from the Lisa Smith Wengler Center for the Arts at Pepperdine, live
animal encounters, and a Best Dressed Safari Contest, this year’s Summer BBQ was one to remember. The event is one of the REALTOR’s annual favorites, created around the BBQ cuisine of longtime MAR Affiliate Member “WOWS Insurance” master chef Robert Feldman and his BBQ crew, including Lisa Feldman.
This wild event was made possible by the generous support of: The MLS, WOWS Insurance, Chartwell Escrow, Synergy One Lending, Burdge & Associates Architects, Johannessen Construction, Pinnacle Estate Properties, Sotheby’s International Realty, Malibu Escrow, Compass, First American Home Warranty, Home Warranty of America, James Ebert Appraisals, Jason Lowther 1031 Connection, Parker Rose Luxury Leasing, Pepperdine University, RidgeGate Escrow, and Terra Coastal Escrow.
Guests of all ages joined the Malibu Association of REALTORS® for a wild and wonderful afternoon at the annual Summer BBQ, where nearly 200 members, families, and friends gathered in their best safari attire for food, music, wildlife encounters, and unforgettable community fun.
Photos by Emily Scher
— ages 22 and 73 — also suffered minor injuries. According to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), which manages the park, “We can confirm that camp staff immediately began rendering aid following the incident, and emergency responders continued life-saving efforts on arrival.”
Witnesses described hearing a loud cracking sound moments before the branch fell, giving those nearby little time to react. First responders from the L.A. County Fire Department rushed to the scene, and the area was immediately secured for safety.
The entrance to King Gillette Ranch was closed off to the public Wednesday evening as homicide detectives launched an investigation into what officials are
calling a devastating accident. A sign at the front gate now reads: “Area Closed Due to Hazardous Conditions.” The park will be closed indefinitely.
While the MRCA is not offering interviews as of July 10, the agency did issue a statement expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy. “Words cannot express the depth of our sorrow. Our hearts are with the child’s family, friends, and all those affected by this unimaginable tragedy,” the MRCA said. “The safety and well-being of children and adults in our parks is, and always will be, our highest priority. This is a profoundly difficult time for our entire MRCA community and the parks community of the Santa Monica Mountains,” the MRCA said.
“We grieve alongside the family and ask for compassion and privacy as they navigate this loss.”
MRCA officials say they are coop -
however, anything over 10% won’t receive fire rebuild treatment exemptions and will trigger a Coastal Development Permit, which takes an average four years for permitting. You have the freedom to relocate your structure as long as it doesn’t encroach into yard setbacks, steep slopes, or view corridors. After Tena’s presentation, Darren Graves presented a slide show with more technical aspects of building a fire-resilient structure. Both slide shows are available on the MRTF website.
Malibu’s John Watkins who lost his “dream home” in the Woolsey Fire offered, “Most of us here had no intention of building a home. But somehow, we found ourselves in this position.” He was able to rebuild in a remarkable 30 months. He gave some tips. “If you haven’t hired an architect yet, please do it,” he advised. “It’s the number one thing you’ve got to get going to get it going.” His second tip: “This existing plus 10%; yeah, you could have the 10%. You
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survived.”
The Szamet home did survive not just by miracles, but with the help of good Samaritan neighbors who formed a bucket brigade from a nearby home with a pool after their hoses ran dry. Unlike in Malibu, many Altadena pool owners don’t have pool pumps used to help put out fires since most Altadenans typically didn’t identify as living in an extreme fire risk area.
Still, the Szamets and their two young daughters have not spent one single night in their home since Jan. 7. The family had been bouncing from hotels to friends’ homes. They were in six different places in just the first few weeks after the fire and say that burden is a struggle for their young children.
“The home’s absolutely not safe,” Szamet stated. “Within the first week that initial gratitude of, oh my gosh, the house survived and we feel fortunate, we still have our family photos and some important family pieces that other people lost. But then the reality sits in, in those weeks and months after the fire of it doesn’t feel like the insurance company is interested in getting our house cleaned safely, enabling us to get back in with our young daughters and to come back to the neighborhood.”
Kelsey Szamet elaborated on her struggles with her insurance company currently being investigated by the California Department of Insurance for mishandling claims. “It feels like they’re fighting us every step of the
erating fully with investigators and are committed to a thorough and transparent investigation. The agency has not yet commented on The Malibu Times’ queries as to whether the tree had been inspected prior to the start of camp, whether it will conduct its own investigation into the tragedy, and whether it will send arborists to conduct evaluations on all the trees at King Gillette. But MRCA did reply, “Additional details, including safety protocols and inspection processes, will be shared as they become available and appropriate.”
Meanwhile, local residents and parkgoers were left shaken. Some expressed concern about whether the park’s hundreds of trees were assessed before camps were allowed to operate on the grounds.
“I did hear that the camp had been moved here,” one neighbor said. “I just hope a proper safety review was done
may not even need to go to 10%,” indicating going bigger could cause other problems like pushing you over your setbacks or getting into “tussles” with the Planning Department. Watkins’ message was to keep it simple.
“You had a house you probably loved,” he said. “If you just rebuilt what you had, well, it wouldn’t be so bad, you know? I have friends who still have not moved into a house that was burned in 2018. You know why? Because they wanted to put up something that obstructed their neighbor’s view, and now they’re fighting with their neighbor. We built pretty much what we had.”
Watkins decided to become what’s known as an “owner/builder” without hiring a general contractor who takes 20%. He hired a project manager instead. It meant he had to take on a lot of paperwork, but in the end was a money saver for his project.
And, lastly, the longtime resident offered this: “Make friends with everybody (behind the counter).” He suggested cooperating and offering solutions to
way. It feels like we’re on our own.
“Our company is State Farm, and they have never offered to lead the way and (direct us) to the kind of testing we need to do. This is what we need to look at inside your house to properly clean it and make it safe so that you can come back. We’re on our own. We’re trying to figure out what the science is. We’re trying to figure out what is safe.” The family has paid $10,800 out of pocket for industrial hygiene testing. The results showed 20 times the allowable limits of lead in most rooms, including their young daughters’ bedrooms.
After finally finding some stability in a Pasadena rental, they are still looking for long-term solutions to remediate their home. “When you have lead inside a structure, you have to use a certified lead abatement company in California. You can’t use, you know, Jane Doe’s cleaning service. The bids we have gotten are upwards of $110,000 and we’re just getting push back from our insurance company.
They have told us that they now want to bring in a different company to do testing. We’re not sure why, because the company that we used actually was a State Farm-approved vendor coincidentally. We worked with a vendor that they have approved, that found lead. I can’t imagine that new testing would reveal different results, but they have not approved our light abatement remediation bid.”
The Szamets joined the Eaton Fire Survivors Network to push for accountability by insurance companies and government on behalf of everyone affected by the fires including those
in the Palisades and Malibu.
before kids were brought in.”
L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath also released a statement: “My heart is with everyone impacted by this tragic situation. We are actively working to provide all possible support. We hold everyone involved in our thoughts and pray for their safety.
An eerily similar incident occurred in July 2015 adjacent to the Kidspace Children’s Museum in Pasadena. In that incident a 75-year-old pine tree nearly 70-feet tall suddenly uprooted and struck more than 30 children ages 5-9 who were waiting to be picked up from summer camp. Eight children were injured, two critically.
In 2013 at a summer camp near Yosemite in Groveland California, a 21-yearold counselor was killed in a tree collapse. Four other staff members were injured. No definitive cause was ever determined in the
the decision-makers. And he added, “Don’t sweat the small stuff! Most of us didn’t build a house that we were living in, right? Most of us found a house, we bought the house, we moved in. Did we look at every handle on every single cupboard, the wallpaper, and is it a sash window, a slider, whatever? No. You bought the house, and you loved it, and it had some things you didn’t love. All of a sudden, when you start to build a house and there’s 60 different kinds of knobs you could put on your cabinets.” Watkins used the “Hate Rule.” If one person hates something, they win according to Watkins because, “you can always live without something that you love, but it’s very hard to live with something that you hate, right? Trust me, it really works.”
Another of the many speakers was Los Angeles County Fire Marshal Richard Stillwagon, who promised his No. 1 goal is “to get everybody back in their homes.” His department received over $3 million to upgrade computer systems and hire 26 new personnel that were never funded previously.
“All these insurance companies need to help homeowners get back safely into their standing structures. It’s going to be expensive to properly clean these homes, but that’s what we paid for, in our policies, right?” Szamet exclaimed. “You insure against disasters like this, and it’s clear what the science says. The home needs to be cleaned properly. I would never jeopardize the health of my young daughters. Lead is extremely toxic to children and it feels like they don’t care.”
At one point the Szamets were $119,000 out of pocket until State Farm started reimbursing rent under their (ALE) Alternative Living Expense claim. The family also missed out on a FEMA payout of $770 due to fraud. Swindlers used their name and address to apply for the initial grant and claimed the check before they could. The Szamets say they’re also frustrated with the rotating cast of adjusters. They’re on their third, but say they have friends on their sixth or seventh.
Their advice for others in the same boat: “Document, document, document. They (insurance companies) get you on the phone on purpose. They do not send confirming emails. You need to send confirming emails. You need to upload things on the portal. You need to keep a contemporaneous Google doc of all of the representations that have been made for you because they will walk it back and say, ‘no, that’s not true. We never agreed to that.’ Document, document, document.”
That translates into extra LACO Fire Department personnel stationed at City Hall to work on rebuilds. Importantly, Stillwagon said the Fire Department received permission from the State to perform fuel reduction on state and even MRCA land that abuts Malibu properties. That news was well-received by those in attendance.
Roy encouraged those affected by the wildfires to visit the MRTF website. “I lead the MRTF and the team is comprised principally of the zone captains and a handful of knowledgeable experts. The zone captains liaise with their zone residents and bring up issues that are affecting progress. I, in turn, in my capacity as the Rebuild Ambassador address and resolve them with the city heads. It’s a resource for the fire rebuilder, one that can provide significant assistance in passing info up and down as they become available and voice concerns.”
To find your zone captain, see the informative slide shows presented, and more go to malibufirerebuilds.org.
2015 or 2013 tree events. According to the National Weather Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 30 to 40 people die each year in the United States due to falling trees or tree limbs.
First reponders are shown July 9 at King Gillette Ranch, where a falling oak tree branch killed one chidl and injured four other people. Screenshot
The inside of Dave and Kelsey Szamet’s home in Altadena remains untouched since they evacuated from the Eaton Fire on Jan. 7. Their house survived the blaze, but the smoke damage is still a health threat. Photos by Judy Abel/TMT
Coastal housing Progress continues on coastal housing initiatives. The commission approved a time extension for the City of Los Angeles to finalize land-use changes for the Venice Dell Community Housing Project — a 100% affordable development with 120 restricted units.
Additional approvals included the replacement of a 12.5foot mobile home in San Clemente with an 18-foot model and a Mission Beach duplex replacement in San Diego, which must be elevated on pilings to account for future sea-level rise impacts.
Public access improvements
The commission granted after-the-fact approval for a reconstructed beachfront playground in Venice, featuring ADA-compliant walkways and seating. Dredging of 415,000 cubic yards of sediment in Alamitos Basin was also approved, with the material to be used for sand nourishment at Peninsula Beach.
In Ventura County, new metal guardrails will be installed along the Kiddie Beach parking lot at Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard. In Newport Beach, changes to off-street parking rules for restaurants will now allow reductions under certain conditions, such as providing bicycle parking or space for rideshare drop-offs.
Environmental protections
The commission approved revised restoration plans for the Ballona Wetlands in Los Angeles, including minimal-impact infrastructure abandonment. Commissioners also object -
ing sonar, explosives, and other high-impact tools in state waters, citing risks to marine ecosystems. However, federal authority allows the Navy to continue the program.
In Carmel-by-the-Sea, the city’s updated plan for wireless communication facilities was approved, with a focus on minimizing the visual impact of towers and related equipment.
Transportation
Caltrans received approval to replace a seismically deficient bridge over Toro Creek on Highway 1, just north of Morro Bay. The new bridge will include upgraded guardrails, improved drainage, and wider shoulders to accommodate bicycles.
The commission meets monthly to review projects and policies impacting California’s coast, balancing development, conservation, and public access.
State Bill Could Transform Rebuilding in Malibu, Palisades After Wildfires
The California Senate has passed Senate Bill 549, a major post-wildfire recovery measure that would authorize the creation of a Resilient Rebuilding Authority (RRA) in Los Angeles County. The bill now moves to the Assembly, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday, July 16 at the State Capitol.
If enacted, SB 549 would allow the RRA to use public funds to purchase fire-damaged lots, bank land for future development, and create open space in areas devastated by wildfires — including Malibu, the Palisades, and other communities
A key provision of the bill requires that at least 40% of all funding go toward developing low-income and senior housing, as well as rebuilding lost rental units. The RRA would be empowered to administer a variety of funding sources, including property tax revenues, federal and state grants, tax-increment financing, and philanthropic donations.
Governor Gavin Newsom has already committed $101 million in taxpayer funding for low-income multifamily housing development in fire-ravaged areas of Los Angeles County.
Supporters say the bill will accelerate recovery and address the region’s housing shortage. But some residents warn it could permanently alter the character of coastal and canyon communities like Malibu and the Palisades.
Federal raid on California
marijuana farms sparks violence and rescue of migrant children
A federal immigration enforcement operation at two large-scale marijuana cultivation sites in California turned violent last week, leaving one man dead, at least 10 migrant children rescued, and hundreds of undocumented workers detained. The raids — carried out by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) — have ignited a political firestorm across California and beyond.
in Carpinteria and Camarillo, including at Glass House Farms, a massive cannabis operation near Laguna Road in Ventura County, which bills itself as the largest marijuana cultivation facility in the world. Federal agents served warrants at both sites as part of a criminal investigation into alleged labor law violations, human trafficking, and the hiring and harboring of undocumented immigrants.
In a statement released Tuesday, DHS confirmed that during the course of the operations, over 200 undocumented individuals were detained, and 10 migrant children were rescued from what federal officials believe to be exploitation, forced labor, and potential human trafficking.
The operations escalated into violence when more than 500 protesters and agitators attempted to disrupt the raids. Federal officials say four U.S. citizens are being processed for assaulting or resisting law enforcement. One individual, caught on video, fired a handgun at officers, prompting the FBI to offer a $50,000 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest. That suspect remains at large.
“While ICE and CBP officers are being assaulted by rioters and dodging bullets to save children, sanctuary politicians are demonizing ICE and CBP,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of DHS. “We will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law anyone who assaults or doxes federal law enforcement.”
Officials described a chaotic scene as officers in tactical gear created perimeter lines, helicopters circled overhead, and
strators reportedly clashed with officers, causing damage to federal vehicles and hindering the movement of agents.
Tragically, during the raid, a farmworker, later identified as Garcia, died after falling approximately 30 feet from the roof of a greenhouse. According to reports, Garcia may have been trying to escape when he fell. He sustained a broken neck and skull and died from his injuries. DHS stated that Garcia was not in ICE or CBP custody and was not being pursued at the time of the fall.
“Although he was not being pursued by law enforcement, this individual climbed up to the roof of a greenhouse and fell 30 feet,” said McLaughlin. “CBP immediately called a medivac to the scene to get him care as quickly as possible.”
The United Farm Workers (UFW) organization condemned the federal actions, calling them “violent and cruel” and saying that farmworkers — including U.S. citizens — were detained for more than eight hours. UFW alleges that some were forced to delete photos and videos of the raid from their phones before being released. In a public statement, the organization demanded independent legal representation for the detained minors.
“The UFW can confirm farm workers were critically injured yesterday during chaotic raids in Ventura County, California,” the statement read. “Detaining and deporting children is not a solution for child labor. These violent and cruel federal actions terrorize American communities, disrupt the food supply chain, and separate families.”
The federal crackdown has
leaders. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive denouncing the raids and pledging city resources to support immigrant families affected by federal immigration activity. The directive also mandates that all city departments review and strengthen their protocols regarding compliance with laws prohibiting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement.
“We are a proud city of immigrants,” said Mayor Bass. “With the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, I’m making sure we deploy every resource and tool available to support immigrant communities.”
Bass’ directive establishes a new LAPD working group in collaboration with immigrant rights organizations, requests federal records on the raids, and expands access to city services for immigrant families by leveraging each department’s Immigrant Affairs Liaison. She also announced that Los Angeles is pursuing legal action against the federal government, challenging what she calls unconstitutional and unlawful enforcement activities, including reports of militarized federal agents marching through public spaces like MacArthur Park.
As the investigation into child labor violations, human trafficking, and immigration abuses continues, DHS emphasized its commitment to pursuing justice for the rescued children and prosecuting those who endangered them. However, advocacy groups, legal experts, and state officials remain deeply divided over the approach taken by federal agents and the broader implications of such raids on California’s agricultural workforce and
generally, it takes only one human and a guide dog to shepherd almost all of the goats when they need to change their grazing location. However, Pierson said, there is one qualifier to that — goat psychology skills can come in handy at times. Sharing a picture of the very brave Kim Retts carrying a goat to a new area, he stated, “It takes a few humans to help those few goats who do not want to change their location.”
When the goats were preparing to leave, the neighborhood celebrated its now-traditional annual goat festival.
“We had a taco truck and Mister Frosty’s ice cream at our festival!” Biglow exclaimed.
“Representatives from Poison Free Malibu also joined us and all four of the city’s fire liaisons insisted on attending, stating that they love to attend our goat festival each year. The fire liaisons made appointments with some residents to visit their homes and give them ideas and tips about how they can harden their homes to mitigate the risk of fire danger.”
Biglow noted that there is another significant benefit to hosting goat herds each year in addition to the goats eating their way through overgrown weeds, grasses, shrubs, hard-to-access slopes, difficult terrain, and flat areas, and busily crunching low-
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years of experience in the public sector to the role. She holds a master’s degree in structural engineering and is a state-licensed registered professional engineer (civil) in California, and she is a certified building official, fire code official, and a California Governor’s Office of Emergency
hanging tree branches to reduce the amount of readily combustible material that burns easily.
“Having the goats graze annually is of great assistance when our HOA is trying to get insurance,” Biglow said. “The goats clearing the brush convinces insurers to talk to us about writing us a policy.”
According to goatfarmers.com, using brush goats for clearing plants to avoid fire is both costeffective — those who own the goats save on food — and effective for fire avoidance. Moreover, goats also can restore pastures that have been taken over by invasive plants and their manure is great fertilizer as well.
Goats are smarter than sheep, the website states, noting “they have more relational interaction with humans than sheep — one research study found that goats can be compared with dogs in their relatability to people.”
There are several things to consider when deciding to bring in goats for fire mitigation. The experts at the website recommend using a cross between a meat goat breed and a dairy goat breed because crosses have stronger parasite resistance and they are hardy, healthy, and goodtempered.
So, all in all, the Malibu West neighborhood has concluded that, when there is a need for vegetation management, goats are the G.O.A.T.
Services (CalOES) safety assessment program coordinator.
“I helped with the Thomas Fire in my prior job in Ventura, and I’ve helped residents and businesses in Malibu after the Woolsey, Broad, and Franklin fires and now, my staff and I are helping with the Palisades Fire,” Bundy commented.
“The more I go through this process, the more immersed my heart is in
helping victims rebuild. I also focus on long-term recovery and consider the future for the entire town as we rebuild. I serve with passion and I want my staff to be motivated to do so as well.”
Bundy’s new position comes after the consolidation of the Environmental Sustainability and Planning Departments. The Malibu City Council decided on Nov. 25, 2024,
to consolidate the two departments, a restructuring recommended by consultant Baker Tilly, whose 2023 Development Services Report stated that consolidation was designed to increase efficiency, improve service delivery, and create a more streamlined development process for Malibu. The new department brings together six divisions — planning, long-range planning, building safety, code enforcement, environmental programs, and administration.
“For the Community Development Department, I oversee approximately 55 employees and our department is supported by 131 consultants,” Bundy explained. “We all are committed to help those who need to rebuild move forward in doing so.”
Readers can access the Malibu Rebuilds website at maliburebuilds. org.
The status of rebuilding efforts
Debris removal has been completed for all but 14 properties, including four commercial properties, Bundy explained, noting the city has established an abatement program and is reaching out to those property owners who still have not cleared debris. “Most of those residents are dealing with insurance company issues,” she stated.
Currently, no building permits have been issued. “We are very close with regard to our first permit issuing,” Bundy noted. “It is a beachfront property and I anticipate its permit will be issued in approximately one month. To date, I have not seen any applications for commercial permits.”
There have been a total of 319 initial visits to the rebuild center, Bundy recounted, noting that there have been 258 comeback meetings. Thirty properties are seeking approval from the planning officials while five are in the building and safety process.
The latest AI technology helps
expedite plan checks
Bundy explained that the city’s development portal coordinates all phases of planning. “We use Bluebeam, a plan check software that allows us to do digital plan checks and to be more efficient,” she said. “Applications and other documents can be reviewed by multiple departments at the same time and the city is also in the beginning phases of utilizing Archistar, which will be a tool to help us build more complete construction files.”
Archistar, a digital compliance platform employing artificial intelligence, fast-tracks building permit checks and has been adopted by the City of Los Angeles and LA County.
Solar
The city of Malibu is also partnering with Symbium to provide an automated permitting platform to establish rapid plan reviews and create consistent permitting practices for automated permitting of residential solar and energy storage systems. Doing so assists the city in complying with the requirements of Senate Bill 379, which was approved by Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2002, Bundy explained.
Newsom’s executive order N-2925 exempts residents’ rebuilds from stricter solar and energy building requirements that take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, Bundy noted. According to a statement from the governor’s office, the order also exempts the rebuilds from the requirement to install rooftop solar and battery storage systems. However, homeowners are still required to build “Solar Ready” structures, ensuring that the necessary infrastructure is in place for future solar energy system installation.
Self-certification is under consideration
“The City Council has directed our staff to explore allowing self-cer-
tification by licensed architects in some circumstances,” Bundy noted. “However, I’m not sure how much we can use self-certification in Malibu because of the complexities involved in building in Malibu after our disaster and it would be extremely challenging to do so in the context of geohazards.”
All in all, with the opening of the rebuild center, the use of AI-assisted technology to process permit and inspection applications, Bundy anticipates that the processing of permits will be much more rapid than it was for past fires.
Many who are beginning the rebuilding process find the process daunting and Abe Roy, recently appointed by the City Council to serve as an ambassador to help coordinate communications between rebuilding homeowners and city staff, states that many who are rebuilding think the process with the city is going too slowly.
“While Malibu residents understand the challenges of coastal development, they are growing increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of progress, especially compared to neighboring Pacific Palisades, which shares similar topography and has issued over 100 permits,” Roy said. While Bundy seeks to be responsive to all residents, she also is trying to assist the City Council in addressing the need to fund the largest rebuilding effort in the history of the city of Malibu.
“The city has been meeting with FEMA and CalOES to coordinate long-term recovery and to address funding needs,” Bundy said, noting that the expense of rebuilding such a significant part of Malibu is enormous, both for the city and for residents. “We will be holding a workshop for residents with regard to FEMA soon. Further, the City Council is considering fee waivers — we are trying to do all we can to alleviate these expenses for the families.”
Malibu’s new Community Development Department brings together six city divisions — planning, long-range planning, building safety, code enforcement, environmental programs, and administration. Photo courtesy of the City of Malibu
Nearly 400 goats grazed through 16 acres of the Malibu West neighborhood, lessening the fire danger for local residents. Photo by Mikke Pierson
RECOVERY RESOURCE GUIDE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
Helping You Rebuild and Financially Recover
Financial Assistance Programs
SBA Disaster Assistance Loans
Low-interest federal loans available for businesses, nonprofits, homeowners, and renters.
Deadline to apply for economic loss loans: October 15
Malibu - Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce (PaliBu)
Promotion, grant coordination, and local business support.
Website: Palibu.org
Email: CEO@Malibu.org
Phone: (310) 456-9025
Malibu Life
‘Coastal Reflections’ on display at Malibu City Gallery
Art opening showcases Malibu’s beauty amid ongoing fire recovery
By JUDY
In a display of resilience amid ongoing fire recovery, the artwork of Malibu and Los Angeles area artists is on display at Malibu City Gallery for the show titled “Coastal Reflections.” The exhibition is a beautiful showcase of the splendor Malibu has to offer even as the community recovers from devastating wildfires.
Walking into the gallery at Malibu City Hall, you’ll first encounter a life-like sea lion in a large painting by local artist Carla Bates. Her work “Point Dume Hayday” is Bates’ “fantasy” that evokes the feeling of diving off the coast. The painter explained, “All of my paintings evoke a romanticism of Malibu. I try to capture the environment that we play in, and I don’t have to idealize it much because this is the feeling you get when you’re diving through the kelp. The water is clear and the fish are swimming by. That’s why we’re all in this environment together. It’s really beautiful.”
The biggest piece in the show is “California Sunset” by abstract painter Russ Bryant. The artist created the work after a day at Broad Beach. When returning to his studio in El Segundo, the image from his imagination poured onto the canvas along with the foundational colors in oil and enamel.
Among the 29 works in the show is “Dawn Patrol” by photographer Ben Thomson. His photo captures the interplay of light and water. Using water housing on his camera, Thomson captured a quiet, reflective moment in the ocean.
Ceramicist Monica DeMoulin’s “Birdwalk at Zuma” was inspired by “all those
different textures and colors that you see on the beach.” Each piece of her mosaic was hand-crafted separately, sculpted, glazed, fired, and then fused together for a three-dimensional feel. DeMoulin explained, “The sea star, the moss-covered rocks, the sand, the ocean, and the sky, just kind of capture the typical scene at low tide on Zuma Beach.”
Denise Peak recreated a collage she
MALIBU’S BEST SHT
made earlier that was burned in the Woolsey Fire. From memory and a photo, she painted images of her son Skylar surfing, a plumeria farm her family had on Molokai, a lotus flower, Wylie’s Bait Shop, and more. “I’ve always loved the bait shack and ironically, I did this before it burned down,” Peak detailed.
“Malibu Sunset” by Osunga Okello is a vibrant abstract sunset watercolor paint-
ing. The artist explained, “It was just one of those things that happened in terms of the color and the vibrance of the sky that was veering towards the positive in an absolutely catastrophic situation. I had the magic of the horizon and the calm blue waters and it just happened in a relatively short time.” This showing is Okello’s “professional debut” after painting smaller pieces for 20 years. The Los Angeles artist was urged by a framer to submit his work. Okello said he was excited to join Malibu’s artistic community. Linda Vaccaro painted “My View of this Splendid Beach” although she wouldn’t divulge which “secret” beach so painted. “I’m happy to have it in the show,” she said. Artist Gay Summer Rick lost her
Pepperdine star signs with Spokane Zephyr FC
Two-time WCC Offensive Player of the Year Tori Waldeck Zierenberg joins the Gainbridge Super League
By MCKENZIE JACKSON Special to The Malibu Times
Former Pepperdine Waves women’s soccer standout Tori Waldeck Zierenberg signed a professional contract with Spokane Zephyr FC on July 10.
Waldeck Zierenberg, one of the best players to ever lace up cleats for the Waves, said she is grateful and excited to start her professional career with the Washington-based Gainbridge Super League team.
“This has been a dream come true, and I can’t wait to contribute to the club in any way I can,” she said in a statement. “I am thankful for my time at Pepperdine and as a Wave. I wouldn’t be the woman or soccer player I am today without all the love and support I got from my teammates and my coaches.”
Waves head coach Tim Ward said Waldeck Zierenberg, a 2025 Pepperdine graduate, is a remarkable ambassador for the university and Waves soccer program.
“I know I speak for all of us here at Pepperdine when I say we are so very proud and excited for Tori as she begins this new chapter of her soccer story,” he said. “I think anyone who has ever seen Tori play knows she has something a bit special about her and we can’t wait to watch her shine on this new stage.”
Waldeck Zierenberg had a stellar five-year career at Pepperdine.
She earned back-to-back West Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2024 and 2025 and a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-West Region first team selection. Waldeck Zierenberg made All-WCC First Team three times and the second team once. The midfielder made the conference’s All-Freshman team in 2020.
Waldeck Zierenberg is ranked in the Waves top 10 in career goals with 38, points with 96, and shots with 226. She is tied
with Bri Visalli atop the list of games started with 81. Waldeck Zierenberg played in 84 career games, which is ranked fourth.
Waldeck Zierenberg will be the fifth Pepperdine Wave to play in the Gainbridge Super League, a nine-team Division One soccer league. Trinity Watson, Carlee Giammona, Kelsey Hill, and Rylee Baisden were all active during the 2024-25 season.
Zephyr FC’s season begins on Aug. 23 with a match against Dallas Trinity FC.
ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
Dume. Photo by Dolores Gillham
Carla Bates is shown with her work “Point Dume Hayday,” part of the “Coastal Reflections” art exhibit at Malibu City Gallery.Photos by Judy Abel/TMT
Pepperdine women’s soccer player Tori Waldeck Zierenberg heads the ball during
Storm Tossed: A timeline of the Malibu Pier from the 20th century into the 21st
MALIBU SEEN
By Benjamin Marcus, Entertainment Editor
While working on Part Two of the interview with Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner about the past, present, and future of the Malibu Pier, this timeline of the pier began to alchemize. It got interesting, so while we polish Part Two of Zuma Jay’s interview — and run it by attorneys — here is a timeline of the major events battering the Malibu Pier going back into the 20th century. Legal and meteorological, a lot of trouble and strife by land and sea swirling around the Malibu Pier.
1970s: The Malibu Sport Fishing Pier serves primarily as a commercial and sport fishing pier — a well-known local destination, with bait shops, boat rentals, and restaurants.
1976: Severe winter storms damage the pier significantly, highlighting its vulnerability to heavy surf.
Feb. 10, 1980: A real estate auction was held in Malibu and the star property offered was the Malibu Pier, the first time Bill Huber put it up for sale after buying a storm-damaged pier around 1944 for $50,000 [2025 $907,976.85]. Bids of $3 million and $3.1 million were received, but Huber did not sell at that time.
Later that year, the State of California did buy the pier for $2.5 million [2025 $9,670,204.79], in somewhat battered condition. The pier continued to operate under the State Department of Parks and Recreation, which leased space to the commercial operations on the pier.
1983: Another series of winter storms cause substantial damage; repairs are made, but some sections remain weakened.
Late 1980s: Decline in sport fishing activity; parts of the pier are shuttered intermittently for repairs and safety.
1988–1989: In March 1988, Joel Ladin took over the concession lease for Malibu Pier after the previous tenant left. He attempted drastic rent hikes and failed to recruit replacements, ultimately abandoning the lease later that year.
In April 1989, Ladin sued the State of California for over $20 million [2025 $51,422,823.19], claiming fraud and misrepresentation — alleging the pier required $3.5 million to 4 million in repairs rather than the state’s $400,000 estimate.
1993–1995: The historic pier was heavily damaged by El Niño storms in 1993, and another storm severely damaged it again in 1995. It was declared unsafe and the state closed it to the public.
Feb. 4, 1994: The LA Times reports: “The state’s Department of Parks and Recreation, which owns the pier, hit the [owners of Alice’s Restaurant] with a 30day eviction notice Tuesday, demanding ‘significant amounts of unpaid back rent.’”
Co-owner Bob Yuro, who opened Alice’s in 1972, conceded that he had often been behind on rent since 1991, but vowed to fight the eviction on the grounds that the state had reneged on a promise to apply rents to renovate the decrepit pier, badly damaged in a 1983 storm.
The dispute only compounds the restaurant’s financial troubles it suffered $70,000 damage and slower business as a result of last fall’s wildfires — and throws into doubt the future of a Malibu icon favored by surfers and Hollywood stars. The damage caused by storm-tossed surf is a central part of the current dispute. Yuro said the state, which paid $2.5 million to a private owner for the pier in 1980, has not honored an agreement to use rents to fix up the battered pier. The renovation cost has been estimated at $2.5 million.
“In the last 13 years I have paid them nearly $2 million in rent and absolutely
no repairs to the pier have taken place,” Yuro said.
Yuro’s company, Japademy Inc., had sought a 20-year contract with the state to manage any business on the pier but could not land the concession after four years of negotiations. Over the years, Yuro’s plans for the pier included an additional restaurant, gift shops, a jazz club, and an expanded sport-fishing business.
1995: Alice’s Restaurant closes.
1997: The State of California seeks private operators to redevelop and maintain the pier, issuing leases to revive it as a dining and retail destination.
1997: California transferred the pier to the City of Malibu with the provision that Malibu fix and maintain it, something the city did not have the funds to do. The pier reverted to the state.
1998–1999: The pier is closed for reconstruction and rehabilitation to restore public access and safety.
2000: Portions of the pier reopen after structural improvements.
September 2001: During early pier restoration efforts, partners “Darian” and Federico clashed over workmanship and materials. Darian secretly recorded threats — including references to “breaking legs” and “gorillas.” In 2000, Darian obtained a restraining order; by 2001, he filed a federal lawsuit alleging threats, use of substandard materials, environmental damage, wrongful arrest, and other claims.
2003: In 2003, Stephen Harper (Agoura Hills) filed for federal trademark and domain usage rights for “Malibu Pier” targeting apparel and merchandising.
In response, the State Parks Department counter-filed its own trademark claims. By July 2004, litigation began in federal court.
December 2004: Malibu Pier Partners, LLC signed a 20-year concession contract with California State Parks. This agreement gave them responsibility for all commercial operations on Malibu Pier — including food service, retail, sport-fishing boat tours, and beach equipment rentals.
November 2006: Jeffrey Bonbach who served as “Director of Development” for Malibu Pier Partners, files a lawsuit against Malibu Pier Partners for “unlawful termination.”
Aug. 15, 2006: After a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, an eight-member jury decided unanimously that the state Department of Parks and Recreation is the rightful holder of the Malibu Pier name and malibupier.com internet domain name.
The verdict was handed down in a case involving Stephen Harper, a self-styled business-development specialist who took advantage of the fact that the state did not register the Malibu Pier name when it acquired the deteriorating structure 26 years ago with the aim of preserving it.
October 2006: Where sportfishing boomed on the Malibu Pier post-war into the 1960s, the popularity slowly faded into the 1960s. In 2006 a sportfishing operation begins to run the Scorpio from the pier. Skippered by Tom Durr and Rick Hayes, who planned to primarily run three-quarter-day trips to the nearby Big Kelp Reef west of Point Dume.
December 2006: State Parks notifies Alexander Leff he is in breach of contract for “failing to pay rent on time, not submitting construction documents in a timely fashion, and allowing a shirtless man to collect parking fees from the back of a pick-up truck without offering receipts.”
Feb. 21, 2007: The Malibu Times reports that a Malibu couple Dianne Wachs
My Brother Burt
PERSPECTIVE
By Philip Ross, Guest Columnist
Note
I, his younger brother by three years and nine months.
F or several years, my brother Burt has been urging me to write a guest column. He says this will give him a break from the
daunting task of entertaining his readers with words witty and wise. The truth, I suspect, is that he hopes his big brother will use this occasion to shower him with praise. And so I shall. But first, a few recollections from his otherwise monumental, dare I say, Herculean life we need to get out of the way. As kids, Burt and I slept in the same bedroom. His idea of a great night was to wait, until we were
and Joe Feese proposed a “400-person capacity cruise ship that would take people from the pier to a ride up and down a portion of the coast while they enjoy a nice dinner and the scenery.” They presented the idea to Jefferson Wagner who liked the idea and Alexander Leff who gave the idea a “Chinese no,” which means he didn’t respond. Didn’t happen.
June 29, 2008: In mid-2008, following a $10 million restoration, the Malibu Pier reopened in staged phases: the pier bar in spring, the grand reopening gala on June 29, and the Beachcomber eatery in early July, with additional amenities launching through the summer.
June 2008-December 2011: After five years of no food or beverage operations on the Pier, Beachcomber Restaurant Opens at Malibu Pier (in the prior Alice’s Restaurant location)
August 2008-June 2011: Ruby’s Shake Shack, a company formed by the same operators of The Beachcomber, opens at the end of the Pier where Malibu Cafe is now.
April 2009: The Los Angeles Conservancy announced that the Malibu Pier was the recipient of its 28th annual“Preservation Award” as recognition for its outstanding achievement in the field of historic preservation. The Conservancy said that the “State of California showed solid stewardship of this beloved public resource by reversing decades of decay while staying true to its historic character.”
Sept. 3, 2009: Malibu Pier Sportfishing LLC submitted two applications to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control for licenses to allow the sale of alcoholic beverages on two of its boats: The Malibu Sportsman , a 48-foot-long wooden fishing boat, and The Aquarius, a 55-foot-long vessel that has been fishing from the Malibu Pier since 1934.
Jan. 26, 2011: The Malibu Times reports: “Jeffrey Bonhach, who was once hired to head project development at Malibu Pier, died Jan. 12. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, Bonhach took his own life. He was 53.
Actor Peter Fonda discovered Bonhach’s lifeless body slumped over in a car on Sunset Boulevard in Pacific Palisades about 2 p.m. last Wednesday. After Bonhach had left the Malibu Pier project, he was later involved in a lawsuit against Malibu Pier Partners in 2007.”
June 2011: After three years in operation, Ruby’s Restaurant closes at Malibu Pier.
Dec. 29, 2011: After three years in operation Beachcomber Restaurant also closes at Malibu Pier citing low visitor numbers and high rent.
Aug. 21, 2013: A fire broke out at the Malibu Pier around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday after a cigarette became stuck between two planks on the far end of the pier. The blaze was quickly extinguished with damage to 20 planks and no reported injuries.
September 2013: Helene Henderson the hardest working woman in show business opens her first Malibu Farm location as a pop-up café at the end of the pier, which almost immediately draws large crowds and long lines to the former Ruby’s space.
Gross revenue from the pier concession leaps dramatically after Malibu Farm begins operations. From $743,434 in 201213 to $2,502,186 the following year. And that upward swing has continued, year to year.
2013-2014: Revenue from Pier concession: $2,502,186; To state: $427,214
2014: Adamson House and Malibu Pier
about to fall asleep, then start shouting, “Mom, Dad, help!!! Phil is hitting me!” Needless to say, the folks would come racing in, ignore my pleas of innocence, and warn me of the dire consequences that would befall me if I didn’t leave my poor little brother alone. And when they left, that lousy little brother’s face would light up with a grin, and he would drift off into blissful sleep.
At Harvard, Burt was introduced
designated as part of a California State Historic Landmark area, recognizing their cultural significance.
May 15, 2014: Alexander Leff opens his own Malibu Pier Restaurant at the landside restaurant on the Pier, the first dining destination on the Pier that he operates.
Aug. 22, 2014 : Hurricane Marie turns Malibu into Jeffrey’s Bay. Minds are blown. Hurricane Marie damages the seaward end of the Pier which loses over 70 pilings. Malibu Cafe is temporarily closed and stays closed for an extensive time period as the pier is repaired.
March 2015: After less then a year running his own restaurant, Alexander Leff calls it quits and Malibu Farm takes over the landside Restaurant.
2015: One Gun Ranch opens Ranch at the Pier, “a boutique-style store featuring a curated mix of surf and skate gear, beach essentials, boutique gifts, local artisan wares, fishing supplies, and even spa items like organic lotions. This shop was founded in 2015 by Alice & Ann as a “Malibu Lifestyle Store” that blends the coastal and ranch cultures of the area.”
2014/2015: Revenue from Pier: $7,449,890. Rent to state: $617,951
2015-2016: Revenue: $9,648,323. To state: $657,973
2016-2017: Revenue: $10,927,040. To state: $32,272 (This is when they were doing Hurricane Marie repairs and the rent might have gone to pay for the repairs)
2017-2018: Revenue: $14,961,648. To state: $771,589
2018-2019: Revenue: $14,001,203. To state: $783,103
2020: COVID-19 pandemic closures affect the pier’s businesses for several months.
2019-2020: Revenue: $11,102,427. To state: $578,533 (partial COVID)
2020-2021: Revenue: $8,184,196.38. To state: $136,684.32
2021-2022: Revenue: $13,706,509.02.
To state: $743,788.05
2022-2023: Revenue: $13,700,190.24. To state: $729,624.11
Aug. 2, 2021: State Senator Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) writers a sternly worded letter to Department of Parks and Recreation Director Armando Quintero, questioning whether Malibu Pier Partners should be given a three-year extension on the concession contract on the contractual grounds that “whenever the concession has been severely and adversely impacted through no fault of the concessionaire by
to Princess Christina of Sweden, who was attending Radcliffe at the time.
“Pleased to meet you,” he greeted the princess. “I’ve heard that Copenhagen is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
A couple of years before he ran for mayor, Burt thought his career might be as a stand-up comedian. He put together a routine and tried it out at a Chinese restaurant. The audience response? Let’s just say it was so quiet you could hear the sound of chopsticks.
Okay, so nobody’s perfect. Let’s get back to the good stuff, the qualities which make Burt not just my brother but my idol.Three things that immediately come to mind:
an unanticipated calamity, park closure, major construction, or other harmful event or action, including, but not limited to, drought, restricted access, and fires.” The justification provided in the May 4, 2021, letter for extending the contract term related to financial hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic falls under this condition.
Stern also called into question the business practices of Malibu Pier Partners:
“First, it is not clear that contracting with this concessionaire is in the best interests of the state. Since 2005, under this concessionaire, Malibu Pier has seen significant turnover in the businesses operating on the pier, with multiple vacancies on and off for significant periods of time.
“Further, my office has received multiple complaints and concerns both from the City of Malibu and sub-concessionaires operating on the pier regarding the concessionaire’s operation and management of the pier and the adjoining parking lot. This has included allegations of general mismanagement and neglect, including a failure to respond to and address issues when they arise, like leaking roofs, water damage, wood rot, termite infestations, and waste water backups resulting in sewage spills.”
Dec. 23, 2024: An abnormally strong, consistent winter swell creates a historic day of big-wave surfing at Mavericks. The same swell sweeps down to Santa Cruz and collapses 180 feet of the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf. The Dolphin restaurant and a bathroom go into the briney, along with two construction workers and a lot of equipment.
This inspires evil images of the end of the Malibu Pier going into the water with dozens of shoppers, fishermen, kids, diners = no bueno.
Jan. 7, 2025: The strong winds that powered the Palisades Fire also caused structural damage at the Malibu Pier. Local officials saw the collapse of the end of the Santa Cruz Wharf on Dec. 23, so erred on the side of caution.
March 10, 2025: The end of the Malibu Pier was temporarily closed for structural assessment. This closure includes the Malibu Farm Pier Café and the Surfshop/Souvenir Shop located at the end of the pier. Dec. 31, 2025: The 20-year concession agreement between the State of California and Malibu Pier Partners ends this year. A Request for Proposals for a new concessionaire will be announced in the next six months.
to Reader: My one and only sibling, Phil Ross, is a professional journalist turned therapist. He is not only the real writer in the family, but, at least according to him, is funnier than
Burt has never knowingly run a red light. He always gives his wife a card on her birthday.
He’s never asked me for a loan. And there you have it. May these accolades fill my brother’s heart with pride and joy.
The Ross brothers, Burt and Phil, circa 1975. Photo by Tana Ross
Some snapshots over the years of the Malibu Pier and its environs. Contributed Photos
2025119902
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
THE FOLLOWING PERSON IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: WAVEROCK MALIBU
WAVEROCK
29500 HEATHERCLIFF RD SPC 283, MALIBU, CA 90265, LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number (if applicable):
Registered Owner(s):
WAVEROCK MALIBU LLC
29500 HEATHERCLIFF RD SPC 283, MALIBU, CA 90265 If Corporation or LLC- State of Incorporation/Organization CA
This business is conducted by: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
The date registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 06/2025
I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). Signed, WAVEROCK MALIBU LLC, TIMBERLY FERGUSON This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 6/12/2025 NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION.THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE).
Publish in The Malibu Times: 6/26, 7/3, 7/10, 7/17/2025 MALIBU 153
2025117265
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
THE FOLLOWING PERSON IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS:
DIFFERENT SOUNDS
6101 CAVALLERI RD, MALIBU, CA 90265, LOS ANGELES COUNTY Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number (if applicable):
Registered Owner(s):
DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT LLC
6101 CAVALLERI RD, MALIBU, CA 90265
If Corporation or LLC- State of Incorporation/Organization CA
This business is conducted by: A LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY
The date registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 04/2025 I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). Signed, DIFFERENT MANAGEMENT LLC, ALEXANDER VAZELAKIS, PRESIDENT
This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 6/10/2025 NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION.THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE).
Publish in The Malibu Times: 6/26, 7/3, 7/10, 7/17/2025 MALIBU 156
PUBLIC NOTICE
Order No.: 2420261-05 YOU ARE IN DEFAULT UNDER A DEED OF TRUST, ASSIGNMENT OF LEASES AND RENTS, SECURITY AGREEMENT AND FIXTURE FILING DATED 4/17/2017. UNLESS YOU TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, IT MAY BE SOLD AT A PUBLIC SALE. IF YOU NEED AN EXPLANATION OF THE NATURE OF THE PROCEEDING AGAINST YOU, YOU SHOULD CONTACT A LAWYER. NOTICE OF TRUSTEE’S SALE Trustee’s Sale No. 2024-100734 On 8/12/2025 at 10:30 AM, Behind the fountain located in Civic Center Plaza located at 400 Civic Center Plaza, Pomona, CA 91766, Beacon Default Management, Inc., a California corporation (“Trustee”), as duly appointed trustee under that certain Deed of Trust, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Secu-
LEGAL NOTICES
rity Agreement and Fixture Filing (the “Deed of Trust”) dated 4/17/2017 executed by 22809 PCH, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Trustor”), to secure obligations in favor of DEUTSCHE BANK AG, NEW YORK BRANCH, a branch of Deutsche Bank AG, a German Bank, authorized by the New York Department of Financial Services, as beneficiary, recorded on 4/18/2017, as Instrument No. 20170424058, assigned by (i) Assignment of Deed of Trust, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing, dated 06/16/2017, in favor of GERMAN AMERICAN CAPITAL CORPORATION, a Maryland corporation, recorded 7/18/201 7, as Instrument No. 20170803432, subsequently re-recorded on 7/18/2024, to include the effective date as Instrument No. 20240887699, assigned by (ii) Assignment of Deed of Trust, Assignment of Leases and Rents, Security Agreement and Fixture Filing, dated 6/16/2017 in favor of WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HOLDERS OF CD 2017-4 MORTGAGE TRUST COMMERICAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2017-CD4, recorded 7/18/2017, as Instrument No. 20170803434, of Official Records in the office of the Recorder of Los Angeles County, State of California, under the power of sale therein contained, WILL SELL AT PUBLIC AUCTION TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, for cash, or cashier’s check made payable to Beacon Default Management, Inc. (payable at the time of sale in lawful money of the United States) without warranty express or implied as to title, use, possession or encumbrances, all right, title and interest conveyed to and now held by it as such Trustee, in and to the following described property situated in the aforesaid County and State, to-wit: LEGAL DESCRIPTION: See Exhibit “A” attached hereto and made a part of. PERSONAL PROPERTY: See Exhibit “B” attached hereto and made a part of. TAX PARCEL NO: 4452-021-008 From information which the Trustee deems reliable, but for which Trustee makes no representation or warranty, the street address or other common designation of the above described property is purported to be 22809 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, California 90265. Directions to the property may be obtained pursuant to a written request submitted within ten (10) days from the first publication of this Notice of Trustee’s Sale to RIALTO CAPITAL ADVISORS, LLC, as Special Servicer for WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS TRUSTEE, FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE HOLDERS OF CD 2017-CD4 MORTGAGE TRUST COMMERCIAL MORTGAGE PASS-THROUGH CERTIFICATES, SERIES 2017-CD4 By: Rialto Capital Advisors, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, solely in its capacity as Special Servicer pursuant to that certain Pooling and Servicing Agreement dated as of May 1, 2017. The present beneficiary under the Deed of Trust, in care of the Trustee at the address listed below. Said property is being sold for the purpose of paying the obligations secured by said Deed of Trust, including, without limitation, fees and expenses of sale. The total amount of the unpaid principal balance, interest and default interest thereon, together with reasonably estimated costs, charges, fees and advances at the time of the initial publication of the Notice of Trustee’s Sale is $12,509,955.07. The ‘’Beneficiary’’ has elected to conduct a unified foreclosure sale pursuant to the provisions of California Commercial Code Section 9604(a) (1)(B) and to include in the non-judicial foreclosure of the estate described in this Notice of Trustee’s Sale all of the personal property and fixtures described in the Deed of Trust. The Beneficiary reserves the right to revoke its election as to some or all of said personal property and/or fixtures, or to add additional personal property and/or fixtures to the election herein expressed, at the Beneficiary’s sole election, from time to time and at any time until the consummation of the trustee’s sale to be conducted pursuant to the Deed of Trust and this Notice of Trustee’s Sale. The name, street address and telephone number of the Trustee are: Beacon Default Management, Inc. 30101 Agoura Court, Suite 203 Agoura Hills California 91301 Phone: (310) 929-5457 Trustee’s Sale No. 2024-100734 FOR TRUSTEE SALE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL: Stox Posting & Publishing, LLC Sale Line: (844) 477-7869 Website: www.stoxposting.com NOTICE TO POTENTIAL BIDDERS: If you are considering bidding on this property lien, you should understand that there are risks involved in bidding at a trustee auction. You will be bidding on a lien, not on the property itself. Placing the highest bid at a trustee auction does not automatically entitle you to free and clear ownership of the property. You should also be aware that the lien being auctioned off may be a junior lien. If you are the highest bidder at the auction, you are or may be responsible for paying off all liens senior to the lien being auctioned off, before you can receive clear title to the property. You are encouraged to investigate the existence, priority, and size of outstanding liens that may exist on this property by contacting the county recorder’s office or a title insurance company, either of which may charge you a fee for this information. If you consult either of these resources, you should be aware that the same lender may hold more than one mortgage or deed of trust on the property. NOTICE TO PROPERTY OWNER: The sale date shown on this notice of sale may be postponed one or more times by the mortgagee, beneficiary, trustee, or a court, pursuant to Section 2924g of the California Civil Code. The law requires that information about trustee sale postponements be made available to you and to the public, as a courtesy to those not present at the sale. If you wish to learn whether your sale date has been postponed, and, if applicable, the rescheduled time and date for the sale of this property, you may call
(844) 477-7869 or visit this Internet Web site www. stoxposting.com, using the file number assigned to this case 2024-100734. Information about postponements that are very short in duration or that occur close in time to the scheduled sale may not immediately be reflected in the telephone information or on the Internet Web site. The best way to verify postponement information is to attend the scheduled sale. Dated: July 7, 2025 BEACON DEFAULT MANAGEMENT, INC a California corporation, as trustee By Shannon Papa, Authorized Signatory EXHIBIT “A” That portion of the Rancho Topanga Malibu Sequit, as confirmed to Matthew Keller by patent, in the City of Malibu, County of Los Angeles, State of California, as per Map recorded in Book 1 Pages 407-414 et. seq. of Patents, in the office of the County Recorder of said County, particularly described as follows: Beginning at a point in the Northerly line of the 20 foot strip of land described in the deed from Marblehead Land Company to the State of California, recorded in Book 16845 Page 253 of Official Records of said County, said point of beginning being North 3° 59’ 00” West 60 feet and Westerly 404.70 feet along the arc of a curve normal to said last mentioned course and concave Southerly with a radius of 3060 feet from Engineer’s Center Line Station 965 plus 96.77 feet to the Westerly extremity of that certain center line course in the 80 foot strip of land described as North 86° 01’ East 1365.39 feet in the deed from T. R. Cadwalader, et al., to the State of California, recorded in Book 15228 Page 342 of Official Records of said County, said point of beginning being also the Southwesterly corner of the parcel of land described in the deed from Marblehead Land Company to Pacific Marine Studios, Inc., recorded in Book 18629 Page 38 of Official Records of said County; thence North 11º 33’ 40” West 250 feet along the Westerly line of said last mentioned parcel and the Northerly prolongation thereof; thence South 75° 51’ 53” West, 297.36 feet; thence South 16° 42’ 36” East 250 feet, more or less, to a point in the Northerly line of said 20 foot strip heretofore described; thence Easterly 275 feet along the Northerly line of said 20 foot strip on the arc of a curve concave Southerly with a radius of 3060 feet to the point of beginning. Except the Southerly 60 feet of the Easterly 175 feet, measured along the Easterly and Southerly line, respectively of said land. Excepting therefrom all minerals, oil, petroleum, asphaltum, gas, coal and other hydrocarbon substances in, on, within and under said lands and every part thereof, but without the right of entry, as reserved by Marblehead Land Company, in deed recorded March 1, 1945 in Book 21690 Page 371, Official Records. EXHIBIT “B” (a)Improvements. The buildings, structures, fixtures, additions, enlargements, extensions, modifications, repairs, replacements and improvements now or hereafter erected or located on the Land (collectively, the “Improvements”); (b) Easements. All easements, rights-of-way or use, rights, strips and gores of land, streets, ways, alleys, passages, sewer rights, water, water courses, water rights and powers, air rights and development rights, and all estates, rights, titles, interests, privileges, liberties, servitudes, tenements, hereditaments and appurtenances of any nature whatsoever, in any way now or hereafter belonging, relating or pertaining to the Land and the Improvements and the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, and all land lying in the bed of any street, road or avenue, opened or proposed, in front of or adjoining the Land, to the center line thereof and all the estates, rights, titles, interests, dower and rights of dower, curtesy and rights of curtesy, property, possession, claim and demand whatsoever, both at law and in equity, of Trustor of, in and to the Land and the Improvements and every part and parcel thereof, with the appurtenances thereto; (c) Equipment. All “equipment,” as such term is defined in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (as hereinafter defined), now owned or hereafter acquired by Trustor, which is used at or in connection with the Improvements or the Land or is located thereon or therein including, but not limited to, all machinery, equipment, furnishings, and electronic data processing and other office equipment now owned or hereafter acquired by Trustor and any and all additions, substitutions and replacements of any of the foregoing), together with all attachments, components, parts, equipment and accessories installed thereon or affixed thereto (collectively, the “Equipment”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, Equipment shall not include any property belonging to Tenants under Leases except to the extent of trustor’s right or interest therein; (d) Fixtures. All Equipment now owned, or the ownership of which is hereafter acquired, by Trustor which is so related to the Land and Improvements forming part of the Property that it is deemed fixtures or real property under the law of the particular state in which the Equipment is located, including, without limitation, all building or construction materials intended for construction, reconstruction, alteration or repair of or installation on the Property, construction equipment, appliances, machinery, plant equipment, fittings, apparatuses, fixtures and other items now or hereafter attached to, installed in or used in connection with (temporarily or permanently) any of the Improvements or the Land, including, but not limited to, engines, devices for the operation of pumps, pipes, plumbing, cleaning, call and sprinkler systems, fire extinguishing apparatuses and equipment, heating, ventilating, plumbing, laundry, incinerating, electrical, air conditioning and air cooling equipment and systems, gas and electric machinery, appurtenances and equipment, pollution control equipment, security systems, disposals, dishwashers, refrigerators and ranges, recreational equipment and facilities of all kinds, and water, gas, electrical, storm and sanitary sewer facilities, utility
lines and equipment (whether owned individually or jointly with others, and, if owned jointly, to the extent of Trustor’s interest therein) and all other utilities whether or not situated in easements, all water tanks, water supply, water power sites, fuel stations, fuel tanks, fuel supply, and all other structures, together with all accessions, appurtenances, additions, replacements, betterments and substitutions for any of the foregoing and the proceeds thereof ( collectively, the “Fixtures”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, “Fixtures” shall not include any property which Tenants are entitled to remove pursuant to Leases except to the extent that Trustor shall have any right or interest therein; (e) Personal Property. All furniture, furnishings, objects of art, machinery, goods, tools, supplies, appliances, general intangibles, contract rights, accounts, accounts receivable, franchises, licenses, certificates and permits, and all other personal property of any kind or character whatsoever (as defined in and subject to the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code), other than Fixtures, which are now or hereafter owned by Trustor and which are located within or about the Land and the Improvements, together with all accessories, replacements and substitutions thereto or therefor and the proceeds thereof (collectively, the “Personal Property”), and the right, title and interest of Trustor in and to any of the Personal Property which may be subject to any security interests, as defined in the Uniform Commercial Code, as adopted and enacted by the state or states where any of the Property is located (as amended from time to time, the “Uniform Commercial Code”), superior in lien to the lien of this Deed of Trust, and all proceeds and products of any of the above; MALIBU 161
NOTICE OF ELECTION
BROAD BEACH GEOLOGIC HAZARD ABATEMENT DISTRICT
ELECTIONS OFFICAL, DONESIA GAUSE, CERA
July 8, 2025
As authorized by the Elections Code and the laws governing special district elections, specifically the Broad Beach Geologic Hazard Abatement District (the ”District”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN to the landowners within the District that a General Election will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, for the following officers:
Two (2) Board Members
Of the Board of Directors (term of four years)
The nomination period for these board seats begins on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 8:00 A.M., and closes on Friday, August 8, 2025, at 5:00 P.M.
In the event an incumbent does not file by the deadline noted above, the nomination period will be extended to all other landowners to Wednesday, August 13, 2025, at 5:00 P.M.
For additional information related to the District Election and/or Candidate Nomination, contact the Elections Official at (310) 686-8551.
Donesia Gause, CERA District Elections Official MALIBU 162
2025113754
FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT
THE FOLLOWING PERSON IS (ARE) DOING BUSINESS AS: AIR TEKNICA
14914 HAMLIN ST #101, LOS ANGELES, CA 91411, LOS ANGELES COUNTY
Articles of Incorporation or Organization Number (if applicable): Registered Owner(s): BRIAN POTRA
14914 HAMLIN ST #101, LOS ANGELES, CA 91411 GEORGE POTRA
7063 VINELAND AVE, NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA 91605 If Corporation or LLC- State of Incorporation/Organization
This business is conducted by: A GENERAL PARTNERSHIP
The date registrant commenced to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above on: 06/2025
I declare that all information in this statement is true and correct. (A registrant who declares as true information which he or she knows to be false is guilty of a crime). Signed, BRIAN POTRA, GENERAL PARTNER
This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles County on 6/4/2025 NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUBDIVISION (a) OF SECTION 17920, A FICTITIOUS NAME STATEMENT GENERALLY EXPIRES AT THE END OF FIVE YEARS FROM THE DATE ON WHICH IT WAS FILED IN THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY CLERK, EXCEPT, AS PROVIDED IN SUBDIVISION (b) OF SECTION 17920, WHERE IT EXPIRES 40 DAYS AFTER ANY CHANGE IN THE FACTS SET FORTH IN THE STATEMENT PURSUANT TO SECTION 17913 OTHER THAN A CHANGE IN THE RESIDENCE ADDRESS OF A REGISTERED OWNER. A NEW FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT MUST BE FILED BEFORE THE EXPIRATION.THE FILING OF THIS STATEMENT DOES NOT OF ITSELF AUTHORIZE THE USE IN THIS STATE OF A FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME IN VIOLATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ANOTHER UNDER FEDERAL, STATE, OR COMMON LAW (SEE SECTION 14411 ET SEQ., BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE).
Publish in The Malibu Times: 7/17, 7/24, 7/31, 8/7/2025
MALIBU 163
BUSINESS DIRECTORY
POPPY’S
PAL
To submit a Poppy’s Pal photo of your pet, please email to: office@malibutimes.com. 200DPI image as jpg or pdf file. Include pet’s name along with a clever caption, and/or their name, breed and age. Poppy’s Pall photos are published in the order in which they are received.
NOTICE TO READERS: California law requires that contractors taking jobs that total $500 or more (labor and/or materials) be licensed by the Contractors State License Board. State law also requires that contractors include their license numbers on all advertising. Check your contractor’s status at www.cslb. ca.gov or 800-321-CSLB (2752). Unlicensed persons taking jobs that total less than $500 must state in their advertisements that they are not licensed by the Contractors State License Board.” ALL REAL ESTATE advertised herein are subject to the Federal Fair Housing Act and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, which makes it illegal to advertise any preference, limitation or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, ancestry or national origin or intention to make such preference, limitation or discrimination. We will not knowingly accept any advertisements for real estate in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are
available on an equal opportunity basis.
THE MALIBU TIMES reserves the right to refuse the publishing of any advertisement(s) and to delete any objectionable word(s), phrase(s) and/or image(s) from such advertisement. If there is an error or omission in the printing and/or publication of an advertisement, The Malibu Times’ liability is limited to only one incorrect insertion or omission.
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Contractor
KANEROY and ASSOCIATES has been proud to serve Malibu & the Westside for the past 20 years, and look forward to putting it’s broad experience, creativity and craftsmanship to work for you on your next construction project. Kane Sickner 310-456-6841, www.kaneroy. com. Lic.#569337-Bonded/ insured.
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By HAYLEY MATTSON Publisher, Editor in Chief
Palos Verdes, as well as offshore on the ocean
floor,” Quinn shared. Early findings revealed troubling contamination, including levels of heavy metals that exceed safe limits for marine life. These tests are part of an ongoing effort to monitor the fires’ long-term impacts on coastal and marine environments. In the aftermath of the fires, Heal the Bay has distinguished itself as a leader in transparency, publicly releasing both its own data and government-collected information — with plain-language explanations to help the
public understand the implications. “We’re outlining what we do know, what we still don’t know, and how to best apply that information to personal decisions about visiting SoCal beaches,” said Quinn.
The organization’s work has expanded to include participation in post-fire task forces, focused on improving infrastructure and emergency response in the face of climate disasters. Their research is helping shape the forthcoming “Heal the Bay
Climate Resiliency Handbook,” a science-based guide that integrates environmental health and equity into future disaster planning.
“This wasn’t part of our plan this year,” Quinn acknowledged, noting the financial and emotional toll on her team.
“Yet, we’re proud we made that choice, because it was an investment we needed to make to protect the community.”
As climate-related disasters increase in frequency and sever -
ity, Heal the Bay is urging local leaders to adopt stronger policies around disaster cleanups and public health safeguards. “We’re forcing conversations about both acute and long-term exposure risks,” Quinn emphasized.
Heal the Bay remains committed to turning this moment of crisis into lasting change. Quinn invites the public to learn more and support the organization’s critical work by reading her latest
blog post.
Marine nonprofit leads post-fire testing and calls for stronger disaster response protocols
Members of Heal the Bay do research along the beach to find the effects of this year’s Palisades Fire on the environment. (top right) Tracy Quinn (green hat), president and CEO of Heal the Bay, looks over a map of Pacific Palisades with a colleague. Quinn’s group has been testing sand and ocean water samples for contamination post-fires. Photo courtesy of Heal the Bay
Continued from B1
Malibu home and studio, damaged in the Palisades Fire. But, she said, “I keep thinking about of all of this beauty in Malibu and how the hills are becoming green again. I can see the ocean and the colors are kind of dreamlike. My work is dreamlike, yet familiar. It’s kind of representational abstract. It’s much more abstract than usual. I think that’s because of what we’ve been going through. I want to paint more about the natural beauty where we are. And that’s what this exhibit is about, our beautiful city by the sea.” Her piece is titled “The Golden Sun.”
Longtime Malibu resident, veterinarian and known photographer Marc Bittan captured the exhibition’s
COMMUNITY SPTLIGHT
promotional piece. Bittan is fairly new to painting. “I love doing landscape photography and going to the beach,” he said. “Then when COVID hit, I wasn’t really able to go out and do any photography. So, I started painting, never had any lessons. I just bought some painting books.” After reading the books and watching a friend paint he started with acrylics. Less than a year ago Bittan started with oils. His featured work is titled “Sunrise at Surfrider.”
With so many talented artists in Malibu, Bittan says he was very pleasantly surprised and excited about his featured painting. “It feels great,” he said. “Everybody should try art. It makes you feel good while you’re doing it and it’s just so rewarding when you really like what you’re doing.”
“Coastal Reflections” at Malibu City Gallery at City Hall runs through Aug. 22.
Russ Bryant (top left) is shown with his work “California Sunset.” Denise Peak (top right) is shown with
Osunga Okello (bottom left) is shown with his work
Sunset,” part of the “Coastal Reflections.” Marc Bittan (bottom middle) is shown with his work “Sun-
at Surfrider.” Monica DeMoulin (bottom right)
“Birdwalk at Zuma,” part of the “Coastal Reflections” art exhibit at Malibu City Gallery. Photos by Judy Abel COASTAL REFLECTIONS
Rival turned teammate leads Malibu to National bronze
Channel Islands’ Brandon Ramero boosts Malibu Volleyball Club to topthree finish at AAU Nationals
By MCKENZIE JACKSON Special to The Malibu Times
Channel Islands High School volleyball player
Brandon Ramero, 18, didn’t grab a victory over the Malibu High volleyball team during his first three years of high school.
Ramero, a senior, decided to join the Malibu Volleyball Club, a club team coached by Sharks head coach Derek Saenz and staffed by Malibu High players in June after talking with Saenz about improving his volleyball skills and garnering more attention from college volleyball scouts.
“In the beginning, I felt kind of out of place,” Ramero recalled. “I knew Malibu had a good team. I just tried to get to know them better. The fact that all of them are good made me train better and harder.”
Ramero was a winning addition to Malibu.
The middle blocker and outside hitter’s play helped lead Malibu to a 10-2 record and a bronze medal finish in the 17U Club Division of AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball Championships’ Wave 2 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.
Ramero said finishing third in a field of 79 teams at the July 4-7 tournament was amazing.
“I thought we could have done better, but it is what it is,” he said. “I’m happy with how it ended up.”
Saenz said the Championships were a valuable experience for Malibu and that Ramero rounded out a talented team of mostly 16-year-olds, who had lost two months of training because of the Palisades Fire that tore through a portion of Malibu earlier this year.
“He was the super glue that held everyone together,” Saenz said of Ramero. “He was not our best player, but he was good for the team. He is older and a super hard worker that everyone respects. All the players listened to him. He was a leader on the court.”
Ramero sought to be positive influence who inspired his teammates not to dwell on mistakes on the court.
“I wanted to encourage my teammates to play the best they can play, so they could play with no regrets and be successful,” he said.
Evolution 17 Elite from Redondo Beach won the division’s gold medal. Arizona’s MVC 17 Black won the silver medal. MVC 17 Black defeated Malibu 19-25, 25-17, 15-8 to advance to the championship.
After a commanding 25-20, 25-16 win over Orlando Gold, Malibu advanced to the semifinals, ultimately securing a shared bronze with Spike Milwaukee B17.
Malibu’s Martin Kurial and Keegan Cross were named to the 17U Club division’s All-American team with 12 other players from across the nation. Saenz said Cross, a senior, played with energy throughout the 12 matches.
“Keegan has been that kid,” he said. “I was impressed with his consistency over the four days. Hi-
soffense was good. His blocking was tremendous.”
Receiving All-American status, Cross said, was the biggest volleyball honor he has received.
“This award was a big validating factor in my career — knowing that the hard work and dedication I’m putting into this sport is paying off,” he said. “Being recognized on the bigger stage isn’t something I thought was possible when I first started playing almost four years ago.”
Kurial, Saenz explained, was equally impressive.
“Martin is a force in the middle,” he noted. “His hitting percentage was high. His blocking was good. He was high-level consistent the whole time.”
Additionally, Luca Calvo, a sophomore member of the Malibu High team, was named to the tournament’s Boys 15U Open Division All-American team. Calvo was a member of the Gardena-based Team Rockstar Volleyball Club.
The Malibu Volleyball Club began the tournament with a 25-18, 25-9 win over AJV Boys 17 Molten of Texas on July 4. They defeated Connecticut’s Husky 17 Black 25-13, 25-18 and Ohio’s Academy 17E White 22-25, 25-11, 15-7 that same day.
Malibu won their first two matches on the Championships’ second day before losing to Phoenix 17 Meehan 25-23, 14-25, 15-8.
On July 6, Malibu lit up the court with four decisive wins. Two matches stood out as the squad’s finest — a 17-25, 25-19, 15-4 victory over Florida’s SoFLO B 17U and a 25-19, 26-28, 15-11 triumph over SNVF U17 Mount Baker of Washington.
Cross said he and his teammates might have been intimidated by SoFLO B 17U’s powerful opposite hitter and strong defense, but they eventually played with confidence.
“We really came together well that game, and showed some of our highest-level gameplay,” he said while noting Malibu’s good blocking and defensive pickups were key to the win.
Ramero said they played great against SNVF U17 Mount Baker.
“We all played our best volleyball ever,” he said.
“That was a big win on center court,” Saenz added. “The game had a big-time feel to it. It was super cool.” Malibu began the tournament’s last day with a win over Orlando Gold 17. They then lost to MVC 17 Black.
Malibu received their medals and trophy on a grand stage after the championship game.
Saenz is proud of how Malibu, a team of mostly 16-year-olds, played against the field of teams composed of 17-year-olds.
“The jump in physicality is huge from 16 to 17 — it’s like boys and then men,” he said. “If you are a real athlete, you are never happy about losing. However, the guys were super happy to go on the podium.”
Malibu’s roster also included Kane Bendler, Julian Calvo, Giles Freedman, Alejandro Galan, Lucas Galan, Cameron Judd, Madeus Lupo, Taj Menteer, Timur Podgore, and Nicolai Rainin.
Ramero received an athletic scholarship offer from Hope International University in Fullerton but declined it because the school doesn’t offer his intended major. Still, he is glad he played with Malibu in four tournaments.
“It felt good to get an offer,” he said.
Miss Tangerine A5677731 came to Agoura from Lancaster. She is currently bopping around the yard and sniffing everything on her walks. Loves dogs and people but can be a little shy with new people at first. Come by and meet this absolute sweetie pie today.
Care Center Hours: Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm Closed* on Sunday and holidays
29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 agoura@animalcare.lacounty.gov
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Members of the Malibu Volleyball Club celebrate their strong showing in the 17U Club Division of the AAU Boys Junior National Volleyball championship. Photos courtesy of Malibu Volleyball Club
