*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.
Malibu Response to Article on Rebuild Fee Waivers
Dear Editor,
We appreciate The Malibu Times’ continued coverage of wildfire recovery and the challenges facing Malibu residents who are still working to rebuild their homes and their lives. However, the recent article by Judy Abel, “Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors excludes City of Malibu victims from fee waivers,” contains information that may unintentionally confuse readers about the status of rebuild fee waivers and the County’s support for the City of Malibu.
First and most importantly, City of Malibu homeowners have been eligible for waivers of city permit fees for several months. The City of Malibu established its own rebuild fee waiver program shortly after the wildfire, and these waivers remain in effect. The city continues to absorb these fees to support residents.
The article correctly notes a technical oversight involving a County Fire permit fee that had not previously been waived for incorporated City of Malibu properties. That issue has since been remedied. At the Nov. 25 meeting, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, at the recommendation of County staff, voted to waive this fee for eligible Malibu homeowners and to reimburse any affected residents who had already paid it. We appreciate the County’s swift action and cooperation in addressing this administrative matter.
We are concerned, however, that the framing of the article may leave the mistaken impression that Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath chose to “exclude” Malibu from fire-victim assistance. That is not accurate. Supervisor Horvath and her staff have been consistently supportive partners to the City of Malibu throughout our long and complex rebuild process.
Her office worked closely with City staff in recent weeks to resolve the fire-review fee oversight, and she has repeatedly affirmed her commitment to ensuring all wildfire survivors receive timely, equitable, and coordinated support.
The City values our ongoing partnership with Los Angeles County and the Board of Supervisors, and we are grateful for their continued collaboration in helping our community recover.
To further assist residents, the City will again be placing a notice in The Malibu Times outlining the full list of City rebuild fee waivers currently in effect. We remain committed to clear, factual communication and to doing everything in our power to help Malibu families rebuild safely and successfully. For the latest information on rebuilding efforts in Malibu, we encourage people to visit MalibuRebuilds.org.
Thank you for the opportunity to clarify this important matter.
Marianne Riggins, Mayor, City of Malibu
Notice: Response to Mayor Riggins and the City of Malibu
County staff confirmed that The Malibu Times was the catalyst for the County’s motion to extend County fee waivers to Malibu residents on Nov. 25. Instead of commending The Malibu Times efforts to identify and rectify injustices in the County fee waiver program, Mayor Riggins congratulates herself and the County for their “swift action” in addressing an “administrative matter” and “technical oversight” that limited County fee relief to those living in unincorporated County. To be clear, this “oversight” was caused by the County Board of Supervisors enacting a resolution back in June
that expressly applied only to residents of unincorporated County. If the County had simply passed a County fee waiver for “victims of the Palisades and Eaton fires,” this issue would never have arisen. So, it was not an inadvertent failure to include Malibu residents; it was specific verbiage limiting the waiver to only unincorporated residents.
Additionally, the County fee waiver was enacted for unincorporated residents in mid-June and extended to Malibu in late November. Mayor Riggins, who did not lose her home, views five months to extend the waiver to be “swift action.” Actual fire victims, such as this reporter, who spent a full month and repeated phone calls to get this matter addressed, may feel differently.
Contrary to Mayor Riggins’ assertion, nothing in the article suggested that Supervisor Horvath chose to exclude Malibu residents; the original resolution, after all, was not drafted by her but by Supervisor Barger, who represents unincorporated Altadena. However, one might have hoped that Supervisor Horvath, who previously served as the Mayor of West Hollywood, could have been more vigilant in looking out for the interests of her fire victim constituents in incorporated cities like Malibu. Finally, after last week’s Publisher’s Letter requesting that citizens tone down the rhetoric, it is especially disappointing that Mayor Riggins believed that it was important to argue that The Malibu Times might “unintentionally confuse” its readers that Malibu’s fee waiver program was not in effect, when absolutely nothing in the article suggested that.
Judy Abel
Driving Change: When slowing down saves lives: why PCH’s roundabout pilot deserves our support
Irecently sat through a community meeting about the proposed roundabouts on PCH. I heard the frustration, the skepticism, the very real concern about fire evacuations. I heard people say this will make traffic worse, that this is just another government experiment on a road that’s already claimed too many lives. I get it. I really do.
But here’s what you need to understand: this is a proven, statistically validated intervention that could prevent the tragedies that have haunted our community for decades.
The physics of survival PCH through Malibu is a 55mph corridor where people drive like they’re on a highway because technically, they are. But it’s also a coastal road where families park, cyclists train, and people cross to the beach. That combination is lethal.
The roundabouts planned for Encinal Canyon Road and El Matador Beach will force every vehicle to slow to 25 mph before entering an intersection. Yes, that means reducing PCH from four lanes to two in this section. That’s not a flaw, that’s the entire point. In Europe, roundabouts are
standard infrastructure. The data is overwhelming: intersections nationwide that converted to modern roundabouts experienced a 90% reduction in fatalities and serious injuries.
This isn’t magic. It’s physics. High-speed perpendicular crashes, T-bones, left-turn collisions, and head-on impacts kill people. Roundabouts geometrically eliminate those crashes. Any collision that does occur is a low-speed sideswipe, not a life-ending impact.
Slower traffic moves faster Roundabouts replace stopping with yielding. You slow down but keep moving. Studies show roundabouts reduce average vehicle delays by 56% to 89%.
Carmel, Indiana, with over 150 roundabouts, saves $7.2 million
Malibu’s beachfront rebuilds don’t need new shackles — they need breathing room
The City Council’s sudden “exploration” of a Total Developable Square Footage (TDSF) cap on beachfront lots has landed like a punch in the gut for those of us still trying to put our lives back together after the Palisades
Fire. Eleven months in, with blackened frames still lining the coast and only one beachfront rebuild permit issued, the last thing fire victims need is another regulatory hurdle invented out of thin air.
Let’s be clear: landside lots already live under strict size limits. Beachfront properties, by contrast, have always been governed by a different, time-tested set of rules — height restrictions, setbacks, view corridors, and two rather immovable barriers called the Pacific Coast Highway and the Pacific Ocean. Those natural and man-made constraints have kept Malibu’s beach from turning into Miami for decades. No one has needed a blunt-instrument TDSF cap to make that happen.
This debate is not new. In July 2019 — eight months after the Woolsey Fire scorched the city — the Planning Commission spent an exhaustive night listening to homeowners, neighbors, and community leaders argue the exact same question. After hours of testimony, commissioners voted decisively against imposing a TDSF limit. The message was unmistakable: Malibu didn’t want or need it.
Yet here we are again, at a moment when the stakes are infinitely higher. The Palisades Fire took far more beachfront homes than Woolsey ever did. Rebuilding is already crawling:
• One permit in 11 months on the
Illegally constructed antenna pole at the Santa Monica College Malibu campus
Dear Editor,
From the publisher HAYLEY MATTSON
“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”
— Margaret J. Wheatley
missible Exposure (MPE) thresholds meant to protect people from harmful electromagnetic fields.
At minimum, it must be restricted to County use only, with no commercial attachments.
My name is Jan Ravlich, a new Board Member of the Malibu Township Council, a longtime Civic Center resident, and a Registered and Certified Operating Room Nurse for 45 years. My professional life has been dedicated to preventing avoidable harm. Today, I am speaking out because Malibu is being asked to accept avoidable risk — right next to our classrooms, library, parks, and civic center.
On Dec. 17 at 4:30 p.m., the City Council will decide at this special meeting, where the only item being heard is whether to activate the illegally constructed antenna pole at the Santa Monica College Malibu campus.
The County’s own emissions study shows Radio Frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation reaching 1,894.5% above the FCC’s general-population limit — levels that federal standards classify as unsafe for continuous public exposure. RF emissions are the energy used for two-way radio systems. At high intensities, they exceed Maximum Per-
And Malibu’s children and families would be exposed at arm’s length: The classrooms and walkways are just 18 feet from the radiation source.
The County modeled emissions for an 86.8-foot tower, yet the conditionally approved height is 75 feet, and the structure was built on higher natural grade, before any approval, further increasing exposure. No environmental review has ever evaluated what this installed structure actually emits.
It is also crucial for residents to know:
Our Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters do NOT use this pole. They do NOT need it.
This is a line-of-sight tower, meaning it only works where the tower can literally be seen. It cannot reach most of Malibu’s neighborhoods or canyons. Malibu’s real emergency communications already run through Saddle Peak, Solstice, Castro Peak, and other locally hardened sites — none of which rely on this pole.
The pole also includes multiple platforms clearly intended for leasing to private carriers, heightening health, safety, and visual concerns.
And here’s the part no one is saying out loud:
Relocating the pole behind the college — away from children and public walkways — is entirely feasible and not expensive.
Moving conduit, a short distance on a flat campus, is a modest civil-engineering task. The County could do this easily if it chose safety over convenience.
After decades of Malibu sending hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue to Los Angeles County annually, we deserve basic public safety — not another preventable hazard, on top of wildfire failures and ongoing unhoused public-safety issues at our library and parks. I urge every resident to attend the Dec. 17 meeting at City Hall at 4:30 p.m. and ask the City to require relocation of this unsafe, unlawfully built pole. Malibu deserves better.
Jan Ravlich, RN, CNOR 45-Year Registered & Certified Operating Room Nurse Malibu Township Council, Civic Center Resident
A water bill mulligan: How to protest a 60% to 80% increase to your water bill
Do you support having to pay 60% to 80% more than what you pay on your monthly water bill today over the next few years?
If not, then the clock is ticking on your opportunity to protest. You have until Monday, Dec. 15, to deliver a formal letter of protest (online) to the Waterworks District 29/LA County Board of Supervisors expressing your displeasure with the aggressive and massive rate increase to your monthly water bill.
You can find protest letter online submission instructions below.
Waterworks District 29 has proposed an increase to both the general
rate and pass-through rate that you will pay on your monthly water bill.
The LA County Board of Supervisors will vote on Tuesday, Dec. 16, whether to approve those rate increases, which will mean that your monthly water bill will increase between 60% and 80% between 2026 and 2030.
The Prop 218-related plan is to spike your water bill by between 35% and 40% beginning in 2026. Subsequently, in 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030 your monthly water bill will increase approximately 10% each year (combining both the proposed general rate hike with the annual passthrough rate hike) so that by 2030 you will be paying an extra 60% to 80% more than what you are paying for your household or business water today.
This is no secret. Waterworks District 29 presented information to the Malibu City Council during public regular meetings on Sept. 29 and Nov. 10. Perhaps you have heard some of these details from your elected representatives, the City Councilmembers? If not, now is a good time to ask them what they know
about the Prop 218 general rate hike vote, what their opinions are, and what they recommend.
In my voluntary appointed role as a Malibu public works commissioner, I have focused some of my time on Malibu’s water infrastructure strategy. Certainly, we need resources and investments to fund projects that can improve and enhance our water infrastructure. In Malibu, we welcome that conversation and a thoughtful strategy.
In my judgment, what we do not welcome is an aggressive, massive hike in water bill rates for Malibu residents, property owners, and businesses without a visionary, thoughtful, and impactful strategy. Let me share a couple of examples of how I believe what Waterworks District 29 is proposing falls short of that reasonable expectation.
One example, as was discussed during the meeting on Nov. 10, is the last time Waterworks District 29 increased the general rate for Malibu customers was in 2012. Consequently, you would expect that between 2012 and 2025, noteworthy
PUBLISHER
EDITOR IN CHIEF COMPANY ADMINISTRATOR
COPY EDITOR
PROOFREADER
GRAPHIC DESIGNERS
CONTRIBUTORS
Hayley Mattson
Cami Martin
Michael Chaldu
Judy Abel
ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Hayley Mattson
Jen Rodman, Anthony Atkins
Judy Abel, Barbara Burke, McKenzie Jackson, Burt Ross, Benjamin Marcus, Michel Shane
Anthony McDemas
Karen Kagan
but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” — Abraham Lincoln
The Malibu Times is locally owned by Nicholas and Hayley Mattson, 13 Stars Media.
MICHEL
KEVIN KEEGAN COLUMNIST
Chef at Paradise Cove Café killed on PCH after driver crossed into oncoming lane, killing both drivers
A family is grieving the loss of a beloved father after a deadly head-on collision on Pacific Coast Highway last Thursday evening. The California Highway Patrol reported that both drivers involved in the crash were killed, and a passenger suffered major injuries.
The crash occurred at approximately 6:55 p.m. on Dec. 4 along a dark stretch of State Route 1 just south of Deer Creek Road. According to CHP investigators, a 25-yearold man driving a Dodge Charger northbound crossed over the double yellow lines into the southbound lane for reasons still under investigation.
The Charger collided head-on with a Chevrolet Tahoe driven by 53-year-old Julián Jimenez, a longtime Ventura resident originally from Durango, Mexico. Family members said Jimenez came to the United States as a teenager to build a better life. Even at 53, he continued to work toward dreams he had yet to fulfill.
Friends described Jimenez as the heart of his family and community. “Julian leaves behind his wife, children, siblings, and parents,” said his friends on a GoFundMe page.
“Julian worked as a chef at Paradise Cove Cafe in Malibu for most of his life and always did his best to provide for his family. Whether he was cooking at home or at the restaurant, his food consistently brought families together and smiles to their faces.”
Both drivers were unresponsive when first responders arrived and were later pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the Charger was transported to a local hospital with serious injuries.
CHP said alcohol is believed to have been a factor in the crash. All occupants were wearing seat belts, and the investigation remains ongoing.
The collision sparked a full closure of the highway for about three hours as CHP officers and Caltrans crews examined the scene and cleared debris. All lanes reopened around 10:10 p.m., according to CHP Ventura.
Jimenez’s death has left relatives, coworkers, and friends in both Ven-
tura and Malibu devastated. Many are now rallying around his family as they navigate an unimaginable loss.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the identities of the victims once their families have been notified.
CHP is urging anyone who witnessed the crash or who may have dashcam footage from the area at the time to contact the CHP Ventura Area office at (805) 662-2640.
NEWS BRIEFS
native plants and cultural resources.
These restrictions, plaintiffs argue, prevented complete extinguishment of the Lachman Fire, allowing it to smolder and later reignite. A federal investigation later confirmed the Palisades Fire was a direct holdover from the earlier Lachman incident.
the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and Deutsche Oper Berlin. His baritone voice can be heard as the Celebrant on a recording of “Mass” by Leonard Bernstein.
Celebrated architect Frank Gehry dies
ing the Pritzker Prize, and was referred to as a “starchitect.”
and Urban Development’s 2025 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO).
‘Let It Burn’ policy in California State
Parks
faces intense scrutiny after Palisades
Fire
A California State Parks policy that favors allowing wildfires to burn in certain circumstances is under heavy criticism following the deadly Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people and destroyed nearly 7,000 structures earlier this year, making it the third-most destructive wildfire in state history.
Documents obtained through a public records request reveal that the wildfire mitigation plan for Topanga State Park explicitly states that, unless otherwise directed, the department prefers to let the park burn during a wildfire event. The stated goal is to restore natural fire frequency and support chaparral habitats, much of which had not burned in over 50 years.
The controversy centers on whether this ecological approach contributed to the Palisades catastrophe. The fire began as a small 8-acre blaze known as the Lachman Fire on Jan. 1, in Topanga State Park. Though quickly contained by the Los Angeles Fire Department, underground embers went undetected and reignited six days later amid extreme Santa Ana winds, exploding into the massive Palisades Fire that burned 23,448 acres and was not fully contained until Jan. 31.
Attorneys representing thousands of victims contend that state park officials restricted aggressive mopup efforts after the initial Lachman Fire due to protected habitat zones. Firefighters reportedly received avoidance maps designating areas where heavy equipment, chainsaws, retardant drops, and thorough hotspot checks were prohibited without archaeological oversight to protect
California State Parks has maintained that it does not interfere with active firefighting operations and that all suppression decisions rested with the Los Angeles Fire Department, which declared the initial fire fully contained and later “dead out” after standard checks.
The debate has intensified calls for transparency and policy reform, particularly in urban-wildland interface zones near densely populated coastal communities. Ongoing lawsuits and a court-ordered review involving depositions of firefighters and state parks personnel continue to examine the initial response and the role of the “let it burn” directive.
As residents in affected neighborhoods like Pacific Palisades, Topanga, and Malibu continue rebuilding amid lingering mudslide risks and insurance disputes, the tragedy has become a flashpoint in the broader discussion over balancing ecological restoration with public safety in an era of worsening wildfires.
Internationally renowned opera singer murdered in Santa Monica
Fans are mourning the loss of celebrated opera singer Jubilant Sykes. The 71-year-old acclaimed singer was found stabbed to death in Santa Monica. His 31-year-old son, Micah Sykes, is now in custody in connection with the murder.
Police were called to the Sykes home in the Pico neighborhood on Monday, where they found the classically trained vocalist with “critical injuries consistent with a stabbing,” according to Santa Monica Police. Sykes was pronounced dead at the scene. His son was quickly identified as a suspect and is due to be booked for homicide. He is being held on $2 million bail. A hearing is scheduled on Thursday. Jubilant Sykes was a Grammy-nominated opera and jazz singer. He performed on the world’s most celebrated stages, including
Visionary architect Frank Gehry has died at his Santa Monica home at the age of 96. The celebrated architect who reshaped skylines with bold, curvilinear silhouetted buildings achieved superstardom in the art world, designing the now world-famous Bilbao Museum in Spain, and then went on to create the spectacular Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles – both structures showcasing daring saillike sculptural shapes that broke free from rectilinear orthodoxy. His earlier experiences locally included the radical renovation of his own Santa Monica bungalow in 1978, which brought attention to his sweeping, revolutionary designs, as well as the “binoculars” building in Venice. Along the way, Gehry, born Ephraim Owen Goldberg in Toronto, earned architecture’s highest honors, includ-
Gehry’s luminary works reached into Malibu as well. One of his formative projects was the striking Ron Davis studio and residence in Malibu, completed in 1972. The building, with its trapezoidal silhouette and corrugated metal cladding, stood as a key moment in Gehry’s artistic emergence, merging function with a bold aesthetic that harmonized with the rugged coastal terrain. The home was purchased by actor Patrick Dempsey in 2009 but then destroyed in the Woolsey Fire in 2018. Gehry is survived by his wife, Berta, and his children, heirs to a transformative architectural legacy.
Los Angeles County supports multistate challenge to HUD funding rules
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved a motion by Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath to join a multistate lawsuit contesting the U.S. Department of Housing
The vote signals the County’s opposition to new federal guidelines that officials say limit local flexibility in allocating homelessness funds. The 2025 NOFO introduces restrictions that critics argue could impede investment in established programs, weaken regional coordination, and create uncertainty for households currently relying on housing and support services.
Supervisor Horvath described the federal changes as potentially destabilizing for communities already facing economic pressure. She said the rules could reduce the County’s ability to fund interventions that have historically contributed to keeping people housed and advancing homelessness-reduction strategies.
“Families in our region are working hard to remain housed, and these federal policies risk undermining programs that provide stability,” Horvath said. She added
OBITUARIES
Anne Marie (Trapani) Bredefeld of Malibu, formerly of Bedminster, NJ, went peacefully to be with the Lord on December 1, 2025. Anne was born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 5, 1941, to Peter and Mary (Cennamo) Trapani. Years later, Anne Marie and
Anne Marie graduated from Little Falls High School and continued her education at William Patterson College in Wayne, NJ, to earn a BA in Education. For 23 years, predominantly at Lakeland Regional High School, she passionately taught countless students.
Anne Marie lived her life as a devoted daughter, wife, mother, niece, sister, aunt, and friend. She is survived by her beloved husband, Mitchell, cherished son, Christian, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, many nieces, nephews, and great-nieces.
Marilyn “Lee” O’Keefe-Hardy, beloved daughter, mother, grandmother, wife, skilled psychotherapist, and architectural enthusiast, passed away peacefully in her sleep at her family’s home in Malibu this past month at the age of nearly 80 years.
Originally born in Newport Beach, California, to the renowned Danish Wilson development family, Lee devoted her own life to developing the talents of helping others heal. She earned advanced degrees in medicinal care from UCLA, later becoming a respected therapist and founder of Cross Creek Counseling in Malibu. She even had the promise of getting an honorary doctorate from her alma mater. Her work touched countless lives with compassion, insight, and abundant support.
The familial influence also led her to be a gifted fan of architecture. Lee’s talented renderings were exhibited throughout the world, earning awards and recognition from numerous institutions, including the Smithsonian, as well as private collections. She saw beauty everywhere — in light, in landscapes, as well as in people — and expressed it with rare sensitivity.
Lee was married for many years to William James Hardy, an esteemed public defender,
private human rights attorney, and member of the Hardy family lineage, connected to the famous, as well as fellow artistically empathetic, author Thomas Hardy (also an accomplished architectural enthusiast) and tattooist Ed Hardy.
Lee was very proud of the life she had built here in Malibu and to be survived by her locally living daughter, Jennifer Michelle Josephine Hardy Parke, son-in-law Christopher James Parke, grandchildren: Emerson Rose Hardy Parke, Madison Rhodes Hardy Parke, Jameson Wright Hardy Parke, another grandson arriving in March 2026.
She will be fondly ever remembered for her prestigious works, dedication to family, and lifelong belief in kindness. her family moved to Little Falls, NJ. She spent her youth building everlasting memories with her parents, brother, and extended Trapani family of adored aunts, uncles, and many cousins, learning the importance of community, family, and friendship, which lasted her entire lifetime.
Anne Marie carried an unmistakable light that drew people to her. She leaves an eternal legacy of generosity and kindness to everyone with whom she was in contact, and her love for the Lord, which she shared and passed on to so many others. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother, William J. Trapani, and many treasured dogs.
Friends are invited to a viewing at 10 am and a funeral service at 11 am on December 13 at the Our Lady of Malibu Catholic Church, 3625 Winter Canyon Rd, Malibu. The burial will be for family members only. At 2 pm, all are invited to a celebration of Anne Marie over lunch at V’s Restaurant, 22821 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Best Friends Animal Society: https:// bestfriends.org
*The Malibu Times publishes any local obituary under 300 words with one photo at no cost. Anything over 300 words with additional images will have a fee to run in the paper. Please contact our office for more details on how we can help honor your loved ones. office@malibutimes.com (310)456.5507
ANNE MARIE (TRAPANI) BREDEFELD 1941-2025
thu dec 11
PALIBU CONNECTIONS
BREAKFAST AT SCOTT’S
MALIBU MARKET
Join local business professionals for a morning of networking, community, and celebration at the Connections Breakfast on Thursday, Dec. 11, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. Begin the day with a warm coffee mixer from 8 to 8:30 a.m., where attendees can connect, exchange business cards, and share a brief 30-second introduction about their business. Guests are encouraged to bring a small raffle gift that highlights their brand.
After the mixer, enjoy a delicious breakfast at Scott’s
DICK VAN DYKE! 100th
Honoring an enduring icon whose
have delighted fans for decades.
the stage with him. One of the documentary’s biggest takeaways is Van Dyke’s generosity as a performer — a quality longtime fans will recognize instantly. The story traces his humble beginnings in Danville, Illinois, his formative years as a broadcaster at CBS working alongside Walter Cronkite, his evolution into a Broadway song-and-dance man, and his rise to beloved television star and iconic big-screen actor.
Sunday’s preview was just one part of a nearly month-long celebration of Van Dyke’s centennial, which his wife Arlene has affectionately named “Vandy Days.” Local festivities include screenings and sing-alongs of “Mary Poppins” and “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” plus birthday cake
and
and card-signing events at the Malibu Education Foundation (MEF) tree lot in the Civic Center. The MEF manages funds for the Arlene & Dick Van Dyke Endowment for the Arts, established by the couple to nurture creativity and talent in Malibu youth. The foundation’s goal is a $3 million raise, which will ensure arts thrive in Malibu for generations.
Jolynn Regan, director of the endowment supporting all four public Malibu schools, said, “All monies raised go to support arts programs including choir, band, orchestra, art, theater, dance, sculpture, and photography — all the things Mr. Van Dyke loves.” Regan volunteered at the screening’s preshow activities, raising money by selling 100th-birthday shirts designed by James Perse. A $100 donation gets you a limited-edition commemorative T-shirt. For a $2,000 tax-deductible donation, you can dedicate a seat in the Arlene and Dick Van Dyke namesake theater at Malibu High School.
Regan commented, “Talk to Dick and Arlene Van Dyke — they say kids who are involved in the arts will have a much better mental-health experience in life because of what it teaches you. It’s better than sports, they believe. People can debate that, but he definitely has a very heartfelt belief in the arts.”
Fans were also treated Sunday to a lively celebration at Malibu City Hall featuring a fan-club booth, Laura Johansen’s brilliant photography of the Van Dykes, and memorabilia — including a custom-built, vintage-style Chitty Chitty Bang Bang replica car complete with wings. A spirited costume contest added even more charm, with entrants dressed as Mary Poppins, Bert the chimney sweep, and even stuffy old Mr. Dawes Sr. — the elderly banker Van Dyke famously played as an “Easter egg” role in “Mary Poppins.”
Jay Santiago and Makenzie Lange of Venice participated dressed as Bert and Mary. Though they didn’t win the contest, they said the joy of participating brought them out.
“We love ‘Mary Poppins.’ We both grew up watching Dick Van Dyke — ‘Mary Poppins,’ ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,’ ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show,’” Santiago said. “We’re excited for the movie screening and to come out for a fun community event. Just like Dick, we like to make people smile. And it’s a fun community event as well. I think we love just coming out and being with other people that really appreciate the arts, especially in Malibu.” Lange added, “It’s been a tough year, so it’s good to see everyone together and having a fun time — especially in a community that really appreciates the arts.”
Laura Johansen, who’s been a featured artist at the Malibu City Gallery and who is Van Dyke’s personal photographer, will be part of an international fan celebration taking place in London on Dec. 21, which includes a “Mary Poppins” walking tour and a flash mob on the steps of St. Paul’s. More information is on Instagram @Alauradesign.
DICK VAN DYKE
(Above) Last month, Dick Van Dyke released his latest book as he approaches his 100th birthday on Saturday, Dec. 13. DVD Malibu Film 100th birthday celebration.
Makenzie Lange (left), as Mary Poppins, and Jay Santiago, as Bert the chimney sweep, took part in the costume contest at a Sunday, Dec. 7, Malibu City Hall event honoring Dick Van Dyke, who turns 100 on Saturday, Dec. 13. Photo by Judy Abel
beach side. Wastewater solutions still unresolved.
• A brand-new “bulk” rule tacked on by council — over the furious objections of residents and in defiance of the governor’s explicit exemptions for fire victims. Construction costs that make your eyes water. And what is the great menace that supposedly justifies piling on more rules right now? Zero lot-combination proposals for “mega-mansions.” Not one. A few adjacent parcels have changed hands, but every buyer who has
and beneficial water infrastructure projects have been completed using the funds from that 2012 general rate increase which then directly impact Malibu residents. Unfortunately, based on the amount of money raised due to that general rate hike, that is not the case. Malibu did not benefit substantially.
Another example of how what Waterworks District 29 is proposing falls short of that reasonable expectation is the current proposal by Waterworks District 29 is to implement $190 million worth of water infrastructure-related projects over the next five years. That sounds great, but they completed
annually in gas costs because cars aren’t idling. The pattern is predictable: before construction, 68% oppose roundabouts. After living with them? 73% support them.
spoken publicly says the same thing: they intend to use the governor’s like-for-like +10% incentive so they can rebuild quickly and avoid the multi-year Coastal Commission gauntlet. Anyone who does try to merge lots and go big instantly forfeits those emergency exemptions and falls back into the traditional process — which, as every Malibuite knows, is slow enough to discourage all but the most patient (or foolish).
Our city staff — heroes who have been running on fumes since 2018 — are drowning. They deserve medals, not new homework. Every hour spent studying a hypothetical TDSF cap is an hour not spent processing permits, answering panicked homeowners’ questions, or making PCH safer. The timing of this “exploration” defies comprehen-
$28 million in projects the past five years and, currently, they only have a plan to raise about $30 million of the $190 million. How is Waterworks District 29 going to make up the additional $160 million shortfall, you may ask? Hhmmm, I don’t know … aggressive, massive customer rate hikes, perhaps?
To be clear, Waterworks District 29 is a partner, an important partner. Malibu needs and wants their partnership, in my opinion.
Two things can be simultaneously true in that (1) the proposed aggressive, massive general rate hikes by Waterworks District 29 are unreasonable, and (2) we are confident that Waterworks District 29 can modify the proposed rate hikes with more reasonable general rate increases for Malibu residents,
This is a test we need County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath secured $2 million for this quick-build pilot. Once installed, we’ll have 18 months to gather real data, crash rates, traffic flow, safety improvements, and yes, emergency response and evacuation scenarios.
sion. If limiting beachfront bulk has been a burning citizen priority, where was the groundswell last year? Or the year before? The Malibu Township Council isn’t demanding it. The Rebuild Task Force isn’t demanding it. No grassroots petition has materialized. Because the people who actually live here understand something fundamental: scaring off buyers and slapping new restrictions on burned-out lots is the opposite of compassion.
And the damage is already happening. In the two weeks since this item appeared, real estate agents report buyers backing out, worried that “exploration” today means confiscation of rights tomorrow. Every forced sale caused by this uncertainty is another family that won’t come home.
property owners, and businesses over time. My belief is Malibu residents, property owners, and businesses would support a reasonable, sound, sensible general rate hike if it is tied to a clear vision and realistic strategy to enhance our water infrastructure system in ways that will increase its resiliency, enhance smart features, embrace technological advances, incorporate fire preparation planning, and implement source redundancy. What we are opposed to is an aggressive, massive general rate hike with suspect consideration of the benefits to the City of Malibu, our community, our county, and our region. If you agree with me, the way to submit a letter of protest before the LA Coun-
That’s a legitimate concern, which is why this is a pilot using temporary materials. If the data shows evacuation capacity is compromised, that’s critical information for any permanent decision.
This test yields results that allow us to build roundabouts
Malibu will always debate what our coastline should look like. Some of us love the bold silhouettes rising along Carbon Beach; others mourn the sleepy village of memory. That conversation is healthy, even necessary. But there is a time and a season for everything, and the season we are in right now is recovery. I would rather see children building sandcastles in front of new homes than more graffiti-scarred ruins glaring at us from both sides of PCH.
Councilmembers: Please listen to the people you represent. The 2019 commission heard us. The governor’s orders respect us. Now is not the moment to resurrect a proposal the community already rejected. Drop this exploration. Clear the path. Let us rebuild. Our beaches — and our neighbors — are waiting.
ty Board of Supervisors public hearing meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 9:30 a.m. is between Wednesday, Dec. 10, and Monday, Dec. 15, to:
1. Go to publiccomment.bos.lacounty. gov/.
2. Fill in the information at the top of the comment page.
3. Choose the agenda item from the list provided.
4. Type in the information requested at the bottom of the page.
5. Click “Next”.
6. Select “Oppose”.
7. Verify the information is correct.
8. Select “Acknowledge” to submit.
throughout PCH in Malibu at other high-traffic, highconflict intersections where they could reduce speeding and save lives. We could transform the entire corridor, not just two intersections.
And while we’re rethinking infrastructure, we’ve relied on PCH as our primary escape route for too long. This is why I advocate for the Blue Highway, a waterbased evacuation system that uses boats and marinas already in place. The Blue Highway doesn’t require any changes, except for putting boats on the water.
Safer infrastructure through roundabouts and emergency alternatives like the Blue Highway aren’t competing; they’re complementary.
The law enforcement fantasy I constantly hear we need more law enforcement to control speeding. Let me be blunt: this is a fantasy. There is no more law enforcement coming. Departments are down from the officers they need. You will not get enough law enforcement to patrol 21 miles of PCH, 24 hours a day. Technology will help you. Engineering will help you. But not more patrol cars — those people don’t exist.
Furthermore, we have to start young and educate so that speed is not the default. I’ve been saying this for years. Cultural change matters — this is why our foundation’s work with young drivers and bringing AAA’s program to Malibu High matters. But cultural change takes time, and people are dying now.
The meeting’s agenda item on Dec. 16 will be entitled “Public Hearing, Water Resources Core Service Area Los Angeles County Waterworks Districts 5-Year Financial Plan and Water Rate Increases (Supervisorial District 3 and 5)”
Note that all comments submitted via the online form are public and viewable online. The comment page is updated at the end of each day.
For more information: bos.lacounty. gov/board-meeting-agendas/.
If you want to protest having to pay 60% to 80% more than what you currently pay on your monthly water bill, then now is the time to act and submit your letter of protest online today.
Geometric speed control through roundabouts works whether or not a deputy is watching. It works every single time a car approaches, without fail, without a budget crisis. And because these are temporary quick-build installations, if they don’t work as planned, they can be modified or removed — but if they do work, they save lives starting day one.
Addressing the hard truth
At the meeting, I heard people say Emily’s death and the four Pepperdine students’ deaths would not have been stopped by a roundabout. That’s correct. But you can’t use specific tragedies to oppose broader safety measures.
Maybe if there had been roundabouts on PCH, the driver who killed those four students possibly wouldn’t have been going that fast. The geometric design forces slower speeds.
For Emily, there was no way to save her because the driver aimed his car at her — unless there had been barriers, bollards, and other safety measures along PCH. That’s a different intervention we should pursue as well.
But here’s what matters: Highspeed rural intersections show an 85% reduction in injury crashes after roundabout conversion. Not every crash. Not every tragedy. But 85% fewer injury crashes mean dozens of families are spared unimaginable grief.
The time for diplomacy about traffic safety has passed.
What I’m asking
I’m not asking you to love roundabouts. I’m asking you to
give this pilot a chance. Learn how to navigate them. Watch the crash data over 18 months. See if pedestrian refuge islands make beach access safer. Notice whether your drive time changes as much as you fear. Then, based on evidence, not emotion, decide whether permanent roundabouts make sense.
The cost of doing nothing
The current configuration of PCH is killing people. We have funding to try something proven. We have a time-limited pilot to test before committing permanently.
If we reject this out of fear of change, we’re choosing the status quo. And the status quo means more preventable deaths. I’ve spent 15 years on traffic safety — not because I enjoy fighting with Caltrans, but because I refuse to let Emily’s death be meaningless. If even one family is spared the grief mine has endured, every minute is worth it.
The pilot isn’t perfect. It will require us to adapt. But it represents hope that we can break the cycle of traffic violence on this stretch of road.
We owe it to everyone who drives, walks, or bikes on PCH to determine whether this works. The last thing any of us wants is more families joining a club that no one should ever have to join because we were too afraid to try something different.
Author’s Note: “Driving Change” is an opinion column by Michel Shane. It is not filtered, edited, or directed by The Malibu Times.
Happy 100 Birthday
Dick Van Dyke
Malibu Life
Malibu welcomes the holidays with community cheer
Across the lawn, he stood smiling happily, surveying a spectacular spectacle as giggling, gleeful children darted around the spacious lawn as they petted coy goats who tried to elude them, dashed and darted over to check out the
intriguing, ginormous stilt walkers dressed as candy canes, visited with Santa Claus, and enjoyed an entertaining puppet show. Bryan Gordon, CEO of Pacific Equity Properties, the visionary developer who opened Cross Creek Ranch this past July, was watching his dream come true at the Ranch’s first holiday event, for he and hisarchitectural firm, Malibu’s Marmol Radziner, designed the entire
park with community gatherings in mind.
“We are so happy to host our first holiday event, and we are delighted to see so many families enjoying all the fun,” Gordon declared, noting that he was getting a lot of compliments on the impressive array of activities for all ages.
Across the lawn, adults mingled and gathered, enjoying delicious sandwiches, crudite,
charcuterie, sweets, apple cider and eggnog, compliments of Wally’s, a much anticipated addition to Cross Creek Ranch’s dining experiences and a fan favorite in Beverly Hills that offers an impressive array of fine wines and cheese shop.
Then, the piece de resistance ~ it was time for the tree lighting.
5! 4! 3! 2! 1! The attendees yelled out in unison. Bright as can be, the enormous tree lit up, with joyous, jovial“oooohs” and “aaahs” galore.
“A lot of people are excitedly asking me when Wally’s will open here at the Ranch,” said Carleigh Roman, director of sales for Wally’s. “Wally’s will open next spring in the center, hopefully in April.”
Fire relief continues with free shop in West LA courtesy of 24LA
Months after the fires, two women vow to continue helping those in need
By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
Before January’s wildfires decimated swaths of Los Angeles and changed the community forever, two best friends probably never imagined they would create one of the area’s most relied-upon support hubs for wildfire survivors. But for 29-year-old Kenyan Armitage and Malin Smith, besties since childhood, stepping up in the midst of chaos felt like the only option.
“We just felt helpless, like everyone else,” Armitage said. “LA had never seen a disaster like this. The whole city felt like it was on fire, and people didn’t know where to go or what to do.”
Though neither Armitage nor Smith lost their homes, nearly all their friends and extended community were affected. “We personally weren’t burned out,” Smith explained, “but we had over a hundred friends and families who were evacuated. Our own families came to stay with us in our apartment.”
The pair, who have been “best-best friends” — 17 years and counting — quickly realized that people needed essentials far more urgently than most distribution sites could handle. Survivors
By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
Photo taken on Dec.
on Zuma beach during
by
Stilt walkers, a petting zoo, an appearance by Santa Claus, and a big Christmas tree were all part of the recent Cross Creek Ranch holiday event in Malibu.
Photos by Barbara Burke
PEOPLE
Beautiful, Fertile, Rich: Part One
MALIBU SEEN
By Benjamin Marcus, Entertainment Editor
A Thanksgiving adventure from Malibu to San Francisco and back
This week’s column was supposed to be a two-part interview with someone on the one-year anniversary of the Franklin Fire but the legalities were too tricky and that got cancelled. So now I’m using the computers at the Malibu Library which are very good to detail the Thanksgiving road trip I took from Malibu to San Francisco and back, and make it as Malibucentric as possible. The library didn’t open until 10 a.m. and this column is due soon. California is beautiful, fertile, and rich. In a sentence that was the impression I got on a Thanksgiving dirtbag adventure drive from Malibu to San Francisco and back by way of Carpinteria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Santa Cruz, Pescadero, Los Altos, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Santa Cruz, Soquel, Salinas, Los Alamos, Carpinteria and then back to the ‘Bu — just in time for the Christmas party at Sea N’ Soul.
California rules year-round, but it rules a bit harder in winter, after the rains, when the hills are green and lush, the sky is blue, the light is golden, and the sunsets are relentlessly spectacular all the way up the coast — Rincon to the Golden Gate.
My theory is that, much like salmonids, humans form a deep connection with the first sky we encounter, the air we breathe, and the light we experience. Every so often, we feel a powerful, almost instinctual pull to return to that origin — just as salmon and steelhead swim for hundreds and even thousands of miles to reach the waters they were born in.
As a human fish, I remembered that Thanksgivings were always great around Santa Cruz in the last third of the 20th century. There was always surf for Turkey Day, and we would surf ourselves to jelly, stagger home, shed our wetsuits in the hot tub, sit down to grind Thanksgiving and then triptothan immediately into the bliss of sleep.
No family in Santa Cruz anymore, but some of my friends have never left, so I was compelled to swim upstream north for a weeklong dirtbag road trip — and by dirt bag, that is an Yvon Chouinard expression for a road trip to surf or fish or rock climb or otherwise commune with nature in an adventurous but low cost fashion:
living in your car, finding bathrooms wherever, sleeping on side streets, sleeping in your clothes, bathing in rivers or wherever. Wandering by whims, soaking up the scenery, seeing what there is to see. Choosing randomness over routine.
Humans are a Bedouin species, but most of us have forgotten that.
Left Malibu on a clear blue Friday, and the first stop was Chez Taylor: Rob and Claudia finally sold their Escondido Beach, Kivlin-designed house at the intersection of Beyoncè Lane and Jobs Circle and have moved up and into a fixer-upper with a view in the hills of Carpenteria, with scenic vistas over an avocado orchard out to a tremendous amount of blue sky and blue ocean. Freighters and tankers weaving around the Channel Islands and oil rigs, lobster boats circling closer to shore.
There was ocean action that day, and the coast was lit with swell, beautiful swell from Faria Point to Rincon to El Cap to Gaviota, and beyond.
Rob and Claudia’s top-to-bottom fixer upper has a music room and a ceramics room and a video editing room — and a killer outdoor shower — but the features are the living room and a kitchen with massive picture windows framing that mesmerizing, million-dollar view. We sat at the kitchen table hypnotized by all that sky and water and sun and lines of swell wrapping into Rincon, which were kind of visible over the top of an avocado orchard and through the trees. They made the right move.
Dirtbagging in a 2002 Ford Expedition with only an old Alpine radio with a CD player requires strategizing for music. Leaving Malibu, it’s KJAZ 88.1 until KTYD 99.9 kicks in — usually around Point Mugu, as the signal comes from out of Santa Barbara. This station is owned by Point Dume resident John H, and I’ve suggested he change the call sign to KBMR because the station features Boomer tunes from the seventies and eighties: Bowie, Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin. Comfort music. The perfect soundtrack for heading home.
KTYD orchestrated me through Oxnard, Ventura, Carpinteria, and Santa Barbara, and another good thing about Santa Barbara is that the city ends at Hollister Avenue, which is the gateway to 33 miles of mostly undeveloped Gaviota Coast: citrus orchards and grazing cattle which have somehow escaped the creeping gack of development and urban and suburban
conveniences.
There are some homes along here. Bruce Brown used to live up Refugio Canyon with his harem of two and four-wheeled vehicles, and Tom Curren lived around Naples many years ago. Only a few homes here and there and a lot of oil refinery infrastructure hidden away in the nooks and crannies, but most of the Gaviota Coast is refreshingly 19th century.
There was a weird traffic jam right around the turnoff to Gaviota State Park, which was unusual, and then another shockingly long line of traffic headed south into Santa Maria at quitting time.
More traffic headed into San Luis Obispo, where I looked for a place to watch the Five-Time World Champion San Francisco Football 49ers beat whomever.
Walking around Malibu wearing 49ers swag can be uncomfortable and inspire jeering and ominous stinkeye. I wanted to watch the game in friendly territory, but because San Luis Obispo is about 160 miles from SoFi Stadium and nearly 200 miles from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, it’s stuck somewhere in between — just far enough from both to make you wonder where people’s loyalties really lie.
Had a tri-tip sandwich at Firestone, which hit the spot that was almost as satisfying as watching the Five-Time World Champion San Francisco Football 49ers beat the Panthers
Is there a Malibu connection here? Indeed, #23 Christian McCaffrey trains relentlessly and sometimes that’s with Laird and Gabrielle: running up the sandhills at Thornhill Broome or dunking in his pool. McCaffrey is like the Six Million Dollar Man combined with a Timex watch: He takes lickings and keeps on rushing. CMC had a good game against his former team — 142 total yards from scrimmage: 24 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown, and 7 catches for 53 yards — leaving one to wonder why the Panthers traded a guided missile and a future Hall of Famer.
SLO is a place I have passed through many times en route to elsewhere, but never really spent any time exploring. I was surprised to see the place lit up and prosperous and bustling, but that is true with every city close to the California coast: Because California is beautiful, fertile, and rich.
San Luis Obispo is the hometown of Point Dume resident Lisa Hilton, a dedicated and prolific jazz pianist, whose latest album is “Extended Daydream.”
Asked about it, Lisa said: “I
would think that our album is the first post-fire album to be published. I really don’t think of it as a post-fire album, (although it is), because pretty much everyone on our planet has gone through some difficult challenges this year. But I do think our job as artists is to acknowledge what is happening in real time, and to help us to process what we need to get through. ‘Extended Daydream’ does that. It is meant to be uplifting and I am hearing that people are very touched by the music. In a coincidental twist, after the album cover was printed, it looks a bit like it was inspired by the fires, even though it wasn’t. The printing came out more orange than we thought it would — evoking flames.”
(Boomer trivia: Lynyrd Skynyrd had a similar problem with the cover of their “Street Survivors” cover in 1977. The original artwork featured the band surrounded by fire, which was quickly replaced by a black background cover after a tragic plane crash killed members just days after the album’s release.)
Lacking a CD of “Extended Daydream” to pop into the Alpine, I had to rely on the radio.
KTYD/KBMR pretty much fades halfway through the Gaviota tunnel. And then it’s mariachi and Christian stations until San
Burt’s Eye View: Happy 100 Years!
By Burt Ross, Contributed Column
This coming Saturday, Dec. 13, to be exact, Dick Van Dyke will turn 100 years old. To put that in some perspective, when Dick was born in West Plains, Missouri, Calvin Coolidge was president. He has lived to see World War II, antibiotics, commercial air travel, television, computers, vaccines, cellphones, ChatGPT, and so much more.
If anybody deserves to live 100 years, Dick Van Dyke most certainly does. I have never heard anybody say a bad word about him, and with his contagious smile and wonderful sense of humor, I can understand why he is universally admired. I only met Dick once. It was around 10 years ago, and I was eating at a pancake breakfast sponsored by the Malibu Optimist Club. There
were few empty seats, and Dick asked if he could sit next to me. I introduced myself, and he said, “I was also Bert once,” referring to the character he played in Mary Poppins. I asked him how he spelled his Bert, and then I explained that my Burt was with a “u,” not an “e.” We both laughed. Right around the time I moved to Malibu, Dick and his younger brother Jerry performed The Sunshine Boys at the Malibu Playhouse. The show finished before I got a chance to see it. My friend Oscar Best was an usher at the Playhouse,
and I asked him how two actors in their 80s could remember their lines. He laughed and told me the play was different every night. Around a year ago, there was some event at City Hall in Dick’s honor, and I decided to attend to pay my respects. I literally couldn’t find a parking spot, so I went back home. What a well-deserved outpouring of affection!
We all wish Dick heartfelt congratulations on this milestone and hope he takes great comfort in the affection so many of us have for him.
Luis Obispo, which has a good college radio station — KCPR out of Cal Poly. And also the southern franchise of the legendary KPIG radio — KPYG 94 oink 9, straight outta Cayucos.
Growing up in Santa Cruz in the ‘70s and ‘80s, KPIG was KFAT radio — 107 oink 5 — an alchemy of hippie/stoner/redneck music, and only the best: Asleep at the Wheel, Dan Hicks, Waylon and Willie, Jerry Jeff Walker, Patsy Cline. At some point KFAT became KPIG but the tone of the station hasn’t changed. The DJs know their music, and they play funny ads and promos.
KPIG plays music that is beautiful, fertile, and rich and is the voice and soul and feel of the Monterey Bay, now reaching all the way down to Cayucos. Cool.
Tempted to dirt bag it and sleep in the car maybe in Paso Robles or Greenfield or somewhere along the 101 — but perhaps vicariously energized by the 49ers victory — I drove on through real country dark listening to KPIG until it faded, then listening to Christian music on the gospel radio stations and mariachi music on the Mexican stations that keep the hardworking campesinos soothed and ease their homesickness as they break their backs in the land of milk
and honey.
(I have an idea for a mariachi song called “Menos Dolores, Mas Dolares” that is kind of inspired by Paul Simon’s“Graceland.” Listening to mariachi music got me thinking and lyricizing to pass the miles.)
Oddly, as I was approaching Atascadero, I got a call from The Boss — Hayley Mattson — who is from Atascadero. I wondered how she knew where I was, and then I got chewed out a bit for that New Kid in Town review of Clark’s Oyster Bar. In the review, I quoted a conversation I had with Opinionated Chap, who pretty much wrote off every other restaurant in Malibu as “garbage.” That was all meant to be tonguein-cheek with the understanding that restaurants in Malibu have to be a level up to satisfy the sophistos who live here — but some people took offense. I ate at La Nena the other night and had a great bowl of pozole and I know that Bui is great and even though I got banned from The Place That Shall Not Be Named I like(d) their offerings too. So — sorry to offend, that was not meant to be taken seriously. Malibu restaurants are also beautiful, fertile, and rich.
END OF PART ONE
Images from the road trip, clockwise from top left: Weirdly funny sign at the Crow’s Nest. The Great Pumpkin in Moss Landing. Channel Islands as seen from Chez Taylor. Proposed 64-unit apartments over the bones of The Catalyst (RIP?). Loma Prieta overwatching it all. Another tequila sunset from the Crow’s Nest. Photo collage courtesy of Ben Marcus
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Celebrating 100 years of the photo booth!
Those strips of four black and white photos could be considered the first selfies
By JUDY ABEL Special To The Malibu Times
If you’re over 50, chances are you and your friends once piled into an automated photo booth to take silly pictures. In the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s, booths were everywhere — from drug stores to bus stations and shopping centers. Those instantly developed black-and-white photo strips were plastered on bedroom walls and tucked into photo albums across America — and were beloved by celebrities, too, including John Lennon and Andy Warhol.
Invented in 1925 by Russian immigrant Anatol Josepho, who called it a photomaton, the booth’s arrival in New York City — and its rapid spread nationwide and around the world — made Josepho a millionaire after he sold his patent for the wildly popular invention. If you want to add this here you can..
“Josepho’s wealth allowed him to donate 100 acres in the Santa Monica Mountains to the Boy Scouts to use
as a camp that unfortunately was lost in the Palisades Fire.” In its first year alone, Josepho’s booth saw 250,000 customers strike a pose.
A century ago, the analog photo booth was a marvel — essentially a miniature photo lab. “It’s a mini darkroom. All the magic happens there,” said Michael Rybak, owner of Photo Illusions, a vintage analog photo booth company that operates 22 of the now-rare machines. In their heyday, British company Photo-Me International operated more than 15,000 booths worldwide, with other companies contributing to a global count that once made photo booths a common sight in public spaces. Today, only an estimated 300 survive worldwide.
Beloved by dating couples, friends, and families, analog booths also played a meaningful role for the LGBTQIA+ community. “Not a lot of photographers wanted to take pictures of them,” Rybak explained. “But in a photo booth, it’s an automated machine where they could take photos with their lovers or their husbands and wives, and nobody would judge.” Unlike digital booths, the vintage versions provide total privacy behind the curtain. No computer. No stored images. “Each photo is unique,” said Rybak. “They take it home. There is no negative. And nobody knows what
were overwhelmed, traumatized, and often unable to navigate large, chaotic donation centers.
“We kept hearing from people that they couldn’t face going to these huge hubs,” Smith said. “Things were disorganized. People weren’t verifying documents. Folks who truly needed help weren’t always getting what they needed.”
So, the two did what no one asked them to do, but what thousands now rely on — they started collecting donations themselves. With no experience in emergency response, they posted a single message on Instagram. The next morning, a line stretched out the door of a family member’s Hollywood bar and 24LA began.
“People were scared,” Armitage said. “But they wanted to help. Once the post went up, word just got out. Donations were coming in so fast we could barely keep up.”
Within days, donations expanded from bags of clothing to full pallets from brands and anonymous donors who sent semi-trucks worth of goods. “We got calls saying, ‘We have 26 pallets for you, we’re in the middle of the street in Hollywood,’” Smith recalled. “We wouldn’t even know who they were from.”
What began as a stopgap effort quickly snowballed. Since January, 24LA has moved five times, each time needing more space. Their current 10,000-square-foot West LA warehouse is big but has a sense of privacy with free shopping by appointment and dressing rooms.
“We’ve distributed about $2.8 million worth of brand-new items from companies,” Armitage said. “Now we mostly operate on lightly used in-kind donations, but the volume is still huge.”
Their reach is equally impressive. Over 1,100 volunteers have worked with 24LA, and more than 9,700 people have received direct assistance through their “dignified shopping” model — an experience designed to feel like a boutique, not a handout.
“People come here and feel safe,” Smith said. “Many who first came in as shoppers now volunteer with us. It’s become a community.”
Both founders now work full-time run-
ning 24LA. Armitage, a muralist, had a flexible schedule; Smith had just left a real estate company that dissolved two months before the fires. With no time to navigate forming a nonprofit, an existing organization stepped in to fiscally sponsor them, allowing them to operate legally while their own entity is established.
Ten months in, they’re still working seven days a week. And they have no plans to slow down.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Armitage said. “Even if we have to move again, the free-shop donation center will always be part of what we do.”
24LA is expanding beyond clothing and home goods. They now offer men-
old woodies drive down the Pacific Coast Highway, and onlookers delightedly honk and follow them around town.
Malibu Country Mart’s locals’ holiday night delighted
“We hosted a lot of families and a lot of local Malibu residents at our event on Dec. 6,” said Michael Feigen, property manager for Malibu Country Mart. “We always try to do things for the locals several times a year and, although we get a lot of travelers from all over the region, this particular holiday event is for the people who call Malibu home.” It was well worth waiting in line for photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, who visited with fans of all ages and listened very attentively as little ones shared long lists of Christmas wishes.
The Country Mart is full of local businesses, and those shone as Toy Crazy welcomed attendees with its large array of toys and games, Malibu Shaman offered its large selection of crystals and books, and Crown Boutique’s owner, Laurie Brazeau, hosted friends and family for some festive fun.
The strolling Christmas carolers entertained guests of all ages, resulting in a joyous crowd smiling happily as they seemingly led Malibu into a festive season.
“We invite all the readers to join us for our other holiday event on Saturday, Dec. 13,” Feigen said. “We will have a host of activities and festive fun for everyone!”
Look for these upcoming fun Christmas and Chanukkah activities:
Enjoy some good old-fashioned fun Malibu Style — go to the 22nd Annual Malibu Christmas Woodie Parade, which takes off from Paradise Cove Beach Cafe at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14, the quintessential Malibu surfing life experience. Every year, the
Chanukah Community Festivals with the Chabad of Malibu include a Chanukah Community Festival hosted by Cross Creek Ranch on Dec. 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. “Join us for a joyful afternoon with a Menorah lighting, magic show, Chanukah treats, face painting, and crafts for the kids,” Rabbi Levi Cunin said. “On Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 3 to 5 p.m. Point Dume Village will host a menorah lighting, jugglers, Chanukah treats, and crafts for the kids.”
Sharing the season’s love Toys for homeless children: “Please come by and drop off an unwrapped toy for our Marine Toys for Tots Drive and enjoy refreshments, compliments of the Malibu Navy League and First Bank,” said Heidi Bernard, president of the Navy League.
Agoura Animal Care Center’s wish tree for homeless pets: “The tags on our wish tree represent items we love to have in our kennels to best care and enrich our animals as they wait for their forever homes,” a note on the wish tree explains. “The center has three trees up, one in front of the office, and one in front of the cat and dog kennels, with all kinds of supplies and enrichment needed for the animals. Please take a photo of the tag or take the tag, purchase the item, drop it back by the Care Center, or items can also be purchased online at Amazon, Chewy, Pet Smart, etc., and shipped to us directly:
Agoura Animal Care Center
29525 Agoura Road
they’ve done. That’s part of it.”
By the mid-1990s, analog photo booths had largely given way to digital, making the remaining mechanical models increasingly difficult to maintain. Parts are no longer manufactured, and the specialized photo paper — once shipped from Russia — can no longer be imported because of the Russia–Ukraine war. Fortunately, a dedicated community of owners is committed to keeping this century-old form of photography alive.
Rybak is among those who prefer analog to digital. “Digital isn’t live.
The colors are not right,” he said. “There are a lot of factors why people still prefer analog photography. And right now, people who do photography are returning to film.”
Color analog booths arrived in 1979, but they have all but disappeared. “Right now, it doesn’t exist,” Rybak noted.“There’s very little photographic color paper around, so black and white is it.”
Today, vintage machines are a novelty for younger generations who never experienced the thrill of a booth that snaps a picture every two seconds — ready or not. A few A-list celebrities who love preserving memories are even said to own their own coin-operated booths — perhaps the original selfie machines.
“It’s something tangible from a machine for events and people,” Rybak said. “And in the last few years, right after COVID, there’s been renewed interest in photo booths and analog machines in general. What’s astonishing is young people, like teenagers, getting into it. They have no idea what it is, and somehow they’re loving it.”
Most users today fall between ages 20 and 40. And what are they capturing? Sweet moments, Rybak said: “People proposing, revealing the gender of a baby, and so forth. It’s limitless.”
This past August in New York City, technicians and enthusiasts gathered for the International Photobooth Convention, billed as a celebration of analog photography and “a living tribute to a century of creativity and dedication to this dying art.”
There are photo booth museums in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Manhattan, and both digital and analog booths can still be found scattered across the Los Angeles area. The two closest analog booths to Malibu — operated by Photo Illusions — are located at 1212 on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica and at Tiny’s Hi-Dive at 12012 W. Pico Boulevard.
A classic strip of four photos costs $7.
tal-health resources, food distribution, a children’s playroom, and are planning 2026 programs including micro-grants for small businesses and community murals.
Despite their reach, Armitage and Smith say many communities still don’t know they exist. They welcome more Malibu fire-affected.
“The need is still here. Recovery is going to take a very long time,” the organizers stated.
The pair hears the same question often: Why are you still doing this? Aren’t the fires over?
“Yes, the fires were a year ago, but people’s lives are not fixed in a year,” Armitage
said. “If you’re not directly involved, it’s easy to forget. But for the people who lost everything, the rebuilding is just beginning.”
The free shop is open every other Saturday, with 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. reserved for first-time visitors. Volunteers sort and process donations Wednesdays through Fridays.
On Dec. 18, 24LA hosts an all ages, free still-life art class. To learn more, visit: 24LA.org
“We just want Malibu to know we’re here,” Smith said. “If you need help, come. If you want to help others, volunteer. We’re a fun crew, and we’ve built something really beautiful here — together.”
Since January, 24LA, the fire-relief effort started by Kenyan Armitage and Malin Smith, has moved five times to accommodate the growing donations. It now occupies this 10,000-square-foot warehouse in West LA. Contributed photos
Stilt walkers dressed as candy canes were on hand for the holiday event at the Cross Creek Ranch shopping center. Photo by Barbara Burke
Preston sparks Pepperdine’s Dominant Win, Earns WCC Player of the Week honors
Junior
By McKENZIE JACKSON
Malibu
Pepperdine Waves women’s basketball player Shorna Preston was named the West Coast Conference Player of the Week on Monday, three days after powering the Waves to their third blowout victory this season.
Preston, a junior forward from Australia, claimed the conference’s weekly honor due to her standout play in Pepperdine’s two most recent games.
She posted 16 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks in Pepperdine’s 65-45 win over the Fresno State Bulldogs in their home gym, the Save Mart Center.
On Dec. 3, Preston also had a career-high double-double — 21 points and 13 rebounds — in her team’s 69-58 win over California Baptist in Pepperdine’s Firestone Fieldhouse. The transfer from Dodge City Community College also had two assists, two blocks, and three steals in the matchup. Preston is one of five players in the country to post at least 20 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks, and three steals in a single game this season.
Pepperdine’s win over Fresno State was their third-highest victory margin this season, marking the Waves’ strongest start to a season in 19 years.
Faulk scored the contest’s first five points as Pepperdine had an early 7-2 advantage. Fresno State rallied to take a brief one-point lead, but then the Waves went on a 10-0 run at the end of the first quarter.
Pepperdine held a 28-19 lead at halftime after each squad only scored nine points apiece in the second quarter.
Harmon had the hot hand in the third quarter, nailing three of her four 3-pointers en route to nine points as Pepperdine shot 50% from the floor during a 10-minute span, gaining a 45-29 lead at the end of the quarter.
Preston scored eight points and grabbed three boards during Pepperdine’s 20-point offensive explosion in the game’s last 10 minutes.
The 65 points are the fewest Pepperdine has scored in a victory this season. The squad’s highest point total is the 84 they scored in the season opener against CSU Fullerton.
Multiple
By McKENZIE JACKSON
The Waves’ triumph over the Bulldogs was their first-ever road victory over the team.
Pepperdine head coach Katie Faulkner said Pepperdine is improving each game.
“In every game, you can feel us take another step,” she said. “We moved the ball, we rebounded together, and we defended with
Pepperdine defeated San Jose State on Nov. 23 by 24 points and blew out Westmont by 23 points on Nov. 8.
pride. Holding Fresno State to 45 points says a lot about our commitment to each other and what we are building.”
The Waves have also recorded double-digit victories of 14 points over CSU Fullerton on Nov. 4 and Northern Arizona on Nov. 19 and 11 points over California Baptist University, three days before defeating Fresno State.
While Preston led the way, freshman guard Seleh Harmon posted 14 points, including four 3-pointers.
Junior guard Lina Faulk scored nine points and sophomore guard Ellie Guiney contributed eight points including two 3-pointers.
The Waves controlled the matchup — scoring more than Fresno State in three of the four quarters — from start to finish.
The Waves outrebounded Fresno State by 18, and their defense held the Bulldogs to a single 3-pointer.
Pepperdine enters Saturday’s home game against CSU Los Angeles with a 6-2 record, its best start since 2006-07. The Waves then host North Dakota State on Dec. 16 and South Dakota the next day, in the Malibu Classic, before facing CSUN on Dec. 20.
Pepperdine Waves men’s and women’s cross country athletes and members of the university’s women’s volleyball team picked up academic recognition from the West Coast Conference this month.
Junior cross country runner Lizzy Craw -
ford, who posted a 4.0 GPA and was Pepperdine’s top female finisher in every race this season, was one of ten athletes named to the WCC All-Academic Team. Crawford also earned the honor in 2024.
Crawford’s teammates, senior Ashley Eagan, junior Jessica Guardino, and sophomore Grace Simpson received honorable mention status. Men’s cross country runners senior Patrick Thomas, sophomore Elijah Gentry, and juniors Henry Hicks and Kaleb McElfish also earned honorable mention awards.
Women’s volleyball players Emma McMahon, a senior, and Chloe Pravednikov, a sophomore, were also named to the
All-Academic Team, while teammates Maggie Beauer, Ella Piskorz, and Brynne McGhie received honorable mention recognition.
Pepperdine, along with Portland and Santa Clara, was one of three schools with multiple athletes on the All-Academic Team.
The WCC selects an all-academic squad for each WCC-sponsored sport at the conclusion of each athletic season. A student-athlete
3.20
11am-5pm Closed* on Sunday and holidays 29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, CA 91301 agoura@animalcare.lacounty.gov
The Agoura Shelter is at 29525 Agoura Rd., Agoura Hills. Occasionally pets
BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Mister
Roberts Painting Company
specialty
cabinets, furniture, drywall and much more. A Malibu local since the 1960s, Wink Roberts is a surfer (Makaha Winter Internationals/3rd Pt. Juniors), sailor (Crazy Horse Saloon Prindle Regatta Champion), Program Director/Captain (Pepsi
