NEWS BRIEFS

“Dr. Huckelbridge is an exceptional environmental engineer and scientist with years of experience at the commission,” Commission Chair Donne Brownsey said in a prepared statement. “Given the challenges ahead for the California coast, we’re confident that Dr. Huckelbridge is the right leader for these times.”

Born in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Huckelbridge completed her Bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering at Northwestern University; and went on to earn Master’s and Ph.D degrees in environmental engineering at UC-Berkeley. Her research focused on water quality dynamics and modeling in managed wetland systems.

Since joining the commission, she’s worked on a wide range of projects that include oil and gas development, power plants, wind energy, and wetland and marine habitat restoration. In addition, Huckelbridge served as a commission representative at the Government Alliance on Race and Equity network.

Academy Awardwinning composer Burt Bacharach dies

Burt Bacharach, the Academy Award- and Grammy-winning composer of more than 70 hit songs, has died at age 94. The former Malibu resident was known for his long and tricky melodic lines, unusual time signatures, and effortless California cool. He found fame in collaboration with his longtime lyricist Hal David, composing countless hits for Dionne Warwick, as well as The Carpenters breakthrough single, “Close to You,” and longtime Malibu resident Herb Alpert’s “This Guy’s In Love With You.”

Bacharach found later fame in his collaborations with then-wife Carole Bayer Sager, including the Oscar-winning “Arthur’s Theme” and “That’s What Friends Are For,” released as a charity single for AIDS research and prevention. Later generations knew him for his appearance in the first “Austin Powers” movie and his collaboration with Elvis Costello, which will be celebrated in a comprehensive set