M A LIB U ’S AWA RD W INN IN G N E WSPA P E R S I N CE 1 94 6 VOL. LXXVIII • NO. XXIX
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2023
malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY
Sheriff’s sergeant: ‘Zero tolerance approach’ to speeding on PCH
California Highway Patrol makes limited return to Pacific Coast Highway
The City of Malibu held a PCH Taskforce meeting on Tuesday with city, county, and state officials as well as Caltrans
Law enforcement making strides curbing speeding despite handful of accidents on PCH last Friday
By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times
Community members and Public Safety Commissioners Keegan Gibbs and Josh Spiegel attended Monday night’s City Council meeting to urge the council to continue to make Pacific Coast Highw safe and bring awareness to the Ghost Tire memorial they will be having for the four Pepperdine students and all the victims who have been killed on PCH since Emily Shane in 2010. Gibbs spoke at the meeting and said he lost two friends, Keith and Tyler, on PCH, and they will be holding a memorial on Sunday morning in memory of those killed on PCH. “Every since then, I’ve had this yearn to want to do something and when the Pepperdine tragedy happened, a great group of people led by [Sheriff ’s Capt.] Jen Seetoo kind of coalesced to do something,” Gibbs said. “We’re building a memorial for all the people that have died since Emily Shane was tragically killed in 2010.” Gibbs said to visit FixPCH.org for more information on the memorial. Fix PCH is a coalition of Malibu community members and the nonprofit road safety advocacy organization Streets Are For Everyone, working to bring about long overdue change on the Pacific CONTINUED ON PAGE A10
By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
The 24th Annual Malibu Veterans Day Public Ceremony honorees, their families, and the host of the event pose together after the ceremony at Malibu City Hall on Sat, Nov. 11. Photo courtesy of Malibu Association of Realtors
Veterans saluted and honored at 24th annual ceremony ‘Legacy of Generations of Service’ highlights veterans throughout our nation’s military history By EMMANUEL LUISSI Special to The Malibu Times
Stuart Ranch Road was lined with waving American flags leading visitors to Malibu City Hall for the 24th annual Veterans Day Public Ceremony. This year’s program was titled “United We Stand” and the theme of the ceremony was “Legacy of Generations of Service.” The City Hall Civic Theater was filled with veterans and their families, honorees, presenters, event sponsors, and fellow patriots who gathered to honor the heroes that have served or are serving their country. The event was hosted by the
Malibu Navy League, Pepperdine University, City of Malibu, and the Malibu Association of Realtors with the mission of bringing together local businesses, schools, and organizations to commemorate Veterans Day. The program was led by Master of Ceremonies Chris Garcia, an American businessman and former U.S. government official. The program highlighted the service and history of military dedication of six servicemen and their families, representing the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Army, and Air Force. Those honored were Dann Rippinger (Navy), Commander
Malibu hosts Woolsey Fire anniversary public safety event at City Hall The city continues to encourage the community to be prepared before, during, and after a disaster
By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times
The City of Malibu held a Public Safety open house on Thursday, Nov. 9, at City Hall. The LA County Fire Department and the Public Safety Department were at the event answering questions and providing information. Photo by Samantha Bravo/TMT
situation,” Flores said. “We focus on four main points for wildfires: Home hardening; it’s important to have [your] emergency go bags in place, so if you do have to evacuate your home, you can grab those before you leave; during any time of disaster, you want to make sure you’re monitoring on social media, emergency alerts, radio, as well as listening to any type of emergency personnel, fire department, sheriff ’s departments; and knowing your evacuations and
routes. We recommend to all the community to know their evacuation routes within their neighborhoods — a lot of the areas in Malibu have very small roads, so it’s really important to know your options on how to get out of your area.” Attendees also received a free NOAA weather radio, and were able to schedule a home wildfire assessment from the city’s fire safety liasons.
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of Service, Rippinger began by expressing his pride in his family’s history of service and the ultimate sacrifice that military service could call upon families of servicemen and women. He explained that both his uncle and his brother, Francis and Tom Rippinger, were lost during their duty to the country. “You could say service was in my DNA. I was a son of the greatest generation. My mother and father both served in World War II,” Rippinger said. “During my flying tours, I had over 2,000 hours of tours and over 400 carrier landings. I am proud to have served and
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this week
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Fire crews put out a 3.6-acre brush fire in Topanga Fire Department says last Thursday’s blaze is still under investigation
By SAMANTHA BRAVO Of The Malibu Times
In recognition of the five-year anniversary of the Woolsey Fire and Malibu’s Annual Day of Preparedness, the city’s Public Safety Department hosted an Open House last week in the Public Safety Department’s expanded office area in City Hall. Community members were invited to meet the Public Safety staff, representatives from the LA County Fire and Sheriff ’s departments, the Malibu CERT Team and Arson Watch. Emergency Service Coordinator Sarah Flores encouraged the community to be prepared with go bags but also know what to do before and during a disaster. “It’s very important to be prepared, not just for wildfires but for any type of disaster, any time of emergency
Dan Stark (Navy), Colonel Jack F. Jones (Army), Don McClay (Navy), Dr. Bill Peters (Marine Corps), and Dr. Bob Eisenhart (Air Force). Each of these men spoke on their time in the military and the history and significance of military service within their families and communities. Each highlighted the danger of sacrifice asked for by their service, but also the immense importance and call of duty of their dedication to their country and military. Among the honorees, the first to speak was Rippinger, a former A-6 bombardier and navigator. In the spirit of Legacy of Generations
After the Oct. 17 deaths of four Pepperdine students on Pacific Coast Highway, it didn’t take Malibu residents and officials long to demand an immediate increase in law enforcement patrols looking for speeders on the dangerous highway that runs through the middle of town. That public outcry has resulted in the return of the California Highway Patrol, which hasn’t conducted enforcement on PCH since the city incorporated in 1991. The stepped-up enforcement from the CHP, along with that of the Los Angeles Sheriff ’s Department, has shown promise with increased ticketing for speeding along with a few arrests. Still, the city was shaken this week by a few injury accidents, two eerily close to the scene
Last week, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Red Flag Warning from Wednesday, Nov. 8, through Thurs, Nov. 9, and on Thursday morning, fire crews responded to a 3.6-acre brushfire on Topanga Canyon. The City of Malibu released a utility advisory stating the brush fire started around 12 a.m. Wednesday, and was put out on Thursday, Nov. 9, around 4:35 a.m. “If fire ignition occurs there could be rapid spread of wildfire that would lead to a threat to life and property,” the advisory says. “Be prepared for potential power outages, fire, evacuations, hazardous road conditions due to branches in the road and malfunctioning traffic signals.” Los Angeles County Fire
Department District 7 Community Service Liaison Megan Currier provided a report on the brush fire and said the fire is still under investigation. “Crews remained on scene overnight to make sure there were no flare-ups,” Currier said. “The fire department investigators arrived this morning (Thursday, Nov. 9) and they’re going to determine what the cause was.” Currier said an occupied twostory building structure was damaged in the fire. East Malibu residents were encouraged to be prepared for potential fire and evacuations. Parts of eastern Malibu (Las Flores Canyon) were without power for a few hours while the brush fire was under control. Southern California Edison temporarily shuts power off during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition. The city is coordinating on CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
New poetry stones introduced at Legacy Park |B1
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