Cary Elwes - The Stranger Things Issue

THE AUTHENTIC MALIBU LIFESTYLE

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CARY ELWES

ST RA NG E R T H I NGS Issue

VOL 2 ISSUE 1

2020

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Publisher NICHOLAS BETTS Executive Editor TAMMY ARLIDGE Lifestyle & Beauty Editor TARA OWENS Wellness Contributor SHAWNA RENEE Contributors EMA SCHULZ TRACEY ROSS PAUL TAUBLIEB ERIK COOPER JOE LE BELLA DANIELSON Contributing Photographers BRIAN BIELMANN AUSTIN DANIELS TIM HORTON

Advisory Board SAMANTHA BENNINGTON CAROLINE CUSUMANO RONDA HAMPTON

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STAY TRUE MALIBU We are the music makers, And we are the dreamer of dreams, Wandering by lone sea-breakers, And sitting by desolate streams; World-losers and world-forsakers, On whom the pale moon gleams: Yet we are the movers and shakers Of the world for ever, it seems.

-Arthur O’ Shaughnessy, “Ode,” 1874

3

“WE DON’T MOVE MOUNTAINS, WE PUT THEM BACK.”

THE AUTHENTIC MALIBU LIFESTYLE

Trevo r N ie l so n Cli mate Emergency p .14

The Tragic Death o f P - 56 p . 2 0

St ran ge Wi n es A Cel ebrati o n o f Li fe

Woolsey: Wh at D i d a n d Did n’ t H ap p e n p.66

The

ST RA NG E R T H I NGS Cary Elwes Issue

In Our Backyard T h e Kobe B rya nt Cra sh p.2 4

Inconceivab l e Tal e nt p. 3 0

EDITOR’S Dr. Ronda Hampton and I during a “smokeout” searching for new information in Missing Persons cases in 2019.

EDITOR IN CHIEF, FOUNDER, CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Letter

ST RA NG E R T H I NGS . . .

Although the theme of this issue was inspired by our cover story with actor and longtime Malibu resident Cary Elwes who plays Mayor Kline of the Netflix hit series “Stranger Things”, the theme actually began two years before when a series of unusual events took place in my life, and the lives of many in our community.

On June 22nd, 2018, the news announced that a young father of two was shot to death while he lay sleeping in his tent at Malibu Creek State Park.

Needless to say, to have something so tragic and unexpected happen so close to home rocked our community to the core.

I had recently switched focus from to activism-based journalism for our online news publication, The Local Malibu. The site mostly reports on local politics and public safety issues and the evening of the murder, a resident sent me a message that a Tesla was shot at on Malibu Canyon Rd. four days before the murder.

Fearing a sniper was on the loose, I released a public safety alert on our Facebook page, which prompted victims of previous shootings to come out on that thread exposing a two-year law enforcement cover-up in the Malibu Creek State Park Shootings.

During the Malibu Creek State Park Shootings case I was introduced to Dr. Ronda Hampton, a clinical psychologist, and an integral part of seeking justice for Mitrice Richardson. Hampton was the conduit to my meeting and establishing a relationship with Sheriff of L.A. County, Alex Villanueva. Both relationships have been invaluable on so many levels, and vital to the on-going fight to create transparency, and giving a voice to the murdered and the missing.

A few months after the shootings, the Woolsey Fire ravaged the area, With UnderSheriff Tim Murakami and Sheriff Alex Villanueva, January, 2020. not only changing the landscape, but changing the dynamic in our community. Paul Taublieb’s “Woolsey: A Story of What Didn’t and Didn’t Happen” was an important article to include in the re-launch issue as it is a detailed account of what truly transpired during the most devstating natural disaster to hit our town.

In closing, had I not taken the hiatus from 90265 Magazine to pursue investigative reporting, important stories would have never been told and relationships that inspire change would have never been formed.

With Malibu regaining new momentum after so many changes in our community, it seemed like the perfect time to bring back 90265 Magazine in its tangible and interactive form.

We look forward to sharing many more issues with you. cecewoods.com Twitter: @cece90265 Instagram: @cecewoods90265

Originally hailing from England, talented musician and filmmaker John Watkin has called Malibu home for more than two decades.

bu who

After losing the home he shared with wife Stefanie Paige in the Woolsey Fire, this passionate storyteller produced a series of controversial interviews with City officials. The interviews were Watkin’s attempt to allow officials to respond to resident outrage and local government’s failure to supply disaster relief during the most devastating wildfire in California history.

This, and more, makes John Watkin one of Malibu’s most interesting people.

CW: What originally brought you to Malibu?

JOHN WATKIN: I came out to Los Angeles with Eamon Harrington to produce a Rock The Vote special in 1992, and we rented a house in Big Rock. At the time I was living in a 4th floor shoe box in NYC with a view of the neighbor’s wall. This was 2500 sq feet with a 180 degree ocean view all the way down the coast to Santa Monica. That was it! I was done!

Six months later, we all moved out to Malibu.

CW: Give us the quick and dirty on Johnny “Guitar” Watkin.

JOHN WATKIN: Johnny “Guitar” Watkin is my alter-ego. He’s a womanizing, whiskey drinking, bad-ass hombre who’s played in biker bars and strip joints from coast to coast.

(Kind of like the real me now I think of it.) I’m forever indebted to my mentor Lenny Goldsmith who was kind enough to invite me to join his squad of top-shelf musicians in his 14-piece funk and soul outfit called The New Old. He schooled me into raising my game so I can play with these characters. And now I’m also in Band of Rouge with my mate Andy Jackson and the unbelievably talented Michelle Wolf, with a rotating rhythm section.

Literally rotating. We put them on a spindle and whirl them around. It’s very dramatic.

malibu’s most interesting people

john watkin

filmmaker, musician

bu who

CW: So many of us were floored (putting it mildly) after your video series on the City’s reaction to the Woolsey Fire. What inspired you to do the interviews?

CW: What’s life after Woolsey looking like for you?

JOHN WATKIN: Honestly, I think we were very lucky. We had just bought a beautiful house on Cuthbert, but we hadn’t moved in, we were still living in our rental house in Malibu West. I sat on a sand dune at Zuma and watched the fire come down Trancas and I was sure the rental had gone. Then we saw it head across to Malibu Park, and I ran up to the Cuthbert house with my stepson to try spraying it down with fire retardant, but the fire suddenly jumped up over our heads, it was like a blowtorch. I knew that house was done so I thought we’d lost both. But Tim Biglow and Mikke Pierson and their group saved our house in Malibu West, so at least we didn’t lose our stuff, memories. Now we’ve got to get through this re-build.

Thankfully I’m married to Stefanie- she’s German and she gets it done man. She makes those lists and we just bang through it!!!

Photo: Tim Horton

JOHN WATKIN: Eamon and I have been making documentaries for 30 years.

After the fire, like most people I was incredibly frustrated at the lack of communication with the City. I wanted to hear their story, and not just in council sessions but listening to them as real human beings. We had made a 25th anniversary film for the City two years ago and so I called Reva and suggested I do an interview with her.

At the time there was real venom being heaped on her, and I thought it might help everyone to hear her story. She suggested bringing Rick Mullen and Zuma Jay. I told them they could not see the questions in advance, they couldn’t be in the room with each other, and they would not see the pieces before they aired! And they all agreed. We spoke to each of them for about 45 minutes, separately, and then I had to try to merge them together in a way that was fair.

CW: Tell us what big picture is for John Watkin.

Well, work-wise I figured I need three things. I want to be creatively challenged, I want to be appreciated, and I want to be paid appropriately. These days that’s getting harder! But I love playing music and I love telling stories.

I’ve been so lucky, we’ve won 7 Emmys for our documentaries, and we’ve just finished a film about Johnny Strange that I really love. He was an amazing young man. We shot an interview with him just a few weeks before he died in Switzerland, and we felt we had a duty to Johnny and the family to tell his story. I am also starting a business where we make private documentaries for people celebrating a significant birthday or anniversary.

People’s lives are really fascinating and everyone has a ABOVE: Johnny “Guitar” Watkin BELOW: Watkin story. And then Steffi and I plan to rebuild our house, and wife Stefanie Paige receiving their permit to and sit on our deck wearing blazers like a couple of rebuild on January 24th, 2020 yachties, sipping G&T’s. (While Johnny “Guitar” is out 9 banging the blues in a smokehouse somewhere in Mississippi.) - CW

the roaring 20’s

KEEPING IT REAL IN 2020 Attainable goals that make sense and will make your New Year your BEST ever

By Tammy Arlidge A new decade has powered through the gates with unbridled strength and agility. Everything seems possible, almost easy. 2020. We’re gripping the reins with everything we have with huge goals, forging ahead!

Our bodies are tense with anticipation and we want to WIN. We want to take on this year in a way we’ve never done! Hmm. But, how long can we effectively keep up this goal-oriented, hard-core perfection resolution race without burning out by February? We have to keep things real and realistic. Can you say WHOA!?

Here we’ve handpicked our top 20 for ‘20: 1. Drink more water. Do any of us really do this? Water is a nutrient our body needs. Treat yourself to a fancy water bottle and keep filling. Add some fruit slices or make it bubbly, but just keep drinking.

2. Stop complaining.You can handle this life thing. It stinks sometimes but learn to LAUGH at the absurdity of it all. And that is contagious. Next thing you know, your exuberant self will rub off on others and that thing that upset you in the first place is so in the past.

3. Chill on social media. Seriously. UNplug. Walk away and guess what? The world will still be spinning on its axis without you responding to every single meaningless ping.

4. Purge Purge Purge. Did we say purge? If you’ve been holding onto style dating to your circa l987 Whitesnake concert, it’s time to move into a new decade of sassy style. If your clothes don’t make you feel ‘alive’, toss them. When your closet is more organized, so is your brain. *Fashion tip: It’s oh so tempting to replace each and every item you toss. Don’t succumb.

5. Walk outside everyday. Don’t just count inside steps with your Apple watch. Walk outside and count them.

The health benefits abound! Hike a canyon. Run the beach. Walk in your ‘hood. Breathing in the fresh air and will wake up your dormant senses. Everyone say ‘Aahhhh….’

6. Exercise that fits YOU. Don’t get sucked into the Peloton craze if you truly hate a stationary bike. Don’t take up running if your knees cannot handle it. Mix it up! Do a combination workout weekly. Mix Pilates and tennis; yoga and weight lifting. Just do it.

7. Skip the alcohol. Ooh that one stung a bit. After a grueling day, it’s so nice to have a glass of wine or a vodka and soda. Am I right? No one is saying to never drink again. These are realistic goals. Remember? Kick the cocktails for a week. It improves your immune system, your metabolism, and you sleep so much better.

the roaring 20’s 8. And speaking of sleep….Sleep people! And no, sleep is not overrated. According to the National Sleep Foundation we need 7-9 hours per night. Yes, per night. Try to go to sleep at the same time each night. Turn off the electronics, sip some hot tea, and start the Zzzzz’s.

9. Save Money – even if its $10 per week. What better time to create better spending habits than at the beginning of a new year? Create a budget and stick to it and sock some money away for a rainy day, a spa day or even a trip to Europe at the end of the year. You’d be surprised at how that piggy bank fattens up.

10. More SEX. It feels great and it’s good for you! Science backs this. That glow is real. You burn calories. You reduce stress. You look younger.So hop in the sack and get it on!

11. Enjoy your own company. You are a really groovy person. Take ‘me’ time just for you. Go to a museum and get lost in the creativity around you and the quiet. Stroll through a park. It allows you to energize and think more clearly. Meditate, paint your nails, stay in bed twenty minutes longer, rock on your porch. Just BE.

Make time to connect with those who make you laugh, who inspire and support you.

Good friends are life’s best medicine.

12. Make time for friends once per month. How hard can once a month be? Well, with our hectic lives and marathon commitments, squeezing in a night out can be harder than we think and before we know it, weeks have passed. Make time to connect with those who make you laugh, who inspire and support you. Good friends are life’s best medicine. We can all partake.

13. Rescue an animal. You give love. You get love. Rescuing an animal in need of a good home brings you to a new level of selflessness and that my friends is a feeling like no other. They are the best company and will thank you every day.

14. Take a class – French, cooking, psychology, photography. Despite that we feel our brains can’t learn one more vocabulary word, science proves otherwise. We have the ability to learn anything new at any age! New brain cells are actually created; we improve our IQ; our memory improves; and we have a new skill to boot.

15. Cut out the sugar (not the kisses). Our love for sugar is palpable. But it’s not healthy. Sugar damages our immune system.It’s addictive. It robs our bodies of minerals and is associated with diabetes and cancer to name a few. It causes weight gain. Fortunately sweet can be found in many much healthier forms. Try agave, coconut sugar, or honey. Sweet right?

16. Eat Cleaner. Going vegan when you have a hankering for red meat is probably not going to happen. Opt out those fries for fruit. Remove the beige items on your plate and add green. Cut the snacking and have a healthy smoothie. It goes way beyond weight loss. You’ll have more energy; you’ll be healthier and a little planning ahead can help your wallet.

11

the roaring 20’s Be Nice. It’s not hard. Don’t judge others and their imperfections ‘cuz you have no idea what’s going on in their lives. Performing acts of kindness and giving back will reward you a million times 17. Quit your bad habit. We all have one, maybe ten. Write down the reasons it’s bad for you and why it’s important for you to change. Read it. Make a plan and invite your friend group as support to motivate you.

Replace that bad habit with a good one. Kick it to the curb. Believe in yourself.

18. Volunteer for a cause that you’re passionate about.Whether your goal is to save the whales or pick up beach litter or raise money for a children’s charity, do it. The world always needs more volunteers.

19. Read a REAL book. Did you know reading can make you more empathetic? It fights Alzheimer’s. Go to a bookstore and peruse. (Refer to goal number 11). Smell the pages. It takes you from a screen and that is worth more than a thousand words. Relax and get lost.

20. Be Nice. It’s not hard. Don’t judge others and their imperfections ‘cuz you have no idea what’s going on in their lives. Performing acts of kindness and giving back will reward you a million times. And that’s a fact.

Remember Reality is the new Perfection. Slow the horses down. Your goal isn’t always to win. It’s a new decade, not just a new year so spread your goals out smoothly. Don’t beat yourself up for not ticking them all off in a timely manner. That goes against the whole darned thing! You are one year older and one year wiser.

2019 is so last year. Take pride in knowing that you can change the world and become an even more awesome YOU. You got this.

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feature The Woolsey Fire and Climate Change: How Malibu’s Trevor Neilson Is Leading the Fight.

By Cece Woods The catastrophic effects of the Woolsey Fire last year, largely fueled by climate change, destroyed the homes of 20% of our community. Many of whom won’t return to the area because of the high fire danger.

Even with that data, and experiencing the devastation first-hand, up until recently, Malibu City Council had yet to take the proactive steps to adopt a resolution calling a State of Climate Emergency.

In 2019, only three California cities declared a State of Climate Emergency. In spite of the dramatic increase in California Wildfires, and Malibu was not on that list.

Act Local Think Global

Malibu resident Trevor Neilson, and his wife Evelin Weber, helped many of those who lost everything in the Woolsey Fire. In the days and weeks after the disaster, they co-founded the Malibu Foundation raising almost 5 million dollars.

“... We know that Southern California Edison lit the match, but it was climate change that filled the tinder box.”

Recently, Neilson read a review of the City’s response to the Woolsey Fire drafted by an outside firm, Management Partners, (contracted by the City of Malibu). The absence of the discussion of climate change in the report immediately prompted Neilson into action. It was apparent local government officials were still in a state of denial when it comes to climate change.

feature Previously, local government officials focused their environmental efforts by passing legislation banning plastic bags, single use plastics, styrofoam and plastic sandbags. However, by passing these ordinances without first declaring a State of Climate Emergency, the bigger issue, climate change, was not being addressed.

“In the 58 page report, the words Climate Change do not appear. I find this shocking.” Neilson began his speech at the August 12th Malibu City Council meeting, “We know that Southern California Edison lit the match, but it was climate change that filled the tinder box and let that match explode in a spectacular and horrifying way.”

Neilson continued his speech with jaw dropping data which played a large part in the catastrophic losses in the Woolsey Fire.

“Climate did not literally start the Woolsey Fire, but it created the conditions for it to exist.” Neilson continued “We also know that it’s a scientifically proven fact that California Wildfires are 500% larger now due to climate change, and we know that by 2100 without a reduction in carbon emissions, the state will see a 77% increase in wildfires.”

Neilson quoted former governor Jerry Brown calling climate change apocalyptic and urged Council to immediately declare a Climate Emergency immediately, as it “represents an existential threat to all of us”.

“... California Wildfires are 500% larger now due to climate change...”

Neilson’s efforts to inform council of the urgency to create policies and procedures to address climate change on a local level were were taken very seriously prompting 4 out of 5 members of Malibu City Council to officially declare a State of Climate Emergency on September 9th, 2019.

Council also officially requested nearby cities to join in a “regional collaboration on an immediate just transition and emergency mobilization effort to restore a safe climate.”

feature “Between the five cities [Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu and Westlake Village], we have a population over 100,000, and that’s a strong enough message to move forward with,” former Mayor Jefferson Wagner said.

Climate Conscious

Neilson has been a heavy hitter in the environmental space for some time.

In 2015, Neilson partnered with Howard W. Buffett, to create i(x) investments, an entrepreneurial, multi-strategy impact investing platform, structured as a holding company, addressing areas of human need. i(x) has an incredible group of 56 of the world’s leading families as shareholders – many of whom are pictured below.

Their holdings include Carbon Engineering, a technology that removes carbon from the atmosphere; WasteFuel, a company that utilizes a proven technology to convert municipal waste into aviation grade biofuel and Rising Impact Fund, a commercial real estate fund focused on greening office buildings.

Photo by: Nicole Pereira Photography i(x) investments shareholders at this year’s annual shareholder meeting outside the New York Stock Exchange

“Entrepeneurs can no longer sit on the sidelines and let government and the nonprofit sector address the biggest problems we face...”

In June, i(x) investments hosted the inaugural Entrepreneurs Impact Summit (EIS), a new type of yearly event that is rooted in capitalism for social change. The event was attended by over 300 people, including business leaders from all over the world interested and engaged in participating in real solutions to fight climate emergency, poverty, human rights and other immediate world issues. Attendees were asked to make new, specific and measurable commitments to address an issue the world faces using their time and talents. i(x) investments committed to raise/invest over $100M in companies that address the global climate emergency by reducing carbon emissions.

Trevor Neilson, one of three founders of the Climate Emergency Fund, at an event in January. Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images

“Entrepreneurs can no longer sit on the sidelines and let government and the nonprofit sector address the biggest problems we face. The 300 entrepreneurs who came together for the inaugural EIS are focused not on talk, but on action. This event, which will occur annually, is the start of a new movement to align profit with purpose.”

How Can Malibu Become Proactive in the Fight For Climate Change?

Neilson is a Co-founder of the Climate Emergency Fund, which is the largest funder of Extinction Rebellion, an international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimize the risk of social collapse.

Created and supported by leaders in our community, the Climate Emergency Fund is where the fight against climate change begins: “CEF was created to support the individual activists and organizations working to wake up the public to the threat of climate change and demand action from our leaders. CEF’s founders have been inspired by groups like Extinction Rebellion, which recently staged major protests in central London pushing the UK parliament to declare a climate emergency. Only by changing the dialogue and declaring an emergency will we be able to reach policy solutions that work.

Young people have also mobilized, understanding that the worst of climate change will hit during the prime of their lives. Public concern is finally growing as climate change becomes harder and harder to ignore.

CEF recognizes that this is a critical moment to support activist movements to demand change. We believe that only a peaceful planet-wide mobilization on the scale of World War II will give us a chance to avoid the worst-case scenarios and restore a safe climate. We believe this moment requires large scale disruption through the legal expression of first amendment rights and non-violent direct action.”

“Young people have mobilized, understanding that the worst of climate change will hit during the prime of their lives.”

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feature Call to Action

Trevor Neilson pictured in Gaza during a trip with the United Nations earlier this year.

Here are Neilson’s suggestions to do your part and actively participate in supporting and reversing Climate Change: Support Climate Emergency Fund – The Climate Emergency Fund provides support to individuals and organizations who demonstrate the intention and capability of disrupting the inadequate and immoral gradual approach governments around the world are taking to addressing the climate emergency.

Limit beef and dairy intake.

Don’t purchase products made with palm oil — even if it’s labeled sustainable or rainforest-certified palm oil.

Educate your friends and social media followers on this issue, using the hashtags: #climatechange #climateemergency No matter where you live, when election time comes, vote for candidates who are working to protect the environment.

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environment THE TRAGIC AND AVOIDABLE

DEATH OF MOUNTAIN LION P-56

By Beth Pratt

Those of us who work to save the threatened mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains and Los Angeles area are devastated with the senseless and preventable recent death of P-56.

We grow attached to these animals, and avidly follow their adventures, sometimes from kittenhood to adulthood. They are individuals with individual personalities. So let me introduce you to P-56.

P-56 roamed in the western edge of the Santa Monica Mountains. In videos he comes across as playful, and in a photo of him peacefully napping, he looks like he is living his best mountain lion life. His mother, P-23, was killed by a car—another senseless and preventable death. P-56 managed to survive to age five in this challenging urban environment--living in one of the most densely populated areas in the country—where most of his male relatives don’t live past age two. He likely sired at least one litter of kittens with P-19, who is also his grandmother, demonstrating yet another threat these cats face in the area—inbreeding.

Beyond our love for these mountain lions, however, we are devastated over P-56’s death because of the significant consequences. This is not about just one individual cat. For these threatened cougars, P-56’s death is another nail on the coffin for the entire population.

The National Park Service’s research has demonstrated that mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains are facing extinction because of genetic collapse from inbreeding. The 101 Freeway has effectively cut them off from the rest of the world, causing them to mate with their daughters, granddaughters (like P-56), great-great granddaughters etc.,. Cougars from the north bringing new genetic material can’t get past the ten-lane 101, and cats south of the freeway trying to find new territory usually die trying.

environment At best, the modeling by the National Park Service gives this population an estimated 50 years before inbreeding causes their demise. What this timeframe doesn’t include is other sources of mortality such as from automobiles, rat poison, and yes, being killed for preying on livestock.

Killing P-56 is tragic not just because of the loss of a remarkable cat, but because killing him has put an entire population of mountain lions at risk. He was one of just two known males in the area. Indeed killing P-56 solved nothing (another mountain lion will just take advantage of the situation) and risked everything for these cats. Are twelve sheep worth driving a mountain lion population to extinction?

And I am also left asking why? Why was this necessary?

Killing P-56 is tragic not just because of the loss of a remarkable cat, but because killing him has put an entire population of mountain lions at risk.

Those of us who work to save this population of mountain lions are happy to help people protect their livestock and pets. When a depredation permit in 2016 was issued for P-45—again, an important breeding male in the Santa Monica Mountains—the community rallied to his defense and offered solutions. My organization, the National Wildlife Federation, donated funds to build a predator proof enclosure, and groups like the National Park Service and Mountain Lion Foundation worked with the livestock owner to educate them on how to better protect their animals. Through these efforts, P-45 was spared.

I am saddened we were not given the chance in this situation to work on a nonlethal solution for P-56.

Although the press release outlined some measures that had been taken, many of those have been proven to be ineffective in preventing mountain lions from attacking livestock. For example, penning livestock just makes them easier prey, and an electric fence, unless it is over 15 feet high (mountain lions can jump that height from a standstill) would not do any good.

In my role as the leader of the #SaveLACougars campaign, I work with a dedicated group of partners to build a wildlife crossing over the 101 Freeway to ensure these magnificent cats have a future. This crossing will allow for cats to move freely across the region and bring new genetic material to the threatened Santa Monica Mountain population. In layman terms, it will provide them with dates outside of their family.

Equally vital to the future of this population is solving this issue of inadequately protected livestock and issuing a death sentence to mountain lions for just being mountain lions. We humans have resources and capabilities a mountain lion doesn’t, and if we want to coexist with wildlife, we do need to take more responsibility for our actions than wildlife can for theirs, as they don’t have a lot of choice on where to live or what to eat like we do. As an owner of five beloved dogs and two cats, I would be devastated if a mountain lion attacked them. But I would not fault the lion. It is my responsibility to keep them protected.

“At this point the situation for our cougars is dire.”

At this point the situation for our cougars is dire. Native wildlife should take prominence in these decisions. I applaud recent calls to place more restrictions or ban depredation permits in the Santa Monica Mountains

environment and Los Angeles area. This is an imperiled population. Most of us like living among mountain lions, recognize the specialness of having big cats on the landscape. But they will disappear if we don’t take the responsibility to coexist with them, and do what we can to avoid conflict.

I hope amidst the tragic killing of P-56, his legacy will be one of positive change that ensures a future for his kind.

P-56’s Death Inspire’s Action

P-56’s death was senseless and tragic. But what is encouraging is that reform is already being proposed as many leaders have stepped up to express outrage and take action.

Los Angeles City Councilmembers Paul Koretz and David Ryu announced just days after his death that they were seeking to halt depredation permits in the Santa Monica Mountains. Joseph Edmiston, the 40-year executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, told NBCLA that “he’s willing to circumvent bureaucratic processes to take matters into his own hands to prevent the death of the last remaining male mountain lion in the area.” “To see one of the last two breathing mountain lion males shot for 12 sheep is so egregious. I will spend my own personal money so that doesn’t happen again.’’

And in perhaps the most significant development, the Mountain Lion Foundation and the Center for Biological Diversity announced their petition to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to list threatened populations of mountain lions under the California Endangered Species Act is moving forward for consideration.

To urge the state to act, Senator Henry Stern, Senator Ben Allen, Assemblymember Richard Bloom, and Assemblymember Laura Friedman sent a letter to California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Director Charlton Bonham. In his reply, Director Bonham stated his office “cares deeply about these nobles creatures,” and agreed that “further interventions are needed in order to help these majestic animals survive.” He announced they had already taken immediate action by implementing a new policy of the executive office needing to have final sign off on all depredation permits.

Beth Pratt Regional Executive Director, California, National Wildlife Federation Leader, #SaveLACougars Campaign Author, When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors: People and Wildlife Working It Out in California

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philanthropy CAROLINE CUSAMANO

Adopt Don’t Shop

Malibu resident and philanthropist Caroline Cusumano, regularly volunteers her time at Shelter Hope, the volunteer-based pet shop in Thousand Oaks created to aid shelter pet adoptions.

Shelter Hope Pet Shop created by Kim Sill, is a unique, large scale business model, which aims to eliminate puppy mill pet shops in our malls across the nation.

Current adoptions available: Adidas and Nike, ten week old Shepard puppies Marsden, a two year old Wheaton mix Sparrow, a three year old Yorkie mix Elmo, a Maltipoo and is a year old Dylan, a five year old poodle mix.

Jocelyn (in photo with Caroline) and is a 9 week old terrier 193 N. Moorpark Rd. East, Suite F Thousand Oaks, CA 91360 (805) 379-3538 shelterhopepetshop.com 26200 Lockwood Road, Malibu

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feature

IN OUR BACKYARD

The Crash that Killed Kobe Bryant

By Tammy Arlidge

PHOTO: TIM HORTON

Sikorsky S-76B... is considered a ‘work horse’... known to have a good safety record Tears. Shock. Disbelief.

These three words have forever marked January 26, 2020, the day Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others perished in a helicopter crash only miles from Malibu. They were headed to Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks where the girls basketball team would be playing and where he coaches.

Among those killed in the crash are Christina Mauser, 38, one of Bryant’s assistant coaches for the Mambas; John Altobelli, 56, an accomplished baseball coach at Orange Coast College and was on the flight with his wife, Keri Altobelli, and 13-year-old daughter, Alyssa, a teammate of Gianna; Payton Chester, a 13-year-old from San Juan Capistrano, Calif., who was also a basketball player. She was on the flight with her mother, Sarah Chester.

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Why was the helicopter flying in foggy conditions? Why did the pilot turn left into the mountain in Calabasas?

Did the pilot feel pressure to get his client to his destination? Were there mechanical problems? Was there a medical emergency? Was the weather the cause?

An aviation advisory had warned pilots Sunday morning that they would need to navigate by IFR, instrument flight rules instead of VFR, visual flight rules, due to poor visibility (referred to as IMC, instrument meteorological conditions). This requires pilots to use their cockpit instruments to get them through clouds or other conditions with zero visibility instead of visual reference.

feature The manufacturer of the helicopter, Sikorsky S-76B, owned by Lockheed Martin, is considered a ‘work horse’ as it’s used as an air ambulance as well as preferred V.I.P. transportation. It operates in ten countries and known to have a good safety record.

According to Federal aviation accident records, there have been eight accidents involving S-76Bs over 26 years and only two of those have involved deaths or serious injuries to people on board. The company that operated the flight is Island Express Holding Corp out of Van Nuys. Bryant had flown many times in this particular helicopter to travel from his home

to games at Staples Center. He called it his “Mamba Chopper”.

The pilot, Ara Zopayan, had flown Bryant dozens of times. He was an experienced instrument-rated pilot, having over 8,200 hours (as of June 2019) flying time as well as having his commercial license since 2007. He was qualified to fly in bad weather and was a flight instructor.

9:06 The Sikorsky S-76B helicopter, carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others including his daughter, leaves John Wayne Airport in Orange County headed north towards Van Nuys. Skies are clear with four miles visibility.

PHOTO: TIM HORTON

THE FLIGHT

9:21 Helicopter begins circling over Glendale, near Burbank. The pilot requests special VFR, special visual flight reference, clearance, from the tower, which allows the pilot to fly in conditions worse than usual. LAPD and sheriff’s departments ground all of their helicopters due to poor visibility.

Bryant had flown many times in this particular helicopter to travel from his home to games at Staples Center.

He called it his “Mamba Chopper”.

“Helicopter 2EX, hold outside Burbank Class C airspace. I have an aircraft going around,” an air traffic controller says.

“2EX, holding,” the pilot replies.

9:24 An air traffic controller says, “it’s gonna be a little bit” before the pilot can continue.

“OK, we’ll continue holding,” pilot replies.

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feature PHOTO: TIM HORTON

It appears the visibility is getting worse, and the pilot is being asked to remain circling as another aircraft is in the vicinity. He remains in a holding pattern for twelve minutes.

9:33 Air traffic control asks pilot to ‘maintain special VFR at or below 2500, I-5 northbound.’

The helicopter heads north. The pilot confirms he heard the instructions. Later, the Burbank air traffic controller tells the pilot to switch to Van Nuys air traffic control.

9:36 Pilot switches to Van Nuys Helicopters’ frequency.

9:37 Pilot informs Van Nuys tower that they are at 1400’. Tower says that winds are calm and visibility is at 2 ½ miles and fog ceiling is at 1100’. Tower asks pilot to respond when he is in VFR conditions. There is no noticeable stress in the pilot’s voice.

9:39 Pilot responds they are transitioning to VFR at 1500’.

9:42 Tower asks pilot if he’s requesting ‘flight following’ (additional assistance requested from air traffic control) to avoid air traffic. No response from the pilot.

9:44 The tower tells pilot the helicopter is too low to get assistance from the tower. There is still no response from the pilot.

9:45 Helicopter falls off of radar.

Radar tracking data indicated that the helicopter reached a height of 2,300 feet then rapidly began a left descending turn and increased his speed, possibly to avoid the terrain, hitting the hillside at 1085 feet. Due to the debris field of nearly 500 feet, this suggests that the helicopter hit the ground at a high speed roughly 140160 knots (165-185 mph).

Did the pilot divert briefly off the 101 freeway to circle back and encountered the hillside with no time to correct? Was his intention to fly away from the bad weather and head to Camarillo via the coast? Did he become spatially disoriented in the fog, not discerning his position or location in reference to the terrain?

“...this suggests that the helicopter hit the ground at a high speed roughly 140-160 knots (165-185 mph)...”

feature “We knew this would not be a normal recovery” - David Katz, Malibu Search and Rescue Team Flying with VFR in an area known for abruptly changing weather conditions can be like walking a tightrope.

A pilot’s responsibility levels are increased, and the stress is elevated, especially in a mountainous terrain, and when flying passengers. According to IFR trained pilots, it is crucial to have enough ‘real-world’ experience and confidence to safely attack the challenges of operating a helicopter in reduced visibility.

As the news quickly broke that Kobe Bryant was on board and there were nine victims total, “We knew this would not be a normal recovery,” said David Katz of Malibu Search and Rescue (SAR) Team.

Hazmat teams, deputies, coroners, NTSB, FAA, homicide detectives, fire departments, and investigators, were among those involved in the arduous task of documenting and securing the scene, searching for evidence, and the removal of crash debris and victims. The steep hillside and narrow trails made accessing the site difficult and dangerous.

“After assessing our needs on Sunday night, we knew the terrain lacked adequate rope system anchors; there was a large debris field, multiple fatalities in various locations and the presence of hazardous materials and sharp objects everywhere,” Katz continued. In total, thirty-four SAR personnel were deployed.

Jennifer Homendy, a member of the National Safety and Transportation Board, said that this helicopter was not equipped with a TAWS, a Terrain Awareness Warning System, that can help pilots to avoid crashes by warning a pilot when an aircraft gets too close to the ground. It provides detailed imaging and visual and

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feature auditory warnings of surrounding terrain. This device is required in fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters used as air ambulances, but is optional for commercial use. Investigators said that the helicopter missed clearing the hill by 20 to 30 feet, though having a TAWS on board may or may not have prevented the outcome.

Also, there was no pilot voice recorder, nor a black box, which records the flight data such as altitude, speed and pilot conversations. The NTSB has been urging federal regulators to require these in helicopters for more than a decade. The arguments against these have been based on economics; the cost is estimated at $20,000 to $40,000 per helicopter. According to Jennifer Homendy, “these would have helped us significantly in this investigation.�

On January 30, Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) announced that he will introduce the Kobe Bryant and the Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act, which would require the NTSB and the FAA to place a TAWS in all helicopters.

Pilot Ara Zobayan was at the controls of the helicopter that crashed killing all nine people on board. Photo: Group 3 Aviation via AP

The search for answers is just beginning. A preliminary 11-page report on February 8 from the NTSB has not given additional information as to the cause of the crash, but did confirm that the engine did not appear to have failed. The final report could take up to eighteen months.

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From top-left, clockwise: Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Christina Mauser, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli and pilot Ara Zobayan, died on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, after the helicopter they traveled in crashed in Los Angeles.

cover

CARY ELWES

The Inconceivable Talent, who is taking TV by storm, will be debuting a new film, speaks out for the environment, and calls Malibu home.

By Tammy Arlidge Photography by Jim Jordan Cary Elwes is a busy guy these days. Actually that’s a gross understatement considering he recently joined the cast of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in its third season playing the vainglorious British actor Gavin Hawk, starred in season 3 of Stranger Things as Mayor Larry Kline of Hawkins for which he was nominated for a SAG Award for Best Ensemble in a Drama Series, and just wrapped Best Sellers with Michael Caine, a film in which Caine plays a has-been author on a book tour and Elwes plays Halpren Nolan, a New York Times book critic. He was also just cast in the Riverdale spin-off Katy Keene.

The UK born actor captured our hearts in the 1987 fantasy adventure comedy The Princess Bride, directed by Rob Reiner in which he plays Westley, the stable boy–turned swashbuckling pirate opposite Robin Wright as Princess Buttercup. It is a cinematic storybook that has been replayed seamlessly for generations having the perfect blend of action, suspense, comedy, and romance.

The cult classic parlayed into As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, written by Elwes in which he recounts the many notable (and quotable) behind-the-scenes experiences. The book has enjoyed critical acclaim as well as being a New York Times best seller.

His real-life fairytale romance began at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off in 1991 when he met his now wife, Lisa Marie.

She caught his eye, and armed with a handful of tickets, he enticed her to ride a few rides. They began dating a couple months later and as the proverbial saying goes: the rest is history. They now share the nostalgic backdrop each year with their daughter Dominique.

Elwes has been blessed with talent that has kept him working steadily with equal aplomb between dramatic and comedic roles for more than thirty-five years. From riveting to witty, his characters leave an indelible impression, just as he does upon meeting with him.

90265 Magazine had the pleasure of chatting with Elwes, who, in addition to being a magnificent storyteller, is utterly charming, and an all-around nice guy.

Malibu has many good qualities, but I think what I love about it most is that firstly, it is where I met my wife and started our family but also 31 how close knit the community is.

cover 90265 Magazine: When did you move to Malibu? Tell us what you love about Malibu and why you call it home.

CE: I always had a dream of living here ever since I first visited it while on vacation as a kid with my family. Malibu has many good qualities, but I think what I love about it most is that firstly, it is where I met my wife and started our family but also how close knit the community is.

90265 Magazine: What do you do in your down time, the little that you have these days?

CE: I spend time with my family, especially my daughter Dominique. I am big into hiking as Malibu has some of the most beautiful trails. I love being in awe of the majestic beauty of nature, especially now that I know how fragile it is.

90265 Magazine: The Princess Bride. We simply can’t get enough of the movie. It has withstood the test of time. As you’ve said, the movie literally has millions of devotees. In your opinion, why is that?

CE: I think it is one of those magical things where all the right people came together with the same vision in mind both in front of and behind the camera. Starting with Bill Goldman’s wonderful script and Rob Reiner’s magnificent direction.

“...Perseverance. And believe in yourself. If you have doubts, others will too.”

90265 Magazine: And speaking of ‘withstanding the test of time’, so has your marriage to Lisa Marie. What’s the secret?

CE: Communication and keeping our relationship alive. Learning each other’s language of love is never a bad thing. And we always make time for date night.

90265 Magazine: You are a best-selling author too! As You Wish enjoyed a place on the New York Times best sellers list. Why did you write the book?

CE: I keep getting asked by fans if the movie was as much fun to make as it looked. So I decided the best thing to do was to let them all know with one source. I also got all the filmmakers and cast to be a part of the book, which makes the book that much more exciting.

90265 Magazine: You just wrapped Best Sellers with Sir Michael Caine and you play a New York Times book critic. Tell us about working with Michael Caine.

CE: It has always been a dream of mine to work with him. He was very much a part of my childhood growing up in England. It turned out he was as delightful and gracious to work with as I had always hoped. He is a remarkable talent and has a very generous spirit.

90265 Magazine: You were nominated for a SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for Stranger Things, where you play the shady Mayor Kline of Hawkins. Tell us about walking onto the set for the first time.

CE: Working on that set was very joyful as it was filled with passionate, fun-loving, consummate professionals both in front of and behind the camera. And that starts at the top, with the Duffers, who are just masterful storytellers.

cover 90265 Magazine: You play a British theater actor in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. What makes this show and your experience unique? How did this part come about?

CE: It turns out the shows creator, Amy Sherman Palladino, and her husband, Dan, were fans and I just happened to be available for the role they were looking to cast. They are also masterful storytellers so that too, was a delightful experience.

90265 Magazine: What does your daughter think of your career? Does she have a favorite role of yours? Do you think she will follow in your footsteps?

CE: I’m not quite sure what she thinks. I might’ve become a tad cooler for a second when I got cast in Stranger Things. She seems intent right now on going into the industry but I would support her in following her dreams no matter what they were.

90265 Magazine: When was the moment you knew that acting was what you were going to do?

CE: I watched a lot of TV as a kid. I grew up watching both American and British TV in the 60’s and 70’s. So the dream started early for me.

cover 90265 Magazine: What film did you not want it to end?

CE: The Princess Bride will always have a special place in my heart.

90265 Magazine: You’re a history buff. Has that been an inspiration with your roles? You’ve been in a number of period films.

CE: History was the only subject I was any good at in school. Still is my favorite thing to study. So yes, I have a few projects that reflect that passion.

90265 Magazine: If you didn’t act, what would you do?

CE: I’d like to become a better writer so I’m still working on that.

90265 Magazine: You posted on social media about the terrible fires in Australia and before that in the Amazon and their connection to climate change. Is that an issue you feel strongly about?

CE: Yes, I do. We are witnessing climate change right here in Malibu. The fires here (in CA) and the Woolsey fire over a year ago may not be as big as the ones in Australia or the Amazon but they were still larger and more intense than any fires we have ever witnessed in Southern California. Even my daughter and her friends at school know what climate change is doing to the environment. The kids seem more aware than the adults who can do something about it. And that should be Cary and wife Lisa-Marie at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off where they distressing to us all. met more than three decades ago.

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cover We are witnessing climate change right here in Malibu.

The fires here (in CA) and the Woolsey fire over a year ago may not be as big as the ones in Australia or the Amazon but they were still larger and more intense than any fires we have ever witnessed in Southern California.

Cary with longtime friend and two-time mayor of Malibu, Jefferson Wagner.

Cary as Mayor Kline of the hit Netflix show “Stranger Things”.

90265 Magazine: What is the best advice you’ve ever received? And do you have any advice for a young actor?

CE: Yes the same advice I got: Perseverance. And believe in yourself. If you have doubts, others will too.

90265 Magazine: You were a production assistant on Superman (1976) with Marlon Brando. He insisted on calling you ‘Rocky’. Why? CE: He never explained it and I never questioned him further. It was totally fine with me.

90265 Magazine: What music are you listening to these days?

CE: I recently saw Thom Yorke play both nights at The Greek so I am on a bit of a crazy Yorke/Radiohead kick right now.

90265 Magazine: Ok ok ok…We know you’ve said this eight million times, but can you say THE LINE once more?

CE: Ok, sure. As you wish...

JEFF CHERTOW

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sports POLE POSITION

By Ema Schulz

Formula One, Pole Position. The coveted spot on the grid at every Formula One race. It is not the driver alone that gets the team to that position. There is a network of hundreds of people who are behind the power, the excitement, the deafening rumble of the engine, the thrill and competition, the danger, the speed and the exhilaration that is a Formula One Race. 10 Teams. 20 Drivers.

One First place trophy.

I became an F1 enthusiast when my neighbor and friend, Paul Crowder directed the documentary, “1” exploring the history, danger and excitement of Formula 1 and the drivers.

The documentary highlighted the need for more safety after so many deaths and bad accidents, including the race that took the life of Ayton Senna and almost took the life of renowned driver, Niki Lauda. The need to race, the adrenalin and the competition was costing lives. Now, safety features are far superior and although still dangerous, the safety of the driver is top priority.

So, what does a girl from Malibu know about Formula 1? Well, I am glad you asked.

It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s competitive, it’s sexy, it’s global... It travels to all the continents of the world, it’s expensive, and it is totally worth it. A weekend of thrills.

First of all, I like to drive. And not just to the store and back. Really drive. I appreciate a fine motor vehicle especially those with loud engines, a lot of horsepower, good torque, excellent braking, and of course sexy styling. I grew up as a kind of tomboy watching Indy car racing, not really knowing what I was watching, but I knew I liked it. My first car was a 1975 Pontiac Firebird, V8, with bucket seats and all the dudes wanted to race me when I drove it. So, once I saw the documentary “1” my need for speed returned and I started following F1 in 2013.

Now I am hooked. Full on F1 enthusiast. It is quite a conversation starter once you are talking with another F1 race fan. So, if you are not familiar with F1, here is the breakdown: It’s loud, it’s fast, it’s competitive, it’s sexy, it’s global, there are 22 races this year (barring any more cancelation due to the Coronavirus ), it travels to all the continents of the world, it’s expensive, and it is totally worth it. A weekend of thrills.

sports THE F1 PADDOCK TEAMS 10 Teams / Two Drivers per team Mercedes - Lewis Hamilton (World Champion) & Valtteri Bottas Ferrari – Sebastian Vettel & Charles LeClerc Red Bull – Max Verstappen and Alexander Albon Alfa Romeo- Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinanzzi McLaren – Carlos Sainz & Lando Norris Renault – Daniel Ricciardo & Esteban Ocon Haas – Romain Grosjean & Kevin Magnussen Racing Point – Sergio Perez & Lance Stroll Alpha Tauri – Pierre Gasly & Danill Kvyat Williams – George Russel & Nicholas Latifi (rookie)

This year promises to be very exciting with the reveals of the new livery last week in pre season testing in Barcelona, Spain. Mercedes revealed a new DAS (Dual Action Steering) system that had the entire Paddock talking. A few new drivers joining the the grid with Nicholas Latifi, at Williams, and the rookie for this season and the return of Esteban Ocan now driving for Renault replacing Nico Hulkenberg (who will be missed).

Alfa Romeo came out with two new

sponsors Orlen, who joined with reserve driver Robert Kubica, as a sponsor, and Huskie Chocolates (some friends of mine) who test drove their sponsorship at the COTA track in Austin, TX., last year with Alfa Romeo, infusing some funding to Team Alfa. Racing Point is also turning heads with their new Pink Mercedes remodel, and the newest team name change Alpha Tauri, formally Toro Rosso, part of the Red Bull kingdom, revealed a new livery and a new look. It will be a very exciting season if we can mix up the front runners with Lewis, Max, Sebastian, Valtteri, and Charles and get some mid field competitions going with Daniel Riccardo, Kimi Raikkonen, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz and the Esteban Ocon. Will this be Kimi’s last year? Will Charles overtake Lewis? Will the new DAS change things for the future of racing? Will Ocon be successful? What happens to the tyres after the race? Who are the bosses? There are so many moving parts to explore.

If you have not been to a race yet in your life, save up and go. Put it on the bucket list. You can camp for the weekend or go full luxury with the Paddock Club Passes. After our house burned in the Woolsey fire, we needed an escape, I took some of the insurance money, bought my husband and I special Paddock Club Passes for his 50th for the race weekend in Austria. Do it in style, and do it full on for the full experience I told myself. Treat yourself, you deserve it. This was the most exceptional experience I have had in my life.

Not only because it was so bad ass and baller and we were sitting right above the track, served champagne all day long, got to walk the pit lane, and were given a private tour of the off limits Paddock where the teams and drivers work, but because of the miracle that goes on behind the scenes at a Formula One race that I fell in love with. The people that work there, the mini city that travels with the teams, the hundred or so team members, from mechanics, engineers, technicians, press, hospitality, FIA, the drivers and their team of personal trainers and nutritionist, to personal assistants, to press managers, to spouses and girlfriends and social media and sponsors. It is the most incredible rock show starring twenty rock stars happening all at once. So with my background in live music production and dealing with rock stars, my love of fast cars and my love of traveling, this just took things to another level, and I love it.

I look forward to sharing stories from the Paddock with you. Insider insights into the back stage world of Formula One and how it all comes together for a thrilling high rolling, fascinating, international weekend of intense and dangerous competition at 300 mph. Through my own race experiences, interviews, and some of my insider connections I hope I can entice you to a race somewhere in the world, to tune into the sport on the weekends, to join the Formula 1f amily of fun. PM me and I will tell you who to talk to. First race starts Melbourne Australia, March 13-15th weekend. This Grid Girl is ready.

Website: formula1.com tickets.formula1.com instagram: @f1paddockclub

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L’Oreal Ambassador Jonathan Colombini, one of the most influential and sought-after hairstylists across the globe, is now available by appointment at Malibu’s Cie Salon in the Malibu Country Mart.

Jonathan brings his expertise and cutting-edge techniques, along with his partner and master color-correction specialist, Andrew Kyle, who’s eye for color and an ability to bring a level of customized tones for his expert signature. Together they are setting the pace for serious #hairenvy in Malibu. This is master hair styling at it’s best.

jonathan Colombini 310.717.9875 Instagram: @jonathan_colombini Andrew Kyle 818.671.8892 Instagram: @andrewkyle

home MAKING THE CASE FOR GREAT DESIGN

By Tara Owens

Malibu based designer Saffron Case has taken the coastal design scene by storm, and with her breezy California approach, she is attracting world class clientele. Lifestyle editor Tara Owens posed a few poignant questions to the designer to find out how she achieves her natural, luxurious, yet zen-like aesthetic.

90265 Magazine: Tell us about your design aesthetic, and where do you get your inspiration from?

SC: I think my aesthetic is grounded in a desire to be in a calm and relaxed environment, one that is super comfortable and beautiful. I gravitate towards neutral palettes, clean lines and light filled rooms. For me, if there are too many materials or colors in a room it can feel a little hectic, so although I’m definitely not a minimalist, I lean towards environments that are curated and not packed to the brim with objects or colors.

90265 Magazine: Are you seeing a spike in sustainability design in any of the re-build homes you are working on that were burnt out in the Woolsey Fire?

SC: There is a new awareness after the fire. People have a chance to design their home for the way they want to live.

Given the option on a design element, I don’t think anyone I work with at this point would cut corners and not opt for a sustainable approach.

90265 Magazine: Tell us about your design approach when taking on a new project? What are the first things you take into consideration?

SC: I work on two kinds of projects: on one kind, I am my own client (because I’m buying and ‘flipping’ the home), another kind, is designing and remodeling for other people.

In both cases I think about what will add value for re-sale. Even if a client tells me that they intend to keep the house forever – I can’t help but advise remodeling choices that I think will have value to a future home owner.

If I’m working on a house for a client my first consideration is their needs and how they want to live in their home. Most clients have already considered this and have a sort of ‘wish list’ of needs before they meet you.

Of course, on any project there are a host of other issues to take into account that will inform the design: overall budget, whether a permit is required and if so how long will it take, current condition of the structure of the house etc.

90265 Magazine: What is your favorite color palette to work with?

SC: I’m a neautralist…..I love, creams, greys, greiges, browns and ambers. I’ll add plants (often large ones) in a room – so I’ll bring in a lot of green too. Ooh – also black and a lot of white– do they count? I’m not adverse to making a statement with a piece of furniture or object in a non-neutral color – but I prefer colors that look like you’d fine them in nature. Burnt oranges, indigos and deep greens all work well for me.

home 90265 Magazine: What are the five most innovative products on the market today?

SC: Gosh – there are so many great and innovative products. As a builder and designer, I’d say that the items below may not qualify as the most innovative, but they have been the most helpful for me recently: • Good dimmers and fancy light bulbs. Most lamps and ceiling lights will look 100% better by achieving the right glow (having them on a dimmer) and if the bulb is visible in the fixture swapping out the bulb to one with an interesting shape, a filament or color.

• Light weight slate roof tiles. I love dark grey slate roof tiles but have often not be able to use them because they are too heavy for the existing roof structure. You can now buy slate tiles that look beautiful but don’t weigh a ton.

I’m a neautralist…..I love, creams, greys, beiges, browns and ambers.

• Down draft vents for stove tops. If I’ve opted to place the stove top in a freestanding island in the kitchen, I don’t want to have a vent hood hanging over the island and blocking the view while I’m cooking. The down draft removes the need for the floating hood.

• Invisible wall speakers. I love using these. These speakers allow you to have sound come through the wall without having any visible evidence of a speaker.

• Really good faux plants. Most of my clients tell me that they would never have a fake plant in their house – they have an idea of a large plastic rubber plant or ugly nylon flowers.

Today’s faux plants are not yesterday’s. There are some incredible ones out there. This is an especially good option for large scale potted plants or even a small tree in a room.

Great for people who are only using their house at weekends and holidays. I combine them with smaller live plants and real flowers. - TO saffroncasehomes.com

wellness PAIN, PAIN GO AWAY

Fitness guru Peter Deacy of Malibu Fit Wellness created a powerful concoction for his private training clients who suffered from pain and stiffness. Now he is offering the CBD Roll-On, containing 150 mg of the highest quality CBD combined with organic essential oils, on his website.

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Then this is the roll-on you need to get you back up and moving again. malibufitwellness.com

Lifelong Malibuites and besties, Jen Rossi and Willow Kalatchi have opened their first concept space, The Mindry in the Village. The non-denominational spiritual space boasts world class guides, leading you through meditation, sound baths, breath work and mindfulness workshops. themindry.com

MALIBU MINDFULNESS

MAGIKAL ENERGY

90265 Magazine wellness contributor Shawna Renee is all about putting the good vibes into your instagram feed. Her Magikal Energy is felt in every one of her posts as she takes you on her Photo: Austin Daniels soul-nourishing inspirational journey.

Whether it’s her “Find the heart in everything” mantra, or a recipe for creating crystal infused moon water, Shawna’s feel-good feed is food for your soul. instagram @magikal_energy

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fitness

The EMS Factor

Fitness guru Hana Monska tells 90265 Magazine how Electrical Muscle Stimulation training transformed her body and her career. Now get ready to transform yours!

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fitness 90265 Magazine: What inspired you to get into fitness?

HM: I’m originally from the Czech Republic where I was born and raised. From the time I was a little girl, I was always into dancing, movement, and just staying in shape and being healthy. I loved how working out made me feel so happy and how it connected me to new friends. I’ve met so many wonderful people through the world of fitness and I’ve tried to spread the joy it brings me to everyone I meet.

90265 Magazine: What brought you to the United States?

HM: I have been traveling as a model since I was 16 years old. I lived in different countries and continents, I learned about new cultures, I met different people, I studied different languages and I realized that Czech Republic is just not for me. I wanted to see more and more and I thought that United States might be the best options since there is little bit of everything and so many opportunities for everyone...

I finished bachelor degree, majored in mass media - communications and moved to USA when I was 22 years old. At this age I already realized that I am getting “too old” for modeling and that I have to think of getting a “normal” job. I combined my passion for fitness with my degree and became a journalist, writing for sports magazines.

“I was totally convinced of the power of fitness, how it was able to change people for the better, transforming not only their bodies but also their minds.”

90265 Magazine: How did you learn about EMS? HM: As a writer, I kept interviewing athletes who would swear by this new type of training called EMS (Electrical Muscle Stimulation). They were absolutely obsessed with it! It was already huge in Europe and Asia and was literally the hottest fitness trend around. Everyone was talking about it, so of course, I was super-curious. I put on my reporter’s hat and started digging deeper and soon found out that EMS was all the rage with the Hollywood elite, including Madonna, Heidi Klum and tons of other A-listers.

Now I was really intrigued! I mean, I was totally convinced of the power of fitness, how it was able to change people for the better, transforming not only their bodies but also their minds. But now I was learning how EMS had a reputation of being the ultimate transformative training, which probably ex- plains why it has grown to be so popular worldwide.

Anyway, a few months later, I happened to be on assignment in Europe and was working out in my hotel gym where EMS was being offered. I decided to give it a try and wow - it changed my life! The combination of technology and fitness was a game changer. I was blown away by the results and was determined to find out everything I could about EMS. As I would learn, EMS hacks the natural signals sent from the brain to the muscles, using them to exercise the muscles in steady, rhythmic, electrical pulses that cause cycles of contraction and relaxation.

This natural stimulation strengthens, tones, tightens and works your entire muscle system more than a typical workout ever could! It completely changed my body and my mind and enabled me to get brave enough to explore my other burning passion - modeling.

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fitness 90265 Magazine: It sounds like EMS had quite an impact on you personally.

HM: That’s an understatement! It has completely changed my life! I’m so proud of how it has helped me look and feel my best and opened up an entirely new field for me, the world of international modeling. But still, I was so sold on EMS that I decided to become a certified trainer as well. Model-slash-trainer.. I know, pretty ambitious, huh?! But hey, I love the transformative power of exercise, not only physically but also mentally, and I wanted to share it with the world, changing people’s lives with EMS, just like it had changed my life!

90265 Magazine:You completed the training and intense certification process. Looking back, how do you feel about that now?

HM: It was totally worth it! Now I’m certified by the National Exercise & Sport Trainer Association (NES- TA) and I’ve become one of the top EMS trainers in America. Plus I completed my certification with GluckerKolleg for EMS Training. Then, a year ago, I got my first EMS equipment from Miha Bodytec, an awesome German company known for being the best in the business. They also certified me for Electro Fitness Technology which allowed me to start a company and turn my dream of helping others into a reality! Now I’m training everyone from soccer moms to top celebrities, successful entrepreneurs and everyone in-between!

I love the transformative power of exercise, not only physically but also mentally, and I wanted to share it with the world, changing people’s lives with EMS, just like it had changed my life!

90265 Magazine: Can you tell us more about EMS program?

HM: What makes it so cool is that it’s a whole-body workout using low-frequency electrical impulses to stimulate muscles that are normally overlooked. It’s super-safe and only requires 20 minutes per week to get the same physical results that would normally take hours and hours to accomplish. Plus it’s really joint-friendly but still intensive enough to give you a great strength workout. Athletes love it for treating injuries or just getting in the best shape of their lives. I would challenge anyone to try this new experience because I know after just one session, you’ll be hooked, just like I was!

EMS is designed to achieve optimal conditioning, burn fat, develop strength, tighten muscles, combat cellulite, jump-start your metabolism and restore your body’s natural balance.

20 minutes of EMS burns over 600 kcal and activates 90% of muscle fibers.

EMS can be utilized either for strength training or losing weight. It can also be used as a rehabilitation and prevention tool.

The EMS device addresses all muscles groups separately, allowing you to target individual parts of your body.

Other than helping you look and feel amazing, EMS also offers additional health benefits. It eases back pain and improves posture, tightens loose skin, reduces cellulite and improves circulation.

fitness

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94 points chardonnay by wine enthusiast

“Producing white wine from pinot noir is a great idea. this 2015 is an unqualified success! - Robert parker

90 points pinot noir by wine enthusiast

beauty Willow Is the New Child

By Cece Woods

For those of you who have adored cult fragrance brand Child Perfume, a celeb and Malibu favorite for decades, there’s a new kid on the block you need to know about.

Willow fragrance, created by Seren Apothecary, is subtle, sexy, younger essence that Child Perfume lovers will surely embrace.

Having always been personally drawn to fragrances that include gardenia and jasmine, Willow has that and so much more. With additional top notes of lemon, the perfume’s uniqueness comes from Osmanthus blossoms and base notes of tea and bergamot to create intoxicating warmth.

Created by Malibu local and 90265 Magazine lifestyle editor Tara Owens, and her Partner Amelia Fleetwood, their expertise in choosing rare ingredients that make up each aphrodisiacal perfume will surely put these scent superstars in the top spot to be the next-gen cult perfumists.

Willow is the first scent created by Seren Apothecary.

Seren, is Welsh word for Star, which makes perfect sense as the brand name for this luxury line of perfumes.

Fleetwood is the daughter of rock icon Mick Fleetwood, and the two are drawn to the beauty of the English Countryside where they grew up.

Currently there are two extravagant essences to choose from. Willow, is the first scent created by Seren Apothecary, follwed by Devon, an uplifting and addictive scent composed around mystical cedar wood and mate tea with subtle whispers of mimosa and orange flower.

Devon evokes the feeling of lightly stepping through an ancient forest in the morning mist.

Amelia Fleetwood, left and Tara Owens.

A third scent, Bramble, with French tuberose and Jasmine, is releasing soon. serenapothecary.com

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beauty

THE MANE MEN

Malibu’s New Hair Gurus Jonanthan Colombini and Andrew Kyle Malibu has always been known as the mecca of the luxurious coastal lifestyle, and now, with the additon of not one, but two new celebrity stylists Jonathan Colombini, and Andrew Kyle, “Malibeauty” has hit a whole new level. The dynamic duo has amassased a loyal global following for their star studded styling and sat down with 90265 Magazine recently to give us the 411 on how they create great hair.

L’OREAL PARIS AMBASSADOR JONATHAN COLOMBINI EXPLAINS HIS EXPERTISE WITH EXTENSIONS: “The evolution of hair extensions has been in motion for decades. From wigs, to clip-in & the ever changing permanent extensions. Varying in lengths, colors Andrew Kyle and Jonathan Colombini. and textures; Solid colors to a rooted ombré, offering some sassy bobs, mid-length 90’s mood and even longer lengths with a sun kissed Malibu beach vibe. This is a lot to think about and decide on. Am I right?

That’s when I come in as an extension specialist to not only suggest what lengths and colors would compliment you, but to narrow in on the type of method best suited for you! When I started my career almost twenty years ago, extensions have always been a passion and I have stood by one simple belief when speaking of my craft: The integrity of your natural hair takes front seat to any wish of your dream hair.

I am confident the method of hair extensions I do will preserve and protect your natural hair and this is why I have added it to my list of salon services.

The method I do is a silk weft sewn onto a row of silicon beads that creates for the strongest foundation, by far the strongest of foundations that supports weekly blowdrys, a wash and air dry as well as your easy go-to ponytails. There are no chemicals or heat involved like 90% of extensions on the market. I use 100% human hair that with the right care included in your own hair can last you up to a year of reuse.

Depending on your existing density and texture, to your desired end result one row with one weft may do.

However I find that two rows with two wefts are more common.

With any kind of hair extensions the color blend from your real hair to the extension weft is extremely important. Im thrilled to have 6 different colors to offer. From the darkest of brunettes to the blondes of blondes. Within the collection of 6 there are variations of a rooted darker weft transitioning into a lighter end to match your natural color.

beauty

With any kind of hair extensions, the color blend from your real hair to the extension weft is extremely important.

The best part of it all is the 100% human hair I use can be colored or highlighted to custom. Being this hair last for so long I would never expect any client to not be able to have the freedom of changing hair color as we do when the seasons change. This is very important. I give my clients the option for change as well as educate on what is the best for them. I’m thrilled to have my amazing master colorist Andrew Kyle working next to me for his expertise in creating the perfect color match. Working closely from consultation day to service day. We pride ourselves in delivering only the best to our clients!

“I am confident the method of hair extensions I do will preserve and protect your natural hair...”

Jonathan Colombini 310.717.9875 Instagram: @jonathan_colombini

KADUS AMBASSADOR ANDREW KYLE CREATES CUSTOM COLOR: My number one goal for creating the perfect color is to create a custom tone that compliments each clients best features.

Everyone has their idea of the “perfect” color. Something to keep in mind is that the perfect color on one client might not be the perfect color on another. So many things go into play when approaching the perfect end result. Therefore, it’s my goal that each client feels as though they’re getting a custom color that’s been created just for them.

beauty A lot of colorists have a signature look; I love creating a look that resembles as if you’ve spent every day of summer at the beach.

Andrew Kyle’s specialty is creating rich textures and tones as well as color correction.

A lot of colorists have a signature look. I love creating a look that resembles as if you’ve spent everyday of summer at the beach. By doing this, I highlight the outer shell of the hair leaving your natural root intact throughout the interior to use as a natural lowlight and make whatever lighter tone we choose to highlight you with pop even more. Sometimes less is more by creating bright pops in the right places. It doesn’t always have to be a full head of foils to create a sunkissed bright blonde.

Andrew Kyle 818.671.8892 Instagram: @andrewkyle

The Butterfly Effect Issue RELEASES AUGUST 2020

VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 2

fashion INTUITIVE HAT DESIGNER : TERESSA FOGLIA

MALIBU OUTPOST IS DEDICATED TO SUSTAINABILITY AND DESIGN By Cece Woods You don’t have to be a devoted hat lover to covet one of Teressa Foglia’s unique handmade designs. Each one is a work of art, curated from inspiration by way of her travels.

Each piece is to be displayed and enjoyed. Once you participate in the process of creating your very own one-of-a-kind Teressa Foglia piece, I guarantee, you’ll be hooked on hats. In fact, she has a strong celebrity following, of whom have swooped up multiple Teressa Foglia creations in one visit.

In the summer of 2019, the famed hat designer opened her eponymous West Coast outpost in the Malibu Country Mart bringing a new kind of bespoke, one-of-a-kind design to our little global utopia. Her designs not only scream sensibility and chic, it also falls in line with our core values and dedication to the environment.

I spoke to Teressa about how she, and her creative partner Tyler Hays Wild, have incorporated conscious design into the process of producing each hat;

Economic:

Three primary suppliers account for 75% of our raw materials. Two of them are the third generation in their business working with fair trade wages, working conditions and workers rights. We know every supplier and have seen all aspects of their supply chain including factory tours in various countries. We support sustainable livelihoods in Ecuador, Canada, Czech Republic, three states in the United States and multiple families in New York City.

Environmental:

- Toquilla straw is naturally grown and all fur is wild caught. In some circumstances we will use 100% organic cotton or organic wheat braid.

- All hats are made-to-order meaning no excess and no waste.

- We have a zero waste for all fabrics in our studio. Excess materials are

fashion

donated to local universities and kids programs.

- We upcycle vintage felt hats for special one-of-a-kind pieces in our studio.

- We prefer to upcycle vintage silks for the linings in our hats.

Social:

We really believe in supporting our community. We have donated over 100+ hats to silent auctions, charities and give percentage back to our partners throughout the year.

The Process

A Teressa Foglia custom designed hat takes on a life of its own as she walks you through the design process for your custom piece. Sourcing textiles from around the world, Teressa offers a wide variety of fabric and trimmings to choose from. I chose to let Teressa do what she does best as an intuitive designer, and create one.

Three weeks later, my Teressa Foglia creation was ready. Teressa’s process proved that sometimes you have to think outside the box. In this case, the hat box!

3824 Cross Creek Rd, Malibu, CA 90265 917.341.1407 teressafoglia.com instagram: @teressafoglia

At Teressa Foglia Malibu wearing one of her intuitive, sustainable, bespoke designs Terressa custom made for me.

Welcome Home TAMMY ARLIDGE 310.890.4541

REALTORÂŽ CalDRE Lic. #02030576

TamTamMalibu@icloud.com

Office 310.456.0880 23733 Malibu Road, Suite 500 Malibu, CA 90265

PINNACLE ESTATE PROPERTIES, INC.

beauty

SAY NO TO THE KNIFE!

PDO Threads are a new and improved, minimally invasive procedure that provides powerful results rivaling the OG Facelift

By Cece Woods

A little over a decade ago, I experienced a profound, middle-age defining moment. My daughter, barely out of high school, gasped “Mom! you are getting wrinkles!”. I must say, that took a minute to process, however, I was settled into my marriage and had a low-key career that didn’t dictate my appearance. That said, there was no real sense of urgency to jump in the rejuvenation game, so I thought why not stay in denial a little while longer, right?

Then, in 2018, my life changed dramatically. I was suddenly single, thrust in the dating pool, and my career did a 180 degree spin with significantly more time spent in the public eye. It was time to take anti-aging game seriously.

Shortly thereafter, the beauty gods intervened. I was asked to become a beauty ambassador with Inner Compass Beauty & Wellness. This golden opportunity opened the door to experience a myriad of rejuvenation procedures under the skill and care of Dr. Katarina Riboni.

As with anyone in middle age looking to make improvements, the goal was to dramatically lift and tighten - without surgery. Dr. Riboni suggested PDO Threads, absorbable sutures (the same used on cardiac patients) placed underneath the skin to lift the loose skin, which heals itself by naturally creating new collagen. The threads dissolve in four to six months, and the effects of the treatment can last up to two years. This treatment provides the most siginificant improvements i(n the 20-40% range!) with virtually no downtime.

Dr. Katrina Riboni drawing the directions of the threads to create a mini lower facelift.

Understanding the science behind the treatment, Dr. Riboni designed a protocol which includes layering PDO threads throughout the face every three months to four months, over a six to eight month period.

LEFT: Before the first PDO Threads treatThe results? Nothing less than dramatic, bringing back the youthful ment. RIGHT: Three days after procedure. appearance I lost long ago.

I FaceTime with my daughter frequently, and now when she sees me, her gasps have taken on quite a different tone. Noticing my skin’s transformation from aging to ageless she now says “Mom! You look like a younger version of me!” Quite the turnaround from that profound middle-age defining moment a little over a decade ago.

ABOVE: Me in 2018, No Botox or fillers. RIGHT: After 6 months of repeated visits using PDO Threads.

Dr. Riboni continue to push the boundaries of facial rejuvenation, offering PDO threads combined with acupuncture treatments to enhance this already progressive anti-aging treatment. This is new-age aging at its best! innercompassbeauty.com

23750 Pacific Coast Hwy. Malibu CA 90265 310.317.1444 ollomalibu.com

23733 Malibu Rd. Malibu CA 90265 310.456.1500 buisushi.com

29169 Heathercliff Rd #102, Malibu, CA 90265 310.589.2200 olliesduckanddive.com

unwined STRANGE FAMILY VINEYARDS

A journey that began in 2011 at an abandoned vineyard in the Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County, culminated into a celebration of life, promoting hope, and producing great wines.

By Tammy Arlidge

“Our passion is sparkling wine. It’s happy.”

When long-time Malibu residents Brian and Shamra Strange thought of a dream that they’d always had but had yet to do, they both without hesitation said they wanted to own a winery.

Having planted Pinot Noir grapes at their home in Malibu in 2009, they realized after a few harvests, the vineyard was not producing the high quality grapes they’d hoped for. They went on a quest to search for

unwined properties in the Santa Ynez region, specifically the Santa Rita Hills AVA -American Viticultural Area - not far from the location of the winedrenched classic film Sideways.

The soil in the Santa Rita Hills AVA is known to be mineral dense and when combined with a climate of cool nights and warm days, promotes some of the world’s best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes.

After looking at a few properties in the region, they found this special piece of land. “The vines were covered in weeds,” Shamra begins.

“The deer were grazing. It was a mess.” It was hard to envision an idyllic winery with rolling vineyards. They met with local farmers to assess the possibility of attaining their dream but instead were met with doubts.

They had all but given up the idea of resurrecting the 88-acre property, when ‘an old cowboy with sound advice’ told them that the soil was good and the vines were strong. Hidden underneath the wild brush were Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines waiting to be unearthed and brought to life. “We didn’t have to plant one new vine.” They hired award-winning winemaker Steve Clifton to craft their certified organic, vegan wines and produced their award-winning 2014 Pinot Noir upon their first harvest with 90+ points.

Many wines are not vegan and use egg whites, gelatin, and milk products in their filtration and fining process. Strange Family Vineyards uses diatomaceous earth in their fining process and is a certified organic facility, using organic and biodynamic farming. As a boutique winery producing 1500 cases per year, they use traditional winemaking methods and a careful pruning process to make every wine exceptional.

Their passion and hard work paid off and in September 2015, Strange Family Vineyards became the setting for their daughter, Brianna’s wedding.

unwined With an eagle as their label, it is a symbol that represents freedom over fear...

“It was just beautiful. Our families were all together. It was perfect.” Ten days later, their son, Johnny, died in a wingsuit BASE jumping accident in Switzerland. He was 23.

Dealing with the immense shock and loss, the Strange’s told their farmer and Clifton they didn’t want to make wine anymore. They helped gather contracts to sell all the grapes.

Then six months later, they both felt struck to ‘try it again’. “We decided to make it our mission to give back all of our profits to the community – the community that helped raise Johnny.”

Luckily, they were able to purchase back all the grapes that they’d sold and like a rebirth, Strange Family Vineyards was operating once again, taking on a second life. “Johnny was our inspiration.”

With an eagle as their label, it is a symbol that represents freedom over fear, soaring just as he did.

Step into their tasting room located in the Malibu Lumber Yard and you will feel the immense sense of family. It wraps you the second you walk in and you feel as though you’ve been a member for years. “It’s like walking into their home”, says local Bonnie Flores who enjoys their sparkling wines.

“I love all of them! I don’t have a favorite.”

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“Our passion is sparking wine. It’s happy!” says Shamra. Choosing the ‘Vintage Sparkling” method, this allows the wine to age on the lees – the small particles of yeast cells leftover from fermentation for at least three years, enhancing the complexity of the taste. They then souvage the wine which means they do not add any additional sugar or alcohol. Enjoy their Blanc de Blanc, Blanc de Noir, and a Brut Rose’, which is low in sugar content and calories - a win-win!

unwined Partially aged in neutral oak for ten months, their 2016 Chardonnay develops a subtle yet sophisticated aroma with a lingering finish of toast and marmalade. It’s a perfect companion for any occasion.

Their Pinot Noir grapes produce a Pinot Noir, a Rose’ of Pinot Noir, and a Pinot Noir Blanc. You read that right: a white Pinot Noir. This came as an unexpected surprise from their winemaker and all agreed should be bottled as a still Pinot Noir Blanc. The grapes are pressed gently away from their skins to avoid transfer of color, but allow similar taste of its red counterpart, with a surprising weight and crispness to the palate.

Other awards they’ve received are: *94 points for their 2015 Chardonnay from Wine Enthusiast *90 points for their 2014 Pinot Noir from Wine Enthusiast *90 points for their 2015 Pinot Noir Blanc from Robert Parker

Currently they are grafting one acre of Pinot Noir for Syrah and one acre for Gamay, a light-bodied red grape similar in taste to the Pinot Noir and most notable for growing in the Beaujolais region of France, on their estate. This is done by removing the top of the existing grapevine and replacing with new canes – mature shoots of the vine. This process takes two years until the fruit is ready for harvest. The Estate Syrah and Gamay will be ready for their 2020 harvest.

Come sip a glass or enjoy a flight of their award-winning still or sparkling wines, or grab a bottle or case to take home and share. Relax and be a part of the Strange Family wine tasting community. strangefamilyvineyards.com Malibu Tasting Room 3939 Cross Creek Road Malibu, CA 90265

info@strangefamilyvineyards.com or call 917-553-0425

Santa Rita Hills Winery and Tasting Room 1050 Drum Canyon Lompoc, CA 93436

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THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

A Story of What Did and Didn’t Happen in the Woolsey Fire

By Paul Taublieb

I just wanted to find out what happened. My confusion started Friday, Nov. 9th, the day fire came to Malibu and Point Dume. I walked to the firehouse on the corner of Zumirez and PCH, the one we always felt would be there for us when the day came we needed them. The guys who would run up and down the street and came to be part of the neighborhood. The guys who said they would be there for us – and who once told my wife we shouldn’t buy a pump and hose since they would come and do a much better job. And we didn’t.

At first the firehouse appeared empty and dark, even though there was a fire truck inside. The hill above upper Zumirez was now ablaze as the fire crested the ridge, and a massive, special effects-like fire cloud loomed ominously above. The situation was looking very serious, PCH was blocked with evacuees, and the word was it was 4-5 hours to Santa Monica.

I knocked to no avail, but then saw a man hurrying through the shadows. He saw I spotted him and he reluctantly came to the door, opening it just a crack.

I asked what should we do given PCH was a parking lot and the fire was approaching. “It’s a mandatory evacuation, you should go,” he said. I asked about what would happen if the fire came down to the highway and we were in our car. “Don’t worry, it should go right over you,” he said. I looked at the trees lining the highway and imagined them on fire and falling down on the parked cars, so it didn’t seem like a good idea. I asked, “Should we go to Zuma?” He said, “Yeah, that’s a good idea, too.” What about going to the beach lot at the end of Zumirez? “Yeah, that is a good idea, also,” he said. “Can we count on help coming?” I asked. “I wouldn’t count on it,” he said.

Then he closed the barely-open door and disappeared back inside.

So when it was over – the days and nights of fighting fire — ill prepared and ill equipped, but my house saved, along with most on the street thanks to the adhoc Zumirez Drive (Fighting Alta Cocker Brigade) fire department (Mike Lansbury, James Respondek, Frank Kerze, John and Robbie Mazza, Mace and Mary Stanley and Randy Holland) — and after the days of lockdown, and finally repopulation — I felt compelled to brush off my old journalistic skills (I had written over the years for publications from The Washington Post to the Village Voice to Surfer, and now work as a two-time Emmy-winning documentary producer) I’d call the key players and ask: what happened? What went right and what went wrong with the agencies and politicians and city officials we pay to protect us?

The first thing I learned, which in retrospect seemed obvious, is that ‘our’ fireman who lived on our corner were not ‘ours’ at all. They were LOS ANGELES Fire Department firemen. And the sheriffs were not ‘ours’, they were LOS ANGELES sheriff department. But I would also learn that the City of Malibu contracts with those entities for services and they are legally obligated to deliver those services, or so I thought. Because like so many others on Zumirez, the cavalry never came, not during the fire and not after the fire. Something went wrong.

The Woolsey Fire November 9, 2019

THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

And it seemed the best way was to start with the two people who would be in the best position to know: Rick Mullen, not only our mayor but currently an LA fire chief, and Reva Feldman, who as city manager is the defacto CEO of the city. With Reva, my first email directed me to Rick and no response for a face-to-face, though I remained hopeful.

So with 600 or so homes burned, and virtually no fire trucks seen in Malibu and around Pt. Dume at the height of the incident, I naively thought that Rick would be able to provide candid, expert analysis.

So what went wrong, I asked. Where were the fire trucks, I asked?

Rick, as many would do after him, wanted to focus on the size and speed of the fire, pointing out how it was the biggest and fastest in recent history, if not of all time. His opinion of how the fire was handled? “People did a great job, given the circumstances.” he said. He would, as other would do, also say, paradoxically despite the ‘great job’ that was done, “We learned a lot about how to do things better and different in the future.” So you

The Woolsey Fire November 9, 2019, Point Dume Club, Malibuat approximately 8:30 a.m. Photo: Cece Woods

THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

can do a great job, I guess, but that apparently includes doing things ‘greatly better’ in the future.

But what about the lack of response in Malibu and around Point Dume?

“I can’t speak for the fire department. If you’re interested in their performance, speak to them,” and wouldn’t comment further. Any insights into how the fire was fought? “No,” he said, “and no further comment as you need to talk to them,” he added.

What about the lack of support to the people who stayed behind and ignored the mandatory evacuation? “Direct those questions to the fire chief and sheriff. I have no other comment except a mandatory evacuation is designed to provide ease of movement and operation of emergency forces, and anyone not evacuating impacts that.

If the fire department calls for evacuation, they know what they’re doing – evacuate.” Apparently mandatory evacuation is good for the goose, but not for the gander (though I’m not sure what a ‘gander’ is, I must confess). Rick’s son chose to stay behind and fight the fire.

The Woolsey Fire, November 9, 2019, as it approached Trancas. Photo: Addison Altendorf

When I did talk to an LA fire chief about this, he commented, “I can’t speak to an individual case, but the fact is anyone who stays behind is putting the life of a fire fighter at risk. It doesn’t matter how prepared you are, you can get in trouble. Firefighters die in fires, so anyone who chooses to remain behind is putting their own life at risk, as well as that of someone who might have to come to rescue him.”

So according to Rick, as best I can figure, mandatory evacuation is mandatory and should be followed, unless it’s someone in your family defending your own home.

After first saying hearing from the community and communicating his priorities, Rick was clearly anxious to get off the phone. But I had few more questions.

Were resources diverting en masse to Pepperdine, as I would later learn they were? Our fire chief

THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

cum mayor would only say, “They have a long-standing policy of sheltering in place, but I have no other comment.”

I also asked our mayor about the CERT program. “I’m very familiar with the program, and am an enthusiastic supporter,” he answered enthusiastically, finding ground to talk about with confidence. “It’s a great program.”

But when I told him what I heard from the head of Malibu CERT, Richard Greaves, that much of the contents of the containers were expired, and a lot of the non-expired contents were not what was actually needed by those behind the blockade, he said, “Was CERT used effectively? I don’t know. Don’t expect me to know what’s in every nook-and-cranny in what the city has. I don’t get into that kind of minutia. Okay, maybe it’s less than perfect, I don’t know.”

At this point, he was accusing me of trying to ‘spin’ the story – “I know what you’re doing, you’re going to write whatever you want” – but I told I was just trying to get some answers, and had a couple more questions. He reluctantly stayed on the line.

What about the massive traffic jam on PCH during the evacuation: “Great question – but if you

The Woolsey Fire November 9, 2019, Photo: Paul Taublieb

THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

want an answer contact someone from the sheriff department. I don’t know the answer for gridlock.”

But then he added, “But yes, it’s something we need to look at in the future.” He wouldn’t elaborate.

Lastly, I asked him why, at the time of our interview, city hall was still closed for safety reasons, but without any caveats the roadblocks had been taken down and people could freely return to their homes. How could it be too dangerous to open city hall – which wasn’t directly impacted by the fire — yet it was okay for residents to return to their homes?

“No one is working at city hall until it’s deemed to be safe. In terms of repopulation, we’re just saying it’s okay to return to your homes, not that it’s safe.

If you have any concerns, contact your insurance company.”

Then he was gone.

I really wanted to talk to Reva, and sent her another email. No response. But I did get through to Susan Duenas, Public Safety Manager for the City, who was quite willing to chat. One question I had was why wasn’t someone from the city on-site, in Malibu, during the crisis and the aftermath? Many people felt that you can’t really manage something like this from afar, let alone know what was happening and be able to share up-to-the minute info.

She said they had no choice as city staff. A mandatory evacuation order had been given, and as far as she knew it was a legal order that came from the city attorney, Christi Hogin. But what about all the people who stayed, without repercussions? Clearly, as the mayor was well aware, ‘mandatory’ is not ‘mandatory’. And wouldn’t it have been great to have someone on-site, particularly given city hall had electricity, water and internet and never was threatened?

“If the city says go, then we have to go,”

Photo: Steve Woods

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she responded. “If anyone got sick, then they would look to the city.”

What about getting food, water and other relief goods past the blockade to the residents who stayed behind? Didn’t the city have an obligation of some kind – maybe making the dramatic relief-by-sea and paddle-through-surf unnecessary? A city council member would later rail against the sea-relief efforts. Lifeguard boats actually tried to stop it. And yet a couple of U-Hauls escorted in and out would have solved this?

“We were forbidden because we would technically be breaking the law, and we have to abide with the sheriff’s department since it was a mandatory evacuation,” she said, even when the purpose was to help people who didn’t ‘mandatorily’ evacuate? Also, she said, “FEMA and the state look for reasons to deny money. If they can show you are not doing things by the book, they will deny relief dollars, and have very strict procedures. If we had broken the rules we might not get relief dollars.”

November 10th, 2019, Zuma parking lot. Fire engines stationary as spot fires continue to take homes in the area.

Photo: Cece Woods

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This seemed logical until I later learned that over in Thousand Oaks and other areas impacted by the fire, FEMA itself was “disobeying” the ‘mandatory’ orders in those areas and providing assistance, and when I spoke to a high-ranking official of a neighboring city who has dealt extensively with FEMA, he said, “That’s ridiculous. You’re not going to be penalized for helping citizens in a safe and responsible manner – it’s exactly what FEMA is supposed to do, and they would support a city that did this. And we know it was safe to drive up PCH from Santa Monica to Pt. Dume Marine Science or even to Zuma – they just would have had to take on the sheriffs to make it happen, and they clearly didn’t want to. It’s just the way Malibu operates – a failed bureaucracy, from the top down.” More from him later.

“You have to understand, it was a challenge from our side. We were working 24/7, remotely, at home with no makeup and in our pajamas.”

Susan did explain, “You have to understand, it was a challenge from our side. We were working 24/7, remotely, at home with no makeup and in our pajamas.”

I also asked her about the parking-lot-on-PCH evacuation fiasco. “Oh, I’m really glad you asked that question.

It was something we spent a lot of time discussing, but the way things happened just wasn’t something we anticipated in our planning. You would think opening one or both northbound lanes heading south would be possible, but there were many agencies involved and it’s really complex, and it’s something we need to think much more about beforehand if there’s a next time.”

Not a bad idea, I thought. Think about evacuation from an area with a history of fires more beforehand.

But still, I could tell Susan really did care and had tried her best. I needed to hear from Reva, who actually runs the city under the direction of the city council. I reached out to Matt Meyerhoff, the Public Information Officer for Malibu. He wanted to be helpful, but said, “It’s up to her if she wants to talk to the media. She’s under no obligation to do so. I’ll ask her again.”

One city official who would talk was city attorney, Christi Hogin. I asked her if Reva had an obligation to talk to the press. “All government is about communicating to constituents, and I don’t see how that happens without the press,” said Hogin. “But I don’t think Reva, or anyone else, has a legal obligation to speak to the press.”

And legally, I also wondered, what does ‘mandatory evacuation’ actually mean? “That’s an interesting question, and I’m not sure,” she opined. “I can tell you this – no one is going to arrest you for not evacuating.”

(Note: later research revealed that it is a rarely, if ever, enforced misdemeanor, for not abiding by a mandatory evacuation order, but Is at most a small fine).

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Regarding what was happening the days after the fire, Christi had some interesting insights as she was working out of the temporary offices set up in Santa Monica. “Priority for the city wasn’t to get relief to the people who stayed behind but reorganizing population. Hey, we saw on the internet they were actually doing pretty good, so we weren’t putting in any effort to try and create a supply line.”

“Our focus was to end the blockade, for repopulation, not relief. People were anxious to get back in, and our efforts were focused on ending the evacuation,” she added. “We wanted to get it open for everyone, that was the focus of our skeletal staff – not worrying about relief. ” She also added one intriguing concept, and conundrum. “The city is responsible for providing fire and police protection, that is an obligation we have and we contract for that with the county.” So if the city is responsible, where were the fire trucks that the citizens paid for, even if somewhat indirectly? “All I can say is Cal Fire took command, and they have their own criteria for dealing with the situation, particularly with a fast-moving fire

The sun sets after the Woolsey Fire.

Photo: Paul Taublieb

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like we had. Once an evacuation is declared and it’s an emergency situation, the city really has no role in that decision making, even if we’ve contracted with them.”

“There were plans, and I can’t understand why the right people who had the right equipment refused to provide aid,” she added, referencing the many accounts of fire trucks sitting idle. “In the future we have to figure out a way to have faith in each other, need to understand the thinking. We shouldn’t be defensive about it, we need to learn from it.”

But when I asked where were the fire trucks, and what about the problems with the Sheriff Department, her only answer was, “Cal fire took over command, and we followed the direction from them, the LA fire department and the Sheriff Department. We may hire the fire department and have an obligation to provide those services to the community, but once there’s a fire we have no control of the decisions the fire department makes.”

It’s just the way Malibu (city hall) operates – a failed bureaucracy, from the top down.”

Kind of a curious conundrum. The city is legally obligated to provide fire services to the citizens, but once there’s a fire or other major event, the city has no ability to direct how they execute their services.

With still no word back from Reva, my editor – the indefatigable Cece Woods, to whom I am indebted for putting me under the auspices of The Local for this crisis – did connect me to someone I confirmed was a high ranking official at a neighboring city which has suffered similarly to Malibu from the Woolsey fire.” He had quite a bit to say, even though he had to do it anonymously.

“In terms of the city of Malibu, speaking as someone who is a professional in city management, it was a total fail. Perhaps even negligent,” was his opinion.

“Now I have big love for the city of Malibu and have many friends there, and being in my position in my city government, a lot of people called me to find out what was going on, because they weren’t hearing anything from the city. And that’s inexcusable mismanagement. And if you’re asking my opinion, you have to question the job Reva did, because she’s in charge, and any problems are her responsibility,” he began.

“Where do I start? If city hall is not being used, why not open it up and use it as a shelter? People need a roof over their heads, and there was full electricity and internet. My city was open the whole time, and we had flames a block away, which never happened near Malibu city hall.

“Let me tell you about the evacuation – it was damn lucky only three deaths, not 300. It’s ridiculous they hadn’t anticipated the need to open all lanes south – that’s the responsibility of the city manager to do disaster planning – and this wasn’t hard at all to have gamed-out as a possibility. Our city manager has actual hands-on experience during a disaster, and that’s what is needed, and what Malibu didn’t have,” he explained.

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“What Malibu also needs,” he continued, “is a public works department that can be onsite during a crisis and assist with knowledge of the area – which people from the outside can never do. And what Malibu needs is what we had – a city manager who is on-site, or at least coming every day to see what’s going on and manage a crisis with first-hand knowledge, not working remotely, because that’s the only way to really know what’s going on, and be responsive to the needs of the citizens,” he concluded.

Still trying to get in touch with Reva, I did hear back from Matt Meyerhoff, the Public Information Officer for the city, with no update on her speaking to me. But he reiterated Duenas’s position.

“We were told it was illegal to bring relief supplies, so we focused on repopulation, not resupply,” he explained.

“We have to abide by what the sheriff was telling us, and advice of council,” even though city attorney, Christi Hogin wouldn’t confirm she had given that specific advice, Meyerhoff wouldn’t exactly confirm who directed things overall, either, as if maybe there was someone’s name he didn’t want to mention who might be culpable.

I’m horrified that traffic situation took place – it could have been a disaster, a highway of death, and if anyone tells you differently, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

Meyerhoff also was both oddly proud, and also a little contrite, about the effectiveness of communication with the citizens, during and after the fire. “We put out constant updates and I really felt we were doing our jobs,” he said, “but I have heard people felt there wasn’t enough info. But hey, it was really hard since we weren’t onsite because the sheriffs said we couldn’t be there. Something to do better next time!”

“Matt Meyerhoff? Never heard of him,” began LA County Fire Chief Tony Imbrenda,when we began what was a long and disturbing conversation. “The city is supposed to send a PIO (Public Information Officer) to our command post and embed with our team to roll out the same message across all media to keep a unified message and have accurate information. The problem is people have egos and did their own reports that weren’t vetted. And there was no one from Malibu at our command.”

“I was at our command center the whole time, gathering information and sending information out,” continued Imbrenda. “Look, the first thing you have to understand is the size of this fire, over 14 miles wide, maybe up to 20 miles wide, with winds blowing as high as 85 miles per hour.

“And many of the strike teams were not from the region as we had to backfill after sending resources north,” Imbrenda explained. “So you had guys not knowing what to do is because without cell service –down because electricity was cut off – they had to try and go by Thomas Guides, and given the terrain there’s a big chance of entrapment and there not being an egress route, especially given the geography,” Imbrenda said, explaining why the response on-site seemed so scattered and hesitant to respond to requests from locals during the event.

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The bottom line is we got lucky, very lucky, that hundreds of people didn’t die waiting to get out of Malibu

“In the case of this fire, fire fighters were driving over downed power lines, had to do it constantly to try everything, which we never are supposed to do because we were trying. But I have to admit some guys were from out of the area and if they were asked to fight a fire or come to someone’s aid and didn’t, which I understood did take place, it’s probably because they were from out-oftown, were going by a Thomas Guide, and simply didn’t know how to respond properly.

The fire department functions in a military fashion, and without coordination and proper orders they can’t, and won’t, just go on their own.”

“So yes, there was a breakdown somewhere, and it’s something we want to get to the bottom of,” he admitted.

He wanted to stress one point: “We will go out and risk our lives, but if you want to be safe and you want fire fighters to be safe, the one way you can guarantee you will survive is simple. Evacuate.”

Photo: Steve Woods When I mentioned there was, um, a bit of a problem with the evacuation, he acknowledged it. “I personally ordered evacuation over Twitter, and told all the residents to leave the area, and said this on all local media as well. But in retrospect, what you had was paralysis by analysis given what happened with the traffic.”

“I would have immediately opened all four lanes to get people out of there. There’s no excuse for people sitting there for that long,” he added.

I mentioned my experience of being told to get in line and evacuate, with the advice from a firefighter that if the fire came down to the road it would go over us. “Well, we have some people who are not very bright, and some of the people manning fire stations might not have been actual fire fighters. But I’m horrified that traffic situation took place – it could have been a disaster, a highway of death, and if anyone tells you differently, they don’t know what they’re talking about.

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“The bottom line is we got lucky, very lucky, that hundreds of people didn’t die waiting to get out of Malibu,” he stated matter-of-factly.

He did add that “Part of the problem would have been eased if people left earlier when the word first went out. But everyone is conditioned that Malibu and Pt. Dume never burns, so they waited and then all left at once. But that’s no excuse for how it was handled – and the tragedy of what almost happened.”

I backed up and asked him when he said the whole ‘area’ was under mandatory evacuation, did that in his mind include Pepperdine?

“They should have evacuated, as far as I’m concerned because the only way to insure survival and safety is to leave. For people and firefighters. But the decision was made to shelter in place. I even asked another fire chief about this, as I couldn’t understand why they stayed. It meant lives were at risk, it’s as simple as that.

“I was told that a high level politician had made a call, that the school said they didn’t have resources to get everyone out, and the fire department was told to send resources.” Imbrenda explained.

“That meant five battalions, with each battalion being five fire-fighting trucks, plus a command vehicle” and some level of air resources, as anecdotally myself and others observed numerous helicopter runs over the campus dropping liquid (not just refueling or picking up water)”.

For an institution that claims to want to be part of the local community, it was sadly ironic they wouldn’t talk to The Local (Note: This was confirmed by Point Dume Bomber, Keegan Gibbs, who said, “I heard it over and over on the LA fire radio, which I was monitoring, for over two hours on Friday – send resources to Pepperdine. Life over property. Go now.”)

“Why those evacuations didn’t occur? All I can say is I agree it’s not fair, and I would like to know the discussion between the university president and our command and how that decision was arrived at. It’s a valid question – why that evacuation was not done. It’s a legitimate question that needs to be answered,” he said.

“Why there was a lack of ground transportation, I find that unacceptable because it put lives at risk. The potential to move those students with vans or buses wasn’t there, but should have been.

“With students sheltering in place, there was no way we were going to let them die, but it’s a hard question to answer – why were so many resources directed to the university and what do we tell a resident who lost their single family dwelling because of it, what do we tell them?” he asked in conclusion.

I did some other research into the Pepperdine situation. Of course, I tried to reach Pepperdine for comment, but except for one short email, was denied any opportunity to talk to anyone, including the president’s office, where I left a number of messages. For an institution that claims to want to be part of the local community, it was sadly ironic they wouldn’t talk to The Local.

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“The bottom line is we got lucky, very lucky, that hundreds of people didn’t die waiting to get out of Malibu,” he stated matter-of-factly.

Photo: Paul Taublieb But this is what I did learn from eyewitnesses and other sources. On Friday afternoon of the fire, students were advised to “leave if possible,” which many, if not most, did. Then sometime late on Friday, the remaining students were told they couldn’t leave and should “shelter in place.” According to the university this was for their own safety, that they had no means of getting these remaining students out, that they had nowhere for these students to go.

According to a cynic, they were guarantees that, as fire chief Imbrenda said, “by them remaining, we were going to defend the University, even at the expense of single family homes.” Or to put it crassly, you might take some liberties and say they were human shields for the University property. One might.

A key question is how many students were remaining. According to a written statement by the University, it was between 1200 and 1500. However, according to the school’s own newspaper, the number was likely closer to 500. And of particular note, by Saturday morning – while homes in Malibu and Point Dume continued to light up and burn, and the 5 battalions remained at Pepperdine – the number of students on campus dwindled to as few as 100, according to eyewitness reports. So all day Saturday and all day Sunday, the university and a handful of students were protected, but Malibu burned. You can argue, as the university

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By the time the order came to evacuate, it was inaction by committee – too much talking and not enough action.”

does, that there was nowhere to put these students, that they couldn’t just throw them to the wind on their own, and they say there was no way to get buses or vans to evacuate them even though, as I experienced on both these days with my press pass, it was clear and open sailing from Pepperdine down PCH to Santa Monica, with neither obstruction or threat.

Regarding the re-population, Imbrenda said, “The check points should have been open faster and the whole situation handled better. There was a communication problem between so many entities, compounded by having guys at the checkpoints not being from the area. They always say it’s the fire department that keeps people out, but it’s not true. You have Edison, you have police, you have other entities. They all want it closed as long as possible. But I acknowledge the process was slow and cumbersome. I tried to relieve that, which would have alleviated a lot of suffering, but I didn’t have that power. “ Imprenda promised to learn, do a true post mortem, and do things better in the future, and at the very least, I believe he is sincere in his desire and intent, though whether things actually change remains to be seen.

I also found a sheriff with long standing experience in Malibu who asked to remain anonymous, and he put it this way, “It was an old fashioned cluster-fuck. First when the fire started, besides how big it was, it crossed jurisdictions, so you had all kinds of brass trying to run things. Then what we call the ‘mother ship’ came in with the top guys and it became a bureaucratic mess. By the time the order came to evacuate, it was inaction by committee – too much talking and not enough action.”

With still no word from Reva, I reached out to Skylar Peak, who I’ve shared a few peaks with in the water at Dume. He was happy to talk about his role, which some found controversial, and said he would also try to get Reva to get on the phone or have a meeting.

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Photo: Cece Woods

“Look,” he began, “this was the biggest, fastest moving fire in history. And I think the city did a fantastic job given the circumstances.” During the period when the lockdown was on, Skylar drew attention for seemingly not supporting the influx of food, gas and survival supplies, though in our conversation he downplayed reports of being involved in trying to stop the relief effort. “I wasn’t against it, I was just very concerned about the gas being brought in as my main issue,” he said, not really addressing the other claims, with numerous accounts of him supporting the abbreviated effort by the lifeguards to block the effort to circumvent the blockade. But specifically, it was the gas, he said, was his concern: “It wasn’t being stored or managed properly, and imagine if the gas had spilled into the ocean!” he explained.

‘No, I don’t do journalism that way. It’s not a take-home test.”

Photo: Paul Taublieb

As someone who came in and out during the blockade, why, I asked, didn’t he organize a truck of relief supplies so the water mission wouldn’t have been necessary. “If you choose to stay behind, you need to be prepared to take care of yourself, and it’s not the city’s responsibility to help people who didn’t properly prepare, as I did.”

Photo: Paul Taublieb

I asked him for help in sitting down with Reva, and soon afterwards, I received an email from her. I should send her a list of questions, and then she would respond in writing, she asked. I told her “No, I don’t do journalism that way. It’s

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not a take-home test”.

Westward Beach the morning after the Woolsey Fire ravaged the area.

Skylar said he would see what he could do about a face-to-face.

While waiting, I spoke to a local volunteer sheriff, who stayed behind the whole time on patrol, and volunteered to talk as long as no name was used.

This person had some interesting observations.

The Zumirez Drive Fire Brigade, aka the “Fighting Alta Cockers”

“I’m on the radio the whole time, hearing everything,” the volunteer began. “And I can tell you it was chaos, a catastrophic breakdown of communication. Firemen were asking for orders and not getting them. There was no information as to where to go, what houses needed help and where fire engines were supposed to go. I believe these out-of-town firemen wanted to help, but they weren’t getting orders or directions and they weren’t just going to freelance – particularly when they didn’t know the terrain.

“There were all these agencies not talking to each other” the sheriff’s volunteer continued, “and not getting anywhere”.

(We on Zumirez, btw, experienced this first hand during the fires. A fire truck cruised down our street as we attacked hot spots in the ravine behind houses on one side of the street using garden hoses, often with a weak stream of water. Here was deliverance, we thought. But when we asked them to come down in the gully, whatever little enthusiasm this out-of-town truck had immediately evaporated. Nope, they explained they don’t go down into gullies or ravines they don’t know as a matter of policy, and no amount of explaining it was really just people’s backyards and you couldn’t get trapped, was effective. They simply got back in their truck and drove away, leaving us slack jawed, disappointed, feeling left on our own and more resolved than ever to keep fighting fires and saving each other’s homes on Zumirez; 28 houses were saved, only two were lost.)

“There were all these agencies not talking to each other” the sheriff’s volunteer continued, “and not getting anywhere”.

“I’m a Malibu resident, and for days people were asking which houses were standing and which were not.

As I drove around on patrol, I tried to answer as many people as I could, but the city itself did nothing in this regard,” the volunteer explained.

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“But I’ll tell you what bothered me the most,” the volunteer stated. “During the entire event we had an office at Malibu City Hall. There was never a time city hall didn’t have electricity, internet, water and bathrooms. Land lines were working – why weren’t those doors flung open? Where was our mayor? Where was Sheila Kuehl? Where was our city manager? I don’t care what they say but there is no substitute for being fully onsite. There was a news trucks and media on every corner. But no city mayor, no head of emergency services, no city manager. It was complete radio silence from the city – and there should have been news hourly from the city – like what the community got from Cece and The Local,” the volunteer added. ”It was safe enough for us, if our leaders really cared, they would have been there,” the volunteer concluded. “No excuses.”

Then came the call from Skylar. Reva would meet at City Hall.

Ari Taublieb putting out spot fires on Point Dume.

Photo: Paul Taublieb

”It was safe enough for us, if our leaders really cared, they would have been there,” the volunteer concluded.

“No excuses.”

At the Point Dume Marine Science School Relief

Skylar walked me down the hall to the meetings, and sudCenter Photo: Ari Taublieb denly I saw the appeal of being a council member. In the modern, sleek offices, being a councilman was very much a role where as you walked past the various desks, there were murmurs of quiet respect.

We entered a conference room, myself, Skylar, Reva and an assistant.

“We were in the middle of a perfect disaster storm, beginning on Monday of that week,” Reva began, seeming as if she had prepared the statement and narrative, but leaving me a bit confused. Monday, I thought, the fire was pretty much over by then? Huh? As she continued, I got more confused, “There was a sheriff captain with a medical emergency and we were dealing with a new guy on Monday,” she continued, and now I was baffled.

“The next day we had an election, which was very demanding on our whole staff. And there was the shooting where a Pepperdine student was lost along with others and we and Lost Hills Sheriff Department were responding to that. So

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we were very stressed and had been working long days.”

What, I thought?

“Then I got the call about 5 am from Skylar about the fire,” she continued.

In other words, her narrative was that the week leading up to the fire was demanding and stressful, and the initially tepid response by the city was due to the busy, difficult week before, though candidly I failed to see how a new sheriff, a shooting outside of Malibu and doing the normal job of a city of holding an election, as done annually, could be used as an excuse for the city’s response. But that was her case, seconded by Skylar.

Residents made banners thanking those who sacrificed their safety to stay behind.

Photo: Cece Woods

Next, came the description of the size, speed and scope of the fire, and how it was unprecedented and this was the real root cause of whatever shortcomings that ensued. I had heard this before.

Followed by praise. Of themselves.

Next, came the description of the size, speed and scope of the fire, and how it was unprecedented and this was the real root cause of whatever shortcomings that ensued. I had heard this before.Followed by praise...Of themselves.

When asked about how close a disaster came, as the fire chief had said it was “potentially a highway of death,” both countered that it didn’t’ happen so what was the issue?

Now, both Reva and Skylar emphasized that the City of Malibu “Doesn’t have prevue over the sheriff department, fire department, Cal Fire or any other first responder.”

As to why they evacuated and didn’t manage the fire onsite, as a nearby city did, Reva explained, “We were given evacuation orders and we followed them, which is our protocol and the proper thing to do. We don’t question the fire department and police department when they issue orders.”

She refuted comments that the city didn’t do much to open all lanes going south. “CHP is responsible, they direct traffic. We were actively trying to get lanes open.” She did add, “OK, decisions were not made quickly enough, even though we had planned for something like this, if not this exactly”. “We sit and do these exercises and plan for scenarios like this,” she added, “and not one person died in the city,” she repeated.

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Regarding the issue of Pepperdine, and the allocation of resources over Malibu, her only comment was “That’s not a city conversation. Talk to the fire department, I don’t know about taking a stand in that particular location.” Technically correct, if not legally, but sure seems like a dodge given Pepperdine’s proximity essentially within Malibu, and her previous concern over the tragic shooting event that took place there and the fact that the diversion to Pepperdine over Malibu residences may have cost many families – her actual constituency – their homes. Neither she or Sklyar would comment further or address any other question in this regard.

We had a limited window for this conversation, so I asked about why the city didn’t come more to the aid of the citizens who had stayed behind. Both she and Skylar were clear on this.

“Look at it this way,” she began. “We have 13,000 people in Malibu, all paying taxes and many who left were now paying for their hotels and other expenses. The 1,000 or so who decided to stay behind, they now want the city to come take care of them? That’s simply not fair.”

When asked about how close a disaster came, as the fire chief had said it was “potentially a highway of death,”

Skylar added, “It’s ridiculous to think that if there’s not going to be electricity or water you should stay in your home unless you’re prepared to survive on your own. If you can’t handle your own survival, you could consider leaving.”

“We did provide food and water to animals at Zuma for the first two days,” Reva added. “But after that people were on their own. After that, we did not feel it was our obligation to bring in further supplies after that.

People were on their own as far as we were concerned. People who chose to remain need to take responsibility for their safety, and our focus after that was repopulation, which is actually more complex than many people understand as we’re talking about leasing land and making many other arrangements.”

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“Yes there were some issues,” she concluded, “We have to change things in our plans to do things better, that’s my takeaway, but overall I think the city did a great job.”

And with that, she hurried off to another meeting.

Here’s my conclusion. The city actually had a fairly lowbar to hit to handle this successfully. They are not the fire department or the sheriff’s department. During a crisis they actually have very little to do — just let people know what’s going on — and given that somewhere around 1,000+ people stayed behind, bringing a little relief in some trucks would not have been that difficult or expensive, even if meant bending some rules a tad.

But under pressure, a city manager who has a conservative bureaucratic, by-the-book orientation, a mayor who not only had a conflict of interest but was a hypocrite over evacuation, and city council members who didn’t know how to react, it was all just bungled. With a huge swath of your population staying behind, city hall could have easily been manned, and the much needed communication, which totally broke down, could have been addressed.

Photo: Cece Woods Cece Woods is a force of nature, but her efforts of letting people know what was going on could have easily been handled by the city if someone had simply driven up to Malibu on a regular basis and done basic reporting. And maybe the intervention of the city government on behalf of its constituency might have led to a different outcome at Pepperdine, or least the dignity of having tried.

Yes, the fire department and sheriff department might have objected to a relief effort, to manning city hall during an evacuation, to confronting them on access and repopulation, but no one would have gone to jail.

The shortcoming was not criminal malfeasance. It was insensitivity and ineptitude. Poor planning along with being overwhelmed by the magnitude of the event.

But, simply, if the city had responded in some kind of supporting, understanding way to the citizens, some quite brave, who stayed behind and not only saved their homes but the homes of neighbors who surrounded them, addressed the need for information that wasn’t provided, acknowledged the desire for people to return to their homes, our Malibu city government today might still have what is needed to effectively govern: the good faith that comes from credibility and respect.

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local International Protective Service (IPS) Stands with Malibu to Combat Vagrancy and Increase Public Safety Efforts IPS SETTING NEW STANDARDS IN THE PRIVATE SECURITY SECTOR

IPS’s Doug Machado, Ruben Barela, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, and IPS owner Aaron Jones at the Sheriff’s Town Hall in May, 2019.

IPS successfully landed on the map in Malibu in the summer of 2018, a few short months before the Woolsey Fire, the most devastating natural disaster to hit our community.

The company was established in 2006 and now stands as one of the most elite security and investigations agencies across the Southwest. Founder Aaron J. Jones worked as a police officer in Los Angeles before he rose to Deputy Sheriff in New Mexico. Mr. Jones’ experience includes protecting royal family members and politicians. In these times of increased crime and vagarancy, local competition in the private security sector lacks the strength of IPS - who not only look the part - but are armed. IPS provides officers its own in-house training, K- 9 support, and heavy-duty security vehicles. With their unique similarity to police officers, IPS guards are also well versed in patrolling woods and forestry, which is key to Malibu.

Weak-on-crime policies do nothing to help anyone; they only create a domino effect of more crime. When leaders establish the wrong ordinances, you’ll see a community destroyed and turned into an extremely dangerous environment within a matter of weeks.

Samuel Jacobs, IPS Patrol Officer tasked to Malibu, says that IPS is strategizing to begin swiftly cooperating with law enforcement. Currently, IPS’s focus is to target vagrancy in our area, a controversial issue that is causing great concern in the community. “Weak-on-crime policies do nothing to help anyone; they only create a domino effect of more crime. When leaders establish the wrong ordinances, you’ll see a community destroyed and turned into an extremely dangerous environment within a matter of weeks.

Just look at San Francisco,” says Jacobs.

local Jacobs’ colleague, Patrol Sergeant Anthony Gonzalez, affirms that customers at Whole Foods and Country Mart consistently comment that they feel extremely safe in their retail strip compared to Colony Plaza. When asked about working with the billionaire landlord Stan Kroenke, he notes that they had not yet reached an IPS officers on the job in Malibu.

IPS is the security company of choice for multiple retail centers in the community

agreement with Colony Plaza, however, IPS’s success securing contracts and patrolling multiple Malibu retailers speaks for itself. IPS has proven they are here to serve the community, and they are open to speak with every business and property owner.

When asked about the City of Malibu’s strategy, IPS proposes a true partnership: a well-rounded, focused effort where the safety interests of residents and businesses come first. On behalf of concerned citizens, IPS recently documented the drug use and vagrancy in Legacy Park. They remain vigilant about monitoring the posibility of encampments fire and other publics safety risks..

IPS’s proven success with Malibu retailers speaks for itself.

“This risk could be rapidly downgraded with dusk-to-dawn patrol,” Gonzalez points out. As many as 80% of residents in Serra Retreat are now signed up with IPS and did not need to be persuaded to hire armed guards. With IPS’s increased presence in our community, Malibu residents can be confident a strategy is in place to increase overall public safety.

For more info: ipsglobal.com 424.218.6371

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perspective LIFE JUST CHANGED, HOMELESS IN MALIBU By Ema Schulz

Ema and Shen Schulz with twins Bohdi and Kai after losing their home in the Woolsey Fire.

LOSS AND SHOCK

One year ago we got a call that changed our lives forever. I was picking up my husband Shen from the airport. We were in Kauai forThanksgiving vacation. Shen had just landed from LA and was feeling apprehensive to get on the plane because there were fires near our home in Malibu. Two nights prior, there was one of the largest mass shootings in the United States, at The Borderline, in Thousand Oaks, on our twin sons college night from Cal Lutheran. They came home to Malibu because they were upset. As Shen was about to get on the plane he called them and said, “If I get on this plane and our house burns down, I will never forgive myself.” They replied, “Dad, there are firefighters everywhere, don’t worry, Pt Dume has never burned, we will be fine.” Bodhi and Kai were wrong. As I got to the airport in Lihue, I informed Shen, I had lost touch with the boys and the fire was near our house. My friend Noriko Smith was keeping me updated from Malibu.

He said there was nothing he could do… the power was out…the pumps to the hydrants didn’t work…. No water, and there was no sign of the family.

We were panicked. When we picked up the cell phone after frantically realizing the inferno had hit our neighborhood, it was my husbands best friend since grade school, Fire Captain Chris Hanson. “Hi Guys, I am at your house.” he said… “Oh thank God Chris, you are at our house and you saved it……” we replied with slight relief.

Then, after an awkward pause….. “I am so sorry guys, your house just burned, I couldn’t save it, we tried, we had no water.” A lump grew in my throat the size of a mango. Suddenly I forgot how to use a phone, or speak, or drive the vehicle I was in. I looked around at all the happy people on

perspective vacation drinking coconuts, oblivious to the fact we just lost everything, they were happy, enjoying themselves, and our world was just shattered, and our kids were missing. He said there was nothing he could do… the power was out…the pumps to the hydrants didn’t work…. No water, and there was no sign of the family.

This was my Facebook post : Gratitude Chris Hanson you are the most incredible human being. We got a call yesterday afternoon during the fires from our dear friend Fire Captain Chris Hanson, he was at our house, distraught and telling us it is going up in flames and we just lost our house. He said they tried so hard to save it. Chris and his son Hunter out of love for us ran into our burning house, collecting photos off the walls, guitars, special notes from my boys, some personal items all while thinking of us. I can’t imagine how he felt running around our house he has been in so many times playing music. He said he had a truck with some water on it, but it wasn’t enough to put out the blaze. There was no water in the hose. There was no water from the hydrants. Our neighbor tried to stop the burning by shoveling dirt on our sheds, but it just couldn’t be contained. It hit the kitchen then the garage, then the fence line and eventually ate up our sheds and all our surf boards, amplifiers, memory bins, bikes, all one by one up in flames. But to know you have a friend that would run into a burning house for the sake of just trying to save something for your friend goes beyond hero.

What a blessing you are Chris. Thank you for the call. We were so glad it was you who told us the news and thank you for your wise counsel as a friend and brother. It was worse seeing it burn on television later, so your call prepared us for the worst. We love you and your family. Much love. #MALIBUSTRONG Our house, our neighborhood, our community had just burned. The very next call was my brother in law James telling me he had found our sons. Loss, shock, devastation, elation, sadness, anger, frustration, fear, sickness, nausea, and deep disappointment…. I felt it all at once…. WHAT THE FARK JUST HAPPENED. We

Depression sets in fast without a home.

The Schulz home, during and after the Woolsey fire.

perspective RECOVERY

We were taken in and cared for, along with our two giant Rhodesian Ridgeback dogs, by our dear friend Cheryl Rich, which admittedly included many nights of drowning our sorrows in Martini’s, dancing in the kitchen & savoring her home cooking, and possibly flashing her uptight neighbors.

We were also loved and supported by our family, and our community, which helped, put us back together after the fire with donations and gifts. But, there is hollowness when you don’t have your own home, your comfort place to just be YOU. To wake up in your underwear or birthday suit, scratch your ass and saunter to the kitchen in your messy comfort, in your OWN private space, that is priceless, that IS home. Having a home makes your feel whole, comforted, private, and you can surround yourself with what you love and things that are a reflection of you. Depression sets in fast without a home… We were still homeless as of March after the fire… and the choices were crap, and expensive…and not where we wanted to be…. Actually, we had no idea where we wanted to be…. The City Of Malibu, FEMA, The State of California really did nothing for us. It was up to us and our own resolve with the support of community that made the difference. To this day, I still don’t think the City Of Malibu is prepared and I will forever be disappointed, angry, and aware of their complete failure to leave us to burn. But, that is another conversation. Cycle Up….

“There is no place like Malibu. We went through one of the biggest disasters as a community, and it made us stronger. I fell in love with Malibu again because of the people who live here, they are selfless, kind and brave.” - Noriko Smith

The fire was just before Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays… there was a detachment and a perspective that came with not having a home. The last thing I could think of was buying any gifts, and it was quite liberating. Walking in shopping areas listening to the stress of the shoppers getting the right thing. Standing in long lines with a bunch of useless items in their baskets. Things no longer matter; experiences matter, people matter, relationships matter, helping others matters, peoples suffering matters. I am reminded of a poignant Buddhist saying , “To be free from suffering, free yourself from attachments.” Nothing more powerful than all your attachments going up in smoke.

perspective Stay strong, be loving, forgive, move forward, new attitude, new life, new beginnings, Zen living, less is more. LOVE CONQUERS ALL. This was my Facebook Post: Homeless For The Holidays We have been so blessed to be in our friends home, feeling safe and sound during our search.

But our search continues.... It isn’t just us. I know many of us fire survivors are still searching, some still in guest rooms, or maybe couch surfing, maybe in a trailer, many are sharing homes, and many are in homes that are not quite them, but it works for them for now. I see posts of some who seem to have good settlements who have found homes, have started adjusting and moving forward with furnishings and even have Christmas trees up....some feeling of normalcy.....and others who just can’t wake up or move in the morning, and those who didn’t have insurance and have nothing. I have spoken to teachers who lost their homes who are struggling to stay strong for their students, and friends who are in houses for sale, not knowing if they will have to move again.

The uncertainty is the gut wrenching part. Not knowing where we will be living. No sense of being settled and not even a thought of Christmas or the holidays.

No baking or cooking. No Christmas shopping, no wrapping, other than for new underwear and bath towels for ourselves No Christmas ornaments to unpack, or lights to untangle, no tinsel and no pine tree smell. No living room, no bedrooms, no yard for the dogs.....BUT what we do have is what matters. We have each other. We have family. .We have our friends. We have our health. (except maybe a little mental health issues right now.). So for this

holiday season the only gift we have will be each other, our community and the love and support we have for all of you and all of us. That is the most valuable gift of all. Something not to be found in a store, or under a tree, or that needs to be wrapped. It is the gift that keeps on giving, that is eternal in our hearts and souls and we are lighted up from the inside with the fullness of our hearts and the humbling gratitude we have for our clan, our tribe, our community. Happy Holidays and remember those of us who lost everything are very fragile and raw and need your love and hugs and kind words.....this is as hard emotionally as it is uplifting by the generosity. I send a big hug and kiss to each and everyone of you this season. Stay strong, be loving, forgive, move forward, new attitude, new life, new beginnings, Zen living, less is more. LOVE CONQUERS ALL.

perspective CYCLE UP

With this new perspective of having nothing and being humbled by the generosity of others, my path and process to be mentally successful after this great loss was to BE OF SERVICE to others and pay it forward, with the realization that there are many more in the world less fortunate than me. Our goal is to make the difference in others lives like the difference they made in ours, just knowing someone cared about us, was enough to have hope for recovery.

I discovered a great book called, or rather a great book discovered me, Ikigai, by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles, that helped guide me through. Ikigai is the Japanese secret to a Long Happy Life. The basis is find meaning and purpose in what you do and you will find happiness. What is your reason for living? If we are self-centric we have suffering. If we are other centric we are happy and free because our purpose and intention are selfless which creates community and compassion and our intention is authentic.

The simplest things like a pair of socks meant so much because we had only bathing suits and sandals from Hawaii and it was freezing here. I often look down at what I am wearing and say, Thank you Tammy, or Corky, Amber Farr, Marsha, Nikki, Samm, Amanda, Nina, Maggie, Stan, Ludo and Otz shoes, and many others for my new cool style, and a new attitude…. So, don’t think you can’t make a difference. I am so grateful for all of those in Malibu who supported us in our darkest hour. You were our beacon of light.

A favorite saying of mine is “Happiness is not having a lot, happiness is giving a lot.”

From left: Scott Lochmus, Randy Jackson, Ema Schulz, Barry Pointer, Tyler Bearde, J Marie Jones

perspective As a practicing Buddhist it is our path to save ALL sentient beings. I had to take my/our suffering and cycle it up. I had two choices. Non-Attachment and Cycle Up or Attachment and Cycle Down. I understand sometimes we can’t cycle up. Some of us are not healed and we are still processing the pain. My process is working to help others, in wellness, in health, in homelessness, including the homeless of our local communities and greater Los Angeles and those less fortunate by supporting charities that show compassion and work for a positive outcome for those that need and accept the help. We can start right here at home and spread our compassion to the bigger areas around us and keep going until we have helped all those that want it. There are also many fire victims still homeless, living in trailers to, and our attention should be put on them as well.

I am inspired by Mayor Pro Tem Mikke Pierson and his spearheading the Malibu City Council to make positive changes and to make Malibu ground zero for tipping the scales in helping the homeless of our community, as well as Carol Bird and People Concern, CART, The Sherriff’s Department under Sherriff Villanueva, and others for their commitment. There is no easy answer, the situation is messy and complicated, and even smelly, sometimes dangerous, and sometimes heart warming, but that just means we have to work harder to solve the problem, not walk away or complain, but show up and participate in the solution.

PAY IT FORWARD I was moved to channel this feeling and get back to charity work and I called a good friend that I respected in the charity world, Marchelle Sellars. She founded Charity On Top and I worked as a producer with her when she ran Mending Kids.

She has been an inspiration to me for her dedication to others and her knowledge of charity and philanthropic work locally and globally. She said, “Come work with me!!” I said, “Okay, as long as you don’t pay me.” She said “Deal”. Within a few weeks we were traveling to Canada to raise funds for schools in Haiti With Arcade Fire on F1 weekend. We have From left: Tyler Bearde, Marchelle Sellers, Josh Littlejohn, Kathy Selders, Ema Schulz, Barry Pointer raised funds for children’s surgeries for Mending Kids with KISS, Tom Jones, and Robert Downey, Jr. and recently, our charity production team for Charity On Top, Produced the Official LA Global Event for “The World’s Big Sleep Out” featuring Ziggy Marley, Seth Green, Ellie Goulding, Meghan Trainer, local Dorothy Lucey, and Randy Jackson and many others, to help bring funding and awareness to the homeless situation of Los Angeles and globally. 60,000 people slept out around the world in solidarity for the homeless hosted

by Will Smith in NY, Helen Mirren in London, and my dear soul brother and friend Randy Jackson, who was the first to say yes and brought his big heart and friends the guitar goddess Orionthi, and Zen master Michael Bearden to fill us with gratitude for donating their time to our event.

perspective We brought together compassionate performers with the highlight being Don Logstone, a previously homeless man, performing on stage with his biological daughter, Cami, aka Jenni Alpert , who found him on the streets decades after he abandoned her. Their story is told in the documentary produced by local Steven Schwartz call, “Homeless, The Soundtrack.” We sparked the conversation and as Ziggy Marley said, ”and now the work begins.” Charity On Top, hosted event, and when I asked them to tell me what doing the event meant to them, they replied, “Charity On Top gift cards support all US charities and all causes, which is incredibly fulfilling, but focusing our efforts on the big issue of homelessness, having an impact locally and worldwide on this epidemic was irresistible! I mean, this was a powerful opportunity!”

I want to thank my team. My amazing mentors and founders of Charity On Top, Marchelle Sellars and Kathy Selders, bringing the gift of giving with their Charity Gift Cards (https://www.charityontop.org) ,and your endless compassion. Scott Lochmus, Director/ Producer, father, compassionate human (https://www.storylandpictures.com) . Barry Pointer, my Producing Partner and Gibson Guitar Rep and Guru, awesome rocker and dad, who dropped everything and showed up (https://www.gibson.com), Cece Woods, social media, branding, promotion, extraordinaire kick ass reporter who is filled with compassion for her community and others. Tyler

I saw a great quote online, “I am stronger because I had to be, I’m smarter because of my mistakes, happier because of my sadness I’ve known, and now wiser because I learned.”

From left: Michael Bearden Orianthi, Ema Schulz, Randy Jackson

Beard, my brother, Stage Manager, and all time funny guy. Shen Schulz, my husband and biggest fan and supporter and puts up with my eccentricities. And a special shout out to Kimberly Behling from Up Stage LA (https://www.upstagela.com) who designed our vibe, Kelli Gerrans and Hailey Pointer, and my sister Amanda for holding it together.

Being temporarily homeless gave me the perspective I needed to find my meaning and purpose, my Ikigai, to keep Ziggy Marley at World’s Big Sleep Out

me going and to keep the idea that we all need help and it takes a village, it takes conversation, it takes advocacy, it takes dedication, it takes compassion, it takes money and it takes love. Thank you Malibu for being there for us. We have more people to help in our community, would you like to join me….

perspective We create our own suffering...if we live in each moment with gratitude for what we have right here right now, then we will not be disappointed. Life is precious and short.

BE IN THE MOMENT

This has been my biggest lesson this year.

In the moment is all we have. We create our own suffering...if we live in each moment with gratitude for what we have right here right now, then we will not be disappointed. Life is precious and short.

If we live in each moment and live in service of each other then we are truly being human.

I have seen so much generosity and being of service this year, expressed in so many ways.

During this experience the evidence of giving has been extraordinary and inspiring. That is the path I will always walk because the best rewards come from giving...and life is much easier if we learn to just be complete in each moment.....not contemplating what is coming or what has past....

I am truly inspired by this new beginning. Less is more. Experiences, not things. New Relationships, New Partnerships, New Home, New Decade, New Career, New Vibes. I want to connect Good People, with Good Companies for a Good Cause. Part of my Mama Good Vibes network…. Stay tuned for some exciting new stories I can’t wait to share with you on wellness, and being the best version of you possible, as I have learned. If what I share can

Shen and Ema Schulz

help you process too or have a new perspective or choose to cycle up then I am grateful to be here for you.

We sat for dinner last night with some dear friends and before we ate we asked our friend to say the prayer as we held hands and completed the circle of energy we were creating. We closed our eyes and we held hands and our friend said nothing......we sat in silence...no words...after a few moments he said....”that is all there is.... just breathe...”

Truer words were never spoken. Just breathe.....

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CONTRIBUTORS 90265 Magazine is proud to feature passionate contributors and strong community voices.

TAMMY ARLIDGE Tammy Arlidge, 90265 Magazine’s Executive Editor, is a talented writer who’s been digging her toes in Malibu for over twenty-five years.

Hailing from the Deep South, Tammy made the pilgrimage west by way of the entertainment industry, working on the box office hit “Forrest Gump”.

Tammy is a passionate storyteller (with a sweet southern twang) not to mention a sucker for romance and a good Cabernet, Tammy is also the author the renowned blog UnWinedinMalibu.

By day, Tammy is a real estate agent for Pinnacle Estate Properties and takes pride in presenting the most beautiful properties Malibu has on the market.

When she isn’t writing and raising her teen daughters (more than a full-time job), she’s playing a mediocre game of tennis or hiking in the beautiful hills above Malibu. instagram: @unwinedinmalibu

JIM JORDAN Jim Jordan is a world class photographer based in Los Angeles. Jordan grew up as a surfer and skater in sunny southern California. Once he hit high school, Jordan devoted his time to scouting models with one goal in mind: finding the next great faces of future generations.

Jordan quickly became a highly respected hair and make-up artist working with A List celebrities such as Cindy Crawford, Elizabeth Taylor and Farrah Fawcett. On the sets of famed photographers Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton and Peter Lindbergh, Jordan quickly developed his talent behind the lens shooting superstars such and Leo DiCaprio, Drew Barrymore, Charlize Theron. Jordan currently shoots campaigns for corporate giants Mercedes Benz, J. Crew, American Express and more, while traveling between his homes in Los Angeles and New York City and traveling the globe. jimjordanphotography.com instagram: @jimjordanphotography

SHAWNA RENEE Healing Facilitator Shawna Renee began her career in the wellness world almost a decade ago. When she is not at home on the North Shore of Oahu spending time with her children Te’a and Tai, Shawna enjoys traveling the world empowering individuals to take better care of themselves through the power of crystal healing and essential oils.

Follow her journey: shawna-renee.com instagram @magikal_energy

CONTRIBUTORS PAUL TAUBLIEB Working out of his Pt. Dume office of TAUBLIEB Films, Paul Taublieb is a two-time Emmy winning filmmaker, specializing in action sports and motorsports.

His work as a documentary director, writer and producer includes producing the ESPN 30 for 30 film “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau,” the Netflix film “Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross,” and most recently the theatrically-released documentary, “Blink of an Eye,” about the fateful friendship between Dale Earnhadt and Michael Waltrip, which released on iTunes on Nov. 5, and has been optioned to be developed into a feature film by one of the major studios.

In addition, Taublieb, working with his wife and producing/directing partner, Susan Cooper, together produced “The Vow,” starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, which grossed $200 million, as well as viral videos like the soccer spoof “Abuelo Memo,” with almost 300 million views.

TAUBLIEB Films also produces branded entertainment for clients including ESPN/ABC, Ferrari and Monster Energy, the later of which the company serves as their strategic content and entertainment marketing agency. For more information: taubliebfilms.com

EMA SCHULZ Lifelong Malibu resident Ema Schulz joins the 90265 Magazine team as Contributing Lifestyle . Ema is a committed Buddhist, mother of identical twin sons, and wife. Her diverse background experience includes Artists Management, Marketing, PR, Video and Film Production, Studio and Live Entertainment, and Philanthropy.

Having recently lost their family home in the Woolsey fire in 2018, Ema has a deep perspective and appreciation for what is important in life which is why her motto is always to “Cycle Up!” If you know Ema, then it’s no surprise her nickname and Brand image is the one and only “Mama Good Vibes” . And nothing excites us more than bringing Ema’s Mama Good Vibes to life on the pages of Malibu’s authentic lifestyle magazine.

instagram: @mamagoodvibes

TARA OWENS

At the tender age of 15, Tara Owens became a world class model traveling the globe.Thus began her love affair with the beauty industry. After working for several publications as a beauty editor, Owens decided to embark on her journey as a beauty entrepreneur starting a high-end luxury fragrance company, Seren Apothecary with best friend and business partner Amelia Fleetwood.

Tara moved to Malibu in her late twenties to raise her daughter Lilly and has been involved in the community ever since. When she is not working, she enjoys her other passion; her horse Eddie, and competing in the reining world. Instagram: @serenapothecary and @camribeauty

THE MAKING OF THE ISSUE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

ABOVE: Winston and Jerri Churchill performing stage manager duties at the World’s Biggest Sleepout. CENTER: Malibu’s own Riptide Blues Band playing the World’s Big Sleepout at the RoseBowl.

BELOW: Editor-in-chief Cece Woods and Executive Editor Tammy Arlidge at the Malibu Film Festival.

ABOVE: Ema and Shen Schulz with editor-in-chief Cece Woods, celebrating the new year, new decade - and new issue of 90265 Magazine.

ABOVE, MIDDLE: World’s Big Sleep Out “thank you” message to Ema and Shen on the big screen (behind Orianthi onstage) for supporting the event.

ABOVE LEFT: Editor-in-chief Cece Woods and activist Jae Flora Katz after the Poison Free Malibu protest. ABOVE CENTER: Director of Brand Partnerships and Global Oureach, Ema Schulz with Seth Green and wife Clare. BELOW LEFT: Protestors at the Poison Free Rally.

BELOW RIGHT: Tracey Ross protesting for Climate Change.

THE MAKING OF THE ISSUE VOLUME 2 ISSUE 1

FAR LEFT: Dr. Katrina Riboni and staff at Shonan Beauty and Wellness Irvine. CENTER: Cary Elwes, Council Member (then Mayor) Jefferson Wagner, photographer Jim Jordan. BELOW LEFT: Cece Woods and Tammy Arlidge at Strange Wines. BELOW CENTER: Sunset at Zuma the day of the tragic helicopter crash. BELOW FAR RIGHT: Ema Schulz and Cece Woods taking a break during WBSO.

LEFT: Dr. Ronda Hampton at the Press conference for the ten-year anniversary of the disappearance of Mitrice Richardson. CENTER; Photographer Jim Jordan, Cece Woods, and Cary Elwes on the set of our cover shoot. BELOW LEFT: Cece Woods and Sgt. Jim Braden at the Homeless Count meeting at City Hall. BELOW CENTER: Birthday dinner for editor Tara Owens. BELOW RIGHT: Jonathan Colombini and Cece Woods.

MISSING LINKS

THE INVESTIGATIVE SERIES BY

unanswered questions in the death of linkin park front man chester bennington

INTRODUCING THE GIBSON

AC O U S T I C C U S T O M SH O P T HE P I NNA C L E O F C R A F T S M AN SH IP

1960 HUMMINGBIRD ADJUSTABLE SADDLE HISTORIC COLLECTION

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