Issue 33 Kathy Magliano

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KATHY MAGLIATO

THE ROCK STAR HEART SURGEON WHO INSPIRED THE NBC SERIES HEARTBEAT

FROM THE CREATORS OF

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23750 PACIFIC COAST HWY, MALIBU, CA 90265 (310) 317-1444 OLLOMALIBU.COM

THE VOICES OF MALIBU Founder, Editor in Chief, Creative Director

CECE S. WOODS Co-Founder, Executive Editor STEVE WOODS Executive Editor LINDA ATKINSON

Senior Editor JEN WISER Media Director KEITH CARLSEN Managing Editor ADDISON ALTENDORF

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EDITOR’S

NOTES

WORLD OCEAN’S DAY

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HASHTAGS: #curatorsofcoastalculture #malibu #90265 #thevoicesofmalibu

SAM HALL KAPLAN

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Editors

DAVID STANSFIELD MARIE MANVEL TYNE DOYLE BRIAN TIELEMAN DANIEL BRALVER JACKIE ROBBINS LORY MAYOTTE GUS JOHANSON ANNEMARIE STEIN KIM LEDOUX

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Contributing Photographers TIM HORTON NICK CALAFATI JEN BEL EMILY SCHER JEFF HERRERA

FOR ADVERTISING: thelocalmalibu@gmail.com When the love of our oceans collide...”DEVOCEAN” happens.

John Paul DeJoria, Laird Hamilton and David Hance of Sea Shepherd all came together exclusively for our sister pub 90265 Magazine and The Local Malibu on WORLD OCEANS DAY to share their latest knowledge and findings about the current state of our seas.

It was with great pleasure that William Cawley of Laird Apparel was able to collaborate with us and bring these champions of the environment all together in Marina Del Rey on the famous Bear Grylls Northwest Passage crossing RIB. There is no “I” in TEAM, we must come together to protect what we love....especially here in Malibu.

- Senior Editor and Environmental Strategist, Jennifer Wiser.

Malibu High School Interns JOSEPHINE MARSHALL ABBY DROEGER

ON THE COVER:

DR. KATHY MAGLIATO PHOTOGRAPHY BY

KEITH CARLSEN

ISSUE 33 JUNE 2016 CORRECTIONS: Issue 32 Photos by Tracey Ross by John Shafer Carmelo Fiannaca’s website is: malibumosaic.com

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LOCAL

CITIZENS’ PRESSURE ON MEASURE R MOVES CITY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT APPEAL

BY LANCE SIMMONS

Stop the presses, breaking news, representative democracy has a pulse.

Heading into Monday night’s City Council meeting there was a prevailing doubt among proponents of the Measure R appeal that there would be enough support among council members to join in the appeal of a Judge’s decision finding the measure to be unlawful and unconstitutional. This, despite the overwhelming support exhibited by Malibu voters in two separate referenda votes to halt overdevelopment and the subsequent influx of traffic on Pacific Coast Highway and adjacent streets around the Civic Center area.

As a disclaimer I want the readers to know that I worked for defeat of Measure W this past Fall and consider myself aligned with slower and saner growth advocates. In fact, I was one of a number of speakers who spoke in favor of having the City join the appeal on Monday evening.

But in a surprise development, Council overwhelmingly voted (4-1) to engage the City in a fight to appeal the Judge’s ruling, boosting chances that the gravitas afforded such engagement will similarly boost the chances for a successful appeal. The turn of events began with Councilmember John Siebert weighing in to support Councilmember Skylar Peak and culminated with Mayor Rosenthal, who publicly expressed difficulties over the decision, finally declaring she would support appeal after she introduced an amendment to cap costs. She accepted a friendly amendment from Councilmember Peak that would ensure that Council would review the matter once the capped limit was reached.That was enough to persuade Lou La Monte to switch his vote to support appeal, leaving Councilwoman House as the only member to oppose.

At the May 23rd City Council meeting John Sibert voted for the city appeal in a 4-1 decision, “We all said, ‘It now becomes a law of the city, and we will defend it,’ and I don’t see that’s changed,” Sibert said.

Regardless of the reasons and rationale for supporting the appeal it seems unlikely that had Measures R and W not passed with such resounding majorities the vote in favor of appeal would have been different. A 51-49% vote can be construed to be within a margin of error, a 55-45% vote can be problematic, but when you get into the upper reaches of the 57-60% it becomes exceedingly more difficult to justify actions that refute the unquestionable will of the people. (Measure R passed in 2014 with 59.3% of the vote and Measure W was defeated in 2015 with 57.3% of the vote) If one had to speculate I would offer that it was of course the strength of the arguments made by the various pro-appeal advocates which turned the tide. Such self-interest aside let’s just assume that the strength of the two referenda results were sufficient to guarantee the outcome. In any instance Council should be applauded for defending the vision and mission statements protecting the rural character and environmental integrity of the city against suburbanization and commercialization.

Now it is up to the City Attorney to vigorously comply with the actions of the Council and the community. There are concerns among many overdevelopment opponents that she is either not up to the task or unwilling to use her considerable legal talents to wage such a fight. The spotlight will clearly be upon her as this saga continues and we can only hope that she and her staff are up to the task.

From a political standpoint the decision by the Council could postpone public recriminations or even possible recall efforts of Councilmembers who would so blatantly dismiss the public’s wishes as expressed in two separate votes. Given the potential for significant changes depending upon the November election that might have signaled a shift in a governing majority on the Council Monday evening’s actions may have smoothed the way for an orderly transition.

Only time will tell, but for the time being Malibu residents can rest assured that they will have their day in court.

THE VITAL ZUMAN ORGANIC FARM IS CLOSING. Malibu native Allan Cunningham has lived there for almost 60 years and grown and sold organic vegetables his whole life next to PCH at Point Dume. He is being evicted by the farm’s owner, Shelly Sterling, the former co-owner of the LA Clippers and ex-wife of Donald Sterling.

It was the flamboyant Donald Sterling who bought the farm in 2010 from Cunningham and his brothers who had inherited it. At the time Donald Sterling reportedly promised that Cunningham could stay there and continue the organic vegetable farm’s operation.

The drought hit Vital Zuman hard the well dried to a trickle county water is expensive and he could not pay the tax bill.

Friends are renting a truck and packing Cunningham’s life memories for destination at a friend’s house in the Inland Empire.

We’ve asked Shelly Sterling for what the plans are for the land, no comment yet. We have heard that a different operator may be brought in to sell vegetables.

Vital Zuman is the last roadside produce stand in Malibu, there used to be several.

And this conflict of interest notice, Allan Cunningham is a great supporter of Radio Malibu and has in the past been a financial underwriter of the station.

Although Christi Hogin was absent from the important council meeting concerning the Measure R appeal she had previously said : “I’m confident that the city will implement it in a way that’s consistent with the Constitutions of the United States and California, and I think it’s pretty quick on the trigger for property owners to run to the court and complain about it...” and...

“Anyone who thinks I would shrink from a fight doesn’t know me very well...” and...

“I didn’t read anything in the lawsuit that surprised me or deeply troubled me.”

LOCAL

COASTAL COMMISSION: “NO ON COLLEGE”?

BY STEVE WOODS

The proposed Santa Monica College satellite campus and Los Angeles County Sheriff substation proposed for the Malibu Civic Center is one step closer to moving towards construction.

With general public support for an educational center and sheriff station, the Malibu City Council approved a controversial variance in the floor area ratio (FAR) that allows the project to move forward as designed. A bond measure that was approved by Malibu voters 10 years ago could be built as a new college class building next to the library at the site of the abandoned asbestos-contaminated sheriff’s station.It would include a new community meeting room and a sheriffs’s office substation.

The final vote was 3-1 in favor of the variance in FAR, and thus moving the project forward, with Council Member Joan House voting against the permit. Council Member Skylar Peak abstained from voting after voicing complaints about how “super frustrating” it was to see projects that do not conform to building standards.

“The project is likely to be appealed to the Coastal Commission, whether it’s approved or not,” Peak lamented at the meeting Monday. “I just think that’s lame. It’s a bad use of public funds and public money.”

Two slow growth groups, the Malibu Coalition for Slow Growth the Malibu Township Alliance appealed the city council’s approval to the Coastal Commission.

The staff returned with a recommendation that raises questions about compliance with two aspects of the college’s compliance with local coastal regulations,but it says the building’s large scale is appropriate for the Civic Center area which it calls the most appropriate location within the city.

The staff report says the college is sited and designed to avoid significant adverse impacts on environmentally sensitive resources, visual resources, water quality, public access or other significant coastal resources.The staff report says the college has low potential to be a precedent for future development.

Most importantly the Coastal Commission staff finds the appeals brought by the two groups are only related to local issues, not issues of regional or statewide significance.

If the commission approves its staff recommendation that will be the final regulatory hurdle for the Malibu campus of Santa Monica College which was supported by a large segment of Malibu residents at the city council.

With a written CCC staff report that did not sound encouraging, Pat Healy from Coalition for Slow Growth was still determined to drive to Santa Barbara to address the Coastal Commissioners directly. Pat Healy will have only 3 minutes to plead her case to the Coastal Commissioners concerning the cities LCP’s, Building hieght and landscaping variances.

Pat Healy sited in her conclusion: The reason for the appeal to the CCC is that a finding of Substantial Issue must be made so that a comprehensive review of how the City is interpreting its LCP in relation to landscaping and height restrictions can be made by the Commission. It is totally inappropriate to allow this to continue, particularly since only a limited number of projects can be appealed to the Commission. The Commission can’t ignore that Staff agrees that the height limitations and landscaping provisions of the LCP have not been met and the basis for overlooking these violations and the violations connected with visual impacts is not justifiable. We respectfully request that the Commission find substantial issue in order to send a message to the city that they cannot continue to violate the provisions of Malibu LCP which they do on a regular basis. It is not often that the public gets to appeal a decision of the City to the Coastal Commission. Finding substantial Issue is more than justified in this instance and will allow the Commission to review the issues raised and send a message to the City that the Commission cares about protecting Malibu’s small town environment by upholding the required development standards of the Malibu LCP which were put in place to protect this area for the enjoyment of residents and the many millions of annual visitors alike. By allowing the oversized scale of this project it will without a doubt set a precedent for future Civic Center development ruining the human scale that attracts visitors to this area of Malibu.

CCC SPANKS MALIBU

“The Coalition for Slow Growth wanted the College to come to Malibu but to design a building that respected the small town character of Malibu and our fragile infrastructure.

The college as designed violates both our Local Coastal Program and City Municipal code .

It is more than twice the allowable height of 18 feet . Moreover doesn’t conform to landscaping requirements which were put in place to preserve the rural feeling of Malibu’s Commercial and Institutional areas.

Coastal staff even agreed that the building was “rather large” for Malibu. Despite this both the City and the Coastal Commission approved the college and in doing so set the precedent for all future structures in this zone to be this high.”

-Pat Healy

City planners and the city council of Malibu were publicly spanked by the California Coastal Commission yesterday as the proposed Malibu College campus was approved.

We’ll have more on the college vote in a second but first the public warnings delivered to Malibu from the Coastal Commission staff.

This is over the city’s recent unusual interpretations of the Local Coastal Plan, the LCP that was imposed on Malibu by state law.

Many people in Malibu have complained the city is giving developers break after break by bending and stretching the state-approved L C P to their benefit.

Push came to shove at the Coastal Commission yesterday in Santa Barbara and the decision about the proposed college building…

Local slow growth advocate Patt Healy stood before the commission to ask that it uphold the LCP without the loopholes that have been drilled into it by the city.

And the commission staff agreed with Patt Healy, the city has not been following the law on LCP issues here and elsewhere.

Here’s regional coastal director Steve Hudson, “There are some problems with the city’s process, particularly with the variance that was issued for height. I would just like to point out there has been some turnover at the city recently, They have a new city manager and new city planning director.”

Hudson particularly had criticism for the variance granted by the city for the height violation at the college.

“The bar for a variance is very high. It requires that you find that there is something unique about a site. And we acknowledge and we agree with the appellant that that requirement is not met in this case.”

The Coastal Commission staff director warns that Malibu City Hall has been skating on thin ice by interpreting the LCP in ways that have favored development.

“I have talked to the appellants and I know there have been some other cases in the past where the city has granted some variances that we have not been in agreement with.

“And (laughs ) there is a concern that there could be additional projects if a message is not sent to the city that this could happen again , I am very sensitive of that, and that’s why the planning director for the city and I have spoken.”

“OK … the city screwed up on the procedure …. again” … said the coastal official.

“It should have amended the L C P to allow the college , instead of drill a big loophole in it through a variance.”

What does that mean for the college project???

Hudson said ,“We do not believe this project will result in any adverse impact to the public views.

It is taller than some of the other structures in this area, will be visible, but it will not block scenic coastal views. It will not block views of mountains in the background.”

So, the matter went to the 12 members for the vote.

And there … Chairman Steve Kinsey made these extraordinary comments.

“I certainly understand the high value of this project, and I appreciate our staff’s interest in being a good partner on these publicly beneficial projects. But we have been characterized unfairly as the commission as one that perpetuates development. This just allows for that misinformation to be perpetuated. We are overriding the size, the height, the FAR, the parking requirements. To achieve this project we’re allowing a project to go forward without the requisite LCP amendment. “ And so it’s simply not possible for me to accept it, so I will be voting no. Is there any unwillingness for the balance the commission to accept a yes vote???”

That’s Coastal Commission chairman Steve Kinsey voting against the Malibu College while asking the other commissioners to unanimously approve it.

Extraordinary.

The college was approved by the commission with only Kinsey voting against it.

Opponents were in Santa Barbara …we are in Malibu and could not find out if they are going to file a lawsuit.

The commission staff gave them a gigantic opening to do exactly that.

LOCAL

CALLING OUR BLUFF THE CRUMMER PROJECT HAS JUMPED THROUGH ITS LAST HOOP FOR A FINAL APPROVAL FROM THE PLANNING COMMISSION

BY STEVE WOODS Say good-bye to the world famous 360 degree panoramic views from Bluffs Park.The current story polls on the east side will be replaced with real structures and visible landscaping that will obstruct views of the Queens Necklace in the Santa Monica Bay from the eyes of locals as well as international visitors who have enjoyed views from Bluffs Park .The 5 proposed multi million dollar spec properties will all be for the benefit of 5 of the worlds wealthiest people who can afford these enormous estates. As most seasoned developers in Malibu know, you always try to use your best poker face when applying for building permits that exceed what you want to end up with. Developer Ron Gold knows the game well and may not be walking away from the card table with a Royal Flush, but he did win with a handsome 5 card Straight .

“Malibu Coast Estates” , a 24 acre coastal parcel known as the Crummer subdivision planned for the east side of Bluffs Park has finally been approved but not without years of community protest and negotiations with bureaucratic agencies that have required reductions in the number of planned structures, square footage, height changes, view set backs, land donations and putting alot of cash in the right hands. Originally, plans that sought 8 , two story mansions ranging in height from 24-28 feet. Plans for five two story estates were approved by Malibu’s sitting City Council. Their approval garnered a city- wide mailing by the developer praising council members as Rosenthal and La Montes re-election campaigns were in full swing. After the council refused to protect prime ocean views , local resident, Pat Healy, joined by others, were forced to take the battle for ocean view preservation to the CCC. Due to that effort, the 5 houses were set back and estate heights reduced to large single story homes at 15-18 feet. The landscaping trees were regulated at 25 feet, due to resident efforts again.The gate house and front gate will now also be modified to be on a smaller scale.The gated subdivision has been in the works since 2013, last coming before the CCC in February of this year, when it was sent back with demands to make the proposed mansions smaller and set farther back from the bluffs. The approved project includes a donation of almost two acres of land to the city to be added to Bluffs Park and funds for the city to build additional facilities and parking at Bluffs Park. Back in February, Gold also agreed to pay $1 million to the city and pledged an additional $2 million to the state, which will go toward a Puerrco Canyon campground development. An additional two million was requested in the middle of the CCC meeting ,Gold either paid or lost. Profits estimated by the Coastal Commissioners in the two hundred million range so paying produced an immediate ‘YES’ from the developer. The donations from one development of prime coastal habitat will now fund the camping development of another prime coastal habitat and to add insult to injury, Corral Canyon residents are fuming, considering the increased fire danger of unsupervised camping. Canyon residents have a justified fear that the proposed camp ground would increase the likely hood of a fire blocking off the only evacuation route to safety.

If developers original plans were approved the story poles would have been two stories high and set even closer to the Bluffs edge obstructing even more of the parks view shed.

The current story polls on the east side will be replaced with real structures and visible landscaping that will obstruct views of the Queens Necklace in the Santa Monica Bay from the eyes of locals as well as international visitors who have enjoyed views from Bluffs Park.

Had early negotiations been successful the public could have preserved one of the last remaining undeveloped coastal bluffs for generations of Malibu visitors.

The planned project has not gone without raised eyebrows from the CCC, or a few on the Malibu Planning Commission. Many Malibu residents and enviromentalist originally claimed that no development should be approved on one of the last remaining undeveloped pristine Coastal Bluffs in Los Angeles County. Negotiations did take place decades ago asking the previous owners if they would be willing to sell the property to public ownership in the name of saving the coastal bluff for public preservation but it was the right of the owner to refuse and they did. Had it not been for dedicated members of our community like Pat Healy of Slow Growth Malibu,and Save Malibu residents, who have devoted so much legal scrutiny and energy in trying to protect Malibu from over development, the city and the CCC would have approved the two story McMansions that would have guaranteed further view shed obstruction .Before the planning commission vote Mikke Pierson, said “I am honestly sad to see that land developed but I appreciate the scope of it is significantly smaller than it was” and during public comments Pat Healy addressed some potential landscaping problems and finished her comments ,”Of course, my final request is to make lot #5 an open space lot to allow residents and visitors to enjoy eastern views of the Queens Neclace”. Ron replied NO. The Planning Commission voted on June 6 , 3-0 to approve the project after adding a few amendments one of which required a cabana structure on lot #5 to be relocated to the other side of the pool and further out of view .

So the cards have been laid on the table after a hard fought game began between developers and preservationist and in the end, the developer will collect his golden chips and move on to the next project while the public loses another irreplaceable coastal view shed .

Just when you thought the last remaining undeveloped pristine coastal bluff could no longer be exploited for development, think again. The 93 acres of undeveloped pristine habitat on the west side of Bluffs Park is now under a planned assault but not by the usual developer suspects. The City of Malibu Parks and Recreation is plowing forward with its plans to develop and grade parking lots, access roads, additional baseball fields, softball diamonds with view blocking back stops,fences and score boards ,basket ball courts, a community center building, pedestrian and bike trails, rock climbing walls, an amphitheater, dog park, disc golf court, picnic areas, and possibly even an olympic sized public pool complete with changing and restroom structures and required sheds for pool pump and filtering equipment. Before the City of Malibu proceeded with the controversial land swap of its city owned 532 acre Charmlee Park for 93 acres of undeveloped Bluffs Park owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the land was purchased by California taxpayers to remain protected from development in perpetuity, Forever ! State agencies originally had it right. This last remaining pristine coastal Bluff needed to be preserved and rightly purchased by the taxpayers of California for the protection of ALL Californians as well as future generations. The cities own park use survey did NOT survey the taxpayers of all Californians, it only surveyed Malibu residents and even the majority of Mabuites surveyed agreed, the pristine land with its sensitive habitat should be kept in its most natural state possible with passive use only as its number one goal. The city also ignored the fact that local demographic statistics show a trend of an aging population with a decreased population of children to at least 2025. The next generation of Malibu families will have less school enrollment and less needs for sports field activities in the future .

Longtime resident Graeme Clifford who spoke at a well attended council meeting echoed MOST who came to speak in vocal opposition to Bluffs development of the land .

“I guess I’m the voice in the wilderness here, or the voice of the wilderness,” Clifford said. “I’m here just to remind everybody that when we change something, it can never be put back where it was.”

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LOCAL

MAKING SURFING HISTORY:

THE MALIBU HISTORIC DISTRICT

By MICHAEL BLUM

At the edge of the continent and in the early part of a new century, an interesting question is, how do we value important coastal places?

For many, the coastline is definitional to our experience: sites possessing community, history, culture, recreation, leisure, beautiful vistas, open space, or economy. But Malibu already knows this; where the city, residents, and guests embrace 27 miles of scenic coast. It’s a pleasure, and appropriate then, to announce a new project here, in Malibu –– the Malibu Historic District –– a nomination of the iconic Malibu surfing area to the National Register of Historic Places.

From the nomination: Although new ideas of surfing were developing worldwide in the 1940s and 1950s, Malibu served as a cultural, technological, and intellectual arena for its expert surfers and surfboard shapers. It was a focusing point for surfboard design theory, the deconstruction of surfing style, and the development of a lifestyle that defined this era of surfing while serving as a template for the next. Malibu, then, is associated with the broader history of surfing; it is an important California locale representing the evolution of modern surfing both in the minds of surfers and the general public.

The Malibu Historic District: 1) recognizes Malibu’s worldwide contribution to surfing’s history and culture, 2) delivers a legal mandate for protection, 3) serves as a qualification for other protections, and 4) establishes precedent for other projects. If successful, Malibu nomination would be one of the first areas in the country brought into coastal decision–making explicitly for its surfing importance. The nomination process is underway and should receive review at the state and federal levels by the end of 2016. Public comment is welcomed and encouraged!

The nominated Malibu Historic District includes the First, Second, and Third Point surf breaks, as well as the Malibu Pier as contributing, historical resources. The overall area has a small footprint (approximately 150 acres) and is entirely contained on public property; not constraining adjacent private property owners. The District includes portions of the popular Surfrider Beach (County of Los Angeles) and Malibu Lagoon State Beach (California State Parks) areas, which together receive more than three million visitors annually, as well as nearshore areas 500 meters from the mean high tide line. A National Register listing will not impact public access, safety, or the current uses of this area, such as: pier fishing, summer camps, special events and, of course, surfing. The listing will also have no environmental impact.

Indeed, Malibu Historic District project is relevant for its focus on a specific, iconic surfing area. But it also is a rationale for other surf breaks and, more broadly, any coastal place possessing cultural and historical significance. Recognizing important coastal places helps us understand the broad patterns of our history, bring closer together shared goals of historic preservation, environmental conservation, and coastal stewardship, achieve coastal conservation victories and promote a richer interpretation of our coastal environment.

We hope you’ll consider joining the City of Malibu, the Wishtoyo Foundation, the Malibu Township Council, the Adamson House Foundation, and over 100 individuals who’ve signed their support for this project. We welcome your questions and appreciate your interest. More information is online at seaofclouds.org.

Michael Blum is the Director of the Sea of Clouds, dedicated to protecting important coastal places and enlisting communities to care for our public coasts. He’s a former President of the Malibu Surfing Association.

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LOCAL SUPPORT THE SEA OF CLOUDS PROJECT NOMINATING THE ICONIC MALIBU HISTORIC DISTRICT SURFING AREA TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. seaofclouds.org

The perfect waves of Malibu, August, 2014. Jon Steele Photography.

Council Member Skylar Peak who supports this new environmental concept , invited Michael Blum to present his historic preservation plan to the City Council on April 25. Being acutely aware that Malibu harbors an iconic surfspot , planning commissioner and surfboard collector John Mazza told council members, “A lot of towns claim to be ‘surf city,’ but Surfrider Beach is where surf culture started,” Peak chimed in that he thought it was council’s “duty” to preserve the beach. Mayor Rosenthal added “I think it’s a great idea; I wholeheartedly support it. I think it’s a natural progression, and should have probably been done a long time ago. But I’m glad it’s being done now.”

The 4-0 council vote supports a push by nonprofit Sea of Clouds to place three-step process to register Surfrider as an official “historic place,” the first of its kind in the United States as a way to preserve it for future generations. - STEVE WOODS

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BACKBONE TRAIL:

JOHN MUIR WOULD BE PROUD!

BY STEVE WOODS

The 67-Mile Backbone Trail Connecting Pacific Palisades to Malibu to Ventura has Reached Completion. For more than 50 years, Southern Californians have dreamed of following an uninterrupted trail among the sycamore canyons and sandstone peaks of the Santa Monica Mountains. This spectacular accomplishment makes the Backbone trail one of the longest continuous trails in Southern California.

Completing the trail has not been an easy task, particularly since it cuts through some of the most prime real estate in the country. In fact, the National Park Service, California Department of Parks and Recreation, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains and Recreation Conservation Authority began purchasing parcels of land for the project in the 1960s. Since then, a total of 180 tracts of land have been purchased, including areas around the trail in order to prevent future developments from disrupting the natural beauty.

Finally, the hard work and altruism of volunteers and numerous agencies will culminate with completion of the trail. The National Park Service recently closed escrow on a 40-acre donation by former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and fitness pioneer Betty Weider, on two remaining parcels along a fire road known as the Etz Meloy Motorway. Several years ago James Cameron also sold a massive 703-acre tract to the cause in 2014 for a paltry $12 million in Puerco Canyon.

Parks Volunteers Nelli and Natalie have been working on the trail for the last year.

Several days ago, I came across a picture of our Malibu Planning Commissioner, Mikke Pierson on Facebook with his mountain bike gang.

He has this to say about the new completed trail: “The Backbone Trail is our church and a group of us mountain bike our church every Sunday. Over the years we’ve worshipped every part of this amazing gem in the Santa Monica Mountains and last Sunday we were excited to ride the new section of the trail that connects all 67 miles together.

In the past to ride this part of the Backbone we had to climb over a gate that blocked the trail in this area and we’d usually end up getting yelled at by some grumpy guy. But the new section solves that issue with a short connector trail between the Etz Meloy Motorway and Yerba Buena Road. And since this part of the trail is new, the dirt is quite soft and it is fairly challenging. The section ends up with some sharp, soft corners and then drops down five wood steps onto Yerba Buena. It then continues on toward Sandstone Peak.

Another great morning in church and we all felt blessed to be there”. - Mikke Pierson Inspired by his post, I asked Mikke help me locate the new trail section on a map and drove in hot pursuit with my bike. I found the clearly marked new trail on Yerba Buena and started the ride up the freshly cut trail only to encounter two Parks Volunteers hacking away on rocks with picks and shovels. Nelli and Natalie were sweating it out in the hot midday sun and told me they had been working on the nearby trail sections for the last year. Looking over the sage filled canyon out to the ocean you could tell from their big smiles that they loved the hard work and were blessed to be in such a beautiful area.

Grinding up the grade, you could appreciate the labor of love that went in to manually carving out a trail of ancient sandstone and volcanic geology. Once up on the ETZ Meloy Motorway ridge route it leveled off until you dropped down one of the most fun, single tracks on the Backbone. There are turns that flow freely with sloped ramps and banks all the way down to Decker Canyon. This area was filled with white Yucca blooms contrasted with bright purple sages and yellow florescence all the way to Encinal Canyon near Fire Camp 13. Thanks Mikke!

Mikke Pierson on the trail.

Mikke Pierson and his ‘mountain bike gang’ on the annual Stephen Hicks Memorial Ride on Backbone Trail.

Yuccas in full bloom.

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ENVIRONMENT

BEYOND THE BAY:

OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE WORKING FOR A DEBRIS FREE SEA

By STEVE WOODS PHOTOS BY KURT LIEBER, OCEAN DEFENDERS ALLIANCE

While Captain Kurt was cutting loose a huge fishing net caught on the Newport Pier, they came across some illegal Lobster traps placed by poachers .The lobsters were of course liberated.

Volunteer divers donate their time to Ocean Defenders Alliance. This diver was cutting nets off the Newport Beach Pier which is a particularly demanding task.

When New England fishermen and women complained of working harder and harder to catch fewer and fewer fish, Spencer Baird assembled a scientific team to investigate. Though a fishery failure would once have seemed inconceivable, Baird wrote in his report, “an alarming decrease of the shore-fisheries has been thoroughly established by my own investigations, as well as by evidence of those whose testimony was taken.”

The report was Baird’s first as head of the U.S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries. The year was 1872.

Am I wrong or are there more and more squid boats lighting up the night skies off of Zuma beach? Knowing that our oceans are being overfished, I was curious as to why it seemed that year after year there were more and more squid boats. I presumed that squid populations, along with fish populations, were both on the decline. After reading a recent newsfeed on KBU, I became aware that new research in the Journal of Science shows that man induced changes to marine environments are leading to a surge of cephalopods: octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish. Their populations have boomed, from New England to Japan, since the 1950s. But why? Well, I found the answer to that question a few days later while crewing on an Ocean Defense Alliance boat that is based in the Channel Islands Harbor. Kurt Lieber, the captain and founder of Ocean Defense Alliance, invited The Local to help volunteer on a diving mission to clear abandoned marine hazards from the ocean. The mission took place on their boat “Bob Barker’s LegAsea.”(Named for supporter Bob Barker, former television game show host and an advocate for the environment) Founded in 2000 and based in Orange County, California, Ocean Defenders Alliance (ODA) is a marine conservation organization and became a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2002. Captain Kurt Lieber first crewed with the infamous Sea Shepard that was known to take direct action tactics to protect marine life. This included interdiction against commercial fishing, shark finning, seal hunting, and whaling. His former crewmates had been active in intervening against fishing and poaching in the South Pacific, the Mediterranean, and in waters around the Islands. That organization was founded in 1977 under the name Earth Force Society

by Paul Watson, a former member of Greenpeace, who had a dispute with that organization over what Watson saw as its lack of more aggressive intervention.

Branching off on his own, Kurt Lieber established ODA with the following goals: MISSION Ocean Defenders Alliance works to clean and protect marine ecosystems through documentation, education, and meaningful action. Working with affected communities, we focus primarily on the reduction and removal of man-made debris, which poses serious threats to ocean wildlife and habitats.

VISION ODA envisions a world in which we educate communities and involve them in solutions that help ensure marine ecosystems can exist free from harm caused by human debris. Without abandoned fishing gear, trash, and improperly sunken vessels damaging their habitat, marine flora and fauna will be able to thrive.

VALUES 1. Clear Focus: We do not compromise our mission, yet strive to remain flexible and open to new ideas.

2. High Personal Standards: We operate from a foundation of integrity, respect, honesty, and expect the same of others.

3. Value Relationships: We genuinely appreciate participation in and support of ODA’s mission by our allies.

4. Continuous Improvement: To maximize our efforts, we continually evaluate our methods, seek opportunities to learn, adapt as needed, and otherwise strive to better ourselves.

5. Open Communication: In all relationships, we endeavor to share communications frequently, truthfully, in a timely manner, and from the heart.

6. Intelligent Planning: To best facilitate our mission, we act strategically - with forethought, diligence, and comprehensive analysis.

7. Inspire and Empower: With actions and through education, we raise awareness and motivate others to participate in making ODA’s vision a reality.

8. Seek Collaboration: We recognize the value of diversity and seek to enhance our mission by including a broad cross-section of individuals, nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies.

We met at the Channel Islands harbor on a cool, foggy Memorial Day weekend morning. We loaded supplies, dive equipment and motored out past fishing boats and the breakwater on a boat financed by wildlife lover Bob Barker. Heading west, the captain instantly spotted some seine fishing boats laying out net not more than 1/2 mile offshore.

The captain is the nicest gentleman, a well spoken man who is all too aware of the worlds overfishing plight, but you could see him bristle and scowl into the binoculars that were aimed at the fish harvesters. The ocean was alive with dolphins, seals and pelicans diving into the frenzy of fish and though Kurt’s inner warrior was awakened he took a deep breath in order to continue on his days mission. Just outside the breakwater was a sandy marine version of an aquatic killing field. It was full of a deadly combination of lost and abandoned lobster traps. Fisherman set their traps 200 feet from the rocks in 35 feet of water, but due to large swells washing them into the breakwater or as a result of heavy boat traffic severing the buoy lines, dozens of traps with bait are still lost on the bottom. The dangling ropes are a marine hazard that entangle whales and other boaters propellers.The traps continue to trap lobsters, who die in the steel cages, and then attract an endless cycle of lobsters that enter the trap to eat the dead lobsters. Soon after dropping anchor, volunteer expert divers Dave and Jeff, rolled into the brooding sea with their sea scooters to scour the sea floor for marine hazards. Even with poor visibility they managed to find and liberate a number of creatures from lost lobster traps, rebar, lead weights and hundreds of feet of various ropes, chains and buoy lines. In the Zodiac, Kurt’s brother, Jim Lieber, Jennifer Wiser and I followed the air bubbles of the divers. We kept busy helping to locate each air bag that popped to the surface and hauled on board the miscellaneous junk that was attached to the bag lines. All of the traps and ropes we pulled up were loaded with marine life that is required to be released back into the ocean. The captain works on instilling good relations with local fisherman by reaching out and returning lobster traps back to the owners. He is also helping them to increase lobster populations by liberating the bugs from the lost traps so they can breed another generation.

On dive after dive, and all over the world, Kurt found abandoned commercial fishing gear on the ocean floor or attached to boat wrecks that indiscriminately killed marine flora and fauna long after its service to the fishing industry was over! At the same time, in his studies of the state of the world’s oceans, Kurt read widely diverse reports about the oceans, and came to understand the dire plight of life in the seas.

The urgent call came clearly to him: rampant, escalating overfishing and man-made pollution was threatening the survival of marine wildlife and the overall health of the life-giving seas of the earth…and someone needed to DO something about it!

ENVIRONMENT His heart told him to take action, and his intellect agreed completely. So, with a 40-foot boat generously gifted to ODA by Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, Kurt began taking volunteer divers to reported abandoned fishing gear sites. Using the boat as a dive platform, the divers descend at each location, cut the gear loose, and float it to the surface. Volunteers on the boat haul it onto the deck and take it back to shore for proper disposal. Animals such as lobsters, crabs, and fish found trapped alive are carefully liberated by ODA, and thus given a new chance to thrive, grow, and breed.

In addition to doing invaluable work at sea, ODA also works onshore to educate the public about the vital need for clean and healthy oceans. Through educational presentations at schools, expos, festivals, and dive clubs, they strive to inform people of all types and ages, raise their awareness about the plight of the oceans, and inspire them to join their efforts.

ODA also reaches out to fishermen, restaurants, and the seafood community to enlighten them to these issues and to seek to gain their commitment to becoming better stewards of the oceans.

After a successful day of cleaning up trash that litters our oceans sea floor, I asked Captain Kurt about the squid populations that seemed to be increasing near Malibu. I told Kurt that I had assumed squid increases were a positive sign but he quickly frowned, shook his head and informed me that cephalopods such as octopuses, squid, and cuttlefish are on the rise because the fish populations that traditionally feed on them (such as tuna) have been decimated by over fishing.

Staying an hour underwater is serious business.

It’s a big ocean and the LegaSea is willing to clean it up.

PHOTO BY CECE WOODS

The days catch freed of trash by the crew of the ODA.

Steve Woods and Jennifer Wiser of The Local Malibu volunteered to help pull up air bags rope lines.

The crew makes sure that all marine life gets liberated from debris that is brought up off the sea floor.

IF ANY ONE WOULD LIKE TO HELP OR DONATE TO THE OCEAN DEFENSE ALLIANCE, THESE ARE SOME OF THEIR NEEDS: 1. Truck. We need this to tow a small Zodiac all around So Cal. A 4-cylinder, small truck, like a Toyota, a Nissan or even a Ford Ranger. Ideally it would have less than 100,000 miles on it. Not looking for a vehicle that we’d immediately have to sink thousands of dollars into.

2. A Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB). This would be much better for our plans to remove plastics from our rivers, streams, estuaries and shipping channels than the Zodiac that we currently have. I’ve attached a picture of what we’d prefer to have.

3. Boat slip fee of $700/month.

4. Fuel. Our costs for diesel and oil run about $1,000/month.

5. Hull cleaning service. $200/month.

6. Deck lines. $400.

7. New bottom paint. $2,000.

8. Acoustic guitars. We’ve got several guitar players that volunteer with us, and it would be nice to have some fun between dives!

9. Vegetarian food.

10. Set of standard and metric open-end wrenches.

11. Set of standard and metric hex sockets, with socket wrench. 3/8 drive.

12. Set of Phillips head screwdrivers.

13. Set of flat head screwdrivers.

14. Cordless drill.

15. Batteries for our DPV’s (Diver Propulsion Vessels, UW scooters). We need 3 of them. They run $600 each.

On behalf of The Local Malibu and 90265 Magazine, thank you for your “dev-ocean” to our oceans and we invite anyone who shares similar passions to help contribute to a worthy cause.

LIFESTYLE

SPRING FORWARD

MULTI-TALENTED, MALIBU BASED ACTRESS/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR TRICIA SMALL TALKS TO THE LOCAL ABOUT HER HUMBLE HOLLYWOOD BEGINNINGS, STAYING TRUE TO YOUR PASSION AND HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT IN “SPRING AWAKENING” AT THE MALIBU PLAYHOUSE.

BY LINDA ATKINSON, PHOTOS BY KEITH CARLSEN

A woman of many talents: Actress/producer/director Tricia Small.

LA: Your bio is very impressive and yet twenty years ago you arrived with everything you own packed in your car, tell us how your Hollywood dreams have come true and how you made that happen?

TS: Good old fashioned gumption and rejection of failure. It’s not an option. I don’t hear the word ‘no.’

LA: Tell us the story of how the hugely successful billion dollar beachbody.com business? How did the idea emerge? How did you grow this business?

TS: My then-husband and I started Beachbody out of our garage in West Hollywood. He was in marketing and I was in production. We had a cool trainer named Tony Horton. We raised the money to put five products on tv and only one was a hit. It was called Power 90. And Beachbody was made. We finished shooting the first infomercial the night Ava was born. Coincidentally, she share’s Barbra Streisand’s birthday, which was a very big deal for me (and since, her).

LA: How did you move form that business to producing?

TS: I decided I didn’t always want to be at the effect of someone else’s decision-making. So, I started making my own things. Plus, I’m Italian and very bossy. It was a natural progression.

LA: Your original passion is acting, tell me what that passion means to you and how acting makes you feel?

TS: I’ve always been an actor first. I remember going to my real first play at 7 and when the curtain opened, I knew I was home. It’s the core of who I am. No matter what other ‘job’ I am doing or how long it has been since I’ve performed on stage or screen. There’s something comforting and deeply satisfying about it. I suppose being at a place in life where it doesn’t need to feed my family, helps too. That’s a great luxury I won’t ever take for granted.

LA: What makes a great actor? A great Producer?

TS: A great actor LISTENS and fights for what she/he wants, always. A great actor is prepared and never stops studying. A great actor is humble. There are ten people behind you that can do your job. Be easy to work with. Know your lines, be on time, leave your drama at home. A great producer is respectful to everyone and goes above and beyond what is expected. A great producer has true artistic vision and isn’t just obsessing over the bottom line.

LA: You produce plays, television, film and music, what is your favorite genre and why?

TS: Each genre come with it’s own titillation for me. Live theatre will always be my home. It’s where I am most comfortable. But I really love being behind a camera these days. I think I am ready to make larger scale stories come to life more frequently. Directing TV and film is next on my hit list.

LA: Tells us about your acting role in ‘No Wake’.

TS: It was a highly demanding and extremely emotional role of a woman, set at the wake of her daughter who has just committed suicide. I was asked by the artistic director of Route 66 Theatre Co in Chicago to take over the role as it moved to LA. I had less than a week to learn 88 pages of dialogue. It was my most challenging and fulfilling acting role to date. Hopefully I will be reprising the role in NYC this fall.

LA: You are Directing ‘Spring Awakening’ the musical opening at the Malibu Playhouse, how did this gig come about? How has the process been?

TS: Three years ago my former husband and I co-produced (and financed) the musical 13 at the Malibu Civic Center, as an opportunity for community kids to benefit from our professional resources. I hired broadway musicians, equity choreographers, musical directors, vocal coaches etc. It was incredible. And the show was a huge hit with the locals. So, we decided to do the same thing for the older kids. We used our own funds and hugely credited team and put on Spring Awakening. I think the results will be spectacular. But it’s not a kid’s show. Warning, 15 and up only!

LA: Tell us about your play ‘Spring Awakening’? How did the play develop? Book and lyrics are by Steven Sater and music by Duncan Sheik tell us about working with them.

TS: The story follows a group of German teenagers in late 19th-century, coming of age in a time where all their most primal urges — to have sex, to engage in independent thought — are repressed and punished harshly by the adults in their community. It’s a Broadway show that is up for Best Revival Tony this year. We didn’t get to work with them, sadly (a dream)!

LIFESTYLE LA: What is the talent like in Malibu? Any advice for an actor/actress wanting to make it in the business?

TS: Malibu is a hidden trove of talent. It’s where talent goes to chill out and raise babies. Advice? Be a diamond.

Be multi-faceted. Do a lot of things. And never, ever, ever stop taking class (from superb teachers only—do your research).

LA: What is the age ranges of the actors in Spring Awakening? What were the challenges and opportunities in directing this play? Any stand out performances?

TS: The actors playing the students range from 15-24 yrs old and the two adults are...well, adults. The challenge was only that it’s a huge show with 22 musical numbers and we had only four weeks to rehearse 12 kids going through final exams, prom, some graduating from high school and college. And don’t ask me to pick favorites. It’s like Sophie’s Choice.

LA: Your 16 year old daughter Ava is in the show, what is her role, how is it directing her?

TS: She plays Wedla Bergman. The part that catapulted Lea Michele from obscurity into the stardom. Directing her is an absolute dream. She is a pro. She makes me look unquestionably good.

LA: Speaking of your daughter, how do you juggle all your work, passions and family? any free advice?

TS: Some days I don’t do it perfectly. And I’ve learned that’s okay. My advice is: lean on your friends. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and surround yourself with people who love you for you. There are a lot of fakes out there. I couldn’t do it without my support system, my tribe. Also, don’t say ‘yes’ to everything. Only accept the jobs you are passionate about. Life is far too short.

LADY OF THE HOUSE: Tricia Small presides over her new musical “Spring Awakening’ which opens at the Malibu Playhouse on June 19th.

LA:Any secrets to actualizing your dreams in life that you want to share?

TS: Secret? It’s a numbers game. Truly. Never, ever give up. Be prepared for it to take years. No one is going to hand it to you.

LA: When did you move to Malibu? What is it like being a Malibu local?

TS: I moved to Malibu in 2003 and it would take an act of Congress to get me out. This place is heaven on earth. The sand, the air, the water, the sunsets! Being a local is pretty laid back. I just can’t imagine living in a town like Beverly Hills again, where I’d have to put on actual clothes to go to the market. I confess, I frequent Vintage Grocers in my nightgown and baseball cap.

LA: What are you excited about in your future? What’s up next for you?

TS: Near future, an actual summer vacation. And after that, producing a documentary which shines the light on the epidemic of postpartum depression with Planet Grande Films and adapting the memoirs of a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist into a television series. ‘Light fare summer fare’.

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COVER FEATURE

HEART TO HEART

THE LOCAL MALIBU SITS DOWN WITH WORLD RENOWNED, KICK ASS, LEATHER JACKET WEARING CARDIO THORACIC SURGEON KATHY MAGLIATO, THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE NBC SHOW “HEARTBEAT”. IT’S SAFE TO SAY, YOU REALLY WANT TO GET TO KNOW HER.

BY DIANA NICHOLSON PHOTOS BY KEITH CARLSEN DN: I feel a back east connection here - Where did you grow up?

KM: I grew up in a small town. It’s actually been downgraded recently from a village to a hamlet, Highland, NY. It’s in upstate NY near Poughkeepsie, on the Hudson River. We lived on a 55 acre orchard (apple farm). I farmed the orchard as a child; it was rural, very humble... very hard working beginnings.

DN: When did you decide medicine was your calling?

KM: When we were kids my dad insisted that we get a work permit and a job in high school. I got a job working in a nursing home in town. It had 3 floors: the residents on the first floor were the sickest, the 2nd and 3rd floors were more residential living. I was a janitor - scrubbing toilets, mopping and buffing floors, emptying garbage. So literally, the next time you walk past a janitor, you could be walking past a future heart surgeon, you have no idea.

Working at the nursing home I saw some interesting things - especially on the 1st floor. When the first floor residents would get sick, they called in a doctor, who was different than the skilled nurses that took care of them day-to-day. I thought these doctors and their ability to cure the sick was fascinating and so I told the nurses that I wanted to know when the doctors were coming in so I could conveniently be in that patient’s room cleaning . I would watch what the doctor was doing. I thought it was so incredible that someone would come in and just help another human being. Remember, I’m just 16 and seeing this all through the eyes of a kid, but what I saw was one human being helping another for no reason other than to heal them. I thought, oh my God, that’s an incredible gift.

‘WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU KNEW YOU COULD NOT FAIL?’

The residents on the 3rd floor needed very little nursing care. They were pretty self-sufficient except for one thing- they needed someone to read them the letters they received from friends and family and they would always ask me. When I had time on my breaks, I’d go to the 3rd floor and read the letters. It made them so happy and they didn’t feel so lonely. It healed their hearts in a way that was different from the doctors on the 1st floor. It was my way, as a 16 year-old kid, to help someone for no other reason than to heal them. So I thought to myself… is there a way of combining the two - being compassionate and what I saw the doctors doing on the 1st floor? … the laying on of hands, prescribing medicine, the treatment, the healing… and those things are why I decided I wanted to go into medicine, because I think I always had a desire to help others. I know it can sound contrived when I am asked why I wanted to become a doctor... and I answer, “because I wanted to help people”… but it’s an honest answer for me… and I learned, reading the letters to the people in a nursing home and following that through to the ability to treat and help people in a different way is part of why and how I discovered my passion to become a doctor … I had the compassion already. I had it to begin with.

- KATHY MAGLIATO

Compassion is one thing they don’t teach in medical school, it isn’t on the bell curve. When you’re competing in school to stay at the top of the class, nobody cares about compassion.

But I felt the power of compassion… and the power of reading those letters equaled the power of the doctor’s work. Compassion creates an unbreakable bond between myself and my patients, I’m vested in them; and when you’re all in, you will go to the wall for a patient, which is what you see on “Heartbeat” so the fact that Melissa George, who plays me, pushes and pushes and pushes that envelope, that’s the way a surgeon manifests compassion sometimes, because it’s about going above and beyond for that patient.

DN: How did you choose Union College in Schenectady, NY? KM: I came from a little town so I felt more comfortable in a smaller college although I applied to large universities as well. Union just felt like the right fit. My dad, his brother and my older sister, Nancy, all went to Union College. We were a legacy family. So my dad took me to Union College one day, I’ll never forget it. We stepped onto this extraordinarily beautiful college... the campus was designed by Ramee, the French architect. Ramee had this vision to create a global circular college, and in the middle of this beautiful campus he put a stunning sixteen-sided building known as the Nott memorial for Eliphalet Nott who was the 4th president of Union College. My dad took me to the middle of the campus and we sat on the rugby field (I played rugby in college) and he said “look around because all of this can be yours”. College was a gift!

My dad and my mom were adamant that we get an education because the only thing that got me out of Highland, New York, was my education - I was smart and I applied myself. I love where I grew up but I knew that I wanted to go out into the world and make something of myself. Union was the gateway to that world. The beauty of Union College was that it sits at the crossroads of art and science. It’s a liberal arts school and I was a hard-core math and science kind of person. I took all biochemistry, and biology courses but Union made us take liberal arts courses, so I took sociology, and psychology, I studied art, I did a term abroad in Italy, studied renaissance art, learned the language, and immersed myself in that culture. Everything I do in the operating room is art. The human body is art. You can’t stand in front of a Botticelli or the David and not say that anatomy isn’t critical to art, as it is critical to surgery. All of that made such an impression on me and I am incredibly grateful for the education that I received. Think about this, I am a heart surgeon who wrote a New York Times best-selling book. How is that possible? It’s possible because I had a liberal arts education. So, I have a background in science and a background in art and my art comes out in my writing and my ability to express myself by writing with my voice… and some of my art is what you see on “Heartbeat. I currently sit on the Board of Trustees at Union College. Union’s curriculum is still diverse, inspiring and enthralling.

COVER FEATURE DN: Why did you choose Case Western University for your medical degree?

KM: One of the things that I don’t always like to admit, although my publisher said you have to tell this story in your book; I was very reluctant, initially… my grades weren’t great in college because I goofed off a bunch the first two years. I was partying a lot and not studying, not applying myself and my advisor said to me, “How bad do you want to be a doctor?”… Of course, I was all in. That’s what I wanted to do; I had no other career in mind... He said, because if you really want it that bad you’re not going to get it on the current trajectory, and I buckled down and just crushed it the last couple of years at Union... But my grades weren’t good enough to get into medical school the first time around. That was a great life lesson, something I didn’t want to admit and it has a lot to do with failure. So, my life isn’t a total success story, I have failed... The critical thing about failure is to allow failure to make you stronger. Don’t allow failure to crush you. I think that people who are successful in the world eliminate their fear of failure.

The people who are successful in the world are the people who say to themselves, what could I do if I knew I couldn’t fail? If you eliminate the fear of failure in your life there is nothing you can’t do... nothing! And so for me growing up no one ever told me I couldn’t be a heart surgeon because no one ever told me I could fail. It wasn’t like my dad said, “failure isn’t an option”... My dad said if you work hard, you can do anything. So I truly believed that I could be a heart surgeon if I just worked hard, but at Union I wasn’t working hard enough and I did fail. The critical thing is I didn’t quit! I think a lot of kids these days, they fail and what’s the first thing they do? They quit and do something else. If I had done that I would never have been a heart surgeon... so I embrace that failure! I think failure builds character, I think it makes us stronger. And if anything, it created a certain sense of perseverance that I was going to do this thing, that I was not going to let this failure hold me back! So, I did an honors research project, and I worked as a research assistant in a primate research laboratory where I published scientific papers and I presented at clinical and scientific meetings. I spiffed up my resume and did some extra course work and then the next year I applied for medical school. I even retook the entrance exams, which are a nightmare, but because I had done mediocre on the exams the first time, I took them again. I would have cut off my arm to get into medical school at that point if that’s what it took. So I did everything to get me there. I got accepted at Albany medical center in Albany, New York...

The reason why I then went to Case Western Reserve is because at the time, I was dating a 4th year medical student, I was a first year medical student and he finished medical school and then he matched in a program in Urology at Case Western Reserve and the Cleveland Clinic so we were apart for a whole year but we thought this relationship would work and I wound up transferring from Albany to Case Western Reserve so we could be together; and we were together for almost nine years. Then it didn’t work out, which is why you’ll see in the show, there is a lot of mentioning of Cleveland and the Jesse character; the fact that he goes off to Cleveland and leaves her... there is a little bit of that from my life in there which is great, although this person wasn’t necessarily my surgical mentor like Jesse is on the show, that’s based on a different character. But that’s how I got to Case Western Reserve. It’s difficult to move medical schools mid-stream in your second year, they only had one spot available and I got it! I was very lucky... so it was meant to be. It was great training, it’s an excellent school. Now I sit on the board there, as well, on the Dean’s Visiting Committee so I’m very connected. I was just awarded an alumni award from them, which is was an amazing honor. I really love Case Western Reserve.

DN: How many boards do you sit on?

KM: I try to sit on a few educational institutional boards like Case Western Reserve and Union College because it keeps me grounded in what is happening in higher education… and then I like to be on one or two non-profit boards so I can engage in philanthropic work. I’m interested in being on a for-profit board as well. There is an alarming lack of women on these boards and between my medical degree and my business degree, I think I have a lot to offer in terms of insight and problem solving in the for-profit arena.

DN: You’re one of very few women in the world practicing cardiac surgery; as a woman, how were you received by men while doing your residency?

KM: The first day I showed up to my cardiac surgery residency the top cardiac surgeon in the hospital (who later became my mentor and the inspiration for the Dr. Jesse Shane character on the show) looked me up and down and said, “Guess what? Because you’re a woman, you’re going to have to be twice as good to get half the credit, so you know what my job is going to be over the next two years... to make you twice as good! But it’s not going to be easy.” And it wasn’t easy. It was the hardest thing I ever did. But I never take the easy road, I always take the road less traveled.

DN: In this male dominated field, how would you describe your nine years of clinical training at Akron General Medical Center, the University of Michigan Medical Center, Loyola University Medical Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center?

KM: I guess probably like the Beatles, “The Long and Winding Road.” It’s an incredible journey. People ask me, would you do it over again? My answer is absolutely, without skipping a beat, that I would do it all over again. It was such an incredible experience; and the best part of it was the patients, the patients that I had the honor of taking care of and whose lives I saved. For me it was just one extraordinary adventure. And every institution gave me a different perspective on life and every institution showed me a different way to be successful in surgery; each training program molded me in a certain way. You have to be open, you have to be receptive to that. But again, it’s not easy training to be a surgeon, especially for cardiac surgery. It’s just like navy seal training, it is tough and it is fierce and it is grueling.

You must be accurate in the operating room, you must be technically proficient. You must have speed but most of all you must be good under pressure! That is critical. Patients die in the OR when we become unglued, when we are not in control of the operating room and when we crumble under pressure… and people thought because I was a woman that I would just cave under pressure so I went to the antithesis of that and became so tough in the OR. I forfeited some of that beautiful compassion that I learned as a teenager in a nursing home and then spent a lifetime finding that compassion again. It took me forever to get there. But the experience overall... all of that training was absolutely extraordinary.

And the other part of it was that it was incredibly intellectually stimulating. I mean every day is a new day you go into the hospital, you have no idea what the day is going to look like. And that’s what it’s about... I love the dynamic of it, I love the uniqueness of it and again, I would do it all over again in a HEARTBEAT… no pun intended!

DN: Was there a glass ceiling you had to break through?

KM: Oh yeah!!! You see the seven stiches in my forehead head from hitting it 900 hundred times? Yes, I hit the ceiling over and over and over again and nearly cracked my skull open doing it! I thought if I hit it hard enough, one day I’d either crack my head open or break through it (figuratively speaking). I guess I broke through it and I hope I left an opening big enough for other women to follow me. But I still have patients take one look at me and say “wait...you’re my surgeon? Isn’t there a guy that could maybe do the surgery?” One great story… this patient took one look at me and said... well, you’re going to do my surgery? You don’t look like a heart surgeon… and I said, what does a heart surgeon look like?

And he said well, I expect you to have your hair up in a bun, maybe have some glasses on. I leaned very close to him and said “that would be the librarian”, and winked. I love that!

COVER FEATURE DN: Why did you make the move from Cedars Sinai to Saint Johns?

KM: So my life at Cedars Sinai... I was a heart and lung transplant surgeon and an artificial heart technology surgeon, I implanted artificial heart technology and I was at a point in my career where I really wanted to focus more on heart disease in women, which is currently the focus of what my practice is. I didn’t quite know how to make that transition, and then I actually got the idea, through a woman who mentored me, to go get an MBA at UCLA Anderson School of Business. I got accepted at UCLA, which is a top executive MBA program and I used that MBA to transition and re-brand myself from who I was at Cedars Sinai, which was a heart and lung transplant and artificial heart surgeon into a surgeon whose focus is on heart disease in women. Not that I didn’t love transplantation... I do and those transplant patients are the bravest patients I’ve ever met. But I felt that my calling was really in helping woman with heart disease. It’s my calling, it’s my brand, it’s why I wrote my book, Heart Matters. It’s why we have this show; it’s why I sit on the board of the American Heart Association. Everything I do now is focused on women’s health and giving back to women and trying to protect them against their number one killer... heart disease... it kills more women than all cancer combined.

I think I can make a greater impact in health care and medicine by addressing the cardiac health needs of women than I can in doing transplant surgery. Both hospitals and both careers have been fantastic!

DN: What prompted you to further your education and attend UCLA for your MBA from the Anderson School of Business?

KM: I love when women hit the reset button, where you just decide to deepen who you are or what you’re doing or move in a new direction. I can’t encourage women enough to do that. I think we are great at being able to pivot and do other things, and so for me, I realized there was huge gap in my understanding of the business of medicine and the only way to fill that gap was by getting an executive MBA. It was an amazing experience. It was so intellectually stimulating to go back to school at the age of 40, sit in a classroom, take courses, take tests... written tests, write essays, give presentations. The interaction with the other students, almost all of whom were business people, was incredibly stimulating. It was like my brain was lit on fire every time I went to class at UCLA Anderson.

I used my MBA degree to develop a medical technology that I am right now taking through a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins University. Another student and I patented the device, built a company around it, funded it through angel investors, and I’m taking it through FDA approval right now. So I’ve got this whole other side of me that wears that MBA hat, and an MD hat. It added an entirely different dimension in my life. I highly recommend it!

DN: How was it possible with such a demanding career to make the time and concentrated effort to write ‘Heart Matters’, your best-selling book?

KM: I got up really, really early in the morning before everyone else in the house, made a pot of coffee and went to a special spot in the house and watched the sunrise from there, and then I would write. I also wrote on the weekends. I would leave my husband and two boys... and they were little at the time, 4 and 6... I would go out to the Four Season’s Hotel in Westlake Village and I would write. And let me tell you something, writing was unbelievably cathartic. I have no idea what writer’s block is, I couldn’t write fast enough. The stories just poured out of me. By the way, I hand wrote the book. I didn’t type into the computer because I wanted to hear the pen against the paper. Somehow it grounded me in the work.

And because I was using a tool with my hands it felt like surgery on paper. I don’t know if I am saying that right. It felt tactile to me which is critical because everything I do is tactile in the OR... so I was using my tactile ability in a completely different way. But the words, the stories, that’s my voice. I wrote every word of that book, I had no ghostwriter. It only got line edited for grammar. It poured out of me. I would sit down and write the entire weekend. If I had more time I could have literally finished that whole book in a few weeks. It was fantastic. And I want to write another book and I am working on the idea now.

“THE BIGGEST THING TO KNOW ABOUT THE CAUSE OF HEART DISEASE IS THAT IT IS 80% PREVENTABLE” DN: We don’t often hear this about surgeons but you obviously also have a sense of humor…

KM: I think that we, as physicians, use humor to diffuse situations. Even in the most dire of situations where the tension is high, a modicum of humor diffuses tension. I think that having a sense of humor adds a touch of humanity to me as a surgeon. If I am a buttoned up straight laced surgeon, that’s not approachable. If I am effusive and funny and dare I say it… charming, that’s approachable. I want to be the surgeon that people can approach. I see doctors run from the bedside of patents that are dying because they can’t handle it… and I am the opposite of that. I come in and find the greatest depths of my compassion at your bedside. And, I always wanted to be that surgeon, so I really believe in the humanity. I am the surgeon that hugs you when you leave the hospital and holds your hand... if I am touching your heart, I am touching your soul. I need to connect with you and that means I have to have humanity and sometimes humor is wrapped in that humanity. So that’s why the show is a mixture of drama and comedy... and not just a straight drama. There is something to be said for humor in healing.

DN: What are the major causes of heart disease? - And what advice can you give our readers that will help keep their heart strong and avoid the tragic consequences?

KM: The biggest thing to know about the cause of heart disease is that it is 80% preventable... it’s not cancer... This is a disease that through prevention and wellness you can avoid! The critical thing about knowing what causes heart disease is understanding what the risks are for you developing that disease, and how you can lower or eliminate the risks.

The risks are high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking... huge risk especially in woman, abnormal lipids, cholesterol, stress, sedentary lifestyle, obesity… these things can all cause blockages in the arteries (arthrosclerosis) that decrease the circulation to the heart. The main thing for people to do is live a heart healthy lifestyle, and we all know what that is... it’s just hard to practice it; eating well - fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. The number one thing that people can do is lose weight! Obesity is leading to an epidemic of heart disease in children and adults. One thing you can do is stay within your normal BMI (BMI is a person’s weight in kilograms divided by his or her height in meters squared. The National Institutes of Health now defines normal weight, overweight, and obesity according to BMI rather than traditional height/weight charts) and keep your waist circumference less than 35 inches.

DN: How did “Heartbeat” Heartbeat” on NBC, based on your life, come to you and how did you feel about it initially?

Heartbeat KM: It was all about serendipity and meeting the right people who could shepherd the project along. Eric and Susan Carlson, Kelly Meyer, Amy Brenneman and Brad Silberman all helped to get this story made. Heartbeat is inspired by my life and came about as a result of Universal Studios optioning my memoir, Heart Matters.

We initially couldn’t find the right writer to capture the spirit of the lead character and actually sat out an entire development year before finding Jill Gordon to write the pilot and ultimately be the show runner.

I am in awe of the process and what it takes to get a TV show picked up to series, written, filmed and aired. Just like in the OR, it is a team effort and every member of that team is equally important. Everyone has a role to play and the show is only as strong as the people who are working on it. The team we had was extraordinary.

To watch something go from an idea in a writer’s room or while brainstorming with Jill and Amy at Sweet Lady Jane’s in Santa Monica (before we even had a writer’s room) to a written script with dozens of revisions, to a story-board, numerous meetings with the crew, directors, props and special effects people, hair, make-up, costume design to the actual filming, take after take, until it is all finally sutured together in the editing bay is, to quote Ron Meyer “nothing short of a miracle”.

So how I felt about it initially is how I feel about the show now - I feel so lucky to have had the honor of playing a part in that miracle!

DN: Now that it’s on the air, have you experienced opinions from other professionals? Without naming names, can you share one or two?

KM: Actually, all of the opinions from my colleagues (including my husband who is also a surgeon) have been positive. A few weeks ago, I hosted 32 female surgeons from 5 local medical centers at my house to watch an episode together. They were so proud that NBC-Universal would support a TV series that featured a strong female lead surgeon who has passion, conviction and empathy.

DN: Having been featured on, and interviewed by Barbara Walters, Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart and Doctor Oz, did the media exposure change the perception of a woman so celebrated in your field?

KM: Absolutely! I hope that by being featured in the media women, especially young women, will be inspired to pursue a career in medicine. I have received the most incredible emails, tweets, Facebook messages and hand-written letters from young girls who are inspired by my book, the show, or by my media appearances. Sometimes I think, what if I inspire the next young girl who goes on to win a Nobel Prize or discovers the cure for cancer? The media exposure is about me trying to pay it forward- to be a positive role model for women to show them that they can achieve anything in life. Girls can’t be what they can’t see and my hope for Heartbeat, like everything I do, is that I open their eyes to the possibilities of their success.

DN: You’re married with two children… Tell us, how is this all possible? - And, What’s next? (e.g., where do you go from here?)

KM: I think when you spend your days seeing people die who should have lived and people live who you thought would surely die, you realize that any outcome in life is possible.

I am a big believer that anything is possible if you put your heart and your mind to it. It isn’t easy, but it certainly is possible to lead a full life that you find personally fulfilling. A useful life is all I ever wanted to lead. To be useful to others and to myself.

As for what’s next, I hope it plays out like this: And she lived happily ever after…

Malibubeachpilates.com @malibubeachpilates

COVER FEATURE

HEART OF GOLD

By DIANA NICHOLSON

PHOTOS By KEITH CARLSEN

Kelly Meyer; ocean lover, philanthropist, overall amazing human and beloved Malibu local.

When she’s not busy donating her time to multiple charities or producing for TV, she’s always up for a life changing, world altering experience which usually leads to making the world a better place.

On any given day, although Kelly’s usually immersed in worthy causes, you still might be able to catch a quick glimpse of her driving her Ford bio-diesel truck on PCH with a surfboard on top, at the ready to soak up the sun and local surf.

What drives her you might ask? The Local Malibu was able to catch a few precious moments with Kelly to find out what passions she is focused on now...

DN: You have a history of philanthropic work in the environment, health initiatives and education. What are the programs you’re most passionate about now?

KM: Right now I am focused on The Teaching Gardens. It is a program I founded that was adopted by the American Heart Association. We plant school gardens in vulnerable communities across the country. We teach kids about health and talk about the environment using a 3D garden classroom. The environment and a healthy body/mind/spirit is what I am most passionate about – I feel they are inextricably linked.

DN: You’re executive producing “Heartbeat” on NBC. How did you decide to help bring this show to life?

KM: I was fortunate to meet Dr. Magliato, one of the very few female cardio thoracic surgeons through my friends Susan and Eric Carlson who helped me launch AHA The Teaching Gardens. After experiencing this dynamic, witty, tall, beautiful and smart heart surgeon – we all felt this real life story of a strong woman prevailing in a man’s world while juggling a family and a career, would make a powerful and entertaining medical drama. The treatment written by show runner Jill Gordon really captured the essence of her character and we were lucky enough to shoot a pilot and get picked up. I still can’t quite believe it all happened but I guess I can thank the gardens for ultimately bringing us all together.

DN: What was it like when you first met Dr. Kathy Magliato?

KM: In awe… I mean she can open up your chest, take your heart out and put a new one in…. and she also drives carpool. What else can I say???

DN: You’re incredibly active, a surfer, standup paddle boarder, yoga devotee, tri-athlete, hiker, mother and wife. How do you balance all this with all the projects you give your time and energy to?

KM: In the words of Muhammed Ali, “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” Getting to balance all those fun things is a BLESSING!!! I am incredibly grateful that I have the time and energy to be of service in any of the very small ways that I can.

DN: What can you share with our readers that inspires your ability to juggle an incredibly diverse yet balanced life?

KM: My family and my friends are my inspiration…and seeing kids excited by planting a seed for the first time and witnessing healthy food grow from that tiny seed that they nurtured. That brings me great joy.

DN: You’re a Malibu local, yet global in your thinking, and in your action, including an initiative with the First Lady, Michele Obama. What can our readers do to adopt and support your initiatives?

KM: Follow AHA Teaching Gardens or our AHA Community Garden – volunteer, sponsor a garden, plant a garden – commit to healthy eating! I was inspired by Michelle Obama – but never really worked with her. I did get to visit the beautiful garden she planted at the white house and work with Sam Kass who headed up Let’s Move, her wonderful health initiative. I am so thrilled that she chose to highlight health for our children as The First Lady.

Take Action: www.gradesofgreen.org/biography/kelly-meyer

WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN: Kelly Meyer and Kathy Magliato have developed a close friendship through the process of creating the NBC show Heartbeat and continue to nurture that bond. A beautiful expression of how powerful women can work together to make a difference. Photos by Keith Carlsen

LIFESTYLE

SIERRA CLUB CLAIMS:

By STEVE WOODS

THE WRONG WAY TO GET HOUSING

What is Trailer Bill 707 and what could it mean for Malibu and our coast? Governor Brown has proposed a By-Right plan that circumvents permitting requirements in order to allow for low-level affordable housing. In doing so, undermines both CEQA and the Coastal Act, while most likely not achieving the goal of actually increasing affordable housing.The Coastal Act was passed as a result of a public initiative as a statement that the citizens of California demand strong protections for the coast. The Sierra Club is sounding the alarm and may help explain the uproar in the environmental community who claim that Governor seems to be encouraging the ouster of environmental members of the Coastal Commission like Executive Director Charles Lester and stacking the commission with pro development appointees. Could this bill help explain the shift of balance in the Coastal Commission?

The Governor’s housing plan involves bypassing environmental protections to let developers run roughshod over local governments and the public. “By-right” development policies proposed in Trailer Bill 707 remove the rights of people to get information about the impacts of development proposed in their neighborhoods. They also will erode coastal protections that are designed to ensure that the coast that belongs to all of us doesn’t get taken by the few.

The Governor’s proposed by-right plan won’t solve the housing crisis, and it actually incentivizes gentrification. The plan allows as few as 5% of units of a new development to be affordable, making it a profitable move to demolish any existing housing and put in new expensive condos with only one or two affordable units. There is no limit on the size of the development that would qualify for this by-right status, and no strong requirements to prevent this law from being used to advance sprawl.

The Sierra Club and our environmental allies have sent a letter to Senate and Assembly leadership demanding this trailer bill not become the law. Environmentalist and retired Coastal Coastal Commissioner Sara Wan will be sending the below letter to the Governor, Senate President Pro Tem, Speaker of the Assembly and Senator Mark Leno, Chair of Senate Budget Committee.

This letter is for groups to sign on to.

On behalf of the organizations listed below we are writing in strong opposition to the budgettrailer language of Trailer Bill 707, that circumvents permitting requirements in order to allow for low-level affordable housing. In so doing, it undermines both CEQA and the Coastal Act, while most likely not achieving the goal of actually increasing affordable housing.

The Coastal Act was passed as a result of a public initiative as a statement that the citizens of California demand strong protections for the coast. The language of the bill eliminates the intent and purpose of the Coastal Act. It provides for no public input, and no review of issues of paramount importance under the Coastal Act- public access, public views, sensitive habitat, wetlands, coastal agricultural lands, and hazards including tsunamis. Sea walls and otherarmoring of the beach and bluffs would be an automatic right. Such devices eventually result in the loss of the beach. As a result the State could lose many of its most important beaches. Wetlands will be lost because the bill uses federal criteria for defining wetlands rather than the State criteria which more appropriately apply to the types of wetlands found in coastal California, particularly Southern California. The bill will also result in the loss of coastal agricultural land, so important to some of this State’s most unique food products, by substituting the federal definition of “prime Agricultural land” for the more protective standards of the Coastal Act. Loss of wetlands, habitat and coastal agricultural lands are critically important to a sustainable future for this State. In addition, preventing the public from accessing its beaches and ocean waters, contrary to the State’s constitutional requirement for such access, will not only deprive those very same citizens whose housing you are attempting to provide of the ability to enjoy, it will deprive all citizens and visitors alike the ability to enjoy our beaches. So, in exchange for providing a few units of affordable housing residentially zoned oceanfront property on 1,100 miles of our coast, plus lakes, including Lake Tahoe, and all rivers, streams, estuaries, etc. could be developed with residential housing that does not have to comply with CEQA or the Coastal Act. While the bill is supposed to be designed to encourage affordable housing, it will provide very little. In some cases, where local jurisdictions have required great percentages to take advantage of density bonuses, resulting in the reduction of the amount of affordable housing. What it will do is allow large, dense housing projects to be approved “by-right”. By-right means no Coastal Commission review, no local jurisdiction review, no public hearings, no environmental analysis or mitigations for any impacts and no opportunity to place conditions on bad projects to make them better. It would completely over-ride both CEQA and the Coastal Act for multi-family housing project of any size. Permits for ocean-front luxury condominiums would be given over the counter.

This bill is not the answer to the important issue of the need for affordable housing. Dealing with this issue rightly should go through the regular channels of the various policy committees so that the right solution can be found instead of, as the L.A. Times has stated, taking a “sledge hammer” to it.

We ask that you deny this bill. If however, some version of it is approved we ask that the approval include a statement that: Nothing in this section shall be construed to relieve the public agency from complying with the California Coastal Act. Online petition: https://sierra.secure.force.com/actions/California?actionId=AR0045100

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LIFESTYLE SIX OCEAN APPROVED SUNSCREENS

By DIANA NICHOLSON

CHEMICAL FILLED FORMULAS ARE KILLING OUR CORAL REEFS. MAKE THE SWITCH TO SAFER SUNSCREENS - TO SAVE YOUR SKIN AND OUR OCEANS!

BEAUTYCOUNTER ALL OVER SUNSCREEN: Created with the entire family in mind, this lightweight, water-resistant sunscreen is formulated with non-nano zinc oxide, so it blends seamlessly into skin without leaving white streaks, protecting you against both UVA and UVB rays. Aloe helps hydrate skin, while antioxidant-rich green tea and blood orange extracts fight free radicals. $32, beautycounter.com

The sunscreen you lather on before you jump in the ocean, protects your body, but new studies find that some of the ingredients in them may also be killing plankton, and coral reefs globally. Make no mistake - I am all for sunscreen. However, be informed that even some of the best sunscreens could potentially be harmful to your body and marine life.

Two of the least harmful ingredient’s to look for in your sunscreen are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, physical blockers, and the only ingredient’s you need for excellent broad-spectrum protection.

Chemical sunscreen ingredients feel and look better on the skin… while physical sunscreens (mineral based) tend to sink into skin readily and dry clear. There’s some evidence that chemical sunscreen ingredients disrupt hormones and could be killing coral reefs--Oxybenzone (a chemical sunscreen ingredient), probably the most notorious UV filter was approved by the FDA in 1978, it’s a member of the phenol family that has become so prevalent, a new study finds that a single drop in a small area is all it takes for the chemicals in the lotion to mount an attack on the ocean’s eco-systems.

Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients: paraben, cinnamate, benzophenone, and a camphor derivative can awaken dormant viruses that live inside reef-building coral species. The chemicals cause the viruses to replicate until their algae hosts explode, spilling viruses into the surrounding seawater where they can infect neighboring coral communities.

Coral reefs are home to a quarter of the oceans marine life and are an important line of defense against storms for coastal population. But they’re rapidly disappearing.

Over the past 30 years the world’s oceans have lost half of their coral reefs. Efforts to rebuild coral reefs are under way but they won’t work if toxic chemicals like oxybenzone and other personal hygiene products continue to leach into these ecosystems. An ecological nightmare!

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We recommend using “reef friendly” sunscreen to protect the skin from the sun.

Certain foods may assist with protection against sun damage. The most prominent carotenoids that improved skin tones were beta-carotenes and lycopene’s. Fruits and vegetables containing these anti-oxidants are: Carrots, Mangos, Sweet Potatoes, Pumpkins, Red & Yellow Peppers, Tomatoes, Watermelon, Pink Grapefruit, Apricots, Peaches, Spinach, Papaya, and Guava.

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LIFESTYLE

THE POWER OF PLANT BASED THE VEGAN DIET IS NOT JUST A FAD, IT’S A MOVEMENT THAT IS CHANGING THE FACE OF THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY.

BY FRANCO SIMPLICIO, OWNER OF THE SUNSET RESTAURANT & BEACH BAR Although the vegan and vegetarian diet has become somewhat of a cultural revolution of late, and is changing the restaurant industry as a whole, vegetarianism has actually been around for centuries, dating back to a time before recorded history.

Contrary to popular belief, many anthropologists believe that early humans primarily ate plant foods, being more gatherers than hunters.

Up until the 1900’s, Americans ate far less meat than they eat today. The cost of meat was prohibitive, refrigeration was scarce and distribution was challenging.

Things changed dramatically with the coming of the industrial revolution.

Vegetarianism got a big boost in 1971 from Frances Moore Lappe’s book “Diet For A Small Planet.” In the mid 80’s, John Robbins’ book “Diet For A New America” launched the vegan movement and introduced the world to the massive environmental consequences of animal agriculture.

In the 90’s, the American Dietetic Association published a paper endorsing vegetarian diets, and the rest is history.

The Veggie Burger is one of two options for a meat free burger on the menu.

Today’s acceptance of vegetarianism is at an all time high. We now know that a vegetarian diet improves your general health, reduces your environmental footprint (more than a Tesla and for less money) and greatly lessens the suffering of animals.

Are we becoming a vegan nation? Hardly. However, Israel may soon become the first vegan nation. Approximately 1 million of the 8 million Israelis no longer eat meat, and another 13% are considering going either vegan or vegetarian.

We restauranteurs are increasing the percentage of vegan/vegetarian dishes on our menus to satisfy this demand.

We have just added a whole new selection of vegetarian and vegan options at The Sunset Restaurant. Come in and enjoy a meat free meal with us!

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www.5958paseocyn.com Santa Barbara inspired home surrounded by lush tropical landscaping, swimming pool, panoramic views, and decks throughout. Drive up a private driveway to your own turnkey paradise, which has been modeled after beach resorts from Southeast Asia. The interior features a dynamic use of architectural high beam ceilings and insets throughout.

The Clive Christian style kitchen feels more like a dining room, where appliances, including a Viking Stove, and a SubZero refrigerator, are hidden and are not the center of attention. A huge porcelain soaking tub is the center of the master bath, which is also includes detailed Italian marble flooring and shower. An extra 400 square foot room with it’s own entrance offers an opportunity for a work studio or screening room. This property includes access to a private beach club and tennis courts, and is walking distance to the new Trancas Shopping Center.

“Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are registered (or unregistered) service marks used with permission. Operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Real estate agents affiliated with Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. are independent contractor sales associates and are not employees of Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc.”

LIFESTYLE Crystals have been here since the beginning. They are an intricate key in the wellbeing of our planet, as are the wind, the water, the bees, the trees and the sun.

Many people like crystals for their beauty or their apparent healing properties, while others roll their eyes at the idea of a “rock” being anything more than an insignificant piece of matter.

It may surprise you to learn that crystals are actually alive. Nikola Tesla was quoted as saying, “In a crystal we have clear evidence of the existence of a formative life principle, and though we cannot understand the life of a crystal, it is nonetheless a living being.”

Consider the relevance of liquid crystal displays used in virtually every media-viewing device today: radios, computers, watches, cell phones…it is the living nature of crystals that allows these devices to exist and to do what they do.

Marcel Vogel, a world-renowned scientist, discovered that crystals are literally able to receive and send both human thoughts and emotions. (This is actually scientifically proven!) I am hoping that you find this extraordinary, because what we all take for granted is one of nature’s best-kept secrets. It is safe to say that crystals are far more than what we humans give them credit for and that we are just beginning to grasp what these 2 hundred million-year-old crystal “life forms” have to share with us.

Crystals communicate through frequency and vibration. The principle characteristic of a crystal is structural order. As a living organism, it strives to align the planet and every living part of it. Order is regularity, it is predictability, it is consistency, it is purity. In short, order is harmonious.

CRYSTAL

BLUE PERSUASION

BY MARIE KNOOS

A core objective of most healing techniques is to maintain harmony. The vibration of crystals produces a cleansing and balancing energy that is in perfect alignment with the planet’s frequency. This is why crystals have been widely used in so many healing modalities throughout the ages.

In Feng Shui, stones are representational of the ‘center of the universe’. Placing stones in the middle of rooms or homes is for balance, grounding, and to represent what our lives revolve around. The physical effects of having them in close proximity is literally amazing.

Natural crystals can hold a ‘program’, which means a thought pattern, and continue to replay that thought pattern for eternity unless someone erases the program. So you can imagine how important it is to clear your own crystals and jewelry of the random energies that have “downloaded” into them.

Like everything in nature, they too require a hygienic process to maintain their core competency cleansing. Mother nature washes her crystals with the beautiful blue waves and her cleansing rain.

We can cleanse ours by placing them under running water for a few minutes and then putting them outside in the sunlight, preferably on the ground, for about 24 hours to realign with the natural elements.

There are so many incredible types of crystals. Here are some wonderful ones, to name just a few: Black Tourmaline A protective stone, which repels and blocks negative energies.

It aids in the removal of negative energies within a person or a space. It helps to reduce fears, obsessions and panic. Cleanses, purifies, and transforms dense energy into a lighter vibration and assists in diminishing EMF fields.

Rose Quartz For love, beauty and youth. It heals the heart and is gentle and sweet in its energy. Soothing, peaceful and great for the complexion. Brightens the mood. Warmth, compassion, joy, and healing.

Helps clear stored anger, resentment, guilt, fear, jealousy. Reduces stress and tension, cools hot tempers. Enhances self-confidence and creativity.

Amethyst A meditative and calming stone which promotes calm, balance, and peace. It is an excellent all-purpose stone that can increase spirituality and enhance intuition. Purification and regeneration on all levels of consciousness. Transmutes one’s lower nature into the more highly refined aspects of their higher potentials. Cuts through illusion. Enhances psychic abilities. Excellent for meditation.

Calming. Strong protective qualities. Great stone to sleep by because it enhances the dream state.

Clear Quartz Enhances the crystalline properties of blood, body and mind. Emotions balancer. Stimulates brain functions. Amplifies thought forms. Its full spectrum of energy activates all levels of consciousness.

Dispels negativity in one’s energy field and on environment. Receives, activates, transmits and amplifies energy…so do not have this in your bedroom as it can literally keep you awake! Great in an office where you need to get work done.

Citrine Good for kidneys, colon, liver, gall bladder, digestive organs and heart. Tissue regeneration. Detoxifies physical, mental and emotional bodies. Enhances bodies healing energy. Diminishes self - destructive tendencies. Raises self- esteem. Powerful alignment with higher self. Light-heartedness, cheerfulness, hope. Warming, energizing. Attracts abundance.

It is no accident that the uplifting and balancing experience of spending time bare-footed on a beach, whether you get in the water or not, is as tangible and refreshing as a cool breeze against your skin. Makes sense, when you consider that you are standing on billions of tiny crystals that we call sand. Like most things in nature, it’s really just that simple.

For more information on feng shui or crystals, Email: DevOceanDesign@aol.com Website: DevOceanDesign.com To find high quality crystals listed above that are not dyed, treated, or radiated (like so many sadly are), my favorite crystal source is right here in Malibu…they are open by appointment only just north of Trancas.

Belo Horizonte: Bob Strickland…310-457-1725 www.beloquartz.com

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