Issue 42 Malibu Is ANEW!

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HUMALIWU:

MALIBU IS ANEW CHUMASH CEREMONIAL ELDER

MATI WAIYA

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Photo of Chumash Ceremonial Elder, Mati Waiya by Cece Woods

As we welcome in a new year, we look back to a historical local election and look forward to the first official City Council meeting with a pro-preservation majority.

The swearing-in of the new council members was historical, much like our local election. The community showed up to City Hall, just like they did to their local polling stations, to witness Chumash Ceremonial Elder Mati Waiya and his wife Luhui Isha swear in top vote-getter Rick Mullen. Mullen interviews Waiya for our cover story and talks about the significance of why he chose “Malibu’s First People” to help usher in this new era for Malibu.

ON THE COVER:

MATI WAIYA

CHUMASH CEREMONIAL ELDER

Mullen, who takes to the dais on Jan. 11th as one of three new council members along with Skylar Peak and Jefferson Wagner, also addresses the political sea change in Malibu’s Council election with Malibu Community Action Network’s Cynthia Kesselman.

There are many other significant stories impacting Malibu at the start of the new year, some of which we share in this issue, and many more we anticipate to share with you in the future.

COVER PHOTO BY: MARSHALL MULLEN

ISSUE 42 JAN. 2017

Welcome 2017, Malibu is ANEW! - Cece Woods, Editor in Chief

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LOCAL

THE FIRST MEETING WITH THE NEW, PRO-PRESERVATION COUNCIL MAJORITY IS JAN.11, 2017

A NEW CITY COUNCIL

OBSERVED

BY SAM HALL KAPLAN

With a new majority taking control of the City Council, dedicated to a more transparent and responsive city hall, you have to be optimistic that the days of we-know-best backroom politics has ended in Malibu, at least for the next few months.

The political consortium of the experienced former Mayor Jefferson Wagner, the battle tested local fire captain, Rick Mullen, and, we hope, a more attentive Skylar Peak, meant what they said while campaigning: That they will resist the temptations of ever solicitous developers bearing gifts, a subservient staff and the perks of city office, to protect and preserve Malibu’s singular seacoast charm.

But as much as I admire the slate -- you have to cut them a little slack for going through the trials and tribulations, nay the embarrassments, of a local election –you also must be concerned. The experiences of an octogenarian journalist have taught me to temper hope.

Team Malibu 2016; Rick Mullen, Jefferson Wagner and Skylar Peak, celebrate with a toast after the swearing in ceremony on November 12th, 2016 at Malibu City Hall.

How else could you put into perspective the election of Obama followed by the election of Trump, of Kennedy and Johnson, followed by Nixon?

And meanwhile, in our misanthropic Malibu, I sadly note that many talk the talk of the city’s enlightened mission statement, but walk the walk of the Notin-my- backyard crowd, or like Simple Simon simply follow the direction of friends and special interests, seemingly oblivious to their hypocrisies.

Indeed, I am haunted by the observation of Malibu’s respected first mayor, Walt Keller, when reviewing the parade of politicians that followed him, and have held office, declared something happens to them.

“It’s really strange, “ he said at a council meeting earlier this year marking the city’s 25th anniversary, and to me later. The ex-mayor explained that it has been his view that once elected and taking a seat on the dais, they all of a sudden think they know everything, and stop listening as they should be doing, and start talking too much. And of course, the city suffers.

Skylar Peak ran for a second term this election and came in third place. Peak chose son Theo to swear him into council.

This prompts me to suggest that perhaps we should direct council members, and the critical commissioners they are to appoint, and also reappoint, to hold their remarks at public meetings to 3 minutes. After all, that is what they restrict those who testify at City Hall hearings to do, and then they expect the audience to sit through their ramblings.

The self-aggrandizements, the exchanging of plaques and platitudes of politicians, call for some sort of controls, a timekeeper, a sergeant at arms, or someone with an itchy finger on a foghorn.

Also needed is an inspector general, or an ombudsman. Indeed, now that a curtain has been lifted at City Hall, certainly someone to review some of the actions of the past councils, and how Malibu might have been compromised by former council members and staff.

As residents we have high hopes for the new council, but as observers we must remain vigilant. Our fragile Malibu demands it.

Skylar Peak holding daughter Dusty, with fiancée Janet and daughter Uma and son Theo.

Jefferson”Zuma Jay” Wagner and his beautiful daughter Ava after swearing in Wagner for his second term.

Rick Mullen, the top vote getter with 3888 votes, was the first to be sworn in choosing Chumash Ceremonial Elder Mati Waiya and his wife Luhui Isha to perform the ceremony.

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OPINION

STATS A FACT!

BY CECE WOODS and LORI JACOBUS

If there is one clear result from November’s Malibu’s City Council Election, it is that Team Malibu 2016, consisting of Rick Mullen, Jefferson Wagner, and Skylar Peak, won by a landslide - thanks to the efforts of Malibu’s voting public who overwhelming voted to slow down development.

However, if you read the Malibu Times headline the morning following the election, the results were obviously subject to whatever spin the publication wanted to put on it, which leads us to ask...are facts even facts to The Times anymore? Or was this publisher Arnold York’s way of continuing to push the Machine’s agenda by casting doubt on Team Malibu 2016’s monumental victory? Are we living in some bizarre world where facts don’t matter anymore and we take advantage of the “if you print it, it must be true” mindset?

Regardless of the agenda, the facts were not reported properly, which is not only a disservice to the Malibu community, but a seemingly part of the “fake news” phenomenon happening nationally. The Times went so far as to title the City Council Race article the day after the election “Too Close to Call”, even though Mullen, Wagner, and Peak were already the top vote getters (23.9%, 22.9%, and 19.7% respectively) with 6 of ten precincts reporting and vote by mail ballots reported as well.

ARE FACTS EVEN FACTS TO THE MALIBU TIMES ANYMORE?

Malibu Times reporter Emily Sawicki used outdated stats in Dec. 14th article reporting on the swearing in of Skylar Peak, Rick Mullen and Jefferson Wagner, significantly shorting the community of the final vote count which reflected what a historical election this was for Malibu.

“Too close to call”?

Was there something more important going on that prevented the Times from reporting the clear results of the local election that everyone else seemed to know? Why there was no editorial from Arnold York (who was clearly despondent over the results of the National election) acknowledging this historical local victory? Isn’t the name of the paper the “Malibu” Times and not the “USA” Times?

In the Dec. 19th issue, The Malibu Times again reported inaccurate and unofficial final vote countsin the recap of the swearing in ceremony of the new City Council members.

The totals were off by more than 35% of the official election results certified on Dec. 12th readily available online. In the December 27th issue of The Local we reported the most up to date totals available online at lavote.net.

It’s one thing not to celebrate this monumental victory, especially when the Times endorsed pro-development candidate Laureen Sills over top vote-getter and champion of Malibu’s Mission Statement, Rick Mullen, but to blatantly delegitimize the historical value of voter turnout is lacking in journalistic integrity for any news outlet.

Robbing the community of the significance of the pro-environmental Team winning by such large margins against the pro-development candidates, undermines faith in the integrity of democracy itself, and is a slap in the face to the very community that has done so much to support The Malibu Times. Arnold York’s editorials these days are almost exclusively about National politics and the Presidential election with little to no mention of local issues.

Earth to Arnold: you are a local newspaper not a national publication. While you were working yourself into a lather over the Presidential election, there was a monumental political sea change right here in Malibu.

In the Nov. 28th issue of The Local we researched the most up to date vote count in Sam hall Kaplan’s article reporting on the record turnout of Malibu voters.

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LOCAL

HLIFE U ISMANEW A INLMALIBU I W U:

BY RICK MULLEN

The Chumash people’s history goes back 13,000 years according to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Their traditional territory was along the coast of Southern California from Malibu in the south to Paso Robles in the north. They settled in three different types of areas: the coastal areas like Malibu and Santa Barbara, the inner valleys and plains, like the Santa Ynez Valley and on the Channel Islands.

At the time of the Spanish Explorer Juan Cabrillo’s first arrival in 1542, which marked the first interaction with Europeans, there were about 150 Chumash Villages. Cabrillo’s visit with his two ships landing on the California Coast from Mexico led to the Spanish Government laying claim to the area. But it would be another 230 years before the Spanish would return to establish their Missions and to disrupt the lives of the Chumash on a large and irreversible scale.

Because of the gentle Mediterranean Climate and abundance of seafood, and land animals the Chumash thrived along Southern California. During the earliest period from 13,000 to 8,500 years ago the sea level was about 150 feet lower and the climate supported large pine forests with more abundant water supplies. There may have even been pygmy mammoths during this period and the distance to the Channel Islands from the mainland was less than it is today. Historical Sites exist on Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Many coastal sites have since been submerged as the sea level rose after the end of the ice age.

Mati Waiya performs a traditional Chumash swearing in and oath for new City Council Candidate Rick Mullen.

There exists more evidence of Chumash inhabitants during the period of 8,500 to 6,500 years ago. During this period millstones were used to grind acorns and seeds. The climate was much wetter during this period. This may well have been the apex of a benign climate with a greater presence of water. This period was followed by a drier, more arid climate from 6,500 to 5,000 years ago and the population decreased significantly.

From 5,000 to 3,200 years ago an increase in innovations in tool making made hunting for larger land and sea mammals possible and the population once again increased and flourished. The Chumash were hunter-gatherers as well as fisherman in a relatively bountiful area with deer, elk, smaller mammals as well as sea otters and sea lions and fish and a benign coastal climate without bone-chilling winters.

About 2,000 years ago was the first appearance of the Tomol or plank canoe. This enabled travel along the coast as well as to the Channel Islands and increased the Chumash’s fishing range. Shell hooks and barbed harpoons were other innovations from this time frame. Later, nets were developed that enabled them to catch sardines and smaller fish. On land, acorns and seeds were milled into paste. The bow and arrow appeared about 1,500 years ago.

During this period, Chumash Villages were characterized by dome shaped homes with raised beds that could fit as many as 50 people with rooms sectioned off inside. Willow branches and whale bones reinforced the roof. Each village had a Shaman/Astrologer.

The Chumash believed that the world was in a constant state of change and that decisions about the village should only be made after consulting the charts of the stars made by the Shamans.

Rick Mullen receives his official oath of office from Mati’s wife Luhui Isha.

According to the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, Once the Spanish returned in 1769 with a land expedition led by Gaspar de Portola, a series of missions was established throughout the Chumash territory. Due primarily to the introduction of European diseases, for which the Chumash had no defenses, their population declined significantly from a pre-Spanish level of some 22,000 down to just 2,788 in 1831. As more Europeans continued into the area, the pressure on the Chumash continued up to the present day.

But for some 13,000 years before the arrival of the Spanish, the Chumash thrived in an area of unique geography with a relatively gentle climate and adequate land and ocean resources. They lived in harmony with the land, sought guidance from the heavens, and respected and were thankful for the animals and plants that sustained them. In many ways, their lives may have been relatively idyllic: a beautiful place, mild weather and plentiful resources.

In Malibu at Nicholas State Beach the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation has built a Chumash Coastal Village. It is the only one of its kind in Southern California and is situated on a beautiful coastal bluff overlooking the ocean. Standing in the village and looking out to sea, one can feel the serenity that was the Chumash’s life for 13,000 years. The spirit of those who lived along this coast is still present today. You can feel it.

Mati Waiya, Luhuiisha, Rick Mullen and his son Marshall, daughter Tatiana, and wife Jennifer after the swearing in ceremony.

I made a request of Mati Waiya, the Director of the Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation, that he swear me in as I assume my duties as a Malibu City Council Member and a representative of the present-day inhabitants of this part of the traditional Chumash homeland.

Our City is only 25 years old. People of European lineage have been in this area for 250 years. But the Chumash have been here for 13,000 years. As someone who came here 26 years ago, I feel it is my responsibility to respect those who were here before me - like my wife and her family who have been here for over 50 years - and carry on the work they and others have done to take care of Malibu. In the same fashion, on a broader time perspective, I am of European descent and feel a strong obligation to respect and honor those who came before all of us: The Chumash people. I think that we can all benefit from honoring the long history they had in this area that reaches back 10,000 years before the time of the Pharaohs of Egypt. I am deeply honored that Mati granted my request to be a part of this important ceremony. His presence illustrates the importance of our responsibilities as residents of Malibu and of my responsibilities as a civic leader.

The Chumash lived in harmony with the land and with the natural world. They were respectful of mother nature and showed humility at what was provided to them. Those are lessons we should heed. Malibu is a wondrous place because of the natural world. We are lucky that among us still roam bobcats, coyotes, owls, hawks, dolphins, whales and mountain lions. It is still here. It has changed but the spirit of the Chumash endures. If you stop for a moment on a coastal bluff, in a canyon or on the beach and open your senses – you can still feel it. I feel it. I am thankful that Mati Waiya is here to remind us and to teach us the lessons of those who went before us. I am honored by his presence at my ceremony and thankful for the blessing he bestowed upon me to guide me as I assume my responsibilities. As a representative of the people of Malibu, I will always be mindful and respectful of those who came before us, even those who came 13,000 years before us. I am thankful and humbled by what they left to us and I pledge to carry on their work looking out for the natural wonder that is Malibu.

Newly sworn in Council Members Skylar peak, Rick Mullen and Jefferson Wagner assume their positions along with Laura Rosenthal and Lou LaMonte.

LOCAL

INTRO BY ALICIA CORDERO, WISHTOYO’S FIRST NATIONS OFFICER

“Where the Surf Sounds Loudly,” Humaliwu, has been a thriving center of Chumash life for thousands of years with social, economic, and political ties to many other permanent neighboring villages. Locally these villages included Ta’lopop (partially within Malibu Creek State Park), Sumo (Point Dume), Loxostox’ni (probably at the mouth of Lechuza Canyon), Hipuk (Westlake Village), Lalimanux (base of Conejo Grade), and Huwam (El Escorpion in Bell Canyon) to name just a few. Far from isolated, these permanent villages were united by a system of traditional sea and overland trade routes.

Still an active part of Chumash maritime culture today, the sewn plank canoe was a unique technology developed by the Chumash and Tongva allowing long distance travel along coastal California and to the Channel Islands. Complex trade routes allowed the exchange of goods from far-flung locations and cultural cross-pollination up and down the coast of North America. According to Anthropologist Mikael Fauvelle of UC San Diego, “Prehispanic inhabitants of North America lived in a world that stretched from Canada to Panama. We look at the past, and we tend to think everything was local and small scale. Actually, people were traveling all over the place. And these were highly developed civilizations.” Archeologist Terry Jones of California Polytechnic State University and linguist Kathryn Klar of UC Berkeley posit that there is a Chumash-Polynesian connection evidenced by similar maritime technology and terminology.

In addition to maritime trade and travel, extensive overland indigenous trade routes crisscross California leaving a lasting legacy all the way to the present time. In fact, these pathways are the basis of many of our major highways and freeways still used today (the 1, the 99, and the 101). Even the El Camino Real, famed for connecting Spanish California’s mission system and presidios was based on pre-existing traditional native roads. These trade routes are those of a sophisticated people with reciprocal cultural exchange, a complex economy, and experience receiving visitors from other lands.

Even in such a cosmopolitan setting, Chumash people continued to maintain their sacred responsibility as caretakers of this land and these water. With over 13,000 years of successful experience tending and being sustained by California’s Central and South Coast, modern Chumash communities today work to protect and restore cultural and natural resources that have been mismanaged and mistreated in the relatively short time since modern colonial settlement.

PHOTO BY MARSHALL MULLEN

“WE HAVE THRIVED FOR MORE THAN 13,000 YEARS IN THESE BIOREGIONS BECAUSE OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BOUNTIFUL NATURAL CULTURAL RESOURCES THAT ALLOWED US TO BUILD STRONG AND HIGHLY DEVELOPED SOCIETIES.” Photo: from left; Wishtoyo Foundation Supporter Leo DiCaprio attended the winter solstice ceremony at Chumash Village Dec. 22, above; Mati Waiya performs a ceremony to celebrate the decision to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline, below; signs of support of NO DAPL at Wishtoyo Chumash Village.

A CONVERSATION WITH

MATI WAIYA CHUMASH CEREMONIAL ELDER

BY RICK MULLEN

As we start off with a new year, a new City Council and a new direction for Malibu - let’s take a moment and consider where we are in time and how Malibu got to this point. What is our deep historical heritage and how can it help guide us for the road ahead? Don’t change Malibu, let Malibu change you. We can realize that “Life is Anew” by looking around and understanding that Malibu is continually renewing itself. We can renew ourselves and our thinking too.

As I consider my responsibility as a Malibu City Council Member, I sought input from Mati Waiya. As we all consider our collective responsibility for the road ahead, his answers are helpful to frame where Malibu is in a much longer historical context than we usually consider.

RD: If you could say one thing to everyone in Malibu, what would you like to say?

MW: I would say Welcome to the ancestral home of the Chumash People.

To sustain our existence and achieve high levels of wellbeing for all people today, there is a great need for society at large to reconnect with nature by becoming aware of the value of our relationship to all life, both around us and within us.

LOCAL The Chumash have one of the most unique and advanced cultures on the continent. There is much to learn from this ancestral relationship between humankind and our Earth Mother. The earth is not simply separate collections of natural and cultural resources ready to be examined for exploitation and profit. The earth is alive! We call her Hutash. By preserving Chumash culture and applying its principals to modern life, we can address the critical environmental issues of our time. As LaDonna Brave Bull Allard say, “we must learn to live with the Earth again”…as a living, thriving, being.

Chumash People are the original caretakers of the Northern Channel Islands, Coastal California from Point Dume to Point Conception, through San Luis Obispo and inland through the Santa Ynez, San Emigdio, Sierra Madre, Santa Monica, Santa Susana Mountains and Simi Hills. We have thrived for more than 13,000 years in these bioregions because of our relationship with the bountiful natural cultural resources that allowed us to build strong and highly developed societies.

When the citizens of Malibu decided to incorporate into cityhood, I was hopeful that our sensitive natural and cultural resources would be protected because the mission statement that was drafted and adopted was generally good. It says, “Malibu will maintain its rural character by establishing programs and policies that avoid suburbanization and commercialization of its natural and cultural resources.”

I believed that the community of Malibu was on the right tract and felt the spirit and life of the land was more important than material wealth. Our hope was and is that we can work together to support the vision and mission statement of the City of Malibu as a common goal.

RM: As we all face decisions about the future of Malibu, what can we learn from the history of the Chumash?

MW: I think it’s good for people to learn about the Doctrine of Christian Discovery, manifest destiny and the Colonial impact that it has had on Indigenous Peoples throughout the United States and on the natural environment. It’s an archaic concept and practice that was issued through the Papal Bulls of Rome in the 1400s that gave instruction to Christian explorers, “conquerors,” to take the land and subdue, oppress and vanquish the people so that they could take claim as “Christians” of the natural and cultural resources from the land for the profit of Kings and Queens of Europe. They believed, as some still do, that they had the “god given right.” This practice gave way to the Genocide of Indigenous Peoples throughout Baja and Alta California through the establishment of the mission system. If the Indians could be Christianized, they might be spared. If not, they lived a life of slavery or faced death.

Okay if that’s not archaic enough for you, fast forward and look at the 19th century US Supreme Court decision in Johnson v. M’Intosh in 1823 where Chief Justice John Marshall basically said that the US inherited all the lands stolen from Native Nations and his decision in that case denied the aboriginal right of Native Nations from reclaiming what was stolen from them, favoring colonial and post-colonial governments. The “inferior” character of native cultures was his reason for the doctrine having been used, even if it was not justifiable.

Can you imagine a foreign delegation coming into Malibu via Zuma Beach, maybe by car, or some other vehicle while you’re at work? or at school? The leader sticks a flag in the ground and shouts out some kind of prayer in an unintelligible language across the sky while standing on the shore. Maybe a few scattered folk see him at a distance. But aren’t too bothered by some guy expressing his opinion. This foreign delegation, over time, becomes a ruling force and the land of Malibu falls under the dominion of some Foreign Royalty along with all its inhabitants. And you become indentured slaves working for this foreign entity that is making all the profits off of your labor? You lose the right of being a free human being, to marry who you want, to sell and or trade goods, to eat the way you are accustom and maybe…of course this is way over simplified but you get the point…

All I’m saying is that it’s good to know history so you can make sound and healthy decisions for yourself, your family, and community. Decolonizing our thinking helps to free our minds to begin living with the earth again.

RM: If you could encourage people to adopt some value or practice of the Chumash what would that be?

MW: Recognize and acknowledge that we, as Indigenous Peoples are still here. Reflect on how you are attracted to Malibu and the many generations of families that have lived here have also felt the spirit of our ancestors.

You lay your loved ones to rest on our traditional land. We have a responsibility to protect this precious place we all call home, together. Acknowledging the past gives us a way to make good decisions for the future.

RM: Tell us about the history of Wishtoyo Chumash Village.

MW: Wishtoyo Chumash Foundation was founded in 1997 as a 501c3 Not for Profit Native Led Organization. The Village is an 8,000 year old site of many generations of our people long past. Wishtoyo Chumash Village was awakened by the dreams and permission of our Grandmothers through a ceremony at the Winter Solstice ten years ago. Our Medicine Woman, Alul-koy Lotah, of the Dolphin Clan, held that ceremony to start the sacred fire. Mati Waiya and Luhui Isha have the responsibility as caretakers of the Village and tenders of the sacred fire.

RM: What kinds of activities do you have at Wishtoyo Village?

MW: We work toward preserving waterways, native and endangered species, and community environmental health. We do this through our Chumash Tribal Marine Protected Areas Program, Citizen Science Programs, restoration, outreach, advocacy and when necessary, legal action.

Educating Future Stewards at a young age is critical to preserving and protecting our community’s environment and rich culture for future generations. Wishtoyo’s education programs combine Chumash cultural history with environmental/marine science curriculum that inspires ethical and social awareness in students.

Wishtoyo also works to enhance the spiritual wellness of individuals, families, at risk youth, elders, and the community by sharing traditional beliefs and values through providing free community gatherings each year during the solstices and equinoxes. We also provide private individual and group events by appointment only.

RM: How can people help the efforts of the Wishtoyo Foundation?

MW: Know that when you protect Malibu’s natural and cultural resources, you protect the environment. The way others could help is to recognize how blessed we are to live our life where we’ve lived for thousands of years. Come to our open ceremonies or celebrations, volunteer, make a donation, schedule an event, and engage in a partnership event with us that will benefit the Malibu Community.

“EVERYTHING WAS AND STILL IS (IN OUR CULTURAL TRADITION) INEXTRICABLY LINKED THROUGH OUR RELATIONSHIP OF THE NATURAL WORLD.”

RM: Would you like to see more Chumash tradition and ceremony be a part of activities at City Hall?

MW: It would be great to see some recognition and presence of Chumash history past and present, in the lobby at the City Hall. I often wonder why there is no mention of the history of Malibu pertaining to Chumash. I find that disturbing because the name Malibu comes from one of our biggest Village name Humaliwu, where the waves sound loudly. We could all be proud to connect to the history of Chumash culture because is a part of all of our responsibility to protect it and to build on the spirit we all care about.

We would love to see Malibu city support protocols like our brothers and sisters in Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand and all Pacific Islander First Nations Peoples. I believe we would truly have a more scared way of being connected.

RM: What do you mean by protecting the environment by looking through the eyes of the ancestors?

Mati Waiya with actress Alfre Woodard at an L.A. rally against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

LOCAL MW: When I think about Humaliwu in the past and how beautiful and abundant the health of our land must have been. How sustainable systems were just a part of cultural practice while fishing, hunting, gathering, singing, dancing basket weaving, trading, and canoeing. Everything was and still is (in our cultural tradition) inextricably linked through our relationship of the natural world. So when we say to “protect the environment by looking through the eyes of the ancestors”, it means imagine, with a free mind, decolonized, living as a part of the natural environment. Living in honest relationship with the earth again, like our ancestors. Look at our world as naturally abundant again. The Hawaiians call it Aina Momona, the fat lands. In Chumash it is best said by Maria Solares: Ya ‘iyitak husiwon kakunapmawa Let us listen to the ancient song of the mystery behind the sun.

Kihu sak’ni’tox lokoi xutaxh So that you will pay attention to the voice of the earth Ka’ lo’kal’ixipsh ‘iti ‘ishup That which there is of creatures in this land Hu’am susamha sip’ entes That all we creatures of the earth may feel the powers of the sun, the spirit of this land.

-A prayer of the late Chumash Elder, Maria Solares 1842-1923 RM: What would you like to say to the City Council Members to guide them with their decision making for the future?

MW: I would ask of them to heal the past impacts to Malibu be investing in clean energy projects and represent a model for the world to see. A healthy community gives us all hope. I pray for their family and friends to support this commitment for all of the citizens of Humaliwu (Malibu).

RM: As you look at Malibu from the perspective as a Chumash Ceremonial Elder, what are your concerns?

MW: My concern is that we don’t overlook the responsibilities to protect cultural sites, sacred sites and natural cultural resources that we all care about. Another concern is that we start telling the truth to the history of the Chumash people in Humaliwu and not excuse it as if it never existed. The vision and mission of Malibu needs to be honored, that’s what the people of Malibu voted on. Honor our past and our future, together.

RM: Is there anything else you’d like to say to the people of Malibu?

MW: I would like to thank the City Council that represents the citizens of Malibu for recognizing the serious struggle at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation and for unanimously voting to adopt a resolution to Stand with Standing Rock! We just met with Dave Archambault II, Chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe on December 15th in a private meeting with Tribal Representatives, Elders, Leaders after which there was a public speakers panel at Depart Foundation with Robert Kennedy, Jr.(a new Malibu resident), Jane Fonda and LaDonna Brave Bull Allard of the Sacred Stone Camp. All of these Leaders are from different backgrounds and they are, as we are, working together to protect the Water, Protect Life! He’l’o’kal Antikič - Water is Life!

With respect to all, Mati Waiya

CCC SLAPS HUGE FINE

BY MARI STANLEY

THE COASTAL COMMISSION SETS A PRECEDENT, WILL THERE BE MORE TO FOLLOW?

If the Coastal Commission wanted to send a message to Malibu about keeping the State’s public beaches public, it certainly did so by recently slapping $5.1 million in fines to local property owners. The recent ruling by the CCC also sent a less obtrusive message to Malibu’s short term rentals (think Airbnb and VRBO); cease promoting the beaches for private use - specifically short term rentals.

The majority of news outlets picked up the press release and ran with it. We reached out to the Pacific Legal Foundation to question the sum of the fine against the Lents given that the CCC staff had recommended a much smaller sum - less than $1M - with substantiating information as to how the sum was reached. The Commissioners themselves raised the fine to a whopping $4.2M, that action itself is questionable and prompted us to contact attorney Jeremy Talcott of PLF, who provided these statements to The Local exclusively – ‘“The enforcement power given to the Coastal Commission is a limited one—it only allows penalties when homeowners have blocked coastal access. Here, the fact is that there is no true access because the Coastal Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority have never taken the steps necessary to allow beach access. Levying such a large and punitive fine under these circumstances certainly raises constitutional concerns.”

It could be argued that the Coastal Commissioners have stretched far beyond their jurisdiction in ignoring the staff reports detailing their findings of a figure deemed appropriate for the claimed actions against the Public Access efforts. Are the Commissioners ready to defend their votes in this arena where they’ve garnered so much public interest? There are many watching to see how the Commissioners handled the recent charges of being too cozy and accepting favors/ gifts/in-kind services from developer interests ,but now those voices are raising the spectre of this press release as being a fundraising opportunity. That aspect was also presented to Jeremy Talcott and his response provides further insight to those concerns: “In many ways, it appears that the Commission is using these enforcement actions as a way to raise the funds needed to open public access points that the Coastal Conservancy and MRCA have never properly opened. This unfairly punishes individual landowners for past government failures. If the State of California wants to open these access points, those costs should be borne by the public as a whole, not individuals like the Lents and the Manis.”

“The Coastal Commission was established and funded with the goal of opening the access ways identified at that time, however, the reality is there is a ‘missing link’ in the process in that demanding a property owner “take down a wall” presents a serious conflict that the CCC has never attempted to resolve. We can’t expect the private property owners to simply go out and open their property up without full assurances that the State is liable for that stretch of land. If the Lents had abided by the demands of the CCC and removed the gate, they would have been placed in a nightmare of liability,as the State of CA does not assume ownership of that access and provide the insurance riders. It is highly inappropriate for the CCC to demand actions from a private property owner to benefit the public at their own expense while the State receives all credit and benefits resulting from that action. In the specific Lent case, the property also has a 20 ft. drop to the sand. Removing the gate could have brought another form of headache to the Lents in the form of charges of endangering Public Safety, if not lawsuits from injured individuals assuming they had clear access to the sand by the claims of the Coastal Commission…and those individuals could also sue the City of Malibu and add legal costs to our own expenses.”

The largest of the two fines targeted Dr. Warren M. Lent and his wife, Henny, who rent out a home at 20802 Pacific Coast Highway.

Photo: Coastal Commission.

A gate on the Lent property blocks public access to the beach in Malibu. Photo: californiacoastline.org

The second action was brought against Simon and Daniel Mani who purchased the Malibu Inn encumbered with the deed restriction obtained by Geffen/Katzenberg for the construction project they engaged and completed. They effectively bought a burdened property in seeking new development on the property (the Mani brothers are seeking to remove the requirement of on-site parking in order to construct a pool, directing parking across the street on another property with valet service to and from the hotel.) Now the CCC wants the Mani partnership to do what they were unable to get the original owners – who agreed to the terms – to finalize. Why is it that the CCC is unable to complete the access program with the original permit holders who agreed to the public access in order to obtain a building permit? Why won’t the CCC close the gap that retards the remaining access ways from opening - fulfilling the voter intent of the Coastal Act? What we do know at this moment is the decisions may be appealed, and a costly fight for all will ensue. It’s high time that we demand from the Coastal Commission a full accounting of the Violation Remediation Account given that the figures found haven’t been updated since 2011. Those figures show the majority of funds collected from enforcement actions are from the Southern Region, BUT the funds expended from that account to purchase property for access, or to maintain access, are disproportionately directed to the Northern and Central regions that the CCC oversees. If the funding is a result of so-termed violations reducing public access in So Cal, the funds to achieve public access most assuredly should be spent in that region, or at the least, equally distributed throughout the state so that all residents enjoy the fruit of the public monies consumed by the California Coastal Commission.

Whatever the outcome, and the time and money it takes to get there, we must demand greater transparency, and that the CCC adhere to its own mission statement of protecting and enhancing the California Coast through careful planning and regulation of environmentally-sustainable development, rigorous use of science, strong public participation, education and effective intergovernmental coordination. With the recent resignations of Governor appointed commissioners Mitchell and McClure, it seems a tune up at the CCC may be in short order.

ENVIRONMENT THE

WATERMARCH

BY JAMES HALL

“Mni Wiconi! Mni Wiconi!”

“Water is Life,” the water protectors chanted on the front lines of the Backwater Bridge at Standing Rock in blizzard conditions. The frigid cold topped out at a bone chilling 10 degrees Fahrenheit and had frozen the lenses of our camera equipment. The thousands of veterans from every branch of military and thousands of water protectors stood together : unfazed, unafraid and united. Veterans from all over the country had answered the call put out by former Army Lieutenant Wesley Clark Jr., and former Marine and retired Baltimore cop, Michael Wood,Jr. The post on their GoFundMe account of Veterans for Standing Rock stated, “We are calling for our fellow veterans to assemble as a peaceful, unarmed militia at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation on Dec 4-7 and defend the water protectors from assault and intimidation at the hands of the militarized police force and DAPL security.” Their account has since raised over $1.1 million to support the logistics and accommodations of 2,000 veterans for the weekend of Dec 4th-7th. An additional 2,000 veterans would show up on their own recognizance to a total number of approximately 4,000 veterans.

It is an extremely rare event in history to see veterans coming together in such a large, cohesive group to be part of a protest, or in this case, protect the water protector’s right to protest. Outside of the Bonus Army March of 1932, where 17,000 veterans marched on Washington, and the Vietnam era protests, this country hasn’t seen this many veterans engaging in a protest of this size in 40 years. We were looking to find individual stories of veterans and why they were willing to stand in the middle of very hostile and violent clashes between water protectors and the security, police, and National Guard response of guarding the North Dakota Access Pipeline.

One of the first veterans that we talked to, and who had been wounded four times in Iraq and was medically discharged, had this to say:

Veterans March to Backwater Bridge - Photo Jennifer Burbridge It is an extremely rare event in history to see veterans coming together in such a large, cohesive group to be part of a protest, or in this case, protect the water protector’s right to protest. Outside of the Bonus Army March of 1932, where 17,000 veterans marched on Washington, and the Vietnam era protests, this country hasn’t seen this many veterans engaging in a protest of this size in 40 years. We were looking to find individual stories of veterans and why they were willing to stand in the middle of very hostile and violent clashes between water protectors and the security, police, and National Guard response of guarding the North Dakota Access Pipeline.

One of the first veterans that we talked to, and who had been wounded four times in Iraq and was medically discharged, had this to say: “The reason that I came out here was because when I saw the water cannons being used, I couldn’t believe that it was being done to our own people. You know, if we had done that to Iraq detainees, then it would have been all over the world news, and outrage, and we’d have been in jail, but it’s happening to our own people and nobody’s really saying much about it, so I came out here to support these guys.” -Iraq War Veteran “We’ll see how they feel about shooting at real soldiers, you know. This time we actually got combat experience.” -Vietnam War Veteran “As a veteran and as a human, I hold myself to a different standard. Regardless of the situation, peacekeeping and looking after others welfare is always my objective. My brothers and sisters in arms make sacrifices and are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for there to be disagreements but never violence in the world.” Francisco Munoz, Corporal, U.S. Marine Corps 2009-2014.

Open Campaign founder James Hall on Media/Facebook Hill Photo Jennifer Burbridge

Mess Hall for Veterans and Water Protectors - Photo: Jennifer Burbridge

All the veterans that we met had traveled by any means possible to get to Standing Rock and to do what they do best: serve and protect the citizens of their country.

Every veteran we met was doing his part to help, such as directing traffic, building teepees, and offloading trucks full of food and supplies that had been donated from across the country. Each veteran that we met said the same thing, “We are here to help.” There are few times in history when the significance of a few has such an impact; Standing Rock is one of them. Over 200+ indigenous tribes that have been warring for over 500 years were standing in unity to protest the development of this corporate pipeline through their treaty lands. It was also one of the first times that such a large number of non-natives allied themselves with the natives to help protect them. The families of Sioux nation have born the brunt of the protest efforts, but the veterans brought a breath of fresh air. On Dec 4th spirits were high at the Oceti Sakowin (Seven Fires Council) camp when the announcement came across that the Army Corp of Engineers had denied the permits to run the pipeline under the Lake Oahe part of the Missouri River. Jubilation broke out in the camp, which ironically the North Dakota Governor Jack Dalrymple and the Army Corps of Engineers had ordered evacuated on Dec 5th. Victory spread throughout the camp and water protectors rejoiced, but there was an ominous blizzard impending, which most people were unprepared for.

ENVIRONMENT Entrance to Oceti Sakowin Camp - Photo: Jennifer Burbridge

“WE’LL SEE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT SHOOTING AT REAL SOLDIERS, YOU KNOW. THIS TIME WE ACTUALLY GOT COMBAT EXPERIENCE” -VIETNAM WAR VETERAN

With the injection of 4,000 veterans, other water protectors, and the media, the Oceti Sakowin Camp swelled by the thousands overnight. With a lack of communication, both technologically, internally, and a harsh blizzard impending, things were about to spiral out of control. As the storm began to settle in, so did the chaos. Cars were sliding out of control down Facebook Hill (media hill) and the roads were becoming too icy to drive on. Getting in and out of camp became a challenge in of its own. A local reporter from the Bismarck Tribune made an abrupt introduction as his all-wheel-drive SUV slid down the hill and came to rest on the front bumper of my truck. On the way back to the Prairie Knights Casino, abandoned cars littered the highway. One local referred to it as “the trail of headlights.”

The inability to communicate was a stark wake up for a lot of us to realize that there was no cell phone coverage, let alone cell phone data. I’ve traveled to a few third world countries where I’ve had better coverage than on the Standing Rock Reservation. Not that the breakdown of communication was the problem, there just wasn’t any way to communicate. This was unacceptable. Talking to a Native American Veteran, he said, “America is a first world country with many third world countries within its borders.” With the Sioux nations standing up against the oil companies, it is literally some of the poorest people in our nation fighting the richest and most powerful.

Since my return from Standing Rock a week ago, and while writing this story, the Belle Fourche Pipeline, which is 150 miles from Standing Rock, has leaked an estimated 4,200 barrels of crude oil. ( about 176,000 gallons.) The pipeline transports about 1,000 barrels a day, so the leak went undetected for four days. So just how often do these leaks happen? From 1996 to 2015 there have been 5,675 “Significant Incidents” when 347 fatalities and 1,346 injuries were caused by pipelines, according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

That means every 1.28 days, or 31 hours, there is a “Significant Incident” with an oil pipeline in the U.S at a total cost of over $7.5 billion in those 20 years. Significant incidents include: 1. Fatality or injury requiring in-patient hospitalization 2. $50,000 or more in total costs, measured in 1984 dollars 3. Highly volatile liquid releases of 5 barrels or more or other liquid releases of 50 barrels or more 4. Liquid releases resulting in an unintentional fire or explosion. “All Reported Incidents” total 11,208 or an incident every 16 hrs. ( In 2002 the PHMSA reduced the number from 50 barrels to a “Release of 5 gallons (19 liters) or more of hazardous liquid or carbon dioxide” to be listed under all reported, but not significant or serious.)

With the proliferation of significant and reported incidents by the PHMSA over the past 20 years and the Belle Fourche Pipeline spill, the people of the Standing Rock Reservation have a legitimate reason to want to prevent this pipeline from going through their water sources. For the water protectors, it’s not a question of if a pipeline leaks, but when. The people of Standing Rock felt that it was an egregious violation to run the pipeline so close to bear on community when the Army Corps of Engineers had already moved it so it would be close to the community. They saw this is a double standard.

Sources: https://hip.phmsa.dot.gov/analyticsSOAP/saw.dll?Portalpages

D I F F E R E N T I A T E WELCOME TO TOBIAS ARCHITECTURE 22221 PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY MALIBU, CA. 90265 310.317.0507

LOCAL

THE LIGHTS ARE ON

BUT NOBODY’S HOME IN CITY HALL

MALIBU’S CERT TEAM LEFT LIMBO AS THE CITY’S EMERGENCY SERVICES COORDINATOR RESIGNS

BY MARSHALL THOMPSON

The absence of Emergency Services Coordinator Brad Davis has been of great concern to those in the community and, most certainly, the active CERT members. (CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team). The official answer from the City was that Davis is on “medical leave” from his duties, and we have since learned of Davis’ official resignation, retroactive December 22, with no second-in-command in place for this important public emergency unit which has been starkly revealed.

Any organization – especially a volunteer one like CERT – needs meaningful activity that promotes the group’s cohesion and utility. Since Davis’ leave in October, we have not had meetings, trainings or unit activities that help ensure the survival not of just the group, but of the population of Malibu residents and visitors we have promised to service in times of emergency.

CERT exists to save lives. Yours, mine, that of neighbors, friends and total strangers impacted by earthquake, Tsunami, wildfire and landslides. CERT is a critical and - most importantly, LOCAL - support to firefighters, Red Cross, State and Federal rescue workers. We trained volunteers have the local knowledge and connections that can mean the difference between death and survival of Malibu residents. CERT members ARE locals, FOR locals and passionate about protecting our community.

“Victim Triage Area” drill in front of Malibu City Hall.

The new City Manager, Reva Feldman, has implied she will call upon us if needed, but her actions have shown that she sees us as more of a potential liability to the City rather than as an asset. For three months we have heard very little from her office other than tepid assurances that we will be “called upon if needed” and they are “receiving our emails.”

Although we believe we are still certified to assist in emergencies, Malibu CERT Team is somewhat in limbo about our status and we have not received official word from the City Manager.

With Davis gone as Emergency Services Coordinator, we lack a City-connected leader at this time and fear Davis’ 13 years worth of important work here in Malibu will evaporate in his absence.

We cannot allow this to happen.

Cold Santa Ana winds have been howling recently, dirt and debris are blowing everywhere, and the trash cans are strewn all over the street. It’s Red Flag time! We are currently in the peak of Wildfire Season, and with these fierce winds a spark in Agoura will burn to the coast in two hours. Yet the City has allowed our emergency preparedness and urgent safety notifications to whither.

CERT member Shifra Wylder takes aim at practice fire with extinguisher following PASS protocol “Pull (locking pin), Aim nozzle, Squeeze (handle valve, Sweep spray at base of flame as you advance.”

For example: On December 2, 2016, a wildfire was reported just before 1:15 p.m. in the 39900 block of Pacific Coast Highway. Crews reported heavy winds and authorities said the fire was moving toward the beach. Firefighters were able to stop the fire from spreading at 3:23 p.m.

Water-dropping helicopters and multiple fire departments responded. No City alert was issued.

Not a word about this potential holocaust that endangered our city. The public was at risk.

Another example of the disconnect between the City Manager and her responsibility to protect Malibu’s public and visitors is our failure to participate in October 19th’s Great Shake Out exercise. Great Shake Out Earthquake Drills are an annual opportunity for people in homes, schools, and organizations to practice what to do during earthquakes, and to improve preparedness.Shakeout.org reported that 10,667,89 Californians participated in this year’s life-saving drill. Apparently, no one at City Hall thought this was worthy of participation. The Lights were on, but again, nobody was home or paying attention.

Protecting the public is the FIRST responsibility of government and the City Manager has repeatedly failed to issue important emergency alerts and has no trained replacement for Emergency Services during the most dangerous season for weather conditions. At this point, there is little question Feldman has been derelict in her duties with regard to the public safety of our town.

Line of LA County firefighters checking hotspots by Pepperdine.

What is the resolution for the CERT team to move forward? My suggestion is that the position of Emergency Services Coordinator needs to be split into two cohesive parts: Part A - Deals with the on-going responsibilities the City has to stay in touch with outside aid communities, like LA County Fire and FEMA, plus dealing with breaking news and emergency alerts.

Part B - A trained local resident would lead the Malibu CERT team in all other activities and would be a City employee as well. Ms. Feldman’s concerns about potential liability are not to be entirely dismissed. However, I think the City and residents would be well served with a less fearful and restrictive role for our dedicated CERT community. At a minimum, we need to resume our monthly meetings and trainings at the City Hall immediately, and we need to feel that the City actually sees us as an asset rather than a liability. As a member of FBI’s Infragard, I recently attended an informative “active shooter” seminar in Camarillo. These kind of training events ,together with more traditional SAR (search and rescue) and first aid workshops, keep the community aware, prepared and safe.

Part C - Looking at the City’s budget, I think it is important to allocate more funds to public safety, for personnel, training, and equipment like radios and emergency medical supplies. I welcome the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department’s future digs in the Civic Center Santa Monica College complex.

James Richards (left), retired LA County Lifeguard at Search and Rescue drill, Court House parking lot.

Like any group the CERT community needs active leadership, group activities and a meaningful mission in order to survive and continue to be useful to the City and its residents. Our newly elected City Council Members give me hope that our vital mission will be supported. I hope they will put the City Manager on notice that her contract belongs to “we the people” and not the other way around. I will continue to be an energetic part of Malibu’s public safety solution going forward. I salute Brad Davis for his thirteen years of service to Malibu (not to forget his wife Claire’s many contributions),and I embrace our terrific CERT community. Let’s work together to keep our emergency preparation lights on at Malibu City Hall.

Marshall Thompson, Leader Malibu CERT Sector 2 12-year Malibu CERT Member Emergency Preparation Liaison/Board Member, Malibu Chamber of Commerce Member FBI Infragard 310-403-2507

CERT volunteers and LA Co Fire Depart Engine Company 88.

LOCAL

MALIBU DEMOCRATIC CLUB

REVIVAL

BY LANCE SIMMENS

The recent election got you down? No worries if you live in California ,or more specifically Malibu. In a state where Democrats own veto-proof majorities in Sacramento, and Malibu just elected a majority of City Council members as a slate with a decidedly progressive to liberal agenda ,we are certainly fortunate. We can rejoice in knowing that we are moving forward while the country is heading sideways to backwards.

As the new year dawns, there is high expectation and excitement about a new city council here in the Bu’. And we should also look forward to a newly energized and reconstituted Malibu Democratic Club (MDC). Out of the ashes of a slew of resignations from the Board of Directors following the election is an opportunity to rebuild the MDC with the express intention to focus in on Malibu residents (more importantly residents of 90265).

As the newly installed President, I have let it be known that one of my first initiatives is to have a board composed of residents who live in the community and are most directly affected by actions taken by the City Council. It is my intention to have a powerful Democratic voice that regularly is involved in both the formation and implementation of important matters affecting this community.

My involvement in the community recently as President of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation is a testament to my determination to move forward, fix problems, and involve the community in protecting its most important assets. There are no more important assets than our dedication to improving our community for future generations. That is clearly stated in the mission statement of the City Charter, and it relies on public participation and faith in our institutions and leaders.

Therefore it is essential that we have dedicated Malibuites(I have never heard us called Malibuians) ready to step up and participate in a rejuvenated MDC and I am issuing a call for all who wish to make a difference to join in this exciting grassroots movement that will be the envy of communities everywhere. Let’s show the rest of the country that indeed a progressive/liberal set of values and principles can propel a community to become greater than the sum of its parts.

Members of the Malibu Democratic Club were up in arms over the nomination process which led to the endorsement of fellow board member Denicola and the subsequent resignation of former president Ann Doneen.

It does take a village to optimize the very best that each of us individually and collectively has to offer and we are determined to showcase Malibu as a shining example of the best there is. In over four decades of involvement in senior level positions in government, public policy and politics I have witnessed where government can work best, and it all begins with a dedicated populace not willing to surrender to complacency.

In the current political environment this is more important than ever. In a world where transparency is often invoked but seldom invested in it is my intention to build an organization that will forge ahead and develop a strong sense of community and togetherness through the advancement of issues that impact all Malibu residents.

Sometimes resolve emerges through chaos, and all organizations, political and other, experience difficulties that in the end can make them and the community stronger. So I ask you to join me in a new experience in a new era of forward thinking. Are you up to the challenge of being part of the change you desire? Join in and make your voices heard. We meet at the community room at the Malibu Library the third Monday of each month at 7 p.m. If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at lancesimmens@verizon.net.

Newly appointed president Lance Simmens is working on a comeback for the Malibu Democratic Club after a disappointing 2016.

Lance Simmens is President of the Malibu Adamson House Foundation and President of the Malibu Democratic Club. He has spent four decades in public service at all levels of government, politics and public policy.

CORRAL CAVES VANDALIZED TAGGERS PRY OPEN CAVE CLOSURE TO VANDALIZE “JIM MORRISON” CAVE

California State Parks, who contracted a sandblasting contractor to remove paint from several cave interiors and surrounding rock formations last year, will have a little more sandblasting to do after vandals pried open the main cave (The “Jim Morrison Cave” at the top of Corral Canyon) and tagged areas inside days before Christmas. The area has been resealed and reinforced.

Craig Sap, District Superintendent of State Parks, ordered the cave closure in 2016 to reduce some of the criminal incentives that attract graffiti vandals and gang taggers inspired through social media and internet blog posts.

Stories circulated that the rock and roll legend once visited the Chumash archaeological site, but according to Morrison family members this was not the cave he visited.

The cave has since been resealed and reinforced. State Parks and neighborhood watch groups plan on stepping up patrols in the area.

The signs near the entrance to the “Jim Morrison” cave were vandalized along with the attempted break-in.

State Parks hired a sandblasting contractor in 2016 to restore the caves to their natural beauty after they were tagged with graffiti.

Unfortunately the process couldn’t save the ancient Chumash paintings in the main cave that were covered in paint.

POLITICS

WAKING THE

SILENT MAJORITY

ROCK THE VOTE: The legendary graphic designer Milton Glaser wass among the designers who created posters hoping to engage Americans and push them toward the polling stations for the 2016 presidential election.

Glaser, one of the world’s most important graphic designers, produced a poster as part of the design organisation AIGA’s Get Out The Vote campaign.

BY RICK MULLEN The results of the recent Malibu City Council Election are noteworthy for many reasons. The most glaringly obvious one is the huge increase in voter turnout. In previous Council elections, 1500 votes could win a candidate the Council seat. A quick review of recent elections over the last 15 years shows that only one Council Candidate, Pamela Conley-Ulich, got more than 2,000 votes. By contrast, during this election, the three top vote-getters all received over 3,000 votes with the top vote-getter receiving 3,888. Even one candidate that did not win got over 2200 votes. The disparity in these numbers from previous elections makes you stop and think: “what’s wrong with this picture?”

The obvious reason for this huge increase in voter turnout is the consolidation of the Council election with the Fall even-year elections run by the County of Los Angeles not the City of Malibu. These will often, though not always, coincide with the National Presidential election as they did this year. In addition to ensuring a higher voter turnout, when these elections are run by the County, the City does not pay for them, as they have in the past Springtime “off-season” low voter turnout elections.

This got my attention when the results came out and when the numbers were so much bigger than previous elections. I had to ask myself, and we should all ask, why would the City pay to have elections in the Spring with historically low voter turnout when they could have elections run by the County at no cost with higher voter turnout?

After the election, I met with Cami Winnikoff and Todd Kesselman of the Malibu Community Alliance. I told them that the consolidation of the election was a huge factor in the large voter turnout of historical proportions for Malibu. They told me the story of how it came about. Their story, which is told below in a question and answer session between myself and Todd’s wife Cynthia, is a VERY important story that needs to not only be told but needs to be considered by everyone in Malibu. This is an excellent example of something we see so often: a group of people not normally given to getting involved in local politics that are moved to action by something going on in their neighborhood that doesn’t seem quite right. Then, after they organize and get a bit more involved and AWARE of things that are going on, they find something else that doesn’t seem quite right, and really, really does not make sense. Then, they roll up their sleeves and do the hard, hard work at great cost to them in time, energy and resources to make something right.

Jonathan Mikulich’s Love to Vote poster

The MCA did Malibu a great service and these “off season” low voter turnout elections might still be going on as “business as usual” if they had not taken action. Like so many other community activists, these are all hardworking people that have their own careers and lives to deal with but took action to do something that needed to be done. This is an important chapter in the history of Malibu and I appreciate them sharing their story with all of us.

RM: Can you give me a brief history of the Malibu Community Alliance?

CK: The Malibu Community Alliance (“MCA”) was initially created in response to the coordinated effort to install stadium lights at MHS without proper notice to the community or a Planning Commission hearing. As a result, the community lost the opportunity to explore good alternatives which were available had the Council been guided by Malibu’s Mission Statement. From there, MCA broadened its agenda to the preservation of dark skies in Malibu through the creation of a Model Lighting Ordinance, working with the International Dark Sky Association, and advocating for greater transparency and good governance in our local politics.

RM: Who first thought of consolidating the elections and how did you become aware that it was a problem with voter turnout?

CK: Looking at the turnout numbers for April and November elections, it was obvious that a candidate who had a motivated base could win office with a fraction of the voters who turned out in November. It was also clear that the November voters were more likely to care about Malibu’s Mission Statement. For example, Measure R won a whopping 60% percent of the vote in the November 2014 election even when the majority of the City Council openly fought against it. In a perfect world, all voters would turn out regardless of the date of the election. However, the reality is that you are almost assured low voter turnout for a single-issue election held in April.

Kevin Garrison’s Power and Liberty to All poster

RM: What were the first steps that were taken to make it happen?

CK: The first step was to reach out and educate ourselves concerning the issue and, as usual, everything is more complex than one would initially have thought. We sat down with Common Cause who helped us to interface with Dean Logan of the Los Angeles County Clerk’s office about the limited capacity of current voting machines which was a roadblock to consolidation. We sat down with Lisa Pope and Jim Thorsen and talked about the costs savings and operational issues involved in consolidation. We contacted Skylar Peak who was an early advocate and ensured that the issue was put on the Council’s agenda. From there members of the community, and particularly Kevin Shenkman, a Malibu resident and election expert, helped advocate the merits of consolidation to the Council.

RM: What resistance did you meet at the City and from who?

CK: Because the merits of consolidation were so obvious in terms of participation and cost savings, we received very little resistance from the City Council...it’s possible that the Council’s reaction was also impacted because the consolidated election would extend the terms of current members by about six months. Lisa Pope was concerned that during the interim election phase voters might be confused by two separate ballots. Laura Rosenthal expressed concern about “down-ballot” issues and suggested that the elections be held in June as opposed to November elections.

Tanner Woodford’s The Ballot is Stronger Than the Bullet poster

POLITICS RM: Did anyone ever explain WHY they held City Council elections in the “off season” or give any sort of rationale?

CK: No. I assume the founders thought it would not result in lower voter turnout. There are arguments that consolidated elections result in less participation down-ballot, that the local issues might get subsumed by the larger national issues etc. Ultimately, it appears that the “off season” elections served a well-organized but minority portion of the community who got their members out to vote and pursued an agenda of a particular constituency.

RM: When the City conducts its own election then it must pay for it. What was the cost to the City of Malibu for these elections?

CK: As I understand it from the information we received from Lisa Pope, the cost to the City of Malibu for the April 10, 2012 general municipal election was $55,936.50 with 2,679 ballots casts and 30.89% turnout.

RM: What are the costs to the City when they use a consolidated election with the County?

CK: My understanding is that in general elections, the County of Los Angeles bears the costs of the election. Consequently, consolidation has resulted in substantial savings for the city.

RM: So, with the old elections that were completely run by the City, were the ballots all controlled by City Staff and were they the ones who counted the ballots?

CK: My understanding is that the election was completely run by the City. I am not sure about the logistics of the processing of the ballots.

RM: Who were the beneficiaries of the Spring elections?

CK: The answer likely lies in who was voted in this last November election and those who were voted in during prior April elections. The results of the Measure R election likewise provide some answers to this question.

RM: Is this a common thing in other municipalities in Southern California, having their City Council elections when voter turnout is reduced?

CK: Looking at the studies conducted on election consolidation, it is 100 percent the case that consolidated elections result in greater voter turnout. Throughout California, many municipalities have consolidated their elections with June or November elections. Studies confirm that November, even numbered elections result in the greatest voter turnout. As a sad example of the cost of odd-year non-November elections, only 8.6% of voters turned out for the March 2015 Los Angeles City Elections. There are ongoing efforts to consolidate the City of Los Angeles elections. It is likely that these efforts will be facilitated when the State of California approves new voter machines that have greater capacity to put more items on a single ballot.

“ULTIMATELY, IT APPEARS THAT THE “OFF SEASON” ELECTIONS SERVED A WELL-ORGANIZED BUT MINORITY PORTION OF THE COMMUNITY WHO GOT THEIR MEMBERS OUT TO VOTE AND PURSUED AN AGENDA OF A PARTICULAR CONSTITUENCY.” RM: Do you think this will have a long-lasting and beneficial effect on Malibu?

CK: When MCA set out to work on this issue, we knew that there would be many challenges along the way. Even those supportive of consolidation were concerned that the extra six-month term to current Councilmembers would be too high a price to pay for the consolidation. Fortunately, this last election proved MCA’s vision of greater inclusiveness in local politics and confidence that most Malibuites believe in the goals set forth in the Mission Statement. Without overstating the result, we do believe that this change will result in a long-lasting change in our local politics and it should also serve as a cautionary tale for any effort to pass major reform in our city through a so-called “special election.”

RM: What is the next priority for MCA? .

CK: MCA has been working for several years on the passage of a Model Lighting Ordinance which is now in ZORACES. Although MCA has successfully worked with Pepperdine, the Trancas Shopping Center, Malibu High School, and the Santa Monica Community College to implement appropriate lighting for our dark sky community, an ordinance is necessary to ensure standards for the entire community. Going forward we hope to educate the community on the benefits of our dark skies, our continued ability to see the stars at night and to preserve them for future generations.

Jesse Wu’s Rise & Vote poster

Roberto DeOliveira’s GOTV GO VOTE! poster

INFLUENCE IS EVERYTHING THE LOCAL IS THE LEADING INFLUENCER IN MALIBU MEDIA. WE BUILD BRANDS LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY THROUGH NEW MEDIA STRATEGIES THAT DELIVER RESULTS!

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SESSIONS

SURFAID WAS BORN FROM ONE SURFER’S DESIRE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. JOIN THE TRIBE. SURFAID.ORG

HEALTH AND HOPE FOR THE MALNOURISHED

Marlince Holi Ledi is two years old and was severely malnourished.

Unfortunately, she was one of too many toddlers in Lamboya Barat on the island of Sumba, who face a daily struggle for survival.

Sumba is home to Nihiwatu - one of the world’s most pristine and uncrowded surf breaks. Unfortunately, the island is also home to unacceptably high malnutrition rates in children under five.

Poverty and a lack of healthy food and education on nutrition compound an already desperate situation. Once malnourished, children face greater susceptibility to infections and slow recovery from illness.

Marlince was identified by one of SurfAid’s community health volunteers, who was performing in-home health checks. She found Marlince severely wasted and thin, with a high fever and a weakened immune system.

Marlince was sent immediately to the community health clinic for help. There, she was given nutritional supplements. Once back in her village, Marlince’s family was supported by SurfAid with hands-on education on improved nutrition, and encouraged to bring Marlince to the clinic for regular monitoring.

Marlince and her sister.

Malnutrition is a complex problem. SurfAid offers practical low-cost solutions, such as early detection of malnutrition through home visits for children like Marlince. We establish nutrition gardens and educate with cooking classes.

We want to provide villages with the tools to have nutritious food for life; not just a day.

We are happy to report that, with the help of SurfAid supporters, Marlince is now a healthy toddler. And we would like to thank SurfAid supporters for helping us continue the fight to save the lives of other malnourished children like Marlince.

A Story of Hope for the Malnourished For more information go to surfaid.org

Once malnourished, children face greater susceptibility to infections and slow recovery from illness.

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LIFESTYLE

BUNKER 77

BY BEN MARCUS

In this media-crowded world, just when you thought it was time to make bumper stickers and t-shirts proclaiming “Thank you for NOT making another damned documentary!” along comes Takuji Masuda’s Bunker 77.

Hendrix, Joplin, Morrison, Cobain, Winehouse. Adolph Bernard “Bunker” Spreckels III (1949 - 1977) is the surfing world’s entry in the tragic 27 Club. Synopsized by Matt Warshaw as “High-born surfing hedonist of the late 1960s and early ‘70s; heir to the Spreckels Sugar fortune and stepson to Hollywood actor Clark Gable; contributor to the shortboard revolution,” Bunker Spreckels surfed fast, died young and left a once-ethereal, blonde, blue-eyed, tanned, lean, good looking corpse bloated by heroin and excess. The soul that ascended was torn and tattered by family drama, the love of surfing and travel and adventure - which included a kaleidoscopic cornucopia of 1970s drugs. He died at age 27, of morphine intoxication, at Sunset Beach, Hawaii.

Bunker left behind his sister and mother, his beautiful girlfriend Ellie but no family of his own, a legend and legacy of innovation and indulgence and a lot of friends, fans, mentors, disciples and hanai family who were all willing to chime in on their friend and loved one, when Takuji Masuda chose to make a documentary on the short, colorful life of Adolph Bernard “Bunker” Spreckels: Bunker 77.

It’s not hard to divine Takuji Masuda’s interest in a privileged kid blessed with old-world wealth and Hollywood connections who chucked it all and went surfin’. Like Spreckels, Takuji Masuda is also the son of a prominent, prosperous family with deep roots in Japanese history, and real estate investments that cross the Pacific. Takuji’s parents probably had bigger ambitious for their son than second reef Pipe, but Takuji is one of those guys who let surfing get under his skin, and change the course of his life from the shady turf of some boardroom somewhere, to the sunny surf.

Masuda began surfing at Kamakura Beach in Japan, attended a private school in Victoria, British Columbia, and earned a degree in international communications from Pepperdine University in Malibu in the 1990s - where he indulged his longboarding jones at First Point a wave that is beloved by Japanese surfers.

Mentored by the Paskowitz family, Lance Carson, Donald Takayama, Nat Young, Mike Diffenderfer, Jock Sutherland and Herbie Fletcher, Takuji was also good friends with Joel Tudor during a five-year longboard campaign that began in 1993 when he joined Nat Young’s Oxbow longboard team - which included Joel Tudor, Beau Young and Duane Desoto.

Like Bunker, Takuji was challenged by the North Shore, and during the 1990s, made a name for himself as a guy who wasn’t afraid to charge from Second Reef to the inside reef on a longboard, on the nose - an unconventional tack, that drew attention.

HE JUST LOVED PIPE.

Active in mind as well as body, in 1996 Masuda founded Super X Media with Art Brewer, Craig Stecyk, Glen E Friedman, Paul Haven as well as Scott Hulet to immerse himself in art and beach culture. In 2001, Masuda came back from semi-retirement to win the Japanese national longboard championship at age 30.

The family business is commercial real estate, but Masuda went his own way and indulged his passion for media old and new, so it makes sense that his thesis for an MFA in Cinematic Media Production would be a documentary about a son of privilege who defied his family and went surfin’.

Bunker 77 is a master’s thesis and it is a masterful alchemy of layered storytelling. Masuda threw a lot into the digital calabash.

Lord Byron reckoned, ‘Fame is the thirst of youth.’ Bunker was young and thirsty and did not want his shenanigans to go unnoticed.

Bunker (and later, Takuji) benefited by his association with two of the very best hipster/hypester/publicists of the Print Age - Craig Stecyk and Art Brewer, who shadowed their friend and scribed his every outre outrage and outfit to a vicarious world.

Brewer imaged Bunker in everything from Polaroids to Super 8 to large format (?) and Brewer’s visuals are one of the foundations of Bunker 77. And Stecyk was there, especially near the end, when he filmed and taped a long interview with Bunker in the North Shore Hotel Formerly Known as the Kui Lima - a few weeks before Bunker’s death.

Layered on that are contemporary reflective interviews with Bunker’s sister and childhood friends, Ira Opper, Billy Hamilton, Laird Hamilton, Rory Russell, Shaun Tomson, Phil Jarratt, Brian Kennelly, Tony Alva, Johnny Knoxville and an assortment of women, including the love of Bunker’s life, the blonde Barbican beauty Ellie arguably one of the prettiest blondes to ever roam this earth.

And layered on that are clips of Clark Gable from Gone With the Wind (1939) to The Misfits (1961) - cleverly spliced in to illustrate incidents from Bunker’s life - a very nice touch. There are clips from Blue Hawaii and Big Wednesday. And there is surfing, of course, from Malibu to North Shore to Jeffrey’s Bay - from the mid-60s to the mid-70s. There are special effects, stunts (coordinated by Noah Johnson) and a narration by Mike Judge, a surfer responsible for Beavis and Butthead, and the now-scarily prophetic political satire Idiocracy.

Many layers. Sitting down to watch Bunker 77 is like pulling into a long, long barrel at Skeleton Point or Rifles: a lot of light and images and sound and fury flash by very fast in sections long and short. Time stands still and warps, and when you come flying out the end you’re all ‘Whoa!’ and you try to remember all you just saw and felt, but it’s an overload.

Faces and places, black and white and color - Wide Lux to Super 8 to 8K Red - all mixed together with a pinch of psychedelics to explain the short, colorful life of Adolph Bernard Spreckels III. Born in 1949, Bunker was lucky to live an idyllic, Howdy Doody childhood in southern California through the 1950s. Ask anyone from Tubesteak to Dora to your parents or grandparents: The 50s were the time to be in So Cal - when Encino was rural and Malibu was outskirts, and people were cruising in Nomads and Corvettes, rocking out to Elvis and Patsy Cline and Little Richard. America was a new superpower, jobs were plentiful.

And the 50s were also sweet in Hawaii - where the Spreckels have a long and prosperous history, explained in Bunker 77. The Spreckels were allies and bankers to Hawaiian royalty, so when young Adolph visited with his parents, he was treated like a prince. He saw his family name on sugar packets at the Royal Hawaiian and small towns on Maui, and learned to surf with the beach boys at Waikiki.

So Cal in the 50s, and the livin’ was easy. Adolph’s daddy was rich (very rich, like $50 million in 50s dollars rich) and his momma was good lookin’. But Adolph Spreckels Jr. and Kay Williams just couldn’t get along, and they divorced in 1952. Kay Williams must have been more than a little bit of alright, because she began dating and then married Clark Gable in 1955 - the biggest movie star in the world, already famous for his Oscar-winning It Happened One Night (1934), Call of the Wild (1935), Fletcher Christian in Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) and Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind (1939).

But to Adolph III and his sister Joan, Gable was just “pa.” Clark Gable was big on hunting and fishing and outdoor sports, and he mentored young Adolph in these pursuits - he was an excellent archer. So Adolph was lucky to be born in 1949 and through the 1950s and Bunker 77 has CinemaScope-quality clips of Adolph’s blonde, blue-eyed, happy, star-studded youth.

He was a good looking kid and a happy kid - why wouldn’t he be?

But as the 60s hit, life took a turn: Clark Gable died in November of 1960 and Adolph Junior died the next year, leaving 11-year-old Adolph III without a father figure - at the most delicate of ages.

But the death of Adolph Junior also stopped his madcap depletion of the family inheritance, and Adolph spent his teens aware that just over the horizon, a fortune was waiting for him.

LIFESTYLE Like a whole bunch of well-known surfers who came from busted homes - Miki Dora, Tubesteak, Kelly Slater, Layne Beachley, Lisa Andersen, Maya Gabeira - Adolph III drowned his emotions in the adrenaline of the sunny surf - and found a new family at sea. He took his first steps in Waikiki, and by the early 1960s he was a regular at Malibu and the Los Angeles beaches.

On the North Shore, in the early 1960s, Adolph lived in a pillbox up above the North Shore with a WideLux view from Pipeline to Sunset. Tanned and fit and alive, he lived off the land, schnibbed showers in Billy Hamilton’s backyard, was hanai adopted by Joann Hamilton and earned the name “Bunker” - because let’s face it, “Adolph” was about as popular a name to World War II baby boomer kids as Bin Laden is now.

Bunker was one of the earlier guys to adopt a shortboard mentality on the North Shore. He rode weird, thick-tailed, short single fins that might have inspired George Greenough to scratch his bowl cut and mutter, “Weir-dough!” But Bunker rode those weird boards well, and was going right at Backdoor on little boards, even before the Herbie/Hynson days.

Bunker is better known for his fur-coated, drug-fueled antics on land - and his death - but at sea, he was an innovator, and that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Like a lot of surfers in the 1960s, it was California in the summer, Hawaii in the winter. At Malibu, Bunker fell under the wing of Miki Dora - who called Bunker a “genetic space child” because the kid just seemed to have an ethereal, blonde, blue-eyed, lean, Aryan beautiful glow about him.

Born in 1949, Bunker was prime cannon fodder when he turned 18 in 1967, smack in the middle of the Summer of Love and the Vietnam War. All that German blood bubbled ancestrally for war. He attended a military school and had ambitions to go to the Air Force Academy. But this was the 60s, Bunker decided he wasn’t into killing people and just wanted to surf. That caused unrest, and it took some psychiatrists and detectives to pull him out of Hawaii, guide him back to the family compound in Encino and get him out of the draft.

Bunker turned 21 in 1971, and that’s when it all turned. Rabbit Bartholomew and others relate how dangerous it can be for someone that age to inherit that much money at that time, and also how much damage drugs did to that generation.

BUNKER SPRECKELS WAS THE CHILD OF PRIVILEGE WHO TOOK THE MONEY AND RAN TO HAWAII, WHERE HE RODE TOO-SHORT BOARDS AT PIPELINE AND PAVED THE WAY FOR MANY STYLE-MASTERS TO COME. Act Three of Bunker 77 is Bunker’s sex and drugs and rock and roll decline from 1971 to 1977. The thin, tan, beautiful genetic space child grew into a brawny, surfing version of John Bonham. A wannabe rock and roller, street fighting man and dedicated surfer, but someone with a famous name and famous connections who was uniquely set up to have a good time, all the time: surf, travel, bone chicks, take drugs, have adventures. And that is what Bunker did, lived the dream from California to Hawaii to France to South Africa to Paris to anywhere his 20-something whims wanted to go, because he had more than enough money to do it all. Hunting and causing near-riots in South Africa, falling in love with beautiful Ellie in France, hanging with talented folks high and low, skateboarding in front of the Eiffel Tower, mentoring Tony Alva in the Dogtown days. Living fast and dying young, at 27, of morphine overdose, on the North Shore.

That’s the story told by Takuji Masuda’s masterful Master’s Thesis, and it’s worth seeing. For those who survived, the 70s are fresh in their minds and whimsy. To others, the 70s might as well be ancient Rome. But this documentary is “on for young and old” as the Australians say: a historical, colorful, cautionary tale about the dangers of living fast and dying young.

Bunker 77 took 12 years for Takuji to assemble and polish and the credits are a Who’s Who of some of the best creative minds behind and in front of the camera, in the surfing world and Hollywood. Takuji is peripatetic, moving around a lot from Europe to Malibu to Hawaii, but he is hyper-social and collaborative and this project is a collaboration with many: Rock stars, surf photographers, writers, surfers, movie stars. It’s star-studded and many-layered and a sophisticated cut above most surf projects.

What other surf project inserts a Paris ballet set to Ravel’s Bolero? And it looks cool as it sounds.

Bunker Spreckels was the child of privilege who took the money and ran to Hawaii, where he rode too-short boards at Pipeline and paved the way for many style-masters to come.

Takuji Masuda is a child of privilege who rode longboards at Pipeline when that wasn’t cool, but made a name for himself as a unique style master. Bunker 77 has all kinds of energy powering it. A Surfer Magazine Surf Video Awards nomination should be a slam dunk, and possibly a win.

Is there an Academy Award nomination out there for Bunker 77? That would be rewarding, and deserved. See for yourself. That would feel good to Takuji, the privileged surf kid who had everything available to him, went out and did something worthy.

Bunker 77 will make its west coast premiere at the Santa Barbara Film Festival in February. For other showings, go to the website at www.bunker77film.com

LIFESTYLE

NEIGHBORLY LOVE

I split my time between living in Los Angeles and my home in the foothills outside Yosemite National Park.

That I have the chance to see a mountain lion in both places provides me with a source of comfort, along with unending awe, and with hope—if a mountain lion can live in the middle of Los Angeles, wildness and wild things might just have a future on this planet after all.

A native species to California, mountain lions are an essential part of the health, character and landscape of the Los Angeles area and the Santa Monica Mountains. P-22, the city’s celebrity cougar, has inspired people all over the world with his remarkable journey across two of the busiest freeways in the country to find a new home. Since his appearance over four years ago, Angelinos have continued to voice support for his continued presence as a neighbor living in this natural area of the city.

P-45, one of P-22’s relatives, is now experiencing his own brush with fame, but for different reasons. His predation on livestock and domestic animals, most recently the killing of 10 alpacas, has sparked a conversation about coexisting with large predators, and people expressed opinions on both sides about whether or not a mountain lion should even be a neighbor. The majority of people in Los Angeles and throughout California still appear to profess support for sharing our space with mountain lions, claiming as native sons, cougars have tenant rights over all of us.

HOW TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR TO A MOUNTAIN LION

BY BETH PRATT-BERGSTROM

Whatever your opinion, it’s a good conversation to be having. What does it mean to be a neighbor with a mountain lion?

P-22 and P-45, along with all the mountain lions living in our great state, are not pets or cuddly harmless animals. Nor are they monsters poised to attack at any moment. Mountain lions are wild animals that have to eat other animals to survive. They don’t have the luxury as we do of going through a drive-through for a meat meal that is far distanced from the slaughter. If we introduce animals into their home that resemble their natural prey, we can’t blame them for being mountain lions and acting on instinct.

As an animal owner, I would be devastated if my pets were attacked by a mountain lion or other predator, so I feel deeply for the alpaca owner’s loss. Yet as wildlife loses more of their territory to more people—who own domestic animals and livestock—we have to take responsibility for creating conditions for coexistence with the native wild inhabitants of the land. Mountain lions don’t discern much of a difference between an alpaca and a deer. Unsecured penned animals are much easier to catch. Repeated access to unprotected prey is what is likely going to doom P-45, and if we don’t ultimately solve the access problem, other cats as well.

Since P-45 is just one of a handful of males in the Santa Monica Mountains, his loss would be significant.

The loss of more cougars in the area, especially males, could threaten the entire population. As the National Park Service recently announced as part of its long-term study of the area mountain lions, this population faces extinction in 50 years or less because of genetic isolation. If we lose P-45 and other cats to depredation permits, that time frame could be much, much sooner.

P-45 is just one of a handful of males in the Santa Monica Mountains whose loss would have been significant had the owners of the slain alpacas taken advantage of the kill permit issued by the state.

Instead they reinforced the enclosure housing for the alpacas that survived the attack.

We need to work together to prevent any loss of people’s animals—and of mountain lions—moving forward.

Animals can adapt to human spaces. The real question is can we adapt to wildlife as part of our everyday lives? Are we willing to take precautions that can admittedly be sometimes inconvenient and costly to protect and secure our pets and livestock?

As to the question of human safety, I find that the two sides of the debate either frequently underplay or overplay the risks. All wildlife are indeed, wild, and living with them can be risky and inconvenient at times.

If we want wildlife to share our spaces, we must take responsibility for minimizing the risks and taking precautions ourselves. But, we also need to recognize that attacks are very rare. For example, in Los Angeles County alone, automobiles cause on average about 750 deaths annually. In the entire state of California, mountain lions have killed just three people since 1986. These statistics don’t diminish the tragedy when a person is killed or injured by a lion, but it puts the risk in perspective. As statistics show, living in mountain lion country is much safer than living in car country.

I’ve lived for four years in Yellowstone National Park, encountered grizzly bears regularly, and even as an avid hiker, never had one incident. In my home outside Yosemite, I have four dogs and two cats who are family, and the mountain lions, bears, bobcats and coyotes that frequent my yard see my pets as a potential source of food. My cats stay indoors. My dogs have a predator proof run. I make sure my trash is secured.

But even though I see photos of bears and coyotes regularly on my trail cam, and have witnessed a mountain lion three times on my property, I don’t live in fear. I recognize that my risk of injury or demise is much more likely to happen when driving on the 101.

The plight of P-22, P-45 and their mountain lion relatives have captured the imagination of Angelinos—and people across the globe—bringing them a glimpse into a wilder world, one that refuses to be contained by the boundaries of endless paved freeways. If we want to keep mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains—and wildness in our lives—it’s our responsibility to agree to be good neighbors.

Beth Pratt-Bergstrom is the National Wildlife Federation’s California Director and her new book about coexisting with wildlife, When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors, was published in August.

The whereabouts of P-39’s cubs are unknown at this time. P-39 was killed in December attempting to cross a busy highway.

About The National Wildlife Federation: One of the oldest and largest conservation groups in the country, the National Wildlife Federation, with its over six million supporters nationwide, is a strong voice for wildlife, dedicated to protecting wildlife and habitat, as well as inspiring young people today to become conservation-minded adults. Visit www.nwf.org for more information.

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LIFESTYLE

LESS TOXINS - In 2017 people are looking at the ingredients of the products they put on their body as much as what they put in their body. “IF IT’S ON YOU IT’S IN YOU” is the mantra of ‘Vibrant Body Company,’ which touts no toxins in its foam, fabric, and dyes. This mantra perfectly sums up the attitude of millennial, Gen Xers and baby boomers alike in 2017! Stacy Malkin, author of “Not Just A Pretty Face,” is an activist who asks that we marshal our power of purchasing by making a collective commitment to stop buying toxic products. She asks that we support the companies that value our health and do it right! Suggesting we utilize websites that educate as to which products have the least toxins, http://www.ewg.org/ (Environmental Working Group, “EWG”). Beautycounter is a company with personal care and beauty products that are among the highest favorable scores in the EWG database! Educate yourself and trust your intuition.

Athleisure - Athleisure wear has clearly arrived when it’s become a section in the online drop down menu at Nordstrom’s. NEWS FLASH - look for the athleisure brands without visible logos, mix and match with sweaters and boots from work to dinner or any social occasion. Companies like SQN Sport offer luxurious women’s active-wear without the visible logo. SQN is an acronym for Sine Qua Non, meaning “only the essential” in Latin, which speaks to the trends of 2017 .

ANTI-INFLAMMATORY SPICES AND FOODS -Two must haves in your cupboard:1)Turmeric rules as the number one anti-inflammatory spice arguably the most powerful herb on the planet at fighting and potentially reversing disease. It has so many healing properties that there have been over 6,000 articles published proving the benefits of turmeric. This puts turmeric on top of the list as one of the most frequently mentioned medicinal herbs. 2) Horseradish is a powerful root vegetable (root vegetables are grounding) connected to a wide variety of health benefits, including its ability to aid weight loss, lower blood pressure, alleviate respiratory conditions, build strong bones, improve the immune system, stimulate healthy digestion and promote heart health. Additionally, horseradish can possibly aid in cancer prevention due to its extremely high levels of glucosinolates. Horseradish has been reported to have anti-microbial, antiseptic, diuretic, stimulant, and powerful antioxidant properties.

7 HEALTH TRENDS FOR THE BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT IN 2017

BY DIANA NICHOLSON

COLLAGEN - One of the newest oldest trends (hospitals have been serving gelatin for years, which is cooked collagen).Collagen, whether in pill form or powder, is a superfood! It’s one of the best things you can incorporate into your diet. The benefits range from reducing wrinkles, healing your gut, building strong bones, helping joint pain and so much more. Collagen is the most abundant protein in the body. It is considered the “glue that holds the body together.” Supplementing with collagen is a vital way to help your body rejuvenate and stay youthful.

BONE BROTH PROTEIN - is the simmering stock of bones from meat, poultry and fish, which may be one of the hottest trends in health today, but it’s as old as time! In fact, just about every culture throughout history has used this as a powerful health elixir. You can buy it in a powder or liquid form, or you can brew your own! Bone broths are rich in protein and can be a potent source of minerals.

SUPERFOOD CREAMER - People love their coffee before working out because it’s a stimulant. Adding a superfood to it is like putting your coffee on steroids. Coconut stores in your body as energy as opposed to fat. Lairds Superfood Powder Creamer is my favorite, a delicious creamer; you will love how it makes you feel. It’s vegan and contains coconut milk, coconut oil, and other superfood ingredients.

BONE BROTHS: Beef, chicken, fish, lamb and more, are staples in the traditional diets of every culture and the basis of all fine cuisine. That’s because bone broths are nutrient-dense, easy to digest, rich in flavor and they boost healing.

Diana Nicholson Health and Wellness Editor, Fitness Expert Dediicated to Educate Support and Empower www.diananicholson.com -Diana Nicholson Health Coach/Pilates/ Yoga/Gyrotonic malibubeachpilates.com 310-429-1513

RESTORATIVE AND SUSTAINABLE WORKOUTS - The key word for 2017 is sustainable. People are trending towards restorative components in their exercise regimens, retreats, and vacations, which are becoming increasingly more popular.

Those stamps in your passport can come with along with health benefits!

CRYSTAL HEALING- If you’re asking yourself if this a case of the emperor’s new clothes... yet secretly hoping it’s not... then a healing crystal may be for you! Raise your vibration. Scott Sutphen,of the ‘Malibu Shaman’ metaphysical bookstore, says the crystals pick you and have a distinct vibration which act as a tuning fork. It’s a sign of the times, young and old are tuning into how crystals help facilitate a connection to your higher self, others and the divine. Rise up and strive to be the best you can be! diananicholson.com @malibubeachpilates

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LIFESTYLE

NEWMEETS NATURAL

PHOTOS BY: LISA ROMEREIN

MALIBU BASED DESIGNER JANETTE MALLORY SHARES A NEW CONTEMPORARY PROJECT WITH NATURAL TONES & TEXTURES FOR AN UPDATED MALIBU LIFESTYLE VIBE. With an extensive history of travel abroad, it would only make sense that Malibu based interior designer Janette Mallory would curate her own perception of the ultimate casual chic version of the Malibu Lifestyle.

Selected with her impeccable eye by adding classic, clean lines and natural tones and textures, Janette has come up with a style that evokes a new version of the contemporary chic coastal vibe.

All products are available on Janette Mallory’s website: janettemalloryinteriors.com or email Janette: jm@janettemallory.com Instagram: janettemalloryinteriors

“ THE DESIGN DIRECTION I AM GOING IN FOR THE NEW YEAR IS ...

CONTEMPORARY WITH A MIX OF BOHEMIAN CHIC WHICH FITS IN WITH THE MALIBU LIFESTYLE AND IS A CLASSIC TIMELESS LOOK”

Argo Rectangular Drink Table 21”h x 8” x 13” $825

Gris Grey Cowhide, 6’X6’

LIFESTYLE

Strada Ring Pendant Designed by Kelly Wearstler $3,150.00

Kaya Petrified Wood Bowl 2”h x 10-14”dia $675 “This project was special to me because it was one of the first projects that I was involved in with new construction. I have worked on many remodels but never a ground up project so this was very exciting for me. This was also my first contemporary project where I designed and fabricated every piece of furniture in the house.

In all my projects, I usually custom design and make some of the pieces, but for this project, every piece of furniture was custom.

My clients have three teenage daughters that all wanted a more mature look, so all of their rooms were designed with a mix of Jonathan Adler (to add some playfulness) meets contemporary chic. I really had fun designing their bedrooms.

As we were nearing completion of the interior my clients asked if I would help design the hardscape and landscape for the exterior. My father was a general contractor so I have worked on a lot of hardscape and landscape projects in the past, so I jumped at the chance to help them with the exterior. I collaborated with a local Malibu landscape company to help with the plant selection.

The interior furnishings are mainly contemporary but with my signature style, which is a mix of bohemian chic and natural materials. The design direction I am going in for the new year is just that - contemporary with a mix of bohemian chic which fits in with the Malibu lifestyle and is a classic timeless look.” –Janette Mallory

Natural Teak Wood Sculpture On Black Marble Stand 14”W x 10”D x 31.5”H

Tibetan Lamb Pillows

Chunky Knit Merino Wool Throw in Cobble $250

Lucite Bench with Tibetan Lamb 18”x18”

LOCAL

WATERWORKS:

TAPPING INTO THE CREATIVE FLOW AN OCEAN-ORIENTED CREATIVE WORKSHOP

BY KIM LEDOUX Recently, Malibu’s Sefari Outpost hosted a 3-hour water-themed afternoon presented in conjunction with creative workshop & notebook brand AllSwell and vibrational design studio Form + Light. The experience gave participants a unique opportunity to connect with their individual creative voices while celebrating the element of water as represented by the ocean.

With a backdrop created by Form + Light, the environment was as beautifully inspiring as the content. Sarah Rigano, the founder of Form + Light and a spacial shaman, imbued the setting with water-inspired elements to create a unique energetic container for creativity and flow.

Fifteen participants arrived, some nervous and some excited. I was one of the nervous ones! That changed the moment I sat down.

The session began with an immersive guided meditation led by Sefari’s founder, and our host, Jobi Manson. This meditation capitalized on the power of the ocean to detoxify and relax our minds so that we could creatively explore the deeper levels of our subconscious. Relaxed and energized, we moved to a table to start the writing portion of the workshop.

Sarah Rigano, the founder of Form + Light and Laura Rubin

Filling our blank AllSwell notebooks, we were led through accessible writing-based activities by AllSwell’s founder Laura Rubin. Serving as inspiration touchpoints, Rubin curated a selection of ocean-themed literature from the greats such as Hemingway, Melville, and Whitman. We were asked to write whatever we wanted to for different lengths of time.

For some, the time flew by-others found it agonizingly long.We were invited to read what we wrote, and most were eager to share. It was wonderful to watch people open up and be vulnerable. Rubin clarified, “You don’t need to have any background in writing or literature whatsoever to enjoy this experience. The activities exist as a means of helping each of us to access our individual creative voice. The mere act of putting pen to paper is informative and therapeutic. There’s no wrong way to do this.”

The workshop closed with a water activation ceremony by Form + Light with the intention of honoring the life-giving properties of sacred waters everywhere. We sat on the floor in a circle around a water mandala featuring candles, and crystals specifically chosen for their aquatic and creative properties. Waters of the Atlantic and Pacific were joined with those of the Missouri River, gifted from Standing Rock as part of a continuous cycle of water blessing ceremonies which began in September 2016. Participants charged the water through intention, sound, and stones, creating a personal elixir for transformation that could be offered back to the land or gifted in gratitude to a body of water they frequented. The ceremony closed with personal energetic clearings of participants with the blessed waters.

Of the setting, Rigano said, “We have the ability to affect our internal and external environments through highly considered, intention-driven design. Everything has a frequency, a vibration at which it resonates. By incorporating the beauty of the natural world into our everyday, we can optimize our life experience, and water is one of the most profound elements to work with to inspire creativity and flow.”

This workshop cost $100.00, an amazing price for the wealth of knowledge, information, and healing that we received. I can’t wait for the next one.

For info go to: http://www.jobimanson.com (Jobi) http://allswellcreative.com (Laura) http://www.weareformandlight.com (Sarah)

Sherman's Back!

Jobi Manson, owner of Sefari Outpost

CHECK OUT OUR NEW WEBSITE!

Sherman's Place All Breed Grooming Stylists Walk-in's Welcomed!

Introducing 2 New Stylists • Styling & Bathing

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LIFESTYLE

PLAIN. PLEASE.

BY CHRISTY CALAFATI

FIVE QUESTIONS WITH MALIBU DESIGNER KEELY JENSEN, THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE EMERGING BRAND PLAIN. SWEATS THAT TRULY KNOW HOW TO PLEASE EVERY LIFESTYLE.

CASUAL CHIC: Keely Jensen goes next level casual chic by adding a Lovely Bird at with her classic grey plain. sweatshirt.

Longtime Malibu local Keely Jensen really understands that the livin’ is easy in Malibu - but not everyone is easy to please.

That is especially true for the number one wardrobe staple in every Malibuites closet - the singularly sensational pair of sweats.

With an in-depth knowledge that not all sweats are created equal, the former wardrobe stylist quickly noticed a void in the market for high-quality sweats that could withstand the Malibu’s coastal casual lifestyle.

Jensen, who studied fashion design at the prestigious Studio Bercot in Paris, went on to an illustrious career for publications such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, Allure, and Marie Claire. This experience made her very aware of the fact that most of what looks great in print doesn’t translate to the lifestyle of the actual buyer.

That also pertains to the coveted selection of comfy sweats...and Plain. was born.

WELLIES LOOK WONDERFUL: When paired with the new plain. “shorty” done up with diamonds.

CC: What is Plain.’s design philosophy?

KJ: Plain. sweats are old school with a twist. They are an old favorite, but with improved fit that flatters the body and holds its shape. They are made in freshly inspired colors, void of bulky ties and screen printing.

CC: Where did the inspiration for Plain. come from?

KJ: Plain.’s inspiration is true to many brands - it was created because there was nothing like it. The market lacked sophisticated, simple, well-constructed sweats.

CC: How does the Malibu lifestyle influence your process?

KJ: The physical beauty of Malibu provides daily inspiration. Plain. sweats are well tailored hang out clothes which epitomize the Malibu lifestyle, casual chic! The colors echo the change in weather from foggy mornings to stunning sunsets and chilly bonfire nights.

CC: How do you wear Plain.? KJ: I wear mine with diamonds by the yard or... wellies in the yard. CC: What’s new for Plain. in 2017?

KJ: January 24th is Plain.’s first anniversary. We started with just a sweatshirt and a sweatpant .... and in 2017 we will be introducing a Hoodie, Short set, and a dress!

plain.

shopplain.com