The Local - Issue #2 - Happy Holidays!

CURATORS OF COASTAL CULTURE

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HOLIDAY

Gift Guide

Just a DROP

in the BUCKET

The SoCal drought continues

GHOSTFISHING haunts our oceans

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CURATORS OF COASTAL CULTURE

Letter from the

EDITORS

DECEMBER 2014 VOL. I, ISSUE 2

Founder, Editor in Chief

CECE S. WOODS Executive Editor

STEVE WOODS

Associate Publishers NICHOLAS BETTS CLAUDIA TAYLOR ROB TAYLOR ADDISON ALTENDORF Director of P.R. BIRUNGI IVES Deputy Editors TARA OWENS TRACEY BREGMAN MATT DIAMOND MADISON CHERTOW CHEF ALBERTO VAZQUEZ DIANA NICHOLSON BARRIE LIVINGSTONE AUDREY RUTH CAROL HOYT JACKIE ROBBINS DANIEL BRALVER BRAIN TIELEMAN RANDY OLSON DANIEL BRALVER LIZA UTTER Contributing Photographers JEFF HERRERA CAROL SUE STODDARD HANNAH RAY TAYLOR TIM HORTON

FOLLOW US

As we upload our second issue of The Local and begin looking to the end of the year, it seems that there remains much unfinished business when it comes to our local environment. With successive storm systems drenching the state, the worry of drought and low water reserves have seemed to ease for many. However these recent rainfall totals are merely “a drop in the bucket” when it comes to replenishing long depleted resevoirs and ground water aquifers. We urge our Local readers to re-commit to conservation and awareness of this extended, long ranging problem.

Also as a coastal community the long term health of the sea and her inhabitants should be another point of concern. In this issue we explore the tragic consequences of Ghost Fishing and recent efforts to mitigate the effects abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear is having on the marine environment. Making up an estimated 10% of all marine pollution these nylon nets, lost traps and miles of line wreak havoc on marine mammals, sea bottom habitat and endangered species alike.

Committed organizations like Bureo Skateboards and Net Positiva are creating positive change in regards to waste net collection and recycling.

And finally on an up note it is that time of year to think of others and the Local has compiled a list of great gift ideas from local sources for the loved ones on your list. Now let’s enjoy a few days off with family and friends and then in 2015 it’s time to re double our efforts and work to effect positive change locally in our community and globally where possible.

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90265 FROM THE PUBLISHERS OF

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Happy Festivus from the editors of the Local!

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M A G A Z I N E

SOMEWHERE IN MALIBU....

Someone was missing the 90’s

#localstormwatch The Local will be keeping a sharp eye on local radar and extended weather forecasts.

Surfrider Foundation’s Nancy Hastings spotted this recent rehash of the 90’s classic film “Point Break” bringing back a bit of nostalgia for the days when Malibu was serious about their surf. Word on the street? Johnny Utah might be at Sundance...

Cover photo by Jeff Herrera

PHILANTHROPY

COMPASSION rocked!

Photos by David Sobel

Malibu turns out for a night of fundraising and raising awareness for Social Compassion in Legislation

KEELY AND PIERCE BROSNAN and

award winning t.v. journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell hosted the event, COMPASSION ROCKS recently at the Dick Clark Estate in Malibu. It was a beautiful night under the stars for Social Compassion in Legislation, with celebrated locals such as philanthropist Cindy Landon ( who was honored at the event ), Chris Cortazzo and many more turning out to support this very important cause.

From left to right: Malibu locals Jen Landon, Cindy Landon, Chris Cortazzo and friend.

Below: Award winning T.V. journalist Jane Velez-Mitchell and President of Social Compassion for Legislation, Judie Mancuso.

“Congrats to

CINDY LANDON

Over $100,000 raised Through the generous support of friends who attented this event, SCIL exceeded their fundraising goal raising over $100, 000 which will go directly towards our vital animal welfare initiatives for 2015.

on a much deserved acknowledgement for her outstanding work for creatures without voices.”

- CHRIS CORTAZZO

Below: Cindy Landon and The Local Malibu and 90265 Magazine’s editor in chief, Cece Woods.

Dylan Brosnan was among the musical performers at the Compassion Rocks event.

Compassionate vegans were in attendance to enjoy a night of awareness and atmosphere that included a delicious vegan fare.

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ENTERTAINMENT

BYRON ALLEN

President of Entertainment Studios The following are excerpts from one of the latest episodes of INDUSTRY STANDARD with BARRY KATZ, with special guest BYRON ALLEN, who is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Entertainment Studios, which he started from his dining room table in 1993, with no capital and no investors. Now 20 years later, he oversees a company that at any given time, airs between 27 to 32 TV series, making it the largest independent producer/distributor of first-run syndicated broadcast television programming in the world. In past 5 years, Allen became the first television entrepreneur to own and simultaneously launch a portfolio of six 24-hour HD television networks, including Pets.TV, Comedy.TV, Recipe.TV, Cars.TV, ES.TV, and MyDestination.TV. Among the company’s top programs are Emmy-winning Cars.TV, Emmy nominated America's Court with Judge Ross and We the People With Gloria Allred, and Comics Unleashed. Recently his company made its first foray into scripted programming, producing two weekly primetime sitcoms—The First Family (starring John Witherspoon, Marla Gibbs, and Gladys Knight) and Mr. Box Office (starring Bill Bellamy, Jon Lovitz, and Vivica Fox).

Before Entertainment Studios, Byron started his career as a stand-up comedian in Los Angeles and got his first break when Jimmie Walker (“Good Times”) saw his stand-up act and invited him to join his comedy writing team alongside other promising young comedians, Jay Leno and David Letterman. By the age of 18, Allen made his television debut on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson—after originally turning it down a year earlier, so he could finish high school and attend USC…and was the youngest comedian in history to ever perform on that show.

BK: How did your career launch in Los Angeles?

BA: My Mom got a job at NBC and given the fact that she was a young mother in her 20’s…she couldn’t afford a baby sitter…especially in the summertime after

school. So I would go to NBC with her…and it was there that I fell in love with comedy and television. I’m a young kid…about 12 or 13 years old in the mid 70’s and it was there that I would go from studio to studio…and watch how they created television. I would watch them tape “The Tonight Show” and would watch Johnny Carson pull into his parking space every day and he would turn the corner like clockwork…at 2 o’clock…get out of his white corvette…with his brown paper bag lunch and before he would bounce up to his office, he’d say “How you doing kid?” (laughs) ‘cause I always happened to be near his parking space…and I swear I would just turn my head and sure enough (snaps his fingers) there’s my hero turning the corner. He was always nice and he’d walk upstairs and you wouldn’t see him again…and he wouldn’t come back down until about 5:25…and he stayed away from everybody…and then 5:30 like clockwork again…Daah da dum dah da…daah da da dum (“Tonight Show” theme). Boom. Walk out. Do his monologue…and knock it out of the park. The show was over at 6:30 and he’d go back upstairs, change his clothes, and be back downstairs by 6:45…and back in his car heading back to Malibu by 7 pm. The studio, which had close to 500 people in it, was now empty, with the exception of a janitor…and me (laughs). And I used to walk out there, stand on his mark…and do his monologue, and do it every night…and just stand there in that spot and then I go sit behind his desk…and all the guys knew me…so the security guards, Floyd the shoeshine guy…they would sit there and be my guests. At NBC, I’d watch Johnny Carson, and then I go across the hall and watch Red Foxx do “Sanford and Son”… then I’d go around the corner and watch Freddie Prinz on “Chico and the Man”… …and then I’d go to another studio and watch George Burns do his special…and then I’d watch Flip Wilson do “The Flip Wilson Show” …with a funny young comic on named Richard Pryor…and then I would watch Bob Hope do his specials. So as a kid, I watched all these mechanics and how the wheels turned. It was one of the greatest gifts a child could ever have.

BK: Take me through the phone call you received (when you were 17) from Jim McCawley (the legendary talent booker) asking you to do ”The Tonight Show?”

BA: I said “Listen…maybe some other time…I need to finish high school.” He was just stunned. He was like “I’m offering you ‘The Tonight Show’” …and at this

point if you did “The Tonight Show” with Johnny…you were done…you were set for the rest of your life…it just was that way. That’s how powerful the show and he was. For me this is a marathon not a sprint… I had my plan…I want to do the show…I want to have a good time…I want to get out of high school…and I want to get into USC film school. So I ended up doing the show May 17, 1979…about a week before I graduated from high school and when I knew I had been accepted at USC. But here’s the crazy thing. My mother and I go over to Robinsons May to buy me a suit to be on “The Tonight Show” with Johnny and…I remember being at the cash register and praying that her credit card would go through for like 100 bucks so I can wear a jacket on “The Tonight Show.”

BK: Now you’ve been in this studio hundreds of times, you’ve been visualizing this moment since you were fourteen, you’ve been practicing your stand-up for 4 years, and now you’re standing behind that curtain. Are you confident or nervous?

BA: I was totally confident and at ease, but here’s the thing I will never forget. It’s the commercial break and it’s time for me to go on...and I’m standing there and talking to one of the guys back stage... and all of the sudden, he stops talking...and he’s shaking almost...and he points behind me... and it’s Johnny Carson...and he walks over to me and says “Don’t worry kid, you’re going to kill”...Wow. Wow. Wow. What a moment( ( fighting back the tears )Unbelievable. At that moment it didn’t matter... I could have made 500 chairs laugh. That’s amazing BK: What’s even more amazing about that Byron, is if you know the history of “The Tonight Show” and all of your friends that did it...he’s never done that...but he remembered that “kid” in the parking lot...

BA: ...And I remember standing there after he said that...behind the curtain waiting for the music to come out of the commercial break...and I remember thinking, the next five minutes will change the lives of my mother and I forever. And I said I’m going to go out there and do what I have to do, so that we will have a comfortable life.

Boom. Hit the mark. Took them out. I was so comfortable... it was like being in my bedroom... because I’d stood there so many times before.

BARRY KATZ (@barrykatz) is a theatrical comedy manager and tv/film producer who lives in Malibu.

His podcast, INDUSTRY STANDARD, takes you behind the curtain of the entertainment industry with a new episode every week, featuring inspirational interviews with some of the most powerful people in Hollywood. At the date of this article, the podcasts that Katz has appeared on have been downloaded over 3 million times. (You can reach Barry on Twitter @barrykatz)

Byron Allen went from stand up comic, to TV producer mega-mogul.

ART

ART BASEL MIAMI:

supercharged

“Pick up your Vertu World Phone. Ask if the Damien Hirst sold. No? Buy it. Have it shipped to Dubai.” - on the proper way to do Basel

BY ERIC MINH SWENSON

Artist and filmmaker, Julian Schnabel at a panel discussion.

Filmmaker, Producer, Photographer Photos by Eric Minh Swenson

It was full throttle at Art Basel this year in Miami. There were Lambos, Red Bull, Cuban expresso, Davidoff cigars, champagne, and Waikiki weather to keep me up. This was sponge time and real world intelligence gathering. A place where creativity is a commodity and commerce is king. Art world luminaries, collectors, magnates, dealers, and moochers walked the halls of the world’s most prestigious international art fair in its latest 2014 edition. Unrepresented artists posting free social media publicity were on the hunt, running around like jackrabbits dreaming of one day being curated into a Basel booth. There was a feel in Los Angeles (where I’m based) that this was the place to be no matter what.

Collectors on the floor seemed cheery and aglow. They were high on caffeine, mellow on champagne. Their Vertu world phones had full bars. The vernissage private preview was perfect snatch and grab hours for the collectors and dealers, away from the common public that were embargoed later in the day. One dealer referred to the common public as “debris” or essential time wasters that distract them from potential buyers and art advisors. Dealers had curt smiles. Men in suits. Women like CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies.

Booths had private rooms to schmooze or close on VIPs. Gallery Lieutenants and 2IC’s (second-in-command) coddled ipads to scroll through additional inventory not present. The Zwirner booth was teaming with workers. Average joe in pot belly and sandals could be Jimmy Buffet. At the vernissage everyone counted.

I witnessed a prominent collector walk by a Los Angeles gallery booth, point at a large shiny sculpture, point at it, then pointed at the dealer, as if that’s mine.

Done. Sold. Paypal. These were the best of times. Wall Street has record highs.

Congress has been taken over by Republicans. Future markets are weighing in.

Gas prices are low.

This was Christmas in Miami.

I walked along an art advisor who took clients to three pre-determined booths and showed them pre-determined art with pre-selected dealer. Done. Sold. Let’s go to the collector’s lounge for champagne.

Art fairs, especially of this caliber, are extreme pressure cookers to sale. It is simple as that. Most unrepresented artists go to the fairs to network with dealers.

However, it is uncouth and terribly rude to pitch yourself to a dealer during prime time. The art fairs are huge investments and gambles for dealers. They rely on sales to pay for the next fairs or to cover massive overhead of shipping, traveling and booth costs. (I mention this as advise for artists who are hustling, but there is a time and place. Its called after hour parties.)

A few sources told me the fair seemed upbeat and lively. There was a feel of brighter, happier post recession art adorning the hall, unlike previous recession years were the art was more dreary, bleak, ominous, and political. There were protestors on Sunday. Bystanders just laughed thinking they were performance artists. Christmas trees were hotel lobby reminders that is was the time of giving, but more like uber-rich staycations to buy art or look sophisticated, a class of people most likely lobbying for Uber Yacht service.

This was my rookie year in South Beach. I expected more Scarface and Michael Bay, but what I got was Uber and wall-to-wall construction projects up and down Collins Avenue. I met billionaires and they’re moocher collector friends. There were poodles on blinged out leashes and magnificent art, the type of art that commands insane money, or acquired for hallowed museum collections. Many of my art world friends, collaborators, and shakers from Los Angeles descended so I didn’t feel quite alone, but during these days I mostly wanted to be left alone during my reconnaissance, hence pictures of me on social media wearing headphones.

My few days there I went crazy on my camera. I shot 3000 images. Deleted 1000. Deleted 500 more. Then made a slideshow of my favorite 408 images. I also made a short film, fast, furious, deliberate.

Big highlights for me were to meet and photograph panel discussions featuring heralded Marina Abramovic and Julian Schnabel. Overall it was fun. It was eyeopening. This was great art. Magnificent art. The finest delicacies atop the food chain. If you’re in for a feast this is the place to be.

Follow ERIC MINH SWENSON @f64productions

CAN YOU SAY SEQUEL? ( Eric Minh Swenson right, with Julian Schnabel ). “I asked Julian Schnabel if he read my book and he said; “ Not yet, but Benicio del Toro should play you in your biopic."

THE SCENE AT THE SCENE:

“Why can’t the Getty

throw parties like this? Rap music, smoke machines, pyro, ecstasy, lap dances?”

- observations at Basel’s numerous ragers.

BODY DOUBLE: Allie Pohl torsos ( right ) at Black Book Gallery. “ I was her inspiration.

Anatomically exaggerated. “ says Swenson in jest.

MIAMI MINGLING: Malibu mogul magnate, super artist Andy Moses and LA Laker super fan and fashion icon Jim Goldstein and at the Perez Museum super party in Miami.

“It's so nice to be back to the winter wonderland of Los Angeles where clusters of art galleries are spread throughout SoCal in all corners, museums galore, more artists than Heat fans, better weather, more Lambos, better surf, street art not diminished to one area and we don't need an annual event to celebrate art.“ ERIC MINH SWENSON upon his return from Miami

ENTERTAINMENT

A DROPin the bucket.

Our recent string of storms, although wet, are far from enough to ease extreme drought conditions. BY STEVE WOODS Recent rains have been a welcome relief to Malibu's parched hillsides and may have helped us skirt a potentially devastating brush fire season, but California has a long ways to go to top off reservoirs that have dropped below 30% capacities.

California has always had a feast or famine history when it comes to cycles of yearly rain fall amounts, but the Golden State has never had to deliver water supplies to 38 million thirsty humans or have to send 80 percent of it’s entire state water reserves to irrigate one of the world’s most productive agriculture regions in the world during an extended mega-drought. The state's dams, canals, aquifiers and reservoirs have never been tested by the kind of prolonged drought that experts say will almost certainly occur again. Well into a three year drought, climatologists get the jitters when they peer into California's ancient past.

By aging old tree stumps in Lake Tahoe, climate researcher Susan Lindstrom found a dry period that lasted an estimated 1,300 years until it finally started getting wetter around 4000 B.C. A flood in 1605 was so severe it turned the Central Valley into a lake. Not long after the first Europeans arrived to the Central Valley and was sucked dry by the current water wars of today’s farming corporations, the Miwok tribe lived along the San Joaquin River that flowed through rich grasslands and sprawling marshes, flooding every few years and transforming much of the valley into lakes. At the southern end of the valley lay the vast Tulare Lake, formerly the largest freshwater lake in the western United States, which connected with the San Joaquin through a series of marshes and sloughs. On the other side of the Sierras, the once large Owens Lake was drained dry by the Los Angeles Water and Power to fill up the millions of swimming pools and irrigate lawns in the semi arid desert region known as Southern California. Today, Owens Lake is mostly a pathetic, carcinogenic dust bowl laced with tornadic arsenic dust devils of respiratory hell. It is doubtful that the City of Los Angeles will make good on it’s legal mandate to fill the lake to safe air quality levels.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor report, in July roughly 58% of California was considered to be experiencing an "exceptional" drought - the harshest on a five-level scale and many Malibu local surfers can remember the historic drought of the mid to late 70's when the Malibu Lagoon was as dry as a bleached out cattle skull. One had to hike well above the Serra Retreat Arizona Crossing to find a pollywog puddle.

It was droughts similar to this that compelled Malibu's first settlers and ranchers to consider building a dam to ensure that their cattle had adequate water during dry times. Malibu's Chumash people depended on living along water courses and were well aware of drought times and highly valued every creek and spring. During the worst of droughts there were two springs that could be depended on when all the water courses went dry, Solstice Creek and the 8,000 year old village site at Nicolas Creek near Leo Carrillo that is now the reconstructed Chumash site called Wishtoya.

ABOVE: Recent stormwater spilling over the obselete Rindge Dam on it’s way to the Malibu Lagoon ( below ) and out to the Pacific Ocean.

Frederick Hastings Rindge who purchased the 13,330-acre tract in 1892 from Henry Keller's son Matthew, for a then fabulous price of $10 per acre and all of Malibu from Topanga to Point Mugu, found out that his cattle and agriculture ventures needed water during times of drought. In his book "Happy Days of Southern California", Mr. Rindge wrote of the paradise that Malibu was and its perils fraught with drought years that he experienced during the years 1863, 1877 and in 1897 were periods as a cattle rancher that gnawed deep tracks of anxiety in his soul. In November of 1863, he wrote, "There was a regular downpour and it did not rain again until November 1864; and in consequence dead cattle covered the ground from Monterrey to Southern California. "In this day of grief and desperate sorrow, what shall we do but trust in God our cattle and horses have death before them. The little lambs lie dead about the corral and on the hills, the ewes being milkless". It was times like this that compelled Frederick Rindge to seek water conservation and the construction of the Rindge Dam in the heart of the Malibu canyon which was built in 1925.

The lowest reservoir levels in state historical records were in 1977, but the state’s vulnerability has increased as the state’s population has grown. The last 150 years of weather represent some of the most peaceful, reliable periods of rainfall in the region’s history, concluded paleoclimatologists B. Lynn Ingram and Frances Malamud-Roam, in their recent book “The West Without Water.”. California’s water supply can turn seemingly on a dime, and then stay changed for long stretches of time. Those turns are primarily determined by the Pacific Ocean. Scientists call it the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. But when the ocean is cold, the jet stream change trends to move north, making for a much drier California. During California's droughts of the late 1800's, a devastating mini ice age was creating havoc across the plains states and east coast that we are calling the Polar Vortex phenomena today. In 2014, California coastal water temperatures have been above normal which could represent a wet El Nino Year for Pacific moisture and snow in the sierras to add to our needed states water supplies.

BIRD’S EYE VIEW: Capsien Terns touring the Malibu Lagoon after the recent rainstorm. Photos by Steve Woods.

ENVIRONMENT Though we have had 1-3 inches of rain in the Malibu area recently, it will barely put a dent in a long term drought. Most of Malibu's smaller creeks did not get enough runnoff to break through the sandy berms that separates the creeks from the ocean, however the Malibu Creek with it’s 109 square mile watershed did get enough runnoff to bust through the Malibu Lagoon berm in two places. Surfers will be pleased that the two natural breeches occurred at third point and at the furthest west end near the Colony. While everyone was glad to see the first rains turn our hillsides green, PCH turned brown and and black with rocks and mud near the recent burn area between Deer Creek and Point Mugu. The highway was closed for nearly a week and will most likely close again in the next rain forecasted for the second weekend in December. As the water utilities plead for the public to conserve, water and electricity rates are skyrocketing. A fact that is noteworthy to residents of California is that 20% of California’s electrical energy costs are devoted to pumping water from water rich areas of the Golden State to the arid areas of Southern California. As we are going to print, the biggest storm in six years has moved south from San Francisco after just receiving over 9 inches of rain. While wild winds and heavy rainfall created problems locally, heavy snow and a wind gust in the sierras were recorded at 147 MPH Will this be the beginning of the 25-35 more inches required to put a dent in our current 3 year drought or are we in the beginning of a 30 year or a possible 300 year drought ?

Only the future will tell. In the meantime, we, who live in a semi arid desert cannot stop conserving water.

NEW SATELLITE DATA WILL HELP FARMERS FACING DROUGHT

By Rosalie Murphy, JPL Earth Science and Technology Directorate About 60 percent of California is experiencing “exceptional drought,” the U.S. Drought Monitor’s most dire classification. The agency issued the same warning to Texas and the southeastern United States in 2012. California’s last two winters have been among the driest since records began in 1879. Without enough water in the soil, seeds can’t sprout roots, leaves can’t perform photosynthesis, and agriculture can’t be sustained.

Currently, there is no ground- or satellite-based global network monitoring soil moisture at a local level. Farmers, scientists and resource managers can place sensors in the ground, but these only provide spot measurements and are rare across some critical agricultural areas in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The European Space Agency’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission measures soil moisture at a resolution of 31 miles (50 kilometers), but because soil moisture can vary on a much smaller scale, its data are most useful in broad forecasts.

Enter NASA’s Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. The mission, scheduled to launch this winter, will collect the kind of local data agricultural and water managers worldwide need.

SMAP uses two microwave instruments to monitor the top 2 inches (5 centimeters) of soil on Earth’s surface. Together, the instruments create soil moisture estimates with a resolution of about 6 miles (9 kilometers), mapping the entire globe every two or three days. Although this resolution cannot show how soil moisture might vary within a single field, it will give the most detailed maps yet made.

“Agricultural drought occurs when the demand for water for crop production exceeds available water supplies from precipitation, surface water and sustainable withdrawals from groundwater,” said Forrest Melton, a research scientist in the Ecological Forecasting Lab at NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

“Based on snowpack and precipitation data in California, by March we had a pretty good idea that by summer we’d be in a severe agricultural drought,” Melton added.

“But irrigation in parts of India, the Middle East and other regions relies heavily on the pumping of groundwater during some or all of the year.” Underground water resources are hard to estimate, so farmers who rely on groundwater have fewer indicators of approaching shortfalls than those whose irrigation comes partially from rain or snowmelt. For these parts of the world where farmers have little data available to help them understand current conditions, SMAP’s measurements could fill a significant void.

Some farmers handle drought by changing irrigation patterns. Others delay planting or harvesting to give plants their best shot at success. Currently, schedule modifications are based mostly on growers’ observations and experience. SMAP’s data will provide an objective assessment of soil moisture to help with their management strategy.

“If farmers of rain-fed crops know soil moisture, they can schedule their planting to maximize crop yield,” said Narendra Das, a water and carbon cycle scientist on SMAP’s science team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. “SMAP can assist in predicting how dramatic drought will be, and then its data can help farmers plan their recovery from drought.”

“Scientists see tremendous potential in SMAP,” Melton said. “It is not going to provide field-level information, but it will give very useful new regional observations of soil moisture conditions, which will be important for drought monitoring and a wide range of applications related to agriculture. Having the ability provided by SMAP to continuously map soil moisture conditions over large areas will be a major advance.”

ENVIRONMENT

GHOST FISHI NG Haunts our Oceans

BY ROB TAYLOR Ghost Gear is abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear that litters all the oceans of the world. These nylon, nets, traps and line continue to catch fish, marine mammals and sea turtles long after it is abandoned. Since much of this gear sinks it also harms fragile sea bottom habitats like coral reefs and kelp and will carry invasive species from one region to another. Ghost gear can also create navigational hazards and create safety problems.

This growing problem of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) is getting worse due to the increased scale of global commercial fishing operations and the introduction of highly durable materials used to manufacture the gear.

Awareness of the problem is growing and solutions for clean up and reduction of the waste are being developed and deployed by both governmental and private organizations. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (UNEP) Executive Director, says: “ There are many ‘ghosts in the marine environment machine’ from overfishing and acidification linked with greenhouse gases to the rise in de-oxygenated ‘dead zones’ as a result of run off and land-based source of pollution. Abandoned and lost fishing is part of this suite of challenges that must be urgently addressed collectively if the productivity of our oceans and seas is to be maintained for this and future generations, not least for achievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals”.

Ichiro Nomura, FAO Assistant Director-General for Fisheries and Aquaculture also states, “The amount of fishing gear remaining in the marine environment will continue to accumulate and the impacts on marine ecosystems will continue to get worse if the international community doesn’t take effective steps to deal with the problem of marine debris as a whole. Strategies for addressing the problem must occur on multiple fronts, including prevention, mitigation, and curative measures,” said He also noted that FAO is working closely with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in its ongoing review of Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) as regards fishing gear and shore side reception facilities.

One group that has a unique approach to mitigating the harmful effects of ghost gear is Bureo Skateboards based in Chile. The brainchild of three friends, David Stover, Ben Kneppers and Kevin Ahearn, Bureo designs and manufactures a unique line of sustainable skateboards in Chile through the team’s initiative, ‘Net Positiva’. In a country with over 1500 miles of coastline this is Chile’s first ever fishnet collection & recycling program.

Net Positiva provides fisherman with environmentally sound disposal points, while Bureo receives highly recyclable and durable raw materials. By offering recycled high quality products, Bureo enables ethically conscious consumers to support recycling development and job growth for local inhabitants.

Net Positiva was launched in Chile in January 2014, where more than 3,000kg of derelict fishing nets were collected and recycled during the first six months of operations. Recycled nets were sourced for the production of Bureo’s cruiser skateboards deck, The Minnow, the first skatedeck made from recycled marine debris. Through Net Positiva, Bureo is creating positive solutions for harmful waste while supporting coastal communities and bringing awareness to a major threat to our oceans.

In addition to the fishnet collection program, Net Positiva is aligned with coastal cleanup and conservation efforts. Under this initiative, Bureo is connecting with non-profits and local communities across the US and Chile to support the removal of marine debris from our coasts. David Stover has made presentations to both Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School and Malibu High School, helping local students understand the problems caused by Ghost Fishing both in local waters and around the world.

The name ‘Bureo’ comes from the language of the Mapuche, the native Chileans, and means ´the waves’. Selected in honor of the Chilean people, the name represents the group’s mission. Just as a wave originates from a disturbance of wind along the ocean surface, Bureo is starting with a small change in an ocean of plastic. Through time and energy, the waves of Bureo will develop the force required to cause real change.

LEFT: Fishing operations replace their nets every 6 months to 2 years.This creates tons of hard to dispose of waste. The black purse seine nets take 50 years to bio degrade and the green gill nets can take up to 600 yearsto disintegrate! While these nets float through the oceans they continue to fish, kill animals and destroy marine habitat.

ABOVE: Ghost Gear is responsible for millions of sea life deaths every year.

Marine mammals, sharks, seals and sea turtles get tangled and tragically drown.

ABOVE: 30 square feet of nylon net can be recycled and converted into a single Bureo skateboard. Net Positiva has set up net collection and recycling points in 6 Chilean fishing communities. They have incentivized the return of nets for the fisherman by paying for the material and have begun hiring idle workers to help clean and process the nets. Their operation which began this year continues to expand.

LEFT:Bureo's Minnow Cruiser boards are fun to ride and easy to customize with the included paint pens.

The Satori Cruiser wheels are 30% vegetable oil and 70% Urethane designed with a softer formula for good grip and smooth ride.

In addition to the operations in Chile, Bureo continues to explore the feasibility and timing for projects in other regions around the world, including locations in North America and Europe. They continue to be amazed at how vast this problem of plastic pollution is, but also see how first hand people want to do something about it. By proving this model from the ground up we believe that there is a tremendous opportunity to scale these efforts into a truly net positive impact.

The boards are very fun to ride and use cruiser wheels made by Satori with 30% soy based materials.

Shop retail at Mollusk Surf shops or go on line to www.BureoSkateboards.com.

ABOVE: Bureo Skateboards and Net Positiva's David Stover led a powerful presentation to a packed house at Malibu High School last friday. GO SHARKS!

LIFESTYLE BU HUES VELVET CRUSH

Emerging designer Hanna Hayes gives boho a haute twist with this lush velvet 70’s vibe “Nantucket Holiday Jumper”, also available in navy and black. $180. hannahayes.com

GIFT guide

Wrap yourself ( or loved ones ) in beautiful brights or Malibu hues in 100% organic cotton.

Westcott scarf, $90.

Pinnacle Malibu, 28925 P.C.H., Malibu, CA. 90265, 310.457.5705

GLOBAL GODDESS

ALL THAT GLITTERS

Malibu local Roxanne Jensen’s boutique BLUE MALIBU is a gypsetter’s dream stocked with goodies from her worldly travels.

21219 P.C.H., Malibu, CA 90265, 310.456. 1555

This holiday season glows with Heather Gardner’s glittering collection of gold, black diamonds and a host of other semi precious stones to choose from. heathergardnerjewelry.com

TROPICAL TOUCH

Growing up on on the sands of the most celebrated beaches in the world, local Malibu surfer Kim Hansen set out to create a perfume that captured the essence of the sand, sea and tropical beauty she loved so much. Available locally at Sunlife Organics 29169 Heathercliff Rd. Malibu, CA. 90265, 310.457.6161

FRINGE BENEFITS

Longtime Malibu resident, designer Jackie Robbins has been on the retail scene since the 70’s designing her leather goods for some of the entertainment industry’s most sought after. Her custom made leather goods used to be available only by appointment, but now you can shop her coveted classics online. leatherwaves.myshopify. com

SHOP

STUDIO

the

local

PAULA MARCHETTI The Studio featuring Paula Marchetti delivers fresh new beauty trends that resonate the Malibu lifestyle 3900 Cross Creek Rd. (inside the Beauty Collection ) Malibu, CA. 90265 310-317-4247 Photo by Mikel Roberts

A full service salon, specialzing in corrective color and styling

LIFESTYLE LUXE LEASH

Premium leather, custom made, white bronze findings and stitching reminiscent of your favorite Hermes Birkin bag make the luxury market’s latest pet product, SC FOY’s signature leash the must have for man’s best friend this holiday season. $895, available at Malibu Beach House, 30745 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA. 310.457.5600

GIFT guide

PUPPY LOVE Point Dume resident Jessica Di Paola’s company creates pet silhouette charm necklaces with the likeness of your beloved furry one.

All pieces are made in sunny Southern California and 30% of profits give back to rescue and rehabilitation efforts to animals in need. silhouPETte.com

ECO CRUISERS

Ride your footprint with the 25” Minnow deck, 63mm 78a custom Satori Eco-Cruiser wheels, 129mm Paris Street Trucks, Premium Bustin Abec 7 longboard bearings & marine grade stainless steel hardware. In addition, make the Minnow deck your canvas, and create custom designs with your choice of two water-based (Greenlabel) paint pens (blue, green, red or violet)! Shop on line bureoskateboards.com

CLASSIC CALI

SoCal style has changed in many ways but one west coast classic that remains a favorite is the Kennington brand, established 1957. Get your guy the Kennington vibe this holiday season. kennington.com

SURF MONKEYS

Malibu original surf-inspired loungewear is not just for kids. The pull-over changing robes are classics for every age! Available at Malibu Design Center, 25001 P.C.H., Malibu, CA 90265, 310.317.9922 surfmonk.com

BIG DEAL

Big Wednesday was a big deal in Malibu and it will remain that way for years to come. The best way to commemorate an event that brought the biggest waves in 50 years? A tee shirt of course. This one of a kind design is only available at Malibu Beach Supply at the Malibu Pier.

310.456.8031

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local It’s a Lifestyle.

PACK ‘EM IN

Give the gift of a visit to the Northern Channel Islands via Island Packers cruises. Whether you planning a day hike or wanting to camp on Anacapa, Santa Cruz or the outer islands, enjoy the ride, and witness the beauty of the California coastline.

Gift certificates are available. islandpackers.com

22917 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA. 90265 310.456.7721 malibubeachpilates.com

HOME

CRAZY FOR KANTHA

By using bohemian bright vintage 70’s Kantha fabrics as the basis for their collection, Malibu based brand Head Regal have not only become a hit, but are the creative ( they make messenger bags ) and cozy ( the blankets are to dye for ) go to gift. Not just for the hippie but for anyone who appreciates handcrafted goods with a seriously happy vibe. Available at Malibu Design Center, 25001 P.C.H., Malibu CA. 90265, 310.317.9922

GIFT guide

CREATIVE CRYSTAL Beautifully handcrafted “Decantlers” made using naturally shed antlers and copper, adorning lead free European crystal by Artist Connie Freedman. From $275 - $395. Available at A Beautiful Mess Home, 28861 W. Agoura RoadAgoura Hills, California 91301, 818.874.9092

CHEER HERE

Mojito’s and margaritas get merrier this season with Malibu Beach House’s collection of 90265 engraved glassware. The perfect gift for those close by or friends far away who want to show local love. Malibu Beach House, 30745 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA. 310.457.5600

ANTIQUE CHIC

SHOP

Safari inspired style goes seaside with this antique ottoman covered in a one of a kind zebra pattern. Available at Malibu Beach House, 30745 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, CA. 310.457.5600

local

BRIGHT LITE

Locals love the White tea and Burtwood candles made by 10 year old Malibu entrepreneur Sofia Gillen.Quality craftmanship includes a handmade porcelain vessel housing the hand poured wax and finished off with a coconut oil wick. Available at Maxfied in the Malibu Lumberyard and etsy.com/ unvarnishedmalibu - Follow Sofia on Instagram @twolittlegilrsmalibu

HOME FARM FRESH

Malibu Farm owner Helene Henderson has created a cult following with her farm fresh, fabulous fare served daily at her restaurant located at the end of iconic Malibu Pier. Her new cookbook based on her famous recipes is now available for purchase - the perfect present for those who want to experience the true taste of Malibu. malibu-farm.com

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Farmbox’s abundant gift basket of Southern California’s finest ingredients include freshly baked bread, local artisan cheese, pasture-raised eggs, farm-fresh produce plus a bonus local item like raw honey, pickles or hummus packaged pretty in their reuseable EcoBasket. farmboxla.com

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HISTORY IN THE MAKING

What to get the hard to get?

A piece of Old Cornell by Old Place purveyor Morgan Runyon.

These handcrafted, mantel worthy, mini masterpieces are inventive gift certificates designed as art pieces. Too redeem or not to redeem... now that is the question!

29983 Mulholland Hwy Agoura, CA. 91301 818.706.9001

GIFT guide

INSTAGOOD

Manufactured by camera and film company Polaroid, the Socialmatic is an Android-powered digital camera that comes with a built-in ZINK printer for instant on-the-go photo print outs. The device has a 4.5” touchscreen LCD display and an internal 4GB storage.

This dedicated Instagram camera does come with a variety of filters to create fab photos. polaroid.com

SOUNDS GOOD TO ME

The smart wireless hi-fi system you control from a free app on all your devices: phone, ipad, or computer. Import you own music, or choose from literally endless possibilities for playlists and music sources- play radio and pod casts from around the world, or your favorite Pandora or Spotify playlists. The sound is substantial and crystal clear, even from the starter model, the PLAY 1, $299. sonos.com

local

Every Tuesday night at

Casa Escobar SALSA NIGHT SALSA LESSONS at 8:30 with CHARLIE ANTILLON. $8.00 cover charge DRINK SPECIALS ALL NIGHT! 22969 Pacific Coast Highway Malibu, CA. 90265 310-456-1999

HAPPY HOUR Mon.-Fri. 3-7 p.m.

100% ORGANIC - MADE ON SITE

MADE BY LOCALS

SERVED BY LOCALS

ENJOYED BY LOCALS

COMING SOON TO THE MALIBU COUNTRY MART DOWNLOAD OUR APP! SUNLIFEORGANICSMALIBU.COM

MALIBU

CALABASAS

2 9 1 6 9 H E AT H E R C L I F F R D . # 1 0 1

4 7 9 9 C O M M O N S WAY S T E E

2 2 0 0 E . T H O U S A N D O A K S B LV D # 11 0

MALIBU, CA. 90265

CALABASAS, CA 91302

THOUSAND OAKS, CA 91302

310.457.6161

818.222.1777

THOUSAND OAKS 805.379.2999