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M A LIB U ’S AWA RD W INN IN G N E WSPA P E R S I N CE 1 94 6 VOL. LXXXI • NO. XIV
THURSDAY, JULY 31, 2025
What a decade! Celebrating Barbara Bruderlin’s leadership
Questions unwavering commitment to our surround beautiful coastal communities,” said Ramis Sadrieh, chair of the FireAid concert PaliBu Chamber. “She’s led our Chamber with grace, and we ap- fundraiser
The Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce honors Barbara Bruderlin for 10 years of dedicated service, advocacy, and community impact By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
Accolades were bestowed on Barbara Bruderlin, lauding her aptitude, courage, and visionary leadership after she announced her resignation as chief executive officer of the Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce. Many of the complimentary comments honoring her almost 10 years of service and her legacy were imbued with adjectives such as “irreplaceable” and “visionary.” “What a loss for the community and chamber!” Denise Kniter of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s office gushed. “You’ve done so much for the Palisades!” Indeed, at a luncheon honoring Bruderlin’s service to both Pacific Palisades and Malibu, the mayor’s office convinced Bruderlin to agree to help those on the Chamber Board to host a commercial landowner listening session that Bruderlin was spearheading because that important business community constituency has not been given voice in a public forum since the Palisades Fire. Upon receiving Bruderlin’s no-
Malibu Pacific Palisades Chamber of Commerce CEO Barbara Bruderlin is shown at a past Malibu public event. Upon her recent resignation as Chamber CEO, Bruderlin was lauded by many in the city for guiding Malibu business through many crises, including devastating fires and the COVID pandemic. File photo by Samantha Bravo/TMT
tice of resignation, the Chamber issued a statement praising her and saying that she led the Chamber and its member businesses through numerous crises during her nearly 10-year term as CEO,
navigating the Woolsey Fire, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently, the Franklin and Palisades fires that devastated the local economies of both communities. The statement read “Barba-
ra served as a beacon of hope for small business owners looking for a friendly ear, a trusted friend of local officials and a voice for the communities she served.” “We are grateful for Barbara’s
preciate her efforts.” A decade of impressively productive service Since Bruderlin started serving as CEO of the Malibu Chamber of Commerce almost a decade ago, she has led the Chamber’s support of its members and the greater community in response to the Woolsey Fire, the global pandemic, the Broad, Franklin, and Palisades fires, and mudslides. The Malibu Times sat down with Bruderlin so readers can get an overview of her service and the Chamber’s in Malibu as well as the Pacific Palisades. When asked about the skill set and professional experience she brought to the Chamber of Commerce CEO position, Bruderlin shared, “From songwriting to acting, to creating a major at UCLA and working as a therapist in psychiatric hospitals, to helping my brother, Brian Bruderlin, launch Paramount Recording Studios, I have done a variety of things throughout my career,” Bruderlin said. “At Humana Corporate, I assisted three directors who oversaw 13 hospitals and five insurance branches, and I also was a construction coordinator on Barbra Streisand’s 1790 Barnhouse
‘We know fire conditions are coming. Now is the time to prepare’ By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
After establishing himself as one of the top artists in the heavy metal music genre, the late eality serienes from the show were taped in Malibu. Contributed photo
Remembering Ozzy Osbourne By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
As the electrifying frontman of Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne defined heavy metal for generations — many claim he invented the genre. The rock pioneer certainly invented his persona, “The Prince of Darkness,” earning the moniker due to his dark musical and personal style. Born John Michael Osbourne
on Dec. 3, 1948, in Birmingham, England, Ozzy was raised in a working-class family and left school at 15. His early life was punctuated by petty crime and odd jobs, including at a crematorium, a funeral home, and as, in his words, a “slaughterman.” But music redirected his path. In 1969, Osbourne co-founded Black Sabbath with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. The band’s 1970 self-titled debut introduced a gloomy sound that laid the foundation for heavy metal music. With hits like “Paranoid,” CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
While Malibu is still in recovery mode from its worst disaster in modern history, city officials are urging residents to prepare now — before Santa Ana winds begin to blow and dry brush becomes kindling. “We know the fire conditions are coming,” said Public Safety Director Susan Dueñas. “Now is the time to make your emergency plans and gather supplies so you can be ready.” This fall, the City of Malibu is rolling out intensified measures
to boost wildfire preparedness, with a focus on shared responsibility between the city, emergency agencies, and the public. A series of upgrades, training efforts, and public outreach campaigns are already underway, with the goal of ensuring Malibu is better prepared than ever when the next fire strikes. On the heels of the Woolsey, Franklin and Palisades fires, Malibu has steadily built a more robust public safety infrastructure. Dueñas said lessons from recent fires are now being incorporated into updated staff procedures and internal training, along with an after-action report on the Palisades Fire due by the end of August. An updated evacuation plan is also in development. The city
will be coordinating planning with partner agencies such as LA County Fire, Sheriff ’s Department, CHP, and Caltrans. “This version will include community input,” Dueñas confirmed. “There will be at least one citywide meeting where we explain the complexities of evacuation — why some seemingly simple solutions, like contraflow lanes, are actually highly resource-intensive and difficult to implement.” A continuing frustration is communication gaps during power outages. The city is exploring new indoor alerting technologies that operate over radio waves — rather than cellular or internet signals — to ensure that critical messages still CONTINUED ON PAGE A6
Malibu enters new phase of fire recovery Debris has been cleared, permits are in progress, and construction is underway as Malibu and Pacific Palisades take distinct paths forward after devastating wildfires By BENJAMIN MARCUS AND HAYLEY MATTSON
To quote Colonel Kurtz from “Apocalypse Now,” “It seems like a thousand centuries ago,” but just a few months back — in mid-March — Malibu and Pacific Palisades were in the early stages of one of the most ambitious disaster recovery efforts the Santa Monica Mountains region has seen. Speaking at Aviator Nation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Colonel Brian Sawser
Malibu organizations did receive funds for distribution By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
As January’s wildfires appear to be Los Angeles’ greatest disaster in history, many people are questioning whether the $100 million raised through a star-studded FireAid concert actually benefitted fire victims in Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu with funds distributed directly into their pockets. The benefit concert featured big names in the music business, including Malibu resident Lady Gaga and Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, who grew up in Malibu, but was living in Altadena. Goldsmith and his wife, Mandy Moore, lost their home in the Eaton Fire along with many other musicians who called Altadena home. Facing scrutiny six months after the disaster, FireAid representatives are responding by listing more than 100 nonprofits that were awarded donations from funds raised at the concert, through phone donations, and CONTINUED ON PAGE A6
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Still in recovery, Malibu steps up safety efforts as fire season approaches
Rock legend and his family lived in Malibu during the height of their fame
malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY
predicted, “When we said originally, ‘Hey, this is going to take until January of 2026,’ I really believe when you get to July, the whole world looks different.” In many ways, he was right. As of mid-June, updated Google Earth and Google Maps satellite imagery shows that the landscape of Malibu and Palisades has changed dramatically. Where there was once wreckage, bent steel, and scorched foundations, there is now sand and dirt. From beachfront properties to hillside homes, the aftermath of the fires has given way to clear lots and the beginning of something new. It’s a testament to the speed and dedication of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), their contractors, and all partner agencies who faced a massive mess — and made short work of it. CONTINUED ON PAGE A8
INSIDE
this week
So much stoke, so many waves, so much love! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 • Streamlining and harmonizing the multiple and complicated statutory regimes News Briefs . . . . . . . . . .A3 • Wallis Annenberg, Visionary Philanthropist and champion of the arts, dies at 86 Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 • Aug. 3: Enjoy a creative afternoon at the PDC Art Walk, hosted by the Point Dume Club Residents Association Malibu Life . . . . . . . . . .B1 • Two lives in harmony: Healing with horses People . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 • Malibu Seen: Heavy metal: High-pressure fire tech Community . . . . . . . . . .B3 Legal Notices . . . . . . . . .B4 Business & Directory . . . B7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . B7 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . B10 • Pepperdine great Chip McCaw set for Athletics Hall of Fame enshrinement