M A LIB U ’S AWA RD W IN NING N E WSPA P E R S I N CE 1 94 6 VOL. LXXIX • NO. III
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025
Technical glitch postpones Malibu Council meeting
Malibu entrepreneurs get creative As traffic on PCH slows to a crawl, local business owners turn to microbatch branding and geofencing technology
Despite audio failures and postponed decisions, Ambassador Candace Bond is appointed to lead Malibu By HAYLEY MATTSON PUBLISHER, EDITOR IN CHIEF
The Malibu City Council meeting on Monday, May 12, came to an abrupt and unexpected halt due to significant audio system failures that rendered the session unintelligible to those in attendance and watching online. The meeting, which began in closed session, was called off within minutes of opening to the public as repeated technical difficulties plagued the audio feed both inside City Hall and on the internet livestream. Despite efforts by city staff to restore the sound system, the issue could not be resolved, and the meeting was officially adjourned. The council has scheduled the meeting for Wednesday, May 22, at 2 p.m. in council chambers. This disruption came at a critical time, with the council expected to address a number of urgent and time-sensitive agenda
malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY
By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
As Malibu businesses str uggle to remain open despite experiencing enormous reductions in customer flow attributable to the post-fire, months-long closure preventing visitor traffic on Pacific Coast Highway, some establishments are utilizing relatively new marketing strategies to convince potential customers to visit their venues despite the transportation obstacles.
Rising from the ashes…
Sunrise at the top of Tuna Canyon. The Palisades Fire burned all of Tuna Canyon but the poppies and lupine CONTINUED ON PAGE A5 are rising from the ashes. Photo by Jody Semerau
Duke’s still down, Malibu still waiting Flooded walls, torn-up floors, and a kitchen full of destroyed equipment delay restaurant’s re-opening That happened before I remember. Yeah, it didn’t hit the whole Here it is almost halfway restaurant before, it just hit the through the month of May and lower areas. we know what you’re thinking: In two weeks or so, PCH will be Oh, I’ve seen fires and I’ve open to one and all, and the world seen floods. If it ain’t one thing, is going to flood back into Malibu it’s another. Were you open the for the summer. day of the fire? But that’s not the important No, thankfully, we chose to thing; the important thing is: close because the winds were When Will Duke’s reopen?? going to be 90 miles an hour. So We want Gidget! And nachos! we closed that day, and I just had And Taco Tuesday! And valet my chef and my GM on site, and parking!!! they evacuated when they saw the We feel your pain, and so we smoke. asked Duke’s manager Jimmy Chavez, “What is going on?” One thing I didn’t ask that a lot of people wonder: How You quoted $3.5 million as did Duke’s survive without a your business loss so far and I scratch when La Costa beach thought it would be more. Quite got nuked? And the beach homes a bit more, closed for one-third starting about 14 houses down of the year. on the east side. I’m assuming Well the start of the year is kind there were dozens of engines of slow for us. We do most of our and equipment in the Duke’s sales in the summertimes. parking lot. Were you around to see that? How did Duke’s not get Will you be re-opening on burned in the middle of all that hurricanous, flaming chaos? May 31 along with PCH? No, we aren’t going to make Duke’s is lucky to have a very that. I don’t want to put a date large parking lot, which has on the opening because the work served as an evacuation site and is ongoing. command post several times during natural disasters over You’re still doing flood damage the years. I remember during repair? the Woolsey Fire when we had Oh yeah we got completely several families camping there: flooded. Every wall got hit so horses, llamas, classic cars, etc. every wall has to be cut to four We definitely owe a huge debt feet up. CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
Small scale brand reveals John Kozlowski of Sea N Soul and Rafi Anteby of Rafi Lounge are both making efforts to develop customer loyalty by starting micro-batches of their new brands of sunscreen and other skin care products, employing consultant Shawn Pollard of Micro Batch Service, CONTINUED ON PAGE A5
INSIDE
this week
By BENJAMIN MARCUS Special to The Malibu Times
Malibu High swimmer Ryder Lippman competes during the CIF Southern Section Championships at Mt. San Antonio in Walnut. Lippman clocked in at a personal-best 52.40 in the 100 freestyle to finish fifth in his heat and 15th overall out of 40 swimmers. Photo by Steven Lippman
Small but mighty: Malibu High swim squads make big splash at league finals and CIF multiple swimmers to the highly hit their personal bests at league With just 15 swimmers, CIF Southern Section finals.” Malibu High’s girls team competitive Championships. The team’s size reflected a unique finishes second and boys Led by Coaches Mike Mulligan challenge: while most swimmers and Hayden Goldberg, the Malibu returned from the previous year, team third in league By HAYLEY MATTSON PUBLISHER, EDITOR IN CHIEF
Despite fielding one of the smallest teams in recent years, the Malibu High School swim program delivered an unforgettable season marked by grit, determination, and postseason triumphs. With just nine girls and six boys competing, the Sharks turned heads by securing top spots at the Citrus Coast League Finals and sending
girls team finished the season with an impressive 7-2 record, earning second place in the league, while the boys team ended 4-5 and captured third place overall — a remarkable feat for such a lean roster. “We were small but mighty,” Mulligan said. “Even with limited numbers, these kids worked incredibly hard, supported each other, and swam their best when it mattered most. Nearly everyone
Malibu lost four senior boys to other sports and six sophomore boys from the water polo team who opted for volleyball this season. Even so, with just two new freshmen joining the squad, the returning athletes rose to the occasion. Three Sharks earned the prestigious opportunity to compete at the CIF Southern Section Prelims — a postseason CONTINUED ON PAGE A6
Sweet Success! Starting a tasty tradition|B1
Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . A2 • Malibu needs a real safety plan before the next tragedy on PCH News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . .A3 • Caltrans announces weeklong lane closures on SR23 in Malibu for emergency repair Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4 • May 17: Presley Tennant ft. Maurice Mccray & Will Worden Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . A8 Malibu Life . . . . . . . . . . .B1 • Malibu High golfer Graham wins league MVP as Sharks boys claim title People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B2 • Malibu Seen: Que Bueno Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B3 Business & Directory . . . . B6 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .B6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 • Pepperdine men’s volleyball team falls in NCAA Final Four Tournament on May 10