Great News, The New Dad Is From Simi Hills – One Man Says City Should Ask Residents About A Mayor – Interest Free Small Loans For Small Malibu Businesses
Written by 991KBU on June 4, 2020
Some good news … some really good news … on the local mountain lion front.
A litter of three lion kittens just discovered in the Santa Monica Mountains apparently share the same father … and the father is fresh blood … a recent arrival from outside the area.
The papa … P-63 … was first radio-tagged as a juvenile well north of the 101 Freeway … in the hills near Simi Valley.
He crossed into the Santa Monica Mountains … went back … and then crossed into the local range for good in December 2018.
He apparently has sired the cubs with P-54 …
he is raising two males and one female … all three have been fitted with an ear tag to help identify them in the future.
The mom … P-54 … was born in January 2017.
A year later, her mother, a mountain lion called P-23, was struck and killed by a vehicle on a local road.
It’s not clear where the new male P-63 has been crossing the 101.
And the National Park Service rangers never disclose exactly where the sightings are made …. to prevent harm to the local mountain lions.
—-
A former planning commissioner and civic activist is asking for Malibu voters to be given the option of electing a mayor.
Kraig Hill says the option should be added to the advisory ballot that the city council is preparing for the next general election.
Malibu is one of dozens of cities in California being targeted by a law firm … that is challenging general elections that supposedly suppress minority vote.
The law firm makes legal fees … under a Calfiornoa law … by claiming that general elections prevent minorities from winning a citywide vote.
The theory … breaking up the city into voting districts would allow a geographic cluster of minority voters to elect a minority council member.
The problem … there are very few minorities on Malibu … and there is no geographic cluster of minority voters.
The deadline for the council to make a decision has been suspended due to the COVID-19 crisis.
But they have said they will ask voters if they want the city split into five voting districts … each one electing only one candidate …. instead of the five citywide races.
Like many Malibu residents …. Hill worries that council members representing individual will reduce civic unity … and leave council members competing against each others’ interests.
Or worse … Hill says … each would be horse trading with the other, swapping political favors.
Against that, an elected mayor he says would represent the interests of all of Malibu’s voters.
——
An interest free loan fund has been established by the Malibu Chamber of Commerce and Mayor Pro Tem Mikke Pierson …
Malibu-based small business owners and independent contractors are eligible for the zero-cost loans … if they have been hurt by recent economic shutdown caused by COVID-19.
Loans in between $5,000 to $25,000 and can be repaid in equal installments over the course over 2 to 3 years.
The effort is called “The Change Reaction.”
The fund was set up with donations from Greg and Jodi Perlman … RJ and Ellen Miller, and Elisa Dellaripa …. five rsidents of Malibu.
“What we’re trying to do here is provide a simple, streamlined process to help local small businesses in need,” said Greg Perlman, founder of The Change Reaction. “The Change Reaction is a platform that directly connects philanthropic people around the nation to working people and businesses in their communities who are struggling to survive.”
Pierson says this group has deep ties to Malibu and really does want to help our small businesses get back on their feet and operating.
Loans are for $5000 – $25,000. 0% interest.
More information is at the Malibu Chamber of Commerce web site.
——
——
