Fog Triggers Flash Power Line Fires And Possibly An SCE Outage

There is thick thick fog in Malibu this morning.

And when fog gets this thick… powerlines start catching fire.

Dirt and grime that accumulates on insulators gets wet… That causes electricity to literally leak across the insulators.

And wooden poles can warm up and catch fire when they get toasted like that.

Just at 7 o’clock this morning … two pole fires were reported in Malibu.

One on the western end of Broad Beach Road. … the other near Latigo Beach on Pacific Coast Highway..

About 26 electric customers near Sea Level Drive were blacked out for several hours. A KVUE reporter took a picture of smoldering weeds under a powerline, where witnesses said sparks had showered down from above.

The power also went off briefly here at Trancas … just before 7.

SCE has a record of accidental outages … and pole top fires … during heavy fog.

11-Day Voting Centers Open In Malibu and LA County Cities Tomorrow

Voting centers open in Malibu tomorrow.

11 days ahead of the traditional first Tuesday of November … LA County will open 400 voting centers tomorrow.

One of them is at Malibu City Hall … it will be open 10 a-m to 7 p-m from now until section day … when the hours extend to the 8 p-m statewide closing time on election  day.

11day voting centers also open tomorrow at the Westlake Village and Calabasas… and any LA county resident may vote at any LA County polling center.

Starting one week from tomorrow … the four day voting centers open.

In Malibu … those will be at the Christian Science Church-Malibu … on PCH at Zumirez Derive … near Point Dume. 

Near Zuma Beach … at the Malibu Middle School on Morning View Drive.

And at the Topanga Library.

Of course … ballots were mailed to every voter … and those can either be mailed or dropped off at ballot boxes all over the county.

And if you need to register to vote .. you can do that at any vote center and then cast your ballot at the same time

plan.lavote.gov

Big Data Holes Found In City Study Of Vacant Lands – Commissions May Have Had Wrong Info On La Paz Lot

Turns out … that big study about what could be  on Malibu’s vacant lots had some big holes.

It turns out that important basic facts about several areas of the Civic Center … possible parks sites … were incorrect or misleading… Leading to city commissions to make their decisions based on incomplete data.

For example … the city report said that a 2 acre piece of city property behind the new Cross Creek Ranch shopping center was geologically and technically not suitable for building.   That two-acre sight was then scratched off the list for consideration as an arts center or theater by the  city’s arts commission, and the city parks commission.

They both recommended that an arts center be built elsewhere … most likely the Ioki parcel … the large piece of vacant land used by the Chili Cookoff each year.

The owners of the new Cross Creek Ranch say the report that the land behind the shopping center is unbuildable is not correct. 

They are hoping that the city will put an arts center … or a park … on land that the city now owns … next to their brand-new shopping center.

Brian Gordon … representing Cross Creek Ranch … spoke at yesterday’s special city council meeting about the lot behind the shopping center … which he calls Parcel obvious C.  The shopping center has already transferred ownership of parcel C to the city, and they are hoping for a compatible neighboring use.

70715 LA PAZ BRIAN GORDON

“if a council determines that development is the best use and the most appropriate use for parcel C we believe all the constraints relating to technological geological, environmental or ABBA have already been addressed following on the comment made earlier by the arts commission.

“We fully agree that the city needs a large community center/cultural center/performing arts center/auditorium/movie screening room gallery space.

“And we have already – at our cost – completed a preliminary study and a space plan to see how it all lays out. 

“There’s also the opportunity to add a separate movie theater if the community so desires or sports courts such as paddle tennis or Pickleball, which would need to be in closed by glass to attenuate the sound.”

Parking for the two acre lot could be next door … under the shopping center … in its massive brand new underground garage.

The offer from Cross Creek Ranch literally shifts the ground on the decision-making process …. To decide where to put city facilities. 

One other criticism of the city’s vacant lands study … offered at the city council meeting yesterday … is that it only studied vacant land.

Several speakers yesterday said the city should have also considered either reusing or demolishing existing, unused buildings at the Civic Center.

Patt Healy is a Malibu West slow growth advocate.

70714 HEALY PARKS

“I can’t emphasize enough, the importance of open space and reusing certain built environments that we already have and if we start building on certain sites, it’ll be very hard to change the use and the open space which we so love will be gone forever.”

The massive and unused courthouse … closed for about 8 years … is still owned by the state.

The City of Los Angeles was able to pry the unused West LA Courthouse out from state control … to build a city building there … in three years. 

Tjis editor’s note … this author of this report also appeared before the city council, to urge that existing buildings either be used or demolished and replaced, rather than putting buildings on the Ioki Parcel – the land that hosts the Malibu Chili Cookoff.

Former city council member Skylar Peak reminded the city council that the large vacant land … the Ioki Parcel … was purchased more than a decade ago with an implicit promise that a park … including playing fields … would go there. 

70712 SKYLAR 

“The future you that guys are looking at on these projects started when myself and other individuals that were elected worked really, really hard,with our city manager at the time and the city attorney, to acquire this land. 

“I knew at the time it was a little bit of a stretch to acquire some if it, and we didn’t have the funds to build it all out, but the intention was very clear that there was a need in our community for various different uses: active recreation space, arts facilities, a pool.”

Skylar Peak. 

This process is just beginning.

So … how did the city council react?

70712 COUNCIL REACTS 

BRUCE SILVERSTEIN: “I think it’s obvious that the residents for the most part do want a pool somewhere. I hear a lot about it being in the western part of the town, but I’m not sure where that should be exactly. 

“But I agree. My personal view is I would like to see a pool. 

“More ballfields would be great, or sports fields and some open space slash parks, develop that like parks.”

MARIANNE RIGGINS:  ”There has been talk about partnerships with Pepperdine and the use of their facilities. As far as I know, they have a requirement that you join their Crest Club, which is several thousand dollars a year to be part of.”

DOUG STEWART: “The city has changed somewhat demographically and it will change over time again. 

“This is a living community and we’re a little long on older residents, there will be a time when we are a little long on younger residents.  It will ebb and flow.”

STEVE UHRING:   “I agree with the people who say we should look at the existing infrastructure that we have and see what we can do with that.

“And Measure MM, which is $400 million up at the Malibu high school.  They are building a pool. Could build a bigger pool and we could they work with the community on that?

“We’ve got the courthouse – it needs a lot of work, but it’s an existing infrastructure. “Maybe there’s some reason to repurpose that as opposed to building new stuff on open lands. I think that’s worth an effort.”

Bruce Silverstein … Marianne Riggins … Doug Stewart … Steve Uhring … yesterday. 

Lots more to study, clearlty.

The city council does not really have to make a decision quickly … but there is public pressure for park ballfields and movie theaters and bocci ball courts and a dog park.

The city council will take up the matter once again Monday night. 

SCE Will Have One More Week To Explain What Went Wrong With ‘Useless’ Blackout

Thousands of Malibu residents lost power last weekend … when Southern California Edison killed the electric power for a windstorm that did not exist.

The California Public Utilities Commission has a way for you to make a formal complaint.

The power company has to make a formal report to the state … every time it intentionally turns off the power.

Edison has to file that report within a month… And that report has to explain what exactly happened… Why the power company screwed up so badly.

At KBUU news… we review those reports and can tell you: they are general carbon copies of each other.

That report must be filed within two weeks of the intentional … and we will let you know when that happens.

Once that report is published … KBUU radio gets an e-mail copy of it.

We will be sure to let our listeners and readers know …. When that happens … and what is in it. 

That’s important … because filing that report triggers a 15 day window for the public to file comments with the state. 

The CPUC has already ruled that Edison must provide enhanced customer-friendly communication during all phases of a intentional blackout.

It should be pointed out that SCE did not communicate at all during last weekend’s blackout …  there were no human beings answering phones or staffing pop-up communications centers.

Edison is also required to minimize the impact on customers, and increase accountability.

You get to comment on how well they did that … to the state.

We will keep you informed once that report is posted … and how to send in your reaction. 

Driver Kills Self On Cloverfield, Causes Backup On 10 Freeway In SM

A bizarre crash on Cloverfield Boulevard yesterday snarled traffic all the way back to the … and onto … the 10 freeway.

A pickup truck and a motorcycle had a crash.

The motorcyclist was up on his feet as police arrived.

The pickup truck driver was dead … he shot himself.

Traffic was snarled for hours … back onto the freeway .. while police investigated. 

Space X Launches 35th Rocket Of the Year, On A Permit That Allows 18

SpaceX launched its 35th rocket of the year from Vandenberg Spaceface yesterday morning.

This one was a military launch… A payload of secret military satellites.

Reusable first stage booster landed on a barge off the coast.

SpaceX did not disclose how many small sounding rockets were launched… And were to have fallen into the ocean as an unavoidable byproduct.

SpaceX does not have a state coastal commission permit for more than 18 launches… And it has filed suit to block the state from regulating it.

As we’ve reported… Federal law does give California control over private companies using military bases.

But the coastal commission apparently crossed a big fat line… by criticizing Elon Musk’s politics when it turned down a request from SpaceX for an increased number of launches up the coast.

Malibu Brewing Company (KBUU Underwriter) Wins Prize For Big Rock Amber

Malibu Brewing Co. was among the winners at the recent 40th annual Great American Beer Festival.

That’s the nation’s largest beer festival … where panels of judges evaluated 8,836 beer entries across 102 categories and 170 subcategories.

The festival is held in Denver, Colorado … and the local brewery’s Big Rock Amber Lager went head-to-head with 164 competing lagers … in the American Amber Lager category.

It took home a Bronze medal.

And you know … Malibu Brewing Company is an underwriter for KBUU radio.

Avoid 5/10/101/110 Today

Unless you have a stadium admission ticket … both downtown LA and the LAX area may be good places to avoid this afternoon. 

The Dodger Stadium exits will be jammed with baseball fans … first pitch for the World Series is at 5.

The Lakers tip off against the Phoenix Suns … down at Crypto Arena at 7. 

And USC and Rutgers kick off at the Memorial Coliseum at 8.

Down in Inglewood … the biggest high school football rivalry in California moves to the NFL stadium … the Intuit Dome.

It’s Garfield versus Roosevelt High … the East LA classic … at 7:30.

Across the streets  there are two different classic rock concerts … Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour and his helium pig … at 8 at the Intuit Dome. 

And Jeff Lynne’s E-L-O at the Kia Forum. 

That sounds scary … dueling classic rock concerts and aging drivers mixed with east LA football fans.

Hurricane Kristi About To Make Waves, But Local Winds Will Blow Them Out

What’s this?  A sudden hurricane in the Pacific Ocean?

Hurricane Kristy all of. Sudden blossomed into a Category 4 storm yesterday … top winds of 150 miles per hour.

It’s about halfway between Hawaii and the tip of Baja … heading to the northwest … away from land.

It may contribute some clouds to an expected minor rain front moving into Malibu Monday.

The National Hurricane Center predicts its about to hit cold water and rapid weakening expected to begin today.

Its one of three low pressure system in the Pacific … that might combine for some high surf late this weekend. 

But strong winds will blow that out. 

Big winds and much cooler temperatures expected for early next week. 

Drizzle or very light rain is possible Sunday through early Tuesday.