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MALIBU SURFSIDE NEWS | November 11, 2020 | 11
Charmlee Wilderness Park reopens after rehab
SCOTT STEEPLETON, Editor
After a protracted rehab,
Charmlee Wilderness Park reopened
to the public on Oct. 20.
Located off Encinal Canyon
Road three miles up from Pacific
Coast Highway and open from 8
a.m. to sunset, Charmlee is a tranquil
and remote place featuring
more than 8 miles of trails and,
on clear days, spectacular views
of the Pacific Ocean.
Named for the 532-acre property’s
former owners Charmain
and Leon Schwartz — who’d
built a home there only to see it
destroyed by fire in 1962 — the
park reopened after a long-term
closure prompted by the Woolsey
Fire, in November 2018.
Remnants of the fire remain,
in scorched trees, burned shrub,
torched wood that doubles as
edging material and, on a walkway
near a paved parking lot with
newly painted handicap spaces,
the charred outline of what was
once a parking bumper.
But there are also signs of new
life right next to that which succumbed
to the deadly blaze.
Keep your eyes peeled and
you’ll probably find a rabbit scurrying
across your path. Signs that
went up on reopening day serve
as a reminder that this is also rattlesnake
country — so watch out
for them as you hike the trails.
Picnic areas have been rehabbed,
most of the trails are
cleared and open, erosion measures
are in place and a new
wooden fence went up around a
caretaker’s residence.
The nature center is closed until
further notice, and there are
pandemic protocols in place: stay
away if you’re ill; stay 6 feet from
strangers and those from other
households; and don’t gather with
strangers.
Face coverings are recommended
for everyone.
A picnic area ready for visitors at Charmlee Wilderness Park. SCOTT STEEPLETON/SURFSIDE NEWS
POSTED TO malibusurfsidenews.com
It’s official: Masks are now a mandate in Malibu
6
DAYS AGO
MICHELE WILLER-ALLRED
Staff Reporter
The Malibu City Council
on Nov. 6 gave final
approval to a pandemic
mask ordinance that would
ticket a person $50 each
time they don’t wear a face
covering in public unless
they immediately comply
with the ordinance.
The council voted 4-1,
with Rick Mullen dissenting,
to approve the second
reading of the ordinance,
which also bans certain
face coverings that are
primarily open at the chin.
The ordinance will continue
as long as the local
public health emergency is
declared by the county and
state.
People don’t have to
mask up in their vehicle or
neighborhood if they are
at least 6 feet away from
someone not part of their
household.
The ordinance also requires
use of a face covering
over both the nose
and mouth, and contains
exceptions for those under
2 or with certain medical
issues, the need to communicate
with persons
who are hearing impaired,
and participation in waterbased
activities.
Face shields without a
mask underneath, openchin
triangle bandanas,
masks with exhaust valves
or vents, and masks with
any openings are not allowed.
People at restaurants or
other establishments that
offer food and beverages
are required to wear a face
covering unless they are
eating or drinking.
During the meeting held
via Zoom, Malibu resident
Hamish Patterson criticized
the council, saying
it should have urged community
members to boost
their immunity during the
past eight months.
“Having this face mask
ordinance isn’t going to do
anything. In fact, I argue
that it’s going to put people’s
lives in danger because
they’re falsely going
to think they’re safe and
protecting other people,
when that will not do anything.
It’s questionable at
best what these face masks
will do,” Patterson said.
Patterson added that
while testing is going up,
COVID-19 positivity rates
and deaths are going down.
Mayor Mikke Pierson
said he knows the issue is
controversial and understood
that it’s not perfect,
but said “wearing a mask
gives you a better chance
of not catching the virus.
There’s a lot of science
that shows that.”
Council member Jefferson
Wagner, who works in
the entertainment industry,
said there is extensive testing
and mask wearing on
his sets, and he believes
they work.
“(Masks) may not be
perfect, but it’s the best
thing we can do to show
our confidence in the
health care system and
support it at this very small
level,” Wagner said.
Mullen said that while he
supports wearing a mask,
the ordinance is “overkill”
because people are already
complying with rules and
regulations from the county
and state.
“I personally think because
it’s not as severe as it
was touted to be at the beginning,
I think it’s a bad
move for us in this town,
who love these visitors, to
have people going out on
the beach, I guess, possibly,
and handing out tickets
for no masks,” he said.