Malibu Pier

When Cheronda Guyton, a senior vice president with Wells Fargo, used a foreclosed home to host lavish parties last summer in the Malibu Colony, she broke more than a few company rules. But by caving to her craving for the beach life, the now-fired bank executive joined a long line of people aching to lay claim to that fabled stretch of sand. Located in the heart of Malibu just north of Surfrider Beach, the famed Malibu Colony is a half-mile stretch of 100 or so homes that sit inches apart on the shoreline.

Rhoda-May Adamson Dallas, an heir of a pioneering Malibu family who, with her siblings, donated the land that enabled Pepperdine University to establish its campus overlooking the Pacific, has died. She was 94. Dallas died Oct. 14 of natural causes at her longtime home in Studio City, her family said. She was the granddaughter of businessman Frederick H. Rindge, who bought a former Spanish land grant in Malibu in 1892 and expanded it into a 17,000-acre working ranch. Rhoda-May, born on Feb. 14, 1917, in Santa Monica, spent much of her early life on a choice slice of that land in a Spanish-style oceanfront house built in 1930 as a weekend retreat for her parents, the former Rhoda Agatha Rindge and her husband, Merritt Adamson.

California State Park Rangers lead 2 1/2 -hour boat trips into the Pacific on a search for gray whales at Malibu Pier Whale Watching Excursions . The noble creatures are in the midst of their annual trip between Mexico and the northern Arctic seas. You could also catch a glimpse of dolphins, sea lions, pelicans and other marine life. Malibu Pier, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun. $30-$45. (310) 456-8031. www.malibupier.com.

Surfers in Malibu are used to sharing the waves with paddleboards, sailboats and the occasional Russian billionaire's 390-foot yacht. On Friday they were startled to see a 505-foot Navy destroyer anchored off Surfrider Beach near the Malibu Pier. The destroyer John Paul Jones was making the Navy's first-ever port call in Malibu and giving its 270-member crew shore leave there for the weekend. The community-organized Navy Days is offering sailors free shuttle rides up and down the 26-mile-long city, beach volleyball and kayak excursions, and discounts at shops and restaurants Saturday and Sunday.

Re "Malibu Votes to Give Pier Back to State," Oct. 29: The residents of Malibu have chosen to live where they do, yet do not want to take financial responsibility. After the storms of 1983 the taxpayers helped rebuild the oceanfront homes destroyed with subsidized insurance. Next were the fires, then the floods and the ongoing rockslides. Now the city wants to give the pier back to the state so once again the residents can escape financial responsibility and pass the cost on to the taxpayers.

The first Grade I race of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting is scheduled for Monday. The $250,000 Gamely Stakes will be run at 11/8 miles on the turf for fillies and mares, and the improving Malibu Pier, trained by Carla Gaines, enters as the horse to beat. Malibu Pier has won consecutive Grade II races, including the Santa Barbara Handicap on April 16 at 11/4 miles on the turf when jockey Brice Blanc picked up the mount. Cozi Rose was the beaten favorite in the Santa Barbara and returns for a rematch.

Although 30 companies expressed interest in renovating and operating the dilapidated Malibu Pier, none placed bids by last week's deadline. The state Department of Parks and Recreation, which is responsible for the pier, wanted to lease the structure for 20 years to one operator who could then sublease two restaurants, a fast-food stand and a sportfishing concession.

The beleaguered Malibu Pier, for decades an object of concern for state and local officials, has been closed seaward of Alice's Restaurant after recent storms washed away several pilings. The Jan. 4 storm swept six support pilings out to sea, prompting officials at the state Department of Parks and Recreation to temporarily brace the structure with timbers. Parks' officials then hired Moffatt & Nichol, a Long Beach engineering firm, to inspect the pier.

For being one of the leading attractions in a town filled with famous sights, the Malibu pier has never received star treatment. It is mired in a sorry state of disrepair, under siege from an angry former landlord and suffering from absentee ownership, daily battering from the sea and 86 years of constant use. Yet there remains a steady stream of people angling to control it and make money from it, each offering promises to remodel it into a top-flight tourist attraction.

The state Park and Recreation Commission has unanimously authorized a plan to generate more money at Malibu Pier by adding a second restaurant and fast-food stand in existing structures there, and negotiating a 20-year master lease for the entire pier. The pier operator would have to upgrade the shabby, decaying structure immediately and pay the state 5% of yearly revenues for rent. A restaurant and sportfishing business are already in place at the pier; both leases will expire by 1987.

The first Grade I race of the Hollywood Park spring-summer meeting is scheduled for Monday. The $250,000 Gamely Stakes will be run at 11/8 miles on the turf for fillies and mares, and the improving Malibu Pier, trained by Carla Gaines, enters as the horse to beat. Malibu Pier has won consecutive Grade II races, including the Santa Barbara Handicap on April 16 at 11/4 miles on the turf when jockey Brice Blanc picked up the mount. Cozi Rose was the beaten favorite in the Santa Barbara and returns for a rematch.

Compiled by Jason Gelt Chinese Lunar New Year Festival Observe the most celebrated holiday of the year for nearly 1.5 million persons of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese decent in Southern California. Vendors, arts and culture displays and red packets of money and firecrackers add to the excitement at this family event. www.lagoldendragonparade.com. Los Angeles Chinatown Tour, 960 N. Broadway, L.A. Today, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Thirty Years of Quilting The 200-strong South Bay Quilters Guild shows off three decades of beautiful, handcrafted creations.

Compiled by Jason Gelt Events Santa Monica Airport Outdoor Antique & Collectibles Market Furniture, rugs, paintings, clothing and more on the first and fourth Sundays of each month. Santa Monica Airport, 3223 Donald Douglas Loop S., Santa Monica. Today, 6-8 a.m., 8 a.m.-3 p.m. $3-$7. (323) 922-2511. Historic Hollywood Boulevard Walking Tour Hollywood Heritage presents this two-hour, weekly trek through classic Tinseltown from a preservationist point of view.

EVENTS Craft and Hobby Assn. Craft Super Show The show will feature celebrity appearances, educational workshops and prize giveaways. Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. $15. www.craftandhobby.org. Go Green Expo This is a behemoth of environmentally conscious events and presentations, the kind that would bring a smile to Al Gore's face. The highlights include the Blue Planet Film Fest, presentations on sustainable investing, "eco-logical" homes, green jobs and free yoga classes.

California State Park Rangers lead 2 1/2 -hour boat trips into the Pacific on a search for gray whales at Malibu Pier Whale Watching Excursions . The noble creatures are in the midst of their annual trip between Mexico and the northern Arctic seas. You could also catch a glimpse of dolphins, sea lions, pelicans and other marine life. Malibu Pier, 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Sat. and Sun. $30-$45. (310) 456-8031. www.malibupier.com.

The Malibu Pier will remain closed until 36 piles that were damaged in a January storm can be replaced, according to a state park official. The structure has been greatly weakened and could collapse if another storm or earthquake were to occur, according to a March 20 report by a Long Beach marine engineering firm. State Parks and Recreation officials are working on a three-way agreement with the city of Malibu and Los Angeles County to find funds to repair the pier.

Hoping to avoid the sea of controversy swirling around repairs to the Malibu Pier, Los Angeles County officials have gingerly agreed to donate $3 million to help the state finish renovations. Local leaders have attached some mooring-like strings to their gift, however. Officials are mindful of the nasty feud between contractors over repairs to the pier, damaged by a 1995 storm.