Andrew Thurm SM to Coldwell Banker LAX In today's challenging real estate market, 310-444-4444 work with Andrew Thurm, an award winning agent 310.442.1651 $30 w w w . a n d r e w t h u r m . c o m Hybrid • Mercedes-Benz representing Santa Monica and the Westside! SantaMonicaTaxi.com not valid from hotels or with other offers • SM residents only • Expires 5/31/09 Visit us online at smdp.com THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 Volume 8 Issue 181 Santa Monica Daily Press DRINK TAX PANNED SEE PAGE 6 We have you covered THE SO ROUGH, SO TOUGH ISSUE Samohi parents upset with pending cuts BY MELODY HANATANI School to serve as an assistant principal. e-mail to parents.“I will miss you and (your) vote on the recommendation to reorganize Daily Press Staff Writer Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School children.” the house system. District Superintendent Tim Cuneo said Gellis was one of the original house prin- Upon hearing the rumors late last week, a SMMUSD HDQTRS The Board of Education that a house principal has been recommend- cipals when the system premiered in the group of parents mobilized and held a meet- can expect a sizable group of parents at its ed to fill the vacant position in Malibu, but 2003-04 school year, creating small learning ing on Sunday afternoon to brainstorm meeting tonight when it makes a final deci- could not confirm that Gellis is the adminis- communities on the sprawling campus. The alternate ways the district could save sion on whether to reduce one house at trator in question. district, which is facing a gaping budget $700,000. A number of parents are expected Santa Monica High School, a measure that The Daily Press on Monday was forward- shortfall due to the state fiscal crisis, is pro- to address the board at the meeting. has been met with opposition in the com- ed a copy of an e-mail originally sent by posing to reorganize the structure by reduc- “I think anyone with objectivity can say munity. Gellis to families of the A House, stating that ing one house, saving approximately this was mishandled,” Abby Adams, a parent The meeting comes amid speculation she has accepted the offer at Malibu Middle $700,000 through shifting personnel of a child in the A House, said. “It’s not pro- that Wendy Wax Gellis, the principal of the School. Gellis did not respond to requests around. fessional, it’s not transparent and it’s not A House, has been notified that her position for comment. Parents have expressed outrage that the honest. will be cut from Samohi, giving her the “Please know I have truly enjoyed our house principal was reportedly notified of option of transferring to Malibu Middle wonderful years together,” Gellis said in the the transfer before the school board takes a SEE SAMOHI PAGE 10 SM residents discuss saving neighborhoods BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer DOWNTOWN Whether it’s the 1940s era courtyard apartments in Sunset Park, the tree canopy north of Montana Avenue, or the cultural diversity in the Pico Neighborhood, residents agree that the defining features of their sections of the city should be preserved, no matter what changes the future might bring. Hearing the message, City Hall on Tuesday held a community workshop dedi- cated specifically to the conservation of neighborhoods, which geographically make up about 94 percent of Santa Monica. The meeting was part of a series on the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), which is the update to the city’s general plan and will dictate development in Santa Monica for the next 20 years or more. Unlike prior LUCE meetings where atten- dees were randomly assigned to groups dur- ing breakout sessions, residents this time split up according to their neighborhoods, ME, ME, ME! Brandon Wise [email protected] discussing the issues of Sunset Park, Ocean Kids from the Environmental Club teach their fellow students about water conservation during PS#1 Pluralistic School's Sustainability Day on Park, Wilshire-Montana, Pico, Mid-City and Wednesday. The event's goal is to allow kids to learn from each other so that they might impact their families as well as their friends. SEE NEIGHBORHOODS PAGE 12 FABULOUS DINNER SPECIALS SERVED 4PM - 10PM GABY SCHKUD COMPLETE DINNERS $11.95 (310)586-0308 1433 Wilshire Boulevard, #1 REALTOR SANTA MONICA at 15th Street OFFICE 2008! 310-394-1131 OPEN 24 HOURS Calendar 2 THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 A newspaper with issues Caring for feral cats West Los Angeles Animal Shelter conference room 11361 Pico Blvd., 7 p.m. — 10 p.m. This free workshop is supported by a grant from PetSmart Charities. The workshop will cover a range of topics concerning responsible feral cat care including humane trapping, post-operative boarding, long-term managed care and adoptions. Sign up ahead of time; spaces are limited. Call (310) 820-4122 for more information. Prose and poetry Novel Cafe 212 Pier Ave., 8 p.m. — 10 p.m. Come read, listen and enjoy free open prose and poetry readings every Thursday. Everyone and all genres are welcome, including poetry, fiction and non-fiction, as long as there is a 1,000 word limit per reader. Visit forth- magazine.com/weekly_readings.php or call (310) 396-8566 for more informa- tion. Friday, June 5, 2009 A cornucopia of contemporary crafts Santa Monica Civic Auditorium 1855 Main St., 10 a.m. — 6 p.m. Open through Sunday, June 7, the Contemporary Crafts Market will showcase more than 230 of the nation’s finest artists and their unique works. Considered by some to be the crowning event for one-of-a-kind decorative and functional crafts, the show will feature a range of items including jewel- ry, glassware, ceramics, hand-painted textiles, furniture, and mixed-media creations. All items displayed will be available for purchase and have been chosen by a process of jury-selection to ensure quality. Admission is $7 for adults, free for children 12 years old and younger. For more information visit www.contemporarycraftsmarket.com. Got milk, Santa Monica? Third Street Promenade 7 p.m. The “Got Milk? Mobile Mustache Tour” returns to Santa Monica as part of a the national “Drink Well, Live Well” campaign, encouraging Californians to take advantage of the health benefits of consuming milk regularly. The cam- paign will run statewide from June 5 to June 14 and will offer a number of other resources to promote healthy living among California residents. Attendees of the event will find five-minute chair massages, souvenir photos, health assessments from a registered dietitian, and of course, ice-cold milk. Admission is free and those interested can find more information by visiting www.whymilk.com. Saturday, June 6, 2009 Dog days Pet Medical Center 1534 14th St., 9 a.m. — 4 p.m. Come eat great food, play fun games, bid in a silent auction, get tips from expert pet trainers and meet Marley from “Marley and Me.” All proceeds go to support the Friends of Animals Foundation and the Pennies for Pets chari- ty fund. Admission is free. Call (310) 393-8218 for more information. For more information on any of the events listed, log on to smdp.com and click the “Events” tab for the given day’s calendar. Inside Scoop Visit us online at smdp.com THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009 3 Plan to sell off landmarks has critics SAMANTHA YOUNG “Everywhere I go, I hear stories about do this,” said Robert Griswold, a real estate The state estimates that San Quentin Associated Press Writer families selling off their boats and motorcy- author and member of the planning com- Prison — situated on 488 picturesque acres cles to make ends meet. They have garage mission in San Diego. “The market is down on the San Francisco Bay — could bring in SACRAMENTO San Quentin State Prison. Los sales and yard sales,” he told the Legislature and is now in the favor of people looking to $1 billion in today’s market. It is widely Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The California this week, offering his rationale for selling buy these properties and not in the favor of assumed that any buyer would be interested State Fairgrounds. assets. “They know that you don’t have or the state.” primarily in the land and might tear down Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan to put keep a boat at the dock when you can’t put Fred Aguiar, Schwarzenegger’s secretary all or some of the 1880s prison to make way some of his state’s biggest landmarks up for food on the table.” of consumer services, defended the propos- for condos or some other development. sale to help erase a $24 billion budget deficit The governor said California could gen- al, saying many of the properties cannot be It is unclear, however, where California’s is fraught with questions, chief among them: erate $3 billion from selling seven landmarks compared to ordinary commercial or retail death row would be housed, and how long it How can California taxpayers possibly get a and 11 office buildings scattered around the space because they are unique and often sit would take to move the prison’s 5,150 good deal in this slumping real estate mar- state. on prime land. He said potential buyers have inmates — a process that could cost many ket? In most cases, however, it would take a already inquired about the sites, though he millions of dollars and eat into any proceeds Schwarzenegger, who has also proposed few years to complete the sales, doing noth- would not identify them.