Marijuana Discovered in SM Mountains
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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, JULY 23, 2009 Volume 8 Issue 223 Santa Monica Daily Press WHAT WENT WRONG? SEE PAGE 4 We have you covered THE MAD DECENT ISSUE Marijuana discovered in SM Mountains BY DAILY PRESS STAFF SM MOUNTAINS More than 3,000 marijuana plants in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area were destroyed this week after authorities raided three pot plantations. Rangers from the National Park Service were joined Tuesday by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, California State Park Police, CAMP (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) and the Mountains Conservation Authority as they entered the plantations, two of which were located in Malibu Creek State Park, while the other was found in the Zuma-Trancas Canyon area. In all, 3,509 plants were destroyed, including 1,421 plants at Zuma Canyon, authorities said. Garbage, PVC piping, camping equipment, fertilizer and chemicals were also removed. “This was an extremely successful collabora- tive effort,” said Chief Park Ranger Evan Jones. “Not only were we able to pool our resources to eradicate the marijuana plants, but we were also able to take initial steps toward site clean- up and natural resource restoration.” AWESOME VIEW Brandon Wise [email protected] Collaboration between the many local, Steve Hazarabedian and his fiancee Sharyl Dean enjoy a ride on Pacific Park’s Ferris wheel at the Santa Monica Pier Wednesday. SEE MARIJUANA PAGE 10 SPORTS ROUNDUP Carpet cleaner pleads guilty to defrauding clients ATP’s Querrey has BY MELODY HANATANI Money Mailer, claimed they instead were Gilboa was sentenced to three years pro- Daily Press Staff Writer met with bullying and intimidation by bation on terms that he perform 360 hours home-court edge operatives sent by the company who forced of hard labor community service, be barred AIRPORT COURTHOUSE The owner of a customers into paying more than the from any cleaning business in California, Woodland Hills-based carpet cleaning advertised price and leaving after perform- discontinue all telephone numbers and BY DANIEL ARCHULETA company pleaded guilty on Tuesday to 10 ing substandard work. In many cases, the advertisements associated with the compa- Managing Editor criminal counts of defrauding nearly five carpet cleaning work commenced before ny, and provide a full refund to approxi- dozen clients across Southern California — the client agreed to a price, the Santa mately 60 clients, totaling more than WESTWOOD When Sam Querrey takes the including one in Santa Monica — through Monica City Attorney’s Office, which pros- $20,000. court at UCLA during the L.A. Tennis Open bait-and-switch tactics. ecuted the case on behalf of the Los Angeles Hard labor community service could next week he’ll certainly have a home-court The owner of a business formerly City Attorney, said. involve picking up trash and removing advantage. known as Clean Dry USA, Sharon “Sean” “What’s really important here is that graffiti, Radinsky said. The Santa Monica resident, who happens to Gilboa was accused of falsely advertising a consumers everywhere have to be very care- Mark Werksman, the attorney who repre- be the 37th ranked player in the ATP rankings, deal in various circulars to clean three car- ful when responding to an ad that looks too sented Gilboa, said the plea agreement was a practices at UCLA nearly every day he’s in town peted rooms for $49.95 using special tech- good to be true because if it looks too good fair and appropriate way to resolve the case. giving him what he hopes will be an edge. nology. Clients who responded to the ad, to be true, it invariably is,” Deputy City which appeared in Clipper Magazine and Attorney Adam Radinsky said. SEE PLEA PAGE 10 SEE ROUNDUP PAGE 11 FABULOUS DINNER SPECIALS GABY SCHKUD SERVED 4PM - 10PM (310)586-0308 COMPLETE DINNERS $11.95 #1 REALTOR SANTA MONICA 1433 Wilshire Boulevard, OFFICE 2008! at 15th Street 310-394-1131 OPEN 24 HOURS Calendar SUMMER SPECIAL 2 THURSDAY, JULY 23, 2009 A newspaper with issues OUR FARES AVERAGE 20% LESS THAN MOST OTHER LOCAL TAXI COMPANIES EURO TAXI $19.95* OF SANTA MONICA FLAT TO LAX *For Santa Monica FROM ANYWHERE, Residents Only ANYTIME IN SANTA (310) 828-4200 (You must ask for MONICA this OFFER.) DO YOUR PART FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, RIDE IN OUR 50% GREEN FLEET FEATURING HYBRID PRIUS AND CNG CARS EURO TAXI FEATURES • CLEAN CARS - VANS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR LARGER PARTIES • ALL OF OUR DRIVERS SPEAK CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH • 24/7 DISPATCH - FREE RESERVATIONS • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED DON ALEXANDER, OWNER/GM WWW.EUROTAXISM.COM Wizards rock Main Library 601 Santa Monica Blvd., 6 p.m. Celebrate the release of the sixth “Harry Potter” movie with a rock concert featuring wizard rock specialists The Remus Lupins and The Whomping Willows. Call (310) 458-8600 for more information. Swing lessons Santa Monica Pier 200 Santa Monica Pier, 6 p.m. — 7 p.m. “Dance Doctor” John Cassese will provide free swing lessons in honor of La Monica Ballroom’s 85th anniversary. Dance the night away Santa Monica Pier 200 Santa Monica Pier, 7:00 p.m. — 10 p.m. La Monica Ballroom Redux with the Squirrel Nut Zippers and Johnny Vana & The Big Band Alumni. Participate in the fourth installment of this weekly summer music series. Job search bootcamp Daisy Swan & Associates Office 2901 Ocean Park Blvd., 10 a.m. — 11:15 a.m. Designed for recent graduates, this career coaching series tar- gets those with zero to seven years of work experience. Find clarity on where to go with your academic degrees and get help beginning your job search. For more information, visit www.daisyswan.com. Friday, July 24, 2009 Birth of the cool Santa Monica Museum of Art 2525 Michigan Ave., 11 a.m. — 6 p.m. Barkley L. Hendricks’ first retrospective features an exhibition of paintings from 1964 to 2007. Hendricks is best known for his life-sized portraits of everyday African Americans from cities in the Northeast. For more information, visit www.smmoa.org/index.php/exhibitions/details/215. Indie concert McCabe’s Guitar Shop 3101 Pico Blvd., 8 p.m. Van Dykes Park and Inara George will perform modern torch songs from their new album, “An Invitation.” Admission is $22.50. For more information, visit store.mccabes.com/prod- uct.php?productid=16466&cat=249&page=1. 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, JULY 23, 2009 3 La Monica Ballroom returns for one night BY NATALIE JARVEY Special to the Daily Press SM PIER Shoes tap on the floor and the swish of skirts can be heard below the long arc of a trumpet and the quick beat of a drum. Young couples move gracefully along the hardwood floor, silhouetted by twinkling white lights overhead. These are the images evoked when the historic La Monica Ballroom is described, but now they are merely memories. The Santa Monica Pier is bringing back the spirit of La Monica today during the fourth week of the 25th Annual Twilight Dance Series, which will feature the La Monica Ballroom Redux to celebrate the 85th anniversary of what was once the pier’s landmark structure. Photo courtesy Fuzjko Hemming To recreate the atmosphere of La Monica at its BIG TALENT: Fuzjko Hemming will play the Broad Stage on Friday and Sunday before moving on to the Lincoln Center in New York City. height, the pier will be decorated with minarets and lights, all surrounding a dance floor in front of the stage, where two big band style music groups will perform. Swing dance lessons will be held an hour before the concert begins. Pianist defies long odds The pier has also invited members of the community who once danced at La Monica to kick off the night with the first dance of Partially-deaf classical musician to perform at The Broad Stage the evening. “It’s one of the storied structures of the pier. BY MELODY HANATANI and J.S. Bach. said.“They liked the location and they liked Fewer and fewer people are around to remem- Daily Press Staff Writer “I always perform for the audience’s that it was on the Westside.” ber the old thing,”said Jim Harris, pier historian. enjoyment,” Hemming said. “Nothing The concert will be the first in Santa “The image of a structure that size float- BROAD STAGE There was plenty of opti- more.” Monica for Hemming, who said that she is ing over the ocean is quite magnificent, and mistic predictions and critical acclaim for The internationally famous pianist unfamiliar with the city but remembers the stories that it holds within it are certain- Fuzjko Hemming in her early years as a choosing to perform at The Broad Stage hearing about it as a young child in Vienna ly interesting and unique.” concert pianist, even after losing hearing in demonstrates that the less than year old from Stanford University students. Often described as a palace floating above her right ear from an inflammation at the facility is considered world class, Linda “I am hoping that the audience will the sea, La Monica was built in 1924.