New Waters New Waters
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INSIDE SCOOP LOCAL WEEKEND EDITION PUTTING LOCAL GANGS ON BLAST PAGE 3 WALKING FOR WATER PAGE 16 Visit us online at smdp.com MARCH 22-23, 2008 Volume 7 Issue 112 Santa Monica Daily Press EATING LIKE A CAVEMAN SEE PAGE 7 Since 2001: A news odyssey THE KEEPING IT HOOD ISSUE Representing the hoods BY MELODY HANATANI interest in bringing to light the issues of Many in neighborhood groups cred- Daily Press Staff Writer her neighborhood to city officials, it the strength of the unified voice for working to alleviate street parking woes winning battles, staving off unwanted WILMONT Jeanne Dodson turned one through becoming an active member projects like a proposed mixed-use corner, and then another, up and and later chairman of the Wilshire development on the edge of Sunset down the street, frustration slowly Montana Neighborhood Coalition. Park, or bringing more affordable hous- creeping in with every missed spot. A voice of the community, a collec- ing in the Pico Neighborhood, whose It was late at night and hardly the last tive shout to City Hall is perhaps the association helped form Community thing that the Santa Monica resident unifying attribution of the organized Corporation of Santa Monica. wanted to do — find a parking space in neighborhood groups in Santa Monica, Diane Moss, who has owned proper- an impacted Wilshire Boulevard- each representing the unique concerns ty in Sunset Park since 2002, joined the Montana Avenue neighborhood, where of their residents and ensuring they Friends of Sunset Park (FOSP) last year it appeared as though every single pos- have a presence when it comes to the because of concerns over pollution and Brandon Wise [email protected] sible spot was already occupied. decisions that affect them. safety at the Santa Monica Airport. STILL STANDING: One of the ficus trees in question on Second “I literally could not get into my In some ways, they can be viewed “There is strength in numbers,” Street between Broadway and Santa Monica Boulevard. own home because there was no place as the eighth member on the City Moss said on Friday. to park,” Dodson said on Thursday of Council. There are currently five neighbor- her parking adventure in 2005. “I had “They’re like a direct feed for coun- hood organizations that are recognized to spend a night with a friend because cilmembers and city staff on what res- by City Hall — FOSP, the Ocean Park I could not get into my home. ident concerns are,” Rachel Waugh, Association (OPA), the Pico “That’s just stupid,” Dodson the publications coordinator for City Neighborhood Association (PNA), the Officials added. Hall, said. “The more voices you get The experience sparked Dodson’s together, the louder the sound is.” SEE HOODS PAGE 14 BUSINESS defend project BY MELODY HANATANI I Daily Press Staff Writer CITY HALL City officials contend that they did not violated state environmental regulations or hid behind any bushes in pushing forward a controversial tree plan that has kept City Hall and the Santa Monica Treesavers battling for months. The arguments were laid out in a 39-page-response City Hall filed on Friday, a rebuttal to a Treesaver appeal of a court ruling that the environmental group was years too late in legally challenging the tree removal plan. The Treesavers earlier this month appealed the decision, with the court extending a temporary restraining order halt- ing the removal of the ficus trees. The source of controversy lies in a beautification project for NEWNEW WATERSWATERS Second and Fourth streets in Downtown Santa Monica, calling for the destruction or transplantation of 54 ficus trees — 23 of SMSM SeafoodSeafood preparesprepares toto changechange locationslocations which have been identified as structurally deficient. The bulk of STORY BY KEVIN HERRERA PAGE 3 the streetscape project includes widening and repairing side- STORY BY KEVIN HERRERA PAGE 3 walks and enhancing lighting along the two commercial corri- dors. The tree removal aspect of the plan includes replacing Brandon Wise [email protected] each empty ficus plot with two ginkgo biloba trees. HEADING UP STREAM: Many different varieties of fish can be seen on display at the Santa Monica Seafood Company. City officials essentially maintain the same position Santa Monica Seafood has been supplying fresh fish to the public from their shop on Colorado Avenue for the past 31 years but will be moving to their new location on Wilshire Boulevard by the end of the year. SEE TREES PAGE 13 BEST ON THE WESTSIDE FABULOUS DINNER SPECIALS SINCE 1972 SERVED 4PM – 10PM GABY SCHKUD MUSIC LESSONS COMPLETE DINNERS $10.95 (310)586-0308 INSTRUMENTAL & VOICE 1433 Wilshire Boulevard, (310) 453-1928 at 15th Street The name you can depend on! 1901 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica www.1047Harvard.com www.santamonicamusic.com 310-394-1131 OPEN 24 HOURS Calendar “It’s more 2 WEEKEND EDITION, MARCH 22-23, 2008 A newspaper with issues than a business, it’s my passion!” - Eddie Guerboian EDDIE GUERBOIAN GOLDSMITH . DESIGNER Hop along with Peter Rabbit Wilshire Boulevard and 25th Street, 9 a.m. The Santa Monica Jaycees presents its 16th Annual Peter Rabbit Day. Bring the kids out to Douglas Park to celebrate Easter. There will be an egg spoon race, face painting and prizes. Who could resist that. For more information, contact ho- [email protected]. 331 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica Get your Monty on 2 Hours Free Parking (Behind Store) 2627 Pico Blvd., Call for times The Santa Monica Theatre Guild at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre presents “The Full 310.451.1349 Monty.”. The show runs March 14 through April 12 (Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. Monday-Saturday and Sundays at 2 p.m.). This musical adaptation of the comedic British film turns the 10am-6pm www.readersjewelers.com “let’s put on a show” genre on its ear, as a group of unemployed steelworkers pre- pares to present their own Chippendales-style show in working-class Buffalo, New York. For information, call (310) 936-1338. .00 NATURAL GAS TAXI SERVICE TO LAX *$28 Santa Monica on two feet FLAT TO LAX 1436 Second St., 10 a.m. FROM SM EURO TAXI RESIDENCES The Santa Monica Conservancy leads a two-hour tour that explores more than 130 .00 years of Santa Monica history from its wild west frontier beginnings to the metropo- OF SANTA MONICA *$35 HOTELS AND lis of today. Starting from the 1875 Rapp Saloon, the route includes many landmarks BUSINESSES *MUST ASK and concludes at the 2003 NRDC building. For information, call (310) 496-3146. FOR CNG (310) 828-4200 VEHICLES Reach out and touch someone DO YOUR PART FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, 1341 Lake St., Venice, 2 p.m. — 6 p.m. RIDE IN OUR 2006 MERCURY MARQUIS CNG CARS Planet Social Sports games and matches are followed by team gatherings at local • USING NATURAL GAS CAN HELP EASE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, bars, which include discounted food and drinks, along with social activities. Men and ACID RAIN, SMOG, SOLID WASTE AND WATER POLLUTION WWW.EUROTAXISM.COM women must be 21 to play. Check the Web site for specific times and locations • NATURAL GAS IS VERY SAFE • THE DOMESTIC NATURAL GAS INDUSTRY FUELS THE ECONOMY www.planetsocialsports.com. • NATURAL GAS TECHNOLOGIES CONTRIBUTE TO FOREIGN TRADE OFFERINGS EURO TAXI FEATURES Sunday, March 23, 2008 • OUR FARES AVERAGE 20% LESS THAN MOST OTHER LOCAL TAXI CO. • CLEAN CARS - VANS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR LARGER PARTIES • ALL OF OUR DRIVERS SPEAK CONVERSATIONAL ENGLISH • 24/7 DISPATCH Jesus the musical • ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED 3400 Sawtelle Blvd., 7:30 p.m. DON ALEXANDER, OWNER/GM Come and enjoy this special Easter musical commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This free event is open to the public. Get it while its fresh Downtown Mar Vista, 9 a.m. — 1 p.m. Head out to lovely Mar Vista for the weekly Farmers’ Market. Located at the corner of Grandview and Venice boulevards, the market includes fresh fruits and vegetables as well as some prepared foods. Rolling with Ray Westside, 1 p.m. Novelist Raymond Chandler gravitated to sin and debauchery, so Santa Monica in the 1930s was a frequent stop for Philip Marlowe, one of his most popular characters. From shady doctors to second wives with pasts to crooked cops with a loathing for a mouthy PI, this tour has it all. Chandler's canonization of sin, wealth and sunshine on L.A.'s Westside fed the abiding myths of the American hard-boiled genre and play into the popular conception of the region. For information, call (323) 223-2767. 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 WEEKEND EDITION, MARCH 22-23, 2008 3 Putting SM gangs on blast Editor’s note: For the next eight weeks, Editor in Chief Kevin Herrera will be writing a first-person account of what it’s like to be enrolled in the Santa Monica Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy, which is intended to foster better communication between Santa Monicans and police officers, while giving residents a better understanding of what it takes to preserve the peace. BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY Gangs working the streets of West Los Angeles got put on blast earlier this week when officers assigned to the Gang and Youth Intervention Unit schooled students in the Citizens Police Academy on what it means to be part of a set or clique, showing graphic photos of black and Latino youth engaging in criminal behavior and loving it.