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THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 2012
Volume 11 Issue 47
Santa Monica Daily Press
SCIENTISTS MAY KNOW WHAT’S KILLING BEES SEE PAGE 6
We have you covered
THE FEELING LIKE SUMMER ISSUE
Construction at Samohi begins Parents, teachers, students have new challenges to get on campus BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
Winograd wanted to become a more active participant in her own food production, and brought Farmscape in to see what she could grow. Winograd was motivated by the idea of knowing where her food comes from and making her own eating habits more earthfriendly. “Our house isn’t big, but the front yard is large,” Winograd said. “It seemed like it would be a waste not to use it for food production and greening the environment.” She requested raised beds in her front yard, which workers planted with tomatoes,
SAMOHI Santa Monica High School students returned from winter break Wednesday to find work begun on a $55 million science and technology building that promises to consolidate and modernize science education on campus. The construction will force changes in how parents, students and teachers access the campus, a challenge that students active in the Bike It! Walk It! alternative transportation campaigns are helping to mitigate. The project involves removing existing science and technology buildings and replacing them with a single, modernized facility which will house 15 science labs, eight classrooms, a computer lab, two special education classrooms, an auto shop and administrative offices. At the same time, a Centennial Plaza will be built in honor of Samohi’s 100-year history in the community, and will create a gathering place for students. The new building will take the place of an existing softball field. It’s expected to be finished in 2013, at which point workers will begin on a new softball field adjacent to the building. The construction will take its toll on campus access, prohibiting loading along the Seventh Court alley and Michigan Avenue, which will become a bicycle access lane from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Parents can drop their students off on Seventh Street between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., according to a release by the school. Students who drive to campus will find it a bit more difficult to find a parking space. According to the district, neither students nor visitors will be able to park on campus during school hours. It’s a challenge that co-presidents Charlotte Biren and Jenna Perelman and the rest of the Santa Monica High School Solar Alliance have been working to tackle since city and school officials welcomed them into the planning several months ago. The team plans to reach out to students
SEE FARM PAGE 10
SEE SAMOHI PAGE 10
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
GREENS GROWN LOCALLY: Santa Monica resident Marcy Winograd's front-yard garden courtesy of Farmscape.
Urban farming taking root in Santa Monica BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE People flock to Santa Monica’s thrice-weekly Farmers’ Markets for their pick of fresh produce from the Golden State, but a handful of Santa Monicans are joining a movement that takes “local” to a whole new level. With the help of a Los Angeles-based company called Farmscape (www.farmscapegardens.com), approximately 10 Santa Monicans brought the farm home to their front and back yards in the form of raised beds that Farmscape’s employees tend once a week.
Depending on the size of the garden, the produce can supplement regular grocery or Farmers’ Market produce or completely supplant it, said Sean Williams, co-founder of Farmscape. “The thinner gardens won’t replace the food budget, but it would offset it a bit,” Williams said. “Some of our clients get more food than they can handle, and others get just enough to eat good tomatoes with their salad.” Marcy Winograd, an Ocean Park resident and former congressional candidate, discovered urban farming through people involved in her campaign. When she moved to Santa Monica,
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