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JANUARY 8-9, 2011
Volume 10 Issue 49
Santa Monica Daily Press
FAMILIAR FACE TO HEAD LAUSD SEE PAGE 3
We have you covered
THE GOING DOWN SOUTH ISSUE
City Hall defends credit given to nativity scene, solstice groups BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief
CITY HALL City officials are defending a decision to put several parking meters on Ocean Avenue out of commission for nearly a week over the holidays — a move one man says
cost City Hall revenue while inappropriately aiding a religious group that had put up nativity scene displays near the spaces. The parties involved are the Nativity Scenes Committee, which each year erects 14 life-size displays depicting events surrounding the birth of Jesus Christ, and a committee of
one, Damon Vix, who set up a solstice display featuring quotes from the founding fathers about the separation of church and state. The displays were placed in Palisades Park along Ocean Avenue between Arizona Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard for roughly two weeks in December.
The nativity scene displays have been a tradition in Santa Monica since 1953 and are paid for by the committee, which is composed of representatives from local churches and the Santa Monica Police Officers SEE METERS PAGE 10
FORER
NCAA FOOTBALL
What a way to finish Samohi alum Forer ends college career in BCS title game BY DANIEL ARCHULETA Managing Editor
GLENDALE, Ariz. For a guy who never played center before, Oregon’s Max Forer seems to have picked up the position like he was born to play it. The former Santa Monica High School defensive end’s journey to the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game against Auburn on Tuesday has been anything but easy. Little recruited out of high school, Forer wanted desperately to play Pac-10 football, like his dad Jeffrey, who played at UCLA in the 1970s. He drew some interest from lower-tier college programs, but he had his mind set on something bigger. Yet, he knew his prospects were dim if he didn’t get busy. “I was the only guy from my class who tried to go [play] somewhere,” said Forer, who graduated from Samohi in 2006. “I SEE FORER PAGE 8
GIVING CHASE
Morgan Genser news@smdp.com Megan Yapelli of West High School in Torrance chases after the soccer ball as (left) Samohi's Lidia Cristina Battaglia and Mikka Alemania follow suit at John Adams Middle School on Friday. Samohi hosted West in a non-league match and won 3-2. With the win Samohi improves its record to 5 wins 6 losses and 1 tie while West falls to 5 wins 5 losses and 3 ties.
Feds recommend reducing fluoride levels in drinking water MIKE STOBBE AP Medical Writer
ATLANTA Fluoride in drinking water — credited with dramatically cutting cavities and tooth decay — may now be too much of a good thing. Getting too much of it causes spots on some kids’ teeth.
A reported increase in the spotting problem is one reason the federal government said Friday it plans to lower the recommended levels for fluoride in water supplies — the first such change in nearly 50 years. A group called Santa Monicans for Safe Drinking water has been fighting for years to rid the fluoride from Santa Monica’s
drinking water, citing concerns about harmful effects of ingesting too much. Santa Monica receives the vast majority of its water from the Metropolitan Water District, which added fluoride to the city’s taps in 2007. SEE FLUORIDE PAGE 6
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