COMMENTARY
ODD MAN OUT
FIXING THE BCS MESS PAGE 4 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FRIENDS AND LOVERS PAGE 10
FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 2008
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Volume 7 Issue 52
Santa Monica Daily Press Surf’s down SLASHING THE BUDGET SEE PAGE 3
Since 2001: A news odyssey
THE IT’S SO HARD TO SAY GOODBYE ISSUE
City Council moves to regulate camps BY KEVIN HERRERA I Editor in Chief CITY HALL The beach figures to be less crowded this summer, following a move by the City Council on Tuesday to better regulate surf camps, which have increased in number over the last few years. The steady increase has created conflicts with other surfers and swimmers while raising concerns about beach access and public safety. Currently, surf instructors are allowed to teach any number of adults or less than 20 kids under the age of 18 without a city-issued permit. This liberal policy, along with the increased popularity of the sport, has led to the proliferation of
surf camps along popular breaks where locals have long flocked to test their surfing skills, city staff and lifeguards said. Complaints from lifeguards and local surfers led city staff to draft an ordinance requiring all surf instructors who accept some form of payment to apply for a license to operate, regardless of how many students they teach. A limited number of licenses would be issued under the new law and be given on a competitive basis, not first-come, first-serve, said Callie Hurd, open space manager for City Hall. “This ordinance will allow us to confine surf-
Photo courtesy of Randy Wright
UNDER CONTROL: A surfer steps up on his board recently amid picture perfect skies
SEE SURF PAGE 9
and clear waters. A proliferation of surf camps led to the council’s decision to regulate.
Artists could see more cash City considers spending more ‘Creative Capital’ BY MELODY HANATANI I Daily Press Staff Writer CITY HALL Santa Monicans sure love their artists.
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
Following the adoption of “Creative Capital,” a longrange cultural plan for the city, last spring, the Community and Cultural Services Department released a report last month that looks into restructuring the various grants and funding programs to keep the city’s vibrant artist community alive. “These recommendations are intended to provide increased funding so that more Santa Monicans can participate in the rich experiences created by Santa Monica artists and arts organizations,” according to the report, which was prepared by Jerry Yoshitomi of Meaning Matters. The report, which will be presented to the City Council at the end of the month, essentially delves into how the various funding initiatives in the city can be restructured to keep in line with the goals of the Creative Capital plan, according to Jessica Cusick, the cultural affairs manager. The report recommends the creation of several cityfunded grant categories, including $35,000 a year to support youth arts and $10,000 a year to fund so-called “opportunities” programs such as festivals, installations
SITTING PRETTY: Artist Linda Pollack, who works at the 18th Street Art Center, sits in the Habeas Lounge chair where busi-
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ness is conducted at the center. Artists that live and work at the center pay reduced rents thanks to city subsidies.
Gary Limjap
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