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02.01.16 Volume 15 Issue 65
@smdailypress
WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 EDITORIAL ........................................PAGE 3 MY WRITE ........................................PAGE 4 EARTH TALK ....................................PAGE 5 KNOW BEFORE YOU GO ................PAGE 9
Santa Monica Daily Press
smdp.com
Fees removed for library cards BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
Library cards will be free for all who want them, residents and visitors alike, thanks to a decision by the City Council at their Jan. 26 meeting. As part of their budget discus-
sion last week, the City Council eliminated a $25 fee that had been imposed on non-residents applying for a Santa Monica Library card. The fee will disappear as of Feb. 1. The fee had been in place for about two years. City Hall required each department to cut up to 5percent of its budget, or suggest
Santa Monica key to local author’s spy novel ‘Stealth Gambit’ penned by former RAND consultant BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
The Cold War is at its height as graduate student Nick Butler, a CIA recruit, heads to the beach in Santa Monica. Operating as a spy in the military aircraft industry, he’s been given fake stealth bomber designs by U.S. and allied intelligence officials. The beautiful girl he meets on the sand, a Russian spy, thinks they’re real. “What goes on in Santa Monica is very important,” said Wes Truitt, the author of “Stealth Gambit,” a spy novel recently released by Dorrance Publishing. And the main character’s encounter on the shore is one of numerous plot points in the book involving the beachside city. “Stealth Gambit” marks a sharp departure in the writing career of Truitt, a longtime Marina del Rey resident. His four previously published works, which centered around business and politics, were all nonfiction. Truitt, 76, drew extensively on his own life experiences to write “Stealth Gambit,” which offers a fictional, but feasible, slice of life SEE BOOK PAGE 8
alternate revenue sources. The non-resident fee emerged as a means of meeting those goals while retaining the high level of service demanded by Santa Monica residents. The fee succeeded in generating revenue. It brought in about $152,000 in the first year and about $144,000 in the second. However
revenue was projected to decline with at 13-percent drop predicted this year. There were also costs associated with the system. However, charging non-residents for a card put Santa Monica at odds with library best practices. The Santa Monica library system was disqualified from membership in the Southern California
Library Consortium (SCLC) and local librarians were unable to receive professional development or other resources from the organization. The fee also prevented Santa Monica from receiving funding from the state that is used to recoup costs associated with interSEE CARDS PAGE 8
Girls water polo: Samohi driven by semifinal slipup Vikings trounce Torrance on quest for fourth-straight league title BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
The ball launched forward by sophomore goalkeeper Emma Ware was controlled by senior Isabelle Lomonaco and quickly flicked to junior Kalen Lehmann, who found the back of the net on a powerful right-handed shot. It happened so quickly, the third-period highlight effectively summarizing Wednesday afternoon at Drake Pool. Showcasing its superior skill, speed and stamina, the Santa Monica High girls water polo team obliterated Torrance 14-4 in Ocean League play. It was another convincing victory for the Vikings on their quest for a fourth consecutive conference title, another example of their regular-season dominance. But what coach Matt Flanders and his squad are truly jonesing for is the postseason glory that eluded them last year, when they lost to Huntington Beach-Ocean View in the semifinals of the CIF Southern Section playoffs. That experience has seemingly galvanized Samohi (23-3, 5-0 in the Ocean League), which is currently ranked No. 1 in Division 6 despite losing star goalkeeper Sierra Kelly, defensive stalwart Leah Duff-Gutentag and other key seniors to graduation.
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Photos by Jeff Goodman jeff@smdp.com
WINNING IN THE WATER: The Samohi girls water polo team beat Torrance 14-4 in Ocean League play on Jan.27.
“We really thought we’d be in big trouble, but the girls have just stepped up,” Flanders said. “Our top six are pretty darn good. We don’t have a superstar, but they work really, really well together. They’re just stoked to play water polo.” Since the Vikings face weaker competition in league play, they try to squeeze lessons and motivation out of their preseason matchups against top teams from throughout the region. In December they lost to Huntington Beach, which
recently received votes to be in the top 10 of the Division 1 poll. They also fell by one to Palos Verdes, the ninth-ranked team in Division 3. But it’s not as if Samohi can’t hold its own against elite opponents. Early in the season it defeated Manhattan Beach-Mira Costa, currently the No. 5 team in Division 3. And a couple weeks ago it handled Dana Point-Dana Hills, the No. 9 squad in Division 2. “You need to have a lot of experience to compete, and the top teams all play year-round,”
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Flanders said. “That’s what the girls have done. They have a lot of water polo under their belts, and they’re really reaping the benefits right now.” But staying sharp while beating inferior opponents during the conference slate isn’t easy, Flanders said. “We try to stay focused on what our goals are and keep working hard,” he said. “If you go in cocky and complacent, you’ll end up losSEE SPORTS PAGE 7
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