PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS HERE! Yes, in this very spot! Call for details (310)
458-7737
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014
Volume 13 Issue 109
Santa Monica Daily Press
REVIVING A CAREER SEE PAGE 3
We have you covered
THE TALKING IT UP ISSUE
City Hall: Quick response to multiple shootings saved lives BY DAVID MARK SIMPSON Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE Communication could have been better, but overall City Hall’s response to last year’s mass shooting that ended on the Santa Monica College campus was a success, city officials said in a recent report. The city of Santa Monica Office of Emergency Management (OEM) released a 28-page report about what was learned from the way various departments handled the incident. On June 7 of last year, John Zawahri, 23, shot and killed five people, including his father and brother, before he was fatally wounded by police in the Santa Monica College library. Quick response, particularly by the Santa Monica Police Department and the college police, was lauded in the OEM’s report. “Fast action [by both parties] brought an end to this incident in less than 14 minutes,” the report said. “The actions of many individuals were responsible for the successful outcome and this is due to several factors including training, organizational relationships, and a rapid response.” SMPD had recently done an active shooter training exercise. College library staff went through a similar training just weeks prior and it “most definitely saved lives of both students and staff,” the report said. Still, the report said, there were lessons to be learned. For one thing, SM Alerts, a mass notification system that sends out text messages during an emergency to anyone who opts in, SEE SHOOTINGS PAGE 10
MAKING A PITCH
Paul Alvarez Jr. editor@smdp.com Bobby Shriver gives his opening statement during the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club forum Saturday afternoon at the Pacific Palisades Woman's Club. Shriver and Sheila Kuehl (left) are among the candidates to represent the Westside on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors.
ASHLEY CROWDER, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, VNTANA
Faces of Silicon Beach BY ERIK HUBERMAN Special to the Daily Press
VNTANA empowers artists, celebrities, and businesses to reach and engage new fans and customers affordably through the use of holograms Their slogan: Entertainment Without Boundaries ERIK: WHAT WAS YOUR JOURNEY TO BECOMING AN ENTREPRENEUR?
Ashley: My dad started his own company when I was in first grade and ever since then I have wanted my own company. So I went to USC, studied engineering, did a five-year program to get my master’s [degree] at the same time. I always liked engineering, build-
Selling the Westside since 1999
ing stuff, and I was always really into music. I worked for Gulf Stream and Northrop Grumman. I liked the technical part, but I was never really interested in any of that stuff — it didn’t wow me.
Realtor
Specializing in Santa Monica and the surrounding areas
310-571-3441
www.MrWestside.com JD@MrWestside.com Lic# 01269119
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ashley: Well I liked music, and I would go to Coachella [an annual music and arts festival] every year because it’s on my birthday. Coachella started getting more popular and sold out, so not all my friends could go. One weekend, when half of my friends couldn’t go, they sat and watched the live stream on their laptops, which sounded like a horrible experience!
LOS ANGELES A planned strike by thousands of University of California hospital workers was averted after contract talks yielded a deal, officials said Sunday. The proposed four-year contract will keep 13,000 patient care technical workers on the job at five major medical centers, including UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, said Todd Stenhouse, a spokesman for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3299. The workers, who include respiratory
SEE FACES PAGE 10
SEE DEAL PAGE 11
ERIK: SO TELL ME ABOUT VNTANA
Gary Limjap (310) 586-0339 In today’s real estate climate ...
J.D. Songstad,
Hospital strike averted by contract deal
Experience counts! garylimjap@gmail.com www.garylimjap.com
TAXES
ALL FORMS, ALL TYPES, ALL STATES
BACK TAXES • BOOKKEEPING • SMALL BUSINESS
SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA
(310) 395-9922
100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800Santa Monica 90401