Andrew Thurm Coldwell Banker
In today's challenging real estate market, work with Andrew Thurm, an award winning agent representing Santa Monica and the Westside!
310.442.1651 www.andrewthurm.com
310-444-4444 Hybrid • Mercedes-Benz
SantaMonicaTaxi.com
TUESDAY, APRIL 21, 2009
Visit us online at smdp.com
SM to LAX $30
not valid from hotels or with other offers • SM residents only • Expires 5/31/09
Volume 8 Issue 143
Santa Monica Daily Press COUNTY UNVEILS SOLAR MAP SEE PAGE 3
We have you covered
THE ALL ALONE ISSUE
What the future may bring for SM BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL Facing a tight deadline to get financing matters in order, city officials have released a prioritized list of major construction projects that could receive a chunk of redevelopment money. The extensive list of projects, which was presented to the City Council last week, con-
tains everything from affordable housing to the joint use facilities at Santa Monica High School to rehabilitation of the Civic Auditorium. Altogether the projects represent $283 million that the Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is expected to have available if it’s able to commit debt obligations by 2014, which it must do in order to access future tax increment funds — earmarked property tax revenue from increases in
assessed value. Such funds can be collected through 2042. No action was taken by the council, which is expected to discuss the RDA funds at a future meeting. In order to create debt obligations, City Hall must have established a list of projects that are clearly defined, an outcome that would come from holding public hearings with various commissions, conducting an
environmental impact report and developing a financing strategy. “You have roughly 3.5 years to 5.5 years to do a great deal of work,” City Manager Lamont Ewell said during the council meeting. There are four different redevelopment project areas in the city, the largest of which is the earthquake recovery zone, which conSEE RDA PAGE 10
Animal rights protesters targeting SM residents charged BY DAILY PRESS STAFF LOS ANGELES An indictment unsealed
appetizers and watered-down drinks, the marketing minds at Equinox gym and Function, the makers of alternative energy drinks, have created a new way to mingle
Monday charges two reputed associates of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) with conspiracy and stalking in connection with campaigns against UCLA researchers and a juice company formerly based in Santa Monica. Linda Faith Greene, 61, and Kevin Rich Olliff, 22, have pleaded not guilty to the 10 felony charges, which were handed up in a March 27 grand jury indictment. Greene and Olliff are charged with three counts each of stalking and conspiracy to commit the crime of stalking and two counts each of threatening a public officer or school employee and conspiracy to threaten a public officer or school employee. Greene was ordered to remain jailed in lieu of $450,000 bail and is due back in court Friday for a bail review hearing. Olliff was being held on $460,000 bail and is set to return to the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on May 20 for a pretrial hearing. Both were arrested Thursday in connection with the charges, which involve two researchers at UCLA and an executive at POM Wonderful Juice Co. The indictment alleges that “an unnamed and/or unidentified co-conspira-
SEE RUN PAGE 8
SEE CHARGES PAGE 9
FEELING HOT, HOT, HOT
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com Hundreds of people took to the beaches Monday to beat the record heat. Six high temperature records were set in Los Angeles County over the weekend, three in Orange County, where the mercury reached triple digits, according to the Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to be in the upper 70s along the coast today, providing some relief.
Breaking a sweat while making new friends BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor in Chief
DOWNTOWN While it may not be the ideal situation in which to meet a future love interest or your next employer, fitness
fanatics are falling for Function Runs, networking events that unite bring the gym and the nightclub together for one sweaty night of conversation. It’s not networking, it’s sweatworking. Instead of the stale mixers featuring cold
FABULOUS DINNER SPECIALS SERVED 4PM - 10PM COMPLETE DINNERS $11.95
1433 Wilshire Boulevard, at 15th Street 310-394-1131
OPEN 24 HOURS
GABY SCHKUD (310) 586-0308 #1 REALTOR SANTA MONICA OFFICE 2008!