FR EE
FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2004
Volume 3, Issue 146
Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues
L O T T O
Funding talks continue behind closed doors
Car meets bus
FANTASY 5 9, 10, 29, 30, 31 DAILY 3 Afternoon picks: 5, 4, 0 Evening picks: 8, 8, 7 DAILY DERBY 1st Place: 07, Eureka 2nd Place: 01, Gold Rush 3rd Place: 10, Solid Gold
BY JOHN WOOD Daily Press Staff Writer
Race Time: 1:49.41
NEWS OF THE WEIRD by Chuck Shepard
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Love is the crocodile on the river of desire.” – Bhartrihari (ca. 625)
INDEX Horoscopes Leo, wheel into weekend . . . . . . . .2
Local Be prepared during disaster . . . . .3
Samohi will pick its idol By Daily Press staff
SAMOHI — Look out, William Hung. Judges at Santa Monica High School will pick the next “Samohi Idol” this evening from among 10 finalists. Modeled after the popular television program “American Idol,” the Samohi Idol competition is down to the last finalists. Those performers will take the stage in Barnum Hall this evening at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $10, with proceeds benefiting the class of 2004. A panel of three judges — a Samohi advisor and two teachers — will then narrow down the field to three. A winner will be picked by the audience, and sent to sing at a Fox Studios industry party this See IDOL, page 6
Opinion Election road will be rocky . . . . . . .4
Entertainment Music, theater, food and movies . . .7
State A smoggy existence . . . . . . . . . . .11
International The world in brief . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
BY CAROLYN SACKARIASON Daily Press Staff Writer
Dozens of Santa Monica seniors who are graduating or are close to graduating are looking for a place to party this June. Students at Olympic High School — Santa Monica’s alternative high school — have found
themselves without a venue for their annual senior celebration, when students are recognized for their achievements. For the past two years, a local hotel has sponsored the event, but this year the venue is booked. So in an 11th hour attempt, Olympic senior Jacqueline Franco has taken it upon herself to find a place
where she and her classmates can celebrate with their families. Franco, who will pursue a career as an interior designer, has sent out a dozen query letters to area hotels, hoping to find a sponsor for the June event. Olympic officials are planning the event to be the week of June 7, depending on availabilities.
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■ Todd Lorin Nelson, a 13year employee of the MiamiDade (Fla.) county clerk's office, was summoned for jury duty in April 2003, reported to the courtroom, and was quickly dismissed. However, according to police, he repeatedly called his boss over the next few months to say that he had been selected as a juror for a big case but couldn't talk about it (all the while drawing his $35,000 government salary), and it was not until October that the boss finally investigated, resulting in Nelson's arrest.
DOWNTOWN — Lastminute negotiations between Santa Monica’s top city and school officials were expected to resume today and last through the weekend, or John Wood/Daily Press until a compromise is The typically busy intersection of Olympic reached on long-term and Lincoln boulevards was blocked off funding for public schools. by police during rush hour Thursday after A nucleus of school an MTA bus collided with a sedan (see supporters are closely folinset), driven by Julie Blumberg of Silver lowing the talks between Lake. Blumberg, who was traveling south City Manager Susan on Lincoln Boulevard, said the bus struck McCarthy and John Deasy, the side of her car and pushed it into the superintendent of the local middle of the intersection. The bus had school district. Only days many passengers, but no one was seriously injured, police said. remain for the school group to decide whether to force on the November ballot a proposed charter amendment that would require City Hall to give local schools at least $6 million a year. Leaders from the local school district, Santa Monica College and City Hall met at the Ken Edwards Center Wednesday to assess the situation, with a handful of members from the grassroots Community for Excellent Public Schools watching. CEPS is spearheading the charter amendment. Representatives from all groups said they were Del Pastrana/Daily Press encouraged by a new tone Santa Monica High School students rehearse of cooperation in the talks, in Barnum Hall to be the next ‘Samohi Idol.’ which so far had been
largely divisive and unproductive, they said. But CEPS leaders reminded officials they need to be promised a predictable, ongoing revenue source for local schools in order to abandon the proposed charter amendment. “This is a really nice love fest, but you need to get down to the details because we believe we have to turn in signatures by May 5,” said Louise Jaffe, CEPS cochair. “Things need to happen pretty quickly. There’s not a lot of time left.” It’s unclear when exactly the 8,000-plus signatures need to be handed over to the City Clerk to place the proposal on the ballot. CEPS members have been operating under a self-imposed May 5 deadline, but McCarthy — who was flanked by her assistant city manager, the mayor and two councilmen — said that date is flexible and encouraged the group to wait and see if a compromise could be reached. Once the signatures are turned in, there is no way to reverse and pull the item off the November ballot. Various proposals have been discussed to avert the need for the charter amendment, which would last indefinitely. If passed
“Because I’m not a ‘regular’ student, I want something special to celebrate,” said Franco, 18, who transferred from Santa Monica High School last year. She added that she’ll walk the line during the graduation ceremonies at Samohi on June 17, but she wants to make See GRADUATION, page 6
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