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Santa Monica Daily Press TUESDAY, MAY 19, 2015
Volume 14 Issue 161
SILICON BEACH CITY HALL SEE PAGE 4
‘Voting with their pocketbooks’ SMMEF fundraiser ‘not resonating’ in Malibu BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
CITYWIDE Malibu families have appeared reluctant to contribute to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation’s annual fundraiser, according to agency data. Participation in the current campaign was just 8.3 percent at Malibu High School as of last month and similarly poor at Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School (14.2), Juan Cabrillo Elementary School (15.2) and Webster Elementary School (17.2). Low rates of giving in Malibu come as little surprise to residents of the enclave city who feel increasingly isolated in a school district they feel has neglected them and ignored their concerns. Cynthia Kesselman said the Malibu community feels slighted
by the district’s handling of chemical cleanup at the city’s high school, arguing its actions have “soured many in Malibu on contributing” to fundraising efforts. “Maybe they should consider Malibu parents are voting with their pocketbooks,” she wrote in a letter to the Malibu Times. “Why contribute to a district that spends millions of dollars on attorneys and consultants?” Beth Lucas expressed similar dissatisfaction, arguing it’s difficult to support a district that has paid millions of dollars for legal fees and consultants since the discovery of polychlorinated biphenyls at Malibu High School. “The SMMUSD should stop threatening to cut key enrichment programs while syphoning money ... to pay for their own liability proSEE MONEY PAGE 11
Opera performances return to the Broad Stage BY MATTHEW HALL Editor-in-Chief
BROAD STAGE The Santa Monica
PLAYOFF BOUND
Photos by Wendy Perl/Perl.Photography
The Lady Vikings continue their streak of 120 straight League game wins and 12 straight League Championships. After the Samohi Boys lost to El Segundo on El Segundo’s turf, they came to the field next store to cheer on their Lady Vikings and watch them beat El Segundo 4-0. Both teams played an excellent game, but the Lady Vikings took advantage of some key moments to get the job done. It truly was a team effort with excellent pitching by Whitney Jones, excellent plays by all infielders and outfielders and key hits at the right moments including Annie Quine’s double with 2RBI’s in the bottom of the 6th to give the team the comfort they needed going into the 7th. The First round of CIF Playoffs will be Thursday, May 21.
College Music Department will present a romantic concert featuring two Baroque masterpieces: Sebastian Durón’s baroque zarzuela “Salir el amor del mundo,” performed with baroque period instruments and with staging based on the Grammy-nominated edition by Rich Savino and El Mundo; and a fully staged production of Henry Purcell’s renowned love story, “Dido and Aeneas,” with modern dance choreography by SMC dance instructor Mark Tomasic. This is the second season the school has produced a Spanish opera, or zarzuela. Last year, their production of Luisa Fernanda was attended by the famed performer Placido Domingo, who spoke with the cast and took photos with the students.
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Director Janelle DeStefano said the performances differ from the traditional idea of what opera can be. “When most people think of opera, they think of popular 19th Century operas like Carmen, La Boheme, Barber of Seville or Wagner’s Ring Cycle,” she said. “While Baroque opera might be less familiar, it holds a special place in the operatic repertoire, and shows us the roots of this five-century old art form. The pieces being performed by SMC Opera Theatre come from the late 17th Century and involve a lighter, more chamber-like texture with lots of subtle color and nuance. Durón’s zarzuela reveals its Spanish nature in wonderful dance rhythms of the period and special percussion instruments like castanets. The BACH COLLEGIUM SAN DIEGO, one of the premier early music ensembles on SEE OPERA PAGE 8