FR EE
FRIDAY, AUGUST 6, 2004
Volume 3, Issue 229
Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues
1 4 23 24 34
Malibu group lobbies for breakup
DAILY 3
BY JOHN WOOD
DAILY LOTTERY FANTASY 5 Daytime: Evening:
656 098
Daily Press Staff Writer
DAILY DERBY 1st: 2nd: 3rd:
08 Gorgeous George 10 Solid Gold 07 Eureka
RACE TIME:
1:41.36
NEWS OF THE WEIRD BY CHUCK SHEPARD
■ Life Imitates a Rodney Dangerfield Joke: In 1996, Steven Hicks, 38, and his wife, Diana, 35, were sentenced to six months in jail in Cape May, N.J., for child abandonment. They had been having trouble with their unruly son, Christopher, 13, and while he was hospitalized, they had surreptitiously packed up and moved to Inglewood, Calif.
TODAY IN HISTORY ON AUG. 6, 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 140,000 people in the first use of a nuclear weapon in warfare. ■ In 1787, the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia began to debate the articles contained in a draft of the United States Constitution. ■ In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire went out of existence as Emperor Francis I abdicated. ■ In 1825, Bolivia declared its independence from Peru. ■ In 1890, convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first person to be executed in the electric chair as he was put to death at Auburn State Prison in New York. TEN YEARS AGO: In Wedowee, Ala., an apparent arson fire destroyed Randolph County High School, which had been the focus of tensions over the principal’s stand against interracial dating.
THOUGHT OF THE DAY “The soul of a civilization is its religion, and it dies with its faith.”
– WILL AND ARIEL DURANT AMERICAN HISTORIANS
MALIBU — Parents pushing for a separate school district here lobbied the district’s top administrator on Thursday to support their ambitious plan. Although not necessary to secede from the Santa MonicaMalibu district, support from Superintendent John Deasy is viewed as crucial to the success of the breakup, which would establish a new district for Malibu’s five schools and 2,400 students. “We think that with John’s leadership, the opportunity to
“It’s a winning issue, economically, for Santa Monica schools.” – TOM SORCE President, Malibu Unified School Team
make this occur has been created,” said Tom Sorce, president of the newly formed Malibu Unified School Team, LLC, which commissioned a study earlier this year that concluded the split was feasible. “When he first came on board he was absolutely essential in getting the money to complete
Shriver pulls papers, backs out of race BY JOHN WOOD Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL — Less than one day after he pulled nomination papers at City Hall, hedge activist and local resident Bobby Shriver on Thursday said he will not run for a seat on the City Council this November. The Kennedy family descendent and brother-in-law to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he’s too busy with family, philanthropic work and his new role as chairman of the California Parks Commission to assume a seat on the council this year. Shriver added he is seriously considering a bid in 2006.
“Some of the process issues are fascinating to me, actually, and I think some of the people there are doing an incredible job,” he said. “I just feel that right now in my life I couldn’t do it.” But don’t count Shriver out of the race altogether. His dedicated band of hedge activists has gathered some 900 signatures and plans to make their presence felt. At issue is a 56-year-old law governing hedge heights throughout Santa Monica. City Hall investigators recently passed out hundreds of tickets to violators that demanded they cut their hedges or be fined up to $25,000 a day.
Malibu High School, and without our own high school, we never would have been able to consider this,” Sorce added. “We consider this the natural maturation of Malibu cityhood.” Sorce and Susan Holley, another Malibu parent, unveiled their plans for the split at an invitationonly party for Malibu education
leaders on Aug. 1. Sorce said about 90 people attended the event, most of whom expressed support for the plan, which would take an estimated $20 million from the Santa Monica-Malibu school district’s $102 million budget. “We had a packed house, actually,” Sorce said. “It was great.” In order to push forward, organizers must gather signatures from 25 percent of Malibu residents, a task they’ve already begun. The petition for the new district will be sent to the County Committee on School District Reorganization, See SCHOOLS, page 4
A swell of fans
John Wood/Daily Press World surfing champion Kelly Slater signs a hat for an adoring fan during a book signing at the recently opened Quicksilver Boardriders Club on the Third Street Promenade.
See SHRIVER, page 5
INDEX Horoscopes Give up control, Scorpio
2
Local Kidding around at SM Place
3
Surf Report Water temperature: 68°
3
Opinion A conversation with Candy
6
Motown legend drops suit in Santa Monica court Barry Gordy settles ‘malicious prosecution’ lawsuit against singer/songwriter for undisclosed amount BY JOHN WOOD Daily Press Staff Writer
Entertainment Cold-blooded Cruise
10
State Sour grapes after picker’s death
8
National Rockin’ Lake Tahoe
12
Comics Crossword puzzle
16
Classifieds $3.50 a day
17-19
SM COURTHOUSE — Four decades later, Barry Gordy finally got his groove back. The Motown great agreed this week to settle the last in a series of lawsuits that began with a 1968 dispute over royalties for a hired trio of singers/songwriters. As part of the settlement,
Jacquie Banks
Gordy and Eddie Holland of the trio “HDH” couldn’t discuss the terms of the deal. “The only thing that the parties are allowed to say under the settlement agreement is that the litigation is resolved amicably between the parties, and they’re pleased that it’s done,” said Richard Towne, who represented Holland. “It’s the end to all of it.”
As founder of Motown Record Corp., Gordy helped introduce to the world a generation of young superstars, including the Commodores, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Rick James, Lionel Richie, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, the Supremes, the Temptations and Stevie Wonder, among others. Gordy, now in his late 70s and living on the Westside, in 1968 sued Holland — who with Lamont Dozier and Brian Holland made up the trio “HDH” — after the group allegedly defied a contract
with Motown and refused to write or perform, according to Gordy’s suit. Eddie Holland, who was rumored to be in discussions with Capitol Records at the time, responded with a string of lawsuits against Gordy and Motown that claimed the trio was defrauded and paid less than its fair share. Most of the issues raised in those suits have been tossed out of Michigan courts. But in the lengthy legal process, Gordy racked up enormous bills and took See SUIT, page 5
TAXES
ALL FORMS • ALL TYPES • ALL STATES
310.586.0342
AUDITS • BACK TAXES • BOOKKEEPING • SMALL BUSINESS
Your local Realtor since 1987
429 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste. 710 Santa Monica 90401
SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA
(310) 395-9922