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TUESDAY
08.16.16 Volume 15 Issue 227
@smdailypress
WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 ALTCAR EXPO ..................................PAGE 3 WHAT’S THE POINT ........................PAGE 4 CRIME WATCH ..................................PAGE 8 MYSTERY PHOTO ............................PAGE 9
@smdailypress
Santa Monica Daily Press
smdp.com
Wilimovsky misses out on medal
Pier jumper found downtown
Olympic swimmer has another chance in open water BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
As Usain Bolt reminded the world Sunday, it’s not about who has the best start, but rather who has the fastest finish. Jordan Wilimovsky learned that lesson the hard way. The ultra-confident Jamaican sprinter didn’t lead the men’s 100meter dash final early on, but he blitzed past his competitors in the final portion of the race Sunday to capture first place in the event for the third consecutive Olympics. Wilimovsky, meanwhile, had a different experience in the pool. The 22-year-old Team Santa Monica swimmer was in medal contention late in the men’s 1,500meter final, but he sputtered after a brilliant beginning. Wilimovsky finished with a time of 14 minutes 45.03 seconds,
Matthew Hall editor@smdp.com
PIER: An unnamed suspect jumped from the end of the Pier over the weekend and swam to shore.
BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
An unidentified man jumped from the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday night, triggering a search and rescue response from local authorities. The man was ultimately found unharmed, but not before officers launched a significant search. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, harbor officers and several witnesses saw a man jump from the lower-level fishing deck on the north side of the pier. Harbor officers, who maintain an office, vehicle and boat on the pier, immediately entered the water to perform a rescue, but they were unable to locate the suspect. Witnesses reported seeing the man swimming but lost sight of him when he went underwater and did not resurface. The Santa Monica Police Department, Los Angeles County Lifeguards, County Fire Air Support, LAPD Air Support and the Coast Guard all assisted with the search but were
unable to find anyone in the water. Santa Monica police Lt. Saul Rodriguez said SMPD was notified later in the evening that the missing individual was in the area of 2nd Street and Arizona Avenue. Officers found the man who admitted to jumping from the pier, and he reportedly said he was unaware of the search efforts. Officers cited him for a violation of the municipal code that will be forwarded to the City Attorney’s office. Jumping from the pier is a misdemeanor, according to the city code. “No person shall dive or jump off of any portion of the Santa Monica Municipal Pier into the water below the Santa Monica Municipal Pier except under the following circumstances: (a) In an emergency for the purpose of saving or protecting life. (b) In conjunction with a City-authorized community event. (c) By employees of the City, for the purpose SEE JUMP PAGE 7
putting him in fourth place in Rio de Janeiro — one spot away from the podium. “I just figured I’d go for it, and if I die I die,” Wilimovsky, an accomplished member of the locally based swimming club, told the Chicago Tribune. “I saw [Italian competitor Gabriele Detti] coming the last 300 and I’m hurting bad. I went out really hard. But he had a great race. I had two [personal bests] in the preliminaries and finals so I was pretty happy with that.” Gregorio Paltrinieri seized gold for Italy with a time of 14:34.57, U.S. entrant Connor Jaeger clocked a 14:39.48 to take silver and Detti (14:40.86) touched the wall third. Wilimovsky came in a little more than four seconds later. It was an individual improveSEE OLYMPIC PAGE 3
Restaurant celebrates bittersweet anniversary Milestone comes amid uncertainty at Santa Monica Airport BY LEA YAMASHIRO Daily Press Intern
Significant, history-packed landmarks are hard to find in a modern, constantly growing city. However, there exist some locations that indeed hold significant historic meaning; often, they take can take customers back in time and help trace the city’s evolution. Spitfire Grill, located at the Santa Monica Airport, is a landmark within itself and has been a part of the city since 1991. The restaurant will be celebrating its 25-year anniversary this year, but the event has a bittersweet note due to the ongoing disputes over SMO’s future. The building where the restaurant is located has been at the airport since 1956. It was first a small eatery, called the Lindaire Coffee Shop, founded to serve pilots who complained that there was “no
place to dine.” It served breakfast and lunch to pilots and workers from nearby aviation businesses. The coffee shop then turned into a restaurant called Kitty Hawk that retained its name until 1991. John Clarizio already owned a restaurant on Third Street Promenade, but he wanted to make an addition. His friend who had a business at the airport at the time told him that the restaurant space was available, so he went for it. It took about six months to get the approval, and then in 1991, the space was his. After remodeling to make the restaurant look and feel like the inside of a 1940s Streamline Moderne airplane, he opened a restaurant called Spitfire Grill. Clarizio started the restaurant with the intent of creating a local, family-serving restaurant that also SEE SPITFIRE PAGE 7
Todd Mitchell
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