INSTANT CASH
WE PAY CASH FOR ANY GOLD JEWELRY 1914 Lincoln Blvd. (Corner of Lincoln & Pico) 310.399.2200 CASH N RUN • Santa Monica
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
Visit us online at smdp.com
Volume 8 Issue 269
Santa Monica Daily Press TRACKING REPEAT OFFENDERS SEE PAGE 3
We have you covered
THE GETTING IT DONE ISSUE
Road to creating a Shangri-landmark
All-time high score for school district
BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
21 points. Barry Yates, the principal at Juan Cabrillo, said that the school has hired a former teacher to work as a reading specialist in grades three to five to help support students’ literacy development. The school will also introduce a before-school tutorial program.
DOWNTOWN It represented hope and recovery following one of the worst economic catastrophes in U.S. history, an optimistic signal of wealth in the years to come, packaged in a modernistic building boasting ocean views. More than 69 years after the Hotel Shangri-La opened its doors on the corner of Ocean and Arizona avenues, the one-time home of World War II soldiers is on track to become the next historic landmark in Santa Monica. The Landmarks Commission on Monday directed its staff to file an application nominating the hotel for landmark status. A public hearing is expected to be held for either the commission’s Oct. 12 or Nov. 9 meetings. The seven-story building reopened in December of 2008 after undergoing extensive renovations, expanding the number of guestrooms from 54 to 71. All that remains from the original 1939 structure — aside from the walls and windows — is the original glass brick entryway. The goal was to restore the hotel back to its original form, including installing a replica of the original terrazzo floors and bringing back the old elevator floor indicators in which an arrow — not a digital screen — would inform passengers of the location of the car. Construction was officially completed in June. “We feel that the Hotel Shangri-La is iconic and has served the community well over many decades,” Tehmina Adaya, the owner and CEO of the hotel, said. “We are very excited to start the process of landmarking.” The Adaya family has owned the hotel since 1983. Tulsa-Santa Monica Corp./F.A. Gillespie & Sons developed what was then known as the Shangri-La Apartment Hotel in 1939 at the cost of $400,000 with hopes of “bringing to Santa Monica people of wealth and distinction from every part of the globe,” according to an article in the Evening Outlook in 1940. It was designed by Beverly Hills basedarchitect William E. Foster in the streamline-
SEE SCORES PAGE 11
SEE LANDMARK PAGE 10
BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
SMMUSD HDQTRS Test scores just keep going up. The California Department of Education on Tuesday released results of the 2009 Academic Performance Index (API), which rates achievement based on two state assessments, showing that the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District improved its scores by 5 points. The API is based on results of the California High School Exit Examination and the Standardized Testing and Reporting Program, rating schools on a scale of 200 to 1,000 with the target set at 800, which all in the SMMUSD with the exception of Olympic High School — 772 — reached. The improvement brings the district to its all time high of 835. “Our district mission is to increase achievement for all students while simultaneously closing the achievement gap,” Superintendent Tim Cuneo said. Students in minority subgroups also saw their scores improve, the biggest gains belong to African-Americans whose points increased by 28. Latino and economically disadvantaged students improved their API by six points each. The scores for the three subgroups however remain below 800. Students with disabilities also improved their API by 16 points, reaching a score of 622. “The 2009 API report speaks to the professionalism and commitment of our classroom teachers, school administrators, support staff and district staff,” Cuneo said. “Based on these results, we will be moving forward with a strategic plan to focus on specific programs and projects that will yield continued gains for all students, and effectively close the pernicious achievement gaps that remain.”
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com
BIG GAINERS: Students participate in Milus Blagojevic's math class at Santa Monica High School on Tuesday afternoon. Students across the district showed gains on standardized tests.
Most schools also saw improvement this year, including McKinley Elementary and Point Dume Marine Science School in Malibu, which saw gains of 34 and 35 points, respectively, bringing the latter’s score to 944 — the highest in the district. The biggest drop occurred at Juan Cabrillo Elementary, which saw its scores go down by 37 points to 824. The school had improved its score just a year prior by
Gary Limjap
summer stackables
(310) 586-0339
TAXES • BOOKKEEPING • CORPORATIONS
In today’s real estate climate ...
Experience counts! garylimjap@earthlink.net
SMALL BUSINESS STARTUP? SAMUEL B. MOSES, CPA
331 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica 2 Hours Free Parking (Behind Store) Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm • 310.451.1349 • www.readersjewelers.com
(310) 395-9922
100 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800Santa Monica 90401