TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2006
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Volume 5 Issue 273
Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues
DAILY LOTTERY 7 12 17 22 43 Meganumber: 16 Jackpot: $15M 10 14 39 42 46 Meganumber: 1 Jackpot: $23M
Asking price can be steep BY KEVIN HERRERA
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Daily Press Staff Writer
MIDDAY: 4 9 9 EVENING: 0 8 7
CITYWIDE — Santa Monicans have a burning question to ask their political candidates, and then some. In the weeks leading up to the
1st: 02 Lucky Star 2nd: 01 Gold Rush 3rd: 06 Whirl Win RACE TIME: 1.45.43
election, the list of queries keeps growing, so much so that City Council hopefuls are quietly complaining about the time they’ve spent recently responding to nearly a dozen questionnaires, leaving some to ask a question of their own —
“Can we consolidate?” “It’s become a huge burden,” said Mayor Bob Holbrook, who is running for reelection, of the dozen questionnaires he’s received in the last month. “(Answering them) has taken up half of my time. Most of us
Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the winning number information, mistakes can occur. In the event of any discrepancies, California State laws and California Lottery regulations will prevail. Complete game information and prize claiming instructions are available at California Lottery retailers. Visit the California State Lottery web site at http://www.calottery.com
CHUCK
SHEPARD
Sometimes, bank robbers are stuck for getaway vehicles and wind up on municipal buses or in taxis. And sometimes, dogs ("man’s best friend") jump on rifles lying on the ground, hit the trigger and “shoot” someone. Increasingly, when an elderly person dies at home, the relatives can’t bring themselves to notify anyone (and sometimes they just don’t want the Social Security checks to stop). And remember the first time you got outraged that school officials actually expelled a student for a minor violation of one of those “zero tolerance” rules? All those stories used to be weird, but you won’t read them here anymore.
BY KEVIN HERRERA Daily Press Staff Writer
elevator failures, garage access difficulties and a “general lack of cleanliness throughout the facility” provoked the move, according to a city staff report. The new lease, which will cost $380,000 per year, is expected to
LAX COURTHOUSE — A suspected gang member is expected to stand trial today for shooting at two undercover Santa Monica Police officers in February, wounding one in the wrist. Michael German Espindola, 21, a resident of Santa Monica, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a firearm, one count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle and one count of unlawful firearm activity. In addition, the complaint against Espindola alleges the attempted murder near the corner of 20th Street and Pico Boulevard was to further the activities of a criminal street gang and that Espindola personally discharged a handgun. He has been held on $2.4 million bail. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. A motion was filed by Espindola’s attorney to have the trial postponed, allowing for more time to prepare a defense. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Katherine Mader will consider the motion today at 8:30 a.m. in Department D of the Airport Courthouse, according to a court clerk. Deputy District Attorney Frank Tavelman believes the motion has a “75 percent chance” of being granted, even though the trial was post-
See SPENDING, page 7
See COP SHOOTING, page 8
TODAY IN HISTORY Today is the 269th day of 2006. There are 96 days left in the year. The first televised debate 1960 between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon took place in Chicago. The Federal Trade Commission was established.
1914
QUOTE OF THE DAY “That the end of life should be death may sound sad; yet what other end can anything have?”
GEORGE SANTAYANA
AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER (1863-1952)
Going against the grains
Fabian Lewkowicz/Daily Press A couple of passersby seem preoccupied and are unfazed by the crashing waters along the Venice jetty.
INDEX Horoscopes Touch base tonight, Virgo
2
Surf Report Water temperature: 66°
3
Opinion All kids aside
4
Officials have designs on new digs
Commentary Muslims need to walk the walk
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(Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been part of public discussion in the past.)
9
BY AMY KAUFMAN
5
Sports Net results
State Warming to the issue
SM Parenting
Special to the Daily Press
Driving ambitions
12
MOVIETIMES The reel thing
17
Comics Strips tease
18
Classifieds Ad space odyssey
19-22
See QUESTIONS, page 6
Local resident charged with shooting cop braces for trial
NEWS OF THE WEIRD BY
do not have a staff, and even if we did, a candidate should really answer all of the questions themselves. I’m telling you, it’s worse than taking a writing class at a major university.”
CITY HALL — Some Santa Monica officials will be moving into new digs, the city’s homeless will be dining inside and jailers will be keeping a better watch of prisoners if City Council approves its nearly $1.3
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million spending agenda tonight. The Civil Engineering and Architecture Division (CEAD) of the City’s Environmental and Public Works Management Department hopes to move from their current location on Main Street to one on Fourth Street. Unsatisfactory conditions at the present offices, including
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