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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2013
Volume 12 Issue 287
Santa Monica Daily Press
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THE WATCH YOUR LIGHT POLES ISSUE
Council extends free parking for some EVs BY DAVID MARK SIMPSON Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL Neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs) with state-issued decals will once again be allowed to park for free at city meters, according to an ordinance passed by City Council on Tuesday. The NEV decals and the original yellow clean air vehicle decals, which were placed on early energy efficient cars, were discontinued by the state in July of 2011 and City Hall started requiring owners to pay for metered parking. The Tuesday ordinance upheld the status quo for the original yellow decals. Neighborhood electric vehicles are prohibited on freeways and often look like highend golf carts. NEVs purchased after the July 2011 expiration did not receive decals from the state and therefore cannot park for free in Santa Monica. “Staff does not have the capacity to manage our own decal program,” Don Patterson, SEE PARKING PAGE 10
Copper thieves cost taxpayers $25K BY KEVIN HERRERA Editor-in-Chief
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY During times of uncertainty, investors will often look to commodities like gold and silver. Apparently, so do crooks. There have been at least 12 thefts in recent weeks involving copper wiring being pulled from street-light poles across the city, with the most recent occurring north of Wilshire Boulevard, said Sgt. Jay Moroso,
Daniel Archuleta daniela@smdp.com
GETTING READY: Jose Perez hangs a work by artist Yossi Govrin at the Santa Monica Art Studios on Wednesday.
Hangar full of art Studio celebrates anniversary with open house BY DAVID MARK SIMPSON Daily Press Staff Writer
SMO Santa Monica Art Studios is celebrating its ninth anniversary with an open house this weekend, but Director Yossi Govrin said the earliest seeds of the project go back more than a dozen years. “There was basically nothing,” he said. “There was just a beautiful hangar. We built it all but it was really exciting to do as an artist.” The first artists walked into a 22,000-square-foot empty hangar next to Santa Monica Airport. “We said ‘where do you want your space?’” Govrin said. “And they said,
‘somewhere around here.’ There were no walls, you know? And we said OK. We put the walls around them.” Today, white sheet rock walls separate studios for 36 artists showcasing pieces ranging from a giant, pointalistic pastel-colored horse painting to dozens of faceless, plaster humanoid statues. Govrin said they competed with MTV and Santa Monica College for the space, but the City Council signed the building over to him. His past creations include a hand sculpture commissioned by Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh and a set piece built for “Iron Man 3.” He’s as interested in creating art as
he is in creating a stimulating work environment. “A lot of artists work in solitude,” he said. “They don’t mingle around. I studied sociology and international relations so community is very interesting for me. Why should artists work by themselves? Even if your work is amazingly diverse and different, you still get some kind of influence, consciously or unconsciously, you get something.” As Govrin spoke about the community, a loud plane engine cut him off. “They are fine,” he said gesturing up after the plane passed. “They are great. SEE ART PAGE 9
SEE COPPER PAGE 8
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