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WHAT’S UP WESTSIDE ..................PAGE 2 CULTURE WATCH ............................PAGE 4 TRAVEL & TOURISM ......................PAGE 6 CRIME WATCH ................................PAGE 12 MYSTERY PHOTO ..........................PAGE 13
THURSDAY
10.22.15 Volume 14 Issue 294
@smdailypress
Santa Monica Daily Press
smdp.com
Plaza downsized but moving forward
Partners in crime-fighting Police K-9 unit begins search for new dog following death of Pavo
Courtesy photo
PLAZA PLAN: The Plaza at Santa Monica is likely to be smaller than planned.
BY MATTHEW HALL Daily Press Editor
Courtesy photos
K-9 COUPLE: Pavo, shown with Officer George Mendez, died this month after 7 years with the SMPD.
Development in Santa Monica can be a stressful process but Tuesday night the discussion about the Plaza at Santa Monica literally aged planning director David Martin. The Oct. 13 discussion began on Martin’s birthday but lasted into the early hours of Wednesday morning following hours of public
comment and council debate that swung from absolute gridlock to near unanimous agreement for a reduced size proposal. By about 1:30 a.m. council moved forward with a project that will have to cut 15 percent of its size and lose 100,000 square-feet of office space, but could potentially retain all 148 feet of its proposed height. SEE PLAZA PAGE 11
BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
For the Santa Monica Police Department’s K-9 unit, a dog is much more than a man’s best friend. The animal is a crime-fighting companion that smells and senses what its handler often can’t, keeps suspects in check and assists on a wide variety of investigations. The dog also becomes a part of its handler’s family, living with its supervising officer when the two are not on duty. “You spend more time with the dog than you do with your family,” said Sgt. Roberto Villegas, the head of the unit. “At the end of the dog’s career, you understand and look back and think of the times you came home safely because of the dog.” That somber reflection will continue in the unit in the coming weeks and months follow-
Dread the downpour or welcome the water? Public agencies take precautions as conservationists see potential perks of El Nino rainstorms BY JEFFREY I. GOODMAN Daily Press Staff Writer
ing the loss of Pavo, a Belgian Malinois who died of medical complications earlier this month after 7 years of service in SMPD. The passing of Pavo means a shift in responsibilities for Officer George Mendez, who will take on different patrol duties after being partnered with Pavo for the duration of the dog’s SEE DOG PAGE 9
With 80-degree temperatures persisting in Santa Monica this fall, it might not seem like wet weather is around the corner. But it’s becoming clear to scientists and climate experts that El Niño is probably going to impact Southern California this winter. Public officials are urging residents to prepare for rainstorms that could further exacerbate landscape issues following a prolonged drought across the state, but water
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conservationists are also encouraging people to see the potential benefits of the expected weather system. “We’re so conditioned to not thinking of rainwater as a resource,” said Melanie Winter, director of The River Project, a nonprofit environmental conservation group. “It’s all about starting to become more aware of these things. Because this is a really great opportunity for us.” Ahead of anticipated El Niño storms, Los Angeles County has SEE EL NINO PAGE 8