FR EE
W
E D DITIO N E K N EE
a
Santa Monica Daily Press
October 30-31, 2004 DAILY LOTTERY
A newspaper with issues
State upgrades marks for local schools
Buggin’ out
SUPER LOTTO 10 14 30 38 42 Meganumber: 42 Jackpot: $21 Million
FANTASY 5 18 22 31 33 35
Minorities, disadvantaged students lead surge
DAILY 3 Daytime: Evening:
006 149
DAILY DERBY 1st: 2nd: 3rd:
02 Lucky Charms 10 Solid Gold 12 Lucky Charms
RACE TIME:
1:42.01
By Daily Press staff
DISTRICT HDQTRS. — Local schools have dramatically improved their marks, according to state results released Friday. Superintendent John Deasy said the Academic Performance Index growth results released by the Department of Education increased in each of the local school district’s major subgroups, with marked improvements among Hispanics and among students impacted by poverty.
NEWS OF THE WEIRD BY CHUCK SHEPARD
University of Queensland (Australia) researchers told an entomology conference in August, after doing DNA “fingerprinting” of Nepalese and Inner Mongolian lice, that their team had disproved the apparently important general belief that body lice and head lice are separate species. And in September, Edward Cussler and Brian Gettelfinger, writing for a chemical engineering journal, showed that people swam no faster in water than in a substance twice as thick (after experiments in a pool to which “guar gum” had been added to the water to create something that, said Cussler, “looked like snot").
BY KATHLEEN BISHOP Special to the Daily Press
US COMEDIAN (1922 - 1991)
INDEX Horoscopes Opt for difference, Libra
2
Local LA fails beach report card Water Temperature: 66°
3
Opinion Feinstein gets punked
6
State Seal Beach needs a motto
12
National FBI investigates Halliburton
16
International 21
Comics/Crossword The Dinette Set
23
Classifieds Raising the bar
24
Service Directory Happy maids
27
People in the News The dame gets naked
Susan Tam/Special to the Daily Press CREEPY CRAWLY: Suphattra ‘Eid’ Kortrakul, 49, dishes up water bugs and fried crickets Friday as part of her annual Halloween menu at Typhoon restaurant, served at the Santa Monica Airport. Daring customers this weekend also will feast on pork blood, Conger Pike mouth and throat soup, and white sea worms. Kortakul, who is from Bangkok, Thailand, credits her father for teaching her how to prepare the dishes.
3
Surf Report
28
See SCHOOLS, page 5
But wading through the ballot jargon may be confusing
“Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.”
REDD FOXX
The results “clearly indicate that we are achieving our mission with respect to closing the achievement gap while achieving excellence for all students,” Deasy said in a prepared statement. “The results are dramatic.” According to the “No Child Left Behind” legislation, the State of California calculates API for schools, school districts and up to eight “statistically significant” demographic groups within the schools and school districts. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District population contains five statistically signifi-
Voters ‘Propped’ up for Nov. 2
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Osama’s statement
Volume 3, Issue 302
Time to fall back By Associated Press
Autumn is in the air, Halloween ghosts are preparing to stalk and that means its time to set the clocks back. The clocks change officially at 2 a.m. Sunday, but most will do it before going to bed Saturday night. That shifts an hour of light from evening to morning just in time for the tiny ghosts and goblins who go trick-or-treating Sunday night. Daylight-saving time returns the first Sunday in April.
GABY SCHKUD
See DEBATE, page 4
LEARNING MUSIC EXCERCISES THE MIND! PLAYING MUSIC RELIEVES STRESS WE TEACH YOU HOW TO PLAY!
The name you can depend on! Serving sellers and buyers on the Westside.
(310) 453-1928
2444 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 102 Santa Monica, CA 90403
(310) 586-0308
While voters sift through the jargon and decide what to trust on this year’s lengthy ballot, the debate continues as to whether the initiative process is democracy at its finest — or most flawed. California has 16 ballot measures this election, more than any other state. An estimated $200 million dollars has been spent on campaigning for and against the initiatives this year, with the two Indian gaming measures alone accounting for nearly half of that. Conflicting information and warring sides can leave voters at a loss as to what to believe. Bob Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies, a non-profit, non-partisan organization that promotes community involvement in politics, said many resources are available to help voters clarify ballot language and propaganda. Serious voters can
1901 Santa Monica Blvd. in Santa Monica www.santamonicamusic.com
Giving all the Props their due By Daily Press staff
Voters this November will face a relatively complicated ballot that includes a laundry list of propositions with ramifications in California and throughout the country. Here is a brief breakdown of each proposition: Proposition 59: This measure will provide the right of public access to meetings of government bodies and writings of government officials, and future statutes and rules that limit access must be justified. The measure would preserve constitutional rights of privacy, due process and equal protection. Those for the proposition say all three branches of govSee PROPS, page 4
IZZY’S WILL MAKE YOUR THANKSGIVING SPECIAL! Let us prepare your holiday dinner — from Turkey to Pumpkin Pie
Open 24 Hours
1433 Wilshire Blvd at 15th St
310-394-1131