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MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 2010
Volume 9 Issue 232
Santa Monica Daily Press COTTON’S IMPACT SEE PAGE 6
COMMUNITYPROFILES
JOAN LING
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THE SLOW SAVE ISSUE
SMC looks to reverse Emeritus cuts BY REBECCA KHEEL Special to the Daily Press
SMC Reacting to complaints about the loss of exercise classes at Emeritus College, college officials are exploring options to reinstate the classes, possibly charging students a fee. Two sections of yoga, one section of tai chi and one section of aerobics were cut from the senior citizen program’s fall schedule in response to state budget cuts. Following the end of Emeritus’ summer session on July 24, some of the students have been fighting to reverse the decision to cut the classes, including attending the most recent Santa Monica College Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday
night. SMC runs Emeritus. The majority of those upset over the cuts are members of Marsha Cooper’s 60-student yoga class. All 16 speakers who spoke at the top of Tuesday’s board meeting were from Cooper’s class. The students spoke of how Cooper’s class had positively impacted their health, as well as offered options for how to avoid cuts. “They said they were willing to do anything to have the class,” Cooper said. “If the board is not moved by that, I give up.” Though the focus was placed on Cooper’s class, she said the voice of her students will benefit all of Emeritus. The cuts, which mirrored the 3 percent
cut in offerings across all of SMC, were made in response to the California Community College chancellor ending funding to non-credit physical education classes, said Jeff Shimizu, SMC’s vice president of academic affairs. Though the current plan is to phase out all Emeritus exercise classes by spring 2011, Shimizu said SMC is hoping to avoid that either by finding outside sources of funding or by rewriting the curriculum and renaming the classes so that they qualify for the chancellor’s funding. “We’re reviewing the curriculums to see SEE EMERITUS PAGE 7
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com LING
Affordable housing leader steps down BY NICK TABOREK Daily Press Staff Writer
SECOND STREET Since becoming the executive director of Community Corp. of Santa Monica in 1991, Joan Ling has overseen the addition of 1,200 units to the city’s stock of affordable dwellings, quadrupling the number of apartments the organization manages. It’s a feat that’s won her immodest praise from Santa Monica’s numerous affordable housing advocates. But as she prepares to retire from Community Corp. this spring, she’s got nothing but humble words to describe her decision. “I feel that we right now have an incredibly talented group of people working at Community Corp,” she said. “It’s time to step down and make room for people who are going to do a better job than I can.” Though she plans to stay involved with affordable housing issues by teaching college courses and consulting on housing projects, she said she plans to use much of her new-found flexibility to fulfill a longdeferred dream. Having spent the past 20 years working to make sure as many people as possible in
SRI LANKA ON PARADE
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com Shoppers watch as a procession of Sri Lankan dancers in costume walk down the Third Street Promenade during the fourth annual Sri Lankan Festival's cultural pageant on Saturday afternoon. The festival allows locals to enjoy Sri Lankan's rich cultural history of food, music and dance.
SEE CP PAGE 7
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