RISE AND FALL OF SANTA MONICA COLLEGE: PART III
Tweet Building her “opera house” was only part of Piedad Robertson’s agenda. Although she found ways to work around the constraints of the Merit System and slowly edged the College into a de facto patronage institution, there’s no point in dividing and conquering without the conquering. She got her chance in 2003, when the State was on the ropes, having dug itself into a huge hole with the implosion of the dot-com tax revenues and the nefarious manipulation of the energy... Read More
McKEOWN ELABORATES
Tweet McKeown Elaborates The perpetuation of “the Mayors’ Club” is not a comfortable situation for me. I now hold the all-time record in City history for longest continuous time served on the City Council without ever having been Mayor – despite being top vote-getter twice, the last time by the highest percentage of votes in at least the last twenty years. Calling for a separately-elected Mayor might have seemed like an expedient way out. Santa Monica’s... Read More
COUNCIL VOTES FOR STATUS…AS USUAL
Tweet Having recently voted down two measures that were designed to make the democratic process more “transparent,” the City Council majority voted to ratify the status quo as its weekend “retreat,” as if to confirm that its primary interest is maintaining its own power. Proposed by Council member Kevin McKeown, and supported by Council member Bobby Shriver, the two measures would have required members to reveal that they had received campaign contributions from individuals... Read More
CHAUVINISM AS CITY POLICY
Tweet Last year, many residents shuddered at the very idea of Bundy Village, an 11.5-acre development that would combine medical offices with stores and housing on Olympic Boulevard between Bundy Drive and Centinela Avenue, just beyond Santa Monica’s eastern border. The million square-foot project would add another 21,000 car trips daily to streets in Santa Monica and West L.A. that were already choking on traffic generated by the media and entertainment companies that began... Read More
COMPLETE OIR REPORT
Tweet To read the full 22-page OIR REPORT (see story below), go to www.smgov.net, enter OIR REPORT in SEARCH block, upper right hand corner of screen, click on GO. When title page appears, click on DRAWER icon, upper left corner of title page. SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "COMPLETE OIR REPORT", url: "http://www.santamonicadispatch.com/2011/02/complete-oir-report/" }); Read More
SMPD REPORT FLAWED, BUT “APPROPRIATE”
Tweet According to a press release from the City Manager’s office, “The LA County Office of Independent Review (OIR) has concluded its assessment of a Santa Monica Police Department’s (SMPD) investigation into Oscar de la Torre’s conduct at an off-campus fight that occurred last March between two Santa Monica High School students. Santa Monica City Manager Rod Gould requested the independent review in October 2010. “ As noted in the report, the City requested ‘an independent... Read More
REAL ESTATE FOR FUN AND PROFIT
Tweet Broadreach Capital Partners has sold Tribeca West, a 151,029 square-foot media office campus in West Los Angeles to Santa Monica-based Ocean West Capital Partners for $58 million, according to Managing Director David Simon. Acquiring the property that’s located on 2.65 acres at 12233 Olympic Boulevard near Bundy Drive in 2005, the Palo Alto-based private equity firm made “a significant investment to reposition the complex to meet the post-production and creative needs... Read More
FILMS 4 CHANGE: LOCKED OUT
Tweet LOCKED OUT 2010 92 MIN. A modern day David and Goliath struggle against corporate greed. Producer Director Joan Sekler will be present at both showings. This is a compelling story of 560 unionized borax miners in the desert town of Boron, California who faced off against Rio Tinto, a British-Australian multi-billion dollar global corporation, the third largest mining company in the world. Boron, population 2000+, is home to many miners and their families, and is a close... Read More
Whither… Whatever
Tweet By Ava Tramer Beaches Clear and sunny Highs: 62-71; Lows: 44-46 Inland Mostly sunny and warm Highs: 66-75; Lows: 38-41 Deserts Warm and clear Highs: 67-77; Lows: 40-48 And Santa Monica… INT. AUDITORIUM – AFTERNOON A large group of excited PARENTS sit in the darkened auditorium, clamoring to make sure their VIDEOCAMERAS are working. All of a sudden, the curtains open, revealing a clump of frightened TODDLERS in outrageous COSTUMES. MRS. QUILSON: Peter, there... Read More
SAVE VIDIOTS!
Tweet SAVE VIDIOTS! Keep your independent Film Resource Alive Dear Friends of Vidiots, We are writing this letter with a request for support. Technologies change, but we believe the human touch and even the social experience of picking just the right film for “Movie Night” should remain. However, with the current economy, Vidiots faces a very difficult financial situation. “A video delight. And like a good old book store, a secret treasure to find and linger over” –... Read More
