TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2001
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Volume 1, Issue 31
Santa Monica Daily Press Serving Santa Monica for the past 37 days
City asleep at the wheel with car dealerships BY ANDREW H. FIXMER Special to the Daily Press
Car dealers may drive right out of town if the city doesn’t kick it into gear soon. Automobile dealerships in Santa Monica are in open rebellion and if the city cannot mend relations quickly, many are threatening to move out completely. They say the city has placed too many restrictions on them and as a result, it’s become too difficult to do business in Santa Monica.
Andrew H. Fixmer/Special to the Daily Press
Citizens gather at Douglas Park after walking from St. Anne’s Catholic Church on Monday evening to show solidarity and remember the teenagers who died over the few past years.
“I think we’ve screwed them to no end. They need some regulatory placed on them, but we have swung that pendulum so tight that we’re choking them off.”
Hundreds gather for peace BY ANDREW H. FIXMER Special to the Daily Press
With joined hands and signing peace hymns, more than 250 residents marched Monday night to show solidarity for youth non-violence. The peace rally and ensuing candle light procession from St. Anne’s Catholic Church on Colorado Avenue to Douglas Park on Wilshire Boulevard was designed to bring awareness to the multiple tragic teen deaths the city has experienced in recent years. Last month, Deanna Maran was stabbed to death at a party in West Los Angeles. At the beginning of the school year, a recent Olympic High School graduate was shot in Venice. And last year three Santa MonicaMalibu Unified high school students died tragically, one from suicide. “Will we not let our children die violent deaths,” said Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Superintendent John Deasy to residents at the peace rally. “This is a beginning to show our children that we believe in them and that we are listening.” Community leaders spoke to residents gathered at St. Anne’s at a peace rally before the candle light vigil began. “We want to honor the youth. The youth that have been slain or died tragically,” said Ft. Michael Gutierrez. “At the same time we want to send a message of peace.” City police officers blocked intersections as the procession crossed through Santa Monica streets. High School students came out in great numbers, joining
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hands and singing. “We definitely care about what’s happening and we want to talk about it,” said Justin Brownstone, president of the Santa Monica High School student body. “The entire school has been deeply affected by Deanna’s death.” Other students, concerned with Maran’s death, marched in hopes of preventing further losses. “I’m here because I hope this will bring people together,” said Maria, a high school student who did not want to give her last name. “By coming together like this, I hope we can send a strong message.” Initially, the idea for the vigil started at a small meeting of high school parents shortly after Maran’s murder. The group wrote letters to many community organizations citywide to help plan and participate in the vigil. “We’re here to show our support to the families and friends of the victims,” said Police Chief James T. Butts, Jr., who walked in the procession with about a halfdozen police officers. “We want to be supportive.” The march had been planned only for the past 10 days, formally it has existed only since last Friday. “There was an urgency to bring this together quickly,” said Kathy McTaggart, an event organizer. “We didn’t want to lose any momentum.” The police department says overall crime is down citywide. The recent teen deaths have all occurred outside of Santa Monica. And, according to police, violent crime — including gang activity — is down in the Pico neighborhood. See VIGIL, page 3
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— HERB KATZ City councilman
Tonight, Mayor Michael Feinstein will propose that the city look at creating an auto mall stretching between Lincoln and 11th Street, between Colorado and Olympic, a one-block-by-three-block area that currently consists See DEALERS, page 3
Comedian back to work since jail By the Associated Press
Self-deprecating humor seemed to suit comic Paula Poundstone, who is engineering a comeback after legal troubles landed her in jail and drug rehabilitation. The Santa Monica resident told the audience at the Rio Theatre in Santa Cruz, “It’s kind of strange to see this many seats not in a circle,” referring to her sixthmonth stay at the Promises rehab facility in Malibu. Poundstone was performing for the first time since she pleaded no contest to felony child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of inflicting injury upon a child. She recently completed court-ordered drug rehab and was placed on five years’ probation. “This is my first night performing since I’ve been a criminal,” the 41-year-old comic said during the twohour performance detailed Monday by the Los Angeles Times. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped three counts of lewd acts upon a child.
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