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FEBRUARY 14-15, 2009
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Volume 8 Issue 87
Santa Monica Daily Press L.A. BOUND — AGAIN SEE PAGE 19
Since 2001: A news odyssey
THE TOO MUCH INFO ISSUE
Fugitive murder suspect returns BY MELODY HANATANI Daily Press Staff Writer
LAX A fugitive who was recently arrested in Jamaica in connection to the murder of a German tourist in Santa Monica more than a decade ago was expected to arrive here Friday evening before being turned over to
local authorities. Paul Carpenter, who is said to be in his 30s, was detained Wednesday by the Jamaican Constabulary Force in Kingston where he was working at a BMW dealership. He was the last remaining suspect in the 1998 shooting death of Horst Fietze, who was visiting the United States when
approached by Carpenter, his girlfriend and two individuals attempting to rob the tourist, who himself was hanging out with a group of friends at the time near the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. Fietze, 50, of Lobau, was shot when he had trouble understanding the robbers, who fled empty handed.
While three of the suspects have since been convicted, Carpenter had managed to elude authorities for more than 10 years, possibly traveling within the United States before leaving the country. Carpenter, who is believed to have SEE SUSPECT PAGE 13
Anti-smoking campaign gets thumbs up
City Hall, district face funding cuts
BY MELODY HANATANI
BY MELODY HANATANI
Daily Press Staff Writer
Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL The second time’s a charm for the no-smoking campaign. Less than four months after the City Council criticized a set of proposed marketing ideas around the new anti-smoking regulations as uninspiring, a revised version that aims to be more engaging received the thumbs up from officials to move forward. The most recent iteration revolves around the child-like concept of identifying the lone outsider in a group of items under a central theme, playing to the tagline, “Smoking doesn’t belong here.” The campaign will include strategically-placed posters and reminder cards where the images displayed will be site specific. For example, a table tent proposed for restaurants usage show images of a tied bunch of uncooked pasta, breadsticks, asparagus and cigarettes, playfully hinting that “One of these doesn’t belong here.” On the other side of the card is the main tagline. A similar sign that would be posted at the beach shows a palm tree, verticallyplaced surfboard and cigarette butt. “There is a moment of discovery that really cements that message,” said Roxana
CITY HALL As City Hall prepares to tackle an especially daunting budget cycle, parents with the local school district are hoping that officials don’t forget that there’s another organization facing its own set of challenges from the state. The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is looking at a budget for fiscal 2009-10 that is 16 percent less in revenue than the current year, translating to roughly $12 million in state funding cuts. City Hall provides more than $7 million to the SMMUSD through its joint-use agreement in which the district receives money in exchange for community access to its facilities. During a recent City Council discussion when staff presented a five-year financial forecast and best, worst and baseline case scenarios, a group of parents asked that officials consider education as its number one priority. “We are proud of our accomplishments in what has for years been fiscally difficult circumstances and ask you to continue work with the education community to do whatever you can to hold on to the first-rate staff, teachers, administrators and programs,” said Debbie Mulvaney, one of the founding
FRONT RUNNER
Brandon Wise brandonw@smdp.com Santa Monica High School senior Ezana Tesfu finishes first during a relay race Friday commemorating the new running track on campus. Nike, The LA84 Foundation and Take Action Hollywood helped fund the project. The track is made of recycled shoe scraps from Nike.
SEE SMOKING PAGE 14
SEE FUNDING PAGE 12
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