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MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2002
Volume 2, Issue 16
Santa Monica Daily Press A newspaper with issues
Changing of the guard in neighborhood group Board appointments come during controversy BY ANDREW H. FIXMER
Santa at the carousel
The new slate calls itself “OPMO: More housing for working families,” though members say they will not focus on housing alone.
Daily Press Staff Writer
In the midst of a controversy over its finances, a neighborhood organization has installed a slate of women on its board of directors after several members quit. Four of the open board seats in the Ocean Park Community Organization were filled in an impromptu weekend meeting after several board members resigned abruptly two weeks ago. OPCO’s board appears to have had something of a revolving door, as Audrea Golding Bitler, Ted Winterer and Elan Glasser quit recently. Earlier this year, Bob Loftus, Joe Pipersky, Bill Sunbladt and Nina Fresco resigned. All but Fresco resigned from OPCO’s board because the organization hasn’t made public its financial records for years 2000 and 2001, sources said. OPCO member Tom Fuller has filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court against the organization demanding the financial records. His request remains unanswered by OPCO. Members of the incoming coalition describe themselves as affordable housing activists and feminists: Beth Leder-Pack, Susan Love Loughmiller, Gaile Price and Rev. Sandie Richards.
“All of us are very different. But we all support affordable housing and each of us brings a unique gift to the table.” — REV. SANDIE RICHARDS New OPCO board member Franklin Smith/Special to the Daily Press
But Fuller said the new appointments confirm his belief that the organization is controlled by a select few who use their positions to advance special interests. OPCO is the oldest neighborhood organization in Santa Monica and has been regarded as one of the most influential. “Many people in the community share my belief that OPCO seeks to stack the board with (Santa Monicans for Renters Rights) people to further (Santa Monicans for Renters Rights) agenda,” Fuller said. “They do this by alienating, ignoring and wearing down those of us in community that have different views ... it’s the deny, delay and deceive tactic; and adeptSee GROUP, page 5
New York City faces historic levels of homeless people BY ERIN McCLAM Associated Press Writer
NEW YORK — In the nation’s largest city, a record number of people are homeless, sleeping each night in shelters and streets, on subway platforms and cathedral steps — and there are no easy solutions in sight. The slowing economy has led to jumps in homelessness across the nation, in places as disparate as Rhode Island and South Dakota. But in New York, struggling with the aftermath of terrorism, the effect has been particularly acute. On average, more than 37,000 people spend their nights in New York city shelters, the highest level on record. In 1998, city statistics show, the average was about 21,000. The number of homeless families
sleeping in shelters has more than doubled over the same period, from 4,429 at the beginning of 1998 to 8,925 last month. And there are uncounted numbers of people who sleep outside. “It’s getting steadily worse out there,” said James Inman, 54, as he finished Thanksgiving dinner at a Manhattan mission. “All the shelters are full. It’s tighter than it’s ever been.” The sluggish economy and rising rents have combined to produce higher homeless rates across the country, said Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. The group puts the number of homeless people nationwide at 1 million. In Los Angeles, police made about 200
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At the Santa Monica Pier’s carousel re-opening Sunday, children like Annabel Renshaw (above) visited with Santa Claus and made Christmas tree decorations. Kids and parents also rode the carousel for free.
Police zero in on bad behavior on Main Street Business district part of new policing program BY CAROLYN SACKARIASON Daily Press Staff Writer
When merchants on Main Street called for additional back-up from local police to combat a flare up in anti-social behavior from the city’s homeless population in recent weeks, they got it. Main Street merchants met with Santa Monica Police Department officials last month asking for police to patrol the area with more intensity. Business owners have recently experienced a surge in the number of transients along Main Street, which has created the associated problems like aggressive panhandling in parking lots, public drunkenness and human waste left on the sidewalks. As promised by the SMPD brass, officers have been spending more time patrolling the streets, parking lots and talking to merchants about what’s going on in one of the city’s busiest business districts. SMPD Chief James T. Butts Jr. said it’s part of a new pilot program called “Neighborhood Centered Policing.” Completely in its infant stages and not introduced to the city council yet, the program is going through a test on Main Street.
And according to merchants there, it’s working. “We had a meeting with all the merchants and the captain promised they would step up efforts,” said Gary Gordon, executive director of the Main Street Merchant’s Association. “Since that meeting, we’ve been very happy they’ve continued their presence here.” Many business owners say police officers have come into their stores just to talk about issues relating to Main Street. And because of more patrols, merchants have seen a decrease in transients loitering in the area. “People are less inclined to break the law when they think an officer will come around the corner,” Gordon said. “People were saying they were seeing more activity now there is less activity.” The majority of police calls in the city are related to transients. And because of a variety of reasons, when one area of the city experiences fewer transients — like the Third Street Promenade — another area usually sees a surge in homeless activity such as Main Street. SMPD responds to the community’s needs by determining where to focus its resources. “I know there was a problem with the See MAIN STREET, page 5