Santa Monica, a Lifelong Learning Community


Lifelong Learning Community News - MARCH 2009

Gleam Davis appointed to City Council
At their February 24 meeting, a majority of City Council members voted to appoint Gleam Davis to fill the Council seat left empty with the passing of Herb Katz. Gleam is well known to the education and lifelong learning community. She first became involved in Santa Monica civic affairs when the Marine Park Preschool was facing closure.

Gleam has been extremely active in efforts to improve early childhood education and the school district, becoming the first PTA President for Child Development Services (preschools and afterschool care.) She has also served as Chair of the Santa Monica Child Care and Early Education Task Force, been a member of the PTA Council, served on multiple school-related campaign committees, and been a longtime member of the steering committee for Community For Excellent Public Schools (CEPS.) Until Tuesday night, when she assumed a seat on the Council dais, she co-chaired the School District Facilities Committee (which is overseeing plans for Measure BB - see March 9 meeting), was a member of the Planning Commission and Co-chair of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR.)

For more information on the Council process for appointing Gleam, please read The Lookout at http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2009/February-2009/02_25_09_Davis_Picked_to_Fill_Katz's_Seat.html
and /or The Santa Monica Daily Press at http://www.smdp.com/Articles-c-2009-02-25-49737.113116_SMRR_cochair_gets_council_seat.html
Congratulations, Gleam!
Samohi Science Bowl Team wins Regional Competition at JPL
Congratulations also to the Santa Monica High School Science Bowl Team for winning the JPL Los Angeles, County Regional competition. The team, composed of seniors Marino di Franco and Aaron Friedman, Junior Antonia Rubell and Sophomore Christina Tsai, won all 10 of their matches by an average score of 184-68. They have now earned the right to represent Los
Angeles County at the national competition in Washington DC which last year’s team won. Go Samohi!
Citywide Reads Begins This Month
Santa Monica Citywide Reads, a community reading program that invites everyone in Santa Monica to read and discuss the same novel in book discussions and special events held throughout the city, takes place March 7 to April 4, 2009. This year, Citywide Reads celebrates its seventh anniversary with a featured book by a local author, Marianne Wiggins' The Shadow Catcher. There are MANY events planned for Citywide Reads. For up to date and in-depth information about the book, author, special events, the opportunity to respond to the book and programs, and to start a dialogue with others, please check out the Citywide Reads blog at www.santamonicacitywidereads.blogspot.com

A few of the many special Citywide Reads events are included in the calendar below:
Monday, March 2, 7-9pm
Forum on Homelessness --- Don't Waste Resources: Recycle Lives

Church in Ocean Park
235 Hill Street
Free

City officials working with the homeless, non-profit staff workers and volunteers, activists, and the homeless themselves will discuss with the audience the problems of facing the homeless and those trying to come to their aid. For more information, please call 310-453-7563 or email logicconex@roadrunner.com
Wednesday, March 4, 6:00pm
Workshop: What do State Budget Cuts Mean for SMMUSD

SMMUSD District Board Room
1651 16th Street
Free
During this special budget workshop, school district staff will present to the Board of Education and the Financial Oversight Committee information regarding the impact of the state budget and federal stimulus package on SMMUSD’s budget, including the current budget forecast, staffing at the school sites and district office, and areas for potential reductions.

This is an important opportunity for the community to hear what the new State budget will mean for us in Santa Monica-Malibu, and the direction in which our schools are heading during these challenging times. Everyone is invited, and encouraged, to attend.

The agenda for this meeting is posted on the district's at
http://www.smmusd.org/board/meetings.html
Sunday, March 8, 1-5:30pm
Unity Resource Festival
Virginia Avenue Park
Corner of Pico & Cloverfield
Free with Free Parking and Shuttle from SMC

Come together with fellow community members to enjoy music, dance and art at the third annual Unity Resource Festival. This year’s theme is "Promoting a Strong and Sustainable Community" and I will be one of the guest speakers. The Unity Resource Festival includes information booths from City, non-profit, faith groups, schools and businesses that serve the community. Entertainment by local artists, poets and dancers will be featured all day along with games/contests for youth. The Santa Monica Human Relations Council will host workshops on topics of success for youth and food vendors will serve delicious food and beverages including chicken, tacos, vegetarian food and more.

Co-sponsored by the City of Santa Monica, Santa Monica College, and the Santa Monica Human Relations Council.
Monday, March 9, 5:30-7:00pm
Community Meeting - Samohi: Today & Tomorrow!

Santa Monica High School, Historic Barnum Hall
Parking available in the North Lot off Olympic Boulevard past 4th Street

On March 9, Santa Monica High School begins a fresh chapter. Details and funding for a spectacular new campus master plan will be unveiled in Barnum Hall. It will be a far-reaching presentation that showcases Santa Monica High School today after nearly 100 years, but more importantly, tomorrow and what the school will become for its students, School District and City.

The Samohi master plan creates an extraordinary 80 acre new heart for Santa Monica. It unites City and School, town and gown. It creates a sweeping campus of education, civics, sports, leisure, heritage, recreation and the arts in Santa Monica and is being developed with the cooperation and collaboration of the City of Santa Monica and the Civic Center Plan.

Come, celebrate who we are, and join our first look into the next 100 years of Samohi and Santa Monica. Samohi. Today & Tomorrow!
(I believe that the City Council will be having a study session re the Civic Center on March 24 but have not yet been able to confirm that. Save the date and check the City Council agendas!)
Tuesday, March 10, 11:15am
SMC Literary Series: "Journey of Hundred Mountains"

Santa Monica College Main Campus
Humanities & Social Science Lecture Hall 165
1900 Pico Boulevard
Free

Santa Monica College kicks off this year’s spring Literary Series with "A Journey of a Hundred Mountains" by Reyna Grande, who arrived in the United States as an undocumented immigrant and was later the first person in her family to receive a college degree. Grande’s talk is titled after her award-winning novel. The series is free and seating is on a first-arrival basis.

Spring Semester at SMC also includes our Global Connections, Entertainment, Distinguished Scientists, and Distinguished Educators Lecture Series as well as Dance, Theater, Music, Art, Photography, Planetarium, and other special exhibitions, performances, and events. For a listing of March events sponsored by SMC, please go to http://www.smc.edu/apps/agenda.asp?Q=0&C=agenda
Thursday, March 12, 3:30-6:30pm
Iranian Heritage Project

The Edye Second Space
SMC Performing Arts Center
NW Corner of Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street
Free with free parking. RSVP by March 5.

Santa Monica College is pleased to present the "Iranian Heritage Project" - a celebration of Iran's rich culture featuring a lecture, discussion, poetry, and music. Iranian food and refreshments will also be served.

On the bill will be music by acclaimed classical Persian singer Mamak Khadem and a lecture-discussion, "The Iranian American Identity: Iranianness in the Context of Americanization," by professor Parvin Abyaneh from Cal Poly Pomona's Ethnic and Women's Studies Department.

The event is sponsored by the SMC Fund for Global Citizenship and a generous donation from Anousheh and Ali Razi.

RSVPs are requested to be made by March 5 to Tina Feiger at feger_tina@smc.edu. For more information, call SMC math professor Mitra Moassessi at (310) 434-4057.
Tuesday, March 17, 7-10 p.m.
McKinley's 9th Annual Comedy Night

Shutters On the Beach Hotel
1 Pico Boulevard
$30

Come enjoy Paula Poundstone and Bobby Collins in a St. Patrick's evening of comedy to benefit the visual and performing arts program at McKinley Elementary! For more information and to reserve tickets, please call 310-828-5011. Sponsored by the McKinley PTA
Wednesday, March 18, 6-10pm
Red Cross Disaster Preparedness Class: Client Casework

Santa Monica Red Cross
1450 11th Street
Free

The American Red Cross of Santa Monica is presenting a series of free classes on disaster preparedness available for the general public this Spring. The classes are designed to help untrained individuals and families prepare for a disaster such as an earthquake, survive it and properly cope in the aftermath. The March 18 class, Client Casework, trains participants to assist
victims of disasters with needs beyond basic food and shelter. Enrollment is limited. Advanced reservations are strongly suggested. Free parking is available.

For more information, please contact Janet Cheng at 310-394-3773. You can also enroll online for this and other Red Cross classes at www.redcrosssofsantamonica.org
Friday, March 20, 7:30pm
A Night of Love Songs: Catherine Moyes & Yulia Kozlova

SMC Performing Arts Center
The Edye Second Space
NW Corner of Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street
Free

Santa Monica College presents soprano Catherine Moyes in her Los Angeles Solo debut, accompanied on piano by Dr. Yulia Kozlova, with music by Mozart, Schubert, menotti, and others dealing with matters of the heart. The Edye is a very intimate performance space and provides an amazing opportunity to experience a performer up close and personal. For more information and/or to make reservations, please call (310) 434-4323.
Friday, March 20, 7-9pm
Forum on Healthcare Proposals

Church in Ocean Park
235 Hill Street
Free


Discuss the current health care plans, including single-payer, coming before the California and the United States legislative bodies, examining their strengths and weaknesses and ways to advocate for the plan of your choice with a panel of experts who have worked on this legislation and physicians from Canada and the U.S. who advocate change. For more information, please call 310-453-7563 or email logicconex@roadrunner.com
Saturday, March 21, 8:30am-4:30pm
Santa Monica Fire Department Disaster Response Training

Location: to be announced upon enrollment
Free. Enroll now by calling (310) 458-8761

The Fire Department offers Disaster Assistance Response Training to residents and anyone who works in Santa Monica. The one-day course is designed to provide citizens with the skills to help better prepare themselves in the event of a disaster.

In an emergency, can you:

Shut off your gas and water?
Splint a fracture?
Rescue trapped people?
Control bleeding?
Put out a fire with an extinguisher?

Learn how to perform all of these vital emergency actions and many others.

Classes fill up quickly so you are urged to enroll as early as possible. For more information, please contact Suzanne Post, Fire Safety Coordinator, at 310-458-8761
Saturday, March 21, 8am-3pm
Latina/o Youth Conference
John Adams Middle School Auditorium
Corner 17th & Pearl
Free

The Santa Monica College Latino Center is currently accepting registrations for our 20th Annual Latina/o Youth Conference. The keynote speaker will be Mr. Alfred R. Herrera, Assistant Vice-Provost for Academic Partnerships and the Director of the UCLA Center for Community College Partnerships - Division of Undergraduate Education at UCLA.

The Latina/o Youth Conference was developed to help young Latinas and Latinos make sound and sensible decisions that promote a positive and brighter future for overall well-being. The conference is open to Latino and Latina high school students. The day includes workshops, Career & College Expo, peer panel discussions, speakers, food and entertainment.

Registration, breakfast, and the keynote speech will take place at John Adams Middle School in the Auditorium. The remainder of the day's activities will be on the SMC main campus.

At the expo, attendees will have the opportunity to speak to representatives from several colleges and universities - including UCLA, University of California at Santa Cruz, SMC and more - as well as to Latinos and Latinas in a wide variety of professions. The conference attracts as many as 600 attendees each year.

For pre-registration and information, call (310) 434-8520 or go to www.smc.edu/latinayouthconference
Saturday, March 21, 2:00 p.m.
Citywide Reads: An Afternoon with Marianne Wiggins
Santa Monica Main Public Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium
Free

Award-winning author of The Shadow Catcher, Marianne Wiggins, presents a reading and discussion followed by a book signing. In The Shadow Catcher, Marianne Wiggins combines fact with fiction, past with present, and words with images in the unconventional telling of two compelling stories, set nearly a century apart, yet seamlessly intertwined. In one narrative, a character named Marianne Wiggins, author of a novel about the famous photographer Edward S. Curtis, is called to the deathbed of her father, a man she knows died when she was a child. The other narrative follows a woman named Clara as she journeys across America and into the life of Edward S. Curtis.
Sunday, March 22, 2:00pm
Citywide Reads: Los Angeles as Literature

Santa Monica Main Public Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium
Free

David Ulin, from the Los Angeles Times, moderates this panel discussion on Los Angeles' incarnations in literature, in both a contemporary and historical context. Learn about Citywide Reads author Marianne Wiggins' place in the canon of fiction about Los Angeles. Panelists include young adult writer and author of Beige Cecil Castellucci, author of the Ivan Monk mystery series Gary Phillips, and Nina Revoyr, novelist and author of The Age of Dreaming.
Tuesday, March 24, 7:00pm
Citywide Reads Movie Screening: In the Land of the War Canoes

Santa Monica Main Public Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium
Free

In the Land of the War Canoes Movie Screening - In 1914, Edward S. Curtis released a longer version of this documentary feature film on the Kwakiutl Indians of Vancouver Island under the name, "In the Land of the Headhunters." This incomplete portion was rediscovered and rescued in 1973. It is now regarded as the oldest existing American documentary feature film and was selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Silent film, with soundtrack of original Kwakiutl music recorded in 1972.
Wednesday, March 25, 7:00 pm
City TV Call-In Show –

Tune in to Channel 16 for a live, moderated discussion of The Shadow Catcher.
Thursday, March 26, 7:30pm
Friday, March 27, 7:30pm
60th Annual Stairway of the Stars

Santa Monica Civic Center Auditorium
1855 Main Street
Tickets $12. Order early, tickets sell out!

Celebrate the extraordinary talents of our students and the remarkable excellence of the Santa Monica Malibu School District Music Program at the 60th Stairway of the Stars concert. Ticket sales open to the public on a first come first served basis beginning Tuesday, March 24 at 2802 4th Street from 7:30-9:30am and 3-7pm. Additional tickets will be on sale at the Civic Center Box Office the night of the performances. The Box Office opens at 6pm.

For more information, please go to http://www.smmusd.org/vapa/stairway/PDF/TicketOrderForm.pdf
Saturday, March 28, 3:00pm
Citywide Reads: Introducing Edward S. Curtis

Santa Monica Main Public Library, MLK Jr. Auditorium
Free

Edward S. Curtis expert and scholar Bruce Kapson (www.brucekapson.com) presents a historical overview on the life of Curtis and the significance of his work in the history of photography. Vintage examples of Curtis' work will be available for viewing after the presentation.
Saturday, March 28, 1:00-5:00pm
Santa Monica Airport Art Walk - Where Imagination Takes Flight

Airport Avenue between Bundy Drive & 23rd Street
Free

Visit studios, meet the artists and see their amazing work up close during the third annual Santa Monica Airport Art Walk!

At the Santa Monica art studios complex on Airport Avenue, you’ll find an incredible assortment of private artist studios where over thirty more individual artists create their wares. See fascinating exhibitions at the Sherry Frumkin and Arena One galleries, and, at the Santa Monica College Ceramic Studios and Art Mentor Program, meet young artists honing their skills and preparing to join the art industry. A dazzling assortment of art glass, ceramics and other work made by these talented young people will be for sale.

Finally, the Ruskin Group Theatre will be presenting selections from Café Plays all day long and you can see snippets of top quality theatre that will make you want to return to this small theatre again and again. The City’s Cultural Affairs Division and the Santa Monica Airport, as well as all the venues participating, invite you to discover this hidden cultural resource and its unique creative atmosphere. The Art Walk provides a unique opportunity to explore the Santa Monica Airport, where both airplanes and imaginations take flight.

For more information, visit the Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division or call 310-458-8350. Volunteer greeter positions available. If you’re interested in helping out, please call Hamp Simmons at 310-458-8350 or email hamp.simmons@smgov.net.
Sunday, March 29, 4pm
SMC Symphony Orchestra

SMC Performing Arts Center
The Broad Stage
NW Corner of Santa Monica Boulevard at 11th Street
$10

This March concert at the spectacular new Broad Stage, includes Haydn's Symphony No. 93 in D Major--featuring a performance by dancers from the SMC Dance Department--along with works by Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Sousa. For more information and/or reservations, please call (310) 434-3000.


Because there are so many amazing lifelong learning events going on every month in Santa Monica, I am highlighting those that are less “regular.” That means that you shouldn’t rely on me to tell you what’s going on at our wonderful venues where something great is always going on! So...

Please bookmark and regularly visit these websites!

If you are interested in the arts and cultural events, please be sure to subscribe to the Santa Monica Arts Palette at http://www.patronmail.com/pmailweb/PatronSetup?oid=902
You will receive a weekly email telling you about visual and performing arts events for that week and weekend. This is a great service!

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Santa Monica College offers the community performances, lectures, exhibitions, Friday night planetarium shows..... you can find out what’s happening each month by going to http://www.smc.edu/events

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There are more events than I’ve listed this month at The Broad Stage. The Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center maintains a website (separate from the SMC website) at www.thebroadstage.com
Check out the ’09 offerings at this spectacular new facility. If you haven’t been to the Broad yet, please do go. It is an amazing space, a beautiful, intimate, state-of-the-art venue for artists and audiences to enjoy.

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Planetarium shows on Friday nights at SMC are listed at http://www.smc.edu/apps/agenda.asp?Q=9&G=1&C=agenda

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The Santa Monica Public Library is a must-bookmark-site! Our libraries offer a great menu of interesting and varied programming for people of all ages and interests -- films, lectures, book groups, and other special events. The library events calendar is posted at http://www.smpl.org/libraryevents.htm

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The School District website now has a useful color-coded calendar that includes special school events as well as Board meetings. Please check it out at http://www.smmusd.org/calendar/index.html

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Lifelong Learning Community Links lists these and many other useful websites including local theatrical companies – listed under “Local Museums and Special Venues.” Please use these links to stay abreast of these wonderful local organizations. Links can be found at http://smllc.org/links.html

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And please visit the Lifelong Learning Community Calendar at http://smllc.org/calendar.html for a more complete (but still incomplete) listing of February events and calendars.

That’s all for now.
Thanks, Cheers, and Onward,

Louise Jaffe
www.smllc.org

Thank you for forwarding this email to others who may be interested.

If you would like to receive Lifelong Learning Community eNews, please go to http://smllc.org/subscribe.html

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For more information about the Lifelong Learning Community, contact

Louise Jaffe
lcjaffe@aol.com
310-450-2487



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