> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Columnist was on the mark
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/columnist-was-on-the-mark-editor/
- Published: 2004-03-23T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T04:03:22.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Pico, #archive-import

*By Mike Rosenfeld Santa Monica*

Pico Neighborhood Association board member Marc Sanschagrin once again has his facts wrong (SMDP, March 20, page six) and therefore misses the point in Bill Bauer’s “My write” column (SMDP, March 19, page six).

The fact is that a paid employee and a volunteer of the Pico Youth and Family Center used their leadership positions with the PNA to solicit funds from a developer for an organization in which they have a personal stake — without notice to many on the PNA Board or the PNA membership. Apparently, school teacher Sanschagrin doesn’t think this is improper, selfish or self-serving. Does Sanschagrin really think that because PNA Board members Ana Jara and Maria Loya are such “passionate and hardworking individuals” this kind of behavior is OK?

To make things worse, Sanschagrin admits in his letter to the editor that PYFC executive director, Oscar de la Torre, who is not on the PNA Board (but whose employees, Michael Jackson and Ana Jara are PNA co-chairs) sat in on at least one strategy meeting of a small cabal of PNA Board members where the demands to Lantana were discussed. The point is that Oscar’s PYFC was on a short list of items that these PNA directors wanted Lantana to fund. The amount of time spent discussing the PYFC demands is irrelevant.

Lantana is not required to do anything for the Pico Neighborhood. Their development request is with the city and it’s the city that approves neighborhood mitigations, not the PNA. Being that no one knows which suggestions for mitigation might be promulgated in the end, it’s quite possible that the PYFC could end up with the “lions share” of the PNA’s request, or nothing at all.

Finally, it’s Stewart Park with a “t,” Marc, — it’s a “know your city” thing.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 23, 2004.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/032304.pdf?ref=smdp.com)