SMC’s annual event touting the Fourth hits the 25-year mark SMC Always a blast, guaranteed.
By EMILY SKEHAN Special to the Daily Press
Fireworks and live music will again fill the night air this Saturday during an early salute to the nation’s Independence Day. Santa Monica College’s “Celebrate America” marks its 25th year at Corsair Field, the star attraction of which is the display by Pyro Spectaculars.
The popular outdoor event is free and open to the public, although donations are welcome, and families are encouraged to make a night of it. Spectators can bring their own picnics to enjoy on the lawn or savor refreshments — ranging from Mexican cuisine to southern fried fish — all available for purchase from vendors lining the athletic field.
This weekend’s performers include rhythm-and-blues favorites House Brew and JD Hall & the JD Hall band.
“We love watching the kids have a wonderful time, and getting the grown-ups to participate in the entertainment,” said Hall, “It’s going to be a major show with lots of oldies-but-goodies.”
There will be booths from “just about every local organization in Santa Monica,” said SMC events coordinator Carol Evans.
The theme of this year’s fireworks show is “The American Journey,” according to Pyro Spectaculars representative Paul Souza. Because it is the event’s 25th anniversary, there will be a bigger display this year.
“It’s a very exciting show” Souza said.
Following a string of departures by key administrators in the Santa Monica- Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) last year, one former district official is getting a welcome back hug from his former colleagues.
The former assistant superintendent of human resources, Mike Matthews, was appointed on Thursday to reassume the same title and duties, effective July 1.
At one time a possible candidate to replace former Superintendent John Deasy, Matthews left the district at the end of July 2006 to become the vice president of Extreme Learning, a Northern California-based company developing afterschool programs for students struggling academically.
Working hundreds of miles away from his home in Malibu, Matthews said the job became “geographically challenging.”
When Superintendent Dianne Talarico learned recently that Douglas Staine, the director of human resources, was leaving SMMUSD to become the assistant superintendent of human resources for another school district, she contacted Matthews, with whom she had kept in touch since arriving in August 2006.
“I had lunch (with Matthews) within a month of my arrival back in August, and in September, I indicated to him that at that time I was sorry we didn’t have the opportunity to work together because I thought we would’ve worked well together and would’ve been a great team,” Talarico said Friday.
The pair met several times after Staine resigned, Matthews stating that he would be happy to return, Talarico expressing that she “would be thrilled to have someone of his caliber back on the team.”
Matthews joined the district in 1993 as the principal of Malibu High School, moving to the central office 11 years later to become the assistant superintendent of human resources. He became the interim superintendent when Deasy left SMMUSD to become the superintendent in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
Initially interested in becoming a permanent replacement for Deasy, Matthews decided about a month before resigning that he would not enter his name for consideration, learning that the Board of Education wanted a candidate with several years of experience as superintendent.
Upon his departure, Matthews said that his decision to leave had nothing to do with the superintendent search.
Even after leaving the district, Matthews had deep ties to the community. His wife, Jill Matthews, teaches fourth grade at Juan Cabrillo Elementary School, and his son will be a junior at Malibu High School in the fall.
There have been many changes in the district since Matthews left, with the arrival of two new school board members, a new chief academic officer and an interim chief financial officer.
Matthews left the district intending to return to public education in about three to five years. His timetable just went a little faster than originally planned.
“I intended to come back. I didn’t know if I would be fortunate enough to come back to this district,” Matthews said. “I feel very fortunate to be back home.”
Former colleagues have embraced Matthews’ return, welcoming him back during a Board of Education meeting on Thursday night.
Harry Keiley, the president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association, worked with Matthews at Malibu High School when he was still teaching high school government and Matthews was the principal. They continued that working relationship when Keiley became the president of the teachers union and Matthews was elevated to the position of handling human resources.
“I think it says something about the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District,” Keiley said on Friday, referring to the significance of Matthews’ return. “You don’t realize how good things are until you are away from it for a while.
“This is a special place — a small district where people know each other and care about each other.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 30, 2007. Read the original PDF.