By Daily Press staff
News in Santa Monica is never boring. High-profile politics, individuals and issues propelled Santa Monica into the spotlight in 2004.
Bobby Shriver, a Kennedy family scion, ran for local office and won after he felt mistreated by City Hall over the height of his hedges. The corner of 20th Street and Arizona Avenue became a media frenzy when Ronald Reagan’s body was brought to a local funeral home as the first stop during the president’s week-long memorial.
Also in 2004, a local community leader announced she was stepping down at Santa Monica Community College, and despite crime being at a 40-year low, three homicides occurred within city limits.
For the first time in the history of Santa Monica politics, the chamber of commerce officially played a role in local elections by endorsing candidates, two of whom gained office.
One of the biggest developments to hit the city in decades was unveiled a few months ago, which if approved, could dramatically change the downtown sky-line. Philanthropist Wallis Annen-berg donated $21 million to restore a beach club originally built for William Randolph Hearst’s mistress, actress Marion Davies. And Saint John’s Health Care Center opened up its main hospital after a decade of rebuilding following the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The Santa Monica Daily Press revisits the top 10 news stories of the year. Friday highlighted the top five news stories of the year. Today, a list of the No. 6 through No. 10 news stories of 2004.
Here’s a list of the top news stories of 2004: 1. Bobby Shriver wins City Council race 2. Smokers snuffed out at beaches 3. City Hall forced into $6 million schools contribution 4. Mall developer unveils plans for high-rise towers downtown 5. $21 million given to City Hall to restore beach club NO. 6: ELECTION 2004 The election of 2004 was of historic and unprecedented proportions. Bobby Shriver, brother-in-law of Gov. Arnold Schwarz-negger and a Kennedy family member, was the top vote-getter after raising more money than anyone else in city politics history. And for the first time, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce officially involved itself in local elections by endorsing candidates.
Santa Monica’s ruling party, Santa Monicans For Renters’ Rights, which has had its candidates in office for the better part of three decades, felt a real challenge this year as a result of the cham- YEAR IN REVIEW, from page 1 ber’s involvement. While only two of the chamber’s candidates were elected — Shriver and incumbent Herb Katz — chamber officials believe they were victorious.
City Hall’s SMRR contingency and the chamber have butted heads for decades over the many issues facing Santa Monica, namely the policies surrounding the homeless population and government bureaucracy.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent during the campaign by an unidentified group with chamber ties, sending mailers throughout the city lambasting City Hall’s failures in citizen responsiveness, customer service and the homeless issue. Stories by disgruntled business owners detailed their own experiences with City Hall in securing business licenses and their respective delays due to government bureaucracy.
But it wasn’t enough to dramatically alter the makeup of the City Council — the only change to the elected board was Shriver. Incumbents Katz and two SMRR members, Richard Bloom and Ken Genser, were all reelected.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 1, 2005. Read the original PDF.