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# Stray Talk: Airport safety, Samohi soccer and downtown ficus trees
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/s-t-r-a-y-talk-20080315/
- Published: 2008-03-15T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:53:20.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica Airport, #archive-import

*A center-cut, no-fat review of what was said this past week by folks right here in sunny santa monica*

Hypnotherapists are not licensed by the state of California as healing arts practitioners; for your benefit and protection, work on some issues may require a written referral from a licensed physician or mental health professional. “My first reaction to this letter \[from Kurt Shaffer, the associate administrator for airports for the FAA\] was that it would make a wonderful paper airplane.”

Councilmember Kevin McKeown, about a proposal submitted by the FAA to the City Council regarding safety measures at the Santa Monica Airport.

“For us, it was more than we expected. We knew we were a good team, but people were saying, ‘It’s just division IV, and you’re not playing against division I teams.’”

Frank Gatell, head coach of Samohi’s boys’ soccer team. The team won the CIF-SS State Division I championship.

“In response to the treesavers’ proposal, we intend to wait for the (State) Court of Appeal to hear all the facts and make its decision.”

City Manager Lamont Ewell regarding a settlement offer tendered by local activists that proposed dropping an ongoing lawsuit with City Hall if officials abandoned their plans to uproot the 54 ficus trees from the downtown area.

“I’m no expert but Kristin’s rates seem a little high. But maybe she was a college graduate? You see, kids, whatever field you go into, it pays to stay in school.”

SMDP columnist Jack Neworth wrote in “Laughing Matters” about the cost former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer allegedly paid to a prostitute.

“I’m half Armenian, on my dad’s side, hence the last name: Howsepian. But my mother was what my dad’s parents called an ‘odar,’ a foreigner; she was white, born in Oklahoma, descended from the Scottish clan Campbell of Argyle. And so, I was not christened in an Armenian church, I did not learn to speak the language, I did not go to Armenian private school, I did not minor in Armenian Studies at my alma mater Fresno State, and I married a guy with the last name ‘Rodriguez.’”

SMDP columnist Mariel Howsepain wrote in “West Dressed” about her heritage.

“I have to call out someone I really like... her name is Tina Fey and I am really mad at her because she went on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and endorsed Hillary Clinton saying, ‘it’s not too late, Texas and Ohio, get on board! Bitch is the new black!’ With those last five words, she singlehandedly revived Hillary’s campaign. ”

SMDP columnist Kenny Mack wrote in “Word in Edgewise.”

“Go to any cosmopolitan city, New York, Miami, San Francisco, and you will hear a wide diversity of languages from around the world being spoken. So much for the ‘speak English’ only spiel of talk radio hosts.”

SMDP reader Ron Lowe in a letter to the editor.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on March 15, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/031508.pdf?ref=smdp.com)