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# Stray Talk: Quotes on Wilshire redevelopment, school funding and city traffic
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/s-t-r-a-y-talk-20080426/
- Published: 2008-04-26T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T19:25:28.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*A center-cut, no-fat review of what was said this past week by folks the world over and right at home*

“A big part of the process is really understanding what the community wants so that will be a big part of it.” — Bob Aptaker, the vice president of development for Macerich, speaking about a potential redevelopment project on Wilshire Boulevard.

“One thing we can all do for our skin is stress less. Stress can cause sebaceous glands to work overtime, making skin oily. Have a chocolate chip cookie and smile. It takes fewer muscles than frowning.” — SMDP columnist Mariel Howsepian wrote in “West Dressed.”

“I don’t feel like I can completely say that we have complied at all levels.” — SMMUSD Superintendent Dianne Talarico speaking about conditions the City Council has placed on the school district to receive funding.

“We found that residents, in overwhelming numbers, agree with us that development and traffic in our city is ‘out of control.’” — Diana Gordon, co-chair of the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City.

“Finally, Minnie Driver, Gwen Stefani, Jessica Alba and Tori Spelling are said to be pooling their bulging bellies, and bank accounts, to make themselves more attractive to the tabloids, offering money and a group shot in return for good placement, or any placement, in a magazine. Still unknown is if they will accept a bid from Ashlee Simpson to join their collective.” — SMDP columnist Meredith C. Carroll wrote in “Meredith Pro Tem.”

“The hardest part has been getting people to make the transition and, frankly, finding housing units to rent. We have the funding to pay pretty much market rate for everybody, but it is difficult in this housing market to find available units for folks. That is our biggest challenge, aside from the fact that we are dealing with a population that is complex, with a lot of issues to work out.” — Stacy Rowe, human services administrator at City Hall, regarding the city’s 10 most vulnerable people living on the streets.

“This country was founded from the barrel of a gun at Lexington Green over British taxes on tea hence the plethora of Starbucks emporiums in our country today. The raison d’etre of the Second Amendment is to reinforce the first. If one desires to ‘speak truth to power’ one had better possess the incendiary wherewithal to give those in power a modicum of pause to take note of ones issues of redress.” — SMDP columnist Steve Breen wrote in “Going Postal.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 26, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/042608.pdf?ref=smdp.com)