Local News Briefs

Tech Heavies to Speak at Miramar’s

Oasis

Top tech executives, including BlackBerry Chief Executive John Chen and Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt are in town this week for a two-day technology and media conference.

Oasis: The Montgomery Summit -- for a decade known as the Montgomery Technology Conference before a name change this year -- will take place at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica on Wednesday and Thursday.

The invitation-only confab will feature panels, networking and presentations from chief executives of about 150 companies in the social, mobile, analytics and cloud sectors. More than 800 senior-level investors and corporate executives are expected to attend.

Schmidt and Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen are scheduled to give a keynote at 4 p.m. Wednesday. Chen is scheduled to speak on stage at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by Jessica Alba and Brian Lee of baby products e-commerce company the Honest Co. at 2 p.m.

The Montgomery conference, founded in 2004, also has been a popular venue for up-and-coming companies to showcase their ideas. Twitter, Facebook and Pandora presented at the conference during their early stages. Previous speakers include Dreamworks Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg and Zappos Chief Executive Tony Hsieh.

City Hall Offers Passport Services

The Santa Monica City Clerk’s Office announced this week that it has been designated a United States Passport Acceptance Facility.

Services will include acquiring first-time passport or passport cards, passport photos and expedited processing, “all at the convenient City Hall location,” City press releases said. Passport services will be offered Monday to Thursday and alternative Fridays from 9 a.m to 2:30 p.m.

The City Clerks Office reminds those who are applying for a passport to bring original evidence of U.S. Citizenship, original identification and payment for fees. Appointments will be required, as at the US Post Office currently.

According to city hall, “appointments should take approximately 30 to 40 minutes and you will receive your passport within 4 to 6 weeks.” The City also planned to offer expedited service for an extra fee..

The City Clerk’s office is centrally located at City Hall, 1685 Main Street, Room 102. Parking is available at the Civic Center structure and lot.

For more information and to make an appointment call (310) 458-8211 or visit City Hall online

Traffic Enforcement Focus on Poor Driving Behaviors

Each month, the Santa Monica Police Department’s Traffic Enforcement Section focuses on different driving behaviors that are primary causation for traffic collisions.

In March, motor officers will target violations regarding pedestrians.

Although not a driving behavior, pedestrian violations contribute as a primary collision factor in traffic collisions.

Pedestrian violations that have resulted in collisions are:

· Jaywalking

· Walking against a red light or “Don’t Walk” symbol

· Failure to yield right-of-way to oncoming traffic

· Pedestrian in the roadway

Lieutenant Trisler wants to remind all pedestrians to make sure they get to their destination safely by following the rules of the road.

Questions regarding the enforcement effort may be directed to Sergeant Phillbo Rubish at 310-458-8950, or Lieutenant Jay Trisler at 310-458-8471.

Frank Robinson to be Inducted into

California Aviation Hall of Fame

Frank Robinson, founder of Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance, has been selected for induction into the California Aviation Hall of Fame.

Robinson will be among four people to be honored at the inaugural induction ceremony June 7 at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica.

Robinson, now retired, founded Robinson Helicopter in 1973. He was chief designer at the company, which is the world’s largest manufacturer of civilian helicopters.

Event tickets cost $350 per person, with attendance limited to 350 guests. Tickets are available for purchase at http://www.museumofflying.com or in person at the museum at 3100 Airport Ave. in Santa Monica.

Robinson’s fellow inductees have made major contributions to aviation. Buzz Aldrin was on the first manned mission to the moon. Bob Hoover is a legendary World War II fighter pilot. And Clay Lacy founded Clay Lacy Aviation, the first executive jet charter company in the Western United States.