Cave canem

San Diego — Honchos on the so-called executive committee of the San Diego Unified School District have authorized use of dogs to sniff out drugs, weapons, and other contraband at inner-city Hoover High, and the practice may soon spread throughout the district. Though use of the dogs has not been publicly discussed or approved by the board of education, in a memo dated May 3, Terry Smith, right-hand man to district supervisor Alan Bersin, says, "It is a relatively inexpensive program that is expected to gain the interest of other high school administrations once it is implemented at Hoover." A document titled "Canine Contraband Deterrent Program Proposal," from El Cajon-based Interquest Detection Canines, says the company "employs only non-aggressive Golden and Labrador Retrievers" and charges $400 for each day a dog visits a school. "Emergency" one-time visits are also $400. Results, the proposal says, will include "future deterrence of unwanted contraband on campus as students learn to make better choices while on campus due to the presence of the working canines." A memo from district staffer Deborah Cowan describing the experience of schools that have used the service notes, "Dogs do not sniff the students, but the students like the dogs." ... Former L.A. Times reporter David Smollar, who recently left his job as spokesman for San Diego Unified schools, has turned up in the same role for the Capistrano school district.

Tawny's travails Pacific Beach native and busty over-the-line favorite Tawny Kitaen, star of movies like Bachelor Party and California Girls, as well as steamy rock videos she appeared in with one-time husband, Whitesnake's David Coverdale, has been hurling accusations at her current husband, baseball player Chuck Finley. The 41-year-old Kitaen, who also appeared in Suds, a movie about beer produced by state senator Steve Peace and friends, now lives in Laguna Beach and is being sued by Finley for divorce. In recent court documents Kitaen accuses the Cleveland Indians pitcher of everything from steroid abuse to drunk driving, while admitting she is a reformed substance abuser herself. "Especially now that I am sober, I am concerned about Petitioner's heavy drinking and his own drug usage. I have observed that Petitioner is a heavy drinker. Petitioner is also a heavy marijuana smoker. I have also witnessed Petitioner take illegal steroids, which steroids he purchases from a man he calls 'Rob' from Mission Viejo.... I have seen Petitioner take these steroids intramuscularly, and he has previously bragged to me that he knows how to get around drug testing within the baseball league.... I am concerned that Petitioner himself is not addressing his own drug and drinking problems, as I have." She also notes that Finley "is from the Deep South, specifically Monroe, Louisiana, as is his entire family. The members of Petitioner's family are very heavy drinkers and are not well-educated. In fact, they frequently use the N-word in their daily conversation." She concludes: "As with the fighting, Petitioner also likes to drink. Petitioner's favorite drinks include Jack Daniels and virtually any type of beer. Although I have information regarding Petitioner's use of various drugs, I do not wish to discuss this issue in a public forum as I have no desire to harm Petitioner."

Political football Is it a portent? Chargers owner Alex Spanos and son Dean aren't the only ones interested in heading north. Writes Charger cheerleader Sigrid Aquino on the team's website, "I plan to move to Los Angeles and pursue a career in the entertainment industry." Meantime, team flack Bill Johnston is up on the website with his own revisionist take on the widely reviled ticket guarantee. "The City and the Chargers negotiated a lease with the expectation that the winning would continue. Charger games would keep selling out, just as they had when the team was successful in the late '70s and early '80s. Both sides would live happily ever after." But, he notes, the team somehow didn't manage to win. "The losses turned into fewer tickets sold. The lease turned from Dr. Jekyll into 'Mr. Ticket Guarantee,' which is actually a sliding rent scale, but the damage was already done. (And, to remind everyone, the sliding rent scale was the idea of the City after other requests by the Chargers, like a new stadium or free rent, were dismissed by the City.)"

Contributor: Matt Potter