Beverly Hills Patch reports that the Beverly Hills Board of Education has launched a web site and hired some rather expensive lobbyists in its efforts to win support for a Century City subway stop at on Santa Monica Boulevard (the alternative stop would be at Constellation Boulevard). At issue is the Board of Education's worry that a subway tunnel under Beverly Hills High could endanger students at the school (explosions and terrorist attacks are two issues that have been raised by those opposed to the Constellation route). According to Patch, national press relations and crisis management firm Sitrick and Company, which has represented everyone from Orange Country in its 1995 bankruptcy filing to singer Chris Brown following his attack on Rihanna two years ago, has been hired. (In a 2010 LABJ interview, Chairman and CEO Mike Sitrick said he charges $895 an hour.) According to the Patch story, Sitrick and another lobbying group are being paid from $400,000 in allocated board general funds for their press relations efforts. As far as the web site, it looks like they've already come up with a logo, too! Already, well-known transportation advocate (and Constellation stop booster) Joel Epstein has engaged in some comment back and forth on the site.
· School Board Engages Social Media for Metro Fight [Beverly Hills Patch]
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