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from page 5 information for elected officials, individual contact information for administrative officials, current contracts and lobbying information.

Board of Education directs staff to disseminate district finance committee letter to community
The Board gave staff direction on April 23 to move forward in getting bids to distribute a letter written by the district finance committee to the community regarding a possible Measure E bond acceleration. Staff will bring the item back for Board approval before it is sent to the community. Board directed staff to issue a request for proposal with exact costs of inserting the letter in both community newspapers, in addition to using the PACE email and phone system, which would not be of any extra cost to the district. Staff will also check prices for e-blasts sent by the Courier. Board member Lisa Korbatov suggested the letter be on a textured paper or a color so that it would stand out. The District Finance Committee wrote a letter to the Beverly Hills community in order to set the record straight, in regards to Measure E, which was presented to the Board at the formal meeting on March 12. The report defines capital appreciation bonds and explains why the committee feels the $49.71 promised tax rate is inaccurate. The report lists four assumptions, in which, they feel the Measure E tax rate was promised that were inaccurate unrealized prop-

erty growth projections, projected Capital Appreciation Bond interest rate did not materialize, a bond issuance schedule that was not consistent with upgrading school buildings, and the issuance of Capital Appreciation Bonds that may soon no longer be within legal limits. To speed the process along, Superintendent Gary Woods suggested the Board put a notto-exceed amount in place. Woods said if the board would put a not to exceed amount, they would not how best to utilize that money. Board of Education Vice President Noah Margo said he preferred to have the proposals brought back.

PTSA/Parent/Staff Book Club to discuss American Dervish

The parent-teacher group, who has previously met to discuss Steve Jobs biography and most recently Team of Rivals, will discuss Ayad Akhtars novel, American Dervish, at their spring meeting on June 6 at 7:30 p.m. The book was also chosen for this years Hero Project, a one book, one school event, which encourages all students, staff and parents to read a common book, at Beverly High. Ayad Akhtar, a recent Pulitzer Prize winner for his play Disgraced, will join the group for the discussion, which will be moderated by professional book club facilitator and Beverly High English teacher Julie Goler. The story is that of a Muslim boy growing up in the Midwest who is conflicted by his feelings toward Islam. The audio book is also available Audible.com. The audible version is read by the author who is also an actor. The cost is $25 for parents and $10 for teachers. To register, e-mail nancyheim415@ gmail.com. Grandparents are also welcome. from 2010 to 2012, Neman raised more than $7.5 million from investors by claiming to be a hedge fund manager through his company Neman Financial L.P. Following the complaint filed by the SEC in April 2012, the Obama campaign returned donations from Neman who donated the maximum of $35,800 to the Obama campaign. Neman told investors that his hedge fund invested in foreclosed residential properties as well as in Facebook shares. The SEC alleges that Neman paid investors with other inves-

Man accused of conning members of Persian Jewish community arrested

A Century City resident accused of leading a ponzi scheme against members of the Persian-Jewish community in the greater Los Angeles area was arrested on April 26 by FBI special agents at his home. Shervin Neman, whose given name is Shervin Davatgarzadeh, was arrested pursuant to a three-count fraud indictment that accuses him of causing losses of more than $3 million to victims. Neman was charged in an indictment returned under seal Wednesday by a federal grand. That indictment, which was unsealed this morning after Nemans arrest, charges him with two counts of wire fraud and one count of mail fraud. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil complaint against Neman and his company, Neman Financial L.P., in April of 2012. The SEC alleged that for two years

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