(ABOVE) Achuar leaders (left to right)  from the Peruvian rainforest, Henderson Rengifo, Manuel Tampet Najasip and Carlos Mukuin Tirisfrom speak outside of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel during Oxy’s Annual shareholders’ meeting on Friday, May 2, 2008. "We are tribal warriors and we will fight against any oil developments, we will not allow our land and water to be contaminated by Oxy!" said Manuel Tampet Najasip during the demonstration. (Top) Lionel Powell AKA 'Tree Man' holds a sign during the Oxy protest on Friday. Approximately 50 environmental activists demonstrated outside of the Fairmont Miramar Hotel, scrubbing the sidewalk and holding banners, reading: OXY: Clean Up Your Toxic Waste in the Amazon,” during the rally. According to Amazon Watch, Oxy dumped nine billion barrels of toxic wastewater into virgin tropical rainforest belonging to the indigenous Achuar people when it drilled for oil in Peru from 1971 to 2000. The company then fled the country, leaving local communities with lead and cadmium poisoning and living in a devastated environment. Amazon Watch Executive Director Atossa Soltani. “Oxy knowingly poisoned the rainforest homeland of the Achuar people and has refused to clean up its toxic contamination. It appears we now need to resort to public demonstrations and lawsuits to get Oxy to do the right thing.”

Jonathon Contant, owner of the Trapeze School, rigs the trapeze at the Santa Monica Pier on Tuesday, April 29, 2008. Trapeze School New York (TSNY) is scheduled to open on the Santa Monica  Pier sometime in May. This will be their fifth location, with other locations in New York City, Boston and Baltimore. The open-air school provides great visibility and allows passersby to watch the trapeze in action. The trapeze provides a super cardio workout facilitating muscle toning and balancing. It's a fun activity to share with family and friends. Flying classes are open to the public. 

(top) Santa Monica Fire Captain Scott Ziegert rings the bell ten times during the Police/Fire Public Safety Memorial at City Hall on Thursday, May 01, 2008. The Santa Monica Police Department  fired off a twenty-one-gun salute during the memorial on Thursday. The memorial recognized public safety officers who gave their lives in the line of duty to protect the citizens of Santa Monica.

(top) Starring actor Benjamin Bratt as William “The Cleaner” and Guest Star Alona Tal, 24, , films a scene from episode # 2 on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, at Santa Monica's Crescent Bay Park  for  A&E's new upcoming TV show the "Cleaner."  (above) Actresses Vennasa Lengies, 22, (left) and  Alona Tal, 24, (right) film a beach scene at Santa Monica Beach on Monday, April 28, 2008. The Cleaner is about a one-time addict who turns his life around and devotes himself to helping others kick their addictions to sex, drugs, alcohol, and gambling. The Cleaner has been picked up for 13 episodes, which will air on A&E over the summer. The new drama is A&E's s first in six years. Bratt's best-known role was that of Det. Rey Curtis on the television show Law & Order. In 1999, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the series. His more popular films include Miss Congeniality, Blood in Blood out and Traffic.

Theodora Walkow-Foster, 7, and Jason Dean Feigerle, 7, spray water onto the Watershed Diorama at the Santa Monica Aquarium during their Earth Day theme weekend on Sunday, April 27, 2008.  The diorama, which was custom made for Heal the Bay by Andrew C. Aguilar, is designed for pollution education and to illustrate storm water runoff.

(top) Jobin Zeichner, 6, dries his hand made silk screen T-shirt on Sat. April 26, 2008 during the 'Celebration For the Arts Pier pARTy' at the Santa Monica Pier.  (above) Fourth graders from Mckinley Elementary School , Zane Michael, 9, (left) and his classmate Francis Abastillas, 9, (right) paint with the Grex Airbrush on Sunday April 27, 2008, during the 'Celebration For the Arts Pier pARTy' at the Santa Monica Pier.  The annual event was designed to highlight the talents of students from the Santa-Monica/Malibu School District. The festival is an interactive event that  offerd instruction and demonstration in many mediums.

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1) Talia Yarmand,  3 1/2, (left) and her best friend Anai Herz, 4, color with crayons  during 'Raising Readers: A Children's Literacy Festival' at Santa Monica College on Saturday, April 26, 2008. 2) Jason Telanoff, 3 1/2, blows bubbles during the children's literacy festival. 3) Parker Bent sings children songs with Elias Obrist, 5, (left) and Angelina Arroyo, 5 1/2 (center) during the festival. 4) Andre Jones, 2 1/2, blows a bubble. 5)  Jason Telanoff, 3 1/2, and Violet Brooks, 2 1/2, play with bubbles 6) Families shop for children's books at SMC on Saturday.