Santa Monica Pumped for Rose Bowl, Even without the Pep Rally
December 28, 2012 -- Santa Monica tourism officals have plenty to cheer about, even though there is no Rose Bowl pep rally on the Pier this year.

Santa Monica Police Remind Residents Not to Fire Guns to Celebrate New Year
December 28, 2012 -- Santa Monica Police officials want residents to remember that it is illegal to fire guns to celebrate the New Year.

Santa Monica Library Invites Residents on a Virtual Trip to Cuba
December 28, 2012 -- Filmmaker Jennifer Paz will take residents on a virtual tour of the Carribean island nation of Cuba on January 5 without ever leaving the Main Branch of Santa Monica's Public Library.

Bobby Shriver Says Goodbye to Santa Monica City Council
December 27, 2012 -- When Bobby Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family, ran for a seat on Santa Monica's City Council, he wasn't planning on changing the world. He was angry that the City had told him he had to trim his hedge.

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Gets New Hires
December 27, 2012 -- To help facilitate a changing information delivery system, Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus has expanded their operations, bringing in two new faces and promoting two employees from within.

Santa Monica Police on the Lookout for Drunk Drivers
December 27, 2012 -- The Santa Monica Police will have a DUI/Driver's License checkpoint somewhere within the City limits on New Year's Eve, though officials haven't specified where.

Santa Monica Rocks into the New Year All Over Town
December 26, 2012 -- From black tie to bagpipes, there will be plenty of festive ways to say good riddance to an endless year of vicious electoral politics and social tragedy. Mayan predictions notwithstanding, Santa Monicans who are still here on the 31st can kick it up in style before welcoming a new year of (hopefully) harmonic convergence.

Santa Monica Police Look for Leads in Jack in the Box Robbery
December 26, 2012 -- Santa Monica Police are asking the public for help identifying three suspects involved in an armed robbery of a Jack in the Box early in the morning on Tuesday, December 18.

Good Taste -- A Holiday Office Party Feast in Santa Monica, Authentic Italian Style
December 26, 2012 -- On Tuesday, the Barbara Bishop Public Relations, Inc. team joined our other offce mates at Hostaria del Piccolo for our holiday lunch. It was an easy walk from our office on 6th Street and Arizona Avenue. We entered the simple, comfortable room and our tables were ready. But were we ready for what we were about to experience?

Santa Monica-Based OPCC Keeps the Holidays Cheerful for Less Fortunate
December 21, 2012 -- OPCC is the Westside's largest housing and social services provider for homeless adults and families. But during the holiday season, the organization provides more than just a place to get a warm meal and a bed.

Santa Monica College Loses Its Long-Time Voice
December 21, 2012 -- On Friday, Santa Monica College will say good-bye to its public relations man, Bruce Smith, after 24 years on the job.

Santa Monica Hopes to Stem Pedestrian Accidents through Education and Planning
December 20, 2012 -- A woman was struck while crossing a Santa Monica street Wednesday, bringing the number of pedestrian-related accidents in the bustling beachside city to nearly 90 this year.

Appeal to Save Historical Downtown Santa Monica Post Office Dismissed
December 20, 2012 -- The Postal Regulatory Commission has denied an appeal by Congressman Henry Waxman that would have saved Downtown Santa Monica's historic post office, which the United States Postal Service (USPS) hopes to sell early next year.

Developers Can Expect Tougher Santa Monica Council, New Members Say
December 19, 2012 -- Santa Monica's two newest Council members say that developers will face a City Council that is more demanding when it comes to affordable housing and other community benefits.

Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus Sees Improvements, Some Setbacks
December 19, 2012 -- Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus will see some $14 million in technological improvements over the next few months, including a new fare collection system that will allow travelers to use the Transit Access Pass (TAP) cards -- used by L.A. Metro -- to pay fares.

Santa Monica College Still Number One in Transfers to UCs
December 19, 2012 -- For the 22nd year in a row, Santa Monica College (SMC) leads other community colleges in transfers to the University of California (UC) system.

Planning Commission to Address Santa Monica Car Dealership Zoning
December 18, 2012 -- Santa Monica's Planning Commission will tackle the question of how to zone car dealerships, one of the City's highest-earning industries, Wednesday.

Santa Monica-Malibu Education Fund Asks for a Dollar a Day
December 18, 2012 -- The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Fund is asking parents to contribute a dollar a day through the new year for every student in their household.

Good Taste -- Back to the Bowling Alley, Santa Monica-Style
December 18, 2012 -- When I was growing up in Chicago, my father would take me to a little dive to get amazing sandwiches and pizza. It was in a bowling alley of all places, called Eastern Style Pizza.

Apple Opens Largest West Coast Store on Santa Monica Promenade
December 17, 2012 -- Hundreds turned out Saturday morning to be among the first inside the new Apple store on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade, the largest on the west coast, according to Apple officials.

Santa Monica Ready for Tourist Marketing District to Promote City
December 17, 2012 -- Two days after the City Council voted to establish a Tourism Marketing District (TMD) Tuesday, tourism officials celebrated the $3 million windfall and talked about what the more well-funded future would mean for them and for the city.

Officials Warn of Tick-Borne Disease in Santa Monica Mountains
December 17, 2012 -- County officials are reminding residents to be careful when hiking in the Santa Monica Mountains and other rural areas in Los Angeles County.

Santa Monica Trailer Park Battle Rages On
December 14, 2012 -- The developers of a 377-unit mixed-use housing project on one of Santa Monica's two remaining trailer parks could be headed to court after the City Council Tuesday voted to reconsider the Development Agreement (DA).

Santa Monica Council Moves Forward with Tourism Marketing District
December 14, 2012 -- The City Council voted unanimously to move forward with development of a Tourism Marketing District (TMD) that would generate over $3 million a year for promoting Santa Monica as a travel destination.

Santa Monica College Seniors Pen Their Memoirs
December 14, 2012 -- What may be long-ago history for many constitutes vivid memories for members Emeritus College's autobiography writing class at Santa Monica College.

Santa Monica City Council Begins Tackling Affordable Housing After Loss of Funding
December 13, 2012 -- With the loss of Santa Monica's Redevelopment Agency (RDA), the City Council directed Staff Tuesday to look to alternative means of funding affordable housing throughout the city, including a possible fee levied on all commercial developments.

Peter Norton Christmas Exhibit Back on Display at Santa Monica Library
December 13, 2012 -- Imagine grabbing the mail and finding a drawing or sculpture by a world-renown artist as a Christmas greeting from a famous billionaire.

Santa Monica College Professor Wins Award for True Grit
December 13, 2012 -- Political Science professor Eric Oifer – who believes “grit and perseverance, rather that test scores and grades, are the keys to student success" -- has been named Santa Monica College's 2012 Faculty of the Year.

Letter -- Leave Santa Monica's Lincoln Boulevard Alone
December 13, 2012 -- Lincoln Blvd. on the south side of Santa Monica has attracted the eye of Sauron (i.e., City of Santa Monica). I just took the survey from the above mentioned article and am not very happy that Santa Monica wants to gentrify and sanitize this last, fast route out of town.

Pam O'Connor Santa Monica's New Mayor
December 12, 2012 -- After five rounds of voting, Pam O'Connor was elected to serve as mayor of Santa Monica for two years in a 4-to-3 vote Tuesday, marking the beginning of her fourth term in the position.

New Santa Monica Council to Tackle $2 Million Consent Calendar
December 12, 2012 -- After swearing in two new members Tuesday, the Santa Monica City Council will look at a consent calendar with more than $2 million of expenses.

Lincoln Boulevard Task Force Asks Santa Monica Residents for Input
December 12, 2012 -- The task force charged with planning the future of the stretch of Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica south of the I-10 has asked residents for their help.

Good Taste -- Stella Rossa Rocks On Main Street Santa Monica
December 12, 2012 -- My BFF -- that's “best friend forever” -- Nancy and I were having dinner with a friend from Michigan and her son. We wanted to meet half-way between Marina Del Rey and northeast Santa Monica, somewhere on Main Street. A cozy, comfort-food kind of place.

Santa Monica Council to Elect New Mayor
December 11, 2012 -- Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis will likely be Santa Monica's new mayor when the City Council votes to fill the mostly ceremonial post Tuesday, according to sources.

Santa Monica Council Member Wants East Village Development Reconsidered
December 11, 2012 -- Council member Kevin McKeown will try to urge the Council Tuesday night to reconsider its approval of a 377-unit mixed-use residential development that would replace one of the City's two trailer parks.

Santa Monica Shooting Victim Recovering
December 11, 2012 -- An 18 year-old woman is recovering from “non-life threatening” injuries after she was shot in Santa Monica's Pico neighborhood Saturday, authorities said.

Leasing of Luxury Apartments Furthers Downtown Santa Monica's Housing Boom
December 10, 2012 – Downtown Santa Monica's biggest housing developer announced Friday that it is pre-leasing 50 luxury apartments in its newest complex, furthering the housing boom City officials say has turned the main commercial district into a full-fledged neighborhood.

Pacific Park's Inkie Gets a Record-breaking Hat at the Santa Monica Pier
December 10, 2012 -- What's red, weighs 150 pounds and sits on an octopus' head? The Santa Claus hat Inkie will don for the holidays at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier.

Santa Monica Seeks Volunteers for Homeless Count
December 10, 2012 -- They live in Santa Monica's doorways, in the brush below Palisades Park and in vehicles stationed on the city's streets. They occupy beds in hospitals, motels, shelters and jails.

Shakeup at Saint John’s Health Center Will Have Unknown Consequences for Santa Monica Charities
December 7, 2012 – When St. John's Health Center ousted its two top executives and 15 members of its 17-member board last week, it raised questions about the future of its foundation's support to Santa Monica non-profits.

Santa Monica College Board Gets New Leadership
December 7, 2012 – The Santa Monica College Board has elected Dr. Nancy Greenstein chair and Dr. Susan Aminoff vice chair as the college prepares to navigate an uncertain economy .

Santa Claus to Fly into Santa Monica Sunday
December 7, 2012 – Santa Claus has been cleared for landing at the Santa Monica Airport Sunday afternoon assuming there is no heavy snow in the forecast.

Don Bachardy and Charles Hood Talk Portraits in Santa Monica
December 5, 2012 – Portraiture – it’s been one of human kind’s most enduring pursuits since man painted on cave walls. And as described Monday night by Charles Hood, current Writer in Residence at the Annenberg Community Beach House, and Don Bachardy, internationally known portrait artist, portraiture might be the most elusive and aggravating of artistic endeavors.

PART II: Santa Monica Mayor Looks to the Future
This is part two of a two part interview with former Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom who stepped down from the Council to pursue a seat in the State Assembly. He was sworn in Monday as the newest representative of the 50th Assembly District.

December 4, 2012 -- After almost a decade on the Santa Monica City Council, former mayor Richard Bloom started thinking about becoming a player on a larger stage.

Santa Monica College Gets $807,500 Gift for Student Scholarships
December 5, 2012 -- Santa Monica College is the latest recipient of the late Peggy Bergmann's generosity after her estate donated more than $800,000 to the school's foundation.

Santa Monica Attorney Sentenced to Three Years in Prison
December 4, 2012 –A Santa Monica attorney was sentenced Monday to three years in prison and ordered to pay more than $2 million in restitution for schemes to evade taxes and misappropriate client fees, according to the IRS, which investigated the case.

Santa Monica's Former Mayor Looks Back
This is part one of a two part interview with former Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom who stepped down from the City Council to pursue a seat in the State Assembly. He was sworn in Monday as the newest representative of the 50th Assembly District.

December 4, 2012 -- Mayor Richard Bloom was sworn in Monday as the new representative of California's 50th Assembly District, making him the first Santa Monica City Council member to move on to higher office in Sacramento.

Santa Monica to Host UN Women's Forum
December 4, 2012 -- The Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the United States National Committee for UN Women will host a forum titled "Women, Climate Change and Human Rights" Saturday in Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Nativity Scenes to Go Up on Private Land
December 3, 2012--After being ousted by atheists and kept off public land by a federal judge, Santa Monica's 60th annual Christmas Nativity scenes display will go up next Sunday on private land, according to organizers.

Santa Monica City Council Wants More Study on East Pico Development
December 3, 2012 --After three hours of discussion and public comment, the Santa Monica City Council voted 6 to 0 to direct Texas-based developer Trammel Crow Co. to study further the health impacts on residents who would live at its proposed 260-unit mixed-use development at the eastern edge of the City.

Santa Monica Police to Enforce Bicycle Safety Laws
December 3, 2012--With 129 bicycle collisions investigated by Thanksgiving this year, police will focus on enforcing laws that apply to cyclists this month.