Santa Monica Track Club Eyes Olympic Gold, Backing to Keep Running
April 30, 2012 -- Santa Monica is home to perhaps the most winning track club in U.S. history. Twenty-nine Olympic medals, 38 world records and 60 U.S. records set or tied, and thousands of athletes trained.  And it's about to go broke.

Santa Monica to Revamp Senior Services
April 30, 2012 -- From moving operations to expanding programs, Santa Monica's extensive senior services were given a major overhaul last week.

OPINION: Miramar Go-ahead Right Thing to Do
April 30, 2012 -- The City Council took the appropriate action last week by moving forward the process of evaluating the redevelopment of the Miramar hotel.  The City will now review the hotel’s proposal, explore alternatives and analyze the impacts -- like traffic, parking, design, massing, shadows, views, economics and community benefits. (Santa Monica's Miramar Hotel Redevelopment Gets Initial Go-ahead," April 25, 2012)

Santa Monica College Kicks Off May Concert Series
April 30, 2012 -- Jazz, opera, choral music and percussion are among the musical offerings on Santa Monica College's May concert schedule, which kicks off Friday at the college's Performing Arts Center.

Neighboring Residents Want More Guarantees from Common Ground in Santa Monica
April 27, 2012 -- Neighborhood leaders told City officials at a community meeting Wednesday night that they would not sign a Good Neighbor Agreement (GNA) with Common Ground because they worry it has no enforcement mechanism.

Santa Monica Donates $250,000 to Education Foundation
April 27, 2012 -- If it takes money to make money, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation got what it takes Tuesday night when the City Council voted 5 to 0 to give the non-profit $250,000 to help it raise money to fund more school programs.

Santa Monica Pier Gets New Administrator
April 26, 2012 -- With a board filled with civic dignitaries and a predecessor moving on to a major venue in Seattle, you could say the Santa Monica Pier's new administrator has some big shoes to fill.

Santa Monica's Miramar Hotel Redevelopment Gets Initial Go-ahead
April 25, 2012 -- A public park with an iconic sculpture, affordable housing for low-income families and, above all, protection for union workers were among the "community benefits" that should be included in negotiations with the Fairmont Miramar the Santa Monica City Council green-lighted early Wednesday.

Grub ‘n’ Pub Event in Santa Monica to Benefit School on Wheels
April 25, 2012 -- On Saturday, when you hoist a pint at Cock 'n' Bull and chow down on some food truck fare in the adjacent lot, you'll make it possible for a homeless kid to stay in school.

Santa Monica Chamber Names Sustainable Award Winners
April 25, 2012 -- The Fairmont Miramar Hotel -- which Tuesday night was given the go-ahead to negotiate a Development Agreement with the City to redevelop its property -- is the winner of a Grand Prize in the 2012 Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA), Chamber of Commerce officials announced this week.

Santa Monica Bike Center Wins National Award
April 25, 2012 -- The Santa Monica Bike Center, the largest such facility in the nation, has won the League of American Bicyclists Silver Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award.

Coalitions to Face Off at Miramar Hearing Tuesday Night in Santa Monica
April 24, 2012 -- The highly anticipated hearing at Tuesday night's City Council meeting over the comprehensive redevelopment of the Miramar Hotel will pit two fledgling coalitions -- with supporters arguing that it would be a boon for the city and detractors countering that a neighborhood would be sacrificed in the process.

Battle Over Common Ground Rages On in Santa Monica
April 24, 2012 -- Some residents of Santa Monica's Sunset Park Neighborhood are not satisfied with Common Ground's announcement this month that the non-profit agency would move a controversial program for homeless youth to Venice.

Santa Monica Wins Two Major Tech Awards
April 24, 2012 -- For the 13th consecutive year, Santa Monica has won awards from the Public Technology Institute (PTI) for using cutting edge technology to address local issues.

Small Santa Monica Apartment Building 15 Years in the Works
April 23, 2012 -- For more than a decade, a dark, foreboding, fenced-in structure has sat unfinished on a leafy corner near the eastern edge of Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Wins National Sustainability Award
April 23, 2012 -- Santa Monica beat out Jersey City, New Jersey and Riverside, California to win the 2012 Siemens Sustainable Community Award in the midsize community category.

Santa Monica College’s Broad Stage Succeeds on an Expanding Scale
April 20, 2012 -- In four years, the Broad Stage at the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center has grown from an expensive, new – but untried – facility to a theatre complex attracting first-class, international performance groups.

The Getty Villa Celebrates Earth Day with Aphrodite
April 20, 2012 -- The Getty Villa will celebrate Earth Day weekend with an innovative tribute to the goddess of love: Aphrodite.

GOOD TASTE: A Pearl of a Place
April 19, 2012 -- After moving back to Santa Monica this past year, I was thrilled to find that Santa Monica Seafood, a place I frequented for years when it was on Colorado Boulevard, has set up shop on Wilshire.

Santa Monica-based Coin Company Refunds more than $4.25 million to Customers
April 19,2012-- Goldline International, Inc., one of the nation's largest gold coin dealers, has refunded a total of more than $4.25 million to former customers under a court injunction won by the City of Santa Monica in February.

Santa Monica College Seeks Options to Program Chancellor Contends is Illegal
April 18, 2012 -- Santa Monica College is still looking for a way to keep classes going after postponing a controversial two-tier tuition program the State Chancellor contends is illegal.

Santa Monica Police to Collect Prescription Drugs for Disposal
April 18, 2012 -- Santa Monica Police this month will collect "potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted" prescription drugs in order to prevent pill abuse and theft, police announced this week.

Extreme Athlete to Climb Santa Monica Stairs for Charity
April 17, 2012 -- There are extreme athletes and then there are extreme fundraisers. This month, local actor, martial arts expert and extreme athlete Zac Lee Guarnaccia will combine both a 24-hour long, live-streamed stair-climbing marathon.

Santa Monica Set to Shine for Travel Tradeshow
April 17, 2012 -- Every year, the Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) pumps up “Destination Santa Monica” at the annual POW WOW tradeshow, the travel industry’s international market showcase.

Santa Monica to Celebrate Earth Day with Beach Cleanups, Puppets and Fish
April 17, 2012 -- This weekend, Santa Monicans can celebrate Earth Day by helping to clean up the city's beaches, joining a billion people worldwide who will demonstrate their appreciation of the planet and call for its protection.

Santa Monica Community Corp' Sarah Letts Loves a Challenge
April 16, 2012 -- Downtown Santa Monica Inc.'s (DTSM) newest board member Sarah Letts is used to facing challenges. Nearly a year ago, she took the reins as Executive Director of Community Corporation of Santa Monica (CCSM) determined to fulfill some big goals, starting with steering three years worth of affordable housing projects to fruition.

Controversial Common Ground Program to Move Out of Santa Monica
April 16, 2012 -- A program for homeless youth that was at the center of the controversial relocation of Common Ground will be moved immediately to Venice as the agency begins work on its new facility in Santa Monica, agency officials said.

Santa Monica Embarks on Once-in-a-Lifetime Development Downtown
April 13, 2012 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously to seek a developer for three City-owned acres that is the largest available piece of land in the bustling Downtown.

Retail Sales Looking Up in Downtown Santa Monica
April 13, 2012 -- For much of 2011, business was “miserable” for prominent bookseller Mark Hennessey at his Downtown Santa Monica store on Wilshire Boulevard. In the past few months, however, sales have picked up for Hennessey & Ingalls Art and Architecture Bookstore.

Santa Monica City Council Gives Initial Go-Ahead for Two Downtown Hotels
April 12, 2012 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday voted to move forward with Development Agreements (DAs) for two mid-priced hotels at Fifth Street and Colorado Avenue, bringing to three the number of new Downtown hotels in the planning pipeline.

Santa Monica, Local Motel Owner Settle Dispute Over Bed Taxes
April 12, 2012 -- A Santa Monica motel known for renting rooms to families on need will credit several occupants for bed taxes that were alleged to have been wrongfully charged, according to a settlement with the City announced Wednesday. 

Jamie Lee Curtis to be Honored at Santa Monica Red Tie Affair
April 12, 2012 -- Actress Jamie Lee Curtis will be the recipient of the "American Red Cross Crystal Cross Humanitarian Award" at the Red Cross of Santa Monica's annual banquet April 21.

Santa Monica Council Indicates Developers Should Provide More Benefits
April 11, 2012 -- The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday night voiced its desire for more community benefits from developers who want to build large projects in the beachside city that require Development Agreements (DAs).

Landmarks Commission Delays Decision on Santa Monica's “Chain Reaction”
April 11, 2012 -- The Santa Monica Landmarks Commission on Monday continued a decision on whether to apply for landmark designation for the Civic Center's iconic "Chain Reaction" sculpture to guarantee further testing can be conducted.

Piano Installation Hits Santa Monica Pier
April 11, 2012 -- If Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier is beyond your piano playing abilities, you still have time to tickle the ivories on simpler ditties on one of 30 grand pianos stationed across LA County this month, including the Santa Monica Pier.

Two More New Hotels Proposed for Downtown Santa Monica
April 10, 2012 -- Shortly after the Santa Monica City Council votes on whether to give final approval to a development agreement for the hotel at 710 Wilshire Boulevard, it will consider proposals for two more hotels Downtown.

Financial Advisor Pleads Not Guilty in Santa Monica Murder Case
April 10, 2012 -- The financial advisor charged with killing a Santa Monica client as part of a complex murder-for-profit scheme pleaded not guilty to murder charges Monday.

Santa Monica Police to Enforce Motorcycle Safety
April 10, 2012 -- Santa Monica police will crack down on motorcyclists who violate the traffic laws Sunday in an effort to lower deaths and injuries.

Santa Monica Landmarks Commission to Take Up Iconic Anti-War Sculpture
April 9, 2012 -- As organizers rally to save Santa Monica's iconic "Chain Reaction" sculpture, the City's Landmarks Commission on Monday will discuss what action, if any, it can take before the city removes the work due to safety concerns.

Santa Monica's Sustainable Award Nominees Share Common Goal Across Different Fields
April 9, 2012 -- When Santa Monica’s Office of Sustainability and the Environment hands out its Sustainable Quality Awards next month, officials will pick winners from an eclectic group of local buisinesses.

Adding Spice to Life
April 9, 2012 --The front window facade and the lighting fixtures have the look of an old-time country store, and when I walk in I somehow feel that I am at my grandmother's house.

Santa Monica College Board Postpones Controversial Tuition Program
April 6, 2012 -- With the national news media watching, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees on Friday unanimously voted to postpone a controversial program to add classes at a higher cost in the midst of state budget cuts.

Tiny Santa Monica Neighborhood Gets Big Improvements
April 6, 2012 -- Santa Monica's tiniest neighborhood got $2.1 million-worth of streetscape improvements, making it the beneficiary of one of the first "shared streets" projects in the nation.

Santa Monica College Photo Exhibit Lets the Soul Speak
April 6, 2012 -- An exhibit showcasing the work of pioneering Santa Monica College photography teacher Marissa López-Donatt will open at the college's Photography Gallery this month.

Chancellor Asks Santa Monica College to Put New Tuition Pricing System on Hold
April 5, 2012 -- The chancellor of California's community college system asked Santa Monica College on Wednesday to delay implementing its two-tier tuition pricing system while the state attorney general weighs in on its legality.

Santa Monica’s Green Civic Center Parking Structure Losing its Sparkle
April 5, 2012 -- When the Santa Monica Civic Center parking structure opened in 2007, the nation's first LEED-certified, sustainable parking structure was hailed by critics as a "sparkling destination point," a signature gateway to the city.

Santa Monica Finalist for National Sustainability Award
April 5, 2012 -- Santa Monica will go up against Jersey City, New Jersey and Riverside, California in a bid to become the nation's most sustainable mid-sized city.

Santa Monica College Students Protest New Tuition System
April 4, 2012 -- Tensions over a proposed two-tier tuition system at Santa Monica College came to a head when campus police used pepper spray to subdue a group of students who stormed into a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday night.

Santa Monica Bike Center Rolls into Spring
April 4, 2012 -- Less than six months after grabbing national headlines when it opened November 18, Santa Monica's $2 million, 5,300-square-foot bike center – the largest such facility in the country – is starting to boom as spring nears.

Santa Monica Taps First Woman to Head Police Force
April 3, 2012 -- Inglewood Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks has been tapped as Santa Monica's new chief, making her the first woman to head the beach city's force, City officials announced Monday.

Santa Monica Rep’s “Proof” Reaches Out to Community
April 3, 2012 -- If it is an article of faith that community theatre must rely on creative partnerships to survive financially in an era of diminished arts funding, then Santa Monica Rep is heading back to its roots for some local collaboration.

Santa Monica College Corsair Reaps Top Awards
April 3, 2012 -- The Santa Monica College student newspaper Corsair won 16 statewide awards, including five first-place prizes and awards for General Excellence.

Santa Monica's Early Morning Food Truck Ban on Main Street Making Dent
April 2, 2012 -- A weekend ban on food trucks in the early morning hours along a bustling bar-lined stretch of Main Street has helped control the crowds swarming to the rolling eateries, Santa Monica police reported Friday.