Federal Court Rules West L.A. VA Land Must Be Used for Medical, Veteran Support Services
August 30, 2013 -- Advocates for housing homeless vets won a major victory Thursday after a Federal judge ruled the West Los Angeles Veterans' Administration (VA) had illegally leased nearly a quarter of its 387-acre campus.

Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation Gets Half a Million Dollar Boost
August 30, 2013 -- With six months to go to raise $4 million for its district-wide fundraising drive, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation announced Wednesday that it received a $500,000 gift.

Santa Monica Conservancy to Hold Fundraiser Next Month
August 30, 2013 -- The Santa Monica Conservancy -- which is entering a second decade spearheading local preservation efforts -- will host its annual fundraising salon next month at the former estate of actor and conservationist Leo Carrillo.

City Council Not Satisfied with Proposal for Downtown “Dream Site”
August 29, 2013 -- The City Council postponed moving forward Tuesday with plans by local developer Metropolitan Pacific Capital (MPC) to develop two and a half acres of public land in Downtown Santa Monica.

City Council Approves Preservation Covenant for Historic Post Office Building
August 29, 2013 -- The City Council voted 5-to-1 Tuesday in favor of a covenant it hopes will preserve the 75-year-old Downtown Santa Monica Post Office building, which the US Postal Service has already put up for sale.

A Spicy Gumbo of Sounds to be Served up on the Santa Monica Pier
August 29, 2013 -- He’s played the national anthem before an NFL playoff game and at the White House. On Thursday, Trombone Shorty will take the stage at the Santa Monica Pier as the headliner at the free Twilight Concert Series.

Santa Monica Native Awarded for Rare Book Collection
August 28, 2013 -- Elias Serna was only a sophomore in high school when his brother came home from Santa Monica College with an illustrated book of Chicano history.

Santa Monica Planning Commission Takes on Parking, New Bike Route
August 28, 2013 -- In recent years, Santa Monica has aimed to reduce traffic in the popular beachside town by encouraging people to drive less and ride bikes.

Santa Monica Library Offers “Smart” Card
August 28, 2013 -- There was once a time, not so long ago, that a library card only allowed users to check out some books for a month.

Tech Startup Puts Future of Santa Monica Place in Residents' Hands
August 27, 2013 -- Santa Monica Place representatives want to know which stores should fill the few vacancies left in the award-winning mall and they are turning to the Internet to help them out.

Santa Monica City Council to Consider $6 Million for Bathrooms, Parking System
August 27, 2013 -- At the top of its Tuesday meeting, the Santa Monica City Council will consider doling out more than $6 million for new bathrooms on the beach and a revamped parking system.

Santa Monica Carousel to Offer 20th Century Music Ride
August 27, 2013 – The Santa Monica Pier’s historic carousel will change its tune for a day next month, trading its usual festive organ sounds for some adventuresome 20th century music.

Santa Monica Considers Overhaul of Emergency Dispatch System
August 26, 2013 -- For the first time since 2007, Santa Monica officials are considering a major overhaul of the bayside city's emergency dispatch system.

Facing Budget Crunch, Santa Monica Looks to Voters for Project Funding
August 26, 2013 -- The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday is expected to greenlight work on a ballot measure that would help the City secure funding to finish projects delayed in the face of a budget shortfall.

Santa Monica Toursim Bureau Prepares for Competitive Future
August 26, 2013 -- The Santa Monica Convention & Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) is beefing up its staff and expanding its turf as it continues reaching out to the lucrative global tourism market.

For Santa Monica to Keep Vital Properties, More Obstacles Ahead
August 23, 2013 -- The State Department of Finance (DOF) wants Santa Monica to jump through more hoops in order to keep some of its former redevelopment agency's (RDA) properties, including six downtown parking structures.

Main Street Santa Monica Gets Ready to Bare Its Soul
August 23, 2013 -- For the 13th year running, Main Street Santa Monica is getting ready for its annual street festival that celebrates the mile-long stretch of road, lined with boutiques, bars, restaurants and coffee shops just a stone's throw from the beach.

Santa Monica Seeks Applicants to Help Save the Civic
August 23, 2013 -- The City is seeking applicants to serve on a new nine-member advisory board tasked with coming up with ways to save Santa Monica's storied Civic Auditorium.

Bike Friendly Business Movement to Get Push from Santa Monica Bike Center
August 22, 2013 -- The League of American Bicyclists hopes to reward businesses that encourage employees to ditch their cars and ride to work, but the “Bike Friendly Business” program has yet to take hold in Santa Monica.

Community Festival to Give Santa Monicans Glimpse into Michigan Avenue's Future
August 22, 2013 -- It is rare to be offered a glimpse into the future, but that's precisely what visitors to Michigan Avenue in Santa Monica will get next month.

Orange County Soul Comes to Santa Monica Pier
August 22, 2013 -- Orange County native Nick Waterhouse will rock the Santa Monica Pier Thursday night for the Twilight Concert series with his original music from another era.

Local Developer Poised to Reshape Downtown Santa Monica
August 21, 2013 -- Despite major setbacks for its plans to build a $40 million theater just off of the Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica-based Metropolitan Pacific Capital (MPC) is set to be a major player in its own backyard.

Santa Monica, Westside Sees Decline in West Nile Virus-infected Birds
August 21, 2013 -- Despite a drop in the number of infected birds in Santa Monica and Los Angeles' westside, officials urge residents to use caution to avoid the mosquito-borne West Nile virus.

Buy Local Campaign Gets Boost from Local App Developer
August 21, 2013 -- ParkMe, a Downtown Santa Monica-based app developer has teamed up with the bayside city's Buy Local campaign to help alleviate parking woes.

Santa Monica Faces Impending Deficit with Two-Pronged Strategy
This is part two in a two-part series that looks at how Santa Monica plans to overcome the pending structural deficit it faces in the next five years.
August 20, 2013 -- While City Hall has already begun tackling Santa Monica's looming structural deficit by cutting back on expenses, officials say that alone won't close the future $9 million gap.

Santa Monica Seeks Manager for Well-Being Project
August 20, 2013 -- Five months after Santa Monica received a $1 million award to develop a system to measure and record its residents' well-being, the bayside city is looking for someone to manage the project.

Santa Monica Big Blue Bus to Consider Policy Changes
August 20, 2013 – Santa Monica Big Blue Bus officials will unveil new service changes and fare boxes at a community meeting Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Main Public Library.

Facing a $9 Million Deficit, Santa Monica Tightens Its Belt
This is part one in a two-part series about how Santa Monica plans to overcome the pending structural deficit it faces in the next five years.
August 19, 2013 -- With Santa Monica's expenses growing faster than its revenue, how will the prosperous seaside city, known for its robust social service network, generous support for schools and well-paid employees, keep from going into the red?

Santa Monica Schools Welcome New Top Brass
August 19, 2013 -- The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) School Board welcomed three administrators into the top ranks of several of the bayside city's schools last week.

Auto Accident in Downtown Santa Monica Puts Two in Hospital
August 19, 2013 -- Two pedestrians were hospitalized Friday after they were struck by a car in a City-owned Downtown Santa Monica parking structure.

Santa Monica Residents Sound Off after City Council Decision on Building Heights
August 16, 2013 -- Community activists and leaders had mixed reactions to the Council's vote Tuesday to limit the heights of proposed developments it would study under the nascent Downtown Specific Plan.

Public Technology Institute Celebrates Santa Monica's Tech
August 16, 2013 -- Santa Monica is one of a handful of local governments using groundbreaking technology to bring democracy to its citizens, according to the nonprofit Public Technology Institute.

Santa Monica Library Hosts Writer Workshop with Barbara Abercrombie
August 16, 2013 -- Get some pointers Wednesday on how to start that novel you've been putting off at the Main Branch of the Santa Monica Public Library.

Santa Monica Will Consider Regulating Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
August 15, 2013 -- The City Council will vote on whether to allow medical marijuana dispensaries to operate within Santa Monica's borders as early as the beginning of next year.

The English Beat to Invade the Santa Monica Pier
August 15, 2013 – The English Beat -- which took the British music scene by storm 35 years ago -- will bring their blend of Jamaican ska and British punk to the Twilight Concert Series Thursday night on the Santa Monica Pier.

Expo Line Rolling Steadily toward Santa Monica
August 15, 2013 -- It's no secret to anyone who has driven down Colorado Avenue west of 17th Street in the last month that the Expo Light Rail line is already making an impact on Santa Monica.

Santa Monica Won't Study Additional Height in Downtown Plan Environmental Review
August 14, 2013 -- Shortly after 1 a.m. Wednesday morning, the City Council voted unanimously against studying the potential environmental impact of buildings over 84 feet in Downtown Santa Monica.

New Online System Makes It Easier for Santa Monica to Get Active
August 14, 2013 -- Santa Monica's new online registration system for activities and facilities allows visitors to quickly sign up for classes, makes it easier to reserve tennis courts and other public facilities and cuts down on staff time once devoted to managing signups.

Santa Monica Library Assembles Experts to Talk About “Organic” Food
August 14, 2013 -- What does it mean when produce is labeled “organic”? And how do officials keep foods that don't meet the criteria from bearing the label?

Santa Monica City Council Prepares for Back-to-Back Sessions
August 13, 2013 -- After a relatively quiet summer at City Hall, Santa Monica's City Councilmembers will roll up their sleeves for a two-day marathon session starting Tuesday.

Jury Finds Mobster James “Whitey” Bulger Guilty of Murder, Drug Dealing
August 13, 2013 -- More than two years after police arrested notorious mobster Whitey Bulger near his rent-controlled Santa Monica apartment, a jury found him guilty Monday of 11 murders and other crimes committed while he was head of Boston's Irish mob.

Santa Monica Boys & Girls Club Gets Visit from Basketball Star Michael Cooper
August 13, 2013 -- Five-time NBA champion and retired Los Angeles Laker Michael Cooper dropped into the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica Monday to play some basketball with the kids.

Opinion -- Does Money Buy Political Influence in Santa Monica?
August 13, 2013 -- An opinion piece about the influence of campaign contributions and Political Action Committees on Santa Monica politics by Mary Marlow and Elizabeth Vandenburgh of the Santa Monica Transparency Group.

Activists Cautiously Optimistic over Federal Plan to Help Homeless Vets
August 12, 2013 -- Federal officials announced last week that they would step-up efforts to help homeless vets in Los Angeles County, but some activists remain wary.

Santa Monica to Purchase New Parking Equipment
August 12, 2013 -- The City Council is expected to greenlight nearly $5 million Tuesday to upgrade the equipment that collects money at major Santa Monica parking facilities.

International Students Discover Santa Monica's “Community Ashtray”
August 12, 2013 -- A group of eight middle school and high school students from Beijing have discovered that Santa Monica's smokers have some cleaning up to do.

Opinion -- Build Downtown Santa Monica Right and They Will Come
August 12, 2013 -- On August 13th, the City Council will consider what maximum building heights and mass (Floor-to-Area Ratio) to study in the Environmental Impact Report for the Downtown Specific Plan, which will guide development for the next 20 years.

Business Leaders, Residents Celebrate Santa Monica's “Living Room”
August 9, 2013 -- Downtown Santa Monica is home to hundreds of businesses and thousands of residents. Each year, it draws tourists from all over the world, and its iconic landmarks appear regularly on the silver screen.

Bikes Help Santa Monica's First Responders Navigate Traffic
August 9, 2013 -- For most people who travel by car around Santa Monica's hotspots, dealing with gridlock is just part of life. It's something to be approached with varying degrees of resignation or acceptance.

Santa Monica College Looking for Applicants to Oversee Bond Spending
August 9, 2013 -- Santa Monica College is seeking representatives of a taxpayers’ organization and the local business communities of Santa Monica and Malibu to serve on the Citizens Bond Oversight Committee, although applications for additional members are encouraged.

Opinion -- Downtown Santa Monica: the Heights of Inquiry
August 9, 2013 -- On August 13th, our City Council will vote upon what maximum building heights to study in the Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR) for the Downtown Specific Plan (DSP), which will guide downtown development for the next 20 years. Perhaps tops (pun intended) among controversial topics has been whether to amend the City's 30-year old, 84-foot height limit.

Santa Monica City Council Prepares to Take Up Marijuana Dispensaries Again
August 8, 2013 -- Anyone hoping to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Santa Monica may have to wait another year if the City Council votes Tuesday to extend a temporary moratorium on the controversial businesses.

Black Keys Proteges Rock Santa Monica Pier
August 8, 2013 – One year after showing up at a recording studio with only the clothes on his back, Hanni El Khatib has seen his music serve as the soundtrack for TV shows and commercials.

PAL's Night Out at Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
August 8, 2013 -- For the ninth year running, kids and police officers swarmed Pacific Park at the Pier to celebrate PALpalooza, the annual celebration put on by Santa Monica's Police Activities League (PAL).

Small City's Ballot Measure Could Have Big Echoes in Santa Monica
August 7, 2013 -- A decision by a small town near San Diego to require voter approval of large developments has gotten some Santa Monica residents wondering if their bayside city should follow suit.

Council to Set Requirements for Civic Auditorium Group
August 7, 2013 -- The plan to save Santa Monica's Civic Auditorium will move forward Tuesday when the City Council outlines its requirements for a temporary advisory board to help revitalize the historic venue.

Audiobook Narrators Close Out Santa Monica Library's Adult Summer Reading Program
August 7, 2013 -- Meet some of the famous voices behind popular audiobook recordings August 17 at the Santa Monica Public Library.

Expo Light Rail to Santa Monica Clears Legal Hurdle
August 6, 2013 -- The Expo Light Rail will arrive in Santa Monica on schedule after the California Supreme Court ruled 6-to-1 Monday against a local group of west Los Angeles homeowners' associations hoping to halt the project.

Santa Monica Gathers to Remember Victims of Hiroshima Bombing
August 6, 2013 -- "This is a statement of peace. May it never become an epitaph," reads the inscription on the base of a 26-foot-tall mushroom cloud-shape sculpture erected on the lawn of Santa Monica's Civic Center 20 years ago by Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad.

Santa Monica's California Incline to Shut Down for Repairs
August 6, 2013 -- Motorists planning to take a trip from Santa Monica up the Pacific Coast Highway Thursday should plan ahead.

Planning Commission to Discuss Ways to House Santa Monica's Workers
August 5, 2013 -- Workforce housing in Santa Monica would cut back on traffic, reduce pollution and create more vibrant neighborhoods, experts say.

Santa Monica Police to Enforce Motorcycle Safety
August 5, 2013 – With Santa Monica averaging one motorcycle fatality a year, police will be conducting a specialized Motorcycle Safety Enforcement Operation next Sunday in an effort to reduce the number of deaths and injuries involving motorcyclists.

Santa Monica to Celebrate National Night Out
August 5 , 2013 -- Santa Monica police and Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks will hold National Night Out on Tuesday to celebrate the department’s ties to the community it protects.

Santa Monica Youth Center Struggles to Raise Funds
August 2, 2013 -- More than a month after the Santa Monica City Council cut funding to the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), the nonprofit is struggling to find new sources of income.

Santa Monica's New Deal Era Post Office Building on the Road to Preservation
August 2, 2013 -- Despite losing the battle to keep Santa Monica's 75-year-old post office open, officials and residents are working to make sure the New Deal-era building sticks around a little longer.

Come to the Cabaret at Santa Monica Public Library
August 2, 2013 -- Bronx-born singer Jan Abrams will transform Santa Monica's Main Library into a old-fashioned cabaret Saturday.

Nonprofit to Help Santa Monica Youth Get Jobs
August 1, 2013 -- Starting in September, Santa Monica City officials hope to kick-off a nearly $93,000 initiative to get kids off the street and into jobs in one of the region's fastest growing industries.

Santa Monica's Convention and Visitors Bureau Gets Fresh Faces
August 1, 2013 -- The Board at the helm of Santa Monica's Convention and Visitors Bureau (SMCVB) -- the nonprofit that drives the bayside city's robust tourist industry -- got two new members last month.

Santa Monica Pier Goes Down Under
August 1, 2013 -- Yidakis (didgeridoos) and a stomp box are part of the arsenal of an Australian one-man band that will take the Santa Monica Pier stage Thursday night for the weekly summer Twilight concert series.