Lengthy Meetings at Santa Monica’s Planning Commission Raise Concerns
October 31, 2013 -- The Planning Commission is Santa Monica’s second most powerful body, charged with advising the City Council on the city’s most important development issues.

Plenty of Options to Celebrate Day of the Dead in Santa Monica
October 31, 2013 -- It’s the time of year for costumes and candy and, for Santa Monica, to honor its Latin heritage by celebrating El Dia de los Muertos.

Santa Monica to Name Stadium Court after Local Tennis Star
October 31, 2013 -- Fifty-four years after making a fashion splash by revealing her lace underwear on the court, world-famous tennis pioneer Gussy Moran will have her name on the courts of a park in her native Santa Monica.

To Keep Libraries Open, Santa Monica Begins Charging for Library Cards
October 30, 2013 -- Standing in line at the library, patrons may have noticed a bulletin announcing a new policy of charging non-Santa Monica residents to hold a library card.

Seniors Tour Santa Monica’s Famous Haunts of Yesteryear
October 30, 2013 -- Translated from the Latin, Santa Monica’s motto is “Happy people in a happy city.” But what about Santa Monica’s less corporeal residents? Do the bayside city’s calm pace of life and year-round sunshine make happy those locals who have, long ago, shed their mortal coils?

Santa Monica Pier to Host Inaugural Rube Goldberg Contest
October 30, 2013 -- The name Rube Goldberg has become synonymous with complex contraptions that perform easy tasks in imaginatively convoluted ways.

New Rules Let Residents Speak Longer at Santa Monica City Council Meetings
October 29, 2013 -- At a special meeting Saturday, the Santa Monica City Council voted to try new rules that would allow people to speak longer than the two minutes currently allowed at Council meetings.

Steer Clear of Second Street in Downtown Santa Monica Tuesday, Officials Say
October 29, 2013 -- Construction crews will work through the night Monday to dismantle the 190-foot crane that, for the past several months, has towered over Downtown Santa Monica’s newest parking structure.

Santa Monica’s Public Works Department Wins Three Awards
October 29, 2013 – Three Santa Monica Public Works projects have been recognized by the American Public Works Association (APWA) as model projects that enhance the quality of life in their communities.

Santa Monica’s Oldest Catholic Church Celebrates $28 Million Overhaul
October 28, 2013 -- Saint Monica Catholic Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches west of the 405, will celebrate the end of a $28 million overhaul of its campus Sunday.

ICE Returns to Santa Monica for the Holidays
October 28, 2013 -- No matter the weather, there will be a touch of winter in the air when ICE at Santa Monica returns Downtown for a seventh season Friday, offering winter revelers a chance to sip hot chocolate and take a spin on the ice.

Santa Monica City Council Continues Struggle with Exercise Groups in Palisades Park
October 28, 2013 -- In an unusual turn of events Tuesday, a controversial ordinance that would allow a limited number of private trainers to work out in Palisades Park failed on its second reading in a 3-to-3 vote.

Santa Monica Will Pay $57 Million to End Battle with State Over Redevelopment Agency Funds
October 25, 2013 -- The City Council agreed Tuesday to pay $56.7 million to end a protracted battle with Sacramento over how much Santa Monica’s former redevelopment agency owes to the County.

No Mechanical Problems Reported Before Fatal Crash at Santa Monica Airport, Federal Investigators Say
October 25, 2013 -- Mechanical failure likely did not play a role in the fatal plane crash at Santa Monica Airport last month, according to a preliminary report by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

Santa Monica Concert to Commemorate Kristallnacht
October 25, 2013 -- On the night of November 9, 1938, Nazi mobs stormed through Germany and parts of Austria ransacking Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues, killing 91 Jews and incarcerating 30,000 others in concentration camps.

Santa Monica Concert to Commemorate Kristallnacht
October 25, 2013 -- On the night of November 9, 1938, Nazi mobs stormed through Germany and parts of Austria ransacking Jewish-owned stores, buildings, and synagogues, killing 91 Jews and incarcerating 30,000 others in concentration camps.

Bringing Santa Monica Into the 21st Century
October 24, 2013 -- On the first floor of Santa Monica City Hall sits the bayside city's brain, stacks of computer processors linked together by bundles of ligament-like cables.

City Council Chooses Group to Help Save the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
October 24, 2013 -- The City Council Tuesday selected the nine-person committee charged with finding the best way to save Santa Monica’s 55-year-old Civic Auditorium.

Santa Monica Prepared to Help Tenants in Event of Government Shutdown
October 24, 2013 -- The City is prepared to help Santa Monica’s poorest residents pay their rents in the event the Federal government shuts down for a prolonged period next year, housing officials said Tuesday.

Santa Monica Makes Strides toward Zero Waste
October 23, 2013 -- Santa Monica’s Recycling Division took the gold and silver awards from the nation’s leading solid waste association this month, but it’s not wasting any time looking for ways to improve.

Santa Monica Police to Get New Badges
October 23, 2013 -- If you run into a Santa Monica police officer soon, check out the new full-color badge that restores the image of City Hall missing for ten years.

Hit and Run Suspect Arrested in Death of Santa Monica Woman
October 23, 2013 -- A suspect has been arrested in a hit and run collision in Inglewood Saturday that left a Santa Monica woman dead.

Santa Monica's Powerful Renters' Rights Group Wants More Housing at Bergamot Transit Village
October 22, 2013 -- Days before the Planning Commission weighs in on plans for a major mixed-use project in the heart of Santa Monica's former industrial Bergamot Area, the bayside city's powerful renters' rights group has called for major changes.

Santa Monica City Council to Consider $2 Million in Expenses
October 22, 2013 -- Repairs to Santa Monica Pier's carousel, upgrades to Big Blue Bus' fare system and new lights at the airport are just some of the things for which the City Council will consider dishing out more than $2 million at the top of its meeting Tuesday.

Santa Monica College Students Showcase World Dance
October 22, 2013 -- From belly dancing to Hip Hop, Santa Monica College’s Global Motion World Dance Company will showcase contemporary and traditional dance styles from around the world at two shows next month.

Santa Monica Celebrates New Parks with Traditional Ceremony
October 21, 2013 -- Smoke from burning sage mingled with the fog as it rolled in off the Pacific Ocean early Saturday afternoon into Santa Monica's new $46 million park.

Santa Monica's New Parks Memorialize Indigenous Tribe, Former Mayor
October 21, 2013 -- Santa Monica's two newest parks, covering more than seven acres of prime real estate near City Hall, bear names that span two very different periods of the bayside city's history.

Santa Monica’s Westside Family Health Center Gets Innovation Award
October 21, 2013 – The Santa Monica-based Westside Family Health Center (WFHC) has been given a prestigious Innovation Award for finding ways to stretch the use of its small facilities.

Keeping Pedestrian Deaths Down in Santa Monica
October 18, 2013 -- Even in a city like Santa Monica that prides itself on a robust bike network and aggressive pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, accidents happen. According to official reports, the number of pedestrians killed by cars in Santa Monica jumped from one in 2010 to seven in 2011.

New Climate Change Group to Host Event in Santa Monica
October 18, 2013 – A new Santa Monica-based group launched to help tackle climate change will host a “Kick-Off Forum” this month in the bayside city.

Planning Commission Won't Support Plans for Two Small Downtown Santa Monica Hotels
October 18, 2013 -- After hours of discussion over several months, the Planning Commission voted Wednesday to withhold its support for two small hotels in a key location in Downtown Santa Monica unless developers promise more to the community.

Santa Monica Blasts “Erroneous” County Report
October 17, 2013 -- Santa Monica City officials blasted a report Wednesday by a County Civil Grand Jury that claims the bayside city's financial and governmental practices are substandard.

Santa Monica Vies Again for Title of County's Most Business-Friendly City
October 17, 2013 -- For the second year in a row, Santa Monica is in the running to earn the title of “Most Business-Friendly” city in Los Angeles County.

Santa Monica Ranked Among Most Livable Cities by Livability.com
October 17, 2013 -- Santa Monica has been named one of the nation’s 100 best small and mid-sized cities in which to live, but it still ranked 12th in California, according to rankings posted Wednesday by Livability.com.

Drive to Save Santa Monica's “Chain Reaction” Enters Final Stretch
October 16, 2013 -- The February deadline is fast approaching for activists to raise nearly half a million dollars for what the City says are badly-needed repairs to Santa Monica's anti-nuclear sculpture “Chain Reaction.”

Saint John's Won't Have to Build Parking Structure, Santa Monica Officials Say
October 16, 2013 -- Saint John's Health Center (SJHC) won't have to build a parking structure to replace the spaces it lost after the Colorado Center terminated the hospital's lease in March, City officials said.

Forum Friday to Prepare the Most Vulnerable for Emergencies
October 16, 2013 -- Coping with emergencies or disasters can be a stressful, and sometimes living-changing, experience. But it is even more so for the elderly and for those with disabilities.

Governor's Veto Frustrates Santa Monica's Affordable Housing Advocates
October 15, 2013 -- Governor Jerry Brown vetoed legislation Monday that Santa Monica's affordable housing advocates had hoped would help increase the number of low-rent units in the increasingly costly bayside city.

Dozens Vie for Position on Santa Monica Civic Working Group
October 15, 2013 -- More than two dozen candidates have tossed their hats in the ring to be on a new group charged with the task of finding ways to save Santa Monica's outdated Civic Auditorium.

Come Together with The Beatles at Santa Monica High School
October 15, 2013 -- You could say the Beatles didn’t get enough high school, with only Paul graduating from the British equivalent. Until now.

Santa Monica Looks to Thriving Hospitality Industry for Employment
October 14, 2013 -- For residents of the wealthy seaside city who are out of work, Santa Monica's economic success and relatively low unemployment are little more than numbers on paper.

Santa Monica Launches Latest Neighborhood Plan
October 14, 2013 -- Residents will kick off the community process Monday for plans to prepare the streets around the future site of one of three future light rail stations in Santa Monica.

An Eclectic Musical Offering from Santa Monica College
October 14, 2013 -- From a new twist on the Delta Blues to Francis Poulenc straight up, Santa Monica College will offer a virtual cornucopia of concerts in November that showcases the talents of college students young and old.

Santa Monica Place Plans for New Movie Theater
October 11, 2013 -- Santa Monica Place owner Macerich is expected to submit plans next week for a 50,000-square-foot movie theater, the first to be built in the bayside city in more than two decades, The Lookout has learned.

L.A. County Dems Celebrate Santa Monica City Council Member
October 11, 2013 -- The Los Angeles County Democratic Party has selected Santa Monica Councilmember Kevin McKeown as the 50th Assembly District's Democrat of the Year.

Pedestrian Killed Crossing Street in Santa Monica
October 11, 2013 -- A man was fatally struck by a car while crossing Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park Neighborhood shortly after midnight Wednesday, according to police.

Santa Monica City Council Approves Limited Use of Palisades Park by Personal Trainers
October 10, 2013 -- Santa Monica's City Council hammered out a compromise Tuesday night that would allow personal trainers limited use of Palisades Park for private fitness classes, ending a year-long controversy over whether the City should ban them outright in the shoreline park.

Santa Monica Place Celebrates Prestigious International Design and Sustainability Awards
October 10, 2013 -- At a small gathering in a community room Wednesday, Santa Monica Place celebrated being among the handful of malls that have received the International Council of Shopping Centers' highest honor.

BODYTRAFFIC Brings New Moves to Santa Monica
October 10, 2013 -- BODYTRAFFIC brings its innovative, highly acclaimed urban dance to Santa Monica this weekend with a world premiere that is a bona fide work of genius.

New Leadership Pushes Reform at Embattled Santa Monica Youth Nonprofit
October 9, 2013 -- For Francisco Juarez, a lifelong Santa Monica resident, community activist and the Pico Youth and Family Center's newest board chair, keeping the embattled nonprofit operating is not only possible, it's essential.

Santa Monica City Council Signs Off on Almost $1 million in Expenses
October 9, 2013 -- The Santa Monica City Council approved almost $1 million in expenses as part of several routine items considered at the top of its meeting Tuesday.

Three Santa Monica Schools Compete to Go Trash Free
October 9, 2013 -- Three Santa Monica elementary schools are among two dozen LA County schools competing in the third annual Trash-Free Lunch Challenge, which seeks to reduce lunchtime trash over the school year.

Letter -- Santa Monica's Pico Youth and Family Working to Get Respect
October 9, 2013 -- As the newly elected Chairperson of the PYFC Board of Directors I must take issue with a recent Surf Santa Monica report and I must make our position known to your readers. PYFC is on track to complete its Mission for the at-risk youth, 16-24, and their families.

Letter -- Finding the Middle Ground at Santa Monica's Palisades Park
October 9, 2013 -- As you may know, I am the Commissioner who originally began the discussion about the proliferation of Personal/Group Trainers in our City Parks. I became concerned as an increasing number of private trainers made Palisades Park (and to a less extent, Clover Park) their new office.

New Santa Monica Anti-Airport Group Gains Momentum at First Meeting
October 8, 2013 -- A resident-led movement to turn Santa Monica Airport into a park got a major boost Thursday when more than 150 people turned out to explore the idea.

Santa Monica City Council to Vote on Funding for Youth Job Training Program
October 8, 2013 -- The City Council Tuesday could fund the City's first new program to help troubled youth in the wake of a spree of shootings in Santa Monica last summer that left seven dead.

Spend Day of the Dead with the Fishes in Santa Monica
October 8, 2013 -- You can get an early start on Dia de los Muertos by sleeping -- or just hanging out -- with the fishes at Heal the Bay’s Santa Monica Pier Aquarium this month.

Letter -- Close Santa Monica Airport and Boot Trainers Out of Palisades Park
October 8, 2013 -- Santa Monica residents address personal trainers in Palisades Park and call for the closure of Santa Monica Airport.

Legal Battle Over $1.6 Million for Santa Monica Youth Center Ends
October 7, 2013 -- Santa Monica's Pico Youth and Family Center, which has been embroiled in controversy over the management of its finances, will no longer have to rely on City Hall for its primary source of funding.

Small Crowd Vents Development Concerns at Downtown Santa Monica Specific Plan Meeting
October 7, 2013 -- About 60 people turned out to vent their concerns about the future of development in Downtown Santa Monica at a public meeting on the area's pending Specific Plan Thursday.

Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation Gets Corporate Lending Hand
October 7, 2013 – The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation announced Friday that it has received a $150,000 matching gift from a local business that could set a trend for corporate giving to the public schools.

Letter -- Personal Trainers in Santa Monica's Palisade Park Will Undermine Restoration Efforts
October 7, 2013 -- Friends of Palisades Park is delighted with the Landscape Division’s new restoration efforts. But will the restoration be extended to the all degraded parts of the park? And will it last if the city permits 20 new boot camps?

Copper Thieves Leave Santa Monica Residents in the Dark
October 4, 2013 -- Police are investigating a recent spate of copper wire thefts that has left several residential streets in Santa Monica's north side without lights.

Hotel-Commissioned Poll Shows Santa Monicans Divided Over Development
October 4, 2013 -- A poll of Santa Monican voters, paid for by the Huntley Hotel, shows that the community is split over questions of developing the bayside town.

Santa Monica Students Prepare for Bike It! Walk It! Week
October 4, 2013 -- Middle School students in Santa Monica’s public schools are getting their bikes – and scooters, skateboards and waking shoes – ready for Bike It! Walk It! Week, which kicks off on Monday.

New Ordinance Would Allow Private Trainers in Santa Monica's Palisades Park
October 3, 2013 -- The City Council will consider an ordinance Tuesday that would allow private trainers to use parts of Santa Monica's Palisades Park for classes of up to 15 people.

Change Inevitable at Santa Monica Airport, Activists Say
October 3, 2013 -- After a fatal accident at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) Sunday, senior Congressman Henry Waxman has called for a federal investigation into the century-old airport's safety.

Santa Monica College Gallery to Exhibit Geometric Paintings
October 3, 2013 – The paintings of Scot Heywood, whose geometric abstract shapes are said to engage viewers on “physical and conceptual levels,” will go on exhibit at Santa Monica College this month.

Santa Monica to Discuss Hotly-Debated Downtown Plan Thursday
October 2, 2013 -- Residents will get a chance Thursday to tell City officials what questions they want answered as part of a State-mandated environmental study of Santa Monica's hotly-debated Downtown Specific Plan (DSP).

Government Shutdown Delays Investigation into Cause of Santa Monica Plane Crash
October 2, 2013 -- Investigators announced Tuesday that they discovered four bodies in the wreckage of a private jet that crashed at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) Sunday evening, but that the federal government shutdown will delay further investigation.

Registration Opens for LA Marathon to Santa Monica
October 2, 2013 -- Runners who want to secure a spot at the starting line for the 2014 LA Marathon, which ends in Santa Monica, better pick up the pace.

Probable Santa Monica Plane Crash Victim Remembered as Generous Community Supporter
October 1, 2013 -- City leaders remembered Mark Benjamin, the construction tycoon believed to have died in a plane crash at Santa Monica Airport (SMO) Sunday, as a generous supporter of education and a “mainstay” of the community.

“Tragic Accident” at Santa Monica Airport Under Investigation
October 1, 2013 -- Twenty-four hours after an eight-passenger jet crashed into a hangar at Santa Monica Airport, the National Transportation Safety Board is continuing its investigation.

Efforts to Turn Santa Monica Airport into Park Get Sierra Club’s Support
October 1, 2013 -- Plans to turn Santa Monica Airport into a public park have won the backing of the Sierra Club, Airport2Park.org, the coalition spearheading the drive, announced Monday.