Santa
Monica Council Rejects Rival Measure to Counter LUVE
June 30, 2016 -- A last-ditch
effort to put a City-backed measure on the November ballot to rival
the slow-growth LUVE initiative died quickly after failing to garner
a second vote at Tuesday's Santa Monica City Council meeting.
Santa
Monica Ballot Will Include Two Sales Tax Measures
June 30, 2016 -- Shoppers
in Santa Monica could soon be paying more money in sales tax if two
measures -- one local and another countywide -- are approved in the
November election.
Fourth
of July Parade in Santa Monica Expected to Draw Big Crowd
June 30, 2016 -- A decade
ago, it was just a tiny hometown parade. Time, though, can make a
difference.
Second
“Wellbeing” Study to Analyze Life in Santa Monica
June 29, 2016 -- A year after
discovering all is not fun in the sun in Santa Monica -- particularly
for the middle aged -- a second “Wellbeing” study is underway
to analyze the quality of life for the seaside city’s estimated
93,640 residents.
Santa
Monica Unemployment at Lowest Level in at Least 6 Years
June 29, 2016 -- The unemployment
rate has been sinking in Santa Monica this year to recent records,
according to the California Employment Development Department (EDD).
Santa
Monica Surveys Rent Control Tenants to Assess Needs
June 29, 2016 -- A new City
survey is trying to determine how many Santa Monica tenants can no
longer afford even rent-controlled units and would qualify for a new,
but little-known, pilot project that offers subsidies.
Path
Toward $15 Minimum Wage in Santa Monica Begins Friday
June 28, 2016 -- Some workers
in Santa Monica will receive a raise on Friday when the first phase
of the new local minimum wage law goes into effect.
Auditors
to Comb $90 Million in Santa Monica Tax Receipts
June 28, 2016 -- The City
of Santa Monica is expected Tuesday to hire outside auditors to comb
through receipts for an estimated $90 million in taxes collected from
hotels, businesses licenses and through public and private parking
fees.
Gemini
10 Featured at Santa Monica College Planetarium Next Month
June 28, 2016 --
Sixty
years ago, astronaut Michael Collins stepped out of Gemini 10 and became
the first person to "spacewalk" to another spacecraft in orbit.
Unfortunately no pictures captured the event. His camera drifted away.
LETTERS:
The Pharmaceutical Industry's Misinformation Campaign
June 28, 2016 -- Thank you for your coverage of the LA County
Board of Supervisors failure to support an industry-funded pharmaceutical
and sharps take-back program.
Santa
Monica Council to Consider LUVE Alternative for Ballot
June 27, 2016 -- Countering
a November ballot initiative that generally requires voter approval
for building projects taller than 32 feet, the City Council on Tuesday
will discuss placing a competing measure before voters this fall.
Santa
Monica’s LUVE Initiative Not Unique Concept in California
June 27, 2016 -- If voters
approve Santa Monica’s LUVE initiative in November, it would
radically change the local development process, but it would not be
a unique moment in California history.
Santa
Monica Schools Lose and Gain a Principal
June 27, 2016 -- It has been
an eventful past several days in Santa Monica’s public schools
with changes at the top levels.
Santa
Monica Mayor Likely Running for Re-Election
June 24, 2016 -- It appears
Santa Monica Mayor Tony Vazquez will attempt to do something in November
that he failed to do more than two decades ago -- win a second consecutive
term.
Santa
Monica Streets Getting Busier, Police Chief Says
June 24, 2016 -- Santa Monica’s
streets are getting busier, with new visitors alighting from Expo
trains downtown and drivers so frustrated with gridlock that they
are spilling onto quiet side streets as an alternative.
Santa
Monica Tongva Park Summer Series Offers Music, Dance
June 24, 2016 -- Ancient music
from the Americas, traditional Japanese drumming and dance music that
will get feet -- both young and old -- moving will be featured this
summer at Tongva Park.
Santa
Monica Ranks Third in County for City Employee Compensation Costs,
Survey Finds
June 23, 2016 -- Pay and benefits
for Santa Monica City employees were the third-highest in Los Angeles
County last year, averaging $152,050 annually for the municipality’s
full-time workforce, a new survey has found.
Santa
Monica Ballot Could Feature Three Tax Measures
June 23, 2016 -- Santa Monica
voters will face a large number of decisions at the federal, State
and local levels in November, including possibly three tax measures.
Santa
Monica Planning Commissioner Announces Council Bid
June 23, 2016 -- Planning
Commissioner Jennifer Kennedy, who made an unsuccessful bid for City
Council two years ago, announced Tuesday that she would run again
for a seat in November.
Santa
Monica Malibu School Board to Consider $171 Million Budget
June 22, 2016 -- The Santa
Monica-Malibu School board on Wednesday will consider a general fund
budget of approximately $171 million for the coming school year that
includes a 10 percent increase in district-paid health care benefits,
raises for teachers and other employees and a projected fund balance
of nearly $21 million.
Santa
Monica Asks for Help Updating Landmarks Inventory
June 22, 2016 -- From Santa
Monica’s old Rapp Saloon on Second Street, built in 1875 as a
beer garden, to the lavish Spanish Colonial Revival/ Art Deco-inspired
Charmont Apartments, constructed on California Avenue for the 1920s
rich and famous, Santa Monica has more than a century’s worth
of modern history tallied and saved.
Santa
Monica International Teen Film Festival to Be Held Next Month
June 22, 2016 -- Films by
students in local schools will be among the three dozen shorts screened
at The 11th Annual Santa Monica International Teen Film Festival next
month, event officials announced.
Santa
Monica Welcomes First Day of Summer with Big Beach Crowds
June 21, 2016 -- The first
day of summer 2016 arrived Monday for Santa Monica with bigger- than-
usual crowds at the beach, as inland Southern California fled the
final baking blast of yet another heat wave, this one breaking new
records.
Santa
Monica Project Named Finalist for Global Award
June 21, 2016 --
Ocean Avenue South, a mixed-use housing complex that met stiff opposition
when it was approved a decade ago, is a finalist in the 2016 Urban Land
Institute (ULI) Global Awards for Excellence.
Drivers
License Bill Passes State Assembly Panel
June 21, 2016 -- State legislation
to stop the automatic suspension of driver’s licenses for people
with minor traffic offenses who fail to appear in court or to pay
initial fines that snowball into huge financial burdens passed a key
committee Monday.
Olympics
Could Come to Santa Monica in 2024
June 20, 2016 -- Don’t
go looking for tickets quite yet because it’s a long way from
being official, but at least three Summer Olympic events could take
place in Santa Monica in 2024.
Santa
Monica Group Says County’s Decision on Syringe Policy a "Setback"
June 20, 2016 -- The Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors’ decision last week not to institute
a major drug and syringe (also known as “sharps”) take-back
program funded by pharmaceutical companies has angered various organizations,
including Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay.
Opening
of Santa Monica's California Incline Delayed
June 20, 2016 -- The reopening
of Santa Monica's newly reconstructed California incline has been
delayed until the end of summer, City officials announced last week.
Alcohol
Permits Approved for Santa Monica Brewery, Movie Theater
June 17, 2016 -- In a rare
short Santa Monica Planning Commission meeting that finished in a
little over 15 minutes, two local businesses received the permits
they requested to serve alcohol to customers.
Santa
Monica Emergency Response Improves, Officials Say
June 17, 2016 -- A consolidated
dispatch system begun last year has improved emergency response in
Santa Monica, Communications Administrator Chris Herron told the City
Council on Tuesday.
Santa
Monica College Awards Fourth Annual Transfer Scholarship
June 17, 2016 -- A Santa Monica
College (SMC) student who is the first in his family to go to college
has been awarded fourth annual Chui L. Tsang Transfer Scholarship,
SMC officials announced this week.
Santa
Monica's Big Blue Bus Ushers in Major Changes
June 16, 2016 -- Those out
on the town this weekend can hop a Big Blue Bus cab to or from the
17th St./Santa Monica College Expo Station as part of a new on-demand
service that kicks off Friday night.
Santa
Monica-Malibu School District Starts Search for New Superintendent
June 16, 2016 -- With weeks
left before the superintendent's departure, the Santa Monica-Malibu
Unified School District is seeking public imput on a replacement at
two sessions Thursday night.
Police
Arrest Suspect in Santa Monica's Second Homicide of Year
June 16, 2016
-- Police on Tuesday reported the arrest of a member of the U.S. Navy
in the beating and stabbing death of a Santa Monica resident this
weekend.
Santa
Monica Council Orders Study of LUVE Initiative
June 15, 2016 –- Faced
with a November 8 ballot measure that places most new development
in Santa Monica in the hands of voters, the City Council on Tuesday
rejected calls to adopt the LUVE initiative and instead ordered a
28-day study of the measure.
Alcohol
on the Menu for Santa Monica Planning Commission Meeting
June 15, 2016 -- Two unrelated
Santa Monica businesses will be asking the Planning Commission on
Wednesday for the right to serve customers alcohol.
Suspect
Pleads not Guilty in Santa Monica Weapons Case
June 15, 2016 -- A 20-year-old
Indiana man arrested Sunday on a Santa Monica street with an arsenal
in his car pleased not guilty to three felony counts and one misdemeanor
count on Tuesday, District Attorney's officials said.
Santa
Monica Rent Board Wants Study on Ellis Act Eviction “Predictors”
June 14, 2016 -- Nicole Phillis,
chair of Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board, said nobody knows
for sure how measures such as the LUVE Initiative, likely going before
voters in November, and the Downtown Community Plan, currently under
review, will affect the future of the City’s rent-controlled
units.
Proposed
Raises Push Many Santa Monica Employees Well into Six-Figure Salaries
June 14, 2016 -- From the
head of Santa Monica’s cemetery to its bike-share coordinator,
librarians, civil engineers and lifeguards, many Santa Monica City
employees could get raises that would make six-figure salaries the
norm for many workers.
Santa
Monica Gets Ready to Celebrate Independence Day
June 14, 2016 -- Can’t
wait to party on the Fourth of July? No problem. Santa Monica will start
celebrating early again this year.
Santa
Monica Board Sets Maximum $25 Monthly Rent Increase
June 13, 2016 -- Monthly residential
rent charges in Santa Monica could increase as much as 1.3 percent
or $25, whichever is smaller, beginning in September.
Coastal
Commission OKs Santa Monica College’s Malibu Campus Plans
June 13, 2016 -- Santa Monica
College (SMC) passed one of last major hurdles toward building a campus
in Malibu when the California Coastal Commission last Thursday declined
to hear an appeal of that city's approval of the project.
Indiana
Man Arrested in Santa Monica with Arsenal in Car
June 13, 2016
-- An Indiana man was arrested in Santa Monica early Sunday morning
after police found three firearms and chemicals that could be used
to make explosives inside his car, police said.
Letters:
Robust "Debate" Led to Santa Monica League's Opposition
to LUVE
June 13, 2016 --Mr. Melkonians'
comments in your article of June 8, 2016 indicate that he doesn't
understand the process by which the League of Women Voters of Santa
Monica decides its positions on local ballot measures ("Santa
Monica League of Women Voters Accused of Bias," June 8, 2016).
Clinton
Wins Santa Monica’s Presidential Primary
June 10, 2016 -- As she did
statewide, Hillary Clinton easily won the Democratic presidential
primary election in Santa Monica on Tuesday, according to preliminary
results released by the Los Angeles County Registrar.
Santa
Monica Senator’s Measure Challenging "Citizens United"
Cleared for Ballot
June 10, 2016 -- California
voters will be able to weigh in on the controversial 2010 U.S. Supreme
Court decision that banned campaign spending limits for corporations
on First Amendment grounds thanks to a bill co-sponsored by Sen. Ben
Allen of Santa Monica.
Transient
Found Guilty of Two Santa Monica Murders
June 10, 2016 -- A 50-year-old
transient man was found guilty Wednesday of strangling to death two
homeless women in Santa Monica more than a decade ago, according to
the Los Angeles District Attorney.
LUVE
Initiative Heads to Santa Monica City Council
June 9, 2016 -- The first
vote on a proposal from the slow-growth activist group Residocracy
that would place a significant number of Santa Monica development
decisions in the hands of residents is expected to take place on Tuesday.
Bay
Area Urbanist to Lead Santa Monica Downtown Workshop
June 9, 2016 -- After a brief
pause, Santa Monica’s heated debate over future development
downtown heads back into the public arena Thursday when the City hosts
a Bay-area urbanist known for creating welcoming public spaces amid
congested city streets.
Santa
Monica College to Award Record Number of Degrees
June 9, 2016 -- Santa Monica
College brings its academic year to a formal close next week with commencement
ceremonies that include remarks from Loyola Marymount University President
Timothy Law Snyder and the awarding of a record number of degrees and
certificates to its students.
Santa
Monica League of Women Voters Accused of Bias
June 8, 2016 --The League
of Women Voters of Santa Monica voted last weekend to oppose a ballot
initiative that puts many development decisions in the hands of local
voters, triggering accusations of bias because some of the group's
officials belong to an organization created to defeat the measure.
Santa
Monica's Head of Public Works to Retire Next Month
June 8, 2016 -- After five
years with the City of Santa Monica, few would recognize Martin Pastucha,
although the more than 500 workers he supervises are a common sight
across the city.
Santa
Monica Beach House to Present Myths from Around the World
May 8, 2016 -- The Post Mortem
Movement Theater Company kicked off its summer Residency at the Annenberg
Community Beach House this month with public rehearsals of a new on-site
work and a public workshop.
Santa
Monica Voters Head to the Polls for Presidential Primary
June 7, 2016 -- For the first
time in many years, national attention will be focused on a presidential
primary election in Santa Monica and California as a whole.
Santa
Monica-Malibu Principals Warn of Program Cuts
June 7, 2016 -- With less
than a month left to raise education funds, principals in all 16 schools
in the Santa Monica-Malibu public school system Monday warned of cuts
in the arts, sciences and even reading if more money is not contributed.
Santa
Monica Celebrates New Expo Line, Carless Alternatives
June 7, 2016 -- Normally car-clogged
Santa Monica cleared nearly two miles of all cars Sunday in an open
streets festival that celebrated riding bikes, walking and hopping
a ride to the coast on the new Expo Light Rail line to downtown.
City
Officials, Residents Plan Future of Santa Monica’s Pico Neighborhood
June 6, 2016 -- An important
process for Santa Monica’s most culturally diverse neighborhood
began last week when the Planning Commission had an initial discussion
about the Pico Neighborhood Plan -- a document that will establish
regulations and goals for the area.
Former
City of Santa Monica Vehicle Sold with Expired CNG tank in Arizona
June 6, 2016 -- When Vanessa
Spahn and her husband purchased a used van in Arizona that had belonged
to the City of Santa Monica, little did she know that the vehicle
was unlawful to drive.
Santa
Monica College Reading Series Tackles Timely Issues
June 6, 2016 -- The Santa
Monica Rep theater company will launch its first reading series this
month with a mix of Depression-era classics and contemporary plays
on women's liberation, Santa Monica College officials announced last
week.
Letters:
Santa Monica Council Candidate Misunderstands LUVE
June 6, 2016 -- If Firefighter
Dominick Bei’s understanding of the LUVE initiative is any indication
of his ability to decipher simple documents then he should probably
stick to fighting fires.
Santa
Monica and Expo Reach Settlement on Downtown Station
June 3, 2016 -- The legal
battle between the City of Santa Monica and the Exposition Metro Line
Construction Authority (Expo) over the cost of the land where the
Downtown light rail station sits came to an end this week with the
announcement of a settlement.
Santa
Monica Firefighter Plans City Council Bid
June 3, 2016 -- The Santa
Monica City Council race is just starting to heat up, and the contest
for four seats could include a seven-year veteran of the local fire
department.
Santa
Monica to Host Open Streets Event Sunday
June 3, 2016 -- Five years
in the making, the Colorado Esplanade will be opened during a ribbon
cutting ceremony Sunday that will be followed by "Coast,"
Santa Monica's First Open Streets Event.
Coastal
Panel Staff Backs Santa Monica College’s Malibu Campus Plans
June 2, 2016 -- Santa Monica
College (SMC) received news in its favor late last week from the California
Coastal Commission when the State panel’s staff issued a report
recommending support for a 25,000-square-foot campus in Malibu.
Santa
Monica Offers New Will-Call Locations for Tuesday Primary
June 2, 2017 -- Santa Monica
is joining other cities in Los Angeles County for a new Will Call
pilot project that allows voters to pick up ballots early for the
June 7 primary and hand them in at one of a dozen new locations throughout
the county, City officials announced Wednesday.
Santa
Monica Celebrates Bard This Summer
June 2, 2016 -- Those planning
to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death can turn
to Santa Monica College to help them count the ways.
Santa
Monica LUVE Initiative Qualifies for November Ballot
June 1, 2016 –- A measure
that would require a public vote on most new development in Santa
Monica has gathered enough valid signatures to be placed on the November
ballot, sponsors of the initiative said Tuesday.
Portion
of Santa Monica Beach Part of Dune Restoration Project
June 1, 2016 -- A three-acre
portion of Santa Monica State Beach will be included in a pilot project
to restore coastal dunes, part of an effort to restore native plant
and animal species and demonstrate a natural approach dealing with
flooding and other issues.
Trio
That Stopped Possible Date Rape in Santa Monica Win Wide Acclaim
June 1, 2016 -- Call them “Charlie’s
Angels,” Santa Monica style – although, as the three women
are quick to warn, “This is no laughing matter.”
Santa
Monica Lookout
