New Santa Monica-Malibu Schools Superintendent Expected to be Appointed Thursday
October 31, 2016 -- Ben Drati, an education administrator in Santa Barbara, will likely be appointed as the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s (SMMUSD) next superintendent on Thursday.

Council Adopts 'Zero Net Energy' Requirement for New Santa Monica Homes
October 31, 2016 -- In what municipals officials are saying is a move that has not happened anywhere else in the world, the City Council last week approved an ordinance requiring all single-family homes constructed in Santa Monica to achieve “zero net energy (ZNE).”

Santa Monica College Police to Help Aid Foster Children
October 31, 2016 -- The Santa Monica College Police Department (SMCPD) will take part this weekend in a drive to collect items for children entering foster care, school officials announced last week.

Fundraising for Major Opposition to Santa Monica’s LUVE Measure Tops $1.1 Million
October 28, 2016 -- The two major opponents to Santa Monica’s slow-growth LUVE measure (appearing on the ballot as LV) have increased their significant financial advantage over supporters, according to disclosure statements submitted to the City this week that cover through October 22.

Winterer Leads in Santa Monica Council Campaign Fundraising
October 28, 2016 -- Santa Monica City Council campaign fundraising isn’t what it used to be. The latest disclosure reports, covering through October 22, show that just half the candidates have raised any money at all.

Santa Monica Council Candidates Get Personal
October 28, 2016 -- For the final item on the questionnaire, the candidates were told the following: Let’s get to know you outside politics. Tell us something interesting about yourself.

LUVE is Strange: How a Local Initiative Mistook a View for a Soul
October 28, 2016 -- It is strange how the urbane and sophisticated city of Santa Monica, “fortunate in its people and fortunate in its land,” as its motto rightfully proclaims, should have such a hard time planning its future.

Santa Monica Again Fails to Meet Affordable Housing Mandate
October 27, 2016 -- Still scrambling for financing, Santa Monica has fallen far short for the second year in a row of meeting the voter-imposed minimum for building new affordable housing, according to a new City report.

Santa Monica Council Sends Civic Center Sports Field Back to Drawing Board
October 27, 2016 -- Startled by bids far beyond budget, the Santa Monica City Council Tuesday decided to try again seeking proposals for a temporary sports field on a parking lot once used for the shuttered Civic Auditorium.

Santa Monica Council Candidates Talk Schools
October 27, 2016 -- Today's questions involve the City's relationship with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

Santa Monica’s County Supervisor Rips Drug Companies
October 26, 2016 -- Sheila Kuehl, the County supervisor whose district includes Santa Monica, is not impressed with what drug companies are calling a campaign to ensure safe disposal of prescription drugs and syringes, also known as sharps.

Santa Monica Council Candidates Talk Council Decisions
October 26, 2016 -- Today's question (this one technically an instruction): Name a good decision and bad decision made by the City Council in the past four years that stand out to you.

Santa Monica College Top in Transfers for 26th Straight Year
October 26, 2016 -- For the 26th year in a row, Santa Monica College (SMC) has been ranked the top community college in the state in transferring students to the University of California (UC) system, college officials announced Wednesday.

LETTERS: League Calls for Civility During Heated Local Elections
Let’s all remember that reasonable people can disagree and should be able to debate issues civilly. We will still be Santa Monicans on November 9. We will still be neighbors.

Brock ‘Presumes’ He Will Be a Write-in Option for Santa Monica Council
October 25, 2016 -- It’s not official, but it might be close to official that Phil Brock will be just the fourth Santa Monica City Council write-in candidate in the past four decades. (Update: Brock submitted papers on Tuesday to run as a write-in candidate.)

Santa Monica City Council Candidates Talk Resident Complaints
October 25, 2016 -- Today's question: What is the most common complaint you hear on the campaign trail? What can be done to remedy this problem?

Santa Monica College Music Students Showcase Their Talents Next Month
October 25, 2016 -- Santa Monica College will offer a bill featuring opera, jazz and Bach next month showcasing some of the college's top music students, SMC officials announced Monday.

Deadlines Loom in Busy Santa Monica Election Campaign Week
October 24, 2016 -- If you are not registered to vote and want to participate in the November 8 Santa Monica election, time is ticking.

Santa Monica Council to Tackle Sports Fields, Tourism and Green Issues
October 24, 2016 -- After a nearly month-long break, the Santa Monica City Council will meet again on Tuesday with several important items on the agenda.

Tom Hayden, Who Died Sunday, Reflected on His Past in a 1999 Lookout Article
Radical activist and former state lawmaker Tom Hayden died Sunday at the age of 76. He had deep ties to Santa Monica, where he lived with his former wife Jane Fonda. In 1999 The Lookout covered a speech that marked a major turning point in Hayden's life.

Jeff Klocke to Oversee Pacific Park on the Santa Monica Pier
October 24, 2016 -- Jeff Klocke, who has worked at Pacific Park since 1999, has been named vice president and general manager of the popular amusement destination on the Santa Monica Pier, park officials announced this month.

Write-In Candidacy Path Rarely Chosen in Santa Monica
October 21, 2016 -- If Phil Brock decides to run for Santa Monica City Council as a write-in candidate, he would become just the fourth person to take on the difficult challenge since 1984.

Santa Monica City Council Candidates Talk Airport Battles
October 21, 2016 -- Today's question: How would you characterize Santa Monica's legal battles with the FAA over Santa Monica Airport? What would you consider to be a successful conclusion, and will it happen?

Santa Monica Celebrates Dia de los Muertos
October 21, 2016 -- The ancient Aztecs celebrated what would become El Dia de los Muertos over several months, instead of a single day. Santa Monica will stay true to the tradition and mark the popular Mexican holiday with events over the course of two weeks.

Leading Opponent of Santa Monica’s Measure LV Floats Compromise
October 20, 2016 -- Just two weeks before Election Day, a leading opponent of Santa Monica’s slow-growth initiative is floating a future compromise that would seek public votes on new large developments, but not as many as are triggered by Measure LV.

Santa Monica City Council Candidates Talk Corruption
October 20, 2016 -- Today's question: Supporters of Measure SM say it will strengthen the city's anti-corruption law, commonly known as the Oaks Initiative. Do you support it? Does more need to be done about corruption in the City government beyond this measure?

Santa Monica Earns Poor Score in LGBTQ Equity Index
October 20, 2016 -- The City of Santa Monica earned mostly poor scores in an equity index released Monday by a national advocate group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, falling below California’s average scores and dozens of other cities in the state.

Brock Launches Write-in Campaign for Santa Monica City Council
October 19, 2016 -- After initially deciding not to run for Santa Monica City Council, slow-growth activist Phil Brock has started a last-minute bid to collect signatures for a write-in campaign in the November 8 election, he said Tuesday.

Santa Monica City Council Candidates Talk Traffic
October 19, 2016 -- Today's question: What causes traffic in Santa Monica? How can it be reduced?

Santa Monicans Asked for Help in Locating Mission Woman
October 19, 2016 -- Missing since Saturday, a 55-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s disease who loves walks on the beach could be headed in the direction of Santa Monica, friends and family said Tuesday as they asked the public for help in finding her.

City Clerk Alleges Coordination of Campaigns for 'Yes on LV' and Santa Monica Council Candidate
October 18, 2016 -- In a letter sent late last week to the treasurer of the Yes on Measure LV committee, Santa Monica City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren alleged that the campaign was "acting jointly" with slow-growth activist Armen Melkonians' council candidate campaign committee.

Slow-Growth Group Endorses Vazquez, Melkonians for Santa Monica City Council
October 18, 2016 -- Incumbent Tony Vazquez and challenger Armen Melkonians won the Santa Monica City Council endorsement from slow-growth activist group Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) on Monday.

City in Holding Pattern as Two Santa Monica Airport Tenants Defy Eviction
October 18, 2016 -- The refusal of two aviation-related tenants to exit the Santa Monica airport as ordered left the City in a holding pattern on Monday as officials, already being federally investigated over the evictions, decided what to do next.

Santa Monica Council Candidates Talk About Measure LV
October 17, 2016 -- Today’s question: Do you support Measure LV, which would require voter approval for most projects taller than 32 feet and changes to planning and land use policies? If you do not, is there a modified version of the initiative that you would support?

Big Money Not Flowing into Santa Monica City Council Campaign
October 17, 2016 -- Independent expenditures are playing a big money role in the ballot measures campaigns, especially for Measure LV, this election season. That is not the case so far for the City Council races.

Santa Monica College Receives Federal Education Grant
October 17, 2016 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) was the only California college to receive a U.S. Department of Education grant to expand its programs in foreign languages and cultures, SMC officials announced this week.

Santa Monica Council Candidates Talk Term Limits and Who They Support
October 14, 2016 -- Today’s questions: Who are you voting for in the City Council election? Do you support City Council term limits?

Aviation Group to FAA: Stop City's "Dismantling" of Santa Monica Airport
October 14, 2016 -- Mark Baker, president and CEO of the Maryland-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) urging the agency to stop what it called the City's "dismantling" of Santa Monica Airport.

New Santa Monica Tenants Should Receive Official Notice of Their Rights, Rent Commissioner Says
October 14, 2016 -- Santa Monica landlords could soon be forced at the time of lease signing to present tenants with a written notice produced by the Rent Control Board about their rights and responsibilities.

Introducing Santa Monica Council Candidates and a Question
October 13, 2016 -- City Council candidates share basic personal information and answer the question "Why are you running?"

Four-story Multi-Family Complexes Proposed on Santa Monica Ocean Front
October 13, 2016 -- Cleared for development by a City land sale four years ago, nearly 135,500 square feet of vacant land and surface parking on Santa Monica’s ocean front could become the site of two four-story mixed-use residential buildings.

Santa Monica to Hold Community Summit on Climate Change Action Plan
October 13, 2016 -- Struggling to create a climate-change road map to mid century, the City of Santa Monica is asking the community to attend a summit late this month that examines how to rein in some of the City’s environmentally worst, yet most ubiquitous, enemies: Automobiles and buildings.

LV Supporters, Santa Monica Council Member Clash as Campaign Intensifies
October 12, 2016 -- A verbal clash this weekend between slow-growth campaigners and a Santa Monica City Council member they claim tried to oust them from a City park demonstrates how bitter the battle over Measure LV has become. (A previous version of this article stated that Council member Terry O'Day tried to oust campaign volunteers for Measure LV from Clover Park. The accusation made by campaign volunteers was denied by O'Day.)

Santa Monica Pro-Bicycle Group, Green Party Oppose LV
October 12, 2016 -- The list of opponents to the slow-growth LUVE proposal, which will appear on Santa Monica’s November ballot as Measure LV, grew by at least two this past week.

Fundraising Walk Slated for Santa Monica to Help Suicide Prevention
October 12, 2016 -- Santa Monica may hate the congestion for which it’s known lately, but on Saturday, the anticipated crowd will converge for a good, although heart-breaking, cause.

Santa Monica Airport's Typhoon Restaurant to Close After City Hikes Rent
October 11, 2016 -- After a quarter century at Santa Monica Airport, the Typhoon restaurant will close next month, another victim of the beach city's rising rents.

Santa Monica College Announces “Priority Enrollment” for Local High School Students and Residents
October 11, 2016 -- Santa Monica College officials on Monday announced a new program that gives Santa Monica and Malibu residents and high school graduates a chance for “priority enrollment,” an effort that could add more local newcomers to an institution that attracts much of its enrollment from outside the area.

Santa Monica High Principal Not Clowning Around
October 11, 2016 -- The possibly media-driven nationwide clown scare has reached Santa Monica.

Medical Office Building Approved for Vacant Santa Monica Property
October 7, 2016 -- A small property vacant since 2003 on 19th Street between Santa Monica Boulevard and Broadway could soon be the site of a medical office building.

Santa Monica Launches Car Free Friday Initiative
October 7, 2016 -- If you see fewer cars in the often traffic-clogged streets of Santa Monica this Friday, it is no coincidence.

Santa Monica Peace Activist Plans Fast to Oppose Green Party
October 7, 2016 -- Jerry Rubin has a better attendance record for Santa Monica government meetings than many elected and appointed officials.

Injunction Filed to Halt Enforcement of Santa Monica's Short-term Rental Law
October 6, 2016 -- Attorneys for Airbnb-style vacation “hosts” in Santa Monica are seeking a temporary injunction in federal court to stop the City's new short-term rental law, claiming the ordinance -- among the nation's toughest -- is unconstitutional and causing “irreparable harm” to residents.

Santa Monica College Awarded $6 Million Grant to Expand STEM Program
October 6, 2016 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) will expand opportunities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) for Hispanic and low-income students thanks to a nearly $6 million federal grant, College officials announced Wednesday.

Man Shot by Deputies at Santa Monica Expo Station Remains in Critical Condition
October 6, 2016 -- A still unidentified man remained in critical condition Wednesday after being shot by a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy after he lunged at deputies with a knife at the Expo Line station in Santa Monica’s busy downtown, a department spokesperson said.

Santa Monica Unlikely to Avoid Another Iconic Store's Possible Departure
October 5, 2016 -- A City leader said Tuesday he tried to find a way to help Santa Monica’s historic Busy Bee Hardware keep its doors open after nearly a century in operation on Santa Monica Boulevard.

Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation Raises Record Amount
October 5, 2016 -- Pledge Days, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation's (SMMEF) district-wide fundraising event, raised $362,875, capping a record start to the group's annual campaign to fund programs at local schools, Foundation officials announced Wednesday.

Santa Monica-based RAND Selected to Operate Homeland Security Analysis Center
October 5, 2016 -- RAND Corporation, the independent nonprofit think tank based in Santa Monica, has been selected by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conduct technical and operational research on such issues as terrorism and border security, officials announced Tuesday.

LETTERS: Closing Santa Monica Airport Puts Westside in "Jeopardy"
October 5, 2016 -- I find it alarming the level of untruths Santa Monica’s City officials will tell in their effort to rationalize their illicit actions aimed at strangling and/or closing the airport.

Busy Bee Hardware in Struggle with UCLA to Remain in Santa Monica
October 4, 2016 -- After nearly a century at its Santa Monica locale, the city’s venerable Busy Bee Hardware might face eviction and is hoping for a compromise with its neighbor, UCLA, that will stave off relocation.

Santa Monica Malibu School Board Narrowing Search for New Superintendent
October 4, 2016 -- Three months after the departure of its former superintendent, the Santa Monica-Malibu School Board is starting to review applications for a permanent replacement, according to a district official.

Bette Davis Home to Host Santa Monica Conservancy Salon
October 4, 2016 -- A former home of legendary actress Bette Davis will host the Santa Monica Conservancy's Fall Salon this month, organization officials announced this week.

Residents’ Health Protected by Eviction of Airport Tenant, Santa Monica Official Says
October 3, 2016 -- One of the City’s top officials defended last month’s eviction of a major Santa Monica Airport airport tenant as a method to protect residents’ health.

Santa Monica Council Backs State and County Ballot Measures
October 3, 2016 -- Two measures appearing on the Santa Monica ballot in November received the backing of the City Council last Tuesday.

The Moon, an Asteroid and a Solar Eclipse at the Santa Monica College Planetarium
October 3, 2016 -- Explore the lunar surface where man first landed, get the latest on efforts to collect an asteroid sample and preview the first total solar eclipse in 37 years at Santa Monica College's John Drescher Planetarium this month.