Local Union Criticized for Lobbying Santa Monica City Hall for Seven-Story Hotel January 31, 2018 -- Unite Here Local 11, a union for housekeepers lately spreading its wings in Santa Monica, is the source of a new attack for using its clout to win a nod from the City Council for a controversial seven-story hotel in the neighborhood of the Bergamot Station Arts Center.
Santa Monica Police to Hold DUI Checkpoint Friday January 31, 2018 -- Santa Monica Police will conduct a DUI/Drivers License Checkpoint on Friday from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. at an undisclosed location within the city limits, police officials announced.
New Policy Would Root Out Junk Food at Santa Monica-Malibu Public Schools January 30, 2018 -- Updating its wellness policy, the Santa Monica-Malibu public school system is considering a proposal to root out junk food for students on campus that also recommends only healthy treats be allowed even during class parties and off-hours special events.
Neil Young Puts Santa Monica Back on the Cultural Map January 29, 2018 -- For a mid-sized beach town, Santa Monica has plenty of ties to iconic rock stars. Its reputation should receive another boost with the upcoming release of the latest installment in Neil Young's bootleg series, "Roxy -- Tonight's the Night Live," which gives top billing to his band The Santa Monica Flyers.
Pension Costs to Climb Almost 75 Percent at Santa Monica City Hall, Think Tank Estimates January 29, 2018 -- Total pension costs at Santa Monica City Hall will climb almost 75 percent by the 2024-2025 fiscal year, as the City continues to shoulder a huge unfunded liability -- or pension obligations it failed to fully fund -- and ongoing annual payments, according to a new analysis by a Sacramento-based think tank.
Hotel Workers at Santa Monica JW Marriott Threaten to Strike January 29, 2018 -- Housekeepers at the JW Marriott Le Merigot in Santa Monica are threatening to picket, boycott and strike over allegations that the luxury beachfront hotel has been retaliating against those who supported the vote last November to join Unite Here, Local 11.
Camera Obscura Resident Artists Offer Workshops in Santa Monica
January 29, 2018 -- Santa Monica's Camera Obscura Art Lab continues its weekly workshops with resident artists Debra Disman and Huong Nguyen, who also will be working during the week on their residency projects.
Santa Monica Prosecutors Resolve Second Case of Minimum Wage Law Violations January 24, 2018 -- Santa Monica City prosecutors announced Tuesday they have resolved a case involving dozens of violations of the City’s 2016 higher minimum-wage law at a janitorial/security services company licensed in the city.
2018 Homeless Count in Santa Monica and Los Angeles County Starts January 24, 2018 – Volunteers in Santa Monica will fan out tonight to scan for people living in the streets, on the beach, in parks and other public spaces and in shelters as the 2018 homeless count gets underway.
Santa Monica City Council to Decide Temporary Fate of 'Monster Mansions' January 22, 2018 -- The Santa Monica City Council will consider on Tuesday imposing temporary limits on the size and heights of proposed “monster mansions” as it searches for a way to permanently protect what is left of the city's quaint single-family neighborhoods.
Award-winning Playwright Luis Alfaro to Present Overview of His Work in Santa Monica January 22, 2018 -- The region’s growing homeless population will be the focus of an adaptation of a German classic by playwright Luis Alfaro, the new artist in residence at the Annenberg Community Beach House in Santa Monica. Alfaro will present an overview of his work this Tuesday from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the beach house.
Electric Flight Discussed at Santa Monica Airport Saturday
January 19,2018 -- The benefits of electric flight and the future of flight training will be discussed during a public event at the Santa Monica Airport's Museum of Flying this Saturday.
EXTRA District Probe of Santa Monica-Malibu School Board Member Shies Away from Judgment January 19, 2018 -- Findings from a district probe of conflict-of-interest allegations released Thursday shied away from passing judgment on the school board member who was the original target, although two others appeared to be cleared of wrongdoing.
Outside Audit Finds Santa Monica Far Outspent Peer Cities for Services January 18, 2018 -- From police protection to City libraries, planning, housing and buses, the City of Santa Monica generally far outspent comparable peers in Southern California on a per capita basis in the last fiscal year, an outside audit has found.
Bossa Nova Takes Center Stage at Santa Monica Library January 18, 2018 -- It's been 55 years since “The Girl From Ipanema” knocked the Beatles from the top spot on the Billboard charts and triggered a craze for the cool swing and gentle sway of Brazil's bossa nova sound.
Ridership Plunges on Santa Monica City Buses as Expo Popularity Soars January 17, 2018 -- Dashing hopes Expo would lift it from decline, Santa Monica’s Big Blue Bus system posted another double-digit drop in ridership last fiscal year, accentuated by a loss of almost a third of riders on routes parallel to light rail line, according to a year-end report.
City of Santa Monica's Unfunded Pension Costs Jump 20 Percent January 16, 2018 – Unfunded pension liabilities for the City of Santa Monica jumped 20 percent in the last fiscal year, rising from $387 million to $461 million “primarily due to the actual returns on the investment portfolio being less than CalPERS’ projected returns,” according to Gigi Decavalles-Hughes, the City’s finance director.
Santa Monica Lawmaker's Rental Bill Fails to Pass Committee January 12, 2018 -- In a major victory for landlords, a state bill introduced by Santa Monica lawmaker Richard Bloom that would allow California cities to expand rent control failed to pass out of committee Thursday.
Environmental Leader Blasts Santa Monica Council for Use of Water Funds January 11, 2018 -- The head of Santa Monica's environmental task force on Tuesday strongly criticized the City Council for allowing $56.4 million to be drained from the City’s water fund to help finance mega-projects not related to water use.
Santa Monica Planning Commission to Review Four Mixed-Use Projects January 9, 2018 -- A five-story mixed-use apartment building on Lincoln Boulevard is set for official approval on Wednesday by the Santa Monica Planning Commission, which then turns its perusal to three more similar projects not far away.
Plan to Cap Santa Monica Freeway with a Park Moves to the Fore January 8, 2018 -- A decade ago, City planners worried that former Mayor Michael Feinstein's proposal to cap the Santa Monica Freeway was a “crazy idea.” But the concept to link the city’s downtown and Civic Center with a park perched atop a massive deck is poised to move forward as officials prioritize their no-longer stalled development pipeline.
Santa Monica Prepares Five Percent Hike in Water Rate January 8, 2018 -- The water rate for the City of Santa Monica is poised to rise by 5 percent this year, the same as in the previous two years, but short of the maximum nine percent hike authorized in 2015 as part of a five-year plan.
Santa Monica Celebrates the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. January 8, 2018 -- Santa Monica will host two events to celebrate the life of Civil Rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this month -- the screening of a documentary on Thursday and the 33rd annual celebration of his birth next Monday.
Residents Fight to Win Historic Status for Santa Monica Bungalow District January 5, 2018 -- Once upon a time, Santa Monica was home to neighborhoods of modest but well-built, well-designed and well-loved bungalows built for people of middle-class means. “Friends of 11th Street” is offering its cluster of those homes as proof of that life and asking the City to grant their neighborhood historic status in a bid to preserve it.
Santa Monica Restaurant Week Covers the Map
January 5, 2018 -- Meatless burgers that bleed. Fried sweet potatoes that melt in your mouth. Kale salads, prawn pizza, and even masala ice cream. Santa Monica Restaurant Week, sponsored by Santa Monica Travel & Tourism (SMTT), offers an invitation to explore these dishes from January 8 to 14. This year’s theme is the pomegranate.
Santa Monica Mountain Pumas No Longer Receive Automatic Death Sentences January 5, 2018 -- Cougars in the Santa Monica Mountains and elsewhere in Southern California’s wilderness no longer face automatic death sentences if they prey upon domestic animals, state officials announced Tuesday.
District Probe of Santa Monica-Malibu School Board Members Reaching Conclusion January 4, 2018 -- A district probe of conflict-of-interest allegations, reportedly now widened to three Santa Monica-Malibu school board members, is winding down and due to be unveiled before the entire board when it meets again later this month, a district representative said Wednesday.
Santa Monica Police to Focus on Pedestrian, Bicycle Safety
January 4, 2018 -- With the number of fatal pedestrian incidents reaching an all-time high last year, Santa Monica police will hold the year's first Bike and Pedestrian Safety Enforcement Operations Friday and Monday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.. The operations focus on traffic violations "that can potentially lead to life altering injuries."
Santa Monica Police Seeking Information in Shooting Last Month January 3, 2018 -- (UPDATED) The son of a Santa Monica man who unsuccessfully sued police over a videotaped beating in 2002 was among the suspects arrested in an attempted murder that took place near the Pico Neighborhood last month.
New York Public Library Star of Film Screening at Santa Monica Library January 3, 2018 -- The New York Public Library, the subject of a documentary film that will be screened in Santa Monica Tuesday, is the second-largest library in the nation and the fourth largest in the world.
Santa Monica Poised to Raise Fees for Community and Cultural Programs and Services January 2, 2018 -- The fees the City of Santa Monica charges for everything from lifeguard training to performances staged at the Miles Memorial Playhouse are expected to increase this summer. Fee adjustments for many of the programs and services were proposed last month by the Department of Community and Cultural Services (CCS).
Public Can Weigh In on Santa Monica Pier Bridge Reconstruction January 2, 2018 -- The nearly 80-year-old bridge that leads to Santa Monica's iconic pier will soon be torn down and replaced, with a meeting focusing on the environmental impacts of the reconstruction scheduled for next week.
Shakespeare Comes Home in Santa Monica
January 2, 2018 -- What does the world's greatest playwright do after penning "Hamlet," "Macbeth," "Othello" and "King Lear?" He comes home and, unable to sleep, banters with his wife. That's the premise, and dramatic event, used in "Shakespeare his wife and the dog," which receives its U.S. premiere in Santa Monica this month.
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