Santa Monica Asks Judge to Toss Voting Rights Lawsuit
March 30, 2018 -- The City last week asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to toss out a voting rights lawsuit challenging Santa Monica's use of at-large elections for Council positions "because it has not caused any dilution of Latino/a voting strength," City officials said Thursday.
Jazz and Classical Music Featured at Santa Monica College March 30, 2018 -- The Santa Monica College Music Department will present a series of concerts in April that include a benefit for the school's applied music program, concert organizers announced this week.
Santa Monica Council to Delve into Public Campaign Financing After Elections March 29, 2018 -- Santa Monica City Council members said Tuesday they want to delve into public financing for City races after the November election, one of several steps being explored to prevent violations of local election laws.
Long-Lost Photos of Rock Legends to Be Exhibited in Santa Monica
March 29, 2018 -- For more than 45 years, the candid black and white photos of 1960s rock-and-roll legends -- including The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin and The Band -- sat in Michael Friedman's attic unexposed.
Restored Laurel and Hardy Classics to Be Screened in Santa Monica March 28, 2018 -- Comedy legend Stan Laurel, who lived his final years in a Santa Monica apartment, is returning to town on the big screen this weekend in newly restored versions of some of his classic films. The Laurel and Hardy film series -- which showcases shorts and features -- takes place Friday through Sunday at the Aero Theater, 1328 Montana Avenue.
Santa Monica Elks Lodge Honors Phil Brock as Citizen of the Year March 28, 2018 -- The Santa Monica Elks Lodge will recognize Arts Commissioner and longtime community volunteer Phil Brock during its Annual Citizen of the Year Dinner Thursday at 6 p.m. at the Elks Lodge, 1040 Pico Boulevard.
LETTERS --Single-Family Homeowners Need to Wake Up Under rent control measures being proposed, single-family homeowners will experience the unparalleled bureaucracy of not owning their entire home, writes former Santa Monica Rent Control Commissioner Robert Kronovet.
Santa Monica’s Troubled Transit System Set to Add Upgraded Buses March 27, 2018 -- Santa Monica’s troubled Big Blue Bus system on Monday announced it is starting a new phase of modernizing the fleet, replacing a quarter of its buses with new, smaller and more agile versions.
Santa Monica Review Launches Spring Issue with Author Readings March 27, 2018 -- Santa Monica College’s (SMC) bi-annual literary arts journal will launch its spring issue with three author readings and an appearance at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books next month.
Santa Monica Rents Double Under Full Vacancy 'Decontrol,' Report Finds March 26, 2018 -- A typical two-bedroom apartment at market rates in Santa Monica required a yearly income of $111,000 last year, according to an annual update on the state of the City’s troubled rent control system.
Downtown Santa Monica Property Owners Vote to Renew Assessment District March 26, 2018 -- Property owners in Downtown Santa Monica last week overwhelmingly voted to preserve the ten-year-old Property-Based Assessment District (PBAD) that enhances maintenance, services and marketing for the area.
Firefighters Extinguish Blaze at Vacant Santa Monica Home March 26, 2017 -- Firefighters extinguished a blaze that consumed a vacant Santa Monica home near Montana Avenue last week, fire officials said Monday.The fire began shortly before 9 p.m. Thursday at 918 22nd Street.
Santa Monica's Sustainable Quality Award Winners Announced March 23, 2018 -- A small independent elementary school, a coffee shop, a dance school and a church, are the winners of Santa Monica's 2018 Sustainable Quality Award Grand Prizes, award officials announced Thursday.
City Review of Santa Monica Election Law Addresses General Issues March 22, 2018 -- A City Attorney review of Santa Monica’s election laws, ordered after a local hotel violated state election laws, does not weigh in on whether the City needs a separate probe but suggests steps to guard against possible violations in the future.
A Moon Crater, Fuzzy Objects and a Mission to Mars at Santa Monica College Planetarium
March 22, 2018 -- The work of an 18th Century French comet hunter and a view of one of the Moon's most dramatic craters will be featured next month at the Santa Monica College John Drescher Planetarium. The April offerings feature the work of Charles Messier, who compiled one of the best-known astronomical catalogs of the northern sky.
Chain Reaction' Sculpture Back in Santa Monica’s Public Art Collection March 21, 2018 -- After weathering some rough years, “Chain Reaction” -- the unique 26-foot tall sculpture in Santa Monica’s Civic Center depicting a mushrooming nuclear cloud -- has been welcomed back to the City’s public art collection.
Santa Monica Rent Board to Discuss Eliminating Surcharges for Existing Tenants March 20, 2018 -- After removing surcharges passed on from landlords to new tenants, Santa Monica’s Rent Control Board on Thursday will discuss doing the same for the remaining renters in the city’s more than 25,000 controlled units.
EXTRA Santa Monica-Malibu School Board Closer to Deciding Malibu Split March 20, 2018 -- The Santa Monica-Malibu School Board is edging closer to a decision on Malibu’s campaign to split from the District, with a new report detailing the "significantly" high cost to Malibu of equalizing the loss of funding to the Santa Monica-based district.
Santa Monica Hires New City Architect
March 19, 2018 -- The architect in charge of managing a $172 million capital improvement project for the Los Angeles Zoo has been hired as Santa Monica's new City Architect, City officials announced last week.
Wonder Room' Kicks Off Art @ Tongva Season in Santa Monica March 19, 2018 -- For an evening next week, Santa Monica's Tongva Park's intimate spaces will be filled with surprising performances as the City kicks off the 2018 Art @ Tongva season with the fifth annual Wonder Room.
Total Departures at Santa Monica Airport Hold Steady, As Jet Traffic Nosedives March 16, 2018 -- Last month, the number of jet flights from Santa Monica Airport took a nosedive compared to February of last year, but the total number of departures held steady, according to the latest statistics released by the City.
Santa Monica Officials Explore Ways to Get People Downtown Without Cars March 15, 2018 -- Santa Monica's ongoing battle to balance parking needs Downtown and wean motorists from its congested streets took another turn last week, with the City Council directing staff to explore new strategies at the urging of Downtown officials.
Santa Monica Prepares for LA Marathon Sunday March 16, 2017 -- On Sunday some 20,000 runners, along with spectators, family and friends, will descend on Santa Monica for the final three miles of the LA Marathon.To help residents and spectators navigate the street closures and find alternate ways to get near the finish line, the City is providing maps, schedules and handy tips on its website.
Annual Benefit Concert Raises $86,000 for Santa Monica, Malibu Schools
March, 16, 2018 -- The Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation’s annual benefit concert this month starring Grammy winner and early 1980s rock star Rick Springfield raised more than $86,000 for local public schools, Foundation officials said Friday. Proceeds will support arts programs at all District schools next year.
Santa Monica-Malibu Students Hold Demonstrations in Wake of Florida School Shootings March 15, 2018 -- Thousands of students at Santa Monica and Malibu public schools walked out of classes on Wednesday as part of a District-sanctioned demonstration to show solidarity with students at a Florida high school where a mass shooting claimed 17 lives one month earlier.
Santa Monica Officials Explore Ways to Get People Downtown Without Cars March 15, 2018 -- Santa Monica's ongoing battle to balance parking needs Downtown and wean motorists from its congested streets took another turn last week, with the City Council directing staff to explore new strategies at the urging of Downtown officials.
Santa Monica Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint Friday March 15, 2018 -- Santa Monica police will conduct a DUI checkpoint Friday at a time when California is experiencing a "disturbing" increase in crashes involving drug-impaired drivers, police said.
Suspects in Santa Monica's Most Violent Crimes Were Repeat Offenders March 13, 2018 -- At least six of the suspects charged with some of the most violent crimes in Santa Monica since the beginning of 2017 were either felons or on probation, fueling concerns that a state law to alleviate overcrowding in state prisons could be a contributing factor.
Santa Monica Taps Highly Touted Folsom Police Chief for Top Post March 13, 2018 -- Folsom Police Chief Cynthia Renaud -- who is credited with helping lower property and violent crime in the Sacramento County city -- has been tapped to head the Santa Monica Police Department, City officials announced Tuesday. She will start the job at the end of April with an annual salary of $265,440, officials said.
President Trump to Touch Down in Santa Monica Tuesday Afternoon March 12, 2018 -- President Donald Trump will make a pit stop at Santa Monica Airport Tuesday afternoon on his first trip to California as president, City officials confirmed. The president will arrive by helicopter from LAX between 2:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. before a motorcade whisks him to an evening fundraiser in Beverly Hills, officials told The Lookout.
New Santa Monica Homeowners Among Hardest Hit By Federal Tax Code March 12, 2018 -- New homeowners in Santa Monica are estimated to be among the hardest hit in California by a reduction in mortgage deductions in the new federal tax code, according to an organization tracking the ups and downs of the law.
Interim Police Chief Says Major Crimes in Santa Monica Up but Low by Historic Standards March 9, 2018 -- With a string of violent crimes stoking community fear, Santa Monica Interim Police Chief Kenneth Semko on Thursday said major crime had risen 6 percent in the first two months of 2018, adding that police have been re-deployed to provide “an immediate” impact on both crime and the community’s “perception of safety.”
Impro Theatre Takes Off Into the 'Twilight Zone' in Santa Monica This Month March 9, 2018 -- LA’s Impro Theatre invites Santa Monica audiences to take a trip into another dimension this month using its trademark improvisational style to tackle the classic early 60’s sci-fi television show, "The Twilight Zone." The shows -- which use audience suggestions to create improvised episodes -- take place the weekend of March 16 to 18 at The Edye.
City Considers Big Rate Hikes for Downtown Santa Monica Parking Structures March 6, 2018 -- Parking in City-operated parking structures for popular downtown Santa Monica could rocket by up to 71 percent to reach $30 on weekends for motorists who stay around for the day, according to a new report.
Family of Second Young Santa Monica Woman Pleads for Help After Violent Episodes March 5, 2018 -- Leigh Collins awoke to a knife-wielding attacker late last month in her Santa Monica apartment. Now her family has embarked on a path similar to one trod just a few weeks earlier by a desperate Santa Monica father facing huge hospitals bills after his young daughter also was attacked by an assailant.
Fire Erupts at Condominium Complex in Santa Monica March 5, 2018 -- Santa Monica Firefighters extinguished a "massive" fire that broke out Saturday night in a condominium complex in Ocean Park before it could spread to adjacent buildings, Fire Department officials said.
Santa Monica Police Identify Suspect in Jewelry Store Robbery
March 2, 2018 -- Santa Monica police have identified the suspect who robbed a Montana Avenue jewelry store and remains at large after an intensive manhunt Thursday in the city's wealthiest neighborhood.
Santa Monica Slow-Growth Group Shifts Focus to Crime March 2, 2018 -- It wasn’t long ago that one of Santa Monica’s most aggressive grassroots organizations was best known for challenging the City’s powers that be over the amount of new development it allowed.
Worn Paths at Two Santa Monica Parks Set to be Replaced March 1, 2018 -- The popular but worn-down public paths at Santa Monica’s Palisades Park and Virginia Avenue Park are poised to temporarily close this spring while being replaced with a natural, non-eroding material.
