The Santa Monica Lookout, Santa Monica, California -- November 2019

'City Wins Injunction in Tenant Harassment Case
November 27, 2019 -- Two landlords accused of repeatedly parking in a tenant's space, tossing belongings from their storage space and filing a false eviction have agreed to a judgment and court injunction, the City Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday.

City Can Do Little to Stem Gentrification of Pico Neighborhood, Report Concludes
November 26, 2019 -- There is little the City can do to preserve the Pico Neighborhood outside of enhancing tenant protections, according to a report released by the Santa Monica Planning Department Monday.

EXTRA City Halts Landscape Crews' Move to Airport
November 26, 2019 -- The City will halt work on an $800,000 project to relocate the parks maintenance crews to Santa Monica Airport after neighboring residents vocally opposed the move, he City Manager annouced Monday.

Santa Monica Police Thwart Suicide One Day After Man Hangs Himself from Pier
November 25, 2019 -- Police on Friday stopped a man from jumping onto the freeway in what would have been the ninth public suicide in Santa Monica in less than two years and the second in two days.

LAX Offers Santa Monica Shuttle Service Thanksgiving Week
November 25, 2019 -- LAX passengers can take a $10 shuttle to and from Santa Monica during the busy Thanksgiving holidays. The new ride-share pickup service, which launched Sunday, will run through December 2, except Thanksgiving day.

Residents, Airport Commission Try to Block Relocation of Parks Landscape Crews
November 22, 2019 -- The Santa Monica Airport Commission this week unanimously backed residents' calls to block the City's landscape maintenance crews from moving to the airport.

OPINION -- SMMUSD Budget: Challenges and Opportunities Ahead
November 22, 2019 -- Given the School District’s chronic structural deficit and our transition to basic aid, we need to take a fresh look at our expenditures and develop a sustainable budget, writes School Superintendent Dr. Ben Drati.

Councilmember Seeks Public's Help in Saving Sycamore
November 21, 2019 -- A century old sycamore tree remains in jeopardy after its owners declined to sign a deed restriction protecting it while the City Council drafts a citywide tree ordinance.

Big Blue Bus Continues to Lose Riders
November 21, 2019 -- Ridership on Santa Monica's Big Blue Bus (BBB) continued its downward slide, dropping by more than 650,000 passengers, or 5 percent, agency officials reported Wednesday.

Height, Density Limits Curb Santa Monica's Ability to Meet Affordable Housing Goals
November 19, 2019 -- Santa Monica will have to allow taller, denser buildings on major thoroughfares if it hopes to meet its affordable housing goals, according to a new report.

It's Winterlit Season in Santa Monica
November 19, 2019 -- Downtown Santa Monica is being transformed into a winter wonderland for the holidays where visitors can stroll under the glow of thousands of colorful lights and glide on real ice.

Elderly Pedestrian Killed by Drunk Hit-and-Run Driver
November 18, 2019 -- A drunk hit-and-run driver killed an elderly woman crossing the street in Downtown Santa Monica shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday. Rogelio Bobadilla, 28, was booked on four counts, including gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated.

Santa Monica Names New Writer-In-Residence
November 18, 2019 -- Queer Latinx artist Analisa Raya-Flores, whose work explores ethnicity and class, has been named the Annenberg Community Beach House writer in residence.

OPINION -- Santa Monica's Slow-Growth Movement Is Energized to Defeat the “Plaza”
November 18, 2019 -- Residents don’t have to allow their tax dollars to go towards a bad project that will redefine our Downtown for the next 100 years.

Council Extends Emergency Ordinances for Fast Food Restaurants, Landmark Demolitions
November 15, 2019 -- The City Council on Tuesday extended emergency ordinances that ban fast food restaurants on the Promenade and set standards for the demolition of potential landmarks.

Santa Monica Launches Extra Bedroom Program
November 15, 2019 -- Santa Monica hotels are making it easier to heed the call of health experts who are urging workers to take much-needed vacations.

Santa Monica's Breeze Bike Share Up in the Air
November 14, 2019 -- The future of Santa Monica's Breeze bike share program -- LA County's first shared micro-mobility effort -- is up in the air as private firms corner the growing market.

Big Blue Bus Riders Can Use App to Buy Single Ride Tickets
November 14, 2019 -- Big Blue Bus (BBB) passengers can now buy single ride passes using the agency's mobile app and payment system in what is the first collaboration of its kind, BBB officials announced Tuesday.

Santa Monica Banks on Future of Micro Mobility
November 13, 2019 -- The Santa Monica City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to continue, and "sharpen," a pilot program for e-scooters and e-bikes credited with replacing 1.3 million car trips over the past year.

Police Arrest Repeat Offender in Downtown Stabbing
November 13, 2019 -- Jalen Markeith Perrot, 27, a repeat offender with a string of prior misdemeanor arrests, was charged Tuesday with assault with a deadly weapon in a stabbing near the Downtown library last week.

OPINION -- Questions about the Plaza at Santa Monica Development
November 13, 2019 -- These questions by the Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) were written "to spark discussion and a greater understanding" of the proposed mixed-use hotel project on City owned land at 4th and Arizona.

Santa Monica Water Rates Set to Jump
November 12, 2019 -- Santa Monica homeowners could see their bimonthly water bills increase by $36 over the next five years under a plan the City Council will consider early next year.

Bold' Plan to Transform the Promenade Gets Go-Ahead from Council
November 7, 2019 -- Santa Monica should embark on a "bold" plan to transform its iconic Promenade, the City Council said Tuesday, but it will take much more than money to make it work.

Two Suspects Arrested in Wednesday Night Stabbing Downtown
November 7, 2019 -- Police arrested two suspects Thursday in a stabbing that took place in Downtown Santa Monica Wednesday night.

PUBLIC NOTICE -- Ice at Santa Monica Reopens Sunday
After a temporary closure, Ice at Santa Monica returns this Sunday at 10 am. An all-new free skate day will be held Monday, November 18th from 2 to 10 p.m.

Santa Monica to Celebrate Veteran's Day Monday with Traditional Ceremony in Palisades Park
November 6, 2019 -- Santa Monica will celebrate Veteran's Day on Monday with a ceremony at Palisades Park that includes the traditional posting of colors and the playing of taps. The ceremony takes place from 9 to 9:30 a.m.

EXTRA -- E-Scooters Get Mixed Results as City's 16-Month Pilot Program Nears End
November 5, 2019 -- E-scooters have had mixed results in Santa Monica, the beach city that helped kick off a craze that has forced local governments around the world to find ways to curb their use.

American Film Market (AFM) Puts Santa Monica Back in the Spotlight
November 5, 2019 -- Tuesday marks the 29th consecutive year Santa Monica hosts the American Film Market (AFM), putting the beach city that once hosted the Oscars at the center of the film world and pumping some $20 million into the local economy.

PUBLIC NOTICE -- Ice Opening Delayed
Due to unforeseen mechanical issues, Ice at Santa Monica is temporarily closed and the Grand Opening Celebration scheduled for Thursday, November 7, has been postponed until further notice.

Santa Monica Is Reimagining The Promenade Three Decades After It Was Launched
November 4, 2019 -- Third Street has pretty much remained the same since it was closed to traffic, re-designed and rechristened the Promenade in September 1989.

Santa Monica Man Suspected in Riverside County Murder Found Dead
November 4, 2019 -- A Santa Monica man suspected of killing a woman a Morena Valley home last Wednesday committed suicide shortly after the slaying, local sheriff's deputies said Monday.

Police Seek Help Finding Missing Man Suffering from Dementia
November 4, 2019 -- Santa Monica police are asking the public's help in locating a man suffering from dementia who has been missing since Friday.

Making Memories on Ice in Downtown Santa Monica
November 1 , 2019 -- After skating for years on a patch of frozen lake her father would clear behind the family's Minnesota home, Kathleen Rawson knew the magic of spending holiday seasons on the ice.