On Saturday, Feb. 21, from 5 - 8 p.m., at 685 Venice Blvd., Venice, CA (Old Venice Police Station), SPARC's historic headquarters since 1977, The Duron Gallery at SPARC will present “A Short Essay on Chicano Photography,” showcasing works from the collection of Mary and Armando Duron that will feature a survey exhibition on Chicano... Read more →

Editor's note: This is the second in a series of articles focused on a report released by City Hall's Planning and Community Development Department that updates City Council on the progress and impacts of the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE), which was enacted in 2010. Commercial construction declined while the creation of green... Read more →

The Santa Monica Pier is working toward a new custom-built stage for its summer concerts. Stereo.Bot, a technology company led by an architect that does many of the displays for Coachella and other events, has designed a colorful, alien-looking platform to be used for this summer’s Twilight Concert Series and other events on the... Read more →

Remember when voters in 2012 approved a $385-million bond for upgrades in facilities and technology in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District? The local Board of Education is now continuing the process of allocating the Measure ES money for particular projects. Staff will provide background during Thursday's meeting at district... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to 428 calls for service on Feb. 17. Below is a sampling of those calls chosen by the Santa Monica Daily Press staff. Disturbance, 1800 block Lincoln, 12:05 a.m. Fight, 1600 block Ocean Front Walk, 12:43 a.m. Assault, Pico/Ocean Way, 1:24 a.m. Strong-arm robbery, 2900 block Highland, 1:42... Read more →

The “I HEART WFHC” Champagne and Dessert Dance Party Fundraiser will take place Feb. 21 from 7 to 11 p.m., at Bergamot Station's TAG Gallery, 2525 Michigan Ave., in Santa Monica. Tickets are $50 each and sponsorships start at $100. All proceeds will benefit Westside Family Health Center (WFHC), a nonprofit community health center that has... Read more →

Santa Monica Place will ring in the Lunar New Year with cultural entertainment during the weekend of Feb. 20-22, with festivities to be held on the main stage in Center Plaza. The Lunar New Year -- also known as the Spring Festival -- will feature entertainment and presentations based on Chinese traditions. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS Friday,... Read more →

Acclaimed pianist Sean Chen will kick off this weekend's Chinese Lunar New Year celebration in a performance Friday, Feb. 20, at Santa Monica Place. Chen, who is being presented by the New West Symphony in collaboration with Santa Monica Place, will play from 7 to 7:30 p.m. and again from 8 to 8:30 p.m. The performance will be given on an... Read more →

Before they were sneaking onto foreign beaches with only a bathing suit and a knife during World War II, many frogmen were avid skin-divers and volunteer lifeguards in Santa Monica. A recent report from one of City Hall's historical consultants shows that Santa Monica may be the birthplace of the Maritime Unit -- a group of covert... Read more →

On Monday morning, Station 3 was buzzing -- literally. The Santa Monica Fire Department's facility near the intersection of Arizona Avenue and 19th Street had just lost power, prompting the activation of backup electricity. “Firefighters heard the generator kick on,” Battalion Chief Jeff Furrows said, “and that caused them to go... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to 368 calls for service on Feb. 16. Below is a sampling of those calls chosen by the Santa Monica Daily Press staff. Disturbance, 4th/Pier, 12:33 a.m. Fight, 1300 block Ocean, 12:33 a.m. Trespassing, 100 block Broadway, 1:14 a.m. Petty theft, 600 block Wilshire, 2:23 a.m. Vandalism, 2800... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department will step up bike and pedestrian safety enforcement operations Feb. 22 and Feb. 28 with focused enforcement on primary collision factors involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. The department has mapped out locations over the past five years where pedestrian and bike collisions are prevalent,... Read more →

Schools within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District are participating in a Shoe Drive through February to help keep important SMMEF-funded programs in all local schools next year, including instructional assistants, literacy coaches, art programs and more. Shoes collected during the district-wide drive will be sent to countries... Read more →

Arlington West, the weekly war memorial installation on the beach just north of the Santa Monica Pier, marked its 11th anniversary on Feb. 15, with a commendation from the City of Santa Monica presented by Mayor Kevin McKeown. Every Sunday at dawn, volunteers install rows of hand-fashioned wooden crosses, stars of David, and crescents in the... Read more →

The Museum of Flying in Santa Monica, in conjunction with Kilo Foxtrot films, will kick-off of the Museum of Flying Film Festival Series with the Los Angeles premiere of the documentary, "Flying The Feathered Edge: The Bob Hoover Project." The premiere is slated for Friday, Feb. 20, at the museum. This documentary chronicles the amazing... Read more →