P32 Gallery presents Spiritual Journey, the gallery's second art exhibition featuring works by Chris Justice and Kimball Hall. The exhibition will run from Jan. 24 to Feb. 28.  An opening reception with the artists will be held with the artists on Jan. 24 from 6 to 10 p.m. The Upper West will cater the event. Join P32 as each artist... Read more →

A rebate program is offering water-saving rain barrels at little or no cost to Santa Monica residents and businesses as city officials continue their efforts to rein in water usage amid a prolonged statewide drought. The city is giving locals a financial incentive to conserve using the rain barrels, which collect water from downspouts and... Read more →

Santa Monica READS, a community reading program that invites everyone in the community to read and discuss the same novel in free book discussions and events held throughout the city, takes place Feb. 14 through March 21. In 2015, Santa Monica READS marks its thirteenth year with the novel “Longbourn” by Jo Baker. Set in the Bennet... Read more →

Residents are invited to come meet their friends and neighbors at the North of Montana Association annual meeting Saturday, Jan. 24. Get to know your Council members (including the new one) and Commissioners from the neighborhood. Inform yourself about the new Zoning Ordinance changes proposed for Montana Avenue; new water use rules and... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department will step up bike and pedestrian safety enforcement operations Friday, Jan. 23, with focused enforcement on primary collision factors involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. Officers will be looking for violations engaged by drivers, bike riders and pedestrians alike. Special attention will be... Read more →

Enrollment, parent involvement and suspension and expulsion rates are among the expected topics of discussion at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's education board meeting Tuesday. It will be the entity's first meeting since the addition of Ralph Mechur, who was appointed to fill Ben Allen's vacated seat following a five-hour... Read more →

SHINE has announced the storytellers selected for its special performance on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. The event is part of the “6th Annual Fireside at the Miles,” Santa Monica's cultural festival at the historic Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Blvd. The evening's theme will be “Light My Fire!” with storytellers sharing true... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to 330 calls for service on Jan 18. Below is a sampling of those calls chosen by the Santa Monica Daily Press staff:  Drunk driving, Main/Pico, 12:20 a.m. Battery, 1500 block Ocean, 12:20 a.m. Burglary, 1000 block 22nd, 12:37 a.m. Fight, 2900 block Main, 2:01 a.m. Battery, 2400 block... Read more →

Owners of Landmarked courtyard apartment buildings on Ocean Avenue want to tear them down, claiming economic hardship, and replace them with condominiums. The current buildings contain 16 units and were built in 1936. “The subject property is a very good example of the American Colonial Revival architectural style as applied to a... Read more →

City Hall has more than 17,700 water accounts, but if officials could simply cut the top hundred users in each category, that alone would nearly achieve the city goal of a 20-percent reduction in water usage by the end of 2016. The top 100 commercial accounts used 11 percent of City Hall's water last year, according to data provided by the... Read more →

CITYWIDE - Santa Monica's e-cigarette ordinance has been on the books for two months, but vape stores are flourishing. One vape store, established before the ordinance, says business continues to grow, and another - the third in the city - opened after the ordinance went into effect. The battery-powered vaporizers, which deliver a form... Read more →

Gail Pinsker started this past week in her post as the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's public relations officer, a new full-time position that officials hope will improve communication within the district as well as with parents and community members. Pinsker, whose appointment was approved Dec. 12 by the education board,... Read more →

PICO NEIGHBORHOOD - The Landmarks Commission officially designated a set of Pico neighborhood properties as Structures of Merit, last week and the landowners, who want to develop condominiums are appealing the decision. Park Virginia, LLC came to the Planning Commission for approval of a 21-unit condo project in May amidst protest from... Read more →

What a difference a year and a pilot ordinance make. In 2013, when City Council discussed requiring the public park-using fitness trainers to shell out permit fees, dozens of people showed up to expressed their opinions and both sides wound up frustrated. On Tuesday, in discussing an update to the ordinance, only three members of the public... Read more →

The Santa Monica Police Department responded to 386 calls for service on Jan. 15. Below is a sampling selected by the Santa Monica Daily Press staff: Fight, Ocean and Santa Monica at 2:47 a.m. Report of shots fired, 800 block of Washington at 3:54 a.m. Trespassing, 1400 block of 4th at 4:15 a.m. Prowler, 2500 block of Arizona 4:24... Read more →