SM PIER — Despite the cancellation of former Rolling Stone Mick Taylor for next week’s Twilight Dance Series, concert organizers have secured soul singer Bettye LaVette to take his place during the free show. Taylor, who cited management and health issues for his cancellation, informed Santa Monica Pier officials last week that... Read more →

CITY HALL — The City Council is set to vote tonight on whether to go ahead with a $3 million purchase of replacement “manufactured homes” from Arizona-based Cavco Industries, despite deciding in May to boycott California’s eastern neighbor over the state’s controversial anti-illegal immigration law. The proposed... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk I always thought cotton was eco-friendly, but I recently heard otherwise. What’s so bad about cotton? And where can I find organic cotton clothing? Jamie Hunter Twin Falls, ID There’s a lot “bad” about |conventionally grown cotton — cotton grown with the aid of synthetic chemicals, that is. The... Read more →

SMC — Reacting to complaints about the loss of exercise classes at Emeritus College, college officials are exploring options to reinstate the classes, possibly charging students a fee. Two sections of yoga, one section of tai chi and one section of aerobics were cut from the senior citizen program’s fall schedule in response to... Read more →

CITY HALL — An independent review of a recent Santa Monica Police Department investigation into whether school board member Oscar de la Torre committed child endangerment in connection with a fist fight between two teenagers is expected to begin this week, City Manager Rod Gould said on Friday. Gould ordered the review after... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Thousands flocked to Santa Monica Place’s grand re-opening Friday to be among the first to experience the open-air, upscale shopping venue and possibly get their hands on a variety of free gift cards. The 540,000 square foot mall re-opened after two-and-a-half years and $265 million worth of renovations. The three... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The political party Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights will back full slates of candidates for all races in November’s election, adding incumbent Councilwoman Pam O’Connor and incumbent school board members Oscar de la Torre and Ralph Mechur to the list of candidates with official SMRR support, leaders of... Read more →

The City Attorney’s Office is expected to receive an award today from the American Bar Association for its work in securing over $300 million from major oil companies that were responsible for allowing a toxic fuel additive to seep into the city’s drinking water supply, forcing the closure of local wells. The Jefferson Fordham... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Two-and-a-half years after it closed for a $265 million renovation, Macerich Co. is re-opening Santa Monica Place today, giving shoppers in the region a new destination and bringing City Hall a needed sales tax boost. Today’s ribbon cutting marks one of very few shopping center openings in the country this year, as... Read more →

CITY HALL — A homeowner was put on probation and ordered to pay roughly $4,000 in fines and attorneys fees for using his former Ocean Park pad as a hotel by renting it out to vacationers for short-term stays, a violation of the zoning code, Santa Monica city officials said Thursday. It is the first prosecution of a case involving... Read more →

If you’ve ever wanted to learn a new language, the Santa Monica Library is offering something that will help. Mango Languages is a free online tool that offers a variety of languages to choose from including: French, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian, German, Greek, Italian, and more. Library cardholders can access Mango via the... Read more →

The highly anticipated grand opening of the new Santa Monica Place kicks off today at 10 a.m. City officials are expecting a large turnout and have launched what they call a number of transportation improvements to ease traffic flow. Here they are: • Additional signage throughout Downtown directing visitors and residents to available... Read more →

CITY HALL — Leaders of the political party Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights on Thursday were keeping quiet about whether the organization would support additional candidates in the City Council and school board races, saying they’d make an announcement this evening. SMRR members who attended the group’s convention... Read more →

OCEAN PARK BLVD — Clara Kleinman was not sure she would have anything to offer a teenage girl. Kleinman, 84, has lived what she described as a “weird” life, growing up during the Great Depression in a slum in St. Louis where she witnessed multiple stabbings, beginning to work when she was 12 by selling apples and leaving... Read more →

After a year of intensive collaboration with the local communities and stakeholders, the Santa Monica Mountains Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) is ready for public comment now through Sept. 15, 2010, federal officials said. The purpose of the CWPP is to help local communities collaborate with agencies, organizations and homeowners... Read more →