SAMOHI — It moved clockwise, then counterclockwise and then back right again, a blur of neon 1980s-era oversized shirts, leggings, baggy jeans and tank tops swirling around in circles, laughter and stomping feet filling the muggy room. At the center of it all is Darryl Hovis, running after students who screech and laugh as they try to... Read more →

CITY HALL — Visitors to Downtown can expect to pay more for parking after the City Council on Tuesday gave a preliminary nod to a series of rate increases that will bring the area’s garages closer to competitors like The Grove and Westfield Century City. The changes, which will be instituted after city staff returns to council... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — While classes begin today for the new school year, district officials already have their minds on next year. Facing an $8 to $12 million funding shortfall over the next three years, officials with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) have began focusing on the budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year,... Read more →

CITY HALL — A recent controversial move to install a bird-deterring net underneath the Santa Monica Pier came after a series of studies blamed pigeons for fouling the bay. In a report to the City Council last week, Public Works Director Lee Swain explains how the department reached the decision to net the area beneath the pier,... Read more →

SM PIER Happy Birthday The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. will join today with community members, tourists and city officials to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Santa Monica Pier. The festivities will begin at 7 a.m. when a multi-denominational group of religious leaders will gather at the pier’s west end for a blessing... Read more →

BROADWAY The American Red Cross of Santa Monica will be collecting old electronics — stereos, television sets, telephones, computers and more — at their headquarters located at 1450 11th St. (at Broadway) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday through the end of November. The consumer electronic recyclables will be... Read more →

CITY HALL — The long-awaited reinforcement of the Palisades Bluff could soon begin. The City Council tonight is expected to approve two construction services contracts for the Palisades Bluffs Stabilization Project, which will involve installing a series of horizontal drains to remove groundwater that accumulates behind the bluffs,... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The cars are still going in and out, the attendants are collecting fares from drivers as usual, but there’s something different about the 29 public parking facilities in Santa Monica. That’s because of a recent change in the management of all the city-owned garages, which are now run by Nashville-based Central... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve heard that hybrid engine technology is now being used to power boats. What’s happening with that? — D. Smith, Portland, ME With concerns about climate change and the fate of the world’s imperiled oceans and waterways at an all time high, it makes sense that the boating industry would be... Read more →

OCEAN AVENUE — A new finish line has emerged for the L.A. Marathon in 2010. Responding to the request of the City Council that an ending point in Santa Monica be considered for the 26.2 mile race, marathon officials have reportedly began exploring the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard as a possible candidate after... Read more →