City librarians are making it easier for book worms to navigate through the stacks by improving a personalized text messaging service that allows readers to submit questions using their cell phones. Text the term “AskSmpl” to 66746 to get the ball rolling. All responses will be provided by reference librarians working at the Main... Read more →

Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2010 An evening with Joseph Goldstein Broad Stage 1310 11th St., 7:30 p.m. Come join one of the West's most respected Buddhist teachers and tap into the healing wisdom and happiness present within each of us. In this special evening program, Joseph Goldstein — a primary figure in the development of the Insight... Read more →

The organization Concerned Residents Against Airport Pollution (CRAAP) has launched a new website it says will be an open forum for discussion about the future of Santa Monica Airport. Called “SMO 2015” and accessible at www.smo2015.com, the site will be “objective and invites input from pilots, residents, developers,... Read more →

Officials in charge of the Wednesday Farmers’ Market in Downtown reported Monday that representatives from the Department of Pesticide Regulation made a surprise visit last week and found “no illegal pesticide residue.” The inspectors randomly selected 13 farmers and collected samples that were later tested for illegal... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk: I saw a TV ad for toilet paper with no cardboard core to save paper. I understand that green groups recently struck a deal with Kimberly-Clark to protect eastern U.S. forests from decimation for, among other things, toilet paper. Can you tell me if any efforts are underway to protect Canada’s boreal forest, also long... Read more →

MAIN STREET — After a brief zoning misstep, the Santa Monica Food Truck Lot has returned — this time in the parking lot of the California Heritage Museum. The event, which takes place every Tuesday (barring torrential rain), boasts a rotating lineup of gourmet food trucks from the area. The current trend of gourmet food trucks... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — New Year’s resolutions: Everybody makes them, almost everybody breaks them. In an attempt to make it a little more difficult to renege this year, the Daily Press checked in with a range of local movers and shakers and put them on the record with their 2011 promises. Some people, as you’ll see, took our earnest... Read more →

SM BEACH — Anyone who’s taken a bike ride along Santa Monica’s coast during the height of summer will attest: it can get pretty risky out there. With the crush of fellow bicyclists, skateboarders, and, occasionally, pedestrians who have wandered onto the wrong path, a peaceful cruise on the strand that spans Santa... Read more →

Drivers who are hesitant to leave their car with a valet have good reason to worry, according to Santa Monica-based Edmunds.com, a premier online resource for auto enthusiasts. In its article “Confessions of a Parking Valet: True Tales of Mishaps and Mischief,” Edmunds.com exposes the truth about what goes on at a typical valet... Read more →

Crime Watch is a weekly series culled from reports provided by the Santa Monica Police Department. These are arrests only. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Friday, Dec. 24, at 4;20 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1400 block of the Third Street Promenade regarding a fight in progress. When... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Whether it’s a black tie affair or a laid-back get together with friends, Santa Monica abounds with choices for ringing in the New Year in style. Here are five of the most interesting sounding options in town: If you feel like getting fancy, don your black and white cocktail attire and head to Wokcano’s... Read more →

The Big Blue Bus and Santa Monica Chapter of the Red Cross are extending the deadline for this year’s food drive. The annual, City Hall-sponsored food drive, which helps families and individuals throughout Santa Monica and the Westside, has been extended until Jan. 10, 2011. Those wishing to donate food can drop off non-perishable... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — You could say Santa Monica had a little bit of everything in 2010. From the bizarre — like the revelation back in March that celebrated local sushi restaurant The Hump was illegally selling whale meat — to the heartwarming — like the successful grassroots effort to save the financially challenged Twilight... Read more →

CITYWIDE — When it comes to drinking and driving, the Santa Monica Police Department has a “zero tolerance” policy. Officers will be conducting a “Zero Tolerance DUI Saturation Patrol” New Year’s Eve at various locations throughout the city, targeting those who still don’t heed the message to... Read more →

LOS ANGELES — California braced Wednesday for a blast of cold air and potentially damaging winds in the aftermath of a winter storm that dumped more rain and snow on the soggy state but failed to trigger significant new mudflows. One person was killed by a falling tree and a snowboarder was missing, power outages were scattered around... Read more →