SM PIER — Once again the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. is inviting talented student, amateur and professional designers to submit their vision for the 26th annual Twilight Dance Series in the form of a poster. The winning design becomes the primary communications piece for the concert series, used in display advertising, posters,... Read more →

CITY HALL — These days you can pay for just about any city service with a credit card, but while it may be convenient, there’s a hidden cost attached. Processing payments made with plastic is expected to cost City Hall $3.35 million over the next five years, under the terms of a contract with TransFirst Health and Government... Read more →

SGI AUDITORIUM — On a rainy Monday morning when students, government workers and many others were free to sleep in, several hundred Santa Monica residents instead were at Soka Gakkai International Auditorium to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The event was the 25th annual commemoration put on by The Rev. Dr. Martin... Read more →

CITY HALL — Lawrence Powell had just gotten off the Big Blue Bus and was crossing Santa Monica Boulevard at Ocean Avenue. As he stepped into the crosswalk, the bus he’d been riding on started to turn right, cutting into the crosswalk. Pedestrians yelled at the driver to stop but it was too late. The bus ran over Powell, breaking... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk Since nitrogen oxide compounds are components of smog and are common water pollutants, does nitrogen-enriched gasoline create additional pollution? Rick Oestrike Poughkeepsie, NY It might seem like adding nitrogen to gasoline is all the rage among oil companies today, but the idea has been around for years. The U.S.... Read more →

CITY HALL — Today it’s the traffic clogged intersection of the I-10 Freeway and Pacific Coast Highway, but City Hall officials think they can turn it into a green open area that will help revitalize the Civic Center. City Council is set to approve on Tuesday the first step in an ambitious, multi-year proposal to enclose the I-10... Read more →

SUNSET PARK — Forced to dramatically reduce emissions, the Port of Los Angeles plans to purchase hydrogen fuel cell, hybrid-electric trucks from a Santa Monica-based firm. The heavy-duty-big-rigs from Vision Industries (www.visionmotorcorp.com), which moved to Sunset Park earlier this month, will be tested to evaluate their durability... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Doctors and nurses with Santa Monica-based International Medical Corps are on the ground in Haiti providing treatment to the thousands who were injured during the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that devastated the island nation Tuesday. The International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team is in Port-au-Prince assisting... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQRTS — Voters in Santa Monica and Malibu will be asked in May to approve an “emergency” parcel tax to help district schools cope with reduced support for education from the state government. Facing a $12 million projected deficit and having already reduced this year’s budget by $4.5 million, the Santa... 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. Sunday, Jan. 10, at 5:43 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 300 block of Colorado Avenue — Sears — regarding a theft suspect... Read more →

SM PIER — For pigeons, the Santa Monica Pier has long been something akin to easy street, where even the beta males seem to get fat and happy off discarded pizza crust and fallen churros. But the times are changing and Santa Monica is taking a more aggressive stand against the birds, which studies have shown contribute to poor water... Read more →

CITY HALL — The man who was once targeted by the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office for allegedly selling electric cars without permission is now doing business with City Hall, and last month delivered a fully electric pickup truck for use in the city’s fleet. Last year, City Hall lawyers spent about six months trying to... Read more →

While the late Mayor Ken Genser would have most likely preferred it if you walked or rode the bus (he was a major proponent of alternative transit), City Hall is offering free parking for the memorial service paying tribute to Santa Monica’s longest-serving elected official. The memorial for Genser, who passed away Saturday at the age... Read more →

A pair of local eateries have agreed to host fundraisers to assist the Red Cross’ ongoing recovery efforts in the wake of a major earthquake in Haiti. The Pourtal Wine Bar is donating 25 percent of its wine tasting sales to the Santa Monica chapter of the American Red Cross Haitian relief effort on Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 7 p.m. until... Read more →

CITY HALL — Planning is underway for the second installment of Glow, Santa Monica’s signature, dawn-to-dusk art event that drew roughly 200,000 people to the Santa Monica Pier and beach in the summer of 2008 to experience exhibits that lit up the night sky. Jessica Cusick, City Hall’s cultural affairs manager, said she... Read more →