SMC — “I have two questions. One, how fast is Jupiter’s orbit? And two, have you heard anything about the L-Cross,” asked the bright-eyed, brown-haired astronomy enthusiast. Jim Mahon, who gives lectures on the cosmos at the John Drescher Planetarium at Santa Monica College, answered the questions slowly and clearly so... Read more →

SMC — A Westside football icon has passed. Robert Taylor, a man who coached football at Santa Monica College since 1984, mentoring countless young athletes along the way, died Thursday at the age of 64. Funeral arraignments have yet to be announced. Taylor, who had been on medical leave since being relieved as head coach after an... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — When Santa Monica Place reopens late next summer with a new look, it will do so with the distinction of being one of the few certified environmentally-friendly shopping centers in the country. Parent company Macerich announced recently that it’s targeting LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — Cough into the arm, don’t rub the eyes and for kids who are sick, just stay at home. Those are some of the tips that private and public school officials in Santa Monica are giving to parents, teachers and students as they attempt to protect campus populations against the spread of the seasonal influenza and H1N1... Read more →

MAIN LIBRARY — After an intense, undercover investigation that involved the use of court-authorized wiretaps, Santa Monica police have arrested three suspected gang members for the 2008 slaying of Preston Brumfield, a resident who was beaten and left for dead on a busy street in the Pico Neighborhood. SMPD Chief Tim Jackman on... Read more →

A cavalcade of Hollywood’s biggest stars welcomed Cirque du Soleil back to town Friday night, bringing added star power to the electrifying opening-night benefit performance of KOOZA at the Santa Monica Pier. Proceeds from the performance and an extravagant afterparty — which totaled nearly half a million dollars — will... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — An effort by city officials to find ways of regulating the paparazzi at a local celebrity-favorite nursery school could be hampered by the constitutional rights of photographers. City Hall is now directing the focus to public safety measures that could improve an ongoing problematic situation at the First Presbyterian... Read more →

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District in collaboration with the Santa Monica-Malibu PTA Council Special Education Committee (SEDAC) and Special Education District Advisory Committee, will hold their third forum to address various issues in the area of Special Education. This year’s fall forum will be held at the John Adams... Read more →

PCH — Those who drive north along Pacific Coast Highway will have one less lane to use for the next six months. Work will start Oct. 26 to stabilize 1.6 miles of the historic Palisades Bluffs in Santa Monica, forcing construction crews to close the northbound lane nearest to the bluffs between the hours of 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday... Read more →

BROADWAY — There’s a small yet lush forest living vibrantly on the shielded lot of a defunct nursing home, filled with more than a dozen different types of trees, shrubs and flowers that carry exotic names like pittosporum, elephant yucca and podocarpus. In what would otherwise be the fate of destruction in the face of a new... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — The owner of a series of conveniently located and high-end apartment buildings in Santa Monica is the subject of a federal lawsuit that raises allegations of discrimination and violations of fair housing laws. Santa Monica Collection and Malibu-based Christina Development Corp. are accused of discriminating against... Read more →

Dear EarthTalk How are heating, cooling and electricity produced by geothermal energy? I don’t understand how it works. Delano Stewart Wyandanch, NY The term “geothermal” is derived from the Greek words for Earth (geo) and heat (therme). In essence geothermal energy is power harnessed from the Earth itself. Heat from the... Read more →

CIVIC CENTER — Whiskey lovers from across the globe and right here at home will take over the Santa Monica Civic Center Tuesday for one of the world’s largest brown liquor tastings. Whiskey Live, billed as the whiskey tasting event and sampling event of the year, will feature over 30 exhibitors, each pouring fingers worth of some... Read more →

SAMOHI — Students are improving upon a Santa Monica High School bicycling tradition, using the Web and free bikes to spark interest. For several years, the Samohi Bike Coalition and the Samohi Solar Alliance clubs have hosted school-wide bike days every few months. The usual bike days involved a few hundred students using pedal power to... Read more →

SMMUSD HDQTRS — It’s a program that gives both socio-economically disadvantaged and academically struggling students a reason to believe in their future, getting a taste of the college life as a high school student. While there’s unanimous support on the Board of Education for the two-year-old Young Collegians program,... Read more →