PICO NEIGHBORHOOD — When your job entails helping people, some of whom have been homeless for years, kick their addiction to drugs or alcohol, the last thing you want to do is turn them away. But that’s the painful decision senior counselor Michael Riches and his colleagues at the CLARE Foundation are forced to make daily... 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. Thursday, May 6, at 3:40 p.m., Santa Monica police officers responded to the 1200 block of the Third Street Promenade — Apple Store —... Read more →

SM PIER — The Santa Monica Pier is getting an added dose of old-fashioned charm this summer with the planned opening of Soda Jerks, a soda fountain and ice cream parlor that harkens back to a time when you could order a “black and white” — soda fountain-speak for a chocolate soda with a scoop of vanilla — without... Read more →

DOWNTOWN — Parking rates at City Hall’s Downtown lots are going up, part of a plan city officials say will make more efficient use of parking structures and ease traffic congestion in Santa Monica’s clogged business and shopping district. In the first significant rate hike since 1997, the daily maximum cost to park in any... Read more →

Amid an increasing number of mumps cases reported in Los Angeles County, the Department of Public Health is urging residents to be alert for any sign of the disease in their community and to take steps to protect themselves. “At least nine cases of mumps have already been reported in Los Angeles County this year, six of which have been... Read more →

SM PLACE — When the newly-renovated Santa Monica Place opens this summer, loyal followers of the Walt Disney Company will be treated to a trip to the amusement park in the form of an ambitious retail concept that uses the latest technology to entertain shoppers, encouraging them to stay longer and possibly spend more money. Disney,... Read more →

CITY HALL — Having gone mayor-less since the death of Ken Genser in January, Santa Monica will remain that way for at least two more weeks. The City Council on Tuesday failed to select a replacement mayor after neither nominee for the post — Mayor Pro Tem Pam O’Connor nor Bobby Shriver — received a majority vote from... Read more →

MALIBU — An 18-year-old Malibu man who made headlines for being the youngest person to climb the highest peak on all seven continents will be charged with an infraction for surfing up Pacific Coast Highway on top of a BMW sedan on the way to school Wednesday. “I guess I was being stupid,” Johnny Strange said as he was... Read more →

CITY HALL — The City Attorney’s Office on Wednesday announced developments in two cases officials hope will serve as warnings to Santa Monica property owners who fail to honor affordable housing requirements. In one case, City Hall lawyers said they had reached a deal to settle a lawsuit that centered on The Plaza at the... Read more →

SMO — Rep. Henry Waxman (D-30th District) has joined Santa Monica neighborhood activists and City Hall officials in criticizing the Federal Aviation Administration over an experimental flight path for small propeller-powered planes taking off from Santa Monica Airport. Residents in Sunset Park and Ocean Park have complained the new... Read more →

PCH — If you’d rather gaze at the Pacific Ocean than stare at a television screen as you plod away on a treadmill, the Annenberg Community Beach House may soon have what you’re looking for. The space with the best view at the facility — the second-story Sand & Sea Room — is slated to become a makeshift gym... Read more →

SMC — Students who are not from California but plan to attend Santa Monica College in the fall of 2011 will have to pay more for their classes if a bill sponsored by a local state legislator is approved in the coming weeks. Assembly Bill 2297, introduced by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica), is intended to correct... Read more →

Over 130 entries were received, more than 3,000 people voted, and now Peter C. Menotti has been declared the winner of the 2010 Twilight Dance Series poster contest. His winning poster design entitled “Summer Skies” features a vibrant and whimsical design depicting a young couple dancing on the iconic Santa Monica Pier under the... Read more →

Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that tracks the city’s expenditures appearing on upcoming Santa Monica City Council consent agendas. Consent agenda items are routinely passed by the City Council with little or no discussion from elected officials or the public. However, many of the items have been part of... Read more →

Four Big Blue Buses have become rolling showcases for local students who designed posters that best demonstrated what sustainable transportation means to them. The students will be awarded grand prizes at a special event on Thursday, May 13 as part of the city-sponsored sustainability poster contest. The competition is held each year to... Read more →