Bye-bye REI: Santa Monica store to close in February
REI is closing its Santa Monica store citing changing customer needs and an increase in the cost of doing business. Company officials said the store will not renew the lease on its downtown Santa Monica location and will close on Feb. 29, 2024. The store has seen significant changes to the surrounding area in recent years, as it was one of several stores looted during the riots of 2020. While two people were arrested in that case, the store’s inventory was gutted, and in addition nearby Parking Structure 3 was demolished this year to make way for a supportive housing project.
Security company Legion begins patrolling the Promenade
The new private security company tasked with patrolling the Promenade and Downtown areas began its official rollout on Dec. 1. Legion Corporation was awarded the contract after a request for proposals yielded submissions by over 20 companies and was narrowed down to just two. The decision came in a Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) board meeting, and took place after the abrupt departure of Covered 6 only a matter of hours after the contract had been signed at the end of September.
Santa Monica College prevails over vaccine mandate lawsuit
Santa Monica College has prevailed in a lawsuit criticizing a now expired vaccine mandate. A Santa Monica College freshman, Carter Sparks, sued SMC last year claiming the school’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate for in-person learning infringed on his religious freedom and right to privacy. Sparks filed the lawsuit seeking court orders to declare the mandate unconstitutional and beyond the district’s powers, along with injunctive relief and compensatory damages. The college argued that Sparks did not qualify for a religious exemption, stating that his application did not express a sincerely held religious opposition to vaccination. The college also said that being Catholic does not automatically entitle someone to a religious exemption given the church doesn’t have a prohibition on vaccination.
Lincoln orchestras play to packed house
The Lincoln Middle School orchestras winter concert took place on Nov. 30, bringing in a sizable crowd of parents and locals to the school’s auditorium. The program included performances from Lincoln’s string orchestra, symphony orchestra, concert orchestra and chamber ensemble. The string orchestra performed the traditional French lullaby “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” along with two other pieces, while the concert orchestra amazed the crowd with renditions of themes from Game of Thrones and the Avengers films. The chamber ensemble ended the night with classic movie themes from Out of Africa, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial and Home Alone.
Ice at Santa Monica hosts fireside chat
The final Culture Collective conversation event of 2023 took place on Nov. 28, a fireside chat at the Santa Monica Ice Rink hosted by Santa Monica Arts Commissioner Michelle Edgar and Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. Director of Operations & Placemaking Jeremy Ferguson. The event, titled “How Art Can Shape a Cityscape,” included a panel with Edgar, Santa Monica Family YMCA CEO Hodge Patterson, artist Vida Rodriguez and contemporary artist RETNA. The panel discussed their individual connections to the arts world, how arts can transform a community like Santa Monica, and their own successes.
Safety key in having a happy holiday season
‘Tis the season in Santa Monica, as the calendar flip to December has residents ready for the holidays, and local officials offered tips for having a safe season. Santa Monica Police Department’s main retail messaging for the holidays is “take it, lock it, keep it,” telling shoppers to stay alert, be aware, park in well-lighted areas and lock car windows and doors. Safe practices can also be applied in the homestead, particularly when it comes to fire hazards, and the Santa Monica Fire Department’s safety protocol list includes items like choosing decorations that are flame resistant or flame retardant, and keeping lit candles away from decorations and other things that can burn.
Security guard stabbed outside 5th Street office building
A homeless man was arrested outside the Daily Press office on Dec. 4 after stabbing the building’s security guard. At about 1:50 p.m., the suspect was seen spreading blankets and debris inside a stairwell on the property. The security guard asked the suspect to leave and after the suspect became aggressive, the verbal altercation turned physical. Daily Press staff heard the commotion near the entrance to the building and after exiting the front door, staff saw the building’s security guard using a chair and a traffic cone to defend himself from the suspect who was threatening him with a knife. The suspect fled towards the train station where he was stopped by officers and arrested. The victim reported being stabbed and was seen entering an ambulance with small blood stains on his shirt.
Spirits put a spin on Christmas tree purchasing process
A partnership sprung by the entertainment industry has added a unique boozy flavor to the holiday shopping experience. Locals Dan Pellar and Paul Helling, both veterans of film and television, aim to transform the Christmas tree picking process into a seasonal sip and shop adventure with their Wines & Pines endeavor. The pair transformed their respective lots at 1802 Santa Monica Blvd and 2307 Lincoln Ave into the haunt for holiday hangouts, obtaining permits from the local Alcohol Beverage Control board to sell beer, wine and canned cocktails while customers shop for the finest firs.
Ceremony completes safe biking project
A Dec. 2 ceremony in Santa Monica celebrated the completion of the 17th Street and Michigan Ave bike lane project, a project that constructed a protected bikeway, pedestrian scale lighting, curb extensions and upgraded ADA ramps, restriped crosswalks and protected intersections for bikers from Wilshire Blvd to Pico Blvd on 17th St. On Michigan Ave from 14th St to 19th St., the project enhanced streets to be more conducive for pedestrian and bicycle traffic, adding curb extensions and new curb ramps at 14th and 15th St, mini traffic circles on 16th and 18th St for a more predictable flow of traffic, and upgraded curb ramps throughout the area.
Mariners stopped short of State title appearance
Already CIF Southern Section Division 13 champions for the first time since 1998, the St. Monica Mariners attempt to reach the Division 6-A State Championship fell one game short on Dec. 2, dropping the Regional Finals to Sweetwater by a score of 47-27. The Mariners finished the 2023 campaign with an overall record of 11-4, going 7-3 in the regular season and 4-1 in playoff action.
Santa Monica mirrors county increase in hate crimes
Recently, the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations shared its annual analysis of hate crimes reported throughout the county in 2022, with disappointing results. Throughout 2022, a total of 929 hate crimes were reported, the highest total since 2001, and the number of victims increased from 1,763 in 2021 to 2,120 in 2022. The trend impacts Santa Monica as well, as the Santa Monica Police Department reported six hate crimes in 2022, and from January through September of this year has already reported seven more.
Smash-and-grab robbers net $50,000 worth of goods from local store
A group of hammer-wielding thieves stole about $50,000 worth of merchandise from a local store on Nov. 27 in a smash-and-grab style robbery reminiscent of other retail thefts in the region. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers were called to the The Real Real located near the 200 block of 26th Street on Nov. 27 at about 10:55 a.m. after four masked suspects entered the luxury resale location and forced their way past the front door security. Once inside, they used hammers to smash multiple display cases containing brand-name purses worth over $50,000. The suspects then fled the scene in a waiting vehicle.
Homeless man arrested for trying to strangle a person in Palisades Park
A homeless man is being charged with attempted murder after trying to kill a homeless victim in Palisades Park. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, officers were called to the 200 block of the park at about 8:55 a.m. on Dec. 1 for an assault in progress. An SMPD statement said that upon arrival, officers found a transient male later identified as Tamarquis Burke actively strangling another male. Officers immediately intervened, and Burke quickly responded to officers’ commands to release the victim and was handcuffed without further incident. Burke, 31-years-old, was arrested and booked into the Santa Monica Jail for Attempted Homicide, and is being held on $2,025,000 bail.
YMCA out to prove its worth beyond ‘swim and gym’
A location typically known for its ample exercise equipment and sporting opportunities holds more than meets the eye throughout its 85,000 square foot facility. The Santa Monica Family YMCA has been around since the 1920s, and throughout the years the location at 1332 6th Street has expanded to include flexing intellectual and community-building muscles, along with the ones in your body. Community involvement and encouraging locals to experience a wide range of YMCA programs is the vision of the Santa Monica location’s CEO, Hodge Patterson, who took the position six months ago.
Disabled longtime resident on precipice of homelessness as eviction trial approaches
A longtime Santa Monica resident is facing what he calls a “death sentence” if he is evicted from his current housing accommodations on Dec. 11. Scott Brutzman is fighting to stay at 3301 Ocean Park Blvd but his situation is complicated by the nature of the building (its commercial not residential), his own health challenges as Brutzman is severely disabled and a lack of available financial and legal resources.
Seven Vikings selected for Bay League honors
A resounding run through the CIF Southern Section playoffs for the Samohi Vikings caught the attention of Bay League all-league team voters, with seven of the team’s football standouts selected to either first or second-team offensive and defensive squads. First-team offensive honors went to senior running back Caden McCallum, senior wide receiver Griffin Seals and senior offensive lineman Jayden Montanez. Junior defensive back Charles Cravings made first-team all defense, senior defensive lineman Paco Vandenbrook made second-team all defense, and both quarterback Wyatt Brown and offensive lineman Mason Oliva made second-team all offense.
Seasonal events engulf entire area this weekend
Holiday cheer is already alive and well in Santa Monica, with several events this past weekend spreading the spirit of the season. The “Miracle on Main Street” event took over the California Heritage Museum on Saturday, and the date also held the Annual Holiday Book Sale at the Kaufman Brentwood Branch Library. On Sunday, the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows hosted its annual “Meet Me Under the Fig Tree” event, a celebration with complimentary festive drinks, food and activities.
Metro makes move to increase Expo Line frequency
Officials with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) continue to tinker with various improvements to light rails, including the Expo Line that has several stops in Santa Monica. During “weekday peak” hours, the Expo Line will begin to operate every eight minutes instead of every 10 minutes beginning on Dec. 10. Another new endeavor is a change in train operation during weekday midday hours from every 12 minutes to every 10 minutes, along with a 40-minute extension in late night service for the rail.
Sale of recreational cannabis in Santa Monica set to start on December 14
Seven weeks and two days after City Council voted to approve changes to the City’s zoning code, recreational marijuana will be available for the very first time in the city of Santa Monica this week. The first cannabis dispensary, Local Cannabis Company at 925 Wilshire Blvd, opened in the city of Santa Monica back in June, more than a year and a half after the permit was granted in October 2021 and six years after the application was requested in December 2017.
ross@smdp.com