From bitter rivals to business partners: A legal threat to a new city-wide digital advertising system was amicably resolved among the two companies vying for the contract. BIG Outdoor and IKE Smart City announced a partnership to meet terms of a contract with Santa Monica that will roll out up to 50 digital wayfinding signs and raise up to about $5 million per year for city offers.
First Black History month since City’s Black Apology kicks off in Santa Monica: The 2023 Black History Month was the first since the City of Santa Monica issued an official apology to African American residents and their descendants for years of discrimination, racial injustice and systematically racist policies last November.
The SMDP launches new program through the Google News Initiative: The Santa Monica Daily Press (SMDP) was selected for the Google News Initiative’s highly competitive accelerator program and readers saw changes in the SMDP’s business model driven by the program’s industry leading practices. SMDP launched a reader revenue program, diversifying revenue by allowing readers to contribute directly to the cost of the news they value. As one of the 14 publications chosen to participate in the initiative, SMDP has access to their expertise, information and advice.
DTSM considers changes to Downtown management: Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., the non-profit organization created to help manage the Downtown area, sought to clarify who is responsible for what when it comes to overseeing cleaning, maintenance and security in the public areas of the roughly 30-block region surrounding the Third Street Promenade. Currently, management of the services is split between DTSM, the City of Santa Monica and several outside contractors.
DTSM seeks private partner for ice rink: Weeks after Santa Monica’s annual temporary winter ice rink closed and reverted back into a parking lot, planning for the 2023-24 season already began. Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. currently owns the equipment used to bring the ice rink into existence every year and relies on multiple vendors to construct and operate it. However, DTSM officials said they were considering selling it and hiring just one contractor to take charge of the process.
Comedy legend is a laughing matter for Samohi theater program: Dr. Tim Meadows, comedian and “Saturday Night Live” alum, spent several months helping Samohi Theater students develop their acting skills, culminating in a comedy skit show.
PYFC Awards Gala: The Pico Youth and Family Center hosted the 14th Annual Hope & Unity Awards Gala. Dr. Guadalupe Mireles-Toumayan received the Education Leadership award for her work in the local Latino community, such as leading the effort in sending over 200 boxes full of clothes, toys and educational supplies to children in detention centers on the border for Christmas.
SMO at 100: A century of history but an uncertain future: The airport celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2023, and was at one time the busiest single-runway airport in the world, playing a pivotal role in the aviation industry.
DTSM wants to remove and/or replace aging infrastructure: Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. hoped to address some signs of wear along the Third Street Promenade shopping district, reporting that while almost all of the lamp posts along the Promenade had recently been repainted, the majority of other projects are on hold as they await action from the city.
Cultural Affairs department under new management: The City of Santa Monica got a new Cultural Affairs Manager as Shannon Daut stepped down and Sofia Klatzker stepped up.
Education Foundation’s fundraising efforts boosted by $25,000 contribution by corporate partners: The Santa Monica Education Foundation’s fundraising efforts received an additional $25,000 from corporate partners on top of the $236,940 generated by donations. A total of 372 donors collectively raised the initial amount between Jan. 23 and Jan. 31, after which MSD Partners and the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows supplemented it with a gift of just over 10% of funds raised.
Richard Bloom appointed LA County Superior Court Judge: Former Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, beginning in early February. Bloom served on Santa Monica City Council for 13 years, with multiple stints as mayor, between 1999 and 2012. He then went on to represent the 50th District in the California State assembly from 2012 until 2022, when he announced he would not be running for a sixth term.
Santa Monica ranked #2 amongst cities for sustainability startup funding: According to an analysis, Santa Monica ranked #2 amongst US cities for sustainability startup funding, with an average of $154.3 million raised. Salt Lake City took the top spot with $204.6 million.
Homelessness is the top priority for city officials: Both Santa Monica City Manager David White and Mayor Gleam Davis gave recorded speeches for the State of the City, touching on positive notes regarding economic recovery, but also alluding to pending budget issues that will limit the scope of city services in the near future. White singled out three fiscal liabilities on the horizon, those being aging infrastructure that requires seismic upgrades, the pending California Voting Rights Act lawsuit and ongoing settlements related to the Eric Uller sexual abuse claims.
Barker Hangar’s historic role in the heritage of Santa Monica Airport: The origins of the Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar go back to 1954, during the heyday of the airport when the Douglas Aircraft Company was still based at the site developing commercial and experimental aircraft. After Douglas’ move to Long Beach, the hangar was being used to store massive amounts of aircraft memorabilia before being cleaned. The clean hangar has since become a sought after events venue.
School District offices on the move: Two years after the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s decision to purchase an office building next to Santa Monica High School (near the corner of 4th St. and Olympic Blvd.), district officials began the transition into what they deemed a larger, more convenient location.
Santa Monica-based auditory assistance startup seeks FDA approval: A Santa Monica-based startup sought approval from the US Food & Drug Administration for a mobile app that could combat the onset of dementia and cognitive impairment. AudioCardio delivers inaudible sound therapies designed to maintain and strengthen your hearing while providing relief from tinnitus by stimulating the cells inside your ear.
SMMUSD nutrition services affected by food item, staff shortages: Lunch menus at SMMUSD campuses were limited and unpredictable due to shortages of certain items and lack of staff. SMMUSD staff had to go to different grocery stores and vendors on a regular basis to fill the gaps, and the volume of food the District needs to serve students creates additional challenges.
Downtown shooting suspect’s case forced to be refiled: Two men were arrested for attempted murder after a violent altercation near Downtown Santa Monica. Emilio Reyes got into an argument that became a shootout between cars before the two men were arrested.
A Noteworthy app earns Congressional recognition: Samohi students Brandon Kirbyson and Tobin Palmer placed second in an app development challenge for the local Congressional District. Kirbyson and Palmer developed the app Noteworthy, a Google Chrome extension that allows users to note and markup websites and to store the annotations for future retrieval.
Samohi grad signs on to play professional soccer in Israel: Santa Monica High School grad Maggie Lena joined F.C. Kiryat Gat, a professional team in Israel that competes in the Israeli First League as well as the Israeli Women’s cup.
City Council declares local emergency on homelessness: The regional push to treat homelessness as an official state of emergency reached Santa Monica City Council as the council unanimously voted to declare a local state of emergency on the topic. In asking for the declaration, city staff cited examples of the crisis in Santa Monica, including an increase in calls to both the Santa Monica Police Department and Santa Monica Fire Department attributed to homelessness.
Animal Valentines: In celebration of Valentine’s Day, canine cupids delivered hand-made Valentines to patients at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital, while other therapy dogs — and a mini-horse — gave out candy and kisses to staff and visitors as they entered Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
New Santa Monica company Capd Period is addressing menstrual challenges through clever design: In 2022, Hannah Wiley and Neil Bhatia co-founded Capd Period with a mission to make periods easier to manage and eliminate the stigma surrounding them through innovation and education. The company’s flagship product the Capd Cup, developed in Wilen’s Santa Monica home, is an innovative menstrual cup that can be emptied without being removed. Capd Period recently won the 2023 Westly Prize, an award from the Westly Foundation that provides grants to young social innovators in California who are finding “novel solutions to community challenges.”
Samohi students sign for college athletics: Three Santa Monica High School athletes confirmed their intent to continue athletic endeavors in college during National Signing Day. Brielle Minor chose to continue her basketball career at Cal State Fullerton, Aaron Smollins will play baseball at Rollins College, and Jamie Browning will play volleyball at Springfield College.
Civic meetings return to in-person participation: Santa Monica’s civic meetings universally returned to in-person participation in early 2023 following the expiration of the statewide COVID-19 Emergency Order. While the City Council has operated in person since April of 2022, the City’s boards and commissions had remained virtual.
Council moves to create post-pandemic recovery fund of $100,000 for small businesses: The City Council approved a motion to explore a post-pandemic recovery fund of at least $100,000 for Santa Monica’s small businesses. The staff report for the item said that as businesses move into new spaces, re-open, or renovate their facades to attract new clientele, these improvements will lead to more foot traffic and increased consumer spending that will facilitate economic recovery for the city.
SMMUSD Music Students Named to California All-State and Honor Choir, Orchestra and Band: SMMUSD congratulated the 41 Santa Monica students who were named to the All State and Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association Honor Choir, Orchestra and Band, and to the 2023 California All State Music Education Conference.
Staffing and technology challenges persist as crime rises in Santa Monica: SMPD Chief Ramon Batista addressed recent crime trends saying that while the department was understaffed throughout the year, officers responded to an increased number of calls for service, response times were faster and officers made more arrests than in 2021.
Eight story hotel sandwiched between apartments heads for Planning Commission: A proposal to squeeze a new 84-foot hotel into a single lot between two existing housing projects is moved to Planning Commission. The project at 516 Colorado proposed to pack 74 guest rooms, a ground floor restaurant, outdoor seating area, guest drop-off area, rooftop bar and two subterranean levels with a fitness area and business center into an eight-story building on the 41.75-foot wide former site of Angels Attic dollhouse museum.
Board of Education selects firm to lead superintendent search: Several months after former SMMUSD Superintendent Ben Drati announced his departure from the district, the Board of Education selected a search firm to assist in the process of filling the position. After several months the District eventually hired existing employee Antonio Shelton for the position.
11 businesses get approval for oversized parklets: A group of early parklet adopters were given the green light to keep or expand oversized outdoor dining zones but only with the permission of neighboring businesses and proof of insurance.
Could Santa Monica pay to move housing to another city?: Palmdale City Manager Ronda Perez said that Santa Monica had approached Palmdale with an idea to move some of Santa Monica’s state-mandated housing allocation out of the city and to another community. The idea quickly drew condemnation from housing advocates and was ultimately abandoned..
Up to 30% of SMMUSD students are chronically absent: School officials considered home visits, among other tools, to address high absenteeism among students that’s kept 20-30% of students out of class on a regular basis. State data classified chronic absenteeism rates as “high” in the district, with 19.3% of kindergarten through eighth grade students noted as chronically absent in 2022. This equates to 10% of more of the school year. Another district report, which included all K-12th grade students, showed the rate to be at 30% for the first half of the 2022-23 school year.
Zibby’s opens on Montana: Zibby’s Bookshop, where owner Zibby Owens personally curates the titles opened on Montana. Eighteen authors participated in grand opening weekend signings, including novelist Laura Munson and first-time memoirist Natasha Sizlo.
Ceiling repair may displace Will Rogers students: Glue used to secure ceiling tiles at the school began to fail, resulting in the tiles falling. While the glue poses no risk to students or staff at the school, it is complicated to replace due to asbestos. Students would have to be relocated to other classrooms on campus while the work is completed, which will likely not occur until 2025.
School District to consider purchase of the Civic Auditorium: The long vacant, seismically unsafe and “surplus” Civic Center Auditorium was examined as a possible gym facility for Santa Monica High School. The district’s Board of Education began discussions on the deal with a request from staff to authorize a feasibility study on the purchase. The Civic Auditorium at 1855 Main Street has been vacant since 2013 and was designated as “surplus” land last year. Municipal property that is unused receives the designation under a state law that stipulates affordable housing, parks/recreation, or school uses have priority on purchase and redevelopment of surplus land. The proposal was one of two for the site. Council rejected a bid by Community Corp and SMMUSD eventually withdrew its offer resulting in an open call for potential partners for the Civic to reopen it as an events venue.
New novel reveals little-known Santa Monica history: British Author Claire Prentice uncovered new and enticing details about the story of the New York real-estate empire family, the Wendels, in her newest book Curse of Riches. In the novel, a secret love affair linked the family to Santa Monica, as family maid Martha Schroeder became pregnant with John Wendel’s son.
Council asks for approval to de-densify commercial zones: Council preserved a controversial proposal to allow denser development along Santa Monica’s traditionally commercial streets and despite a contentious debate, the council came together unanimously to ask state regulators if they can repeal the rules at a later date.
Santa Monica Pier celebrates 50 years of being saved: February marks the 50th anniversary of the date that the Pier was officially saved by a decision from City Council rescinding an initial decision to demolish the Pier.
Local nonprofit makes sure the most vulnerable students are Ready to Succeed: In 2016, local residents Patrick McCabe and Romi Lassally formed Ready to Succeed, a non-profit organization with the goal of providing support services to set foster students up for success upon graduation. Beginning with just six students, Ready to Succeed now has close to 400 participants, a 16 person staff, has expanded to include first generation students as well, and has added additional services to address their needs through a comprehensive program.
Eating clean and green at Santa Monica’s new restaurants: Restaurant openings continued with a trio of eateries focused on healthy eating. Hummus XPress at 2200 Colorado Ave. offers what the name suggests with an Italian twist on the food. On the Third Street Promenade, a new concept called Farmesa opened at the Kitchen United Mix space at 1315 3rd Street (and closed later in the year). Southern Californian salad shop chain Health Nut looks to open its fourth location in Los Angeles County at 1447 Lincoln Blvd, and plans to open a fifth location after Santa Monica in Culver City.
Elemental Music performs world premiere by fifth-grade student: Elemental Music presented over 160 young musicians in performances at Lincoln Middle School, with students in grades 3-8 performing in ensembles for strings, band, choir, classical guitar and full orchestra. The performances included a world premiere, as the Elemental Strings Chamber Orchestra performed James Wood’s Battle, the second movement from his Suite for String Orchestra, No. 1 Op. 1. Wood is a fifth-grade violinist in the program, and the premiere marks the first time that an Elemental Music ensemble performed music written by a current student.
Historic storm leaves Santa Monica wet but unharmed: Santa Monica emerged from the recent winter storm a touch bedraggled but otherwise unscathed. The City of Santa Monica responded to about 25 uprooted trees and 30 downed limbs, and also pumped water from the Gander Park parking lot, repaired potholes and repaired a downed light pole. A lightning storm caused beach evacuations and closures for several hours on Feb. 25 but there were no reports of injury.
School District seeks new trial in $45 million special education case: Efforts to seek a new trial and reduce damages in a ruling against SMMUSD moved forward. A Los Angeles Superior Court jury found ordered the district to pay $45 million to the family of two special needs twins who alleged abuse by a behavioral aid. The district announced its intention to seek a new trial following the verdict and officials have stated that they believe the verdict “was not justified by the evidence presented.” The SMMUSD Board of Education has moved to split the $45 million payment over a 10-year period.
Last chance to see the Sea Dragon as original ride is retired: One of the oldest and most cherished rides on the Santa Monica Pier, the original Sea Dragon, bid farewell to its prized Pacific view, retiring to make way for an all-new Sea Dragon ride. The swinging ride is based loosely on what’s referred to as a “pirate ship ride” since this was the appearance that early incarnations of the ride took. Since it opened in May 1996, it has provided more than 12 million rides to both locals and visiting tourists.