Panel talks countering ‘truth decay’: Santa Monica College played host to a community conversation entitled “Countering Truth Decay” with a panel speaking on how to create more robust discourse on societal issues, avoiding arguments where two parties disagree on facts and observations.
Trick-or-treating brings ‘normalcy’ to young patients: Halloween at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center meant a chance for patients to take part in trick-or-treating, coordinated by the medical center’s Child Life department. The young patients were able to don various costumes, play games and pet therapy animals like dogs and the mini-horse “Blue Moon.”
Roosevelt benches cultivate camaraderie: The Kiwanis Club of Santa Monica dedicated three “Buddy Benches” on the campus of Roosevelt Elementary School, continuing the installation of the benches at SMMUSD schools.
Celebrating 10 Years of Culinary Excellent at Satdha Plant-Based Thai Kitchen: Gourmet plant-based Thai restaurant Satdha, located on Lincoln Boulevard in Santa Monica, celebrated its 10-year anniversary with an anniversary dinner, featuring a unique 10-course tasting menu. The brand new dishes showcase Chef Gunn Pankum’s skill and the diversity of flavors found in Thai and plant-based cuisine.
Malibu group planting roots for a sustainable future: The Malibu Foundation hosted its 2023 Replant Love event at Juan Bautista De Anza Park in Calabasas, bringing together volunteers to plant a native microforest using seeds collected and propagated in the foundation’s nursery.
Big real estate ruling may be years away from trickling down to Santa Monica properties: A multi-billion lawsuit shook up the real estate industry, though the impacts to the local market were still hard to predict. The National Association of Realtors was ordered to pay nearly $1.8 billion in damages last week over accusations that the organization’s policy of forcing home sellers to pay commission charged to home buyers is a violation of federal antitrust laws. Consensus among locals is that there will be changes to the way commissions are paid, but any impact is likely years away due to the prolonged nature of lawsuits.
Attempt by Mayor Davis to refine language regarding Council’s direction for a rotational mayor fails: A proposal made by Mayor Gleam Davis amend rules for choosing the mayor was met with a bevy of criticism from some councilmembers who said it was an attack on the upcoming Mayorship of Phil Brock. This was a notion Davis denied, stating she did not intend “in any way” to affect the mayoral rotation but the measure failed.
Inner scientists explore the universe at UCLA: The Explore the Universe event at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) hosted science-related departments to provide activities and experiments for youths aged 8-18.
Locals pay tribute with Dia de Los Muertos decor: At the carousel at the Santa Monica Pier, guests were able to honor loved ones who have passed on by contributing personal photographs in communal altars. The Santa Monica History Museum also had a pop-up exhibit with altars created by local high school students, with students from Santa Monica High School and Venice High School among those contributing.
Amal anything but little during Pier visit: Little Amal, a puppet symbolizing a 10-year-old Syrian refugee girl, captivated spectators on the Santa Monica Pier as part of the Amal Walks Across America tour.
Council votes to support the Justice for Renters Act by the narrowest of margins: City Councilmembers approved supporting the Justice for Renters Act, with four in favor, one against, and two abstentions. The act, which has qualified for the November 2024 state ballot, aims to address limitations imposed by the Costa Hawkins Act.
Los Angeles moves to end rent freeze, lower rent increases: A Los Angeles City Council committee voted 3-2 against extending the pandemic-related rent increase freeze. Instead, they approved a proposal allowing smaller rent increases for properties covered by the 1979 Rent Stabilization Ordinance.
Portraits showcase Pico passion: The “Our Pico” portrait gallery, a collaboration between the Pico Improvement Organization and photographer Sam Comen, showcased the human stories behind the storefronts. The project, funded by a grant from the City of Santa Monica’s Art of Recovery program, featured engaging portraits of 41 workers in various roles, capturing the essence of hands-on work, entrepreneurship, and artisan crafting.
Local group makes trek to curb hunger: The Westside Food Bank hosted its 33rd annual 5K Hunger Walk. This event, aimed at raising awareness and funds for food assistance, saw hundreds of participants wearing blue shirts along Santa Monica’s Ocean Front Walk.
Flag program turned fast friends into on-field favorites: The Samohi Lady Vikings faced an unconventional inaugural 2023 flag football season, marked by uncertainty about the game rules and skepticism in the male-dominated sport. Despite lacking traditional measures for success, the team overcame challenges, gradually gaining momentum and ultimately securing an undefeated Ocean League championship with a 16-3 overall record, including a perfect 8-0 Ocean League record. The players and coaches navigated unfamiliar territory, defying expectations and achieving a remarkable outcome.
Santa Monica Pier offers an impressive itinerary of events for Veterans Day: The Santa Monica Pier held an event commemorating Veterans Day with speeches from Mayor Gleam Davis, Congressman Ted Lieu and Deputy Under Secretary of the Army Mario Diaz, along with flyovers featuring Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks and Boeing CH-47 Chinook helicopters, a West Point drill team demonstration, plus live music.
A pair of Samohi alumni are tackling the vaping crisis: A new Santa Monica company worked to help curb the use of non cigarette nicotine vaping devices. Jones, an anti-vaping network, was founded by local natives Hilary Dubin and Caroline Vasquez Huber to help destigmatize quitting and expand access to resources available to cease the habit.
Design fair levels up homesteads for holiday season: The WestEdge Design Fair returned to Santa Monica for the first time since 2019 in November, bringing a three-day experience featuring over 175 of the latest and greatest interior design and housing lifestyle brands.
Wonderfully weird world of Seuss comes to life: The Dr. Seuss Experience opened at Santa Monica Place. The exhibit was dedicated to the author’s timeless children’s classics and was part of a wave of pop-up shows finding success in the city.
A salon with a side of sculpture: Mauricio Navvaro, a professional hair stylist with decades of experience, channeled his artistic endeavors into a combined men’s hair salon and art gallery in Santa Monica’s mid-city neighborhood. Mauricio’s VIP Hair Lounge specializes in men’s haircuts and grooming, with the walls of the salon covered with his colorful works of art. Born in Mexico City, Navvaro has been making art for as long as he can remember, and hopes that clients find a love for artistic beauty inside the lounge.
Two weeks after fatal crash, second bicyclist injured at 19th and Idaho: A woman was killed and a second bicyclist injured at the same location in the course of two weeks. The accidents prompted a debate over road safety in the city that culminated in changes to some of the city’s two-way intersections and eventually prompted a discussion at Council to increase parking taxes as a way to pay for road safety improvements.
Credit: Scott Snowden
Popular Downtown pizzeria Dagwoods set to close at the end of the year: Popular Downtown pizzeria Dagwoods announced it is set to permanently close at the end of 2023. The closure was one of several in the final months of the year including Del Frisco’s, Stella Barra and the Independence Bar.
Local influences guide world-renowned string group’s return: The legendary Takács Quartet returned to Santa Monica’s BroadStage as part of the California Festival, a statewide affair featuring new music from symphony orchestras, chamber music groups, jazz ensembles, choirs and more.
Don’t feed the birds: new rule aims to curb bird poop pollution at the Santa Monica Pier: Councilmembers unanimously approved new rules prohibiting the feeding of birds and other wild animals in the area, which has been found to increase health and safety risks for humans, disease transmission and the local environment.
Los Angeles adopts rent increases of up to 6%: The City of Los Angeles imposed new caps on rent increases for its rent-stabilized apartments. Landlords who cover utilities (gas and electric) were able to raise rents by 6% while those who do not will be limited to 4%. The increases are less than would have occurred without Council intervention after the City previously voted to let a pandemic era rent freeze expire.
LA advances restrictions on new hotel development: A proposal to force hotel developers to replace housing lost in the development process advanced out of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission as part of a deal between the city and a local labor union.
Will Rogers goes to the farm: During the 2021-22 school year, Will Rogers Learning Academy introduced a regenerative farm on the corner of 16th and Maple Street, serving as one of the first such working farms on a school campus in the Los Angeles area.
Lack of affordable housing construction undermines local development rules: According to state regulators, Santa Monica did not build enough units in the very low, low and moderate income levels in recent years and that deficit put the city under a state law that allows anyone building a project with at least 50% affordable units to bypass design rules. However, the law’s additional requirements on developers make it generally undesirable as a regulatory option and local officials said that while they have to comply with the law, they do not think it will have an impact on local development.
Metro stresses safety after several car-train accidents: Safety was a priority for Metro after several accidents occurred in 2023. On June 23, an Expo train came in contact with a car making an illegal left turn at the 14th Street and Colorado Avenue crossing. On June 28, another illegal left turn from a motorist resulted in an accident at 6th Street and Colorado Avenue. On Sept. 23, the crossing of 7th Street and Colorado Avenue was host to another train/car accident.
City Council votes unanimously to support California Proposition 1: Councilmembers voted unanimously to support California Proposition 1 at the request of councilmembers Caroline Torosis, Jesse Zwick and Mayor Gleam Davis. The proposition will reallocate billions of dollars to Californians with the most severe mental health needs, including those living in encampments and those with the highest problems with addiction and substance use.
DA candidates come to club meeting for intensive debate: Candidates for the role of Los Angeles County District Attorney squared off in a debate held at the Santa Monica Public Library, hosted by the Santa Monica Democratic Club for its November meeting. Incumbent District Attorney George Gascón and seven challengers took part in a lengthy discussion on hot-button issues such as Gascón’s record as DA, the balancing of reform and punishment tactics, and the recently-implemented Zero Bail system in the county.
Music excellence elemental during group anniversary celebration: Elemental Music in Santa Monica celebrated its milestone 20th season for programming in 2023-24, crafting after-school ensembles for elementary, middle and high school students.
City Attorney and Rent Control Board making an effort to curb record high evictions: Record high evictions, specifically unlawful detainers, were filed in the past year and have put pressure on the city to pass initiatives mitigating the trend. A plan to curb evictions discussed by the board included addressing evictions due to small rental debts and unpermitted work, and also expanding standards for permanent relocation fees and buyout ordinances.
Local youth and parents give back to those less fortunate: The spirit of the holiday season was strong in two local families, including two children who decided to give up coveted birthday gifts to aid a vulnerable population. Local mothers Carmen Garcia-Shushtari and Elizabeth Ko had their respective sons Amory and Oliver born at UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center just one day apart in 2017, and six years later, the families collaborated during Amory and Oliver’s birthdays to give back to the medical center’s Child Life Department.
SMMUSD working to address over-identification of Hispanic students as learning disabled: SMMUSD worked on a new plan to identify the causes of disproportionality regarding the over-identification of minority students as having learning disabilities. Findings from the districts “Dispro Core Team” identified root causes of disproportionality, including a “lack of clarity, communication and understanding” of the districtwide support system framework, an “inconsistent implementation” of the district’s English Language Arts program, and a “lack of cultural awareness and cultural competency” regarding inclusion and relationship-building with parents and students.
City Council meeting the last before there mayoral handover: Gleam Davis had her last meeting as Mayor, before the handover to Councilmember Phil Brock. The traditional ceremony was moved to the Pier’s Local’s Night and held in the carousel building.
McKinley kids show off their skills: Over 20 students performed in the 2023 McKinley Talent Show. After a dozen students took part in an opening dance number set to Dua Lipa’s “Dance the Night,” individual acts graced the stage for a packed house. Talents shown off included performances on piano, ukulele, flute, violin and drums; as well as specialty skills like ballet and archery.
Vikings dream run stuffed in final moments: A remarkable season for the Samohi Vikings ended just yards short of a CIF Southern Section Division 9 title, dropping the championship game on home turf to the Rio Hondo Prep Kares, 29-27.
Desperate businesses seek new coalition to tackle crime and homelessness: A group of more than 30 local businesses formed a new coalition under the auspices of the California Restaurant Association (CRA) to advocate for businesses facing what they describe as a worsening crisis driven by rising homelessness and crime.