Scooter injuries occurring more frequently and with greater severity
A rise in scooter use has been seen throughout Santa Monica and the Greater Los Angeles area, but the transportation method has been linked to an increase in injury frequency and severity nationwide. According to new UCLA-led research, scooter injuries nearly tripled across the United States from 2016 to 2020, along with a similar increase in severe injuries requiring orthopedic and plastic surgery over the same period. Lead author Nam Yong Cho, a third-year medical student at UCLA and a research associate at the UCLA Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Laboratories, noted that injury characteristics are influenced by factors like frequent use of protective gear and mixed road usage among scooter riders.
Big Blue Bus reports rise in ridership, plus a new safety officer program
Santa Monica-based Big Blue Bus saw steady gains in ridership during the 2022-23 fiscal year, according to a performance year-end report from the organization. Despite challenges in recruiting and retaining Motor Coach Operators and post-COVID recovery, the city-owned public transportation service had success in retaining contactless fare passengers. Additionally, the report notes the increase in ridership on MODE (Mobility On Demand Every Day), the City’s demand response service for seniors and people with disabilities. Big Blue Bus carried 7,741,258 passengers in FY 22-23, an increase of 23% compared to the previous fiscal year.
Popular second-hand clothing store Buffalo Exchange permanently closes
The Main Street branch of the popular second-hand clothing store Buffalo Exchange permanently closed its doors on Jan. 14, with the shop’s website proclaiming it was a “tough decision” to refocus efforts on other locations. Starting out as the original buy-sell-trade fashion shop in Tucson, Arizona in 1974, Buffalo Exchange now has over 40 stores in the United States, including shops in Sherman Oaks, Melrose, Orange County and Ventura. According to staff, the lease is up on the Main Street location and all stock will be distributed to other outlets in the area. Some staff will be moved to a new store opening soon in Pasadena, but not everyone, since the new outlet is significantly smaller than the Main Street branch.
Community comes out to celebrate MLK holiday
Residents from Santa Monica and beyond joined the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Westside Coalition in honoring the civil rights leader’s namesake holiday on Jan. 15. Held at the SGI-USA Peace Ikeda Auditorium, the 39th annual celebration was themed “Stop the Hate, Start the Healing,” and featured several award presentations and performances. Awards given out by the Westside Coalition included education awards based on creative submissions centered around Dr. King’s six principles of nonviolence, as well as the Community Light Award presented to the Jenesse Center and the Nat Trives Service Award given to Trives, the former Santa Monica Mayor dubbed “Mr. Santa Monica.”
Free Telehealth option bolsters district mental health services
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s mental health resources were fortified before the 2023 winter break via a Telehealth partnership with Hazel Health. One of the nation’s top K-12 telehealth providers, Hazel provides student therapy services to district sites with no cost to parents or guardians, giving students the chance to access virtual therapy sessions either during school hours or at home. The Hazel partnership was offered by the Los Angeles County Office of Education, and SMMUSD Mental Health Coordinator Shuli Lotan noted that the district took on the extra resource as a “complimentary option” to other partnerships with local private nonprofit therapy agencies.
Rent Control Board follows Council in backing Justice for Renters Act
Following a recent vote of support for the Justice for Renters Act made by Santa Monica City Councilmembers, the city’s Rent Control Board followed suit with a unanimous resolution in a Jan. 11 meeting, putting its confidence in the statewide ballot measure that has qualified for the November 2024 ballot. The Justice for Renters Act serves as California voters’ third chance to expand rent control rules statewide, appealing the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act of 1995 which puts limitations on local regulations. Rent Control Board members Lonnie Guinn presented discussion on the item, stating that the board should lend an official motion of support to “meet [their] mission” and “not just let people assume” that they’ll support the measure just because of their subject of expertise.
Santa Monica’s domes on course for March grand opening
In November 2023, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. board members voted unanimously to move ahead with a 360 degree immersive ‘dome’ entertainment activation on the former site of Parking Structure 3. The project has been tweaked since that time, with the layout changing to feature two domes, each 50ft in diameter, and four smaller domes. The activation will focus around a brand new animated universe aimed at children that centers around an indigenous little girl, Haiku, who possesses the ability to speak to animals. The site will feature a picnic area, merchandise stalls and bathrooms, as well as food and beverage outlets including a fully licensed bar. The grand opening of the activation will take place in March.
Eastern medicine expansion, education top of mind for Seyhart duo
Husband and wife duo Colin and Tara McCannel opened Seyhart in 2020, with the licensed medical professionals overseeing several treatments like acupuncture and “cupping.” The space has a recreational lobby, followed by several rooms with the goal of making appointments welcoming and comfortable, in order to address a wide range of issues via its acupuncture technique. Tara notes that Seyhart’s goal is to help locals “figure out what they can do themselves to recover and to be better,” focusing on methods like acupuncture that hone in on the mind-body connection.
The Pier was nearly wrecked by weather 41 years ago, learn more with a walking history tour
Since it first opened on September 9, 1909, the Santa Monica Pier has endured just about everything that both man and Mother Nature can throw at it. This includes an incident back in 1982, when storms swept away the remains of a protective breakwater that surrounded the Pier. The following winter of 1983 was even more severe, with reported swells of over 20 feet repeatedly battering the seaborne structure, causing significant damage. When the storm eventually passed, most of the lower deck of the Pier had been destroyed. This chapter of the Pier’s history and more are expanded upon during weekly walking history tours, hosted by Jeff Wynne on Saturdays and Sundays at 10 a.m. Other highlights are hearing about how the beach landscape has changed, the cinematic history of the famous Carousel and how the Pier came about in the first place.
Stunning Saint Anne mural latest in virtuoso’s repertoire
The latest mural from acclaimed artist Gustavo Zermeño Jr. was unveiled at Saint Anne School on Jan. 17, with one side depicting Saint Anne cradling her child, the Blessed Mary, set against the backdrop of the Santa Monica Pier. The other side depicts Jesus Christ at the edge of the Santa Monica Beach. Zermeño chose Saint Anne School and Church as the location and subject of his latest piece due to his family connections in the community. He attended mass at Saint Anne in his younger years, his parents were wed there, and several family members are alumni of the school. Currently, Zermeño’s nephew attends Saint Anne as a second-grader. Also attending the unveiling were Saint Anne Principal Michael Browning, Santa Monica Mayor Pro Tem Lana Negrete and Santa Monica City Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre and Gleam Davis. Monsignor Lloyd Torgerson and Saint Anne Deacon Raul Molina both blessed the mural at the unveiling.
Longtime local favorite bar JP’s set to reopen “in weeks”
After nearly two years after an application for a permit to sell alcoholic beverages was seen at 925 Wilshire Blvd suite C, JP’s Sports Bar & Grill is set to reopen at the address, one block west from its original location. Transformed into a bar in the 1970s, JP’s initially closed at its original Wilshire site in early 2021. JP’s management states they’re hopeful to open “in a matter of weeks,” hoping to be open in time for the Super Bowl in February. Owner Alexander Kallberg told the Daily Press that the main room of the bar will eventually incorporate around 25 television screens, and the back end of the venue will incorporate a second large area with pool tables and television screens.
BMX pros bring energy, messaging to Roosevelt students
Roosevelt Elementary School hosted an inaugural Roosevelt RevUP anti-bullying assembly on Jan. 17, featuring BMX freestylers Dustin McCarty and Dennis Westfall. The duo, both professionals who have competed at the highest level in their sport, performed ground-based maneuvers before taking airborne at the center ramp. McCarty and Westfall’s variety of tricks left students of all ages stunned, but they also took home lessons in promoting a positive, bully-free school environment.
Santa Monica set for 2024 Homeless Count with a full complement of volunteers
On Wednesday, a number of volunteers will gather at St. Monica’s Church in Santa Monica and begin counting the unhoused in the city. Part of the 2024 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count mandated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the endeavor helps officials to gain a better idea of the number of people unhoused together with demographic trends among the population and locations of concentration. The data is then used to inform local and regional efforts to address homelessness and can ultimately affect how resources are allocated. Results from the 2023 count showed that homelessness increased by about 9% countywide and by 45% in the Santa Monica area. Nationwide, homelessness increased by about 12% last year.
SMC synergy with Chamber connects academics, new industries
In December 2023, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce announced a new collaboration with Santa Monica College (SMC), launching the Chamber Talent Connect program for SMC students and local Santa Monica Businesses. Beginning with a webinar on the topic of cloud computing, the program connects students with internships, jobs and interviews for businesses in forward-thinking fields like cloud computing, biotechnology and “blue economy” or aquaculture-related positions. Not only do businesses benefit from the intern and workforce pipeline, they can also help craft SMC’s existing and upcoming programs with valuable input. In launching the program, Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce CEO Judy Kruger stated that the Chamber and SMC are “ensuring that [SMC] students are well-equipped to thrive in the rapidly changing economy.”
ross@smdp.com