Union rallies at district offices to demand more staffing, better pay
Union SEIU Local 99, which represents many Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District employees, held a rally outside the district offices on March 7 to demand more staffing for student services and increased pay for what the union calls “essential education workers.” The union was also protesting layoffs in the district, such as the recent decision to reduce the district’s amount of physical activities specialists at elementary school sites. Union representation stated that SEIU has been in negotiations with the district for two years on issues like pay rate and number of hours, urging the district to invest more in staff that provides student services.
Venice Heritage Museum opens the doors of its new, permanent site on Main St
Venice’s origins, development and overall history now has a permanent home, the Venice Heritage Museum at 228 Main Street. The concept had been in the works for over a decade, and represents an important step in not only ensuring that knowledge is preserved, but also in making it accessible. The ground floor has been divided into a series of subsections that will change in theme depending on what is being exhibited.
Samohi string sound brings Spring to Barnum Hall
Santa Monica High School’s finest orchestra musicians packed the stage at Barnum Hall on March 7, blooming into the upcoming season with its 2024 Spring Concert. The itinerary was filled with powerful performances from the Combined String and Concert Orchestras, as well as the Concert, Sinfonia, Intermezzo, Chamber, Philharmonic and Symphony orchestras.
California Yacht Club celebrates the beginning of sailing season in style
Just three months after a devastating fire all but destroyed its clubhouse building, the California Yacht Club celebrated the opening day of sailing season on March 9, with members and guests in Marina del Rey treated to a Mardi-gras inspired party with a banquet, activities and entertainment. On December 11, 2023, at least five fire trucks and a substantial amount of firefighters were dispatched to the Marina clubhouse, with the blaze so intense that two firefighters were injured as they tried for two hours to bring it under control. A temporary clubhouse will be erected on the west side of the site, and the club’s Senior Vice President John Myers said the community will be galvanized by the efforts to repair and replace everything.
6-year-old assaulted by homeless man: police in active search of suspect
A six-year-old was hit in the face and knocked to the ground by a homeless individual while walking along Main Street. The incident happened around 7pm on March 10, at the junction of Main Street and Marine. Witness Christina Tulluck, a Venice resident, recounted that the incident occurred while she and her friends, including the young victim, were heading home from a restaurant on Main Street. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the serious nature of this incident, classified as child abuse and assault, has led to its assignment to detectives specializing in juvenile crimes.
Rotary reached for the stars with annual fundraising event
On the evening of March 9, the Rotary Club of Santa Monica hosted its annual Wine & Food Festival at the Skirball Cultural Center, bringing together members of the club to dine as well as traverse a vast selection of wine tastings. More importantly, the club held a raffle, live auction and silent auction to help reach a goal of $150,000 to give back to food banks, local schools, community organizations and international causes.
Women business leaders honored at Chamber luncheon
To celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce honored several female standouts in their respective fields during the 2024 Women in Business Leadership Awards at the Proper Hotel. Guests enjoyed meals and each other’s company, as well as a musical performance, a comedy performance and speeches from five awardees.
American Film Market moves to Las Vegas
One of Santa Monica’s premier entertainment events, the American Film Market, will no longer be held in the city after organizers announced this year’s program will move to Las Vegas. While officials didn’t specifically criticize Santa Monica when making the announcement, AFM moved to a new location last year prompting complaints from some attendees. The festival moved to Santa Monica in 1991 and was held at the Loews Hotel up until 2023, when the hotel site’s closure forced a move to the nearby Le Meridien Delfina.
Tux Creative Agency is California dreamin’ one year on from their move to LA
TUX Creative House, which moved to Santa Monica a year ago, works closely with consumer brands to deliver luxe marketing through a variety of modes such as design, branding, production, media and digital content. TUX currently works closely with brands like Loreal, Lancome and Converse. The agency is the brainchild of co-founders and couple Dominic Tremblay and Ludwig Ciupka, who met 15 years ago after crossing paths on a creative project.
Closing time: local departures reflect national trend
The now-shuttered site of the Santa Monica branch of REI reminded residents that there’s still a long way to go before the city has fully returned to a retail heyday. Other local closures include Interactive Cafe at 215 Broadway, The Craftsman Bar and Kitchen at 119 Broadway, Champs Sports at 1248 3rd Street Promenade, Bearfruit Jewelry at 395 Santa Monica Place and Cult Cafe at 1460 3rd Street Promenade.
Brushstrokes for BroadStage as theater celebrates Picasso
This past weekend, Santa Monica’s BroadStage was transformed into a 1957 French studio, as writer and performer Herbert Sigüenza took hold of a paintbrush to portray Pablo Picasso in A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, a one-man show based on the legend’s writings and philosophy. Sigüenza, a founding member of the performance group Culture Clash, wanted to “capture the time” of Picasso in the 1950s, combining his love of visual artistry with his stage talents to dive into Picasso’s later years.
Silent suitors engage in humorous dating escapade at Morgan-Wixson
A curious shift in singles’ dating behavior was embraced at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre on March 16, as Allison Goldberg’s Love Isn’t Blind show combined comedy and dating opportunities for singles in the audience as well as one bachelorette. Goldberg’s show, which she said was born from dating app fatigue and a desire for people to meet each other in real life, took four male suitors and put them through multiple rounds of comedic scenarios in an attempt to win a date with the night’s bachelorette.
Two decades of music tradition shared during Elemental anniversary concert
A tradition of youth music education has hit the 20-year mark in Santa Monica, as Elemental Music’s wide range of student performers hit the Barnum Hall stage at Samohi March 9 for a 20th Anniversary Celebration Concert. The showcase featured 300 musicians from Santa Monica and Westside LA, performing in ensembles for classical guitar, string orchestra, choir, concert band and full orchestra. Santa Monica Mayor Phil Brock joined the program to present a commendation in honor of Elemental’s 20th anniversary season.
PAL Poker Night
Santa Monica Police Activities League (PAL) hosted its 5th-annual Poker Tournament on March 2 at the Moose Lodge. The sold out event raised funds for PAL’s enrichment and after-school programs. Winning the 2024 tournament was Ben Jenkins.
Lawsuits undermine Neil Shekhter’s once grand real estate empire
Neil Shekhter, who was once the city’s most prolific and controversial developer, has lost control over another three local properties as part of an ongoing inability to repay bank loans. According to The Real Deal, Shekhter recently lost ownership of 1007 Lincoln Boulevard, 1038 10th Street and 1516 Stanford Street to Bank of Southern California as part of foreclosure proceedings. The transfer of property is a result of a lawsuit filed by Bank of Southern California over a $16.2M loan covering the three parcels which according to the bank has never been repaid.
Santa Monica makes month matter with CHLA business specials
This year marks the ninth annual Make March Matter campaign, run by Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) to benefit the comprehensive pediatric programs aiding infants, children and teenagers. Throughout the month, businesses in Santa Monica, Venice and the Westside have pledged their support to the campaign, making donations off of sales and introducing specialty items like interesting food and drink selections.
District board spotlights co-teaching collaborations
Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s Board of Education took a look into the district’s co-teaching collaborations during its March 7 meeting, receiving a presentation about the routines and successes of the program. In the district, co-teaching takes place when two teachers, a general education teacher and a specialized academic instruction teacher, collaborate to implement instruction in an inclusive general education class for students who are placed per their individualized education plans.
Giving St. Patrick’s Day the green light
On March 17, Santa Monica residents celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at its two Irish pubs plus a sports bar that’s Irish in name only: O’Briens Irish Pub (2226 Wilshire Blvd), Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub (2615 Wilshire Blvd) plus Jameson’s Pub (2702 Main St). Both Sonny McLean’s and O’Briens had live music, dancing, traditional Irish food and drinks together with gazebos for the outdoor dining and patio areas.
ross@smdp.com