Santa Monica Pier evacuated just days before previously scheduled pier emergency evacuation test: A man claiming to be in possession of a bomb climbed the 130-foot-tall Ferris Wheel on the Santa Monica Pier sparking an evacuation of the pier along with Pacific Park. Officers were able to speak to the man, 37-year-old Juan Gonzalez of Garden Grove, and eventually took Gonzalez into custody.
Environmental impact examined for Roosevelt campus plan: Project developers and SMMUSD representatives spoke to local stakeholders, laying out the latest campus plan for Roosevelt Elementary School and the potential environmental impacts of construction. The first phase of construction would include a new one-story classroom for transitional kindergarten and kindergarten students, among other improvements.
Could the end be nigh for rental scooters?: Santa Monica City Council voted 5-2 to extend the Shared Mobility Device Pilot Program for e-scooters and e-bikes in the city but during discussion, councilmember Phil Brock said that he’s not sure if he “sees the worth anymore” from the devices.
Locals can get paid to leave their car at home: The “One Car Challenge” program started in Santa Monica, which offered 200 residents up to $599 if they live in a house with at least two cars and were willing to park one of them for five weeks.
Fundraiser fuels needed levity in life-threatening situations: The Crow comedy club hosted “Storyectomy,” a comedy and storytelling show raising funds for the American Cancer Society. Santa Monica resident Nicole Blaine hosted comedy classes for cancer survivors, thrivers, caregivers and medical professionals in order to “normalize” the cancer experience through comedy.
International experiences grace Grant campus: Over 20 cultures from around the world were represented at Grant Elementary School’s World Culture Day. The second annual gathering had international food, sport, music and traditional clothing; as well as cultural demonstrations such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
Outdated policy on homeless students prompts revision by SMMUSD board: SMMUSD revised its board policy and administrative regulation and will be appointing a liaison for supporting homeless children and youths.
Big Check for the Palisades: California State Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) presented a check for $1 million for the restoration of Simon Meadow Park and the creation of new gathering and bathroom facilities. The funds will enhance accessibility and improve youth programming at the park.
Councilmembers clash over unregulated representation reiterates divisions among members: Councilmembers fought over the use of paid assistants resulting in new guidelines that say no councilmember shall authorize or permit any non-city employee to represent them at any meeting function or event.
New crop of district athletes bred from the middle ground: Students at Lincoln Middle School and John Adams Middle School took part in new sports programs for flag football, girls’ volleyball and cross-country. Directly supported through the district with the help of the Santa Monica Education Foundation, the new middle school sports program will extend to games like basketball and soccer in the winter and spring.
‘The Fans Strike Back’ Star Wars-themed exhibition lands at the Promenade: An exhibit at the Santa Monica Art Museum transported visitors to a galaxy far, far away; as The Fans Strike Back showcases more than 600 items from the Star Wars universe collected by fans of the film and television products.
Hurst continues special education mission in new role: SMMUSD approved the appointment of Victoria Hurst as the district’s new special education director. Hurst has served the district for 20 of her 25 years of education experience, and said she is “honored and humbled” by the appointment.
Students to drop and cover for earthquake preparedness: SMMUSD students took part in the 2023 Great California ShakeOut, an earthquake preparedness drill that gauged how well the district is prepared for a significant emergency. The annual drill had students practicing the “drop, cover, hold on” steps in class settings.
Friends, survivors connect again for annual walk: Longtime friends and breast cancer survivors Janna Boelke and Mande Raiher turned their tribulations into productivity, teaming as part of the “Worthe It To Thrive” fundraising unit. The fundraising team helps with the American Cancer Society’s “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” walk, which took place on Oct. 28 at the Santa Monica Pier.
Santa Monica’s annual winter ice rink gets substantial upgrade: The annual Ice at Santa Monica event received upgrades for the 2023-24 winter season, including an all-new rink along with hangout areas and a firepit. The corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue is turned into a skating paradise every November through January, but Downtown Santa Monica Inc. Operations & Placemaking Director Jeremy Ferguson said that the rink is 25% bigger than any previous year.
A small coffee is the gateway to a lifetime of music at Endless Noise: For nearly 30 years, Endless Noise production studio has worked with a wide swath of artists, composers and more. The studio also houses a hidden coffee shop, originally intended to be a hub for local artists. When locals and clients loved the experience, Endless Noise improved the shop to add a barista and an expanded menu, reopening the business in January 2023.
Diners delighted during local food celebration: Diners had the chance to partake in special lunch and dinner menus at local restaurants to celebrate Dine LA Restaurant Week. The 2023 fall edition of the bi-annual celebration promoted dine-in only, with 34 local locations participating in the event.
Samohi artists recognized in statewide expo: Santa Monica High School students Emmaline Thorpe, Victoria Davis and Shana Lindsey were selected as winners in the 2023 California Young Artist Expo contest.
Santa Monica teen is tackling children’s anxiety: After seeing an increase in anxiety among young children during the pandemic, 17-year-old Santa Monica resident Quincy Kadin created a children’s book “Frankie’s Fishy Feelings” with the help of illustrator Domus Batista. The book follows Frankie the shark as she navigates a wave of anxiety and stress through her first day of kindergarten.
Orchestra goes to the movies for magical fundraiser: Barnum Hall played host to the Santa Monica High School orchestras “Movie Music Magic” concert, featuring selections from popular movie franchises like “Shrek” and “Harry Potter.”
World-renowned think tank hopes to foster new ideas for its Santa Monica office: The RAND corporation asked officials to void the agreement that governs its Santa Monica office. The corporation wants officials to work on a new deal that would account for the declining number of workers physically coming into the office, with RAND stating that they cannot do anything other than leave offices vacant under current rules.
World-traveled conductor comes home for U.S. debut: A homecoming for 2013 Santa Monica High School graduate Elias Peter Brown took place on at BroadStage. Brown made his United States conducting debut alongside musicians of the LA Philharmonic, performing Stravinsky’s “The Soldier’s Tale.” First performing at BroadStage as a Samohi trumpet player, Brown has been world-traveled since, recently coming back to the U.S. to serve as assistant conductor at the San Francisco Symphony.
Choral anniversary season performance serenades through iconic poetry: The Verdi Chorus, a longtime staple of operatic music in Santa Monica, began its 40th anniversary season with a performance of “This, and My Heart, A Portrait of Emily Dickinson and Her Worlds Through Text and Song.”
Cosmic ballet continues as ‘ring of fire’ solar eclipse sweeps across West Coast: The United States West Coast was able to observe the cosmological event known as an annular eclipse. The path of the shadow created by the Moon passed in front of the Sun, sweeping across the country in a southeast direction from Eugene, Oregon to San Antonio, Texas. California residents were able to see between 70-80% of the phenomena.
Homelessness, economic recovery hot topics for policy influencers: The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce held the first Santa Monica Chamber Policy Conference at the RAND Corporation, bringing together leaders in their respective fields to talk issues pertinent to locals.
City Hall wants new security guards for the Santa Monica Pier: The City of Santa Monica sent out a Request for Proposal inviting qualified companies to compete for a private security contract on the Santa Monica Pier. CA Panther was already under contract through Dec. 31 and received an extension to their deal.
SMPD emergency responses tested in Pier exercise: The Pier played host to an emergency services training exercise designed to test officers’ mettle in a rapid evacuation scenario, beginning with a mock “shootout” at the eastern end of the Pier, followed by an active hostage scenario inside the Pier arcade.
Credit: Scott Snowden
Heal the Bay honored for past, present victories: Local environmental group Heal the Bay received the Pongo Environmental Award for Environmental Organization on Oct. 14, highlighting the group’s efforts in shifting policy and creating conversation around protecting local waterways and coastline.
Family, loved ones take on walk to remember: The American Cancer Society (ACS) hosted its “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” with the path including the Santa Monica Pier, Ocean Avenue and Palisades Park.
Fred Segal opens on Montana Ave.: Fred Segal returned to Santa Monica with a new store at 1533 Montana Ave. The brand had two stores at 5th and Broadway in the past, eventually selling one of the stores in 2012 and closing the other in 2014. Montana Avenue Merchants Association member Jane Walker said that the new store is a “perfect fit” on the avenue.
School board scopes out safety plan: The SMMUSD board voted to approve the Comprehensive School Safety Plan for each district school, with the exception of John Adams Middle School, which did not have a plan ready in time for the meeting.
Homecoming ceremony spotlights Samohi’s best: A special Homecoming ceremony was held with performances from the school’s pep and cheerleading squads, as well as the “Greenies” hype team. Seniors Joshua Tang and Kara Best were selected as Samohi Homecoming King and Queen during the proceeding.
Four Pepperdine students dead in Malibu crash: A Malibu resident killed four people and injured two others after losing control of his car. The driver was identified as Fraser Michael Bohm, 22, of Malibu, and was arrested for vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence and the crash prompted a wave of action and concern over the safety of PCH.
The state of real estate in Santa Monica: A combination of high interest rates, taxes, cost of living expenses and general instability started to weigh on the Santa Monica real estate market, according to local realtors. While a real estate crash is not expected, there were early signs of a softening market, such as an increase in the number of days homes are for sale and fewer homes selling at or above their listed price.
Widespread speech condition fought head-on with workshop: The American Institute for Stuttering (AIS) held two events to open up lines of communication for those interested in speech therapy.
Council rejects proposal for lottery form of outreach regarding future use of airport land: Councilmembers rejected a public lottery form of public outreach to determine the future of land use at the Santa Monica Airport by a 4-3 vote but eventually approved a more traditional outreach effort with several community workshops.
Santa Monica College sets its sights on the stars with new state-of-the-art observatory: A new, permanent observatory is in the works for Santa Monica College’s new Engineering & Science Department building. The observatory, set to be operational on the building’s rooftop in 2025, will have a 20.6-foot diameter and a 27.5-inch telescope.
Art perfection commended by school board: Students were recognized for several feats, including two students who earned perfect scores on college-level Advanced Placement (AP) exams in the spring of 2023. Santa Monica High School senior Emmaline Thorpe and Malibu High School senior Molly O’Neill were just two of 337 nationally to earn every single possible point on the AP 2-dimensional (2-D) art and design exam, taken by around 49,000 students in all.
Police investigating body found by 15th Street and Santa Monica Blvd: SMPD investigated a body found in the street, one of several throughout the year that were reported to involve homelessness or drugs.
When Cher Meets Gelato: Cherlato, a gelato truck that delivers high quality and unique flavors around the city of Los Angeles, was a collaboration between music icon Cher and gelato “wizard” Giapo Grazioli.
A ‘foreign’ offering for Samohi fall play: Santa Monica High School’s fall 2023 play offering was The Foreigner, a comedic tale that adds levity to themes of prejudice and xenophobia.
Gardens get overrun with ghosts, ghouls, goblins and gravestones for Halloween: Residents of Santa Monica offered impressive Halloween displays at their homes this year, particularly those in the neighborhood between Montana Ave. and San Vicente Blvd., between 14th and 26th Streets.
Council approves zoning changes allow for the sale and delivery of adult-use cannabis: Council changed the city’s zoning code to allow for expanded retail cannabis sales, acknowledging the opportunity it presents in assisting the city’s economic recovery.
Latest Samohi campus plan pitched to public: Updates to the campus of Santa Monica High School were brought to the public, including progress on both construction and planning for “Phase 3” and “Phase 4” of the school’s campus plan. Phase 3 is the construction of the school’s new Exploration building and Gold gymnasium, while Phase 4 calls for a new student center, library, administration building and performing arts center on the campus.
Rugged clothing and equipment maker Strauss opens first US store on Main St: Popular European rugged clothing and equipment manufacturer Engelbert Strauss opened up its first retail outlet in the United States on Main Street.
Volleyball tournament a scary good time: Santa MoniCARES held its second-annual Volley-Ween fundraiser tournament, raising money for local Santa Monica nonprofits during the holiday season. Teams were able to play volleyball on the beach in their chosen costumes, and those in Halloween garb took part in a costume contest.
Angel Flight West celebrates its 100,000th mission: Angel Flight West, a nonprofit organization that arranges no-cost non-emergency air travel service, celebrated its 100,000th mission.
Santa Monica to get its own sphere (or two): DTSM unanimously approved a 360-degree immersive entertainment activation on the former site of Parking Structure 3. The project will consist of two 360-degree entertainment domes similar to the newly-opened Sphere in Las Vegas, scaled down to 100 and 180-foot diameters, respectively.
