April brought significant changes to Santa Monica's business landscape, environmental initiatives, and community developments, while the city addressed housing and social justice concerns.
Former Santa Monica Police Department Captain Saul Rodriguez was appointed as El Segundo's new Police Chief after 30 years in law enforcement. Meanwhile, about 100 protesters gathered at Christine Emerson Reed Park to oppose a free needle distribution program in Downtown Santa Monica.
The City Council approved business license tax modernization affecting approximately 23,000 businesses, with officials emphasizing the need to support small enterprises. The council also heard from 33 speakers addressing the war in Gaza during a meeting that preceded tensions at USC.
In business developments, local entrepreneurs Bryan Visintin and Ani Armstrong secured $200,000 on ABC's "Shark Tank" for their innovative bike seat design. The city welcomed new establishments including Oasis Restaurant and Bandit E-Bikes, while Broadway Baker closed its doors to make way for Petitgrain Boulangerie.
Marina del Rey reported strong tourism recovery, with 551,726 overnight visitors in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 14%. The city recognized environmental leadership through its 28th annual Sustainable Quality Awards, with Patagonia Santa Monica winning the grand prize.
The community mourned the loss of Bob Rosenbloom, 91, founder of Bob's Market, who passed away on April 5. The Ocean Park Boulevard grocery store closed early on April 9 for employees and community members to attend his memorial.
In education, John Adams Middle School Director Angela Woo received the 2024 California Music Educators Association Middle School Music Educator Award after 29 years of service. Santa Monica High School senior Lucas Marcelo Milk earned the Skin Grip Diabetes Scholarship while maintaining his roles as track team captain and soccer player.
Housing issues remained prominent as the city became California's first jurisdiction to include "housing status" as a protected class in its Housing Anti-Discrimination Code, prohibiting landlord discrimination based on tenant housing status.
APRIL
Officials welcome cycles, caviar and coffee with ribbon cuttings: Santa Monica welcomed new businesses into the community including, Oasis Restaurant, Bandit E-Bikes, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.
El Segundo hires former SMPD Captain Saul Rodriguez as new Police Chief: Former Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Captain Saul Rodriguez was hired by the City of El Segundo as their new Chief of Police. With the exception of two and a half years spent as a transit police officer for LA County at the very beginning of his career, the majority of Rodriguez’s 30 years of law enforcement experience comes from time spent at the SMPD.
Samohi student learns to live fearlessly despite diabetes diagnosis: Santa Monica High School senior Lucas Marcelo Milk was awarded the Skin Grip Diabetes Scholarship, putting $1,000 toward his eventual college education. Milk, a captain of the Samohi track team and member of the school’s soccer unit, was awarded for achieving a healthy student-athlete life despite being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 2019.
Seasonal spectacle ‘Ice at Santa Monica’ exceeds expectations: This past winter’s “Ice at Santa Monica” seasonal skating activation was more successful than anticipated, according to a report presented by the Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) Marketing and Business Development Committee. Opened on November 1, 2023, the project at the corner of 5th Street and Arizona Avenue was 25% bigger than any other previous year.
Brothers bring skate, surf culture back to local roots: The Bentivoglio brothers, Galeazzo, Sante and Francesco, are the driving force behind Bay Street Boards at 3216 Santa Monica Blvd. Approaching its 10-year anniversary, Bay Street is a local love letter to skateboarding and surfing culture, particularly on the Westside of Los Angeles where the brothers grew up. Bay Street relies on being a do-it-yourself outlet, with a big bulk of the business coming from repair efforts as well as rentals for surfboards and wetsuits.
Reconnecting to readers is a joy for national ambassador: The Santa Monica Public Library Pico Branch at Virginia Avenue Park welcomed author Meg Medina, with the author introducing her platform “¡Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books” to Santa Monica.
The Other Art Fair returns to Barker Hangar: The Other Art Fair returned to Santa Monica for its 11th annual Los Angeles edition, bringing together a diverse array of artists, live performances and experiences for art enthusiasts and collectors alike. Taking place at the iconic Barker Hangar, the art fair aimed to turn the traditional experience on its head by offering visitors an in-person opportunity to connect directly with emerging and independent artists from around the world, together with plainly listed artwork prices and a significantly less pretentious atmosphere.
LA County health survey details struggles for Black, Latino adults: In its first release since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health unveiled the latest LA County Health Survey, with results skewing poorly as it relates to Black and Latino residents.
Historic Douglas World Cruiser aircraft on course to return to Santa Monica: One of the two remaining Douglas World Cruiser aircraft that took part in the first ever aerial circumnavigation of the world was set to return to the place where it was originally conceived, designed and built, Santa Monica Municipal Airport. One of the aircraft, the New Orleans, was recently noted by Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County Collections Manager Beth Werling as potentially finding a home at the Santa Monica airport, with discussions beginning on how to properly display the plane.
Students rock out for sun block out: A multitude of students at Grant Elementary School, spanning multiple grade levels, all came outside together to witness the April 8 solar eclipse, peaking at nearly half-coverage of the moon. This was the final chance to view an at least partial solar eclipse in the Los Angeles area until January 2029, and the April 8 event was also the last nation-spanning eclipse until 2044.
Cross-country trek for MS research starts at Pier: Michael Azar kicked off the MS Run the US ultra relay at the Santa Monica Pier, committed to running the first segment of a cross-country journey poised to end in New York City in August.
Community unites over passing of Bob Rosenbloom, founder of Bob’s Market: Well-known Ocean Park Blvd. grocery store Bob’s Market closed early on April 9 so that employees, members of the surrounding community and relatives could gather at Hillside Memorial Park to celebrate the life of market founder Bob Rosenbloom. According to Sue Moss, Rosenbloom’s niece and manager of the store, Rosenbloom had been ill for some time, hit with COVID-19 during the pandemic and soon after developing a case of shingles. Rosenbloom was 91 years old and passed away on April 5.
Comedy culture comes together for mental health support: A talented troupe of comedians teamed with Find Your Anchor during “Mental Health Day” at the Bergamot Comedy Festival. At The Crow comedy club, jokesters jumped at the chance to make Find Your Anchor boxes, filled with mental health resources such as cards detailing “anchors,” or reason to live in the name of suicide prevention and awareness.
Gas prices up almost 20 cents: According to gas prices resource GasBuddy, local gas prices in Los Angeles were up about 20 cents in the week of April 2-9 and 35 cents over the month. Nationally, prices increased 6.5 cents over the same week, and prices were up 17.1 cents from a month ago. A spokesperson for AAA said that the spike in oil prices were partially due to renewed Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil infrastructure and increasing tension in the Middle East, while GasBuddy experts pointed to the impending switch over to California’s summer blend gasoline taking refineries offline as another reason for the increase.
Nearly three decades of musical success honored at state level: John Adams Middle School Director of Instrumental Music Angela Woo was presented with the prestigious 2024 California Music Educators Association Middle School Music Educator Award. Woo, who has worked at JAMS for 29 years, was commended for her contributions at the middle school level during the 2024 California All-State Music Education Conference in Sacramento.
Children’s choral phenomenon powered by local voice: Santa Monica-born Luke McEndarfer celebrated his 20th year with the National Children’s Chorus, one of the world’s top children’s choirs that boasts a roster of over 1,200 students across eight global chapters.
Popular Broadway Baker shuts doors, will be replaced with brand new bakery: Broadway Baker, the extremely popular pastry store on Wilshire Blvd., closed its doors to be replaced with a brand new bakery that will “focus on French and Mexican inspired pastries.” The talented chefs behind Broadway Baker, Jim Orsorno and his partner Tom Mueller, have decided to retire, but two more incredible talented bakers, Clémence de Lutz (co-owner of The Gourmandise School) and her partner, Tony Hernandez (Bread Lounge, Friends & Family) are taking over the space. The new establishment, called Petitgrain Boulangerie, debuted in May.
Council approves business tax changes, but stresses importance of assisting small businesses: Councilmembers voted to approve the proposed business license modernization and associated business license tax rate changes. According to Assistant City Treasurer Stephanie Manglaras, the tax code modernization reflects economic changes that have occurred in the past few decades. Manglaras noted that the finance department collects business license taxes from approximately 23,000 businesses and 13,000 of those are physically located within the city and the City of Santa Monica adopted its existing business license tax code in 1990, more than 30 years ago.
New exhibit salutes Chicano culture, community: The Chicano art movement has represented both the struggle and success of Mexican-American artists since the 1960s, and the Mecca of Chicano art found a home at the California Heritage Museum with the “Arte Chicano Hecho En Los Angeles” exhibit.
Special guest panel on homelessness reveals how other cities are handling the crisis: A group of officials gathered at the 1212 restaurant on the Third Street Promenade to focus on successful strategies to achieve a reduction in homelessness. T
A pair of local cyclist revolutionaries successfully swim with the ‘Sharks’: On the April 12 episode of ABC’s “Shark Tank,” locals Bryan Visintin and Ani Armstrong presented their noseless and bumpless bike seat product, the VSEAT, securing $200,000 in funding from the combination of Kevin O’Leary and Robert Herjavec in exchange for 25% equity in their business.
Reed Park protest highlights opposition to ongoing needle distribution program: A crowd of approximately 100 people gathered at Christine Emerson Reed Park to protest against the free needle distribution program in Downtown Santa Monica. Organized by the Santa Monica Coalition, the crowd assembled after a notice was distributed and posted online about a week before the event.
Marina tourism continues rebound despite inflation challenge: The Marina del Rey Tourism Board released the 2023 Economic Impact of Tourism Study for the waterfront locale, which plays a pivotal role in Los Angeles tourism as a whole. The study showed that tourism in the Marina generated an estimated impact of $638 million in 2023, with overnight visitors surpassing 2019 numbers before the COVID-19 pandemic. During the year, Marina del Rey hosted 551,726 overnight visitors, beating the 2019 total by 14 percent and gaining 3,014 visitors over the 2022 total.
Patagonia, other businesses honored for environmental stewardship: The City of Santa Monica announced the winners of the 28th annual Sustainable Quality Awards, a partnership between the city and environmental education nonprofit Sustainable Works that recognizes sustainable economic development, social responsibility and stewardship of the environment. Patagonia Santa Monica on the Third Street Promenade was the grand prize winner, while other local businesses received recognition in separate categories (Angeles Investment Advisors, Avocado Green Mattress, Physical Therapyworks and Yoga-urt). The Santa Monica location of Patagonia has supported climate initiatives like Stand Together Against Neighborhood Drilling Los Angeles (STAND-L.A.) and Friends of Ballona Wetlands.
Cellista soars in upcoming aerial cello experience: Performance artist Cellista combined two top-notch entertainment forms at the Highways Performance Space, performing the Aerial Cello piece “Élégie.” The phrase is exactly what it means, as Cellista will be hoisted in the air in a static trapeze setting, all while playing her own cello composition.
Latino icon with local ties immortalized in music history: The Library of Congress announced its selections for the National Recording Registry, a preservation of recordings with “cultural, historic, or aesthetic significance to life in the United States.” One of the selections, nominated by Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX), is Juan Gabriel’s song “Amor Eterno,” part of Castro’s push to include recognition of Latino musicians in the registry. Gabriel, a mainstay in the Latino arts community during his distinguished career, passed away in Santa Monica in August 2016 at the age of 66.
Bigger, better Marmalade Cafe aims to satisfy lunchtime sandwich-seeking stomachs: Popular Montana Avenue-based eatery Marmalade Cafe finally completed its relocation to Santa Monica Blvd. after more than a year of planning and development.
Project learning, career education growth highlighted by school board: During the board meeting, SMMUSD Coordinator of Learning and Innovation Dr. Devon Smith gave a presentation on the district’s project-based learning initiative and the latest news on Career Technical Education (CTE) pathways on school sites like Samohi. The CTE program being a priority for the district during the 2023-24 school year has led to a sharp increase of students taking in the experiential focus at the high school level.
Will Rogers students, faculty celebrate Earth Day: In advance of Earth Day, students and faculty of Will Rogers Learning Community had a green-thumbed party of their own, hosting an Earth Day Festival at the campus’ regenerative farm.
Man arrested for using a shopping cart to grill and a sword as a skewer: A man was arrested on Santa Monica Beach, close to Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguard station, after he was seen grilling in a shopping cart, using a sword as a shish kebab-style skewer to cook meat. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the individual was the source of a call for service about the open flame in his ad hoc barbecue/cart set-up on Ocean Blvd. He initially ran from the responding officer, feeling down to the beach with the cart. The officer eventually stopped him in the 1600 block of the beach and extinguished the fire.
Master plan for Grant campus approved by school board: The Board of Education approved a resolution certifying the Grant Elementary School master plan, including the plan’s final environmental impact report and the decision to carry out the project. The master plan is broken down into three phases, with the first phase including a renovation of the Grant library, a restoration of the campus central garden, and a renovation of early education space.
Top-tier chefs celebrate local institution’s 45th anniversary: Michael’s Santa Monica at 1147 3rd St. reached its 45th anniversary milestone with a celebratory party giving back to the organization No Kid Hungry, dedicated to ending childhood hunger.
Pico poet spreads the word about new city position: In March, Pico neighborhood poet Anne Carmack began a two-year term as the city’s Poet Laureate, a public outreach position that seeks to highlight Santa Monica’s diverse and vibrant literary arts scene and promote local arts education through various events.
Support for the people of Palestine dominates public input during City Council meeting: A total of 33 speakers came forward to speak about the continuing war in Gaza during the public input on non agenda items section in April 23’s Santa Monica City Council meeting. The meeting a day before tensions escalated at the University of Southern California where pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police and campus security. Prior to the meeting, the peace and social justice movement Codepink encouraged community members in a statement sent by email to call “on the city council to pass a ceasefire resolution in solidarity with the growing global movement advocating for an end to the US backed genocide in Gaza.”
After eviction, perilous housing journey comes to close for senior citizen: One local senior citizen who likened his fight for housing to a “death sentence” was given a reprieve in his situation, finding at least a small bit of comfort in his new abode. Santa Monica resident Scott Brutzman was able to move into a one-bedroom apartment at the Christian Towers senior living facility something he says “beats living on the curb” after he was left homeless from the fallout of a January eviction hearing at his previous office-turned-apartment at 3301.
Symposium breaks down new tenant protections, ‘misunderstandings’ of unhoused struggle: The symposium covered a range of topics, including tenant protections enacted in March that amended the city’s Housing Anti-Discrimination Code to prohibit landlord discrimination on the basis of a tenant’s housing status, becoming the first jurisdiction in the state of California to include “housing status” as a protected class.
