Santa Monica celebrates the Most Loved Awards: Santa Monica recognized its best businesses with the annual unveiling of the Most Loved contest winners. More than 60,000 votes were cast in the 2023 contest and finalists were invited to the annual award show at City Hall. The contest is a partnership between the Santa Monica Daily Press, the City of Santa Monica and the local business community.
The Westside Food Bank braces for worsening humanitarian and hunger crisis: The Westside Food Bank, together with its partner agencies, reported a significant increase in the need for food assistance. Meals on Wheels West, for instance, saw an almost two-fold rise among seniors and other homebound individuals. Moreover, St. Joseph Center, which operates one of Westside Food Bank’s largest partner food pantries, saw families who used to access their food pantry 10-15 years ago returning since they can no longer meet their households’ basic needs amidst rising inflation and other financial pressures.
Council votes to allow ArcLight cinema complex to be repurposed: The former movie theater stop at the Santa Monica Place Mall will transition to a new art gallery space. The property at 315 Colorado Avenue will become the Arte Museum, self-described as a “50,000 square foot immersive, digital art destination.”
New Modern Core Health and Wellness offers pelvic floor therapy and more in downtown Santa Monica: After obtaining her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Drexel University, Dr. Corrine Macchi, who also has a degree in business administration, recently opened Modern Core Health & Wellness, her own physical therapy practice in Santa Monica.
Pride Month begins on the Promenade: Santa Monica kicked off Pride Month with festivities on the Promenade. Supervisor Lindsay Horvath attended the events as part of her Pride weekend that included visits to several communities in her district. Santa Monica held pride activities throughout June.
Salvation Army celebrates 130 year anniversary and National Donut Day with Downtown giveaway: A large crowd gathered at the Salvation Army of Santa Monica headquarters to commemorate not only its 130 year anniversary and the work accomplished by the Santa Monica division, but also to savor some donuts.
Pedestrian suffers traumatic injury in DUI crash: A Los Angeles man was hospitalized after a DUI driver slammed into him at a bus stop in Santa Monica. John Edward Alevizos, age 23, of Los Angeles, was driving through the intersection of 26th and Wilshire at about midnight when he lost control of his Volkswagen Jetta, left the roadway and hit a pedestrian who was seated at the bus station. Locals organized a fundraiser for the victim, Gelvy Velazquez Ortiz, who was one of three orphaned brothers living in Los Angeles after losing their parents in Guatemala.
Pilot unhurt when plane overturns at Santa Monica Airport: A small, single engine aircraft overturned after landing at the Santa Monica Airport. The pilot was the only person onboard but he was not injured.
Santa Monica man hospitalized in Italy after tragic accident: Michael Shelton died in Italy after a tragic accident. Shelton was visiting Italy for a friend’s wedding on May 23, when he fell from a 65-foot cliff while descending a steep set of stairs on Positano.
School budget hits the red next year: SMMUSD’s ledger is headed into the red with the District forecasting budget deficits for the next two consecutive budget cycles. The District projected total revenues for the 2023-24 school year as $132,538,788. That is projected to increase slightly to $137,119,554 for the 2024-25 school year. Expenses are estimated to be $141,918,920 for next year and $139,110,031 for the 2024-25 school year. The district was projecting a possible $9.3 million deficit for 2023-24, and a $1.9 million deficit for 2024-25.
Army Deputy Under Secretary encourages relationship building at Santa Monica College: The Deputy Under Secretary of the Army, Mario A. Diaz, along with a number of other high-ranking veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, visited Santa Monica College to tour the Veterans Success Center and learn about the many educational opportunities that are provided to make college affordable for student veterans.
Man convicted in 2018 Malibu park killing sentenced to life in prison: A man convicted in the shooting death of a father who was camping with his daughters at a Malibu park was sentenced to life in prison. A jury found Anthony Rauda guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Tristan Beaudette and of the attempted murders of the two young girls.
Council wants to restore historic preservation programs in new budget: In the new budget Council wants to reestablish monthly meetings for the Landmarks Commission, waive application fees for non-profits and Landmarks Commissioners for Landmark Designations and Certificates of Appropriateness, review legal considerations for placing pending Demolition Permit applications on the Landmarks Commission agendas and explore the possibility of limiting consultant review of Landmark Designation applications.
Congratulations, Class of 2023: Samohi’s class of 2023 may have had their introduction to high school disrupted by a global pandemic, but the 169th graduating class of the school persisted through some unprecedented times to emerge triumphant, dedicated and ready to leverage their unique experience to change the world.
PBL: The future of learning? Samohi has been graduating students for more than a century, but every year brings something new to the tradition and the class of 2023 includes the first cadres of Samohi Project Based Learning students.
Santa Monica’s first cannabis dispensary opens, six years after the original application: June saw the first cannabis dispensary open in the city of Santa Monica, more than a year and a half after the permit was granted, six years after the application was requested and over 26 years since medical marijuana was made legal in the state of California.
Attempted arrest of felony suspect ends in suicide: The suspect in a violent felony case committed suicide rather than face arrest when confronted by police. The Santa Monica Police Department served a warrant in the City of Inglewood for Arthur Isaac, age 36, who was wanted for two violent felonies, one committed in the City of Inglewood and the other in Santa Monica. Officers negotiated with Isaac for about two hours before he shot himself.
Wayfinder kiosks: a first look at the functioning prototype: The first working prototype of the digital way finding and out-of-home advertising kiosk program was made available for Santa Monica residents to inspect, examine and evaluate.
Restaurateurs win millions in leak lawsuit: Daniel Snukaland and co-owner Mark Mittleman of the former Tacos Punta Cabras were awarded $1.5 million as well as $250,000 in punitive damages after leaks forced them to close the restaurant.
Marina del Rey man charged with more than $3 million in COVID fraud: Federal law enforcement authorities alleged a Marina del Rey resident used shell companies to defraud the government of nearly $3.2 million in business aid. Mark Farag Shehata, a.k.a. “Samy Farag,” “Mark Farag,” and “Mark Fshehata,” was arrested by federal agents and accused of submitting at least seven false and fraudulent loan applications under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a financial aid plan Congress enacted to support businesses harmed by the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic impact.
Waters surrounding Santa Monica Pier ranked most polluted in California: According to environmental non-profit organization Heal the Bay’s 2022-2023 Annual Beach & River Report, both Santa Monica Pier and Playa Blanca, on the southern city limits of Tijuana, tied for the top spot as both faced significant water quality challenges.
Los Angeles man arrested for shooting at vehicle: A Los Angeles man was charged with attempted murder after shooting at an occupied vehicle. Freddy Martinez, an 18-year-old resident of Los Angeles, was charged with attempted murder, assault with a firearm and shooting at an occupied vehicle after he fired on the victim when the victim came upon a group of people fighting in the street.
Using music to fight mental illness at the Whole Minds concert: The “Whole Minds in Concert” event was held at the JAMS Performing Arts Center in June, helping to raise awareness and provide an opportunity for first-time singers, musicians and songwriters with talents that shine above a diagnosis of serious mental illness.
Juneteenth welcomes all to Saturday celebration: Santa Monica celebrated Juneteenth with its annual festival at Virginia Ave. Park. The weekend’s events included music, unique food and craft vendors, and local resources under the theme of Coming Together in Appreciation, Reconciliation, and Commemoration. The main stage featured a lineup of musicians emceed by KLJH’s Arron “Bobo” Amel and DJ Sucafree. Performers included local Blues artist Sonny Green, Chazz Ross, rising solo artist Victory Boyd, prominent American roots reggae band Arise Roots and American all-female pop/R&B band KLYMAXX featuring Cheryl Cooley.
The Class of 2023 graduate from Santa Monica College: Thousands of graduating Santa Monica College students gathered at Corsair Field to college their bachelor degrees, associate degrees and other certifications.
Teen entrepreneurs hope to literally spread the wealth: A group of Samohi students are spreading their love of all things financial to their peers through a new educational partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica. The nonprofit organization Youth Entrepreneurship Association (YEA) has partnered with the club to create a summer program, Teenpreneurship, focused on teaching financial literacy to teens.
$27 million replacement for the Pier Bridge moves forward: The much delayed, desperately needed and shockingly simple plan to replace the bridge to the Santa Monica Pier took another small step towards reality with Council’s approval of an environmental document required for the project.
Council asks for new restrictions on local gun sales and ownership: Council advanced a proposal for new restrictions on sales and ownership locally directing staff to restrict the sale of guns and establish new restrictions on ownership.
City will remain in a “Stage 2 Water Shortage Level” despite recent wet winter: Council voted unanimously to continue the 20 percent reduction in water use per the 2020 Water Shortage Contingency Plan despite an abnormally wet winter that pulled much of the state out of drought.
Pier officials want to reel in donors to support annual budget: The Santa Monica Pier expanded its search for revenue following two years of sobering financials and the entity made an active push into community donations, expanded retail offerings and continued use of its space as a rental venue to provide fiscal stability.
Resident anger and frustration over homelessness response reaches City Council: Crime, homelessness and security were prime concerns among residents who attended a Council meeting with about 15 individuals speaking during public comment to condemn, cajole or critique the City over its response to the situation. The night’s agenda had no specific item related to the subject meaning Council was prevented from addressing the speakers directly but the theme of the criticism was clear: patience is wearing thin when it comes to chronic homelessness and crime in the city.
Shoppers favor more security downtown, but question the use of guns: Visitors to the Promenade had mixed opinions to a proposal to increase security guards in the area. The Daily Press spent several hours on the Promenade asking people what they thought about the proposal to increase security guards in the area. Of the 24 individuals who responded, 12 were neutral on the proposal, nine viewed it favorably and three thought it was a bad idea. Several people, both local and visitor, didn’t think the proposal would impact their decision to shop or visit downtown Santa Monica but others questioned the optics of having armed individuals on patrol.
Santa Monica Seafood holds six week sustainable fishing awareness campaign: Santa Monica Seafood, the largest specialty wholesale distributor of fresh seafood across both the Southwest and Midwest, partnered with the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for a six-week promotional campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable fishing.
Santa Monica’s sensational summer festival, Pier 360, returns: Santa Monica’s sensational summer beach festival, Pier 360 celebrated beach life at the Santa Monica Pier with a wide range of activities for all ages, including thrilling ocean sports competitions, captivating live music performances, delectable food and drinks, interactive games, brand sampling and more.
Sick sea lions left stranded on local beaches: Local wildlife rescue organizations were overwhelmed with sick sea lions as an algae bloom offshore endangered hundreds of large animals. Hundreds of sea lions were believed to have died in the first weeks of June, according to a statement by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service, known as NOAA Fisheries, and experts believe bloom of harmful algae is to blame.
Private security cuts theft from vehicles by almost half in Downtown garages: A contingent of private security guards working in municipal garages significantly impacted crime and cleanliness concerns in the facilities according to the Santa Monica Police Department. A comparison from January through May of 2022 to 2023 showed a decrease of 48% in calls for service and calls for service specific to theft from vehicles have decreased 60%. Library staff noticed the impact of overnight security in stairwells, library grounds, and elevators.
Santa Monica Playhouse saves musical after cascade of crises: Santa Monica Playhouse presented the opening night of Murder Ballard after a string of unfortunate events very nearly derailed the production. Originally set to open in May, in a theater in Long Beach, the cast and crew of the Mid-World Players found themselves homeless when that venue unexpectedly closed. Thankfully after a few weeks of non-stop cold calling, Santa Monica Playhouse responded positively and a new date was confirmed.
Bus driver stabbed in Venice: A bus driver was stabbed in the back in Venice prompting outrage and concern from Los Angeles officials. The attack took place on South Main Street, near Windward Circle, with the assailant approaching the bus driver from behind and stabbing him in the back while he was working on the vehicle. Witnesses said the suspect may have been homeless and a passerby ran to the scene and pepper-sprayed the attacker, who was later seen handcuffed and being loaded into an ambulance.
Illegal firework complaints increase during July 4 season: All fireworks are illegal in Santa Monica and officials warned potential Independence Day celebrants to keep the illegal activity out of the city.
Metro plans for new police force following board vote: The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board voted to move ahead with a plan to create a new police force dedicated to patrolling the County’s bus and train system.
Approval of $745M annual budget anchors council meeting: The Santa Monica City Council concluded its annual budget cycle with a revised proposal that predicts the city’s financial footing is secure in the short term.
Building blitz hits two blocks of Lincoln: Four large-scale demolition and construction projects were simultaneously undertaken within a two-block radius of the former Vons site at 710 Broadway. Along with the demolition process of the former Vons, projects will begin directly opposite the 710 Broadway site, adjacent to the Bay Cities Italian Deli & Bakery car park, at 1527 Lincoln Blvd, as well as just around the corner and behind the Vons site at 711 Colorado Avenue and at 1430 Lincoln Blvd, the car park many of went to buy Christmas trees, next to Centinela Feed and Pet Supplies.
Rent Control’s Executive Director to retire 36-year career: Tracy Condon, the Executive Director of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board who intends to retire by the end of 2023, began working with the Rent Control Agency in 1987, taking on various roles throughout her career. In 2007, she was selected as the Executive Director of the Agency, responsible for managing its day-to-day operations, including budget development, personnel management, contract oversight, and research for the Rent Control Board.
Now Open: Santa Monica celebrated the opening of two fitness themed businesses on the Promenade. John Reed, an international fitness brand, hosted a Grand Opening of its newest location at 1202 3rd Street Promenade. Nike reopened its downtown store at 395 Santa Monica Place with a newly opened Rise store, which according to Nike, serves consumers who are passionate about sport and enjoy being active through a curated product assortment focused on running, fitness, and basketball favorites for the full family.
Santa Monican revealed as a Secret Chef: Hulu and David Chang’s newest cooking show, a self-judged spin on the average competition series, featured a local Santa Monica resident and TikTok personality. Jazmin Tyler was featured in Hulu’s new food competition series “Secret Chef.”
Westside homelessness spikes by 45%: Homelessness increased by about 9% countywide and by 45% in the Santa Monica area this year according to the latest results released by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). LAHSA released the results of the 2023 Homeless Count and said homelessness increased by 9% to 75,518 in Los Angeles County and the City of Los Angeles saw a 10% increase to 46,260. The increase was driven almost entirely by huge spikes in the western and southern regions of the county, including the area covering Santa Monica.
Further editions of our Year in Review will publish through January 2, 2024.
