Greuel Aims to Represent Santa Monica and the Southbay in Washington
April 30, 2014 -- When former Los Angeles City Councilmember and Controller Wendy Greuel learned Henry Waxman, the senior congressman who has represented West L.A. and Santa Monica for 40 years, planned to retire, she was on her way to a morning meeting.

CityTV to Air Interactive Traffic-Focused Show
April 30, 2014 -- Santa Monica's community cable channel CityTV will air its new, live call-in program focused on local parking and traffic this Thursday, and two other call-in programs are scheduled for later this spring, officials said.

Santa Monica’s New Rules Mean Independent Spirit Awards Will Have to Relocate
April 30, 2014 -- The Independent Spirit Awards, the annual celebration of independent cinema held on the beach in Santa Monica for the last 15 years, may soon have to find a new home.

Slow Growth Forces Meet to Plan Strategy
April 29, 2014 -- The Internet-based slow growth Santa Monica group Residocracy will be gathering supporters together for a meeting May 1 at 7 p.m. at the Lincoln Middle School auditorium to discuss, among other topics, a possible ballot measure to limit development throughout the city.

Santa Monica Offers Alternative to Big Business Internet Providers
April 29, 2014 -- A recent decision by federal regulators to allow Internet providers to charge companies higher rates for access to faster Internet service has been roundly criticized as an end to the government’s long-standing commitment to so-called net neutrality.

John Bohn Awarded with Community Leader Award
April 29, 2014 -- Orchestra Santa Monica (OSM) will present former Santa Monica city councilmember and businessman John Bohn with its first-ever Virtuoso Community Leader Award to commemorate his more than 60 years of community service to the city, according to officials.

Hahn Backs Shriver for County Supervisor, Talks Veteran Care Reform
April 28, 2014 -- With about a month to go before the June 3 primary, former Santa Monica Mayor Bobby Shriver’s bid for L.A. County Supervisor received a boost Friday from U.S. Rep. Janice Hahn.

Pico Youth and Family Center Finds New Funding Sources
April 28, 2014 -- It was less than a year ago when the City of Santa Monica slashed funding for the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC) due to concerns over the nonprofit's bookkeeping and administration. Since that time, the PYFC has found new sources of funding through private donations from individuals and fellow nonprofits.

Public Works Open House Will Feature Family Activities
April 28, 2014 -- The City of Santa Monica Public Work Department is celebrating National Public Works Week with the inaugural City Yards Open House on May 17 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Santa Monica City Yards, which is located at 2500 Michigan Ave.

Voters Could Determine Santa Monica Development Project's Future
April 25, 2014 -- The referendum to stop the Bergamot Transit Village project will move forward after the City Council scheduled a meeting Tuesday to discuss the future of the embattled development.

Santa Monica Dems Back Kuehl for County Supervisor
April 25, 2014 -- The Santa Monica Democratic Club endorsed Sheila Kuehl for county supervisor Wednesday night, but did not pick a candidate to back in the election to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman.

Documentary Focuses on Waste Pollution
April 25, 2014 -- The Santa Monica-based environmental nonprofit Sustainable Works will screen the award-winning documentary "Trashed” May 6 at the Aero Theatre, which is located at 1328 Montana Ave. The film features Oscar winner Jeremy Irons traveling through once-beautiful destinations that are now tainted by pollution.

City Council Greenlights Two New Theaters in Downtown Santa Monica
April 24, 2014 -- Downtown Santa Monica is on track for some long-awaited improvements its movie-going experience after the City Council Tuesday voted to move forward with two new proposed luxury theater projects.

Sheriff Candidates Debate at Santa Monica's Church in Ocean Park
April 24, 2014 -- The six candidates vying to replace embattled L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca will square off against each other in Santa Monica Thursday.

Santa Monica Library Hosts Latino Authors
April 24, 2014 -- Patrons of the Santa Monica Public Library will have the chance to meet and speak with three prominent Latino writers and artists at a Big Read program event on Saturday at 3 p.m. in the Library’s MLK Jr. Auditorium.

Cancer Survivor Hopes to Represent Santa Monica in Sacramento
April 23, 2014 -- Running for public office is not the biggest challenge Santa Monica resident Barbi Appelquist has faced.

Ed Foundation Preps for First Annual Pier Party to Raise $4 Million for Santa Monica-Malibu Schools
This article has been updated
April 23, 2014 -- Faced with raising $4 million for the district-wide fundraising initiative for the second year in a row, the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation is wasting no time.

Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club Hosts Celebrity Poker Tournament
April 23, 2014 -- More than 30 celebrities are expected to attend the Santa Monica Boys and Girls Club's Charity Poker Tournament Thursday.

Slow Growth Group Maneuvers to Influence Council Election
April 22, 2014 -- The slow growth group Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City (SMCLC) rallied its members last Tuesday to join the city’s most powerful political organization in an attempt to influence the upcoming City Council election.

$31.6 Million in Parking Contracts Top Santa Monica City Council Agenda
April 22, 2014 -- The Santa Monica City Council will consider Tuesday about $31.6 million in parking-related expenses at the top of its Tuesday meeting.

Santa Monica Pier Aquarium Celebrates Earth Day
April 22, 2014 -- Water covers two-thirds of the Earth’s surface, which is the same ratio of water in the human body.  Patrons can learn more fun fact like this, as well as enjoy a day of special Aquarium activities, at Santa Monica’s Heal the Bay Earth Day celebration.

Santa Monica’s Bergamot Project Transit Village Can Go to a Vote, County Officials Say
April 21, 2014 -- The fate of Santa Monica’s controversial Bergamot Transit Village project -- approved by the City Council in February -- can now be put to the voters, according to County officials.

Santa Monica Police Chief Backs State Law for Stricter Controls over Medical Marijuana
April 21, 2014 -- Controversial plans to allow medical marijuana dispensaries in Santa Monica could hit another stumbling block Tuesday when Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks lobbies the City Council to back pending State legislation for stricter controls over the drug.

Santa Monica Launches Tongva Park Donation Program
April 21, 2014 -- Nature lovers will have the chance to sponsor a park bench at the award winning Tongva Park as part of a new donation campaign announced on Tuesday by the City of Santa Monica.

Santa Monica High Coach Reinstated After Investigation
April 18, 2014 -- Science teacher and wrestling coach Mark Black, who was recently involved in a physical fight with a student, will return to work next week after an internal investigation by the District, officials said Friday.

Coastal Commission Challenge to Beach Curfew Highlights Santa Monica’s Accessible Shores
April 18, 2014 -- The California Coastal Commission has reopened a long-standing fight with Venice Beach, Santa Monica’s neighbor to the south, over the City of L.A.’s beach curfew.

Candidates in Santa Monica Congressional District Release Finance Report
April 18, 2014 -- The race to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Henry Waxman will be a very expensive one, according to the latest contribution filings released by the candidates and the Federal Election Commission.

Santa Monica Plants Trees for Arbor Day
April 18, 2014 -- A coalition of Santa Monica civic and business leaders are joining together to plant trees for the community in order to celebrate Arbor Day this month.

Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights Says No to Airport Ballot Initiative
April 17, 2014 -- Santa Monica’s powerful tenants’ rights group voted Saturday to oppose an effort that would put the future of the bayside city’s century-old airport on the ballot in November.

Plans for Direct Train Connection from Santa Monica to East L.A., Long Beach Move Forward
April 17, 2014 -- A six-year $927.2-million plan to connect Downtown Santa Monica to East Los Angeles, Long Beach and Pasadena by rail moved forward Tuesday when Metro staff recommended a contractor to the County agency’s board.

Santa Monica Police to Conduct DUI Checkpoint
April 17, 2014 -- Santa Monica Police will be conducting a checkpoint on Friday to identify and remove motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs or without a valid driver’s license.

Labor Leaders, Conservationists Endorse in L.A. County Supervisor Race
April 16, 2014 -- With less than two months to go before the June 3 primary, the race to become L.A. County’s 3rd District Supervisor is heating up as candidates rack up major last-minute endorsements.

Santa Monica College Student Receives Prestigious National Scholarship
April 16, 2014 -- The Virginia-based Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced on Monday that Santa Monica College student Siamak Khakshoor-Kohan is among the 85 students chosen nationwide to receive a 2014 Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Santa Monica Farmers Market Looking for Bands
April 16, 2014 -- The Santa Monica’s Main Street Farmer’s Market draws thousands of people every Sunday with fresh, locally grown, organic produce and a unique outdoor shopping experience suitable for the whole family. 

Controversial Santa Monica High School Student-Teacher Confrontation Sparks Rally
April 15, 2014 -- About 100 people rallied in front of City Hall Sunday afternoon in support of Mark Black, the Santa Monica High School teacher whose physical confrontation with a student earlier this month grabbed national headlines.

Santa Monica School Board member Ben Allen Opens Headquarters for State Senate Race
April 15, 2014 -- Dozens crowded into the second floor of a nondescript office building in a south Santa Monica business park on the east side of town Friday afternoon.

Annenberg Beach House Celebrates 5 Years
April 15, 2014 -- Twenty years after the Northridge earthquake cast doubts on its future, the Annenberg Beach House at the once imperiled Santa Monica site is celebrating its 5th anniversary this month.

Ballot Initiative to Preserve Santa Monica Airport to Face Legal Challenge
April 14, 2014 -- Calling it a “broadsword of deceit,” opponents of Santa Monica Airport announced Friday that they will file a lawsuit to stop a ballot initiative effort aimed at preserving the century-old airfield.

Santa Monica Makes Dangerous Suburb List
April 14, 2014 -- Santa Monica ranked among the top 25 suburban cities with the highest crime rates in the country, according to a list compiled by the real estate website Movoto.com.

Santa Monica Celebrates Local Art Leaders
April 14, 2014 -- The Santa Monica Arts Foundation held its second-annual award ceremony last week, celebrating three of the bayside city’s foremost leaders in the arts community.

Santa Monica Rents Highest Ever, Report Shows
April 11, 2014 - - Thirty-five years after voters passed Santa Monica’s stringent rent-control law, rents in the bayside city are at an all-time high, according to the Rent Board’s annual report.

ArcLight Could Revive Stalled Downtown Santa Monica Theater Project
April 11, 2014 -- After nearly three decades without a new movie theater, Downtown Santa Monica could get two state-of-the art cinemas by luxury theater operator ArcLight Cinemas.

Santa Monica Police Still Searching for Hit and Run Suspect
April 11, 2014 -- The Santa Monica Police Department is on the lookout for a hit and run driver suspected of running over a 20-year-old skateboarder Saturday.

Downtown Santa Monica Considers Expanding Property Tax District
April 10, 2014 -- The Downtown Santa Monica property assessment district that funds the area’s maintenance, marketing and other services is set to expand.

School Fight Sparks Discussion on Drugs in Schools
April 10, 2014 – The recent altercation at Santa Monica High School involving a student who was allegedly selling drugs and a teacher has raised questions of drug use in local high school students.

Santa Monica Keeps Options Open in Lawsuit against the FAA
April 10, 2014 -- City Hall may appeal a decision by a federal judge in February to throw out a lawsuit that officials had hoped would settle a long-standing feud with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) over the future of the City-owned Santa Monica Airport.

Santa Monica High Student Pleads Not Guilty To All Charges
April 9, 2014 -- The 18 year old student who made national headlines by engaging in a physical altercation with a teacher on Friday pled not guilty to all charges Tuesday.

Santa Monica Rep. Richard Bloom’s Orca Bill Stalled for Study
April 9, 2014 - - A new law -- proposed by Santa Monica’s State Assembly Rep. Richard Bloom -- that would ban killer whale captivity in California is stalled after the Assembly’s Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife voted Tuesday to study the issue further.

Santa Monica’s Senior Ride Program, Living Wage Increases Top City Council’s Expenses
April 9, 2014 - - The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday approved $3.4 million in routine expenses, including a $2 million contract for a long-standing senior ride program and $380,000 in living-wage increases.

Two Students Arrested after Fight with Santa Monica High School Teacher
April 8, 2014 -- The student who fought with a Santa Monica High School teacher Friday in an incident that garnered national attention was allegedly armed and in possession of drugs, according to police officials.

Ballot Initiative to Preserve Santa Monica Airport Moves Forward
April 8, 2014 -- Supporters of Santa Monica Airport can move forward with a ballot initiative to put the future of the century-old airfield before the voters in November.

Santa Monica’s Tech Youth Program Hits Big Time
April 8, 2014 -- Santa Monica’s Youth Technology Program has made the InformationWeek Elite 100 list of the top business technology innovators in the country, City officials announced Monday.

City Council Will Consider Extension of Interim Zoning Ordinance
April 7, 2014 -- It’s been a decade since Santa Monica launched the process to update the Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE) that will guide future development in the bayside city, and there’s still plenty of work to be done.

Red Cross Hosting 8th Annual Red Tie Affair in Santa Monica
April 7, 2014 -- The pilot who safely landed the US Airways jet on New York City's Hudson River and the coaches and producers of the Emmy Award-winning show “The Voice” will be honored for their support of the American Red Cross during the relief organization's 8th Annual Red Tie Affair in Santa Monica next month.

Santa Monica Celebrates Fair Housing Month
April 7, 2014 -- From a poster contests to an educational workshop, Santa Monica is ramping up its campaign to educate renters about their rights for National Fair Housing Month.

Santa Monica High Teacher Placed on Leave after “Deeply Disturbing” Incident
April 4, 2014 -- A Santa Monica High School teacher has been placed on administrative leave after a physical altercation with a student Friday, The Lookout has learned.

Perennial Santa Monica Council Candidate Will Run Again
April 4, 2014 -- If Santa Monica resident Jon Mann gets his way -- which he hasn’t in the two decades he’s been running for City Council -- he would try to recall all elected officials that are part of the “ruling coalition,” stop all development and even scrap the City’s new Land Use and Circulation Element (LUCE).

Lincoln Boulevard Closed for Expo Rail Installation
April 4, 2014 – The City of Santa Monica will be closing the intersection of Lincoln Boulevard and Colorado Avenue for a week starting Monday, April 21 at 3 a.m. to install rails for the new Expo line project, City officials said.

Jail-Break Fugitive Captured in Santa Monica
April 4, 2014 -- A three-week manhunt ended Wednesday night after police arrested a fugitive from a Downtown Los Angeles jail outside of Santa Monica's Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), officials said.

National Firm Gives Santa Monica Top Credit Rating
April 3, 2014 -- For the 19th year in a row, Santa Monica once again earned a top credit rating Wednesday from Fitch Ratings, one of the nation’s three bond rating agencies.

David Byrne’s Knee Plays to be Performed in Santa Monica
April 3, 2014 --  While leading the art rock band Talking Heads, David Byrne was creating adventurous modern music with the likes of composer Brian Eno and theater genius Robert Wilson.

Santa Monica Peace Activist Jerry Rubin Announces Sixth City Council Bid
April 3, 2014 -- Hoping the sixth time's the charm, Santa Monica activist Jerry Rubin announced Tuesday that he will run once again for City Council.

Exclusive -- Former State Treasurer Troubled by Santa Monica Neighbor’s Hedge
April 2, 2014 -- Santa Monica resident and former State Treasurer Phil Angelides’ most recent challenge isn’t deciding where to invest billions of California’s dollars or getting to the bottom of America’s most recent financial crisis.

Three Suspects Arrested in Thwarted Santa Monica Copper Wire Theft
April 2, 2014 -- Santa Monica Police arrested three people suspected of trying to steal copper wiring from a light pole in the bayside city’s wealthy northeast side side early Monday morning.

Santa Monica Rotary Club's Day of Service at Saint Anne's School
April 2, 2014 -- To realize their “Legacy of Service” to the Santa Monica Community, volunteers from the Santa Monica Rotary Club will gather at Saint Anne's School on April 5 for the second annual Rotary Day of Service.

Pico Youth and Family Center Pickets Santa Monica Hotel for Cesar Chavez Day
April 1, 2014 -- Kids from Santa Monica’s Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC) got a lesson in labor organizing Monday when they joined dozens of workers and civic leaders in a picket line outside the DoubleTree Hotel.

Santa Monica Landlord Facing Jail Time for Violating Court Order, Harassing Tenants
April 1, 2014 -- A Los Angeles Superior Court judge last Tuesday handed down a five-day jail sentence to a Santa Monica landlord with a history of harassing tenants.

Santa Monica Police to Crack Down on Cell Phone Use while Driving
April 1, 2014 -- Drivers texting or talking on a hand-held cell phone are not only breaking the law, they are at a higher risk of causing an accident.

Letter -- A Golden Age for Historic Preservation in Santa Monica
April 1, 2014 -- This is truly an auspicious time for historic preservation in Santa Monica. This weekend, an 1890s Shotgun House was moved to a new home adjacent to the Third Street Historic District, becoming part of a cluster of notable historic structures.