Tax to Help Homeless Gets Airing in Santa Monica
January 31, 2017 -- With the March 7 special election nearing, a proposed measure to hike the sales taxes by a quarter cent countywide to help the homeless will get an airing Saturday in a community "conversation" hosted by the City of Santa Monica.

Last Day to Match Miramar Hotel's Gift to the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation
January 31, 2017 -- Today is the last day to help the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation match a $25,000 gift from Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows/MSD Capital, Foundation officials said.

LETTERS: Composting Toilet System Poses No Threat
January 31, 2017 -- Since we opened our doors almost four years ago, the black water system at the Bullitt Center (in Seattle) has never been a "public health threat" nor have we "struggled to handle the human waste properly."

JetSuiteX CEO Says Company’s Commercial Flights at Santa Monica Airport Could Be Canceled
January 30, 2017 -- Among the critics of the deal announced Saturday that will close Santa Monica Airport (SMO) at the end of 2028 is JetSuiteX CEO Alex Wilcox, whose company had plan

Santa Monica Conservancy's 'Shotgun House' Earns LEED Gold
January 30, 2017 -- A tiny, 100-year-old Santa Monica house has earned LEED™ Gold certification, a globally recognized symbol of excellence in green building.ned to start flying low-cost commercial flights in and out of SMO starting next month.

City, FAA Agree to Close Santa Monica Airport in 2028
January 28, 2017 -- City officials announced Saturday that a landmark agreement had been reached with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to close Santa Monica Airport on December 31, 2028.

Santa Monica College Gallery to Exhibit Andy Moses Retrospective
January 27, 2017 -- The elusive art of Andy Moses' will be on display at the Santa Monica College Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery starting next month, gallery officials announced Thursday.The exhibit "Andy Moses: A 30-year Survey," runs from February 14 to March 25.

Council Rejects Appeal of $75 Million Santa Monica City Hall Annex
January 26, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council Tuesday cleared the way for construction of what might be the most self-sustaining building in California history, rejecting an appeal by a critic who said the ultimate cost will be far beyond the $75 million estimated and that one innovation -- composting toilets -- could be a health hazard and illegal.

Santa Monica Library Presents a Gem of a Tale
January 26, 2017 -- Those who wonder what makes a stone a jewel or why some jewels are considered priceless will get some fascinating answers next Thursday at the Santa Monica Library.

Vidiots Leaving Santa Monica
January 25, 2016 -- For more than 30 years, film buffs and the curious have been coming to Vidiots on Pico Boulevard off Third Street in Santa Monica to find a wide variety of titles, many available nowhere else.

Santa Monica College Planetarium Explores Tragic and Successful Space Missions
January 25, 2017 -- A famous space mission that ended shortly after its launch and one that quietly endures on the surface of Mars are the subjects of feature shows at the Santa Monica College John Drescher Planetarium this month.

Debris Piles Up on Beaches and Mud Closes Incline as Santa Monica Weathers Storm
January 24, 2017 -- Debris quickly piled up on local beaches and the famous California Incline fought a mud flow that temporarily closed it as Santa Monica weathered what officials hoped Monday was the final burst of a string of the worst storms in years.

Company Training Local Military Vets to Construct 'Green' Products to Win Santa Monica Contract
January 24, 2017 -- A company that trains local war veterans for today’s increasingly “green” consumer market is set to receive a nearly $200,000, five-year contract to construct Santa Monica City-branded reusable bags.

Santa Monica College Wins Award for Global Citizenship Initiative
January 24, 2017 -- Santa Monica College (SMC) has won a 2017 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education for its Global Citizenship Initiative, school officials announced Monday.

‘Walk-In’ Supports Public Education in Santa Monica and Beyond
January 23, 2017 -- Hundreds of parents, teachers and students from the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) participated in a “walk-in” at John Adams Middle School (JAMS) last Thursday to support public education.

Former Santa Monica Planning Commissioner to Discuss History of Los Angeles Library
January 23, 2017 -- Former Planning Commissioner and architectural historian Ken Breisch will trace the history of the iconic Los Angeles Central Library during a presentation in Santa Monica on Sunday.

Santa Monica Year-End Unemployment Drops to New Low
January 20, 2017 -- Santa Monica’s unemployment rate was at 4.0 percent in December, lower than it has been in any previous December since 2010 (the earliest year data are immediately available), according to preliminary numbers from the California Employment Development Department (EDD).

Santa Monica College's Production of Beckett Plays Chosen for Prestigious Festival
January 20, 2017 -- Santa Monica College's production of four short, cutting-edge plays by Nobel prize-winning author Samuel Beckett has been selected to participate in the prestigious 2017 Regional Kennedy Center/American College Theater Festival, college officials announced.

Santa Monica Landlords Could Be Required to Provide Rent-Control Information Sheet
January 19, 2017 -- Rent Control Board members say Santa Monica tenants need more information about their rights and want to make it a requirement that they get this information upon signing a lease and annually through the mail.

Santa Monica Reads Chooses 'Pioneering' Graphic Novel
January 19, 2017 -- Announced by library officials on Wednesday, the Santa Monica Reads pick this year has been touted as one of the best books of the century, been temporarily banned in three states and is penned in a comics format.

Appeal of City Hall Addition Approval Goes to Santa Monica Council
January 19, 2017 -- The Santa Monica City Council will vote on something Tuesday that is close to home -- a 50,000-square-foot addition to City Hall.

Theft Most Reported Santa Monica Crime in 2016
January 18, 2017 -- More than 9,000 crimes were reported in Santa Monica in 2016, and theft topped the list with 3,436 incidents, according to the Santa Monica Open Data Portal.

Trump Inauguration Has Strong Santa Monica Connection
January 18, 2017 -- When Donald Trump gives his presidential inauguration speech on Friday, he will have had plenty of input from a Santa Monica High School alumnus.

Santa Monica Council Member Fined for Campaign Contribution Violations
January 17, 2017 -- Santa Monica City Council Member Terry O’Day has been fined $500 for violating the City’s anti-corruption Oaks Initiative, a local watchdog group announced Monday.

Santa Monica Hires Chief Resilience Officer
January 17, 2017 -- Following the lead of vulnerable cities from Los Angeles and New Orleans to mega-metropolises on the other side of the globe, Santa Monica has created a new post to develop a “resilience strategy” in the event of a major earthquake, tsunami, pandemics, terrorism and “chronic stressors” such as climate change.

UPDATE: Santa Monica History Museum Founder Louise Gabriel Dies
January 17, 2017 -- Services for Louise Gabriel, who founded the Santa Monica History Museum and was a community service leader for more than half a century, will be held at Saint Monica's Catholic Church at 10:30 on January 31.

Santa Monica Officials Illegally Attempting Air Commerce Regulation, JetSuiteX CEO Says
January 13, 2017 -- The City could be adding a new item to its list of legal battles over Santa Monica Airport (SMO) after Airport Director Stelios Makrides this week refused to process aviation company JetSuiteX’s application for a commercial operating permit at the facility.

Recreational Space Next to Santa Monica Airport Opening Soon
January 13, 2017 -- Activists wanting the City-owned Santa Monica Airport property to become a park are applauding the City Council's move on Tuesday to designate a six-acre vacant portion of the land for recreational use.

New Santa Monica-Malibu Schools Chief Announces 'Commitments'
January 13, 2017 -- Ben Drati, who began his job as the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's (SMMUSD) new superintendent on January 1, announced several commitments in a recent welcome message to the community.

Santa Monica Gets Even Tougher on Short-Term Vacation Rental 'Hosts'
January 12, 2017 -- The City Council on Tuesday modified Santa Monica's law on short-term vacation rentals -- already among the nation’s toughest -- to help prevent scofflaw hosts, as well as to try to shield the City from more legal attacks from industry giants like Airbnb.

Matching City Funds Approved to "Beautify" Murals in Santa Monica's Pico and Mid-City Areas
January 12, 2017 -- A growing effort in Santa Monica to transform "blight into beauty" with murals painted on buildings often scarred by vandals got a helping hand Tuesday, with the City Council agreeing to provide $22,000 in matching grants for the Pico and Mid-City areas.

Court Bid to Evict Key Aviation Tenants from Santa Monica Airport Delayed Again
January 11, 2017 -- A court bid to evict two key aviation-related tenants from Santa Monica Airport was delayed a month, City officials said Monday, prompting more frustration from groups who contend the City is moving too slowly to make good on its vow to close the facility by 2018.

Santa Monica Looking for Volunteers to Help with Homeless Count
January 11, 2017 -- In an effort to determine how best to help a desperate population, the City of Santa Monica is looking for volunteers to comb local streets, alleys, parks and beaches to count the homeless, who last year totaled 728 people.

Loretta Swit, Rich Little to Discuss New Books at Santa Monica Library
January 11, 2016 -- Two stars of 1970s television -- comedian Rich Little and actress Loretta Swit -- will discuss their new books this month at the Santa Monica Library, officials announced.

Santa Monica City Manager's Comments Anger More Community Activists
January 10, 2017 -- City Manager Rick Cole on Sunday was under verbal attack for the second time in a week, this time for what community groups say are comments meant to “deride” and undermine their credibility.

Control of Santa Monica Developer's Pending Projects Shifted to New, Possibly Related, Company
January 9, 2017 -- Santa Monica-based NMS Properties announced Friday that it would voluntarily cede control of all its residential development projects in various stages of the approval pipeline, including 20 in Santa Monica, to a newly formed company named WNMS.

Santa Monica Assemblyman Mourns for Killer Whale
January 9, 2017 -- Democratic Assemblyman and former Santa Monica mayor Richard Bloom, who wrote legislation taking on SeaWorld's treatment of killer whales (also known as orcas), announced Friday that he was saddened by the death of perhaps the world's most famous orca--Tilikum.

'Serious Community Discussion' Needed on Santa Monica Employee Compensation, City Manager Says
January 6, 2017 -- Santa Monica City Manager Rick Cole was on the defensive earlier this week about the hot topic of City employee compensation during a meeting of the Wilshire Montana Neighborhood Coalition (Wilmont).

Is Santa Monica the Nation's Most Expensive City for Renting an Apartment?
January 6, 2017 -- A new report from the website Apartment Guide that shows Santa Monica is the most expensive place to rent an apartment in the nation has received some media attention.

More “Exotic Creatures” Could be Banned from Santa Monica Public Spaces
January 5, 2017 -- Spiders, rabbits and rats are among the "exotic creatures" the City Council is set to ban from public spaces, such as the Pier and beach, as it continues wrangling street performers who use them to coax cash from passersby.

Refreshing Cuisine Wakes Winter Palatte in Santa Monica
January 5, 2017 -- Even in Santa Monica, hibernation is tempting. Chilly temperatures, short days, and a bit of rain drive us home. New discoveries are delayed until the springtime, and instincts call for retreat.

Pico Youth and Family Center in Santa Monica Sees New Hope
January 4, 2017 -- Nearly two years ago, the Pico Youth and Family Center (PYFC), which provides support services for at-risk youth in Santa Monica’s most diverse neighborhood, needed a life line of its own.

Slow-Growth Activists Question City Manager’s Claim of Consensus on Santa Monica Downtown Plan
January 4, 2017 -- A leading slow-growth group is questioning a published claim by Santa Monica’s city manager that a consensus finally has been built over a highly divisive plan that will guide development downtown .

Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica Intensifies Emergency Care for Newborns on Westside
January 4, 2017 -- In an effort to expand intensive medical care available on the Westside for premature newborns, Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica has joined forces with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group to operate a unit staffed 24/7 by specialists, officials announced last week.

Top Finance Official Warns of Sharp Rise in Santa Monica Workers’ Compensation Costs
January 3, 2017 -- The City of Santa Monica’s costs for workers’ compensation rose sharply last fiscal year, prompting a warning by the City's finance director that a 53 percent increase in funding likely will be needed soon.

Santa Monica Library Offers Tips to Evolve a Healthy "Food Mood" for 2017
January 3, 2017 -- Santa Monicans who tried but failed last year to eat healthier by relying on calorie or fat-counting diet fads can start the new year by turning to more ancient methods.