Community, Diversity, Sustainability and other Overused Words

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  • Santa Monica High School Commencement Exercises Set for June 8, 2017

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 8, 2017

    This year's Santa Monica High School Graduation will take place at the Greek Amphitheater on the Samohi campus' Greek Amphitheatre on Thursday, June 8, 2017 at 5:30 pm. Here are some statistics from Gail Pinsker, SMMUSD Spokesman, for the SamoHi Class of 2017: How many grads? 689 How many valedictorian candidates? 27 How many salutatorian candidates? Same 27 What is the GPA criteria for either? 4.0 unweighted COLLEGES the Class of 2017 will be Attending Alte Kanti Aarau,...

  • Did North Korean Operatives Infiltrate California by Zodiac on Memorial Day?

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 6, 2017
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    The Coast Guard responded to an unmanned and adrift dinghy near the coast of Montaña de Oro State Park on Monday. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach command center received a report at approximately 3:30 p.m, of the unmanned dinghy. Due to the Memorial Day holiday, Defense sources could not be reached for comment. But we wondered if North Korean operatives used the dinghy to infiltrate California, the most populous US State. DPRK Special Forces have...

  • Charges Filed Against Home Invasion Assault/Robbery in Santa Monica

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 1, 2017

    Last Friday, 90402 was shocked to learn that Imtiaz Tarr, 60, and his teenage son were brutally attacked by two men who attacked them with hatchets, at their home just South of San Vicente Blvd on 19th Street. The attack culminated in a pursuit and a barricade situation, then two arrests. Today, the suspects were charged. The press release is below: Wednesday, Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) Detectives filed criminal charges with the Los Angeles County District...

  • Man Pleads to Stabbing Employee at Santa Monica Pier Burger

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 1, 2017

    A homeless man has pleaded to stabbing a Santa Monica Pier restaurant employee multiple times, after demanding food last summer, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced today. Calvin Earl Gullett, 34, entered no contest pleas yesterday to two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, a knife, and one count of second-degree robbery in case SA093841. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Windham immediately sentenced Gullett to 20 years in state prison....

  • Police Arrest Suspect in Murder of Juan Castillo in February in Santa Monica

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 1, 2017

    Santa Monica Police Chief Seabrooks said after a lot of work and questioning people close to Virginia Park on the evening of Feb. 26th, that they have a suspect in the murder of Juan Castillo. Sherman M. Espinoza, 42, an LA Resident, taken into custody at 2 pm yesterday, May 17th. He was in possession of an Uzi and also a 32 caliber gun probably used to shoot Juan Castillo in the head. The SMPD press release reads: "On February 26, 2017 at about 5:08 a.m.,the Santa Monica...

  • 115 Los Angeles County Firemen Contain Mandeville Canyon Fire

    Observer Staff|Updated Jun 1, 2017

    Update 10 pm: the fire is 70% contained. Though it came within 200 feet of homes, no structures burned and no injuries. 5 evacuated homes were allowed to be reoccupied. 50 acres burned, 70% now contains dozens. LAFD says brush clearing in the 2900 block of Mandeville Canyon Road caused the fire. Residents and the Los Angeles fire Department reported a large fire Sunday afternoon in Mandeville Canyon. More than 115 firefighters responded to the Mandeville Canyon Road in Brentwo...

  • 3.5 Magnitude Earthquake shakes Frazier Park Near Tejon Pass

    Observer Staff|Updated May 30, 2017

    An earthquake struck Frazier Park in Southern California's Tejon Pass at about 9:15 pm Monday evening. The temblor, which lasted for 5 to 10 seconds, caused pictures to fall off walls and broke a few dishes, but caused no visible damages to buildings and no injuries. Seismologist Lucy Jones of Cal Tech says that an earthquake greater than 3.0 in magnitude strikes California every week, but usually the epicenter is in an unpopulated area. Frazier Park is an unincorporated...

  • Santa Monica Grandmother Awarded Doctor of Education at Cal State LA

    Observer Staff|Updated May 30, 2017

    When Berenice Onofre Vásquez walks across the stage to receive her Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership, it will mark a proud moment in a life-long journey for the 70-year-old Santa Monica grandmother. As the oldest member of the California State University, Los Angeles Class of 2017, Onofre Vásquez has shown that that is never too late to pursue a passion. She will conclude a long history of success at Cal State LA. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a M...

  • Both Suspects in Custody After Friday Night Home Invasion Robbery

    Observer Staff|Updated May 30, 2017

    On May 26, 2017 at about 6:01 p.m. the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) responded to a radio call for service regarding a home invasion robbery which occurred in the 200 block of 19th Street. Officers arrived on scene and observed a possible suspect. The suspect fled from officers into to the rear yard of a home in the 200 block of 20th Street. The suspect secreted himself in the rear yard and refused to comply with officers. SMPD SWAT and Crisis Negotiators responded to...

  • SMPD Searches for Home Invasion Robbery Suspects North of Montana Avenue

    Observer Staff|Updated May 27, 2017

    Santa Monica Police say they are searching for two suspects in the severe beating of a resident during a possible home invasion robbery Monday North of Montana Avenue. The assault occurred in the 500 block of 17th Street, just after 3 p.m. according to Lt. Saul Rodriguez, SMPD's Public Information Officer. The victim was "assaulted pretty severely" and treated by paramedics at the scene, Rodriguez said. He was taken to a local hospital where he remains in serious condition....

  • Sheila Kuehl opposes plan to expand Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

    Observer Staff|Updated May 27, 2017

    They have been called "the most powerful elected officials in the United States." Due to a County Charter left over from 1870, and the lack of political will among voters to expand the Board of Supervisors, just five County Supervisors control an LA County Budget exceeding $26.35 Billion, and represent, as best as possible, 10,000,000 residents of Los Angeles County. Democratic Sen. Tony Mendoza, who lives in the small Los Angeles County city of Artesia, proposed the plan as...

  • Elon Musk: "Santa Monica to Westwood in Five Minutes."

    Observer Staff|Updated May 27, 2017

    Elon Musk, our century's version of Leonardo da Vinci, has posted on his Instagram page a video of his electronic underground sled to move automobiles. The Tesla founder and CEO has also begun to bore tunnels near his company's Hawthorne headquarters. Musk posted a demonstration of one of the car-carrying electric sleds on his Instagram page. In theory, these sleds would accelerate down a network of subterranean tunnels at about 125 mph, and automatically switching from one...

  • Manchester Bomber: Police Searching For Salman Abedi, The Man In This Photo

    Observer Staff|Updated May 23, 2017
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    Manchester police are searching for Salman Abedi, 22, in connection with the bombing outside the area Ariana Grande concert in Manchester England last night. The photo shows a man with dark hair squatting and was taken by surveillance camera. He is wearing what appears to be a T-shirt that security personnel at the venue wear. There is speculation that he was former security, new the layout of the place, and knew where parents would meet there under age children. This area...

  • SamoHi Cancels Drug Seminar After Discovering Scientology is Behind the "Foundation for a Drug Free World"

    Observer Staff|Updated May 18, 2017

    After discovering that Scientology is connected with the Foundation for a Drug Free World, Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District is looking elsewhere for drug education District Superintendent Ben Drati made the announcement in a Robocall to parents Friday night. The embarrassing gaffe comes as SMMUSD faces a record number of student injuries and incidents involving drugs and alcohol. A SamoHi boy died after falling from a 3d floor window during an acid trip he took with...

  • Possible Radiation Release at Hanford Nuclear Reactor in Eastern Washington State

    Observer Staff|Updated May 10, 2017

    Buried like nuclear waste in the desert is a story broke today more important than the non-stop Cable News about Trump's firing of FBI Dir. James Comey. The tunnels where tons of spent nuclear rods are buried, have begun to collapse. The event threatens the release of radiation into the environment, just a few hundred yards from the Columbia riverbed. This may be bigger than Three Mile Island, the largest release of nuclear radiation in US history. It could even turn into the...

  • Santa Monica Police Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks Announces September Retirement

    Observer Staff|Updated May 10, 2017
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    5/5/17: In a press release as lavish with praise as her $434,000 a year paycheck, the City of Santa Monica announced that Santa Monica Police (SMPD) Chief Jacqueline Seabrooks is retiring. At 58, she will draw a $330,000 a year pension from the City of Santa Monica for the next 30 years, mortality tables say. That's $10,000,000 over 30 years, from a City who's annual budget is $610,000,000. Her career was kind of typical, aside from her ethnic background. Sorry, but it's...

  • Magnitude 3.0 Earthquake Felt in Santa Monica and Across Westside

    Observer Staff|Updated May 10, 2017

    An earthquake was felt Monday evening in Santa Monica and across Western Los Angeles County. Residents felt a sharp jolt just after 10:28 pm. The US Geological Survey says that the minor quake registered a magnitude 3.0 on the Richter scale, and was centered 1.5 miles North West of Santa Monica, California. The temblor was probably not powerful enough to cause damage or injuries. But it was strong enough to put cats and dogs under beds, and news helicopters up in the air above...

  • President, Congress Reach Deal to Fund the Federal Government Through September

    Observer Staff|Updated May 3, 2017

    NBC News and the Washington Post are reporting that Congress has reached a deal to avert a U.S. Government shutdown. Congressional negotiators have reached an agreement on a spending package to fund the government through the end of September, in the shadow of a government shutdown later this week, said several congressional aides. Congress will vote early this week on the deal. The bipartisan agreement includes increases for military spending and border security, a major...

  • Major traffic accident closes Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

    Observer Staff|Updated May 1, 2017

    An accident has effectively closed Topanga Canyon Boulevard to through traffic Saturday at noon. The collision, just south of Mulholland Drive, at Topanga Cyn Blvd and Woodland Crest, has traffic jammed in both directions and involves multiple emergency vehicles. We will update you as more information becomes available...

  • Massive Power Outage in San Francisco Leaves 90,000 customers Without Power

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 23, 2017

    Officials say that a circuit breaker failure at the Larkin Substation, caused the fire that left nearly 90,000 customers in San Francisco without electricity. Pacific Gas and Electric reports that power has been restored to all but 3,000 San Francisco homes. PG&E hopes to restore power to the rest by 5 pm PST. City officials also say they will have traffic control officers at the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. Otherwise, the Friday drive to Marin County might become a...

  • Hundred Year Old Santa Monica Pier Seeks Volunteer Docents

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 22, 2017

    Santa Monica, CA – Imagine how cool it would be walk along the historic Santa Monica Pier with someone who can tell you what happened where, who made it happen and what made the Pier so fascinating in the first place? Wouldn't it be even cooler to be that "someone" who's sharing the stories? The Santa Monica Pier Corporation is currently seeking volunteer docents to guide visitors through the rich history of the century-old Pier. Docents will be trained to share fascinating st...

  • If Your SMMUSD Kids Have Norovirus, Please Keep Them Home, Says District

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 21, 2017

    The Santa Monica Unified School District says it's hopeful they're past Norovirus. The school has sent home a letter to parents saying what measure's it's taken to get past the outbreak of the contagious gastro-intestinal illness. Students are on a two week Spring Break, which ends on Monday, April 17th. And the schools want you to keep your kids home if they're sick. "As you are aware, all schools in our district battled a norovirus outbreak prior to spring break that...

  • Austrian Hamlet of Fucking Considers Changing Its Unfortunate, but Famous, Name.

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 18, 2017

    The Daily Mirror said it best: The village of Fucking, Austria, is especially popular with British tourists. As a local tour guide explained: "The Germans all want to see Mozart's house in Salzburg; the Americans want to see where The Sound of Music was filmed; the Japanese want Hitler's birthplace in Braunau; but for the British, it's all about Fucking." Augustina Lindlbauer, the manager of an area guesthouse, noted that the area had lakes, forests, and vistas worth...

  • Pregnant Sea Lion Rescued From Overpass in Marina Del Rey, California

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 18, 2017

    Drivers called 911 to report a sea lion on the Lincoln Blvd Bridge in Marina Del Rey Friday morning. This according to Los Angeles County Animal Control officers. Officers with the Marine Animal Rescue helped safely coax the pregnant sea lion into a cage. The animal was determined to be pregnant and appeared to be sick but was not injured, officials said. On March 25th, 2017, Marine Animal Rescue saved a baby sea lion from a highway on the 90 freeway in Marina Del Rey. It was...

  • Doh! Airline Lands in Pyongyang, North Korea Instead of Pyeongchang, China by accident

    Observer Staff|Updated Apr 18, 2017

    It is at its heart, a tale of two cities. Eight Corporate sponsors of the 2017 Winter Olympics were flying to the South Korean city of PyeongChang. But the pilot put the plane down in North Korean capital Pyongyang by mistake, only to be greeted by armed men and grim questions. The Embraer Brazilian jet was carrying eight passengers from Beijing to Pyeongchang, but landed instead in PyongYang, which after all sounds rather like PyongChang. With the aid of a translator, the pil...

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