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In light of a statewide drought and environmental concerns, the SMMUSD Board of Education discussed the progress of district-wide water conservation measures and outlined ideas for the future. Despite admittedly flawed data, members of the district’s Business Service staff explained the serious improvements and overhauls that have been taking place at district schools as a result of Measure BB funding. These include everything from small changes in irrigation, to large-scale innovative technology like “Green Roofs”. Stuar...

"I am running for Assembly Delegate in the 50th District to bring progressive and forward thinking ideas to the California Democratic Party and our state convention. As a lifelong Democrat, I believe in creating jobs and strengthening the economy, reforming education, protecting the environment, and taking care of our sick and elderly. As a local elected official and Council President, I have revolutionized civic and citizen participation, with some of our council meetings...

Brian from All American Asphalt, reports that SantaMonica is paying his company about $20,000 a block to do six alleys in Santa Monica He says they're adjusting the manhole covers today, and they will repave it tomorrow. "We hate doing alleys," he says "they're very difficult." An alley has to be repaved when the ride becomes too bumpy for commuters to use the alley. Many alleys in Santa Monica are in a state of disrepair and the city is slowly repaving them. This particular...

On January 5, at 3:55 pm the Santa Monica Fire Department responded to reports of a possible structure fire in a residential/commercial structure at 815 Wilshire Blvd. Upon arrival, crews observed light smoke from a second floor window. The apartment was equipped with sprinklers which suppressed the interior fire. Firefighters managed to make entry via a second story balcony where they extinguished fire that extended onto the exterior patio. The aggressive attack by firefighte...
Man Surrenders in WLA After Standoff A man who barricaded himself overnight in his West Los Angeles apartment after firing shots into the air has surrendered, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesman said Sunday. Officer James Richter said the man, whose identity has not yet been released, was taken into custody at 7:17 a.m. after SWAT officers arrived at the apartment in the 1300 block of Brockton Avenue. There were no apparent injuries, although Richter said officers continued to look for possible victims Sunday morning. T...

Strong winds will buffet much of the Southland today, particularly mountain regions, and last through Christmas afternoon, raising fears of severed tree limbs and downed power lines, National Weather Service forecasters said. A wind advisory will be in effect until 3 this afternoon in the San Fernando, San Gabriel and Santa Clarita valleys and the Los Angeles coastal zone, which includes beach cities, metropolitan Los Angeles, downtown L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. In Orange...

Sony Pictures Entertainment has suspended tours at the iconic studio lot in Culver City in the wake of continued threats against the studio by North Korea and hackers who were protesting the movie "The Interview" where two journalist were hired to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un The tours have been suspended indefinitely, however they plan to re-evaluate the potential threats after the first of the New Year. Sony along with all Los Angeles studios ramped up...

A 28-year-old man was convicted Monday of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his roommate and longtime friend. Ryan Taylor Bright killed 27-year-old Jensen Gray early on the morning of July 11, 2012, at a Santa Monica apartment in the 400 block of Broadway following a party. Bright and Gray had known each other since middle school, attended Laguna Beach High School together and had become roommates not long before Gray's death, according to the victim's mother. The...
Last week, attorneys filed a lawsuit against SXSW festival organizers on behalf of Lizzy, the widow Steven Craenmehr who was killed at SXSW last March by accused errant and drunk driver Rashad Owens. Owens was fleeing police when he allegedly killed Craenmehr, Jamie West, Sandy Thuy Le and DeAndre Tatum, all of whom died from being hit by Owens’ car. Twenty other people sustained injuries from the accident. The evidence against Owens is strong, but proceedings against the manare proceeding slowly, as often happens in the c...
The Santa Monica city council on Tuesday takes up a resolution against drilling for oil in Santa Monica Bay. The council has no authority over any current drilling proposals, so the vote is largely symbolic. But it will signal the position of civic leaders on a controversial drilling plan in nearby Hermosa Beach. In March, Hermosa Beach residents will consider whether to roll back a long-standing ban on oil drilling. A company called E & B Natural Resources is seeking permission to put up a rig on shore and sink 34 wells...
New Concierge Lounge at SM Place On December 23 at 10:00 am, Santa Monica Place held a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially inaugurate the new Concierge Lounge. In celebration of the grand opening, the public was invited to visit the Concierge Lounge during mall hours for refreshments. “The Concierge Lounge is fashioned for our guests to create a memorable experience,” said Shoshana Puccia, senior marketing manager, Santa Monica Place. “Because we have a heavy tourist attraction, we want to ensure their experience at our c...

Wisdom has never been a part of North Korean Dictator Kim Jong-un's education or he would have known that Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all. This proved true for the movie "The Interview" which broke new ground earning over $15 million with online purchases and rentals through Saturday. Shunned by traditional theaters after threats from hackers, the comedy earned nearly $3 million in theaters and was rented or downloaded over two million times since hitting the...

1. Transit Village Killed by Popular Revolt: 2/18/2014 Texas-based developer Hines will have to go back to the drawing board with its nearly 1 million-square-foot, five-building development proposed for the Papermate location on the north side of Olympic Boulevard between 26th and Stewart streets. The City Council on Tuesday voted unanimously that major adjustments needed to be made to the project before it could receive the council's blessing. Slow growth advocates and...
12 Magnitude Earthquake Hits near Rolling Hills, Palos Verdes An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 3.9 was felt by residents from Santa Monica to Cypress on Tuesday afternoon. The quake hit at 3:26 p.m. PT and was centered 14 miles south-southeast of Rolling Hills. Residents reported feeling shaking in Torrance, Porter Ranch, Valley Village, Hawthorne and Thousand Oaks. ABC7 Eyewitness Chuck Davis says he felt it at the Port of L.A. and thought his office on the pier was going into the water. There were no...

About 50-60 people attended a rally to honor the victims of what organizer Amanda Gordon called "Police abuse. Our goal was to bring awareness of the issue to our community, whichwant to keep the dialogue about race and equality going with numerous other nonviolent protests and events in our community," said Gorman, a SamoHi student. Fellow student organizer Zolee Griggs told the crowd: "We stand here today not for ourselves, but to honor the lost lives of far too many...

Elaine Polachek Named Santa Monica's Interim City Manager Elaine Polachek, Santa Monica's current Assistant City Manager has been named Interim City Manager as Rod Gould's retirement at the end of January nears. Mayor Kevin McKeown announced the unanimous selection of Polachek at the Council Meeting on December 16th. "With great confidence, our Council chose Elaine Polachek because of her long history with our city, her record of successful communication and collaboration with...
The City of Santa Monica is kicking off the final phase of improvements at Reed Park, which will focus on the 1-acre lawn in the northeast section of the park. The redesign will seek to better connect the lawn with the rest of this active park. Public input is needed to ensure that the design will meet community needs. Located along Wilshire Blvd between 7th Street and Lincoln Blvd, Reed Park is home to the historic Miles Memorial Playhouse, tennis courts, basketball courts, playgrounds, a senior lunch program, and offices...
Sony Pictures Entertainment handed a victory to its tormentors Wednesday, announcing it would pull a movie that has angered North Korea, amid reports that U.S. intelligence has connected the Thanksgiving hack on the studio to the isolated Communist state. In a statement, Sony said it decided not to release “The Interview” on Christmas Day as planned, “in light of the decision by the majority of our exhibitors not to show the film.” Five of the top theater chains in North America already announced earlier Wednesday that th...
Police chased a man suspected of stealing a car Wednesday evening from North Hollywood through Santa Monica to Malibu and all points between. The man drove erratically and was alone in the BMW that was reported stolen. The pursuit began around 6:45 p.m. at Whitsett Avenue and Valleyheart Drive. The driver often went as fast as 70 mph on surface streets. He blew red lights and went at “extremely high speeds” while he made a series of wide turns. The stolen car suspect zigzagged dangerously close to several cars and drove on a...

At the December 9 City of Santa Monica Council meeting all newly elected officials took the oath of office from City Clerk Sarah P. Gorman. Returning councilmembers Kevin McKeown and Pam O'Connor were sworn in for the fifth and sixth times respectively. Newly elected councilmember Sue Himmelrich took the oath of office. Kevin McKeown was unanimously elected mayor and Tony Vazquez will be mayor pro tempore....

by David Ganezer Observer Publisher Santa Monica is an egalitarian City, and everyone gets their chance to be Mayor. In a move that surprised no one, since it was arranged for in advance; Councilman Kevin McKeown was elected Mayor of Santa Monica by the other six City council members. He will be mayor for a one-year term, and then Councilman Tony Vazquez will succeed him in 2016. Vazquez was elected Mayor Pro Tempore. In 2016, Ted Winterer will be Mayor Pro Tempore (Latin...

With a major storm moving toward the Southland, the weather service is warning of wild weather including heavy wind and rain, thunderstorms, and low snow levels. residents near the Colby Fire burn area in Glendora were bracing again today for possible mudslides and flooding. The storm is expected to arrive in the Los Angeles area late Thursday and continue through Friday. National Weather Service forecasters said the storm could dump 1 to 2 inches of rain on coastal and...

Santa Monica, CA, December 12th, 2014: Local high school students, disappointed by the recent lack of justice for the victims of police brutality Tamir Rice, Mike Brown, and Eric Garner, turned their disappointment into motivation by organizing a large, youth-based protest in their Santa Monica community. The movement began when the students decided on impulse to walk out of their school and circle the block to join a national walk out on December 5th. Inspired by the act...
Dumpster Diving Called Lifestyle Crime When Ismail Aguirre removed old computers from a recycling bin, he never imagined that it might be a crime. An ever vigilant SMPD officer charged Aguirre with removing property from a city owned bin. Santa Monica City Attorney Jennifer Grigsby moved to dismiss the case, in Dept. 147 of the LAX Los Angeles Superior courthouse. Judge Deborah Brazil admonished Aguirre, “that it is illegal and you will be arrested if you remove materials from a city owned bin in the city of Santa M...
Torrance Mayor Pat Furey is seeking to oust his Santa Monica counterpart as the regional representative on the Metropolitan Transit Authority board, a role Pam O’Connor has held since 2001. O’Connor, a bus rider and professional planner who is a transportation policy wonk and “strong advocate for public transit,” has never been challenged during her tenure. But her most recent four-year term has expired and the mayors of the 19 South Bay and Westside cities that make up a subcommittee that recommends its representative to the...