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# Keeping it local
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/keeping-it-local-20080830/
- Published: 2008-08-30T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T20:54:22.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Events, Pier, #archive-import

This past week, Q-line asked: While Santa Monica features a number of attractions that consistently draw visitors from outside the city, there are some that believe they attract trouble. A gang-related shooting last week appears to have occurred just as the Twilight Dance Series concert was letting out at the pier confirming some of those fears.

Would you rather have the city become an isolated, sleepy beach town that would lack many of the superb services we covet, or continue with high-profile events and attractions that bring prosperity to the area? Here are your responses: “I’D PICK AN ISOLATED, SLEEPY BEACH town.”

“CALLING TO SAY THAT THE TWILIGHT Dance Series is probably the greatest thing that Santa Monica has had for the last 25 years. Our public events over the years have been canceled like the Fourth of July fireworks. The Twilight Dance Series is fantastic and should never be stopped.”

“SANTA MONICA IS WAY PASSED BEING able to go back to being a sleepy beach town. Where does it say that is has to be an either/or question? The question is, which of the high-profile events have brought a net profit to the city coffers. Who profited? How much of that profit was paid for through the use of city services? In other words, where does the money originate and where does it go?”

“WE ARE SANTA MONICA. WE DON’T want this prosperity corrupted by troublemakers. It used to be a beautiful town. We can’t even take our family and guests coming from out of town to our beach or shopping. The pier? Forget it. The pier has to have a limit of how many vendors it has. And do away with the Twilight Dance Series. The movie night is good.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 30, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/083008.pdf?ref=smdp.com)